RPG Role-Playing Writing - Round 2

[Mnemolth]

[b][color=red]STOP! Please read the following before you do ANYTHING in this thread!![/color][/b]


[b]The plot thickens...[/b]

There are just a few very simple rules to ensure everything runs smoothly. Please abide by them. Good luck everyone! :)


[i]For non-players:[/i]

1. If you are not one of the registered players, DO NOT post here. Period. If you wish to make a comment, laud praise or offer some criticism, please do so at the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19444][color=blue][/color]RPW General Thread[/url].

2. In an ideal world, I would ask that you read each story by each player BEFORE voting in the poll. But I understand this is not an ideal world so I would strongly you read at least a few stories before making you decision and to NEVER vote for someone before you have read their story! Please extend the players, who have spent time and effort in crafting their submissions, this small courtesy. ;)

3. Vote for the person whose story you like the most. You have until [b][i]midnight, Friday, 7th Feb, AEST time, ie GMT +10:00 hrs[/b][/i].

Thanks for dropping by. Everyone at RPW appreciates your support. :D


[i]For the players:[/i]

Round 2 is now open for submissions. [b][i]The deadline is midnight, Friday, 7th Feb, AEST time, ie GMT +10:00 hrs. This will be STRICTLY enforced.[/i][/b]

The Objectives for Round 2, if you did not check the RPW website and know already, is [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/Stories/objectives.html][color=blue]here[/color][/url]. Read it carefully. If you have questions or queries, post them in the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19444][color=blue]RPW General Thread[/color][/url]. It may be other players are also unsure. If you're a little shy, or if its personal, email or PM me.

I have taken the time to write up some tips for playing RPW. Read the [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/faq.html][color=blue]FAQ[/color][/url].

Please, PLEASE, ask questions. Even if its just to confirm some things. Don't write 3000 words of brilliant prose only to have it scraped cos it didn't fit with the Objectives or were outside the rules. I really hate having to send submission back to have players edit them. Chances are players will often be too disappointed to make the necessary changes or do not have enough time. In any case, that just robs us of a submission and we need every single one.

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]OOC: My first post...and it alreadt deserves to be shot. Oh well.




?And like the brat child, your demeanour becomes sweet to your parents when the larger children find your quips offensive. A driven affectation, I?m sure.?

[I]The voice was soft, in no way low or deep, but acidic enough to scald. The phrasing was a critic?s whiplash, undercut with eddying currents of sardonic amusement and contempt. The owner of the voice took a single step forward, soundless despite hard boots on a harder floor. The voice fit him like a glove. Lacroix tilted his head slightly, long black hair obscuring his face. It was a tactic he found useful. Proximity allowed him to penetrate his raven shroud, others found it an impassable wall. A conceit Lacroix chose to foster within himself. He surveyed those around him, having dismissed the mayor upon meeting him. The mayor looked discomforted never the less. He tugged at his collar, suddenly finding it too tight.[/I]

?I regret that your initial reception in Aiken may have been a little, discommoding, but-?, Burman managed to get out before being cut off with a stinging retort that seemed to funnel away into amicable levels.

? -I believe you were speaking to the group as a whole. It would be somewhat selfish of me to deny them your...afflatus.? [I]It was said just as softly, but a harder note entered his voice.[/I]

[I]Obviously having no idea what he meant, the mayor took it as a compliment. He visibly drew himself up, as wan and tawdry as a shaggy preening peacock.[/I]

Burman: Indeed as Goodman...[I]Lacroix flicked an eyebrow, but said nothing[/I]... Lacroix here was saying, I am here to extend Aiken?s collective plea for your aid. I?m afraid we are a small village, unversed in the ways of the wider world...

?Get to the point?, [I]The wild looking forest dweller interrupted with an ill-grace typical of his kind. Lacroix dismissed him immediately, though certain accents in his speech marked him as unusual. There were many unusual things in the world though, and the mayor was speaking again. For what that was worth.[/I]

?Yes. Well, um, perhaps my assistant could explain it better. A wonder she is, and most, most wise. I just don?t know what Aiken would do without her in these dark times. She should be on her way-ah, there she is?. [I]Burman?s voice had a peculiar note in it, an almost fawning quality that drove Lacroix to despise him all the more. In response to his almost adoring conjecture, in stepped a plain clad, beautiful female.Another male in thrall to a pretty face most likely. Burman didn?t seem to be one to appreciate faces though...

From the way she lowered her gaze slightly, and her hand fidgeted on her tightly held cloak, Lacroix was inclined to dismiss her as one of those academics who believes setting up shop in a small, mostly uneducated town would gain them respect.

