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This is a roleplay between sock monkey and Sir Froggington. Please do not post or steal anything. No ideas or inspiration or direct quotes. << Plot >> A blacksmith and her apprentice are trying to survive a plague. Along the way they create amulets (that look like knots) whom the sick believe will cure them. People are a tad crazed and they hunt them down for these intricate knots. The blacksmiths find a way to protect themselves and create plague suits. The seriously ill believe they are angels (some heavenly guardian) coming to save them. _______________ << Characters >> Blacksmith - Chipo Musonda - sock monkey Apprentice - Kailey Aukai - Sir Froggington NPCs N/A | |
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<< Plague >> (been going on for six months.) Symptoms First stage:
cough, fever
Second stage:
hives, growths
Third stage:
mania, hallucinations, paranoia, aggression
(Can skip the second stage.) Cure Unknown once you have it People believe that intricate metal knots dispel the disease specifically made of iron. Our characters make a suit that keeps the illness from infecting them. ______________________________ << Portfall >> Home of our characters. Ravenbourne also known as Raven, the capital city Southrill A port city, home of the blacksmiths. Southrill is situated along the South River. South River A river that cuts through the center of Portfall. | |
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<< Chipo Musonda >> _______ 38 | Blacksmith | Female | Asexual _______ appearance: Chipo is a small, strong woman, intimidating in her size and muscle if not stature. Her deep brown skin, prematurely rough and spotted from years of hard labor, is marked and somewhat scarred - as the daughter of a blacksmith herself, playing about the forge as a child, she's no stranger to burns, and it shows. Her left forearm is marked with the memory of a long, winding burn wound from running a little too close to a flame. Her left hand is missing her ring finger - a misfortune with a hammer. Across her chest, and partially up onto her face is another burn - this time, a splash of boiling water. Again, more foolishness of her youth. Rather portly, Chipo's face is rounded; her red-brown lips are rounded, and offset a well-defined, sloped, round-tipped nose. Her eyes - somewhat hooded and round - are framed by long, thick black lashes, and somewhat arched, narrow brows. She would be a remarkably approachable individual - if it weren't for her narrowed, wary eyes and ever-clenched jaw. Chipo tends towards the regular blacksmith garb during work - a neutral undershirt, basic trousers, thick boots and gloves, coupled with a leather apron. She much prefers her own patterened skirts and carefully-crafted jewelry, but she never wears her go-to outfits in the forge, unwilling to risk the safety of the fabric. _______ personality: (rough rough, it'll be developed in-rp) calm - firm - grim - honest Chipo is, notably, perhaps not a lot of... fun. With those she's close to, her laugh is loud and merry, but her family is long-gone, and most all of her friends have been lost to the disease, natural causes, or otherwise. Her mother and father died of natural causes, and her younger sister lives on the opposite side of the kingdom - she was planning on visiting before the outbreak. She's not sure what became of her. Having never married, Chipo has no children - but is well loved by her two neices and one nephew. Chipo, at least now, has adjusted from a gentle, easy-going soul to someone of a grim, solemn demeanor. She always had that serious streak, but she seems not to have cracked a smile in weeks. forgiving (selectively) - decisive, rash - wary Chipo has always been decisive, but under stress, her decisiveness becomes rash. She picks a lane, and refusees to budge from it - what choice she made, was made, and she doesn't second guess, no matter how foolish. She has enough years under her belt to like people - and not trust them, even so. Although a forgiving individual towards friends and family, it takes time for Chipo to warm up - once she does, said person would have her undying trust, no matter the mistakes. Unfortunately, this often comes back to bite her. It seems she's grown a bit more cynical in recent years, and is more careful about how she allies herself with. motherly (selectively) - selfless - blunt - judgmental Chipo is not an unkind individual - in fact, it's rather the opposite. She does her best to care for her compaions, putting aside her own desires for those she cares for. She likes children; and she likes animals, too. She likes those she can trust. She's not so sure about strangers - and so that's where her kindness stops. She's quick to judge, and considers this defensive attitude a matter of her safety - really, it's a fear-based reaction. Especially towards those she is not comfortable with, Chipo is brutally honest - and it's not the most pleasant trait to be around. She says it how it is - no matter the damage it causes. _______ strengths: - strong - honest - calm - selfless
weaknesses:
