A dim orange sun hangs motionless in a purple sky shimmering with stars. The grey rocky terrain, wildly uneven and treacherous, stretches up to beyond your sight in enormous pillars of rock, and gives way to deep rumbling chasms that stretch and contract as if the very earth was taking great, heaving breaths. Metal railings, pipes, platforms, and monuments can be seen jutting out from the rock, oftentimes only in brief segments, the rest of the ancient remnants remaining obscured from view. Strange organisms that cover the land like grass- teal in color and feeling the air with large cilia- retract into the earth to evade your footsteps. This place... Alarius... it is unlike anything you have ever seen.
However, there is a glimmer of warm familiarity in the distance: A settlement of sorts, built within and around a defunct research facility, its surroundings dotted with tents and vehicles. A plume of campfire smoke rises into the air from close to the structure, and people- actual living people!- are walking about, moving between the refuge and one of their vehicles, or huddled around the campfire. Maybe you can get some answers about this place... but for now, some food and a place to stay are more than enough.
I wanted to create a more traditional tavern instead of another 'experimental survival/tavern hybrid'. As fun as those were, I wanted to return to something a bit more relaxed- though, there still is room for exploration.
The Lore of Alarius:
You'll have to figure that out yourself... ;)
...what I can tell you, however, is that though this tavern's premise is based on the Axiom Verge games, it isn't set in the world of either of those games. I wanted to focus on nailing the atmosphere and feel of Axiom Verge, rather than try to recreate it. If you haven't played the games and have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry: You don't need to know anything about the Ax-Verg series to play here (though there might be a few sneaky easter eggs or references, but those aren't required in the least.)
The Rules:
No excessive swearing (censor swears with [1GP]), vulgar content, or hostility towards other tavern-goers. Be nice to each other, and keep things PG-13 at most.
No PvP, unless both sides agree to it ahead of time, and do it away from the Castaway's Hope Camp. We don't want a stray Fireball or bioweapon destroying someone's tent. Again.
Keep quote chains from growing too large. If the chain is long enough that you can't see the middle text, that's a sign that it's gotten too big.
No characters above level 8, please.
Have a backup character ready for if things go south. Combat isn't a big part of this thread, but it is a possibility.
Please don't destroy the Castaway's Hope Camp or equipment inside of it. That stuff's kinda important for surviving.
All PCs can't start with detailed knowledge on Alarius, its flora or fauna (or mecha?), or its history.
Have fun!
Cryptic Clues:
Alarius is more fluid than other worlds: Impossible things can happen with the right configurations.
You have all the keys within arm's reach- but not the arm one might expect.
Technology has no preconceived notion of what things are: It merely perceives without bias or thought.
With all that said, Alarius awaits your arrival, arms outstretched for a lethal embrace. Have fun, Castaways, and happy hacking!
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Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
*For some reason I'm getting Elden Ring vibes despite the wildly different setting.*
*Before I make a character, how should I intro them? Waking up from a pod/coffin/deep slumber? Being air/space dropped? There are so many options, but I don't want to do anything that would mess up any worldbuilding.*
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Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
*For some reason I'm getting Elden Ring vibes despite the wildly different setting.*
*Before I make a character, how should I intro them? Waking up from a pod/coffin/deep slumber? Being air/space dropped? There are so many options, but I don't want to do anything that would mess up any worldbuilding.*
*Technically, any of the intros you mentioned would work, as would arriving via portal or falling through a wormhole. The worldbuilding as of now is flexible in how people can find themselves in Alarius, but getting out... well, that's a far harder feat.*
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
*For some reason I'm getting Elden Ring vibes despite the wildly different setting.*
*Before I make a character, how should I intro them? Waking up from a pod/coffin/deep slumber? Being air/space dropped? There are so many options, but I don't want to do anything that would mess up any worldbuilding.*
*I never thought of that, we need a dark souls or Elden Ring thread.*
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
What's life without a little war to spice things up? Anyone who worries about the little things should notice the bigger picture.
I am (As drummerboy stated) The master of many faces, The unseen puppeteer, The illumination, & The unnoticed influence.
Favorite games series: Dark Souls. Shirtless Solaire. Best best game series of all time: Paper Mario. Fight me about it.
A calm breeze passes through the highlands of Alarius, the wind whistling through exposed pipes and rocky tunnels. The grass-like creatures sway gently, their cilia grasping at passing particles in the air.
*How's everyone doing today?*
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
From the wastes, a shadar-kai walks toward camp. She has a black cloth mask over her mouth and holds a wakizashi at her waist.
Two people- both humans- that were conversing with each other notice your approach, and one approaches slightly.
"Hey there! I take it you got stuck here as well?"
“Yes.” She answers curtly.
"Well, then I have both good and bad news for ya. Bad news, we're all gonna be stuck here for a while longer. Good news, though," she gestures towards the camp. "is that you're standing in the safest place for miles around."
