The Cursed Island

[Shandi]

Since I tend to do more writing for survivor contests than for RPs these days, I thought it might be fun to maybe hold a sort of abridged version of one here? Also because I know a survivor contest is a whole other animal than an RP, and I think that might be what discourages some people from applying to one. Yet, the concept is basically the same, in that a group of people are all writing about their characters interacting with one another and creating a story together. Survivor contests just tend to involve a lot more plotting and planning than your average RP, and obviously more is at stake, since your character can be killed off at any time by the audience. But that challenge is part of the fun! Some really great writing and characters have come out of these contests.

Anyhow, I kind of want to do a survival type RP, but since organizing voting periods is probably too complex in this setting, maybe the deaths could be totally random? Also, while contests usually last a few months, perhaps this could be shortened into say, three weeks? And post lengths could be shorter (2-6 paragraphs, depending on what you're covering), slight autoing would be allowed (because that's the way things work in a contest), but obviously killing without permission is not cool (and there's going to be plenty of death as it is). Basically this would only work if everyone involved were committed to posting/following posts actively every day for the duration of the RP.

In terms of plot, I was thinking perhaps something simple and classic: shipwreck on a deserted island. Booya. The Greencrest, a pirate ship with woodlander slaves. Captain Balmir, a stoat, is drowned in the crash, leaving what little remains of the crew and slaves in disarray.And then, just. We go from there and see what happens.

So reply with a character, corsair or woodlander slave, or poke me about anything you think would be fun to add. Don't make a character unless you're cool with there being a good chance of them dying. I'll write an NPC, the first mate (character pending), since I'm kind of the coordinator or whatnot. Since this is kind of time sensitive, what say we start this thing off around...May 10th? And run at least until the end of the month. At which point you'd better have applied for Mossflower Odyssey and go follow that. XP

Yea? Nay? Good idea? Terrible? Let me know.

[Rusvul]

Ok! I would love to join, it sounds cool, though I don't quite know exactly what a "Survivor Contest" is, and I'm not sure I can post every day, but I can certainly be quite active on an rp. Two paragraph posts seem like quite a lot to me, I tend to write more like a few sentences or one paragraph, but, then, you're the master at this, and I could try to write more. I would like to play a corsair, I'm going to use my character Leneat Tazzun.

Name: Leneat Tazzun
Gender: Female
Species: Fox
Age: 17
Appearance: Red fur with grey and white patches, deep green eyes.
Personality: Quick to anger, but very strategic when calm. Brave, but sometimes too brave for her own good, not a quick thinker in the midst of battle. Prefers to sit back, hide, and shoot stuff with a poisoned blowpipe. Can almost vanish when on underbrush or rocks, due to cloak and being a Marlfox.
Weapons/gear: Greenish-greyish-brownish-blackish cloak that helps her hide, ten throwing knives, all exactly identical, one of which is poisoned and hidden in the sole of her boot. Blowpipe hanging around neck on long string, poison darts which knock something out at a scratch, and kill if they hit in a vein, or very deep
( I made up a form, since there wasn't one ) I am new to rp, so please tell me if this character needs editing, or if the things I said above mean that I cannot join. Also, might I have a slightly more detailed explanation, please? You referenced several things that I am not familiar with.

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Ah'll join. Ah'll pozt me character later.

[Shandi]

From the Redwall Survivor Wiki:

"A Redwall Survivor Contest (or Game) is modeled roughly after the Survivor! television show, and involves a number of contestants all competing in a writing competition. Applications are taken to fill a certain number of slots, and contestants are chosen either entirely by pre-selected judges or by the audience voting on a selection of applications filtered by said judges. Once all the slots are filled, the contestants write a story, the audience reads their collaborated efforts, and every week or so they vote for the character they think is the weakest. The votes are tallied, and the writer with the most votes must exit the story, usually killing off their character in the process. This process continues until a handful of contestants are left, usually three. The audience then votes on their favorite remaining character, and they are declared the winner and usually given the right of directing the end of the story."

Survivor contests have been going since 2001, the first being ROC: Survivor. Counting the current contest, there have been 24 contests overall. You should check some of them out if you've got time. Great stories. The first Midnight Mossflower in particular is great, though I'm a bit biased, having placed 2nd in it. I've coordinated the six RedVenture contests (also great reads), and participated as a contestant roughly half a dozen times. And I also run Redwall Survivor. So basically if you have questions, I most likely have answers. XP

And though the first ever contest had shorter posts, nowadays each post is roughly 1500-3000 words (or sometimes more), so I guess I'm used to those lengths. Two paragraphs seems incredibly short to me, but I realize not everyone's into writing whacking great long posts. Also check out the wiki for some more info (though I warn you, it is still very much a work in progress XD).

