Welcome to the Temple of Sthasa, also known as the Sepulcher of Sorrow, the Barrow of Dread, and the SINISTER SUBTERRANE OF SUPREME SORROW. It is frequently simply called Temple by the inhabitants.
Whatever its name, it's a sprawling mass of largely underground (or at least indoors) tunnels, chambers, and deathtraps. The locals war with each other and the local monsters, trying to eke out a living in a place filled with powers and forces beyond their ken. Creatures and items of great power commonly rise from this strife...
...possibly including you.
You see, you have been chosen. Chosen for what, you'll have to find out. But merely patrolling the walls with your fellow slime-folk or tilling your peasant dirt-farm isn't going to cut it any more- like it or not, you're an adventurer now.
Hope that works out for you.
RacesJells are slimelike creatures with humanoid upper halves, but whose lower halves are usually a blob they roll around on. They are translucent and possess a vital core that can be seen through their goo.
Jells are very flexible, able to reshape themselves to a fair degree. They are relatively unscathed by losing mass, able to shift themselves around to a certain extent to compensate for lost limbs and the like, but must replenish the lost matter to truly recover. They cannot reattach lost matter without properly consuming it, but it's easy to digest.
Jells are the dominant race in Temple, largely due to their tendency to form fairly large clans. They tend to be more politically- and diplomatically-minded than most races, frequently with an emphasis on their kin and clan as a whole.
Jells come from other Jells, and have a few methods of production. All require mass, usually goo from other jells, and a core, which may be an item of power or part of the core of one or more other jells. Jells usually identify lineage by either material or core, with only those sharing neither not being truly "descended" from their creator. Jells with independently similar compositions or core origins might or might not be considered kin.
Dolls are humanoids made of articulate, finely-constructed parts. They possess a vital spark that usually shines through in their eyes.
Dolls are fairly quick, able to move around delicately and quickly due to their light, elaborate construction. They have some difficulty replacing lost mass, often needing specialized tools and some skill to reproduce the lost pieces, and a little time for their bodies to truly accept and absorb the replacements as their own. Their new matter needn't be the same type or construction as their old, but most Dolls find themselves off-balance or otherwise feeling strange from being mismatched.
Dolls are arguably the second most influential race in Temple, largely because, like the Jells, they tend to form cabals. Doll cabals tend to be fairly small and focused, working as coordinated teams to achieve specific goals. They are often nomadic or seminomadic, both because their goals tend to take them far afield and because they lack the numbers or patience to stake out permanent claims. Dolls tend to be fairly lighthearted and amused by things.
Dolls are manufactured and then given life, usually by other Dolls. Construction of an appropriate body can be done by anything with the appropriate knowledge, and is usually done in wood or clay, though any rigid material can potentially be appropriate. The spark of life can come from several sources, but is most often breathed into the completed form by existing Dolls. Dolls usually measure lineage both in construction style and spark origin, with both being required for a Doll to be a full descendent of its creators. Dolls usually acknowledge similar construction styles as kin if and only if they were passed down from the same source.
Mucks are humanoids made of mostly solid goo. They are relatively homogeneous in composition.
Mucks are mostly static, despite being made of somewhat flexible material. They can often change the thickness, size, texture, or in some cases composition of various parts, but can't freely change form like Jells. They tend to be reasonably inconvenienced by losing mass, as they are unable to shift any of their existing mass to replace it, though lost matter can usually be reattached fairly quickly and easily. They can slowly regenerate permanently lost matter by eating other matter.
Mucks are arguably the third most prominent race in Temple. What they lack in influence, numbers, focus, or drive, they make up for in stubbornness and resilience. Muck villages are usually fairly aimless, lacking the size or organization of Jells and the skill and ambition of Dolls, but possessing reasonable numbers and a collective resistance to being overwhelmed or driven out. Muck villages are well-known as havens for these reasons, as they've both fairly reliable and easygoing on outsiders. Mucks tend to be a bit on the apathetic side, finding it hard to get overly excited about anything in particular.
Mucks are produced by other mucks via a relatively slow process. Two mucks essentially touch each other, and their slightly liquid outer surfaces begin combining. This then spreads ever so slowly inward, which usually more or less results in two mucks combining limbs. Eventually this third substance reaches a sufficient size to slough off and become an independent Muck. Theoretically this process can be replicated under different circumstances, but it requires both base Muck material and Muck life force to produce. Mucks are usually not overly concerned with lineage as such, but measure it in the obvious ways when it matters.
Golems are humanoids made of solid or relatively solid materials, generally segmented to allow movement. They possess a core that serves as a focal point for their life force.
Golems are fairly sturdy and inflexible, being made of much thicker, more rigid materials than most other races. They tend to have great difficulty replacing lost material, often requiring appropriate materials, tools, and labor, as well as time for their bodies to accept their new additions. Reattaching lost limbs or similar is somewhat easier, but still often requires appropriate talent and tools.