Something about her face caught attention though. Her long, chestnut hair fell forward with her gaze. Having used the tactic minutes previously, Lacroix held back that harsh, metallic chuckle that served him as laughter. She apprised everyone in the room, even Burman. Lacroix took in those pale blue eyes as she gazed at him. He inclined his head ever so slightly, in an ironic salute. He received in return the raised hackles of a riled predator. This one might have actually had a spine in her. Before he could test that further, she flickered her glance onwards. After inspecting every member of this little menagerie with the intensity of a drill sergeant, she spoke in a quiet, nervous voice, completely at odds with what Lacroix had seen.[/I]

?Yes, well, as our good Burman here says, I am a woman of some erudition. My name is Jynesee Lamondale, a scholar from Whitehold. Despite my extensive historical knowledge of the village of Aiken and surrounding environs, I?m afraid to say, that...well, as a human, and as, I would guess, a scholar, I can come to ... well, no forthright conclusion as to the reason behind recent calamitous events.?

[I]Lacroix grinned wolfishly, though his lips never moved. His eyes however, seemed to grow that small sparkle inherent in an amused visage. Before the woman could continue her disjointed speech, he unstoppered a belt flask, a took a small swig.[/I]

?Amontillado anyone? [I]For some reason, everyone declined the offer. Jynesee looked at him in mild annoyance. Lacroix could almost see her foot tapping. She continued her speech, lapsing into that monologue used by academics all over.[/I]

?As I?m sure you are all aware, we have had several disappearances of late, or a most concerning and worry nature. Analysis of the surroundings the lost souls were last seen in turns up a complete lack of evidence. As well, there have been brutal attacks on the bovine creatures that feed this village.? [I]She seemed inclined to say little more, but the mayor stepped forward again, thanking her profusely for her insight and wisdom. He turned to the group, inviting them to share in his adulation for her.[/I]

?Thank you Jynesee. I?m sure we are all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.? [I]The Endilan, from the voice. Nice to know that certain traits were too good to be confined to humanity. Lacroix was sure, deep in his heart, that one day the common threads of prejudice, hatred, corruption and disregard would bind the assorted races together into a huge, necessarily bureaucratic, alliance of blind idiocy. Until then, he?d ignore diplomacy as a dying art. He started to pay a little more attention, an act that strangely coincided with Jynesee starting to get to the point.[/I]

?I took the liberty of having a psychometrist examine the area around the disappearances. So far, nothing has been found. It as if the area had never existed before the psychometrist stepped into it. Which leads me to believe that a demonic influence is to blame?

[I]The mayor stepped forward again, bowing to the flustered woman. Jynesee voiced a sotto voce reply, and let herself out. She cast a backwards glance, and caught Lacroix?s amused stare. She ignored it. Burman was speaking blithely about how a simple man such as he was unequiped to deal with such fell creatures from the abyss as had besieged his town and whatnot. A few low voices showed that there were a few other people in this room inclined to believe as well. Lacroix decided that since his getting out of here had a precursor of finding out what was going on, he would head that line of speculation off before it got started.[/I]

?One problem. It?s not demonic.? [I]He cut through the muttering with a hard whisper, attracting more than one disdainful stare. Lacroix ignored them, and continued.[/I]

?My father was the head of the Vishaki mage clan. I studied there quite a while. Now, just as a curiosity, psychometry works through the imprintations of aura patterns. Demons, being etheric, cannot possibly drain aura patterns. As to what it could be, I have no idea, so don?t ask.

[I]Strangely enough, the mayor glared at him, a look in his eye that made Lacroix give serious thought to knifing him now rather than later. What exactly was this Jynesee, to ensnare one to this degree, even one as simple minded as Burman. Lacroix retreated, letting everyone else discuss the matter. At the end of it, he?d be fed the details, offer a few improvements if necessary, and not have to sit through the intervening diatribe as every person thought they knew the best way to ?catch the killer?.

As voices were raised, Burman looked apprehensive, and suggested everyone retire, to give them all time to think about ?the issue?, as he tactfully phrased it.

Lacroix was led to another empty house, per his request. He bolted all the windows, and shoved furniture against what openings he could. Lying down in the narrow, uncomfortable bed, his days in the Order Of The Eldritch Heart came back to him, as they always did.

The monks of that order sought to better themselves physically through mental discipline. They had taught ways to decrease physical limitations, through mantras to dispel pain and exhaustion, through concentrating synapses of the brain into direct energy, through dissolving energy through one?s surroundings....

Lacroix sat bolt upright in bed. Could a rogue monk of the Order, or someone trained in a similar fashion, be the cause of this? Not likely, monk would ever be capable of such bestial attacks. They were too self-contained to be afflicted with any kind of ailment along the lines of lycanthropy.

Still, if the creature out there was using such a technique, Lacroix was well aware of the measures used to combat it. This situation however, first required flushing the beast out. The people of Aiken were farmers and villagers. Most likely none of them had ever experienced something unique in the village?s history. Lacroix and the others were travellers of sorts, from what he gathered. The auric emanations they put out would be coloured by hard experience. And feeling that, the energy draining creature would search those people out. Experience brought mental strength. Mental strength brought a tasty snack....

