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All Welcome  - [regime auditions] THE SHELLBARK INCIDENT

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Played by Offline Callynite [PM] Posts: 75 — Threads: 22
Signos: 50
#1


Regime Audition: The Shellbark Incident

The note goes out mid-morning, posted on the front steps of the castle, the door to every tavern and shop in the city. An owl is sent to nail a copy to the post outside the library. Pages are sent hither and thither through the edge of the woods and the meadow to the small, quiet houses that sit there. It is a simple note, written in formal, but not flourishing, script:

I’m sure there are those of you that would want to prove yourselves as a member of Dawn’s regime, now that the crown has turned over. If so, I have a task for you. You only have to volunteer.

King Andras


Above each board sits a cardinal, red as blood, red as Illuster’s poppies, that taps at a tube of rolled parchment. Its eyes are black, and expectant, waiting for your reply. It seems you need only find something with which to write it.



Days later, just long enough to collect the volunteers needed, the replies are sent out, envelopes stamped with Delumine’s seal in forest green wax. These, too, clearly come from the king. As soon as you take the envelope and begin to tear it open, there is a sense of foreboding about the whole endeavor. Perhaps you take it inside to read. Some things, you might think, are not meant for everyone’s eyes.

And we all know the woods are watching.

Thank you. Your help will not go unrewarded.

You and the other volunteers will meet at The Leaning Tree in three days’ time. It’s an inn I used to frequent on the edge of town. There’s an alley outside one can’t see from the doorway, and this should be where you gather initially. I won’t say it’s a delicate operation but it does desire some degree of tact, considering.

Your first task is to find a man who goes only by Hops, though he may have changed names since the last anyone of any repute contacted him. Hops is a tracker, and you will need him for the long road ahead. There’s something large in the woods; it’s been shaking the trees. All the city guards sent to hunt it down have either turned up too stunned to speak any sense or haven’t turned up at all.

They have only ever said “it’s dead,” when asked what they saw. Hopefully, it is exactly as dead as they say-- but I, and now you, since you’ve heard of it, I’m sure, would sleep more peacefully seeing it for myself. I will try to meet you once your excursion is underway.

Welcome to the trial, my friends. May it be a simple one.

King Andras





The Shellbark Incident is a test to determine the next Regent and Sovereign of Delumine, and is meant to function like a sort of mini D&D campaign wherein you are tasked with working together to find the tracker, Hops, and convince him to lead you to whatever entity is disturbing the woods. You will interact with each other and several NPCs and need to use a variety of skills, but the challenge does not favor any one type of character for either role. After all, Andras is Dawn King. We don’t do normal here, anymore.

(Even if you are not interested in the regent or emissary positions, you’re still welcome to join in! Members of the court who participate will be receiving 20 signos from the dawn stipend and also it should just be fun. ;) )

Each character gets one “action” per turn. One “turn” ends each time everyone gets a chance to post. The success of each action is determined by a 20-sided die roll, with results on a scale depending on the number.
1-5 is a critical failure
6-15 is a mixed success, meaning you accomplish your goal but may lose other ground in return
16-20 is is a success

An action is anything that your character interacts with, so speaking to someone, or examining an object, or making an attack. Moving around does not count as its own action unless you are leaving a room/area.

Everyone’s first posts will be their introduction to the team. Everyone will have two weeks to put their name in the running, after which the adventure will truly begin. These introductions can include as much or as little information as you’d like regarding how you came to be here, your motivations, etc.

Under your first IC post, you will need to pick one of four skills to excel in:
Attack (your ability to do damage)
Defense (your ability to take damage)
Diplomacy (your ability to speak with others and their likelihood to hear you out)
Subversion (used for sneaking, persuasion, and any theft)

Your character’s preferred skill will get +5 on each roll. Because each character can only have one preferred skill, it’s recommended to strategize who does what to get the highest chance of success. You’re welcome to strategize in the #dawn_court channel on discord. ;)

Everyone will have until February 12 to respond, which is two weeks. After all interested parties are collected, deadlines will be shortened to one week after the @’Official Dawn Court’ account rolls results. Like I said, responses don’t have to be long, so hopefully this ends up being a reasonable amount of time.

Final results will be decided by a point count, based on successful actions, those types of actions, with bonus points added to scores based on a member vote. :)

Your first task: Everyone who would like to participate will reply to this thread with their introductory post and their preferred skill of choice. Please tag @’official dawn account’ in your replies.








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Played by Offline Chaosy [PM] Posts: 143 — Threads: 21
Signos: 0
Dusk Court Blacksmith
Male [He/Him/His]  |  Immortal [Year 498 Summer]  |  21 hh  |  Hth: 22 — Atk: 18 — Exp: 49  |    Active Magic: Solar Manipulation  |    Bonded: Telum (Dragon)
#2

This flaming guardian could be your worst nightmare...

