PbP Game Interest Check Thread

Omni · Jun 14, 2020

Questionable Madness said:
I might move the NSFW Reincarnation Wars version of the role play to this SFW section.
In the role play, characters are ordinary people who discover they have the abilities of fictional people. This is because they are the reincarnations of people like Gandalf/Superman, etcetera.

Sounds like fun!

Repentant_Dragos · Oct 16, 2022

Iliad City: A Magical RP in an Original World

I. Intro

In another universe, on the planet of Historia, there lies a city filled with magic and spells, of warriors and thinkers. This city, named Iliad, is the last refuge for the Descendants, a group of people who despite their descent from the person who gained the blessing of The One Deity to advance Humanity, are now vilified as heralds of an apocalypse due to lies of unknown origin, lies which have convinced the other nations of the world to try and kill them all.

Despite this hatred, Iliad is protected by two Magical Academies which hold greater strength than entire armies, whose students stood strong against a world that hates them. But as an invasion looms from the greatest nations on the planet, the two Academies descended into a quarrel on the best way to save their city.

You are one of the students of the Magic Schools. Or an ordinary civilian who knows a magical spell or two. Or a soldier. Or a refugee from the nations which hate Iliad City and The Descendants. Or any combination of the above plus a Descendant themselves - You have free choice of who to be, just remember that you live under the shadow of doom and that your next actions can save or doom those whom you love!

Longer Intro:

In another universe lies the planet of Historia, inhabited by Humans much like us, but blessed with impossible powers that we think of as 'Magic'.

Magic is a daily part of life, existing alongside technology just as advanced as ours', although some integrate magic with science to create advanced inventions. But it is a widely held belief among the people that the highest form of Magic is Storytelling, and that The One Deity, the Creator of the Multiverse, gave Humanity the power to warp reality through the telling of stories.

Three thousand years before the present day, when the greatest storyteller of that time, the Illuminated Poet, sang of the grief and joy of Humanity, appealing to The One Deity to provide a way through their sufferings. In response, The One himself came down and sang his own song, the Epics of Making and Unmaking, by which Humanity and whatever sapient beings lived beyond Historia was granted freedom from the will of the divine. From the Epic of Making were instructions for the casting of Magic, allowing Humanity to better their lives and that of others' at will, while the Epic of Unmaking allows one to reset the Universe itself back to the beginning, with the person or people who use it given power co-equal to The One Deity himself, but without infinite intelligence or wisdom.

And so the Illuminated Poet taught pieces of the Epic of Making to those who followed him, turning them into the first Magi. The Epic of Unmaking, however, was transmitted directly into the souls of his own children, the Twenty Sons and Thirty Daughters, who each inherited a fragment of the Epic. He then prophesied that the more descendants they have, the more the Epic of Unmaking will be shattered and its pieces spread out among each scion and that the Epic will only be completed once more when the descendants of the Illuminated Poet are reduced to one person, who will then have the decision to reset the universe.

The intention, of course, was to make sure that the universe will be reset only if Humanity becomes irredeemably corrupt and/or the amount of suffering in existence multiplied to an unbearable level. Despite the risks involved with the existence of such a power, a 'contingency plan' for Humanity was still regarded as necessary by all parties, including The One.

Fast-forward to the present, and the majority of the descendants of the Illuminated Poet have suffered purges, slaughters, genocides and massacres from the various nations of the world due to ignorance and misunderstanding, or even outright lies spread by their enemies. Their one safe refuge is Illiad City, an independent city-nation founded by the freethinkers and outcasts of the world, people dedicated to artistic and philosophical pursuits, as well as worshippers of The One Deity. Despite the hostility of other nations towards it, its access to a greater portion of the Epic of Making makes it equivalent to the great empires of the world in Magical might.

But now, a feud is brewing in the two prime Magical Academies of the city, a feud brewing from how to deal with the world's hostility towards them. Ironically, this feud might be the one thing that brings down the metropolis...

II. The Factions of Iliad City

Marduk Academy for The Mystic Arts Holds power over the pieces of the Epic of Making that govern 'Heroic' Magic - The Magic of Light, the Elements (Fire, Water, Air and Earth), and the power to heal the wounded and the sick with mystic energy alone. Their students are the champions of the defenseless, the honorable knights-errant and the wise wizards. But confronted with the hatred of other nations towards them, they seek a 'muscular' foreign policy, asking that Iliad City use its magical might to conquer the neighboring empires and repressive states that wish to destroy Illiad before they grow too strong. However, whispers are being heard that push for more than that - That Marduk Academy should attempt to rule the world so that no nation would exterminate the descendants of the Illuminated Poet once again.

And Professor Gilgamesha, its Principal, is beginning to listen...

Ishtar School for Creative Minds, on the other hand, holds power over the pieces of the Epic of Making that govern 'Black' Magic - The Magic of Darkness, Entropy, Blood and Death, as well as the power to inflict agony and weaken their enemies. Their students are the spies and assassins, the dark knights whom monsters and criminals fear. Despite this, they used to work alongside Marduk Academy, until Professor Nergal, it's principal, began urging for the casting of the Spell of Otherworldly Travel, which will transport Iliad City onto another dimension where its people can live in peace. Problem is that 1.) This requires the pieces of the Epic of Making that Marduk Academy does have, and 2.) Marduk Academy considers Ishtar's solution cowardly. And so the feud begins to simmer...

The Cassandra Club is the newest faction in the block, a small band of students from both Academies and a larger group from other schools who believe that the brewing feud between Marduk Academy and Ishtar School is being engineered by a 'sinister force' outside the city as part of a grand plan to conquer Iliad City and acquire the Epics of Making and Unmaking. Not merely that, but they believe in asking the question: Why do other nations hate us? What are the lies they've been fed in order to kill off the descendants of the Illuminated Poet? Do they even know that they are completing the Epic of Unmaking? And if so, who is trying to do so and is he someone who can take advantage of the power to rewrite the universe?

The Cassandra Club is led by the Anonymous Council, a group of 'concerned students and teachers' (PCs have the option to be part of this circle) whose goals are to find out exactly who is profiting from the extermination of Descendants and stop them before its too late.

III. Interesting Places in Iliad City

The Leviathan Port - Iliad City's port is where most of its foreign trade comes from, due to the Hermannreich's on-and-off hostility. A bustling structure where great cargo ships dock and depart, the Leviathan Port is watched over by great ranged guns from two coastal forts that guard the entrance to the bay, as well as Ishtar School for Creative minds, whose campus is only a few miles away.

Artisan Coffeemakers United Branches - A set of coffeehouses spread all throughout Iliad City dedicated to the production of quality artisan coffee, tea, and pastries at a fair and affordable price. Both Ishtar and Marduk have cafes of ACUB in their premises, with secure internet lines to each other, and it is rumored that students who wish to establish forbidden contacts with each other are allowed to use said lines... For a price.

Enchanted Mountain - Iliad's prime amusement park, with a large Ferris Wheel, magitech roller coasters, and virtual reality simulations of any environment one can think of, as well as various restaurants catering to every palate. It is also a 'truce zone' between Iliad and Marduk, due to Professor Gilgamesha having spent time there in better days and not wanting to let the place be stained by the current inter-school conflict.

Kaleidoscope Arcades - A series of arcades filled with the latest games mundane science and magitech can supply, and are thus destinations where both Marduk and Ishtar and students from other schools can be found competing against each other in a halfway-friendly manner.

Paradise Spa - The place everyone who is anyone in Iliad goes to relax, Paradise Spa is filled with treatments both mundane and magical which rely on pleasing every sense possible, from sweet aromas to soft coats of mud, to serene sounds and calm colors, along with filling yet tasty smoothies and juices, Paradise Spa is where the troubles of the world fall away, even for a while.

Players can submit new places if they want to.

IV. The World Around Illiad

Iliad City is situated on a peninsula which juts out at the very edge of the Western Continent, one of two major landmasses which make up Historia's inhabited parts. These two continents used to be filled with many city-states, kingdoms, and republics, but those have now been absorbed by two distinct power blocs which in their own way, present a danger to Iliad City, even if one of them (Olympia) is one of the reasons reason the latter has not been invaded yet (the other is Iliad City's sheer magical might). These power blocs are the Unified Hermannreich, a gigantic nation which seeks to dominate the world, and the Olympian Federation, which believes they are defending it. These are elaborated on below.

The Unified Hermannreich - The undisputed conqueror of the entire Western Continent except for Illiad, the Hermannreich is also an empire built on slavery and oppression, maintained by a dark alliance between its militaristic regime and the mysterious Custodians. With vast armies at its disposal, it waits for the order to conquer Iliad City and purge the Descendants, but its inferiority in Magic and the need to keep the slave population underneath its heel are obstacles towards fulfilling such an order.

That, and Iliad City is grudgingly protected by its main enemy, the Olympian Federation across the sea...

The Olympian Federation - A close compact of twelve nations which claim to stand for Freedom and Justice, the Olympian Federation is a naval power which governs the Eastern Continent whose fleets, air power, and cruise missiles prevent the Hermannreich from destroying Iliad and then crossing over to the east. However, do not be deceived: Olympia is just as Anti-Descendant as the Hermannreich is, it just hides it better. Once Iliad's usefulness ends to the Federation, the latter will destroy the former itself.

V. Magic and Technology

Magic System

All Magic comes from instructions given in the Epic of Making, which in turn is a long poem or song that details the transference of a part of The One Deity's power to mortal Humanity, and the basic mental exercises used to 'pull' magical power from the depths of one's own soul to make what you imagine real.

The various 'types' of Magic come from concepts common to humanity, concepts that you either come up with or are taught. These, in turn, are powered by the Human heart, will, and soul. There is no way to take magical energy from the surrounding environment, as only Humans (or fully sapient aliens, if they exist) have magical energy.

Anyone can learn Magic, but few have the combination of strength of heart and imagination to be truly good at it. Therefore, Magical Academies are important so that what existing Magi already imagined before can be taught to other people.

There are six disciplines of Magic:

High - There are many theories that try to explain High Magic. Some say that it is the power of The Divine, it is the power of positive emotions, channeled through the human soul. Nevertheless, High Magic is the power of controlling Magical Energy itself, allowing for the ability to see all Magic, to draw available magical energy from the sky and earth, create constructs of condensed Mana, create and fuel magitech and enchanted items, ward people and places from magic, and finally, the ability to create bolts of silver-white light that cause damage that cannot be healed by magic to Mages and Magical creatures... But not ordinary targets, whose burns can be healed as normal.

