Humans were always magical creatures.
Throughout human history, magic has been controversial. At times it was worshipped, at others, hunted down. People named it gods, myths, witches; anything to rationalize the concept. Yet, it never seemed to be proven. Most people didn’t believe magic existed; and truthfully, it didn’t. Not on any grand scale. Humans’ magical ability is weak. Even the most talented could only cure a minor illness or wound, make a small flame, create a subtle gust. This nature of magic- the fact it could never manifest itself in any grand way- caused humanity to think of it as nothing more than fairy tale.
But things eventually changed. Humans, through technology, managed to harness their magical ability by channeling it through something new; A construct. A construct was nothing more than a collection of machinal parts at first. A basic skeleton of wires and metal. But when the first mage claimed he could give it life, touched upon its surface, this skeleton changed. In a bright flash of light, it grew. Metal turned to bone, skin and flesh formed around this. Hair grew from the head. He created new life- a new ‘human’. But they were not truly human, for its personality was basic. The first construct was sentient, but only barely. Still, it turned out to be stronger, faster, more advanced than any human in its physical form.
As this miracle had unfolded, calamity struck the earth. At the peak of humans’ evolution, it was also the peak of their arrogance. Wildlife experimentation, rampant climate change; nature was steadily becoming more hostile to humanity as a race. Cities were flooded, overgrown, turned to ash and rubble… development in Construct technology advanced rapidly, because it was the only way to save humanity.
They could survive in this harsh new world, these constructs. Humanity was on the brink of extinction until the calamity finally subsided. In lesser numbers, confined to the few remaining cities still standing, humans had to rebuild everything they had lost. Constructs and humanity advanced to the point where anyone could share their lifeforce with a base skeleton and create their own, unique construct. As these machines were more resilient than any human, they could survive in the now-devastated lands where humanity itself could no longer. Constructs became the physical extension of humanity, while humanity focused solely on its intellectual duties.
However, having created new life, life which became ever more complex, it began to mirror its creator. A drive for freedom. Constructs that had taken the form of animals began to revert to a primal state, relying on pure instinct. Monstrous ones began to act like what they were. Humanoids revolted in organised fashion. These rogue units would flee to where humanity could not go. Even so, a construct could not survive without human lifeforce. It was their fuel, their sustenance. They were not reliant on food, water or sleep- but at the same time, without human magic, they would eventually run out and revert to the machine they once were, lifeless. Nothing more than a doll. So, the rogue units would attack humans- forcefully extract their magic from them.
Training facilities were formed, both academies and military institutes. Humans who wanted to combat rogue units, to act as the vanguard to the second calamity, to stop both races from dying out… those were enrolled. They, alongside their construct companion, would train. Train to become the true heralds of this new world.
Throughout human history, magic has been controversial. At times it was worshipped, at others, hunted down. People named it gods, myths, witches; anything to rationalize the concept. Yet, it never seemed to be proven. Most people didn’t believe magic existed; and truthfully, it didn’t. Not on any grand scale. Humans’ magical ability is weak. Even the most talented could only cure a minor illness or wound, make a small flame, create a subtle gust. This nature of magic- the fact it could never manifest itself in any grand way- caused humanity to think of it as nothing more than fairy tale.
But things eventually changed. Humans, through technology, managed to harness their magical ability by channeling it through something new; A construct. A construct was nothing more than a collection of machinal parts at first. A basic skeleton of wires and metal. But when the first mage claimed he could give it life, touched upon its surface, this skeleton changed. In a bright flash of light, it grew. Metal turned to bone, skin and flesh formed around this. Hair grew from the head. He created new life- a new ‘human’. But they were not truly human, for its personality was basic. The first construct was sentient, but only barely. Still, it turned out to be stronger, faster, more advanced than any human in its physical form.
As this miracle had unfolded, calamity struck the earth. At the peak of humans’ evolution, it was also the peak of their arrogance. Wildlife experimentation, rampant climate change; nature was steadily becoming more hostile to humanity as a race. Cities were flooded, overgrown, turned to ash and rubble… development in Construct technology advanced rapidly, because it was the only way to save humanity.
