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Campaign: Flameseeker
Oct. 18th, 2021 06:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
profThis is a world of cultivation.
In the mortal realm, countless humans seek to awaken their spiritual powers, transcending their humanity to become cultivators. These superhuman figures excel in the martial and spiritual arts both, and use both combat and meditation to further their powers in the endless quest for immortality. No two walk the same path, for the paths leading to the summit are infinite.
You are, for the most part, newly-awakened cultivators, joining the Flameseeker Clan for both protection and education on what your new life int he spirit world will entail. Spirits are eager to toy with you for their own enigmatic ends, and demons lurk in the shadows, hoping to steal your power for themselves. The path to survival and the path towards your ultimate goals are the same: Fight, master yourself, and become stronger. Whatever you seek, you'll need the wisdom to find it, the strength to seize it, and the discipline to not lose your way. The first and final rule of this world is that power comes to those willing to put in the hard work to get it. However, this rule may not last.
A mysterious new clan has appeared in the spirit world, called the Skyeater Clan. They have an artifact of unknown origin, the Cultivation Engine, which they claim will make the ways of cultivation obsolete. Power will become available to anyone who wishes for it, with no hard work required. It sounds too good to be true, but one thing is certain: No cheat is without a cost.
What path will you walk in your pursuit of perfection?
General Info
Flameseeker is a xianxia-inspired campaign to be run in Valor, eventually. This is an interest/hype post at the moment more than a formal signup, because it's still a bit down the line. Probably five characters, I've got more info about the setting over here:
The Five Realms
On Cultivation
Characters
For now, reply with your handle, questions about the setting, character concepts, and anything else that seems relevant!
In the mortal realm, countless humans seek to awaken their spiritual powers, transcending their humanity to become cultivators. These superhuman figures excel in the martial and spiritual arts both, and use both combat and meditation to further their powers in the endless quest for immortality. No two walk the same path, for the paths leading to the summit are infinite.
You are, for the most part, newly-awakened cultivators, joining the Flameseeker Clan for both protection and education on what your new life int he spirit world will entail. Spirits are eager to toy with you for their own enigmatic ends, and demons lurk in the shadows, hoping to steal your power for themselves. The path to survival and the path towards your ultimate goals are the same: Fight, master yourself, and become stronger. Whatever you seek, you'll need the wisdom to find it, the strength to seize it, and the discipline to not lose your way. The first and final rule of this world is that power comes to those willing to put in the hard work to get it. However, this rule may not last.
A mysterious new clan has appeared in the spirit world, called the Skyeater Clan. They have an artifact of unknown origin, the Cultivation Engine, which they claim will make the ways of cultivation obsolete. Power will become available to anyone who wishes for it, with no hard work required. It sounds too good to be true, but one thing is certain: No cheat is without a cost.
What path will you walk in your pursuit of perfection?
General Info
Flameseeker is a xianxia-inspired campaign to be run in Valor, eventually. This is an interest/hype post at the moment more than a formal signup, because it's still a bit down the line. Probably five characters, I've got more info about the setting over here:
The Five Realms
On Cultivation
Characters
For now, reply with your handle, questions about the setting, character concepts, and anything else that seems relevant!
Campaign: One Piece Galaxy
Jun. 8th, 2021 12:11 pmprof"My greatest treasure? It's yours, if you want it. One Piece awaits at the end of the Grand Line!"
And so, all ships set their sights on the Grand Line, pursuing their dreams. The galaxy has truly entered a Great Space Pirate Era!
Do you like One Piece? Do you like space operas? Now you can have both at once! One Piece Galaxy is a grand new reimagining of the One Piece world, moving it from the high seas to the sea of stars. In the wake of the death of Gold Roger, the king of space pirates, brave young rogues and heroes take on the mantle of space piracy to seek glory and power in the Grand Line, crossing blades with both each other and the tyrannical Grand Galactic Government. Your adventure will take you across the whole of the galaxy, facing powerful aliens, giant space monsters, wondrous and strange worlds, rival pirates, relentless bounty hunters, and the unstoppable might of the GGG's navy and the deadly Space Marines. Do you have what it takes to become the next king of the pirates?
Setting Information
The Galaxy
Technology
The Grand Galactic Government
Game Information
This will be the first official full-length campaign run in Valor Alter, a streamlined Valor hack designed to be simpler to play and easier to pick up. Newbies and Valor vets alike encouraged. I have some ideas for mechanical quirks, but I'll explain them as they come up in-game.
Start time for game is tentatively set once both Gundam Valor and Jojo's Bizarre Tabletop Part 2 have ended. Possible time slots include (all times Central US):
- Monday evenings (somewhere between 5PM and 12AM)
- Wednesdays (9-12AM)
- Saturdays (ending before 4PM)
- Sundays (ending before 5PM)
Are you in?
Gimme:
- Who you are on plurk
- Which of those time slots you could make
- Any questions you have about the game setting
- Any character concepts bouncing around your head
- Optionally, one cool thing from One Piece you really hope is in the campaign
- A cool space picture
One Piece Galaxy: The GGG
Jun. 8th, 2021 12:10 pmprofThe Grand Galactic Government, or GGG, is the largest governing body in the galaxy. A league of governments spanning all four arms, they directly or indirectly control life everywhere. While they do keep things relatively safe and orderly for most people, they're also a merciless dictatorship that quells dissent with overwhelming force when displeased. Corruption runs rife in their leadership, and they possess the greatest concentration of military might in the galaxy. Any planet or ship that doesn't accept their management is considered a dangerous rogue element. These are the sworn enemies of all space pirates.
