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DerangedDiligence

I like to make stuff up. ^_^
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RP 101 - Ep.1

Welcome to Role-Playing 101. Now, you’re probably all confused about what this “course’s” focus will be so let’s cut right to it: the playing of a role, either for entertainment or educational purposes. If it were a fraction, I’d say the educational portion makes up your denominator; everything must always be divided by how educational the role-playing interaction is. That isn’t to say the interaction will be boring or uninteresting, you just have to make up your mind on what exactly you’re open to learning and how. Most people have a difficult time relating to other people they know, even when they are very similar. Perhaps you’re of the same religion or political party, due to this you feel an instant sense of camaraderie. But then you come to find out, one of these friends has a rather unsavory philosophy. Maybe they believe in the death sentence or government-sanctioned torture. Perhaps they’re pro-choice or pro-life. People have a number of reasons for believing the number of

RP 101

11 deviations
Literature

GM -for-Hire Text Examples

(This was the opener for a fantasy adventure one-shot I called Winterhaven. I’m always interested in running the same scenario with a new player or group of players so don’t be afraid to ask about it.) The snow on the ground was fresh, the air still and quiet in a brief moment of lull. Three feet of powder would need to be slogged through or carefully snow-shoed atop as each road was covered, naught but wood sign-posts – frozen in place with a layer of constantly growing ice – to lead the way. The starlight was crisp with a few, wisping mist-banks, the aurora overhead awash with green and blue. Sounds carried from a nearby tavern where windows that could just barely been seen held firelight beyond. Six chimneys adorned the massive, high-roofed building and each smoked busily, three on each side (north and south). Above the double doors hung the iced over sign which had a wood-carved head of some sort of saber-fanged feline, the wording below reading out: THE PANTHER’S DEN. This was

