Req> Game Request Form nyth (PR#400)

Well, this one's *really* long.  He doesn't have much experience, but I like his
writing.  I'm kind of leery of his proposed "world creation team" that will
review the game and help him continue to build the world... especially with his
intent of publishing novels based on the world and game.  (He's going to have to
be very up-front with copyright issues with his players.)  I just don't see the
"creation team" thing working out for him.  His requirements for players is
rather stringent... it's an essay test.  

Please give this some serious thought and give me your opinions.  (And if you're
not interesting in helping screen applicants, you can opt-out of the +prospects
sub-topic and you won't see these anymore.) 

> Mr. Cravens & Phoenyx.
> 
> Well, I guess that this is the part where I tell you all how worthy I am to
> host a game on Phoenyx right?  The truth is that thing that I can actually
> brag about as far as my game goes is the fact that I created it myself and
> "I" believe it to be a great work of thoughts.  I have no references or past
> players as this will be my first PbeM game to successfully run.  I have
> played in games before via email, but never have completed one(same goes for
> DMing)  Also, I am only 17 years old.  I suppose it is a good idea to get
> all this junk out of the way before this app goes too far huh?  I must say,
> the above points are going to make me look pretty bad so far, but I will
> leave that judgment up to you.  Enough about me for now - lets get on to the
> game - that's what this is all about right?
> 
> Two years ago I came up with the idea to start my own world on which I would
> run campaigns.  Since that dark and stormy night the World of Nyth has
> evolved and grew and now I believe that it is finally almost ready to begin.
> I don't want to give any secrets away as to exactly what type of world it is
> going to be because I am going to make a book out of the adventures that I
> run in it.  I will tell you that the flavor is going to be much like Tolkien
> and the Chronicles of Narnia.  I think that you all are probably not as
> concerned with what the game is going to be about as long as you are sure I
> will do a good job Dming it.  Well, I can't promise you that I will do a
> good job, - but I can promise you I will do my best - and just to make you
> feel a little better,  I am sure that I can provide the gaming community
> with what they are looking for as far as responsibility and maturity in a
> game - as well as fun.  If you want to know what type of a person I am, you
> can pretty much extract that from my application page for the game.   It is
> as follows:
> Nyth: The World of Dreams Application Page
> no graphics - no hassle-
> This page does NOT reflect the quality of the actual Nyth web site, which
> will be created as soon as players apply.
> Prologue
> 
> Gabriel was on all fours now, flailing about widely, trudging forward, and
> fighting off the horrible terror. He gazed upon a sea of blackness, his body
> frozen stiff. He could only look down for a moment, his eyes refusing to
> open. At last he regained some courage and opened his eyes. He was knee deep
> in a river. In his delirious state of panic he had not even noticed where
> his fall had landed him. Raindrops streamed down his face into the sponge of
> soaked and torn clothing that weighted him deep into the blackened depths of
> the river. The currant was quickly pooling around his legs, threatening to
> pull him under. He looked up wildly and a spark of hope shot through his
> soul. His cabin was visible now, just beyond the river at the top of the
> hill. It looked so peaceful against the storming night sky, his beloved wife
> and child within the warmth of its sturdy oaken walls. "I must make it..."
> He screamed. "Oh all mighty divinities, give me strength!" With this last
> breath of prayer, Gabriel lunged for the riverbank. His legs gained in
> weight twenty fold as the river grew in strength and size, fueled by the
> falling rain. He used every ounce of willpower to aid his frantic task.