World - World Magic is control over the physical elements of the world. Do you want to create Fire? World Magic. Do you want to alter Gravity to make yourself float? World Magic. Do you want to use lightning to electrocute a person? World Magic. Basically, if it has nothing to do with changing one thing to another, or controlling something that isn't wholly of this earth? World Magic is your key. Basically, Bending from Avatar: The Last Airbender, but without healing or spiritual arts and with control over gravity.

Change - This is the magic that deals with changing one thing to another. This magic can knit wounds and reverse aging, cause trees to grow fists, and turn vines into whips. This magic can change one substance to another, turning lead into gold, earth into acid, and fire into water. What it cannot do, however, is affect stuff protected by High magic, or mess with things that are already dead. That belongs to another school, the magic of the Underworld.

Underworld - Death is all around us, and the old laws against disturbing the ghosts who chose not to pass on are gone, cast into the wind. Nevertheless, the souls of the departed have to be treated with respect...but it is not the same for their bodies. Underworld Magic is the magic of Necromancy; it is the magic you wield when you want to raise an army of the dead, to control the shadows of the world, to speak with ghosts, and to strike people dead with one blow (this is a high-level spell). You can even use this to transcend death, allowing you continued existence in this world without the need for food, drink, and sleep...

Timespace - The magic of traveling vast distances in a single bound, of teleportation, portals, and scrying. The strongest Magi can even control probability, making a person luckier or unluckier, sometimes to absurd levels. But what it can not do is reverse the past; basically, no time travel. Bullet Time and Time Stop are also possibilities for incredibly strong practitioners but have certain requirements that limit their effectiveness in combat.

Mind Magic - This magic deals with controlling minds and altering emotions of both humans and animals, as well as creating illusions, mental compulsions, and even erasing or editing memories. A very powerful magical discipline, but strong willpower can better resist its effects...

Note: A lot of individual spells are very broken by nature, and would fundamentally destroy the game's balance if implemented. If you're touching these spells, please make sure you have some limitations added to them. If you're not sure, look no further than your GMs! They will be happy to answer your question/address the balancing of your powers.

Spell Mastery

Pretty self-explanatory. Each spell your character possesses has their own degree of mastery. The more you master a spell, the less effort (Mana, Time, other relevant resources) it takes to perform that spell. If you have enough spells from the same school mastered, you can choose to make it a <Magic School> Mastery trait. How many spells, you ask? Well, there's not a hard-coded number for that. But I'd say about 3+ spells of the same school. We can lower the number if the spells are difficult enough, or raise it if they're easier to cast. Having Mastery as a trait makes learning and mastering new spells of that school a lot easier.

How long is it going to take to master a spell: This gives me headaches every time. It really depends. From the length of an arc to the number of times the character practices/uses these spells. I'd say on average 1 spell is mastered every arc as a benchmark, but don't take this as a gospel. Use a LOT of nuances when interpreting this. We'll try to adjust and accommodate your needs, just let us know.

Enchantment Rules

Enchantment requires High Magic and a spell that you or another party member knows, along with an item to be enchanted. Note however that the weaker and less durable the material is, the magic you can put into it is more limited; for example, oak can be enchanted to emit laser beams, birch cannot. This is the same for metals, and the strongest of spells can only be enchanted into 'Perfected Electrum (more below)'.

Perfected Electrum

Electrum is a mix of Gold and Silver that occurs naturally but can be made by artificial means. This material, if treated by High and Change Magic by four different Magi (see 'Group Spells' below) can be 'perfected', aka transformed into metal as hard as a diamond yet not as brittle, and whose lightness is that of cloth. But the most valuable property of Perfected Electrum is that it can contain very, very strong spells, except for Resurrection (see below under 'Group Spells'). The Ascendancy of Man has a monopoly of Perfected Electrum; not that it helped them win the war.

Group Spells

Basically, multiple spell-casters with different Schools can do things that would strain a single Mage. This also helps in compensating for single Magi's weaknesses in specialization.

Update on Group Spells: There's no longer any rules in terms of how many spells are needed to perform group spells. What combination of spells creating what is down to your creativity. Use your imagination! And a bit of common sense too…

Potential Non-Magical Options

Character Traits

Character Traits can both be a few neat bullet points to describe some of your character's defining traits, and also accommodate your character's non-magic skills. They essentially describe a portion of your character, and some of them might be capable of special effects that can benefit you and other characters in different ways.

A character Trait consists of 3 parts as described

<Trait Name>: <Trait Description>. <Trait Effects>
<Trait Name>: Self-explanatory
<Trait Description>: A few sentences explaining what characteristics of your character that this Trait is describing. You can go longer if you wish
<Trait Effects>: These are optional, but the most interesting. These essentially encompasses the Ex Skills, but a lot more specific and individual-based.

A few examples of generic trait to illustrate this further

Swordmaster: His extended training with his family's traditional blade and under their guidance have made him exceptionally capable with these weapons. Greatly increases proficiency when using blades
A Healthy and Focused Mind: Her zen training allowed him to ascend to a higher spiritual state that allows her to act solely based on his instincts. Only usable in combat situation. Allows the character to ignore mind magic during these time. Only affected when said magic can affect subconscious thoughts.
Disgraced Warrior: From a family of traitors, he is received by the public with mistrust. Reduce effectiveness when coercing people through diplomacy
Supreme Chef: She's just really good at cooking duh. <Blank> (Yes, you can leave it blank. You don't have to have an effect for every trait)

Of course, these are generic examples that apply to no one in particular. Your character traits, however, are bound by their background. A character trait has to be connected somehow to your character and what makes them who they are. Unrelated traits will be rejected. Your trait names does not have to follow these format. Feel free to go ham and be creative with the name and description.

What these skills are not, however: They do not fully describe your character. There is and should be more depths to your character than just a bunch of bullet points. They have defining characteristics but they have nuances and more depths to and outside those characteristics. That's how a great character is made

Some potential questions.

How many traits are needed: There should be no limits to how many traits you have, but please refrain from making too many of them. Remember this is supposed to represent defining characteristics that screams that's them when mentioned. You don't want to describe yourself like that. For starters, around 3-4 traits would be a healthy number (this number is preliminary).

What about combat with vague measures to quantify your strength: Well, this is not a tabletop RP to begin with. There is no dice. We have narratives and plots to drive your characters around. How battles would turn out is entirely down to you and your fighting partners. Discuss with your partner how you would want fights to turn out. Maybe this guy have a really cool move that he wants to show off, or this lady is cocky and needs to be slapped down a peg. After all, it's more about building your character than a game of who gets to win. If you have problem deciding the fight, the GMs can step in and help

Can you bypass these skills somehow: Yes. Having traits that give you enhanced characteristics (durability/strength/speed/etc.) does not make you infallible (unless you opt in for it, to which you would need to give a GOOD justification). Having enhanced resistance against Mind Magic could fall apart if you're intoxicated/not paying attention. Use common sense and logic at all times.

Gaining/Losing traits: This is possible, as your character changes, but you shouldn't gain too many traits throughout the journey anyway, so when you want to add/remove/change a trait, contact your GM. Don't worry we're friendly

What about Magic Mastery: If you have 3+ spells mastered from the same school of magic, you can gain a mastery trait of that specific school, giving you increased magic literacy for that school. If you CHOOSE to have that trait at the very beginning, and thus giving you at least 3 spells to be mastered, it's best you contact the GM so we can discuss it.

Technology, Magitech and Super-Tech

Technology is equivalent to 21st Century Earth, but Spellcasters are capable of creating devices called "Magitech" which allow for even common people to access the benefits of Magic. In Iliad, this has resulted in magical healing being common all throughout, with specialized 'regeneration booths' in strategic parts of the city where even grievous injuries may be healed as long as they are not inflicted by High Magic. There is also a set of Magitech Bullet Trains and Nuclear Fusion plants (with magic used in the process), as well as 'Null-entropy fridges' which can preserve meat and fresh vegetables indefinitely.

Military Magitech is also very much advanced, with Iliad City being able to bio-engineer, through magic, entire armies of Pegasi and Dragons, which are fielded alongside more mundane VTOLs and Supersonic Airplanes. They also have Golems, animated humanoid statues of clay and metal, which supplement normal infantry, tanks, and the more usual kind of Magi. The grand majority of inhabitants know some battle magic, including children and teenagers who are trained in spellcasting as soon as they can talk.

However, both the Hermannreich and Olympia are developing not just their own Magitech, but are conjuring up, from almost nowhere, pieces of technology that though they are as powerful as Magic and Magitech, run purely on Science. This 'Super-tech', which includes Lasers, Railguns, and Anti-Gravity devices which can lift up an entire Supercarrier to the skies, is an unwelcome development for Iliad City, and some say it is the harbinger of its fall...

VI. Rules

1.) Do not be an asshole.
2.) No NSFW on the OOC or IC threads.
3.) No Godmoding or Powergaming, aka no controlling other players' actions, no defeating your enemy in one shot, and no shrugging of all hits without a magical shield.
4.) This game is friendly to m/m and f/f romance.

VI. Character Sheet

Code:

[b]Name:
Appearance:
Age:[/b] The usual age for a student is 13 to 18, but characters older than those are permitted.
[b]Bio:
Mundane Skills:
Magic:
Character Traits:
Faction (Marduk, Ishtar, or Cassandra Club when it's founded):
Are you a Descendant of the Illuminated Poet?:[/b] Simple yes or no question.

Repentant_Dragos · Oct 16, 2022

Persona: Rejuvenation

Breezeton, Illinois: Once a flourishing center of manufacturing and agriculture on the winding Mississippi river, Breezeton has since fallen far, suffering from a loss of jobs and a rising crime rate (including an opioid crisis). This, coupled with the flight of the younger population as they set off for greener pastures in Chicago and beyond, has left Breezeton fractured as townfolk turn on each other in a mindless hunt for someone to blame. Discord and strife run amok on the streets as the farming and industrial sectors wither away, not helped as the latter uses automation to replace workers and leave them out of jobs...

This deepening divide has created a new Cognitive World: the Memetic Wild. Here creatures called Shadows lurk, that bare fang and claw indiscriminately at one another. If left unchecked this world, as well as the creatures inside, will help perpetuate the cycle of hatred inside Breezeton until the city is brought to ruin.

There is hope, though. A young woman who carries the power of The Fool has returned to the town she was born in. With this power, she is able to manifest a 'Persona'—a creature formed by the part of one's heart and personality that has conquered hate and division. As she grows into this power, gaining understanding and strength, she will gather friends and allies to help her rebuild her home city and fight the darkness threatening to destroy what she holds dear.

