Visitor

Name: Patch
Age: Day 3
Gender: Male

Race: Goblin
Appearance: His skin colour is a muddy green, uneven with darker and lighter patches all over. One large darker spot over his right eye earned him his name. His eyes are a deep reddish-orange in colour. His ears are a little larger than your average goblins, with pointed tips. His finger nails are a deep brownish-red colour, though some of that may just be dried blood. For someone who has only been living for 3 days there are a surprising number of small scars and healing cuts on his body from fights and falls and various scrapes.
Level: 1

Personality: Patch isn't very smart. In fact, most would be surprised to learn he has any inner thoughts at all. He is ruled by emotion and instinct. If for half a second he feels like he might like to do something, he'll already be on his way to doing it. This makes him very unpredictable to those around him. What people do know is that he loves a fight, seems to have a never ending appetite for new foods, especially meat, and unless you want your neck bitten out, is not someone you should sneak up on when he's asleep.

Talent(s):

• Bare-handed Fighting - Patch seems to have been born into the world with a great love of, and gift for, unarmed combat. He fights in a brutal style, using his teeth and nails as much as his fists and feet.
• Senses - Patch's senses are very fine tuned. He can smell, hear, see, taste and feel better that your average goblin. This is where his love of food comes from. It's also why he's hard to sneak up on.

Skill(s):

• Dark Eye - Allows one to see more effectively in the darkness. (Passive) E-Rank
• Absorption - A monster specific skill. This skill allows monsters to gain the skill(s) of the creatures they devour. The amount of skills gained in this process is limited to a 6 time usage. Choose your stolen abilities wisely. Uses will reset to 6 upon Ranking Up regardless of the amount you have used. (Remaining Uses: 6)

Inventory:

• Magidroid Scientist who fights alongside a personal Magidroid.

• Airship captain. Pirate or otherwise. (Requires you to be Kouryang if it is a war airship)

• Frinian Knight with Spirit Avatar.

• Raelinian Wyvern Rider, magic knight rider, or knight rider.

• Lorainian sniper.

• Yamato War Suit user.

• Yamato also do indeed have ninjas.

• Dogma user (you will be required to make a new god to pray to though)

So, interested in becoming a member of the Mystery Busters huh? Well, I can't blame you. We are pretty awesome. Here's the application form. It's also your profile for joining this here awesome forum! CONVENIENT!
 
This is the empty boring one!

Spoiler

 

[Profile Picture]

Username:
Real Name:
Gender:
Age:
About Me:
Magical Stuff, Powers, Quirks, Items, etc.:

And here's the fun one I made for myself earlier! IT ALSO WORKS AS A TUTORIAL! HOORAY! EXAMPLES!

Spoiler

Put your picture here just like this handsome stud-muffin did! (Thats me! That's what I look like! Don't mind the blood there was an incident with an overly friendly lamp-post. Sometimes things happen! It's fine now.)

Username: Grand Myster
Real Name: William. Due to a magical curse I am not allowed to give out my second name. You must guess it. Only if it is guessed correctly can I finally use it again.
Gender: All man baby! Just look at that picture. Why did you even need to ask me this? That's right, I'm talking to you, me in the past who wrote this form. Why did you do it huh? WHY?
Age: Uhh. Like. 700 or something. Probably.
About Me: I'm just your standard, everyday, commonplace, awesome magic type guy. You know? Just all about the fun times and the rocket trails. Also, magic. I love gathering me some more magic to go in my spell book. I've got like a whole slew of magical curses and protections stopping me from revealing too much of my past in such a public place. But you can feel free to tell us all about anything you want here. If you join us you'll be one of the family. You won't need to keep any secrets. You can really spill your beans here, tell us everything and anything you want to about your life, or yourself in general. Maybe tell us about that one hot guy you just saw on the internet and found incredibly attractive. (You can scroll up a little to see him again. Don't worry. That picture isn't going anywhere. You can come look at it anytime you want. I have it as a poster on my wall. Wait. No. That's a mirror.)
Magical Stuff, Powers, Quirks, Items, etc.: All kinds of stuff. Too much to name. But like. Not aging. That's a thing, I have that. And telepathy! Telekinesis. You know. Lots of stuff. More all the time too! Like. Yesterday. I bought an enchanted box that gives you the ability to jump higher than you could before as long as you jump off of it. My sister says I got ripped off. But I don't believe her. She's just jealous.

Appearance: Picture of how your character looks like. At the start his appearance should have one inhuman trait, be it horns, wings, tail, weird eyes, fangs, stuff like that. As you gain more and more points (and your character gets more powerful) his appearance will become more and more monstrous.
Theme Song: Everyone needs one.
Name: This is your mortal name, the one you had back on Earth. During the course of the RP if you use some alias often enough you will be allowed to change your name to that alias.
Gender: Male/Female. As you become less human things can get quite weird in this section.
Age of Death: Citizens of the City don’t age. Natives stop aging at some point while Neverborn look the age they were at the moment of their death eternally… or until their power changes them.
Background: This is both history and personality section combined into one.

Talents:
Stuff you are carrying over from your previous life, such as knowledge, skills, training, etc. There’s no limit, though you should keep it within reason.

Weakness: A supernatural weakness. Keep it in tune with your powers.
Stockpiled Souls: The amount of unspent souls you currently possess.  You start RP with 800 unspent souls and you don’t have to spend them all on attributes.

Attributes: You must have rank in each attribute. You use the souls you have stockpiled to buy ranks. Rank E is average for a human, rank C is top a human can achieve. At rank S you are Superman.

Strength- hitting power in melee and general athletic ability.
Endurance- ability to withstand damage, resistance to toxins and diseases.
Accuracy- how easily you can hit and parry stuff.
Reflexes- reaction time and dodge.
Energy- magic juice, how much you can use your powers as well as resistance to mind-control and illusions.
Power- strength of your supernatural abilities, each rank gives you one.
Luck- in a city full of monsters you’ll need tons of it.

Ranks
E- 50pts
D-100pts
C- 200pts
B- 500pts
A- 800pts
S- 1200pts

Abilities:
Supernatural abilities you gained through your rebirth into the City. The power of all your abilities is determined by your Power stat (go figure). Also, every rank in Power gives you one ability (so at rank E you have one, at D you have two, etc.).  All abilities must follow the same theme (so you can’t have blood magic and earth-bending… unless you manage to convince me it fits some theme).  As your Power stat gets higher I’ll also allow more powerful abilities, so something I refused at rank E or D I may allow at rank A or S.

Advantages:
Various perks you’ll get as you go through the RP will be listed here, either by earning them or buying them. At the start the field is empty.

Equipment:
Things you have on your person. At the start this field is empty.

