Guard Dogs of Avalon: Coming of the Olde Gods! (co-Gmed by Kingtype) Story: There is a fair land called Avalon surrounded by the Endless Ocean and bordered to the Far East by the Heavenly Mountains. It is a mideval country that as of late has been ridden with crime lords and petty thieves, muggers, and corrupted black-magic mages, and too few Guard Dogs, the name of the police force that is stationed in every major city. Our story begins a day after His Grace, Duke Chalcedon Tallent II, who rules all the vast lands of Avalon, decrees to lower the entrance age to the Guard Dog force so that youngsters fifteen and up can join, thus swelling the ranks of the Dogs in an attempt to thwart the rising crime rate. This story will take place in the capital city of Zhegorz with the Duke's Citadel at it's middle. The new Guard Dogs will be called 'Puppies', or 'Pups', and live at the local Dog House and start off their training with petty crimes and local patrols with their resident Top Dog, or police captain. But Avalon is also a land of magic and mages, so a common patrol around the block could lead to just about anything... Plot: The story begins as your char decides to leave home and family to join the noble ranks of the Guard Dogs as Pups. You can be anywhere from fifteen to twenty years of age, a regular person or an apprentice mage. As you move up the ranks in the Guard, you will be travelling from city to city, facing new dangers and advancing your skills and/or magic, and discovering the meaning of an ancient prophecy about 'the Coming of the Olde Gods'. Types of Mages: If your char is a apprentice mage, they're magic works through a 'craft'. It can be anything from fabric to wood and the possibilities for your magic are endless. There are rare types of magic and commons ones, if more than two char's pick the same rare type, then the latter one will have to forfeit. Each power is stronger or weaker depending on your char's magic and their surroundings: such as, an Animal Mage would be stronger around animals, and a Green Mage would be more powerful in a forest. Here are a few ideas you can use, or you can pm Kingtype or Erik-The-Enchanter! your own unique idea for approval (some of these ideas were inspired by the Circle of Magic Books): Thread Magic: magic with clothes and other woven products. Green Magic: magic with plants. Nature Magic(rare): magic with the tides, weather, earthquakes, and deep-earth magma. Metal Magic: works with controlling any types of metal, from silver to gold. Shield Magic: magic that works with creating invisible force fields. Animal Magic(rare): deals with speaking to animals, healing them and possibly shapeshifting into them. Fire Magic: magic with fire and some control of melted stone, or magma. Water Magic, Earth Magic, and Air Magic: works through their specific elements. Unmagic(very rare): this is a peculiar magic that eats other magics and consumes light, hope and life. Psychic Magic(rare): works with visions, dreams, spirit-travel, healing and speaking with ghosts. Totemist Magic: works through stones, crystals, straw dollies, runes, wands or any other magical tool. Gameplay: You will receive upgrades for your powers by showing excellance in battle and solving complicated situations. Regular humans will receive more talismans and/or weaponry. Magic only gives you a slight upperhand in Guard Dog work--strategy and level-headedness is also important. Regular un-magical Pups are also the only ones who can use weapons. Everyone will get fifty points every fight. A hundred points will upgrade your power/arsenal, and you will upgrade again when you reach a hundred fifty, and again at a two hundred, and so on. Character Templates(post in the discussion thread for approval): Name: Age: Gender: Mage?: Yes/No Type of Magic(only if you're a mage): Ability(your ability will upgrade through the points system): Special Weapons(only if you're not a mage)(these may be enchanted or not): Appearance: Personality: Short Bio: Other: Rules: The usual, no god-moding, no excessive profanity (a cuss word every three or four posts is acceptable), no contorlling other players, must post at least a paragraph each post, play by the game rules and just have some great fun!
Mangus Holly Magnus practically skipped down the cobbled road to the local Dog House, his backpack thumping against his side. But of course, he didn't actually skip. Magnus was very aware of everything he did, because of his pretty features: he didn't want to do anything that could be non-masculine. He already had to deal with the swarthy men who catcalled and yelled compliments at him on a daily basis. It didn't even matter that he'd shaved his tightly curled hair short, they would just ask why a girl would want a boy's haircut. Sometimes Magnus would shout back, "Take a hike!", in his manliest voice. Oh boy, did that shock them! Finally, he reached the massive wood gates of the Dog House. Magnus stopped and took a deep breath. This was his chance to change his image. To grow into a strong, respected man of the Guard Dogs and leave behind his old self. Leave behind his criminal family business and become one of the good guys. "Here I go", Magnus said, his voice lisping slightly like it had since he was little. He knocked on the huge bulldog shaped brass knocker, and a buff guy pulled open half of the gate. "Come in", the guy barked, and Magnus obeyed. He came into a wide open courtyard where Guard Dogs were training with batons. "Where are the other Pups?", Magnus asked curiously. The guy barked back, "They'll be here", and stomped off.
