< atton revisited > The information page for Atton has been fully revised and updated with the new map!
< updated calendar > The Fortuna calendar has been updated in the "Other" lore section! This includes a document which displays the calendar for you to see, making it much easier to understand.
< moving map > The first functional map has been released in the News section! This map is also interactive, allowing you to drag and drop between points in order to determine distances. This is the first iteration, and there's more and better to come!
< first annual awards > The results for the First Annual Fortuna Year-End Awards have been posted! Go and take a look at who the finalists were, and who took home the big prizes!
< new default skin > Our new skin has passed the beta test, and is now the new Default for the forums! If you have any issues with this skin, send a PM or Discord to Mellie.
< human lore update > Humans have been updated with TWENTY-FIVE subraces/subcultures which add numerous options, and a little extra lore and flavour.
< magic lore update > Magical Lore has been enhanced with the addition of a post on Magical Education. From Beginner to Expert, this is how you learn the spells.
< a change to member groups > Member groups are now based on storyline! You can change your displayed storyline by editing the settings in your profile.
Welcome to the world of Fortuna, a land of fantastic proportions. This is an original fantasy roleplay that takes place in a world developed over nearly a decade of work and collaboration. We aim to encourage all participants to have a hand in the stories of the characters here, and the world around them. Your choices are key - so make them with pride. You decide who wins the wars, you decide who becomes King, the world is ours, and together we will bring it to life!
Post by Kikuriku Gouken on Dec 15, 2016 16:07:58 GMT -7
When she heard Kiku, the woman was clearly surprised. She fell over in a cartoonish fashion that took every fiber of Kiku’s being not to burst out laughing at, though she immediately corrected herself and tried her best to not look afraid. At the very least, it was commendable. It took a large amount of courage to stand tall against the unknown, and Kiku respected this woman for it.
She demanded that he come out, though he wasn’t sure that he wanted to do that yet. He had first thought to have more fun with her – tease her a little bit about being where she shouldn’t be. But something about her eyes, bright as the sky in the dark of the luggage room, begged Kiku to be honest with her. He felt an immediate closeness to the woman, though he knew not why. Perhaps in a previous life they were something, but he couldn't be sure. And, most importantly, he had to make sure that she would not turn him in. He'd heard rumors about the Captains of vessels such as this; they were huge douchebags.
“Alright, alright. You’ve got me. I’ll come out. But you have to promise me that you won’t scream when you see my face. I’ve been told that it is quite frightening. Monstrous, even.”
As he said these words, Kiku hid in the shadows right behind the woman – so that she would hear his voice as if he were standing a few feet away. He didn’t want to torment the obviously distressed girl. Not much, anyway.
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Dec 15, 2016 16:20:52 GMT -7
The voice promised to come out, and as it did, Tehodis finally managed to get her feet under her. She felt the voice moving, but she still couldn't see where in the world the owner of it was. She peered in the shadows, she looked in each corner... To her vision, he very well had no form.
"A frightening thing I can see is fine," She felt like her words were more to delay the inevitable, she wanted to find this person before they could sneak up on her, "It's the one's I can't see that scare me." She felt a sudden tingling in her arm - the one that didn't exist - and wanted to tell it not now, don't hurt now, don't do anything now, I don't have time for this but she knew it wouldn't listen. A small sparkle of white almost-light formed from the stump, curled around it. The whiteness reached up to her face and tried to move it, tried to make her turn around -- but she reached her real hand over and held it down. Snuffed it out. She was back to just one arm. A real arm.
"Ignore that," She started, glaring down at her arm for a moment before continuing her search. She was afraid of him, yes. But she was going to hide it, or at least try to. And perhaps seeing him - no matter how monstrous he appeared - would calm her. Would make it easier to feel safe. Maybe. She offered the promise he desired with only a little trepidation: "I promise I won't scream. I've probably seen worse."
