[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/uxhRFfV.png[/img] [h3][color=ed1c24]-Fragments of Crimson-[/color][/h3] [/center] [center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/m7jfzvch.jpg[/img] [/center] [quote=Alastor, The Flame of Heaven][i] [color=ed1c24]"A heartbeat that lasts for an endless time, human lives consumed in soundless fireballs. No one notices when the world is displaced and the flames of the Crimson World burn down everything..."[/color] [/i][/quote] [hr] [center] [h2][color=ed1c24]-Intro-[/color][/h2] [/center] What if, one day, you were told that you are already dead? Just an empty cask, a flickering flame that sooner or later is going to be snuffed and, once it's, no one will ever remember that you existed? No family, no friends, even your most beloved ones will ever notice you were gone. The very world will adapt to your cessation of existence, bank accounts will be gone, your room or house will be clean of any personal belongings you ever had, photos will have your presence erased from them, so on, so forth... The reason for this is simple, you are one of the many individuals known as Torches, mere reflections of an existence long since gone, a human being whose Power of Existence, the thing that makes you be, was devoured by a Crimson Lord and you didn't even noticed, nor did anyone else. Torches exist because the reality can't handle a subtle change like a whole existence simply disappearing out of the blue. It would cause damage to the world much like when the air trying to fill the vacuum left by an explosive detonation causes even more damage to all that was left behind. Then you ask, what is a Crimson Lord and how did it stole your life without anyone noticing? Well, Crimson Lords are the rulers of the Crimson World, a parallel reality to our own whose beings live on Power of Existence and regularly come to our world to feed on the defenseless human beings whose great numbers turn them into an abundant source of nourishment for the Denizens of the Crimson World. To go unnoticed, trying to avoid the eyes of their natural enemies, the Flame Haze, the Crimson Denizens and their Lords set up Seals that dislodge a part of the Human World to a state where it's neither in one or the other world, a timeless void where (in the time you would take to blink an eye) they can feast on people's Power of Existence and, once they are gone all that's left behind are empty casks that would pop out of existence as soon as the Seal is undone, causing untold disasters. To prevent this, preserving the natural balance of the world by creating Torches out of the remnants of Power of Existence left behind by the Denizens' "meals", and hunt down the rogue Crimson Denizens, the Flame Haze exist. All Flame Haze were humans one day, but for a reason or another they forged a contract with one of the powerful Crimson Lords that swore to uphold the balance of the world, after their ancestors’ foolishness almost caused the destruction of both worlds. Once the contract is formed, a human being ceases to age and will become much stronger and more resilient than their former selves, by learning how to tap on both theirs and their Crimson Lords' powers, while the Crimson Lord gets a steady flow of Power of Existence without the need to hunt down humans. It's a two-way deal, where both parts benefits, thereby it's no surprise that both the Flame Haze and their Crimson Lords are extremely protective of one another. This shadow war between Flame Haze and the Crimson Denizens has been going for millennia and now that you know about all this, it's your chance to make a difference, to promote change (for good or ill), to bring the battle back to the faces of the Crimson Lords and... maybe end this conflict once and for all. The time has come. Light your fire and be ready to fight! [center] [h2][color=ed1c24]-Story-[/color][/h2] [/center] Welcome to this RP based on a series that holds a spot on the heart of many anime and light novel fans, Shakugan no Shana, the tale of eternal battle between the Flame Haze, and the Denizens of the Crimson World. First of all, I would like to thank you all who took the time to read all of this, whether you consider joining this RP or not, I’m already glad. Now, let’s talk about the important bits, what exactly this RP entails? Well, the immediate answer is the same as that on any RP, that is, whatever kind of story both you and I are willing to weave together. To be more specific, this story will take place in an alternate universe to the canon series where we will have more liberty at what to do, instead of simply tailing the novels/anime plot. While most canon characters and events will retain their characteristics that we all know and like, some changes may occur that will differentiate this AU from the base story; the possibility of crossing over with some of the canon cast exists and will happen for sure if the RP lasts long enough, but on the beginning, our story will be our own. [center] [h2][color=ed1c24]-Characters-[/color][/h2] [/center] For this RP, our characters will be part of a group of Flame Haze sent to take down a powerful Crimson Lord, hidden somewhere on Boston, that is gathering an awful lot of Power of Existence without a known purpose and has been attracting the attention of the Flame Haze leadership for months even dealing with a couple of previous attempts of taking it down. The mission is simple, find Crimson Lord and stop it, no matter the cost. You can also choose to play as a Torch, though this is unadvisable because of the ultimate fate that awaits every Torch, or even as a normal human, which is even less recommended thanks to the fact that humans are completely helpless against even the most basic Rinne; if they get in a situation where their destruction is unavoidable, so be it, I’ll not spare anyone do seek death with their own hands. As such these types of characters are better left as NPCs, or at most as sidekicks to a Flame Haze main character, just be reasonable, if you wish to go this way. Players will also control their Flame Hazes’ Crimson Lords whether they are the silent type or true chatterboxes it’s up to you.