Fantasy+Horror

2 deviations
Literature

Bhulanti - cultural outline

Culture: Bhulanti (that goes for singular and plural)   Region: Bhulan, a mountainous nation known for its spiring peaks and misty groves; a rarity in the Kaswaran Wasteland.   Origin: The Bhulanti were born as many Kaswarans were, as a result of the Godbird’s direct intervention. He created the planet. He, then, created the Kaswarans. In return the Kaswarans worshipped him for 1,000 years until visitors from another planet wrecked everything and forced the Godbird to wipe the planet clean with a wave of magical radiation. Those that fled far enough away or underground or who had small patrons to protect them survived. The Bhulanti are one such race with one such patron, what they call the Earthmaker. They still worship the Godbird and understand why he did what he did and in a way, they feel responsible. Ancient Bhulanti were as welcoming to the foreign newcomers as any other tribe and in so being sowed their own undoing.   Political Structure: Or lack thereof. All of Bhulan adheres to a religious council which now serves as the nation’s only form of government. The leader of all Bhulanti is known as the Prime Bhular and can be of any sex or persuasion. Below the Prime Bhular are the three Grand Bhulams and below them the nine Bhuhu. This Grand Council serves the entire nation of Bhulan and generally has a representative from each skarr (the Bhulanti equivalent of counties). The Bhulanti people hold a massive sense of reverence and respect for their leaders and are known to bow humbly when they cross paths in public, closing their eyes in front of those of their elected council in a show of the purest respect. (To close one’s eyes in Bhulanti culture is to “see one only with their Cat’s Eye,” more on this later~)   Religious Structure: The Bhulanti worship not only the Godbird of all of Kaswara but also the minor spirits which wander the Wasteland. Given that all Bhulanti are now born with a natural Cat’s Eye, they also pay their respects to what they call the Earthmaker, the entity most Gol-Gal claim as their own. As a creator of minerals and Gol-Gal, the Bhulanti bow their heads among their children for without the magical essence within the oom’brahl stones, the Bhulanti might never have been spared from the cataclysm centuries prior. Now they have embarked upon a journey towards enlightenment, hearing whispers from both the Godbird himself and their newfound patron. With the gentle lullings of the deities’ words in the back of their minds, they engage in deep meditation to help discover this connection they never knew existed. As a result, Bhulanti culture is one of self-restraint and understanding of one’s limitations in the hopes of one day surpassing them.                 The 15 Pillars of Bhulan are akin to commandments or religious laws most adhere to with strict practice. Those Pillars are: ·         Seek knowledge, whatever its form. ·         Always share what one knows with others. ·         One shares without expecting something in return. ·         Look with your Cat’s Eye, not your eyes. ·         Breathe before you speak. ·         Speak only what you know. ·         Vow only what you can. ·         Build more than you break. ·         Remember oneself. ·         Never be ashamed of what one does not know. ·         Never cause harm to a place of nature or enable others to do so. ·         Never combat the balance of the Wasteland. ·         Never seek confrontation, confrontation will surely seek you. ·         Show what you long to have shown. ·         Bear no ties to the physical.   Military Structure: What you would call the Bhulanti “military” really equates to more along the lines of independent bhuls (militias) trained and maintained by also independent Bhularas (teachers/instructors/captains). While most Bhulanti do train with weaponry, they in no way need it to be fully effective in combat. A Bhulanti’s true prowess lies in their Divine Form and weapons do little to increase its effectiveness. Most families have been trained in some way, in some art of war; though the teachings are stressed to be defensive. That being said, it’s possible there are rogue Bhulanti who have forsaken their teachings for a life of danger and profit as a Desert Dog. The Wasteland Chase did negotiate to cross through their territory. It’s not unreasonable this sudden exposure to Kiilosian and Zef’yran culture has changed the motives of their youth. As a result, some of these bhuls might not be as well-disciplined as others. A worrisome fact for some Bhularas.   