Post by Vincent Laeretti on Dec 15, 2016 20:36:00 GMT -7
The SSPB's presence as more or less bodyguarding Aissic's Festival of Peace was something that was rather routine and generally uneventful. In previous years there had, of course, been the occasional pirate raid on merchant vessels, those taking advantage of the armored hulls those ships needed to wear, but it was never a major issue. Aside from the damnable Defiled Grail, no pirate crew had ever proven to be much of a problem for the SSPB, and any who dared show their faces in these waters in previous years had been swiftly dealt with.
As such, Vincent had been prepared for this year to be more of the same, more general monotonous duty than anything, with his presence only being required due to the small chance that the Grail, the last pirate crew on the seas, may possibly elect to show up. This year did not, in fact, wind up being more of the same, because Lord Woodrow just had to go and invite Thomas Dunn aboard. Vincent was sure the man was no enchanter, and yet he'd somehow managed to capture Lord Woodrow under his spell, wrapping him around his little finger.
Markus loved to assure Vincent that Tom was the one in his pocket, that he simply found the man entertaining and good company. He was either desperate for friends or else just plain blind to Tom's intentions. Intentions Vincent could not prove - yet - but that he was very well suspicious of.
Tom was a problem. And he was an intelligent problem. For that reason, Vincent preferred to avoid him. He was not afraid of matching wits with the man, not by any means, but Vincent was also intelligent, and knew that the more of your hand you showed to an adversary, the better equipped they'd be to deal with you. Vincent was rather intent on never exposing enough of himself to Thomas Dunn to give him any sort of ammunition against him. So it was rather vexing when Woodrow just had to notice him from up near his private table, while Vincent was actually looking for Miss Kitai to check on how she was faring, and then called him over to join him and Tom.
Tom who was sitting in Vincent's chair.
Vincent frowned when he approached the pair, a slight glower on his face, but he didn't figure Lord Woodrow would find anything unusual about that; Vincent tended to frown and glower as his default expression whenever he was visible in public. As the good doctor was occupying his seat, Vincent elected to remain standing.
"Yes, My Lord?" he asked. "What about the prisoner? I had assumed we were all rather clear on the objective with her."
Not that it didn't leave a poor taste in his mouth. Vincent would never be personally on board with mind control.
Post by Thomas Dunn on Dec 16, 2016 16:47:05 GMT -7
Ah Vincent.
Tom smiled as Woodrow pointed him out. Vincent was such a stoic fellow, but it seemed that stoicism looked more like well-checked annoyance where Tom was concerned. Tom enjoyed it - a lot. Far moreso than Woodrow's pleasant interest in him and his work. Perhaps it was because there was no one who could quite match Tom's wit outside of the man. Even ACACIA-GREEN, who was smarter every day, was far from his grasp. Vincent, on the other hand, had proven himself an even match.
Vincent approached and Tom didn't miss the look he gave to Tom - or rather, the chair Tom was in. It looked second in comfort only to Woodrow's. It must have been Vincent's. Tom made sure to scuff his boot on the legs a little as he adjusted his sitting position... Just to see what Vincent's face would do. "We remain quite clear, true enough. But I noticed that it seemed inefficient. Men like us, Vinnie, men of science, we enjoy efficiency - don't we? I was simply sharing with Mark here that perhaps we ought to look into more effective uses. The girl would prove far more useful if she were back in the hands of the pirates, while remaining in our pockets - don't you think?"
Last Edit: Dec 16, 2016 16:47:53 GMT -7 by Thomas Dunn
Post by Kikuriku Gouken on Dec 18, 2016 4:24:29 GMT -7
Kikuriku watched as something seemed to grip the woman in front of him. Something that could only be described as almost light emanated from the woman’s missing arm-stump-thing and crept toward her face before being pushed away by the woman’s not missing hand. It was all very interesting to watch. She told him to ignore that though, so Kiku obliged. He was not the type of man to disobey a pretty girl.
“Alright, I’m coming out. Remember, you promised.” Kiku half wanted to come out of the shadows glamoured as a hideous beast, just to see what her reaction would be – a large, snarling snout with buck-teeth and no hair. He also thought about how funny it would be to come out as a two-armed version of the woman in front of him, though he suspected that she wouldn’t see the humour in it. Alas, Kiku decided to come out normally.
