Here is the OOC.

So it is. And I am the meaningless first person to reply. I shall wait, and see what others have to say.
This message was last updated by the player at 05:07, Tue 08 Sept 2015.

Yep 1 meaningless post now becomes 2.

Hey Yveltel, the homebrew thread says it is closed.

Damn thread. Let me fix it when I get off work.

Thanks for the heads up Jade.

Ok I fixed it. You should be able to post in the Homebrew Discussion thread

Domo Arigato.

Mr Roboto.

We have a player we both know who hasn't posted yet.

Poe "So this is the Place to post out of game"

(Voice In My Head)Steve: What, is posting in game not good enough for you?

Poe "No it is not STEVE!"

(VIMH)Larry: That means we make up the rules, and the points don't matter!

(VIMH)Carl: I wan't to punch that Rex Guy!

Poe "Will you all shut up, we need to make a good impression here."

(VIMH)Carl: Still want to punch that Rex Guy.

Everyone wants to punch my character, or else I am playing him wrong.

"So i woke up one night screaming in pain as a zubat was nawing on my face."

(VIMH)Steve: Well it took you long enough, its been on your face for over 10 minutes.

"So me and the zubat began an epic fights of fisty-cuffs, and it was kicking my ass, which was kind of funny, seeing as it had no hands."

(VIMH)Carl: No you Fuck! Dodge its right hook and go for a low blow! A LOW BLOW!!!

"After a half hour of running and singing the song of PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I finally got it off me with some fruit!"

(VIMH)Larry: I named him Face Biter and we lived happily ever after.

Looking at my ghastly.....

"Seriously Ted where they hell were you?"

Pokemon Ted: GHASTLY?

Four out of five threads started. Huzzah!

Four out of five gamers agreed that William's opponent is seriously OP. What vulnerabilities does it have? It just no sells everything!

As you can all see we have killed the DM we there for have won forever.

In reply to Jade (msg # 13):

*Blackish red laser beams start shooting everywhere and hit all of you. Killing you instantly ... then I realize that I can't have a game with out players. So I sweet talk Xerneas into reviving all of you.*

On a serious note. I am sorry for the long wait for posts. Once I get my internet turned back on I'll try to continue.

Its cool dude, I was just joking, but that would be awesome!

Hello, all. I am your new assistant DM. I'll be helping my good ally Yveltal to kill you enrich your experiences.

Don't know how those struck through words got there. Oh, well. I'm sure they mean nothing.

This does, sadly, mean Rex's Reach will no longer be starring Rex. I'm not conflicting my interests. That character will show up again, but only when it makes for an interesting story.

On the plus side, Frio can now beat his lying, thieving skull open without starting a PvP matchup.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:51, Sun 17 Apr 2016.

*Xerneas sighs and revives Yveltal*

hmm... didn't expect to be dead that long.

Good news, everyone! We have...let's see here...two new players to the roster! Everyone say hello to Lupus and Phoenix! A dog and a fiery bird are unusual player concepts, but I'm sure no one will have a problem with it.

...oh. Are you sure they are human? We have Rex, I'm pretty sure he's also a dog...he's not? Huh...the more you know, I guess.

AHEM! Say hello to our two new HUMAN players, Lupus and Pheonix!

Sup new people.

Blessings of Victini upon you!

Yo odd not dogs

Lupus, You now share a thread with Frio.

Hello, everyone. Northern magician and her Spheal here, serving in the vanguard of a conquering army!

People are logging in, but nobody's posting. Did I just enter the game during a slow period?

Sorry. I've been thinking on how to introduce you.

But I've been so fatigued from work that I can't get the words to come together right.

The moving of the houses is my curse. Thus posting will be arduous and filled with much HATE! or LOVE! Haven't decided yet.

Pie, did you just try to pick your nose through a face mask? You can tap the mask all you want, but to actually pick it would require you to remove your mask. No biggie.

Pie is DELICIOUS!
This message was last edited by the player at 02:18, Sat 18 June 2016.

Damn phone and its autocorrect thinks it is smarter than me. I know what I meant to say, and who that was aimed at.

No matter. Yes, pie is tasty.

So we at a stand still on post?

Sorry. Real life is hitting me hard. I'll try to get a post for you.

A bit of an update for those few still looking here for some reason:

Yveltal has graciously handed me his game. It might be a bit before I fire it up again. I have a present track record of screwing up games I am running due to poor planning and biting off more than I can chew, and I have no wish to repeat that.

This game will return to life. Eventually. For now, back to hibernation until I know I can do this. Thank you for your patience.

Take your time; I for one will be here.

"Cobalt and the Iron Chef reporting for duty."

"Cobalt?! Are you spreading rumors again?!"

So, the idea of playing as a Pokeman. A view which I have some experience with, if a bit of a highborn view on the topic. No one captures me, friends. A person powerful enough to capture a fragment of myself gets exactly that, and I suggest using it well if you get one.

Advantages: Raw power and a higher cap on them to boot, easier to heal, classes are unnecessary and a wide variety of creatures to choose from. These are merely the tip of the iceberg.

Disadvantages: Lots of grey area, actually, and these are the main problems. How do they interact with Capture Crystals aka Pokeballs? How much control do we leave our would-be Mon explorer to create themselves? How do we interact with a player who has been captured? Can they be captured through any means short of a Master Crystal? Would they get to choose their loyalty? So on, and so forth, as there is little precedent on this topic for me to go on.
    And then there are the problems I can address with one hundred percent certainty that will exist. Namely, that a lot of people get very nervous or even hostile when sentient weaponry shows a reluctance to get in line with the rest of society. The Pokemon Kingdoms exist as "proof" of what happen when Pokemon are "not kept in line."

Of course, I have my own opinions about independent Pokemon: apathy. You are all going to the other side of life sooner or later, and we will talk more about the specifics regarding the ethics and morals of your choices then. Until then, I would advise simply enjoying the ride, and not focusing too much on the destination.

In legends of other worlds, we may have heard the tale of the Meowth who became a human trainer. He wasn't too effective, but he's an example of the kind of Pokemon who could become a PC: a Pokemon of clear intelligence and self-motivation. The latter in particular is not a common Pokemon trait; most Pokemon in the wild are largely wild animals without significant motivation or will.

A Pokemon like that should be hard to capture and harder to domesticate, except by free choice. These are the kinds of Pokemon who created the Kingdoms, after all!



On the flip side, "society" is a fragile and fragmented thing in this world, isn't it? A wild Pokemon could seek friends among other outlaws and outcasts, or in communities that need fighters and aren't too choosy about who.

Well. I would make one requirement that they take the edge that allows them to talk. While some may enjoy the roleplaying challenge of only being able to say their species name. But that would be annoying for the rest of us.

After a long time of thinking about it, I do have one question would we allow the Pokémon PC to have trainer classes?

Aishi: I agree. So, say you capture a PC Pokemon. First off, rather low move, even by my standards. Even if the reasons for thinking such are meta rather than material.

Second, such entities are indeed hard to force into compliance. They choose any loyalty value of two or less to reflect that they are giving PC ambivalence at best and outright hostility at worst, regardless of how they were captured. Unlike normal Pokemon, choosing zero does not immediately qualify one for the Move - Frustration. They can, however (and regardless of loyalty), engage in any action short of directly attacking the would-be trainer who holds their crystal, regardless of the "badge" such a trainer might possess, should the trainer in question fail the control test required of them.

May my fellow manipulators of reality help the one who loses control of their crystal with such a Pokemon freed. I suspect I would be talking with them about their life decisions not long after. So, I'm not going to say don't do it, because I directly benefit in every way from such deeds. Go right ahead.

Yveltal: And yes. Yes, the would-be Pokemon adventurer would be required to be capable of speech. I for one have no interest in holding a conversation that involves how many ways you can say "Bulbasaur," "Pikachu," or "Frozone." Nothing save self-respect, however, stops them from being a complete troll and pretending they cannot speak.

Jade: And no. Starter Pokemon are what are available for your choices, and since they don't have...quite...the degree of customization a standard mortal has, make your choice a good one, should you go down this road. You play a Pokemon, you advance and live like one, for good or ill.

It's not all bad, with quite a few perks...especially on the edges of the world, where a even a mere Rattata with sufficient will can become a physical god with enough luck, resourcefulness, and hard work. But you will develop a healthy respect for rogue groups that beat up power beings like my avatars and throw crystals at them.

I will start this game again on 11/16/2017, sadly a week before Thanksgiving. But that's my choice of time.

Slowly but surely detailing the United Kingdoms, one by one. Also added a new player, Sayomi. Welcome aboard, and I hope to not disappoint you with what we are bringing back to life.

If anyone has questions, or feels something needs better fleshing out, let me know, either here or in a PM. Especially if it is pertinent to your character. Details for areas outside of the United Kingdoms, however, will be made last. This is intentional, so bear with me. If, somehow, something within the kingdoms does the same job as what you had in mind, I don't mind a bit of retcon.

