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[Rethi-Eli]

In a time before time, when creatures that existed beyond the scope of the human imagination skulked these lands, our world was far different from what it is now. Primordial beings that once existed beyond the plane of reality entered our world, forming terrifying corporeal forms. They were not evil, nor were they malicious, but they did not belong. In a great war, the four ancient gods, their names lost in the sands of time, clashed with these beings and were defeated miserably. The gods and their shattered legions retreated, and sought assistance.

The First Hunter, who stalked the world for worthy prey, answered their call, and staved off the Beasts single-handedly, sealing them away with the resonating power that lies deep within this land. The gods, rather than rewarding him, feared his power and sealed him away in the frigid wastes of the North. Eons passed, the old gods were replaced with new ones, and the power of the land decayed, as is the nature of all things. The seal of the Beasts began to crumble, and the First Hunter pledged himself to the new gods, forsaking his pride, so that he could restore the power of the seal holding the Beasts. There is far more to that story, but that is not story I seek to tell.

Perhaps he First Hunter's power faded away as time bore on, or perhaps he died in his final mission. Whatever the case, he was heard from no more, and his name was forgotten. His story, however, was not. He had trained disciples, apprentices, and told his story to those who would spread his message and hunt down the descendants of the Beasts.

One day, a malignant and power hungry thaumaturge traveled to the very core of the world, and tore a rift between our world and the abyssal prison of the Beasts, thinking he could control them. This proved to be his final folly. The Beasts were free, and only after the world was nearly torn apart was the rift sealed and most of the remaining Beasts sealed away or slain. However, they had left their mark on the world, for their spawn still roamed free and those who they granted a fragment of their power still worshiped them, seeking to release them once again.

But those few who remembered the tale of the First Hunter would not let that happen. We are Silverblades, those who keep the tale of the First Hunter alive, and those who fight so that his efforts were not in vain.

This is my last RTD. I'll make sure that it's a great one, too.

Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)

Name: Self explanatory.
Race: Really any dark fantasy race works, although more humanoid ones that aren't extremely powerful are preferred. Human subraces, mutants, and other humans but with defining traits are cool too, as long as you sufficiently explain.
Inventory: Also self explanatory. List the items in your possession here, give a brief description using the

Code: [Select]

[abbr=description here.]item name here[/abbr] function.  This is set in a dark fantasy setting, so swords, crossbows, etc. are common weapons. Magic also exists, so if you want an item such as a staff or spell tome with which you can channel magic, put it here. Don't go overboard, please. Silver is more effective against beasts, conventional metals like iron and steel are more effective against less abnormal foes.
Traits and Abilities: Similarly to your inventory, just write down the ability here and write any necessary description with the abbr function - this will help keep character sheets small and neat. Abilities can range from sword techniques and spells to special stealth maneuvers and partial telepathy, and everything in between, as long as it isn't absurdly powerful. Traits are like passive abilities, which are always in effect. Traits can include things like superhuman speed or precision eyesight that aren't triggered, but instead are just an innate ability that is active regardless of whether the user wishes to use them. There's no cap, but don't go overboard.
Background: Origin of your character. Can be one sentence, can be a wall of text - your choice.

Rolling is standard RTD format.
1 - Serious failure
2 - Failure or minimal success
3 - Partial success
4 - Success
5 - Critical success
6 - Overshot

Health is chunky salsa.

Spoiler: How magic works (click to show/hide)

I'll try to make this as simple as I possibly can, and hopefully it's just that. For the most part, magic works the same way as all other actions - roll, get results according to that roll and any advantages/disadvantages you may have. However, if you cast a spell, it fails, and you try to cast it again on your next turn, you'll get a -1 penalty. This will continue if you keep trying the same spell, and sooner or later the spell will stop fizzling out and start backfiring. If you use another spell or succeed, the penalty goes back to zero. Just so it's clear, here's an example.

Bobert tries conjuring a beam of light to tear apart his foes. He rolls a 2, and the spell only works for a second before fizzling.
Bobert tries the same stunt next turn. He rolls a 3, but gets a -1 penalty because it failed last turn, so he gets a 2 and it fizzles again.
Bobert feels compelled to try again, and rolls a 1. This, with the -2 penalty for failing twice prior, backfires and injures him.
Now, if Bobert had rolled a 6, succeeded, and cast the spell again on his next turn, the penalty would be back to zero. The same would happen if he hurled a fireball and then went back to shooting beams.

Complex spells are harder to cast, simple spells are easier to cast. Overshots and backfires on complex spells are generally severe, while simple spells that overshot or backfire generally have a mild detrimental effect.

