STORYTELLERS a forum game *Clarkman wins*

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Night Seven - Audience Elects*
by Clarkman » Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:47 am

So am I writer?

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Night Seven - Audience Elects*
by That » Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:52 am

I think so! Go for it.

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Night Seven - Audience Elects*
by Clarkman » Sun Feb 17, 2019 4:06 pm

Sorry guys, had to rush this one out. Sundays are fairly busy and I have friends over, so resolution may be up late tonight. I have it all planned out though.

Day Eight

The twists and turns of Gnamer river ease into a narrow strait. In the distance, the baby blue glow of Sonmountain. The four surviving pilgrims smile for the first time in what feels like days.

“We’ve nearly there,” Clarkman says. “The promised land.”

“Do you think R.E.L.I.C. will know we’re here?” Jenuall asks.

“They seem to have agents everywhere. They must surely be keeping track of us,” says Hulohot.

“Well,” Ironhide says, “We know from the Rogue Mod that R.E.L.I.C. are confused if we do something unstructured. They would have been expecting us to navigate Gnamer river on the Lionboat, so perhaps we’ve thrown them off by simply wading upstream.”

“Well how could we sneak into the Mod Room in an unstructured way?” says Clarkman. “And how will we even find it?”

The group debate their options as they press forwards up the river, into the foothills of Sonmountain.

“What’s that?” asks Hulohot, pointing to a small creature, wandering aimlessly by the riverbank.

“STEEEEEVE?” cries the creature, its fans whirring. “Where are you Steve?”

“Is that an Xbox 360?” asks Clarkman. "I haven't seen one of those in years."

The Xbox wanders towards the pilgrims – its red ring flashing weakly.

“Are any of you Steve? Steve sent me away for repair, and Lord Gates fixed me, but I never made it home. It's been so long - I've forgotten his User ID - I have no idea what he even looks like! I need to make it back to the Mod Room before the next gen starts.”

“Umm,” says Jenuall. “It may be too late little guy.”

“What?!” whirrs the Xbox, panicked. “But, but – Gears of War 2 must be out any day now! Steve will be waiting to play!”

“Quiet guys,” Clarkman says, whispering to the rest of the group. “This could be our ticket inside the Mod Room.”

“Of course we’ll help you little guy,” says Ironhide, sitting the Xbox down on top of the stool. “You’re safe with us.”

“Hurray!” says the Xbox. “I’ll be back online in no time! I can’t wait to see if Castle Crashers is on LIVE Arcade yet!”

In the horizon, Hulohot spots a great spire, adorned with intricate stone carvings of Pacman and a Space Invader.

“Look!” exclaims Hulohot. “There it is! As was foretold by James Radar! That must be Grailtopia!”

The group pick up pace, Ironhide leading the way, stool and Xbox in hand.

As they approach, they see the spire sits atop a grand castle. Closer, the pilgrims see two entrances, marked FEEDBACK and TRADING POST.

“I don’t see The Mod Room,” says Clarkman.

“I guess that makes sense,” says Jenuall. “It would be invisible to us. We don’t have their powers.”

“Well, I guess should split up and meet inside,” says Ironhide. “It would probably make sense for me to take the Xbox to the TRADING POST and ask around for Steve.”

“And I’ll go to FEEDBACK to check if anyone’s achieved more than me in the last year,” says Clarkman.

Hulohot and Jenuall – which of you will join Ironhide in the TRADING POST, and which of you will join Clarkman in FEEDBACK?

Last edited by Clarkman on Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Night Seven - Audience Elects*
by Ironhide » Sun Feb 17, 2019 6:10 pm

The Trading Pos sounds like a perfectly safe place.

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Day Eight - Clarkman*
by OrangeRKN » Sun Feb 17, 2019 6:18 pm

Good work keeping this going on a Sunday Clarkman! Looking forward to the conclusion and how we'll be set up for the finale.