- wary - rash - grim - blunt _______ likes: - cool, foggy mornings before the forge lights up - creating more delicate metalwork, like jewelry - tea - children dislikes: - strangers barging at her door - excessive heat - the monarchy. in general. - her sister's husband. _______ history, family: Chipo came from eastern lands, over the inland mountain range. Her family, although rather content with their own life, found business in the less civilized, colder lands of Portfall, where their fine metalworking ability was highly valued. Her immediate family has lived in Portfall ever since, but they do their best to stay in contact the with the extended family in the east - once she finds the resources, that's where Chipo wants to go. But she can't leave her apprentice - and certainly not in an epidemic. _______ other: tbd |
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| << Kailey Aukai >> Female | 16 years | Apprentice _____ Appearance She is approximately 5’ 3” and weigh 110 pounds, but she may have an inch left in her. She has a curvy hourglass figure, and she has a longer leg to torso ratio. She has a medium bust, and she has rounded legs and hips. She is pretty slim and fit. There is no obvious excess fat. She diets and exercises to keep her body and mind in tip top shape. Her hands and feet are small and delicate appearing. Think hawaiian. She has dark brown waist length hair. It has little waves in it. It is smooth, healthy, and shiny. It frames her small delicate round shaped face. Her face is rounder than average, and she has a small wide flat nose. She has a small sprinkle of freckles across her nose. Many times she prefers to leave her hair down, so that it softly frames her face. Sometimes she has small strands in the front of her face pulled back and tied in the back or those strands are braided and pulled back. She prefers hairstyles that keep her hair down. When she is excerising or there is hot whether it is more common for her to braid her hair or put it in a pony tail. She has medium lips, and a small dainty nose. She has dark brown eyes, and medium eyelashes. She has slightly darker colored arching eyebrows, which are shaped to be neat, but still appear natural. Her eyes are large and round, giving her an innocent appearance. Her eyelashes are thick and long. She has obvious smile lines, because it is a common facial expression for her. Her features give her a happy impish appearance. Her lips are full and a light pink color. They often curve up slightly as if in a hidden smile. Her cheeks are a healthy rosy hue. Her skin is smooth and wrinkle free, and her face has a few spots of acne every now and then. Personality Kai is known for her outgoing personality and willingness and effort to connect everyone together, and make sure that everyone feels comfortable and at home. She is playful, and a bit of a light flirt. While she is very capable of being serious, she likes to keep things lighthearted, upbeat, and positive. She is an excellent listener, and has lots of patience for sitting around for hours. She really cares about what others say, which makes people more likely to want to confide in her. She is known for being nosy, which can lead to her being persistent, possibly even annoying. She is not known to be subtle. Either she mentions it upfront, or she doesn't say anything. Her outbursts can be quite random, and it is hard to predict what she'll say. She can be a bit contrary, and prefer to do the exact opposite of what someone wants her to do, but she's normally reasonable, if they ask nicely. When people see her, they often expect a smile ready on her lips or a clever witicism pre-prepared. She is easily peer pressured and she likes to follow the group. There is a part of her that desires to stick out, but it also makes her extremely uncomfortable. Althought, when she is comfortable, she is known to suggest that they do spontaneous things. She's rather blunt and succint, which can make someone's head turn with how quickly she changes the subject. She often is quiet, but she knows when to reach out to others, and she enjoys making connections. She is very empathetic able to imagine what other people are feeling. She can be very emotional, and it is easy to make her cry. She goes out of her way to help others even though she doesn't always go about it the right way. Even so she isn't super confident, and doesn't like branching out of her comfort zone. She will happily talk to anyone who talks to her first, but she doesn't like making the first move. She can be a bit competitive, and she's a determined hard worker, who hates to fail, fearing embarrassment, or disappointing herself or others. _____ Strengths Weaknesses Likes Dislikes _____ History Her family are from a line of fishers who live in Southrill. Father - Michael Mother - Joan Sister - Rebecca | |
