I have been writing the story of Toby since his inception in Star's End Bar back in 1998. I had recently concluded my time playing as Jeremy Kane, due to his wife Richenda's player opting to retire from RP. I had some other characters that I was heavily into, but I needed something new.
What I came up with was the young man (16 when I created him) that would become the character of Toby. Back then he was little more than a punk kid with a hoverboard and a knife, and a lot of attitude. I've seen him go through quite a lot in the 16 years since, and I have tried my best to document it (I am not, nor have I ever been, a particularly disciplined writer or poster.)
When I started first writing for him, I decided to separate his life-in-progress into various Acts. It was a way for me to see how he changed over time, and to mark each Act's opening and close with particularly important or tumultuous events.
I honestly have no idea how many people actually read this. I've always written 'for myself', which is why I have no problem indulging in incessent amounts of technobabble or dramatic imagery - because it pleases me. But for anyone who does find enjoyment in what I do here, I hope this helps to explain it a little better, and maybe give you a sense of Toby's history.
Note: Acts I and II were during the AOL/FFGF years. I don't believe any of my writing has survived from that time, as I did not even have a folder for Toby back then.
Act III was the first of the DM years, and for a time I believed those posts to be lost (as I had gone out of circulation for a while after that), but I recently rediscovered them. I may or may not post them up, though.
Act I: 1998-2000
Act I was the very start. It began with the appearance of a punk teenage kid at Star's End Bar well over a decade ago, and saw him chasing trouble, women, and a dream of reaching the stars. It was a dream he ultimately achieved with the slow and difficult rebuilding of a sneakily acquired derelict craft (largely in the barn owned by his dear friend and sometimes lover, Ayesha Momus), and his triumphant first flight into the night sky over Star's End Spaceport.
Act II: 2000-2006
Act II began when Toby, with his new ship, left Rhydin (forever, he thought) and sought adventures out in space. He experienced losses of loved ones, and even his beloved ship himself - but found, as we all do, that new loves come in time. And so did a new ship, the Lady Mk. II. His adventures took him out to the Galactic Core, to a place called Booster's Cafe, and beyond.
Act III: February 2006- October 2006
Act III saw Toby's return to Rhydin after some twelve years away. He found Star's End spaceport nearly deserted in the interim, but met quite a few strange and interesting new friends at the old Red Dragon Inn. He also met a girl that he believed (as many do) would be the love of his life. However, for many reasons, that was not meant to be, and ultimately he departed once more for the stars, to seek some answers.
Act IV: October 2006 - April 2007
Act IV started with Toby's second return to Rhydin after a long journey among the stars to take stock of his life. It encompassed the loss of friends, and ultimately the loss of his lover, not to mention the painful realization of just what he was becoming. And it ended with him going into solitary exile at his cabin, alone in the deep woods, to decide exactly what path he was going to take - the light or the dark. At the end of that Act, he was very much a man on the knife's edge (appropriate imagery for him).
Act V: May 2007 - June 2007
Act V picked up some time after the end of the previous act. Still in exile, Toby's life was once more forever changed as a friend he thought lost dropped back into his life. Or more precisely, into the lake behind his cabin. This Act revolves around Tabitha, the woman who would become his wife, and how they reconnected and finally found their destiny together.
Act V is one of the shorter chapters of his life, but without question one of (if not the) most key pivot points. In those few months, he found the true love of his life, and also the person who would help him become the man he was meant to be. It's interesting to consider that, had he not reconnected with Tabitha, Toby might have been a far darker and different person. Or he might not have lived through that time at all.
Act VI: December 2011 - April 2013
Act VI technically begins four years after Act V concluded. But, that's mostly because I was not doing any writing during that time, and had been sidelined by a heavy dose of real life. That's not to say nothing was happening to Toby and Tabitha, mind you.
It can be said that there is really no change between V and VI. In the intermission between the acts, the St. Germains (yes, Toby took his wife's last name when they were married in January 2008 - he never really had one of his own) have made a life for themselves in that cabin in the woods, and had added on to their number by 2, along with their three dogs.
In addition, Toby's began working at the Star's End Bar, fitting as that was where his story began. As a character, he started at the spaceport, hanging around the bar as a kid, and has come full circle - as a father, a husband and a responsible working adult.
Ok, mostly responsible. It's still Toby, you know.
During the events of Act VI, the third St. Germain child was born - little Selene. And she soon proved to be quite a handful right out of the gate, as Act VI was dominated by the strange events surrounding the infant. Thankfully that story had a happy ending, and it also marked the close of Act VI.
Act VII: April 2013 - October 2014.
Act VII began with the aftermath of the great Snowstorm Hannibal, continued through the great plans to build a new and larger home for their growing family, and then passed under the shadow of the mysterious illness that loomed over Tabitha for almost a year now. Then, too, there was the excursion to the Ream of Eldicor and the Battle of the Dark Forest. By the Act's end, Toby was changed forever... time will tell whether it was for the best. And at long last, a family reunited.
Act VIII: October 2014 - April 2017
A new home, new pets, and lots more new on the way for the reunited St. Germain clan. The family recovered from the events of the years prior, and the girls began attending Harker's Defense Academy as their primary school. The family also attended the great Ball in Eldicor, wherein Toby was knighted by the Queen. And for the first time, Selene began to hear something out there, in the woods...