Golems are generally a far fourth as far as racial influence goes. They tend to lack strong ties to each other, and thus usually form squads only when formed by a common creator. Golem squads tend to be rather stoic and tireless, defending chokepoints from all comers, but are usually too scarce to patrol large areas. Golems tend to be fairly determined, finding that most problems yield to sufficient effort.
Golems are crafted and then animated by empowering their cores. It is possible to use an existing golem as a spark for this, but not necessary. Golems usually do not track lineages, though they often count the creations of a given individual as siblings.
Aberrants are creatures that defy easy classification. They are frequently hybrids or experiments, and have at least a tendency to display certain traits, but it is unclear precisely just what makes an aberrant an aberrant. Some have suggested that it is a certain unnaturalness or instability, while others believe it is merely a matter of not being anything else.
Aberrants are difficult to classify in blanket terms, but tend to be ungainly relative to whatever creatures they most resemble. They tend towards rigidity and difficulty recovering from damage, though many aberrants regenerate on their own or under certain circumstances, even if they resemble creatures that could not.
Aberrants are seldom found living together by choice, but covens of them may be employed to guard the twisted facilities where they were created. More commonly they work alone, using their freakish gifts to accomplish their generally unsavory goals. Aberrants tend to be antisocial and discontent, convinced that the world is out to get them.
Aberrants come from a variety of sources. Fiendish experiments and excessive grafting are common sources, though sometimes unnatural energies or substances interfere with the creation of a normal creature. Any time something alters a creature enough to make it not what it used to be, it tends to turn it into an aberrant. Aberrants are usually utterly unconcerned with lineage, but those who make them are often fascinated by the relationships between aberrant models.
Humans are humanoids composed of a segmented core of bone wrapped in flexible meat. Their life force is generally held in a liquid flowing throughout them, but especially concentrated in the upper chest and head.
Humans are generally both fairly sturdy and reasonably flexible, often compared to slightly heavier Dolls. They tend to have great difficulty replacing lost material, requiring specialized skills to reattach it and potent magic to help regenerate it.
Humans are an oddity in Temple, having very little permanent or coordinated presence but possessing a large number of champions. Humans in Temple are mostly outsiders, brought in through The Gate to serve powers unknown. As such, they have few parties of their own, though wandering humans are often respected and feared, and occasionally take control of or throw in with a group of other creatures. Humans tend to be adventurous and oblivious, being in unfamiliar territory and with nowhere to go but up.
Humans arrive via The Gate, an extraplanar portal used by higher powers for inscrutable reasons. Humans can create more Humans with the appropriate equipment, but most lack the resources to do so. Most Humans prefer to track lineage similarly to Mucks, but the lack of relation amongst arrivals and difficulties in reproducing once in Temple tends to make such classifications useless.
There are three primary stats, though individual creatures may acquire additional stats and resources.
HP is your ability to not die. When your HP becomes 0 or lower, you die.
MP is your ability to cast spells and use special abilities. More powerful abilities often require MP to function.
Attack is your ability to inflict damage. Most attacks will deal damage based on your Attack stat.
There are a variety of ways to replenish HP, MP, and other resources. Notably, food tends to recover HP, while drink tends to recover MP. Rest typically recovers both. Special resources often have unique methods of recovery.
Each creature has three attack slots, each of which can hold a different attack. Attacks may be acquired from various sources, can usually exist as a physical item, and typically become soulbound once equipped.
Basic Attack is the simplest attack, and simply deals damage to an enemy equal to your Attack stat. More powerful or specialized attacks may recover MP, deal bonus damage, shield an ally, or otherwise have increased or different effects, generally at the cost of having a chance to miss, costing MP, increasing damage taken, or otherwise having a downside compared to Basic Attack.
Creatures may have slots for other, more unusual abilities as well, but these tend to be more costly and rarer than attack skills.
Under normal circumstances, race and personal differences (hobbies, dislikes, etc) have relatively little mechanical impact.
However, racial type and personality become very important in deciding what kinds of skills you can acquire. A quiet, gentle person might take well to a healing spell but have great difficulty acquiring a flashy, destructive spell, for instance, while a Muck might take well to an endurance-based skill but fail to acquire a dodge-based one.
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]
[b]Physical Description:[/b]
[b]Mental Description:[/b]
[b]Backstory:[/b] There was a flash of light and now you're somewhere you don't recognize. Oh hell, a wizard caught you or something, didn't he?
Signups will remain open for however long I have the patience for them to remain open, at which point I'll randomly roll amongst all applicants to get six. The rest go on the waitlist, where they will undoubtedly be called upon before long.
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Topic: [RPG] The Temple of Sthasa [Turn 2: Partings and Goo] (Read 3727 times)