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Day Eight - Clarkman*
by Jenuall » Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:25 pm

Nice stuff, I'll head to FEEDBACK. I don't trust that 360 so it must be the safer option ... :lol:

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Day Eight - Clarkman*
by Clarkman » Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:42 pm

For those unfamiliar with the adventures of Steve's 360, check out the videos here. One of the all time classic GR photoshop adventures.

Conclusion will be up by 10pm.

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Day Eight - Clarkman*
by mic » Sun Feb 17, 2019 9:49 pm

Er, hate to bring this up... but am I, like, the ghost of mic, or what? Could’ve sworn that pesky pest previously put paid to any further adventuring on my part.

Just to rock the boat as much as possible, I too wish to head for FEEDBACK (I don’t like the sound of the TRADING POST at all)!

Edit: also, Clarkman, tell your friends to bugger off - this is serious business! ;-)

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Day Eight - Clarkman*
by Clarkman » Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:06 pm

Apologies! I meant Hulohot! Told you I was rushing! Still writing. Need a little longer...

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Day Eight - Clarkman*
by Clarkman » Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:24 pm

Day Eight - Conclusion

“I’ll join you, Clarkman,” says Jenuall. “Let’s do this.”

The doors of FEEDBACK swing open with a rusty creak. An engulfing darkness lays ahead of the pair.

“We have to be brave,” says Clarkman. “For the good of GRcade. To honour the memory of our lost friends.”

A meek voice calls to them from the darkness. “Lost friends? We have lost yet more friends?”

As they step beyond the threshold, lights slowly trigger on – what lays ahead of them is unmistakable. FEEDBACK is a graveyard. There are hundreds, maybe thousand of headstones, stretching back as far as the eye can see.

“Is there someone in here?” calls out Jenuall. “Reveal yourself.”

“Down here,” comes the voice.

Clarkman and Jenuall look down to see a small, green lizard darting around the floor, from tombstone to tombstone. It seems to be making repairs – doing maintenance.

“Who are you?” asks Clarkman. “What are you doing?”

“I am Gecko – saviour of this place. I preserve the memories of those who we have lost. This is where we honour and remember those who are Missing In Action, and track those who change their identity.”

Clarkman and Jenuall look at the headstones more closely. Among the nearest, they recognise the names of their fallen comrades: Karl, Drumstick, OrangeRKN, Somebody Else’s Problem... Clarkman is overcome with emotion - upon seeing the grave of Gandalf, a tear comes to his eye.

“The Wasp creature foretold of a challenge,” whispers Jenuall to his partner. “The Word of Gecko – she said it would be impossible – that is was rigged.”

“Gecko,” says Clarkman. “We honour your work and give you great thanks for this most sacred place.”

“Are you saying you’d like to make a donation?!” says the Gecko, pausing for a moment and looking at the pilgrims hopefully.

“Not right now, but maybe next month,” says Jenuall, causing the Gecko to lose interest and recommence scurrying from tombstone to tombstone.

“We have come to find the GRail,” Jenuall continues. “To save the kingdom of GRcade and unite us once more.”

“Then you must pass my test – The Word of Gecko. Pass and I will appoint you both as Moderators. Only then may you enter the Mod Room where the GRail is kept.”

“Perfect! What is your test?” ask Clarkman and Jenuall in unison.

“One of your party – the one you knew as Quantum Name. You must find his one true resting place.”

“That sounds simple enough,” says Clarkman. “We’ll just look for the gravestone marked ‘Quantum Name’.”

“If only it were so easy – for your friend had quite fantastic powers. He could change his name by will. He is responsible for 90% of the Gravestones here. I could cut my work down significantly if we could just find his one true resting place.”

“This is impossible!” says Jenuall. “Just as the wasp forewarned. It would take forever to go through every name here.”

“Wait – I remember something,” says Clarkman. “Days ago, back when Karl was among us – didn’t he call Quantum Name something different?”