Rex Galactus
The de jure ruler of the galaxy. The title of Rex belongs to the leader of the GGG, who has absolute executive power across all of the Government's territories. The current Rex, Rex Marcellus, is a 16-year-old human boy who inherited the title following the assassination of his father. In his case, and in fact in many cases, the power he holds is surprisingly empty.
The Council of Eight
The actual rulers of the galaxy. A governing body of four humans and four Raiam, the Council does nearly all of the actual governing, with the Rex as a figurehead who exists merely to carry out their will. The Council of Eight are the ones with all the actual power.
The Galactic Navy
The largest space armada in existence. The immense power of the GN is the primary tool that the GGG uses to enforce its rule of law. Space pirates will often find themselves crossing blades and exchanging fire with the GN to avoid capture and execution under the GGG's tyrannical anti-piracy laws. The GN's ships are generally huge, slow, ugly, and covered in guns, overwhelming their enemies with sheer firepower.
The Space Marines
The words "space marine" strike fear into the heart of all enemies of the GGG. Every marine is among the galaxy's greatest warriors, augmented with bioengineering and given the best training and weaponry that money can buy. A single space marine is a threat equivalent to a heavy GN battleship, and a space marine commander is on the level of fighting an entire militarized star system. Space marines are sent to deal with the greatest threats to galactic order, such as powerful pirate crews or rogue planetary governments. As a space pirate, if you see a marine, don't try to fight. Scatter, all of you fleeing in different directions, and hope against hope that some of you survive the encounter. The leader of the space marines is a figure shrouded in mystery, but under them are the commanders of the five space marine chapters, one for each arm and one for the Core and the Grand Line. While nearly all space marines are humans, one of the five commanders is a Raiam equipped with space marine weapons and training, a combination too invincible to even imagine slowing down, let alone defeating.
Rex Galactus
The de jure ruler of the galaxy. The title of Rex belongs to the leader of the GGG, who has absolute executive power across all of the Government's territories. The current Rex, Rex Marcellus, is a 16-year-old human boy who inherited the title following the assassination of his father. In his case, and in fact in many cases, the power he holds is surprisingly empty.
The Council of Eight
The actual rulers of the galaxy. A governing body of four humans and four Raiam, the Council does nearly all of the actual governing, with the Rex as a figurehead who exists merely to carry out their will. The Council of Eight are the ones with all the actual power.
The Galactic Navy
The largest space armada in existence. The immense power of the GN is the primary tool that the GGG uses to enforce its rule of law. Space pirates will often find themselves crossing blades and exchanging fire with the GN to avoid capture and execution under the GGG's tyrannical anti-piracy laws. The GN's ships are generally huge, slow, ugly, and covered in guns, overwhelming their enemies with sheer firepower.
The Space Marines
The words "space marine" strike fear into the heart of all enemies of the GGG. Every marine is among the galaxy's greatest warriors, augmented with bioengineering and given the best training and weaponry that money can buy. A single space marine is a threat equivalent to a heavy GN battleship, and a space marine commander is on the level of fighting an entire militarized star system. Space marines are sent to deal with the greatest threats to galactic order, such as powerful pirate crews or rogue planetary governments. As a space pirate, if you see a marine, don't try to fight. Scatter, all of you fleeing in different directions, and hope against hope that some of you survive the encounter. The leader of the space marines is a figure shrouded in mystery, but under them are the commanders of the five space marine chapters, one for each arm and one for the Core and the Grand Line. While nearly all space marines are humans, one of the five commanders is a Raiam equipped with space marine weapons and training, a combination too invincible to even imagine slowing down, let alone defeating.
One Piece Galaxy: Technology
Jun. 8th, 2021 12:10 pmprofHypersail
The spacefaring technology that became the backbone of the Second Age of Sail. Hyperspace is a demiplane of reality adjacent to ours; physical objects can't exist there, but it has currents that can be tapped into to accelerate ships beyond the speed of light. The main form of this is hypersapce channels that connect nearby star systems, hypersail ships using them like rivers to navigate the galaxy. While the low fuel requirements and low price of construction has made them a standard for interstellar travel, the system is not without its weaknesses. Hypersail is restricted to the existing channels between star systems and the swirling currents within them, meaning that the routes between stars may sometimes be long and meandering. They are also blocked by hyperspace faults, areas of space where hyperspace doesn't exist; there are natural faults between the four galactic arms, and artificial faults surrounding the Grand Line. Also, hypersail travel puts a lot of stress on the sails themselves, so they need to be maintained and repaired every few star systems, lest you lose your sails in deep space and be stranded.
Fold Drives
A Raiam-created alternative to hypersails, although the technology is more widely available now. A Fold Drive, as its name suggests, folds space to connect two distant points, allowing for instantaneous travel across immense distances. This would render hypersail obsolete, if it weren't for a few further drawbacks. Fold Drives are expensive and time-consuming to build, and also much larger, meaning that they aren't available for smaller starships or individuals who aren't ultra-wealthy; most Fold ships are owned by government bodies, such as the Galactic Navy. They also require immense amounts of energy to perform a jump, are blocked by hyperspace faults, and - most importantly - do not function at all within the Grand Line.
