Creating a World Group Writing Project

[ggggtotalwarrior]

This is a revival of an old thread I made on here years ago that itself was a copy of something I'd seen on an older forum I'd been on. Basic idea is that we're going to create a world using creative writing by adding onto one another's posts. Anything posted is canon to the world, so you can't outright contradict another user's post but you don't have to exactly continue where thye left off either. Stories, journals, poetry, etc. are all valid. I'll link to each individual piece in the OP if we make thing big enough (unlikely on this dead forum, I know). With that said, I'd like to start us off.

Edit: Old threads https://www.twcenter.net/forums/show...t-All-Welcome)

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?656761

Just so we have an idea of what I'm talking about

[ggggtotalwarrior]

Reserved

[ggggtotalwarrior]

An ancient king sits upon a hollow throne,
covered in twisted vines and bleeding mold
Of shattered steel and crumbling stone,
lost in a fog, unaware how old

Trapped in his chair high above,
his withered body gasps a command
He never feels neither hate nor love,
His endless forces make a stand

He is to reign even as a curse,
His promise, his burden to the last
Both the last king and the first,
as the fog grows he remembers the past

He recalls with a tear in his eye,
once a creator of beauty so ornate
He begs to be released and die
but it seems servitude is his fate

Crafting and building he spent his youth,
a shining jewel was his city
Tirelessly he labored seeking his truth,
never was a land so pretty

But now the silver spirals fall,
replaced with towers twisted and black
His eyes cry at the towers tall
he begs for a chance to turn back

But the king's commands fall on deaf ears,
for his skeletal mouth no longer speaks
His golden palace collapsed over many years,
replaced with the jagged black peaks

Trapped, imprisoned on that hollow throne,
He yearns to return to the old
But his allies withered, he is alone,
to none will his commands be told

The screams in his mind grow loud,
as the city's evil desires cannot be sated
Once a powerful servant proud,
he suffers, a slave to the machine he created

[ggggtotalwarrior]

We were investigating Sector 7 when it happened. It was supposed to just be a routine patrol, same as any other day on this Godforsaken rock. Surveying is supposed to be a boring job, on a boring world, for a boring salary. That's all its ever been. It was with that in mind that we thought we were safe. We were wrong.

First it got Etts. We lost contact with him early in the night, so Myles got sent out after clearing 7-B. We weren't scared yet, Etts' comms just died, he needed a spec-jump, or he was just playing a joke on us. Something that made sense; anything else was beyond our imagination. Then Myles went dark too, and that's when we started getting scared.

Commander Erdo blinked, she sent in the whole squad to their last location. I found what was left of Etts, and it was something that will never leave my mind as long as I live. It was a black, tarry liquid covering his armor. It was still smoking, and the air tasted of the most foul taste. It reeked of death.

Erdo said to not touch a thing and wait for the rest to meet up with me. That's when the screaming started. The jungle began to grow darker as I heard the monsters..... do whatever it was they'd already done to Etts and Myles... again and again and again. I ran, I ran so damn far just to get back to the machine. Two kilos, maybe more, and I knew I wouldn't make it. I saw black tendrils slithering across the ground....they wouldn't stop making that terrible noise. It wouldn't stop.

How'd you get out? How'd you make it back here?

That's the thing. I didn't.

[Alwyn]

This looks like a great project! I like the different styles of writing you're using and twist at the end of the poem - having conjured up images of an ancient king which makes this sound like a fantasy or medieval setting, there's a reference to a machine (of course, some of the phrasing in between, such as the 'silver spirals' and twisted towers, could be referring to an advanced civilisation which fell into ruin.)

[Swaeft]

How'd you get out? How'd you make it back here?

That's the thing. I didn't.

Now I have to wait with bated breath...I love this!

[Turkafinwë]

I agree with Alwyn, a wonderful idea for a project. Interested to see where this will go!

