Original Submissions by Cutthroat

  • Roleplaying a Nomad
    Added on Jun 19, 2011

    Tips on roleplaying a character with the 'nomad' subguild, and being from a virtual tribe.


    Roleplaying a Nomad

    These are some handy suggestions for people who wish to play a character with a nomadic background. There is never one right way to roleplay something, but these are my observations, after watching players who I thought did it well.

    This is done in a similar style to the subguild guides on the main site, and hopefully there will be others. The three original ones are:
    http://www.armageddon.org/rp/subguilds/hunter.html
    http://www.armageddon.org/rp/subguilds/linguist.html
    http://www.armageddon.org/rp/subguilds/physician.html

    Enjoy.


    What is a nomad?
    Nomads, usually originating in the tablelands around Luir's Outpost, speak their own native tongue, Bendune, and are adept at shrewd bartering in the desert markets. If you are playing a character with a nomadic background, you must pick this subclass.

    We see a few main points from this description of your average nomad. We see:

    - their usual origin (around Luir's)
    - they speak bendune
    - they have some skill with trading

    Other than the origin of the nomad, that's not much. Luckily, this allows us to get quite creative when we design a nomad for play.

    Designing a nomad concept

    All of the coded tribes have their own unique traits. Take a look at any tribe documentation available on the site and you will see traditions, a general like/dislike for certain things, superstitions, tribal tattoos, and many other things. To list some publicly available examples, the Jul Tavan documents dictate an intolerance for magickers, while Benjari documentation describes the importance of keeping a dagger handy.

    As a subguild_nomad, you will likely be playing a representative of a virtual tribe. Designing virtual tribe documentation for your own character is a good way to define where your character is coming from, and where characters related to you might be, if only for yourself or for a biography entry. Here are some aspects you can try to include into your "virtual tribe documentation":

    Basics
       What is the name of your tribe?
       What is the race of your tribe?
       Where is camp? Does it move around, and if so, where?
       How large is the tribe?
       How old is the tribe?
       What are the tribe's main sources of income?

    Physical appearances
       Hair/eye/skin colors
          Is there a usual set of colors for your tribe?
          Do certain colors imply unseen characteristics (cowardice, leadership, etc.)?
       Body features
          Shapes of ears, noses, lips, etc.
       Tattoos
       Scarification
       Height/weight

    Weapons, Armor, and Clothing
       Weapons - Are certain types used? Certain weapon styles?
       Armor - What materials are used in your tribe's armor, how is it worn, and who wears it?
       Clothing - What materials are used in your tribe's clothing, how is it worn, and who wears it?
       Jewelry - Do tribe members wear certain types of jewelry, or of certain materials? How about piercings? Do they differ amongst various members of the tribe?
       Trading - Would your tribe trade these weapons/armor/clothing/jewelry away, or is it for the tribe only? Are certain items reserved for the tribe and not others?

    Traditions
       Organization - How does the tribe break down with regards to responsibilities?
       Age - when is a member of the tribe an adult, and what do they do to get to that status, if anything?
       Gatherings - are there gatherings in the tribe that happen on a regular basis? Why?
       Families - If there was only one family in the tribe, everyone would be inbred. How many families are there, how are they distinct?
       Elders - How are elders viewed and what are their responsibilities? How are they chosen?
       Mating - Are there permanent mated relationships? Is there an elaborate process through which mating 'rights' are secured?
       Spirituality - Does your tribe worship anything? Do they have an enduring set of myths or gods? Do they believe in spirits?
       Burials - How does your tribe handle the last rites of its dead and how are the bodies disposed of?

    Philosophy
       Object related - do certain objects, or certain types of objects, hold any importance?
       Magickers - Is magick tolerated? Which elements, if so? How about sorcery?
       Water - Water is extremely important in Zalanthas, and especially to tribes. What does your tribe do specially with it?
       Spice - Is spice good or bad? Which types are preferred?
       Views of Outsiders
          City-slickers - How does the tribe view city folk?
          Sand talkers - How does the tribe view other tribes?
       Sayings - Are there special words or phrases to describe things?
       Half-elves - If your tribe is human or elven, what does it think of half-elves in the tribe?
       Punishment - How would your tribal culture handle punishment for misdeeds?
       Xenophobia - How open is your tribe's camp? Would they allow outsiders to enter for trade or cut them down on the spot?