Silksteel
A miracle fabric that revolutionized countless aspects of life in the galaxy. Silksteel is dirt cheap to produce, incredibly durable, low maintenance, and can easly incorporate all kinds of special technology. Most common for starfarers is vacuum protection - either at a command or when detecting hard vacuum, a properly-equipped silksteel suit can transform to cover the whole body, introducing normal clothes that can become a space suit in the blink of an eye. They can also provide protection from the hazards of space, with armor mods absorbing impacts and distributing them over wider areas, or even transferring damage to the suit itself to the body underneath in order to prevent exposure to vacuum. Common among those expecting to do a lot of space walks is built-in thrusters, allowing you to freely navigate in three dimensions in space, and to do cool big jumps on planetside.
Communication
With the speed of light as a barrier, it's difficult to keep in communication with other star systems. There are two known ways to avoid this. First and more common is Hyperwave Broadcast, which uses hyperspace currents to carry information - this is easy and useful, but the biggest limiations are a restriction to the hyperspace current network and the fact that you can't send directed messages; if you fire off a hyperwave broadcast, anyone within lightyears can listen in. The second is the denden mushi, a rare and harmless species of space monster that looks like a mildly oversized snail. These tiny space monsters can communicate with their brethren across immense distances, allowing people to use them as phone lines across the galaxy with zero time lag. They only transmit sound, though, and you need to get your hands on one to have access to the denden network.
Starships
Starships are almost as diverse and varied as the civilizations that build them. They vary from small corvettes that need only a skeleton crew to fly, to kilometers-long hulking space dreadnoughts. Combat between ships is surprisingly close-range; laser weapons never turned out to be viable, so what beam weapons are in common use fly much slower than the speed of light. For massive starships, filling space with walls of beam weapons and missiles is a viable strategy, but for smaller ships, most ship-mounted weapons can be evaded or shot down by a skilled crew. Thus, the most useful weapons in space combat between medium-sized or smaller vessels is boarding maneuvers. Expect swordfights and gunfights on the outside of your ship to repel invading pirates or navy forces as your ships duke it out with their own weapons.
The spacefaring technology that became the backbone of the Second Age of Sail. Hyperspace is a demiplane of reality adjacent to ours; physical objects can't exist there, but it has currents that can be tapped into to accelerate ships beyond the speed of light. The main form of this is hypersapce channels that connect nearby star systems, hypersail ships using them like rivers to navigate the galaxy. While the low fuel requirements and low price of construction has made them a standard for interstellar travel, the system is not without its weaknesses. Hypersail is restricted to the existing channels between star systems and the swirling currents within them, meaning that the routes between stars may sometimes be long and meandering. They are also blocked by hyperspace faults, areas of space where hyperspace doesn't exist; there are natural faults between the four galactic arms, and artificial faults surrounding the Grand Line. Also, hypersail travel puts a lot of stress on the sails themselves, so they need to be maintained and repaired every few star systems, lest you lose your sails in deep space and be stranded.
Fold Drives
A Raiam-created alternative to hypersails, although the technology is more widely available now. A Fold Drive, as its name suggests, folds space to connect two distant points, allowing for instantaneous travel across immense distances. This would render hypersail obsolete, if it weren't for a few further drawbacks. Fold Drives are expensive and time-consuming to build, and also much larger, meaning that they aren't available for smaller starships or individuals who aren't ultra-wealthy; most Fold ships are owned by government bodies, such as the Galactic Navy. They also require immense amounts of energy to perform a jump, are blocked by hyperspace faults, and - most importantly - do not function at all within the Grand Line.
Silksteel
A miracle fabric that revolutionized countless aspects of life in the galaxy. Silksteel is dirt cheap to produce, incredibly durable, low maintenance, and can easly incorporate all kinds of special technology. Most common for starfarers is vacuum protection - either at a command or when detecting hard vacuum, a properly-equipped silksteel suit can transform to cover the whole body, introducing normal clothes that can become a space suit in the blink of an eye. They can also provide protection from the hazards of space, with armor mods absorbing impacts and distributing them over wider areas, or even transferring damage to the suit itself to the body underneath in order to prevent exposure to vacuum. Common among those expecting to do a lot of space walks is built-in thrusters, allowing you to freely navigate in three dimensions in space, and to do cool big jumps on planetside.
Communication
With the speed of light as a barrier, it's difficult to keep in communication with other star systems. There are two known ways to avoid this. First and more common is Hyperwave Broadcast, which uses hyperspace currents to carry information - this is easy and useful, but the biggest limiations are a restriction to the hyperspace current network and the fact that you can't send directed messages; if you fire off a hyperwave broadcast, anyone within lightyears can listen in. The second is the denden mushi, a rare and harmless species of space monster that looks like a mildly oversized snail. These tiny space monsters can communicate with their brethren across immense distances, allowing people to use them as phone lines across the galaxy with zero time lag. They only transmit sound, though, and you need to get your hands on one to have access to the denden network.
Starships
Starships are almost as diverse and varied as the civilizations that build them. They vary from small corvettes that need only a skeleton crew to fly, to kilometers-long hulking space dreadnoughts. Combat between ships is surprisingly close-range; laser weapons never turned out to be viable, so what beam weapons are in common use fly much slower than the speed of light. For massive starships, filling space with walls of beam weapons and missiles is a viable strategy, but for smaller ships, most ship-mounted weapons can be evaded or shot down by a skilled crew. Thus, the most useful weapons in space combat between medium-sized or smaller vessels is boarding maneuvers. Expect swordfights and gunfights on the outside of your ship to repel invading pirates or navy forces as your ships duke it out with their own weapons.
One Piece Galaxy: The Galaxy
Jun. 8th, 2021 12:09 pmprofBeing that nobody has as of yet discovered a way to reach other galaxies, the one we live in is known simply as The Galaxy. It is a four-arm spiral galaxy, teeming with life, with a history of galactic civilization stretching back for thousands of years1. Travel between its four arms - the North Arm, East Arm, South Arm, and West Arm - is possible but challenging, leading each arm to have its own unique eclectic mix of cultures and starfaring species.
