Recent Posts

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 10
1
What is This Place? / Threads (Short Stories) vs. Campaigns
« Last post by Jendalyne on March 15, 2019, 04:17:58 pm »
Most roleplaying on the site, takes place in category The Lands Beyond.  To help you get in the mindset of the different types of stories, we've created different genre sections in that category.

Short Stories

A short story is a "one-off" story, one that will take place in a single thread.  In The Lands Beyond, short story threads are posted on the genre board they best fit in. 

Anyone can start a short story thread at any time.  Please make sure to mark your thread if it's by invitation only!

Campaigns

A campaign is comprised of multiple threads grouped together.  It is a long, ongoing story meant to span several threads, or it's one that will have enough moving parts or people that it would be too confusing to house it in just one thread.  In The Lands Beyond, campaigns are given their own child board, housed in their genre, and labeled with "campaign" in front of their title, as in, "Campaign: The Rise of the Dawn Falcon."

To start a campaign, you must pitch your idea to the Innkeepers.  You'll need to have an idea of what kind of story you want to tell, why it should be a campaign rather than a short story with perhaps a sequel short story later on, and about how many people are interested in joining this campaign. (After all, you've got to have others involved or else it's just a solo piece!)  Not all campaigns will get the green light; some may be sent back to the drawing board and some may be postponed because of the number of current campaigns.  If that happens to you, don't take it personally!  Just revise your idea, try a new one, or wait patiently for things to slow in other campaigns.  There should be plenty to do elsewhere around the site, so dive in and have fun!

Featured Campaigns

Sometimes, a campaign may be featured in a special category on the board with a redirect link that takes you straight to the campaign.  This is to draw attention and interest to a project that may be new or working for site-wide involvement.  Make sure you're familiar with where that campaign is housed, because featured campaigns will change over time. 
2
What is This Place? / Re: The Planting of Wild Thyme
« Last post by Maestro on March 15, 2019, 03:14:03 pm »
As the fire crackled, Aenrin watched as Jendalyne disappeared into one of the passages on either side of the grand fireplace, both leading to the kitchens.  The hallway to the far right was to their home as part of the Inn, and the door marked Private to give his wife a sanctuary to step to, even in the midst of all the jubilant chaos that threatened to descend tonight, and all the nights afterward.  Dressed in his white shirt with rolled sleeves, a stunning blue vest and dark trousers, Aenrin wiped out the last glass satisfied that they were ready for the night to begin.

Soon the tables, large and small, would begin to fill with travelers.  The orders would begin.  They'd probably need to hire help after awhile, but for now, things could begin.  Even the showman's stage opposite the bar on the front wall was poised and ready.  Aenrin couldn't help but look around in satisfaction, savoring the moment from the Nolain crest hanging above the grand fireplace to the three arrows below it that seemed to have snapped into each other at perfect angles to form an alternating star.  No one would believe he'd shot it himself, but Jendalyne had seen him do it more than once, and that was all the belief he needed.

Seeing that he had a moment, the Innkeeper turned and poured himself a small bit of the house special.  It had been a long, long time since Bluesquai had been on any menu, but its smooth burn was the perfect pairing to sip while he opened one of the books from his library and settled in to the small chair behind the bar for slow moments like this.  And yet...

Closing the book with a half grin on his face, Aenrin crossed the floor to the kitchens, checking to see if the Mistress of the House needed anything done before the evening rush began.
3
What is This Place? / Re: The Planting of Wild Thyme
« Last post by Jendalyne on March 15, 2019, 03:10:45 pm »
The common room was warm and inviting, glowing with light that didn't just come from the lanterns and sconces, but a radiating golden hue that gave enough light to make out every corner of the room while still leaving a sense of privacy. On the far end of the room, a fire crackled merrily in the oversized hearth. This was the best kind of fire, one made with more than fuel and air and spark, and as such, it needed no tending and never gave more heat than required to make the large room comfortable. Even in the large upholstered chairs positioned just feet away from the fireplace, of which there were always enough to meet demand but never an excessive amount, the heat was no more than it needed to be, thus the spot was perfect for reading or a quiet chat or simple contemplation even on the warmest summer nights.