The Eternal Sonata. The never ending melody that binds this world, and all other worlds from which stories spring, together. The siren that sings to every storyteller of every age. The Greeks knew it as the Muses. The modern author calls it inspiration. But it matters not what name it is called. The point is that it is there. It has preceded our births, and it shall endure long after we are gone. But what tale should we draw from it today? Shhhh. Quiet now. The song comes... Ah, yes. The Age of Spirits. One of my favorites. Now, listen carefully my friends, as I conjure for you the world of Astoren!
 
It is a place often called the sandbox of the gods. It has seen the care and rule of a multitude of different pantheons, each one shaping the land and its people as its members decreed. But for this, our story, we visit Astoren in a rare time of transition. For you see, while most of the time the realm simply moves from one deified tribe to another, this is one of the only times the people actively overthrew their gods. The Elders, as the people knew them, had been nothing short of tyrannical in their dominion. They watched over the world with cold eyes and iron fists, subjugating the people with their power. For you see, the Elders drew their strength and divinity from acknowledgement. Fear, in particular. So long as they were given tribute, be it willing sacrifice or even something as simple as fearful awe, their power and that of their vile armies was ensured. With such forces arrayed against them, the mortal races saw little hope for shaking off this fearful yoke. And then... salvation appeared.
 
A gathering of the races, somehow shielded from the gaze of the Elders, managed to send a simple prayer into the cosmic expanse. It consisted of but two words; "Save us." And, to their great surprise, they were heard. A powerful being, greater than even the Elders, heard their plea for help. The prayer givers came to call him The Wise One, at his own behest. The Wise One reached out to the little world, and though he was unable to intervene himself, he still found fit to send his aid. Seven Magi, powerful and eternal agents of the Wise One, came into Astoren with the intent of guiding the mortals to freedom. Under the tutelage of the Seven, the Astorians learned to wield sword and sorcery, bend both steel and the elements to their will, and most importantly... they learned how to channel the spirits of the cosmos. How to harness the spark of life within themselves and bring it to bear against their enemy. And, with the Seven Magi's aid, the mortals went to war with the Elders. With tooth and nail they fought, battling the armies and the gods themselves back to the black desert in which they made their home. And, with a spell so powerful it shook the earth, the Seven sealed the Elders away, to slumber in tombs beneath the earth and be forgotten, slowly feeling their powers seep from them as the ages passed.
 
Having triumphed over their divine oppressors, the Magi gave the mortals a new age, free from any deity's influence. They would remain on Astoren to teach the races all that the Elders had neglected in their greed, and then they would slowly fade into the background of history. In time, the peoples of the world united beneath individual banners. The world was forged into seven City States, each named for one of the Seven. Initially allied only out of convenience, it was not long before the City States began to war. However, that is a story for another time. For the wars have been long over some 400 years past, and today the City States exist in harmony beneath a single imperial banner. The Astoren Empire is where we lay our scene tonight...
 
Come now, I'm certain you've all heard the tale before! Tell me, whom are your favorite characters from it? I should like to know which parts of the story I should highlight!

Astoren as we know it

 
The Races

Note: Organizations marked with a star (*) are not open to Players at the start of the RP, but are still plot significant. All joinable organizations are largely interracial and without discrimination, unless such a thing is desired by the Player.
 
The Royal Guard: A group of five men and women who report directly to and protect the Empress and her family, the Royal Guard is widely considered to be one of the finest fighting forces in the land. Hand picked by the Empress for both their combat prowess and their demeanor, the Royal Guard are often considered heroes for every race and creed. NOTICE: I will only be accepting 2, possibly 3 Royal Guard CS's. And I will be harsher on them than any other CS. Those who are accepted will get to play a bigger hand in the direction of the roleplay, including working directly with me on some occasions, and will be expected to take something of a leadership part among the PCs. I will judge accordingly. Bring your A-game if you want a spot. You have been warned.
 
The Dawn's Hand: Widely regarded as the face of the Empire's military, the Dawn's Hand is less of a cohesive unit and more of a widespread armed task force. Handling everything from defending the populace to public services to working with the regional City Watches to keep their men up to snuff, the knights of this regiment are a symbol of hope to many of the Empire's people.
 
The Grand Library: Based out of Mercede, the Grand Library is both a building housing all the known books, scrolls, and information that can be uncovered by mortal hands and an order that has dedicated itself to the research and advancement of Magic. Librarians, as their members are called, come from all walks of life, but all are drawn by a burning passion for the arcane arts. It is not uncommon for Librarians to travel the globe, seeking new discoveries and advancements to their research, nor is it strange for them to stop and lend a friendly passerby a mystical hand.
 
Umbris Morgul: Widely regarded as the shadowy hand behind the most infamous acts of ne'er do well, Umbris Morgul is a guild of thieves, crooks, assassins, and other professions of ill repute. Whenever a foul deed is afoot, it is almost a certainty that they have a hand in it somehow, and as a united front for skullduggery they have proven to be a fearsome foe for those who would maintain law and order in the Empire. Their motivations for their deeds vary, but every Umbra swears to two covenants upon joining;  the First, that they will forever hold their fellow Umbras in honor among thieves. The Second, that anybody who comes to their aid, regardless of who it may be, shall be repaid in equal sums.
 
The Hunters: The most famous Mercenary Guild in all of Astoren, the Hunters are well known for both their prowess in the field and for being the single rowdiest bunch of miscreants in the Empire. While they are a fun-loving bunch that treat each other like a giant family, they are also the best at what they do. A Hunter will take any job, so long as the price is right and the job isn't too dirty. Because many of their jobs place them in a grey area, the Guild Master tends to leave it up to the Hunter on the job to decide what is and is not alright to proceed with. However, he is known to be both a good man and a match for even the Royal Guard Captain, so many Astoriens are willing to let them be for the most part.
 
Freelance: If none of the above appeal to you for the sake of your character, you may enter Freelance. Just be aware that I will look to open a brief dialogue with you in this case so that I can get a grasp of your character's aims and motivations and make sure they have a place in the overarcing plot.
 
Maidens of the Night Sky*: A group made almost entirely of Luxius and Noctius women that holds its meetings deep in the forests of Legentis. Their agenda and aims are easily the best kept secret in the Empire- it is debatable whether or not even the Empress herself knows what they are up to. The Maidens are shrouded in rumor and hearsay, and nobody is truly certain how to separate fact from fiction.
 
The Iron Watch*: The elite unit that patrols Divinity's Spine and the coastal regions of Feran. Serving in the Iron Watch is a high honor that can only be undertaken by the exceptionally brave, skilled, or foolish. Unlike some other fantasy wall watchers, the Iron Watch allows for love, matrimony, and the general joys of life- so long as they don't interfere with duty. Perhaps this is why they have maintained more success? Regardless, once a man or woman is sworn to the Iron Watch, they remain there until they can no longer lift their weapon to fight, whatever the cause of that may be. 
 