Humans
You know a lot about these people already. The species originating from planet Earth in the Sol system, and one of the two great superpowers of the galaxy. Upon inventing the hypersail, humanity expanded explosively throughout the East Arm, rapidly becoming the most populous starfaring species in the galaxy. Their homeworld, Earth, is one of the richest planets in the galaxy, but is also essentially a dying world. Its vast megacities depleted the planet's ecosystem, and the planet only remains alive with the help of the Solar Ring, an artificial ring surrounding the planet that gathers energy from the sun and beams it down for use on the surface in immense quantities.
Raiam
The second great superpower in the galaxy. Appearing similar to humans save for their pointed ears, Raiam have been exploring the galaxy for a thousand years longer than humans. Their technology is far superior, their bodies are stronger, they can live for centuries, and they can survive hard vacuum conditions. In seemingly all ways save for sheer numbers, they are humanity's superiors. The Raiam generally consider themselves to be the galaxy's one true civilization, with humans and other aliens being fundamentally inferior. Their power and arrogance have put them at odds with humans on many occasions, and still do. All information about the Raiam homeworld is of utmost secrecy.
The Pioneers
Little is known about this ancient civilization. Ruins and derelicts are most of what has been found of their works, dating hundreds of thousand years into the past. The Pioneers had technology beyond the comprehension of modern civilizations, creating wonders of macroengineering that defy reason. However, whatever happened to the Pioneers, they can no longer be found in this galaxy - either they were wiped out, or they left to places unknown.
Other Species
There are dozens of civlizations that have made it to the stars in this galaxy, no two alike. In your journeys, you may encounter creatures huge and tiny, humanoid or far from it, with an infinite diversity of life and culture.
Space Monsters
You may also encounter space monsters! Formally known as Gigafauna, these are rare lifeforms adapted to living in the depths of space. They come in many variations, but most of them are both immense (kilometers long at a minimum) and hostile. On even rarer occasions, a planet will fall and be converted into a space monster hive. Give these creatures, and their hives, a wide berth.
Devil Fruit
These mysterious fruit are grown on an unknown planet, deep within the Grand Line. Eating one can grant a person impossible supernatural powers, with almost no limits. No two devil fruit are alike, and eating more than one is fatal. The one weakness, however, shared by all DF users is the Call of the Void. Those who have eaten a devil fruit develop a deep fascination with the void of space, never quite feeling at ease on planetside. If they come too close to it - for example, leaving a ship in a silksteel suit - a mysterious force may suddenly pull them away from their ship and into the great void, never to be seen again.
The Galactic War
The single greatest conflict in the history of the galaxy began shortly after first contact between humanity and the Raiam. The galaxy burned as the two superpowers tried to erradicate each other for 20 years of ceaseless warfare. While the Raiam had advantages in technology and physical might, humans had a few advantages of their own. First was numbers, but second was devil fruit - the fruit are toxic to the Raiam, making it impossible for them to capitalize on the powers they grant. Despite this advantages, all signs pointed to a decisive Raiam victory, until a day 200 years ago, where something happened. Nobody seems to know exactly what it was, but the Raiam suddenly proposed very agreeable ceasefire terms, and the war ended abruptly. This marked the birth of the Grand Galactic Government.
The Galactic Core
One of the liveliest places in the galaxy, where the four arms meet. This is the only known way to travel between the galactic arms, but the cluster of ever-shifting black holes at its heart makes hypersail travel within it difficult and unpredictable, meaning that large fleets of ships cannot cross it easily. As a result, it's gained a reputation of something of a lawless no-man's land, especially because it's also where the entrance to the Grand Line is found, meaning that all space pirates seeking to challenge it must first pass through the Galactic Core.
The Grand Line
The greatest testament to the incredible abilities of the Pioneers. The Grand Line is a spiral path, curving against the spin of the galaxy, that begins at the Galactic Core and continues beyond the outer rim. Save for the entrance at the Core, it is surrounded on all sides by artifical hyperspace faults that cannot be crossed by any FTL technology, and are swarming with powerful space monsters on top of that, making it all but impossible to navigate it without starting at the beginning. Within the Grand Line, hyperspace currents are unpredictable and intense, FTL communication is difficult and inconsistent, and Fold Drives don't work at all, meaning that the only way to navigate it is to go system by system, stopping to repair your hypersails at any planet you can find. The dream of all space pirates - and many besides - is to reach the end of the Grand Line and find out where it leads, but only one man is known to have ever achieved this.
Gold Roger
The greatest space pirate who ever lived. He commanded armadas as his reign of terror crossed all four arms, and his personal ship, the Elysium, was one of the deadliest sights the galaxy has ever seen. For decades, every attempt by pirates to usurp his position as the Pirate King was met with failure, and every attempt by the GGG to bring him to justice was thwarted. He traveled the length of the Grand Line and returned to tell the tale, his crew being the only one known to have made the journey alive. 36 years ago, the Pirate King's reign came to an end, as he was finally captured by the Space Marines and brought to Earth for a public execution. As his final words, he told the galaxy that his greatest treasure, One Piece, was waiting at the end of the Grand Line for anyone to claim. These words set the spark that began the fire known as the Great Age of Space Piracy.
1 For convenience, all times are given according to the Old Earth Calendar. Every planet has a different orbit and a different local calendar, but the OEC has become a sort of galactic standard for keeping time.
