Labyrinth Nexus (M-LVS)

[Sandy]

[FONT=Palatino Linotype][center][SIZE=1]This event is rated M for mature with excessive violence, crude language and possible sexual content.[/SIZE]

[color=DarkGreen][i]Where legends come to life
Where fairy tales are reality
Where dreams are seen with eyes wide open
Where there is no escape
Where is the Labyrinth?[/i]

[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Labyrinth/labyrinth3.png[/IMG][/center]

Fifteen people from the modern world, total strangers to each others, wake up at the center of the Labyrinth ? a seemingly endless maze where there are baffling wonders and deadly hazards around every corner. Very soon they find out that they possess peculiar powers that they did not have when they went to sleep, powers they know through fairy tales and folklore, powers of the heroes and villains of myths and legends reborn within them.

So begins a desperate race to find the way out of the Labyrinth. Some of the fifteen decide to team up, while some prefer to go solo. Death befalls on them one after another, for the maze is as lethal as it is miraculous. With only their new-found powers and each other to rely on, will any of the fifteen make it out of the Labyrinth?[/color]

[center][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Labyrinth/labyrinth5.png[/IMG][/center]

Welcome to the [b]Labyrinth Nexus[/b]! This is the place where all the [b]out-of-character[/b] discussion and information is kept. Here you can also ask specifically about this game and give some feedback about it, if you like. But most importantly, here you will find out everything you need to know if you want to [b]join this event[/b].

[i]Labyrinth[/i] will have spots for [b]seven players[/b], all of whom will control a total of [b]fifteen characters[/b] during the game along with me. So, this is not an ordinary roleplaying game where you pick a person and play as him or her all time. This time, the seven players and me will create a story around the fifteen characters who have all woken up in a gigantic maze filled with wonders as well as dangers, each possessing unnatural powers they didn?t have before.

However, it wouldn?t be much of an event without a big twist in it. Besides being a [b]collaborative story[/b], [i]Labyrinth[/i] is also a [b]competition[/b]. Here are the rules to this game:

[indent][b]1.[/b] In order to become one of the seven competitors, you must send me a [b]private message[/b] with the [b]profiles of two characters[/b] you want to include to the total of fifteen. Wether you are in or not depends wholly on how interesting and unique your two characters are. Details on how to create the characters will follow up later. You have time until [b]Monday the 20th of November[/b] to send me your character profiles, that means a whole week.

[b]2.[/b] The fourteen characters created by the seven players are [b]secret[/b] to everybody else but the creator and myself. Think them as your own pawns that you have to protect from the others. Revealing your two characters might make the other players attack them, and then you will lose this event. Of course, you can make [b]alliances[/b] with your rivals, but in the end, there can be [b]only one winner[/b] in Labyrinth.

[b]3.[/b] The sole [b]winner[/b] of this event will be the player whose created character (or both characters) are the last ones alive. Yes, this event involves players [b]killing off[/b] each others? characters with varying methods [b]in-game[/b]. The killing can happen with for example a trap falling on the character or by an assault of a beast. Just like anybody can play as any character, anybody can kill a character. When both of a player?s characters are killed off, he or she will [b]lose the event[/b] and will have to leave the game [i]on the following weekend[/i]. There are certain restrictions and rules regarding killing, elaborated in the rule number 5.

[b]4.[/b] My own role in Labyrinth is to create the fifteenth character, the so-called [b]Black Horse[/b], which is secret to everybody except myself. I will participate in the storytelling just like the seven players, controlling all characters and making sure that the plot moves on. My Black Horse can be killed off just like any other character, but he or she might as well win this event. It would be unfair for me, as the master of this game, to be able to kill off characters just like the seven ?real? players, so instead I get to [b]revive[/b] characters. For more details on that, I refer again to rule number 5.

[b]5.[/b] What comes to killing and reviving characters, this game will use a [b]card-based system[/b] as well as [b]weekly rounds[/b]. All seven players chosen to this event will get one [b]Death Card[/b] at the start of the first round (or week). That card [i]must[/i] be used during that round to kill off one of the fifteen characters. That card can be used only once, so [i]one player can kill off just one character per week[/i]. Please note that even if players lose both of their characters, the players will remain in the game until I [b]officially announce them as having lost[/b] during the following weekend. In the weekend, [b]at the end of each round[/b], I will use my power to revive a character with my [b]Life Card[/b]. Only after that everybody will know which players have been eliminated from the event. At the start of the next round, all the remaining players will get new Death Cards, and the game continues until there is only one player left besides me. This will take approximately [b]three rounds[/b], or three weeks.