Emerging from the shadows behind the woman, Kiku held his hands in the air to show that he meant no threat. He was equipped with a dagger, though sheathed, just in case the woman broke her word and began to scream – he would have no dealings with the douchebag captain upstairs.
“I know, I know, I’m a hideous beast. Please, don’t look at me.” Kiku sarcastically pleaded with the woman, though he was concerned that this may come off as condescending. “I’m kidding, you may look at me.”
That’s better.
Kiku surveyed the woman in the light - it was much easier to catch detail when he wasn't shadow-walking - and noticed that the woman was exceptionally beautiful. He dreamed for a moment that they were together on a beach, laughing and dancing with one another in the moonlight. He felt an urge to help the woman in some way, and he was almost sure that she needed help. She only had one arm, how would she open jars or give two people high-fives at the same time? She needed Kiku.
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Dec 18, 2016 11:32:13 GMT -7
Tehodis turned as the voice seemed to find a body behind her - and she almost burst out laughing. Not from hilarity, but from surprise. The man the voice belonged to most certainly wasn't a monster, wasn't hideous, wasn't even unpleasant to look at. In fact, he was exceptionally handsome, and Tehodis quickly felt silly for laughing. She covered her mouth with one hand tried to quell her smile.
"Sorry, sorry -- I didn't promise not to laugh, just not to scream I just..." She lowered her hand as she gathered her composure and her surprised smile had changed to a friendlier one. She didn't recognize the man, and his garb didn't make him look like an SSPB employee, and so she knew she ought to be more official... But if he had been a threat, she likely would have been knocked out or killed by now. At best he was an out of uniform newbie, at worst - a stowaway. And did she have a right to 'apprehend' a stowaway when she was in the exact same boat hardly a year ago? No, she really didn't. Besides, she wanted to know more about him. He was already more interesting than most of the people on-board. "Who are you?"
Last Edit: Dec 18, 2016 11:32:37 GMT -7 by Tehodis Kitai
Post by Kikuriku Gouken on Dec 18, 2016 14:41:49 GMT -7
Laughter wasn’t what Kiku was expecting when he revealed himself, but he was happy to see the girl smile. She had such a tense look on her face as he watched her from the shadows; it was refreshing to see a softer face. He smiled as she laughed and bumbled over herself trying to gain her composure.
She asked who he was, and he didn’t know exactly how to answer her. If she was a crewmember of the ship, he couldn’t tell her the truth – even if she did seem happy to see him. Kiku, however, felt that the benefits of telling the truth far outweighed the dangers of it. Thoughts of romantic candlelit dinners and late night thefts by the beach danced in his head, and it took more than a little effort to usher them aside.
“My name is Kikuriku Gouken. I’m uh… I’m honestly not supposed to be here. I’m hitching a ride on this beautiful boat to Aissic, so that I can find someone – or something – at the Peace Festival.” Kiku dusted off his shirt to simulate that he was hidden underneath some of the luggage, even though his clothes had no dust on them.
“I’d appreciate it if you could keep my secret, Mrs…” Kiku trailed off, waiting for the beautiful woman’s reply – hopefully something along the lines of ‘Mrs. Gouken’.
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Dec 18, 2016 16:01:43 GMT -7
"Kitai, Tehodis Kitai" She filled in quickly, not ascribing to her usual tentativeness. She even offered her hand to shake. Yes, he was certainly a stowaway, which was technically a crime, which made him technically a criminal... But, it wasn't really a crime. She had done it, and received a job in place of handcuffs. Yes, Woodrow had his own reasons for such a thing... But she supposed that she too, had her own reasons to offer a blind eye to this Kikuriku. Outside of his handsomeness. Still, even if he wasn't a criminal, the professionalism she pretended to have would normally precede her name with -- "Officer Kitai, I guess - but! Don't worry... Your secret's safe with me."
