The room was dimly lit, and it stunk of cigarette smoke. The only light source seemed to be from a single lamp, hanging from the ceiling, and the light of day shining through the blinds behind the desk. This was enough light to see the state of the room.
Papers occupied nearly every flat surface, including the floor around desks and tables. The top of a small TV was covered in them, and an old-fashioned turn-dial phone looked threatened to be overwhelmed by them. However, your attention was drawn to the desk in front of you. For behind that desk sat your possible employer.
She was a woman, who appeared to be in her mid twenties insofar as you could guess, though being in her early or late twenties was not entirely out of the question. Her red hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she wore a white shirt. Her skin was pale, and she leaned back in her seat as she surveyed you. An ash tray sat on her desk, issuing smoke from a recently-discarded cigarette. The ash tray itself was much like the rest of the room: filled with clutter.
The woman's eyes, which matched her hair, regarded you behind thin-framed glasses. She was neither tall nor short. Her appearance certainly was not unattractive, she was rather pretty to be truthful, but her expression was a focused, almost harsh one. She took a deep breath, and the cigarette in her mouth burned down further. She took it from her mouth and blew out smoke, then raised an eyebrow at you.
"You don't have to look so worried, " she began, cracking a smile, "I'm not going to eat you. I guess you're here for the openings?"
Nod.
"Well then, let's see your credentials..."
You offered her a paper, and she took it from you. She looked it over, her expression becoming serious once more. "Hmm... interesting, interesting... you think you'll make a good detective, then?"
Nod.
"Well..." she shrugged, "I was asking for new employees, and now you're here. It's not as if I see any reason to turn you away, your skills look pretty useful."
She took another drag on her cigarette, then blew the smoke out. "So, you're hired."
Unexplainable crimes that defy human ability.
A detective agency that only some people can see.
Deep in Kawa City, there lies what appears to be an empty lot. For some reason, this lot has been left untouched by builders. Some go to survey it, but they always dismiss it for some reason. It's simply ruled to be a place that's impossible to build on, for one reason or another. However, there are some people, some people with... gifts, that are capable of seeing what lies in this supposedly empty lot. Anyone considered supernatural is capable of piercing the veil that hides what lies in this empty lot.
The Fu Sonzai no Gensō detective agency deals strictly in cases beyond the realm of local law enforcement. Those who are able to see it go to it to have cases of an unusual nature solved. Cases that someone with mere human capability could not possibly have perpetrated.
And now, it's hiring.
Now that that's over with, this RP is based heavily upon solving mysteries. And magic. Both will feature extensively in the RP. Player characters are to be employees of the Fu Sonzai no Gensō detective agency. This means that, by default, they must have some kind of supernatural ability. There is a Masquerade in place, so normal people won't know about the supernatural.
Basic Rules of Magic: Magic requires some form of spell to be invoked. The more powerful the spell, the longer the spell is. The length of spells can be countered with a few methods, including the use of runes, casting the spell mentally(though this method requires extensive practice and will result in a weaker spell) or storing the spell in an object capable of receiving it. Some spells may also be prepared ahead of time. Onmyouji are capable of circumventing casting time due to the use of ofuda, but their spells require application of the ofuda to a target or themselves directly.
Papers occupied nearly every flat surface, including the floor around desks and tables. The top of a small TV was covered in them, and an old-fashioned turn-dial phone looked threatened to be overwhelmed by them. However, your attention was drawn to the desk in front of you. For behind that desk sat your possible employer.
She was a woman, who appeared to be in her mid twenties insofar as you could guess, though being in her early or late twenties was not entirely out of the question. Her red hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she wore a white shirt. Her skin was pale, and she leaned back in her seat as she surveyed you. An ash tray sat on her desk, issuing smoke from a recently-discarded cigarette. The ash tray itself was much like the rest of the room: filled with clutter.
The woman's eyes, which matched her hair, regarded you behind thin-framed glasses. She was neither tall nor short. Her appearance certainly was not unattractive, she was rather pretty to be truthful, but her expression was a focused, almost harsh one. She took a deep breath, and the cigarette in her mouth burned down further. She took it from her mouth and blew out smoke, then raised an eyebrow at you.
"You don't have to look so worried, " she began, cracking a smile, "I'm not going to eat you. I guess you're here for the openings?"
Nod.
"Well then, let's see your credentials..."
You offered her a paper, and she took it from you. She looked it over, her expression becoming serious once more. "Hmm... interesting, interesting... you think you'll make a good detective, then?"
Nod.
"Well..." she shrugged, "I was asking for new employees, and now you're here. It's not as if I see any reason to turn you away, your skills look pretty useful."
She took another drag on her cigarette, then blew the smoke out. "So, you're hired."
Unexplainable crimes that defy human ability.
A detective agency that only some people can see.
Deep in Kawa City, there lies what appears to be an empty lot. For some reason, this lot has been left untouched by builders. Some go to survey it, but they always dismiss it for some reason. It's simply ruled to be a place that's impossible to build on, for one reason or another. However, there are some people, some people with... gifts, that are capable of seeing what lies in this supposedly empty lot. Anyone considered supernatural is capable of piercing the veil that hides what lies in this empty lot.