As one came through the door, the bar was on the left, flowing with gentle curves to the far end of the room like a river of dark polished wood, replete with padded stools of varying widths and heights, and breaking to leave passage from the door which led to the kitchen. Round tables, large and small, formed an archipelago on a shining sea of the same mahogany, which reflected the lantern light like stars. Two long tables floated proudly to either side of the rounds, solid like ships of war, but none the less grand for the merry to be made around them. On the remaining two sides., the room was lined with hand-carved booths, upholstered in soft, rich leather, each with its own lantern overhead to create its own ambiance. This room, like the hearth and its chairs, was an extraordinary kind, never feeling deserted for its size on the slowest of nights, but seeming to accommodate a throng of patrons without overcrowding. And even with the choice seating for every party, there was still a goodly place for a band to play a reel and the revelers to respond.

To the back of the room, positioned just right for the watchful eye of the barkeeper, a hallway extended with a stairway off of it, leading to guest rooms of all shapes and sizes.
4
What is This Place? / Re: The Planting of Wild Thyme
« Last post by Maestro on March 15, 2019, 03:09:49 pm »
For a moment, Aenrin's focus was solely on her, witnessing the graceful way she could take being in the middle of work and turn it into something lovely without half the effort.  It was what had attracted so many to desire her hand; he had not been blind to what the rest of the world so clearly saw.  It was the rest of who she was that had won his heart.  Though honestly, sometimes he thought she had the lesser end of that bargain.  In the simple, sweat-stained tunic flecked with sawdust and dirt from the morning's efforts, he doubted she was getting much butter and sugar from his end of the kiss, but his heart seemed to be what she was after anyway. 

"We still have time to change it," he mused, drawing his eyes up until they met hers.  "Every corner of the universe needs a Red Lion, don't they?  Or The Raven and Falcon has a very fitting ring to it.  Two birds, light and dark, circling each other perpetually...?"  He was beginning to picture the pair up on the sign already.  "Perhaps the Nexus?  Or the Crossroads Diner at the Edge of Forever, home of the Continnuum could be just the thing for--oooof!"

Aenrin felt the air rush out of him a second before he was rubbing his side, and meeting the teasing twinkle in her eye with one of his own.  Even with the years of training and his strong, dexterous frame, she was sometimes quicker than he realized.  "Alright, The Wild Thyme it is," he teasingly acquiesced.  It was the right name, and they would go in circles to wind up in something of the same place days or weeks later.  Adding to that her love for choosing names, an elbow in his side was totally worth it.  "But if there's going to be anyone else to eat those delights you're creating in the house..." he said, letting the second tease about keeping them all for himself pass, "...we'd best begin."

Her response was a trickle of light that began to wrap around her form and mingle with his as she turned to face him.  With all the wonders he had seen, Aenrin never grew tired of seeing this, or forgot that most never could, let alone would.  One thread joined another, weaving different colors as the aura strengthened, getting more intense with each moment.  Like turning a ruby or diamond in the light, Jendalyne revealed another facet of herself as the magic unsheathed its glory once more, witnessing just how wonderfully she had been made.

I love you, his mind whispered again, and not for the first time that day.

For a heartbeat, he was tempted just to watch, to keep the moment for himself, but Aenrin reached down to take her hands and felt the magic instantly change, filling him.  It was alive.  It was powerful, creative, unbound.  It longed for expression, and as he saw its glow shining in his love's eyes, Aenrin took hold of the essence, turning it to his control.  This was the way of the magic.  As often as they had tried, once he joined her the control shifted to him as he wrestled with it, just as she surrendered to its essence once more.

A wave shot out from the two of them, encompassing the courtyard.  He could feel her presence behind his movement, tweaking the changes he made even as the magic took hold.  This was the dance between them, as he felt some expressions expand, and others become more guarded, each adjusting before the spell landed, imbuing the place with the magic of possibility.  There would be so much good that happened here: Encouragement, Friendship, Creativity, and more.  This place would strengthen families, inspire selflessness and encourage belief in the ability to take that next step and do something more...to be something more.  This place would connect across distances and dimensions, bringing people that would likely never meet otherwise into a community and into their next adventure.  Whimsy, Passion, Comfort and Friendship would be stoked like the fire in the great room, and beyond the gates of the Wild Thyme would grow possibilities.