Also, if you wish to reboot, rebuild, or even reincarnate your character into something completely different, show me what you've got in mind with a rebuilt character sheet. If you have no change in mind, let me know as well.

With that in mind, I'll probably be sticking to Pokemon XY as the latest version of the Pokedex, and version 1.05 unless given a good reason not to do so. This game is a functional one, as far as I can tell, and unless they are patching a flaw, I see no reason to rebuild it from the ground up. Sorry, Sun and Moon fans.

EDIT: All character sheets under Character Details should be open.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:24, Sat 21 Oct 2017.

MY QUESTION IS THUS! Am I still ME? Or do I need to be another ME? And if I am the ME that is still ME, then am I continuing where ME left off? If I RECALL the ME that is ME is running into a WALL.

If YOU want, YOU are still YOU. In fact, YOU are still all of YOU, if YOU wish to be. No one is telling anyone to switch characters. I am merely offering the opportunity and the option.

And yes, yes you are. I will detail the consequences of your face-ramming procedure on the 16th of November.

Hit a snag on Demosia, coming slower than expected due to its status as one of the hard hitters in the Kingdoms. Still, expect to finish it and begin on others soon.

I'm wondering if I'm not detailing the correct things, though. There has got to be some other aspect the players and would-be players would rather read about, or perhaps even NEED to know. I require other, more mortal brains; one's with a vested interest in the world they will interact with and a vested interest in powers that will pay attention to them.

Other than that, nothing new to report. 11/16 is coming faster than I anticipated.

Are there languages and how do we determine how many we know?

  Hi new player here. Figured I would say hi to you all.

Salute! Our DMs are currently still doing their Necormancy ritual, but they'll have this game moving in a few more days. Can you help us think of things the DMs are forgetting in terms of useful information?

In reply to Jade (msg # 46):

Been thinking on it. They have a good bit that I can think of. I would need to go over the world listings to see what would be needed from my point of view.

I'll likely be going back over the Seven Kingdoms and doing some retconning, but here's the long and short of it from a meta perspective. Bear in mind, no Kingdom limits itself to just these options; they are just the most common there.

Albion - Reckless Martial Artist, Rogue, Aura Guardian (Physical), Rune Master (Physical), Marksman
    Knights - Swarmlord (Arachnid), Shade Caller (Physical), Herald of Pride, Fire Bringer (Physical), Apparition, Druid (Wood Oath), Frost Touched (Physical)
    Type/Stat/Contest among its people - Flying, Fighting, Electric, Dragon, Attack, Cool
    Hat - Air Force One

Massalia - Musician, Telekinetic, Aura Guardian (Special), Arcanist, Rune Master (Special)
    Knights - Swarmlord (Monarch), Shade Caller (Special), Glamour Weaver, Fire Bringer (Special), Druid (Flower Oath), Prism, Frost Touched (Special)
    Type/Stat/Contest among its people - Fire, Ice, Water, Special Attack, Beauty
    Hat - Viva La Revolution

Demosia - Iron Fist Martial Artist, Roughneck, Fortress
    Knights - Earth Shaker, Miasmic, Stone Warrior, Steelheart
    Type/Stat/Contest among its people - Fighting, Ground, Normal, Rock, Defense, Tough
    Hat - This Man's Army

Magnas - Telepath, Oracle
    Knights - Druid (Fungal Oath)
    Type/Stat/Contest among its people - Grass, Ghost, Poison, Psychic, Special Defense, Smart
    Hat - God Likes Us Best, also "secretly" Team Rocket

Helvatia - Capture Specialist, Juggler, Rider, Dancer, Hunter, (Inner Focus, Limber, and Technician) Martial Artist, Provocateur, Tumbler, Ninja, Warper, Skirmisher
    Knights - Spark Master, Wind Runner, Maelstrom
    Types/Stat - Fairy, Normal, Psychic, Water, Speed, Cute
    Hat - Little Miss Badass, Kingdom Edition

Frisia - Survivalist, Athlete, Guts Martial Artist, Hex Maniac, Sage, Berserker
    Knights - none by treaty
    Type/Stat/Contest among its people - Fighting, Normal, Grass, Ghost, Defense, Special Defense, Smart, Tough
    Hat - Settled and Wise Ex-Raiders

Empuries - (All) Martial Arts, Aura Guardian, Rune Master
    Knights - Swarmlord, Shade Caller, Fire Bringer, Druid, Frost Touched
    Type/Stat/Contest among its people - Fire, Water, Electric, Fighting, Attack, Special Attack, Cool, Beauty
    Hat - Ambition, pride, and being THE oceanic power of the Kingdoms

The metagame one helped a little. But I haven't seen any glaring holes that I need filled yet. The Ice Floes, Forest to the east, ocean to the west, and what desert to the south I assume on the last two are slightly more critical areas that I assume are going to be fleshed out more.

 Something funny to think on. My kids and I were speaking about Pokemon and how old the franchise was. I said Pokemon is 21 years old which means that Ash is 31 or so. So he could drink for about 10 years. And if Pikachu gets 100 levels for every new series he is at least level 600. So Ash is a drunk and Pikachu is the single most powerful pokemon ever. He could one shot any of the mythicals as they are at most level 100. Funny conversations on a Sunday morning

Ash probably is a drunk, because most of what he sets out to do he fails at. Only a few trainers have ever actually given him his badges correctly, and he periodically undergoes fits of amnesia, forgetting everything useful he learned in the prior season. Brock is certainly a drinker, and if Misty was as well, that would surprise absolutely no one given what she deals with.

On the other hand, he is considered an Ace Trainer/Cheerleader, so he might be an example of a lethal joke trainer. I know Red's Pikachu is LV100, so if Ash's was as well, that would not be a surprise. I view Ash as a more competent Rusty, from the Dorkly series.

On this note, most of your characters will be denied legal alcohol, because you are too young. Except in Demosia, where the legal drinking age is "yes."And look out there, because while they appreciate alcohol, they also despise drunkards. Doubly so if they are foreign drunks.

In reply to Giratina (msg # 51):

Demosia is Russia gotcha.

More of a fusion between Russia and Germany, actually.

Anyhow, I've been slow on the updates. Been sick this week, but I expect to resume this upcoming week.

5 days...oh boy, I'm behind.

 I was talking about the drinking, but yeah I see that.

   Yeah reminds me gotta polish sheet up.

Well, finished or not, I'm starting today. "Write something, even if it is just a suicide note." I WILL finish the rest of the Setting info, and I will have information on the not-as-uncivilized-as-they-think world of the Pokemon.

Now it comes down to how we want to do this. Anyone who wants a name/character change, or needs more direct information, feel free to ask. I find the information flows more easily when it is specifically requested.

Either way, I'm feeling ready to start. The beginnings are always the hardest part.

In reply to Giratina (msg # 55):

Gotta sit down and polish things up. But I think for the most part I am good.

I've already done the changes I was going to.

ME was graciously running into a wall, you may continue ME from their.

 Hey guys what else do you need from me at this point?

Mostly just a CharSheet transfer. Pokemon to the Pokemon thread, and I've opened up all character sheets for editing under Character Details so that I don't need to dig through a million PMs to figure out who can do what.

I, on the other hand, need to finish my Setting info so that everyone understands the world they are dealing with. I'm choking, and need to stop that.

I have posted some PMs, and I have two threads to update and a settings page to further chisel down. Lots of crazy happening IRL, but that's normal for the Nov-Dec-early Jan time of year.

Making progress on Magnas, debating if I'm going into too much on them.

On an aside, new player!

*Bows gracefully!*

Good morning, everyone! I am Inoue, a humble religious maiden. My classes are Sage, Artificer, and General Researcher with eventual designs on Ice Ace, Climatologist, Witch Hunter, and perhaps even Frost Touched! My best skills are Medicine, Occult, and Survival. I am very kind and caring and wish to ease the suffering caused by the looming specter of war, and perhaps some day become an alchemist. Please regard me kindly!

I'll be teaming Inoue with Jioni, since they asked for it. Are there any other requested team-ups? I will find a way to arrange any request, and can, thanks to the ambiguous nature of your exact locations.

Hello everyone! It is a pleasure to join you all here and I hope we all find each  others' company enjoyable!

And I feel I am finished with Magnas. Perhaps I can begin work on Helvatia.

I am merely trying to think of good names for Inoue, Jioni and Roman's threads. Yveltal had a pretty good alliteration thing going on, and I'd like to continue that.

Innocent Inoue's Ill-Informed Itinerary

Jioni's Jump?

In reply to Jioni (msg # 68):

For the ego win Roman's Retinue.

XD I couldn't think of anything.

I'm surprised you missed the low-hanging fruit in Jioni's Journey.