    Example of a defined tribe

    The Araseik-Betvan (don't use this name; it is a horrible portmanteau) are a tribe of humans hailing from the center of the salt flats.

    Most A-Bs are rugged looking, with dark hair, eyes, and skin. Their lifestyle lends a powerful frame to most Betvans and physically handicapped Betvans are often used as bait for hunting. Those born with lighter features are often considered softer and thus less able to deal with life on the flats, and while they are held to the same standards as everyone else, they will often receive less help.

    A-B hunters hunt the salt worms and scrabs they come across, using the hides and shells they get for armor, while using the salt worm teeth to create sharp weapons for hunting. They wear necklaces made out of salt worm teeth, and string one salt worm tooth onto the necklace every time they age. A-B gatherers gather salt from the ground, and bring it to Allanak to trade it to House Jal for water, which the gatherers bring back to the tribe. Gatherers are marked with a tattoo of a lump of purple salt on the back of their primary hand, and often wear light sandcloth gear to aid in their work. At the beginning of every year, the hunters gather together for the Great Mekillot Hunt. A tribe member uses something made of mekillot hide or bone often earns that right by leading hunts.

    A-B tribals are split into two main families - the Araseik family and the Betvan. There are other smaller families which support one family or the other. Most hunters come from the Araseik and their supporters while the gatherers come from the Betvan and their supporters. Each family has a matriarch and a patriarch, and the biggest family's elders reside over the entirety of the tribe. A-B always carry a piece of glittering salt with them, as an identifier for other tribes in the area. Water is rationed by the Betvan fairly to each tribe member, and sharing of water isn't allowed. Spice is allowed for hunters, but not for gatherers - while the spices help hunters, the gatherers might take it into Allanak accidentally while bringing their salt in to trade for water.

    A-B maintains a professional trade relationship with Allanak, but to mingle with Allanakis or other city people in any other way (friendly, sexual) is unthinkable. The result of the union between an A-B and a city person is always killed at birth. New blood is always needed for the tribe however, and A-B are often encouraged to seek out the members of nearby tribes for mating purposes. Magickers are partially tolerated - Vivaduans and Drovians bring much needed relief to the gatherers, and their existence in the tribe is allowed. Other elements are not tolerated, and members found to be learning sorcery are always killed.

    Bendune and tribal speech

    The helpfile on bendune has this to say about the nomadic tongue:

    "The language of the nomadic tribes of the Known World is called Bendune. It bears some resemblance to the elven speech, and even more to the language known as Cavilish. The real history of linguistic development is most likely that the tribal tongues became united at Gol Krathu, several Ages before the arrival of the Dragon, into a more primitive form of Bendune. It was not until many years later that the elven and Cavilish tongues were certain to have existed.

    While most contemporary desert tribes are composed of refugees from the city-states or of elven nomads, the Allundean and Sirihish languages are far more common in the wilderness than they once were. On the fringes of the Known World, however, most still speak Bendune, particularly the Tan Muark, who claim it their own invention."

    Keeping this in mind, we can derive a few interesting facts about how bendune might be used among virtual tribes, such as your own if you create a subguild_nomad character. If your tribe is further away from the cities, heavy use of bendune (and an unpracticed sirihish) are more likely, while if your tribe is closer, your sirihish would be better. Also keep in mind how your tribe would use sirihish or bendune. If sirihish was mainly being used as a trade language, to speak with city-folk about your tribe's goods and pricing, it is probably not likely that you will be able to understand complex poetry being recited in sirihish. Figure out what makes sense for your character and run with it.

