The Dark Oak Forest
The Dark Oak Forest is a place of darkness, danger, and Evil. For reasons best not talked about, the Dark One has visited this place, twisting it forever.
It seems like a perfectly normal oak forest.
It is not. The reasons for that have been lost to a confusing morrass of history, legend, and speculation. What is known is the Dark Forest is not fit for a good man or beast to pass through, let alone live.
The Dark Oak Forest has bubbling HellPits, springs of green ectoplasmic goo. These pools of Evil change the things around the forest, making them monsters (or monsterous). Sometimes things of Evil emerge from them whole cloth.
The spirits of those lost to the forest continue to haunt it. Some are simply sorrowful, others want revenge on the living for their sorrys state.
Only once did an army march through the forest. It was met upon the other side and battle was joined. The death summoned up such evil, that both sides banded together to save themselves, in The Battle of Living against the Dead. Though advantagous, no one would dare march an army through the forest again.
Things are not contained by it. Every now and again things emerge from the forest to terrorize those around it.
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? Responses (16)
I like it, but it is rather short for a Moonhunter post.
It is kind of generic Evil Place. The organization attached to it makes it much, much better.
I would never of pegged MoonHunter for a Romantic Fantasy fan. But this works for me.
I just had to... ;)
These are five good tips for those who want to produce better items, npcs, lifeforms, locations, plots, and such.
First: Review!
Review the top rated posts of the category you want to post it. If you want to do an item, click into items, then the highest rated (in red) and it will give you a list of the best items. Read the first ten or so.
Second: Effort!
Put some thought into your post. Take your time putting the post into print. Taking time to do a post right shows you care not only about your audience and yourself, but you care about the thing you are posting about. If you aren't spending a minimum of 15 to 30 minutes on the post, it will probably be abused and low rated. Most of us spend 45 to 60 minutes on a post. Remember, you will spend more time actually thinking about your post before you put it up, if you want to do it right.
Remember that you can edit your post, so if you find something wrong, go back and fix it.
Third: Check it!
I really mean it. Go through your posts. Make sure it follows the basic rules of grammar . Sentences start with capital letters, end with punctuation, and have everything moderately correct in between. Extra lines should be inserted between paragraphs (and there should be paragraphs). I can not stress the next part more that simply scream, 'Spell check!'. If you can, copy (from web site) and paste (into word processor) your post into a WP with spell check. Run the spell check (and the grammar check if it has it). Copy and paste it back. If you do this, it will automatically improve your post by one point (on average). If we can simply and easily read your post, we can start critiquing it rather than your awful spelling.
If English is not your primary language, let us know. However, be warned that many of our best posters have English as a second, third, or even fourth language. So all we ask is that you continue to work at it, to get it right. http://www.strolen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1559
Fourth: Completeness!
Your posts needs to tell us nearly everything about the subject. You should strive for items that are generic, rather than dependent on a specific setting or campaign. While being vague can help make the item more 'generic', you need to 'imply' the answers. (For example: while my game might not have Rykor the BloodSlayer, I can figure out an approximate match 'The most dreaded demon riding Dark Knight in history.') Implied answers act as guidelines for the GM/ Player adapting the post.
To be complete, your post needs to answer; 'Who is involved?', 'What is happening (and where and when)?' and 'How and why things occur?'. If it is an item or setting then include: What is the item/place? and What can it do?
Details are not as important as completeness. Read your post. Is there anything that someone (who doesn't know your campaign and the backstory) might have a question about? If you find such a question, edit the write up and include the answer to that question. Keep reading your post until you have answered every question (including ones that seem really stupid... there are a lot of really stupid people out there).
Fifth: The Gold Standard
If your post could not be part of a published fantasy novel, it needs work. That is what you should aim for.
If your item/ npc/ plot/ setting is not as well described and developed as something you would find in a published fantasy novel (excluding most DnD licensed novels), then it is not equal to the gold standard and needs work.
This standard is really not that hard to meet. New members often meet it on their first or second try. You do not need to be a professional writer, you just need to put a little effort into doing it right.
;)
AG, the primary goal of a reviewer is to actually read the entire post... and the associated links.
If you bothered to follow the links, instead of being a smart ass, to the additional posts, you would of found the Order of the Oaks and all your answers.
Long is not required to be good or complete. If we are judging on length there are a number of really less than stellar posts that are long.
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT
Nah. No fight ;)
I am commenting on stuff. It is the purpose of this site: We vote on stuff. Some things I like, some things I don't like. MoonHunter will be thankful for my honesty in the long run (yes, you will Moon), for it is a certificate of authenticity. When I give him a 5 and a HoH he can be sure I really mean it. He is skilled, but sometimes he produce too much too quickly.
As for presumptions about my having read or not read linked material, I have no comment. I am amused by the speculations ;)
Our sites equivalent of the Spielberg Effect. Scaled on a different curve it seems. Because it is mine, it is scored differently.
I'm glad I missed most of the comment exchange on this sub.
There is certainly a bias against shorter submissions (see comments on Goblin Snuff, it affects all writers here. This submission may not be a five star but it inspires some decent ideas.
Actually this would of been a stub, if such an option was available at the time. It is a classic, a short submission that links several of them.
Actually it is only one or two members who have things against short submissions or have cerain expectations for certain posters.
I know what you mean on that second part about expectations. I've let a few ideas go because of that.
My goodness - just how many ideas do you have????? :)
Lets see I have 610 submissions and 762 scroll additions (and 2700 comments). I have 122 things on my to do list. It is just a matter of applying yourself. 10 in 10 explains it. Once you start the process and commit to it, your pump is primed and you find inspiration everywhere (even if you have to desperately scramble around the net to find it).
Actually, I was replying to Scrasamx - he has been churning out large amounts of Quantity AND quality lately yesterday that make me wonder if he does anything else :)
And yes, Moon, your score is most impressive though you have slowed down as of late, at least compared to Scrasamax's blistering speed.
For me, the subs either come together very quickly, or take forever. Right now I have too many in the second category in work....
Yes. He is almost catching up to my old pace. :)
Of course, I tended post with an eye towards useful for gamers rather than artsitic, so my scores occasionally suffered.
Now how about the rest of you...
Post!