[ggggtotalwarrior]

Silently, the ancient king observes
His golden palace turn dark
Trapped in time, punishment he deserves
The difference in era so stark

He nurtured, he loved, he protected
As his chosen people evolved
Statues, marvels in his name erected
But with time, his creations devolved

He's tried to fight the coming tide
To attain immortality was key
But unfortunately he couldn't hide,
He was to suffer for eternity

The glorious creations were interrupted
Warfare had taken its place
Good intentions had become corrupted
As evil reared its ugly face

The beautiful crown he had created
The machine melted to sword and shield
Against the commands the architect stated
The machine refused to yield

His race of man created individually
Each imperfection better than the last
Now were parasites made artificially
Forget, the machine said, the past

High upon his crumbling throne
His poor creatures still think he controls,
But for the husks he is alone
And of his failure, only the machine knows

Edit: If anyone is interested in contributing I'd love to have some people to bounce off of like the old threats listed in post #1.

[Alwyn]

An intriguing poem, apparently a continuation (or a re-telling?) of the previous one. It's interesting that the king deserves punishment despite the nurture, love and protection which he demonstrated. The mysterious melting, unyielding machine got me wondering about its role in the story and its relationship to the king.

[ggggtotalwarrior]

So is no one else interested in this? The idea is that we as a group write in the same universe based on what has come beforehand, like the linked threads in the OP

[Akar]

This is very cool but I have no idea where to even begin with participation.

[ggggtotalwarrior]

Plz join Akar

[Kilo11]

So is no one else interested in this? The idea is that we as a group write in the same universe based on what has come beforehand, like the linked threads in the OP

Gigi, I am joining this! I love your writing, as it is right in the style I so much enjoy, and I want to take the ride with you. The poetry I will leave to you (I sometimes have a flash of inspiration, but rarely can I do consistently good poetic work), but I will douse this with what prose I can muster!

[Kilo11]

Galactic Sector: 34.089 // C-14
Celestial Body: VX 2, Choros Maior
Local Designator: UNKNOWN
Standard Date: 15.4.3708 GSC



In the past month, 147 civilian surveying patrols have been lost throughout Imperial holdings. Of those 147, 15 went missing on one single rock: VX 2, of the Choros Maior system. In itself, the loss of multiple non-combatant units within a single system is not unheard of, and at times becomes (unfortunately) commonplace. Insurgent forces, restive natives, or even wild fauna may make particular planetary bodies dangerous, even to those whose job is as mundane as that of surveyors. However, VX 2 presents an alarming puzzle, for by all accounts and records, it is supposed to be an uninhabited speck in space, and one which is likely uninhabitable. Given these facts, my lancers descended to the planet's surface with a healthy degree of caution.

We landed in Sector 7 of the planet, near the craft of the latest surveying mission, that led by one Commander Erdo. Upon debarking, we found nothing of interest. The surveyors' ship was intact. It had not been plundered or damaged in any obvious fashion. In short, there was no indicator of any animal life, intelligent or otherwise, which might have explained the missing civilians. This however, did not ease our minds; the civilians were still missing, without any indication of what had befallen them.

With the ship's immediate surroundings scouted, I then split my lancers into two units. Twenty-two men were set to guard our ship, making use of the heavy turrets and mobile artillery if necessary, and the remaining eighty-six began running a widening spiral out from our position. My hope was that they would discover some indicator of what had happened there, and that their strength in numbers would prevent any harm from coming to them.

After forty-eight standard galactic hours had passed, they had found no track, nor any debris which might hint at the missing surveyors whereabouts. With such a lack of evidence on the ground, I deemed it prudent to regroup my forces and begin scanning the planet's surface from orbit. This we did for a full two weeks, creating a catalog of images that spanned 1/3 of the planet's surface, yet still we found no trace of any people, either living or dead. There were the scattered surveying ships, each as empty and lifeless as the others, and we did note an odd network of twisting spires that spread over some large tracts of land, but nothing to indicate that those were anything of significance. Rather, they seemed inert, being likely nothing more than some geological anomaly of that place. At any rate, not a single of my soldiers encountered any creature on the surface of VX 2, nor did our scans register organic life.

That being said, the latest lost surveying party indicates that there must be something there, and something which is both unlike anything before seen, and which has enough sentience to attack unarmed civilians and yet hide from Imperial troops. This is a worrisome fact, and one which cannot be ignored any longer. For this reason, I, Gunnery Sergeant Melissa Kendricks, am requesting permission to lead an expeditionary force to VX 2, in order to discover the source of the disappearances there, and if necessary, destroy whatever threat is hiding on that planet.

