Community RP Idea Board

*PLEASE SAVE YOUR WORK IN A TEXT-EDIT PROGRAM, AS THIS THREAD IS CLEARED OF OLD IDEAS TO REDUCE CLUTTER AND MAKE NEW IDEAS EASIER TO ACCESS*

This thread serves as the drop-off for ideas. This means that the only replies to this post should be with ideas that fall into a category that demands attention. Those categories that are open to ideas will be listed on this post. If you have a character idea and we are only looking at "Magic" or "Geography" (or anything other than characters), do not post. Please limit ideas to one post in length. If you have any questions or other concerns, leave those on the other topic.

Please be thorough and detailed. We want explicit, detailed ideas on how a particular aspect of the world is going to work. Do not submit small tips or tricks or whims. If we're looking for ideas about magic, we want to know everything there is to know about magic.

Ideas in the same category will be examined and eliminated one at a time until one remains, which will be subjected to peer review, but is ultimately finalized and set into stone by the author of the idea. You may offer recommendations to the author, but it is the author who has the last say for the final result.

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We are currently looking at ideas for the following: Technology, Race/Faction

For Race and Faction submissions, please limit submissions to one "Playable" and one "Monster" race per RPer.

"Playable" in this particular instance means any intelligent race that will be be a constant presence to the main plot and popularly serves as an RPable race.

"Monster" in this particular instance means anything that isn't considered "Playable." This includes actual monster groups, plot tools, and anything you would categorize as generally "non-playable."

For both of these categories, please separate their information by sections, such as Physiology, Culture, Society, Religion, Brief History, etc. This makes it easier to browse than walls of white text. Color differentiation is a huge plus. Though detail is important, please try to limit the amount of information to the elements that are necessary to understanding a race at a glance; save the in depth lore and micro-stories for the RP itself!

My newest draft for the dragons has been given a post of its own, and I took the liberty to remove this draft.

(Justin and I have been trying to develop monsters that people might want to use in their RPs. Here are three that can fit some niches.)

Need a monster to rampage and terrify your adventurers? Maybe some livestock need devouring, or a maybe a ship needs to be sunk. Perhaps you just want an excuse to murder something. Well, here’s a trio of monsters for your needs:

I.) Drakes:

*Species Description: Large reptilian quadrupeds that are highly territorial. Drakes live in small social groups throughout most of their lives. Males shift to a more solitary lifestyle as they grow older. Mean tempered and tough, their armored hides are covered in large, thick scales that can withstand most conventional weaponry. Their jaws are lined with huge teeth that are specialized for ripping flesh. Equally dangerous are their claws which are mainly used for disemboweling prey. As if this weren’t enough, their tails also act as a weapon. A good swing from a heavy tail will stun even the hardiest of foes.

Drakes come in four colors; Golden, Green, Blue and Silver. When threatened, a Drake might stand on its hind legs in order to be more intimidating. Males are capable of loud vocalization, while females chirp. Drakes also have extremely long, sticky tongues that they’ll use to snag small hapless prey with.

-Side note: Some scholars have theorized that Oto’ghal and Drakes share a common ancestor. Oto’ghal dismiss this as pure whimsy, as any sensible person knows that they, along with the world, were created when a cosmic beast exploded.

*Habitat: Terrestrial. Drakes have a wide distribution and can be found in a variety of environments, from inhospitable jungles to craigy mountains. They tend to be rare in civilized areas, but are more common in less populated regions.
*Average Intelligence: As smart as a chimpanzee. Rudimentary tool use has been reported. A Caren scholar once claimed that Drakes could open doors.
*Average Height: 8 ft. on four legs, 12 ft. on four legs.
*Length: 30 ft. from head to tail.
*Diet: Carnivorous. Drakes are not picky eaters and will eat anything they can catch, be it wild game, livestock or people.

*Possible uses in RP: Whenever you need some stupidly aggressive monster to ruin somebody’s day.

II.) Wyverns:

*Species Description: Wyverns can be best described as large, mostly hairless predatory bats. Their skin tends to be a pale grey color, while their eyes are a bright blue. They live in large colonies and only venture out of their lairs at night. Their large wings are strong enough to allow them to carry of prey. Their bite is said to be poisonous due to the high amount of dangerous bacteria found in their saliva. An injury caused by Wyvern jaws will become septic and can kill a victim within a few days.

