rPMD: Guardians of Erebus DT

BrumalHunter · 2016-03-18T22:09:40Z

Welcome to the unseen halls of Erebus, @Buggiedude2340, @Carina, @Poopsie, @Robusto, @Rydia, @SpiritedWolfe, @StupidSoup, @TheSilverFox, and @Tortwag, my friends and fellow storybookers! Here, you will find all posts not strictly in-character or in-universe, which is why the character template isn't in the storybook itself. If we should ever require more than one discussion topic, this post will stay here. The second and third posts (which will contain all the important information), however, will be copied and submitted in each new one. [center][bebas]Olympus Questionnaire[/bebas][/center] [color=gray][size=100]Hey there! So, err, I assume Zeus – that’s the PC, Archibald Virtue – has already explained to you the weirdness that surrounds your current circumstances. In the event you are reading this and he has not yet done so, finish reading only this sentence and ask him for clarification. If you are [i]still[/i] reading this, then you had better be well-informed about your situation. If not, you are either defiant/disobedient and I predict we’ll have some trouble with you in future (though nothing that I can’t straighten out, I’m sure), or you’re too curious for your own good (which I’ll also have to handle). Anyway, by now you’ve probably noticed two odd names: “Olympus” and “Zeus”. These are references to Greek mythology, which would be foreign to you even if you [i]didn’t[/i] have your memory wiped. (Sorry about that, and if you were wondering, yes, I love my parentheses.) I’d be more than happy to explain them to you, but for now, just know they are codenames. (You’ll become familiar with them eventually.) My codename (and the only name by which you’ll ever know me) is Hekate, your real-life John Clark, i.e. your On-site Coordinator for our epic version of Rainbow. Now, as the person who will literally be the voice in your head throughout all of your daring missions, I need to know as much as possible about you before you even reach Erebus (my not-so-humble abode), since the action can start at any given moment, including the one at which point I’m typing this document. Therefore, you need to fill out the questionnaire with as much detail as possible. If anything confuses you or you don’t know what to do, don’t leave it blank; just write [i]something[/i], except when I specifically say otherwise. Oh, but please don’t write me an essay, since I’m not a teacher. I’m a hacker. Big difference. (Not that you’d know.)[/size] [size=50]Disclaimer: The format in which this questionnaire is written is not completely original, as it is partly based off one I found online. I thank its creator in his absence. (Hopefully he doesn’t mind.)[/size][/color] [i][b][size=150]█████ General Details[/size][/b][/i] [size=120]♦ [b]It begins here! You obviously have no idea who you are, and neither do I, so this section will be used to gather the basic information. If you can remember your given name, you’re either lying or have a false memory, so make one up for yourself. It can be whatever you like, from traditional names like Samantha or David, to more exotic names such as Anastasia or Dhiren, or even nouns like “Shadow” or “Frost”.[/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]Unfortunately, here comes your first reality check: you can’t always get what you want. While being called “Frost” or “Shadow” would be epic, in today’s society, people don’t have names like that. (We aren’t in a fantasy roleplaying game, you know.) This subsection is where the identity by which the world will know you comes. I’ll fill it out myself, so you can skip on to the next section.[/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]Actually, you can skip this one too, since this is where [i]your[/i] codename will come. Once again, you have no direct influence over what I choose, so be nice to me, or face the consequences. Until such a time that I have allotted a codename to you, your in-action codename will be a combination between “Alpha” and a number, e.g. Alpha Two. Later, this will be used to identify your teams instead; when that point has been reached, your team will appear after your codename.[/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]Now that your identity is out of the way, I need you to describe your appearance. We’ll start with what people immediately notice, namely gender, approximate height (measured in metric and imperial units), approximate weight (the same as approximate height), and build. (Your choices for build are “skinny”, “lanky”, or “slender” if you’re thin; “chubby”, “fat”, or “obese” if you’re overweight; or “lean”, “robust”, or “burly” if you’re muscular.) I expect a list with the mentioned items beneath each other and in order of appearance. Leave two spaces, a dash, and two more spaces between each answer and its heading, and capitalise all the words. Use the same formatting for the next two subsections as well.[/b] Gender – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Height – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Weight – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Build – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]Next, we have the more specific characteristics. They are hair colour, hair style, eye colour, and any distinguishing features (such as facial hair, scars, etc.). Keep in mind that you arrived with [i]natural[/i] hair and eye colours, so don’t even think about putting funky colours like hot pink or violet in the descriptions. If you want to dye your hair or wear coloured contact lenses, wait until you get to Erebus, after which I’ll buy you some and edit this entry as necessary.[/b] Hair Colour – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Hair Style – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Eye Colour – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Unique Features – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]These last couple of details will define, more than they should, how people view you. I am impartial, of course, but not everyone is as open-minded as I am. So, I need to know your race (the PC will tell you what yours is) and nationality (the PC will tell you what this is too). Your race is basically your skin tone, but be specific, even if it’s less official, e.g. Caucasian (tanned/partially tanned/pale). Your nationality will technically be American, but there is always the possibility you speak with a recognised accent, in which case it will be appropriately indicated, e.g. French, British, American (Texan).