The Fu Sonzai no Gensō detective agency deals strictly in cases beyond the realm of local law enforcement. Those who are able to see it go to it to have cases of an unusual nature solved. Cases that someone with mere human capability could not possibly have perpetrated.
And now, it's hiring.
- Magi: Capable of magic, invoked by spells and symbols, sometimes in conjunction with one another. Magical prowess is passed through bloodlines, some families having more or less mana(and higher or lower quality mana) then others. Magi will have an affinity, which can range from things like fire to gravity to numbers. Affinities(which are also passed through bloodlines) are not limited to the affinity itself, but also includes things that are conceptually linked to it. For example, a mage with an affinity for fire would also excel at spells involving "consumption", "ignition", and "destruction". Magi can preform spells outside their affinity, though it is more difficult to learn. Affinities cannot be for anything entirely man-made.
- Note: The most powerful mage(in terms of raw power) in this setting has an affinity for mana. They will not be appearing in this RP, and mana as an affinity is strictly off-limits. Other affinities that are off limits include Death, a totally unique affinity also claimed in this setting and absolutely broken for the purposes of this RP.
- Onmyouji: Magical practioners utilizing onmyodo as opposed to western methods of magic. They are similar(magic is passed through bloodlines, they have the same affinities), yet their methods are fundamentally different. Effectively they use the same magic, but with different methods. Onmyouji use ofuda to cast spells, which can be applied to objects or even bodies for a variety of effects. Onmyouji are also adept at preforming exorcisms.
- Magic Traits: Some magi and onmyouji families possess a special "magic trait", an inherent magical ability connected to their affinity. These are quite uncommon, but they still exist. They require no spellcasting, and usually give some edge in ability. The magic trait "Illusion Break", for example, passively destroys illusions as the mage or onmyouji draws close to them. It also enables them to see through illusions.
Now that that's over with, this RP is based heavily upon solving mysteries. And magic. Both will feature extensively in the RP. Player characters are to be employees of the Fu Sonzai no Gensō detective agency. This means that, by default, they must have some kind of supernatural ability. There is a Masquerade in place, so normal people won't know about the supernatural.
Basic Rules of Magic: Magic requires some form of spell to be invoked. The more powerful the spell, the longer the spell is. The length of spells can be countered with a few methods, including the use of runes, casting the spell mentally(though this method requires extensive practice and will result in a weaker spell) or storing the spell in an object capable of receiving it. Some spells may also be prepared ahead of time. Onmyouji are capable of circumventing casting time due to the use of ofuda, but their spells require application of the ofuda to a target or themselves directly.
- Name:
- Age:
- Appearance:
- Personality:
- Abilities:
- Weapons/Equipment:
- Brief Backstory:
- Name: Ando Toshiko
- Age: 28
- Appearance: "Anyone in my employ is under my protection." Toshiko has red hair, red eyes, and pale skin.
- Personality: Toshiko enjoys spending life with people she cares about, and generally makes for fairly pleasant company. However, she will change her behavior depending on the situation. When talking to employees, she is friendly, calm, and kind. When speaking with a perpetrator, for example, she makes a drastic change, approaching cruelty. In addition, it is not difficult to rouse her to anger and she has a remarkable lack of patience for someone who has taken a profession as a detective. When sufficiently angered, she will remove her glasses and and begin taking things extremely seriously. She enjoys cigarettes and seems to have something against organizing her office. Toshiko's ultimate goal is to attain immortality, as well as ensure no-one causes too many problems that interfere with having a pleasant life. Toshiko is terrible with money and spends incredibly frequently, sometimes on magical items and other times on things she simply thinks are interesting.
- Abilities: Toshiko's Affinity is Fire. As such, she is highly skilled in spells relating to fire. She is capable of casting spells by "carving" symbols in the air using a lit cigarette. Notable among her spells is an Instant Ignition spell. While it requires a full rune to be "carved" in the air, it will instantly ignite a target. As Toshiko's affinity is fire, she is also skilled with spells involving "consumption", "ignition", and "destruction". In addition, she has learned spells outside of her affinity. These spells are primarily wards and illusions, which she uses to conceal the Fu Sonzai no Gensō building from the eyes of regular humans. She is also capable of self-healing spells that can heal serious injury, though not something that will cause instant or very rapid death, and she must be conscious to use them.
- Weapons/Equipment: Toshiko has a great deal of cigarettes with her at almost all times. Not only does she like them, but they aid her casting.
- Brief Backstory: Toshiko was born into the Ando family, a family of magi with the goal of accessing Origin of All Magic, the wellspring from which all mana extends from that contains and infinite wealth of magical knowledge, all spells ever created, that ever will be created. Early in life, Toshiko was mentored in magic by her grandfather. When she reached her late teens, she was sent to a Mage Circle in London to train. It was here that she chose to abandon her family's goal, firmly believing it to be unattainable. While her family was initially outraged by her decision and desired to kill her, they eventually decided she would simply need punishment instead. This was, in part, because Toshiko's sister had not displayed the same desire to give up. Deciding to pursue the goal of immortality, Toshiko returned to Japan and founded the Fu Sonzai no Gensō detective agency in an effort to ensure pleasant life wasn't disrupted. Also to make money.