One can always tell where a group of Wyverns is nesting due to the large collection of bones that litter the ground, and due to the highly potent smelling dung that they produce. Wyvern guano is surprisingly valuable due to being rich in nutrients, making it very valuable as a fertilizer or as an alchemical ingredient.

*Habitat: Caverns, crags and cliffs.
*Average Intelligence: As smart as a raven.
*Average Wingspan: 40 ft.
*Average Length: 10ft. from head to tail.
*Diet: Carnivorous. Wyverns are mainly a threat to livestock that live in open fields, pets and to stupid children that leave their homes at night.

*Possible uses in RP: When you need an excuse for people to risk their lives in a cave. The fecal matter of wyverns is EXTREMELY valuable, and people will risk their lives for it. You can also use wyverns when you simply need a nasty, flying creature to swoop down and cause trouble.

III.) Leviathans:

*Species Description: Massive solitary deep sea fish-like carnivores that roam the oceans in constant search of prey and the occasional mate; survivors, the few that there are, consistently report a pair of tentacle like feelers that the creature uses to scope out potential prey. Easily enraged, it is advised to not agitate or attack these if you should see them probing the side or decking of your ship as it could provoke an attack from an otherwise curious leviathan. Nobody has seen the entirety of the creature to know how truly big it is.

*Habitat: Aquatic. They can be found in the open ocean, far from land.
*Average Intelligence: 2 sharks.
*Average Length: Nobody is quite sure, but some estimates place them at more 60ft. or more.
*Diet: Carnivorous. Their favorite prey includes sharks, cetaceans and unfortunate sailors.

*Possible uses in RP: Oh? You wanted a peaceful sea voyage? NOT THIS TIME.

Physiology
Dragons are reptilian creatures capable of flight. Having great wings to carry their weight in flight and long tails to help balance them, dragons aren’t the largest beasts in the world but make up for it in agility, sporting a lithe body with arms and legs. Their heads have a pointed snout, and a crown of four horns, the front two simply arcing straight back, while the back two curve off in opposite directions. Another distinguished trait is a long mane of feathers starting at the crown and extending to the tail and covering the top of their wings, the colors and patterns often differing from dragon to dragon, and usually developed around a dragon’s environment. Their scales, protecting the rest of the body, are stronger than iron and require pure and sharp metal to pierce.

A dragon’s interior offers several more distinctions from many animals. Firstly, they have four large lungs, two of which are filled warm gas that provides them with enough warmth to thrive at high and cold altitudes despite their cold blooded nature. They also have two hearts, one in the chest and one in the lower body in order to pump blood across their long bodies effectively. They also have two stomachs, one to hold their prey in and the other to digest. In addition to all this, dragons emit what is best described as part screech and part roar from their beak-like snouts.


Specifics (Shamelessly Stolen from Alezin’s Post)
Habitat: Mountainous regions, high altitudes, or thick forests
Intellect: Shark
Length: 34 (20 foot long tail, 10 foot long bodies, 2.5 foot long necks, and 1.5 foot long head)
Wingspan: 50
Height: 8 Feet


Behavior
Dragons are predatory beasts, and are among some of the most intelligent of predators in the world, and near peerless in terms of tenacity. However, they rarely hunt civilized mortals, partly because they regard them as dangerous prey when rallied together, but mostly because they simply aren’t their favorite meal. Ghalians are an exception though. However, if they are threatened or perceive a threat, they will not hesitate to use absolutely brutal force to subjugate and kill enemies. Other than that, dragons tend to prey on beasts of the woods, and animals of labor and cattle.

Dragons are pack creatures, hunting in groups up to six, often including young ones. Leading this pack is the Eldest, the oldest and strongest of the pack. When the Eldest takes off, the rest follows it, and does as it does. At the end of the day, the Eldest chooses what the pack hunts, and is often the one who gets the first helping. However, if one of the pack is able enough, it may challenge the Eldest for dominance. If the Eldest defeat such upstarts, they depart from the group and set out to start their own. However, if the Eldest is beaten, they are banished, and the victor becomes the new Eldest.