Humans
You know a lot about these people already. The species originating from planet Earth in the Sol system, and one of the two great superpowers of the galaxy. Upon inventing the hypersail, humanity expanded explosively throughout the East Arm, rapidly becoming the most populous starfaring species in the galaxy. Their homeworld, Earth, is one of the richest planets in the galaxy, but is also essentially a dying world. Its vast megacities depleted the planet's ecosystem, and the planet only remains alive with the help of the Solar Ring, an artificial ring surrounding the planet that gathers energy from the sun and beams it down for use on the surface in immense quantities.
Raiam
The second great superpower in the galaxy. Appearing similar to humans save for their pointed ears, Raiam have been exploring the galaxy for a thousand years longer than humans. Their technology is far superior, their bodies are stronger, they can live for centuries, and they can survive hard vacuum conditions. In seemingly all ways save for sheer numbers, they are humanity's superiors. The Raiam generally consider themselves to be the galaxy's one true civilization, with humans and other aliens being fundamentally inferior. Their power and arrogance have put them at odds with humans on many occasions, and still do. All information about the Raiam homeworld is of utmost secrecy.
The Pioneers
Little is known about this ancient civilization. Ruins and derelicts are most of what has been found of their works, dating hundreds of thousand years into the past. The Pioneers had technology beyond the comprehension of modern civilizations, creating wonders of macroengineering that defy reason. However, whatever happened to the Pioneers, they can no longer be found in this galaxy - either they were wiped out, or they left to places unknown.
Other Species
There are dozens of civlizations that have made it to the stars in this galaxy, no two alike. In your journeys, you may encounter creatures huge and tiny, humanoid or far from it, with an infinite diversity of life and culture.
Space Monsters
You may also encounter space monsters! Formally known as Gigafauna, these are rare lifeforms adapted to living in the depths of space. They come in many variations, but most of them are both immense (kilometers long at a minimum) and hostile. On even rarer occasions, a planet will fall and be converted into a space monster hive. Give these creatures, and their hives, a wide berth.
Devil Fruit
These mysterious fruit are grown on an unknown planet, deep within the Grand Line. Eating one can grant a person impossible supernatural powers, with almost no limits. No two devil fruit are alike, and eating more than one is fatal. The one weakness, however, shared by all DF users is the Call of the Void. Those who have eaten a devil fruit develop a deep fascination with the void of space, never quite feeling at ease on planetside. If they come too close to it - for example, leaving a ship in a silksteel suit - a mysterious force may suddenly pull them away from their ship and into the great void, never to be seen again.
The Galactic War
The single greatest conflict in the history of the galaxy began shortly after first contact between humanity and the Raiam. The galaxy burned as the two superpowers tried to erradicate each other for 20 years of ceaseless warfare. While the Raiam had advantages in technology and physical might, humans had a few advantages of their own. First was numbers, but second was devil fruit - the fruit are toxic to the Raiam, making it impossible for them to capitalize on the powers they grant. Despite this advantages, all signs pointed to a decisive Raiam victory, until a day 200 years ago, where something happened. Nobody seems to know exactly what it was, but the Raiam suddenly proposed very agreeable ceasefire terms, and the war ended abruptly. This marked the birth of the Grand Galactic Government.
The Galactic Core
One of the liveliest places in the galaxy, where the four arms meet. This is the only known way to travel between the galactic arms, but the cluster of ever-shifting black holes at its heart makes hypersail travel within it difficult and unpredictable, meaning that large fleets of ships cannot cross it easily. As a result, it's gained a reputation of something of a lawless no-man's land, especially because it's also where the entrance to the Grand Line is found, meaning that all space pirates seeking to challenge it must first pass through the Galactic Core.
The Grand Line
The greatest testament to the incredible abilities of the Pioneers. The Grand Line is a spiral path, curving against the spin of the galaxy, that begins at the Galactic Core and continues beyond the outer rim. Save for the entrance at the Core, it is surrounded on all sides by artifical hyperspace faults that cannot be crossed by any FTL technology, and are swarming with powerful space monsters on top of that, making it all but impossible to navigate it without starting at the beginning. Within the Grand Line, hyperspace currents are unpredictable and intense, FTL communication is difficult and inconsistent, and Fold Drives don't work at all, meaning that the only way to navigate it is to go system by system, stopping to repair your hypersails at any planet you can find. The dream of all space pirates - and many besides - is to reach the end of the Grand Line and find out where it leads, but only one man is known to have ever achieved this.
Gold Roger
The greatest space pirate who ever lived. He commanded armadas as his reign of terror crossed all four arms, and his personal ship, the Elysium, was one of the deadliest sights the galaxy has ever seen. For decades, every attempt by pirates to usurp his position as the Pirate King was met with failure, and every attempt by the GGG to bring him to justice was thwarted. He traveled the length of the Grand Line and returned to tell the tale, his crew being the only one known to have made the journey alive. 36 years ago, the Pirate King's reign came to an end, as he was finally captured by the Space Marines and brought to Earth for a public execution. As his final words, he told the galaxy that his greatest treasure, One Piece, was waiting at the end of the Grand Line for anyone to claim. These words set the spark that began the fire known as the Great Age of Space Piracy.
1 For convenience, all times are given according to the Old Earth Calendar. Every planet has a different orbit and a different local calendar, but the OEC has become a sort of galactic standard for keeping time.
Voice Test
Feb. 26th, 2021 12:22 pmthehatlessThis is Anjana, a witch! Hailing from a kingdom where witchcraft is believed to be dark, evil magic, she lives in a hut in the woods and has a tendency to be wary about strangers. Cynical and frank, she'll do good deeds where needed but also expects compensation for her efforts.
