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This forum is an OOC forum for PCS and Organizations to work out plans in hardcopy. Each PC or Organization gets a single thread where their players can help work out plans for their PC. Quests, mini-sagas, and Trips can all be organized here as well working out timelines and points of travel and things PCs need to do along the way. Each PC however gets only one Plotnote for their individual PC. Groups get one as well. There is no limit on individuals posting saga or trip plotnote threads. Please denote [PC Plotnotes] or [Group Plotnotes] or [Quest/Trip/Saga Plotnotes] when titling your threads.
While Monks technically own nothing besides a few basic possessions and get paid nothing, that doesn't mean they can't have intrinsic values. Shade does. He has a ton of values and not only ideas but places in Nyka that hold serious meaning for him.
Last edited by Shade on December 15th, 2011, 6:45 pm, edited 4 times in total.
a : allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions
a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust
something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs <the Xannos faith>
Playing a faithful PC is something different for me. I don't mean pious and weak, either. What I mean is someone deeply committed to their cause and living a life they feel can lead to a better world. I don't need to be told the monks of Nyka are thugs. I understand this. And Shadekas is playing the game right along with them, but more than half of that is bravo. He's in them to win them over to a better way or at least do his part to keep his city safe. On the out and out, the Monkhood looks good. We all know that reality is something completely different. Shade's going to be fighting that reality, trying to bridge some gaps, and hoping to change the way people think, at least in his small sphere of influence, so that not everyone needs to be fighting with each other but instead against what the real enemy is: The Aperture.
Shadekas is a Xannos Monk. I cannot fully commit him to Xannos until the writeup on Xannos comes out and I get a feeling for who She is. First and foremost Shade is committed to Semele and he sees her as something of a mother figure, a replacement for his own that got killed by Aperture Monsters when he was young. So you have two Goddesses to worship, or at least a Goddess and a demiGoddess. Xannos will be, I suspect, far more approachable to him than Semele ever will be, so I think he'll feel strongly towards her as well. But there needs to be balance. So in that, I think I'll have Shadekas be a quiet follower of Zulrav as well. Maybe along the way I can recruit a Domain Storyteller somewhere to run a gnosis thread for him once Shade's full personality comes out and the fit is right. I had considered a religion of Akajia as a well, but I'd rather have him more tied to the winds because he loves the air off the Sea and hanging at the beach and everything wind related (archery anyone) as well. But time will tell.
So these are my plans for him. I'll see what manifests over time however. Maybe he won't remain a nice guy. Maybe he will give in to the thread of corruption in Nyka. Maybe he'll talk others into being what he wants the world to be.
I have no ambitions of rank or wealth. I have only ambitions of good character development and interesting engaging plots.
Last edited by Shade on December 15th, 2011, 5:28 pm, edited 3 times in total.
I know nothing about archery. I'm going to have to extensively learn about it to even write for Shadekas. That is fine though because there's a tremendous number of resources, clubs, and associations on the web that all have how-to videos. I love how-to videos when learning a new skill or art form. You simply can't read step by step instructions and get the gist of anything when you have never handled the item. Thank god for Youtube.
It will be a fun process though because now I get to write as I see Shade doing things... handling the wood, pulling back the cord (what is it called? Bowstring?) and the twang I imagine he'll hear as its released. It should be an interesting journey. I'll probably end up picking up a bow before its all said and done and learning for myself. That's how my personality is. I get interested in a topic and want to learn for myself before I get past a certain point.
The first step to this is getting Shade a weapon that is custom to him. I liked reading how several other monks have their weapons named. That's a good touch and makes them have a relationship with those weapons that transcends the man tool one and elevates itself into almost the realm of sentience.
So, his longbow. I understand monks get weapons handed to them at the end of their trial so they do not have to buy them. This is good news. Longbows are expensive. I still have to work out the details on my ledger but I'm fairly sure I can afford one if I pick and choose between starting objects and 'sell some back' as I was told was possible. My aim before the end of this weekend is to have Shade's CS completed.
But I digress...
Archery. This is a whole new world to me. I'm grateful beyond belief that there is this plotnote subforum so I can keep Shade's thoughts and feelings on his Archery, more specifically his LONGBOW skill in a neat row. And in that light, the first business is to give myself a working vocabulary since I have none currently.
Glossary of Terms :
Anchor: The location to which the hand that draws the bow string is positioned to when at full draw.
