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CAVE STATUS
QUESTS/EVENTS
Torrential downpours cause localized flooding and many upset cats. Along with these frequent rain, from gentle drizzles to heavy rainfall, there seems to be a flux of Magicka drawn in particular to water sources. Occasional jet streams of warm air make narrower tunnels harder to navigate. On occasion, the rain intensifies, becoming howling storms with sleet or large hail. However, the temperatures overall are a little warmer, with snow and ice in temperate caves somewhat receding.
Sep 26 2020, 12:30 AM (This post was last modified: Sep 28 2020, 10:07 AM by Sharp.)
gasp I wrote it all down
So this is a potential group of creepy, vaguely religious fairy... things... who do hijinks and whatever else they want. The core idea is a group of rcs with body plans being some mixture of humanoid and invertabrate (see Matthieu's WIP profile as an example) who believe they hatched for a reason and that the caves are their stage. They form themselves into a little fairy group and slowly attract like-minded peeps to their domain.
Neutral to the existence of Chaos or Order; very, very chaotic. Seriously.
Of course, given the fact it'll require quite a few RCS and threads to kick off, chances are this won't ever happen. At least, not for a long time. But hey, tell me what you think! Should I change or adapt certain parts of this? I wanna know ^_^
THE FAIR FOLK "Up the airy mountain, down the rushy glen, we dare not go a hunting, for fear of little men."
The Fair Folk is an attempt at building a culturally-rich and unique group based loosely off medieval European fairies. And no, not the kind of cute, sparkly fairies from kids movies. I mean the kind of strange, otherworldly fairies that lure children into the woods just for the kick of it. Fairy Folk life revolves around finding those like them and indulging in risk.
------
THE BASICS
The Fair Folk live in the darkest corners of Tunnel F (subject to change), among the groves of ancient trees. It's main camp is called The Court: various dens and houses carved amongst the branches and connected by tunnels. The largest alcove, tucked beneath overgrown ceiling lights, is filled with various trinkets and goods for common use. Members are encouraged to go out and explore, so long as they bring back something (physical or abstract) to share with the group. Stolen commodities are especially valued.
While they have a strong reliance on cultural codes, politics are largely a foreign idea. They live for the thrill of doing so, taking risks and worshipping their various spirits. No though is given for trivial subjects like morality.
Aesthetic: Twisting woods, occult, insects, body horror, cool colors, old fairy tales
Archetypes: Tricksters, liars, merchants, criminals, lawless types and those who simply do not fit in. Chaotic ranging from good to evil; lawful gembound are looked down upon.
Requirements: Invertebrate and/or Humanoid features (can be hybrids), but past that is fair game. The Fair Folk are oddly tight-knit and may look down on those who do not appear "fairy-like". Other species must prove their worth to the Court to join.
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THE CULTURE
The Fair Folk are a superstitious lot, but a concrete religion will likely only develop in-character. The one thing certain is their belief that half-humanoid, half-insect gembound ("Fairies") were created and brought together for a reason-- a special reason. Whatever this reason is is debatable, but the belief that such creatures should seek each other out and support one another is one of the founding ideas of the Folk.
Everything past that gets a bit more... strange. As mentioned before, the Fair Ones have a very weak system of morality, and anything not related to faith is essentially fair game. Instead, activities are typically ranked by it's level of risk. The higher the chance of failure or defeat, the more noble it is in fairy society. Since crime is typically a high-risk activity, many gembounds become criminals by definition. The worst thing you can be among the Folk is a coward.
Personal property is a concept only weakly understood. Most things, including food and shelter, are shared equally among the members. Equal exchange is upheld, though, so anyone who takes from communal supplies must bring back something in turn. This can lead to not-so-stellar... incidents with outsiders.
A major facet in the fairy culture are names. Each fairy has two names: their True Name and their False Name. True Names can be anything, are considered sacred, and only to be shared with close companions; False Names typically describe a physical attribute or aspiration ("Five Black Stripes", "Swift as Water") and are used in public contexts.