[b]6.[/b] When you want to use your [b]Death Card[/b], you will have to show it in your post with the picture of the character you?re going to kill, like this:
[center][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Labyrinth/labyrinth-deathcard.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/ava-balthier.jpg[/IMG][/center]
For reference, I?ll revive a character the same way with my [b]Life Card[/b]:
[center][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Labyrinth/labyrinth-lifecard.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/ava-balthier.jpg[/IMG][/center]
There will be [B]other cards[/B] that will come into play during the game, handed by me to the players or used by myself, but let?s keep them a secret for now. The point is, whenever you use a card, you must show it along with the face of the character (or in some cases, characters) you want to use it on.

[b]7.[/b] The [b]setting[/b] of this event is meant to be a strange, dream-like maze, where the walls can shift from hedges to tunnels to gaping ravines ? whatever the players? imaginations produces. The fifteen characters will encounter many monsters and creatures taken straight from myths and fairy tales, as well as devious traps and other hazards. All characters come from our time and planet (while the Labyrinth can feature elements from any time and location), but like the prologue says, as they awake in the center of the Labyrinth they will find out that they each possess a supernatural power they didn?t have before. This is where this game will kick off. What happens next is entirely up to the players. In the story, there?s only one rule: [i]nobody will get out of the Labyrinth alive before the end[/i].
[/indent]
Now that you?ve read through the rules included to this event, you should be ready to sign-up for this. As I said previously, in order to do that, you must send me a [b]private message[/b] (do [i]not[/i] post it anywhere else) with the [b]profiles of two characters[/b] you want as your secret pawns in this game. The profiles must include following information and [i]nothing else[/i]:
[indent][b]Picture:[/b] Use a [i]drawn[/i] facial picture of your character, preferably in the size 128x128 pixels, although I can easily modify it for you if you don?t have the tools for it. As a hint, you can use avatars of characters from video games or anime. [i]No photos of real life people[/i], however, because they do not suit the style of this event.
[b]Name:[/b] It should reflect the nationality of the character, not too imaginative, but not too ordinary either. A good bonus is if you manage to tie the name to the power in some way.
[b]Gender:[/b] One of the characters [i]must[/i] be a male, and the other a female. No exceptions allowed.
[b]Age:[/b] [i]One[/i] character must be [i]either[/i] younger than 15 [i]or[/i] older than 35, for the sake of variation. The other character can be any age you want.
[b]Origin:[/b] Any place on the planet Earth that exists in the year 2006. This is the place the character lived before he or she woke up in the Labyrinth. Your two characters [i]cannot[/i] originate from the same country, just to make the characters more varied.
[b]Occupation:[/b] Simply what the character does for a living. Can also be a child, a student, a senior citizen, a housewife etc.
[b]Power:[/b] This is where your originality and imagination is really put into a test. Each character must find out that they have a supernatural power when they wake up inside the Labyrinth. That power can help them survive in the Labyrinth, or perhaps lead them to their doom. What?s important is that [i]the superpower originates from a hero or a villain in some existing mythology or legend or fairy tale[/i]. This can mean anything between transforming into a werewolf to the power of seeing to the future through a mirror. Any equipment that the power may need (such as weapons, jewelry, clothes) the characters will have on them when they wake up.
[/indent]
Here is an [b]example[/b] of what I?m looking for (note that this character will [i]not[/i] be used in the actual game in any way):
[indent][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/ava-balthier.jpg[/IMG]
[COLOR=DarkGreen][b]Name:[/b] Drake Jackson
[b]Gender:[/b] Male
[b]Age:[/b] 29 years old
[b]Origin:[/b] Texas, USA
[b]Occupation:[/b] Gas Station Owner
[b]Power:[/b] He has the power of the medieval dragons to breathe scorching fire from his mouth. The reach of the flame is up to a feet.[/COLOR]
[/indent]
So simple, but so decisive. In case of two equally good characters having too similar names or powers, I will consult the creators to change them. I will reserve the right to make minor changes and tweaks to the profiles to myself. A good tip would be to make the profiles so that they cannot be identified with you in any way. Also keep in mind that the personality of these characters will shape up during the game, and if somebody makes your character a raging lunatic in the process, you?d be better off just accepting it or else you?ll expose yourself to be the creator of that character.