Hooves thundered over the cobblestone road and a black horse streaked past a carriage in a blur. Horses screamed and snorted, kicking and throwing up dust as the shrill whistle of a stallion pierced the air. Clinging to his mane like a bur, a black cloak snapped in the wind and a girl frantically pulled her hood tighter over her head with a pale hand, wincing as the sun burned her fair skin. "Shadow, calm, calm, calm -look out!" Yahna shrieked the last bit and she ducked, just avoiding being knocked off by a low-hanging tree branch. The animal snorted harshly as if in response, and she bit her lower lip nervously as she spotted people turning to stare wide-eyed. Great -and i wanted a nice, quiet entrance. she thought wistfully, a small gasp escaping her as the stallion bounded easily over a market stand filled to the brim with glass objects, "Do you really have to do that!? I know you're the best in the land, Shadow! You don't ha- Duck!" her last word rose to a shout as she came within sight of the gates and a guard just as she was shutting them. The man took one glance and dropped like a stone, Shadows' hooves passing within an inch of his head. When the horse finally plunged to a stop, rearing and shorting, Yahna buried her face in his mane and tried to hide the furious blush on her face. She was so embarrassed! Dimly she heard the sounds of the horses in a nearby stable begin making a racket as the Nightmare was scented, wooden doors groaning as the animals kicked and charged about in their stalls. Looking up, Yahna saw a boy standing not more than ten feet from her and her blush deepened. Great. Shadow finally decided to calm down and start prancing around like a prized king's horse, his coal-black coat shimmering in the sun, but his eyes promising that he was not to be handled. Well, he didn't even have any tack on -how could someone handle him unless they had any reigns to grab? "Good boy." Yahna mumbled grudgingly. At least no one had gotten hurt this time.
Nanami stands before the doorway of Kamui's home. Taking in deep shuddering breaths, she remembers how peaceful the home used to be for her. All those spars and tender moments she had with Him, all the times she has cried inside of that home since his death. Tearing her gaze from the house she looks to the boat dock where a waiting ship waits to take any hopefuls away from the island she has know her entire life. She is the only one going. Gripping her bamboo staff in her hands, she wills herself to walk towards the water's edge. For some reason her legs refuses to obey her. Pressing her lips into a tight line she closes her eyes and walks blindly to the ship. Using her staff to guide her way she makes her first steps towards a new life, without Kamui. She walks faster as she gets nearer to the ship, away from the island, away from the memory of Kamui's red and blistered face starting blankly at her from the sand. "Are you ready miss?" Nanami opens her eyes just a tiny bit to see a very well built young man before the gangplank of the ship, "Yes, I'm ready. Can you lead me on the ship? Don't let me see the water." "You gonna have to get over that fear of yours if you ever want to be a Dog." "In time." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Standing before the big wooden gates of the compound, Nanami takes in a deep breath. She felt better then she had for a very long time. Glancing around she sees a young woman with a fine black animal and....Nanami blinks. She also sees the most beautiful woman she has ever seen. Taking in every detail of the woman she walks up to her in a daze. "Has anyone every told you how beautiful you are? You have put sunshine into my dreary day," she told her, giving the woman a gentle smile and bowing slightly before her.
"Has anyone every told you how beautiful you are? You have put sunshine into my dreary day," she told her, giving the woman a gentle smile and bowing slightly before her. Yahna stared at the other woman for a moment, her jaw going slack. Shadow thought it was a compliment aimed towards him and settled for once, arching his neck proudly. Promptly remembering her manners, Yahna pulled her hood tighter over head head to avoid being burned by the sun's rays, "Th-thanks . . ." her face turned a shade redder and she fiddled with Shadow's withers, making the stallion snort and turn his head to glare at her. Swallowing back her nervousness, Yahna decided to speak first -a deed she rarely partook of- "I hope i can get in as a Pup . . . but i don't know if they'd accept me . . ." Shadow neighed and half-reared, his eyes momentarily flashing red. The horses nearby could be heard balking and whinnying in alarm, and somewhere a man cursed, "Shadow! Easy!" Yahna gasped, clinging to the animal's back for dear life, "You can't hunt here! I'll get you some food later!" The Nightmare snorted and snapped his teeth, revealing razor fangs. Any hope of Yahna's in being able to hide the fact that she owned a Nightmare was quickly dashed aside.