“You know the fallen Promised Child?” says the Gecko, scuttling up to them. “Karl was my finest lieutenant. He had a system to do the maintenance here automatically. Since Karl died, I’ve been doing this all manually. Karl held the kind of wisdom only a child can possess – he knew things by their true name!”

“Karl called Quantum Name ‘Dan’!” says Jenuall. “

“Dan!” squeaks the Gecko. “So simple! A thousand thanks! I appoint you both Moderators.”

Jenuall and Clarkman both feel a surge of power rush through them. Reaching into their pockets, they find a lock and a mallet – from the ceiling of the Graveyard, a heavenly staircase descends.

“Take these extra two Guest Passes for your friends,” says the lizard, handing two extra Locks to the pilgrims. “The Mod Room is up there – at the top of the Path of Scotticus – do you know the password?”

“Beefburgers,” the pilgrims say, smiling.

“Oh no!” says the Gecko. “That hasn’t been the password in years. Not since the Rogue Mod hacked the servers. We changed it immediately afterwards. To pass the Path of Scotticus and gain access to the Mod Room, you must know a much more ancient password. A password that may have been with you all along. But go forth! The GRail awaits you!”

“Not yet,” says Clarkman. “We need Ironhide and Hulohot to join us. Let’s go find them.”

-------

Ironhide and Hulohot knock at the doors of the Trading Post. The Xbox whirrs to itself, attempting to connect to the wifi.

“Hello? We have a delivery for Steve! Is anyone there?”

The door cracks open a notch and a strange man steps out. The man wears a bowler hat and is wrapped in a Union Flag, worn like a toga.

“I am Richard,” says the creature. “I am the guardian of Somnmountain and Lord of the Trading Post. The one you call Steve does not take kindly to being disturbed.”

“We have found his Xbox,” says Ironhide. “We must return it to him.”

“Okay then,” says Richard. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. The Breath of Steve is a mighty test to survive.”

Richard leads the pilgrims to a dark corner of the Feedback Thread, where a hunched creature sits, refreshing an eBay listing for a PS3.

“…external hard-drive…,” the creature mumbles. As it speaks, a smell of rotten fish and eggs wafts towards them.

“Steve,” says Richard, touching the creature’s shoulder.

“I DON’T WANT NO PSPs, Fanboy,” snaps the creature, aggressively brushing off Richard’s hand.

“It’s me, Richard – I have some guests. They say they’ve found something of yours.”

“We have found an Xbox 360, Steve,” says Ironhide. “It thinks it belongs to you.”

“STEVE!” whirrs the Xbox in joy. “I am home!”

Steve looks over his shoulder at the Xbox.

“I don’t care about that any more,” he grunts, grabbing the 360 off the stool and flinging it against the wall.

The Xbox screams a sad wail and whirrs its last – the Red Rings of death fading to grey.

“How could you be so heartless?” Hulohot says.

“HEARTLESS?” roars Steve, rising to his feet. He is a giant – his arms tattooed with the Pacman and Space Invader Symbols from the spire of the castle. “I AM THE REASON YOU ARE HERE. YOU DARE TO CALL ME HEARTLESS? DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? I AM THE CREATOR OF THIS PLACE. I DID THIS OUT OF MY LOVE FOR YOU. I GAVE MY HEART TO THE FORUM, BUT IT ALL FALLS APART ANYWAY.”

Steve reaches one mighty arm out and grabs Hulohot by the neck, throwing him across to the same wall as the Xbox. He hits the wall with a hard thud and falls to the floor in a heavy heap.

Ironhide takes a step back, holding up the stool to defend himself.

“Please Steve, we love the kingdom of GRcade also! We have come to save it by finding the GRail and bringing peace to the forum.”

“PEACE?” roars Steve. “Only a fool would want peace in GRcade. In peaceful times, a forum dies. When there is peace, there is no argument. And argument is the spine of the kingdom. The nature of the community is dependent on disagreement – on different opinions. The GRail must be locked away for the forum to survive!”

