outofsticks | PAST LIFE PLOTTING: THE LONG OVERDUE 5TH

Entry tags:

!past lives

PAST LIFE PLOTTING: THE LONG OVERDUE 5TH

Once upon a time, in the continent of Ostorn, there was a town called Haven. After a deadly plague had ravaged the lands, a man decided to strike out and pave a new trade route to cities barred by a lack of roads and an abundance of natural blockades...

Welcome to our newest past life plotting toplevel! Sticks and Bones is a setting where player characters are the reincarnations of previous residents of the town that Aldric founded within the woods as a midway stop between cities on his new trade route. The continent of Ostorn and the world of Sticks and Bones is a magical land inspired by the Tales of series, among other games. Below in the comments are some explanations, locations and pre-existing NPCs who can be referenced!

Players with dropped characters are encouraged to include their dropped characters if only for potential backstory purposes for others, but it is not a requirement.

While we don't want to restrict things a lot, we must ask you keep the following in mind!

Although this is a magical setting where plant-animals and beasts like the Guardians exist, characters must be human in their past life, with few exceptions. Please speak to the mods if you feel something else is better for your character.
The level of technology was a bit skewed, but largely it was very basic electricity that just... happened to be magic. Light bulbs, the magic of indoor plumbing.
Speaking of magic, while there are forms of magic such as enchantment and standard RPG mechanics, the Celestial magic that's been included in the game plot is not open to characters in their past lives.
You are more than welcome to include new locations or expand on current ones, though if it is noted to reach out to a specific player about it, please do that. Ostorn is a large continent, and there is an even bigger world out there.
The Goddesses are known, but very distantly as ancient history. Religion depends on the region, but Guardians, being demigod animals, are frequent objects of worship.
Your past life should not be a 1:1 parallel to your current life! Things change, situations change, and the new reincarnations got off very badly actually.

When you're ready, please use this form and then tag out!

Name: it u
Place of Birth: where u from
Reasons for Joining the Grove: why u here
History: whahappun
Role: what u doin
Looking for: what are you most interested in having for your past life cr?
Wants and Wishes: anything else!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

A small ocean-side town with a semi-populated port, and the starting location of the initial expedition. It invokes the feeling of a starting town in a JRPG, and holds a largely European-adjacent culture. Notably, an enchanter who sold Aldric the Golden Glasses he stocks and some other magic items lived there with his apprentices.

A city on the other side of the forest, and the initial destination for establishing a shorter trade route. Much wealthier, and noted to have much higher quality goods including local medicines that Aldric was especially keen on getting to Haven. This was a very well-to-do city, and people from Roseroot are generally considered to be of a higher class than most folks.

A very nearby territory, though not the home of Haven or Roseroot. Dionira and her late husband, Cyrus, ruled over it while her brother Astarion tended to the family vineyard. Her oldest children vanished one day, with their uncle being the most likely suspect... Despite Dionira's callousness, she was an excellent ruler until her death, leaving the territory without any heir. The Duchy's main import was wines, dyes and perfumes. As this is tied to a former character heavily, please reach out to Amity for any potential major ideas!

A series of islands that make up a crescent shape around a brilliant blue cove. Not much has been revealed about this land, but it's been alluded to be an equivalent to Japan. As players decide more information, we'll add it here!

A sea known for its gem-green waters, wrapped around the peninsula part of the forest rests on. A single lighthouse keeps the rocky shores alight. The sea is inhabited by Sea Monsters of various shapes and sizes and levels of bio-luminescence.

Polaris Landing is a settlement far north of Haven, accessible primarily by ferry. The population is small and many of its young people set out to other places in the world for more opportunities, but the ones who decide to stay, stay for decades. It may be cold and harsh there weather-wise, and parts of the year might be significantly darker, but being so far from other settlements means they have the most beautiful view of the stars. There is a common saying in PL - "No matter where you go, the stars can always guide you home."

A bright city lit up with numerous lights, lying across the Emerald Sea to the east. It is known for loving greenery and technology both, and scientific advancements are very important to the people there. It is covered in greenery, and the streets are paved with rudimentary attempts at prototype solar panels in an attempt to convert the city to a fully-operational green energy resource.

Players who were here for April 2025 may now know this city as "Neo Eden", a Cyberpunk 2077-style dystopia with zero greenery, zero qualms about using as much energy as possible no matter where it comes from, and that is now something of a surveillance state. Big Brother Is Always Watching.

Edited 2025-10-30 21:03 (UTC)

Aldric (founder and leader of the original expedition, a kind merchant who sought to expand trade across the continent to allow the flow of high quality goods and medicines to reach more towns. Father of three, 'mayor' of a sort, and probably unofficially adopted half the grove. If you had a shit dad, he did punch them at least once.)