Love Giratina's perspective on the various gods, even if it is just a rehash of BlessDamned! Victini really is an asshole. The number of Showdown battles I've lost to that thing's V-Create...

That is probably due to Jade's Journey already existing.

Oh, true.

Also because I believe he causes war for his own amusement.

Giratina the Devil-God is an unreliable narrator who has his own reasons.

Of the war gods, the Legendary Trio war for territory.

Xerneas and Yveltal war over life and death, with Xerneas only appearing to be a good guy because his morality happens to overlap with the desire to continue being alive.

Heatran wages war because it can, and it wants to.

Mewtwo is of two minds: it is waging war because it was designed to, or it is waging war because it wants revenge. Mewtwo is rage incarnate either way.

Victini is unique in that it adopts a cause, and actively considers morality. It has refused to aid mortals because it believed their cause to be either petty or insincere.

In effect, I was looking at what a charismatic, idealistic nice person raised on a relentless diet of Saturday Morning Cartoons looks like to a cynical curmudgeon like Giratina. When Giratina says, "most of you are worthless," that is actually a glowing complement, even if Giratina certainly did not intend it that way. You are worthless to him, because you have either no or too little darkness (or evil) after death to power his generator.

But I used his views, because the idea of seeing what heaven looks like through the eyes of one of its biggest critics is amusing to me. Also, the details Giratina tries to hide as he talks were fun to write up. He is a momma's boy in a big way, he was almost friends with Rigigigas, and was really deeply hurt by having to imprison him. That Victini's post was made with Rigi in mind means Giratina regards Victini as salt in that injury he will not reveal, a salt his own father delivered.

Giratina neither gives nor expects mercy, and this view colors everything he does and says.

The scary thing is that all of the gods are this complex, and I'm having to keep all this straight as I come up with it on the spot. I tend to build from the top down, so to speak, from big strokes to small. Woof.

On an aside, I think I'm about to start, finally. If you need to retcon some details or I need to improvise, that will be allowed.

Oh I know, I pictured that exact conversation with Mew about Victini and bust out laughing. Reminded me of Zuko and Ursa. "MOTHER...WHY?!"

That's something I just realized yesterday and I don't know how I haven't realized it before as many times as I've read the Blessed and the Damned. How exactly would a Trainer gain Regigigas's Legendary Gifts when he despises all of humanity, or at least all Trainers?

Alright cool, ready when you are.

In reply to Jioni (msg # 76):

 Maybe by being the biggest butthead in the world and trying to fight all trainers. I dunno.

In reply to Jioni (msg # 76):

I suppose if they were like N half pokemon and with the desire to free all poke'mon from their human masters.

Possibly. Just realized it didn't make very much sense for him to be there.

Been delayed and distracted. Tonight, I advance the game and hopefully get at least one of your started.

'Tis the season, the season for distractions and delays.

S'all good, it happens. Been trying to get some things taken care of on my end as well.

One of your what?

Not a damn word about this.

As for how Regi would do his thing...well, more likely than not, Regi would be running a front cult, one that believes the reason for Regi's imprisonment to be trumped up charges, and that the Magnas doctrine is lying. Clearly, Regigigas is a creation god who only wants to provide order to a chaotic world...which actually isn't false.

Giratina, for his part, would just prepare to collect the souls of its misguided and likely antisocial and misanthropic membership, while seeing how far they get. The other gods do not share his seeming ambivalence on the topic of Regi, and back efforts to stomp the cults out when they can, and Victini is especially rigorous about it: it is his job to stop this one thing from happening again.

Of course, if someone could somehow talk the templarish Regigigas down from his "smash everything" viewpoints, it might do him some good. Maybe he considers the circumstances of his imprisonment unfair, which would explain his anger and resentment of it. Even Dark-types appreciate "fair" play, and Mons that are captured while fainted tend to be rather miffed about that (Disposition 1, maximum).
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:27, Sun 24 Dec 2017.

Yay, an early Christmas present! It's just what I wanted. ❤

I used to be a grammar Nazi but I've mellowed out in my old age. These days I operate on the general principle that if I understood what was being said then I don't really care how it is said. We already ignore so many imperfections in the glorious chaos that is spoken language so why should the written word be different? But since you've gone out of your way to draw attention to your mistake:

*points and guffaws* durr hurr yer ser durb hee hah hah hee hah~

Regi's policy: the enemy of my enemy is a tool to be used! He's a master of tools after all.

Hmmm, seems fair enough. That'd be an interesting Touched concept. The Kingdoms have a lot of cults though don't they haha

You have no idea how many there are. While Magnas is the official faith, rivaled only by Albion's, many groups formed up in the wake of the Aftershock Wars, new people are finding their way to the Kingdoms all the times and bringing their ways in. The Magnas faith is reeling for a good reason, despite the treaties in their favor.

Oh, and...Merry Christmas.

Or at least, that's what I would say if I wasn't convinced that charity makes one weak. In my realm, I do not give. I take.

Or in other words: Bah! Humbug!

Merry Christmas to all and too all a good day.

Merry Christmas to you all! ^_^

Yveltal is apparently now MissingNo.

Christmas! It's the snowiest time of the year! Seriously, for the last six years where I live there's been a massive blizzard on the night of Christmas Eve to ensure there's fresh snow on the ground for Christmas. What is a self-respecting anti-theist to think?

In reply to Inoue (msg # 89):

Maybe the Giant Flerp is trying to tell you something. Like eat your Wheaties or that Santa Claus needs padding for the sleigh where you are.

 Merry Christmas you filthy animals. I am of course talking to the non-deific Mon. To the rest of you Feliz Navidad!

And Happy New Year. I have not forgotten this game.

Happy New Year everyone!

A friend of mine has spoken to the new year and confirmed it is "absolutely ecstatic!" I didn't know discrete periods of time were capable of possessing emotions, but I guess that'd Dialga's influence changin' the rules on us. Terrifying.

Now that the holiday season is coming to a close, I expect rapid-fire posties! Feed me! FEEEEEEED MEEEEE _{(but never after midnight)}

Ah Ha. She wants Pastries! Here you go

*Pastries start raining down on Inoue*

Have a Sweet New Year!

Sweet! Fairy-type weather effects! *Hops and skips through the fields, omnomnoming at the pastry-filled air!*

I love that Fairy weather feeds us. XD

Dialga would never allow time to become sentient. He would strip it of its free will, and then set it back to work. He's even more wound up than Giratina is, like the clock he is.

And I don't know about rapid fire, but I will have posts up soon. I have a lot of catching up to do on RPOL.

EDIT: As soon as we are ready, I'm doing these in reverse-ish order. Roman, I have not forgotten you, or the fact that I need to make CULTURE. Also, I got to figure out where to start a good rake.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:19, Thu 04 Jan 2018.

I'm ready whenever you are.

Also, what's a rake? I assume it's some sort of literary device.

Color me confused as well.

*Bounces with barely-contained anticipation!*

In reply to Inoue (msg # 99):

A rake is a bored young noble with some skill at dueling. Or as an alternate a skilled commoner that is very good at dueling. Comes from the time of the 3 Musketeers Alexander Dumas.

Ah. Like d'Artagnan aka Keldeo?

In reply to Jioni (msg # 101):

d'Artagnan is a good example yes. Most of Errol Flynn's Characters in the old black and white. Dread Pirate Roberts from Princess Bride are also good examples.

And Inigo.
Because Errol Flynn was the best.

In reply to Jioni (msg # 103):

In this case it would be with Mon instead of Sabers, but you get the point.

Yeah

... getting a little tired of bouncing!

*Bounces with renewed vigor* OHGODWHY SOMEONE HELP

*tackles*
The hell are you doing you Loon.

*Pinned* ... thanks.

*ties down*
You're welcome.

And here I was going to launch the bouncing thing into the basket and get a three-pointer. Spoil sport.

Bwahaha

Eek! Please no LoonyBall, I have precious contents up there!

Well Gira now we have to do it.

'K.

*bats Inoue like a cat while she's tied up into a basket*
*prerecorded Rick-Voice chimes in*

"That's a three-pointer *blech!*"

Doubles post from me, and I'll have something for you tonight, Inoue. What the name of a thing?" is a question that is both the delight and the bane of all GMs.

Must be a long night!

I honest to goodness thought I had your post finished and posted. Damn Missingno must have eaten my post for you. I might as well add: the Pidgey is just using Sand Attack on dust, not anything like Whirlwind. Whirlwind would cause a lot of collateral damage, and more than one new monk has been admonished for failing to keep their mon in line, usually with duties often given to the mon.

Happens to me with embarrassing frequency, considering how many safeguards and redundancies I keep.

Sand Attack, huh? I would have expected that to just make the dust situation worse! I didn't really think it was a Whirlwind, probably just a Gust, but putting an actual name to the action is probably overthinking it. I overthink things a lot.

Oral surgery recently. Will try to have something up on my various games I run and play in tonight.