[/b] Race – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Nationality – [color=character's favourite]…[/color][/size] [i][b][size=150]█████ Superheroes and –Heroines are Awesome![/size][/b][/i] [size=120]♦ [b]This section will attempt to ascertain your Pokémon identity and any undiscovered abilities you possess. First, we’ll determine your species. Yeah, I know, it must be difficult believing you used to be some magical being, but if it makes you feel any better, nobody else will remember what they looked like either, so it will be just as surreal to them. Zeus told me to tell you he won’t reveal what you were like no matter how many times you – or anyone else – ask him, so don’t bother. He [i]will[/i], however, tell us what all of you, as well as our future opponents, are/were, but for the time being, our data is insufficient. We’ll get back to this subsection once we have learned more.[/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]I just had an idea! Since you were once [i]Pokémon[/i] but are now [i]humans[/i], you will henceforth be known as [i]Pokémen[/i]! …Err, on second thought, that sounds kind of cheesy. We’ll just stick with [i]mons[/i]. But then again, that's too obvious and unoriginal. I refuse! But what to call you, then…? Thetas! You will all be known as Thetas! …Ahem, moving on. We might not know what your Pokémon species is/was, but that doesn’t stop us from speculating of what you could be capable. If you were a superhero or –heroine, which four abilities or powers would you want to have? (Capitalise all answers in the questionnaire, save for things like articles, prepositions, and the like. It's obviously not necessary when you elaborate.)[/b] ~ [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ~ [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ~ [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ~ [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]In contrast with the previous subsection, this one will be used to keep track of your actual abilities and powers as they develop. Just move along to the next section, since you won’t be able to fill in any of the details for the next two subsections either.[/b] ~ [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ~ [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ~ [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ~ [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]As we get used to working together as a team, we’ll learn more about your and your teammates’ strengths. If there are certain situations in which you have the advantage over everyone else, that situation will be described here.[/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]Everybody has weaknesses, no matter how powerful they are. Being ashamed of your shortcomings won’t get you anywhere, but adapting to them and learning to avoid situations in which you may be a liability [i]will[/i]. The more we learn, the more the team as a whole improves.[/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color][/size] [i][b][size=150]█████ What Does the Inside of Your Mind Look Like?[/size][/b][/i] [size=120]♦ [b]Major stalker alert, but then again, I [i]am[/i] a black hat. Some people read a lot into these things, others simply don’t care, but it needs to be asked eventually. What is your favourite: colour, food, music genre, animal, and landscape? Use the same formatting as in the first section. (You’re welcome to revisit this later if you don’t know what your favourites are – in fact, I’d be surprised if you [i]did[/i] – don’t fret.)[/b] Colour – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Food - [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Music Genre – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Animal – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Landscape – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]All seriousness aside, what [i]does[/i] your mind look like on the inside? A warehouse with all the boxes neatly stacked? A pink world of bubbles and threads where everything is interconnected? A dungeon with torture devices lining the walls? Grooved, crinkly, and grey, like all normal brains?[/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]Describe yourself in three words – using only nouns! (Adjectives are so boring, and now, you can’t be a wisecrack either. Hah.) Feel free to be symbolic. Actually, [i]be symbolic[/i]. That’s an order.[/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color], [color=character's favourite]…[/color], [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]Have you ever noticed how some people use a particular word/expression a lot, frequently fidget with some part of their body/outfit, or just often does something unique when speaking/walking? Probably not, but I want you to identify what [i]your[/i] mannerisms are. You don't have to write a full psycho-analysis (not that you could), but I [i]do[/i] want you to list at least one recurring aspect of your speech, your body language while you speak, and the way you walk. You can fill this in as you become aware of something, so leave it blank for now if nothing comes to mind.[/b] Speech – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Body Language – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Walking – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]How well do you get along with people? Are you a social butterfly? A recluse? A grumpy old guy who needs to see three ghosts before he learns to be happy? Basically, just elaborate on your sociality.[/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]I need to know how you will react when faced with conflict - emotional or physical - so we'll have to test your limits sometime. For now, I'll settle for asking you what you think you'd do if a random stranger attacked you, if an enemy insulted you, and if someone close to you betrayed you. Answer all three Scenarios, please, but don't assume they all happen at once. (If they [i]did[/i], you'd be in for one lousy day.)[/b] Conflict – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Opposition – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] Betrayal – [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]You’re probably stuck here on earth for the rest of your life, so the possibility of you developing romantic feelings for a human or another mon is very high. What would you do if you found yourself in either scenario? Don’t worry, nobody but you, I, and the PC will see this document, so you can be honest. Nobody’s going to judge you – and that’s considering who the PC really is.[/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]If the message “Save changes to Untitled?” appears, do you click “Save”, “Don’t Save”, or “Cancel”?[/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color] ♦ [b]This is the rubbish dump. If you ever want to add any miscellaneous things you discovered about yourself, whether it’s a fear, a talent, an interest, or even that you look like George Washington, this is the place to put it. Once you’re done, just hand this to Zeus and he’ll send you on your way. I’ll see you soon![/b] [color=character's favourite]…[/color] [/size] Oh, and since the formatting for the post wasn't specifically shown anywhere, I added it here. [center][b][size=120]Name Surname (Codename)[/size] Current Location | Month Date, 2016 | Time AM/PM[/b][/center] Post Text [center][b]Location | Month Day, 2016 | Time AM/PM[/b][/center]