Olivia (Aldric's sister, co-founder, and probably the most willing to get aggressive of the three- but only when necessary. Otherwise she's commemorated as jolly, gentle and vibrant. Also a huge lebsian. Wooed many women. Maybe even you.)

Renard (Aldric's closest friend, co-founder, and a man for the finer things in life. Despite this, he's no less unwilling to get his hands dirty with hard work.)

Grace (The original and main town doctor, mother of Add and Nene.)

Nene (Grace's adopted daughter, a gardener, the first to be corrupted and the future demise of the town, much to her dismay.)

Helputt (Captain of the town Guard and father to Chung, a former player character. A very good man. Painfully good, even.)

Moder (responsible for mainly maintaining the forest when it was pure, and often scooped Child Mizuki back into the Grove when he wandered outside into the woods. Stay home, Mizuki.)

Callan (known as a particularly violent and human-hating Guardian; residents were often cautioned to stay away from the lake in case he "got hungry".)

The Bone-Jangles (a husband, wife, and their six children; Mr. Bone-Jangles would show up for old man card game nights with the other elders, and Ms. Bone-Jangles was known to throw potlucks every other Tuesday. They also loved Halloween and practical jokes.)

Edited 2025-10-31 18:47 (UTC)

This is a list of cities with less of an impact on the overall game setting, but still usable, that were mentioned during Halloween 2025 (and therefore in the current game setting, no longer exist because they were eaten by the Circus):

SHIPTON:

"Welcome to Shipton! Population: 3,284. The sunniest port town this side of Eden!"
A small town located on the coast near Eden, known for commerce and trade. It and Haven have a long-established trade route.

ZALFARI:

"Bright and Cheery Zalfari! Population: 14,591. Blue skies and happy people!"
A medium-sized town northeast of Eden known for its adorable, round buildings, with glass domes that showed off the skies. The sky in Zalfari is very important to the people here, who believe that sunlight is a must for a happy body and mind. The residents tend to be overwhelmingly positive.

OLD CARRAN:

"Old Carran. Population: 299. Mining the day away since [scratched out date]"
An itty bitty mining settlement near the Mountains between Roseroot and Aldric's Grove. Most of the miners were not too thrilled about living here long-term, but a job's a job and a job puts food on the table.

PENDLETON:

"You're entering: Pendleton! A city so cool, we made the mountains chilly! Population: 750,324."
A city that prides itself on being hip and fun-loving, just west of Roseroot. Many artists, musicians, and general talents dreamed of making it big here and getting to play in the streets while making a living doing what they loved most.

Edited 2025-10-31 18:45 (UTC)

Name: Ainchase Ishmael

Place of Birth: Roseroot

Reasons for Joining the Grove: :') Mom's fault—

History: He and his mom and brothers were priests! Unfortunately I don't have normal art of his mom but this is his mom :) Probably assume she had the blue hair/face veil but was less monstrous. Very tall tho. Here is a brother, idk assume there are like 6 of these running around. They Probably all look different but the game provides me with One other angel okay :/ Whenever I have modern AUs I call this brother Almeric— so we'll go with that here. I feel like at some point I named the others but I can't find my names now.

Anyhoo, when I say his entire family were priests I mean it in a very Evangelical sense. These were not people you'd want to hang out around. They were from Roseroot and came here to Spread The Word Of God, meaning they were a) very posh and b) very stuck-up, so sorry to anyone who knew Ain between the ages of 10-18 he was very much An Asshole. It did not help that his mom, known by "Lady Ishmael", kept all of her children on a short leash and basically sequestered them in her house constantly (which she was trying?? to turn into a church dwbi). There was a lot of "those people outside are dirty / we don't associate with them / they must be brought to God's Light" type of Evangelical bullshit. Which, you know, a Smol Ain bought into and I'm sorry to say he was the most annoying motherfucker for many years due to this.

Good news is, Smol Ain would later snap out of this because he realised Boys Cute and maybe those people outside their walls aren't so bad. Unfortunately his mom and brothers were the type of people to boot his ass out for this, you may insert other religious homophobia overtones here because I am not writing them down but it was Bad Enough that Ain was very self-hating for quite a while. In the end he wound up couch-surfing and probably had a lot of sordid gay rendezvous behind buildings and in the woods, especially in his twenties.

He was very much the "I'm trying to avoid my entire family while they try to form a cult" kid. He probably had 300 crushes and this was known about him... near "the end" we'll call it, he picked up music and gardening and finally started to be happier with himself. He still did not have a house. He did have a cute little baby crush on Ezell, and Ezell was one of the ones who would comfort him when his mother was acting, uh, Like That. However, he didn't confess until it was too late, by leaving an ominous note that essentially read, "I feel like my mother's going to do something. I don't know why. But if I die, it's her fault. I love you, I hope I'll see you soon."

