Slave Trading in the South

[3kul]

Without a God or any real authoritative body in power, the Dojo has become but a mere shadow of it's former glorious self. The letter that you hold in your hand is proof enough of that. You look it over once more, the cursive black handwriting clearly states your name, but judging by the contents of the letter itself you are quite certain that you've never met the sender before. You've already read it once before, but you suppose that it can't hurt to read it again, so you proceed to do so...

[3kul]

Confused? Don't worry, I'll explain everything here in this OOC (out of character) post.

This thread is kind of like a roleplay between roleplays. You're not actually capturing slaves here in this thread, this thread is a roleplay about slave trading. You might find the opportunity to capture some slaves in other roleplays, or you might do so in a story that you write elsewhere. Or you might not bother with a storyline and start posting with a slave that you've just thought of now. That's fine too, but remember that you're selling this slave character, and you won't be able to get it back.

Be cautious though, as the slave trader is a business man, and the laws of supply and demand apply here. Bring him too many slaves before he gets the chance to actually have anybody buy them off him and the price will go down, and you won't receive as much money. Don't bring him any and the price will go up, but somebody else may take advantage of this before you get the chance to.

Keeping these things in mind, there are some rules for this thread:

1. Slaves not obtained from an alternate roleplay may only be traded one at a time! If you obtain a bunch of slaves from one or more alternate roleplays then you may sell them all at once, but it's boring for everybody involved if you just make one post here saying 'I have 100 pleasure slaves to sell'. Oldbies like me are amazingly rich, so it's not like I can't afford it, I just want this to be interesting.
2. If you want to hunt the slave trader down and stop him, play fair! I'm sure that more than one person will wish to pursue this option, and I'd be interested in this too, but be sure to avoid powerplaying. Your character does not yet know where the slave trader is based (all you have to go on is a meeting place), nor will they even know what he looks like.
3. Prices will fluctuate! Please don't treat the letter in the first post as the be all and end all, it's only there to introduce you to the topic. Mr. Thompson is a good sort and would probably be willing to give you a first time price to match the amount that you were promised, but after that it's up to you to keep an eye on the prices.
4. The slave trader's say is not final! This rule is more for me, and if you think I'm getting close to violating it please remind me. Occasionally you'll feel that the slave trader is offering you a lousy price for your slave/s. Don't feel like you have to take it - this is slave trading after all. You can use a variety of methods to try and coerce or convince the slave trader to give you a more enticing price. Alternatively, you can just keep your slave/s and wait until the price gets better.
5. The slave trader will deal with you one at a time! Mr. Thompson is a cautious businessman, and he refuses to deal with freelance slave traders in large groups. He will only speak with one slave trader at a time, and all will not meet with them until he is certain that nobody else is nearby.
6. Slave poaching is allowed! If you're looking to get your hands on some easy money by stealing slaves and then selling them as your own or looking to liberate the poor souls before the slave trader can get his hands on them, this thread will be the last chance for you to do so before the trade goes down. The slave trader will not appear in the middle of a fight, and he'll make himself scarce if he happens to be around when one starts. Once he's taken the slaves however it will be much more difficult to get them back.
7. Once sold, unless specified otherwise slaves become NPCs controlled by me! Please keep this in mind! For the sake of keeping things simpler I'd rather people didn't choose to become a slave character, but it has the potential for some great RPing so if you want to then please let me know beforehand.
8. Keep it PG-13! Don't let the presence of pleasure slaves get you too excited, the rules of Blackstar call for a teen-friendly environment and as such we've got to keep this thread clean.

That's all for now, rule-wise. Once you've posted here and indicated that you have received a letter I will send you the money that you've received with it.

[Raven]

Just so you know, this is an OOC post.

I quite love this idea, 3Kul. I'm pretty sure Raven would be dying to get into both buying AND selling.

However, I'm curious as to how we'd 'capture' the characters? I'm sure that throwing a Pokéball would work, but would that be fair? Most people work very hard on their characters, so for them to not be upset, it may have to be a designated character for this.

Which would make it much less interesting.

Is there any way you'd be able to explain it a bit more?

(Oh wow, I think I sound literate again. My hangover's wearing off. )

[3kul]

Glad to hear that you're so interested Raven!

As I said in my previous post, capturing slaves will be done in roleplays. Afaik we've never really recognized the item system as being a legitimate part of roleplays, it's more 'just for fun'. I actually hadn't considered the use of pokeballs at all, but for now I'll say no. As you've pointed out, it would be grossly unfair for somebody to lose a character that they've worked on for months all because of a bad coin toss by the item system.