EDIT: Owe Jade and William a post. Owe Jioni and Inoue an update. Owe Roman more setting background, so he can choose an angle to come in from.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:14, Thu 25 Jan 2018.

Perhaps I should change my name to Slowpoke. I have one person waiting in the wings for me, and three posts that require immediate updating pronto. I am posting before tomorrow morning or I am killing this game and admitting I cannot do it. I don't know what my holdup is, but I either need to get over it or quit holding your expectations hostage.

Understood and appreciated.

I'm pulling the plug on this project now. I'll be doing it to one more as well.

I wanted to revive a game idea that was really, really good. There is a lot here. I cannot do it. My emotional state is too unreliable, and I need to stop pretending otherwise.

In a week, I drop this game back into the void. I wish I could have been the GM you should have had.

Sorry to see you go, but I understand. I like the way you write though and I'd like to keep in contact so if you're interested or would have time you can apply to my Death Note game.

Whatever's going on with you, I hope you soon find peace or at least find a balance to it all.

Wish I could say I didn't see this coming a mile off.

Good luck with your other projects, if any.

You all are great. Perhaps I'll look at the DN game. Hope everyone pans out.

To those who know me, I'll be where I always am. To those who do not, thanks for the patience, and I'll still be on RPOL.

Pulling it now. Later on.

I'm eyeballing this as a resurrection project, now that I have some experience under my belt. That said, I know people don't appreciate a feed, so anyone who doesn't want this game clogging up your front page, simply don't reply, and I'll remove your name in a week - seven days from now, on 04/15/2019 at 2200.

I'm going to find out how my necromancy is. I'm batting a zero-success rate so far, so I do not merit faith. I will be blunt on that at least.

It will take some time, preparation and confidence before I can actually run this thing. I am going to do this right when I do it again.

I WILL COOK YOUR GIBLETS.

WHO DARES WAKE MY DEAD GAME!!!

... I guess I could help you out a Little bit.

NOT THE GIMBLETS!

whatthefuckisthisgamethen

Oh, I guess I played Inoue in this one. Well, if Jioni's still by my side I guess I could do with another writing project during the day...

JIONI AND INOUE ARE BACK!

In reply to Jioni (msg # 132):

Can't be back as I never technically left or even started, but.....

*wakes up after nap, blinks, reads OOC*

Why in the remnants of Yurup did ALL of you reply? Especially after last time. No pattern recognition, not a one of you.

Very well. I suppose as long as everyone is here, perhaps I should consider some task delegation to get this done right.

...and because I am NOT a infinitely ancient dragon spirit, I am terrible at this.

In reply to Giratina (msg # 134):

Stubbornness I think.

And a lack of anything better to do.

And your portrayal of Gira is my favourite in all of existence

Thank you. Now, a few things:

1. I need to reacquaint myself with Pokemon. No, I am not using anything beyond...*flips through notes* I was crazy enough to allow Sun and Moon stuff? What was I thinking?

No matter. Nothing beyond that point. My fragile sanity has limits. This game will end up a time capsule for when there were only 1000+ Pokemon.

2. I recall a few people from beyond the "edges" (I swear one of you was effectively Japanese, likely Inoue), but the world is getting developed enough that everyone can call where they are from, or at least, where they live if that's how they identify themselves. (In Inoue's case, I want to say it was Western Demosia.) If you need help, that's okay, I'm trying to continue building where I left off, and going back ever so briefly to the madness place that allowed me to create - so that means I should have something.

3. Some of you never started. I owe you a start. Others did start, and I choked. Anyone who wants a reboot, we can. I'll forgo the start if you wish to simply start as a group. We can make a collective story as to "how we got here" and hopefully it will be better than "in a bar." (Never mind drinking limits - Oh, writer, you innocent summer child you. I'm stopping you here. Kids were viewed as simply tiny adults in hard lands. Red's adventures in Kanto would be seen as par for the course for an ambitious ten year old. We covered this previously - none for you, save in Democia.)

The point...is that at least two of you want to start together. Which brings me to my fourth idea.

4. Should each player be limited to three Mons each, maximum? This would cut down on my bookkeeping considerably.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:44, Fri 12 Apr 2019.

I wouldn't mind a reboot, and I do have a lot of support things like medic and cooking so I'm not against partying it up either. And while I'd like a bigger party I think the shear number of pokemon (even with a second DM handling them) seems to kill the DM faster so I can learn to live with the smaller party (of pokemon).
This message was last edited by the player at 15:15, Thu 11 Apr 2019.

In reply to Jade (msg # 139):

A smaller amount is fine so long as we could get at least two we really want. Still very partial to Riolu, but I understand that could get confusing. And it wasn't because of the meta reasons I just like the pokemon itself and his evolution.

  Wishlist is Riolu, Pidgey, Oshwatt, and if we went Sun & Moon the Grass Owl who I forget the base evolution of.

Inoue was from the far, far north and some bizzare hybrid of Japanese and Eskimo lol. Fur-trimmed kimono and enchanted winter cloak, and eventually I wanted her to travel in an igloo on the back of an avalugg.

As someone who's been GMing the same live Pokemon campaign for over two years now, I can agree that reducing the party pokemon to three is a good idea. Six gives PCs waaaay too much stamina; either battles drag way the fuck on, or one side elects to fight dirty and just shoot straight for the trainer.

My three Poke'pals of choice:

Cobalt- Riolu - Fighting Steel
Pyrope- Charmander - Fire Flying
Zircon- Shinx - Electric
This message was lightly edited by the player at 02:17, Fri 12 Apr 2019.

Three Pokemon on your roster seems fine enough but I'll pose an addendum. If a trainer can find, create, or pay for somewhere (stables or some such thing) to house their excess Pokemon then they may do so with the understanding that it won't be as simple as storing them at a Pokemon Center or Lab. That is unless GM-dono wants to allow Churches to function in such a fashion

I see no reason to disallow that, although stockpiling Mons will raise some eyebrows. If you don't possess a Pokedex (or equivalent), they will assume that you are preparing to do something rather disruptive, and usually ask the law to keep an eye on you. If you DO possess a Dex, they assume you are some kind of researcher or scholar, and as long as the collector remains legal and over the table in their actions, they will have a blind eye turned to this sort of thing.

Exceptions to this are members of the Family where the Magnas Church holds sway, and even they are not to be too overt most of the time. This pass is also only given to Family members which have not managed to run afoul of the Church. These guys are unofficially the left hand of the Church, the Dark agents of Arceus, and they are expected to be well equipped for their role.

For the record, they officially pay homage to the Church, unofficially pay homage to me, and in reality pay homage to the Demik and their dark impulses. They get to moralize their actions and feel good about their bad decisions, and I get a steady harvest for the furnace. Win-win, really - especially for the clergy, who are always so shocked to see me in their dying moments for some reason.

I have a project.

I need a few suggestions for Pokemon Nobles, mostly the ones threatening the outside. I have Lurchsplinter already in the east, and the River King who is seemingly everywhere on the mainland (an Uplifted Mega-Gyarados who's hat is dealmaking, and is often considered an avatar of Giratina by the uninformed [I don't wear a dapper hat in my true form, thank you]), but I'd like a few more.

Just let me know the scale you are working on. Lurchsplinter is capable of giving Democia a hard time due to his contacts and resources, while the River King tends to work alone, and is thus quite a bit less dangerous on average (although they do have many caches of treasure they have scavenged, and they ARE a city-threatening monster if enraged).

Suggestions for other antagonistic (although not necessarily evil) forces are also welcome. This is why I've updated character building - I need help thinking small. I have the Shadow-King of Steel as a grand foe, and much of his command structure, but they are the Big Deal.

In reply to Giratina (msg # 145):

Why not a mon that most consider "useless" ? Tauros or Miltank for example. Might be interesting to see a Nidoking be an avatar of Thunder so to speak. Or Nidoqueen as Ice. Different options exist just depends on what it is you see being viable.

Tauros, useless?

How times have changed. I also got special walled by a miltank on Showdown once; it was embarrassing.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:14, Sat 13 Apr 2019.

In reply to Inoue (msg # 147):

I said most consider useless. I never said I consider them useless.

You're talking about Tiers and whatnot, which are mostly dueling power for all intents and purposes. Lurchsplinter the Hateful is a Trevenant, which is ranked PU, which is below NU (which actually stands for NeverUsed, unlike PU which is meant to be a statement of rock-bottom tier), and yet because of his accumulated resources, his Great War experience, the fervor and fear he inspires in Mon and human alike, and his sheer inventive and undying malevolence, he is THE premier Big Bad of the Blackwoods (especially since he has some nasty aces in his hollows), and often the final barrier any would-be migrants from the east has to overcome before they have the "privilege" of winding up in Demosia.

