Introduction
In this world, magic, called Dust, is essentially a chemical, found in rocks, broken down into sediments, absorbed by plants like nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, then eaten by animals and returned to the soil in excrement.
It is difficult to predict if a plant will contain Dust (as a chemical, it is not bound by species), and it tends to be based on regions. To use a real-world example, Australia has extremely nutrient-poor soil, so their plants are adapted to cope with low levels of nitrates and phosphates. Other areas are nutrient-rich and fertile. This is a similar concept, but with magic-poor and magic-rich areas.
Most humans in this world metabolize the magic and that's that; it’s not very long-lasting. However, some human groups originate in magic-rich areas, and their ancestors would have eaten the stuff on a daily basis. Over hundreds of thousands of years, their systems adapted to eating Dust, and so they can actually retain magical abilities. While they no longer need to have it in a steady diet, they do need it as part of a balanced diet - it'd be like someone who has a natural tendency towards anemia needing semi-regular iron supplements.
Dust is available to be harvested occasionally, and areas of lesser intense magic are pretty common. Therefore, plant and mineral magic becomes incredibly common - plants are made into potions, tinctures, ointments, infusions, and consumed in food; minerals containing Dust would be made in to pendants, amulets, and instruments imbued with special properties. Anyone who knows what plants and minerals to use can do things with it, simply by using different combinations and mixtures to achieve different aims (protection, strength, stuff like that) - although truly skilled users such as magicians can do practically anything they want by teasing the magic into different forms.
You would think that Dust would be completely invaluable. You would be correct. There is a ravenous demand for it in today’s bloody, cutthroat market. It's an enormous and lucrative business, but there’s a catch.
Magic-rich areas are, unfortunately, hard to get to. Why? Because of the species that have been feeding on Dust-imbued plants since they first crawled out of the primordial ooze…
And this is where you come in.
Nowadays our world has adapted to using Dust to the extent that it powers just about everything we have—chrome trains speeding above maze-like, glistening cities, factories pumping smog into the ever-dark sky, cars on the ground and planes in the air and boats crossing the mysterious and dangerous seas. It’s a hard world to live in. Deadly creatures live around every corner. Krakens rage up through the oceans and monster-infested swamps surround the cities. Caves with lurking creatures loom in vast, twisted, rocky forests. The spots where humans live tend to be quite populous for safety, but small and cramped, building up rather than out, winding, confusing, dark. Technology is advanced, but electricity does not exist. Why? We have Dust.
Year after year, hundreds of people die as they venture through swamp, desert, forest, and cave to collect Dust from perilous areas swarming with terrible creatures. It’s ignoble, thankless, and dangerous—yet adventurous, thrilling, and terrifying. In the same way that drag racers, FBI agents, and soldiers of the real world find difficulty letting go of the thrills of their professions, Dust collectors here tend to be obsessed, immersed in the competitive game of mining and harvesting Dust.
Or, I should say, you tend to be obsessed and immersed.
Welcome to Dust collecting.
CHARACTERS
You are the best team ever assembled. Like all Dust collectors, though you work for some distant company to whom you sell your goods, there are really no rules. You must be innovative, daring, risky, fearless… and a little immoral. There are no rules. Whatever methods you care to use, you can.
The danger isn’t just from the monsters. It’s from each other. They say that money corrupts, and when you are paid 500 credits per pound of Dust, pesky things such as morals tend to fall to the wayside.
There is no limit to the characters that will be accepted, however, I’ll be rather picky. I think this could be a fast paced, action-packed, quality role-play, so intermediate-advanced people please. See the rules for more info. I want good quality, but I’m not mean; I’m actually kind of a marshmallow. C:
There is also no set positions. Although there can only be one of each position—one team leader, one medic, etc.—there are limitless ideas. Also, if you really have your heart set on a role but it’s taken, perhaps you could be the assistant—second-in-command, assistant medic, etc. Again, only one assistant.
IMPORTANT! Every character in the role-play takes part in going to dangerous places, mining, harvesting, fighting monsters, etc. However, some of them have “extra” duties, i.e. medic, leader, mechanic, chemist. If you don’t want your character to have any of those extra positions, you can just have them be a standard Dust collector.
Positions (feel free to add more):
LEADER- Taken
SECOND-IN-COMMAND- Taken
MEDIC— Taken
DUST COLLECTOR (unlimited spaces)—
CHEMIST/GEOLOGIST — Open
MECHANIC — Taken
SCOUT 1— Taken
SCOUT 2— Taken
EXPLOSIVES EXPERT— Taken
WEAPONS EXPERT— Taken
MONSTER EXPERT— Taken
COOK—
The role-play begins with the characters setting out on their expedition, into a primarily swampy plain filled with caves and trees. Remember that we are one of the best teams in the world, and most of us have probably been working together for a long time, though there may be new members.
Application:
(Note, as long as you include all of this information, I don’t care how you arrange your app. You can combine or remove fields as long as you answer somewhere everything I asked for. You could even add more fields of stuff I didn’t require. This app is the BARE MINIMUM. Everything in it is required. Any more is optional.)