Outside of just generally finding this man trustworthy, she wanted to help him. It was odd. She knew almost nothing about him... But he had made her forget about her predicament for the first time in weeks. It was refreshing. She was smiling, and the muscles in her face seemed to almost strain with the unfamiliarity of the movement. She had missed smiling. "This ship is certainly big enough for a few more passengers," She continued, "I don't think anyone will mind, so long as you're not planning on terrorizing us, or the people of Aissic... What - or who - are you looking for? The Peacekeepers are quite able to find most, perhaps I could offer you some assistance?"
Last Edit: Dec 18, 2016 23:29:47 GMT -7 by Tehodis Kitai
Post by Markus Woodrow on Dec 19, 2016 7:52:19 GMT -7
Woodrow smiled as Vincent approached. Ah Vincent, one of his favourite people. And here was Tom, another of his favorites. If only Tehodis could get over what happened and be here next to him as well, perhaps perched behind his chair, obediently smiling behind him. Perhaps absently rubbing his shoulders as he spoke business with the other men. But alas, such was not the case. At least he had Tom and Vincent.
"Evidently his technology works even from long distances, isn't that impressive, Vincent?" Woodrow leaned back in his chair, and hand moving to his chin in thought, "But, I know you're the kind to want to offer your thoughts, and I'll gladly take them."
Post by Vincent Laeretti on Dec 19, 2016 14:23:06 GMT -7
It took every fiber of Vincent's being to remain nonplussed when Thomas said his piece, and it bothered him even more when Lord Woodrow did not even make comment on the brazen nicknames the repugnant man spat from his lips. Vincent closed his eyes.
"Doctor Dunn, please refrain from ever referring to me by that name again. I will have you call me by my proper name, or not at all."
With that matter cleared up, he now directed his attention to Lord Woodrow, practically ignoring the fact that Tom was present right next to him.
"Impressive or no, there are a number of risks that come of using anyone as a double agent, especially when that double agent was, originally, one of their own. I am indeed a man of science, and that is why I know that hypotheses can never be known for certain, no matter how much available data, without extensive field testing. Do correct me if I am mistaken, but I don't believe Dunn's newer technology has seen very much of said field testing."
He made sure to stress the word 'newer'. He still was not looking at Thomas, but he wanted the man to know what he suspected; this was certainly not Tom's first foray into the mind control department, and Vincent had been able to do enough digging already to come to his own conclusions about what Tom had possibly been involved with in the past.
Not enough digging to prove anything solid. Not yet.
In any case, the version of the tech Tom had supposedly proposed to Lord Woodrow was a newer model than what he'd been up to previously. And Vincent knew he was likely correct in his assumption that it had not received an extensive deal of testing.
"Imagine, if you will My Lord, that we go through with leaving the girl with the Grail, whom have already eluded capture for years. And then imagine that any number of factors, such as swallowing sea water of high salinity by mistake, being surrounded with thousands of foreign smells, having her willpower pushed to its limits by her warring loyalties, due to her fellow pirates being right by her side while her distant controller is nowhere to be seen, or even simply being killed while on assignment; imagine that any one of these factors could affect the girl in ways Doctor Dunn perhaps has not accounted for, or that he feels his remote technology can bypass. Imagine that it fails, and the girl regains control of herself, and we once again lose track of both her and the Grail. Now, with all of that firmly in mind, how do you suppose you would cope with that level of humiliation when victory was already firmly in grasp?"
Vincent could certainly see the appeal of using a double agent for this task, as it could improve the overall success rate of pirate elimination compared to simply being led to them. It could help them orchestrate a more sophisticated trap, with this girl as the heart of the operation. But Vincent also didn't like Thomas, nor his shady motives for suggesting the move. And while Vincent certainly took up the counterpoint for little more reason than to give a firm, metaphorical middle finger to the other scientist, he also was personally opposed to utilizing his unethical mind control technology any more than was strictly necessary.
There was no need to prolong the suffering of the girl they now knew as Katerine Vexler. She should finish her function quickly and then face her punishment for her crimes. And Vincent knew that the potential of humiliation would be a major point of contention for Woodrow.
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