Current Players

Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)

Name: Robert Ratford
Race: Rat man
Inventory:
 Steel Arming sword
 Iron knife
 metal pot helmet
 clothing
 Long coat
 Bottle of Rum
 Lock Picks

Traits and Abilities:
 Fast runner
 Alcoholic
 Lockpick
Background: Poor and down on his luck he decided to join the Silverblades to get some excitement and some money.

Spoiler: 'Zork' (click to show/hide)

Name: Zork
Race: Troll - Although trolls are technically humanoid, they have nothing in common with actual humans. These hulking, furry monsters stand over 8 feet tall and have the physical strength of ten average humans, although they lack in the brains department. They usually live in small tribes in the icy mountains, but on rare occasions some will wander off to explore the world, and on even rare occasion, become members of other civilizations.
Inventory:
Wooden Club
Traits/Abilities:
Regeneration
Cold Resilience
Weak to Fire
Background: As a child, Zork was energetic and curious. He sought to explore the great outdoors, and quickly grew bored of his home village, but was not allowed to leave by his fellow trolls until he would come of age. During his childhood, Zork heard many tales about the ancient beasts that threatened humanity. These made his desire for adventure grow even stronger, until he could no longer ignore it. One fateful night, he escaped the village as everyone else slept, vowing to one day return with stories of epic battles and faraway lands, hoping to incite other young trolls to follow his example. Zork travelled and travelled in his icy homeland, in the seemingly endless tundra, until one day, he came across a human city. The humans were afraid at first, but after showing them that he did not come to wage war on them, Zork was able to fit in, and ended up joining the Silverblades, hoping to realize his dream of fighting against the beasts.

Spoiler: Jericho Oakskin (click to show/hide)

Name: Jericho Oakskin
Race: Arborian
Inventory:
2 Sunseeds
Emberlog Axe
Leaf Robe
Traits/Abilities:
Photosynthetic
Ironwood
Background: Unlike most Arborians, Jericho desired to leave the forest for most of his life, instead of lazing around and photosynthesizing for centuries. When he encountered a lost traveler in the woods, he decided to guide her out, and never returned. Eventually, he joined the Silverblades. He's not a particularly skilled combatant, but the natural strengths of his race make up for that in the most part.

Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)

Name: Alexander Henrickson
Race: Peakman- A human subrace adapted to high elevations, meaning that to conserve oxygen, the body is slightly smaller than that of a normal human and the lungs are slightly larger. This gives the effect of a barrel chest and a short, more thin body.
Inventory:
Silver Sword
Iron Knife
Chainmail Coat
Buckler
Clothing
Traits/Abilities:
Hyperventilation
Keen Vision
Background: A goat herder's son, Alexander knew that it be safer in his mountainous homelands than in the plains assailed by Beasts, but could not shake the guilt of leaving the lowlanders to fight alone. Alexander eventually decided to leave his village behind to ensure its safety from away, to fight while the world below was still strong rather than wait for the enemy to come to the peaks.

Spoiler: Azet Azirkan (click to show/hide)

Name: Azet Azirkan
Species: Human
Inventory: Silver scimitar Steel scimitar Studded Leather Armor Long flowing cloak
Traits/Abilities:Enhanced speed Berserk Mode
Bio: A bastard of a royal dynasty, Azet Azirkan seeks either glory(to wash the stains of bastardy) or death(to be free of them once and for all) in battle.

Waitlist
Glass
randomgenericusername

[Mallos]

Spoiler: Azet Azirkan (click to show/hide)

Name: Azet Azirkan
Species: Human
Inventory: Silver scimitar Steel scimitar Studded Leather Armor Long flowing cloak
Traits/Abilities:Enhanced speed Berserk Mode
Bio: A bastard of a royal dynasty, Azet Azirkan seeks either glory(to wash the stains of bastardy) or death(to be free of them once and for all) in battle.

[Doubloon-Seven]

Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)

Name: Alexander Henrickson
Race: Peakman- A human subrace adapted to high elevations, meaning that to conserve oxygen, the body is slightly smaller than that of a normal human and the lungs are slightly larger. This gives the effect of a barrel chest and a short, more thin body.
Inventory:
Silver Sword
Iron Knife
Chainmail Coat
Buckler
Clothing
Traits/Abilities:
Hyperventilation
Keen Vision
Background: A goat herder's son, Alexander knew that it be safer in his mountainous homelands than in the plains assailed by Beasts, but could not shake the guilt of leaving the lowlanders to fight alone. Alexander eventually decided to leave his village behind to ensure its safety from away, to fight while the world below was still strong rather than wait for the enemy to come to the peaks.