Oh, of course of course. Inoue's heard of the guy IC. I just meant to say that it's been a wild and winding road from the RBY days if tauros, once one of the premier and most desired pokemon, is being neglected now. Gardevoir and Lucario get all the cuddles these days, and mah bull boi hasn't even won a mega evolution or Alolan form. No love, no love at all.

Plus, steaks.

EDIT:

Might be interesting to see a Tauros with Lightning Rod and Thunderbolt as a callback to when tauros still used to carry that move.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:51, Sun 14 Apr 2019.

In reply to Inoue (msg # 150):

Always liked Tauros. Just when I build teams even back in RBY days he didn't make the cut. I like him just not a lot of use for Tauros most of the time. Although there was that one ghost tower.....

So, the Tauros of Storms, then? Very Poseidon-ey feel about that one. Likely one that had been modified heavily both by the influence of their prior Water Ace trainer, and the ensuing energies outside of the borders of Tarien.

Oh, my wife when reading this game offered another idea for helping a person get one more handle on their character. A system picked up as a quick way of determining a person's color in M:tG that we call "Means and Ends."

Basically, it goes like this:
Means & Ends
Acceptance   =    Harmony
Action       =    Freedom
Ruthlessness =    Satisfaction
Knowledge    =    Perfection
Order        =    Peace

Between the two ideas, one can get a quick hand on what one wishes to be. In Rex's case, he is Action = Freedom/Satisfaction, with the tie going to Satisfaction given his greed.

I'm thinking ahead. Nothing more. I'm slowly chiseling Helvatia down.

In the meantime, I'm thinking of the threads I will merge. Roman might be the only one who gets a brief solo thread, and I'm not going to push that beyond twenty posts unless it is way too fun somehow. I just want to see what he's got in mind.

So far, it seems I will be merging Inoue and Jioni, Poe and Jade, and...honestly, Frio's not returning from the looks of things, but I get that. Roman will go to the thread that feels the most natural based on his location...somehow.

If I have to get the River King involved I will pull this off.

But the Tauren of the Endless Seas doesn't sound too bad. I'll just have to figure out what they are like. Again, to me, they sound like Poseidon's M.O.

 It's me. I could push 20 to 50 easy. Not going to and as I said before stick me where you want. I can make it work.

On the Means and Ends chart Jade came up with Peace through Action.

Doing primary stuff. Paving the way.

Three nations left, four externals, and one canonical surviving power courtesy of Inoue's presence, which does not require short-term detailing yet.

So, collapse threads from five to three.

I think Roman is in Helvatia, Inoue and Jioni will end up on the borders or beyond in Democia (Jioni might have lost track of his location in his hunt), and I think Jade and William are in Central Massalia, unless someone is about to tell me otherwise.

For NPCs, Rex is in Helvatia trying to clear his name, and Guest Fighter is in Random Stage.

Another possible antagonist. A nuckelavee-type figure based on Girafarig or some other composite Pokemon

So, from the north, the Sawsbuck Hellobora, the Deer That Hunts Men and Master of the Wild Hunt. He works with the raider Ithan and old Frisian tribes that refused to settle down.

From the south, the Volcanion World-Forger, keeping Magnas busy and ensuring the Empuries Navy will always have a second front they need to cover. He works with the pirates on the south, where water meets the infernos of the mainland, and gives them a base to operate from.

Those two are interesting, what inspired them?

Suggestions from here, likely combined with being sick. Results in a non-linear thinking pattern that allows me to create when I have the capacity to record my thoughts.

And I have finally recovered, or at least, I am clearly on the road.

I have three threads to create, two partnered and one semi-solo. I'm going to slowly see if I can bring those strands together or not, or even if I should. We will see.

Do you want a freeform arena where you guys can make the conditions of your meeting? Or do you want me to tell you where you start, and then you go from there? This is very close to being a complete setting - I am missing only specifics about Frisia and Empuries at this point, and a bit about Helvatia.

I'm okay with you deciding since we talked about it so much before

  Personally I tend to trust my GMs. Probably a bit more than I should.

Now THIS is a big step in the right direction.

I did some poking around on my computer, and found a bunch of my old notes surrounding two things:

One - the templates I was using to represent Gym Members and their leadership i.e. the Orders of No Quarter Knighthood.

Two - the templates of "The Organization." Not to be confused with the Family. These guys are different, and aren't interested in regional stability and mere profit.

This will help me out, and since (unlike when these things were first made) we now have areas to assign them too, that will speed things up immensely.

Also, apparently Spark Masters are less "knights" and more like "MagiTek Wizards." In fact, a running theme with a lot of these "knights" is that they aren't. The Heralds and Glamourous are generally pathetic in a real fight, with their shining armor being seen as a sign it is never used, the Guardians are blunt and crude to a fault, the Apparitions are generally weird recluses who do not like people...I think the only ones that act like knights (that is, are heavily physical) are Aura Guardians (until they talk), the Fire Bringers (until they talk), the Frost Touched (until asked to read), Stone Warriors (until they talk),  and the Maelstroms (until they reveal they have thin-skins...which might be as expected actually - they alone pass).

Yes, well, my furnace has been clogged occasionally with people who didn't respect their foes. Those "fops" in the Heralds and the Glamourous can utterly destroy you if you don't take them seriously. They are connected to our kind, which means they can fight as we do when they no longer hide behind their Mons.

Even a cornered Rattata will attack a predator; so it is with these types. Also, keep individuality in mind. Not everyone plays by the same rules.

Is this just the Leaders you're referring to or our characters as well?

The Orders have teaching tendencies, given that they train not only those with Elemental Connections but they teach the various Aces as well. Every Order Master is a minimum LV13 character with a Master Dial, a device that lets them weaken their own Mons to give their foes a chance, should they choose to use it. This does cause accusations of favoritism, and it means there is some variance in Masters from time to time as one gets ousted.

There are also smaller Lodges as well, where one can basically "warm up" for the big leagues.

But PCs are whatever they wish to be. An Aura Guardian PC can be a smooth talking diplomat, a Glamourous can be a front line monster, and a Stone Warrior can love the pretty flowers...in point of fact, they actually are quite good at Botany should they choose that path (Thanks, Survival!).

It's also worth noting that NPCs might not live up to expectations either. But they do have their in-world stereotypes, and these shape them one way or another.

Alright, good to know

Anyhow, I'll come up with something. I swear.

I want this one to work, and I'm not missing this time. So, have patience with me. I'm going to have a lot of crazy thoughts, and I'm typing them down so I don't forget them.

There may be a slight bit of retcon. Not much, though. Mostly revolving around where you are.

For Jioni and Inoue, nothing will require much change. They are in Eastern Helvatia/Southwestern Demosia as of now.

Jade and Poe will be the most affected by this. That's one in which the location changing will alter things a bit. They are in Central or Central-Eastern Massalia, if I understand this correctly.

Roman, I believe, at least will start in Helvatia, likely Bellbarrow or Zunid district, which would put him geographically between both threads.

Take your time, I'm just happy you're trying it all again at all

Oh, and before I forget - the Emperor of Tarien has a specially bred Throh called an Iron Throh, a Steel/Fighting type that is prohibited by treaty and law from being owned by anyone else. Figured as long as we are being inspired by Game of Throhs, might as well have one in here. The current Emperor is the...

Hmm. I'll have to dig a bit through my notes to get that name, I see, although I know from memory what he is. Still, this much will be done, and I'll detail him up once I finish my tour of the last three nations. Zunid and Araqiel will be getting their own write-ups, as they are political powers in their own right, and in them will be detailed in brief both the Grand Paladine and the Emperor.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:17, Sun 09 June 2019.

Wonderful!
Love the name Iron Throh too. 😁

Been really, really distracted and letting myself go. Intend to move ahead here come Sunday night or Monday morning, one of the two. Typing up notes for myself in private before I move them to the PM section here - additional notes on Frisia and Empuries are due for completion.

By move ahead, I mean at least type some damn thing up.

Been noting some other strange things cropping up when I am world-crafting. Like how a lot of my druids like to end up as dual-Elementalists with sides in Swarmlord.

I appreciate all the progress and effort

  Gotta say you are putting in a lot of effort and I appreciate it. Besides good wine takes time as do campaign worlds. Although I think this is going to wind up the route of scotch personally.

To each their own. Wine is often better purchased cheap - the glass bottle is just prestige, and only a few types of wine get better with age. The rest either hold their quality or turn to vinegar.

If I make scotch instead of vinegar, I'm good...and apparently some kind of alcoholic savant.

In reply to Giratina (msg # 174):

You know what I mean.

An interesting observation when I was dealing with D&D style races - translating them over to PTU (assuming one might bother with that sort of thing) is less about a faithful stat translation and more about understanding how they fall into the new universe they are in based on where they fell into the old universe they were from.