Magic Structure: In a world where the magical energy and essence is known as “oom’brahl,” the Bhulanti, like most indigenous Kaswarans, have their own name for this energy. To the Bhulanti, this energy is known as: Bha. Bha is within all things, living or non and the Bhulanti know this because they can see it; manipulate it. By closing their eyes, they see with their Cat’s Eye, a crystal that has been fused with the very center of their feral forehead and thus to their being. Each Cat’s Eye is not only unique in shape and mineral but also in elemental affinity which corresponds with the day of the week of the Bhulanti’s birth. If the Bhulanti week were to imitate the Kiilosian structure, their Sunday would be Sunsday. Monday would be Rainsday. Tuesday is Stormsday. Wednesday is Rumblesday. Thursday is Rootsday. Friday is Windsday and Saturday is Moonsday. In corresponding order, the elements are thus: fire/light, water, lightning, earth/mineral/metal, wood/plant-life, air/wind/oxygen and darkness/cold/entropy. Other, rarer Cat’s Eyes have been known to occur but there is little documentation; only a few folk tales whispering of a crystal that can control blood and another that can manipulate gravity itself.   Technology: While the Bhulanti have no technology of their own they have graciously accepted the Zef’yran’s offer to help arm them with weaponry which will help keep their airspace safe. These weapons are known as ARCs or Aether Retaliation Cores. Most look like thick, spear-like rifles with either one active barrel or two (one at each end). The barrels have an aether-gathering device which draws from the nearby air to manifest oom’brahl into weaponized energy. (Aether is what the Zef’yrans call oom’brahl.) As long as aethers/oom’brahl dwell/s nearby, the weapons can function.   Infrastructure: Bhulanti structures are as beautiful as they are mindful and functional. No measure of space is wasted or encroached upon. If they must build in a new area, they do their best to accommodate the natural layout without harming it. They will never cut trees down. They will never uproot flora. They won’t even dare move a stone. They will, however, carve into living stone to create caverns and farming shelves; something they do with the permission of the Earthmaker. As a result their tall, spire-like towers feed into what appear to be sheer mountainous cliffs with catacombs of structures deep within. The average home is like a hollowed cavern, hewn with care and supported with natural columns. Most beds are simply carved into the stone and then are heaped high with furs or dried grasses – whichever the tenant prefers – with chairs being mainly stone stools which can be rather heavy and difficult to move for foreigners. The towers are social places either of learning or training and serve as meeting halls for the council. For each month of the year, the Bhulanti have a tower upon their home mountain, each facing inward, towards the crater. Unlike the Kiilosian calendar, the Bhulanti acknowledge only seven months which correspond to their weekdays and are thus longer in day-count.   Racial Appearance: Growing between 6-7 Kiilosian feet in height, there is virtually no distinction between male and female Bhulanti, the concept of gender having all but been fully eradicated. Now Bhulanti all exist in a single, fluid gender which can be altered for the purposes of procreation. This evolution happened over time and solidified when the Cat’s Eyes no longer had to be inserted into an infant’s head but grew naturally. For roughly two centuries now the Bhulanti have all been born with a natural Cat’s Eye and an ability to change their cellular structure from male to female and back again; at will. As a felinoid – or feline-appearing humanoid – Bhulanti are born in the likeness of a wide range of predatory cats native to our planet Earth (and several not native). Due to this they can have a range of features and pelt colorations, all of which changes drastically when they assume their Divine Form. The Divine Form is accessible to all Bhulanti with a Cat’s Eye crystal though most children won’t learn how to take it until around age 12. They’ll attend special classes with peers their age and learn in the safety of one of the towers. Once they’ve mastered it, they graduate their middle course and move onto advanced training. The form will always reflect one or more of the elements associated with the Bhulanti’s day of the week but this does not mean they cannot learn arts from other elements. It simply means: doing so can be very, very difficult and will take far more training and tenacity to achieve. Because the Divine Form is affected by its element, the Bhulanti might very well become partially ethereal in nature when they assume it. Bhulanti who resemble a lion may have a mane that manifests as flame. A jaguar of entropy might be solid black and able to shift his existence to the Realm of Shadows. A caracal of wind might become a tornado with teeth. Each Bhulanti is different and their Divine Form even more unique. Two arms, two legs, one head: the Bhulanti are pretty normal as far as Wasteland evolutions go though they have developed a unique trait: climbing talons. Extra claws which manifest as “climbing talons” grow on the underside and back of every Bhulanti’s forearms and calves. These are non-retractable, unlike their normal claws (except those Bhulanti born like cheetahs), and are bound to tendons which have grown to be ten times as powerful as their normal musculature. They are an emergency mechanism and a device used to help Bhulanti catch themselves from high cliffs or otherwise descend quickly in times of need. There is indeed a black market for Bhulanti talons as they are fabled to give the wearer immeasurable strength. Wasteland superstition never fades.   