    In the real world, speaking a broken language is not equivalent to leaving off syllables of words. Oftentimes when broken language is spoken in real life there are a few key ways that it is broken:
    - Verb confusion. In English we say "let's have a party" if we want to have a party. However, some foreign speakers understand the verb "to have" solely as possessing something, so "having" a party in that regard doesn't make much sense. Instead they might say "do a party" or "make a party", which isn't entirely correct in English and its complexity. Feel free to confuse verbs like have/make or other similar verbs in-game.
    - Looking for the right word. Even native speakers of a language will pause to think of a proper word to describe something complex. This difficulty is compounded on foreign speakers with a smaller vocabulary of the language. Pause to think of a word that's complex to your PC... maybe the native sirihish speaker you're talking to will think of it for you.
    - Unique nouns. Maybe your tribe calls goudra "brown-furs". Maybe your tribe does this and knows what city people call them, or maybe it doesn't... either way, it can provide another challenge in the language barrier that should be there.
    Roleplaying a Nomad

    These

    are some handy suggestions for people who wish to play a character with

    a nomadic background. There is never one right way to roleplay

    something, but these are my observations, after watching players who I

    thought did it well.

    This is done in a similar style to...

    Continue Reading...

  • The Challenges Leaders Face
    Added on Jun 29, 2009

    A handy guide for players of leaders and aspiring leaders. Read it if you've had problems with leadership.


    Credits:
    Special thanks goes to Taven for doing articles like this and for inspiring me to take a crack at it myself, and Helix and Fathi for contributing to that particular part which I am loosely basing this article on. Synthesis, Lizzie, and Reiloth made suggestions that helped me make this article.

    The Challenges Leaders Face
    A Handy Guide for Players of Leaders and Aspiring Leaders

    Cutthroat, why are you writing this?

    I didn't play as long as many people around here have, but I've been around long enough to see all kinds of leaders in game, the good and bad ones, and have experienced leading myself a few times. I'd like to think that I have seen what makes a leader good or bad in an OOC manner for a while now and have seen what leaders have to deal or struggle with.

    There also isn't an article like this yet, and I think it's important to have something that consolidates all of the thoughts scattered over the GDB into one thread.

    Lastly, I think the ideas of special articles are cool and beneficial because of the ideas they have and discussions they spark afterward.

    Introduction

    This article is based loosely off of Taven's article, "How to get Involved in Plots", particularly the "Invovling Yourself in Your Clan" part, and the "Leaders" section. However, this article will go more in-depth, exploring what playing a leader in ArmageddonMUD is like, not just when dealing with plots, but all the time in clans.

    This article goes more into the challenges created by the OOC expectations of what playing a leader is about - that is, enhancing RP in your clan and area, running plots, etc. - not the IC expectations of a leader, which can be very different, and varies between each character. You can play a totally inept leader ICly, who makes mistakes and errors in judgment, as long as it brings something to the game. Bringing something to the game is that OOC expectation.

    It is the best played leaders that everyone remembers, even if they were not perfect characters. I could be a nostalgic sap and begin listing folks, but you probably have a good idea of who YOUR favorite leaders are if you've been playing a few months and in different places. Just look around.

    Now, for some problems the players of leaders face.

    I have no idea what I'm doing here.

    Sometimes leaders are thrown into the place they currently are. Maybe his Sergeant died on the last contract and he was the veteran Trooper who tried to save her life. The totally unexpected turn of events can put a character (and sometimes its player) in a bad spot.
     
    Trying out leadership can be a good experience, if you're willing to make it so. Even if you have no idea what you're doing at first, it's easy to develop a love and a skill for leading. It certainly helps to lead in game if you've ever led something in life. Naturally, some people will be better leaders than others, or more willing to take charge than others.

    You can have no idea what you're doing and just give up on trying, or you can do your best and see what comes of it. What do you think will be most fun for you? For others?

    I don't have any (or enough) minions.

    A difficult part of leadership is recruiting. However, it is also something of a snowball effect. Once you recruit a few cool people, others will want to join. Getting those first people can be tough. Most leaders will recruit ICly by posting on their city's board, then remain contactable. This requires some logging in and sometimes even tavern-sitting. For clans that don't recruit ICly (like tribes) bumping a post on the Player Announcements forum is a good way to go. Remember that OOC recruitment on the GDB for clans that do recruiting ICly is just a quick way to Moderation.

    Underrecruiting is bad because, obviously, you won't get your team of minions. Also, the few minions you have will likely be bored a lot of the time. A medium-sized group of minions ensures that people will get to interact with each other in different ways.