> Finally, after what seemed an eternity of wading and trudging, he arrived to
> the muddy crest of earth, and climbing on top, he started up the hill. He
> was reduced to a crawl after just a few wavering steps. Limping on all fours
> and finally collapsing, he looked back. The creature was perched on the
> riverbank now, staring at him. He could tell it was grinning at him, even
> though it had no distinguishable face. It was mocking him. Hatred for this
> horrible creature of darkness suddenly filled Gabriel's veins with newfound
> energy. He rose and began to stagger forwards once more, edging up the wet,
> grassy hill, towards the small cabin. This lasted for a moment only. He fell
> for the last time, his hope escaping in gasps from his lungs. He could feel
> the horror. The diabolic depths of hell licked the back of his neck. A
> thousand voices of sickened fallen angels called his name, beckoning him to
> look upon the dreadful image of nothing and everything-a shadow with no
> form, that was now undoubtedly close behind him. Rolling over on his back he
> turned to face the horrible thing. Gabriel's face twisted in such agony and
> dread that he himself would not have recognized it. His eyes, two globes of
> electric shock, exploded into a mad jolt of utter disgust and wretched
> terror. His mouth opened wide and trembled violently, as if to let out such
> a scream that it would be fated to cause the fall of the heavens. Finally
> the sound came. It was such a wretched sound, singing in perfect unison with
> the morbid angels that chorused around Gabriel's breath of life. The wail
> grew in intensity until it was joined by a thunderclap of blackness to end
> it all. It was the morbid wail of a doomed soul and utter blackness. Gabriel
> lay lifeless on the blood soaked earth, the raindrops beating down on his
> face, which was locked in a terrifying silent scream. He was dead.
> 
> Come participate in the creation of this epic novel and world of dreams.
> Job Description:
> 
>     The twelve people who are accepted into the final mailing list will be
> separated into two groups. One group of six people will continue to discuss
> the world creation aspects of Nyth, while the remaining six will take on the
> roles of player characters in a series of game play tests. The rules system
> that Nyth will be using will be the Third Edition D&D Rules System.
>     The six members of the world creation council will be monitoring the
> actions and progress of the six player characters, discussing the adventures
> much like a book club would. Character concepts and depth will be major
> topics in the discussion group. World creation and geographic development
> will also be a topic, but the conversation will mostly remain on character
> depth and storyline.
>     The six members of the player character group will each obtain a
> character description from myself. In this description, there will be listed
> an assortment of the character's personality traits, moral tendencies, very
> brief physical description, and basic background and history. Some players
> may be new to the idea of pre-generated characters. The reason for this is
> to ensure some sort of an adventuring party balance. The idea is to be able
> to turn around after the game is over and publish a book series.  -- that is
> one of my major goals.  Only the basics of description and background
> histories will be presented, the rest of the fine details remain up to the
> player. After the players have received their character roles and their
> modifications have been submitted and accepted, the game play tests will
> begin. The system for posting will be more geared towards storyline and
> "play acting", rather than dice rolls and combat statistics (I assure you
> that there will be more than enough combat, but all in good time) Players
> will be sent a story posting describing what is going on around them as well
> as the basic out of character notes. The players will then respond to me in
> the same manor, describing the actions of their players in story format. I
> will then compile all of posts for the specific turn and post another story
> posting with all of the player posts fitted neatly into place. I will be
> modifying all of the posts to fit the master post story format, so if
> players wish to retain their original posting, it is important that they
> post in this format. I will modify basic conversation variables accordingly
> for small dialogues that are held throughout the game.
> 
> The requirements for the above groups are as follows:
> 
> Story Debate Team and Player Character Team:
> 
> Must be of at least 18 years of age or older. Applicants under 18 years of
> age must have written permission from a parent or guardian. (The content of
> the posting would be the equivalent of a rated-R movie, containing graphic
> violence, language, and romance and sexuality at different points in the
> game.)
> 
> Must have at least two years of gaming experience in two different game
> systems. Four years of experience in a single game system will be accepted
> in place of two gaming systems.
> 
> Must have superb writing skills, with the ability to express deep emotions,
> thought patterns and stable characters concepts.
> 
> Must have access to email at least once or preferably twice per week,
> spending at least a half hour on posting.
> 
> Must have a creative open mind and a mature disposition.