The world, however, is not changed by violence alone. To succeed in their quest those fighting the Shadows will have to overcome mistrust and hate to bring new innovation and businesses to the city. Be it restarting the local newspaper or reinvigorating the lackluster Harvest Festival. They will need to learn how to wield their Persona and enlist help from 'Pillars', people who have special ties to the Memetic Wild despite being unable to summon a Persona, for only through healing divisions will they be able to restore the city to its former glory.

This is, you guessed it, a Persona game! Taking elements from installments 4 and 5, this game combines them with the theme of 'Community.' While Breezeton's community has developed into one that cuts down those who do not conform our characters will represent the oppressed who are willing to fight for their rights and home. Communities can be built or destroyed, can be changed and renewed, and it is up to your characters and their Social Links to see change and renewal occur on Breezeton's streets.

Every triumph will open up more of the Memetic Wild to 'civilization' - Repairing Breezeton's roads in Real Life will make travel in the Wild easier and faster while saving/opening businesses will cause milder, more benign Shadows to open shops. Items and treasure acquired in the Memetic Wild also become real in the physical world, thus boosting your purchasing power. But be warned, spending too much will get the IRS after you IRL!

Note however that to prevent PC glut, only 8 PCs will be allowed besides the Wild Card, and the selection process is first-come, first-serve (it originally wasn't going to be, but now it is). However, the GMs reserve the right to reject profiles that aren't just written well.

Important Places in Breezeton (Population, 15,000):

WIP

Rider Conglomerate Local HQ: The Rider Conglomerate was once Breezeton's source of life, the main provider of jobs for many of its people. But then it was purchased by a group of businessmen, some from out-of-state, others from foreign countries, and these men and women began to introduce increased automation to maximize profit. This meant that many workers became unnecessary, and the resulting layoffs were a major factor in the town's decline. Now, Rider Conglomerate is the most hated presence in Breezeton, with the resentment it causes being reflected in the Memetic Wild...

Pillars (Modified Social Links/Confidants)

The Party as a whole are tasked with connecting with the Pillars of the community, special NPCs that range from a journalist trying to restart the town paper, or a cafe owner trying to rescue their family's establishment from extinction. Any party member can start a Social Link with the Pillar, and any party can advance said Social Link to gain benefits. However, receiving said benefits is done differently from other Persona RPs - A PC who hasn't taken part in acquiring or advancing Social Links has to interact with the Pillar and prove to her that she's part of the same group as the other Persona Users in order to get benefits.

Pillar Benefits

But what are said benefits? What exactly do you get from the Pillars of the community? Well, you get three kinds. Town Perks include a place to meet, excuse notes that allow you to skip entire days of school, and eventually free/cheap transportation around the city. Memetic Wild Perks are much the same, with the ability to create safe places in the area, teleport to any area you've already gone to (this requires the entire Party to interact with the Pillar who grants this Perk to use), and of course, have 'friendly' Shadows open up shops. The third sort of benefits you get from Pillars are Party Ties, where with each bond you form, the entire party's individual Personae and the Wild Card's multiple ones become stronger as long as they interact with the relevant Pillar.

Rules

1.) No godmodding, powerplaying, metagaming, etc., etc.
2.) This RP is not 18+. Gay and Straight romance is permitted, but no NSFW content on the site, please.
3.) No OOC feuding! If you must argue, be respectful. IC, meanwhile, you can hate each other as much as you like as long as it doesn't seep over to OOC.
4.) Please notify me if you will be gone for more than a week, I myself will let you guys know if I will be gone for that same amount of time.
5.) There can only be one 'Mascot' character, and said Mascot character must not come from an IRL meme (especially as only a few memes are meant to be cute).
6.) Covid may or may not have happened - Players can vote on that issue. A Democrat, however, is President here and that isn't gonna change.

Code:

[b]Name and Age:[/b] Self-Explanatory.
[b]Physical Appearance:[/b] What do they look like?
Place any photos here.
[b]Personality:[/b] How your character feels and acts, as well as how those things affect her interactions with other people.
[b]Mundane Skills:[/b] What is your character good at?
[b]Arcana:[/b] Pick a Major Arcana such as Hierophant, Tower, Hanged Man, etc.
[B]Persona:[/b] Pick a Persona from Canon or your own creation. If the latter, include a description or picture as well as an Elemental Strength/Weakness (or neither if you're Hierophant).
[b]Memetic Wild Weapons:[/b] What weapons do you carry in the Mundane Wild, and from what Mundane Items do they come from? Note that as this is set in America, you can have an item be a weapon in the Real World as well as the Cognitive one.
[B]Short Bio:[/b] 3 - 5 well-written Paragraphs of Backstory, and perhaps more at your discretion.

Repentant_Dragos · Oct 16, 2022

Innocence Lost: A Science Fantasy RP

Official Discord Server (Delinked)

I. Intro

We were just children, albeit ones of exceptional mind and body. Then the Ascendancy of Man took us from our families, our friends, and our homes; they said we were needed to fight the 'Alien Menace' that was threatening our civilization. In the name of 'survival', they changed us, pumping our bodies full of impossible substances that defied the laws of reality. It was a miracle we all lived to see the horrors of war, they said, but was it really?

After being altered and trained, we were thrown into the meatgrinder that the war against the other species of the sector had become. With new powers given to us by the impossible compounds that were flowing through our veins, our battalions slew huge numbers of the enemy. But it wasn't enough; in the Battle of Proxima, the Ascendancy's fleets and armies finally fell to a sustained assault by the Aliens, and we, the supernatural child soldiers that had wreaked such havoc against the foe, were captured and taken to a prison camp in one of the enemy's holdings.

Despair overtook us as we awaited our fate. What abuse was coming? How will we be treated by those whom we had slaughtered in droves? But when our enemies, the Aliens known as the Rau've, showed pity on us instead, we wept in joy. They saw that we were just kids, and gave us mercy.

We were offered new homes, new families among the Aliens, and most of us accepted. But I didn't, same for a handful of others. I thanked our former captors - former, for the war had ended with a peace treaty - but I told them that I and the others with me wanted revenge on the regime that had betrayed us, used us, and were crueler than the enemy they fought. They sighed, and gave us coordinates to the Galactic Bazaar, a space station where jobs and ships can be found to start our revenge; they wouldn't help us directly.

And so we, with magic, combat skills, and what few peaceful talents we remembered before we were 'drafted' by the Ascendancy of Man, we went to the space station where almost anything can be bought and sold. But one must be warned; the Ascendancy of Man was also there, and will not tolerate their former tools turning against their 'masters'.

------

I fought in the Ascendancy's Fleet. I believed in their propagandistic drivel. I did work dirty and clean for them, and what did I get? Thrown away without pay, without a pension, just tossed out like last day's trash. And to add insult to injury, they blamed us for their own butts getting kicked on Proxima, said that us frontier-worlds didn't fight hard enough and so they got defeated. Well, I've had enough of them stomping on the little guy, so I joined the dime-a-dozen rebels - I mean, Moonstrike!

My name is Natasha Zhang, and I lead a crew of humans, aliens, and even a robot or two in missions of piracy and smuggling against the Ascendancy. Moonstrike is the rebel network we belong to, and they give us jobs to do to bring down those Ascendancy morons. And this latest mission is the sweetest yet - A bunch of renegade Ascendancy Supersoldiers is coming to the Galactic Bazaar to rendezvous with us!

Wait, what are these children doing walking about on the hangar bay? What, they have special powers normally seen only in those Crystal Aliens? Oh, no, those are the Supersoldiers Moonstrike One mentioned, aren't they?!

God Almighty, why am I stuck in a babysitting job?

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Basically, this is an RP set in a Science Fantasy world with both lasers and (limited to some people) Magic. You have two options of player character:

- Child soldiers that had been taken from their homes and used by the Ascendancy of Man in their war against Aliens, were spared by said Aliens when they lost, and are now looking for revenge against their former abusers. You also have Magic.

- Natasha Zhang's Crew, a motley crew of humans, aliens, and robots who fight as privateers for Moonstrike, a resistance group opposing the Ascendancy of Man. You don't have Magic (unless you have a crew member of the Kaisoken species) but have more skills, experience, and technology.

II. Alien Species

The Rau've - The prime leaders of the Coalition against Humanity, the Rau've are a race of plant people who are able to nourish themselves through photosynthesis, enabling them to mostly sidestep the agricultural stage of development. Highly philosophical and compassionate, the Rau've can still be savage in war, as their organic warships and crystal-based energy cannons show. But they were deeply horrified at their enemy's use of children in battle and were the prime advocates of letting the child soldiers go unpunished after the peace treaty was signed.

The Kaisoken: A race of sentient crystal-like minerals bound by quantum pathways and transcendent intelligence. Floating gently, the Kaisoken communicate through impulses translated into audible speech, and are proficient in the control of magic, though they are limited in a straight fight. They were traditionally enemies with the Rau've, who had used their nonsapient crystal 'cousins' in their tech but allied with them against the Ascendancy of Man, who had used ground Kaisoken dust in the experiments that eventually led to their child soldier program. Because of this, they broke off relations with the Rau've after the war for letting the child soldiers get off 'freely'.

Kaisoken grow in size the older they are and the more cosmic power and knowledge they absorb, with Kaisoken over a Millenium old growing to the size of mountains. Note that the Kaisoken can control the process of their growth, with some remaining the size of a humanoid, but many pride themselves on growing mountain-sized, especially as Kaisoken reproduce by budding and the 'Mountains' can bud more Kaisoken.

The Kaisoken are led by the 'Nineteen-Thousand-Year Mountain', the oldest of the Kaisoken who is the size of Mount Everest.

The Gill: Combining reptilian and amphibian features, the Gill are evolved to live primarily in water, with long, slender limbs for powerful strikes ending in webbed hands. Hardy against poisons and extreme terrain, on account of the noxious swamps on their homeworld, they have moved to colonize other oceanic places, and are proficient skirmishers. Like Humans, they need Kaisoken dust infused into their bodies to use Magic.

The Korta: Diminutive beings resembling pachyderms, the Korta are highly intelligent and analytical, mostly serving as engineers and bureaucrats. Computer systems, locks, and riddles tend to fall quickly before them. They also need Kaisoken dust mixed into their bloodstream to use Magic.