Of course, it's not all fun-and-games in the Court. For one, they can get pretty prejudiced against greaters without "fairy-like" body plans. For a non-fairy to be initiated they must go through the confusing Trial of Worth: an arbritary and luck-based test where your chances of getting in rest wholly on how well you entertain the audience.
Sep 29 2020, 05:22 PM (This post was last modified: Sep 30 2020, 07:51 AM by Sharp.)
Content Warning This post contains potentially sensitive material:
Warning for Entomophobia and Body horror!
PREMADE ADOPTABLE... THINGS?
this kinda exploded on discord aaa--
So an idea I had since the beginning of this little fairy cult were free designs in the style of premade adoptables for anyone who wanted one! These are free/pwyw (ya gotta save your magicka for the slot!) and just, uh, reply below or ping me on discord if you want to claim one!
I tried not to make any of these too strange (looking at u gartys with your plant winery), but feel free to add as many creepy parts as you desire! If you like the lineart of one of them but want to change their looks, just let me know and I'll edit it for you (or send you the file if you want to do it yourself).
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DESIGNS
All designs have been CJ-approved!
Skin swapped for shell and shell swapped for skin. False Name(s): Blue Faced, Walks Like Rain Element: Water Stone: Tangerine Quartz Traits: A sort of "Mantis-saur" standing just under six feet. Their lower, more insectoid half is actually made out of skin and muscle, while the upper half is spotted blue carapace. This makes their legs very good at contorting, and ensures each step is a fleshy thump-- that's where she gets one possible false name from. A mane of coarse hair rings their face, which has five purple eyes and antennae. Mandibles, shaped somewhat like human teeth, can reach up to six inches away from the mouth. A biological cape made of skin sits on their back. Their ginger stone rests in a collar around their shoulders.
Analytical, calm, with a strange curiosity in what makes gembounds tick. A bit of a social outcast given her caution. Reserved by Dove!
Fair and splendid, lest you mind the gaping hole in his heart. False Name(s): Prince of the Woods, Pale Crown, False Prince Element: Arcane Stone: Diamond Traits: At first glance, The Prince looks like a regal, fanged cervine with a strange something hugging their sides. Of course, that diamond-crowned head isn't real. It has no eyes, or mouth, or even a brain, simply a moving dummy. Their real head sits inside their chest-- red-eyed, and dark, and slimy, and with far too many sharp mandibles. It can reach out from a slit in their chest to strike at prey. Two of their arms are internal, while the rest of the body juts out near the spine and hugs it's torso. Sometimes ooze and bodily fluids drip from the slit.
Graceful, interested in the arts, a bit stuck-up. Likes to lure travellers into unsafe locations by pretending to be in danger. Reserved by Bluebird!
Spindly doll limbs creeping in shadow: the mark of the moth beast. False Name(s): Big Sister Element: Light Stone: Tahitian Pearl Traits: Nearly ten feet tall and full of muscle, Big sister is a force to be reckoned with. Her body is a deep brown with white accents, built very similar to most moths. However, those legs are human legs, the fur coating their body is human hair, and even those orange wings are modified human arms. Each arm/leg packs surprisingly more punch than you'd expect, but aren't very nimble. Two hairy tentacles bud from her head and can reach out to smell pheromones in the air. Her stone, a dark black-green pearl, sits on her chest. She always seems wet for some reason, and leaves oily footprints in her wake.
Surprisingly aggressive and hostile, but with a soft spot for her Little Sister. Less interested in tricks and loopholes and more so in simply bashing in people's faces.
Flitting and gentle, like a little star wandering alone. False Name(s): Little Sister Element: Light Stone: Pearl Traits: In a troupe of terrifying bug-beasts, Little Sister is as average as they come. She's a perfectly normal-looking poodle moth, and undeniably cute. Her soft fluff's an off-white color, with gold veins across the wings and on her leg poofs. Similarly, her large compound eyes are also golden. She measures a wee four inches in length, and even smaller during her larvae stage (which is also pale and fuzzy, for your information). The only thing that sets her apart as special is that if she loses any limb, it'll grow back more-or-less within four cycles. A tiny speck of pearl sits on her back.