For an example of an extremely well done sheet, see Hadoff Nasser and Amanda Rox by The Adversary and Mathew Littlepaw in the characters section of this role-play. As this is the first time I've ever used the world of Dust, I hadn't developed every little detail of the world, but they took it in stride and invented companies and technology of their own, weaving it into the background of their characters in a way that not only made the charries awesome but also expanded the universe we're playing in.
- Code: Select all
[b]Name:[/b] First and last
[b]Age:[/b] 20+
[b]Position:[/b] Feel free to give us info on your character’s background in the business, prowess, training, etc.
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Ability:[/b] Physical prowess, magical prowess (you can be a magician or not, I don’t care, just follow the established rules of the universe of how magic works). Keep in mind that everyone here is going to be under great physical duress.
[b]Background Information:[/b] Home life, recent life, how they ended up harvesting Dust, etc. FEEL FREE TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER USERS. This will be much more fun if our characters already have some established relationships.
- 26 posts here • Page 2 of 2 • 1, 2
The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 10 authors
Small world after all? Cheesy but true. She'd worked so many jobs throughout the years and met a lot of the same people time and again. Earlier on it'd been kind of novel, actually. Either she'd run into someone she'd grown fond of and felt a little elated over it or someone she detested. The more and more it happened the less she really cared. While she still enjoyed circling back around to someone she liked, it just wasn't the same anymore. It had lost a lot of its impact, the same way an addict needs more of their shit to get a high. Ariah was somewhere in there, much closer to the "liked" deck of cards, but their relationship wasn't really.. well, she wouldn't call the two of them "buddies" that was for damned sure. Didn't know the other girl, though. Seemed decent enough, at least by the way she introduced herself. Right to the point of it, nothing fluffy. That was good, she didn't care for people who spilled everything about themselves to you at first 'sup. They were usually among the first to get themselves spilled onto the ground anyway. There was a bit of an air of experience about her as well.
Luca dropped down from the railing and dusted her hands off, "Quickly?" A scoff, followed by a low snicker, "Didn't think it was that short a reprieve from each others' company. Maybe my memory's just getting fuzzy, I don't know. With all the shit I inhale who knows." She turned her eyes onto the other girl - this "Natalie Johnson" - and nodded, raising her right hand in a limp salute of her own, "Luca Vardeaux, Chemical and Geological Expert." Back to Ariah, "Friend of yours?" She was only being half sarcastic. Ariah didn't seem like the type to really make "friends" at least not in the usual sense, but then again nothing was impossible - and Luca wouldn't be about to claim that she knew the scout well enough to really determine how exactly she got along with others.
- 26 posts here • Page 2 of 2 • 1, 2
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By creating Collectibles, you can reward your players with unique items that accentuate their character sheets.
Once an Item has been created, it can be spawned in the IC using /spawn Item Name (case-sensitive, as usual) — this can be followed with /take Item Name to retrieve the item into the current character's inventory.
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Give your Universe life by adding a Mob, which are auto-replenishing NPCs your players can interact with. Useful for some quick hack-and-slash fun!
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View All » Add Character » 11 Characters to follow in this universe
Newest
Luca Vardeaux
"No, look, you- Hey! You test the saturation of Dust in kyorite by checking the solvency, you've gotta soak it in- not in that! Not in that! OH, SHI-"
Drake
"Spill my coffee and I'll show you exactly why people fear my kind."
Sterling "Dave" Davis
Ah... yeah, here's your problem, the external initial dampener hasn't disengaged, it's jammed. Gimme a second... geesh, stop staring! This isn't rocket scie-- well actually...
Ariah Mackintyre
They called me savage... So I fed them to a swamp snake... They might have been right, but you can't just say what you want and expect me to let it go.
Natalie G. Johnson
"It's a different world out there. You want to survive, you've got to fight."
Nova Barnes
"I'm not going to lie. This is going to hurt. I apologize in advance."
Hadoff Nasser
"I can not guarantee your safety or your competence with a weapon. I can- however- more than assure you that your Reznov ACB-20 will- why are your eyes glazing over like that?!"
Cpt. Amanda Rox
"Betray me, and your going to end up at the wronge side of a power suit..."
Trending
Sterling "Dave" Davis
Ah... yeah, here's your problem, the external initial dampener hasn't disengaged, it's jammed. Gimme a second... geesh, stop staring! This isn't rocket scie-- well actually...
Cpt. Amanda Rox
"Betray me, and your going to end up at the wronge side of a power suit..."
Hadoff Nasser
"I can not guarantee your safety or your competence with a weapon. I can- however- more than assure you that your Reznov ACB-20 will- why are your eyes glazing over like that?!"
Drake
"Spill my coffee and I'll show you exactly why people fear my kind."
Luca Vardeaux
"No, look, you- Hey! You test the saturation of Dust in kyorite by checking the solvency, you've gotta soak it in- not in that! Not in that! OH, SHI-"
Nova Barnes
"I'm not going to lie. This is going to hurt. I apologize in advance."
