The Muck Pond

[Fleegle]

I thought I would start a fun little RPG here. It is more in the spirit of Adanac than the more traditional RPG. Basically, I will write the events and actions of NPCs and provide the game world, and you guys get to play characters of your design. I will set up a few ground rules and some background story and we'll go from there. Anyone is welcome to create a character, but please obey the rules. Since I am not a moderator I can't edit your posts, so I'm going to use the honour system. Please don't muck up my game (no pun intended)

The game will be in the style of Zork and Myst. That means a weird world unrelated to the RL world, a self-contained mystical universe filled with weird characters and odd causal properties.

Your character doesn't need to be a boring human. You can make some strange alien being or animal hybrid or whatever you want, but you can't write any magical powers in. Your character can have great physical attributes but it cannot be invincible (considered a magic power). I will bestow each one of you with a special (ie. magical) ability once you create your character. You can use this ability until I say otherwise . Don't worry, I will be fair and won't play favourites. If your character dies, either through my action or the action of another character, you can spawn a new character from the Muck Pond.

There is no need for a background story for your character. You will emerge from the Muck Pond fully formed and have no history. Just describe your character and his/her/its physical abilities and describe your actions. Try to keep it relatively short, say 3-5 paragraphs per post (or less if you aren't feeling creative that day) to keep it fair for the other players.

I will begin the game in my next post, giving you the details of the immediate area you start in, and some of the places you can go to. Note that this is not a traditional RPG but more of an interactive story. Have fun and feel free to be whimsical... that is what this game is all about.

[Fleegle]

A few more notes before I begin. If your character decides to go to another location, such as the Old Temple, the last thing you should describe is actually travelling to that location. That allows me to fill in some of the details of the location.

Okay, here we go.......

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The Muck Pond seethes and bubbles. A bloated, softly shining moon hangs above, its glow revealing something as yet formless emerging from the muck. The wall of a cliff lies along one side of the pond. It is quite sheer and looks difficult to climb without special tools.
The shore of the pond is sandy, the landscape surrounding it composed of outcroppings and shabby, unkempt grass full of weeds. A gravel pathway leads up to a small hill in the distance, where a magnificent but apparently ancient and abandoned stone structure stands. A sign points towards it that reads "Old Temple".

Another pathway leads into a dank cave. Outside the cave is a small wooden box hanging from the branch of what appears to be a large Bonsai tree. On the box is written strange letters of an unknown language. The sound of chewing and gnashing of teeth can be heard coming from the mouth of the cave.

Out beyond the cave is a large empty plain full of some kind of wheat-like plant. Beyond that one can hear the sounds of the ocean, the wind coming in and rushing over the plain.

Sitting on a rock beside the muck pond is an odd-looking cat. Her eyes gleam bright green in the moonlight, and her eyes perk up at the sounds of the bubbles. She does not seem frightened by the noises, but rather a kind of anticipation. Her tail flickers back and forth slowly.

Sitting in the Bonsai tree near the cave is a little, beet-red hairless monkey-like thing. He hangs by his tail and clutches at a small fruit, occasionally nibbling at it.

Some kind of nocturnal bird circles over the muck pond high in the sky, occasionally intersecting the light of the moon. It has great, soaring wings, like those of an eagle or hawk, and makes no sound as it orbits the pond.

A mouse runs past the rock but the cat does not take chase. Instead she continues to stare intently at the pond. The mouse chews at some berries then takes flight under another rock.

[Snake_byte]

Character Discription:

5'10"
White hair
Red eyes
Pointed ears
Dark grey skin
Large bat-like wings with a single claws at the end of each (Span 9 feet)

After emerging and somewhat cleaning myself off I feel hugry. I see the mouse scurrying about but decide that won't satisfy. I look up to see a large bird but figure I won't use my first time using my wings to prey on a more experienced flyer. Then, I spot the cat staring at me. I turn slowly watching it, then without warning I pounce on it. I rip *Censored* Then I clean my teeth with my nail and look at the paths. After little debate and wraping my wings around me sort of like a cloak linking the claws at my throat, I take the exit to the "Old Temple"

[Varrius]

Character Discription:

5'11"
Long Silver Hair
Metallic Blue Eyes
Pale Blueish SKin
Muscular Form, Looks basically human except for his Skin and hair colours.

Stepping out of the Muck pond Varrius rubs his eyes clen and sees the retreating shape of a largebatlike figure searching around Varrius sees the monkey and climbs up the tree saying "uh.. hello" he tries to make contact with the monkey to see if it can speak his language.