Innocent, friendly, and a player of harmless, childish tricks. Alternatively: a manipulative and egotistical creature hidden under a veil of innocence, ruthlessly cold to everyone besides her sister.
Hooves tap against stone-- far, far too many hooves. False Name(s): Deer Spider, Gentle Tapping, Eight Soft Steps Element: Earth Stone: Chlorastrolite Traits: About the size of your average golden retriever, but far from as cute. Deer spider is a massive tarantula covered in--you guessed it-- deer fur. Each foot ends in a cloven hoof, and dark antlers sprout from their head. The head's small, with eight red compound eyes and a cervine one turned sideways. The inside of their mandibles are made of ungulate teeth and gums-- they can even mimic lesser deer calls to lure prey. They're strong, but also quite slow, and it takes a while for them to get anywhere. Unlike a regular tarantula, they can spin a web; the string is dark red and glistens like raw meat. A chlorastrolite rises from their abdomen with the appearance of cracked glass.
Has an obsessive interest in collecting things: twigs, gems, body parts, you name it. Their tricks tend to be on the side of deception and manipulation to get what they want.
Thousands of giggles ring out from identical mouths. False Name(s): Hundred Faces Element: Electric Stone: Peridot Traits: Despite the name, Hundred Faces actually has several thousand heads, the number of which varies from time to time. His main body's vaguely humanoid, save for his exceedingly long arms and toes, and the leathery grey skin that coats his form. He has a long, elephant tail which helps him keep balance. He appears to wear pants, but these are actually large flaps of loose skin formed out of his body. A long neck leads up... and abruptly ends at a peridot stone. Instead are countless, oversized fruit flies that buzz around the empty space like some terrifying shroud. Each of them forms a hivemind with eachother and the main body's brain, which is pushed down into the chest cavity. Additionally, each of the insects is pitch black, save for a white head marking with a caricatured face. The buzzing of their wings sounds like laughter.
A natural-born trickster and crafter with a vast array of jokes. He finds injury especially amusing-- unless it's on him, in which case you'll feel his rabid wrath.
That is all there is. Perfectly, absolutely mundane.
Don't try to dig any deeper. Don't try to learn their real names.
What's that?
"Up the airy mountain, down the rushy glen, we dare not go a hunting, for fear of little men."
THE KNOWLEDGE
The Court is a group of secretive and elusive creatures who refer to themselves as the "Fair Folk", or "Faeries". Little information about them is publicly known, save for their unnerving nature and near-complete disregard for morality. They may save a life one moment, or comfort a crying gemling, only to turn around and kill someone just because they felt like it.
Another thing to note is the way they look. With a few exceptions (see "Culture"), all Court members have insectoid and/or humanoid features, preferably both. Please remember that this means most Folk will require UCS, RCS or Mutation Slots to fit this criteria.
As a general rule when designing gembound specifically to join the group: the creepier, uncannier, or more disturbing it is, the better. Spider legs in place of eyes. Crawling around on dozens of hands. Go the whole ten miles.
The Court's Folk live in the boughs of Tunnel F. Most members life in dens weaved from the branches or slip in between cracks, though it's larger and less aboreal members may opt to sleep closer to the ground. Special care is taken so their location is secure, and most gembound traverse through without noticing a single thing.
Themes: Twisting woods, occult, insects, body horror, gold and blue, old fairy tales
Archetypes: Tricksters, liars, merchants, criminals, lawless types and those who simply do not fit in. Chaotic neutral with leanings towards an antagonistic role.
THE CULTURE
VALUES: At the heart of this strange society is the belief in family. It’s what keeps them together, and while they aren’t expected to love each other they should still put their kin first. Laying a finger on another of the Court is strongly opposed; expect to have a lot of teeth tearing into you if you do.
Past that gets a bit more... complicated. And gruesome. As mentioned the fairies have a very loose and incoherent sense of morality. "Good" and "Bad" mean nothing to them; importance is placed on RISK instead. Some believe high risk (genocide, defying the masters) equals high reward, others believe low risk activities (trickery, manipulation) are the better choice. The entirety of their alignment system is based around those two axes.
