Roll up, roll up, questies and questers, as we venture into uncharted territory for the purpose of fun, creativity, and questy goodness! “But Bones, you magnificent devil, you,” you might be asking, “Aren’t you running a quest already? What are you playing at, you handsome rogue?”The game is simple–hell, you’ve probably played it before! We’re going to run a collaborative quest using one of the most important rules in Improv:‘Yes, AND!’What is ‘Yes, And’, you might ask? An unspoken agreement by two or more actors when creating a scene: if someone establishes a detail, be it a character, a setting, or something else, then that detail is now fact! Your improv partner establishes you’re on a submarine? Up Periscope! Your partner calls you ‘darling’ and gushes over how beautiful your wedding ceremony was? ‘Yes, snookums’!But why? Why not ‘NO, ACTUALLY’? Well for starters, it makes the scene flow better–your partner (or you, perhaps) have a scene idea in mind… swapping it up will bring the scene to a screeching halt… and nothing’s worse than a stalled skit!So here’s how this quest is gonna work: you, yes, you, are going to work with other would-be QMs in writing a QUEST! That’s right–characters, settings, twists, turns… all of it will be entirely up to the players! In order to play, however, heed closely…THE INSTRUCTIONS:>1) We will start by posting a couple of setting ideas. These should be vague–preferably a sentence or two at most. For example: ‘Trapped on a Deserted Island’, ‘Minimum Wage Frycook in Hell’, or ‘Paycheck-to-paycheck Space Bounty Hunter’. If you like someone’s idea, +1 it! This will help us decide what to go with. That’ll be our starting point!>2) If you have an idea for an update, reply to the most recent post with the word ‘TAG’. Whoever replies to the post first gets to write the next update! If one QM appears to be dominating, however, we might make an executive situation to pass it off to the second replier to keep things interesting.>3) Write your update with whatever details have been established already. For example, if the last post had the hero get into a Tavern Brawl, you should be writing about the Tavern Brawl. PLEASE KEEP YOUR UPDATES TO 1-3 POSTS AT THE MOST! WHEN YOU’RE DONE, FINISH YOUR POST WITH A ‘<NEXT>’ to show that the story is ready to be passed along!>4) You may add images, links, etc to your post as long as they relate to the story! We love art around here! Also consider adopting a QM Handle (Doesn’t have to be one you usually use) so that we can easily ID you!
>>6450362THE RULES:>Don’t Be a Dick: This quest is meant to be collaborative fun. Be respectful to your fellow QMs, be a team player whether you’re writing or reading, and keep things moving!>First Come, First Serve: once a QM has ended their post with <NEXT>, that means the story is free game! If you want to write the next posts, reply to the last post with the word TAG. Again, if a particular QM is hogging the updates we might give it to someone else. I don’t want to do that a lot, though, so let’s share!>What’s Established is ESTABLISHED: If the quest takes place on Bunny Island, then guess what? You’re helping write a quest about Bunny Island. That said, if something is deemed not appropriate for the established setting, players may tag me, the QM, to call a vote for its validity. I’d rather not do this, so let’s just try to work together, please!>Stay In Contact: especially if you call ‘TAG’ but can’t update soon! If you appear to flake then we will pass along the writing privileges to someone else who is ready.>Keep the Story Moving: Try to keep the quest going–we should be aiming for some kind of an ending, but an abrupt ‘Rocks Fall, Everybody Dies’ might ruin the fun. Let’s shoot for a natural end!>Discussion is Fine: Want to discuss story ideas or ask an OOC question? Totally fine! Collaboration is key! Again, however, remember that other people will be playing–please don’t try to dominate the quest with your ideas alone! The best salad is made with plenty of ingredients!With that all set up, let’s get our SETTING rolling! Reply to this post with a 1-2 sentence quest setting! If you like someone’s idea, +1 it! I’ll check in later and we’ll see which one is popular! Ready? Set…COLLABORATE!