"Welcome to the Castaway's Hope Campsite. Name's Jo." She offers a gloved hand to shake.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
From the wastes, a shadar-kai walks toward camp. She has a black cloth mask over her mouth and holds a wakizashi at her waist.
Two people- both humans- that were conversing with each other notice your approach, and one approaches slightly.
"Hey there! I take it you got stuck here as well?"
“Yes.” She answers curtly.
"Well, then I have both good and bad news for ya. Bad news, we're all gonna be stuck here for a while longer. Good news, though," she gestures towards the camp. "is that you're standing in the safest place for miles around."
"Welcome to the Castaway's Hope Campsite. Name's Jo." She offers a gloved hand to shake.
Cinellis does not shake her hand. “Safety isn’t exactly what I prefer. I am a demon hunter.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No news is good news…
I'll lay a white rose on the cold earth, knowing it that it has not claimed your soul.
From the wastes, a shadar-kai walks toward camp. She has a black cloth mask over her mouth and holds a wakizashi at her waist.
Two people- both humans- that were conversing with each other notice your approach, and one approaches slightly.
"Hey there! I take it you got stuck here as well?"
“Yes.” She answers curtly.
"Well, then I have both good and bad news for ya. Bad news, we're all gonna be stuck here for a while longer. Good news, though," she gestures towards the camp. "is that you're standing in the safest place for miles around."
"Welcome to the Castaway's Hope Campsite. Name's Jo." She offers a gloved hand to shake.
Cinellis does not shake her hand. “Safety isn’t exactly what I prefer. I am a demon hunter.”
"Demons, eh? Well, there are some real freaky things we're aware are out here... demon may be an apt description of some of 'em." Jo looks over to a structure in the distance- a small concrete building nestled in a valley about a hundred yards from where she's standing. "That there's a shaft leading into the ravine nearby. If hunting things is what you want, there ain't a much better place."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
From the wastes, a shadar-kai walks toward camp. She has a black cloth mask over her mouth and holds a wakizashi at her waist.
Two people- both humans- that were conversing with each other notice your approach, and one approaches slightly.
"Hey there! I take it you got stuck here as well?"
“Yes.” She answers curtly.
"Well, then I have both good and bad news for ya. Bad news, we're all gonna be stuck here for a while longer. Good news, though," she gestures towards the camp. "is that you're standing in the safest place for miles around."
"Welcome to the Castaway's Hope Campsite. Name's Jo." She offers a gloved hand to shake.
Cinellis does not shake her hand. “Safety isn’t exactly what I prefer. I am a demon hunter.”
"Demons, eh? Well, there are some real freaky things we're aware are out here... demon may be an apt description of some of 'em." Jo looks over to a structure in the distance- a small concrete building nestled in a valley about a hundred yards from where she's standing. "That there's a shaft leading into the ravine nearby. If hunting things is what you want, there ain't a much better place."
“What kind of creatures live there?”
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No news is good news…
I'll lay a white rose on the cold earth, knowing it that it has not claimed your soul.
Jo thinks about the question for a moment. "Well, there's all sorts! They're... kinda hard for me to classify, though. All of them are real different from the creatures most of us are used to. Most of 'em are some mix of plant or animal or fungus or machine."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
Jo thinks about the question for a moment. "Well, there's all sorts! They're... kinda hard for me to classify, though. All of them are real different from the creatures most of us are used to. Most of 'em are some mix of plant or animal or fungus or machine."
“Fascinating. So am I permitted to assume lodgings here for a period of time?”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No news is good news…
I'll lay a white rose on the cold earth, knowing it that it has not claimed your soul.
Jo thinks about the question for a moment. "Well, there's all sorts! They're... kinda hard for me to classify, though. All of them are real different from the creatures most of us are used to. Most of 'em are some mix of plant or animal or fungus or machine."
“Fascinating. So am I permitted to assume lodgings here for a period of time?”
"Well, that ain't for me to decide. You'll wanna talk to Ms. Quill about that." Jo gestures towards the defunct research facility, which is currently undergoing renovation. "She's probably somewhere in there right now."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
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A dim orange sun hangs motionless in a purple sky shimmering with stars. The grey rocky terrain, wildly uneven and treacherous, stretches up to beyond your sight in enormous pillars of rock, and gives way to deep rumbling chasms that stretch and contract as if the very earth was taking great, heaving breaths. Metal railings, pipes, platforms, and monuments can be seen jutting out from the rock, oftentimes only in brief segments, the rest of the ancient remnants remaining obscured from view. Strange organisms that cover the land like grass- teal in color and feeling the air with large cilia- retract into the earth to evade your footsteps. This place... Alarius... it is unlike anything you have ever seen.
