Atton Rand

It's been dawning on me recently that there could be some potential for an RPG based on the lore of Assassin's Creed (perhaps because I've been playing a lot of it lately) provided we could find a good setting. I figured it could probably be framed as an MMO developed by Abstergo Industries. As for good time periods, I had some possible ideas. One concept I'd wondered about was to do something with Vikings, probably set somewhere in Scandinavia or North America in the early Middle Ages. We could draw some inspiration from the naval combat in Black Flag and Rogue, and a setting like that could allow a fair bit of creative leeway that would mean we wouldn't need to worry as much about incorporating historical figures or events (though I wouldn't complain if we were able to find a few good real-life Vikings to add). Plus we could work with some of the First Civillization and their impact on Norse Mythology. Another idea I'd wondered about was to do something loosely inspired by King Arthur, probably also set in the early Middle Ages. We could have some good potential for ISU characters (The Lady of the Lake?) and artifacts (Excalibur, the Holy Grail, etc.). In either case, we'd need to look at a good story and I'm not sure exactly where I'd go, but I felt like I should throw these ideas out there.

I remember I used to have this deeply-rooted prejudice against first-person shooter games. I spent many a post on this forum arguing with others about the merits of the genre, and it's something I'm not proud of. Admittedly, I wouldn't necessarily call it my go-to genre but I've managed to play a few good ones, even enjoying some of them. I guess I owe a lot of people an apology. If anyone I argued with in the past is still on this board, I'm sorry for all the grief I caused you.

Is this still on? I thought the game died ages ago, or did they get rid of the rule that a topic was officially dead if it wasn't posted in for 30 days? Anyway, I've had some time to review some of my mistakes and it appears to all come down to the simple fact that I don't think the same way everyone else does. I can't do much to change that, but I can work on revising my approach to the gameplay. I think what might have happened in some cases was that I got so wrapped up in my own ideas I didn't stop to think about whether they'd fit the RPG, hence situations like the street gang plot line that ended up being irrelevant to anyone. It would appear that writing in an RPG is very different from writing a novel or short story. I'm thinking that if I'm going to keep playing, my best option would be to remove my current roster and introduce a whole new group of characters so I can start from scratch. Either that, or I keep Dak and lose the others. Dropping a concept isn't always easy but I feel like drawing out plot lines that are going nowhere isn't exactly a better option. Perhaps I could rework some of those ideas into some independent fan fiction sometime. For now, I just need to figure out what would be good for the RPG. Part of me was wondering about getting a head start on Dantooine. I could introduce some New Republic characters and start laying groundwork for when everyone else arrives. The only problem is that I wouldn't be able to interact with anyone except possibly Grav. that said, if you guys feel this isn't a good idea and would prefer I stick with Taris I understand.

Well, I guess it could be a useful opportunity to finally do something worthwhile with those two characters I have...

IC: Great. A run-in with the inquisitors was exactly what she needed. Dak's vision was slowly starting to come back. She managed to force herself to roll over. She needed to get out of here fast. She reached out in front of her and began to pull herself forward. Meanwhile, in the back of the cantina, Tashka was fast asleep. The Togruta warrior lay comfortably against the counter, faintly snoring.

IC: Tashka remained quiet as she sat against the bar. She took a deep breath and tried to relax. So far, it seemed the Inquisitors had got their man. Whatever they intended to do here had been accomplished and now they were on their way out. She felt tired. She could still feel the effects of the strong whiskey she had drank just before all this started. The buzzing in her montrals didn't make that any easier. Her eyelids were growing heavy. "Next time," she thought. "Don't order the strongest whiskey." Amidst the quiet, she started to lie on her side, sliding a hand under her lekku, and shut her eyes. *** Dak was starting to regain consciousness. Her vision was blurred. She could make out a large blob which was probably an overturned table, and she could barely hear a voice from nearby. "Yeah, it's over. We should be out of your hair quick." She tried to lift her head, but found it quickly falling back to the floor. Obviously it was going to take a few minutes to recover from the effects of the stun blast.