I have to tell you this Bones, I've already seen this attempted before. And it didn't work out much well.Good luck though, I'll be watching and possibly participating
>>6450365Good thing I'm a glutton for punishment. We'll see what happens--I figure I'd give it the ole' college try!
This quest takes place on an earth-like planet somewhere else in the milky way. We follow homesteaders in a remarkably Manifest Destiny-esque society in terms of aesthetic and general societal structure (though obviously sci-fi tech exists)
>>6450362We are a pilgrimage to get a wish from the center of the swamp, the mists create evil illusions that prey on our worst impulses.
>>6450375+1 for this
Actually, I just got a fun idea, It'd never make it to a proper quest to migth as well throw it out.You are...an Advisor for the Evil Empire. Your job is to deal with actually running a nation while the dark overlord goes around burning villages, making superweapons and beefing with a young boy.
>>6450370>>6450375>>6450386Mudambe Corp offers the best employee packages. All you have to do is look the other way as they displace the native aliens, dismantle the ecosystems, and develop the weapon and colonization tech that allows for human expansion. Naturally, all the literature says that the superstitious bunk the natives believe in is a lie. There is no "wish granter".But when you look deep in the jungle, you see the lights glowing faintly. There is no bioluminescence evolved here. What if Mudambe corp... lied?
>>6450386+1 to this because I had a similar idea bouncing around in my head (though it actually was the inverse) of playing an archetypal Midgame Boss, the kind of guy who's really tough and intimidating-- to the average peasant. They have a ton of evil skulls and spikes on their armor, of course, but can't even think of going toe-to-toe with those gosh darn "Heroes"!
>>6450375+1The quest starts in a mysterious scientific facility. We have no memory of who we are, and our physical body is completely hollow.
>>6450362>>6450391IGNORE THAT +1 I DIDN'T MEAN TO RESPOND TO >>6450375
>>6450388Hmm, I do appreciate the trying to unite the concepts, but if we were to go on a wish seeking journey, we wouldn't get to do funny evil empire shenanigans...
>>6450405The evil empire is in decline (probably to that one popular rebellion that's still going strong), so we gotta find the wish granter to Make the Evil Empire Great Again!Especially since the Evil Emperor is busy enacting trauma upon plucky youths by razing their villages and killing their parents, or something like that. He got his hobbies figured out, though.
>>6450386>Mister DarkLord sir this is the fifth hamlet you have burned this month, I understand there is some 'child of light' in one of them but this situation is unsustainable. At least order a census first to find exactly how many children are in your lan- and he manifested a dark portal and left. Of course. Goddammit.kek
Alright alley cats, let's get this thing rolling!>>6450370>Homesteaders in a Manifest Destiny-like society with sci-fi tech!>>6450375>>6450379>Pilgrimage to the Swamp of Illusions!>>6450386>>6450389>Evil Empire Hopeless Advisor!>>6450388>Did Mudambe Corp... LIE? Jungle Lights!>>6450391>Mysterious Facility!Looks like we're tied between SWAMP ADVENTURE and EVIL EMPIRE ADVISOR. There were a couple of replies, but I didn't see some +1's. If you wanna support an idea, say it now! I'll check in later!
Oh, one more thing: I was thinking about how to keep this pretty 'questy' and I think (feel free to weigh in, this'll be your story too) that it might be okay to end your turn's posts with offering choices for other players as long as you let someone else TAG in after. For example:You come to an old, moldy bridge over a roaring river. A mighty ogre sits at its entrance idly picking its nose. What do?>Attack>Bargain>Sneak by>Cry/Vomit>Write-In>NEXT>Lemme know what you guyses think. I'm all for making this a collaborative story, but I think adding in actual voter participation might be fun and chaotic.
