July 2017
What do your characters do to combat boredom and laziness?
Do they procrastinate as much as we do?
Do they procrastinate as much as we do?
Most Popular
During the month of Juno- wait, what was that? Oh, I was supposed to say June. My mistake. It's because Hera is known as Juno in Roman mythology. Let me try again.
During the month of June, one storybook in particular pumped out posts similar to how a cumulonimbus pours down rain. Considering that its setting is Camp Half-Blood from the Percy Jackson series, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Naturally, this means the hugely popular storybook can only be Wrath of Olympus by @Europa!
All is not well, however, for Hera has finally - with some help from Ares' daughter Eris, Goddess of Discord (and we don't mean the host of our beloved site's unofficial chat server) - had enough of Zeus. Olympus is now split down the middle, and the gods characteristically allowed the conflict to spill over onto earth. Hold on to your hats folks, because like the poor demigods, we have quite the storm to weather.
Most Deserving Of Attention
Before we announce the storybook most deserving of attention during June, we present to you this disclaimer: the members of the Storybook Crew are unbiased in all their decisions and would never- you know what, you won't believe us anyway.
The Curse of the Marie Celeste by @RedBird is a tale of two legendary pirate crews who both seek the same treasure. Each thinks the other is the only thing standing between them and unfathomable wealth and power, but of course, this isn't the case. Known to both crews but believed by neither, the titular ghost ship is wracked by a terrible curse. Which crew will triumph, and will victory simply be misfortune in disguise?
Sadly, the future is not even obscure but desolate, for only one storybooker besides the creator herself has submitted a character profile. Both crews are playable, and from what I've spied, one captain and both first mates are still available. We know you love adventure and pirates, so hop aboard and sail your crew to glory!
Yeah, I knew you wouldn't believe that we could remain objective. Tch.
Best Concept
Who here loves a dragon rider story? *raises hand* Who here loves a dragon rider storybook? *raises both hands* Is there anything better than a dragon rider storybook? That is not a trick question, for there definitely is!
In The Skyriders of R'lyr by legendary roleplayer @FalconryGirl9086, the R'lyran settlers have learned not only to live alongside their draconic and avian neighbours, but also how to entrain and befriend them! Sharing a bond with a dragon, gryphon or roc partner obviously comes with great responsibility; above all else, skyriders must protect the people.
Is there a mysterious threat emerging from within their ranks? Does war approach with the shields and banners of foreign nations? We cannot know, for the cunning DM has kept this secret to herself. The only certainty is that the cast of her latest storybook is in for quite the ride.
Features From The Realm
Around you is a forest. The forest is filled with lush greenery and glowing plants, and the scene is tranquil. That is until you hear a growling from behind you. Stalking you is a massive beast, at least three times your size. The beast is known as… the grangor.
That's right! This month's featured role play from the realm is The Grangor, a story about the hunter and the hunted. The creator of this roleplay is the ever wonderful @soundofmind, an active roleplayer in the forums who never ceases to impress us with the quality of her posts. Not to mention she has reached her bronze longsword, and is quickly approaching her iron longsword, in the brand new Dragon Master Challenge.
Is your Good Story Sense tingling? Then why not read up on the Grangor? I guarantee you it is worth your time!
Featured Geeks
There is a prison, deep within the confines of the Roleplay Geeks. Sorry, let me reword that. There is The Prison, deep within the confines of the Roleplay Geeks. Yes, this month's geek feature is the extremely active Prison, a neat roleplay set in a prison, as one could assume. With multiple participants, this roleplay has gained almost forty pages during June!
Of course, a roleplay is nothing without the creator, and so we now turn to she who started this genius work of roleplaying. She is the queen of the geeks, queen of the roleplays, queen of many things, but most know her as @FalconryGirl9086! That's right, the legend already going for the Dragon Master Chellenge's demonsteel longsword, and having 150 posts in the Roleplay Realm after a mere week! (I expect the number will have gone up by the time this is posted.)
While The Prison is closed to joining, it makes a great read. Thus, consider heading over right now to catch up on what they've produced so far!
Despite being new to the Storybook Crew, the daring Sheyren didn't hesitate to lend his expertise on roleplaying and write the appropriate sections of this newsletter. His fellow crewmates want him to know that his zeal leaves them impressed and proud.
Captain's Challenge: Summer Reading
As Issued By Captain Rydia
One of my favourite things to do in the Summer is to take a book down to the river on a warm day and lose myself until I've forgotten what day it is. Our storyook characters tend to lead lives which are fast-paced, dangerous and exciting but even they should be able to make time for a good book.
So this month's challenge is to include a book in your post. We'll give you 1 credit for mentioning that a book is there and telling us the title of it and 1 more credit if someone is reading the book. And, because we're generous, we'll grant a bonus credit if the book is in some way crucial to your post and has a lasting impact on a characters' life.
That's 3 credits up for grabs and because all great things come in threes, you can claim it up to 3 times.
Your Staff for This Month...
If you require help from your swashbuckling crew this month, approach any of our ships - including that of the newly initiated Sheyren! - while flying the white flag. For the speediest assistance, be sure to display some manner of ice cream emblem on said flag - mods love ice cream, regardless of season. We'd be happy to help, even if you don't bribe us with dessert (although it is still very much recommended).
@Rydia ♦ @AstralHunter ♦ @TheSilverFox ♦ @Wolfical
@TheMaieuticMesmerist ♦ @Mage ♦ @Sassafras ♦ @Lumi ♦ @Sheyren
@TheMaieuticMesmerist ♦ @Mage ♦ @Sassafras ♦ @Lumi ♦ @Sheyren
Most Popular Storybook Genres
At the time this newsletter was submitted, only twelve votes had been cast. Some last-minute rallying and nine hours later, that number had risen to thirty-nine. To all those who voted, your inputs are greatly appreciated.