Trying to decide if I should try to keep going or just stop here. I know I haven't exactly been popular and it sometimes seems like I just can't do anything right in this game. On the other hand, Dak's story doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere, and the introduction of a new setting does seem to suggest an opportunity to start over. Nobody seemed to care about my previous characters so perhaps starting a whole new cast isn't a bad idea. At the same time, I have had my emotional issues with this game. I know I got angry when Mia was killed, and I admit I made some bad decisions with her. I confess that her character arc didn't go the way I originally planned and my original concept didn't really fit what was finally included in the RPG. The flip side is it seemed like nobody really understood when I tried to honestly express my feelings. Yes, I gave bad advice for how to deal with the situation. I admit that creating a whole new character just to start a revenge quest was a bad idea, but that doesn't mean I can just pretend my character wasn't abruptly killed without so much as a voice for her defense. To be honest, I didn't even know the RPG was still going until today. I guess now I've got a choice to make. I don't really see any way my characters on Taris are moving so starting a whole new group of characters might not be such a bad idea. I guess I'll need some time to think about it.

With everything that's gone on so far, I've felt like I needed to write this fake post. I'll keep it here so it doesn't get confused for an actual post. Bonus points to anyone who gets the reference... Fake IC: As soon as the chaos died down, Dak started to regain consciousness. The Inquisitorious were approaching, and Odiina was staring at her. The ex-stormtrooper was surrounded. There was nothing she could do... or was there? At that moment, Dak yanked out her blaster and placed it against her chin. "HOLD IT!" She yelled, changing her voice to sound gruff and intimidating. Everyone immediately paused. "The next man makes a move, the stormie gets it!" "Hold your fire men," Raltz shouted as he approached. "He's not bluffing." "Listen to him," Costa shouted. "He's just crazy enough to do it!" "DROP IT! OR I SWEAT I'LL BLOW THIS STORMIE'S HEAD ALL OVER THIS CANTINA!" Immediately, Dak changed her voice to a higher pitch. "OH NO! HE'S DESPERATE! DO AS HE SAYS!" She tried to force out a few tears to make her act more believable. There was a momentary silence. First Odiina dropped her blaster, then Costa, Raltz, and the others. Dak pressed the blaster against her neck and began to move toward the exit. She was walking backwards, touching various objects with one arm to get a bearing. "Isn't anybody going to help that poor girl!" Odiina yelled. "HUSH!" Costa replied. "That's a sure way to get her killed!" As Dak dragged herself towards the door, she forced out a few cries. "OH! SAVE ME! SAVE ME! SOMEBODY SAVE ME!" The ex-stormtrooper quickly returned to her gruff voice. "SHUT UP!" Dak placed a hand over her mouth as she backed out the door of the Stray Tach. Now out of the cantina, she charged across the street and leaned against a building nearby.

IC: So far, so good. So far all she had to deal with was one angry Bek, who she barely heard yelling as she sped off. Around the corner, through another street. She had to swerve momentarily as she barely dodged an incoming speeder before she moved into an alleyway. This is what she lived for. The Twi'lek paused as she brought the swoop bike to a halt. She climbed off and looked into the main street. No sign of Imperial pursuers. Good. That either meant they didn't notice or didn't care. Either way, they were out of the Stray Tach. For now, the smart thing to do seemed to be to get some distance from the Stray Tach. Better to lay low in some hotel for a while than wait to find out if anyone was coming. Viseria slowly stepped off the swoop bike. Her strength seemed to be returning. She was able to walk again. "You okay?" Nadia asked. "Yeah," Viseria replied. She leaned against the wall, taking a moment to catch her breath. She could barely remember the last few minutes. "What happened?" "I don't know," the Twi'lek said. "I went into the Stray Tach to see if I could reach a doctor. Then all of a sudden a bunch of stormtroopers ran in and starting shooting up the place, apparently looking for someone. Only now you're suddenly recovering." "I don't know what it is," the Miraluka said. "Something about that crowd-" "Don't worry," Nadia said. "First we'll find a place to lay low. It looks like we got away but I'm not waiting around to find out for sure." "That's going to be difficult for you," the Miraluka replied. "You're the biggest swoop rider on Taris." "I am," Nadia replied. "I could try and get us some fake identification, but they could still recognize the face on every swoop race advertisement... we're going to need a ship off-world."