Gunnery Sergeant Melissa Kendricks
1st Light Lancers
Kyreti High Command

[Alwyn]

I enjoyed this, Kilo. I'm torn between hoping that Gunnery Sergeant Kendricks gets her wish, and being concerned that she and her lancers will disappear, if she does!

[Turkafinwë]

An intriguing setpiece Kilo.

[Adamat]

“We’re all clear up to the crevice, Sir,” Specialist Hugo reported over voice comm. “We’re getting readings of radiation, and the temperature seems to be rapidly increasing. No ambient light.” The Corporal turned on his vid-recorder, and stood up. “Roger,” he replied, motioning for his cover team to move up. “Torches on, air filters closed. I want the carbines on point.” Twelve rifle-mounted flashlights illuminated the surrounding spires.

He peered over the edge, staring into the pitch black hole. It reminded him of the Hostile Environment training grounds at Canis III. “Private Hueburn, put a flare in,” he said before tuning into the HQ net. “Vulture Three, sitrep,” he announced himself. “Send it, Corporal,” Kendricks’ reply quickly came. “Geographical anomaly Delta reached without incident. Large crevice, rad hazard stage one.” The crevice lit up as the Private launched a strobe, and revealed a plateau leading into a cave some 20 metres below. “I have eyes on what appears to be a natural hallway allowing entrance to the crust interior. No sign of sentient life or bioluminescent species. Sending my team in, will mark our route with nav beacons.” The corporal took his hand off the comm button, motioning for Lance Corporal Yung. “Rappel down with team two.”

They moved slowly through the darkness, their torches revealing the narrow, twisting path forward. “Radiation up to stage two,” the marine up front reported. “Long range comms now affected.” The corporal nodded, before again raising the Gunnery Sergeant. “Going dark due to natural interference, ma’am. Effective time 60 minutes before suit seals affected, will retreat accordingly. Request decontamination unit at landmark Delta.” “Rog.., comms diff… re..ments sent…low down…port. Good …ting,” the garbled reply came.

He ran his hand across the markings on the wall. “Kind of look like native paintings, don’t they,” he said to nobody in particular. Suddenly, the team came to a halt as the point-men halted. “What is that?” Private Lyse muttered, as she started shuffling back. “It’s seen us, open fire!” Yung added seconds later. The tight hallway exploded in a burst of light and noise as four standard issue kinetic rifles were unleashed on the formless black mass oozing forward. “Back, back!” The Corporal ordered his squad. “Keep up the pressure! Hayes, flamer up now!” A high-pitched noise drowned out all sound as the napalm mixture ignited, and the ooze recoiled. “Team one, take over rear! Team two, lead us back out!” He commanded. Private Hueburn suddenly found himself on the rocky floor and yelled out as he was pulled deeper in. “Leave that man behind!”

“Last mag, Sir!” He heard someone yell out, but it barely registered. All semblance of orderly retreat had vanished as the squad hustled back as quickly as they could. He heard his own ragged breathing, he heard the radiation warning that his suit was broadcasting, and he heard the screams of his soldiers, some panicked, some berserk. And then, the crackle of his comm system. What was being said, he couldn’t hear, but clearly they were nearing the surface again. At the same time, the gunfire ceased. “It’s retreating, Sir,” Specialist Gammon uttered. The Corporal took a deep breath, and looked around. “Break, break, break. Vulture Three, sitrep,” he said, pressing his comm button. “Five MIA. Low on ammo and oxygen. ETA landmark Delta, ten minutes.”

[Kilo11]

Somehow I totally missed this latest installment, and only now found it while perusing back pages of the Creative Writing area. This is sharp Addy, and a really cool continuation of the story. Maybe not exactly what I myself would have done, but super good, and that is the point of this anyway, for each of us to take it our own little direction.

With this fresh in my mind, I am gonna start rattling ideas around my little dome, and hopefully come back tonight or tomorrow with a next installment here. I already have the rough shape of what comes next in my mind, and now I just need to clean it up into an actual narrative.

[Alwyn]

The hidden threat has been revealed! It sounds like patchy communications and limited supplies of ammo and oxygen could lead to a desperate situation.

[Twilight Esker]

I'm incredibly rusty on my sci-fi gears, but perhaps a continuation of things before could be made in time.