Let's thread! Here's some prompts:
1. The Witch is In. You've got a problem, and the problem needs a witch to solve it. Your first goal is to convince Anjana to let you inside. People burn witches sometimes, it makes you paranoid.
2. Hurt/Unhurt. Not all that comforting! You were grievously injured by something (monsters? people with swords?), and regain consciousness to find yourself in an unfamiliar but cozy hut. Anjana has kept you from bleeding out, but her bedside manner may leave something to be desired.
3. Jamjar? Here's some Prompts for you to RNG through if you want.
4. Dumb Texting. Always a favorite. It'd have to be a weird modern AU, I guess.
5. Wildcard. Use your imagination.
Let's thread! Here's some prompts:
1. The Witch is In. You've got a problem, and the problem needs a witch to solve it. Your first goal is to convince Anjana to let you inside. People burn witches sometimes, it makes you paranoid.
2. Hurt/Unhurt. Not all that comforting! You were grievously injured by something (monsters? people with swords?), and regain consciousness to find yourself in an unfamiliar but cozy hut. Anjana has kept you from bleeding out, but her bedside manner may leave something to be desired.
3. Jamjar? Here's some Prompts for you to RNG through if you want.
4. Dumb Texting. Always a favorite. It'd have to be a weird modern AU, I guess.
5. Wildcard. Use your imagination.
Voice Test
Dec. 28th, 2020 01:17 pmandthisgunifoundCharacter info here.
Some possible thread prompts:
1. Fight VS Mercy. Early-canon Mari is the type to pull a gun on a defeated enemy and just shoot them. Maybe you don't like that! Let's have a confrontation about it. Alternately: Post-canon Mari is the reverse! If you want to gun down unarmed foes in cold blood, trust me, SHE GETS IT, but is also here to stop it.
2. Life on Earth-2. Life here is happier and safer, but that doesn't mean she's used to it. Sometimes that means she's stalking rooftops at night. Sometimes it means she's just pacing around anxiously like she's forgotten something but doesn't know what. Sometimes, mid-canon, it means waking up at 2AM and grabbing her gun in self-defense against some imagined threat. It's not like she LIKES being like this, but trauma is hard to deprogram.
3. Dumb Texting Threads. There can never be enough dumb texting threads.
4. Jamjar? Jamjar. There's a nice pile of prompts over here.
5. Use your imagination. If you use your imagination, you can go anywhere, even faster than a rocketship!!
Some possible thread prompts:
1. Fight VS Mercy. Early-canon Mari is the type to pull a gun on a defeated enemy and just shoot them. Maybe you don't like that! Let's have a confrontation about it. Alternately: Post-canon Mari is the reverse! If you want to gun down unarmed foes in cold blood, trust me, SHE GETS IT, but is also here to stop it.
2. Life on Earth-2. Life here is happier and safer, but that doesn't mean she's used to it. Sometimes that means she's stalking rooftops at night. Sometimes it means she's just pacing around anxiously like she's forgotten something but doesn't know what. Sometimes, mid-canon, it means waking up at 2AM and grabbing her gun in self-defense against some imagined threat. It's not like she LIKES being like this, but trauma is hard to deprogram.
3. Dumb Texting Threads. There can never be enough dumb texting threads.
4. Jamjar? Jamjar. There's a nice pile of prompts over here.
5. Use your imagination. If you use your imagination, you can go anywhere, even faster than a rocketship!!
Log: The Ancient Sage Awakens
Oct. 22nd, 2020 10:21 pmfrozenbird[ The facility had lain forgotten for eons. Those rare few who had stumbled across what remained of it had been unable to get in. It was protected by the invulnerable alloys of the ancients. However, a miracle of alchemy from one young alchemist was able to awaken the old machinery, opening the gates and granting access to the wonders within.
What was no doubt once a site of miracles beyond comprehension was mostly ruin. Rows and rows of strange pods... the purpose of them revealed when a cursory inspection shows skeletons of the dead behind most of their cracked glass. Some sort of bizarre, ancient tomb? No, not quite. A flickering, faded screen gives a map of the facility, with rows and rows of red dots indicating each pod... and one solitary green dot.
Following the map to that green light of hope reveals the shocking truth of this place. The last pod, the only one still serving its original purpose... the person within it is covered in frost, but otherwise perfectly preserved.
She almost looks like she's still alive. ]
What was no doubt once a site of miracles beyond comprehension was mostly ruin. Rows and rows of strange pods... the purpose of them revealed when a cursory inspection shows skeletons of the dead behind most of their cracked glass. Some sort of bizarre, ancient tomb? No, not quite. A flickering, faded screen gives a map of the facility, with rows and rows of red dots indicating each pod... and one solitary green dot.
Following the map to that green light of hope reveals the shocking truth of this place. The last pod, the only one still serving its original purpose... the person within it is covered in frost, but otherwise perfectly preserved.
She almost looks like she's still alive. ]
When the Pheonix Cries: Setting Info
Sep. 25th, 2020 04:52 pmprofEloreth
The world in which this tale takes place. It is the year EC 830. Technology is primitive - such wonders as the steam engine have yet to grace this world. Humanity is governed by magic and steel. However, over the next thirty years, this world will begin to change at an incredible pace. Technology and new forms of magic will sweep across the world, throwing an ordered world into social chaos.
