Something different..

[Annoden]

Well, I had an idea today. One of those random, possibly good, possibly strange ideas.

I thought.. what if everyone on the forum wrote a story, but each a little piece, with no plan for how it would go.

So, here's my idea. We'll start with two characters, in a setting we are familiar with (we'll make it WoW so everyone has a good amount of information to go on) and each person adds to the story, and it just goes until we tire of it.

Sound fun?

Here's the rules.

1. No post can be longer than 100 words, but can be short as a single word if you feel it's coherent.
2. Someone else must post before you can repost, but posting multiple times is great.
3. Whatever is posted before your post is considered "Canon" If soandso writes that they went to Ironforge, or just arrived, the next place can't magically have them in Feralas (without some reason for the change of scenery)
4. You can't kill the two main characters (but anyone else introduced is fair game.)

So, how 'bout it? I'll start since it's my idea.

Oh, for the characters and the setting. Lets go with..

Tak, Human Warrior, Good-Hearted, Justice-minded, Not very clever or intelligent, very handsome but speaks simply.
Maln, Human Warlock, Selfish, Power-Hungry, extremely intelligent and cunning, has a darkness about his look he can't hide and everything he says, even the truth, arouses suspicion.

The two are brothers, Tak is the older, protective one, Maln, the younger. Tak is the only person Maln doesn't seek to gain power over, or at least feels he doesn't need to/already has. Tak just finds comfort in traveling with him, even if he sometimes finds his methods... not right.

Setting, the two start in Elwynn Forest, at Goldshire.

Got it? Let's roll!


 

[Annoden]

______________________

With a practiced precision, Tak wiped his short sword clean of the recently added kobold blood and sheathed the blade. Nearby, his brother Maln rifled through the corpses of the defeated attackers.

"Aha!", Maln exlaimed, "I knew they'd have some."

"What?", Tak inquired.

"Cave wax, my dear brother. I need some for one of my-", Maln pauses letting out a creepy cackle "more efficient spells."

"Oh", Tak responded, going back to wiping off his armor. Clean armor was important, Tak knew.

"Well, c'mon you big oaf, that cave won't explore itself.", Maln beckoned.

"Okay", Tak agreed and rose to follow.
________________________________

(Woo, it's rough getting below 100 words. I think I stopped at 98! Someone else take it away! **EDIT** I like the idea, Bel. You lose points for not adding something. Okay, fixed my typos too.)

[Belenos]

Round robin stories can be fun to write and interesting to follow. If enough people are into writing them, they can go for a while. If this one takes off, I might recommend using some convention to differentiate the story and any comments from the authors. Like the story could be in bold, or comments could be in italix, etc.

[CorvusMelori]

Maln rounded a corner of the Fargodeep Mine and came face-to-face with yet another Kobold miner.  "You no take candle!" the creature exclaimed, brandishing a mining pick at the bored warlock.  A few quick spells later, the beast lay on the ground smoldering, its lifeless face contorted into an ugly look of horror.  Maln nonchalantly rifled through its tunic and removed 10 copper.  Smirking, he also popped the candle off its head and stuffed it into his bag. 

Just then, he heard a whoosh, a "whoops" and a loud clank.  There was a pause, and then Maln said to his Charge-happy brother, "It's been dead at least a minute now, you know."

[Annoden]

______________________________

"It twitched", Tak explained, than rose to his feet, mumbling, "It coulda..". The big warrior paused, looking around the dimly-lit cave, "So, why we here again?"

"Besides the bounty that farm hand offered for helping keep the kobolds numbers in check?", Maln asked.

"Yeah."

"I've heard rumor the Kobolds hold a more precious treasure than candles, a simple but powerful relic held by their leader. I want it."

"Oh. Okay.", Tak nodded, he liked knowing the plan. Plans were important, he knew.

Suddenly, both heard a noise from deeper in the cave!

