Author Topic: How to immerse yourself in the storyline (Read 164 times)

jadeia · « **on:** July 22, 2005, 01:12:00 am »

Hi folks,

I have an open question to all the regular and veteren players here, concerning how to roleplay your character based on the premise of the dream with the dragon and the story of the Blood.

Is the dream something that should be taken quite literally by the character? Is this something he would discuss with his friends, and if he did, he would soon discover that everyone (at least PCs) are having these dreams and awakening in the town. I wanted to know how literally to take this dream - or should it just be seen as a way to start the game?

I'm not trying to be anal on purpose

I am just curious how other players have handled this. For me, my character feels like an outsider and he has "woken" up from the dream in this strange town and land - but what I want to try and do is build a local background for him rather than him playing the "stranger in a new lands" type of scenario.

It's obviously a prophetic experience meeting the dragon in the "dream", but my character would soon become seriously alarmed once he discovers it's not just him having these visions.

I guess this adds to the overall urgency of the arch-plot and that's the point?

So hit me with your thoughts - how have you all handled the intense introduction sequence to the plot?

Dezza · « **Reply #1 on:** July 22, 2005, 01:53:00 am »

Good to see you do take it seriously as this is what the main plot occuring in the world is about and its the reason we are all here...in one form or another!

KageKeeper · « **Reply #2 on:** July 22, 2005, 02:02:00 am »

All of my characters take it literal. They all think they know they were summoned by a dragon to help.

I have met other characters who say otherwise. *shrugs* Guess it all depends.

Vyris · « **Reply #3 on:** July 22, 2005, 02:05:00 am »

I would consider the dream a literal event, the dragon is summoning heroes to help save Layonara, some prefer to think of it as a dream and keep it to themselves, others RP about it openly.

Vyris

jadeia · « **Reply #4 on:** July 22, 2005, 02:09:00 am »

Is it acceptable to say that you were summoned from another world or should it be perhaps summoned from another village, town, island, continent, etc.

Personally I prefer the summoned from another town, or can we think more epic?

Xerina · « **Reply #5 on:** July 22, 2005, 02:27:00 am »

Some where their is a post that the dragon does not actual summon you.

And not all players Rp the dream some have other reasons for being in Hlint or fighting the war.

My bard for example would never have responded to a dream, in fact D&D lore says elves don't dream so no elf should ever respond to a "dream"

They might have a vision or something but not a dream. My ranger on the other hand had the dream and believes she was summoned to Hlint. She was in Umbree forest in route to Milstone and then she woke up in Hlint. How she really got thier who knows she has no memory. It all just depends on how you want to RP it, but most do respond to the dream and many talk about it.

jadeia · « **Reply #6 on:** July 22, 2005, 03:07:00 am »

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... in fact D&D lore says elves don't dream so no elf should ever respond to a "dream" ...

That's a very interesting point, can anyone else confirm this? My character is an Elf so if this is the case, then it puts a different spin on events...

Xerina · « **Reply #7 on:** July 22, 2005, 03:55:00 am »

Easy check the elves hand book, it is also the reason elves are immune to sleep spells they simply do not sleep their for a spell that puts them to sleep is useless.

for some great elf info check http://www.myth-drannor.net/DlabraddathNet/z-Cormanthyr/home%20page.htm but remember it's general to most elves and some is specific to the forgotten realms and may or may not apply to Layonara. IE history is diffrent.

Unlike the other races an elf does not sleep. Instead to rest and refresh both mind and she enters a state of deep meditation – the reverie or trance. The elf reviews her memories and without this process it is doubtful an elf could remember all the things that happen to her in her very long life. Unlike dreaming this is a process of examining memories from outside, reviewing rather than reliving. During trance an elf's eyes are open, but she is unaware of her surroundings till she is aroused (similar to being woken).

A pregnant elf enters reverie in the mid to late stages of the pregnancy and stays in this state to commune with her child, teaching it language and much of the elven inheritance. This may account for the fact that even very young elves are well behaved and communicate well.

An elf will be refreshed in both mind and body after only 4 hours of trance. Their bodies are also renewed for another day, having healed as fully as a sleeper does after 8 hours of good rest. If this trance is part of an 8 hour period of rest it is sufficient for them to relearn any spells. Elves do not need to actually sleep to relearn spells. Elves entering reverie in trees have been known to lash themselves to the branches with vines or ropes - their muscles and bodies can totally relax, much the same as the bodies of dreamers.

Filatus · « **Reply #8 on:** July 22, 2005, 07:28:00 am »

Hmm, what about daydreaming, you don't need sleep for that?