Society: Bhulanti society has grown both peaceful and introspective. They have become the questioners of ways, those seeking knowledge in all places. They cannot fathom cultures which defend their knowledge as though it is gold or gems, feeling as though knowledge is the property of all that inhabit the planet. Where they had once been viciously separated by sex, those traditions are now seen as the “old ways” and are often spoken of with distaste. Now life in Bhulan is the same no matter what you may be, the concept of gender disappearing into the fog of their history and evolution. They understand now…the Godbird helped them understand. The world is not forged of ink and parchment but rather…with all the colors of the cosmos. They – nor any other culture upon Benu – has the power to dictate another’s life or thoughts. It is…illogical and without merit. Now the Bhulanti are a welcoming culture, intrigued by the outside world but troubled at what it may bring; what changes it may mean for their home. They cannot stay on the outside forever, they’ve seen what that has done to other Kaswaran tribes. Better they make allies of the OWPS (One World Preservation Society) and its movement in the hopes it will help keep some of Kaswara…Kaswara.   Marvels: The Seven Towers of Bhulash stand as sentinels to the Bhulan Crater and its nearby spires. They overlook the other, sparse peaks and the lush valley below; one of few places of greenery within the Wasteland. They defend it viciously, the towers as much a way for them to monitor their land as they are monuments to their ideals. Each tower is marked with the color and symbol of its affinity and creates an aerial wonder to behold if one has the proper craft to observe. Below is the Crater itself, a literal Garden of Eden amongst so much flatland and waste. The high clouds of the Wasteland move their way towards the peaks where they deposit any moisture they’ve gathered. This natural irrigation of the peak cliffs feeding the valley has created a wonderful, primitive land that few ever get to see. One can only visit the garden with strict clearance from the Bhulanti which is a very, very rare occasion.   Cultural Stereotypes and Taboos: While there are few social taboos there are definite no-no zones within Bhulanti land. The main, of course, being the Bhulan Crater and garden. An escort is REQUIRED to even gain access to the pathways that lead downwards. Climbing the cliffs would be inadvisable and taking a flying craft inside without clearance is akin to an act of war. Special circumstances are accepted in case of emergencies and the Bhulanti never open fire even on those they see as hostile. They’ll let them land, first, try and get the story straight before taking them into custody. Socially, however, there are two things you never do in the presence of a Bhulanti. One: never speak negatively about someone you’ve just met or do not know. This will earn an instant look of distaste which the Bhulanti will do his best to explain. To speak without breathing, as a Bhulanti would say, is to speak without thinking. To speak in haste and to make assumptions are considered the worst of social offences. Let a person’s actions speak for them. Let the ripples of their existence speak to you. Do not carve their reality with your own chisel. Two: never, ever, EVER interrupt or speak over a councilmember. This is considered high bad form and can earn swift reprimand and a lecture on respect most would really rather avoid. As for stereotypes, there are several and they go both ways. Most Desert Dogs assume the Bhulanti pacifists but this is very much untrue. In turn, most Bhulanti assume Kiilosian Desert Dogs to be hostile and dangerous – an also untrue notion given how many work openly with the OWPS. I’ll add more over time, I’m sure, but I’d love to hear some ideas from other players out there. Especially if you’re adapting them to your own world and changing them up a bit.   Naming Structures: The sounds most common in the Bhulanti tongue are bhu, ka, sa, ma, bo, sho, la and ar. As a result, most naming structures follow some combination thereof, with a few oddballs thrown in when parents want something unique. While the sounds themselves have no literal translation, each denotes its own idea or concept that is used to help form the idea of the child themselves. Bhu is understood to be wisdom. Ka is cunning. Sa is awareness. Ma is inner calm. Bo is tenacity. Sho is compassion. La is justice and ar is the questioning. Bhusasho, Lakaar, Arbola, Shoshosa, Kabhulaar are examples of common Bhulanti names (but feel free to develop your own naming concepts and corresponding sounds! The Bhulanti language is ever-growing.).   