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Writer's Challenge - Belsavis Trials

Ex-Solider | Ex-Spy | Doctor
Upon Request, I have provided a OOC thread the in the roleplay dicussion. You can find it here. To clarify, you can either post your actual roleplay posts in this thread or open a private roleplay and complete the challenge from there. I will be posting in this thread, just so an example of how I would approach the challenge is easily available.

Sorry for any Confusion.

- Zai

[SIZE=16pt]Writer’s challenge[/SIZE]
The roleplay is designed to test your writing skills while also fleshing out your character. The nature of the challenge is to design your own story while adhering to certain requirements in each section. The requirements are designed as a framework however, as the majority of the content is created by you, the writer. The challenge can seem daunting at first, however approaching each section at a time is a good way to handle posts.

There is little interaction with other writers (unless you specifically choose to do so) and so there is not an expected timeframe for posting. I will not be managing this, it’s main purpose is to try a new experiment, and to see the assorted styles of writing. Feel free to message me feedback (positive or critical, I accept all) or to ask a question (an F.A.Q. is also included at the bottom of this post).

The only character criterion is that your character must be at least partly organic (i.e. has a brain). All factions are allowed. You do not have to be force sensitive.

The roleplay is designed so your character travels alone through the trials, however you may travel as a group. This is provided your group forms before entering the trials (i.e. meets at the prophet's temple). Included in each section are the requirements for solo and group posts.

Read on below to start the roleplay.

[SIZE=16pt]Belsavis Trials[/SIZE]

The Prophet’s Temple

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Location: Belsavis, 3 kilometres out of Plett’s Well.
In the frozen wastes of Belsavis, lies an ancient temple. Select people from all over the galaxy make the pilgrimage to visit the Belsavis Prophet, who is said to give an insight to their true selves. Take the pilgrimage and experience the prophet’s trials.

The temple is sparsely furnished and only a few degrees warmer than the outside air. Very few monks reside inside. Those who stay have the sole job of caring for the Prophet. They welcome you without speaking, and take you to the prophet’s chamber in the domed roof.

The Belsavis Prophet

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The prophet will offer a chance to enlighten the soul, to challenge the mind and body and grow as a person. Such an offering is not without its dangers, however, and he warns that the ritual is not for the weak-minded. If you accept his offering, you will be transported to the Four Trials.

Prophets_Drink.jpg


Solo Requirements:
  • Meet the Prophet.
  • Accept the drink.
Group requirements:
  • Meet the Prophet.
  • Each character drinks simultaneously from individual cups.

1st Trial: The Abhorrent Aberration

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After drinking the prophet's drink, you awaken in an empty forest. A great monolith looms out of the fog. At its base stands your greatest enemy.

Solo Requirements:
  • Confront an apparition of your most hated and/or feared enemy (one that yet lives or one that has died) and defeat them.
  • Leave via an ethereal door that appears once the apparition has been dealt with.
Group Requirements:
  • Each group member’s most hated/feared enemy is working together to attack the group.
  • Leave via an ethereal door that appears once the apparitions have been dealt with.
Tips for writing this section:

Defeating your enemy in combat is not the only way to confront the apparition. Consider if your character would try different tactics to defeat their foe.

2nd trial: The Ersatz Emotion

The next door opens to your most treasured memory. Waves of comfort and nostalgia surround you. There is no sign of an exit, but that matters little. You are happy; why would you want to leave?

Solo Requirements:
  • Relive your most cherished memory.
  • Break the illusion.
  • Leave through the ethereal door that appears.
Group Requirements:
  • Each group member views a cherished memory, but occupy the same space.
  • The group members must work together to determine which reality is the ‘true reality’.
  • Ethereal door appears after each group member is convinced it is an illusion.
  • Leave via the ethereal door.
Special Notes:
  • Unlike the first trial, this area does not have any defined boundaries. The size is dependent on the memory.
Tips for writing this section:

It would be good to create some sort of trigger that brings the character back to reality. This could be something like confronting a person in the memory that is dead in reality or a natural feeling of something awry.

3rd Trial: The Detestable Doppelgänger

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You step through a door into a dark room. A small bed stands adjacent to the next door. Sitting upon the bed is your exact double. You see them pocket a small key as they stand to greet you. It soon becomes clear they believe they are the original and refuse to give you the key.