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| << Kailey |Blacksmith Apprentice >> Ravenbourne was hard to get to. The journey weaved around and over mountains until you came to a large valley. It had been chosen for it's secure location. It was easily defended from other countries. In that area mining was a common occupation for the long term residents who weren't involved in goverment. It had been very large and busy with lots of different people coming in from all over Portfall. She had gotten to hear different accents and taste different foods, but she had missed the water and fish around Southrill. Chipo, her mentor and mistress, had taken some merchandise to Ravenbourne. Only blacksmiths of reputable skill had enough courage to bring their wares to the capital of Portfall. They had tried to do some mending and other commissions along with selling their wares, but it was hard between already set up blacksmiths trying to keep them from edging in on their customers, and not having a nice forge. While they were there, they had heard rumors of an illness that was very contagious and had a very high death rate. According to different stories that they had heard, some villages had been overrun. The plague spread and many were afraid and fled. When they fled someone would take it with them spreading it even farther. Because people were quick to leave, and never saw the end result and lived to tell about it, as far as anyone knew everyone died once the malady was contracted. Although Southrill got a decent amount of traffic being a town on the important South River, it felt safer here. She felt warmth blossom in her chest as she gazed around the area that was near to their forge shop. While they were in the capital city, iron knots had become very popular. She lifted her face upward. At the moment sunlight was beaming down upon her face. Soon, a cloud covered it. Gently, she organized strands of iron by strength that would be bent into knots eventually. Recently, she had finished organizing the large pieces of iron. Earlier, her mentor had set her to sweeping. As it was a smithy, they didn’t mind dust, but she went around knocking down cobwebs. She had checked the state of the beds, and she had finished inventory. There was some metal missing, but not as much as she had expected. Her back was sore from bending over. Occasionally, she would lift her eyes checking the street for customers. If she left them hanging they could become vengeful, and she didn't want to lose her mistress any customers. Today hadn't been busy. Many people knew that they were gone, and it would take a while for word to go around that they had returned. They needed some time to prepare their shop anyway, so it would remain closed for a little while. Chipo might even need to go around and see what the plague was like around here. Straightening, she stretched her arms and twisted this way and that. Taking a deep breath, she repeated her request in her head trying to remain calm and coherent. Knowing that if she waited, she might forget the wording, she began to speak. “Would you consider going fishing with me? It would be good to have fresh food." After traveling, the few supplies they had left were getting stale. "If we get enough, I’d like to check on my family and share it with them. They’d really appreciate it." Her brow furrowed slightly. "This sickness has me worried. I don't know what it's like around here, but it sounded really serious in Ravenbourne. So many people were leaving the city, and people kept on trying to steal our supply of iron. I’d like to make sure they are okay.” Although her mentor was gruff, she had been with her long enough to know that she was softer underneath than you would think from your first few interactions with her. Even if she didn’t approve, she would understand the sentiment and Kailey didn’t believe she would get railed at for being lazy. "What supplies do we have left?" She remembered that she should probably mention their inventory. "Most of our metal is good or at least still here, but some of our iron is missing. I checked the hiding spot for your money, and no one has disturbed it. I wonder what this new obsession with iron is. I hope we left our....customers behind in Raven." Her family lived in a hut near the river. It wouldn't be hard to get to if they decided to go fishing. | |
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<< Chipo Musonda >> As midday became late afternoon, Chipo had finally managed to finish setting up with Kailey. Once the outbreak began in Ravenbourne, Chipo had reached out to all others in the local blacksmith guild, searching for a second forge outside the capital - as a precaution, if the conditions were to worsen - and by a stroke of luck, they stumbled across a functioning, albeit old, shop. A widow had lost her husband and daughter, blacksmith and apprentice, respectively, and she sold the place happily, likely not wanting anything to do with the forge full of memories. It was cheap, and the purchase was rather a reckless one, but it had worked out in the end. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Chipo turned to her apprentice, who had just about finished sweeping up. The older woman inclined her head - fishing? It hardly seemed like there would be enough time, before the sun set - but they had finished most of the work for the. And the girl had a good heart - sharing with her family. "Don't see why not," Chipo responded with a smile. She knew Kailey had grown up in a fishing family, and this would be good for them. Mostly for Kailey. Always watching out for her loved ones, it seemed; and Chipo could admire the sentiment. Besides, the sickness was worrying - had Chipo's family been local, she would've shared the concern. "Of course," she said, turning away to fit her apron onto the wall hook. At the mention of iventory - the the missing iron, Chipo turned grim, her almost merry, jaunty steps slowing. "I checked. We have most everything, besides what we lost in Raven. Bastards," she