Basically you'll have to roleplay some kind of kidnapping or combat. Let's say we find ourselves in yet another OMG Blackstar is going to explode RP (it's going to happen eventually, I just know it ). Rather than help the main party save the day, a freelance slave trader may see fit to take advantage of the chaos and knock out a few hapless NPCs* along the way, then stash them somewhere until the fuss dies down. Perhaps they're innocent townsfolk trying to look for a place to hide, or perhaps they're a group of marauding bandits looking to take advantage of a situation gone horribly wrong - the slaves will not be designated, pretty much any NPC that you can manipulate is fair game, so what kind of people you choose to enslave is entirely up to you.

Alternatively, you could create your own roleplay or a story exclusively for your adventures as a freelance slave trader. In this case you'll be in control of a lot more of what happens, including what kinds of potential slaves you encounter and what dangers you face. You'll have a much easier time finding potential slaves this way, so if you're struggling to do a little people-smuggling under your friends' noses I'd recommend giving a story a shot.

I don't doubt that NPCs will be the staple prey for slave traders, as they'll be the easiest to get by far. That said, it would be very interesting to see characters falling into slavery, but I think that both parties would have to agree upon it first. This probably sounds like a highly unlikely scenario, but I think that there may be a few circumstances that might crop up later on as Blackstar slowly becomes more and more active - high stakes duels, for example, or battles between large factions. Alternatively, a roleplayer may wish to sell their own character into slaverly purely for the sake of making an interesting roleplay.

Ultimately this thread creates a whole plethora of interesting possibilities, far too many for me to list, but I hope that I've helped you understand it a little better. Personally speaking I'm really interested to see what comes of this

(*for those of you unfamiliar with the terminology, NPC is short for 'Non-Player Character' - characters that are not really controlled by any one person.)

[Coolpikaaa]

Another OOC Post.


Seriously? No Pokeballs? Dude, I gotta turn a profit somehow.

I do have some rope in my inventory though.... maybe we should start using items more in our posts.

Just to wrap up, what I have gathered is you need to go into other RPs, grab people, and then bring them to this thread for the reward? Sounds pretty good. What kind of rewards can we expect

[3kul]

[LordPsycho]

((Well, while I'm here....he he he))

*A hooded figure stood on a nearby hill overlooking the meeting site indicated on the map in his hand. His cloak hid his features, but it was obvious he had a blade on his hip.

Many years had past since he last ruled over these lands, and it had suffered it appeared. But he needed to leave to figure out how to deal with his new found humanity.

But this letter demanded his return to deal with this...insult on freedom.

With a heavy sigh he proceeded he starts his walk towards the meeting place. This simply would not do, not on his land, not on his watch*

((So yeah, DP's back, but he's going to be holding it close to the chest while he checks out what's going on.))

[3kul]

It would be downright ridiculous for the former lord of the land to get lost in his own realm, and so as expected he made good time. Before he knew it he was at the meeting place - sure enough, just as the letter had indicated, there was a phone booth out in the middle of the open, with nothing to hide it from anybody.

The phone rings, and should DP pick up, he will be greeted by the deep, dark voice of the slave trader himself. His voice, unintentionally terrifying by nature, seemed to fit his preferred trade, but he was clearly attempting to convey a friendly and positive attitude as best as he could. Whether this was due to a genuine desire to befriend locals or nothing more than part of a trick to lull those listening into a false sense of security was difficult to say, but at the end of the day one would do well to keep in mind that this man is, first and foremost, a trader of slaves.

"It seems that my letter found you well, my friend. What shall the nature of our business be on this beautiful day?"

Of course, should DP choose not to answer the phone, or should somebody interrupt him, such an introduction may be temporarily delayed, or may never happen at all.

[LordPsycho]

He suddenly realized he should have brought some one with him to go undercover, but as he sat there staring at the ringing phone, it was much too late to consider that.

He picked up the phone, a voice greeted him on the other side.

"It seems that my letter found you well, my friend. What shall the nature of our business be on this beautiful day?"


"I've got a few questions I'd liked answered" the stranger in the booth said. "First off, lets say I...knew some people interested in purchasing some slaves...to what market are the items destined."

[3kul]

The slave trader hesitates before responding, for he was a little confused by your question. Had you not read the letter properly? He had quite specifically stated that he had no slaves available at the moment, so unfortunately there was little to no point in having any lengthy discussion with a potential customer when he had no wares to sell them.

Be that as it may though, the slave trader prided himself on being a proper businessman, and so he chose to see this conversation through to the end purely for the sake of being polite. You had come an awfully long way for his slaves, after all, it would be such a shame for you to return home with neither a slave to show nor a story to tell.

"I greatly appreciate the interest friend, but as I detailed in my letter to you I regrettably have no slaves to sell! It's a crying shame that I have to turn away my first customer like this, but at the very least I shall endeavour to satisfy your curiosity in regards to the finer points of slave trading."

"As you are no doubt aware having read my letter, I will be conducting all purchases of slaves from this particular meeting place, however, and to answer your first question, sales will be managed from a different premises. I intend to provide something a little more comfortable than the open desert for my clientelle you see, to ensure that their experience is a most enjoyable one so that they may be encouraged to come back for more."