The Tayanen: Clusters of sentient amorphous material locked into massively armored shells, the Tayanen deliver heavy firepower with high resistance to physical damage due to their silicon-based biology, which also allows them to absorb electricity harmlessly. Nevertheless, they are slow to react, though their decision-making ability when in a group can be very fast. Basically, they are a combination of Geth from Mass Effect (highly dangerous and more intelligent when grouped together) and Slimes from Dungeons and Dragons (can eat and absorb most anything).

Cannot use Magic at all unless grafted with a willing Kaisoken 'host' through an unknown process.

III. Magic System

There are six disciplines of Magic:

High - There are many theories that try to explain High Magic. Some say that it is the power of The Divine, it is the power of positive emotions, channeled through the human soul. Nevertheless, High Magic is the power of controlling Magical Energy itself, allowing for the ability to see all Magic, to draw available magical energy from the sky and earth, create constructs of condensed Mana, create and fuel magitech and enchanted items, ward people and places from magic, and finally, the ability to create bolts of silver-white light that cause damage that cannot be healed by magic to Mages and Magical creatures... But not ordinary targets, whose burns can be healed as normal.

World - World Magic is control over the physical elements of the world. Do you want to create Fire? World Magic. Do you want to alter Gravity to make yourself float? World Magic. Do you want to use lightning to electrocute a person? World Magic. Basically, if it has nothing to do with changing one thing to another, or controlling something that isn't wholly of this earth? World Magic is your key. Basically, Bending from Avatar: The Last Airbender, but without healing or spiritual arts and with control over gravity.

Change - This is the magic that deals with changing one thing to another. This magic can knit wounds and reverse aging, cause trees to grow fists, and turn vines into whips. This magic can change one substance to another, turning lead into gold, earth into acid, and fire into water. What it cannot do, however, is affect stuff protected by High magic, or reanimate/control beings which are already dead. That belongs to another school, the magic of the Underworld.

Underworld - Death is all around us, and the old laws against disturbing the ghosts who chose not to pass on are gone, cast into the wind. Nevertheless, the souls of the departed have to be treated with respect...but it is not the same for their bodies. Underworld Magic is the magic of Necromancy; it is the magic you wield when you want to raise an army of the dead, to control the shadows of the world, to speak with ghosts, and to strike people dead with one blow (this is a high-level spell). You can even use this to transcend death, allowing you continued existence in this world without the need for food, drink, and sleep...

Timespace - The magic of traveling vast distances in a single bound, of teleportation, portals, and scrying. The strongest Magi can even control probability, making a person luckier or unluckier, sometimes to absurd levels. But what it can not do is reverse the past; basically, no time travel. Bullet Time and Time Stop are also possibilities for incredibly strong practitioners but have certain requirements that limit their effectiveness in combat.

Bullet Time and Time Stop Nerfs: Bullet Time can only be activated defensively when confronted by attacks too fast for the mundane body to dodge normally. And by that, it only works when people are shooting bullets at the guy and it can only be used to dodge bullets and other attacks - it cannot be used to attack in turn. This keeps what I want - PCs being able to dodge bullets - without making them overpowered in offense, as well as giving PCs the choice not to shoot bullets in the first place.

As for Time Stop, not only can the 'time bubble' be cut apart by the right weapon and skillset, but it doesn't work on sapient beings; it can still be used to stop bullets, explosions, crashing trains, rampaging animals, and lightning strikes, but not melee strikes from sapient beings - neither the user or his opponents can use ranged attacks in a Time Stop. The in-universe reason for this is that having a Soul protects you from unauthorized changes to the timeline, and yes, AI have souls here as well.

Mind Magic - This magic deals with controlling minds and altering emotions of both humans and animals, as well as creating illusions, mental compulsions, and even erasing or editing memories. A very powerful magical discipline, but strong willpower can better resist its effects...

Note: A lot of individual spells are very broken by nature, and would fundamentally destroy the game's balance if implemented. If you're touching these spells, please make sure you have some limitations added to them. If you're not sure, look no further than your GMs! They will be happy to answer your question/address the balancing of your powers.

Spell Mastery

Pretty self-explanatory. Each spell your character possesses has their own degree of mastery. The more you master a spell, the less effort (Mana, Time, other relevant resources) it takes to perform that spell. If you have enough spells from the same school mastered, you can choose to make it a <Magic School> Mastery trait. How many spells, you ask? Well, there's not a hard-coded number for that. But I'd say about 3+ spells of the same school. We can lower the number if the spells are difficult enough, or raise it if they're easier to cast. Having Mastery as a trait makes learning and mastering new spells of that school a lot easier.

How long is it going to take to master a spell: This gives me headaches every time. It really depends. From the length of an arc to the number of times the character practices/uses these spells. I'd say on average 1 spell is mastered every arc as a benchmark, but don't take this as a gospel. Use a LOT of nuances when interpreting this. We'll try to adjust and accommodate your needs, just let us know.

Enchantment Rules

Enchantment requires High Magic and a spell that you or another party member knows, along with an item to be enchanted. Note however that the weaker and less durable the material is, the magic you can put into it is more limited; for example, oak can be enchanted to emit laser beams, birch cannot. This is the same for metals, and the strongest of spells can only be enchanted into 'Perfected Electrum (more below)'.

Perfected Electrum

Electrum is a mix of Gold and Silver that occurs naturally but can be made by artificial means. This material, if treated by High and Change Magic by four different Magi (see 'Group Spells' below) can be 'perfected', aka transformed into metal as hard as a diamond yet not as brittle, and whose lightness is that of cloth. But the most valuable property of Perfected Electrum is that it can contain very, very strong spells, except for Resurrection (see below under 'Group Spells'). The Ascendancy of Man has a monopoly of Perfected Electrum; not that it helped them win the war.

Group Spells

Basically, multiple spell-casters with different Schools can do things that would strain a single Mage. This also helps in compensating for single Magi's weaknesses in specialization.

Update on Group Spells: There's no longer any rules in terms of how many spells are needed to perform group spells. What combination of spells creating what is down to your creativity. Use your imagination! And a bit of common sense too…

IV. Non-Magical Options

Character Traits (Formerly Exceptional Skills)

Character Traits can both be a few neat bullet points to describe some of your character's defining traits, and also accommodate your character's non-magic skills. They essentially describe a portion of your character, and some of them might be capable of special effects that can benefit you and other characters in different ways.

A character Trait consists of 3 parts as described

<Trait Name>: <Trait Description>. <Trait Effects>
<Trait Name>: Self-explanatory
<Trait Description>: A few sentences explaining what characteristics of your character that this Trait is describing. You can go longer if you wish
<Trait Effects>: These are optional, but the most interesting. These essentially encompasses the Ex Skills, but a lot more specific and individual-based.

A few examples of generic trait to illustrate this further

Swordmaster: His extended training with his family's traditional blade and under their guidance have made him exceptionally capable with these weapons. Greatly increases proficiency when using blades
Turtleback: His natural skin of his species allowed him to essentially be a walking mini-fortress. Enhanced resistance against physical attacks.
A Healthy and Focused Mind: Her zen training allowed him to ascend to a higher spiritual state that allows her to act solely based on his instincts. Only usable in combat situation. Allows the character to ignore mind magic during these time. Only affected when said magic can affect subconscious thoughts.
Disgraced Warrior: From a family of traitors, he is received by the public with mistrust. Reduce effectiveness when coercing people through diplomacy
Supreme Chef: She's just really good at cooking duh. <Blank> (Yes, you can leave it blank. You don't have to have an effect for every trait)

Of course, these are generic examples that apply to no one in particular. Your character traits, however, are bound by their background. A character trait has to be connected somehow to your character and what makes them who they are. Unrelated traits will be rejected. Your trait names does not have to follow these format. Feel free to go ham and be creative with the name and description.

What these skills are not, however: They do not fully describe your character. There is and should be more depths to your character than just a bunch of bullet points. They have defining characteristics but they have nuances and more depths to and outside those characteristics. That's how a great character is made

Some potential questions.

How many traits are needed: There should be no limits to how many traits you have, but please refrain from making too many of them. Remember this is supposed to represent defining characteristics that screams that's them when mentioned. You don't want to describe yourself like that. For starters, around 3-4 traits would be a healthy number (this number is preliminary).

What about combat with vague measures to quantify your strength: Well, this is not a tabletop RP to begin with. There is no dice. We have narratives and plots to drive your characters around. How battles would turn out is entirely down to you and your fighting partners. Discuss with your partner how you would want fights to turn out. Maybe this guy have a really cool move that he wants to show off, or this lady is cocky and needs to be slapped down a peg. After all, it's more about building your character than a game of who gets to win. If you have problem deciding the fight, the GMs can step in and help

Can you bypass these skills somehow: Yes. Having traits that give you enhanced characteristics (durability/strength/speed/etc.) does not make you infallible (unless you opt in for it, to which you would need to give a GOOD justification). Having enhanced resistance against Mind Magic could fall apart if you're intoxicated/not paying attention. Use common sense and logic at all times.

Gaining/Losing traits: This is possible, as your character changes, but you shouldn't gain too many traits throughout the journey anyway, so when you want to add/remove/change a trait, contact your GM. Don't worry we're friendly

What about Magic Mastery: If you have 3+ spells mastered from the same school of magic, you can gain a mastery trait of that specific school, giving you increased magic literacy for that school. If you CHOOSE to have that trait at the very beginning, and thus giving you at least 3 spells to be mastered, it's best you contact the GM so we can discuss it.

Tech Level is...variable, thanks to the effects of widespread upheaval. Automation is common in the more civilized portions of the Sector, as well as lasers, railguns, EMP emitters, and plasma throwers. The main method of FTL is the use of a 'wormhole system' that links most planets, but Kaisoken, Rau've, and Ascendancy of Man use Spacewarpers, spaceships that either uses Magic (Kaisoken and Rau've) or Super-tech (Ascendancy) that can turn a hundred light-years' worth of distance to one day's trip.

Cybernetics exist, but are taboo in the inner levels of the Ascendancy of Man, where biotechnology is preferred as 'it does not mar the pure human form'. Cybernetics can be used to justify possession of an Exceptional Skill, the same for Drugs, Powered Armor, and other pieces of technology.

V. Rules

Basic Rules:

1) No Godmodding or Powergaming, aka no controlling other players' actions
2) Any consenting relationship between people of the same age group is allowed, whether it's Homosexual or Heterosexual. If you cannot stand such things, don't post here in the first place.
3) Be polite to others.
4) Please notify me if you will be gone for more than a week, I myself will let you guys know if I will be gone for that same amount of time.
5) GM Updates are bi-weekly now - if you don't respond to two updates in a row, and you don't give a good reason, you are regarded as dropped.
6) The GM reserves the right to control inactive PCs as NPCs in order to keep the plot moving.