Solo Requirements:
  • Obtain the key to the exit.
  • Decide the fate of your double.
  • Unlock the door and leave.
Group Requirements
  • There are the same number of keys/hey-holes as there are group members.
  • Each group member must obtain their key from their double.
  • Unlock the door and leave.
Tips for writing this section:

In my mind, this trial should represent an internal conflict. You should design a reason for your double’s refusal, a good example being that your character’s <Weakness> means that they do not deserve the key. Battle-orientated characters may have a double that challenges the character to a duel for the key (a therefore even-sided match).

Exit

You blacked out as you traveled through the door. You awaken in an empty bed in the temple.

Requirements:
  • Leave the temple
Special notes:
  • For continuity sake, you cannot kill the prophet or destroy the temple.
  • The ending of this story is entirely up to your interpretation.

F.A.Q.
I’ve included questions I expect to be asked and will also update as I am messaged questions.

Do I need to PM to join? - No, it is open to all.
Does the thread close? – No, it doesn’t close and there is no time limit on posting.
Is there a reward for the best post(s)? – It isn’t a competition so, no, there is no reward. It is designed to help sharpen writing skills and/or provide enjoyment to the writer.
Is there a maximum amount of posts? – No there is not. My character will be creating one post for each trial, but there are no such limitations in place.
Is there a codex entry for the temple? – No, there is not. Because of this, I am deliberately being vague on the details of the setting and the temple will not be used in any other roleplays.
It says 'Writer's Challenge', do I specifically have to use a writers account? - No, any subaccount is fine.
There have been a few posts already, can I still join? - Yes. Because it is mostly a solo experience, there is no issue in joining late.

Image Sources

 
Ex-Solider | Ex-Spy | Doctor
OOC - I’m just going to kick off my part of the thread, hope everyone enjoys the challenge.

Temple exterior – Zai Avery - Alone

Three kilometres wasn’t too far. Unless you were caught in a snowstorm. The majority of settlements on Belsavis were well sheltered, but out in the icy wastes there is no protection against the bitter chill.
Zai stumbled past the threshold of the temple and collapsed on the floor, shivering. He lay there for a while until feeling returned to his extremities. With a groan, he stood and walked deeper into the temple.

A temple monk appeared from a nearby entrance, his face hidden by the deep shadows of his hood. He motioned to the Zai, indicating him to follow. Zai hesitated. A warm bath would be nice before getting straight to business. But the monk didn’t seem the type for talking, so he reluctantly followed.

They climbed several flights of stairs towards the top of the temple. Zai legs were burning and his chest was heaving as he finally reached the topmost floor. The monk had stopped and gestured towards a shut door just opposite Zai. Without waiting for his response, the monk bowed and returned down the stairway.

Zai took a moment to catch his breath and massage his sore muscles. When he was ready he approached the door. He moved to open it but his hand froze an inch from the doorknob. A chill ran down his spine and a thought flitted across his mind. He had a feeling that nothing would be the same after entering this room. Deep reverence filled him.

He shook his head in an effort to clear it and twisted the doorknob.
 

Cilicon Aguamenti

Keeper of Imagination
The Prophet's Temple and its trials. Such a challenge. Or so they say. Three simple trials cannot cause The Enchantress to fail. For The Enchantress was strong in the force. No simple trials could face her. She didn't know what she was expected to achieve from this pilgrimage but she was sure it would be useful. Perhaps is what great knowledge. Perhaps is was extreme power. Perhaps is was an ancient relic with amazing abilities.Despite the mystery shrouding the Prophet's Temple, The Enchantress was determined to find out more about this mysterious temple.

The Enchantress approached the temple after the one kilometer walk. She was ready to experience what awaited within the temple. She took a deep breath and slowly grabbed a hold of the doorknob, the cold temperatures making her chill. She slowly turned it and opened the door, the loud creaking of the door irking her. She stepped into the temple, taking a deep breath. As she went through, she avoided any eye contact with any monks. She was only here for the prophet. The monks meant nothing to her. Soon, she saw him. There he was. The prophet. As The Enchantress approached him, she quickly kneeled before him.

"Rise." He commanded.

The Enchantress did as she was told and spoke to the Prophet "Great prophet, I've heard much of you. I was hoping you would take me... Let me learn from your trials."

"Is that so?" The prophet stated "Barely looking at her. You must know that this ritual is no place for the weak minded."

"I care not." The Enchantress quickly replied.

The prophet nodded and summoned a monk to come to him with the wave of his hand. The monk came holding a glass of a strange, glowing liquid and handed it to The Enchantress. She grabbed the glass and inspected it closely.

"Consume what lies within the glass and your trials will begin." The prophet states before turning away.

The Enchantress took a deep breath as she stared at the glass. There is nothing to lose. There is certainly something to gain. Growth might be achieve by drinking this. So she did.