With a rush, the wave came back in on them from the walls, having built in echo everything that they'd sent out before Aenrin turned to the gate and raised his hand. Even as the energy was drawn back into their bond, amplified by the placement of each building, stone and plank inside the walls, Aenrin could feel it flow through him and out as it flung the gates wide and went beyond into the world.  The Thyme grew up around the two stone pillars flanking the gate, and could be seen shooting off in every direction, following the arcs of white light that split and traveled the world between worlds this way and that.  He knew it would find pools, and doors and unexpected things that would open the way for those that needed to come to the Inn.  That was why they had built it in the first place.

As the pure energy burned through him, Aenrin let out a cry he heard mingled with Jendalyne's before the crack of sound signaled the ending of the moment.  The night sky above twinkled with lights that had not been charted yet, and constellations still to be drawn, and time had flown in the spell as it had progressed.  It was different every time.  The cool breeze passed through the courtyard, gently soothing any weariness as it seemed to whisper their success.  In the distance, tiny twinkles of light here and there showed the portals being opened, prepared for the people who would use them and journey to the Inn.

He turned to Jendalyne, seeing the satisfied weariness in her eyes that had to be mirrored in his own, and smiled.  "I don't think you've ever done better," he said, then leaned down to pick her up and carry her over the threshold and into their new home.  Tomorrow evening, the guests would fill the common room, and there would be music and stories, and laughter ringing from the roof.

It was what this place was made for.
5
What is This Place? / Re: The Planting of Wild Thyme
« Last post by Jendalyne on March 15, 2019, 02:43:54 pm »
"It looks good," she said as she came out the door, wiping her hands on her half-apron.  It was a funny choice, as the bodice of her ocean blue dress had been left unguarded and now was flecked with flour, also with sugar that acted like crystals in the sun.  Her long, dark curls were half falling out of the hasty bun she'd put up midway through the baking, an afterthought shown by a streak or two in her hair that wasn't one of the early silver strands she was cultivating.  There was a touch of flour on her nose, too, and her lips as she kissed her husband tasted like butter and sugar.   Quite honestly, she was a mess, but a lovely one, and her eyes twinkled as she admired their handiwork. 

"It looks really good," said Jendalyne again, and she chuckled at their play on words.  In all honestly, she'd often thought those "clever" inn names a little on the silly side, but when they were naming this place, well, there seemed nothing more fitting.  Yes, there had been thyme growing wild on this patch of land, but it had been a wild time together up until now and it was guaranteed to be a wild time to come.  And in this place, time itself seemed to have gone wild, as well, let alone location, reality ... Whatever it was.  This had been the perfect place to culminate what they had begun dreaming up long ago.
6
What is This Place? / The Planting of Wild Thyme
« Last post by Maestro on March 15, 2019, 01:56:35 pm »
Finally, the hammering had stopped.

The dark-haired man with wizened blue eyes wiped his forehead, setting aside the mallet for the last time.  It had taken three years for this moment to come.  More than that, he realized as he made a final check to ensure the wooden beam hanging over the main entrance was securely in place.  It jutted out into the air over the Inn's paved courtyard, across from the stables and other buildings inside the Inn's enclosing wall.  The great gates had gone up first, with their diagonal wooden pattern and the small passthrough for after hours.  That had been the early work, and more for security than anything else. 

Since then, they had worked on this detail, and that, knowing everything had to be right before the magic could begin.  The Maestro had wandered the world far and wide, learning many things in his craft, but no day was so wonderful as the one where he had met her.  His love.  His Jendalyne.  Powerful and convincing, misunderstood by others who merely called her a Witch, she had been his cause.  He had taken up his two-bladed bow to protect her, and in time had won her heart. 

And because of it, this dream had been made possible.