LIFESTYLE: The Court is split into two factions, based loosely on the above alignment system. The COURT OF LIES is full of warriors, assassins, and other sorts not afraid of violence. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the COURT OF LIGHT: craftsmen, merchants, and more “low risk” sorts gather there. Both sides live in the same base and both have the capacity to be good or evil, it’s simply a difference in roles and leadership.
Private Property means little among them. All dens are communal, no tools belong to anyone in particular, and they even have hidden supply stores in the trees anyone can borrow from. Most outsiders have different views, of course, and don’t react kindly to a faerie rummaging through their stuff.
Festivals happen from time to time but have no consistent structure or dates. The only one that does is the TRIAL OF WORTH, a ridiculous, luck-based challenge initiated whenever a non-faerie wants to join the Court. The gembound is given an unusual challenge, and must roll three times (or five if it’s a fight) while reacting to the event in an entertaining– if it totals over 30 (or 50 for fights), they pass. Those who fail can always try at a later date.
IDENTITY: Privacy of one’s identity is very important among the group. It’s hard to commit murder when your name’s on wanted posters, after all. That’s where FALSE NAMES come in. While their real name is reserved for close friends and family, the false one– typically a poetic description of their traits– is the one given to unfamiliar faces. Body paint, costumes and the group spell “Glamour” are also used to further obscure oneself.
And of course, they are very, very proud about their faerie status. Regardless of Court there is a distinction between humanoid / insectoid members (Fair Folks) and "mundane" members (Minor Folk). Fair Folk can be accepted with little more than an introduction, but others must go through the Trial of Worth to join. Even those who pass may be seen as simply a talking pet or asset. There can never be more Minor Folk than Fairs (excluding births/deaths), and their children will only be members until their fourth cycle. Unless they’re hybrids with a Fair, they must take the Trial themselves or risk being kicked out.
THE FOLK
The Queen: Arwen "The Queen of Lies" or "Queen Bee"
The Court of Light:
Fair Folk: Redwood "Trot of Sorrowed Fox" (Leader)
Minor Folk: Marshmallow "Smallwing"
The Court of Lies:
Fair Folk: Matthieu "Six Stripes" (Leader)
Minor Folk:
Unaffiliated:
Fair Folk: Rain/Borealis "Walks Like Rain" | Jasmedai "Fínscoth" or "The Wanderwilde" (?)
Minor Folk:
<b>The Court</b> is a perfectly normal, boring group of seven young gembound: <a href="/member.php?action=profile&uid=1780">The Queen of Lies</a>, <a href="/member.php?action=profile&uid=1777">Trot of Sorrowed Fox</a>, <a href="/member.php?action=profile&uid=1765">Six Stripes</a>, <a href="/member.php?action=profile&uid=1787">Walks Like Rain</a>, <a href="/member.php?action=profile&uid=1772">The Wanderwilde</a>, [character=Not], and <a href="/member.php?action=profile&uid=1778">Smallwing</a>. They live in the tangled trees of Tunnel F and do normal animal things like intaking air, putting sustenance into their mouths, and making vocalizations.
That is all there is. Perfectly, absolutely mundane.
Don't try to dig any deeper. Don't try to learn their real names.</div>
<center><details><summary>What's that?</summary>
<center><name1 style="color:#cb8c17; font-size: 11px; text-shadow: 0px 0px 8px #cb8c17;">"Up the airy mountain, down the rushy glen, we dare not go a hunting, for fear of little men."</name1>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Syne+Mono&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"><link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Lora&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
<div class=box1><p><p1>THE KNOWLEDGE</p1></p></div>
<div class=description><p>The Court is a group of secretive and elusive creatures who refer to themselves as the "Fair Folk", or "Faeries". Little information about them is publicly known, save for their unnerving nature and near-complete disregard for morality. They may save a life one moment, or comfort a crying gemling, only to turn around and kill someone just because they felt like it.
Another thing to note is the way they look. With a few exceptions (see "Culture"), all Court members have insectoid and/or humanoid features, preferably both. Please remember that this means most Folk will require UCS, RCS or Mutation Slots to fit this criteria.