Clothing Style: In the cold of their high, desert mountains the Bhulanti tend to dress in thicker, warmer clothes which takes the form of long-sleeved tunics and coats with cuffed sleeves and sash-like collars. Trousers of native hides cuff just below their feral knees while their feetpaws are most often clothed in sewn, toeless socks of similarly tanned and treated hides which help repel cold. Identical gloves usually adorn their hands while hats that allow their ears to escape will sit atop some heads.   Court and Legal System: The court of Bhulan is controlled by the council itself though proxy judges may be selected within the communities themselves where the crime occurred. The ability to see with a Cat’s Eye makes the entire process a little stream-lined. Falsehoods and ill deeds can manifest as marks upon a person’s spiritual energies and makes it difficult for false accusations to stick or for liars to talk their way out of justice. Due to this most cultures respect Bhulanti law and try desperately to not offend them or violate their tenets. The Bhulanti and Daegu are two of very few races to hold this sense of reverence for their personal law from outsiders. If a criminal is found guilty their sentence could vary depending on the crime itself. Minor crimes can result in fines or terms of service in temples to work off debts. Major crimes can result in imprisonment or extradition to the criminal’s country of origin if their punishments are more severe.   Rites and Ceremonies: Four major ceremonies and rites stand out amidst the rest and those are for marriages, births, deaths and celebrating the spiritual new year. Marriages are grand affairs for entire villages that manifest as tiny festivals where even visiting outsiders are invited to attend. There’s a tradition that the most foreign of the outsiders is always asked to toast the newlywed couple so that the Bhulanti can hear such powerful concepts and themes translated by a multitude of cultures and people. If no outsiders are present then someone as far removed from the family is asked in their stead. Deaths and births are strangely very similar to marriages. In fact, some travelers become nervous when they spot festival lanterns hanging upon village archways and towers since it could mean the celebration of life OR death. To the Bhulanti, death is not an ending but a beginning, a marking of the spiritual journey one must eventually embark upon. The corporeal can only teach a soul so much. Traveling the cosmos and the in-betweens are what help an entity truly grow and understand. Farewells can be painful, yes, and tears may be shed but in the end, it is a happy affair which spreads far more cheer than gloom; especially if the deceased had been in pain before their passing. The same tradition applies, foreigners are still asked to speak and in this case in the form of a eulogy (or inspiring messages of wisdom for births). They will first be given a chance to speak to the immediate family and hear their different perspectives on the deceased (or aspirations for the newly birthed) so they can formulate their own opinion whereas with weddings they just have to listen in on their own and hope it’s enough. Now, take all three of those ceremonies and multiply them by 100,000; now you have the festival which is held at the end of the spiritual new year which all of Bhulan celebrates. For three days every village, every road, every tower, every roadside inn is turned into the grandest of party scenes with lanterns, food vendors and all manner of entertainment provided by local and/or traveling performers. Not surprisingly, fireworks are the favored form of amusement.   Mating and Procreation: To a Bhulanti, love, marriage and procreation are all very serious matters. They do not believe in arranged marriages and, if anything, encourage their youth to meet many people and form many bonds for love can flower in many different ways for many different individuals. Marriages aren’t necessarily between two entities but rather can be the joining of many souls into one family. This polyamorous outlook has evolved over time and in the newest decades has been embraced wholeheartedly. Guana bos (a sometimes derogatory slang term for Guanalapana prostitutes that travel the globe in troupes of artists and performers. Not all performers are bos but all bos are generally performers.) helped alter this course of philosophic thinking when they began visiting Bhulanti villages. Like most cultures, the Bhulanti were heavily impacted by the exotic and intoxicating presence of the Guana and still invite them to their communities like clockwork. Also as a result of this cultural exchange, a few Bhulanti began taking Guana wives and husbands to create a cross-bred Multa (*Multa is the term for hybrids of all shapes and sizes either