Magic
Magic is obviously real - the world is enshrouded by a field of energy called the Aetheric Field. Interacting with it requires a specialized organ, called the Aetheric Gland (AG). Animals with naturally-occuring powerful AGs are called monsters. Humans with naturally-occurring powerful AGs don't exist - the most magically potent humans by nature would struggle to move a pin across a table with magic. However, there's a loophole: An AG strengthens with use, and can be transplanted between people. Thus, by carrying the same aetheric gland through many generations, it will gradually amass power, until the person it's inserted into will become a mage.
Of course, there's more to magic than having the right organs. Tapping into the aether without a spell will lead to reckless, random chaos and destruction. Spells are how humans 'program' magic - each one is a set of mental instructions that combine to manipulate the aether in specific ways. Advanced spells can push the limits of how much information a human can keep in their mind at once, which is why runes were invented. These complex inscriptions and shapes allow some of the complex information of a spell to be offloaded into geometry, requiring only a mage to put the power into it. These can be printed on paper and assembled into spellbooks, inscribed on objects to form magic items, or even tattooed onto the body. Through slow, steady progress, and with intelligence and experimentation, humanity has conquered the cosmos.
Well, okay, the lucky few have done that. Because of the difficult surgeries and multiple generations required, nearly all magi are restrcited to long-running mage families. These families have risen to become the most powerful in the world. For the rest of humanity, magic is something to be admired from afar, as the most powerful become even more powerful, and you stay standing right where you are: on the bottom.
The Aetheric Engine
The above is the state of the world in EC 830. Soon, a new invention will overturn everything about how society is ordered. The Aetheric Engine is a device that anyone can use to tap into the aetheric field. In the world of the future, anybody can use magic, provided they're holding an AE. This brings a new kind of equality to the world, but it won't come easily - those who once held all the power are finding that anyone can now have that power, and this scares them.
Doubling the tension in this new era of EC 860 is the fact that something is happening to humanity. Once by one, the ancient, bloated aetheric glands carrying power through the generations are starting to die. Any of the old kind of magi can lose all of their powers at any moment.
True Magic
What is called 'magic' by most isn't true magic. It follows rules, it can be controlled, and it can be understood. However, true magic does exist.
None can say how true magic functions. It's rare, mysterious, and breaks every rule of the world. To those with a desperate immediate need to change the world, a limitless force of will, and who have put hard work into mastering a skill, with vanishing rarity, a miracle will be granted.
The Three Kingdoms Alliance
We set our scene in this corner of Eloreth, where three great kingdoms have set aside their differences to face the greater threat faced by Lord Lacuna. This land's history is one of near-constant warfare, with the current alliance being hailed as a miracle, despite the grim circumstances that motivated it.
The three kingdoms in question:
The Kingdom of Hirac
A nation ruled by magi. The old rulers were overthrown about 200 years ago, and a new world where magic makes right was created. The king is the nation's greatest mage, and your place within society is determined by your aetheric gland. If you have power, you can use it to challenge those in positions of power to mage duels for their titles, slowly rising through the ranks until you've become powerful enough to challenge the king herself. However, those with the power to oppose those already in power have proven to be few and far between.
The Kingdom of Quaenwan
An older kingdom than Hirac, still valuing the ties of old blood over the power of magic. The same royal family has ruled for centuries, and they have little to speak of in the way of magical power. To this extent, they decry Hirac as a barbaric wasteland of survival of the fittest, celebrating instead the bonds of family and the laws of true succession. Then again, it seems like magi do quite well for themselves in Quaenwan... and that the government puts their weight behind making sure that continues to happen. Who's really in charge?
The Kingdom of Raemeth
In this massive kingdom, magic is outlawed. Any use of magic within their borders is punishable by death, in order to prevent the same kind of thing they saw in Hirac and Quaenwan - those with magic becoming the center of the universe, at the expense of anyone else. Raemeth has become famous for their Mage Hunters - an order of warrior-assassins specializing in using mundane weapons and tactics to eliminate magi. For the truly powerful disturbances in their harsh social order, there are a small number of authorized magi, trained and sworn to use their powers only to hunt down other magi. For most, Raemeth is a place where you can live peacefully and find prosperity... so long as you follow the rules and don't get in the way of the military police.
The Rise of Lacuna
Nobody knows where the one known as Lord Lacuna came from. It was a recent affair, within a matter of months, but their power defies imagination. They can command monsters at a whim, and use magic far beyond anything mortal magi have ever seen. Such questions as their identity and their objectives are all secondary to the one desperate goal of the Three Kingdoms Alliance: Lacuna's destruction.
The world in which this tale takes place. It is the year EC 830. Technology is primitive - such wonders as the steam engine have yet to grace this world. Humanity is governed by magic and steel. However, over the next thirty years, this world will begin to change at an incredible pace. Technology and new forms of magic will sweep across the world, throwing an ordered world into social chaos.
Magic
Magic is obviously real - the world is enshrouded by a field of energy called the Aetheric Field. Interacting with it requires a specialized organ, called the Aetheric Gland (AG). Animals with naturally-occuring powerful AGs are called monsters. Humans with naturally-occurring powerful AGs don't exist - the most magically potent humans by nature would struggle to move a pin across a table with magic. However, there's a loophole: An AG strengthens with use, and can be transplanted between people. Thus, by carrying the same aetheric gland through many generations, it will gradually amass power, until the person it's inserted into will become a mage.