    Stop recruiting when you have a crack team of minions to do your bidding. Overrecruitment is as bad as underrecruitment, because if you overrecruit for your clan you will be strangling other clans to death. Another effect of overrecruiting is that they will all keep you busy unless you have an underling boss to take care of them. A good mix of clanned folks in an area is a lot better than one clan dominating that area (well, except for Luir's Outpost). Think about if you really need a person, or if they would be a waste of resources.

    Encourage the minions you recruit to spend time in taverns together and take part in the recruitment process if they're competent enough. When an independent guy looking for employment sees 8 PCs at the Gaj, and 6 are from the T'zai Byn, while the other two are AoD, when there are 10 people in both clans, the T'zai Byn is going to look a lot more full and active than the AoD, especially if this distribution in the Gaj is consistent. Players of unemployed characters are generally attracted to active clans because it ensures a good place to play.

    And make sure your recruiting makes sense! There are clans who accept any person with 300 coins, and there are the noble houses that are generally a lot more selective. Your character may have a specific philosophy on picking out some people. Generally, stick to what makes sense.
     
    Lastly, hiring on independent mercenary-types is a good way to get loyal people to work for you as well as keep them free for others to use. Your minions don't necessarily have to be clanned. A good example of this is a Tuluki patronage, but hiring able people to complete tasks is possible anywhere and everywhere.

    I have trouble finding things for my minions to do.

    Every clan has a specific set of activities everyone can do. Sparring, hunting, guarding, patrolling, etc. Do them, and do them often. Keep everyone involved in work. Spam 'contact' on everyone you're clanned with and get them together so everyone can have fun. Set up schedules that will bring your minions to a certain place at a certain time and reveal themselves. Then plan out RPTs once in a while to do something really special. The idea is to keep everyone involved in some long-term, solid activities, so that there is something to fall back on when things aren't particularly interesting one day.
     
    A very easy activity if your clan allows for it is a ride outside of the city or camp. It can be a patrol, a hunting party, or whatever else makes sense for your clan, and it's easy to organize on a whim.

    Another interesting concept is doing a normal clan activity with a similar, allied clan. The leaders of two clans can work together, letting their minions train with each other and such. It works out for everyone, and helps build interesting relationships.

    There are some things your leader will simply not touch, perhaps to protect their reputation, or because they cannot do it, or whatever. A "Quest" for the purpose of this article is some mission or request for your minion to do something. Most quests involve collecting something, and bringing it back, whether it is a flower or a head. However, it's a waste of time if that thing doesn't go to good use. That is why the quest should tie into a larger plot. The quest will be boring for the minion if it isn't challenging, or if it seems like a suicide mission. Therefore, it should be set to a difficulty level appropriate to the minion's level of skill.

    An awesome example of a quest where I was the minion, from over a year ago:

    Leader tells minion to go sneak around (the difficult part)...
    ...and pull a lock of hair from a couple of people (the collection)...
    ...so that the hair might be used to curse the people (the larger plot).

    Here's why it was awesome: it was difficult because I had to prepare a lot for it - not just getting better at sneak and hide, but preparing a proper ninja outfit, a safehouse to store said ninja outfit, an exit strategy after I grabbed the goods, and a way to change out of my ninja outfit into my normal gear without anyone being the wiser. The larger plot around it made the minion feel useful and good.

    Also, everything fell together. Without any of those parts, the rest of the quest would have been boring and/or meaningless. You can even withhold the information about the larger plot until the minion has completed the collection.

    Allowing your upper-level minions to take part in leading the lower-level minions and doing some of your tasks means more ideas will be thrown around about what can be done, and it means you can do more important things.

    Lastly, leaders and minions can find it very enjoyable to surpass or stay on top of other leaders, while protecting their minions from dangerous forces. Resolving a conflict comes in many forms: bribery, politicking, and sometimes, a murder (or a murderous rampage). Make enemies, and friends to assist in destroying or subjugating your enemies.

    I have minions, but the players seem bored when I give their characters things to do.