Act IX: April 2017 - ongoing
Rhydin has become a dark place, with intolerance and divisiveness becoming the order of the day. As such, the family has withdrawn for the most part to their sanctuary in the deep woods. This chapter is largely focusing on the next generation, as well as Toby's decision to make mastering his gifts a new focus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What I came up with was the young man (16 when I created him) that would become the character of Toby. Back then he was little more than a punk kid with a hoverboard and a knife, and a lot of attitude. I've seen him go through quite a lot in the 16 years since, and I have tried my best to document it (I am not, nor have I ever been, a particularly disciplined writer or poster.)
When I started first writing for him, I decided to separate his life-in-progress into various Acts. It was a way for me to see how he changed over time, and to mark each Act's opening and close with particularly important or tumultuous events.
I honestly have no idea how many people actually read this. I've always written 'for myself', which is why I have no problem indulging in incessent amounts of technobabble or dramatic imagery - because it pleases me. But for anyone who does find enjoyment in what I do here, I hope this helps to explain it a little better, and maybe give you a sense of Toby's history.
Note: Acts I and II were during the AOL/FFGF years. I don't believe any of my writing has survived from that time, as I did not even have a folder for Toby back then.
Act III was the first of the DM years, and for a time I believed those posts to be lost (as I had gone out of circulation for a while after that), but I recently rediscovered them. I may or may not post them up, though.
Act I: 1998-2000
Act I was the very start. It began with the appearance of a punk teenage kid at Star's End Bar well over a decade ago, and saw him chasing trouble, women, and a dream of reaching the stars. It was a dream he ultimately achieved with the slow and difficult rebuilding of a sneakily acquired derelict craft (largely in the barn owned by his dear friend and sometimes lover, Ayesha Momus), and his triumphant first flight into the night sky over Star's End Spaceport.
Act II: 2000-2006
Act II began when Toby, with his new ship, left Rhydin (forever, he thought) and sought adventures out in space. He experienced losses of loved ones, and even his beloved ship himself - but found, as we all do, that new loves come in time. And so did a new ship, the Lady Mk. II. His adventures took him out to the Galactic Core, to a place called Booster's Cafe, and beyond.
Act III: February 2006- October 2006
Act III saw Toby's return to Rhydin after some twelve years away. He found Star's End spaceport nearly deserted in the interim, but met quite a few strange and interesting new friends at the old Red Dragon Inn. He also met a girl that he believed (as many do) would be the love of his life. However, for many reasons, that was not meant to be, and ultimately he departed once more for the stars, to seek some answers.
Act IV: October 2006 - April 2007
Act IV started with Toby's second return to Rhydin after a long journey among the stars to take stock of his life. It encompassed the loss of friends, and ultimately the loss of his lover, not to mention the painful realization of just what he was becoming. And it ended with him going into solitary exile at his cabin, alone in the deep woods, to decide exactly what path he was going to take - the light or the dark. At the end of that Act, he was very much a man on the knife's edge (appropriate imagery for him).
Act V: May 2007 - June 2007
Act V picked up some time after the end of the previous act. Still in exile, Toby's life was once more forever changed as a friend he thought lost dropped back into his life. Or more precisely, into the lake behind his cabin. This Act revolves around Tabitha, the woman who would become his wife, and how they reconnected and finally found their destiny together.
Act V is one of the shorter chapters of his life, but without question one of (if not the) most key pivot points. In those few months, he found the true love of his life, and also the person who would help him become the man he was meant to be. It's interesting to consider that, had he not reconnected with Tabitha, Toby might have been a far darker and different person. Or he might not have lived through that time at all.
Act VI: December 2011 - April 2013
Act VI technically begins four years after Act V concluded. But, that's mostly because I was not doing any writing during that time, and had been sidelined by a heavy dose of real life. That's not to say nothing was happening to Toby and Tabitha, mind you.
It can be said that there is really no change between V and VI. In the intermission between the acts, the St. Germains (yes, Toby took his wife's last name when they were married in January 2008 - he never really had one of his own) have made a life for themselves in that cabin in the woods, and had added on to their number by 2, along with their three dogs.
In addition, Toby's began working at the Star's End Bar, fitting as that was where his story began. As a character, he started at the spaceport, hanging around the bar as a kid, and has come full circle - as a father, a husband and a responsible working adult.
Ok, mostly responsible. It's still Toby, you know.
During the events of Act VI, the third St. Germain child was born - little Selene. And she soon proved to be quite a handful right out of the gate, as Act VI was dominated by the strange events surrounding the infant. Thankfully that story had a happy ending, and it also marked the close of Act VI.
Act VII: April 2013 - October 2014.
Act VII began with the aftermath of the great Snowstorm Hannibal, continued through the great plans to build a new and larger home for their growing family, and then passed under the shadow of the mysterious illness that loomed over Tabitha for almost a year now. Then, too, there was the excursion to the Ream of Eldicor and the Battle of the Dark Forest. By the Act's end, Toby was changed forever... time will tell whether it was for the best. And at long last, a family reunited.
Act VIII: October 2014 - April 2017
A new home, new pets, and lots more new on the way for the reunited St. Germain clan. The family recovered from the events of the years prior, and the girls began attending Harker's Defense Academy as their primary school. The family also attended the great Ball in Eldicor, wherein Toby was knighted by the Queen. And for the first time, Selene began to hear something out there, in the woods...
Act IX: April 2017 - ongoing
Rhydin has become a dark place, with intolerance and divisiveness becoming the order of the day. As such, the family has withdrawn for the most part to their sanctuary in the deep woods. This chapter is largely focusing on the next generation, as well as Toby's decision to make mastering his gifts a new focus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~