TinkerTwaggy

Gender

Points 2320

Reviews 40

Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:53 pm

TinkerTwaggy says... · Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:53 pm

Spoiler

So. We have a Rotom Pokedex now. That can talk.
That is freakin' awesome. ← Biased opinion, I always kinda liked Rotom XD

"Is there a limit to how much living I can live with my life? How will I know if I've gone too far?
And why did I spend my life savings on sunglasses for a whale?
I shall find the answers... to these questions."

BrumalHunter

Gender

Points 17444

Reviews 294

Sun Jun 05, 2016 2:25 pm

BrumalHunter says... · Sun Jun 05, 2016 2:25 pm

Those are one of the new features to which I'm looking forward. Besides, having a Ghost give you advice is so much better than having some lousy AI talk to you.

Also, at the risk of sounding impatient, when will your post be submitted, @Tortwag? You and @Robusto have been promising posts for two weeks now, but nothing has happened yet. I'd like to get the storybook going, but at this rate, we'll never see the end. Could we please move it along?

But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.

TinkerTwaggy

Gender

Points 2320

Reviews 40

Sun Jun 05, 2016 2:34 pm

TinkerTwaggy says... · Sun Jun 05, 2016 2:34 pm

@AstralHunter Today.
You have every reason to be impatient considering how much we've kept you and everyone else waiting, and at this point Life isn't an excuse anymore.
As for the reason why I'm sure it'll be released today is because 1. I've caught up with 1 SB and the LMS challenge already, and Dorian's next in the list, and 2. If I don't do it today, I will never have time to worry about him during the final exam week (which starts tomorrow) and my Brain cannot accept this. So, I'm finishing this post today.

"Is there a limit to how much living I can live with my life? How will I know if I've gone too far?
And why did I spend my life savings on sunglasses for a whale?
I shall find the answers... to these questions."

TinkerTwaggy

Gender

Points 2320

Reviews 40

Sun Jun 05, 2016 6:49 pm

TinkerTwaggy says... · Sun Jun 05, 2016 6:49 pm

Bump.

Ohohohohooooooooooh, man. I ENJOYED myself with that one XD I KNOW just how late I am and how much I've slowed everyone and everything down, but I gave my all in this post, and I assure you that you will be entertaine readin' it.

You can hang me if it's not the case. Though if I had to choose I'd go with the Guillotine. Hon hon hon, I'm Frrrrrrench :smt003

"Is there a limit to how much living I can live with my life? How will I know if I've gone too far?
And why did I spend my life savings on sunglasses for a whale?
I shall find the answers... to these questions."

Poopsie

Gender

Points 2003

Reviews 62

Sun Jun 05, 2016 7:49 pm

Poopsie says... · Sun Jun 05, 2016 7:49 pm

nice post ;D

The Poopsiest.