> 
> Must show respect and courtesy to other members.
> 
> Application:
> 
> First Name:
> Last Name:
> Nick Name:
> Email Address:
> ICQ Number:
> Location/Address:
> Education History:
> Fantasy Writing/Gaming History:
> Notes:
> 
> Letter of Application: (One page letter of application describing why you
> think you are eligible and what you could bring to the world of Nyth)
> 
> Application Posts: (should be about a page long each)
> 
> Scenario One:
> A secret meeting between lovers has gone bad when the king's soldiers
> discover them. The woman is fated to die by the hands of her lover, else
> they both be killed. "What is going through their minds during this
> event?" -- Think BraveHeart
> 
> Scenario Two:
> A cleric, kind and righteous to the end, is seduced by a clever and
> seductive evil swordswoman.
> 
> Scenario Three:
> A young child with an obvious health problem is walking along the dirt road
> when he stops to gaze at a rock. "Grasp at the straws people :-) - there
> might be more than you think here."
> 
> Applications can be sent to nythrpg@up.net
> (NOTE: Do NOT send me a character sheet application with a pre-designed
> character.)
> I will review all applications and reply to them, informing the applicant
> whether he/she has been accepted.  Please allow up to a few days for
> applications to be reviewed.
> 
> Brief Overview of Nyth:
> 
> Divinities and Cosmology
> Introduction
> This chapter deals with the gods of Nyth and the constellations that reside
> in its heavens.  During the creation process of the gods and cosmology, I
> worked hard to develop an origin to the world and its heavens that would be
> unique to other fantasy worlds.  In my opinion, there are far too many
> worlds based on the same ideas.  Most of the cosmology birth stages begin
> with the classic statement "In the beginning, there was a spark of light."
> My question is: Why?  When I pick up a book or begin a role-playing game in
> a detailed fantasy world setting, I want to know who created what and how it
> happened.  A simple "it was just there" does not cut it anymore with those
> curious readers and role-playing gamers wandering about.  Oh sure, there are
> a few really nicely created worlds out there, they aren't all bad.  J.R.
> Tolkien's "Middle Earth" is practically the most flawless science fiction
> fantasy world ever created.  There was even a separate list of complete
> languages that old Ronald created just for the races of Middle earth. The
> Dragonlance game setting is also another of my favorites.  Not only does
> this world host a great place for role-playing games, it is also the home of
> the famed Dragonlance novels.  The god system in this setting is one of the
> better ones that I have seen amongst the many that are out there.  Ok, so
> there are a few good worlds out there, but that does not mean that there is
> not room for more.  Each individual setting has a different feel to it and
> no single setting covers all the bases.
> 
> Good and Evil
> One of the new ideas I introduce in this chapter is the thought of
> eliminating some main gods as well as the forces of good, evil, and
> neutrality.  This philosophy demonstrates a totally new type of world in
> which there is no good or evil, but rather action and consequence.  Two
> different people will never view good and evil the same way; therefore they
> are very unreliable standards.  This aspect of the world of Nyth eliminates
> problems in developing depth in character that is associated with alignment
> as well as divine moralities.  A well thought out character can never be all
> good, evil, or neutral; there are unlimited diversities to a personality.  A
> person killing a peasant on the street for no apparent reason might make you
> believe that they are indeed an evil person, but this is your opinion
> amongst millions and thus totally irrelevant.  No one is good or evil;
> everyone's actions are influenced by instinct and these actions are often
> judged and labeled, but these judgments mean little if compared to the
> overall scheme of things.  The point here is not to take good and evil views
> away from the world of Nyth, but to base the gods of Nyth on the forces of
> emotion, nature, and magic.