Lacroix waited for dawn, wondering exactly why he didn?t just ?skip town? now and be done with it. He didn?t like this idea, it offered some nasty risks, versus a reward that meant nothing to him. Still, perhaps one of the others would have a better idea.[/I][/font][/color]

[Sara]

[size=1]Night had long since fallen on the small house outside of Aiken, and the company of travelers sat in their borrowed cabin, listening to the mayor?s speech.

?The more recent?ah?[I]incidents[/I], Burman was saying, ?have begun occurring during the daylight hours. So you understand the apprehension, of course, that Aiken is feeling right now. When the only?untoward occurrences?were to farm animals in the dead of night, well, that was one thing?easily dismissed, you see, as the work of a wolf or other predator. But for the culprit to leave the?shall we say?.[I]evidence[/I], mutilated in the field?that is something no animal does, of course. And now people have disappeared, and you understand that no amount of assurance will allay the people?s fear of?ah? this?[I]difficult situation[/I]??

Relee found herself wincing at the man?s constant use of euphemism, and finally tuned him out. She looked idly around the room, sincerely hoping Burman had somehow inherited the title of mayor; things did not look well for any town that would [I]choose[/I] to have him as a leader.

Her eyes skimmed the company. Tylenia sat on the floor by the fireplace, occasionally poking the logs with a stick. She looked young and?innocent, really. The girl had stood up to both Alex and Burman, though, and Relee was willing to bet she was tougher than she looked. Tylenia shifted, as though aware of Relee?s observation, and looked up. The two made eye contact, and Relee nodded before looking away.

Xii sat across the room, munching on something she had found in the kitchen. She looked bored, and rolled her yes as Burman used yet another delicate phrase to avoid using the word ?killing.? Relee frowned slightly. If Tylenia seemed stronger than her looks admitted, Xii did not. The forest girl had come into the group somewhat by accident. She was willing to help, but Relee wasn?t sure this was the place or situation for her.

Percy sat on a chair behind Xii, writing in a book; Relee fancied it was a journal of some sort. Next to him was Alex, the Ranger-type man she had met at the gate. He was growing visibly frustrated with Burman?s speech.

And so, it seemed, were the others of the group.

?So you do understand the ?ah?[I]delicate issues[/I]?.I am dealing with,? the mayor said, and opened his mouth to go on.

For what may have been the first time, the Knight spoke. ?[I]Mayor[/I] Burman,? and the title seemed suddenly an insult. Burman?s mouth closed, leaving him with a look of surprise one might fancy to see on a stranded fish. ?[I]Mayor[/I] Burman, stop being such a diplomat. You brought us here to solve your problem, and there is no point in sidestepping the crisis. Animals have been slaughtered and mutilated during the night, and more recently during the day. People have disappeared; we are to assume they have also been killed. You wish us to identify and eradicate the cause of this.? The Knight paused. ?Am I correct??

?You are.? A new voice, from the doorway. Eight pairs of eyes locked suddenly onto the latest arrival.

A woman stood in the doorway. She was slight, but the air about her commanded attention. The firelight shone on her face, giving her dark skin a soft glow. Black hair, except that held in place by a gold band, seemed to melt into the darkness behind her.

Burman jumped up. ?Daja!? he exclaimed, ?You?re here!?

?I apologize for my tardiness,? the woman replied, looking about the room.

Burman smiled widely. ?It?s alright; we were just getting started,? he said, his voice suddenly too loud. ?We?ll just go back over the things you missed.?

The company stared at him in collective disbelief. Burman had spent the better part of an hour droning on about the ?delicate issues? Aiken was facing and how they surely understood ?the awkward situation? the mayor had found himself in. Relee closed her eyes. Surely he would not subject them to that again.

?That won?t be necessary,? Daja said, earning herself a room of grateful allies.

?Oh, of course not,? Burman amended hastily. ?Naturally not. Ahem.?

Relee caught Tylenia?s eye again, and they both looked at the mayor. He was suddenly no longer in control of the situation. All eyes were on Daja.

?So what do you suggest we do?? Percy asked.

?Solve the problem,? Alex said laconically. ?That?s why we?re here.?

Lacroix sent him a withering look. Relee winced inwardly at the man?s hard stare, even though it was not directed at her.

?And how do you plan on going about [I]solving the problem[/I], Ranger?? he asked icily.

Alex narrowed his eyes. ?Any way possible. I haven?t heard [I]you[/I] offer any suggestions.?

Burman grew alarmed, suddenly at the realization he was no longer in control. ?Gentlemen, please!?

Both men sent him killing looks, but Burman tried his best to ignore them. ?Why don?t we...ah?continue discussion of how to go about?.? His voice trailed off.

?You don?t know the cause of the problem,? Tylenia said slowly. ?She looked up from the fire. ?How can we fight an enemy we can?t see??

?We can?t,? Percy said simply.

?Precisely,? Daja slipped herself back into the conversation, drawing the attention of each person.

Xii looked perplexed. ?Precisely? That?s it? Don?t you want to try and do something??