“Well, R.E.L.I.C. are trying to…”

“R.E.L.I.C. work for me!” says Steve. “They keep order. They are loyal. Not like those who abandoned us. Who fill out the graveyard next door. I will keep everyone locked inside, and everything will be like it always was!”

“Ironhide!” call familiar voices from the entrance to the TRADING POST. It is Clarkman and Jenuall, beckoning to their friend. "We've found the way to the Mod Room! Come quickly."

Ironhide throws the stool at Steve’s head, knocking him back and stunning him for a moment.

“RUN!” yells Richard. “I will lock the door behind you. Save yourself!”

“But what about Hulohot,” says Ironhide. “My friend!”

Hulohot raises himself from the floor on one arm. “Go on without me, Ironhide. Save yourself, join the others. Complete the mission.”

Ironhide hesitates for a moment, then turns and runs to the door, joining Clarkman and Jenuall. With a great slam, Richard shuts the door behind them. As they turn away to face the Path of Scotticus to the Mod Room, they are left with the sounds of Hulohot’s screams.

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Finale*
by OrangeRKN » Mon Feb 18, 2019 12:11 am

This is all... surprisingly gripping and dramatic :lol:

We're now in the finale. Clarkman, Jenuall and Ironhide should now all post their own ending to the story in which they alone survive to claim the GRail. Once all three are posted, we as the audience will vote for our canon ending and the winner of the game.

I'm excited :toot:

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Finale*
by Clarkman » Mon Feb 18, 2019 12:29 am

OrangeRKN wrote:This is all... surprisingly gripping and dramatic :lol:

We're now in the finale. Clarkman, Jenuall and Ironhide should now all post their own ending to the story in which they alone survive to claim the GRail. Once all three are posted, we as the audience will vote for our canon ending and the winner of the game.

I'm excited :toot:


Can I make a suggestion? So we're not influencing each other's stories, why don't we send them to you and you can post them 'anonymously' at the same them, then let the audience vote on a 'winner'.

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Finale*
by OrangeRKN » Mon Feb 18, 2019 8:08 am

Sure thing, good idea!

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Finale*
by Herdanos » Mon Feb 18, 2019 8:30 am

Brilliant work Clarkman.

I'm excited to read the possible finales!

Once this is over, someone ought to put the entire story together in one post. This deserves a wider audience than those following the thread - I bet most current members would find something to enjoy about our tale!

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Finale*
by Hulohot » Mon Feb 18, 2019 8:51 am

Killed by Steve :lol: :fp:

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Finale*
by Hulohot » Mon Feb 18, 2019 8:53 am

Maybe the winner, if they so choose, could write the beginning scenario /goals for a season 2, be it a continuation or something brand new.

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Finale*
by Jenuall » Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:01 am

Awesome work Clarkman! :toot:

What time scale are we working on for submitting our finale's? I'm not sure I'm going to get much time to write anything until this evening unfortunately.

Hulohot wrote:Maybe the winner, if they so choose, could write the beginning scenario /goals for a season 2, be it a continuation or something brand new.


Renewed for season 2 before season 1 has even finished, the mark of a great production. :datass:

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Finale*
by OrangeRKN » Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:15 am

Jenuall wrote:What time scale are we working on for submitting our finale's? I'm not sure I'm going to get much time to write anything until this evening unfortunately.


Lets say finales written sometime today so we can vote on a winner tonight and tomorrow.

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Finale*
by Hulohot » Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:19 am

Love how Ironhide wanted to die all along to avoid writing, and now has the finale to do :lol:

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PostRe: STORYTELLERS a forum game *Finale*
by Herdanos » Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:43 am

Hulohot wrote:Love how Ironhide wanted to die all along to avoid writing, and now has the finale to do :lol:


The irony of this wasn't lost on me either!

Ironyhide. :lol:

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