Natalie G. Johnson
"It's a different world out there. You want to survive, you've got to fight."
Ariah Mackintyre
They called me savage... So I fed them to a swamp snake... They might have been right, but you can't just say what you want and expect me to let it go.
Most Followed
Sterling "Dave" Davis
Ah... yeah, here's your problem, the external initial dampener hasn't disengaged, it's jammed. Gimme a second... geesh, stop staring! This isn't rocket scie-- well actually...
Natalie G. Johnson
"It's a different world out there. You want to survive, you've got to fight."
Ariah Mackintyre
They called me savage... So I fed them to a swamp snake... They might have been right, but you can't just say what you want and expect me to let it go.
Hadoff Nasser
"I can not guarantee your safety or your competence with a weapon. I can- however- more than assure you that your Reznov ACB-20 will- why are your eyes glazing over like that?!"
Drake
"Spill my coffee and I'll show you exactly why people fear my kind."
Nova Barnes
"I'm not going to lie. This is going to hurt. I apologize in advance."
Luca Vardeaux
"No, look, you- Hey! You test the saturation of Dust in kyorite by checking the solvency, you've gotta soak it in- not in that! Not in that! OH, SHI-"
Cpt. Amanda Rox
"Betray me, and your going to end up at the wronge side of a power suit..."
Fullscreen Chat » Create Topic » From Dust to Dust: Out of Character
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From Dust to Dust
1 ... 7, 8, 9by WingedOctopus on Thu May 09, 2013 8:47 pm
- 160 Replies
- 5279 Views
- Last post by Yonbibuns
on Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:35 pm
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From Dust to Dust
Most recent OOC posts in From Dust to Dust
Re: From Dust to Dust
THIS. ANIME. RUINED. ME.
Go watch it, now, while we wait. Wolf Children.
Re: From Dust to Dust
Re: From Dust to Dust
Re: From Dust to Dust
Buuuut, I have a dilemma!
I'm only back until the end of the month, and then starting June 29th I'm gone for two weeks! No Internet! Then I'm back forever, as far as I know.
Should I interact again and then extricate myself (probably as awkwardly as I did this last time) when I have to go again, or just lurk and comment and freak out and gush on the OOC page until my summer vacations are finished? C: I'll refrain from posting until you've voted. I'm honestly fine either way, perfectly content-- so tell me what you as a role-player would be more comfortable with, should for example Dave be interacting with your character at the time I have to leave.
Re: From Dust to Dust
Re: From Dust to Dust
Hope you have a fun time at your camp, Octo!
Re: From Dust to Dust
Re: From Dust to Dust
WingedOctopus wrote:Just made my post. Sorry for the length! I'm not trying to be antisocial, I'm just trying to get Dave out of the way so you won't be locked in a conversation for a week. Feel free to go on without him; I'll get back in the swing of things after the week's out.
D'aww. Well, I hope ya' have fun, senor. And gee-willickers Batman, Dave and August are gonna' have a tearful reunion. A manly one, anyway.
AND ALL OF THE LADIES KNOW EACH OTHER
PUT YOUR HANDS UP OH
UP IN THE CLUB, CLUB
JUST BROKE UP, UP
AND DOIN' MY OWN LIL THANG.
Yes. All the single ladies.
Re: From Dust to Dust
Re: From Dust to Dust
Re: From Dust to Dust
Thank you so much!
Re: From Dust to Dust
Re: From Dust to Dust
Ohmigosh, I am so freaking excited about so many things. First of all, so excited to see new blood!!! 'Sup Juular. I'm also super excited about Luca! She's too flippin' cool for school, that one. I kinda want to love-tackle her. I know you've got a bunch of offers already, so you can just ignore me if you want, but if you'd like to have any Luca/Nova history, I'm around.
SO FREAKING EXCITED TO SEE DAVE AND AUGUST FINALLY MEET AGAIN!!!
Lastly, I'm excited to go and read the new posts, yippeeee.
P.S. Just to let everyone know, I might not be around much the next couple days. I've got family visiting, so... yeah, gotta be social and whatnot. Won't be gone too long tho.
Re: From Dust to Dust
Also, tell me what you think of the first of my "memory" sequences, all.
Re: From Dust to Dust
Of course then there's Ad. /sarcasm
Oh, good. That's still working.
Re: From Dust to Dust
No, just kidding. :D You really are fast with those character sheets though, I mean I was seriously impressed you had it up that quickly. o.o
Re: From Dust to Dust
I DESPERATELY
WANT TO SEE SOME
EXES-RELATIONSHIPS.
Because I don't think Drake and Amanda had that sort've past.
She could've been on the Dust collecting convoy Dave and August were on, where nearly everyone died.
PS: August is totally going to capture / tame Ariah's first monster.
Re: From Dust to Dust
If you want any more relationships/acquaintanceship I'm here too.. Although Ariah is kind of a standoffish hoe, so maybe you'd rather your character be with nicer people -LIKE DAVE! hahaha
But for the reals, welcome!!!