Daja smiled. ?Of course. The first step will be finding out who, or what, is doing the killing.?

Burman nodded, struggling to regain his foothold on authority. ?Absolutely correct. Thus, I propose that we divide into certain groups??

?I work alone,? Lacroix said coldly.

Burman stopped, a little thrown off. ?I?well, of course.? He nodded, back on track. ?That can be arranged. Are there any other?ah?requests??

Silence greeted him.

?Very well. In the morning, I will provide escorts for those willing to visit the?.shall we say, [I]scenes of the crimes.[/I]. There are still some farmers who have [I]declined[/I] to retreat within the town walls.? Burman?s voice indicated clearly what he thought of them. ?Any of the ladi?any of those who feel they may?ah?be better suited to a different venue, will be welcome to enter Aiken at that time.?

Tylenia smiled coolly. ?I?m sure we?ll all find something to do, Mayor.?[/size]

[Mnemolth]

This Round has been extended a few days due to the lack of submissions. :(

If you are working on your submission and will post please PM me to let me know, and post ASAP!

The Popularity voting poll for this thread will remain unchanged and will close around Monday or Tuesday.

[Shy]

OOC: NOt as long as I wanted it to be, and not as well-written either. Very simple "Point A to point B" stuff". At least I posted...

[size=1]?Aiken, is that a Celtic name?? asked Miles, with a hint of suspicion.

?Well, I?m not entirely sure.? Replied Burman, ?This area has been inhabited by several groups throughout the ages, I believe that it was the name of a neighboring tribe of warriors from long ago.?

Miles stared intently at Burman, while everyone else seemed bored with this topic of conversation. Xii sighed lightly, and began to look around the inside of the room. Dust was everywhere. It was obvious to her that this place had not been lived in for quite some time.

?Whatever happened to these Aiken warriors?? Xii asked softly, running her finger along the top of a wooden table.

?There were no Aiken warriors.? An unfamiliar voice called out from behind the group.

The group of travelers turned around to discover a beautiful, red-haired woman wearing beautiful woman dressed in dark robes. Her appearance immediately caught the attention of Miles, Lacroix, and Alex, while the women in the room continued to wait for more information from Burman. He coughed loudly, and took a step back. With a smile on his face he outstretched his hand towards the woman.

?Oh. Good. You?re here.? Burman and the woman shared a quick glance. ?This is Aud. She is one of the town?s leading experts on local history. It was because of her suggestion that I called you all here.?

Miles stood up and offered his seat to Aud. She quickly denied his offer, and she hurried across the room towards Burman.

?Women on the frontier, no manners at all.? Miles muttered to himself.

?We need to act quickly.? Said Burman, ?The damage to our livestock has been increasing. If we do not stop the culprit soon, our city may be facing some serious problems during the winter??

?You mean hunger?? Relee interrupted. Miles glared a little at Relee from behind her, clearly annoyed that she had prevented Burman from finishing his speech. Xii smiled, and patted Miles on the back of the head, only annoying him more.

?That?s exactly what he means, Relee.? Aud explained, ?We are not a very prosperous community. Many of the people here live from season to season, with very little savings in case of an emergency. Certainly none of them have enough to leave the city in case things get more serious.?

?Do you expect them to?? Miles asked.

Burman paused for a moment, looked at Aud, and replied, ?I don?t know.?

Everyone in the room, Relee and Xii in particular started to become uneasy.

?How can you [I]not[/I] know?? Xii said softly.

Burman gave everyone a reassuring smile, and checked his watch. ?It is getting late here. Perhaps we should discuss this on another night? Perhaps tomorrow? I could have more information for you then.?

?Tomorrow we should investigate the disappearances, and talk to the townspeople.? Lacroix said.

Aud laughed darkly. ?I?m sorry Lacroix, but your outward appearance might frighten some of the townspeople.?

Everyone understood what she meant. His dark hair and white face paint were probably a sharp contrast from the villagers inside of the city.
?But if you want to speak to townspeople. I?m sure that they wouldn?t mind talking to Relee.? Burman said, ?Tomorrow Aud and I can take her into the city alone.?

Relee agreed to it, and soon a plan was set forth. The following day Relee, Aud and Burman would enter Aiken, so that Relee could ask questions about the disappearances. Lacroix, the Ranger and Tylenia would check the surrounding for anything suspicious, and Xii, Miles and Calonice would check out the ?victims?.

?This is ridiculous,? The Relee said loudly, ?Spending a night here, outside of the city gates, could get us all killed.?

?Speak for yourself.? The Ranger sharply replied, as he adjusted the scabbard on his belt, ?Can we stay here Burman??

?Oh, of course.? Burman replied, ?Until we can allow you entrance into the city, this house seems like the safest place to be.?

Miles sighed, and adjusted his glasses. He knew that this would be dangerous, but he never expected to be exiled from the town. ?Perfect. I suggest we organize this a bit, sleep in shifts. I?ll be up all night doing research anyway.?