However, there is a glimmer of warm familiarity in the distance: A settlement of sorts, built within and around a defunct research facility, its surroundings dotted with tents and vehicles. A plume of campfire smoke rises into the air from close to the structure, and people- actual living people!- are walking about, moving between the refuge and one of their vehicles, or huddled around the campfire. Maybe you can get some answers about this place... but for now, some food and a place to stay are more than enough.
I wanted to create a more traditional tavern instead of another 'experimental survival/tavern hybrid'. As fun as those were, I wanted to return to something a bit more relaxed- though, there still is room for exploration.
The Lore of Alarius:
You'll have to figure that out yourself... ;)
...what I can tell you, however, is that though this tavern's premise is based on the Axiom Verge games, it isn't set in the world of either of those games. I wanted to focus on nailing the atmosphere and feel of Axiom Verge, rather than try to recreate it. If you haven't played the games and have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry: You don't need to know anything about the Ax-Verg series to play here (though there might be a few sneaky easter eggs or references, but those aren't required in the least.)
The Rules:
Cryptic Clues:
With all that said, Alarius awaits your arrival, arms outstretched for a lethal embrace. Have fun, Castaways, and happy hacking!
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
(this looks interesting)
they/her Always open to chat. Just send me a PM
Whatever it takes
Yeah, take me to the top
I'm ready for whatever it takes
'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do what it takes
*For some reason I'm getting Elden Ring vibes despite the wildly different setting.*
*Before I make a character, how should I intro them? Waking up from a pod/coffin/deep slumber? Being air/space dropped? There are so many options, but I don't want to do anything that would mess up any worldbuilding.*
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
*Technically, any of the intros you mentioned would work, as would arriving via portal or falling through a wormhole. The worldbuilding as of now is flexible in how people can find themselves in Alarius, but getting out... well, that's a far harder feat.*
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
*I never thought of that, we need a dark souls or Elden Ring thread.*
What's life without a little war to spice things up? Anyone who worries about the little things should notice the bigger picture.
I am (As drummerboy stated) The master of many faces, The unseen puppeteer, The illumination, & The unnoticed influence.
Favorite games series: Dark Souls. Shirtless Solaire. Best best game series of all time: Paper Mario. Fight me about it.
Etiam im librum scribo
*This is interesting. So are we characters from another world that somehow found ourselves in this setting?*
*Yep! All the people at the camp are as well. No one really knows much about this place besides from the odd rumor...*
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
*Sounds great. I'll try to join sometime in the next couple days. I won't be able to do it today though.*
A calm breeze passes through the highlands of Alarius, the wind whistling through exposed pipes and rocky tunnels. The grass-like creatures sway gently, their cilia grasping at passing particles in the air.
*How's everyone doing today?*
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
*good, i have an idea but no clue how to intro a character*
No news is good news…
I'll lay a white rose on the cold earth, knowing it that it has not claimed your soul.
From the wastes, a shadar-kai walks toward camp. She has a black cloth mask over her mouth and holds a wakizashi at her waist.
No news is good news…
I'll lay a white rose on the cold earth, knowing it that it has not claimed your soul.
Two people- both humans- that were conversing with each other notice your approach, and one approaches slightly.
"Hey there! I take it you got stuck here as well?"
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
“Yes.” She answers curtly.
No news is good news…
I'll lay a white rose on the cold earth, knowing it that it has not claimed your soul.
"Well, then I have both good and bad news for ya. Bad news, we're all gonna be stuck here for a while longer. Good news, though," she gestures towards the camp. "is that you're standing in the safest place for miles around."
"Welcome to the Castaway's Hope Campsite. Name's Jo." She offers a gloved hand to shake.
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
Cinellis does not shake her hand. “Safety isn’t exactly what I prefer. I am a demon hunter.”
No news is good news…
I'll lay a white rose on the cold earth, knowing it that it has not claimed your soul.
"Demons, eh? Well, there are some real freaky things we're aware are out here... demon may be an apt description of some of 'em." Jo looks over to a structure in the distance- a small concrete building nestled in a valley about a hundred yards from where she's standing. "That there's a shaft leading into the ravine nearby. If hunting things is what you want, there ain't a much better place."
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
“What kind of creatures live there?”
No news is good news…
I'll lay a white rose on the cold earth, knowing it that it has not claimed your soul.
Jo thinks about the question for a moment. "Well, there's all sorts! They're... kinda hard for me to classify, though. All of them are real different from the creatures most of us are used to. Most of 'em are some mix of plant or animal or fungus or machine."
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
“Fascinating. So am I permitted to assume lodgings here for a period of time?”
No news is good news…
I'll lay a white rose on the cold earth, knowing it that it has not claimed your soul.
"Well, that ain't for me to decide. You'll wanna talk to Ms. Quill about that." Jo gestures towards the defunct research facility, which is currently undergoing renovation. "She's probably somewhere in there right now."
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)