The Scribes*: A peculiar group of travelers that always wander alone with large tomes strapped to their backs. Easily identified by their deep purple cloaks and paint brush walking staves, a Scribe is one who has taken it upon himself to witness history as it unfolds and record it for posterity. However, they are also known as the finest storytellers in Astoren, and a Scribe will happily regale an audience with a thousand tales of ages past but for the asking.

Character Abilities for this Roleplay are separated into three distinct areas; Skills, Magic, and Aeons. I will explain each in turn below.

 

Skills

Skills are the bulk of your character's powers and abilities that you will be using in the game. Skills are pretty straightforward; they're something your character can do that they specialize in. Skills include any weapon prowess your character has, whether or not they can use magic, and a whole slew of other options. Some examples of Skills include;

 

Weapon Skill- Is your character particularly good with a weapon?

Fighting Style- Does your character employ a specific style of fighting?

Magic- Are you a mage? See below for more information.

Animal Companion- Can you tame and travel with a beast?

Shadowstalking- Are you sneaky?

 

You are also free to describe your own Skills. My only request is that you keep them simple; I'm running a combat system based on player skill and strategy rather than stats, please keep that in mind.

 

Magic

Magic in the world of Astoren is also fairly straightforward. Magic is, by definition, the result of mixing the raw aether of the world with whatever medium you choose and using your will as a catalyst, then directing it. All branches of magic are able to do just about anything. Every element can heal, do damage, send messages, even scout for you, to name just a few. The only things that can't happen are things that don't make sense, like growing trees out of a forest fire or something. The branches of magic and their subsets are as follows;

 

Elemental Branch

-Fire

-Water

-Earth

-Air

 

Balance Branch

-Light/Holy

-Shadow/Darkness

(Notes: As with the Luxius and Noctius, the two sides of the Balance Branch do not signify good or evil; they're just named as such because that is what they are likened to. There is nothing stopping an evil mage from using Light, nor is it unusual for a benevolent mage to have mastery over Darkness)

 

Arcane Branch

-Runestones (The art of using magical runes combined with aether to achieve a wide variety of magic effects)

-Infusion (The act of combining magic with everyday objects to produce unusual forms of magic. For instance, combining magic with an instrument to give your music magical effects)

-Aether (The art of conjuring pure aether to wield in your magic. Aether magic is very volatile and not for the faint of heart, but an Aether spell will almost always overpower another spell of equal strength from a different subset. Cannot be taken as a half and half Specialization.)

 

When you take the Magic Skill, you may select 2 Specializations for your character. Each Specialization is good for 2 Elemental subsets, 1 Balance subset, or 1.5 Arcane subsets (to translate: If you take both Runestones and Infusion, you may also use Aether). This means that you can either specialize in all of one Branch, or take half and half. Those that decide to go half and half are allowed to combine their branches for more potent effects at the cost of taking more out of them.

 

Aeons

Aeons are the other primary half of the abilities in the RP. An Aeon is the name for a personal spirit that walks with every man, woman, and child on Astoren from the day they are born. Most people go their entire lives without seeing or hearing them. Some can see them, but never gain the aptitude to conjure them. And some, like your average Player Character, can fully conjure their Aeons for all the world to see. Aeons are usually some kind of animal, sometimes with odd markings or adornments to them, but just as often not. Legendary or mythical creatures are a rarity, but they are not inherently stronger or weaker than any other Aeon. Many Aeons talk to their master, with varying degrees of wisdom. This is completely up to the player, as you will have full control of your Aeon.

 

The most important thing for those who can fully conjure an Aeon is the Transformation. Once conjured, an Aeon has the ability to transform into a weapon or tool for their master to wield in battle. These transformed states are typically a powerful version of whatever item they turn into, and they bring with them a specific effect to endow their wielder with. For instance, in past RPs, Pitou's character has held a staff with the power to cause healing magic to harm the intended target rather than heal them. In the context of this RP, that staff would be a transformed state of her Aeon. These extra abilities are what will make your character stand out from the average crowd.

 

--More info will be added on Aeons as I solidify it. This is what you need to know to make one and have it function. I will say in the OOC when I add more information.--

[Character Portrait]

[Theme]

 
Name: (What shall we call you?)
Moniker: (Is there another name you are known by? A nickname, a title, or perhaps a childhood prank that got out of hand? You may leave this blank if you so choose.)
Description: (For those of you that prefer to tell, rather than show. If you've a picture, you make strike this section entirely)
Race: (Which of the earth's children are you? A hardy Manus? A wise Luxius? Or a cunning Noctius? A stalwart Storgus? Or perhaps a tribal Oruukus?)
Age: (And how long have you waited for your part to play in the story? Do remember to account for your race's lifespan as seen above.)
 
History: (How has your life's journey seen you thus far? And how has it shaped you?)
Organization: (Beneath what flag do you wander?)
 
Skills: (What practical prowess is yours to command? You may have 2 to start.)
 
Aeon (Ah, how fortunate you are to be able to conjure your Aeon! Would you please show him or her to me?)
Name: (Every Aeon has a name. What is yours?)
Natural State: (What does it look like normally?)
Transformed State: (What does it transform into to aid you?)

Ability: (And what additional power does it grant you in this form?)

Ilyana Elincia Crysthera, Grand Empress of Astoren
   

 

More to Come! Stay Tuned!

Wake up.

It’s a voice from beyond the void of sleep that speaks to you.  You know with a cold certainty that you should wake up.  It was important. Why was it again?  You don’t know.  It’s too cold to care.  You want to tell them to leave you alone but it’s too much effort. A pair of hands grab you by the shoulders  There was something familiar about that touch…

Why do you always make this harder for me?  

 

He pulls you up and you gasp like someone fighting for air.   The man wears a genderless cloak of grey with the hood pulled up which played havoc with the shadows across his face.  It was a him right?  It was hard to say.  The features seemed familiar and different all at once and seemed to change depending on the way the light hit it.  The voice was the same.  

Are you here?  

You nod without realizing what they meant.  It felt right though when you did it.  It must have been what they wanted to see because they smiled as they released your shoulders.  Where was here though?  Certainly nowhere you’ve been.  There was a dense mist that clung to everything that made it hard to see much beyond a few feet and yet one detail was impossible to miss.  The towering wall that stretched out before you in every direction as far as you could see.  What was it and who had made it? The nearest part seemed to be made of grey stone and yet further along you were certain that it was brick.  Further up you could make out a reflective surface.  Metal? You wanted to open your mouth and ask but before you could your eyes followed the wall upwards and into the impossibly grey sky.  Were those supposed to be clouds?  They felt off.  Everything here did.