> 
> The Planes
> In the beginning, the now, and the end, there existed three planes of
> existence, each containing a separate set of forces.  The first two planes
> of existence are yet to be understood or discovered.  The third plane of
> existence is where our world is born.  This plane contains all of the forces
> known to mortal beings, both understood and mysterious.  This plane is also
> the only one of the three existing planes that takes on a physical shape,
> Nythlandrial being the center and origin of all things.  The actual shape of
> the third plane can best be explained as an inside-out circle with
> Nythlandrial being the very outer edge as well as the center.  The third
> plane of existence is also the only plane that is governed by the passage of
> time.  Although under some conditions the passage of time may very, it
> exists throughout the plane.
> 
> The Gods
> At first, the forces that existed on the third plane of existence were
> faint, but as the force of time grew in power, its grip on the other forces
> tightened and began to take effect.  The forces began to gain power with
> time at their side and soon there was a competition for space on the plane
> of existence.  The forces of power grew and size and brilliance and soon
> they touched, creating the gemstone of Nythlandrial, the most powerful and
> precious gemstone in existence, as well as the very pebble on which the
> world of Nyth would be formed.  The Nythlandrial gemstone combined all the
> forces of the third plane of existence and magnified them using the opposing
> power of each force to forge the gods of power.  With the hammer of darkness
> the spark of light was born.  With the spark of light, the hammer of
> darkness was seen.  The gemstone also granted a constellation in the sky
> along with a divine name for every god. The gemstone was sent far into the
> depths of Nyth to keep it safe from harm.  The world of Nyth would also act
> as a portal world on which the forces of power would compete for space so
> that the safety of the third plane of existence would be ensured.  Through
> the portal world of Nyth would be the only means by which the forces of
> power could touch. If any one force should become too powerful, the portal
> would open and the world of Nyth along with the gemstone of Nythlandrial
> would be utterly destroyed in the final battle and the plane would collapse
> on itself.
> 
> The Races of Nyth
> The gemstone of Nythlandrial granted each of the gods of power the ability
> to create a race to worship them, but a single god could create only one
> race.  However, if a god was to create a race, they were never to interfere
> with the existence of their race, letting nature take its course if you
> will.  If a god chose not to create a race, they would then have the option
> to create an avatar instead.  This would be a being of extreme divine power
> that would influence the beings of Nyth as the god directed.  The third
> choice that the god would have was to remain neutral amongst the forces but
> be graced with the power to create a natural existence on Nyth as a part of
> the world itself.  The only gods that are known to exist by the inhabitants
> of Nyth are the deities of the races.  The other remaining gods and avatars
> do in fact exist, but have yet to be discovered.  In the beginning the gods
> created eight initial races to roam the world.  The most powerful of the
> races were created first in the image of light, darkness, law, and chaos.
> The Fairies and Dragons were created in the image of lawfulness and light,
> leaving the last two to worship everything dark and chaotic.  These dark
> races retained the name of "Darklings" by the other races of Nyth.  This is
> because of their shadow-like appearance.  There are two distinct types of
> Darkling.  The most common type is about twice the size of a normal man.
> The other type can range from the size of a small gemstone to a full-grown
> dragon and also possesses unimaginable magical powers.  The second type of
> Darkling is very rare however, and some doubt its existence entirely.
> 
> The Chronicles
> -- As written by the Sages of Nyth --
> (OOC:  These chronicles are the creation of the Sages of Nyth.  Some of the
> views on the origins of the world may vary.  The following text is NOT
> necessarily the history of Nyth in "fact".
> 
> The Birth of Nyth
> 0-99yr
>     After the apposing gods of power were separated by the portal world of
> Nyth, the god of Neutrality crafted the lands and races of the new world.
> The four races of the apposing powers were created to reside on Nyth.  The
> Elves and Dwarves were created in the image of the gods of good.  The Ogres
> and Goblins were created in the image of the gods of evil.  These two races
> soon became interlocked into a battle between good and evil and it once
> again became apparent that there needed to be force to balance the scales
> and so the Dragons and Humans were created.  The four races of the opposing
> powers were born with an instinct of devotion towards their deity.  The two
> races of neutrality, however, were free to choose their path of worship and
> thus the future of the plane of existence lies on their shoulders.