Lacroix stood up. ?I?ll take the first shift.?

Miles also stood, ?So will I.?[/size]

[Lady Asphyxia]

[color=darkred]Heh. Short, short, short. Not good. Bah.


[size=1]The night breeze whispered and sighed, echoing the feelings of several of the group?s members. It was several hours later, and the mayor was still blustering about, never actually addressing the issue at hand. Shortly after the mayor?s appearance, his assistant, Acantha, had joined them. She was a beauty, and Tylenia had stared at her in awe for a few minutes before coming to her senses. It took her another half an hour to realize that it wasn?t just Acantha?s beauty which entranced, but also the surrounding aura of exquisiteness.

Tylenia grinned as Percy ? who?d grown restless in the past hour ? finally asked, ?So what exactly [I]is[/I] the problem?? The mayor flushed and glanced at Percy, then around at the other group members.

?Well, you see, as I told you before,? he rubbed his eyes and looked helplessly toward Acantha, then back at the group. ?You wouldn?t be welcome inside the village. You see...strange things have been happening, and no one is really sure what. Or who. Or how to stop them.? The mayor waved his hands around in frustration. ?We?ve tried everything!?

?And still the fox continues to play,? Acantha stated in that quiet voice of hers. The mayor flinched at her words, knowing how apt they were. All eyes drew to look at her, then once again at the mayor.

?What do you mean by ?no one is really sure what??? Lacroix asked, his volume a match for Acantha?s.

?The disappearances are the worst part. Then there are the rumors. We think that people who disappear [I]may[/I] be dying horribly, but we?ve got nothing to prove, or even colour our opinions. Of course, the livestock are being mutilated, but the people just disappear.?

?So, if we accept,? Tylenia thought out loud, ?we?d first have to figure out what happened to the people.?

Acantha blinked once, then interrupted. ?You?ve already accepted by arriving here. Unless you go to the Greater Beyond, you will continue to help us.?

The collection looked somewhat uncomfortable with that, but no one had the chance to disagree because, with Acantha?s words, the mayor seemed to regain his composure and waved a blustering hand around. Xii had to jerk backwards quickly to avoid being hit by his hand.

Calonice, who?d barely moved during the mayor?s time in the stage light, stood up and walked over to her horse, petting it softly. When she noticed the others staring at her, she raised an eyebrow and grinned. ?He was getting restless.?

Their attention again on the killings, Tylenia relaxed and let her mind wander. She stared vacantly at the city walls, wondering if they were ever going to be allowed into the city. Her mind conjured up pictures of the town like those she used to live in, and then dismissed that idea. The town she used to live in consisted of hovels and huts, and had no walls. Their ?protection? consisted of taking cover when they were attacked.

Tylenia was nodding off to sleep just as Acantha stood up, looking around intently. A second later there was a shout, and two villagers stumbled up to the door of the house. Both were men, one rather short and squat, the other somewhat taller with a beard and a balding head. They both seemed out of breath, which was expected; they were built for farming, not running.
The taller spoke while the shorter gasped for breath. ?There?s been another attack. A few cows, in the paddocks. If it?d come an hour later it would have been little Naimah from the Hampton family.?

The mayor?s face creased into anger. ?Why was she out there anyway? It?s after dark. No one is safe outside after dark!?

Tylenia exchanged a worried glance with Xii. If no one was safe outside after dark, why where [I]they[/I] outside after dark?

The balding man fumbled. ?Well, her parents had sent her out. There was summat wrong with the chooks, and someone needed to check up on them.?

The mayor sighed and turned back to the group, worry etched into his face. It amazed Tylenia how old the deep grooves made him seem. He was actually quite young. His hair wasn?t turning grey, and although he looked like he could lose some weight, he was in relatively good shape. ?Do you see why I need your help? People are disappearing, and the villagers are paranoid, but still refuse to believe anything is actually happening. It?s like if they ignore the happenings, they?ll stop.?

Celestine nodded and addressed the group. ?I think tomorrow we should split up into groups. Any ideas??

Tylenia stayed silent, watching the others toss ideas around liked a sack of barely. There were often silences as people thought, but no one rushed to fill them. They made Tylenia uncomfortable, but in groups, she preferred to stay silent and listen rather than speak.

Finally, it was decided that instead of splitting up ? they couldn?t do anything until they knew what they were facing ? they?d talk to the townspeople. The mayor left silently, hurrying back into the village. Acantha left a minute later, leaving them with a soft, ?Be alert. Our fox is nocturnal.?[/size][/color]

[Juu]

[color=ff00cc] [size=1]The mayor clapped his hands together, and gave a wry smile at the group.

"So." He spoke, an uncertain tone in his voice. "Did you all have a safe trip to the city?"

Relee raised her chin slightly above her shoulders, peering under the hood of her cloak.

"We're all here, aren't we?" Alex spat, raising his eyebrow at the mayor.