Who are you?

Odd, now that he mentioned it you weren’t really sure.  That’s not right.  You try to recall it and just as you seem to be about grab hold of something it slips out of your hand.  You realize that he’s been staring at you quite intently for some time.

You don’t know.  

You agree.  He nods and seems satisfied with your answer.  You ask about this place.  What is it?  

It’s where all things that forget or are forgotten go.

Does it have a name?

If it did it doesn’t remember.

What’s that mean?

Exactly what I said.

Can you at least tell me how I got here?

I forget.

You don’t find that very funny. He doesn’t seem to care.

You forgot.  Or were forgotten.  Does it matter?  

You go to answer and find that you don’t have a response.  You shiver as the mist causes a chill to run up your spine.  The realization strikes you as for the first time you notice that you’re bare.  The stranger seems to notice your distraction.

Better?

What?  Ohh, he put clothes on you.  Nostalgic ones.  You ask how he did that.

I remembered you with clothes.  Here, in this place that forgets, memories are power.  If you have them you can eat, drink, or wear whatever you can recall.  

That sounded rather strange.  It was wrong but so was so much else here.  You ask him if you could do that too.

If you want to.  You just need a name first.  How about [     ]?

That’s not a name you tell him.  He shrugs.  

It’ll do for now.  You can go by another one as soon as you remember it.  Deal?

No.  That’s stupid.  Why would you do that?

Well, too bad?  We can talk it over next time.

Next time?  What did that mean?  Are they leaving?  That didn’t seem fair.  Yet, the mist seemed to be growing thicker and the familiar stranger became harder and harder to make out.

Remember this.  The exit is lost.  The way is shut.  The fee denied.  Find yourself to find escape.

He was gone and you were alone.  Just another forgotten thing.

[Image]

Be a friend and sing me a little ditty won’t you?

Name:  Give me a second to look you over.  (Given after acceptance)

Age:  How old do you feel?

Gender:  You didn’t forget that did you?  Need me to give you a moment to check?

Personality:  So what are you like?  Forgetting your past didn’t rob you of your persona did it?

Biography:  You haven’t completely lost yourself.  You have the foundation there.  There aren’t any images or names but you have a feeling don’t you?  A sense of your identity.  (You can be from any period in time.  I just need a basic outline of your background no details.  I’ll tell you the details over the rp.)

Power:  These are the abilities gained from completing a memory.  What is it?  Well it can be a lot of things.  The way the memory interacts with you changes from person to person but the ability will be deeply personal and meaningful.  Possibly ironic.  You won’t know but I will.  Will I tell you?  No, don’t think so.  Figure it out for yourself.  (You start with one power.  This should be in some way directly related to your bio in its current state even if it has deeper implications that haven’t been revealed)

Welcome to Triumvirate! Triumvirate is a city located in the back end of the galaxy, created for the sole purpose of mining the precious gases trapped in the clouds that surround the entirety of XZ-5, a giant gas planet. One thing separates Triumvirate from the rest - Triumvirate is a floating city, the galaxy's first of its kind, and an experiment begun with the help of the most cutting-edge technology the Sagittarius Trade Federation has to offer.

 

The city floats on a torrent of air generated by a trade ship that crashed into the planet many moons ago, creating a hole in the clouds through which air gushed out, the atmosphere within being pushed down by the sheer weight of the clouds, like a balloon with its air being squeezed out. Surprisingly, the air that escaped was breathable, unlike the gases within the clouds themselves. The Sagittarius Trade Federation saw an opportunity, and took it, thus creating the marvel you can see today.

 

Update #1: Following an unexplained incident ten years ago, Triumvirate's mining facilities have ceased operation, and the citizens are being prepared for evacuation in eight years' time, when the next trade ships arrive on XZ-5.

 

Update #2: Citizens of Triumvirate may now, by Sagittarian law, be conscripted into the militia that once operated from Port Flight. Fight for the city! Protect our citizens! More information can be found below.

Triumvirate is a city split into three districts, making it triangular in shape. Each district is a floating segment of the city, kept afloat both by the torrent of air coming from beneath XZ-5's clouds, as well as thrusters that keep the city within the air current's range.

 

The three districts are as follows: Port Flight, which maintains the spire used to mine the gas in the clouds, as well as being the district that operates the Valkyrie Protectorate, protecting against exterior threats such as shrikes; Anteria, the nominal capital of the city, where communication with the rest of the Sagittarius Trade Federation is maintained; and Tenth Point, named for the planet's stellar position in the galaxy, which is responsible for receiving supplies from trade ships, and exporting the gas mined from Port Flight.

 

The three districts are connected by large suspension bridges, between which train and gravi-car services travel. The three districts each operate their own Valkyrie protection services, though Port Flight is the headquarters for the organization.

 

Update #3: Ten years ago, Port Flight sunk into the clouds in an unexplained incident - the most likely causes of events include an altering of the position of the city, a failing of Port Flight's thrusters, the shrinking of the hole in the clouds, or even the reduction of the strength of the air current itself. Whatever the cause, Triumvirate is now composed of only the two remaining districts, Anteria and Tenth Point, and is to be evacuated when the trade ships next pass by. The city itself is then to be stripped of its most valuable resources, and sunk permanently by cyclone missiles. Aftewards, XZ-5 will be left on standby within Sagittarian territory until another alternative is found to mine its gases.

Shrikes currently present the greatest threat to the citizens of Triumvirate. They are, to put it bluntly, flying monsters - similar to the birds of prey found on Terra, but much more aggressive, well-coordinated, intelligent, and well-equipped. They have beaks and talons made of some carbon fiber-esque organic substance that can cut through steel, and their bones appear to consist of the same material. They often roam the area near the city, rising out of the hole in the clouds to prey on the people of Triumvirate.

 

Attempts to find their nests have been made, but the gas in the clouds is corrosive enough to wear down most metals in a mere matter of seconds, and flying against the current of air beneath Triumvirate requires much more fuel and power than most Valkyries can handle.

 

An alarm system is in place to ensure most citizens can escape from danger, but the shrikes have often taken to attacking the mining spire, hence the need for the Valkyrie Protectorate to be located on Port Flight, where the spire is located. As the shrikes would be killed by the city's thrusters if they remained in the current of air from below, they leave the current as soon as they emerge, and it is around the current where Valkyries set up camp, guarding the spire against shrike attacks.

 

Shrike attacks may happen any day of the week, any hour of the day. Shifts are in place to ensure the mining spire is under watch 24/7.