> 
> The Nations
> 100-1999yr
> Soon after the creation of the races, the races formed nations of extreme
> beauty and primacy.  The Elves created magnificent cities that resided high
> in the trees of the great forests.  The Dwarves forged massive kingdoms of
> stone in the vast mountain ranges that stretched across the face of Nyth.
> The Ogres dwelled in enormous catacombs far beneath the surface of the land,
> using goblins as their slaves.  The few Goblins that were not enslaved under
> the control of Ogres were scattered about the land in caves and dark
> woodlands.  The Dragons of Nyth developed differing characteristics due to
> their climate.  White Dragons dominated the arctic winter lands.  Silver
> Dragons dwelled in the mountain ranges above the Dwarven kingdoms.  Green
> Dragons hid themselves deep within the ancient forests of Nyth with the
> elves.  The Black Dragons slept deep beneath the surface of the world in the
> depths of the world's core.  The Red Dragons dominated the massive lava pits
> that scattered the lands.  The blue dragons rested within the warm southern
> seas.  The gold dragons perched themselves high within the barren rock
> formations that dominated the grand wastelands.  Scattered throughout the
> land, sacred druidic human nations could be found, but the majority of human
> territories were mixing pots of races from across the world, accepting
> almost anyone into their company.  Some nations, however, became very racist
> in their ways and banned entry from any of the first races, either by
> jealousy, fear, or maybe both.  The races of good and neutrality never saw
> the Dragons, Ogres, and Goblin races of Nyth and they soon became the
> ingredients for bard's tales of mythic legends.
> 
> The War of Races
> 2000-2499yr
> Because of the distrust of many Elven, Dwarven and Human nations, a cloud of
> evil befell the lands of Nyth and the first War of Races began.  The Elven
> nations believed the humans to be misguided and impure due to their
> independent nature.  The Dwarves believed that the Elven nations threatened
> their status with the god of good.  The druidic nations believed that the
> two races of good had turned away from the world of Nyth to serve the god of
> good exclusively and destroy the gods of neutrality and evil, so the druids
> of the human nations remained neutral during the war.   The Dragons of the
> lands saw the war of races as a minor skirmish of territory and belief,
> which they chose not to involve themselves in.  The war of races lasted for
> a period of 500 years. The races of Nyth were scattered by the war and would
> remain so for the next 500 years.
> 
> The Fallen Ages
> 2500-2999yr
>     The Elven nations were badly scarred and retreated to their homeland in
> the forests of Nyth with a deep hatred for humans.  The Dwarven nations
> completely cut themselves off from the rest of the world, becoming a lost
> race of Nyth that no one has seen since.  Most human nations remained intact
> thanks to an order of knighthood that of that was established before the war
> of races as a precaution, but some still suffered greatly and were forced to
> roam the forests plains as clans in search of new homelands.
> 
> The Age of Darkness
> 2999-present date
>     The war of races effectively masked the darkness brewing deep within the
> lands of Nyth.  While the good races of Nyth battled with each other over
> belief and territory, the evil races grew in strength and numbers.  New
> races of evil were formed.  Now Orcs, Trolls, Hobgoblins, and other foul
> creatures roamed the land; an also a race of pure evil, a race of
> "Darklings" has awoken from long ages of slumber, presenting a force of evil
> threatening all of the races of Nyth with a confrontation that could mean
> the destruction of the world itself.
> 
> 
> Names
> Light Fália (race) Fairies
> Darkness Hashnak (race) Darklings (greater)
> Neutrality Nól (race) Humans
> Law Tir (race) Dragons
> Chaos Isarar (race) Darklings (lesser)

> 
> Well, if there is anything that you would like to know besides what I have
> posted here, just let me know.  Thanks for your time.
> 
> - Jonathan Jones

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