JOIN THE RABBIT SQUAD TODAY

I am 100 Percent Garbage

USED TO BE VERSER

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

TinkerTwaggy

Gender

Points 2320

Reviews 40

Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:11 pm

TinkerTwaggy says... · Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:11 pm

Thankies :3 Hopefully the length wasn't much of a problem - I was already told that I shouldn't worry about it, buuuuuut sometimes I can't help it.

"Is there a limit to how much living I can live with my life? How will I know if I've gone too far?
And why did I spend my life savings on sunglasses for a whale?
I shall find the answers... to these questions."

Poopsie

Gender

Points 2003

Reviews 62

Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:38 pm

Poopsie says... · Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:38 pm

pffffffff, this thing is an ant compared to some of your pmd posts.

The Poopsiest.

JOIN THE RABBIT SQUAD TODAY

I am 100 Percent Garbage

USED TO BE VERSER

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

TinkerTwaggy

Gender

Points 2320

Reviews 40

Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:53 pm

TinkerTwaggy says... · Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:53 pm

Heh. I'll take that as a compliment XD

"Is there a limit to how much living I can live with my life? How will I know if I've gone too far?
And why did I spend my life savings on sunglasses for a whale?
I shall find the answers... to these questions."

BrumalHunter

Gender

Points 17444

Reviews 294

Mon Jun 06, 2016 7:55 pm

BrumalHunter says... · Mon Jun 06, 2016 7:55 pm

Fantastic post from what I've read so far, @Tortwag! The "mad sense" typo was hilarious. However, nobody knows their names, and Archibald didn't offer any. "Dorian Seabright" is a name Hekate will make up on her own, based off of the questionnaire he has yet to fill out. I love the D-insignia, so I suppose you can use it even though he still doesn't remember his name. I apologise that you have to edit all the names out, but I did specify clearly that everyone suffered from full amnesia, save for the PC's implanted memories.

But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.

TinkerTwaggy

Gender

Points 2320

Reviews 40

Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:55 pm

TinkerTwaggy says... · Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:55 pm

@AstralHunter actually I specifified in the beginning of the post that Dorian got the name from Archibald, as he supposedly mentioned it in the letter, as indeed, Dorian has no memory of his actual name.
Buuuuuuuuut, your post right here leads me to believe that I need to find another name for the guy until he gets his Dorian Seabright now. I'll write down everything I need to edit and worry about it this weekend.

Glad you liked what you read so far, though, and OH MY GOODNESS WHAT I'LL FIX THAT TYPO ASAP.
Yeah, that insigna's just a timeskip thing, so normally I can still use it. It might or might not actually appear in the story itself (I'm lying: it totally will), but for now it hasn't.
Well here's the thing - I thought the new names were part of the implanted memories for some reason, but don't worry man, I'll just move on with plan B.

Shell Master Tortwag always has a plan B.
EDIT: BOOM! Fixed! (except the typo, I'll find it later) Mistake fixed, and this was even a perfect opportunity to make yet another hilariously awkward gimmick for Dorian - or should I say Bay XD

"Is there a limit to how much living I can live with my life? How will I know if I've gone too far?
And why did I spend my life savings on sunglasses for a whale?
I shall find the answers... to these questions."

BrumalHunter

Gender

Points 17444

Reviews 294

Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:08 pm

BrumalHunter says... · Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:08 pm

I'm glad you fixed the name, but there's still the matter of the narrator referring to him as Dorian. I'd leave it be, but if I hadn't revealed the characters' future names already, you wouldn't have referred to him as Dorian, so it's a logical error. You also seemed to be confused as to what I meant with the header, so I edited your post (I apologise for that intrusion) so you can see what it should look like. The footer you can add yourself, and the formatting is simple - you can always look at the other posts' footers if you're still not sure what to do.

The reason I want everyone to use the headers and footers is because, while this is a fun collaborative project, it is also a novel. (In fact, this SB, and every other SB out there at the moment, is what's called an RPG SB. The "standard" SB is where everybody takes turns writing for the same character.) As such, I have to ensure that everyone's posts form a coherent story. The headers contribute to that by saying exactly which character is concerned, where they are, and what the time and date is, and while the footer may seem unnecessary, you have no idea how confusing it is when trying to estimate how much time has passed in the post.

↑ That block of text is merely meant to be an explanation in the event of my intention not being clear.

But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.

TinkerTwaggy

Gender

Points 2320

Reviews 40

Tue Jun 07, 2016 1:22 pm

TinkerTwaggy says... · Tue Jun 07, 2016 1:22 pm

Y'know, if all of my victories were always flawless, it wouldn't be fun.
(Actually if you hadn't revealed there is a very good chance I would've called him Dorian as a basis, it's one of my few "normal" stock names I have for this type of situations, buuuut I get your point).
So now I just need to replace Dorian with Bayzir in the narration, and latter make it his middle name. That should make it work right?