>>6450386+1we are picrel
>>6450580This would be very fun to do, I agree!>>6450579>+1 to Evil Empire Hopeless Advisor
>>6450583>>6450592These two bump >EVIL EMPIRE HOPELESS ADVISORto the winning spot! Let's get this party started!>>6450592Also I'm not hearing opposition to offering choices to players, so let's roll with it! Just remember: if you're the one offering choices, be ready for another QM to take over for the next update!Without further ado... IT'S SHOWTIME!!!! Our setting:You are...an Advisor for the Evil Empire. Your job is to deal with actually running a nation while the dark overlord goes around burning villages, making superweapons and beefing with a young boy.If you would like to make the first post, simply reply to this one with TAG! If it goes a little too long I'll see what I can whip up, but for now this shit is FREE GAME!Ready! SET, QUEST!
>>6450656Alright, it's been a while and I have an idea or two. Ya' sleep, ya' WEEP.Also I broke my own rule and didn't end the post with a <NEXT> so that's on me. Anywho, consider this next update...<TAGGED>Will get something out in a jiff
What does it take to shape the world?Power? Panache? Patience? Pluckiness?Mighty Demigods… Ruthless Warlords… Unlikely Heroes and Fearless Leaders… countless have risen, most have fallen. None of which are cut from the same cloth, yet beneath all of their larger-than-life shadows lurks–or HAS lurked–an unsung stabilizer. A rock amidst the raging waves. The impenetrable castle’s keystone.And in this particular tale, that ‘honor’ falls upon you.You wake, as you always do, long before your daily tasks demand–long before the gloom turns brighter… when the sound of the henchmen beginning their morning drills creeps into your quarters along with the distant wail of hungry warbeasts. Sleep, as usual, came fighting, and as you rub the sandman’s lingering gifts from your weary eyes, you rise from your bed like a corpse and prepare yourself for the day’s many, MANY tasks.Somewhere in your shamblings, you manage to catch a glimpse of yourself in your chamber’s dusty old mirror. Not the most welcome sight this early in the morning, but a necessary one–all endeavors start small, and yours were no different.What… is your NAME?>Write-InWhat… BEST DESCRIBES YOU?>Male>Female>Something Else<NEXT> (The next QM can take over once some votes have been made! Just comment <TAGGED> when you want to take over and start writing! First come, first served!)
>>6450762>Name: Willow Seelehand>Female
>>6450762We need an evil sounding name, obviously. But what...?>>6450772Sounds too normal and non-evil
>>6450762>Female>>6450776Alright, then how about>Lady Victorium von Amory de la Eris af Acheron XIIII'll tag in the morning if no one else claims it by then.
>>6450780I'd +1 this name idea--sounds sufficiently-evil enough
>>6450762<TAG>>>6450780+1
>Overlord's Reputation: Abysmal>GDP: Abysmal>Food: Low>Treasury: -5000 gold>Taxes: High>Social Spending: None>Magical Research: Very Low>Military Spending: High>Overlord's Allowance: Very HighYou are Lady Victorium von Amory de la Eris af Acheron XIII. Your late grandfather, Duke Augustum von Amory de la Eris af Acheron XIII, was an archwizard and a member of the Overlord's party. Many decades ago, after they defeated the Holy Kingdom of Elyseria and crushed the Church of Goddess Elysia, he was ennobled and granted the title of Duke, along with a fief in the north. There, you grew up beneath a cold and merciless sky, amid harsh winters and bitter winds.At fourteen years old, the Overlord saw in you the ruthlessness and intelligence of Augustum, and decided to make you his Advisor. It has now been two years since you moved to the capital, accompanied only by your personal maid, and took up the position.You sit at your desk, examining the latest budget reports. The situation is dreadful, and you do not know where to begin tackling the problems. You have been forced to borrow money from nobles and private merchants just to keep the Empire running, but if this continues, the Empire risks falling into bankruptcy. And you know very well that if that happens, your head will be the first to roll. Lately, you have been considering fleeing to a foreign nation, perhaps establishing yourself as a merchant. But for now, you have decided to stay, because you greatly enjoy the power and privileges that come with being the Advisor.Your maid, Stella, knocks on the door of your chambers and enters. For a fraction of a second, she frowns when she notices that you are still wearing your nightgown."Good morning, my lady. I'm bringing your morning tea.""Ah, Stella. I was waiting for you. Give me the morning report.""The situation in the West has worsened. The monster attacks have increased, and Fort Wolfdenberg is barely holding. Furthermore, the monsters were diseased and carrying a plague, which has now spread to the neighboring towns. The reports concerning the plague's symptoms are contradictory so far, but they all mention coughing up black phlegm.""This is within my predictions," you say. "What about the nobles?""They are growing increasingly agitated. There are already talks of rebellion. They believe the Overlord will be unable to repay his debts, and they take it as a sign of weakness. If a rebellion were to happen...""I know. This is the most urgent matter."