    First of all, are you sure they are bored? Randomly logging out often can be a sure sign of boredom, but sometimes there's just no time to play. Feel free to ask on the clan boards for their honest opinion on if players of minions are satisfied with what they get to do.

    A forced approach to clan activity is not supposed to be applied 100% of the time. For maximum fun, give your minions some leeway to do things they like to do, or things that could be fun that is not along the grain of what the clan usually does for work.

    You know how some familes get together on a Friday night to play Scrabble or something (at least on TV Sad)?

    Replace families with clans. Friday with Detal. And Scrabble with Kruth.

    Or anything, really. It just has to be fun (ideas: drinking, brawling, or just sitting around and chatting about something). And preferably, not anything having to do with what you normally do as a clan already (like sparring, patrolling, etc). This develops relationships between you and your minions, and between minions and other minions. It also helps minions to build a set of hobbies, so they are not just Soldier #6969 or Mercenary #420, but "the guy who won the last Kruth game", and "th' lass who ended up spendin' th' 'ole pot from tha' game on thongs".

    Look at the games that Zalathans play that are listed on the main site, or make something up if you are feeling creative. Do competitions to see who is the best boxer/Kruth player/hunter and so on and so forth.

    Also, you will be doing the players of your minions a big disservice and possibly bore them if you can never be found. While it certainly helps to have a lot of time to play, not everyone does. Playing regularly is far more important than playing often. Make sure you can be found at the days and times you post on a roll call thread in your clan forum. Even if you only play two hours a day, if you play during the same two hours each day, you're doing great.

    Sometimes you can be online and uncontactable. Barrier is an obvious one. What I am really talking about is doing things that will make you extremely hard for your minions to find you, either accidentally or on purpose. That said, don't worry excessively about pleasing your clan. Obviously, every person needs their private time (for sleep, mudsex, drinking, mudsex, cuddling, mudsex, smoking, etc) but don't let your private time take up all your playing time. Spend some time in public or within sight or reach of your minions so you can do leadery things.

    I have minions, but I'm bored when they are not logged in.

    Be a character first. Then a (noble/sergeant/templar/agent/sorcerer-king) second.

    "Well, duh," you say. "How does this help with my boredom?!"

    If you are good at making personal goals for your character you are doing great. Now, as a leader, you have to make sure to not forget those while you are doing leadership things. It will help a lot in ensuring your role stays fresh even when ther are no minions logged in. Have something to focus on when things are slow in your clan. Some ideas:

    A lover.
    A(n) <item type> collection.
    A hobby of some sort.
    A focus.
    A personal goal.
    A secret desire (training to become the best warrior ever, eat babies, etc.)
    Anything else a person would want!

    It is these and your character traits that will keep your minions interested in you for more than your leadership, and it will (hopefully!) keep you interested as well when they are not around.

    And not just the minions will be interested in your character, if you can provide a good standard of RP for everyone to follow. If you're that Allanaki templar striking fear into the hearts of your Highlord's people, or the Tuluki noble who is the patron of bards and hirer of assassins, or the Kuraci agent making sure the people of the Labyrinth get their spice fix... you're bound to draw players to you, which means fun opportunities to roleplay for yourself and for others.

    Being a leader is hard work and/or stressful, or it's generally boring.

    Ah, but it doesn't have to be.

    It takes a special (crazy? maybe) person to 'like' to lead a group of people, each with their own problems and needs. On top of that, you have to report in to staff about what you intend to do on a regular basis. It's just like a career in life - you can do something you enjoy doing, or you can do something you hate, yet feel obligated to do.

    "But which one do I choose?"

    Keep in mind that this is a game. If you hate doing something, guess what - you don't have to do it! You take a short break to do something else and see if that helps, or you coordinate with your staff and other characters and store. But it is also a good idea to give leadership a fair shake if you think you don't like it, because you just may end up liking it after a while. All too often I see people who complain about leaders and leading something themselves, either on the GDB or just in life, and I chuckle a little inside because most of the time, you are not forced to lead at all, ever. It is, however, possible to become better at leading and make leadership more enjoyable, if you desire.