Block of text has been read and understood. I believe you had already mentioned such a reason before, but even if you hadn't, I repeat once again that I do not. Mind. Technical difficulties. In. The. Slightest. (Am I right, @TheSilverFox? XD) As long as you point out what my mistakes are so that I may fix them like a bawss and make this work for everyone, I'll gladly follow the rules.

EDIT: NA-HAAAAA! THE POST HAS BEEN CORRECTED AGAIN! Noooow, I might've missed a few Dorians when replacin' 'em with Bayzir (note: it's an actual name - though pretty darn ancient - I have a list of rare/uncommon real names too), so sorry for that.
But normally I should be in the clear this time.

"Is there a limit to how much living I can live with my life? How will I know if I've gone too far?
And why did I spend my life savings on sunglasses for a whale?
I shall find the answers... to these questions."

Robusto

Gender

Points 5253

Reviews 24

Wed Jun 08, 2016 7:43 pm

Robusto says... · Wed Jun 08, 2016 7:43 pm

It's with a heavy heart I must inform I cannot participate in this SB. Trying to keep up with it and my own SB has proven I can't manage to keep up with more than one. Trying to has resulted in 0 progress on both.
Sorry Astral, but for now, I'm going to focus on my own SBs. I am going to keep up with this one, but as far as being a character, I must bid farewell.

BrumalHunter

Gender

Points 17444

Reviews 294

Wed Jun 08, 2016 7:46 pm

BrumalHunter says... · Wed Jun 08, 2016 7:46 pm

Okay. Psyche is no more, then. I'm sad to see you go, but as you've said, it's better to stick to one SB and flourish than participate in two and accomplish nothing. I shall give your Hypno a worthy heir of the codename "Psyche"!

But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Paul the Apostle

Winter is inevitable. Spring will return eventually, and AstralHunter with it.

TheSilverFox

Gender

Points 24185

Reviews 299

Wed Jun 08, 2016 7:59 pm

TheSilverFox says... · Wed Jun 08, 2016 7:59 pm

Alright, so I finally managed to edit my list of questions (I would've done it sooner, but life and writing projects have been eating at a lot of time the latter of which you know about, @AstralHunter.

) so they would fit my character's speech. They're enclosed in the spoiler below. So, after this, I'll finally be able to work on my post, and then we can start the second round of posting!

Spoiler

How exactly did you implant these memories within my brain, not to mention remove those of my past?

Why did you have to remove the latter? If we chose to join you, how could knowing about our past lives and our participation in this experiment make us change our minds?

How much did you replace the knowledge in our minds with yours? Are our personalities even ours, or did you swap those out as well?

What are we expected to do when we come across something even you can't recognize, as it was hard enough trying to correlate your memories to our experiences without feeling like we hadn't a clue what we were doing?

Why couldn't you control where we wound up? Sure, you might've been lacking in power, but couldn't you have devoted some of what you gave up to help us make our journey the slightest bit easier?

If you were responsible for taking away most of our powers, are you also responsible for making us human in this world?

Are you aware of how massive this city is? How did you expect half of us to travel through these huge crowds, large amounts of traffic, and the extensive network of streets without help? Unless you'd assumed that we would've come not too far away from your headquarters, which leads back to my question on your controlling the locations we woke up in. Frankly, the one girl who walked the entire distance got blisters and her feet started bleeding. Now that's a way to give a person a decent first impression.

If my new memory, or whatever you call your adding your memories into my brain, is correct, popular culture is not the same thing as reality. And, even if that's not the case, I'm fairly sure they've never seen anything like this before. So, how are you so confident that the local residents won't be surprised if something "odd" happens, especially if it involves powerful forces in conflict with what seems to be a plainly present evil?

Lastly, what have we to fear? Who is our enemy? Why should we be afraid of city streets, or the mayor's office? What is our situation right now, and what do we have to be concerned about?

*sees new posts*

...aww, sad to see you're leaving, @Robusto. But that's understandable, since you don't want to bite off more than you can chew, as is the case here. Best of luck with your SB endeavors, and I hope that you succeed in the SB you do have (of course, since I'm participating, I'll help see that come to fruition)!

S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse
a persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo
non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero,
senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.

Inferno, Canto 27, l 61-66.

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