What… is your MAGICAL ABILITY? >You are without magic or special abilities. Your power comes strictly from your own cunning.>You have modest magical powers. Enough to hold your own, but not enough to kill the Overlord.>In secret, you are a powerful wizardess. You have been using your position as Advisor to study forbidden scrolls in the Imperial Library.What… is your approach to the BUDGET?>Increase taxes>Reduce Defense spending>Request that the Overlord lower his private allowance [Roll 1d100]>Write-in<NEXT>
>>6450852>>6450853Victorium it is! Heck yea.>You have modest magical powers. Enough to hold your own, but not enough to kill the Overlord.>Write-in: Pursue OTHER means for now...We may need to divert from the norms here...
>>6450853I don't know about the idea of being a female advisor, but as far as the choices go,>You are without magic or special abilities. Your power comes strictly from your own cunning.>Write-in: Pursue OTHER means for now...I agree with pursuing other means, but I think it's funnier if you got no power and the overlord could just slime you out like all those random mooks that get killed for failing the villain.
>>6450853>>6450896Good point about the lack of magic. Swapping >>6450893to>You got no magic or special abilities
>>6450853>You are without magic or special abilities. Your power comes strictly from your own cunning.>Write-in: Pursue OTHER means for now... By this I mean gambling at the goblin casino
>>6450853>You are without magic or special abilities. Your power comes strictly from your own cunning.I agree it kinda spoils the fun if we're too competent ourselves (outside of administration work)>Increase taxesbut we're a bureaucrat in an evil empire, I mean, we have to institute at least a few soul-sucking taxes. What are the peasants going to do? Revolt?
>>645085312 Hours seems long enough to me... just moving forward, folks, I ain't gonna be the one tracking the time between vote results--if it's been a few hours like this one then feel free to jump in!If no one else is, though, I think I will....<TAG>
You can hardly hide the disdain in your expression as Stella delivers the news with a piping cuppa’ tea to your cluttered desk. The Overlord: a shrewd warrior–no one was debating that–but even the most powerful weapon falls when one loses the strength to wield it. Your position was a privilege–far more preferable to some of the treatment other people received when The Overlord came to power–but you’d be lying if you said it wasn’t… vexing… at times.The Imperial Armed Forces was bloated, to put it mildly, each branch governed by its own scheming, craven crony clamoring and begging for The Overlord’s scraps like a pack of mangy kittens in a restaurant back alley at closing time. All are annoying, yet necessary evils–for every day they plot and sabotage each other, they go another day without coming after YOUR pretty, albeit perpetually-tired head. Love ‘em or leave ‘em, however, an Empire is only as powerful as its soldiers, and while they are effective enough at quelling uprisings and monster outbreaks, they do cost quite a pretty penny to upkeep.You can’t blame The Overlord. Not entirely. Their understanding of economics comes from years of plundering ancient tombs and violent burglary. The stories Grandpa told you would make a demon blush. Unfortunately for The Overlord, and, by extension, YOU, is that Ancient Tombs are nonrenewable resources… and in this day and age outright robbing your constituents is a good way to foment rebellion, which, as your dear maid has so kindly reminded you…Is already and HAS already been in the works. The nobles and common folks may not have the means to revolt as of yet, but they certainly have a few reasons clanking around in their thick skulls.Taking a sip from your tea, you silently weigh your usual options:You could INCREASE TAXES, of course, but you may as well save yourself some time, call a meeting with the group you’d like to tax more and tell them all to kiss your ass. The nobles had money to spare, of course–hence why you borrow so much from them–and while they’d be able to pay a fairer share, they certainly wouldn’t like it. Unlike the peasantry, nobles and merchants also had ties to some of the other nations in The Arched Isles… and if word got out to them that the fearsome Overlord needed to raise taxes? You’d never hear the end of it. When The Overlord isn’t conquering, torturing, or beefing with their foes, they LOVE to complain at you… it’d almost be funny if it didn’t eat into your precious time. But no–raising taxes? Only as a last resort.Reduce spending, then? You cast a furtive gaze towards Stella–your sweet maid humming a jaunty tune to herself as she idly tends to your office.The tea goes down harsh and warm all the way to your belly. You don’t deserve people like her.>CONTD.
