Training for Arthur McCorth

[Danikat]

((Ok, lets start with the basics. I know you mentioned that you've read through several RP's already but just to make sure everything is covered I'll give you a basic run-down of the way things work.

First things first: Grammar.
You'll notice that I started this post with double brackets/parenthesis (depending on what country you're in). And somewhere further down the page I will close those brackets again. Anything in between is said out of character. It's generally kept to a minimum outside of training threads but if you ever need to explain, question or discuss anything about the role-play (common examples include explaining that you're writing your character out because you're going away for a while, asking for more detail on how an attack works or explaining the eventual results of an action to allow someone to respond correctly) then that's how you do it.

Aside from that the main use of specilist RP grammar is to distinguish actions from speech. There are two ways to do this and you may use whichever you wish, regardless of what anyone else is doing in the same RP.

The first is what I call the 'old style' (simply because it used to be the near universal method for Creatures Community (the one that spawned Blackstar) role-play and has now become less popular).
In this version any actions are placed between two stars (*), for example:
*Danikat throws a a coconut at a nearby rock*
Speech is left plain, sometimes with your character's name in front of it if more than one character could be speaking, for example:
Grrr! Why is it so hard to break into this wretched coconut!?!

The second is what I call 'story style' because it resembles the way books are written.
In this version actions are written in plain text, for example:
Danikat throws a coconut at a nearby rock.
And speech is placed between speech marks:
"Grrr! Why is it so hard to break into this wretched coconut!?!"

So that's grammar out the way (although if you have any questions feel free to ask). The only other thing you need to be aware of, although you mentioned having RP'd before in various formats so you probably already know it, is the golden rule: No power-playing.

Power-playing comes in three forms, the first is taking control of another persons characters, either directly (eg. *Arthur trips and falls on his face*) or indirectly by running through your own characters actions to the point where it is impossible for the other person to have any say in the outcome (eg. *As Arthur walks up Danikat sticks her foot out too quickly for him to see or avoid*).
It can be tricky sometimes to find a balance between making your intended result clear and making it inevitable but with a little practice it gets to be something you'll do without even thinking about it. And when you're on the other side of things you'll appreciate having at least some say in what your character does. It'd be very boring otherwise!

The second form of power-playing, which is sometimes called god-moding is slightly more indirect and consists of making a character so powerful that they are essentially invincible and impossible to defeat. For example giving them a gun that fires unstoppable bullets at light speed which instantly kill anything they touch, or making them actually unkillable. (As you may have noticed even the Gods in Blackstar are not entirely invulnerable.)
An alternate form of this is when you suddenly give your character abilities they never had before just when they need them to get out of a tight spot.

The third form is sometimes the most common, simply because it is the easiest to do as an honest mistake. This is when your character suddenly switches between areas without actually making the journey. (For example if you were talking to someone in the Black Forest and in the next post walked over to chat to someone in the Southern Desert.) Or when they know things they couldn't possibly have found out - like the fact that another character has a knife hidden up their sleeve which they put there in private. It gets very confusing sometimes but the trick is to try and keep a mental tally on who is near your character and anything you know that they don't.

Ok, I think that's the theory out the way, lets get on with the practice. I'm going to post an introduction here and I just want you to have Arthur enter the RP, then we'll take it from there, ok?))

Danikat grumbled under her breath and refastened the rope that tied her to the Training Dojo's roof for the 5th or 6th time. She'd had to come up here to fix some recent storm damage but she was beggining to think she should have taken better precautions. True she had wings, but the trouble was the roof was too low for her to be able to get them open enough to slow her fall if she came off, and high enough that it'd hurt a lot to hit the ground. So she had resorted to tying herself down, or at least trying to.

Tugging at the knots to make sure they were fastened properly this time she looked around her at the woodlands, wondering where everyone else had gone.

[Arthur McCorth]

((Thank you for the explaination. It is much easier to understand these things when they are written in plain english than when trying to identify what a role-player did or did not do within their posts.

If it is all the same to you I think I will use the 'story' style as the 'old' style seems very strange to me.))

Arthur McCorth was walking through the woods when he came upon the Training Dojo. He was suprised to see a woman standing on the roof, apparently tying herself to it.

"I say! Are you alright up there?"

[Danikat]

((Ok, that's good but try and be a bit more descriptive. You don't have to go into massive detail about irrelevant things but some more about what he's thinking, maybe feeling, what mood he's in, what he'd think about seeing Danikat (who could be a very unusual person to a human which if I understood the profile correctly Arthur is), things like that can not only make a post more interesting to read but it also gives the other people RP'ing with you a lot more to go on when they come to reply.))

Danikat looked quickly around her, suprised to find someone else out here, she had thought the woods were empty of people. Finally she spotted Arthur emerging from the trees.

If anything this suprised her even more, an elderly man with a walking stick was not the sort of person she'd expect to make their way so far out into the woods. It wasn't exactly the Black Forest but it wasn't the safest place in the Dojo either.

Eventually what he'd actually said filtered through to her conciousness. "Yes, I'm fine!" She called back. "Just up here fixing my roof." She gave the ropes one last check and carefully settled herself into a sitting position, facing Arthur. "But I don't believe I've seen you around here before. Are you new to the Dojo?"