IC: Whatever was going on, it wasn't good news. On the bright side, it looked like most of the Imperial forces were focused in the middle of the bar. Whatever business they were up to, it looked like they apprehended their person. They were already close to the door. A well-timed sprint could be the key to survival. Nadia remained calm as she started to stand up. She reached for Viseria, pulling the young Miraluka to her feet. "Come on," she muttered. "We should get out of here." The Twi'lek moved toward the door, her friend on her shoulder. She just hoped to avoid drawing too much attention. From the looks of things, it seemed that the Imperial forces were primarily focused on trying to subdue the armored being that had drawn so much attention. It didn't seem like they were as interested now in the Cantina patrons. She was almost there. Nadia carefully stepped through the door and onto the street outside. So far, nobody had noticed or cared. "What next?" Viseria asked weakly. The Twi'lek looked around the street. There was one thing that quickly caught her eye. It looked like a swoop bike, parked just across from her. One of the Beks was stepping off and into one of the buildings. She smiled. Nadia moved forward, placing Viseria onto the front seat of the bike, before moving onto the back. "Hold on," she said as she started up the bike's engines. Now she just had to get off the street before any of the Imperials noticed...

IC: Dak quickly collapsed as she felt the impact of a stun shot in her chest. What was Odiina thinking? Right now, her agenda seemed very confusing. She didn't have much time to think as she started to lose consciousness.

IC: "Tried that," Tashka muttered. "They've got that covered. Whatever these people want must be valuable."

IC: Tashka had to slide momentarily as she watched yet another patron get tossed over the counter. This time it was a Tammuz-an, who was hurled into the counter by a ruthless-looking Mirilian, before being pushed over top and collapsing in a heap on the floor nearby. A few too many unconscious patients were starting to fill up the space behind the counter. It looked like the wookie bartender was there as well, also trying to take cover. The Togruta moved towards the wookie. She carefully tried to step over the semi-conscious Tammuz-an, before crouching on the other side. R9 managed to push the unconscious patron's legs aside as she rolled towards them. Tashka tried to lower her head, making sure her montrals didn't become visible. She looked at Sue. "Is there any other way out of here?" She asked.

Fair enough, but I would still question how prepared she is for smoke grenades and gunfire.

IC: Dak looked towards Odiina. This was slightly awkward. Under the circumstances, she could probably afford to answer her questions. Of course, it was harder to tell if taking the time to explain it was the most practical choice. "The short version," Dak muttered. "I got accused of desertion and had to hide. I'll tell you the rest if we get out of this alive."

OOC: What Twi'lek? If you were referring to what I think you were, I should clarify that Tashka is a Togruta. IC: Looked like the troopers were moving to the back door now. One quickly took point, signaling one of her squad mates to lock it down. Going out that way wasn't an option. Tashkent tried to remain calm. She looked at the droid next to her. "Where'd you come from?" The astromech delivered a brief whistle. "Fair enough, Tashka muttered. "Any idea why the Empire's so interested in this place?" The droid gave her a sad beep. "Is your master around?" The droid remained quiet. "I'm sorry. My name is Tasha." Another whistle. "R9-G6. Okay.