Once I have picked the seven players by [b]Monday the 20th[/b], I will start the [i]Labyrinth[/i] game-thread and post all the profiles of the fifteen characters there. After that, the event will truly start. Meanwhile, if you have any questions at all about signing up or this event in general, please post them [b]here[/b].

[SIZE=1]Pictures are courtesy of the OtakuBoards member Eclipse and the computer game Heroes of Might and Magic V from Ubisoft and Nival Entertainment.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[TheResplendent]

[font=tahoma]Question: Sorry if it's a dumb one, but should everyone's pictures have the same kind of BG so it's impossible to tell from matching pics that one char may be the one paired with the user's other char of the same bg?[/font]

[Sandy]

I thought about that one, but in the profiles I've got this far it hasn't been a problem. In any case, this game requires much strategic eye, so if you see two character pics that look kind of similar, it's not tough to bet that they belong to the same person. So it's really the fault of the player who made the characters.

In any case, nobody else but me will know which character belongs to which until the end of this event, unless the players reveal their "pawns" to somebody else. This will keep the excitement going until the very end. ;D

Thanks for the question, BK, it wasn't stupid at all!

[B]As for other matters[/B], there has been a [B]change in the rules[/B] of how to build your characters. [I]Your two characters must not originate from the same country[/I], for the sake of variation. And if either of your characters come from USA, [I]remember to name their home state[/I].

Also, keep them sign-ups coming, people! There's still room for more enthusiastic players. ;D

[Doublehex]

I've got a question; where do we put the background and personalties of each of our characters? Because I was writing mine when I realized that I had no idea where to put them.

[Sandy]

[quote name='Doublehex']I've got a question; where do we put the background and personalties of each of our characters? Because I was writing mine when I realized that I had no idea where to put them.[/quote]

Ha, good question! I was expecting someone to ask this... ;D

The thing is, you [B]don't[/B] put any biography or even much of personality into your character profile. Because this is a cooperative story, the backgrounds and personalities of the fifteen characters mold up when they are played by the different players.

[I]Always[/I] keep in mind that in this game, you will play as every character, so you will be shaping each of them up in your part as well. Getting too attached to your own characters will most certainly hurt you in this game.

Hope this answers to your question!

[Doublehex]

So we just do a bunch of one liners? @_@

Meh, whatever you saw, Master Sandy.

[TheResplendent]

[QUOTE=Doublehex]So we just do a bunch of one liners? @_@

Meh, whatever you saw, Master Sandy.[/QUOTE]

[font=tahoma]It's pretty much an open deal when it comes to formulating each character's personality and such. It's part of the survival game to allow your character to be controlled by others, lest you subtly (or not so subtly) reveal which ones are yours. So if you created a char with a particular personality in mind, chances are the way they will be portrayed through the story will not match up.

At least that's to my understanding. I could be leaving some details out, only Sandy knows for sure.[/font]

[Tekkaman]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]The way I have it figured out, [color=indigo]BK[/color] and [color=indigo]DH[/color], Sandy's not letting the players create personalities because, in this event, we - the members - will be playing every character, including Sandy's [black horse] character. If we make a character background or snippet [color=indigo]*looks at Doublehex with one eyebrow raised*[/color] we could potentially leak out information about whose characters belong to whom. We all know that different people here in the Boards have different posting strengths and weaknesses; making a bio for an event like this could weed out the weaker / stronger players, turning some players into heat seeking missles. [color=indigo]("Ah!" said Tekkaman. "[u]There's[/u] Gavin. Trying to be sneaky in the game, eh? Well... death card!!!")[/color][/color][/size][/font]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]At least that's how I understood it....[/color][/size][/font]

[Sandy]

[B]BkStyles[/B] and [B]Tekkaman[/B], you hit spot on. Those are [I]exactly[/I] the reasons I didn't want any background information to the characters.

[quote name='Doublehex']So we just do a bunch of one liners? @_@[/quote]

I don't really understand what you're referring to with this one.

What comes to the posts in the game, they can be as long as the player wants. One can use several characters in his or her posts at the same time, and switch point-of-views whenever he or she wants.

Also remember that since a player can only kill off one character per week, there are lots of posts with no killing involved. Those posts are meant to deepen the fifteen characters, their relationships and their surrounding environments.

Trust me, this will all become clear as the sky once the event commences.