The combination of their crafts had brought them to this place connecting all other planes of the known and unknown worlds: a nexus of power.  It was here that they could sense the potential of what was to come, and they had poured effort and craft from all their travels into its readiness.  Taking the sign he had built with his own hands, and that his Angel had painted, Aenrin hung the broad image of the growing thyme in front of what seemed to phase from a morning's glow on the left to a cosmic night on the right.  Climbing down the ladder, he stared at the sign with a smile encircled by the thin gotee around his mouth.

"Jendalyne!" he called, setting the ladder aside with a pleased finality.  He'd done everything he could without her presence.
7
What is This Place? / What is the Wild Thyme Inn?
« Last post by Jendalyne on March 13, 2019, 09:20:33 pm »
The Community

The Wild Thyme is a roleplaying community spanning various genres, (usually) minus DMs and d20s.  Think of it as collaborative story-writing, where you can decide just how immersed in the story you want to be.

Because there are just so many fun things to write when you have a creative group of individuals, we decided not to just focus on one genre but to keep things open and separate them into categories:

Fantasy: This is the place to find your classic fantasy themes, whether built in original worlds or inspired by those well-known and well-loved.
Sci-Fi:  Future Earth or far-off galaxies, set your phasers to "fun."  (I know. I'm sorry.)
Superhumans: Metahumans, radioactive accidents, alien parentage ... What's your origin story? 
Historical Fiction: Write yourself into the pages of history.
General Fiction: This is our catch-everything-else category.  Want to just write a story in our world or one with just a few tweaks? This is the place. 

The Wild Thyme Inn

However, with all of these different stories at work, we still have one binding theme: The Wild Thyme Inn.

The Wild Thyme Inn exists in a world (or dimension or reality or universe) that has gateways to all other worlds (or dimensions or realities or universes).  When you play in any of our other genres, you have left the Inn and stepped into a new world, only to return to the Inn once the story is completed.

Creating Characters

At the Wild Thyme Inn, we ask each player to create a character that they want to use to express themselves.  This can be an Elf Queen or a Klingon Warrior or a superheroine or a lawyer named Dennis.  Without being a hive of scum and villainy, the Inn is a melting pot of all types of people like the Mos Eisley Cantina.  When you play at the Inn or the world of the Inn, your character may remember every other story in every other world you've been a part of.  In some ways, your Wild Thyme Inn character is going to be the closest to you as the player in whatever skin you'd like to wear.

So, because of all the different genres and stories to be told, this isn't going to be like some forums where you play just one character.  Outside of the Inn, you'll likely create a new character for each world, all played under the same account.  However, some players may find it interesting to play the same character in each setting and experience what that character would be like in space, in Middle Earth, on an island under nuclear threat, etc.  The only rule we have in this is that outside of the Inn, your characters do not remember the Inn or the other stories in other worlds.  (This is more of a guideline. Just please get permission before breaking this barrier and be prepared to justify it with some epic storytelling!)

Finally, we welcome you to explore your creativity.  Make an abundance of diverse characters to tell your stories or live vicariously through one or two, make them all like you or nothing at all like you.  Feel free to take risks, to try new things, and be inspired and challenged by others.  Cheers!
8
What is This Place? / In-Character Threads
« Last post by Jendalyne on March 13, 2019, 08:48:47 pm »
Starting Threads

Who may start an in-character thread?

Any member may start a thread in any of the main Lands Beyond categories. 

Who may start a thread in a sub-board marked "Campaign"?

Sometimes, a sub-board will be created for a series of threads, called a "campaign."  Please ask the person running the campaign before starting a thread in that campaign.

Who may start a campaign?

Anyone may start a campaign with administrator approval.  Once your idea gets the green light, a sub-board will be started for your campaign. 

Joining Threads

Who may join a thread?

- If a thread is marked something like, "Open," anyone may join that thread.
- If a thread is marked something like, "By Invitation," the thread is for invited parties only.  You may send a PM to the thread originator, but don't take it personally if they wish to keep the thread closed.
- If a thread is not marked other than the title, check the forum for any announcements about the thread and/or send a PM to the thread originator and ask to join.

Who may join a campaign?

