STORYTELLERS a forum game *Clarkman wins*

[OrangeRKN]

What an optimistic start, with volunteers and consensus aplenty! We'll see how long that lasts

Day One - Conclusion
Karl and DarkRula elected

DarkRula waits until the man is some distance away along the road, and then sets off in stealthy pursuit. ​Karl follows some distance again behind and walking in the open, his destination instead the church. Before long the man has turned off the road and disappeared into the surrounding country, and ​DarkRula with him, leaving ​Karl alone as instructed as he approaches the stone chapel.

A small building in the Norman style, the wooden doors swing freely open. Inside the church is empty bar one person sitting on the second row pew. ​Karl recognises him as the man from before.

"How did you-"

"Get here so quick?" ventures the man, rising to his feet. "The organisation I work for grants its representatives many useful abilities. It comes with the nature of our work. For example, I know you had me followed."

The man's eyes narrow and he points to the ceiling. ​Karl looks up to see ​DarkRula suspended from the rafters, frozen in some kind of blue crystal, eyes captured wide open in shock and surprise.

"I had hoped we might work together, your group and mine, but you have proven yourself untrusworthy. I was going to tell you about R.E.L.I.C, and our quest for the Holy GRail, and how our extensive research has narrowed down its location to the Kingdom of Grailtopia, far to the west of here. But I'm not going to tell you any of that. Instead I'm going to kill you."

From his cloak the man pulls a handgun and aims it directly at ​Karl.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way."

The man fires, the bullet piercing straight through ​Karl's heart, killing him instantly. At the same time the cross above the altar glows with an unearthly light and the man cries out in pain, dropping the handgun to the flagstone floor as it glows red hot.

"Ah, to kill in a Church, I had forgotten the rules..." he grimaces.

The man reaches into his pocket with his unburned hand and pulls out a small wax idol, muttering some words over it. With a crackle of electricity a shimmering portal appears in front of him. He steps through into the void, the portal closing shut behind him, leaving ​DarkRula suspended in crystal above ​Karl's stilled body.

Some time passes, and hearing nothing the rest of the group arrive at the church. After the initial shock of finding ​Karl's corpse pooled in blood, someone spots ​DarkRula suspended from the ceiling, and with careful effort he is lowered to the ground. The crystallisation appears to be wearing off, first around ​DarkRula's head, reviving him and allowing him to recount what happened in the church below. He probably won't be back to normal for a full day, but at least he's alive.

Now the group had a destination - Grailtopia. They couldn't have wished for a better start to their journey!

[Hulohot]

R.I.P in peace Karl

[That]

At least I died doing what I loved.

[OrangeRKN]

RIP Karl indeed, although I think he probably saw that one coming

It's now the night phase, which means the election of a new storyteller. If any player wants to put themselves forward as storyteller for tomorrow, now is the time to do so. The vote is up to the audience i.e. anyone who isn't a player still in the game (that includes Karl now he is dead). Voting ends at 9am.

It'll be more fun if we rotate about, but it no one else volunteers I'm available as storyteller again just so we're not left hanging.

Hopefully today is a decent enough example to start us off. I tried not to write too much, but if it seems like a lot don't be intimidated, there is no minimum word count required (my example in the rules can attest to that).

[That]

RIP Karl indeed, although I think he probably saw that one coming

(Well, I knew it was 50/50, and figured it would be more fun to gamble now than just sit in the background during the week I was hoping DarkRula would be the one to die...)

[Clarkman]

I will put myself forward as storyteller for this evening.

[Jenuall]

The man fires, the bullet piercing straight through ​Karl's heart, killing him instantly.

...

They couldn't have wished for a better start to their journey!

Harsh

Nice opening OR, I'm excited to see where this leads next! I'm going to sit out volunterring for writing duties for tomorrow, it's a busier day for me and I can't see me having the time to write anything decent - if I survive beyond that then I'll be all over it!

[Ironhide]

I'm fine with that.

+1 for Clarkman.

[SEP]

Clarkman will achieve more tonight than most people will in a lifetime. He gets my vote.

[That]

Interested to see what Clarkman wants to write! +1

[Herdanos]

I will also vote for Clarkman

[DarkRula]

I was hoping DarkRula would be the one to die...

I was half expecting it to be me, and reading through, I thought it would right up until the point it wasn't.

Um, I mean... You heartless monster.