A few words from your co-GM Conscripts

New system, new rules, new expectations: With this, all technical limitations are virtually lifted. All previous nerfs on High Magic, Mind Magic, etc. have been removed. Now, the job of balancing your character power level (and I use this term very loosely) is up to me and YOU. Yes you. You also share responsibility with us as well. We make sure nothing too drastic get accepted. You make sure you exercise the power we give you responsibly. You can have really devastating powers, and we expect you to use that power with modesty. We're here to have a good time and build characters and relationship, not have a power fantasy. So we trust you with those powers you wield. And hopefully you will use it with great care. We believe you can do it!

DISCUSS DISCUSS DISCUSS: Given the really soft power system we have just implemented, this will mean there may be misunderstandings or miswordings when they describe their traits and effects. If you are confused and needs clarification, please talk to that particular person or raise the question on our Discord server. Try to know as much as possible about other character's traits, as well as letting them know beforehand, before proceeding with whatever drastic you want to do to with that character, lest mistakes/conflicts happen because characters do something you do not expect. Discussions drive this community and keeps it active, so we encourage them!

VI. Miscellaneous Lore and Worldbuilding

Tensions have been rising between the Rau've and the Ascendancy for decades, after increasing demands from the Ascendancy and the Rau've refusing to meet it. In 2460, to ease mounting tensions, both sides signed a non-aggression pact with each other. However, the Rau've were also finding ways to undermine the Ascendancy through economic means like convincing allies to abandon their trade deal. In response, combined with the desire for expansions, the Ascendancy prepared for war.

In 2468 AD, the planet of Ponin rebelled from Ascendancy rule, declaring themselves Rau've territory. In response, Ascendancy local officials terrorized the planet, mass-executing suspected dissidents, including many Rau've business owners and workers there. This prompted the Rau've to take military actions. They blockaded the planet with their fleet and demanded the release of the Rau've prisoners. However, they were forced back after Ascendancy forces under Kherol recaptured the rebel cities and set up siege cannons against the fleet. This incident served as a justification for the declaration of war for the Ascendancy 2 years later.

Total forces: 2 fleets (2470 AD), 2 fleets (2475 AD)
Commanders: 2 unnamed Grand Admirals (2470 - 2472 AD), Laguna, Berkeley (2472 - 2475 AD)

In preparation for the Alien Coalition War, the Army Group North was formed with 2 fleets, with their intended objectives be various populated planets along the border of Rau've space. The two Grand Admirals chosen for the task were supposed to be Laguna and Berkeley. However, for unexplicable reasons, the President intervened and assigned the task elsewhere instead, holding the two back despite both's bitter protests.

When the war starts, the army group, despite early initiatives given by the Conundra Plan, were unable to breakthrough the third line of defense set up by the Rau've. A bitter back and forth stalemate occurred at Coccinia, Neptunia and Ipomoea space ports. Desperate for a breakthrough, and under threats of being displaced by the Ascendancy higher-ups, the two Grand Admirals devised a reckless attack plan to smash through the defense line. The plan was a tragic mixed bag of results. On the one hand, they managed to force a win and a breakthrough. On the other, it was a Pyrrhic one. One Grand Admiral died in combat, the other suffered from wounds, and over 75% of both fleets' ships were lost. In response, the President replaced them with Laguna and Berkeley's fleets, who were fortunate enough to inherit the fruits of the previous two's labours.

Itched from being kept back, the two commenced a bloody campaign across the northern frontier. Atrocities mount by the hour, as they plundered the planets they come across. At Raphanus, Viga and Ocimum were where war crimes and massacres ramped up the most, with all planets glassed, and a total of 80% of the population there executed or sent back to the Ascendancy for slavery. Due to this, resistance to Ascendancy occupation in these area were high, and it bought the Rau've enough time to counterattack and push Laguna and Berkeley back to the Ascendancy border and into Ascendancy territory.

Army Group North was instrumental in the attack at Proxima with Berkeley leading the vanguard with Laguna ready to back them up. However, Berkeley's attack went badly and quickly crumbled before Laguna could join in and help. By the end of the battle, Berkeley's fleet was completely destroyed, while Laguna also suffered heavily, something she was still struggling to rebuild.

Total forces: 2 fleets (2470 AD), 3 fleets (2473 AD)

Commanders: 5 unnamed Grand Admirals (2470 - 2475 AD)

Army Group South had a relatively uninteresting but very tedious and bloody objective of securing planets crucial to the governmental bodies of the Rau've. The Rau've realized how important the area were, and so heavy defenses were placed there, along 4 major planets Musa, Citrus, Pyrus and Punica, creating an almost impenetrable line of defense. Military analysts dubbed this 'The Rau've meatgrinder', as both sides throughout the war threw in many manpower after manpower and failed to make any significant progress except for mounting atrocities and casualties. The initial 2 fleets at the start of the war slowly wilted with every skirmishes fought, gradually replaced by fresh troops. With the arrival of Kaisoken reinforcement, the grip of the Ascendancy loosened and they were forced back to the border.

At Proxima, they were also played a huge role in the attack, but like Berkeley, also crumbled as well-expected, with most of the Grand Admirals in charge wiped out in the fight.

Total Forces: 1 fleet

Commanders: unnamed Grand Admiral

This fleet does not take part in the war nor Proxima. Instead they were kept to keep general orders among the population and quelling dissidents. The fleet was still around after Proxima, but its role had been taken over by Grand Admiral Kherol and his fleet.

Total forces: 2 fleets

Commanders: Alexander Kherol, Nikolas Zahrin (2470 - 2475 AD)

Unquestionably the most successful front of the war. Army Group Centre was tasked with the important task of capturing the resource planets, power plants and the Rau've capital Brassica. During the initial stages of the war, Army Group Centre was the first to break through the Rau've defensive line almost without effort. Under the command of Kherol and Zahrin, the two fleets continued on a rampage across Rau've territory, destroying 2 Rau've fleet sent to stop both of them and 1 Kanarusian 'mercenary' fleet from the House of Salakar. They quickly secured their given objectives of seizing resources as well as capturing the Rau've capital, and their unprecedented success prompted both the Kaisoken and later the Kanarusian Confederacy to take up arms and declare war against the Ascendancy. The Rau've, facing a difficult situation, decided to abandon the capital and regrouped in their Unknown Space territory with the Kaisoken. Having learned how powerful the Ascendancy is the hard way, they switched tactics and began to harass Kherol's forces at the capital. Having extended his forces much further into Rau've territory than both Army Group, and since both groups are either unable or unwilling to provide support for Kherol, he faced the unenviable task of having to fend off Rau've from multiple directions.

The Rau've also counter-attacked multiple times, with the ferocity that impressed both Ascendancy commanders, and quite considerable losses were inflicted on Kherol's fleet. After the second attack, Alexander decided to withdraw from the capital and regroup for another offensive. However, logistic reasons prevented this from occurring soon enough, and by the time it was fixed, the Rau've had heeded his plan and attacked just as the army was evacuating. For the first time ever, Alexander was faced with the prospect of a serious loss, but managed to pull through at the end. The exhausted Kherol's forces regrouped with Zahrin whom had been delegated to maintaining resources for the fleet. They held out for the longest time until news came in of a huge combined Kaisoken-Rau've-Kanarusian offensive aimed at Army Group Centre to take back the industrial complex. As both Army Group North and South were getting pushed back, once again Kherol had to fend off attacks from multiple directions. Unlike last time, Kherol was aware that he would not be able to hold ground, so overriding Zahrin to assume command of both fleets, Kherol engaged in a brilliant retreating fight. Often overlooked by his early Conundra Plan and overshadowed by his actions at Proxima, Alexander's Seven-Days Campaign were some of his most genius moments, as he defeated all three forces in a total of 10 battles in less than a week, significantly halting their advances into Ascendancy mainland, allowing Ascendancy forces to regroup and plan another offensive at Proxima.

Army Group Centre were supposed to be the vanguard at Proxima, but as Kherol's plan was rejected, they were placed at the rear, in case of reinforcement was needed. However, both Nikolas and Alexander agreed not to participate, and as a result, both fleets were intact. This combined with the home fleet to create a desperate 'to the death' defensive line, were able to force a peace treaty out of what seemed to be total defeat. After the war, Kherol petitioned to be made the post-war peacekeeping forces, while Zahrin was forcefully retired and his fleet disbanded.

In terms of atrocities, Army Group Centre were the cleanest out of three front, with Zahrin straight-up refusing to participate in war crimes. Kherol were also not involved in all systematic massacre of civilians, and in fact most reports indicate that they were treated well albeit strictly. However, he was alleged responsible for several questionable incidents like destroying Rau've ships that refused to surrender, and elements of his forces using prisoners as hostages. The most incriminating incident was the destruction of the House of Salakar, in which he glassed their planet, wiping out almost all House members. Kherol was reported unaware of the scale of civilian casualties, and that the Kanarusians hid their ships underneath their city, misleading him and also technically making them military targets

The Battle of Proxima Centauri

The Rau've/Kaisoken Alliance were lured to the Proxima System, only 4 light-years from Earth itself, and the Ascendancy immediately redeployed much of its remaining forces to crush the Nonhuman coalition once and for all. Their plan was to use the smaller ships of the Ascendancy (Cruisers and Frigates) to lure the Alliance as close to Proxima's Sun as possible. The Sun would then cut off the Alliance line of retreat as the Dreadnoughts hammer them with walls of fire; the Carriers would remain in reserve.

It was a flawed strategy, as the Kaisoken contingents of the combined fleet caught on to it and sent their ships to envelop the Ascendancy's flotilla from above and below, snapping like a ferocious raptor's jaws. The Carriers under Grand Admiral Alexander Kherol were unable to do anything (or unwilling, as Kherol saw the strategy as stupid and wanted to save as much of the Ascendancy Fleet as he could from said stupidity) as the Dreadnought Fleet of the Ascendancy was almost completely destroyed.

Nevertheless, though Kherol's non-interference was controversial, none can dispute that it was the survival of the Ascendancy's Carriers that prevented the Rau've and Kaisoken from vassalizing or annexing the Ascendancy outright, and even allowed the Humans to retain most of their territory, albeit under heavy requirements for war reparations. It was after the Ascendancy's defeat that Emmanuel Thoreau began to build and focus more on Carriers and Carrier-based space doctrine; the days of the Dreadnought were over.