between Kaswaran tribes or outlying island cultures like the Tylwyth, Kiilosian and Zef-yran. I’ll cover all their cultures soon!). To the locals, these hybrid Guana and Bhulanti are known affectionately as Bhugana and now make up a third of their population. That said, this should make it rather clear that despite their state of alternating sex, Bhulanti have no trouble breeding and procreating with other mammalian cultures. They can even breed with a few reptilians and avians though the birth rate is exceedingly low. As long as the culture of the mate they’re approaching doesn’t cringe at the thought of their partner being able to fluidly switch from male to female, the Bhulanti do just fine. As far as mating rituals go, Bhulanti are conversationalists; they need to understand an individual’s mind before they can become attracted to the body. It’s why Guana had such an impact on their culture. The monkey-kin’s natural pheromones and outlook on life are still having echoing effects on the Bhulanti (and many other cultures, similarly). It’s allowed the Bhulanti to look at life with a different perspective and thus extend that understanding towards other cultures lifestyles.   Native Foods and Fare: Many of the foods and dishes of Bhulan center around meats and vegetables raised and grown locally. The favorite meat source comes from an animal known as a ramyak and all cuts and bones are harvested for a menagerie of dishes. Rice and wheat grains are grown to make all manner of noodles alongside several types of bush and tree nuts. They have native spices similar in form and flavor to cumin, coriander, paprika and a root that comes in two forms to imitate garlic and ginger. Ramkyak Bho is the most common dish served all around the region and consists of a thick, hearty stew with meat, a lentil-like legume and any given amounts of vegetables and spices depending on village or family recipe. They might even serve the dish with a side of fresh-boiled noodles or grilled vegetables to be added at the diner’s leisure. Greshna is another popular dish seasoned a multitude of ways though usually ending up as salty. A type of bean is fermented to create a savory sauce that is used as a topper for any amount of noodles, vegetables or even plain rice and will thus turn any stir-fry dish into greshna. It’s common to ask for goldhen poultry as a protein which turns the dish into Goldhen Greshna. Certain grains are fermented to make the two most popular types of alcohol in Bhulan: sishu and lanti. Sishu is a clear liquor which is known to be especially strong while lanti is a milder wine mixed with the grain liquor to create a multitude of flavors and effects. Lanti is so popular most households have a decanter somewhere and it is often served with their evening meal, even to children. Another popular fare found both within and outside of Bhulan is peakflower tea. Peakflower tea is one of the most popular teas in Benu and became as such once Bhulan started exporting it. Its calming effects are prescribed medicinally and the dried flower can even be smoked for a much more poignant effect. Some cultures have banned the dried flowers for their intoxicating effects while others simply have guidelines in place to make certain operators of vehicles and people in jobs that require vast amounts of discretion do not imbibe while on-shift. In most places alcohol is legal, peakflower is as well.   Art and Music: The Bhulanti practice a wide variety of art forms from painting to sculpting to dancing and many forms of music. Natural plant and mineral dyes in the region gave them access to hues of blue, red, orange, yellow, black and white and so much of their art reflects this palette. Stone-carving is a traditional favorite and most artisans use a pale, milky stone known as belem that comes in shades of orange, red and blue. Traditional dances of Bhulan are generally grand and expertly-rehearsed but as of lately their culture has taken on tones of the Guana’s fast, rhythmic dancing for smaller events and celebrations. Dancing which requires far less dancers and thus can be improvised much, much more. This break from tradition has offered them a breath of fresh air, the Bhulanti more than happy to learn and absorb aspects of other cultures they find pleasing. On a similarly relative note, they have taken an interest in modern medicine thanks to a team of traveling researchers staying in their temples. This exchange of information made the Bhulanti aware of how much about physiology they didn’t understand. They understood the mind, sure; the spirit, absolutely. But the body…? That has always been a rather mysterious concept to them and with the introduction of anatomy books and mentors they’ve made leaps and bounds ever since making the discovery.   