[center]+++++[/center]

[B]Edit:[/B] Even though I have said the spots for the seven players have been filled, there's apparently one uncertain person of whom I don't know if they will participate or not. Thus, [B]there is still room for more sign-ups[/B]. So if you're interested in venturing to the dephts of [I]Labyrinth[/I], you still have a good chance of getting there. ;D

[center]+++++[/center]

[B]Edit #2:[/B] [strike]Alright, even though I haven't got any more sign-ups during the night, I won't postpone the start of the event. [B]The game itself will launch in 12 hours[/B] starting from now, so [I]if[/I] I haven't got new sign-ups by then, the game will be played by the following [B]six players[/B]:[/strike]

[center]+++++[/center]

[B]Edit #3:[/B] Labyrinth now has [B]seven players[/B], all anxiously waiting to unravel the mysteries of the maze:

[center][B]BKSTyles
Eclipse
Ezekiel
indifference
Sakura
SunfallE
Tekkaman[/B][/center]

Who will find the way out of the Labyrinth? The race towards the exit starts today!

[Tekkaman]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]As i've clearly stated in [color=indigo]post #7[/color], [color=indigo]Sandy[/color], using random characters to kill off other random characters - with no regard for morals or another's life - is fun! [color=indigo]=][/color][/color][/size][/font]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]too bad that writing about it with fictional characters is as far as it goes...[/color][/size][/font]

[left][font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=indigo]*Evil Laughter*[/color][/size][/font][/left]

[Sandy]

[QUOTE=Tekkaman][font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]As i've clearly stated in [color=indigo]post #7[/color], [color=indigo]Sandy[/color], using random characters to kill off other random characters - with no regard for morals or another's life - is fun! [color=indigo]=][/color][/color][/size][/font]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]too bad that writing about it with fictional characters is as far as it goes...[/color][/size][/font]

[left][font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=indigo]*Evil Laughter*[/color][/size][/font][/left][/QUOTE]

Uh, Tekkaman... I think you kind of misunderstood the concept of killing. :/

The characters aren't the killers (well, some can be, but not all of them) - the dying should occur through the numerous traps and monsters located everywhere in the Labyrinth, although I'll of course accept characters killing each other (but shouldn't they have a motive then?).

I'm also a bit confused about the "room" you described (since the characters all start at a field/cemetery in the center of the Labyrinth), but I'll read your post again to see if you changed locations.

[B]Edit:[/B] Just to clear things up, I approve the killing of Constance, but not the "room" (because they weren't in one in any other player's posts), so you should edit that. Thanksies! ;D

Hmm, wonder what happens to Ayame now that she's turned out to be a maniac right of the bat...?

[B]Edit #2:[/B] Added a poll about the characters. The poll will help me decide which character I'll resurrect at the end of each round, so vote up! ;D (Note that the poll is multioptional.)

[Tekkaman]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]My apologies, [color=indigo]Sandy[/color], about not being specific about 'the room'. the details are explained further in my recent OOC post.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]Furthermore, I just wanted to create a little drama in the game because it was moving along kinda slow. I wanted to see beginning action and it seemed that I was going to have to wait another day for my wish to come true.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]So I picked two characters [color=indigo][The motive for Ayame was that Constance was pissing her off by being too calm and then talking about her when she dissapeared][/color] in the center of the arena - by the Nexus, did a little enny-meeny-miney-mo and offed one of them.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]And I let [color=indigo]Kalas[/color] and [color=indigo]Joachim[/color] get front-row seats. :animesmil [/color][/size][/font]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]So... Is evil a full-time job? I think I would kick arse in that field.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]Oh. And the fact that [color=indigo]Ayame[/color] is 'mad' doesn't concern me one bit. I don't have to worry about her; both of [u]my[/u] characters are still in the dark. :D[/color][/size][/font]

[Sandy]

Players, only two of you have used their Death Cards so far, but I would really appreciate if everybody used theirs by Sunday, because the next round is due to begin on Monday.

Also, most of the characters are still quite shallow, so now's your chance to shape them up just the way you want. ;D Better seize that opportunity before it's too late!

Remember that the Labyrinth doesn't have to be one huge hedge maze, there can be very varied environments inside it. Just use your imaginations to your advantage! ;D

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Sandy']Also, most of the characters are still quite shallow, so now's your chance to shape them up just the way you want. ;D Better seize that opportunity before it's too late![/quote]I'd love to. But I'm kind of stuck until someone else posts. :p I think we are kind of stuck due to people being involved in other things due to the Thanksgiving holiday. It's easy for me, but then I didn't have to travel for the holiday. ^_~[/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Now that you have revived a character Sandy, does that mean the next wave starts? Or is that something that happens tomorrow? Also are you planning on posting to indicate who is out of the game and who is still in? I'd like to know since I plan on posting today, but I assumed I cannot kill anyone until tomorrow. Which is fine as I was more interested in developing the characters a little more.[/COLOR]

[Sandy]

I have now used up my [B]Life Card[/B] for this round to resurrect none other than the murderous [B]Ayame Hisa[/B]. Because of that, [B]no player[/B] will have to leave this event this round.