IC: Okay, that plan didn't work. Obviously they were too fast if they could stop her from opening a door just a few feet away. Tashka couldn't do much more than duck behind the counter. It looked like she was going to be stuck there for now anyway. There were stormtroopers moving into the cantina now. They were firing on customers, although it looked like they were at least stun rounds. They seemed to be of an elite division, probably not individuals she wanted to mess with. A few meters away a trooper fired her blaster at a drunken rodian before signalling to her squadmates. Tashka ran through a few scenarios. If she timed it right it may be possible to take down one of the troopers by surprise. The one close by could work, but then there was the risk that doing so would alert the rest of her squad, to say nothing of the lightsaber-wielding individuals. Escape didn't seem to be much of an option now. Her best shot seemed to be to remain where she was and observe how everything played out. She suddenly heard a whistle next to her. The Togruta turned toward a new visitor. It was an astromech droid, painted in a faded orange. That was unusual.

Well you abruptly fired shots and threw smoke grenades in a crowded place that could easily be filled with idiots, drunk people, and drunk idiots;all without any kind of warning. They're not exactly just going to sit there and act like nothing's happening.

IC: Tashka remained under the cover of the bar for a moment. She could see the unconscious Dulok still lying close by. An Amorphian was thrown into the counter, falling backwards into the shelf. Tashka's best shot was to get out the back. She looked up. The Zeltron was still occupied. It was now or never. The Togeuta got to her feet and quickly moved toward the back door.

IC: Nadia tried to stay quiet as her friend huddled toward her. Viseria was resting her head against the Twi'lek's chest, Nadia kept her arms wrapped around the Miraluka's shoulders. The chaos was still ensuing in the cantina. But so far the corner seemed to be safer. Amidst the brawl, there was one figure who stood out: a Zeltron. She seemed to be moving another person: a blue Twi'lek. Nadia recognized him immediately- Talik Vao? What was he doing here? In any case, the Zeltron looked like she wasn't going down easily, especially when she shattered his sword. On the other end of the cantina, Tashka could see that this Zeltron was not one to be messed with. She liked a good fight but that didn't mean she was stupid. The brawl was getting intense as well. She'd seen Talik Vao in the duelling ring. Anyone who could best him was probably out of her league, especially one who had a lightsaber and the ability to levitate people. Best option seemed to be to try and get out alive. The Togruta retracted the blades in her sword before turning toward the counter. She jumped over, rolling onto the floor behind it.

IC: In the middle of the cantina, R9 remained in her current position. She swiveled her dome, trying to make sense of what was going on. Her sensors detected a group of armored troops marching in. The armor that made it impossible to tell their identity or gender suggested Imperial connections. They seemed yo have bigger priorities right now. The Empire wasn't going to dispatch an elite squad to take one astromech droid. Nall had evidently got lost in the crowd. The droid couldn't see her. She could try moving toward the door. The troopers may not think much of a common R2 unit leaving. The people who seemed to be leading them looked more dangerous. She could see that at least one had a lightsaber. They were probably individuals she didn't want to mess with. At most, she could if she was lucky give one a surprise shock before being taken down. R9 emitted a sad whistle as she trie to figure out her next move.

OOC: Put on your red shoes and Dance the blues IC: The noise of the chaos in the cantina made it hard to hear the specific instructions from the Inquisitors. No doubt there would be a few idiots would ignore them or be too intoxicated to make a rational decision Nadia stepped backwards toward her corner. Her hand was ready to draw her vibroblade if needed, but it was probably best not to engage. Whatever was going on here, it looked like going out the door wasn't her best option. No way she'd be able to fight off everyone. If anyone provoked her she was ready to defend herself, but it was probably best to sit in the corner and stay out of the way. Viseria seemed to be weaker now. It seemed that every time another person entered it was becoming harder for her to move. She didn't seem to show any obvious signs of a physical illness. "Something's not right," the Miraluka muttered. "Come on," Nadia replied. She took Viseria's hand and led her into the back corner before sitting down. She placed an arm around the Miraluka, allowing her to rest her head on her shoulder.