As for his death, it was swift and merciless; his freak of a mother thought the sudden apocalypse was Great and had his brothers grab him and offer him as a sacrifice to a monster. It's okay, they died soon after, all is right (?) with the world.

Role: After abandoning being a priest and giving into the sin as mom would call it, he took up singing, and would often be seen gardening. No tailoring for him in this past life, that's for future-Ain to figure out. He wasn't really trying to make it big so much as just find something he loved. ...and then he died before he could figure himself out totally so oops.

Looking for: I'm down for pmuch anything. Bandmates, romance arcs, couches to surf on, people to shake the religion out of him...

Wants and Wishes: Right now I am looking for like:
- A semi-permanent residence, or an alleyway for him to sleep in
- A little more romance in his stupid baka life, if anyone wants an Ain to think ur cute (other than Ezell anyway).
- More cultists to bully him?? More reason to have him be Sacrificed by his freak-ass mother??

HERE IN DIS COMMENT THANK U

Name: Caleb Rozenfeld
Place of Birth: The Grove
Reasons for Joining the Grove: He was born here!

History: Caleb and his fraternal twin brother, Jacob, were both born in the Grove. Jacob was born first and thus was "older", while Caleb was born second. Caleb was also born fae-touched, and from a very young age was able to see things that no one else could see, not even Jacob. The twins spent a lot of time running around in the woods, and Jacob often fought off the things that Caleb could see, even though he couldn't see them himself.

As the twins grew older, Jacob went off to join the guard, and Caleb - who was not cut out for the guard - drifted toward tending the library. He also became the town's telegraph operator, having picked up an affinity for the machines, and helped to more easily relay messages between towns.

When the town began to fall, Caleb had retreated back to their family home, helping his father shutter the doors and windows. Jacob was able to eventually make it back to the house, but he died in front of Caleb while protecting him from the monsters. Caleb's parents also succumbed to the monsters right in front of his eyes. In a last ditch effort to call for help, he retreated to send out a telegram to the next closest town. Unfortunately, the monsters broke down the doors and killed him before the entire message could be sent, so whoever received it - if anyone - only received a frantic "SOS SOS SOS".

Role: Librarian and telegraph operator.
Looking for: Friends, romantic interests, anything!
Wants and Wishes: holds my hands out gimme

PLOT HERE holds out my hands pls

yet again i must say: all of this is me supremely banking on the fact that i'm never getting these specific castmates lol

Name: Asher Kariv ~~arknights is going to one day drop his real name in front of me and i'll have to retcon this (coping for hypergryph to remember he exists)~~

Place of Birth: Eden

Reasons for Joining the Grove: Life sucked and he needed to simply get away from it.

History: Asher moved across the sea to the Grove to get the fuuuuuck away from home, which was pretty bad all things considered. He was an adult when he showed up, and arrived with a handful of children between the ages of 9-16, which in order of youngest to oldest were Popukar, Shamare, Lisa, and Podenco. His four daughters :') all adopted of course, and man he arrived fucking exhausted because of the journey overseas. It was here that he met Lena, another castmate I am banking on never getting, and they bonded over a love of gardening. He wound up moving in with her, and they're jointly raising the kids in a QPP situation. Eventually he adopted Mayoi & Aira too, and he hates Mafuyu's parents so much he's considering stealing her. Four daughters, two sons, and a daughter that he's going to take illegally-

At some point he married Nick (aka Wolfwood) and they were disgustingly soft for each other, a fact that haunts current-day Flamebringer to Death.

Eventually Asher would decide to lean into the artsy side since things are calm here (haha), which is where his tattooing/piercing business comes into play, when he isn't helping the other flower-lovers raise the flowers and such anyway. He keeps himself busy. Unlike his current life where he's a merc, he's not doing that here, he is literally raising his kids and watering his flowers and drawing on people.

This does not mean he wasn't something of a punk-ass bitch though. Due to how he was raised and his shitty home life, he's got big "street thug" energy despite trying to be generally pretty calm. If anyone wolf-whistled at Lena he'd deck them, and he's prompted several fights with the town guards because he doesn't know when to not stick his foot in his mouth. Aside from his family in his home, he was pretty aloof and didn't make friends easily, but at the same time you'd see this man climbing trees to rescue cats and then falling out of them after the cat was safe, or climbing the side of a building because the ivy must be trimmed right at the top here, etc etc. He usually had some sort of injury going on.

He has a dumb little crush on Ezell and honestly the fact that Ezell would stop to look after him made his reckless climbing-shit-and-getting-injured behaviour worse. Like oh nooo look he got in a fistfight with the town guards do you think he's hot can you clean the cut on his cheek etc. It was gross and embarrassing. Please make fun of him.