Next round begins [B]tomorrow[/B] with whole new opportunities to reduce the number of characters [I]as well as[/I] players. I tell you, next round will be a [I]murderous[/I] one with nine characters and seven Death Cards! Perhaps I'll throw in some new cards for the players as well... ;D

Here are the remaining characters:
[indent][B]Ayame Hisa
Callisto Obertelli
Feng Li
Janet Peterson
Joachim Gale
Kalas Harrison
Lita Rossi
Maya Ashnard
Scott Sheppard[/B][/indent]

Before the next round starts, you can explore more of the Labyrinth with these characters. It's been an exciting week inside the maze - I for one wouldn't want to be there myself - but can you make the next week even [I]more[/I] exciting? There's a challenge for you! ;D

See you tomorrow!

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DarkRed]There?s a problem with what you wrote here Tekkaman. [quote name='Tekkaman][font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]Joachim had abandoned Callisto just as soon as they had met. [/color][/size'][/font][/quote]Did you even read what I wrote earlier? Joachim can?t have abandoned Callisto just as soon as they met. I left them in the middle of navigating across a series of stone pillars with seemly bottomless pits. And this after Callisto took the time to bandage up his sprained ankle no less. lol

Your post is certainly melodramatic enough, but it contradicts what I and others have already written. [/COLOR]

[Tekkaman]

[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray][color=indigo]indifference[/color], you are - indeed - right. I read every post [u]except[/u] for your recent one in its entirety and for that, I apologize.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]I'll make the neccessary changes. :animesmil[/color][/size][/font]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DarkRed][quote name='Tekkaman][font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]I'll make the neccessary changes. :animesmil[/color][/size'][/font][/quote]Thank you very much. ;) [/COLOR]

[TheResplendent]

[font=tahoma]BK was confuzzled but now he understands :animestun . Would have looked weird too because I was about to post following Indif's scenario.[/font]

[Tekkaman]

[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]Don't worry 'bout it [color=indigo]BK[/color]; the situation with [color=indigo]Joachim[/color] has been erased; I now have two people trapped with Maya now.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=#808080]Hope everyone likes it. :animesmil [/color][/size][/font]

[Sandy]

New cards for the second round have been sent to the seven players through private messages now.

Two players received an extra [B]Life Card[/B] because they didn't lose either of their characters in the first round. The other five players were given a [B]Teleport Card[/B], which they can use to instantly transport one character from one place to another - no explanation needed.

The next round will start shortly, so the race towards the exit continues!

[Tekkaman]

[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]Where's those death/teleport/life cards at people?[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]Tomorrow, next round starts and by my count, roughly half of the members have used their required card(s).[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]Not trying to be a nag, but if your waiting for last-second mayhem then this time is the best time.[/color][/size][/font]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Tekkaman][font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]Tomorrow, next round starts and by my count, roughly half of the members have used their required card(s).[/color][/size'][/font][/quote]Actually haven?t the new rounds always started on Mondays? In which case the next round doesn?t start tomorrow since it?s Sunday. So people have plenty of time to use their cards tomorrow. Which by the way, I intend to as soon as someone else posts since I don?t want to double post just to use it. ;) [/COLOR]

[Sandy]

The third - and final - round has commenced. Before anybody asks, the reason I revived Janet Peterson was because she had the most votes in the poll.

The players who continue in this event are:
[INDENT][B]BKStyles
Eclipse
Sakura
SunfallE[/B][/INDENT]

Each of you have one [B]Death Card[/B] to use this round, but [I]before[/I] you can yours you must provide [B]one more post[/B] without killing anyone.

This is going to get [I]brutal[/I] with five characters left to kill and four players to make those kills, because in the end, there can only be one winner, and the winner is the player whose character is the last one alive. [I]However[/I], please note that you can't write out the part where your character gets out of the Labyrinth - that's my job. ;D

If anything is left unclear for the third round, ask away!

[B]PS.[/B] Thank you so much for playing, [B]Ezekiel[/B], [B]indifference[/B] and [B]Tekkaman[/B]! You were all great, but unfortunately you ran out of luck - and characters.