____________________________

[Darshar Griffonmane]

"Is that normal?" Tak asked.
"Of course not, well maybe, it is a mine. Anyways," Maln waved his hand at the question, "It probably will lead us to the relic!"
Tak blinked, taking in this news, then nodded.
"Which way?" he finally asked.
Maln began to answer, and then realized there was 2 ways to go to reach the deeper parts of the mine.

"Hmm, want to flip a coin?" Maln asked.
Tak shook his head, "People get mad at us when you flip coins and dice and--"
Maln sighed in disgust, "That's different brother, left or right?"

[Annoden]

Tak thought hard for nearly a minute before answering, much to Maln's frustration. He weighed the pros and cons of each very carefully, taking into account which seemed likely to have more dangers, less hills, and the biggest amount of good luck attached to it. "Left", he answered finally, happy with his decision. Sighing to himself, Maln motioned him forward and called to mind several spells to turn a kobold into goo.

Then, moving with great haste, a gnome clad in leather and wielding a small dagger appeared down the right tunnel yelling, "Run! Run! They're after me!"

[Darshar Griffonmane]

The brothers watched the gnome spring past them, yelling for everyone to flee.
Tak looked over at his brother, "Should we run away?"
Maln laughed, "Oh dear no, that just means the kobolds will be busy chasing the gnome to worry about us."
Tak was slightly doubtful of this statement, but he figured Maln knew what he was doing and so far things had worked out well.
However, Tak was a little worried and brought his worries out loud, "Are you sure we shouldn't have asked the gnome his name? It would only have been polite considering he did try to warn us about something."
Maln shrugged, "He looked a bit busy and I'm sure his name isn't that important, he was after all, just a gnome. So left then?"



editor's note: Death to gnomes!

[Annoden]

Tak shrugged to his brother, than turned back to the left tunnel, when out of the right tunnel poured a dozen kobolds armed with clubs and crude knives charging right for them!

Tak sprang into action immediately, squaring his shield before the onrushing wave of attackers and poising his short sword for the first available strike. Behind him, Maln began chanting the words to a spell, convorting his hands to form the aim of the destructive force.

With barks of anger, the first of the kobolds reached the brothers and met the steel-reinforced wooden shield of Tak face first. With the sickening sound of crushing bone, he fell to the floor.

"That's one!", Tak announced.


Author's note: Okay, so I couldn't get it under 100 words. Sue me.

[Annoden]

Apparently, they are stuck in limbo. Do they die here? Forever trapped in that moment of "next"?

[firehand]

Quickly calculating the odds, Maln made the only possible decision.  Fleeing, he yelled "Run!  There are too many of them!"
 
Tak made his own decision.  With a clap of thunder, he diverted the Kobold's attention to himself, determined to sell his life to buy his brother time. 

Suddenly, like a gift from the gods, a blast wave slammed the kobolds against the walls.  The undead never stopped, only waved and moved deeper into the mine. 

Maln slunk back and asked, “Did you ever see anyone so ugly?  He is missing his lower jaw!”

[Annoden]

"Maybe he lost it down here and he's trying to find it", guessed Tak, as he looked over the fire-ravaged kobold forms slumped against the cave walls.

"What? His jaw?", Maln asked with a snort of laughter, "No telling what he's here for, brother, best to leave it alone."

Tak squinted his face in thought, as this did not sound right to him. More was better than a few, everyone knew that. His brother, Maln, was rather shy by Tak's reckoning though, never talking to anyone, always keeping to himself.

"Well, we should see if he needs our help", Tak explained and marched off after the Undead mage.

[firehand]

Jotok, a druid by his armor lead a small, mixed group of the alliance.  "Where did he go?  That filthy undead mage just murdered half of Goldshire!"
 
Maln pointed and yelled "He went that way!"   As the hunters pounded off down the tunnel.  Tak was disturbed, and protested "But he saved our lives."  Maln only grinned, "So what?  We can help with the kill and gain honor!  Let’s go!”