Scorpio_Maxwell · « **Reply #9 on:** July 22, 2005, 07:54:00 am »

This situation is a bit complicated for me because one I didn’t really like the idea of being ‘summoned’ out of the blue, snatched up in the air and dropped into an alien town. My main character doesn’t believe in the gods anyway because of his complex background. He believes there are powerful forces at work in the world and that there are magical beings, even very powerful spirits but he does not believe that the omnipotent deities are actually immortal gods. Wolf led a hard and vicious life in Wolfswood forest and the surrounding towns before coming to Mistone so he may have though the vision was a hallucination caused from mal nutrition or pure exhaustion.

Frendh · « **Reply #10 on:** July 22, 2005, 10:46:00 am »

I read through more or less everything of importance (except the pdf)
when I created my first character. I chose to have him come from another
world, so I'm pretty sure that somewhere in the maze of posts and links
it says you can come from somewhere else than layonara.

KageKeeper · « **Reply #11 on:** July 22, 2005, 11:05:00 am »

Quote

Frendh - 7/22/2005 10:46 AM

I read through more or less everything of importance (except the pdf)
when I created my first character. I chose to have him come from another
world, so I'm pretty sure that somewhere in the maze of posts and links
it says you can come from somewhere else than layonara.

Hmm. Everything I have ever read in the character submissions, the approving GM says the character has to be on Layonara for sometime before the dragon notices you and thereby summons you to Hlint. *shrugs*

EdTheKet · « **Reply #12 on:** July 22, 2005, 11:08:00 am »

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KageKeeper - 7/22/2005 8:05 PM
Quote
Frendh - 7/22/2005 10:46 AM I read through more or less everything of importance (except the pdf) when I created my first character. I chose to have him come from another world, so I'm pretty sure that somewhere in the maze of posts and links it says you can come from somewhere else than layonara.

Hmm. Everything I have ever read in the character submissions, the approving GM says the character has to be on Layonara for sometime before the dragon notices you and thereby summons you to Hlint. *shrugs*

Exactly "has to be on Layonara for some time" are the key words.

jadeia · « **Reply #13 on:** July 24, 2005, 01:30:00 am »

Hmm some interesting replied here, exactly what i was looking for. All of this will help me mold out my characters background much more, thanks for all your thoughts and opinions.

Keep em coming!

teefal · « **Reply #14 on:** August 09, 2005, 11:17:00 am »

the dragon sequence should be mentioned in the "player info" stuff, so that new people can encorporate it into their bio. I read about Blood and the continents, and encorporated them into my bio, but it was only after the bio was accepted that I learned about the dragon. I might have written the bio differently, had I known.

EdTheKet · « **Reply #15 on:** August 09, 2005, 12:02:00 pm »

Quote

teefal - 8/9/2005 8:17 PM the dragon sequence should be mentioned in the "player info" stuff, so that new people can encorporate it into their bio. I read about Blood and the continents, and encorporated them into my bio, but it was only after the bio was accepted that I learned about the dragon. I might have written the bio differently, had I known.

Good point.

cabernetpixi · « **Reply #16 on:** August 13, 2005, 06:06:00 pm »

Heya!

I'm currently in the middle of creating a background for my very first character on Layonara. I'm bored at work and decided to browse the forums a bit. I haven't found any other information regarding this dragon summons. Could someone please provide some more detailed information or link me to said information so that I might include the knowledge while creating my character's background?

Thanks!

Vincent · « **Reply #17 on:** August 13, 2005, 10:14:00 pm »

I found out about the dragon by making some unauthorized 'test' characters (a fighter and a mage), just to see how starting the server would be like (this was before my first real character.)

Ne'er · « **Reply #18 on:** August 29, 2005, 03:29:00 pm »

For Jet, he came to town after a long battle, and was badly wounded. He collapsed in the town, and I am rping that he was hallucinating about the dragon. He won't tell anyone much about it since he either doesn't care enough, or just doesn't want them to think he is crazy...

EdTheKet · « **Reply #19 on:** August 30, 2005, 12:50:00 am »

Here: http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=16426&posts=4#M100017
as well as in the 'History' section, it reads:

"Sinthar has been on the World for just over forty-six years now and he has destroyed nearly all of the Dragons that were still alive. His forces now control all but two continents and two islands. He grows stronger by the day. Rumors spread of his generals’ beginning to run their own agendas; however, it is thought that he still has heavy control over all of them. It is time for Layonara to unite, but what heroes will answer the call?
A call for aid goes out across the lands and it is answered.
You find yourself in front of a large dragon, apparently no longer in the place where you last closed your eyes to go to sleep or take a nap. Is it real, a hallucination, or just a dream? You are not sure, but the dragon seems real enough, watching you watching it, the dragon opens his mouth…
This is where you begin in the World of Layonara. Are you one that has been summoned, or was it just a dream? Whatever the truth may be, your destiny awaits…"