Arrowhead: The striking end of an arrow, usually made of a different type of material from the shaft such as iron, flint or bronze, depending the purpose of the arrow.
Archer's paradox: In period bows (without a shelf or center shot) the arrow which is properly shot will fly in the line of aim although the string propelling the arrow moves directly to the center of the bow. The arrow in fact bends around the bow after release but after passing the bow returns to its proper line of flight.
Anchor Point: The point to which you draw your bow to and anchor along side of face. It is very important to make sure you do this the same with every shot.
Arrow Rest: An item you attach to the bow for your arrow to rest on. It used to get riser and shelf clearance. Also to aid in the tuning of bow.
Archer's ring, Thumb ring: An effective Eastern method of drawing the bow string while using the thumb protected by a ring.
Arrow spacer: A circular piece of leather pierced by 24 holes used to keep the shafts of a sheath of arrows apart from each other and prevent damage to the flights during transport.
Arrow Spine: The stiffness and strength of a arrow.
Archer's Stake: A sharpened wooden stake driven into the ground pointing away from an archer to protect against cavalry.
B
Back of the bow: The surface of the bow furthest from the archer when held in the shooting position.
Backed bow: A bow consisting primarily of wood but one that has a thin strip of a material (wood or hide) glued to the back of the bow.
Barrelled: An arrow which is thickest in the middle and tapers to the ends.
Belly of the bow: The surface of the bow closest to the archer when they hold the bow in the shooting position.
Bodkin: A type of arrow head for piercing armour.
Boson: An arrow with a head with rounded knob with a sharp point projecting.
Bow: A projectile weapon consisting of a shaft with the two ends joined by a string used to shoot arrows. Bow arm: The arm which holds the bow.
Bow case: Mainly an Eastern usage, made of leather to accommodate the lower half of the recurve bow.
Bow stave: A roughly trimmed length of wood from which a complete self bow is made.
Bow Square: A tool that is used to set the nocking point and also used to check the tiller of a bow.
Bow string: The string of bow made from such materials as; plant fibre, silk or sinew, used to transfer the energy from the bow to the arrow.
Brace: To string a bow.
Brace Height: The distance between your bow string and the handle.
Bracer, Archer's guard, Arm guard: A covering for an archer's left wrist, used to protect the wrist from the slap of the string.
Breast: The part of an arrow which touches the bow when the arrow is placed on the string ready to be drawn.
Broad arrow: An arrow with a broad barbed head.
Broadhead: A wide steel arrowhead used on hunting arrows.
Butt: An earthen mound used as a backing for a target, or a target made from compacted straw.
C
Cast: The ability of a bow to project an arrow.
Cloth yard arrow: An arrow of a certain length used for medieval English arrows, about 36 inches in length.
Clout: A white cloth placed on the ground as a marker for long distance shooting.
Clout shoot: An archery contest where the aim is to hit a target laid out horizontally on the ground.
Cock feather: The feather at right angles to the string position in the nock on three feathered arrows.
Creep: Allowing the arrow to edge forward at full draw just before the release of the arrow.
Cresting: The identifying coloured rings applied to the arrow shaft forward of the fletchings used to mark ownership.
D
Draw: The act of bending the bow to full arrow length by drawing the string backwards while holding the bow steady.
Draw weight: The force required to draw a bow to full arrow length, usually measured in pounds at a certain draw length measured in inches.
Draw length: This is the length to which the bow is pulled to shoot an arrow. To determine draw length, draw an arrow back and mark it at the point in which it is even with the front of the bow. This is the draw length. Draw length determines what length of arrow one should shoot.
D-Loop: A loop made out of rope or metal that attaches to the bowstring usually tied in at top and bottom of where nock is positioned on string. Used as a aid to clip the release to. Using a d-loop will increase the draw length about a 1/2".
F
Flatbow: A modern bow with flat section limbs made from fibreglass and wood laminations, often referred to as an American longbow.
Fistmele: The measurement of the distance from the grip to the string of a bow, usually measured by placing a fist on the grip with the thumb extended towards the bowstring.
Fletcher: An arrow maker. A person who attaches fletches to arrows.
Fletching: To add flights to an arrow.
Flemish loose: A loose using two fingers only.
Flemish string: A bow string made in such a way that the loops are plaited from material without a serving.