Translation:

Elves are Beauty. We are the superior race! +10 Special Attack, -5 Special Defense, -5 Physical Defense
    Apparently they aren't as smart as they think they are, and they are frail.
Halflings are Cute. We are so adorable - wallet please! +10 Speed, -5 Physical Defense, -5 Physical Attack
    They aren't durable, and they never attend Arm Day.
Gnomes are Smart. We have got a great idea! +10 Special Defense, -5 Special Attack, -5 Physical Attack
    They aren't pretty or hard hitting.
Dwarves are Tough. We will outlast all of you! +10 Physical Defense, -5 Special Attack, -5 Speed
    They aren't lovely to look at generally and they are slow.
Orcs are Cool. Give us your lunch money, nerd! +10 Attack, -5 Speed, -5 Special Defense
    They are dumb as hammers and they need time to build momentum.

Of course, if one wanted to make humans with these traits or tendencies, that would not be hard either. Cultures instead of races and all that.

That's actually a really neat thought, although I feel like giving them a strict point boost would result in some exceedingly swingy stat distributions. Might be better to adjust them with combat stages (+2, -1, -1) instead of points to prevent anyone from getting zeroes in any stat and dominating the field in their good stat.

A better idea than mine. Either way, there it is.

An unfortunate snag has come up, but hopefully I will have time to work on this late morning/midday.

That was a super cool idea

It has since occurred to me that I might have an idea all backwards. My brain, for a long time, was convinced that Contests were the domain of the upper-class/aristocracy and that Duels were the domain of the lower class.

Then I got to translating all of these characters, and I noticed trends in my designs. Trends that suggested that what I initially envisioned and what I was making were not one and the same.

And to be fair, this not only makes sense, it is actually entirely in-universe. Lower and middle class tend to avoid Duels, as they are messy and high in collateral. Upper class, military, and underworld, on the other hand, could not care less about these things because of abundant resources, acceptance, and apathy respectively.

Also, every single aristocrat had Combat, Charm and General Education without fail. So, Contests are peasants or guilds settling things (usually) and Duels are how the aristocracy does things (usually). The Underworld, or crime land, so to speak? Well, that depends on who you are. An impromptu Contest could be the prelude to a Duel, as both sides try to win the crowd over before fighting, as part of the spectacle. The loser of the Contest might not be capable of getting respect back, even if he wins the Duel - they might even lose more respect as a direct result of Dueling a victorious Contest winner.

Losing a Contest is bad. Losing a Duel is usually worse, but if it follows a Contest loss, a victory here is often Pyrrhic.

Well this is an interesting take. I like this

Let's see...

Detailed "the Organization" out a bit more. Anyone familiar with L5R might recognize some of the ideas behind them when I present them, but they might not - I'm drawing on a comparatively obscure section of it.

Having to detail literally 50 personalities, at least in brief and certainly with motivation. Thankfully, this is something I am generally rather good at. I've got the BBEG and his Operatives worked out, now it is time for the Underbosses.

The idea is simple: no matter where you go, you are likely to run afoul of them sooner or later...but which ones? And what is their M.O. in the area?

Of course, some might completely miss them, at least in the early stages of operation. I'm keeping options open: one thing that happens if our heroes do nothing, miss them, or somehow get decisively defeated beyond recovery, and another set of events that begins if they succeed.

The usual stuff, but making sure that there will always be an adventure seed of sorts not far from you. Even if the first one, two or twenty are somehow missed or outright ignored. "I don't really care about a legion of berserkers from the west - have you SEEN this beetle before?"

In reply to Giratina (msg # 182):

Screw the barbarian horde that's a neat beetle!
Lmao

Heracross or pinsir? Either way, much more worthy of my time! I mean, a whole hoard of barbarians? I'm just a cute girl! I am not needed here, and do you know what they do to cuties they find?

In reply to Inoue (msg # 184):

Heracross is boss.

Ribombee is queen

Expanding a bit on the MissingNo lore. He's fringe, literally, but an important player in the grand scheme of the setting.

Using a term acquired from That Other Board, I would say this game should end up having a Noblebright feel to it. Exploring for the hell of it is certainly valid in this game world, and an individual can change the world one way or another with great effort. Even an area as dangerous as the Chaos could be explored by an intrepid enough team, and some teams have made a point of going deeper and deeper, and recording the strange horrors and wonders they encounter.

It was from those regions, in fact, that a deeper understanding of Elemental Connections was gained, and where the Type Sync technique was first learned.

Well now I'm curious

Well, I detail the parts of the world you are not expected to go to. Inoue's character has been through it, so she'd be able to talk about it, if she knows what questions to ask about it. It's not quite a darker version of Toontown...but its closer to that then reality as this universe accepts it.

I do have to remind myself once more that this is a setting best described as NobleBright, meaning that a single person with force of will can exact meaningful change on the world they live in (good or ill), and that going on an adventure "because REASONS" is perfectly valid in this setting...unlike Westeros, which is GrimDark because neither of these are true there.

I'm putting off Frisia's description, which is holding Roman back (who likely needs a description of all seven kingdoms to make informed decisions such as "where he wants to start or be from") and working on the actual bad guys of the story, which I can spoil the name of at least:

In keeping with the spirit of Pokemon, I present Team Victory. They will be your antagonists, no matter where you are. HOW they operate will change depending on the Kingdom, and their goals are not a united front. The end result, however, is identical no matter which of them gets what they want - very bad for everyone.

So right now, I'm focusing on the chapters operating in Helvatia, Massalia, and Democia. We have completed Democia's BBEG statline, and his team! The concepts for the rest have been drawn up, and we are (admittedly off course from what we should be doing) working on the statline for the BBEG of the Empuries chapter.

I've built 90% of all the BBEG's Pokemon teams, a fascinating exorcise as some of them have clear out-of-combat utility as well as being horrifying death monsters. Currently working on their underlings, and on their underlings' underlings, which is thankfully where the hierarchy stops for the sake of my sanity. Everyone (save one, who is a reality warping cheater) adheres to the three Pokemon limit, and most don't have that. Thugs in particular (the bottom rung) just tend to throw their guys out there with little regard for things like TMs, HMs, Tutors, steroids vitamins, and things like that - you know, filthy casuals.

Not all villains will be these guys, but they will have a tendency to be involved in whatever is going on, to varying degrees of subtlety. The Family (the present go-to bad guy group) is actually running into some trouble with these new guys.

Very intricate, I'm excited

So, OOC is more or less a Dev Log at this point. Still, I'd like to at least give everyone around me the impression I am doing things.

Roman has a high chance of being in Helvatia, so I'm focusing Helvatia, Messalia, and Democia first. I tend to create the characters populating them first, and then retroactively try to figure out how in the world they are the way they are.

Example: I want to put the party against a Fire Bringer/Fortress. So I make him, give him his team, and then I go, "Wait...why does my universe give a crap about this guy?"

So, I find out why this guy with high ranks of Combat and Focus exists. Why is he here? What is he like? (Random Pokemon personality generator apparently works on humans, too. Resourcefulness!) Which gods did he anger to cross the party?

Not me, that's for sure. His soul is probably so lightweight, if he perishes now. But given proper care and a harvest of weaklings, he might fortify the boundaries of the universe in a meaningful way, and maybe one day wall that...thing...out of what will one day be my world.

Of course, you heroes have a knack for "mercy," which usually means they stop accumulating darkness if they actually take you up on it. Of course, if they were cowards, perhaps they weren't going far down my road anyhow. I do misjudge your kind occasionally, and potential is nothing more than things you have not done. By itself, it is worthless.

For the record, he is probably a knight. Looking at my records, he has a decent chance of being a Hammer of Justice, one of the orders of this world, and he's probably got an Arcanine or a Ponyta (or bigger) that he rides on. This means a side in Athletics or Acrobatics, and an Edge dropped into Mounted Combat.

Anyhow, I'm writing up the lowest rung of command in Helvatia, and making sure I have a "crunch zone" for when you guys begin dismantling these guys. Goons have no more than three guys, and often only have the one. Their bosses generally have two rather strong Mons. Their boss usually is on par with a Gym Leader without a Dial Badge (a device meant to weaken their Mons to allow a more even fight between the challenger going for their Badge), and generally pack three very, very well funded Mons on top of their own bad selves.

Still, I am not expecting to overwhelm anyone, and if it happens, I probably planned for it and will pull the punch unless certain conditions are met. Bear with me.

In reply to Giratina (msg # 189):

  I wouldnt go so far as to say holding me back as it is making it tougher. I thought I had a grasp on the base setting now not so sure. That being said I still see the basic idea the same. A low noble turned almost saber rake. He and his Chimchar are trying to make the world a better place, but at what cost....

Depends also on "better place."

Bear with me on the setting thing. When the game was first created, Yveltal (who is still with us) basically had something pretty generic in mind and lacking in details. I, with my finite imagination, decided to use a model of Europe and move things around a bit. Of course, there is so much Japanese influence in the game (imagine that - a game made in Japan having influence from that country) that it is hard to excise without killing the game's core identity in a subtle but noticeable fashion.