IC: Dak didn't get much time to react as she felt Odiina grabbing her arm and yanking her out of her seat. The smoke was starting to clear but now the customers had started getting aggressive. Too many drunk people and all it took was a few shots and some smoke. What was Odiina doing now? It would probably have been a more practical move to get out on her own than to try and drag someone else out of the Cantina with her. Was this meant to be an arrest or a rescue? Both? Neither? In any case, it was a confusing situation. "LOOK OUT!" she yelled as she ducked, pulling her arm out of Odiina's grip just as a large Aqualish tried to swing a chair at her. *** A Dulok was tossed towards the counter, knocking over several glasses as he collapsed on top of it. He was obviously dazed as a result, and struggled to sit up before falling over the other side. Tashka remained alert, her sword at the ready. Ordinarily she would have preferred to avoid killing civilians. But self-defense warranted an exception, especially seeing as several of these people had a chance of provoking her aggressive side. The Togruta ducked as a Rodian charged toward her with a chair. She rolled forward in time for him to throw it over her head, striking a shelf behind the counter. He reached for the blaster at his side. Bad move. Before he could draw, Tashka rammed her vibro-double blade into him. She yanked it out a second later and watched as the rodian fell.

IC: That wasn't good. A smoke bomb and blaster fire. In a crowded place. In a crowded place with lots of alcohol and drunk people. That could only mean one thing. The Togruta stood, drawing her vibro-double blade. The smoke may have reduced visibility, but the noise certainly had a way of drawing attention. She could hear coughing amidst the cloud of smoke that had filled the bar. Still, it could have been worse. At least nobody tried to throw a flashbang. That would probably happen any moment. She could hear the noises of patrons struggling to orient themselves. There were a few broken classes, some overturned furniture, and then... Right in front of her, Tashka watched as a large Trandoshan was thrown out of the smoky cloud, slamming into the counter next to her. The Trandoshan stood angrily and stared toward his attacker. He charged as another figure emerged from the smoke, tackling them and disappearing. Another figure was tossed in her direction, landing on the floor. *** "Oh boy..." Nadia muttered as she struggled to see through the smoke. From what she could tell, it looked like things weren't going to go smoothly. An armored individual of unclear gender seemed to be marching through the door. Shots had been fired, and a lot of disoriented patrons were drunk. Not good. A man was tossed towards her table, collapsing overtop. He drunkenly climbed to his feet, trying to throw a punch at Nadia. She managed to duck just in time, and watched as the man staggered forward. "Figures," the Twi'lek muttered. "I guess I'd better be ready for a Barroom Brawl."

IC: Okay, so they knew she was a stormtrooper. Whether they had specifically deduced that she was Dak Ulgo, designation TK-4601, who had been labelled a deserter was another matter. The other man seemed more focused on crowd control, and she didn't know the Zeltron addressing her. It was a long-shot, but it may still have been possible that at least the Zeltron believed her to be just an off-duty stormtrooper in the wrong place at the wrong time. So long as her partner didn't speak up, that was her best chance at getting out of this mess alive. Assuming that her long-shot had any chance, it would still be a question of who's side she'd be on when and if she got out. Every instinct she had was telling her not to trust the Zeltron. Part of her wondered if she had a hand in what had transpired earlier, the events that led to her becoming a deserter. In any case, it was also obvious that there weren't very many alternatives. There was no way she was fighting her way out, and if she was smart the Zeltron had no doubt called for backup. Whether it would actually be used was another matter, but it didn't seem unreasonable that she would at least want to make sure it was available as a precaution. Sneaking out wasn't an option either. The Zeltron wasn't going to take her eyes off their table that easily. She'd need a distraction of some sort and it would take a pretty big one. That left only one clear option, to play along with the Zeltron; at least as long as needed. If an opportunity presented itself she'd be happy to take it, but for now, all Dak could do was sit back down.