[Fleegle]

Little did Beelzebub (Snake_byte) know that it had just disembowelled Anesek, the Keeper of the Muck. How could it have known? It had only just been created and would just have to learn such things as it went along. Fortunately, the cat was merely Anesek's avatar. The essence of Anesek did not blame Beelzebub for the act. It was merely an infant, of sorts. But it would learn of justice soon enough, for it had headed on the path towards the residence of Anesek's consort. He had already anticipated Beelzebub's arrival.

As Beelzebub approached the Old Temple, it noticed that the Temple did indeed live up to its name. Great ornate pillars stood chipped and crumbling at the entrance to the structure, and a great gash in the roof could be seen, spilling moonlight into a giant reception hall. The entrance was composed of a grand archway, the keystone decorated with an etching of some sort of flower.

The place had seemed to be deserted as Beelzebub approached it, but out of the corner of its eye, it noticed an elderly man with oddly shaped, gnarled looking ears hobbling slowly out of the shadows. His eyes were mere slits, like he had not opened them in several years, and he moved very slowly. He made a strange gesture with his hand and fraily but clearly announced his presence.

"Nice moon tonight, doncha think? Pitty about what happened to my dear lover, Anesek. But don't worry, she will be back. She can take many forms."
Suddenly his voice raised slightly. "Oh, I see by that look in your eyes that you do not know what I'm talking about. Yes, yes, not everyone can see the facts from all angles as I can. The cat you so rudely and savagely tore apart. Yes, that was Anesek, in one of her more sinister forms!"
Here the old man chuckled softly. He waved his hands in front of him as if to say that he wished to switch topics.
"Ah, yes, I suppose we should get down to the matter at hand then. Shall we? Come, follow me into the temple. And I ask you not to try that little stunt you pulled back there on me. Yes I know I must seem a tasty morsel but I'm afraid you will find my form is more, how shall we say, resistant to your attacks. Yes, you will find I am most invulnerable and impenetrable. If only justice could be so everywhere!"

He chuckled once again. "I suppose you should know the name of the one who shall seal your fate. I am the one they call Ilosep, Justice incarnate! Yes, it sounds so illustrious. But it is not what it is cracked up to be, believe me!"
Impatiently, "Well come on then! Don't you want to know what you were sent here to be? Follow me, follow me..."

The old man hobbled through the archway into the interior of the Temple. His voice echoed in the empty hall, "Really, you must hurry, not for my sake but for yours! Come!"

The cricket-things chirped softly in the background as all went quiet.

[Fleegle]

The monkey-thing squealed and bore his teeth, as if to demonstrate that he would give up his fruit for no one. Seeing that the strange blue man did not want the fruit but was merely attempting at communication, the monkey-thing followed suit.

"What do you want? Go on, get out of here! This is my tree! And don't even think of asking me for some fruit! It is all mine! Mine, mine, mine!"
The monkey-thing's eyes had a glint of gold in them, and seemed to flash wickedly as he stared directly at Varrius. His mouth turned upwards into a devilish grin.
"Well, you're an ugly, brutish, thing aren't you. You might have something in common with Tagus there." The monkey-thing pointed over at the entrance to the cave. "And I bet you're pretty dumb, too! Well, my dumb blue friend, maybe you could be of some use. Why don't you go introduce yourself to Tagus. Go on then! Go in the cave! Say hello to someone who might actually care to meet you!"
The monkey's grin widened, and his skin seemed a deeper red than it had been before, but perhaps it was just the moonlight reflecting off his skin. He returned to his fruit and mostly ignored Varrius, though he would periodically glance over at him and flash a little evil grin.

[Schme]

I would very very much like too play if I could. Just give me a moment to respond too your post in the other game.

Oh, wonderfull!

Very nice. Feels like Alice in Wonderland with less opium involved in the writting of it.

Shame though. I had wanted to kick that cat.

One moment.

[Fleegle]

(By all means, Schme. All are welcome!)

[El_Skwidd]

Names: Vex and Xev
Genders: Male

Height: 1' 6"

Vex head:
Curly brown hair
Blue eyes

Xev head:
Straight blonde hair
Red eyes

Vex and Xev are both part of the same organism, a kind of spiky turtle with two heads. Their skin is wrinkly and purple. The shell they live in is black and is covered in vicious looking spikes of various lengths. Their neck splits just out of the shell into two heads. From the neck back to the end of the shell, they are much like a turtle.

Every whimsical RPG needs a two-headed arguing pair
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Vex and Xev emerge from the Muck Pond, arguing instantly on what to do. Vex wants to crawl back into the muck and go to sleep, while Xev wants to make contact with the blue monster talking to the monkey. They eventually decide that both plans are ridiculous and that their stomach is too empty to continue bickering. They make their way over to the wheat-plants to see if they taste good.