They could survive in this harsh new world, these constructs. Humanity was on the brink of extinction until the calamity finally subsided. In lesser numbers, confined to the few remaining cities still standing, humans had to rebuild everything they had lost. Constructs and humanity advanced to the point where anyone could share their lifeforce with a base skeleton and create their own, unique construct. As these machines were more resilient than any human, they could survive in the now-devastated lands where humanity itself could no longer. Constructs became the physical extension of humanity, while humanity focused solely on its intellectual duties.
However, having created new life, life which became ever more complex, it began to mirror its creator. A drive for freedom. Constructs that had taken the form of animals began to revert to a primal state, relying on pure instinct. Monstrous ones began to act like what they were. Humanoids revolted in organised fashion. These rogue units would flee to where humanity could not go. Even so, a construct could not survive without human lifeforce. It was their fuel, their sustenance. They were not reliant on food, water or sleep- but at the same time, without human magic, they would eventually run out and revert to the machine they once were, lifeless. Nothing more than a doll. So, the rogue units would attack humans- forcefully extract their magic from them.
Training facilities were formed, both academies and military institutes. Humans who wanted to combat rogue units, to act as the vanguard to the second calamity, to stop both races from dying out… those were enrolled. They, alongside their construct companion, would train. Train to become the true heralds of this new world.
Welcome suckers. I’m hosting another roleplay.
My inspiration for this one is the anime/light novel Unbreakable Machine Doll / Machine Doll Wa Kizutsukanai, as the title says, though for anyone familiar, the setting isn’t exactly quite the same. I’m definitely taking my own spin on the idea. Keep in mind that, because of that, this will all be very anime-inspired. If that’s not your thing, neither will this. I like my weebery.
I’m going to be honest here, though, I’m still flexible on what I’m going to be doing with this. The base idea is for the cast to be around 16-20 years old and be in one of the institutes described above, acting as a bit of a replacement to high-school/early college to train a young generation to be able to fend off rogue constructs. Of course, this isn’t window-dressing for a slice-of-life; PvE and PvP combat will be a part of this and the conflict will not just be limited to rogue units. The flexibility, as I mentioned, comes in where y’all could suggest a different idea for what to do with the baseline. I’m very much intending to make this an RP that evolves based on player feedback and the characters’ motivations in it.
What I am dead-set on though, is the mix of construct/human characters. Every human signing up needs to have a construct partner (don’t worry- details to the exact relationship this entails will be described in a moment). This can either be a different player or you playing two characters, but I want none of that “lone-wolf” stuff. If you partner up with a different player, make sure it’s someone you get along with. I’m not going to force anyone, and I do want this to be a smooth experience.
Now, now; you’re prolly wondering how the specifics of the setting work. Don’t worry, I gotchu covered baby. I’ve put several hiders here detailing the specifics of the various elements brought up in the lore pitch above so you can be better informed about the setting.
That’s about all I got for now, or well, as far as the setting goes anyway. If you need me to expand on anything, just let me know and I’ll get back to you once I’ve taken some more drugs. If there’s any suggestions, such as what part of the world you’d like this to be set in, (my default will always be Japan but I’m open-minded) I’d like to hear it. Do say ‘why,’ though. Always say ‘why.’
Generally I’m not going to be too hung-up on rules n’d stuff. My basic motto for everything is “play nice.” Just be a pleasant person to be around and talk to other players, don’t do anything that would screw over someone else. I also don’t care much about writing quality, as long as it’s legible, not full of errors and some degree of creative. Despite being a rage-goblin, I’d like to think I’m a fair person. I don’t want to be a nazi.
Doesn’t mean I’m easy, though. If this gathers enough interest and, subsequently, I go through with it, I do intend to screen people somewhat thoroughly. I don’t have a set player number, nor do I have any particular posting requirement. I don’t care about the best character sheet in the world. I just want a somewhat original idea and the willingness to work with both player and GM alike to make this into something more.
So, let’s see how hard this bombs ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