[Shandi]

Also, your character sheet is fine. I didn't really have anything exact in mind, as long as it gets the point across about your character. I won't make anyone write an app for this, goodness no. In contests you write a 500 word or so scene in your character's life, but that's for judging and contestant selection purposes, and we're not doing that bit. This is purely for fun, and anyone can join in.


Here's my NPC dealie. Though I guess technically it's a straight up character and not an NPC, it's just that I'm kind of overseeing all of this and won't be in the random death drawings (though I may decide to kick it anyway, because death scenes are fun ^^).

Name: Norovinia Zandor

Species: Stoat

Gender: Female

Age: 30-ish

Physical Description: Typical stoat markings, neither particularly attractive nor ugly, though hardly plain. She carries herself with confidence. Her eyes are coal-black and her smile usually doesn't reach them. She wears a dark brown skirt of a light, flowing fabric, belted with a simple sharkskin belt. She also wears a loose-fitting long sleeve shirt, over which she wears a crimson vest. She wears many bone bracelets and anklets, as well as a deep purple headscarf. As for weaponry, she has a cutlass.

Personality: Noro didn't get to be First Mate for nothing. She's worked hard for everything, coming from rather scant beginnings. While she works hard, she also plays hard and lives hard, keeping up with the males aboard the ship when it comes to gambling and grog-guzzling. Her father was a nobody in a small vermin army that was defeated at Salamandastron. Her mother never really knew how to care for her...mainly because she was incredibly self-absorbed. So Noro took off as soon as she was able and became a deckswab on a ship called the Blue Crab. As for the rest...we'll see.



Just three more days until I'd like to start this! I hope more people join in, or this might be a very short RP. Or we'll just have to make a ton of NPCs to kill off or something.

[SFox63]

I'd join, but as a irl survivalist i think it might be a bit unfair...

[Shandi]

XD Well, the deaths are going to be totally at random, so perhaps not? I was thinking of just putting names in a hat and drawing one out every so often. And that character then has to die. But if the writer still wants to write NPCs after that, that would be fine, I suppose.

[SFox63]

ill post a char after i get off work

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Ah'll pozt vone tomorrov.

Name: Cable
Gender: Male
Species: Weasel
Age: About midseasons
Description: A blue tunic with a dark green belt and hooded gray traveling cloak, a bow and a quiver of arrows and two daggars at either hip attached to his belt

[SFox63]

Name: Aiden
Gender: Male
Species: Squirrel
Age: 20
Appearance: reddish brown fur, green eyes, your average squirrel!
Personality: Optimistic, level headed, and brave.
Weapons/gear: a simple dagger

[Shandi]

Grr, I was going to start this today, but a bunch of IRL stuff unexpectedly came up. And I'm working all day tomorrow, so...Sunday? I guess just use this time to get more people to join in!

Also, since we've only got a few, I was thinking I might write some NPCs to include in the random deaths. If people want to write other characters, too, I'd be fine with that! It'll make this a little bit longer of an RP.

[Shandi]

And it's underway! I'm going to create some oarslave NPCs, methinks, since they currently have gotten no love. ^^

[Shandi]

Sorry, I meant barely any love, derp. Also remember when posting, try to hit two paragraphs at least. I do understand that sometimes it's difficult though, based on what's going on.

Also also, I have another NPC character to report. You can use them a bit more freely than Noro, but please, no killing or maiming or making them make really important decisions without asking first.

Name: Barley
Species: Badger
Gender: Female
Age: 11

Physical Description: Just your standard badger markings and deep, sad brown eyes. She's rather scrawny still, being so young. Wide set shoulders and big paws show she's due to grow to a rather formidable size. She wears a simple, tattered, and inexpertly patched powder blue smock. Being an oarslave, of course, she has no real valuables or weapons on her, though she might pick something up in the wreckage.

Personality: Barley and her mother, Trin, were both oarslaves. However, her mother died in the crash. Barley has yet to discover this, but as she and her mother were extremely close, it will certainly be a heavy blow. Barley is very shy, easily excitable, and nervous. This experience could either bring out the best or the worst in her.

[Shandi]

Well, not as many people got involved/posted as I'd hoped, and it's down to the wire over at the Redwall Survivor forums, so my focus has to shift over to Mossflower Odyssey for a while. But maybe we can pick this up again when it it's closer to finishing?

[The Shade]

Has this rp died?