.GRIMMERY . no posting yet

Subject: .GRIMMERY . no posting yet Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:27 am

» » p r e / ss -- PLaY -[♫] !!

A.ll ye maidens heexxd my w a r n i n g
Never ~~tru~~st the h e a r t s of { m/en }

They will cr.ush you li/ke a { s p a r r o w }
Lea.ving you { to } n e xx v e r mend

.GRIMMERY . no posting yet Stardustex

f -á -i -l -t -e !!

" If all your d я є α м s were real. . . "

Do you remember some of your dreams?

" If you could ω ι s н for anything,, "

Haven't you heard be careful what you wish for?

" If you followed your s т α я ,, "

Don't you know the brightest light casts the darkest shadow?

" and never the ρ α т н . . . "

You'd get eaten by the monster under your bed, but that's only slightly beside the point.

Welcome to GRiMMERY, an advanced literate fairytale.

__________ ★ _________
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| S T o R Y B O O K

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Y e A R B O O K

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Subject: Re: .GRIMMERY . no posting yet Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:34 am

Li.ttl/e sparrow, li.ttl/e sparrow
Pre.cious { f r a g i l e } li.ttl/e thing
Li.ttl/e sparrow, li.ttl/e sparrow
F xx l i e s so high a.nd f/eels no { p a i n }

c - h - a - p - t - e -r ---- Ⅰ

ι --n --т --r --σ ,,

The H o u xxr { ti.me } forgot !!
------------- ___________________________________

The twilight air over Hoshine, streaked deepest indigo and shining gold, was filled with fireworks, riotous explosions of color over the Lower City. The falling sparks crashed down and joined the masses of people dancing freely in the streets. From here, with the height of the High Castle, it was impossible to make out the faces of the people of Astrel below, but it brought a smile to his face to see them so gaily celebrating the young Queen's birthday.

A Bivby Candle and a Edgetown Dragon went off simultaneously, reflecting in the floor length study windows and the half-crescents of the Historian's spectacles. With a sigh, he took them off to clean a smudge from the glass, and looked quite suddenly the old man. A shadow appeared in the flat glass: a figure standing behind the old Historian patiently. Sir Geoffrey Hawkson replaced his glasses, and took a deep breath.

"Ye may have won this battle." Said the Historian. "I canna do more for them. But there are others. They have mahny an ally." A slight smile crossed the old man's lips. "They jus' gotta turn out the lights."

The dark smudge in the glass against the darker room scoffed softly. Sir Hawkson didn't stiffen, and felt the blade smoothly enter with barely any pain.

He was dead before his body had slid to the floor, and the shadow was gone.

__________ ★ _________

"It's beautiful!" Said the young Queen, eyes stolen full of childish glee as she watched the display in the sky over her city, leaning further over the balcony railing.

Her guest, a Stranger who had coyly refused to introduce himself, laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, and gave the young ruler a warm smile, as if delighted simply to please the girl in her. "It was no trouble, especially not for a young lady's birthday." He chuckled as her checks turned red.

"You know..." Began the young ruler shyly, her eyes on the Stranger's exploding presents, manner like a schoolgirl presenting a love letter. "The entire Courtel loves you, we would be greatly overjoyed to have you stay in Hoshine as long as you wish."

"'We', Your Highness? Or is that an 'I'?"

She smiled at him demurely. "I would love to have you stay."

The Stranger leaned down towards the monarch, and the young girl, enchanted by her unnamed guest, watched with wide eyes as his head bowed to whisper in her ear. His hair tickled her cheek, and she noticed he smelled crisp and clean. Like... like moonlight and glass.

"In truth," He whispered breathily, with not at all the proper sort of voice to address either a Queen or a young girl. "Nothing would make me happier."

And he broke her heart.

__________ ★ _________

The burst of white light above the castle balcony could of been a firework, although it rather resembled a falling star.

They danced on in the city streets, moving to a beat as old as bones, celebrating, not just the passing of another year for their beloved Queen, but another year for all of Astrel. It had been almost twelve since the fall of King Morpheus of the Monsters and the death of Queen Beatrix, yet the children of Earth dreamt safe in bed and their fair Kingdom prospered. Beatrix' daughter made the memory of her mother proud, and the memory of war a distant one. Everyone joined in, the baker's, the bookmen, the candlestick makers. Sequins and costumes, hanging lanterns and flying streams, merry bonfires and anyone with a fiddle and a jig in their soul was out in the streets tonight.

But it is on nights like this, were liquor runs freely and the people revel wantonly, that the world gets a little... thin.

The Swordsman stared dumbly into the bottom of his glass, trying to remember, through the foggy haze of tipsiness, when it had emptied. It had been somewhere between the point the Barghest had grabbed his friend the Guidepost and demanded a waltz, leaving the Swordsman and the unflappable Jack-in-Irons on the crates that were serving as benches for any number of revelers who were either lacking jigs or overflowing with drink.

Before he could contemplate this anomaly for long, he found his glass refilled, as mysteriously as it had emptied.

The Jack-in-Irons leaned back, taking with him the recently half-emptied jug with the mysterious (and completely unreassuring) label of 'XXX', downing a good portion of it before giving his benchmate the mindless smile of a fox about to steal a chicken.

"Don't look so down - it's the first time we've walked under proper Stars in five years." He jabbed the Swordsman in the shoulder. "A boy your age should be finding some sweet thing to seduce."

"I..." Said the Swordsman, the amber-colored liquid in his glass reflecting the maze of lanterns above their heads and millions of Stars that had come out to watch the carnivale. "...She would have loved to be here."

At least, he hoped she would have. His memory of the memory of her would have.

"Hey..." Replied the Jack-in-Irons, but then the man's face softened, and he patted his fellow awkwardly as he watched the Barghest make a merry fool of themself to the tune of the city. "You'll find her."

__________ ★ _________

Otherwhere, the shining display of gunpowder and chemicals that lit the night sky was watched from afar.

A chained, traitorous Knight in a stone prison with sad bemusement, the memory of days in that castle filling his heart. This bemusement was not shared by his cellmates: a deranged Murderer and an innocent Prince, who shared a game of poker over an upturned box.

The Edgewitch with interest. She didn't need eyes to see the shapes of so many wishes coming together, that kind of thing has power, you know.

A Shadow with cold detachment and merry humor. Let them dance and sing, soon Hoshine would be a city of night rather than a city of light.

And a Star with sadness, thinking longingly of home...

__________ ★ _________

The General was not to be having with the Duke.

In her fair opinion, he was a toad with the personality of a lead handkerchief. And she hated the way he looked in mirrors all the time.

She glanced out across the ballroom's open floor, through the towering pillars the separated the world of whirling dresses and choking perfume from the real celebrating going on in the Lower City. The Duke was not talking to her directly now, but it would have been poor manners to walk out in the middle of a ball like this. And she prided herself on being able to behave when required to. She wasn't about to cause a fuss in the middle of the Queen's party.

But she longed for the wild revelry she knew was somewhere under that firework strangled sky.

Her mind drifted, unchecked, to the hours she and her brother had spent in those streets dancing during long forgotten summer nights.

"Is something amiss...?"

She turned back towards the Duke, who was giving her the smile that fluttered the little hearts of ladies in waiting and made the General want to stuff him down a hole somewhere. She opened her mouth to make a sarcastic reply-

The gilt double doors that stood at the height of the ballroom stairs opened with such force the room quieted as if felled by the wave of air. There stood Her Royal Highness.

The eyes of all the Court of Astrel stared in surprise at their fair ruler, and then began to clap awkwardly.

She was dressed like a Queen should be, held herself like a Queen, yet her arm was wrapped coyly around that of the nameless guest, holding him like a lover and not as a Queen should.

"Her Royal Highness of Astrel a-and..." The Announcer stuttered, and then glanced at the guest unsure. The Queen swept past him to the top of the stair, and the poor man got a glance at her eyes.

There was nothing in them of the sweet child he knew.

Then she said in a voice as cold and hard as ice, to the Court, and all of her Kingdom:

"This is my Consort, the Stranger."

G R i M M • E R Y
t h i s __ a i n ' t __ y o u r __ m o t h e r ' s __ n u r s e r y __ s t o r y , __ l a s s i e . . .

Subject: Re: .GRIMMERY . no posting yet Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:44 am

A.ll ye maidens heexxd my w a r n i n g
Never ~~tru~~st the h e a r t s of { m/en }
They will cr.ush you li/ke a { s p a r r o w }
Lea.ving you { to } n e xx v e r mend

c - h - a - p - t - e -r ---- Ⅱ

s --т --σ --r --y ,,

Txxhe Fab.le we're ,, falling in !!
___________________________________

There is a place, just beyond the glints in a mirror and the second star to the north, where dreams really do come true.

The Land of Astrel has been the guardian of the Dreaming for as long as children have slept, for it is the very dreams that create and shape this fantastical place, filled with knicks, knacks, oddities, and all manners of things of a curious and wonderful nature, all ruled by a Queen whose heart shines like a star.

Yet, it is a clear, summer night that all of this is crushed by the black.

A handsome, charismatic man with no name and and no past entered the Court of Astrel, charming the courtier and young Queen. But underneath his gentle demeanor lurked a shard sharp monster, and as the castle danced around them, he seduced the Queen of Astrel... and stole the living light of the very kingdom, the Heart of the Queen, from her breast.

The now hollowed girl became a sadistic, tyrannical, cruel creature, and announced the 'Stranger' would now serve as her consort - and Astrel, once a land of purity and peace, became as dark and twisted as its ruler. The green died, and malevolent new things grew in their places, barren fields beget terrible monsters instead of ripe crops, once gentle woodfolk became twisted predators, and the people began to feel great hatred, mistrust, and fear.

Whatsmore, a greater threat to both the land of Astrel and it's brethren world appeared. Years ago, the young Queen's mother died in a terrible war by sealing away a dark place called the Land of Monsters, and with it, a twisted King. With the Dark tainting Astrel once more, the doors to the land of Monsters were thrown wide, and the Boogeys and Monsters - creatures born from Nightmares - seeped from cracks and keyholes, terrifying the land of Astrel. With them is the rumors that the King himself once more moves...

It is Astrel's darkest hour.

Yet... a light in some hearts dares them to hope. There are stories as old as the Dreaming itself, of a No Heart Knight who can fight the Dark, of Five Princes guided by sky-forged swords, of the Moon King, who despite his own sadism is far more powerful than the Dark,

And of six human children who can control the Dreaming.

__________ ★ _________

And it starts there, with a hearth-spun fairytale.

A Knight, once brave and true, now rotting in a distant dungeon for heresy and betrayal of Astrel's crown, is approached by a mysterious man with mismatched eyes, who offers him a chance to save the dying kingdom in exchange for nothing. With desperate agreement, the two steal the Queen's heart from the Stranger, and flee through a mirror to the land of Earth. Pursued by the Queen's Guard, they arrive in London, one clear night.

And it is by chance alone that six particular children are about that night on the campus of Saint Esther's School for Proper Young People. The Hero wanted to find the incredible, the Scholar wanted to learn their bravery, the Princess wanted to get them in trouble, the Guardian wanted to keep his girlfriend out of it, while the Rebel was off breaking all kinds of school rules and his best friend the Prefect was putting them back together. By chance, together they saw a star, beautiful, bright and white, fall from the sky, and crash into the parking lot.

Teenage curiosity then led to an interesting dilemma, for on investigation, the star shattered, embedding shards in their hearts. It wasn't long after they were assaulted by men in real metal armor, accosted by a weary looking guy and a fop in a top hat, and attacked by a gigantic shadow-monster-ogre-thing that tore up half the cars in the parking lot.

The six then discovered their own extra-ordinary abilities: calling to arms powerful weapons and using some rather bloody strong magics. Awkwardly, they fought the new threat with a little help, and managed to draw the creature out into London Grand before it attacked the school too, where it was less then soundly defeated. With much property damage.

Exhausted, badly bruised and bleeding, they returned to Saint Esther's, confused out of their minds and high on the incredible, slipping into tumultuous sleep.

But the next morning offered anything but answers, and now this inexperienced lot must make a choice: go to Astrel, or stay on Earth, save the Queen... or destroy her?

But nothing about them, around them, or in Astrel is what it seems, and as their nightmares coming to life and their dreams become their weapons, the delicate balance of the Dreaming and the Dark lie in their hands.

G R i M M • E R Y
t h i s __ a i n ' t __ y o u r __ m o t h e r ' s __ n u r s e r y __ s t o r y , __ l a s s i e . . .

Subject: Re: .GRIMMERY . no posting yet Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:49 am

The.y will v o w to always { love } y/ou
Swea.r no lxxove bu.t you.rs w.i/ll do
The.n they'll { l e a v e } you for an.other
B r e a k you.r li/tt.le heart in txxwo.

c - h - a - p - t - e -r ---- Ⅲ

f --σ --l --к --l --σ --r --є ,,

The ~~l i~~ e s { between } the li.ne/s !!
___________________________________

I have, in my time as the Court of Astrel's Royal Historian, managed to gathered and organize much of my predecessor's formerly scattered learnings and discoveries. It has all been included in this volume of the 'History, Affairs, and Folkore of Astrel', and although there is still much of our world we do not understand, I hope it helps the reader in their studies of our beloved Worlds.

- Sir Geoffery Hawkson

A s t r e l
/ æstrel /

A fair, green kingdom formed and affected by the dreams of earth, ruled by a dynastic monarchy. The former Queen, Beatrix, died defending the kingdom from the invading Land of Monsters when she sealed their King, leaving her young daughter to take the throne.

E a r t h
/ ˈərth /

A boring world normally barren of Monsters and Stars, yet somehow intrinsically the birthplace of the dreams which form Astrel. Home of the Starchildren.

T h e D r e a m i n g
/ ˈdrē-miŋ /

The source of Dreams, the antonym of the Dark, the power which gives life and breath to all of the Kingdom of Astrel and the Stars in the sky.

T h e D a r k
/ därk /

The source of Nightmares, the antonym of the Dreaming, the power which gives birth to the Land of Monsters and the Monsters themselves.

T h e S t a r c h i l d r e n
/ ˈstärchī(-ə)ld /

The ancient legends of Astrel speaks of children from earth who are haunted by the Dark, yet have the ability to control the Dreaming, and who may call down Stars from the sky. They appear in Astrel's direst hours. Many are divided on their roles in history - some have saved Astrel, others have destroyed it.

T h e N o H e a r t K n i g h t
/ ˈhärt-ləs /

A herculean mythical figure much like the Starchildren, famed for his ability to bring justice no matter the price. Yet he is shrouded in tragedy and cruelty - despite being a hero, nothing beats in his breast, and he wanders forever, seeking his lost heart.

T h e M o o n K i n g
/ ˈlü-nər kiŋ /

Never get caught between two mirrors, never look in the water during a new moon, keep a cloth over the looking glass at night... For there is something in the glass, the white figure sitting on a crystal throne has been known to seduce the most innocent child and the most corrupted hearts to walk through the line between his world and theirs.

B o o g e y s
/ ˈbu̇-gē /

Although their appearances range from horrible to bland, they are the impishly mischievous forces born from the Dark, famed for their ability to bring terror wherever they go, as they feed on fear. They cannot stand the Starlight for long, and like to slink beneath beds and in closets.

M o n s t e r s
/ ˈmän(t)-stər /

Rare they may be, but nothing can bring the chill down a grown man's spine quicker then the bated mention of the Monsters. The very epitome of the Dark as the Stars are the very epitome of the Dreaming, It is said they can blend seemlessly with humans (although their true forms are terrible indeed) and Starlight bears no danger for them. While even the Boogeys have proper hearts, Monsters do not. The true horror of the Dark is these twisted things.

T w i n k l e s
/ ˈtwiŋ-kəl /

The name may sound a little sugary, but these flighty, carefree beings bring light to all of Astrel. Only a few inches high but always glowing, they're similar to fairies in shape, and they flutter about guiding travelers on dark roads and bringing luck to all they meet.

S t a r s
/ ˈstär /

Formed by the very flow of the Dreaming, Stars are the ethereal watchers of Astrel, the far-off glistening lights in the sky which guarantee no night will ever by consumed by the Dark. Although they prefer to keep their distance, one or two have fallen to Astrel - and this has always changed the course of history forever. Nothing is said to shine like the heart of a Star... and those in possession of one are said to have anything their heart desires.

G R i M M • E R Y
t h i s __ a i n ' t __ y o u r __ m o t h e r ' s __ n u r s e r y __ s t o r y , __ l a s s i e . . .

Subject: Re: .GRIMMERY . no posting yet Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:59 am

Li.ttl/e sparrow, li.ttl/e sparrow
Pre.cious { f r a g i l e } li.ttl/e thing
Li.ttl/e sparrow, li.ttl/e sparrow
F xx l i e s so high a.nd f/eels no { p a i n }

c - h - a - p - t - e -r ---- Ⅳ

p --r --σ --т --o --c --σ --l ,,

T.he pxxoetry A t l a s ~~shr~~ugg/ed !!
___________________________________

» » »ℓ i t є r a c y

A literate person can mediate their world by deliberately and flexibly orchestrating meaning from one linguistic knowledge base and apply or connect it to another knowledge base.