Valkyries are where you come in, citizens - and soldiers - of Triumvirate. Some citizens of Triumvirate have been trained to operate Valkyries, flying machines akin to the "mecha" once used in the Terran Wars. Valkyries come in a range of types, though they run on the same basic chassis and frame, as well as the same engine, and are equipped with various features and an assortment of weaponry. However, armor and weaponry scale in inverse proportions - the bigger and tankier the Valkyrie, the less weapons it can carry without risking it becoming overweight and falling into the clouds. A less than befitting end for any soldier.

 

Valkyries are operated by their pilots via a combination of mechanical straps that attach themselves to the limbs of the pilots, as well as a brain implant that communicates with the pilot during battle and can take over the entire operation of the Valkyrie should the mechanical straps happen to fail.

 

Weaponry come in all shapes and sizes, and can run on a variety of platforms, from purely energy-based propulsion to simply vacuum chambers and dollops of gunpowder. The same applies for hull reinforcement, and the corresponding hull strength.

 

Update #4: Since Port Flight's sinking, the Valkyries' center of command has been moved to Tenth Point, from which most Valkyrie missions are begun. New recruits are also now trained there, though the sinking of Port Flight means that the organization is currently underhanded. Shrike attacks seem to have increased as a result.

<Picture of yourself>

<Theme>

 

Name: Your name goes here. Remember: Valkyrie pilots come from all walks of life.

Age: Pilots of Valkyries must be between 18 to 45 years old.

Gender: Male/Female.

Rank: Valkyrie Protectorate military rank. Conventional ranks utilized.

 

Background: A summary of your past experience here. Where you're from, how you got into the Valkyrie Protectorate. Anything.

 

(NOTE: You may only have 4 of the following 6 equipment slots. All Valkyries must have Primary weapons and reinforcements. Delete this note in your CS, as well as any unused slots.)

 

1. Primary weapon: Your main source of firepower. Close-combat weapons only in extreme cases. Dual-wielding allowed.

2. Secondary weapon: Your backup, usually a close-combat weapon, though it may be a small single-hand firearm/cannon. Secondary weapons are usually stored in sheaths.

3. Tertiary weapon: A part of your Valkyrie that fires periodically and automatically, and takes time to charge up, such as a laser or missile launcher. You may only get this if you have a secondary weapon.

4. Primary reinforcement: Your main source of protection. Usually some form of shield generator, or a hand-held bulwark.

5. Secondary reinforcement: Your second layer of protection. Usually some form of armor enhancer, reinforced hull plating, or simply an increase in size.

6. Tertiary reinforcement: An independent emergency protection measure built into the frame, such as a backup generator. You may only get this if you have secondary reinforcement.

 

<Picture of your Valkyrie>

 

Personal equipment: Things to bring with you whilst piloting a Valkyrie.

 

Extras: Other points of note not already covered in the above sections. Delete if necessary.

 

[Appearance]

Theme:  A villain is only as good as his accompanying theme song.

Name:  Your real name or at least what you go by.  I will be coming up with your villainous titles.

Age: Whatever makes sense for your char

Sex:  See above

Bio:  This is your origin story.  How did you get your powers?  Were you born with them?  Did they suddenly appear?  How did it affect you?  What led to you becoming the person you are now?  .

Aspiration:  What is your endgame?

Weakness:  What would you consider to be your character’s greatest weakness?

 

Power/Talent:  This can be anything.  An power you were born with, magic, ninja skills, science, whatever.  I will try to keep people about the same power level to start so be warned that I might ask you to limit yourself some.  There will be room to grow.

 

 

Welcome to the Labrynth, dear fellow. Yes, yes I understand It can be quite confusing at first, what with you being new and all. But luckily for you, I’m here to help you out! You can call me Old Man Caw. You see this here is Junction City, the greatest city there ever was, though some say there a better ones in some of the realms, but they don’t know what they’re talking about. Sorry about that, I tend to go tangents sometimes..

 

Anyway lets get you started on the basics shall we, you see the Labrynth in simple words is a maze of epic proportions, infinite actually. But thats not all, you see it has a will of its own, its a living thing, and its always growing. Not two parts of the Labrynth are ever the same, In one place  the Labrynth might be a series of floating stones in the midst of a void, or it may be a like a normal maze in others, In another it may look more like extensive cave system. I have feeling that it loves thinking up all kinds new weird kinds mazes and such. For example do you know there's actually a corridor somewhere that’ll let travel back in time as you go along it!

 

However that's not all, sometimes Labrynth will form Realms, essentially bits of it that are so large that an entire civilization can develop inside it and never realize that there is a Labrynth around them. You can find all sorts of interesting things out there, all you need is bit of adventure in you spirit, a dab of courage, a touch of wit and last but not least some friends to share it with!

 

Though I must tell that not all of the Labrynth is cute and docile.  Unfortunately, during its creation a bit of corruption seeped into the Labrynth. Most of us call it the Shadow these days, since we don’t actually know what it is. Well anyway this Shadow is a pesky thing, it goes about perverting parts of the Labrynth, and turning them into  dungeons designed to cause the optimal amount of pain to whomsoever has the unfortunate luck of stepping into it. Though If you do come across one I have some sound advice for you.

 

 

--- Old Man Caw

 

 

Now that I’ve given you the run through to the Labrynth, Let me introduce you to our beloved city, which for all intents and purposes will probably be your home for some time .For the most part you can consider Junction city to be pretty much the center of the Labrynth, although no one really knows where the actual center of the Labrynth is. Anyway, one fact is true, that nearly all pathways within the Labrynth touch upon the city at least once…

 

Unlike other cities, which you can find in the Realms,Junction city is formed straight out of the Labrynth. Now don’t ask me why or who made that happen, cause I have no clue, just be happy it did happen. I can tell you one thing, theres more than enough adventure within the city itself to last an entire lifetime.

 

You can find all sorts in the city, from cave men to cyborgs, knights to pirates, aliens and zombies, and many other things in between. You can probably find a sample of every kind of denizen to call the Labrynth home. However this makes governing the city rather hard, not that there really is much of a government within the city. Heh, no ones crazy enough to take up that kind of responsibility. More or less each part of the City is run by a variety of powers, and not all of them good, not all of them bad, and some simply beyond the concept altogether. All these  powers together run the city together in a kind of ramshackle agreement called the Understanding.