The mayor gave an uncomfortable glance at the ranger. Obviously, they weren't very happy with the mishap at the gate. He walked to the center of the room, glancing around the wooden walls of the house. He cleared his throat, and put his hands together.

"Well, I guess we should get a move on if we're going to reach the city by nightfall." The mayor sighed, walking towards the door.

Xii's eyes widened, and began to gather her things quickly. Tylenia got on her knees, and helped Xii get her things together. Staying in the house wouldn't have been so bad. After all, it was rather nice having the group altogether. Tylenia's eyes glittered with anxiety, ready to see the inside walls of the city. Images of the city raced in her mind, to each cobblestone to rooftop, easily fitting together, piece by piece. Percy smiled lightly, and stepped over by Lacroix. Alex and Calonice gathered each of their materials, and walked over to the others as well. Relee picked up a small knapsack, and waited for Xii and Tylenia to finish packing. The women rose, and quickly stood by the others as well. The mayor grinned, and led the group out the door.

"Alright. It's only two miles from here. I'll see you seven in Aiken!" The mayor stated firmly.

The mayor strided his horse, accompanied by Calonice. They quickly rode off towards the city. A content, confident smile spread across the mayor's face. The others rode behind them. Their horses trotted swiftly, kicking up dust from the dirt trail beneath them. The trail was rather plain, not much to see along the way. It was a wide open plain, dotted with dying trees and plantlife, sands and dirt glowing a crimson red of the setting sun.

"You don't suppose they would have a place to eat, would they?" Tylenia whispered to Xii.

"Of course they would." Xii replied. "I heard they had some of the finest resturants there."

Tylenia smiled, and reassured. It had been a while since she had a real meal, and the bread didn't seem to fill her. More thoughts rushed through her mind, as if they were placed out right in front of her before her very eyes. The group stayed close together. They moved steadily across the barren plains, skipping past stones and dry plants along the way. Endless prairies seemed to edge beyond the horizon. The horses picked up speed as they neared the city's walls once again. The guards were still there, looking rather awkward as they saw the group of travelers ride with the mayor. The mayor chuckled and raised his palm to the guards. The guards didn't move, one's face flushing red. Alex sneered at the guards as they made a wide turn towards the gate. The other guard tapped the other. The two dashed over to open the gate, and sweat dropped at the returning travelers.

As they entered the gates, they remained silent in shock. Not many people walked the streets of town, even for that hour. A few commoners led their ponies to a miniature water fountain in the center of town, where they refilled their thirsts, and filled their stomachs. A few stable boys fed the ponies a few carrots, and leaves of lettuce that they seemed to enjoy. The ponies neighed with delight, as the boys smiled, and stroked the noses of the ponies. Their hooves clicked and clacked at the cobblestone roads of the city. A few stagecoaches passed, a seemingly wealthy couple led by broad, strong horses. The town seemed quieter than what they had expected. Much quieter. It seemed almost like a ghost town, emptied and hollowed over a strange and cunning event. But then, it was already turning into a ghost town.

?Where is everybody?? Tylenia asked, her eyes worrisome with fear.

?They?ve either departed or disappeared.? The mayor replied. ?These are all the people that are left.?
The group glanced around.

?What about that bar? Are there people there?? Calonice asked.

?Of course!? The mayor exclaimed, bursting into gestures. ?Why, that?s where most of the people stay, in fact.?

The group mounted their horses, and entered the bar, music and clamoring already audible. As they walked inside, a friendly bartender, who apparently owned the bar, welcomed them. He wore a friendly smile, and a hearty face, which eased the group from entering the new city. A few sat in the corner, eyeing them mysteriously. They glared at the few who stared, and observed those who chose to ignore them. The men scoffed, and took heavy gulps at their drinks. The others raised their mugs, and greeted them jubilantly. It felt unusual walking into so much noise after such silence; A sudden uproar in stifled silence. The mayor took a seat at a table in the far corner of the bar, out of earshot or sight of the residents. The mayor beckoned to the bartender, who quickly made his way over to them. He still held a mug and towel in his hand, drying the cup against his stout belly.

?Hello there! Name?s Bunkerdink.? The bartender introduced.

?You said something about seeing a few people pass through here?? The mayor murmured, leaning over to the bartender.

Bunkerdink?s cheerful gaze quickly hardened, knowing the gravity of the situation.

?Ah yes? Those folk were from outside town, they were.? The bartender began. ?Looked suspicious to me. Them disappearances happened the night they came into town.?

?Really? How long were they here?? Calonice asked, eyes narrowing anxiously.

?Not long, I presume.? Alex commented, putting his fist to his chin.

?That?s right. They be here for half an hour.? Bunkerdink replied.

Tylenia and Relee exchanged glances and eyed the bartender. Lacroix tapped his foot impatiently. The bartender?s words were slow, and took some thought to think over. This was frustrating...

?Did you hear anything?? Lacroix asked, his voice cold.

?Eh? not much. Just some strange talk about birds and flying south.?