    If it's because of IG things or other players, then you can work to correct that IG. If it's because of staff, then you should prboably cue them in to more things you are planning, so they can help you out.
    Credits:
    Special thanks goes to Taven for doing articles like

    this and for inspiring me to take a crack at it myself, and Helix and

    Fathi for contributing to that particular part which I am loosely

    basing this article on. Synthesis, Lizzie, and Reiloth made suggestions

    that helped me make...
    Continue Reading...

  • Hitting the Soft Spots
    Added on Feb 11, 2009

    One soldier + one fresh body + one halfsword + one codpiece = one self-training session in the dealing of death.


    You are Lucien, of many people. (type 'tribes' to see your tribes).
    Keywords: athletic dusky man Lucky
    Sdesc: the athletic, dusky man
    Objective: Work as a Private in the Allanaki militia.
    Long Description:
    Code Generated Long Description.
    You are 27 years, 0 months, and 71 days old,
    which by your race and appearance is adult.
    You are 69 inches tall, and weigh 7 ten-stone.
    Your strength is average, your agility is extremely good,
    your wisdom is extremely good, and your endurance is below average.
    You are neither hungry nor thirsty.
    Your health is 89(89), you have 67(120) stamina, and 87(87) stun.
    You have been playing for 17 days and 11 hours.
    You are standing.
    You are currently speaking sirihish with a southern accent.

    Your encumbrance is light.
    You are:
    Recruit of the Allanaki Militia Recruits, jobs:
    Private / Archer / Soldier / Black Soldier / Clerk / Praetorian Guard of the Arm of the Dragon, jobs:
    Relationship to the land is neutral.
    You are currently speaking sirihish with a southern accent.
    Your mood is neutral.
    You are standing.
    You are accepting all saves (nosave off).
    You are being merciful.
    You aren't watching anything in particular.

    This adult human male stands slightly above four and a half cords tall. His lean, limber legs with large feet contribute much to his height. His torso is narrow at the bottom but widens around the shoulders. His long, sinewy arms are packed with well-built muscle. His hands are large, and each have long, slender fingers sprouting from them. His dark brown skin stretches over his well-formed musculature. His rounded face and thin neck are covered by a full dark beard. His thin, chapped lips are surrounded by his facial hair, and his pronounced Adam's apple is partially covered by it. His nose is large but flat, resting between two dark brown eyes. Two thick black eyebrows hang over his eyes, with hair growing between them. The hair on the top of his head is as dark as onyx and hangs naturally at his head's back and sides, messily cut at his shoulders. Two round ears partially poke out of his hair from either side of his head.
    The figure in a black, hooded militia dustcloak is in excellent condition.

    <worn on head> a simple black helm
    <worn around neck> an inky-black leather collar
    <slung across back> a blackened slim bone rapier
    <worn across back> a jade-emblazoned, hoplite shield
    <worn on left shoulder> a black sandcloth sash
    <worn on arms> a pair of inky-black leather sleeves
    <worn around wrist> an inky-black leather bracer
    <worn around wrist> an inky-black leather bracer
    <worn on hands> a pair of inky-black leather gloves
    <worn on forearms> a leather and chitin strap-sheath
    <worn around body> a black, hooded militia dustcloak
    <worn on legs> a pair of inky-black leather leggings
    <worn on right ankle> a black sandcloth bandana
    <worn on left ankle> a black sandcloth bandana
    <worn on feet> a pair of knee-high dark leather boots

    The figure in a black, hooded militia dustcloak wipes his brow with the back of his hand as he moves to the door of the abandoned hovel.

    You lower the hood of a black, hooded militia dustcloak.

    You drop the body of the grey-eyed human.

    You arrange the body of the grey-eyed human. Shown to the room as:
    The body of the grey-eyed human is lying on the floor here.

    A Small Empty Room [N Quit]
    The stone walls of this room have been painted a dull white which has already begun to peel and crack from the heat of the sun to reveal grey stone underneath it. There is a small wooden door to the north, which appears to be the only exit.
    The body of the grey-eyed human is lying on the floor here.

    Leaning against the wall, you sit down and rest your tired bones, sliding down slowly.

    You think:
         "Dragging that body along with Trea was hard work."