[Coolrune206]

Spoiler: Jericho Oakskin (click to show/hide)

Name: Jericho Oakskin
Race: Arborian
Inventory:
2 Sunseeds
Emberlog Axe
Leaf Robe
Traits/Abilities:
Photosynthetic
Ironwood
Background: Unlike most Arborians, Jericho desired to leave the forest for most of his life, instead of lazing around and photosynthesizing for centuries. When he encountered a lost traveler in the woods, he decided to guide her out, and never returned. Eventually, he joined the Silverblades. He's not a particularly skilled combatant, but the natural strengths of his race make up for that in the most part.

[Legendary Marksdorf]

Spoiler: 'Zork' (click to show/hide)

Name: Zork
Race: Troll - Although trolls are technically humanoid, they have nothing in common with actual humans. These hulking, furry monsters stand over 8 feet tall and have the physical strength of ten average humans, although they lack in the brains department. They usually live in small tribes in the icy mountains, but on rare occasions some will wander off to explore the world, and on even rare occasion, become members of other civilizations.
Inventory:
Wooden Club
Traits/Abilities:
Regeneration
Cold Resilience
Weak to Fire
Background: As a child, Zork was energetic and curious. He sought to explore the great outdoors, and quickly grew bored of his home village, but was not allowed to leave by his fellow trolls until he would come of age. During his childhood, Zork heard many tales about the ancient beasts that threatened humanity. These made his desire for adventure grow even stronger, until he could no longer ignore it. One fateful night, he escaped the village as everyone else slept, vowing to one day return with stories of epic battles and faraway lands, hoping to incite other young trolls to follow his example. Zork travelled and travelled in his icy homeland, in the seemingly endless tundra, until one day, he came across a human city. The humans were afraid at first, but after showing them that he did not come to wage war on them, Zork was able to fit in, and ended up joining the Silverblades, hoping to realize his dream of fighting against the beasts.

[King Zultan]

Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)

Name: Robert Ratford
Race: Rat man
Inventory:
 Steel Arming sword
 Iron knife
 metal pot helmet
 clothing
 Long coat
 Bottle of Rum
 Lock Picks

Traits and Abilities:
 Fast runner
 Alcoholic
 Lockpick
Background: Poor and down on his luck he decided to join the Silverblades to get some excitement and some money.

[Glass]

Huh. Disappointed I didn't notice this yesterday; it sounds like it could be a second Undead Hunt-style game.

I'll make someone for the waitlist, I guess.

Spoiler: Sindar Redwing (click to show/hide)

Name: Sindar Redwing
Race: Birdman
Inventory:
Alloy Shortsword, Iron Crossbow, Padded Leather Armor, Glove of Frost and Fire, Hunting Knife, Small Smithing Kit
Traits and Abilities:
Lucky
Skilled dodger
Flight
Minor enchanting ability
Apprentice blacksmith
Background: Sindar worked as an apprentice to a local blacksmith, learning to both create goods, weapons, and armor so that he could one day run a smithy of his own. In his free time, he would look at all of the magic items that would come through town; be they amulets blessed by the gods or objects cursed with the death of their owners, he wished to understand them all. One day, a travelling artificer came through town, and fascinated Sindar with his enchanted curiosities. Sindar left his old employer and joined up with the artificer, to travel the world and learn the art of artifice. However, a year later, bandits attacked the caravan; Sindar only escaped with his equipment, a small purse of money - just two or three gold coins in it - and his glove, which he had made a month prior and was his first magic item. As his change ran dry, Beasts appeared by nearby settlements, and Sindar decided to join the Silverblades to help defend others from the loss he had experienced.

Unless you could extend the starting group to 6?

[Rethi-Eli]

You and the other initiates stand in a large but sparsely filled stone room with a vaunted roof. A trio of armored officers, with slim rapiers hanging at their sides in ornate sheaths. The one in the center, a middle-aged man with a jagged diagonal scar running across his face, steps forward, addressing all of you.

"I don't know why you've come here. Perhaps you seek glory and fame, perhaps you seek fortune, or perhaps you just want to have an adventure.

If this is what you expect, I will tell you this once, and only once - there is little chance of you becoming famous in our service. There is no extravagant pay to be had, nor treasures to be discovered. This will not be a carefree adventure. This will be a grueling task if you decide to stay with us. You have the option to leave at any time, but don't expect our aid ever again if you do. To be a Silverblade is to be a hunter of hunters, and those who leave the hunting party are vulnerable."

The officer paces back and forth in front of you, surveying the different faces.

"Now, are there any among you who would leave? If so, take your leave now. Nobody will stop you."

Nobody budges. The officer smiles.

"Good, very good. I look at each of your faces, and I see so much difference - many of you are from places I have only seen on hunts, places far more beautiful than here. All of you are different - some of you come from the frigid mountains to the east, others from the arboreal valleys far to the south. Some of you wear armor and wield finely crafted weapons, others among you wear whatever makeshift armor you could obtain. Whatever the case, I see one thing that is common among all of you, and that is potential. But enough of this.