Xii leaned forward, and tilt her head, mumbling the phrase to herself. This was rather peculiar? Birds, flying south? it just didn?t seem to make sense. Xii looked behind her, and looked to the remaining sunset. The grass left of the sunset was destroyed, weathered and abandoned. She looked to the right, and saw bits of grass remaining. Then she rose from her seat as the others traded facts and questions at the table. She opened the door, and stepped down one of the steps. To her surprise, a few blades of grass were still green. Along with the grass, a few small daisies were still alive and thriving with life. She eyed the flowers curiously, and hurried back inside. Xii took Relee?s hand, and pointed to the plants.

?These are still alive.? Xii pointed out, touching the petals delicately.[/color] [/size]

[Mnemolth]

Thanks everyone for submitting! :D This has been a good Round. Submissions for Round 2 are now closed. At last, we get to the fun part. ;)

Voting for Round 2 will now commence and will be closed on [b]Fri, 14th of Feb midnight AEST time, or GMT + 10 hrs[/b].

A reminder that Sara has 2 votes. :D

[Juu]

[color=ff00cc] [size=1]I voted for Lady A. ^_^
I had a pretty tough time deciding though. The submissions were all pretty interesting. ^^

*hops off*[/color] [/size]

[Shy]

[size=1]I'm voting for me because Sara will probbaly win without my help.. and I need to reward myself somehow.

-Shy[/size] ;)

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]I'm voting for Shy. I just like his post for some reason. And I think the ending has...opportunities.[/font][/color]

[Lady Asphyxia]

[color=darkred][size=1]Hmm...where exactly did you vote, Juu? Players aren't allowed to post in the poll ^.^


Anyway, I had a look at everyones, and I still can't decide properly, so I'm just going to list my thoughts then at the end decide. Or try to, at least. >.<

[b]The Harlequin[/b]

[list]
[*][color=sandybrown]"Critics whiplash"[/color]. I [i]love[/i] that phrasing.
[*][color=sandybrown]"As wan and tawdry as a shaggy preening peacock."[/color] Great imagery and alliteration. Heh...
[*]It seemed that sometimes you forgot the style and slipped into the [color=sandybrown]Burman: Indeed as Goodman...etc[/color]
[*][color=sandybrown]"For all that was worth."[/color] I thought that was very well done. It voiced Lacroix's contempt for the mayor better than the times you actually said something about contempt creeping into Lacroix's voice.
[*][color=sandybrown]"Metallic chuckle."[/color] More imagery, and just as effective ^.^
[*]Jynesse. I don't know why, I just don't like the name.
[*]I [i]loved[/i] the ending. I like the logical processing, the natural extension of thoughts, and the reluctance on Lacroix's part to get involved.
[/list]


*cough* And then I got lazy.


[b]Sara[/b]

[list]
[*]Good introduction. It was a nice length and continued from the previous story, and set the time frame.
[*]I like the characterisation of the mayor. He became more of a 3 dimensional character.
[*]I like how you used Relee/Celestine. Oh, well, Relee now, but I keep calling her Celestine >.<. You made her evolve.
[*]I like the way you described Xii. You said that it kept her as a 2-D character, but it sort of showed us how you want her to be seen.
[*]There was a lot of dialogue for the amount of description, but you described everything succinctly and well.
[*]The way you portrayed Tylenia was great. I don't think many people are confident with her for some reason, but you did great! ^.^
[*]I really like the conclusion. It sort of makes it a story within a story, and my story (in my opinion) had a weak conclusion.
[/list]


And lazier!


[b]Shyguy[/b]

[list]
[*]The continuation from the other story was really well done. I wasn't even game to try; thats why I started later in the night.
[*]The lack of Tylenia and Calonice was disconcerting, but I had a lot of trouble explaining her myself, especially in the sign ups.
[*]I like Mile's humanity, especially the way he gets huffy.
[*]The ending was great, too. It sort of allowed you to go on in the peice without making you uncomfortable, but still let you know it was the ending.
[/list]


[b]Juuthena[/b]

[list]
[*]The way you did Tylenia was great.
[*]Some words seem odd where you used them, and things like friendly were used twice in as many sentences, which seems repeditive.
[*]The way you separated the group - those walking and those on horseback - was pretty cool.
[*]A lot of the imagery was really well done.
[/list]


Bah, I might as well do mine, too.


