The Wanderers
Greetings and salutations, humans and visitors of the Escapist, particularly the RP forum. 'Tis I, Combined, here to present you with an RP of my own creation, co-hosted with Sparrow. Without further ado, I give unto you, for your consideration, The Wanderers.
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Story
[/HEADING]It is the year of our Lord, 1868. 29 years have passed since the great cataclysm that tore our world apart. Earthquakes splintered the many continents, floods overtook the land and for a hundred days the sky was dark. Who survived gathered in the continent of Africa and created the last bastion of civilized human life. It is a small nation, but within this small period of time, it has managed to rebuild, to adapt and, most importantly, to improve. That is, however, a story for another day... Today, we talk about a lone wanderer in the desert, a hermit of the sand.
The last drops of water from the weathered leather canteen reached the dry sand underneath the traveller's feet. It didn't seem to have any effect, apart from a few wisps of vapour that reached towards the skies, before dispersing. The traveller was an odd sight in this harsh world. Many prefer to stay indoors, even fewer venture outside the city walls. And yet there stood a madman, who braves the storms of dust, the sun and the uncountable perils of the Deep Desert.
He slowly climbed down the hill, his backpack dragging behind him as he entered the final stretch of his journey. This small, unimpressive man was called here by the highest authority in the civilized world, to the Capital of the last human nation. He reached the bottom of the hill and looked on, carefully observing his environment. The city was barely visible in the distance from the very edge of the great plains, where the desert walker stood. Here channels of irrigation stretched for miles, filling the arid ground with much needed water. Large mechanical contraptions worked these fields, harnessing the power of steam engines, which, in this brave New World, have been used as much as possible.
The traveller puts no stock in these machines, but he had no time to look at them. Hours passed as he made his way towards the city. At long last, after months of braving the boiling days and freezing nights, he reached the gates. They were made of the finest steel and tailored to look impressive - the motifs of skulls entangled with wire and plant life inspiring awe and fear into all who look upon the entrance to New Carthage. The man knocked on the door in a specific way and a small door, barely noticeable when closed, opened. The traveller was rushed in and the door closed again.
This was civilization. Top hat wearing nobility, neat soldiers, rich merchants, machinists, inventors and many more, all milling around with only their job in mind. The traveller strode down the main street towards the palace. He knew this city. He knew the quarters, the people. Every street was burned into his memory the last time he was here. As he approached the palace, he gradually wiped himself of the dust and sand of the desert. Everywhere he went, people would look at him. Some would sneer in disgust, some would look at him in awe. The children, who've heard of travellers, followed him, asking for tales of the outside. But the sand walker brushed them all away, since he had an important meeting to attend to.
As by the gate, the traveller was quickly rushed to a small side room near the palace, after all, royalty would probably not look upon such a filthy adventurer lightly. Inside, the most important man in the world waited for him with an offer of, perhaps, the most dangerous mission ever conceived.
Field Marshall Van Zwolle, the commander of the last contingent of civilized troops, hero of the Plain War, sat, his elaborate armour and clockwork apparatus shining in the rather dim light due to the numerous golden ornaments inscribed upon them, making the Marshall a sight to behold. The traveller, in comparison, looked pathetic - a dirty, ripped and, in some places, patched uniform; a small breastplate filled with holes; a Safari helmet and, most importantly of all, a cloth mask, an elaborate skull pattern painted onto where the face was. From the two murky and dark holes that functioned as the skull's eye sockets, the traveller would see all, but none would see him. The sand walker was just a tiny man, against this military giant. But both of them were just as famous and both were of similar age.
They spoke plainly. Hours passed as the discussion took place within. When the sun had descended, the traveller left. In his hand, he held a thousand New Carthage pounds and a bag of documents. Perhaps, it was time we were introduced to this person, who went by the simple name of H. W. Smith. He was a famous traveller, known for his great pre-cataclysm deeds. At 18, he had explored parts of South Africa and fought the Zulu savages with the voortrekkers. At 19, he had travelled the great river of the Congo. So followed years of adventure and daring. Newspapers would print his exploits and people everywhere cheered when he came around. An entire generation of youngsters was inspired by this young Goliath who had seen half of the world by the time he was 23.
And then it happened. The day when the Apocalypse engulfed and enveloped the earth. It started with lights in the sky. It ended with the exodus to Africa. So much time has passed and yet, he remembers all. He shook the thoughts from his head and moved along to do what he had to.
When the sun came up, H.W. was standing upon a barrel in the centre of the town square. He shouted, as the morning crowd was beginning to form, when it had dispersed, he shouted even louder when it was noon and people gathered in the square, going about their daily business.
"Adventurers needed for great expedition to explore the unknown parts of our Earth! Several able and willing will be accepted on the journey! Large payments and glory for all who survive the journey!"
When he became tired, he just sat down on the barrel, hoping that the poster he had glued to the barrel and the promise of money would lure some useful would-be heroes here. He was too old for this.