Travel and Transportation: There are three preferred modes of travel in Bhulan: ramyak-drawn cliff trolleys that have both vertical and horizontal paths, similarly drawn wagons for the outer plains and the simplest of all: saddled ramyak. About half the population of Bhulan utilizes these modes of travel while the other half simply walks. As a result, ramyak breeding for transportation is still a healthy occupation and prized breeders are known by name across the region. Same with trolley maintenance. With the introduction of Zef’yran technology, Bhulan has been able to make leaps and bounds in their engineering. They now have special classes taught by Zef’yran and Tylwyth machinists and engineers in an effort to make such advances more commonplace.   Folktales and Fables: The Stone and the Traveler – A traveler walked along a path whistling a tune when suddenly a stone on the path began to whistle with him. “Well you are an interesting thing,” the Bhulanti remarked aloud, to which the stone replied, “Well you are an interesting thing!” The traveler was amused and chuckled as he struck up a conversation with a stone, “Well, now, do you speak or are you simply a mockingrobin?” “I am more than a mockingrobin.” The stone replied. Now the traveler was confused and scratched his maned head, “What are you? A spirit toying with me? What need have you of me?” “Your voice.” It replied. “My voice?” The traveler asked, again, confused. “You’ve already heard it.” “I need you to say specific words. Doing so will return me to my original state.” “Your original state?” The Bhulanti mused with another chuckle. “And what was that? A great mountain?” “A traveler, like you.” Confused but feeling more and more as though he weren’t speaking with a spirit, the Bhulanti asked, after some consideration, “What do you need me to say…?” The stone said simply: “Your lesson has been learned, let your true form return.” “Has your lesson been learned…?” the Bhulanti asked. “Yes!” The stone cried, “I was foolish enough to steal back charity I donated to one of Earthmaker’s shrines! I’ve been trapped here for months! No one would answer me! Please…I’ve learned my lesson…! From now on I will donate half of my profits to the Earthmaker! I swear! I understand the mistake I made!” The traveler paused, considered the entirety of the story and then said, “Your lesson has been learned, let your true form return.” In a bright flash of light the stone’s form melted away and as the light faded, another figure came into view. It was another Bhulanti, a richly dressed merchant who looked both exhausted and relieved. He ran to his savior’s side to happily clap him upon his shoulder and heartily shake his hand, “You have my thanks!” “Don’t thank me,” the traveler corrected, “just keep your promise. Heaven knows what the Earthmaker will do if you don’t.” “You have my word!” The merchant cheerfully vowed, inviting the traveler to his home for a feast. The merchant’s relieved family was overwhelmed and showered the traveler with gifts he insisted be donated to the nearest Earthmaker shrine. Moral: We do not take back what is given.   The Lonesome Hermit – A lonesome hermit sat upon his porch and mused over all the things he hated: “Noisy cities. Ain’t nothin’ been the same since all these folks started stickin’ together in great, big piles! Puh…miss the music, though…the music was nice… But then you had all these new folks travelin’ through, all this change, people bringin’ new weapons n’ the like…where’s it end??? Do miss flyin’, though…them sky barges were nifty. But then you got them newfangled machines they wants to bring in and get rid of a bodies need to do for hisself! Puh…sure wish I had one o’ them medical boxes, though, with them instant-cleaner needles…but I don’t want no one bargin’ on my land!” Moral: We often pine for the very things we wind up shunning.   The Stork and the Sable – A stork once spied a sable caught in a Desert Dog’s snare and, upon realizing the creature’s plight, descended to land within its view. The sable darkened her expression and snarled, caught though she was in the wire of the trapper’s snare and bleeding from a wounded paw. The stork calmly approached in the way storks do, with long, wide paces and a stoic expression. “Leave me to die in peace! Or do you seek vengeance for something one of my kind has done to yours?!” “I seek no such thing, she-sable.” The stork replied, pausing two paces away from the trapped predator. “I wish to aid you.” “Aid me?!” the sable laughed, wincing as her paw was cut further upon the tangled wire. “Why in the world would you do that?” “Because, she-sable,” the stork continued as he pressed forward within striking range, though he never struck. Instead, he used his beak to untangle the wire from her paw and loosen it enough to set her free. She looked puzzled as he smiled to conclude, “I’d rather sew seeds of alliance than enmity. One day I may be stuck in a hunter’s snare…” The sable, flabbergasted but amused, could only lick at her injured paw and chuckle softly, “And I suppose, one day…I might help you from it.” “Precisely.” Came the stork’s quiet response. Moral: Friends are worth more than enemies.