Whereas a younger dragon that departs a pack may yet create their own, the Eldest that is exiled has no future of consequence. They become solitary creatures without a pack, content to wander aimlessly, hunting whatever prey it comes across to sustain its aging existence. Typically, these dragons are named Pariahs, because they are not only exiled from their packs, but are regarded detestably by others of its kind. Ultimately, the end of a Pariah’s life is one of loneliness, either from a death in a battle, or by flying to the Wailing Passes and passing away in the Dragon Graveyard, a mysterious place to which dragons in their passing years gravitate towards.

For hunting, their main weapons are their bite and tail. Their teeth and strong jaws are meant to clench prey and prevent escape, and sometimes to tear them apart (also how they eat). Their tails are particularly strong weapons, used with a whipping motion to affect a tremendous amount of damage, enough to break a stone wall, natural and man-made alike. Eldest dragons in particular have the longest and strongest tails. Contrary to popular belief, dragons prefer not to use their claws, which are used to scale cliffs and trees, carry young, and leap into the air with great force. When they are used in combat, a dragon finds it more practical to use them to pin down enemies and crush them rather than lash out and scratch.

Decline
Dragons are in the midst of a decline due to a great hunt enacted by the Avoca to ensure their aerial dominance. For this reason, it is uncommon for people of the mortal races to actually encounter a pack of dragons. And those that do need to take caution, because the Avoca's hunt has left the dragons rather paranoid when dealing with the humanoid races.

This will be subject to change based on feedback and suggestions.

From the depths of a forest, a haunting tune echoes into the ears of a traveler, foolishly wandering at night. At first, he stopped in his tracks, both entranced and curious of this beautiful song. As he presses on, his thoughts keep coming back to this voice, as it now haunts him. Finally, after it sounds a third time, he resolves to find the maid singing it, and ventures off the road. There is no trouble in following the song. It’s almost like it is calling upon the traveler, beckoning him come.

Without much delay, he comes upon the sight of a cloaked maiden, sitting beside a flowing river. He wishes to call out to her and compliment her lovely voice, when he realizes… he can’t speak at all. Perhaps he’s stunned by her lovely tune and can’t think of the words. He pays no heed one way or the other, and walks forward. He tries to change his angle and look beneath her hood, but hard as he tried, her face remain a mystery for this moment.

Finally he came to the river. Unthinkingly, he starts to cross it to reach her at the other side. But when he reaches shin deep water, he realized how bitterly cold this water is. He decides that he will back up and try to greet her again… only his body continues forth. Against his will, his flesh pressed on. Suddenly he wished to shout out in alarm as he is pulled into the cold water deeper and deeper, but he can’t even let loose a gasp.

Fortunately, before he is chin deep in the frigid river, he begins to emerge from the water onto the other side, for all the good it would do. The maid, now standing and facing him, walked to meet him waist deep in the river. Now he could see a pale white glow emanating from beneath her hood. And then she removed the hood. Silver locks flowed free, and the traveler now looked at an unblemished face, an immaculate mist drifting off her noticeably incorporeal form. Still that beautiful song flows freely from her lips.

All too late does the traveler realize his danger, and his struggle does nothing. Nay, he is now entranced by her ethereal beauty as well as terrified. Soon, her arms wrap around him, trapping him in an unearthly cold embrace, far colder than the water. Slowly the traveler resigns and brings himself to look at her face as her song comes to an end. At first, there is nothing but sadness in her gaunt thin features. But she manages to give a smile, a genuine one, as she reaches out, and kisses him.


The next morning, a hiker ventures off the road, and finds a corpse lying beside the river. At a distance, there was nothing remarkable about it other than its presence, but as he got closer, he saw something was amiss. Crystals of frost covered his skin, hard from the cold and almost frozen. The body was so cold, the newcomer actually felt his fingers burn at the touch. Without much knowledge as to what caused this, he gave the man a moment of silence… interrupted by a faint song from down the river.

Overview
Banshees are restless spirits who dwell near or in bodies of water, singing hauntingly beautiful songs which inevitably lure mortals to them. Once these mortals are completely trapped by the Banshee’s spell, they are faced with a cold death when the banshee embraces them and kisses. The banshees are thus sustained by the warmth of their mortal prey until they require another body. However, banshees are remorseful killers and take no pleasure in their kill. They merely give a comforting smile as they take way the life of their victims. After that, they will take no more, and remain dormant till the chill of death is unbearable once more.