Magnus Magnus wlaked up to Yahna and Nanami, hands tucked in his armpits. "So, you guys tryna be Pups, too?" He gave Nanami's bamboo stick and Yahna's night-colored mare a suspicious look, but let it go. He had seen some weird things in his life and he had learned not to question it, just take it in stride. But the Guard Dogs weren't like him. The Dog that had opened the gate marched over and barked at Yahna, "You need to settle that big thing of yours, he's spooking the Guard horses!" "When are we gonna meet the Top Dog?", Magnus inerjected, using the word for the resident Captain of the Guard. He knew the Top Dog was a she and that she was good at her job, but that was about it. "She'll be here", the Dog snapped. "Ya'll just be still and wait for some more arrivals." He glowered at them all and then went back to a group of Guard Dogs who were practicing fighting stances with batons.
Nanami stared at the sharp teeth of the horse but just shrugged her shoulders. "I've seen worse things," she said, again smiling at the young woman. "so, you guys try a be Pups, too." Nanami whirled around to see another girl, wait, no, boy. Or girl with a boy's voice, or.... Nanami shook her head and blinked several times. While she was still trying to decide whether the newcomer was a boy or girl she watched the exchange between him (her?) and one of the dogs. Obviously he....it....knew it's way around and Nanami thought this might be a good friend to have. She looked again to the young woman with the horse.....thing, and tried to get a better look at her underneath the cowl. The horse obviously didn't like her hard scrutiny so she looked back to the......it. "To answer your previous question, yes I'm trying to get in as a Pup. It seems a better alternative then what I left behind," she said, frowning.
Magnus "To answer your previous question, yes I'm trying to get in as a Pup. It seems a better alternative then what I left behind," Nanami said, frowning. Magnus had noticed Nanami's shrewd gaze as she had stared at him. She probably thinks I'm a girl!, he thought, his cheeks blushing ruddy crimson. Aloud, he said in his lispy voice, "Yeah, this is better for me, too. My family's...not on the good side, let's just put it at that." He looked down at his feet with a scowl on his face, and added, "I'm a boy, in case you were wondering." I hope she doesn't make me pull my pants down like the schoolyard boys used to, he thought grumpily. But he knew if she asked him to, he probably would.
Yahna; Nightmare's Rider "My apologies sir, but Shadow is a Nightmare and a Stallion as well. You can't expect me to "control" him without repercussions." Yahna responded to the Dog's command, sliding off of the animal's back. Shadow shook himself off and glared at the Guard, pawing the ground and creating a few embers from the rough stone. A thin trail of smoke came from one nostril, "You can see i already know it is useless to try and contain such a proud animal -i do not ride him with saddle or reign. He just goes where he feels like it -and allows me to tell him where to go." Yahna worded everything that came out of her mouth carefully, and it soon became clear that the creature was not unintelligent about human speech, as Shadow literally bobbed his head up and down as if in agreement and curled a lip to reveal his sharp teeth again in a kind of smile.
Nanami At least that's cleared up, Nanami thought thankfully. Although judging by his scowl she thought better then to say that. "I can see that. Where I come from, most all of our men our fair looking. You must of a bit of my heritage within your blood, you should be proud to carry such a bloodline," she smiled at him but quickly sombered as she remembered Kamui. Kamui was also fair looking, I miss him so, she thought sadly. "You can see i already know it is useless to try and contain such a proud animal -i do not ride him with saddle or reign. He just goes where he feels like it -and allows me to tell him where to go." The young woman was speaking to the Dog who had hailed them earlier. Nanami looked again at large black horse more carefully, she saw that indeed he was a proud animal. Walking up to the horse but still keeping a respectable distance from him she gave him a deep bow of respect, "Indeed. You are a proud and fierce warrior, Shadow. Your name befits you, and you carry it well. It is an honor to be in your presence," she told the horse directly, still bowing to him. She then turned to the young woman, "And you should also be proud. Proud that you have such a majestic companion," and she smiled at her again. If I do any more smiling my face is going to crack, Nanami mused, but at least it is for such a pretty girl.
Yahna Shadow immediately took a liking to Nanami, pricking his ears forward and strutting round a bit, his ebony tail like a flag as it streamed out behind. Yahna's face turned a shade of scarlet at the comment, and she looked down abashedly, "I should be, but i am just his companion. He has his own choice in whether to leave a fradgile being as I or to stay -it is not my word that keeps him here." she mumbled. Shadow did a one-eighty and head-butted Yahna's back, knocking her forwards a few steps. She gasped as her hood flew off to reveal a face framed by raven bangs and large, dark eyes. Her skin was so pale it seemed like new-fallen snow, and she frantically pulled the cowl back on again with shaking fingers, "Shadow! You know I burn if I'm exposed!" she squeaked, but the Nightmare took no notice of her plight. Her brow knit in a moment of anger and Yahna was momentarilly tempted to try and box his ears, but she exhaled and released that idea before it could cause trouble. Cross a Nightmare and your life would literally become Hell.