 

Though its not like everything is alright and dandy,  due to the city’s rather eclectic approach to governance, law and order can be quite fluid at time, and all kinds of nonsense goes about on the streets,still at least we can always be sure that Junction City is always lively

 

 

--- Old Man Caw

 

Ahh so wish to know abit more about the realms eh. I’m no definitive guide on the subject but I can tell you about the few that I have had the pleasure or the displeasure of visiting. Mind you I have only been to a marginal fraction of the realms about the Maze, and their are many more each unique in its own right. Anyway lets begin shall we…

 

First Lets go to the Stellarelm, A very funny place, if you ask me. The people over there have all kinds of technology, and boy do they love to play around with it. I bet Stellarelm would have been a brilliant place to be, if only the fellows their weren’t so childish. I understand they have a great passion for science, and have done great things with it as well, but they have a tendency to go overboard. I mean fitting an irate butler robot with a plasma grenade is simply asking for trouble. Theres always an explosion somewhere or the other in Stellarelm, though it does make the night sky pretty…

 

Then we have the beautiful land of Valiantrelm, with its shining castle’s and emerald rolling hills, its fair maidens and proud knights in shining armor. A very nice place to vacation, I myself go there every once in awhile. Though I suggest that you avoid it during winter time. since thats when the beasties start propping out from the snow and slowly forming up into the annual horde, to plunder the pastures and all that. You might even find a dragon or two in the mix sometimes. Of course the knights absolutely love winter, after getting bored the silly tournaments, jousts and other such competitions with one another, they get a chance for lasting glory and such. Those knights can turn out to be a right crazy bunch sometimes...

 

Before I continue I must warn you, never and I mean NEVER trust a fairy. You never know when you’ll find yourself a hundred years later licking some troll’s boot. Enter the strange realm of the fairy kind, Sithrelm. A very tricksy place it is, full of all kinds of magics and fae creatures, the landscape is much like a dream, always changing, half illusory and half real. Its probably a good idea not to go there is all I’m willing to tell you about it.

 

Of Course I must mention the metropolitan Gaearelm, not as technologically advanced as Stellarelm perhaps, but that doesn't mean it is in any way inferior. Given that the architects of the realm have a much better artistic sense than those of the Stellarelm, their cities are far more beautiful, with glistening skyscrapers and elaborate parks. However possibly the most important aspect of the realm are its businessmen, the corporations of the Gaerelm are a veritable economic powerhouse. However the corporations do have tendency to get out of hands, and at times like this the League Of Super Heroes step in with their various caped crusaders, they keep the peace and make sure the laws are kept. You should give it a looksie, it is a rather interesting place, though I don’t care for the hectic lifestyles of the people there.

 

Finally let me tell you about a place that absolutely never should go to, Helrelm. Remember that Shadow thing I was talking about, well the Helrelm is what happens if the Shadows gets to a realm before its properly grown. Its a bad place plain and simple, it's also full of demons, a whole bunch of them. Its good thing that most demon’s aren’t smarter than a similarly sized bag of bricks, cause otherwise we Labyrinthian would be deep trouble indeed. I hope you never have the unfortunate luck to chance upon that horrible place..

 

Well there you go those are the places I’ve been to, though do note that these are but a few of the Realms that are found in the depths of the Labrynth. Though I do hope there isn’t another Helrealm, that would be bad…

 

--Old Man Caw

 

 

 

Character Sheet

 

Abilities

 

Items

Tokio Funka....A town of tradition, warmth, and booming economics. If you wanted it, anything could be found here. Pleasure, Wealth, Food. It could all be attainable if you had the desire and will. In Tokio Funka, anything seemed possible.

 

Unfortunately for us humans, it really was.

 

I was little, when the Oni came. They were spoken of in stories, and legend only before then. To see them, monstrous and terrible was worse than anything any of us could ever imagine. We soon found out that in reality, they had always been there. Watching, waiting, planning like the snakes they were. Striking deals from the shadows with the Hierarchy. Steadily making their legends grow, rumors seeming too real for comfort. Then, when it was time; they came in a wave of unholy filth. We had no defense, save for the Dark Priests on the outskirts of our town. My parents and some of the older samurai went to them for help, and they happily gave it. But the cost...was far too high for them to repay. So, we let ourselves be subdued. Living at the whims, and pleasures of these despicable creatures.

 

But we have new allies now. It's time to retake our town.- Oimashu Takunda(53)

It's been thirty-nine years since the Oni came to Tokio Funka. Since then, they have been living large in the city alongside the humans whom have amassed wealth by benefiting off of the needs of the Oni. These humans, being nobles, wealthy merchants, emissaries of the Emperor; help to make up the Hierarchy of Tokio Funka. They control what comes in, and goes out of the city. In exchange for comfort and luxury, the Oni force the weaker of their numbers to be conscripted into the Emperors army. This, is not the only reason of course. Thanks to the strength of the Oni, the Hierarchy fears them. Which of course, is understandable. It's better to be with the dominant faction, than be dominated yourself. The lower class humans suffer as expected. Prostitution, filth and squalor is common in the streets now these days. Small bands of urchin thieves trying to simply survive are taken away and severely punished. Most of these children, don't come back. Then you have the slaves.

 

Regular citizens sold to the Oni by their own kind is a frequent sight in the city of Tokio Funka. People round up whom are untagged, and sold in auction to the highest bidder. It is something that leaves a foul taste in the mouths of many. Ironically enough, the lesser Oni identify with these people. Being in much the same predicament as them. No choice but to fight for a cause that isn't theirs, or be killed. Naturally, a coalition of humans tired of living in this state, have banded together with the lesser Oni whom just desire to live themselves without being subjugated. These individuals are growing even more well known in the city these days as "The Sakura Rebellion".

The Oni

Oni are separated into two categories. Greater Oni, being the strong, old demons who have been around for a very, long time. They are large, greedy, and bloodthirsty individuals. Their strength could snap men in two with little effort. Some, are even large enough to use their bones as toothpicks. Not only known for their strength, many are wise, and crafty. As evidenced by their swift, and cemented integration into Tokio Funka. Some say, it's as if the spot was already there, waiting for them.

 

The Lesser Oni, are generally smaller, and though weak compared to the Greater Oni, are strong individuals in their own right. Able to easily surpass a common man in physical ability, they are not to be underestimated. Many are also rather dull, leading for them to be misguided and intimidated by the Greater counterparts. This also, makes them capable soldiers for the army of the Emperor, if only for sheer force. Though, it is said some only play the fool; so as to go unnoticed themselves.

 

The Hierarchy

A collection of humans who are at the top of the totem pole. These men and women are composed of anyone who has the wealth, or resources to dominate the lower populace. Aptly named, they control everything from food, money, and even the many crafts the city provides. If you grow crops, if you sell your body, if you are a craftsman; you can bet your button that someone from The Hierarchy will come to collect.  Everyone pays taxes to The Hierarchy, or are submitted to the Greater Oni for disciplinary action.