The war ended with a quite favorable peace treaty considering the circumstances thanks to great diplomatic persuasion plus military backing. The Ascendancy got to keep 30 out of its original 50 star systems. The Ascendancy were also forced upon various economic and military sanctions, such as ones to reduce the size and number of dreadnoughts in their military fleet. The war devastated both the Rau've and the Ascendancy, thus inciting rebel tendencies that the post-war army under Kherol were trying hard to quell.

The Fallen Stars

It unanimously agreed that the Battle of Proxima - what was to be the last hope for the Ascendancy of Man to turn the war against the Coalition in their favor - was a pure and utter disaster. The Kaisoken catching wind and interfering in providing cover fire and an escape for the Coalition where there should have been none, the attack of consequent capture of the Star Marines by the Rau've, the Grand Admiral's refusal to take part in such a risky desperate strategy as that, all of these were indeed elements that made this battle a failure.

However, there was one more element that not many people were aware of, an incident that only the Star Marines had any knowledge about, for there was more to this plan than what the records show...

The role of the Star Marines in this war was never recorded; knowledge of their existence was already top-secret classified information, and their involvement in this battle was no different. Nevertheless, their role in this battle was of great importance, and was not originally without an escape from whatever disaster may await them.

In the midst of the Dreadnaught bombardment, none that were in that battle had any idea that there was another ship, another dreadnaught separate from the others and distanced from the bombardment that occurred. Officially, its role was to be the lookout (for what little good that did when the Kaisoken struck.) and terminate any backup that may occur. Unofficially however, this Dreadnaught was taken and commandeered by the Star Marines under Ascendancy Black Ops authority, to be used as a Command ship.

Their role was supposed to be a simple one: All available squads were to assist in the destruction of the enemy, and the recovery of any information that could prove advantageous from whatever Database the Coalition - the Rau've especially - may have, with Timespace-class units opening portals into the ships and the rest of the units going in to slay any of the enemies that get in their way, terminate the enemy ships with the least fire thrown upon them or with the most ship defenses from the inside out, steal any vital information hey can grab, than retreat back to the command ship in question and retreating from the skirmish with an official record of the ship deserting their post.

In short, a standard black ops mission in the midst of a battlefield, on the level risky, if not suicidal. However they were not ordered to die for this mission, and should anything have gone wrong, they were to immediately evacuate back to the Command Ship and retreat. After all, they were the secret weapon of the Ascendancy, their one last ace in the hole should this battle go terribly wrong...or so they were told.

Everything was proceeding as planned, Most of the squads and even some squad leaders opened a portal to their enemy's ship, instilling a surprise attack upon them, while most of the Squad Leaders, took command and provided direction to their units from the Command Ship.

However, the disaster of this battle, its tragedy, caught its grip on these Star Marines in a way they never intended.

During the battle, one Squad made an emergency retreat: Squad 0. Their leader, Codename "Crowley" was one of the few squad leaders who joined the battle alongside his squad and made an unexpected retreat along with the rest of them, an oddity seeing as at the time there was little issue to be had with their mission.

However, this confusion soon turned to dread.

The Star Marines on the ship were ambushed by the Rau've, and the communication was cut off from the Command Ship. When the Command Ship finally did re-establish communications...The only person that was on the bridge was Squad 0 leader Crowley, drenched in blood, and surrounded by the shattered, broken remains of the Star Marines' most charismatic and dedicated.

The Squad leaders on the Command Ship were all dead, and Crowley and his Squad 0 were the ones responsible. It was a coup, a stab in the back of all their friends, and nobody seemed to have saw it coming.

To make matters worse, the last thing the Star Marines heard on their communicators was the sound of an explosion, followed by static.

The Command Ship they were on, was destroyed like the rest of them. What happened was unclear, perhaps the Kaisoken saw that ship and destroyed it with the rest of them. But more importantly, thanks to this, their line of retreat was cut off, the Star Marines were unable to escape, thanks to a small group of Traitors.

And as a result, the Star Marines on the enemy ship were captured and taken to the Rau've's home planet, and the rest is history.

The first two centuries of the Ascendancy of Man were of construction, colonization, and exploration, as the 'Spacewarpers' of the Human Fleet opened up new horizons. Over time, autonomous trading companies grew in the fringes of Human Space, pushing the frontiers of expansion. But when the Rau've and Kaisoken were finally discovered, along with their equivalent or greater power to the Ascendancy, the first President-for-Life, Corrin Herbert, began to move towards centralization, nationalizing several trading companies and forcing those left to consolidate underneath Henry Windsor, one of the leading explorers and merchants of the fringe worlds.

Together, these trading companies formed a formidable fleet, well-armed against Space Pirates (mostly Aliens and renegade Humans) and enough to endanger the Ascendancy itself if it came to war. And so Corrin Herbert was forced to make concessions: The Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet will be allowed to continue its operations, provided that it provide a large payment to the Ascendancy of Man and logistical support to its future wars. This was resented by Corrin's two successors, Elijah and Emmanuel Thoreau, but neither of them made any move to withdraw said concessions, being enmeshed with their own plans.

Even the coming of the Rau've/Kaisoken War did not endanger the Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet, as the latter paid a large payment to the Ascendancy in order to avoid giving logistical support. This was a good thing, as the Windsors had already decided that the future lay in economic cooperation with Aliens (albeit with Humans on top) instead of making war with them. So they stood by, consolidating their power on the Southern Fringe of Human Space, well away from the Kaisoken and Rau've territory. And the war ended with the Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet more powerful than ever, with only the Ascendancy's Carrier Fleet able to contest them.

Now, the Windsors cannot avoid a collision with the upper levels of the Ascendancy; money can no longer overcome the fear that the Trading Fleet, made up of Xenophiles and immensely rich and powerful, would conduct a coup. And the Windsors knew it, so they decided to conduct a coup for real, contacting disaffected elements among the fringe worlds and other dissidents only to find they had already been contacted by a new organization, Moonstrike, an organization that seemed to have access to Ascendancy tech and military hardware. And so all activity from them stopped. Was it jealousy, or were they biding their time for something else?

2190 AD - Commonwealth of Humanity Formed, Faster-than-Light travel in the form of Spacewarpers discovered.

2260 AD - Commonwealth of Humanity meets the Gill, a minor Alien Race living in the water world of Gill'home. A resolution is drafted to 'uplift the Gill technologically' so that they can 'stand as equals' with the Human Race.

2261 AD - Humanity attempts to uplift the Gill by giving them advanced technology, causing the Gill to become more ambitious.

2281 AD - Korta and Tayanen Pirates attack Human planets, trading companies, and installations. A small number of Gill are discovered to have collaborated with the pirates in order to form their own 'space empire', and Humanity cuts off their entire species' uplift as a result.

2290 AD - The Commonwealth of Man defeats the Korta, Tayanen, and a few Rogue Gill in the battle of Gill'home, and renames itself the 'Ascendancy of Man'. Gill'home itself has its waters infected with a bioweapon which covers the sea in toxic algal blooms and causes mass ecosystem destruction, just as evidence comes out that the Gill species as a whole did not support the rogues.

2300 AD - The Ascendancy of Man discovers the Korta Home Worlds, and prepares to assault them. However, cooler heads prevail after the recent xenocide of the Gill and the Korta are merely vassalized and made to pay tribute.

2310 AD - The Tayanen Home Worlds are discovered and the Tayanen are made a vassal as well. Rumors emerge of a Galactic Bazaar being constructed by renegade Tayanen and Korta in concert with various unknown alien species.

2340 AD - The rumors are proven right and the completed Galactic Bazaar is discovered, along with the Rau've and Kaisoken Empires. The Ascendancy of Man turns into a 'dictatorship with a democratic appearance' shortly after, with the current President, Corrin Herbert, becoming the first 'President for Life'.

2365 AD - Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet founded.

2390 AD - Corrin Herbert was replaced with Elijah Thoreau, who orders his son, Emmanuel, to begin experiments on Magic.

2420 AD - Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet sets up shop in Gill'home, saving the remaining Gill from starvation and death and cleaning up the planet from the remnants of the bioweapon used by the Ascendancy, starting a project of ecological restoration in defiance of the Ascendancy's ideology.

2421 AD - Emmanuel Thoreau becomes the new President-for-Life, Experiments on Kaisoken dust continue.

2442 AD - Alexander Kherol born.

2470 AD - The Alien Coalition War begins, with Ascendancy Forces attacking the Rau've and Kaisoken for 'living space'.

2475 AD - Battle of Proxima Centauri. The Ascendancy loses. Tayanen and Korta released from Human vassalage.

2476 AD - Start of the RP.

VII. Character Sheet Skeleton

UPDATED CSes

(Note that you do not necessarily have to follow these skeletons. Feel free to alter the skeleton if you feel fit)

Name: What's your characters name?

Age: How old is your character?

Physical Description: What does your character look like?
Place any photos or written descriptions here.

-------------------------

Important items: What possessions are important to your character?

Weapons: (What kind of weapons do your character have?)

Spell List: This is specifically for races capable of magic via Kaisoken dust, Kaisoken themselves, the Star Marines created using Kaisoken dust, or GM-permitted "special cases". 6 Spells in total for Star Marines and 8 spells for Kaisoken members.

Character Traits: It should be noted that the Star Marines spent most of their experimental life mastering magic as opposed to physical ability, and so has lesser abilities as a result that will grow in due time.

-------------------------

Short Bio: Tell us your character's story up to this point. Who are they exactly? Where did they come from? What are they like? All of the above goes here.

Theme Song: (Purely optional, if possible, try to find a song that bests represents your character.)

Name: (What is the name of the Species?)

Status to Humans: (How are their relationship to Mankind/How do they see Mankind?)

Life expectancy: (How old on average can they be before dying of old age?)

Genders: (How many genders do they have, just the binary 2, or perhaps more?)

Full Description: (Fully explain the appearance, abilities, and average personality of the Species. This would be where you would add an image of your race if you have one.)

-------------------------------------------

Type of society: (Self-explanatory; Do they have a hierarchy, are they democratic, or perhaps ruled by a patriarch or a matriarch, what kind of systems of social activity do they have, what sort of trading/economic system do they possess?)

Technological advancement: (How far has their technology come compared to other races?)

--------------------------------------------

Miscellaneous: (Anything else you want to say about your race?)