The increased number of votes not only results in more accurate statistics, but it also made the poll's birthday all the more special. Can you believe it's been running for 369 days already? How time flies. But on to the results! Fantasy is still going strong, standing proud at eleven votes, but Adventure seems to be in just as great a demand; we have a two-way tie for first place! And what a tie it is. The closest genre is Sci-Fi, which claims third place with five votes, barely beating Mystery and Adolescent. It's interesting to see how little things change, even after a year has passed.
Hunger with AstralHunter
Every living creature needs energy to survive, and for animals, this energy is acquired by eating. When our energy runs low, we become hungry and search for food. But this much is obvious. What isn't as obvious is the mechanics behind hunger and the consequences of not eating enough, or at all.
The body's primary source of energy is glucose, which can be obtained from almost all foods. It has to be present in the blood, but excess glucose is stored in the liver as glycogen. As we go about our business during the day, blood glucose is broken down to make this possible, causing its levels to drop. Glycogen is then converted back into glucose to restore balance. Whenever we eat, we essentially replenish our glycogen reserves. This is under normal circumstances.
Of course, if your characters are ever in a situation where food is scare or completely unavailable, you'd want to know what happens next. When the glycogen reserves aren't replenished, the body initiates the starvation response - this happens about one to two days after food consumption has ceased. It then relies primarily on fat reserves for energy, although muscle breakdown also commenses. Once all or most of the body fat has been depleted, full muscle breakdown ensues - this usually happens several days after food consumption has ceased, but varies depending on the individual's body fat.
With the mechanisms out of the way, we can now focus on the signs and symptoms of malnutrition and starvation, which are the interesting parts. The most obvious of these are loss of body weight and fatigue, both physical and mental, caused by energy deficiency. Other symptoms that make sense but aren't immediately obvious include irritability and apathy, so expect your starving characters to be less pleasant - and understandably so, since many of us become cranky if we miss a single meal.
Jokes aside, starvation becomes exponentially worse the longer an individual goes without eating. As their bodies waste away, your characters will become increasingly weaker, interacting less and less with the world until they are too weak to move or even eat. Organs waste away too, so the sense of hunger will be dulled, while the sense of thirst may go away completely. Starving individuals often become dehydrated, so movement is not only made painful by muscle atrophy, but also by extremely dry and cracked skin. And let's not forget that with a weakened body comes a weakened immune system, so the poor souls become more susceptible to disease too...
It doesn't take a genius to deduce that starvation ultimately leads to death. In fact, it was even used as a means of execution throughout the ages. But few of us will ever find the opportunity to starve our characters, so something less extreme is required. This is where specific nutrient deficiencies become ironically useful.
While your adventurers are out completing quests and saving the world, they may find some food groups lacking or absent in their diet. For seagoing characters, fresh fruit and vegetables are especially important, as otherwise, they'll develop the condition that plagued seafarers for eons: scurvy. You can look its symptoms up yourself, but from what I've seen, they're even scarier than that of regular starvation. *shudders* This is why your favourite pirate mods always keep sitrus juice onboard their vessels.
Of course, there are many other nutrient deficiencies from which to choose. Eating only cereal-like foods can lead to pellagra and its distinguishing skin lesions, whereas a lack of meat and/or eggs in the diet can lead to anemia owing to insufficient iron intake. Though it sounds grisly, one can be quite creative with the application, so a little research can go far.
A balanced diet and eating regularly is essential to a healthy diet, but exploring the alternatives can often provide powerful tools for implementing characterisation and thematic messages in writing. Use them sparingly, but do use them if the opportunity arises.
Hear ye, hear ye!
Let it be known that honour and prestige are no longer limited to storybooks! Just as the storybook forum has its Dungeon Master Challenges, so too does the Roleplay Realm now have its own Dragon Master Challenge! For those daring enough to venture forth into the forbidding waters of roleplaying, submitted posts can earn fame and, more importantly, new badges!
What do these new badges look like, you ask? Well, shields are excellent for protecting against the many threats an adventurer must face, but what is a hero without his sword? Your first reward will be a humble bronze longsword, entirely adequate for dispatching weaker monsters. But as your repuation grows, each adoring fan earned will be mirrored by a more powerful enemy to defeat. For those who seek ultimate glory, only the holiest of blades, the Blessed Longsword, will suffice.
Do you have what it takes to survive the perils that await within the Roleplay Realm? If you think you do, then go, test your luck, and prove your might!
Monthly Dragonslayer
This month's featured Dragonslayer may seem harmless, but don't let appearances fool you; beneath the cuteness and warmth of her avvie lies a deadly stalker... Who else can it be but the blue-scarf-wearing, storybook-prowling @CoffeeCat? She is entirely capable of slaying wyrms, I assure you.
Displaying both impressive quantity and fabulous quality in her posts, this feline lady is not one to be underestimated. Her style of storybooking is simple: kind in conduct, yet fierce and elegant in execution. Her contributions are so astounding, even the staunchest of canine supporters would fight to have her on their team. The next time you launch a storybook, be sure to keep some non-decaf coffee in stock for recruitment.
New Challengers in the Ring
There are mysterious forces afoot. We know not whence they came or what their intentions are, but our resident pirate mage claims they are here to stay. Hailing from some obscure, shadowy dimension, the unknowable entity known as @EldritchArchivist, according to rumours, has ventured into the Seven Storybook Seas.
The motives of this being is too secretive to ascertain, even for the all-knowing Big Brother, but as long as they plan to continue storybooking, we who guard these seas shall reserve our broadsides for more sinister visitors. May your tread be silent and welcome.
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