 

The Common Man

Your everyday citizens, living under the rule of fellow humans and the monstrous Oni. The common people can range in just about any viable profession, providing they have the craft for it. Whores, Homeless, Thieves, Blacksmiths, Farmers, and even common slaves. These are just some the regular humans forced under the foot of their so called "betters". Many, if not all; simply just desire the common freedoms deserved by all man. Sadly, this isn't the case. Basic rights, and rules have been all but thrown out the window when the Oni took up power. With a few wrong words, a person could easily end up as a slave. Or worse for some, forced into battle. Either way, many are forced away from their families unwillingly, and regardless of what you are as the common man; life could be far better.

 

The Sakura Rebellion

Named after their symbol and the annual festival. The Sakura Rebellion is a combined effort of Lesser Oni, and the humans treated less than dirt. This group is tired of being used, beaten, and abused. People from all walks of life, work in secret to try and make lives better for their fellow man. With the recent alliance with some of the more intelligent Lesser Oni, plans to rise against their so called "betters" have not only taken visible shape and form; they instill hope to many for a better life. But to achieve their goals, they will have to work with the one group that frightens even the Greater Oni; the Dark Priests. 

 

Dark Priests

Little is known about these people. Some even doubt if they are even really human. their bodies are always covered with their robes, and not even the oldest individual in Tokio Funka can recall ever seeing one of their hooded faces. What is known however, is that the Oni dare not go near their temple outside of town. It is also a well documented fact, that they are not taxed, and even supplied a monthly allotment of goods. Rumors say it's because they hold the key to driving out the Oni, and restoring peace once again to the tumult of the city. Others think it's because they are even worse monsters than the Oni, who simply have no interest in the squabble. But higher members of the Sakura Rebellion have gained information form their Lesser Oni Allies, and intend to seek out the Dark Priests to see if their information holds fact.

 

 

Character Appearance: What do you look like? Written descriptions are welcome, but I am a visual person. Pictures are recommended.

 

Theme: What groove describes you?

 

Name: What do people call you?

 

Gender: Are you a man, or woman? Or are you something that fits into both, or neither of these categories?

 

Age:  How old are you?

 

Race: Are you a Dreadful Oni, or Lowly Human?(If you wish to be Half-Human/Oni, you'll have to really impress me)

 

Personality: What kind of individual are you?

 

Faction: Where do you stand? I refer you to the Q&A regarding this.

 

Skills: What do you contribute to the world? Do you sew, do you farm, do you teach? Or do you use your Oni abilities? Keep It Simple

 

History: What is your past like?

"Who can we be?"- Liar

The main PC faction driving the RP will be The Sakura Rebellion. You CANNOT be a member of the Dark Priests.Player Characters will be largely composed of The Common Man and the Lesser Oni(both being the founding factions of The Sakura Rebellion). However, should a person wish to be a part of the Greater Oni or The Hierarchy, they can be. Providing your Character Sheet vastly impresses me. And I mean, impress. Should someone do so, their character will work with me personally to further the RP. Overall, I advise you all to shoot mainly for the factions provided in The Sakura Alliance.- Sangre

 

"What's the tech level?"- Neph

Excellent question Nephy. The setting itself has a Folky Japanese vibe to it. It is a fictionalized mishmash of both the Edo Period, and Meiji Period of Japan's history. So think of the setting and such as in the Edo Period(Samurai Champloo is a good example) and for the purposes of this RP, a little bit of the technology level present in the Meiji Period(Electricity, Radios, Think Rurouni Kenshin). No cars, however. As for the weapon level, since guns in RP's make me angry, I put it perhaps at the level of Princess Mononoke. However, if one talks with me one on one, we may be able to make a compromise based on your character. GM interaction is your friend here. Any further questions of what may, or may not be around in regards to technology; I will be happy to address.- Sangre

 

"Does this only involve the Onis or the entire plethora of Kamis? Will be seeing Kitsunes, Tengus and the likes?"- Diabolical Rhapsody

Another great question. Oni, Kami, Youkai. Here's my answer. If it's in Japanese folklore, assume it exists. However, for classification purposes, we will make Oni the broad term encompassing all three in classifying what you are, or what is. If you intend to make your character an Oni, as I have previously stated, to be one of the Greater, more powerful ones, you will need to impress me. Most will be dumbed down to a lesser level otherwise. -Sangre

 

"Do Oni have powers based upon their established Japanese Folklore?"- Dudeitzmeh

As for them having powers based upon folklore, the answer is yes they do. However, I will be keeping a tight leash on certain things. Such as mind control, psychic ability, ect. The OP abilities you all know and love. If you want it, again, you better impress. I ain't letting people get away with stupid bullshit. -Sangre

 

"Is there a limit to the mount of characters you will be accepting?" -Sangre

Excellent question me. The answer is yes. I am new at managing an entire RP to myself, and am going to be imposing a seven character cap. Read it again. Seven. I MAY perhaps go over this amount if I am wholly intrigued and slightly aroused by more than the Seven character cap I have imposed.. But as it stands right now, this is the cap. Also know, it is NOT first come, first serve. It's who has the most intriguing, relevant, and well put together characters that will make it in. So please, bring your A-Game. -Sangre

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Once I accept a character, they are Locked Into The RP. Ominous? Perhaps a little. This means should you drop out, or stop posting, This DOESN'T mean your character is gone. Ohohohoho oh no. You have gained entry into my world, and now have a special place in it. Should the before mentioned things happen to you, Your Character will still be in the RP, under MY control. However, if you have to leave the RP thanks to whatever reason and are unable to post. Talk With Me, And We Will Make Arrangements! Back to the topic on hand. That's right, even without you, your character will continue to play a part in the RP. Unless they die. On the matter of Character Death, should you die within the RolePlay; you are gone. Nothing will save you. But this opens the door for someone else to take your spot. So I implore those whom are accepted, tread carefully, for I am very Unforgiving. These may seem like strange stipulations to many of you, and some may not exactly agree. So this is the point, that I will allow anyone to back out should they wish and allow others to have a better chance.

 

You may wonder "Sangre, this seems a bit odd for RPing, why are you doing it this way?" and you might be right in your assumptions. I have been around the block a few times when it comes to roleplays, and I for one, and sick and tired of good ideas dying because of lack of interest from BOTH GM's and Players. I am doing things this way as both an experiment, and a way for people to get used to my style of GMing. I give you my own promise, should people continue to participate, I'll always update. Even then, I'll finish up the story On My Own if need be. My ambitions will not falter or stop because of anything. I'd rather though, for it to not have to come to that. So I ask of you to help me build this world together, and any future ones I design. -Sangre de la Rosa

Hearthorne is a small, riverside village. It has done well for itself as a stopover place for merchant crafters and visitors heading upriver. Recently, orcs, vicious pig-men, have begun raiding other nearby villages. In order to keep Heartthorne safe, the local lord has hired mercenaries to protect the village and eventually discover the orc camp. Sadly, the village is attacked before the mercenaries could arrive. Now the heroes must race to protect what little is left of the town.