----

Exemplary Practices: The Role of Discussions in the Acquisition of Literacy: Theory, Research and Practice

So, what does that mean? This roleplay classifies as 'Literate' and up - it's a pretty vocabulary, likable grammar, thought, and effort variety. I want you, most importantly, to have fun doing this, but ultimately, I want you to be able to explore your character and the world(s) they inhabit while having said fun.

Even if you're a little unsure if this applies to you, go ahead and send me the Background Check!

» » »g r є a s є p a i n t && ℓ a c є

I really do love shiny post skeletons, so feel free to dandy up your posts and profiles~ Go wild, add color, pictures, the works (just leave the profile code the same). If it isn't your strong suit, as it isn't for many, you can always mooch off a really nice friend or not even worry about it - they aren't required.

» » »c h a ʀ a c t є ʀ s

Before you may apply for a character, fill out the background check and PM it. After I've accepted it, post the finished profile in the OOC thread. Profile pictures may be artwork or real life, but please don't use Generic Anime Character #2377. (I'm talking [url=https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/Ai_the_Doll/Character Portraits/largeAnimePaperscans_Mikeou_masterd.jpg]this[/url] in comparison to [url=https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/Ai_the_Doll/Character Portraits/largeAnimePaperscans_Minami-Ke_Sies.jpg]this[/url]).

You may play multiple characters, in fact, I blatantly encourage it. As for using recycled characters, you must rewrite at least 75 percent of their profile for me to accept it into running - if you don't, that tells me you don't care enough about this roleplay. If you have an idea for something not on the list or any questions at all, feel more than free to ask!

As for how reservations work, I don't do them. The only taken characters at the beginning will be mine and those of the lovely kiddos who applied and stuck around in the previous incarnation. Everyone will have exactly the same shot at getting any of the other roles.

I judge profiles based on content. Feel free to make the skeleton as pretty as you like, but if graphics and art aren't your strong suit, rest assured that I'll only be looking at the writing and the character. I would really prefer it if you only use third-person.

» » »ℓ o v є && p є a c є

The most important rule is that I expect you to have fun. If you aren't enjoying yourself, something is very wrong indeed!

Seriously, though, no unnecessary drama. We're all (relatively) logical people here. If the roleplay stops being fun for you, I expect that you're gracious enough to tell me that instead of just dropping out without a word.

» » »ℓ i b b i є

I won't bite, although I might feed you cupcakes. I also adore questions, so feel free to bury me in them. They really help flesh out the world and it's characters.

» » »c o ო ო i t ო є n t

By filling out the background check, your telling me you'd like to stick around. Even if you have writer's block or are unable to make an actual post, you'll hang with the guys in the OOC, and most importantly, you won't disappear on the lot of us without warning. Life happens, and we understand that, this can keep going even if you go to Paris for a week. I know from experience a roleplay can and will thrive if you want it to.

» » »ო o o d

The tone of this roleplay is Gothic Fantasy. I got a lot of inspiration from Tim Burton movies, Jim Henson's Labyrinth, Terry Pratchett, Little Nemo in Slumberland, and Neil Gaimen's Stardust.That doesn't mean there can't be comedy and drama too. ;D

G R i M M • E R Y
t h i s __ a i n ' t __ y o u r __ m o t h e r ' s __ n u r s e r y __ s t o r y , __ l a s s i e . . .

Subject: Re: .GRIMMERY . no posting yet Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:14 am

c - h - a - p - t - e -r ---- Ⅴ

c --α --s --т ,,

Pa.rts and Pla.ye/rs in a { S t o r y } !!
___________________________________

» the GRaVES of fallen s t a r s

» » »t ђ e __ q u e e n __ o f __ a s t r e l __ gel __ Despite her youth, she's a fair, wise, and kind ruler, well loved by her people. Yet, with her family buried and her rank separating her from others, the Young Queen is incredibly lonesome. This, combined with her naivity and innocence, made seducing her such a simple matter, and now the hollowed ruler is a heartless tyrant.