[Arthur McCorth]

((Your advice is duly noted and I shall endeavour to improve my posts from this point onward.))

"Yes I suppose I am," Arthur replied in a thoughtful tone of voice, "I arrived in your world several days ago and have spent my time here travelling from place to place seeking to learn a little more about it. I am a scholar you see, in search of new discoveries."

He leaned forward on his walking stick as he spoke, as if tired out by his journey.

((I hope it is permissible to post nothing but speech and a few scant descriptions as I cannot see my character doing much of anything else.))

[Arthur McCorth]

((I apologise if this is inappropriate but it has been 5 days since I replied to this topic and I have yet to receive a response. I simply wish to know what the current state of affairs is regarding my training.))

[Danikat]

((Sorry Arthur! I was unexpectedly away for most of the last week, but I'll try and keep posting regularly from now on.

And in answer to your previous question it's fine to post nothing but speech, or nothing but a short action if nessesary. Just as long as you're saying everything you need to, and include the description!))

"Well if you're wanting to learn you've come to the right place." Danikat assured him, smiling. "This is the Training Dojo, where we teach everything from combat to social ettiqutte, although I have to admit the combat classes are more popular. If there's anything you want to know feel free to ask."

She couldn't help noticing the way Arthur lent on his walking stick and added, "Come to think of it it's about time I had a break, would you like to come in and have something to eat?"

[Arthur McCorth]

Arthur smiled gratefully at her offer. "Yes, thank you. I should like that."

"I think I am a little old for combat, but I should dearly like to learn more about this world. I have only been here a short time but already it seems exceptionally strange to me."

[Danikat]

Danikat laughed, "Strange is definately the word for it."

She stood up and quickly opted to leave the knots that had been giving her so much trouble tied, instead untying the end of the rope that was around her waist. Once free she crouched low and leapt, opening her wings and beating down quickly, not so much because she needed the lift as because she very much wanted to be in flight before she moved over the end of the roof.

Once airborne she quickly circled around and drifted carefully down to land just a short distance from Arthur. "Please," she said stepping forward to open the door, "after you."

((Just wanted to point out this is an example of one of the times when additional description is useful. I could easily have gotten away with simply saying Danikat untied herself and flew down from the roof but adding in all that extra detail not only encoraged me to actually imagine the scene, which enabled me to make sure I didn't miss anything important (like the fact that she was tied to the roof) whilst simultaniously making sure anyone else involved in the RP knows exactly what has happened, which cuts down on confusion, but it also makes it easier for me to show some of my and my characters personalities in the way it's worded, which you can't really do with raw facts (unless of course that is your personality).))

[Arthur McCorth]

((Thank you for your continued advice and demonstrations. I must admit my initial approach was to endeavour to minimise the length of my posts in order to avoid overwhelming readers, but I can certainly understand that extensive descriptions may occasionally be beneficial and I shall seek to strike the ideal balance from this point on.))

Arthur watched Danikat's short flight closely with a look that could best be described as a mixture of critical analysis, admiration and longing.

"Thank you." He replied, stepping through the door into the Training Dojo. "I must say I find it fascinating that a creature such as yourself is capable of flight, humanoids are not typically suited for such activities."

[Danikat]

Danikat followed Arthur through the door. "Most humanoids are not, but there are exceptions. I am...very much an exception. Which reminds me, you don't appear at all suprised by my appearence, which is the unusual, esspecially for someone new to the Dojo. Are you just good at hiding it or...."

As she spoke she lead him into the Dojo's main room, gesturing for him to take a seat in one of the chairs around the fire.

[Arthur McCorth]

Arthur sat down slowly, using his walking stick to lower himself carefully into the chair, sighing with relief as he settled himself.

He smiled at Danikat's question, "My dear girl, you don't get to be as old as I am without seeing a great deal of unusual things, especially since I have spent most of my life travelling and studying different worlds and the creatures that inhabit them. I have seen things that would make your eyes pop out of your skull in surprise! You, by comparison are relatively normal."

[Danikat]

((That last post was excellent, exactly what I was getting at before.))

Danikat looked slightly taken aback by his response. "Well, that told me."

"Would you like something to eat?" She asked, not entirely out of a lack of anything else to say.

[Arthur McCorth]

Arthur did not reply immediately, giving the question, and Danikat, exceptional consideration before finally coming to a conclusion.

"No, I thank you for your kind offer but I am not hungry." He smiled; he seemed extremely pleased with something.

"If you do not mind I would however like to learn more about your world."

[Danikat]

"Certinally, what would you like to know?" Danikat asked sitting back as much as her wings would allow.

((To make up for the short post I'll add something I forgot to put in my last PM: This training session can end whenever you wish, even if the RP within it hasn't finished. It's being done for your benefit so if at any time you feel like you're not gaining anything from it just let me know.))

[Arthur McCorth]

"Anything you can tell me my dear, anything at all. For example I understand there are several organisations that operate here who really ought to come into conflict more often than they appear to. The Guardians and some absurd group I am told goes by the name 'The Evil Council' for example. How is it that they both exist in plain view, openly in your society and yet the one has not yep wiped out the other?"