A letter... This was definitely a new way to look at speaking to your citizens. The dark grullo roan stallion flicked an ear, his golden eyes glowing slightly as he stalked through the court. It was a brighter day, one where others might actually be able to tell he wasnt as solid ebony as most thought. As he himself often thought since he rarely looked at his dark pelt and the subtle mottling across his frame.

Thank you. Your help will not go unrewarded.
Welcome to the trial, my friends. May it be a simple one.
King Andras

The merchant stallion, built like a warrior, frowned as he once again read the missive. He began to stalk through the court, his ebony and gold mane and tail gleaming in the sunlight. His dual wings were neatly tucked away, gleaming golden hooves peeking through the moon-kissed lower limb feathers. Approaching the indicated building, he paused in the shadows. Not that the shadows were as successful of a place to try to stay unnoticed lately. Since the stallion had been touched by his magic, he had noticed that he had sporadic glows appearing from his eyes, hooves, and even his sets of flight feathers. Definitely put a damper on his stealth abilities.

Locating the alley that was mentioned in the missive, Sol stalked through the court with a measure of tactful stealth. He didnt do anything that could draw attention, though the random glowing bits did make it hard to be perfectly innocuous. Once he had arrived in the alleyway, Sol moved to an area that was clear of debris and settled in to wait. He wouldnt mind being someone useful to the court, if the new Sovereign would have him.

"Speaking"
@Official Dawn Account
Notes: Sol would like to excel in Attack please <3


CREDIT to Miss Sparkle (offsite)






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Played by Offline Tatrahis [PM] Posts: 13 — Threads: 4
Signos: 110
Inactive Character
#3





Quiet words penned by their new king had become of a different sort on the lips of the people. Over and over he had heard varied versions of Andras' call for volunteers. Whispered by some. Shouted by others. Whether they shouted or whispered all claimed that it would be they who would be of the most help to Andras.

Lovis sat in the most secluded corner of the tavern, with untouched ale before him. The woman who had served it to him had been a flirt. He had no desire to hasten her return with empty mug. Anytime that she looked his way he tilted his mug to show how full it still was. To himself, Lovis chuckled at her disappointment. Content with having staved off her return he would then return to surveying the life of the tavern.

Lovis took much enjoyment in watching folk. He distanced himself from his kinsmen of Delumine but he craved companionship. Watching them go about their lives was how he convinced his wanting heart that he was a companion to what he saw.

He knew that Sonrik's daughter, Isna, was to be wed soon.
Lovis would drop off flowers and some coin for the bride to be.

He knew that Yala's health was failing her and that her son was at his wits end.
Lovis would drop off herbs at her door.

Lovis knew them. He knew them even if he kept them from knowing him.



A disheveled man threw himself to mercy of the chair at the table next to Lovis' own. The one who had sat there before him had abandoned an almost empty mug in favor of dragging a rather willing woman to dance with him to a lively tune. The forgotten mug rattled about and fell, spilling the meager contents left; whenever the man jostled the table.

Lovis watched the other fellow fret over a letter that he wrestled from his satchel. Lovis watched him smear the ink whenever he tried wiping away the spilled drink he accidentally sat the envelope in. The man looked terror struck. Concern for the other kept Lovis' eye upon him.

Whenever the trembling hand of the other shook itself free from the letter and it drifted to the floor Lovis bent and he took it to his own, steady grasp. Hoping to be of use, Lovis pried and scanned the writing on the heavy paper. Still bent, he looked up coldly to the one who had dropped it. He stood so that he might stand taller over the other fellow still shrunken in fear, "You are not for this." The other man did not look at Lovis. Though Lovis' expression was carved from ice his words were not without kindness. Not without mercy.

Some men were meant only for the books. Once Lovis himself had lived a life in which it was all he was meant for. Once Lovis had tried to be more and it had been the death of him. The death of the man he had been.

Time had reshaped him. It and Oriens had molded him into something that they saw fit. Something deemed to be more useful. What Lovis had been was no longer of any matter. He was what he was. He envied the man that he left sitting in the tavern, the man who tried to hide his relief whilst Lovis walked to the alleyway in his place.



"I am Lovis," there was no need to announce from whence he hailed. Grimly he mulled over how only one, who had answered the call of Andras, had shown themselves. All the noise that he had listened to had been naught more than just that. Noise. Talk. Bluffing.

Sullen, Lovis watched the swinging of a store sign. He heard the imploring cry of the store bell, crying for the shopkeeper to aid an impatient customer. How disheartening it was that such a city had not been more willing to offer themselves.

Lovis waited for whatever was to come next. And for whatever was to come after that. He wondered what they might find and steeled himself for whatever it might be. To bed Lovis put his heart of a scholar and in its place he called forth the heart of a soldier, the heart that was ready to do what it must for Delumine.

@Official Dawn Account | I suppose we are going to go with our boyo, Lovis, excelling in Diplomacy.







Ameameridian

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