    You are using:
    <worn on head> a simple black helm
    <worn around neck> an inky-black leather collar
    <slung across back> a blackened slim bone rapier
    <worn across back> a jade-emblazoned, hoplite shield
    <worn on torso> an inky-black leather vest
    <worn on left shoulder> a black sandcloth sash
    <worn on arms> a pair of inky-black leather sleeves
    <worn around wrist> an inky-black leather bracer
    <worn around wrist> an inky-black leather bracer
    <worn on hands> a pair of inky-black leather gloves
    <worn on forearms> a leather and chitin strap-sheath
    <worn as belt> a leather swordbelt
    <hung from belt> a blackened serrated bone halfsword
    <hung from belt> a blackened serrated bone halfsword
    <worn around body> a black, hooded militia dustcloak
    <worn about waist> a tough, grey chitin codpiece
    <worn on legs> a pair of inky-black leather leggings
    <worn on right ankle> a black sandcloth bandana
    <worn on left ankle> a black sandcloth bandana
    <worn on feet> a pair of knee-high dark leather boots

    It is dusk on Yochem, the 7th day of the Descending Sun,
    In the Year of Silt's Agitation, year 42 of the 21st Age.

    In a leather swordbelt (used) :
    some dried kalan chips
    a pile of allanaki coins
    a leather ticket
    a red rose
    a dusty purple glow-crystal
    a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap

    The athletic, dusky man reaches behind your black, hooded militia dustcloak.

    You get your thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap from your leather swordbelt.
    It is very light.

    You are carrying:
    a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap
    a half eaten kalan fruit
    a partially eaten kalan fruit

    You think:
         "I'm gonna get blood splattered on me, and smells coming at me like they were trying to kill me."

    Strapping it on, you fasten your thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap across your face, tying a strap behind his head.

    You think:
         "Because, today... I am going to be tearing this body apart like it was a real, living thing."

    You stop resting, and stand up.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap frowns faintly as he walks along the perimeter of the room, running his hand along the wall.

    You think:
         "I gotta find something to prop this poor bastard on."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap smiles as his gloved hand runs into a small bone hook on the wall, close to the ceiling.

    You are carrying:
    a half eaten kalan fruit
    a partially eaten kalan fruit

    You think:
         "Great. I can hook this guy up onto that, but I need something sturdy to hold him in place."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap grins a bit as he reaches under your black, hooded militia dustcloak, towards his leggings.

    You think:
         "I got an idea..."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap grunts as he reaches for his crotch, loosening something.

    You stop using your tough, grey chitin codpiece.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap pulls your tough, grey chitin codpiece out from under your pair of inky-black leather leggings.

    l codpiece
    Tough grey chitin, flexible yet tough, has been hardened with something, and been molded into a crotch piece to protect the jewels of men. It has a leather cord looped through about ten drilled holes so that it can be tied about the waist and pulled up through the legs.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap pulls on your tough, grey chitin codpiece's leather cord to test its tension, then walks up to the body of the grey-eyed human.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap hefts up the body of the grey-eyed human by the shoulder, and slings your tough, grey chitin codpiece around the body of the grey-eyed human's neck.

    You think:
         "Now, if I do that..."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap grunts as he pulls up on the body of the grey-eyed human, and drags him toward the hook on the wall.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap hefts up the body of the grey-eyed human, and allows it to hang on the hook by your tough, grey chitin codpiece's straps.

    You arrange the body of the grey-eyed human. Shown to the room as:
    The body of the grey-eyed human is hanging from a hook on the wall, by a codpiece with leather straps.

    A Small Empty Room [N Quit]
    The stone walls of this room have been painted a dull white which has already begun to peel and crack from the heat of the sun to reveal grey stone underneath it. There is a small wooden door to the north, which appears to be the only exit.
    The body of the grey-eyed human is hanging from a hook on the wall, by a codpiece with leather straps.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap steps away from the body of the grey-eyed human, towards the door, and reaches under your black, hooded militia dustcloak.

    You draw a blackened serrated bone halfsword.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap walks up to the body of the grey-eyed human, and moves it around to make sure that its back is facing towards the wall.