[Fleegle]

(Good job, El_Swidd, I like your character I am a bit busy right now but I will get to you soon, by like tomorrow. I like the fact that you guys have gone in different directions. I was afraid everyone would head to the Temple on me.)

[AngelSpice]

Name: Audirda
Gender: Female
Appearance: 5'5" Greenish skin with fine scales and a large magnificent mermaid tail. Long green hair. Webbed fingers and sharp mobile fins along her forearms. Pointy ears and pointy teeth.

She hauls herself out of the Muck Pond and turns her head towards the sounds of the ocean and the salty breeze. She looks around hungrily, but disdains to eat any non-marine life. She starts dragging herself by her arms towards the beach.

[Snake_byte]

Mostly remaining quiet while the Ilosep spoke and thinking, thinking about how good that cat had tasted. The taste and want of blood grew a little while listening to the man but then I thought to myself that the mouse would have provided more nurishment.
I hear someone shouting about fuit from behind me as Ilosep begins to walk away. I glance over my shoulder but decide to ignore the comotion and follow believing this man couldn't possibly be a threat.
I look around and above me "Where are you going old man?" I ask in a deep, scratchy, rumbleing voice that shook the pebbles on the ground.

[Fleegle]

(This one is for El_Skwidd)

Vex/Xev walked out into the plains, the noises of the Pond giving way to the gentle rustle of the wind moving across the plain. The moon cast a silvery light, and you could see the ripples through the crops. Vex/Xev stepped on a bumpy spot and heard a sharp yelp.

"Hey, whoa, watch where yer stepping!" a high-pitched, whistly voice exclaimed.
A few plants parted and a large, slended serpent rose up above Vex/Xev's head. It looked down at them, but it was hard to decipher its expression, given the lack of eyelids. It looked deeply into the sets of eyes of the two-headed stranger. A long tongue flickered out as it spoke.
"Good then. Sorry to alarm you, I don't blame you of course, it's just that I don't have many visitors, so I slither where I please. Of course, you may help yourself to my groff, that's what this stuff here is called. Curious, I haven't seen too many two-headed folk round here for a long time! Do you have two stomachs too? No matter, there's plenty of groff here, enough to feed a small legion, not that we have to many legions come around here either!"
The serpent hissed a kind of laugh. "Oh, my name! How rude of me! I am Resuso, god of food. As it happens, this groff will taste like anything your heart desires! Consider it a gift. You should go see Ilosep when you get the chance, he's the god of Justice. Oh, don't be frightened, you haven't done anything wrong. It's just that he is in charge of the fates around here. It's really worth your while. Go see him, he lives in the Old Temple. After you've filled your stomach of course!"
Resuso retreated into the grass and slithered away. Only the sound of the rustling plain remained.

[Schme]

Character Description:

Name: MushBall
Height: 1.25 metres
Sex:Male?
No hair
Large blue eyes
No ears
No nose
Made of white gooey mush.

A little rounded creature with arms and legs much like a person, with no fingers or toes, but in they’re place, rounded off hands and feet. He has no neck, and his stumpy rounded head connects directly with his shoulders. A thick and bulgy creature, which might be considered buff were he not made of goo. His skin is made up of a squishy white mush, which conceals a good amount of muscle (Is it? Who knows. It’s under mush.). He is very much like a man made of mud or playdough (A sort of coulored clay like mush for children too play with.). Gurgles in place of speaking with actuall word.

(If anything wrong, just tell me, I redo it.)


The little mush man rose up out of the mud, brushing as much as he could off himself with his awkward arms. He then surveyed all around him. It wasn’t an optimal place to be born, but it was not all too bad, he thought too himself. He expressed these feelings too the world with his first words, which summarized his feelings quite precisely, these words being “Hmmmm.”

Next came the dilemma of what too do next. What were his goals in life? What must a person such as himself do to get ahead in this world? He crossed his arms and rubbed his chin (or close to where is should have been) thoughtfully, and had the expression of a man deep in thought on his face (Well, rather, the expression of a man without a face in deep thought.) His thoughts wandered. “What was the meaning of life? Why and how did he come to be on this earth? What is the correct manner in which to live with your fellow-“ These thoughts were abruntly interrupted by one that seemed much more urgent and important. “What a delightfull little box! I wonder what it contains? I must go investigate.”

And with that the little much man set off towards the ornately carved box, intending to grab it with both his curved little hands and pull it down off of the tree.



(Again, if that is not right, please, do correct me. I have a feeling I may have gone overboard a bit. If so, not hesitate to tell me. Thanks.)

[Varrius]

Varrius, though not completely trusting the creature in the tree decided to follow its advice, jumping out of the tree he lands a few meters away from a mush creature, appraising it wiht his eyes he continues walking past and heads to the old cave the thing in the tree pointed him towards.