Banshees are incorporeal, and cannot be defeated by mere mortal means. The only defense against a banshee’s coo is an indomitable will or the favor of the Gods (Godspeak). As such, Banshees are formidable creatures that are well beyond the ken of most mortals, and those that do understand them have an incomplete comprehension. Few are truly aware of the banshees. Most people pass them off as a superstition, and explain that their victims simply die of freezing to death, possibly by foolishly swimming in cold waters at night. As such, many travelers are unprepared for these spirits.
Banshees are able to affect the physical world in very slight ways. Drawing their victims via their hypnotizing songs is among them. Besides that, they can lightly touch near anything until the point of exertion. At the point a banshee tries to exert a great physical effort on anything or anyone, they will phase through. The same is true for mortals. For this reasons banshees are simply immune to any and all physical harm, and likewise cannot harm mortals physically. However, their forms are still icy cold to the “touch,” and the process through which they leech away a man’s heat is anything but physical.

Appearance
Banshees have a pale white body that exudes mist. Cold to the touch, these forms are fair, though skinny and gaunt. Beyond that, they are as varied as any race in appearance, with short or long hair. For one reason or another, these spirits often clothe themselves in what tatters they can find.

Mythology
There is no singular origin story for the banshees, and no one for sure knows where they come from. Some conclude that they were beautiful maidens who met tragic ends at the hands of cruel men. Others tell of women scorned and committing suicide, often by way of the cold waters. Some suggest that they are not mortal spirits at all, but apparitions from other worlds and trapped here. These days, fewer and fewer people actually put stock in these tales or regard them with any real gravity.

(Format SHAMELESSLY stolen from Veri <3)

*Species Description: Snow wyrms don't much resemble traditional dragons at first glance. For one thing, they are quite a bit smaller than what is traditionally thought of as a dragon. For another, they have fur. Thick fur covers their bodies and wings, helping to contain the heat that they soak up in their usual home of volcanic vents. They're cold-blooded, and this way they're able to survive in the harsh cold of the Skyfang Mountains. Females and solitary males tend to be shades of white, while males within a pack will take on darker fur tones, to help blend in with the snowless area around a vent.

Once one gets past the fur, the traditional draconic figure can be made out, but they are small, the females averaging about fifteen feet in length from nose to tailtip, four of them in the tail and five in the neck, and males eighteen, with five feet of tail and six of neck. Their necks are long and swively, and their heads are smaller, with eyes usually in shades of blue and mouthfuls of sharp teeth. Their eyes are heavily-lidded, to protect them from the driving winds of their snowy home. They have four fairly short legs, just long enough to keep their bellies from dragging on the ground, and vicious claws.

Snow wyrms live in a pack structure. Females do the hunting, while the males stay home and protect the eggs and young. Packs tend to be small out of necessity, since game can be hard to find, and usually top out at three males, twice as many females, and several younglings. Females hunt together in small packs of two or three, and have no problem taking down larger foes with customary pack tactics, darting in to attack and flying out while another flies in from another direction, often winning just by exhausting the larger prey. Males feed first, according to pack hierarchy. Males in a pack, or solitary ones looking to join one, will often squabble over pack position. The weakest are forced out to fend for themselves.

They prefer to use their teeth and claws in a fight, but snow wyrms can breathe fire. This tactic is best avoided unless near home, though, as it drains their own warmth, and if they get too cold, they may not be able to make it back to their vent.

*Habitat: Skyfang Mountains, in volcanic vents

*Average Intelligence: Somewhere around that of a wolf. They can't think or reason, but they're possessed of a great deal of natural cunning.

*Average Height: Females are around five feet at the shoulder, males a little taller

*Length: Females average about fifteen feet in length from nose to tailtip, four of them in the tail and five in the neck, and males eighteen, with five feet of tail and six of neck.

*Diet: Any meat they can find in the Skyfangs. Wild ones will hunt mammoths, yetis, or people. They think you all look delicious

*Possible uses in RP: Primarily utilized as mounts for the Veran. Wild snow wyrms make their home deep in the mountains, so finding a pack is very rare for outsiders, but packs of huntresses can often be seen (and see you, and think you look tasty)