    You think:
         "Good. Now it's hanging out there."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap steps backwards towards the door, eyeing the body of the grey-eyed human carefully.

    You think:
         "Great. It looks steady, and I shouldn't have any trouble with it now."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap walks up to the body of the grey-eyed human slowly, your blackened serrated bone halfsword held down at his side.

    You think:
         "Approaching from the front, act like nothing's wrong."

    You think:
         "Then..."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap suddenly raises your blackened serrated bone halfsword and jabs directly for the body of the grey-eyed human's throat.

    Some darkening blood starts to sputter as the male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap plunges your blackened serrated bone halfsword's cord-long blade through the body of the grey-eyed human's throat.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap grins broadly as he twists your blackened serrated bone halfsword, causing a circular gash to form in the body of the grey-eyed human's dead, fleshy neck.

    You think:
         "Yeah... that's how it's done."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap pulls your blackened serrated bone halfsword back, and steps away slowly, towards the door.

    You think:
         "Good. Now usually smart people wear a nice, thick gorget to protect their necks. Rarely does anyone protect the armpit, and that is a very weak spot."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap raises your blackened serrated bone halfsword up to his eye level, looking down the blade towards the body of the grey-eyed human's shoulder.

    You think:
         "It's tricky getting there. I'm bound to miss if I rush this."

    You think:
         "But, let's try it anyhow."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap takes a few long running steps towards the body of the grey-eyed human, your blackened serrated bone halfsword held out and ready to strike.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap presses your blackened serrated bone halfsword directly into the body of the grey-eyed human's shoulder, then the features behind his mask seem to curl into a dissatisfied grimace.

    You think:
         "As I expected."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap pulls your blackened serrated bone halfsword out of the body of the grey-eyed human's shoulder, and he steps backwards towards the door.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap holds your blackened serrated bone halfsword behind his back as he walks slowly towards the body of the grey-eyed human.

    You think:
         "Again, slow on the approach..."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap pulls your blackened serrated bone halfsword out from behind him, holding it out to his side as he thrusts your blackened serrated bone halfsword in a curving path towards the body of the grey-eyed human's underarm.

    You think:
         "Be quick on the draw, then..."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap plunges your blackened serrated bone halfsword straight into the body of the grey-eyed human's right underarm, then twists it around, the serrated edges causing a gash to form.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap frowns as the body starts to shake, and the hook snaps, causing the body of the grey-eyed human and your tough, grey chitin codpiece to fall to the floor.

    You arrange the body of the grey-eyed human. Shown to the room as:
    The body of the grey-eyed human is slumped to the floor, a codpiece strapped around his neck.

    A Small Empty Room [N Quit]
    The stone walls of this room have been painted a dull white which has already begun to peel and crack from the heat of the sun to reveal grey stone underneath it. There is a small wooden door to the north, which appears to be the only exit.
    The body of the grey-eyed human is slumped to the floor, a codpiece strapped around his neck.

    Walking to the body of the grey-eyed human, you say, in sirihish:
         "Well, this is a sight indeed."

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap reaches for the body of the grey-eyed human's neck, pulling off your tough, grey chitin codpiece.

    You arrange the body of the grey-eyed human. Shown to the room as:
    The body of the grey-eyed human is slumped to the floor, leaning against the wall.

    A Small Empty Room [N Quit]
    The stone walls of this room have been painted a dull white which has already begun to peel and crack from the heat of the sun to reveal grey stone underneath it. There is a small wooden door to the north, which appears to be the only exit.
    The body of the grey-eyed human is slumped to the floor, leaning against the wall.

    The male wearing a thin, grey-sandcloth facewrap flips your tough, grey chitin codpiece around as he turns for the door, tucking away your blackened serrated bone halfsword.

    You sheathe a blackened serrated bone halfsword.

    You think:
         "That's all for today."

    You are Lucien, of many people. (type 'tribes' to see your tribes).
    Keywords: athletic dusky man Lucky
    Sdesc: the athletic, dusky man
    Objective: Work as a Private in the Allanaki militia.
    Long Description:
    Code Generated Long Description.
    You are 27 years, 0 months, and 71 days old,
    which by...

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