Our order is a dying one, and our legacy has been by most forgotten. The ancestors of my ancestors sealed away the Beasts hundreds of years ago, but their spawn and their cults still walk this Earth, murdering and corrupting in the name of their otherworldly masters. The petty barons that rule these plains are more concerned about disputing with each other and managing their fiefdoms than focusing on the encroaching threat.

It is with this in mind that I am going to dispatch you on your first missions. These will not be dangerous, they will be more a test of mettle than a life or death situation. I'll divide you all into groups - once you have a group, get to know them well. Chances are, your life and the lives of others will depend on your team at least once."

The officer points at the five of you individually.

"Hmmm... you, you, you, and the two of you. Officer Pharrin will instruct you on your mission's details. He's the one on the right, wearing the mask. Good luck."

Some time later...

Your wagon clatters to a stop in a small mining town called Autumnrest. The sun is setting behind a small mountain range in the distance, and only a handful of townsfolk are wandering the street. Pharrin told you he suspected that a cult dedicated to a minor nameless Beast of disease had a hideout somewhere here, and was slowly brainwashing and indoctrinating the townsfolk, seeking to gather enough power to release the creature. It's your first mission to find and eliminate the cult before they gather enough followers to manifest the Beast a corporeal form.

"Be careful," he said, warning you, "we suspect that many of the cultists reside in the town. Many of the "normal" citizens by day are most likely involved with, if not outright in the inner circle of the cult. If you pry too much and make yourselves known, they'll have the jump on you. However, we do have a plant in the town - the tavernkeep is one of ours, we know this. While he hasn't been able to report back to us, he should know the identity of at least a few of the cultists. Best of luck."

A building with a crudely painted image of a ram on it sits to your left, with a sign that says "The Inebriated Sheep". You can only assume this is the town's tavern. To your right is a sizeable abandoned building, resembling the description Pharrin gave about potential hideouts quite a bit. (4+1) Alexander's keen eyes are able to pick out a motionless robed figure watching you from the window of a two-story building, most likely a house of sorts.

Spoiler: To Glass (click to show/hide)

I'll have to waitlist you for this mission, but I'm going to up the difficulty of the next mission, and I can definitely probably hopefully squeeze you in there. Now, your glove seems like it could be a bit powerful (considering there's no penalty for using it in conjunction with an attack) so I'm going to treat using it as if it was dual wielding - you'll trade increased offensive capability for increased vulnerability.

[Glass]

[To Glass]I'll have to waitlist you for this mission, but I'm going to up the difficulty of the next mission, and I can definitely probably hopefully squeeze you in there. Now, your glove seems like it could be a bit powerful (considering there's no penalty for using it in conjunction with an attack) so I'm going to treat using it as if it was dual wielding - you'll trade increased offensive capability for increased vulnerability.

Thanks, and fair enough.
I will say this about the glove: if I used one spell one time, I have to use the other spell the next time, even if I didn't fizzle or if it would be disadvantageous to use the other spell. I'm pretty sure that counts as a drawback :p . And while I didn't say it outright, I'd kinda been thinking that the magic would be weaker when imbued into a strike than when done in other ways; it's better than an unaltered strike (usually), but weaker than the normal spell, and likely puts stress on the weapon, plus, it must be a melee strike, so there's higher risk of a counterattack or it being dodged/parried.
But yeah, again, thanks.

EDIT: We could have my guy doing blacksmithing and enchanting work at HQ in the meantime. It would fit the character.

[Doubloon-Seven]

Whispering, Alexander speaks to the others.
"Perhaps we should head in to warm our body and spirit, brothers."

[Rethi-Eli]

-snip-

I mean, the alternating spells is a drawback, but it's less of a "I'm trading something in for this power" than a "It's slightly less powerful", unless you're fighting an enemy that heals from fire or frost, in which case you can just not use the glove. This was my line of reasoning, and with your dodging ability, the dual wielding penalty is mitigated, so I thought it wouldn't be too much of a penalty. If you have any other ideas, feel free to let me know. As far as the blacksmithing thing, that's fine by me.

[Mallos]

Whispering, Alexander speaks to the others.
"Perhaps we should head in to warm our body and spirit, brothers."

"Indeed."

[Coolrune206]

Jericho responds in a low voice.
"I suggest we split up, and enter the tavern at different times... If a group of five decently armed individuals all show up at once, the townspeople would already naturally be suspicious, especially if they are indoctrinated into the cult."

[Doubloon-Seven]

"Very well. I will walk about the town, and scout. What of you?"

[Coolrune206]

"I think I'll go in first. I'd like to inform the tavernkeep of our presence and to confirm his continued loyalty to our organization. Any disagreements?"