The Enchantress' trials began.
 
Ex-Solider | Ex-Spy | Doctor
It he shivered in the prophet's room, but not from the cold. The room was small and unfurnished, with the exception of a small rug, upon which knelt the prophet. Zai approached the old man slowly and knelt in front of him. The prophet's head was bowed when he entered, but the old man didn't raise it when Zai settled down.

Zai cursed under his breath. What was he doing here? He was near Balmorra when he had heard the rumor of the Belsavis Prophet. He loved stories of wise old scholars as a kid on Rishi, so he had eagerly sought the man out. But it was clear he was out of his depth. This pilgrimage was for the wise, the strong and powerful. Not a salvager kid turned thief.

He was debating leaving when he heard a hearty chuckle issue from the prophet. The old man looked up at Zai, a wry smile on his face. "The strong and powerful take little heed in the muttering of an old man, and the wise are smart enough to avoid this temple altogether."

Zai shivered. The prophet was clearly a force-user and all of his instincts were screaming to tun. But curiosity froze him in place. The prophet procured a small glass full of glowing blue liquid. "Care for a drink?"

Zai hesistated, but eventually relented and grabbed the small glass in both hands. He had come this far, he would hear the prophet out. The liquid was strange, almost alive, and was nothing like Zai had seen before. He had seen dodgy drinks in Nar Shaddaa though, and so he downed the liquid. He thought it would burn in his throat, but it flowed down like cool water. A tingling spread from his chest to his extremities. He glanced curiously at he prophet and~

*DARKNESS*

Zai awoke in a misty forest, his head pounding. It looked nothing like the surface of Balmorra. Where was he?

Shapes moved at the edge of his vision, unintelligeble whispers echoed around him. The boy shivered and moved deeper into the forest. A stone structure loomed out of the mist, a silouette of a person stood at its base.

"Hello...?" he called out into the mist. The figure chuckled and strode towards him. A cruel scarred face swam out of the fog, a twisted grin stretched across his face. "Awww It's little Zai Avery, escaped from the cage again..." the man pulled a wicked looking machete of of its sheath. Zai's blood froze. No....

The former slaver laughed maniacally as twirled the blade through the cold air. Zai fell backwards as the man boots thudded slowly towards him...
 
[member="Zai Avery"]

-Chapter One-
1st Trial: The Abhorrent Aberration
------------------------------------------------------
Prophets, Temples, Space Wizzards. It was all a blur to Seraya. But one thing was for sure. She needed a break from her life as a Warden. She'd had plenty of time roving the space lanes, kicking tyranny in the tail wherever it reared it's ugly head. Rumor had reached her about a Prophet, who gave you amazing perception into your soul.

She was not ready to call herself a well versed force user yet. But maybe these trials were a start.

Boots crushed the frost of the stone steps as she mounted them. She ascended into a large empty room, with only two monks here in brown robes. She could not see there faces, and could not feel them in the force. It unnerved her. Only Vong or powerful Force users were granted that ability.

The young warden shook the frost off her orange coat and re-slung it around her shoulders. Her lightsaber was still in there somewhere, though it was hidden in one of a many different compartments. The crystals fell to the floor speckling gray stone in icy blue.

"I've come for the trials." She announced, resting one hand on her DL-44 and the other tucked into her belt.

They did not speak, but they nodded. In unison they pivoted to flank her and she fell into step moving towards an even larger chamber. The grand stone doors ground back with the sound of nails on a chalkboard. She cringed. The inner chamber was much warmer, braziers burned with a musky sweet fragrance over the long hall.

"You." The Prophet spoke. An old man, clothed in raggedy robes.

"I."

"Do you seek your true self?"

She paused. This was already getting cryptic. Feth.

"I do."

"This is no test for the weak Seraya Whisperwind, Warden of the Sky. This is no test you have ever faced before."

"I know."

The Prophet snorted.

"You are a foolish child and you know nothing. Arrogant, pretentious, gallivanting about as if it is your duty to save everyone and everything from the darkness. But there is a darkness inside of you Seraya, you just haven't met the full truth yet."

She said nothing.

"Arrogant as always. If you insist, take the cup before you and drink it's contents."

A monk approached, and handed her s tone chalice with a single jewel. This drink she did feel in the Force, though it was many things. Light, Dark, Ashla, Bogan, and everything in between. It made her head spin trying to decipher it.
"Do not tarry Whisperwind. DRINK!"

"Feth me!"

She slammed the cup. The room melted away. She was falling, spinning through a vortex of dark and light energy. And then she landed and blacked out....
 

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