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Summary and other Notes
[/HEADING]The Wanderers is a post-apocalyptic, steampunk, victorian era RP. That means that the action will happen in the mid-19th century while including various scientific and fantastic elements. Steampunk items are, however, not allowed at the start. You will find enough of them during travelling.
The starting setting is the continent of Africa - an arid, dry land of endless deserts. From there, characters will venture to all continents of the world, which are completely unexplored and thus hold a lot of perils and dangers.
The story is mainly focused on a small expeditionary team sent out to explore the world and their adventures on this great journey. Naturally, your characters will be part of this team. From there on, many things await you - travelling the world, fighting monsters, figuring out what happened to the world 29 years ago and, perhaps, unforeseen events and their consequences...
Players get a selection of 6 occupations:
Adventurers are brave men and women who travel the desert to trade and interact with distant communities. Often, they also search for valuable objects, battle creatures of the Deep Desert and map out the far borders of human expansion. A journey like this attracts them due to the promise of meaningful adventures and the possibility to broaden one's horizons, as well as the acquisition of experience and valuable items.
Machinists are technologically able humans who use their skills to repair, create and perform simple engineering deeds. While they're not as capable as inventors or steam engineers, they strike the perfect balance between brain power and physical abilities. A journey like this would attract them by promising gold and the chance to become famous, allowing them to rise in rank in the Guild of Engineers.
Soldiers are the pride and joy of the nation. They are, for the most part, extremely powerful and perform well with all standard forms of weapons, though lack the abilities to perform most technological tasks. They are second-to-none in fighting and often have their own uniforms (Similar to the British colonial forces in Africa and India [http://www.zuluwarart.co.uk/images/dhm1494.jpg]) and simple equipment, but rarely ever any other equipment. They fight for glory and the nation, willing to do anything to expand the borders of civilization.
Merchants are owners of small companies interested in trading with adventurers and people of the desert, as well as procuring all sorts of goods that they then sell to the masses. While not physically powerful, they are shrewd, cunning businessmen who know how to make money, know how to negotiate and often have a lot of funds. Perhaps a journey like this will attract them due to the possibility of finding new frontiers to trade with as well as attaining even more wealth.
Criminals are people of the shadows. Often, they are simple crooks willing to get money through not-so-noble deeds, though sometimes, they become hired mercenaries, experts at their craft of destruction and a select few rise to the rank of assassin. They may join a journey because they wish to lay low or just because of the gold. Some may wish to embark on such a voyage to further their aims in The Society of Shadow Dwellers and Assassins.
Nobles are the richest people in the Nation. While they do not possess great skill with technology or have incredible physical abilities, they perform well with basic weapons, are able to sail and ride and have unmatched diplomatic abilities. Nobles would join journeys such as this because they are tired of their way of life or just for the reward of glory and money.
Occupations are not exact templates for characters, but should be thought of more as guidelines to help you define your own. Variations are, of course, welcome and celebrated, but don't improvise too much.
In addition - KEEP YOUR CHARACTER SIMPLE. I know it's tempting to make an assassin or a an incredibly famous explorer, perhaps even a high-ranking officer, but don't. Keep him as simple as you can.
Keep in mind that class division is also a common thing. If your character comes from the lower classes, he will naturally speak more plainly than nobles and all of the upper class dwellers. While it's not necessary, using different manners of speaking would give it a bit more authenticity.
Also remember that your character is human and possesses a limited amount of skills depending on his occupation. Keep that in mind and make a character that has a realistic amount of skills, strengths and weaknesses. Also, try to limit his abilities a little. People joining this journey aren't incredible marksmen or master swordsmen.
Make your posts meaningful and do your best to write without mistakes and with proper punctuation. Thank you so much.
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Character #1 and demonstrating sheet:
[/HEADING]Name: Henry Weston Smith, A.K.A. The Shadow of the Desert.
Gender: Male
Age: 52 (Your characters age should be between 18 and 45)
Nationality: English (Should be any European nationality)
Occupation: Adventurer (Your character should be an adventurer, a machinist, a soldier, a merchant, a criminal, or a noble)
(Appearance, equipment to be defined in-story. Backgrounds should also be defined in-story and only if it's necessary. There's no need for inserting background information where it isn't necessary.
NO STEAMPUNK ITEMS ARE ALLOWED AT THE BEGGINING AND ITEMS SHOULD FIT THE PERIOD, thank you.)
Gender: Male
Age: 52 (Your characters age should be between 18 and 45)
Nationality: English (Should be any European nationality)
Occupation: Adventurer (Your character should be an adventurer, a machinist, a soldier, a merchant, a criminal, or a noble)
(Appearance, equipment to be defined in-story. Backgrounds should also be defined in-story and only if it's necessary. There's no need for inserting background information where it isn't necessary.
NO STEAMPUNK ITEMS ARE ALLOWED AT THE BEGGINING AND ITEMS SHOULD FIT THE PERIOD, thank you.)
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Closing Comments
[/HEADING]Thus, I hope you have found this interesting and will, at least, think about joining this RP. Thank you for your attention and time.