grumbled. "When things get rough, people cling to any sort of hope - even knots of iron. Same thing as symbols used to ward of demons, I reckon. But I'd bet you anything that only means our profit will increase - there's not too many skilled blacksmiths around this area," she said, turning with a wink. "'Sides. If anyone tries to rob any sort of thing from this forge, they're gonna wish they never even showed up." Chipo smiled, rolling her muscled shoulders. "Those capital nobles aren't brave enough to travel muddy roads. We'll be fine." Chipo wasn't so sure; there had been a desperation in the eyes of the mob that had near-chased them away, begging for just a knot of iron, a blessing that might save them all. She grimanced. "Alright. But let's get going with the fishing before dark, yeah?" Chipo adjusted her skirts, muttering to herself, rummaged through the cupoards for a pair of poles, and revealed the two triumphantly to Kailey. "Reckon you know the city much better than me. Lead the way." |
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| << Kailey |Blacksmith Apprentice >> Kailey felt sweat breaking out on her forehead. Why was she so nervous about asking her mistress to go fishing? She did like to go fishing from time to time. It helped her keep up her skills and reminded her of home. Most of all, she liked the fresh food. She let some breath out, a silent sigh of relief, when Chipo agreed to go. "Thank you ma'am! I'll go grab the poles, hooks, and search for worms." She waited to hear the answer to her other question. As she was already thinking of fishing, she was much more twitchy than normal, barely able to sit still. "Our...customers. They didn't seem right in the head. I would feel bad taking advantage of them, but some of them steal from us and others throw their money at us. I don't know why they think we're their only hope. We're not doctors." She could only nod at her mentor's explanation. Kailey giggled, and promptly stopped a little shocked that a sound so undignified came from her, when Chipo winked and hinted at better profits. "Someone's got to benefit from the plague, and it can't be the doctors. Might as well be us." She curtly nodded. "The doctors must be some of the ones who get sick a lot. What're all the people who have normal ailments gonna do, if they all die off!" She gave a knowing nod, as Chip remarked that robbers would regret coming here. She scrambled around in the house looking for some potential bait and a container to carry it. She wasn't sure if any of it worked. When she turned to look at Chipo, she smiled at Chipo's triumphant look, as she revealed the poles. To do her part, she ran around outside looking under debris in the yard for worms. Brushing off the stickiness on her clothing, she hurried back to grab her pole from her mentor and lead the way to the South river. "I hope we can catch something at least before fulldark." Although Chipo was a blacksmith, people still often saw two defenseless women. After navigating the many twist and turns of the city near the river, she showed Chipo one of her better fishing spots. "This place is pretty secluded, and no one has ever bothered me here. Fish must also hide under the rocks around here, because I've caught fish here consistently. I hope they haven't been hunted too much. Otherwise we might not catch any." She searched in the earth for more worms, not sure if the few she found were enough. Before long, she sat down and began to prepare her pole. She hoped that she would see her sister at home, but apprentices weren't supposed to visit. Her sister Rebecca was older than her, so it might only be her parents at home now. When she thought of it that way, she felt sure that her family had a decent amount of food now that they weren't watching over their daughters. Her eyes went to her jerking line. "I got one." She began to work on reeling the fish in. The fish was jerking enough where she knew she had caught something worth eating. Perhaps they should have brought a net. She also realized they needed a line to tie their catches on, so they could carry them easier. Breathing a little heavier, she turned as she heard a footstep. It was a gaunt man with a scraggly beard. He was the type of person who lived around the wharfs searching for scraps, and he had his eyes pinned on her catch. She nudged Chipo just in case she wasn't paying attention. Knowing that most men preferred to speak to another male or at least the oldest female, she remained silent to let her mentor take care of this. | |
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<< Chipo Musonda >> Chipo nodded, humming some obscure tone quietly as the pair exited the house. Kailey was right - a break, and some fresh food would be good. She always had appreciated the girl's ability to put a more positive spin on a situation, to relax or lighten up when times were rough. Her wary eyes were sharp as her apprentice lead the way to the riverbank; she didn't trust anyone here, and it seemed to be mutual. She patted the sturdy knife at her hip beneath her dulled red and yellow skirts. She was fairly sure she wouldn't have any sort of a problem with men, or any other sort of predators that lurked in the dark - it was moreso the infected she was worried about. That, and her apprentice, who was young, bright-eyed, and not a highly