Usually, campaigns are large-scale, long-running stories that include a lot of people.  Check the out-of-character discussion thread for any details about how the campaign is being run and if you're not sure whether you may join freely, send a PM to the person running the campaign.
9
What is This Place? / Site Policies
« Last post by Jendalyne on March 13, 2019, 08:35:56 pm »
As of right now, it's just a small group of us so really the norms of "basic human decency" and "don't be a jerk" should apply with everyone having a general understanding of what that means.  Also, as this forum has been developed as a way to write together without some of the other baggage found on other forums, the standards should be common sense.  However, just so we're on the same page:

General Conduct

1. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt and be generous with grace. 
In any discussion, however adamant, we all want others to assume that we're coming from the best of intentions.  When we personally botch the delivery or aren't thinking straight, we want others to extend grace to us.  This is the Golden Rule in action.  We're all friends here for the purpose of having fun in a creative setting, so when disagreements arise ... and they eventually will ... let's not spoil it for one another.  Assume that the other person is generally well-intentioned and give them room to rectify an offense.

2. This is a generally safe-for-work board.
a. "Adult Content":  No visual **** is allowed anywhere on the board.  Please keep "adult content" to PG-13 on the main boards.  We define "explicit" as detailed description of naked "bathing suit areas" and sex acts not allowed on non-premium channels.  If you have thread content that moves beyond PG-13, but is not explicit, i.e., a brief scene with flirtation, seduction, etc., or material that would be limited to prime time television, please mark the thread with {R} to provide a warning to any readers. 
- Explicit content: We're not "that kind of site," but feel free to allude to those things happening and "fade to black."
b. Language: Some adults cuss, some don't, and some don't ... much.  We'd prefer that the out-of-character boards be PG to a mild PG-13.  In-character boards are unrestricted; however, please mark profanity-laced threads with {R}.
c. Images: Please keep avatars PG.  Please do not post pornographic images.  Please do not post early-2000s style sparkle graphics unless you are doing so with a sense of irony.  Please remember this is the internet and all images you post are accessible by anyone if they try hard enough.
d. Minors: A minor is defined as anyone under the age of 18.  At this time, you must be at least 18 to participate on this board.  However, characters of any age are welcome in an appropriate thread context. 
In threads with explicit content, all involved parties (writers, characters, NPCs) must be 18 years of age or older.
First offense: Thread edit by writer or moderator. Second offense: Thread locked/deleted, possible suspension or loss of locked forum privileges. Third offense:  Ban likely.  (Don't be a creep.)

3. Roleplay Considerately.
We're going to be honest, there's a bit of a grey area when you're writing with somebody else.  Moving somebody else's character, putting words in their mouth, injuring them in the course of an action scene, etc., are considered "god modding" and is a major RPing faux pas.  However, the other ditch is one in which almost no progress can be made at all for fear of not giving the other player(s) a chance to respond to each thought or action.  We would like everyone to please stay on the road as much as possible. Therefore:
a. Please communicate via PM, Discord, or even Shout before writing words or actions of another person's character.  Some of the best writing and story flow happens behind the scenes where one player gives the other their interjections or actions while the post is still being created.
b. Please be as reasonable and flexible as possible.  A great RP adage is "Everything fits, or else we make it fit."  In improv, it's called "Yes, and," and while it can take a story someplace unexpected, it builds more than it shuts down.  If something really doesn't work for you, talk it over with your collaborators and see what can be edited to make things work or how things can be moved forward from that point.
c. Please note that at no time may any player be forced to participate in a scene or action that makes them truly uncomfortable, whether through god modding or coercion or peer pressure or a long string of "pretty pleases" even with a cherry and whipped cream on top.  If you find yourself in the middle of a such a situation, please first PM your co-writer and ask them to edit.  If they will not edit, please contact a moderator.  If they try to push you into participating or punish you for not participating, please contact a moderator.
Refusal to edit such a post will result in the post being edited for you and the potential locking of the thread.  Based on moderator discretion, it may lead to further disciplinary action.  Pestering, pushing, or punishing another player for advocating for themselves will result in a ban per moderator discretion.
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 10