[b]Lady Asphyxia[/b]

[list]
[*]The fox references were wierd, but I jsut liked having them there.
[*]I went [i]way[/i] to close to Purple Prose [definition: Flowery stuff], especially near the beginning. I remember being in a strange mood at the time, though.
[*]I didn't like how short it was, but I'd used up my objectives and was out of ideas.
[*]The ending was bad. I had no idea how to end the peice, but I'm actually relatively okay with it now.
[*]I like my mayor. He was the only one that didn't seem completely stupid to me. I mean, he's a person too, and in as much as I think of him as a fool, I also consider him relatively young and rather smart, despite his foolishness.
[/list]


*cough* So... *slides from foot to foot*

I like my mayor the best. I don't know why, I just do. (Five minutes later) Ugh, I give up. I'm just going to vote for myself and be done with it. I can't decide between the others >.<

My vote: Lady Asphyxia.[/color][/size]

[Sara]

[SIZE=1][b]Harlequin[/b] [list]
[*]A cask of Amontillado. I'm sorry, that just made me smile.
[*]Like Lady A said, you sort of skipped between dialogue and screenplay form. Vagely disconcerting, that.
[*]I liked reading about Lacroix. It'll be much easier to write for him next round now that you've posted.
[*]Jynesee. I didn't at all expect her character to be like that, but I like it. Jittery, heh. Took me by surprise.
[*]Not a lot of character interaction, I'd've liked to read how Lacroix sees the others' speaking with eachother.
[/list]

[b]Sara[/b]
[list]
[*]Overdid it with Burman a bit, don't you think?
[*]Don't like the characterization of Calonice, ugh.
[*]Relee's very nice to tell a story from. ^_^ [Love you, Juu, for having such a wonderful character.]
[*]Nothing actually [i]happened.[/i]
[*]But you got all the characters in there, good job! It only took you three tries.[/list]

[b]Shy[/b]
[list]
[*]Love Miles. Especially, like Lady A said, when he gets "huffy." [b]No manners at all.[/b] Heh.
[*]Missing Tylenia and Calonice, but I really like the way you portrayed everyone else. [Xii!]
[*]Good ending, very...end-of-chapter-ish.
[*]All in all, I love what you wrote.. It just seems very unpolished, which is weird for me to see from you.[/list]

[b]Lady A[/b]
[list]
[*][i]I[/i] like your ending. The whole fox thing was pretty interesting to throw in there, too.
[*]Good job with all the characters.
[*]I like Tylenia. She's very down-to earth and honest, the way you show her and what happens.
[*]You threw some other little good moments in there, too. Calonice taking care of her horse--which threw me off, a bit, but I like it. [Have you read [i]Song of the Lioness?[/i] Reminds me of Alanna.]
[*]Heh, more dialect. ^_^ I like that, it gives the whole thing a very honest feel.[/list]

[b]Juu[/b]

[list][*]Bunkerdink. Heh. ^_^ Reminds me of [i]Princess Bride[/i]
[*]I like the way you did Alex. I don't know if that how he's supposed to be, but I think it fits pretty well.
[*]I like your ending.
[*]Unfortunately, I have no idea what the signficance is. o0
[*]You have some good phrases and imagery. Just liked them. The miniature water fountain, for example--it just made me smile.[/list]

*several minutes later*

I vote for Shy and Lady A.[/SIZE]

[Charles]

My vote for this round goes to Harelquin. It's not perfect; similar to my own style, it's a bit wordy. There is a bit too much description.

Nonetheless, it was my favorite entry this round. It was close. It took me quite a while to decide and I changed my mind numerous times. But, I feel that I should stick with "The H."

Lady A. and Sara came close to getting the final vote. But, it was mainly issues with my character that got in the way.

[Mnemolth]

Gee CWB, you don't make my life any easier do you? ;)

Votes for Round 2 are now closed.

I apologise for the tardiness of my response. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer before I give out the results, update the website and release Round 3 objectives. I've just moved and need to unpack and do a heap of other things. :)

Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long. ;)

[EDIT]

This was a good Round with most players making a submission and voting. Keep it up folks. :)

[b]Voting for Round 2 was as follows:[/b]

Lady Asphyxia - 3 votes (Juuthena, LA, Sara)
Shyguy - 3 votes (Shyguy, Harlequin, Sara)
Harlequin - 1 votes (CWB)

Its a tie!!

Hmm... I'm not sure I've mentioned it before, and if I've said something to the contrary on the RPW website then I apologise (I don't think so but it is a rule change made during Round 1 so I can't be sure), but for the sake of the flow of the game, in the event of a tie, I decide.

Personally, I like LA's submission better than Shy's story. Mainly because Shy is..erm... writing much like a chronicler of events rather than a teller of tales (check out RPW and see the irony). Perhaps its because of his journalistic background, though my bet would be he probably didn't spend sufficient time on the submission. In any case, I didn't particularly like the characterisation of the advisor for either story. She seemed...hmm... not infused with the requisite exotic allure nor the sublime cryptic self-assuredness.

[b]XPs gained for Round 2:[/b]

Harlequin wins the Popularity category with 3 votes. - 1 XP for on time submission, 5 for Popularity = Total= 6 XPs
Sara - 2 XPs
ShyGuy - 1 XP (satisfying objectives)
LA - 1 XP (satisfying objectives), 10 XPs Round 2 winner = Total = 11 XPs
Juuthena - 1 XP (satisfying objectives)

Don't like one or more of my decisions? Have your say in the General Thread. And PLEASE check your email.

On with Round 3 and more mayhem! :D

[/EDIT]