But...most of the setting details will never really be used, I don't think. Maybe. There is a lot of "I might need this detail later" in my thinking.

Inoue actually forced me to think outside the box with her desire to make what is effectively a shrine maiden. If memory serves, she has an Alohan Pokemon, which I allowed as an aspect of her foreign origin. Also, because the Chaos Wastes (which are anything but) are forces of creation - destruction is a side effect, not the intention.

So, she's from another place which did much the same thing Tarien did, but they have their own story as to how the Wars shook out. Let's just say a lot of them don't have pleasant memories of Tarien's past, and are kind of glad they are diminished. Tarien's glories came at the direct expense of others.

The present Emperor is seeking another way, a way of mutual peace different from his very, very aggressive father and predecessor, so perhaps Roman could find an ally in the young king...if he could get a word in edgewise somehow.

I'll be changing our story blurb soon enough. For now, the joyous work continues.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:17, Sun 09 June 2019.

I love that it's become a dev log

One of the guys I rolled up got a Delibird (of all things) as his main, and as I worked on it I came to actually like it more and more.

First, no bones about it - this Mons is terribad. However, that kind of adds to its appeal and my headcanon regarding it.

You see, Delibird is what would happen if the Unibomber was awake on Christmas Eve, killed Santa, and flew up to the North Pole. He gets one Move, and doesn't give a crap that you think he should know more than one. "You want me to know more than one Move? Breed it into me, then I'll maybe learn eleven. Or use Tutors and HMs - I don't care. My statline's terrible anyways."

You see, your victory conditions as a trainer are not Delibird's victory conditions. You probably want Delibird to go over to your enemy, and use his amazing terrorism skills to kill your enemy. And he will. Maybe. If he feels like it.

You see, this psychological mind-wrecker has a one in six chance of just healing your opponent, regardless of your will, and laughing as the same opponent beats him into the dirt, leaving you dismayed that you actually put Delibird on your team and leaving you wondering what you were thinking. And this is what they are like at Loyalty 2. If you ever get on the bad side of one of these, you might not want to open anything ever again, lest you discover that he's turned your whole residence and incoming gift cards into deathtraps that would turn Kevin McCallister green with envy.

Every year, he gives presents to all the other Pokemon, in the form of food. And this food will blow up in the face of all but one in six of them, convincing them that maybe, just maybe, Delibird is judging them and has decided they are worthy of life. That maybe, just maybe, there is a reason for what it does.

But they aren't, and there is none. Delibird has no mercy, and is just here to watch the world burn. He's only loading one in six with healing because he enjoys the mind game. He's like a man who leaves a single chamber of his revolver empty as he plays Russian Roulette with everyone else in the room - he's less interested in killing everyone and more about the looks of terror as the sole survivor hears "click" instead of *death,* because bullets move faster than sound, and you don't hear the bullet that kills you, or the Delibird you chose to erroneously trust.

Anyhow, that was my take on this awful Pokemon. Hopefully, you will never look at this thing the same way again.

In reply to Giratina (msg # 195):

That was always how I saw Delibird. And I am seriously sitting here ROTFLMAO and getting looked at like I'm crazy. I used one when they were first introduced back in GS(?) and I nicknamed it Joker. Enough said.

I love all ice-type pokemon, even the crappy ones -- which is most of them. Delibird is one of the quirkier and therefore more lovable.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:24, Sun 02 June 2019.

All of the above. The lovely Poke-Psychopath

I added languages to those I could find them on. I owe Jioni's character sheet a second read today; same with Roman.

EDIT: Tarien! The name of this place is Tarien, and I will keep that in mind in the future, inconsistent as I have been. Tariel, for some reason, just felt right to a mind, but it's named after its recently missing (presumed deceased, mostly because his sword was retrieved and he'd never leave that behind for any reason) and atavistic monarch. Like Alexandria or Constantinople, and how many cities had those names.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:20, Sun 09 June 2019.

Languages?

In reply to Jioni (msg # 200):

 For every rank of general education your character has you have a language. Just so you know Albeanese is the trade language.

As long as you didn’t dumb your Gen Ed you have two.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:28, Sun 09 June 2019.

Oh I didn't know we'd use multiple. Nice! 😁

Are you trying to post a picture?

Yup. Albionese, Messalian, Demosian, Magnian, Helvatian, Frisian, Empurian, Celestian (the language of scripture, Araqiel, and southern Helvatia), and probably a few others I've forgotten to list. You get one per dice of General Education you possess. Most have two, unless you are mostly illiterate like Rex - he has only one, because he's lazy and works hard to shirk hard work.

I've been thinking about something lately. I read a line in one of the RPG books I own, 4E L5R, that reads "Actions have consequences," and that got me thinking.

My first thought was "No, really?" If I hit a monster with a sword, its HP drops, and if it hits me, my HP drops. If one of our HP counts drops to zero, we fall down, and consequences ensue for the loser.

This is generally not what most who use this line mean in my experience.

What they usually mean as opposed to what they are saying is this: I am going to be arbitrary and unnecessarily harsh in the consequences department, and I don't want any guff from you about it, even if it breaks verisimilitude, your willing suspension of disbelief.

Run from GMs who say this. Run far, run fast, and don't look back. Leave their tables to their fate...unless, of course, you are feeling trollish, at which point they can be considered target practice.

A series called "Totally Sarcastic" on YouTube covered this. One of their hosts, Red, basically pointed out that "realism" usually wasn't, but rather meant that one was witnessing a consequence that is not generally explored in the genre. For example, most superhero works don't cover the bill a city has to pay in the wake of a supervillain attack.

"That's realistic!" Not really - superhero works could potentially break resource limitations. Why do we even still have an economic system in place? Why does cost matter when the tech level is approaching Star Trek's level of nonsense rapidly? Why not explore the consequences of the world becoming a better, more resilient place?

"That's not realistic!" Actually...it is. Most confiscated supervillain inventions would advance science by leaps and bounds. It would take decades to reverse engineer some of that stuff, but it mean centur-

They get the idea. Move on.

Game of Thrones is similar. One wonders how Westeros has survived a single winter, given that they apparently last for decades. I personally thought it was because of the dragons roaming about, literally burning the winter snows away long enough for growth to happen, and that the Lord of Light's disciples simply filled the gap when the dragons started to decline. Since that is not the case, this is a legitimate question, given how stupidly treacherous and destructively self-interested most of the powerful are.

Doesn't make it less enjoyable to me. Just means that I roll my eyes when someone says, "it's realistic" and "actions have consequences." Move. On!

Not much to add, really. Just a thought that has been rolling through my head for a few days.

Frisia! Get to work on it. I have the window open, I just need to start that editing, and get to work on geography already.

Interesting.

And also. I was trying to post an emoji

I just realized after I posted it that the Old Way are now the NRA, complete with moderates who are largely sportsmen and extremists who are largely insane.

My original inspiration for them, though, were adults who minmax their Pokemon at tournaments who believe that a game marketed at kids shouldn't be played by kids; the kind that the Rusty Series by Dorkly on YouTube rips into at one point. Hence what I called it. To be fair, though, this IS a self-depreciating joke - I am capable of devolving into minmaxing and netteching at the drop of a hat.

XD XD XD
That's amazing

So. The Old Way. Ahem.

What about the Old Way, Jioni?

The part about them being furries.

Also. I loved the case files on Team Victory reminded me of SCP Foundation

Giratina's a prude in his own weird way. To him, sex is a tool, nothing more. He's the PokeDevil, after all - he wants people to feel bad.

Anyhow, I have to actually DO something here. My brain is taking a bit of a breather from creation, and looking for something to do that is less exhausting. I've been asked to make a formal timeline for all of this, but time is kind of a funny joke until Dialga's avatar was finally trapped.

Hmm...0 Dialga Imprisonment or DI, start of the Tarien Calendar...

So how long until we get to play some Pokemon Tabletop United?

Give me about a week, minimum. I feel I've finished up with the three areas you'll start in (Massalia, Helvatia, Demosia), and I just need to rest for a bit and recover.

Creation is exhausting, and I want to make sure this is done right.

I have an idea to actually tie everyone together. Bear with me on this. I just need to implement it within the next day or two.

I for one have been loving all the time and care you've been putting into this. This isn't anywhere near the longest I've waited to play a PTU campaign

In reply to Giratina (msg # 213):

Yeah it is. Gotta say I personally am loving the world that is shaping up. A lot of good things. So far I have a couple of ideas that should tie into what you have up as of now.

Awesome

Hey Jioni, Roman, and William would you guys mind writing at least a bare bones description? I suspect it will help with any further questions.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:30, Sat 06 July 2019.