Planet Name: (The name of the planet goes here)

World Type: (Is it similar to Earth ala a Continental World? Or is it a planet covered in Oceans with barely any land. Or is it a planet covered in complete deserts? Or is it a planet covered in jungles.)

Classification: (What is the classification of your world?)

Class D (planetoid or moon with little to no atmosphere)
Class H (generally uninhabitable)
Class J (gas giant)
Class K (habitable, as long as pressure domes are used)
Class L (marginally habitable, with vegetation but no animal life)
Class M (terrestrial/Habitable/akin to Earth)
Class N (sulfuric)
Class R (a rogue planet, not as habitable as a terrestrial planet)
Class Y (toxic atmosphere, high temperatures)

Moon: (Does it have a moon? Or two or three?)

The Civilized Populace: (Who is civilized in your world? Is there one or more races that are classified as Civilized. Fallen Civilizations are counted into this, if they were on the planet before their fall it counts.

Example: Humans that are on planet Earth.)

Population: (How many people are living on your planet?)

Tourism: (Is your planet a tourist spot in the galaxy? Within whom they share a border with.)

---------------------------------------------

System Name: (The Name of the System's Star)
Star Class: (The class of the star)
Planetary Bodies: (The Planetary bodies within the System as a whole, how many planets does it have including the one you named above. How many of them 'can' be terraformed and etc. Is there an asteroid belt similar to the Sol System? How many Gas Giants are there?)
Location: (How far is your planet from the Ascendancy of Man's Core Sector)

-----------------------------------------------

Landmasses: (Continents and etc. If it is a Continental World it'll have to have continents. Islands or etc. Anything can go here as long as it can hold life on it. In terms of cities on the land.)

Waters: (The next part is how many oceans, lakes, rivers, seas does the planet hold?)

Notorious Monsters/Creatures: (What's the apex predator on your planet? Or what was the apex predator before your culture on your planet evolved enough to take them down? As well they can be for a specific creature type that is horrifying and terrifying at all the same time alike the Underveiled.)

Level of Development: (What's the level of technology on your land masses? Are they all the same or are they in different eras completely outpacing the other ones.)

Economy: (The Economy of the Planet, what's the primary currency the entire planet uses? It could be based on the most technological continent or otherwise.)

Type of Society: (What's the society as a whole? In terms of the people who lived on it before any outside influence from another space faring faction. This is similar to the type of society in the species sheet but different. Since its more focused only on the ones who inhabit the planet before other people colonized it.)

Raku · Oct 16, 2022

Repentant_Dragos Players wouldn't be able to be a wild card/Fool Arcana in the persona one? Since the girl mentioned in it is?

Repentant_Dragos · Oct 16, 2022

Raku said:
Repentant_Dragos Players wouldn't be able to be a wild card/Fool Arcana in the persona one? Since the girl mentioned in it is?

Yes. But I can make you the Wild Card/Fool if you want...

Raku · Oct 16, 2022

Repentant_Dragos said:
Yes. But I can make you the Wild Card/Fool if you want...

I mean…I would love it, but I don't want to mess up whatever it is you had planned either.

Repentant_Dragos · Oct 16, 2022

Raku said:
I mean…I would love it, but I don't want to mess up whatever it is you had planned either.

Thanks.

Raku · Oct 16, 2022

Repentant_Dragos said:
Thanks.

I'll just have to figure out what other arcana to have him fit in and his initial persona.

Repentant_Dragos · Oct 16, 2022

Raku said:
I'll just have to figure out what other arcana to have him fit in and his initial persona.

Remember that the game isn't a done deal - We still need players!

Mingo · Dec 2, 2023

Edge of Empire: A Play-by-Post Collaborative Roleplaying Game

Background

Over a thousand years ago, as climate change, resource depletion and wars made Earth more and more unlivable, the richest 1% of the planet's population took their wealth and moved to the already growing colony on Mars. Led by the shadowy Mr. Ross, the tech billionaire and CEO who had bankrolled the original colony, they used their wealth, resources and advanced technology to make the planet more habitable, fast-tracking any technology that would help in that regard. As a result, long before travel between stars was possible, the secrets of terraforming were discovered and "perfected". While Earth became a barren and hostile wasteland, Mars was becoming a green and prosperous world. Ross then invited the remaining survivors on Earth, most of which were living in underground bunkers, to join him on Mars on the condition that they swear allegiance to him as their Emperor. And so, the Martian Empire was born.

Under Ross and his descendants, the Empire thrived and spread out throughout the system. Earth was terraformed and re-colonized and Venus was terraformed as well, and bases were built on Luna, Phobos, and the various moons of the outer planets, until one day the lightspeed engine was invented and the world opened up. Thousands of worlds across a hundred light-years were terraformed and colonized, and the latest Emperor instituted a feudal system of governance and ennobled his most loyal supporters, most of whom were descended from those 1%ers that left Earth and granted them titles and worlds.

Terraforming is a core element of this setting; it is fast and cheap but entirely unregulated. It may not be realistic, but it's crucial to the narrative. The Colonization Bureau cuts corners, resulting in quirks on many planets. While most are harmful, some may prove helpful. Earth flora and fauna are transplanted to terraformed worlds, but quirks often lead to unexpected developments.
Official colonization was halted at the 50LY line, colloquially called the Red Line. If there are any humans living past the Red Line, they are considered to be pirates and rebels, their settlements will never be officially recognized and can be attacked by the Imperial Navy at any time.

Within 50 light years of Sol, or 15 parsecs, there are ~2,000 stars, with ~1,400 star systems (some binary or trinary systems and some with no planets at all)

About three quarters of those stars are red dwarfs. Most of them can support life, (though red dwarfs are more volatile than most)

There are two categories of "habitable worlds" in this setting. Type-B Habitable Worlds are terrestrial worlds close enough to the Habitable Zone of it's star to be terraformed. The planet (or in some cases moon) can be heated or cooled to old Earth-norm through the use of Orbital Mirrors/Shades or through the dispersal of GG (Greenhouse Gasses) or AGG (Anti-Greenhouse Gasses). Type-A Habitable Worlds already have something close to the desired atmosphere/biome and are extremely rare. You would think that would make things easier, but it's quite the opposite. Barring a few exceptions, Type-A Worlds are scourged of their native life so that approved Earth flora and fauna can be put in place, usually over the cries and protests of the scientific community.

All in all, there are 2,310 habitable worlds in the Empire spread throughout 1,411 star systems. Most of these worlds have only been colonized within the last century. At the start of the game, yours will have just finished.

Emperor: The supreme ruler of the Empire, who has absolute authority and power over all matters.
King/Queen: The second highest rank, who rules over a large region of the Empire, usually equal to two hundred inhabited star systems.
Duke/Duchess: The third highest rank, who presides over approximately forty inhabited systems.
Margrave/Margravine: The fourth highest rank, who each preside over about eight inhabited systems.
Count/Countess: The third to lowest rank, who controls only a single inhabited star system, which usually has at least two planets suitable for colonization.
Baron/Baroness: The second lowest rank, who either manages a single planet that is not the capital of the system or manages an entire star system that has no suitable planets but is rich in resources.
Baronet/Baronetess: The lowest rank of nobility, who oversees a single settlement, space station, or asteroid/moon base.

As stated previously, there are 2,310 habitable worlds throughout 1,411 star systems. What this means is there are Seven Kingdoms in the Empire, with the Emperor himself controlling the central one directly. The Kingdoms are:

Solaria - the central, capital kingdom, ruled directly by the Emperor. Capital: Mars, Sol
Arcturus - located southwest of Solaria and above the galactic plane. Arcturus is the oldest Kingdom other than Solaria. Capital: Olympia, Arcturus
Běi Hé - located southeast of Solaria and far above the galactic plane, Běi Hé is a long, serpentine kingdom. Capital: Tian, Pollux
Altair - located counterspinward (west) of Solaria and straddling the galactic plane. Altair is the smallest Kingdom by size. Capital: Daura, Altair
Xamanek - located far below the galactic plane, Xamanek is the largest kingdom by size. Capital: Amazonia, Fomalhaut
Indra - located spinward (east) of Solaria and mostly above the galactic plane. Capital: Rama, Capella
Wulfram - located coreward (north) of Solaria, straddling the galactic plane. Capital: Albion, Wulfram (96 G. Piscium)

On average, each kingdom contains five duchies, each duchy contains five marches, each march contains eight counties/inhabited systems.

The nobles have various duties and responsibilities, such as collecting taxes, maintaining order, managing their holdings, enforcing the Emperor's laws, and, in later years, protecting their holdings from pirates or slavers. They also have various rights and privileges, such as owning lands and fleets, commanding troops, and making their own laws. The nobles were expected to be loyal and obedient to the Emperor above all, and to serve the interests of the Empire in all things. All edicts from the Emperor and their liege must be followed and obeyed to the letter. On the whole, it's a very restricted society.

All is not well in the Empire, however. It has expanded too far and too quickly for the outer systems to be adequately protected, and piracy and worse are becoming problems in places where Imperial authority is at its weakest. Both the Imperial Navy and the Colonization Bureau are stretched far too thin.

Ten years ago, in the year 1198 IC (Imperial Calendar), the Emperor called for a halt to the colonization efforts, forbidding any further colonization beyond the Red Line, but it was too little too late. The Great Fracturing is about to begin!

Each player is a Baron or Baroness of a newly colonized world on the very edge of civilized space. These worlds were the last to be colonized and the terraforming process has not even fully finished in some cases. Piracy and slave raids are a growing concern, and while your liege on a neighboring planet is willing to help you, their resources are almost as limited as your own, and their own liege is indifferent at best to what happens to you. There is a significant portion of your own population (about 20%) that are unwilling to follow you and perhaps desire a more democratic form of government. Lastly, you have just gotten word that the latest shipment of needed supplies, perhaps food, parts or medicine, will be delayed yet again.

A few things to take note of:

The Maximum speed of ships of this time is .99c (99% of the speed of light) but thanks to new technology, current ships no longer need to decelerate for half the voyage, it takes just a little over ten years for a ship to travel ten light years.
Thankfully, to make up for the long travel times, the Empire has fairly advanced cryogenic technology, allowing for passengers and crew to be frozen at Point A and unfrozen, completely healthy, at Point B.
Data travels at the speed of light, so it would take exactly ten years for a message to be sent ten light years. However, a brand-new cutting-edge technology is the Quantum Entanglement Communication System (QECS, pronounced Keks) which allows for instantaneous communication across infinite distances but is so prohibitively expensive that only Dukes or higher can afford them.
The Colonization Bureau cut corners with your world, I'm afraid. Maybe they didn't finish the job completely or overlooked a necessity, or maybe some alien plant or animal species somehow stubbornly survived the terraforming process, who knows? Just understand that it might be a problem for you going forward, though you never know, it just might be an opportunity in disguise!
Your liege owns just a single military vessel, (you don't have one) and it's one that looks good on paper but doesn't function well in practice. Their liege's fleet is quite far away at the moment, in case something happens. Just saying!