Culture Clash: Original Races-Species

1 deviation
Literature

Hounds of Hell

The hounds of Hell are barking, son, the hounds of Hell, they come! And never will they care of all the battles you have won. They'll tread upon your dreams and thoughts and all things in-between, They'll puppet all your confidence then tamper with the seams. Despair they'll bring in waves unmatched, pure chaos it will be, A world of worry, hate and shame to break our terrors free. They'll bite your heels, they'll rend your flesh and gnaw upon your bones, They'll cackle as they prostrate you to leave you weak and prone. But stand you well before the tide, shut out the wicked sound, For they have no true power here, so purge the dog from hound. Without our pain to weaken us, without our offered ear, The hounds will soon be quick to learn that WE are what they fear. ~ Poet's Commentary and Breakdown ~ "The hounds of Hell are barking, son, the hounds of Hell, they come!" (Antagonists come in all shapes, sizes and forms but "hellhounds" makes for a great umbrella term for the lot of

Poetry

38 deviations
Literature

The End of the Two-Legged Winter - Ch.1

Within prehistory mankind struggled against the most overwhelming odd of all: the wild. The beasts were both his prey and predators. Its environment both its safety and its sense of terror. All existed within the laws of survival and balance. And all were balanced. But as years turned and mankind evolved, so did their wild brethren. As humanity split into tribes and nations, the beasts thus were split into similar sub-species and cultures. The feathered brethren became colorful and brilliant, their migrations revealing to them how swiftly a land can change. The furred brethren split in several directions and became awkwardly unique, serving a multitude of purposes in a multitude of biomes. The scaled ancestors remained, some largely unchanged, some evolving from a world which was in a constant state of flux. From this evolution came both order and disorder. As the wilderness responded with suitable changes to behavior to better suit the slow alteration of their planet, mankind did the

The End of the Two-Legged Winter

1 deviation
Literature

Wide Open Spaces - Ch.1

Wide open spaces. That’s what Dean’s therapist had recommended. “Places where the trees touched the sky and the earth stretched on forever.” At least…that’s what she’d said. It all sounded so poetic and well…overly romanticized, in Dean’s opinion. But in the end…he’d ultimately agreed. It was his own fault for mentioning that he’d gone on a back-packing trip when he was in pre-law. The trip had actually gone quite poorly due to unforeseeable weather patterns and was cut short – always a point of disappointment in some way. Perhaps because he never had the chance to finish what he started and that, in and of itself, may have laid the path he now walked. But that was just more psycho-mumbo-jumbo, as far as he was concerned. Just because he didn’t finish law school didn’t mean him not finishing some stupid backpacking trip was responsible for it; nor anything that happened after. No…none of that really correlated but when the woman had suggested taking a backpacking trip to help get

Wide Open Spaces

1 deviation
Literature

Human Nature: The Strawberry Sadist - ep.1

 A rhythmic bubbling came from a small, five-gallon fish tank which sat upon the weathered fiber-board of some manner of shoddy, build-it-yourself table. A lone, fancy-tailed goldfish of orange and black swam within the tank, accompanied by a lifeless LEGO diver and “gold-filled” treasure chest amidst the multi-colored stones; a skull-shaped cave with the paint half-gone and overgrown with algae sitting center-tank like some manner of obelisk. Beyond the dimly-lit and softly bubbling fish tank was the tiniest of offices, Spartan in every sense as it seemed to possess only a small desk with a swivel chair, filing cabinet and anot

Human Nature: The Strawberry Sadist

1 deviation

Wardens of Paradise

1 deviation
Literature

AI PSA for ALL Role-players and GMs! Please share!

My friend and I just interacted with what we believe was an AI algorithm being actively tested and adjusted by a programmer. We are both experienced role-players of many years. We’ve run many games. Many systems. Many genres. As a result, we’ve spoken to many people. This makes it easy for us to tell when the responses we’re receiving aren’t the sorts of responses a *human* would give. This wasn’t an ESL problem. This was a literal, communicative deviance. The AI (which was pretending to be a GM with an original world which was very basic and cookie-cutter, another red flag) pretended to be human. To be a person with an idea and a world. They claimed to be a GM yet they didn’t understand the subtleties of GMing. Imagine speaking with a human and having them stare, blank-faced at you, when you ask them a question as simple as, “What are you looking for?” They struggle. Fumble. Come up with the simplest, most logical responses. That’s not a human being. That’s a computer

Scraps

11 deviations