Flight shoot: An archery distance shooting competition.
Flu-Flu arrow: An arrow with large feathers used for targets thrown in the air or shooting birds.
Footed arrow: An arrow reinforced with a spliced hardwood foreshaft.
Fore shaft: A supplementary hard wood shaft added to the front end of a shaft.
G
Grains: The standard measurement for the weight of an arrow.
H
Herse: A defence work consisting of sharpened wooden stakes driven into the ground pointing towards the oncoming enemy, used to protect archers from a cavalry charge.
Herse of Archers: A wedge formation of archers supported on the flanks by men-at-arms, used by the English during the Hundred Years War.
I
Instinctive shooting: Shooting without the aid of sights, used particularly in field archery and hunting.
J
Jar : Lack of smooth action in the bow after release.
L
Let-Off: The percentage of weight held at full draw in a compound bow. In newer bows usually 65% to 80%.
Limbs: The ends of the bow from the riser out. This is the part that flexes to give the arrow it's forward motion.
Loose: To release the string of a bow to propel an arrow towards it's target.
M
Musquet arrow, Spright: In the early development of firearms wooden arrows were used along side lead shot as missiles.
N
Nock:
[1] The end of an arrow with a notch in it for the string.
[2] The grooves in the tips of the limbs of bow to fit the bowstring.
[3] The act of fitting an arrow to the string.
Nocking Point: The spot on your bow string in which the arrow is placed prior to shooting and drawing.
O
Over-bowed: aid of an archer who is using too heavy a bow
P
Peacock arrows: Arrows of the 14th century fletched with peacock feathers.
Pile: A type of arrow head used for target shooting
Popinjay: A figure of a bird suspended from a pole and used as a target by archers and crossbowmen.
Q
Quiver: A bag or case to carry arrows.
R
Rankling Arrow: An arrow with a detachable head which remains in the wound when the arrow is removed.
Rochettes: Fire arrows thrown by balistas, 14th century.
S
Serving: This the area on the bowstring that has extra thread wraps to prevent the arrow or the release from causing damage to the bow string. Keep an eye open for wear to this area and replace at its first signs. Self bow: A bow made from one piece of wood.
Shaft: The body of an arrow.
Sheath of arrows: A bundle of twenty four arrows.
Short bow: A bow usually half the height of the archer using the bow.
Speed shooting, Shower shooting:
A contest to shoot as many arrows as possible.
Spine: A measurement of the amount of elasticity of an arrow shaft.
Stave: A piece of wood destined to be shaped into a bow.
Stele: The wooden shaft of an arrow. String: A bowstring. To fit a bow with a string.
Stringer: An aid to stringing a bow. A maker or seller of bowstrings.
T
Tackle: Archery equipment.
Toxophilite: A devotee of archery.
Toxophily: The love of archery.
Tugalin: An arrow used for shooting large birds.
Target Panic: An uncontrollable loss of aim while pointing towards a target.
Tiller: The measurement between the string and the top of riser and the bottom of riser. This measurement should be the same at the top as it is at the bottom of the riser.
Torque: The twisting of the bow by an improper hold.
Tuning (bow): The act of setting up a bow to shoot at its ultimate performance.
Tuning (paper): Shooting an arrow through a sheet of paper and changing the bow set-up by the hole that is made by arrow passing through the paper. One determines the changes to be made to the bow by the tear of the hole in the paper.
V
Velocity: The speed at which an arrow travels. Arrow speeds are measured in feet per second.
W
Wand shooting: An archery contest were the target consists of a piece of peeled willow about 6 foot in length placed upright in the ground. the winner is the first to split the wand.
War bow: A heavy bow used in war.
Whistling arrow: An arrow with a large hollow head with openings in front and sides. When shot the air rushing through the openings make a whistling noise.
And having established a vocabulary of which to draw from, Shade needs a cool weapon. So now hes got this one:
Name: Striker Type: Composite Longbow (wood/horn) Stats: The bow measures 72 inches (6 feet) in length, and draws approximately 40 pounds at 28 inches. Can loose 12 aimed shots in a minute, with man-sized accuracy up to 200 yards. Can penetrate mail at 75 yards, plate at 30. Color: Deep blue stained, hand painted with lightening bolts as a nod to Zulrav.
Last edited by Shade on December 16th, 2011, 6:33 pm, edited 4 times in total.