("Ah, but of course, that is not to suggest that you do not deserve the kind of comfort that I will be offering my customers, my fine friend, merely that as a professional I desire to keep my places of purchasing seperate from my places of selling.")

"My establishment will also be located here in the Unexplored South when I have enough slaves to open to the public. Truth be told I would have preferred something a little closer to the city, but alas, my business is often met with hostility by those closed minded fools unable to comprehend the finer points of this illustrious trade. Of course, this makes advertising tricky, but I have ways of ensuring that news of my grand opening will only make it to approving ears, don't you worry, my friend!"

"I do hope that this has answered your first question. What other queries might you have for me, my friend?"

[LordPsycho]

"Hmm...alright then, that was most helpful. My...ahem "friend" should be satisfied with that.


My second question is about the nature of the product you are interested in purchasing. You gave no detail about the quality of the product and how it will affect the sale price. I'd imagine a slave that is barely alive upon arrival is far less valuable than a slave that is delivered healthy. Not to mention no one wants a dumb slave, and if you are truly new to this realm, there are those here to barely qualify as sentient. How does the quality of the delivered product effect the sale price?"

[Coolpikaaa]

"Why do I have to be the slave again?"

"Cause I'm the boss of you?"

"Since when!"

"Since I can easily eat you."

"You wouldn't. I'd tell Dad."

Coolpikaaa's two adoptive 'children', Baby-Pikaaa and Tetsu-ko, were having a rather heated argument in their small flat on the edge of the Arctic Tundra. Neither were actually CP's kids, as one was a slightly glowing clone, and the other a Dragon, however, both had been raised by the electric mouse, and had lovingly considered him "Dad" since they could speak.

In BP's paw, a secondhand letter found by him, and the source of their conflict. The letter had been found on their latest trip to the Farmer's Market, and since it outlined a rather evil practice, both had decided someone should step in and do something about it, and while Coolpikaaa himself was busy...

"Ok Fine! I'll be the slave! Stop licking me!" BP shouted in exasperation. "Did you get some water? We forgot the water last time."

"I did! And the Aquamarine too! Those rocks cost a lot by the time you grind them perfect. But it's really pretty... same color as my scales you think?" Tetsu-ko replied, a bit annoyed she was being bossed around by a Pichu the size of her foot. "Ok, we got the glowy mushrooms, the water, the rocks and a couple jars to put it in. Anything else?"

The two kids had decided that if they were going to bring down a slave trader ring, it probably wouldn't be wise to show up they way they typically looked. So with a streak of brilliance, the kids had pooled their savings and bought enough resources to create a couple of Transmorgifacation potions in their kitchen sink. Even better, they took a picture out of a magazine of two typical Psychotopians to change into.

"Nah, I don't think so." BP replied, mixing the brew with the handle of a plunger. "So how awesome is it going to be when Dad gets home from his fight and sees that we brought down a whole slave ring without him?"

"I dunno... You think he will get mad?" Tetsu said, a bit nervous now that the idea of what they were actually doing dawned on her.

"Nah, a Slave ring? That seriously has got to be the tamest thing Blackstar has ever seen."

---
The flight into the desert location specified was rather uneventful other than Tetsu's typical showing off. The duo had two large jugs full of their brew, and had stopped on the other side of a sand dune so they weren't seen.

"Ok Tets, You said you'd go first..."

[Blackstar Foundation]

Tetsu-ko the Dragon chugs the potion back, but chokes, coughing most out. The limited intake therefore only manages to reverse their gender. Well now that is through, it looks like Tetsu-ko the Dragon is going to need another potion to change back.

[Blackstar Foundation]

BP chugs the potion back, choking a bit on the amount. They seem to seize a bit, then wondrously become a perfect Psychotopian Guy. Now that the jug is empty, BP is going to need another potion to change back.

[Coolpikaaa]

"Awesome! It totally worked!" Bp shouted, in a voice very distant from his own. The transformed rodent checked his new body out, wiggling fingers, tugging at the clothing that had appeared, and lamenting the loss of his tail. The plan was a genius idea, and once they shut this thug down, he would make sure to buy the Witch at Click Ta Click's all the presents she could could ask for.

Tetsu on the other hand had remained a Dragon, albeit a very different looking one. Her shimmering scales had turned a deep navy, and sharp, deadly horns now adorned her head. Overall, she had become stubbier, but more lethal. Too embarrassed to speak, s/he just waved her head in protest.

"Aww...Don't worry Tets. When we get home, I'm sure we can fix it. Besides, guy dragons are sooooo much cooler."

Tetsu-ko just glowered at the laughing human in front of him.

After a few minutes of preparations, (ripping up BP's clothes so it looked like he had fought), the dragon snatched up the new found human, and began trekking across the short stretch of sand, eventually throwing him down a bit rougher than she should have at the specified area.

Hopefully someone would be along soon.