In reply to Jade (msg # 217):

 Problem is he is rather nebulous in my head right now. Side effect of cool I'm in the game and then shutdown. Oh that sucks I was looking forward to that. He is gelling now but mostly as a side effect of these questions. Think of Errol Flynn or The blond white dude of the Warriors Three from the Thor movies and comics. Thinking about making him a ginger, but that would be the biggest chance other than no Cape. Because capes while stylish are just silly.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:54, Sat 06 July 2019.

That's why I'm trying to help out in my own way. I'm simply creating the events and their conclusions - it will be up to the players affected to ask themselves why it happened, or why someone else believes it happened that way.

I can do that Jade. Is there any specific information you'd like to know about him?

I'm trying to post my RTJ in my Character Description but it keeps overlapping the Update button

That's odd. I've tried my method. Hopefully, it is a good start.

Oh thank you. Helped me figure out how to add the rest in

Anyhow, I know Poe's out of commission until Monday evening due to RL business. I still hold to my requests - everyone not already doing something, work out your backstories. I need the leverage You need the detail to color out your characters so as to roleplay them better, and this is totally not me looking for leverage on your characters.

The thing is, I (unlike seemingly everyone else on Earth) prefer to leave my backstories as blank as possible and fill them in as ideas come to me in play. I am very improvisational. This is one of the reasons why Inoue's background says that she's from a far distant region largely untouched by all the politics and war that's raged across the rest of the world; I want to find out all that organically during play. In fact, since this game first began Inoue's experienced a fair bit of conceptual drift and even what I've written in her description isn't necessarily all still true.

Oh, I just mean the parts you share with other people. You can be as mysterious as you wish - I actually have a private sheet with a section labeled "I wonder" which is reserved for questions I have and have decided that players will be answering it once I formally start.

I'm finished (mostly) with you, Roman, and Jioni. Jioni will be getting murder presents shortly (and perhaps a cash kickback as a direct result), as a result of me granting extra resources to players. Roman has his crew, you have your cult, Jade has her supplies, and Jioni and Poe have extra toys.

Jade and Poe will be asked some extra questions. Jade's got opinions, and Poe's a creepy bastard who knows everything about everybody while managing to be an open book...written in gibberish.

Like the big question: how did we all meet?

I have no idea. Inoue and Jioni probably joined the rest of the group as a unit and I think how they met has been written... err, somewhere I can't find right now... but as for the rest? My mind is a blank.

That's a pretty good question, indeed. One of those questions I would try to use internal logic to figure out. In the case of Jade and you, you've crossed once as she healed someone, and you helped out? Why and how?

You know Jioni's soul pretty well, even though he straight up does not believe as you do. There's a story there, surely.

And Poe brushed your group once as the was pretty firmly convinced that it was a demon worshiping cult, and left when he realized you guys were just a bunch of folks trying to achieve Better Communion Through Chemistry^TM as opposed to Burn And Salt The Earth^TM the latter which sounded funny to him and worth an experience at least once. While you broke even regarding your opinion of the strange young man, where in the world (aside from Carl) did he get that idea from, and what changed when he entered and left?

Of course, some of these questions you might not have an inclination or an ability to coordinate an agreeable backstory on. This is where I come in, because at this point, I'm curious too.

Know this: every creation of mine in this game I look at through a set of crosshairs. Most GMs hate their players for derailing their games and not being challenged enough. I don't roll this way.

I WANT you to kill my creations. My first impulse when looking at my creations to destroy them, like Tywin Lannister, hating his creations for not being good enough - but I have to use the world's internal logic to do so normally. Normally...or I could get YOU to do it for me, and thus complete my actual goals.

Your Mons are not in my crosshairs. Despite technically being NPCs, my first reflex will not be an excuse to undo them. They get a pass, and so do a handful of others.

Cult and gang members do not get a pass any more than the Big Bad of the month or his goons, or the common villager. All of these are my targets, nothing more.

I bring this up, because I am in my own way as much of a player as you. I'm simply exploring the universe through a different means and lens. But the camera is on all of you, so to speak, and as a result that's where I am.

In reply to Giratina (msg # 228):

Been trying to say that for 2 freaking decades. Thanks I have officially stolen that. *yoink*

And I stole it from Apocalypse World, which when you give it a good look could actually be titled "How to Run Your Games and Not Be Stupid." Twice stolen! This is about to turn into a good/bad movie where we all steal the same thing.

Imitation and flattery or something!

One thing I can definitely say going in is that Inoue's not going to be giving up on Poe so easily. Neurosis was historically considered a sign of higher spiritual affinity and Poe's obvious long distance relationship with mental stability would likely be a topic of interest to Inoue as a consequence. Probably more of a =o than a =\.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:24, Mon 08 July 2019.

In reply to Inoue (msg # 231):

I suspect he may have updated the wrong axle but the correct column....

No, that's accurate. Basically means Neutrality of opinion.

In reply to Giratina (msg # 230):

*Paints Wall eye searing white*

*Gets out movie projector plays the Italian Job*
    I call Mark Wahlberg's character, cuz not only does he get the girl but no gay mustache.

Never saw Italian Job. Was there a gay guy with a mustache in it?

In reply to Jioni (msg # 235):

 Edward Norton plays the "villian". He might or might not have been gay, but he for damn sure had the look down.

The look?

It's a nineties or earlier thing. We had stereotypes about what homosexuals looked or acted like, because if we didn't our hyper-religious culture would have probably seen them as Communists 2.0 - "They could be anyone, and they are here to corrupt our youth and drain our manhoods away!" (See Dr. Strangelove for that last insight.) Hell, at a few points, that is exactly what happened. Acceptance of homosexuals is very, very new - even in my childhood, I distinctly recall it NOT being acceptable to reveal you were gay, as the social punishment was very disproportionate.

I wouldn't even bat an eye of Edward Norton was aiming for exactly that, though. '90's audiences were often just older '80's audiences. They'd have been rather accepting of the "evil gay" archetype. (See TvTropes for this...or don't, as the site has negative effects on people's thinking, such as convincing them they are smart because they understand metamedia now, which then inspires them to crawl up their own asses.)

Homosexuals, for their part, tended to hate people who looked and acted in the stereotypical manner, because of how it made them look.

Interesting. I knew some of that, but not that in depth.
Also, TvTropes is a fantastic site

In reply to Giratina (msg # 238):

Pretty much. To be fair some stereotypes have do have some basis in factual reality. I mean most African Americans like watermelon and fried chicken. There isnt anything wrong with that. To be fair that is just most Americans, but if asked most folks identify that as African Americans. Most native Americans are poor and uneducated. While fairly true is also a sorry state of affairs.

Everyone loves watermelon and fried chicken

In reply to Jioni (msg # 241):

But you get my point. Right?

Mmhmm

I have so much going on right now and I've gotten several of my games confused with each other. Can I get a bulleted list of the things I still need to do?

Sure.

- I think you and Jade have polished off most of your mutual backstory. I just need to know who you two saved, mostly so I can use it.
- Details about your cult. Just a quick and dirty description of the rough ten industrious ladies and gentlemen following you; names and basic personalities, so that I have something to grab. It actually occurred to me that they could be less of a "cult" and more of "your people who crossed the Black Forest with you" should you wish for that interpretation.
- Can't think of anything else.

Inoue's village is small enough that ten people would be a not insignificant portion of the workforce. I think it better that she just inspired people to adopt her way of thinking through sheer conviction as she travels the lands -- people who have seen the problems in the world and the hypocrisy of the current clergy and asked themselves "how did this happen, and what can I do to help?" Their devotion to the Forgotten Way likely varies... a lot.

Alright. So, enough backstory has been polished away so that the few parts that are incomplete can be finished by myself on short notice.

I'm going to take a one week breather to prep myself for this. I have a lot going on my side.

Everything okay?

It is. Just need a breather, time to sort everyone out, and time to make sure everyone has resources. I'm pretty sure everyone has three Mons at LV10, and if you don't (like Poe) we will help out.

Any unfinished details I'll hash out myself.

In reply to Giratina (msg # 249):

Been crazy busy other wise all my stuff would be done.

I only have one

Alright. One final creation. The setting, the area I'm placing you in. I've had my mental breather, or the closest thing thereof.

One final week. Then we start 08/09/2019, unless a player tells me to hold up.

Yeah!

Rough week on my end. I'm starting tonight, barring another player.

Inoue and Jioni will start in one team.

Jade, Roman, and Poe will start in the other.

The stage will be the Legionnaire outpost of Burgsburg, a location that has suffered from a repeated back and forth from a now-depleted Legion and the driven Zotorior tribe. The population is around three hundred, and right now, supplies are holding out. Nothing has gone horribly wrong yet.

1. You sure you're okay?
2. Yay!
3. Reminder that Jioni only has one Pokemon

Since you indicated didn't want them, give yourself two empty Capture Crystals.

Wait what. I never said I didn't want other Pokemon

Posting tonight, moving forward before the sun comes up where I live.

I am salvaging everything I can and killing this game again in a week. I will not be bringing it back, not on RPOL, anyways.