intimidating presence at first glance. The woman soaked in the quiet as the pair walked, enjoying the relative peace. She did love the forge, but the nearing gurgle of the river and the afternoon birds was something special. The invisible path Kailey had been intuitively following soon opened up into a secluded little fishing spot. "If nothing else, it's certainly a lovely area for relaxing. Peaceful here. I can see why you must have spent time here," Chipo responded with a small smile, glancing up at the darkening sky with a furrow in her brow. It seemed that it was always difficult for the woman to shake the ever-present worry. The girl likely missed her family - it had been a while since she'd seen them. Chipo decided that she'd help Kailey make a trinket - some little pretty blade, or jewelry - to take to them when she visited. They were in the area, after all. Besides, the two could work on skills with some more delicate, artistic silver and ironwork. The two chatted idly as their lines danced in the river, before Chipo leaned back against an oak, and fell into a brief nap in the afternoon sun. She was awoken (rather apruptly) by an exclamation - a.. fish? Decent sized, too. Chipo heaved herself upwards, trying to dispel any of her lasting weariness, trying to find yet again that alert wariness. Her face cracked into a warm, amused smile. "I didn't know you were so good at this. You probably should have taken up fishing work than a blacksmithing apprenticship," she said, amused; but that amusement fell away immediately as Kailey nudged her, indicating to an approaching stranger. "Could'a told me a little earlier," she muttered to Kailey in somewhat lighthearted manner, but her mood was quickly darkening. Chipo turned, squaring her stance. The man was gaunt, a little scrawny - certainly nothing to really be concerned about, Chipo figured. She was strong, and she damn knew it, too. Shifting so that she stood defensively between Kailey, the blacksmith lifted her chin, nostrils flaring. She didn't care if he wanted their food - it wasn't his catch, and she hardly cared what happened to the man. He was not her business. "What do you want," she called out, voice firm and uninviting. |
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| << Kailey |Blacksmith Apprentice >> Kailey smiled pleased that her mentor liked the fishing spot. As they settled down, she interrupted the silence excited that something was tugging at her line. She hadn't been watching her mentor and so she didn't realize that Chipo had managed to take a little snooze. She was so pleased at how quickly she had caught something that she couldn't stop smiling for a while. She smiled a little less at her mentor's compliment afraid she was disaparging her smith skills. "It was something that took a lot of discussing. I'm nimble with nets, knots, fish, and swimming, but I really wanted to learn how to be a smith." She would have said something about how she hoped to do her best, but her attention was pulled away by a man approaching them. She couldn't see any outward symptoms of him possibly being infected. His voice was wheezy, and he coughed. She was a little afraid of being splattered with his spittle. "I'm mighty hungry. Two lil fries like you'no need a nice'un like that. Hand'em over'n no'un'll get hurt." His tongue slurred his words together badly. She looked at Chipo unsure of how determined she was to keep the fish. Neither one of them would appreciate being bullied. Was he sick or drunk? Would he come back again, if they let him have his way the first time? She piped up, although she had told herself she would keep her mouth shut. "Why don't you get your own line? Why should you benefit from our hard work? I could teach you how to fish, and then you wouldn't have to depend on others." He pinned her with a beady glare. "Are you back talk'in me young missy? Don no one teach young'uns to 'spect their elders? Once I've et your fish, you won be goin 'round talk'in 'bout me not being independent. You 'ear me missy!" He broke into a spasm of coughs. "I take what I want. You ain't gonna stop me! A lil willowy thing like you." "Sir I don't think you understand me. I was hoping to..." He broke back in, "I don need your fish'n han'outs. I want yore fish 'cause I'm hungry right now. You need to learn yore place'n I think I'm the one to teach you." He began to shuffle closer. Kailey could see that his eyes were bloodshot. He was too close for comfort, and she began edging away wondering if she should run with the fish. That seemed rather challenging holding something so slippery. Perhaps he hadn't been getting enough sleep, or he was stressed out. Maybe they could do some real good for him. She got a whiff of his breath and recoiled. Her nose wrinkled and she wished she could plug her nostrils. She didn't realize that she had enraged the man. He had expected them to hand it over without a fuss, and some little girl was resisting him. He lunged towards her, and she screeched at him. She dug her nails into his skin and raked them down his arms. She opened her mouth prepared to bite him, but she had a feeling she would get a mouthful of contamination. She looked towards her mentor for help. | |
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Spring 
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