There we go, I think that covers the background. Any questions just DM me. Let's move on to...

Gameplay

Just to be completely clear, the game is a play-by-post creative writing roleplaying game but with an element of luck to it. You create your own character and write your own story, while I use dice rolls and random events to determine how successful you are in your endeavors and what challenges you will face. You can choose your name, gender, appearance, personality, background, and goals. You can also choose your world's name, location, climate(s), and culture. You can interact with other players and NPCs and make choices that affect the outcome of the game. Each turn is a year and the game, as I've mapped it out, will last about 350 years if everything goes well, so in truth you are not playing one character but a dynasty.

The turns will go like this:

You tell me what you want to do with your character in a DM. The more words you give me, the more I have to work with and the more likely it will be that the turn will go well for you (no guarantees!).
I perform a series of rolls to determine how successful your character was at what they tried to do.
I will roll for a random event; the odds will likely be about one in four that you will get one. Some of these are nice! Most aren't.
I tell you the results of the rolls.
We work together to complete your post.
You wait for the other players to finish their posts.

If all goes well, this will be a long game! So be sure that you can commit! If there's a stretch of time where you don't feel like writing more than two sentences, that's fine, but it's not sustainable long-term.

If all of this hasn't scared you off and you actually want to do this, then send me a DM. If we are full up on players, then you go on the waitlist and spectate in the meantime. I'm also looking for assistant GMs as there is a lot to keep track of. I already have one, but more is better.

As the ruler of a new barony, a galaxy full of possibilities lies before you. How will you lead your people and your dynasty? Will you wage wars of conquest? Invent new technologies? Command the resources possible to build megastructures? Assassinate Kings and Emperors? You can do all of that and more in Edge of Empire!

The setting of this thread is inspired by Aurora 4X, Stellaris, Crusader Kings 3, and more specifically, this fic on Sufficient Velocity.

Link to the IC thread is here. OOC chat will likely be on Discord.

Repentant_Dragos · Jun 22, 2024

Shin Megami Tensei + Pokemon + Digimon: Joint Universe

I. Intro

A Japan where reality is shattered, and Pokemon, Digimon, and Demons compete and coexist.

Demons have the fundamental powers of Creation, which allow them to bring forth new objects from nothingness. However, they can be changed and altered by Human beliefs. Not merely that, but Gods, or even Capital-G God, the Creator of the Universe, can be downgraded into Demons by those same Human beliefs, and there is a cottage industry engaged in doing just this so that Demons can be controlled by Human 'Summoners'.

Pokemon originated from an attempt at making artificial Demons resistant to attempts to change them through belief. However, even they need energy from Human bonds to gain real power, which is why many of them, even Arceus, the first Pokemon, form friendships with Humans that they draw energy from; sometimes, however, weaker Pokemon can be disadvantaged by those friendships and abused.

The Digimon, meanwhile, are fully independent beings, capable of human speech like Demons, drawing energy from Human relationships like Pokemon, but cannot be changed by just believing different things about them. In fact, as Digital Beings, they can reshape Demons as well as Humans can, which they use to transform Demons into Digimon. This is a terrifying development.

As for Humans? They are the real rulers of the Universe, yet subjugate each other with 'Mons as their tools. They want meaning and belonging from being part of a greater cause, yet do not want to accept that they have subjugated and altered every being that was once worth their worship. Now they make war with each other in a Japan similar yet different from our own, hoping to shape a new Reality where one set of beliefs is on top, hoping it would grant them satisfaction...

------

Yes, a Pokemon + Digimon + Shin Megami Tensei RP that tries to meld the settings together. This will be an Open World RP, within reason, where you guys get to play in multiple places and have multiple plotlines with each other, maybe across multiple threads. However, there will be a lot of violence, including violence towards Pokemon, so do not expect this setting to be, well, child's play.

II. How does this all work?

The Great Will, also called the Great Axiom, created Humanity, and gave it the power of Observation, which means that what Humanity believes, about Gods/God, Angels, and Demons, becomes real. So as Humanity grew and evolved, they 'Observed' the supernatural landscape around them, reshaping them according to their changing beliefs and local cultures. Even YWVH, the foremost avatar of the Great Will/Axiom, the creator of the Universe, and the God of Law and Monotheism, was affected by the very power given to Humanity even as the latter praised and worshipped him.

In Japan, this had consequences, where except in various areas of Kyushu Island, YWVH is transformed into an evil tyrant opposed by Lucifer, who according to most Japanese is the benevolent sort of rebel, when this is not the case in other areas of the world, where it was the reverse. Eventually, as the various nations of Humanity forged global connections and began to compare and contrast notes, they realized that they could create and control their Gods, and so experiments in creating their own, more consistent 'Monsters' were kick-started.

This resulted in Pokemon being born from alchemical experiments melding Demons and biological life in the Sengoku period (Oda Nobunaga fully united Japan in this timeline), and Digimon being born in Great Britain in the 1940s when computer technology was advancing at a rapid pace. Now, Demons, Pokemon, and Digimon are commonplace throughout the world, although Demons are more common in places where traditional beliefs are strong.

The consequences are that Japan and the rest of the world are more divided; Japan's Imperial Diet is almost as powerless as the Emperor, as entire cities and prefectures use the power of Pokemon, Digimon, and Demons to defy the central government's decrees. The country is in a low-level civil war, albeit one where the most powerful 'Rogue Regions' have made it clear that they'd unite against any obvious foreign interference.

And this, my dear Demon Summoner/Digimon Tamer/Pokemon Trainer, is where you come in.

Are you a warlord, using the power of Bishamonten to slaughter your foes?

Are you a corporate executive, masterminding the creation of new, stronger Digimon?

Or are you a Pokemon Trainer who's just using his Pokemon to farm?

...Maybe you're something else; we'll see - Either way, Japan is your oyster.

III. Magic, Technology, and How Humans Can Match 'Mons

Magic exists in the world, and in Canon SMT, most Humans are incapable of it without aid from a magic item, demonic ancestry, or having a demonic magical item implanted into them like the Magatama. Needless to say, this rule is relaxed in this Roleplay, and you can be a Mage as well as a Pokemon Trainer, Digimon Tamer, and Demon Summoner, albeit with this limitation:

The Grand Restriction: More Powerful Magic, Less 'Mons in your Team

Magic feeds on the very same emotional energy that Pokemon, Digimon, and Demons depend on. If you use your Magic to cast a spell, you can't use that energy to fuel your 'Mon's powers. Being a Mage at all reduces your Pokemon or Demon Team to 5, being able to burn down a house with a fireball reduces your Pokemon or Demon Team to 4, being able to raise an army of 50 zombie warriors means you can only have 3 Digimon or Demons, being able to transform a Human into a Pokemon for 24 hours reduces your team to 2, and being able to cause a volcanic eruption means you can only have 1 Pokemon or Demon and they cannot use their abilities when you are using yours'.

You can only have a single Digimon partner at any given time, so they are not affected by you being a Mage until you try and cast Magic on the level of a Volcanic Eruption or higher, in which case they are drained to Baby Form.

Aura exists and is subject to the same restrictions as Magic, except that if your last remaining Pokemon partner cares about you, he can still use his abilities even as you cast epic-level Aura techniques (there is a list of Canon ones; use those).

As for Digisoul, you can only have one Digmon partner, and as long as you care about them, you can punch Gods or even this world's version of YWVH as many times as you want without them being drained to Baby Form. But if you have stopped caring about them, well, I hope the Gods/God you punched have mercy on you.

Oh, and Crests allow you to cast Unlimited Magic without forcibly devolving your Digimon as long as you feel the emotion or virtue associated with them. Good on you if you have the Crest of Hope, bad if you have the Crest of Envy.

Guns exist and are now legal in Japan, and can wound or kill the grand majority of Pokemon. With enough belief and willpower, they can harm Demons as well, although a Digimon is resistant to them unless the guns double as Anti-Data Energy Weapons (think the Yuggoth from Tamers). The grand majority of Guns in Japan are American and European Models, although Japan has cornered the market in Anti-Data Energy Weapons.

Pokeballs exist. The cities have the fancy teleportation tech from Shin Megami Tensei I and II. Bullet Trains Exist. Digivices exists. Holograms from the Digimon Ghost Game Anime exist. Name a piece of technology seen in a canon series and I and potential Co-GMs can decide if it's too strong.

IV. Character Sheet

Code:

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b] (can use a picture or just a description)
[b]Powers:[/b] (remember, keep it reasonable)
[b]Weaknesses:[/b] (no exceptions)
[b]Bio:[/b]
[b]Theme Song:[/b] (not required, but I figured it would be nice to have the option)

[b]Team of Mons:[/b] (Digimon Tamers/Digidestined only have 1 Digimon (which would be capable of Digvolution to Mega level), Pokemon Trainers can have 6 Pokemon (and their own version of Mega Evolutions), and Demon Summoners can use 2 Demons per fight, but keep 4 more in reserve, aka not used in a fight.

V. Rules

1.) No godmodding, powerplaying, metagaming, etc. etc.
2.) For QQ SFW, make sure to obey the rules for SFW content!
3.) No OOC feuding! If you must argue, be respectful. IC, meanwhile, you can hate each other as much as you like as long as it doesn't seep over to OOC.
4.) Please notify me if you will be gone longer than a few days, I will let you guys know if I will be gone.
5.) Only one Digimon per Tamer/Digidestined, six Pokemon per trainer, and two Demons per fight for each Demon Summoner, but the latter can have four more in reserve.

PbP Game Interest Check Thread

More options

Omni

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Repentant_Dragos

Experienced.

Repentant_Dragos

Experienced.

Repentant_Dragos

Experienced.

Innocence Lost: A Science Fantasy RP

Raku

Well worn.

Repentant_Dragos

Experienced.

Raku

Well worn.

Repentant_Dragos

Experienced.

Raku

Well worn.

Repentant_Dragos

Experienced.

Mingo

Son of a Hazmot

Repentant_Dragos

Experienced.

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