Of course, there's more to magic than having the right organs. Tapping into the aether without a spell will lead to reckless, random chaos and destruction. Spells are how humans 'program' magic - each one is a set of mental instructions that combine to manipulate the aether in specific ways. Advanced spells can push the limits of how much information a human can keep in their mind at once, which is why runes were invented. These complex inscriptions and shapes allow some of the complex information of a spell to be offloaded into geometry, requiring only a mage to put the power into it. These can be printed on paper and assembled into spellbooks, inscribed on objects to form magic items, or even tattooed onto the body. Through slow, steady progress, and with intelligence and experimentation, humanity has conquered the cosmos.
Well, okay, the lucky few have done that. Because of the difficult surgeries and multiple generations required, nearly all magi are restrcited to long-running mage families. These families have risen to become the most powerful in the world. For the rest of humanity, magic is something to be admired from afar, as the most powerful become even more powerful, and you stay standing right where you are: on the bottom.
The Aetheric Engine
The above is the state of the world in EC 830. Soon, a new invention will overturn everything about how society is ordered. The Aetheric Engine is a device that anyone can use to tap into the aetheric field. In the world of the future, anybody can use magic, provided they're holding an AE. This brings a new kind of equality to the world, but it won't come easily - those who once held all the power are finding that anyone can now have that power, and this scares them.
Doubling the tension in this new era of EC 860 is the fact that something is happening to humanity. Once by one, the ancient, bloated aetheric glands carrying power through the generations are starting to die. Any of the old kind of magi can lose all of their powers at any moment.
True Magic
What is called 'magic' by most isn't true magic. It follows rules, it can be controlled, and it can be understood. However, true magic does exist.
None can say how true magic functions. It's rare, mysterious, and breaks every rule of the world. To those with a desperate immediate need to change the world, a limitless force of will, and who have put hard work into mastering a skill, with vanishing rarity, a miracle will be granted.
The Three Kingdoms Alliance
We set our scene in this corner of Eloreth, where three great kingdoms have set aside their differences to face the greater threat faced by Lord Lacuna. This land's history is one of near-constant warfare, with the current alliance being hailed as a miracle, despite the grim circumstances that motivated it.
The three kingdoms in question:
The Kingdom of Hirac
A nation ruled by magi. The old rulers were overthrown about 200 years ago, and a new world where magic makes right was created. The king is the nation's greatest mage, and your place within society is determined by your aetheric gland. If you have power, you can use it to challenge those in positions of power to mage duels for their titles, slowly rising through the ranks until you've become powerful enough to challenge the king herself. However, those with the power to oppose those already in power have proven to be few and far between.
The Kingdom of Quaenwan
An older kingdom than Hirac, still valuing the ties of old blood over the power of magic. The same royal family has ruled for centuries, and they have little to speak of in the way of magical power. To this extent, they decry Hirac as a barbaric wasteland of survival of the fittest, celebrating instead the bonds of family and the laws of true succession. Then again, it seems like magi do quite well for themselves in Quaenwan... and that the government puts their weight behind making sure that continues to happen. Who's really in charge?
The Kingdom of Raemeth
In this massive kingdom, magic is outlawed. Any use of magic within their borders is punishable by death, in order to prevent the same kind of thing they saw in Hirac and Quaenwan - those with magic becoming the center of the universe, at the expense of anyone else. Raemeth has become famous for their Mage Hunters - an order of warrior-assassins specializing in using mundane weapons and tactics to eliminate magi. For the truly powerful disturbances in their harsh social order, there are a small number of authorized magi, trained and sworn to use their powers only to hunt down other magi. For most, Raemeth is a place where you can live peacefully and find prosperity... so long as you follow the rules and don't get in the way of the military police.
The Rise of Lacuna
Nobody knows where the one known as Lord Lacuna came from. It was a recent affair, within a matter of months, but their power defies imagination. They can command monsters at a whim, and use magic far beyond anything mortal magi have ever seen. Such questions as their identity and their objectives are all secondary to the one desperate goal of the Three Kingdoms Alliance: Lacuna's destruction.
Netoeric, part 1 (PSL)
Aug. 10th, 2020 01:30 pmbloominshadow[ It's been three years.
Three years ago, Naoko and Sumika went on to different high schools. Of course, in Naoko's mind, this never meant the end. The two of them were meant to be together, so this was just a temporary obstacle. A detour on the road to their happy ending. Sure, fate might be on their side, but sometimes fate needs a helping hand, in the form of closely following Sumika's life over the internet and figuring out which college she was aiming for. And in the end, it worked. The two of them, in the same incoming freshman class, at the same university. Just like she planned.
After three years, no droll anticlimax would do. Their reunion had to be something special. After hunting down Sumika's college email address, Naoko sent her a message (from a burner account) asking to meet her that evening, at the gardening club's gardens. Signed, "an old friend."
It was well past any time that the gardens would be in user, and technically nobody's supposed to be here at this hour, but those are just trifling details. Sumika will surely come.
All that's left to do is wait. ]
Three years ago, Naoko and Sumika went on to different high schools. Of course, in Naoko's mind, this never meant the end. The two of them were meant to be together, so this was just a temporary obstacle. A detour on the road to their happy ending. Sure, fate might be on their side, but sometimes fate needs a helping hand, in the form of closely following Sumika's life over the internet and figuring out which college she was aiming for. And in the end, it worked. The two of them, in the same incoming freshman class, at the same university. Just like she planned.
After three years, no droll anticlimax would do. Their reunion had to be something special. After hunting down Sumika's college email address, Naoko sent her a message (from a burner account) asking to meet her that evening, at the gardening club's gardens. Signed, "an old friend."
It was well past any time that the gardens would be in user, and technically nobody's supposed to be here at this hour, but those are just trifling details. Sumika will surely come.
All that's left to do is wait. ]
