Round-Robin Storytelling

[Abd al-Azrad]

Wow. Sorry, I've been having a mad hard time figuring out what next to say. I want to change chapters and settings, since I can hardly make them wandering through their little outpost dramatic. I think I'll just dive right in here without thinking my actions through properly.

---

"Let's go."

---

As Jaques, Fred and Fam'tala fought their way through the blinding rain and biting wind, they did not see the woman pass them by. Nor did they hear the promises she made to the shelter guards. Had they been a less determined group, they may have still been within hearing range of the shelter doors opening for the woman. But the part that happened next was done in silence. Only one person managed to speak at all after the woman had gained access to the shelter- and he only spoke long enough to tell the thing they had let inside from the storm of the three who had gone out, seeking their Oracle.

How could we have missed them? We should have sensed them. [irrelevant they must be found they must be stopped] How shall we track those we cannot sense? [they seek hope we shall find what they seek and we shall wait]

"I wonder if the town will be able to survive a few days without you there to run things, Jaques," Fred joked.

---

Sorry, Sophistemon... the baddies I had in mind, I really didn't want to meet the protagonists just yet. The way I run things, this would have been a short story. ;)

Speaking of which, we have three extra people who showed interest in joining the story before we started: Extra_Crispy, Papa Smurf Vaynor and Ivan McK. We do need a replacement for Mattaeu, after all.

BTW, thanks to everyone so far for their apparent unwelcome posting here, telling us how good y'all think we're doing here! Granted, I don't think Sophistemon wants too much clutter in the thread, but I like hearing feedback!

[PhoeKun]

I think Extra Crispy fell off the face of the earth, and Vaynor has had something like 3 name changes in the interim, but... yeah, we could probably use an alternate. We'll just leave the choice up to Sophis and his dice.

Oh, and thanks to everyone so far for their feedback. We writer's thrive on commentary and ego feeding. It's more important than oxygen!

[Brickwall]

Ego's like oxygen,
You get too much you get too hi-igh,
Not enough and you're going to die,
It gets you high.

[Abd al-Azrad]

Ego's like oxygen,
You get too much you get too hi-igh,
Not enough and you're going to die,
It gets you high.

Can you take me higher?
To a place where bliiind men seeee?
Can you take meee hiiigher?
To a place above the O₃?

That may have sucked royally...

[Extra_Crispy]

I did not fall off the face of the earth at least not physically. Mentally is a different matter. I am enjoying the story very very much and would love to join in BUT I continue searching for that BSN degree on monday and work part time. Time is something that I lack now and that will become non-existant in the very near future. As such I really cant accept an offer to join and then fail to ever type anything.

Either way I am really enjoying the story and it is one of the few things that keeps me awake as I sit here at my night job. Keep it up guys!

[PhoeKun]

You know, sooner or later, one of us is going to have to post something here.

[Abd al-Azrad]

You know, sooner or later, one of us is going to have to post something here.

Hey, I just went! Someone else's turn! I don't think it would really be in the spirit of the topic for me to write the whole story from here on. ;)

[Brickwall]

I'll take it, but give me a bit. I have...schedule conflicts. With being happy.

[Abd al-Azrad]

Look, it's been nearly six days since I last updated this story. Are we having difficulty writing it? Are we having difficulty deciding where to go next? I like the idea of Round-Robin storytelling, but if we're all as intimidated by the project as I know I am, let's talk a bit and think out where we want to go with this thing. At least that way we'll have some idea of what to write about.

I recall a dream sequence that was almost certainly going to come back up, I recall a kid sister who apparently died/was lost long ago, I recall a traumatic event that caused our hero to become a crippled herald, I recall a whole bunch of undefined terms (gift, boon, denizen hunter, herald). Shall we work through these a bit so we don't get scared of writing on them? PMs if nothing else, private forum if deemed necessary, or right out in public if it's easy?

[Brickwall]

Okay, I think it's time to move onto 'chapter' two, the point in which we've acknowledged that the plot has taken a step forward. I will write as if that is the truth, but voting may be done to strike it.

______________

Wandering in the storm for even seconds at a time was considered dangerous. Going out for days was suicidal. That's why only Denizen Hunters did it. Jaques was no Denizen Hunter, at least not yet.

"Remind me again how we tell the Stormberries from the safe ones?" asked Jaques, clearly weary from traveling.

"You ask a Hunter, Jaques. You'll learn once you've gotten some standard training," replied Fred, as if it were a trained response. Jaques did not speak up again, and went back to eating his tiny meal of berries and a piece of rabbit meat.

"We were really lucky to find an untainted rabbit this deep into the Storm. This may be the last meat we have for another few days, so savor it," Fam'tala warned Jaques. He didn't need to be told twice. Fred looked like he was about to say something, but suddenly Fam'tala got a look on her face that would distress a battle-hardened soldier. "Oh, saints and heathens, we'd never survive." Jaques was simply confused, but Fred seemed to understand.

"How many and how big, 'tala? And, more importantly, how fast."

"I-it's just one," she stammered out, "one with the power of thousands. It's incredible, it's impossible, it's...no, no, there's gotta be something wrong with my senses. Nothing is that powerful, nothing on this continent."

Jaques wasn't sure what they were talking about, but he knew that he could definitely refute the last part.

"The ice bridges of the Formud Ocean were ocean-spanning last winter. Anything lighter than a blackwood could get across. Is it time to run now?"

The stream of curses that came out of Fam'tala's mouth surprised even Fred as she destroyed the encampment and picked up her stuff. "Run, it can't cover land as fast as we can until it's dark, and the sun rose not two hours ago!"

Fred and Jaques followed suit, following Fam'tala at a fast walk.

How can she tell where the sun-or anything is? Maybe that's her Gift.

_________

Brain...depleted...can't...imagine...ugh. *falls to the ground dead*

[Abd al-Azrad]

Nice, Brickwall. Nice. Expanding our world is always appreciated.

[PhoeKun]

Agreed. Now, what can I do with this...

[Brickwall]

The ocean and blackwood trees need not ever be brought up again. I just wanted the menace to be even more menacing by also being alien, even to experienced warriors. Still, it is there if anyone decides to use it.

And, yes, I realize that ice bridges across entire oceans are quite impossible in the real world. Damn good thing this is a magical fantasy world, eh?

[Sophistemon]

That was really good!

And I'm sorry that I haven't been as attentive as I should be. I've had a lot of Summer Projects to work on and now school started up for me again. When my schedule settles down I'll be able to post more frequently.

[Abd al-Azrad]

And, yes, I realize that ice bridges across entire oceans are quite impossible in the real world. Damn good thing this is a magical fantasy world, eh?

Isn't that how the Native Americans first came to North America?

[PhoeKun]

No, that was a land bridge.

Relevent addition: I'll have my part up tomorrow... I hope.

[Brickwall]

Also it was:

Across a strait, the narrowest part of the entire ocean, or of any ocean.
Only able to be formed during the post-ice age. It will never form again. Ever.

So, yeah, difference. And, like Shopie said, most of it was land.

[PhoeKun]

Well, I certainly blew that whole 'tomorrow' thing, and as I will be computerless for a few days starting in a couple of hours, I think it's best if we just skipped over me for now.

Nuts.

[Brickwall]

I think that the posting order has gotten mutilated to the point where the only rules are 'no double-posting' and 'keep the thread alive'. Don't be too upset.

[Abd al-Azrad]

I'm really sorry about this, but I'm going to a backwards country with no Internet for the next ten days (until the 4th of Septemer). Actually, I'm going to Maine, but we have no internet there for some reason. Anyways, no contributions from my side for a bit. :'(

[ivanmckilliagin]

How can she tell where the sun-or anything is? Maybe that's her Gift.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It turned suddenly. From the chaos of the thousand voices in its form, one sentance kept coming up. "There walks one with food.There walks one with food.There walks one with food.Th---" It turned its concentration from the cacophany of its raging, chaotic mind, and focus outwards, the spirit focusing the many to search.

Then they all knew. There walked three, unsheltered, and still living in the storm. These would make fine additions to his collection of power. Once they were added to the Gestalt, they, no HE, would be even stronger than before.

With a stuttering start, The Spirit rolled his form in thier direction, and formed legs out of his fleshy mass. Two legs, four legs, a dozen, a hundred, a thousand legs began running across the wilds. Of course, with the sun beginning it's path over the sky, His control was limited... But once it set, and he regained control... The food would be HIS!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-

[Brickwall]

Calling into question: snow? Last winter generally implies that this winter has yet to come, and so there is no snow yet. I call into vote that the seasonal weather should not include snow at this point.

[ivanmckilliagin]

Yep, that's what you call a brainfart. :P :-[ IDK, i heard storm, and thought snow. Post modded.

[Brickwall]

It's a storm of chaos-lightning-stuff, not snow.

Anyway, I guess you just forced the next person to contribute to the actual main plot. Am I the only one who enjoys writing the main character stuff rather than going into random (or even not-so-random) sidetracks?

Waitaminute

Uh, Ivan, no offense, but why are you even writing this? I've seen no official posting that you're currently a storymaker (although Sophie mighta said something and I missed it).

[ivanmckilliagin]

teehee.. silent ninja indeed. I never eally got accepted, but since the past posting order has been

you
abd
you
phoe-kun
you
abd

and abd is going to be gone, i decided to suprise yall. I could delete it, but you started with five, and are down now...

[Brickwall]

Sorry, we don't look well on scabs. Get a Round-Robin membership and maybe we can talk business.

And that, like all other things, must be voted on.

[ivanmckilliagin]

So be it. I put forward that this needs new members. Probably drawn from those who originally expressed interest.

[PhoeKun]

I, for one, do appreciate the thought of trying to jumpstart this. That said, I do not like the presumption that it would be fine to just jump in and write without asking. We may be a bunch of flakes incapable of sticking to a deadline (as all true writers are...), but there are still rules to be followed, and it wouldn't have killed you to have asked.

As for the specific contribution, I would just as soon see it stricken from the record... which it technically is already, seeing as it isn't an official submission. Not that it's poorly written or anything, but I think a paragraph from the random horrible beast's perspective is unneccesary. We already have so many filters due to the multitude of authors; if we continue to jump around and look at things through the eyes of every single being that shows up in the story, the reader will be lost amongst them...

[ivanmckilliagin]

Meh, Doesn't bother me. I had thought to make him a recurring baddy. It's fine. I formally submit my application to this story.

[Brickwall]

Also, in a dark setting like this, I'd prefer not to have any sort of recurring villains have names like bad supervillains.

"Cower in fear, the Gestalt is here! Beware my combination of the abilities from two classes!"