[Clarkman]

If I write up something, would people prefer it posted now or in the morning?

[OrangeRKN]

If I write up something, would people prefer it posted now or in the morning?

I'm pretty sure you're going to win the vote so if you won't be around in the morning, post it up now.

[mic]

If I write up something, would people prefer it posted now or in the morning?

The sooner the better. I’d vote for you, but that’s an audience job?

[Clarkman]

DAY TWO

“Should we bury him?”

The group have propped Karl’s corpse against the Church wall – his head slumped forward in what might be mistaken for prayer.

“There’s no time,” says DarkRula, his voice weak. “We have to move. We have to head west immediately.”

“You’re being heartless,” Drumstick says. “Does the legend of the GRail mean nothing to you? The GRail is supposed to unite us – it is supposed to represent the values we once shared.”

“That murdering bastard must have a very different sense of values,” says Ironhide, fury in his eyes. “Do we trust what he says about Grailtopia? It could be a trap. It seems too easy.”

“He spoke of rules,” DarkRula says. “He was not supposed to shoot in the Church. There must be others – his kind must have a weakness.”

“We have no other leads,” says Hulohot. “We won’t make the same mistakes again. Perhaps we could head to the Great Library – there are surely answers there, and it is west of here anyway, by the Lake of Strawberry Float. We could make it there before sundown.”

The group reluctantly agrees to leave Karl’s corpse behind, and head on, towards the Great Library. Jenuall leads a prayer in the Old Language of GRcade in memory of their fallen champion.

There are no wolves among us,
No fools of gooseberry hue.
We rip in peace and heartache,
In memory of you.

So better seven than eight,
What goes on toast does stay.
To ten more years of trolling,
Let Scotty point the way.

By the time the group reaches the lake, it is dark and the waters are choppy. A candle light flickers in the library entrance window.

“It is late,” says Somebody Else’s Problem. “We can’t all head in – it would be too suspicious, and our mission must remain secret. Clearly, we have enemies. Our most scholarly member of the party should head inside to research through the night while the rest of us find shelter.”

“And what about tomorrow?” says Mic. “We’ll need to cross the lake in the morning if we are to eventually reach Grailtopia. Someone will need to find us a boat.”

The group needs to pick one member to head into the Library to research, and one member to find a boat to cross the lake.

Voting closes at 9pm Monday

[Hulohot]

Terrific writing from both of you storytellers so far, well done! What a beautiful prayer Clarkman.

I suppose the Grand Library was my idea, so I'll be up for volunteering for either of the two job positions.

Also, do dead people get to be storyteller?

[Herdanos]

Terrific writing from both of you storytellers so far, well done! What a beautiful prayer Clarkman.

I suppose the Grand Library was my idea, so I'll be up for volunteering for either of the two job positions.

Also, do dead people get to be storyteller?

I'm not sure that they can. My understanding is that they can't. But they can still participate as the audience.

As far as I can tell the immunity/ risk of death only comes from being involved in the story, not having written the story itself. So - unless I've gotten this all wrong! - Orange Rakoon could be nominated today - it's only DarkRula and Clarkman that can't (as well as Karl, as he's dead).

Anyway, as for today's vote - I'm going to propose that we send hulohot to the library, because he suggested it, and was appropriately scholarly in doing so. And I'll also suggest that we nominate that proud mackem, Somebody Else's Problem, to acquire us a seafaring vessel of some kind - I'm confident he'll deliver the goods.

And I'm not putting myself forward simply because of self-preservation - as I'd like to contribute tomorrow's part of the tale!

[OrangeRKN]

Exactly right Dan, DarkRula is safe from the vote as he was up yesterday (he's still partially crystallised), as is Clarkman as the storyteller. Any other living player (including myself) is fair game.

Only living players can be the storyteller, which does mean that most likely not everyone gets to do it in a game. The idea is to make the game somewhat competitive as nominations are basically a vote to lynch one of the two players, with the storyteller getting the final decision. Dead players now in the audience could elect a storyteller who promises to avenge them, for example, or players might form voting blocks to protect themselves from nomination.

Maybe everyone will decide they don't like the rules as they are, but hey you can't know how something is going to work until you try it

I'll add my vote to Hulohot for staying the night alone in the spooky library. Drumstick is quiet, so I'll vote for him to go find us a boat.

Also what a great prayer

[Hulohot]

It's been nice knowing you all. I've always wanted to die in a library.