These two ALSO never hooked up. Unfortunately the death came first! During the big monster throwdown, he and Nick tried to escape with their kids and many of the kids from the orphanage, but Asher realised that Ezell and his daughter Cecelia were missing and ran back to get them. A monster was attacking Ezell, and Asher took a hit meant for Ezell to save his life, and as he was dying, confessed to him and told him to "tell Nicholas what happened" before he passed. Yaaaaaaay :)

Role: Local florist/tattoo guy/piercing guy/punk ass bitch/he has six kids/wife guy (Nick is the wife)

Looking for: 18 more children... but also more gardening pals. Friends? People to fistfight with? If you were ever in the town guard you know he had it out for you at some point.

Wants and Wishes: N/A hit me with whatever

do it do it

Name: Vildred Dayern

Place of Birth: Roseroot

Reasons for Joining the Grove: The Dayerns and the Elclares have family ties, the Dayerns have always served the Elclares as guards, so when the Elclares migrated to the Grove, naturally the Dayern family followed. The Elclares' reason for moving had to do with a controversy hitting the family in Roseroot, but I'll let Rubie speak to that lmao.

History: Vildred was raised on one truth, which was that he had to protect the Elclare family at any cost, even if it was his life. Obviously he embodied this body and soul and grew up very protective over Ras, the family heir. It also helped that they grew up together and only furthered the overprotectiveness. By the time they moved to the Grove, Vildred was a younger teenager. If you ever picked on Ras in y'all's youth he had BEEF with you and it did not go away even into adulthood lmao.

As they grew up though, one thing led to another and surprise! They were kissing! Oh god no one saw this one coming from them did you. Less of a professional relationship at that point to be sure, but Vildred still took his job of protecting Ras & the other Elclares seriously.

another moment where I am supremely banking on no one else playing from this fucking game but He was quite well-connected too; when he came to the Grove he got sort of adopted by Ran & Amid who became his uncle and aunt (unofficially, but in name). And he had Beef for the rest of eternity with this guy named Kayron because a) it will piss Vildred off to know that Kayron was in his past life AGAIN and b) I will never stop harping on this because it's funny to me that these two have been beefing for ~~seven~~ eight timelines. They are like this.

Anyway so as expected, Vildred has to die in the apocalypse getting overwhelmed by enemies to save Ras, because. Because he does do this for. At least five of their shared timelines in canon so he has to do it here too. I'm not original and neither is he.

Role: Just a bodyguard over Ras specifically; he had no interest in joining the Grove's town guard because he felt this was not his role in life.

Looking for: PLEASE MAKE THIS GUY SOME FRIENDS LMAO

Wants and Wishes: said in a tone of /notserious but also /kindaserious: someone who loves writing villainous rats should app kayron //don't play E7 it's a gacha game it's hard

HERE THANK U

Ain and Kalias also besties? Kalias was like in his 20s ish when the shit hit the fan, i'm not sure how old you have Ain at around that time but Kalias was there for a comparatively short time and was trying to make friends w people in his age bracket

Name: Kallias

Place of Birth: Haven

Reasons for Joining the Grove: A series of unfortunate events.

History: Kallias was born and raised in Haven. He was a smart, if mischievous and restless boy, rarely sitting still. He had a fascination with magic so when he finished his basic studies, he studied under Seamus, often taking extended time away from his master to look into something that required travel and taking his notes and findings back to Seamus for peer review. On his return from one of these trips, he found his master had left for Aldric’s Grove, and worried for his master, followed after him to assist.

Role: Seamus’s assistant! Probably did some magic mischief on the side. He also was the one to go to for relationship gossip.

Looking for: Friends and acquaintances for Pavlova! Kallias serves as foreshadowing for Pavlova’s true form. And regaining memories from him will allow him to feel less like an outsider here.

Wants and Wishes: This is just a general outline rn, but I'm up for him having friends all over, and different relationships if desired. Kallias would be in his late 20s early 30s

reply below for Boy(tm)

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 3

PAST LIFE PLOTTING: THE LONG OVERDUE 5TH

LOCATIONS

HAVEN

ROSEROOT

THE MORAIS DUCHY

THE CRESCENT ISLANDS

THE EMERALD SEA

POLARIS LANDING

EDEN

MAJOR PLAYERS

SMALLER CITIES

QUESTIONS

wolfie's creature locker

kaed's critters

no subject

PLOT WITH AIN

Joshua (info)

Joshua (plotting)

no subject

PLOT WITH FLAMEBRINGER

no subject

PLOT WITH VIL

Vesper's lil guys

no subject

Pavlova Cookie

Pavlova Plotting