Testers are free to come up with their own races and classes, from any genre imaginable so long as they can fit it into the CS.

Name: This is where you fill in your character's birth name, nickname, or epithet.

Description: This is where you tell us, in a short sentence, what makes your character special. Or explain to us why we should care about your character. Or, just brag about your wicked-looking beard.

Aspects: Aspects are phrases ("I am the God of wood!") that describe an important detail about your character. Each player can only have a maximum of five Aspects. Aspects can be anything you choose, and can be activated, by giving away a hero point, to gain a one-time bonus to one of your Skills (+2). But only if it makes sense to do so.

Say for example, that my character is a wizard and one of his Aspects is: "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard!" It says something interesting about the character, and it can be used to help him later in the story. Let's say there is an NPC guarding a vault and instead of fighting them to get inside, I decide to use my Aspect to lure him away long enough for another player to get inside. More on that when we get to Skills and Hero Points.

Skills: Skills are what you use during the game to do complicated or interesting things. At the start of the game, player skills will be ranked from Average (+1) to Great (+4), and each player starts with a maximum of ten skills and twenty points to spend on those skills. Players choose their own skills, and choose what value to give them.

For example: A warrior might have Fight and Stamina as skills, while a wizard might have Lore and Will as skills.

Of the ten skills, players may only have: One Great (+4) skill, Two Good (+3) skills, Three Fair (+2) skills, and Four Average (+1) skills.

Hero Points: Players start the game with 3 Hero Points that they can spend to activate one of their Aspects. Hero Points are tied directly to Stunts. More on that when we get to Stunts.

Extras: Extras are anything technically part of a character, or controlled by them. They can be powers, gear, vehicles, organizations, or locations that don't quite fall under Aspects, Skills, or Stunts. Extras require the GM's final approval.

Stress: Stress is one of two options the player has to avoid getting killed. It represents exhaustion, light wounds, and so one. Each player has Physical Stress and Mental Stress, each of these has two levels: Mild (absorbs 1 point of Damage) and Moderate (absorbs 2 points of Damage)

When you fail to block a hit that will kill you, you have four choices: Surrender, Die, use a Consequence (more later), or use Physical Stress to soak up the hit. Physical Stress is the reason you somehow managed to avoid getting chopped in half, whether because you managed to twist away at the last moment or the wound just isn't as bad as it looks.

Mental Stress can be thought of as you biting your tongue at the last second to stop yourself from saying something stupid, or managed to ignore an insult.

Stunts: While Skills are shared between players (Fighter), Stunts are special abilities unique to your character that adds a special twist to one of your skills (Warmaster: +2 Fight, once per battle). Players start the game with 3 Stunts. Every extra Stunt costs 1 Hero Point

3 Stunts = 3 Hero Points, 4 Stunts = 2 Hero Points.

Players cannot have negative Hero Points.

Consequences: Besides Surrendering, Death, and Stress: Consequences is another way that players can stay in the game. But unlike Stresses, which are removed once the battle ends, Consequences take time to heal. In this test game, Consequences will linger for two battles. Every time you take a new Consequence, you get a new Aspect describing your injury. These injuries are visible to the player(s) or NPC(s) that forced you to take the Consequence, giving them a Bonus against you.

Damage:
This experimental system works by having players make an attempt to do something, and the GM will roll some dice to see if the attempt succeeds or fails. Each turn, a player or NPC can try one of four things: Attack, Defend, Overcome, or Create an Advantage.

For example:
"The mighty Warrior swings his axe at the Boss Orcs' green neck..."

The Warrior has a +3 (Good) Fight skill, but the Boss Orc has a +4 (Great) Defend skill. The GM rolls the four dice, adding some randomness to the game, to see what happens in this fight. The dice each have 2 0's, 2 +1's, and 2 -1's sides, which gives you a number when rolled. This number is then added to the skills. In this case, the GM rolls twice. Once for the Warrior (-2), and once for the Boss Orc (-1). The final result is this:

GM: "The Mighty Warrior swings his axe (+3) but because he was only using one hand (-2), he doesn't do as much damage! (+3 + -2 = +1) The Boss Orc raises his shield (+4) to block the attack, but looses his footing on the soft soil (-1). Luckily, he was still able to block The Warrior's attack (+4 + -1 = +3) and manages to save his precious neck from The Warrior's axe!"

In a situation like this, you can either Fail (-1), Tie (0), Succeed (+1), or Succeed with Style (+2 or more). In this case, The Warrior failed in his attack. Because of this, he did no damage to the enemy, and will now suffer a minor penalty. The Boss Orc was able to Defend with Style (succeeded with +2), so he gets a Bonus. This Bonus can either be used as a free attack on The Warrior, or converted into an an advantage.

A.) GM (Boss Orc Decides to use the Bonus to create an advantage): "The Boss Orc not only blocks the attack, but manages to use the shield to knock The Warrior flat on his back!" (For one round, The Warrior has a -1 to Attack and a +1 to Defend)

B.) GM (Boss Orc Decides to make a free attack): "The Boss Orc blocks the Warrior's axe with such style that he decides the Warrior isn't a challenge for him, so lowers his shield and stabs the Warrior with his sword!"

This creates another dice roll, where the warrior has to block the Boss Orc now. Because this is an extra attack, the Boss Orc attacks twice in his turn -- if he chooses to. (Attack, Defend, Overcome, Create an Advantage)

Turns: Players take turns (one post) when using their skills. This means that if players come across an Obstacle (Locked Door, Guard), depending on what that thing is, only one player can tackle it at a time (only one person can pick a lock).

- Nameless NPCs can be auto killed by players but there is a limit of three per post, and twelve NPC kills per week.
- Engaging named NPCs will raise the combat flag. The combat will be explained in detail later.
- Boss NPCs can only be engaged by 4+ players.

Orcs: Deformed humanoids with pig-like features. Originally created by a wizard to serve as a new food source for humans, the orcs eventually escaped into the wilds and have tormented human beings ever since. Orcs are aggressive, range from 5 to 6 ft. tall, eat human flesh, and are twice as strong as regular men. The group attacking Hearthorne is lead by a black orc named Choppa.

Choppa, Da Boss: The biggest, baddest orc in the village. This guy is intelligent enough to properly use weapons and heavy armor, and needs to be taken down by the entire party.

Choppa's CS

Da Boys: These are the lieutenants of the invading orcs. Not as tough as Choppa, but tough enough to raise a Combat Flag. They can be engaged 1v1 or 2v1.

Da Peoples: The runts of the litter, these orcs wear minimal armor. What weapons they do use are old and rusted, made from bones, or sticks. They are the faceless horde that players can kill without raising a Combat Flag.

Humans: