sticksandbonesmods: (Default)
sticks and bones. ([personal profile] sticksandbonesmods) wrote2023-08-24 11:28 am
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NPC CONTACT

NPCs
To request a thread with an available NPC, put their name in the subject line and anything else you feel is relevant. NPC threads cannot be used for Main AC, but can be used for Bonus AC.

Available NPCs:

Shopkeeper / Heimr.

(he/him)

A tall, heavier man who dresses in slightly oversized clothing not unlike that of a wandering merchant of sorts. He has golden orange eyes and long, curly dark hair that's starting to turn silver here and there, and though he carries a certain weeriness, this does nothing to mask his kindness. He has absolutely no pokerface whatsoever. During the day and late at night he mans the General Store with the help of Plum's magic, though now that he needs to sleep, he's more prone to catnaps at the counter. That said, he'll always be ready to listen or offer a cup of tea. Late winter/early spring, he became human — but not the man he used to be. Heimr gained his name from Mizuki.

Trader / Ydalir.

(she/her)

A large woman who adorns herself with rich colors and baggy clothes to hide her shadowy form, and the Shopkeeper’s sister. Like her brother, she has given her name to the forest and with it, her identity and humanity. She is much more energetic, but more likely to anger as well. She runs a trading booth, armed with magical items from who knows where and a mirror that allows her to reach for items across dimensions, which she will use for the new residents of the Grove! For a price. Her name was given to her by Mizuki.

Rusty.

(he/him)

An old dog who desperately wants to go home. Before the fence erected itself, he spent most of his days trying to get into the manor with little success. The Shopkeeper says the children of his former master are inside the manor, and he wants to return to their side. He can be fussy and has a flair for that doggy judgmental side eye, but he’s gentle and loving as well. What secrets does he hold?

Zahliya.

Played by [personal profile] purifier
(he/they)

A Gargoyle rescued from the fog who is very fond of his titles. Known as "the Purifier, He Who is the First Sentinel, the Grove's Guardian" and fifteen other things, Zahliya is short, combative, and possesses the ability to cleanse corruption by taking it into himself, or burning it out with magic. While formerly unable to conjure said magic, Zahliya is now capable of curing all but the most dire forms of Corruption. His true name is "Amun-Ra", given to him by the Goddesses who created him. He can typically be found perched on the roof of the church, and wields two holy blades called Daybreak and Nightfall.

Zonari.

(she/her)

A Gargoyle constructed by the Fallen Sun/Forest who was brought back to the Grove with some reluctance. Zonari is firmly on the side of the Fallen Sun, though she will entertain being spoken to, and is operating under a truce with everyone here under the promise that they will reunite the Fallen Sun with Beiwe and repair the trust lost between the siblings. She refers to Zahliya as her brother. Her magic deals in Corrupting and modifying memories, and she has a small amount of control over Time. She rarely visits the Grove to "check on you all", and will not get directly involved in affairs of the players at this time.

Moder.

(she/her)

A terrifying, two-story tall moose monster known as the Guardian of the Forest. Moder speaks exclusively in a language that sounds similar to Old Norse, but her words are automatically translated in the heads of those who hear her into something legible. She roams the Grove freely and slips in and out of the fog, regularly killing dangerous monsters to protect the people within the fog's protective bubble. If you ask nicely, she will give you rides around the Grove. During Spring and Summer, mosses and flowers grow along her back and bloom in her hoofsteps.

Sinann.

(it/its or they/them)

The River Guardian, Sinann is a five-foot long fantail fish. It is the reason the river flourishes, and it is the reason you should return the bones of fish you take from the river back to it. Despite appearances, Sinann is just as powerful as the other Guardians. It has the ability to enter a humanoid form to go on land, but will largely still be a fish in the river. Sinann's healing water can heal all but the most fatal of injuries, and it recommends carrying a bottle of it with you just in case.

Callan.

(he/him), art by [plurk.com profile] winterbolt

The Lake Guardian, Callan, lives within the lake primarily, but his "mobile home" is in a fishtank in Pure Vanilla Cookie's house. He has the ability to charm people with his siren's song, though lately he's learnt to "be good" and ask first before he tries to take bites out of people. To make matters worse, he's also a shapeshifter, and tends to take on amorphous forms. He cannot shapeshift to something that would break his usual powers — no birds/flight, and no saltwater creatures. Mostly, he wants to play and taunt people. He acts much stupider than he truly is, but he's not going to tell you that.

The Sky Guardian/"Aurora".

(she/her)

Dubbed "Aurora" by the residents of the Grove, The Sky Guardian, the "bird of rainbow", was killed by the Fallen Sun when it Fell. Thanks to the efforts of Pure Vanilla Cookie, she has been resurrected. When she initally perished eons ago, it is said the stars fell from the sky with her; with her return, the stars, too, have come back. She is kinder and more patient than the other Guardians, and can shapeshift into various types of birds. When in her real form, she stands at three stories tall. A single rainbow tailfeather can bring people back from the dead without consequence — but the offerings required can be steep.

Dragon Hatchlings.

(varies)

A clutch of seven dragon young who hatched upon the beach midwinter. The young vary greatly, but are friendly and playful little things. They like to play at the Rec Center or can be found in various places around the Grove, though they all have favored guardians and caretakers.

You may ask them for a blessing or two, threaded here.

Nene.

Played by [personal profile] mermaidcursed
(she/her)

A young girl who was previously corrupted, but healed by the Cosmic Serpent's holy rain and Pure Vanilla Cookie's efforts. This has resulted in the more malignant plant growths on her to drop and die, but at this point she is still significantly plantlike, as she's come to rely upon these mutations to survive for thousands of years. At a glance Nene will stand out due to her eyepatch, metal legs and the flowers growing out of her hair. As she's now free of the Forest, her exuberant and bright personality is starting to really shine through. Upon death and revival, Nene will personally lead you back to the Grove. Just don’t let go of her hand on the journey.

Elsword.

Played by [personal profile] simplicitas
(he/him)

A young man who was once living among the Grove's residents and formerly Corrupted. Elsword formerly resided in The Garden, where he greeted and spoke to the dead, as well as researched the secrets of it. He decided to resurrect for a chance at attacking the Fallen Sun out of revenge. Fully blind, he can be found living with Mizuki, but spends a majority of his time outside camping out across the river and upstream from Vash's House.

Callisto Abella.

(she/her)

A merchant and 'treasure hunter' if you believe her words, Callisto is a cynical woman who has the unfortunate crime of freeing the Fallen Sun, letting him claw his way back to power. He's kept her as a personal pincushion for centuries, killing and resurrecting her at whim, and though she's still full of fire, she is also weary from years of guilt, suffering and the realization that everyone she knows and loves is dead. Callisto keeps to herself but can be drawn from her room at the inn with good company, good food and good wine- which she also enjoys making.

Semi-Available NPCs:

Semi-Available NPCs are NPCs that are only able to be spoken to under specific circumstances. The circumstances are outlined under each NPC's informational blurb. These NPCs may or may not be moved to Available or Unavailable status depending on further plot updates. Characters who do not fulfill the requirements will not be able to thread with these NPCs. They live under a cut to save page space.

List of Semi-Available NPCs (Click to Expand):

The Behemoth.

(she/her)

The "daughter of Callan", The Behemoth is an enormous, many-eyed crocodile who is now trapped outside of the lake due to the fog wall. She has interest in humankind, and will regularly stalk anyone near the river, but will not try to harm them unless she is harmed first. She claims that she will side with whoever makes her home better, be it humankind or the Creature in the Woods. She can only be spoken to while using the Bone Ring.

Plum.

(they/them)

A little fox spirit within the General Store, Plum is the reason that Heimr can get so many supplies and keep it stocked year-round. There is a shrine to them in the back of it. Plum can only be spoken to while using the Bone Ring.

Beiwe.

(she/her)

The Goddess of the Sun, Beiwe's statue rests next to the well. She traditionally wears armour and wields a sword. She is boistrous, loud, and passionate, and praying to her will make the area feel warm for a time. At one point, she rode on the back of a giant dragon named Sehul. Her statue shows her without her horn-halo cracked, but the real Beiwe does indeed sport that injury. She can be contacted via prayer, but unless otherwise noted, cannot be physically interacted with at this time.

Ourania.

(she/her)

The Goddess of the Moon, Ourania's statue rests next to the well on the opposite side from Beiwe's. She wears a flowing gown and a scarf in her statue. Little is known about her, though she is said to be "very ill". Another humongous statue of hers lies underneath the far-off lighthouse, built into the cliff face. When prayed to, she makes the world feel colder for a moment.She can be contacted via prayer, but unless otherwise noted, cannot be physically interacted with at this time.

Felicity Morais.

Played by [personal profile] amethystic
(she/her)

A young witch and Star who was called to an uninhabited star shrine to empower it once more. She stays to both provide a beacon of safety to other Stars in the forest, share her power and a third, much less pleasant reason: to be live bait for that which would kill the holy lights and give them time to protect themselves best.

Unavailable NPCs:

Unavailable NPCs are, well, not available for threads for one reason or another, but are listed here for bookkeeping/lore reasons. They may or may not become available at a later date. Available NPCs may also become unavailable at a later date, and will be moved to this list accordingly. To avoid clutter, this list lives under a cut, but all NPCs are lore-important and should be considered part of the story even if they aren't necessarily contactable.

List of Unavailable NPCs (Click to Expand):

Aldric.

(he/him)

The founder of the Grove, owner of the manor, and Rusty’s previous master. He had planned on establishing the Grove as a pitstop town within the woods while trying to clear space for a shortcut trade route between towns. It seems that he invited people who needed to get away from their hometown as means of refuge as well. ... Recently, the Shopkeeper has confessed to being Aldric, though he can no longer call himself by name.

Renard.

(he/him)

Aldric’s best friend and the co-founder of the Grove. Currently, he is deep within the forest, sealed into a tree and awaiting rescue. He is said to have taken a magic artifact long ago that the forest wants, intending to hide to protect it.

Olivia.

(she/her)

Aldric's sister, who lived within the grove. Apparently she guards the star shards. Through magic and great sacrifice, Olivia gave up her name and with it, her humanity, to become the Trader.

Audrey.

(she/her)

Aldric’s youngest child. Her body was discovered in the manor, laid to rest within her bedroom. She has a gravestone outside of the manor, and both Rusty and the Shopkeeper can be found there sometimes.

Rillian.

(she/her)

Aldric’s oldest daughter, the middle child. She remains within the manor for reasons unknown, and refuses to exit, insisting that it’s for something necessary.

Evan.

(he/him)

Aldric’s oldest son. He remains in the manor alongside Rillian, and refuses to exit, insisting that it’s for something necessary.

"The Forest".

(he/it)

Or rather, the entity possessing the forest as a whole. Childish, sadistic, and power-hungry, the Forest has invited you to play! And you will play, whether you like it or not. Though it can show acts of kindness, it views all life as its toys, and will not be convinced otherwise. Known also as the Creature, the False God, and the Fallen Sun, the entity possessing the Forest was formerly a God that Fell and has seen fit to wreak havoc upon the world. The Guardians will tell player characters to call it anything other than a God so that it doesn't regain any more power. While not available for direct threads on request, the Forest will interact with characters through major events and storylines. At one point, it was named "Suri" by Affogato Cookie, though this name is not known by other player characters and should never be used ICly due to that. Do not do a metagaming, thank you.

Sehul.

(they/them)

A long-dead Guardian, formerly Beiwe's mount and said to be a flame-coloured dragon. Sehul was killed by the Fallen Sun in an attack. The Guardian's skeleton can be found at the lake's edge, sunken into the sediment.

The Cosmic Serpent.

(any/all)

Lying in the whirlpool in the middle of the ocean viewable from the cliffside, the Cosmic Serpent is a long, glittering leviathan who feasted upon the fallen stars eons ago. They will not entertain conversation, and their preferred hobby is taking a nap.
mermaidcursed: (149)

[personal profile] mermaidcursed 2023-09-01 10:04 am (UTC)(link)
( he's right- she doesn't know what he's been through in his new life at all. she tries not to think of how much that hurts- it's not about her, and she almost let it be. nene is quiet for a moment. )

I don't know if it could be...

( but she stops herself, because- because the implications that they could be very well trapped in the grave of their past lives won't help at all. she- also won't be able to help, will she? even if he's got memories, she's a complete stranger to him on almost every level. and he's not the add she knew either.

he was already hard enough to comfort, when he needed it.

after a moment, nene gently squeezes one of his hands in her own. )


I don't know why things turned out the way they did. They were supposed to be new chances, better chances.

( but add suffered, mom died too early again, elsword's lost himself to a holy power she doesn't understand, felicity's been abandoned, mizuki and caoimhe and rennuid- toge has a strange, horrific curse- and shalem, twice now- she doesn't understand why this happened to everyone. she never will. )

But... you aren't alone. Please... at least remember this. While you're here, and while you're back wherever you started again, there are people who truly genuinely love you and care for you. So please let them. Even if it's hard. You don't have to be the pillar of the world.
harmacy: I want the teeth that you lost as a child (I-0099)

[personal profile] harmacy 2023-09-01 08:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't want to be a pillar. All I wanted was to save her.

[his voice finally cracks—he feels like he's going to explode. the weight of it all, trying to stay strong, trying not to make people worry... it's too much. he's not strong at all. he's always been a pathetic, miserable coward, someone who only pretends to know what he's doing but can't do anything on his own...

all he ever wanted was to have his mother back. now, without even trying, he's already failed her again.

... and a sister he never even knew about. no matter what he chooses to believe...

nails dig into his sleeves, face half-buried in his arms. he can't look at her. he's disgusted with himself.]


... I'm not your brother. I don't know anything about you.
mermaidcursed: (149)

[personal profile] mermaidcursed 2023-09-01 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
... I know. I'm sorry.

( about what? their- his mother? or the role of a life echoes past?

she knew it was coming. she knew from the moment he asked about mom. it's why she so, so selfishly stole one last bit of affection before this. she just... wishes that it had lasted a little bit longer.

she breaks the contact, pulling away. (she wants to run away where they can't reach her.) it's not fair, though. everyone else got to leave and start over and didn't have these awful roots clawing at their hearts and lungs and marrow. they didn't have to be alone for centuries with only the ghosts of a slaughter and a master who wouldn't see her as a person even if it could.

... he can't look at her. and she can't look at him, either. )


... You deserve better than this.
harmacy: take your medicine (I-0086)

[personal profile] harmacy 2023-09-01 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[... he's said the wrong thing. This isn't what he's supposed to do. Play along, tell her he loves her, whatever she wants to hear—she saved him from death twice, and he throws that trump card away? What if she decides to leave him next time? She has information on the forest, she could be the key to saving Elsword. He has every reason to want to preserve this relationship.

We can start over. I didn't mean it. It's my fault this happened...

She pulls away, and... he says nothing. the words won't come out.

he's not the one who deserves better. if he can't even save anyone... what does it matter who he is—who he was? he's not a hero, he's not even a real doctor. he's a nobody.

he buries the rest of his face, covering up the tears that manage to leak through. just go away already. stop wasting your time on a stupid, pathetic moron who can't even push out two words of comfort...]
mermaidcursed: (145)

cw emotional abuse

[personal profile] mermaidcursed 2023-09-01 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
( is it the silence that's suffocating? or is it her own lungs squeezing themselves? something insidious whispers in her ear like always-

I told you. I told you. I told you. Did he ever really love you? He'll only ever play along because you're useful, you know. Nothing loves you like I do. So stop wasting time in there, you're just going to get burned. Come on, Nene. Come play with me...

she

can't stay here

she can't breathe

she can't see past blurry hot tears, she can't stop shaking, she can't-

she can't stay. )


I'm sorry.

( and that's the only warning add gets before she abruptly stands up and runs, swallowed by the fog. )