As a general rule when designing gembound specifically to join the group: the creepier, uncannier, or more disturbing it is, the better. Spider legs in place of eyes. Crawling around on dozens of hands. Go the whole ten miles.
The Court's Folk live in the boughs of Tunnel F. Most members life in dens weaved from the branches or slip in between cracks, though it's larger and less aboreal members may opt to sleep closer to the ground. Special care is taken so their location is secure, and most gembound traverse through without noticing a single thing.
<b>Themes</b>: Twisting woods, occult, insects, body horror, gold and blue, old fairy tales
<b>Archetypes</b>: Tricksters, liars, merchants, criminals, lawless types and those who simply do not fit in. Chaotic neutral with leanings towards an antagonistic role.</p></div>
<div class=box2><p><p2>THE CULTURE</p2></p></div>
<div class=description><p><b>VALUES</b>: At the heart of this strange society is the belief in <i>family</i>. It’s what keeps them together, and while they aren’t expected to love each other they should still put their kin first. Laying a finger on another of the Court is strongly opposed; expect to have a lot of teeth tearing into you if you do.
Past that gets a bit more... complicated. And gruesome. As mentioned the fairies have a very loose and incoherent sense of morality. "Good" and "Bad" mean nothing to them; importance is placed on <i>RISK</i> instead. Some believe high risk (genocide, defying the masters) equals high reward, others believe low risk activities (trickery, manipulation) are the better choice. The entirety of their alignment system is based around those two axes.
<b>LIFESTYLE</b>: The Court is split into two factions, based loosely on the above alignment system. The <i>COURT OF LIES</i> is full of warriors, assassins, and other sorts not afraid of violence. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the <i>COURT OF LIGHT</i>: craftsmen, merchants, and more “low risk” sorts gather there. Both sides live in the same base and both have the capacity to be good or evil, it’s simply a difference in roles and leadership.
Private Property means little among them. All dens are communal, no tools belong to anyone in particular, and they even have hidden supply stores in the trees anyone can borrow from. Most outsiders have different views, of course, and don’t react kindly to a faerie rummaging through their stuff.
Festivals happen from time to time but have no consistent structure or dates. The only one that does is the <i>TRIAL OF WORTH</i>, a ridiculous, luck-based challenge initiated whenever a non-faerie wants to join the Court. The gembound is given an unusual challenge, and must roll three times (or five if it’s a fight) while reacting to the event in an entertaining– if it totals over 30 (or 50 for fights), they pass. Those who fail can always try at a later date.
<b>IDENTITY</b>: Privacy of one’s identity is very important among the group. It’s hard to commit murder when your name’s on wanted posters, after all. That’s where <i>FALSE NAMES</i> come in. While their real name is reserved for close friends and family, the false one– typically a poetic description of their traits– is the one given to unfamiliar faces. Body paint, costumes and the group spell “Glamour” are also used to further obscure oneself.
And of course, they are very, <i>very</i> proud about their faerie status. Regardless of Court there is a distinction between humanoid / insectoid members (Fair Folks) and "mundane" members (Minor Folk). Fair Folk can be accepted with little more than an introduction, but others must go through the Trial of Worth to join. Even those who pass may be seen as simply a talking pet or asset. There can never be more Minor Folk than Fairs (excluding births/deaths), and their children will only be members until their fourth cycle. Unless they’re hybrids with a Fair, they must take the Trial themselves or risk being kicked out. </p></div>
<div class=box3><p><p3>THE FOLK</p3></p></div>
<div class=description><spk><b>The Queen:</b>
[character=Arwen] "The Queen of Lies" or "Queen Bee"
<b>The Court of Light:</b>
Leader: [character=Redwood] "Trot of Sorrowed Fox"
Fair Folk:
Minor Folk: [character=Marshmallow] "Smallwing"
<b>The Court of Lies:</b>
Leader: [character=Matthieu] "Six Stripes"
[character=Rain]/Borealis "Walks Like Rain" | [character=Jasmedai] "Fínscoth" or "The Wanderwilde"
Minor Folk:
[character=Marshmallow] "Smallwing"
Captives and Hostages:
[character=Not]</spk></div>
</details></center>