>>6451064Right, spending. On one hand, good for keeping the Armed Forces Branches competitive. On the other, you’d be plucking coin straight from your soldiers–you know, the ones currently protecting you from monsters, foreign armies, and violent radicals. Despite their differences, each branch is, for the most part, loyal to The Overlord–both due to The Overlord’s natural charisma and their pro-war, pro-plunder platform they ran on when they first seized power.The platform in question being a wooden platform The Overlord leapt from onto their foes at The Battle of Bluereach. The Overlord still has a few pieces hanging in their throne room–some still stained!You briefly consider asking The Overlord to reduce their own spending–but that idea dies faster than the aforementioned foes at The Battle of Bluereach. You couldn’t quite say why The Overlord keeps you so close and listens to your council–it certainly isn’t your ‘charming’ personality–but you know one thing for certain: asking them to spend less on fancy weaponry and statues is a good way to find yourself in The Oubliette. You’ve watched people get thrown into there before. Not fun. For them, at least. The Overlord finds it hilarious.“Milady,” Stella murmurs, rousing you back into the present, “You look… troubled.”The corner of your mouth curls into the beginning of what you hope resembles a ‘reassuring’ smile. The haunted stare Stella responds with tells you it doesn’t land.Based on your research into Statecraft, Economics, and Evil Civics, the options you’ve just considered are common, tried-and-true solutions. Foolproof? No. Effective? In many cases! But The Empire is not a state built upon common solutions, nor bound to the usual conventions!“Stella,” You grunt as you rise from your desk with renewed determination in your steely gaze, “Fetch me my clothes. I’ll be going out today.”The maid’s eyes light up at the opportunity! “Splendid, milady! I know JUST the outfit to make you GLOW-”“Subtle today, Stella,” you interject, yanking the wind from the servant’s sails like a weed from the garden, “I’d prefer to stay subtle.”“Subtle…” She repeats, forcing a smile onto her face, “Of course, milady.” Her head cocks to the side. “But where do you intend to go?”Where indeed?>Dead Nobles can’t collect debts. Seek aid from some assassins.>Look into this Plague some more. Perhaps there’s something to be gained?>Soldiers are expensive. What if we could replace them with something else?>There are a few neighbors on the nearby isles that are due to pay tribute. Let’s remind a few.>Go undercover and fish for rumors. Treasure and artifacts are hard to come by these days, but maybe there’s some new leads?>Gambling. State-sponsored Gambling Dens. What better way is there to legally rob someone?>Summon a demon to consult on the matter? The library has some tomes...>Write-In!<NEXT!>
>>6451065>Summon a demon to consult on the matter? The library has some tomes...Everybody knows that Demons are great at giving advice, and as a bureaucrat, we don't have a soul to begin with, so no danger there.
>>6451065>Summon a demon to consult on the matter? The library has some tomes...
>>6451065>Summon a demonWhen in doubt, the infernal soul exchange pays a lot. Especially on bulk trades. None of them yours! Or the Overlord's. That would just end up in him storming hell itself to get it back.<TAGGED>
