Ever heard of Asura's Wrath? It's been called the Japanese God of War, but if you ask me, Kratos has nothing on Asura. First boss is bigger than the planet, after all. My basic idea is to re-enact the events of Asura's Wrath, but with player characters, which means it could go a whole lot of different ways. Though the plot will remain about the same, the characters made by any interested players will be the defining factors.

Basic plot
All conflict in this universe can be traced back to one central fact: the planet, gaea, is alive. The will of the planet is to remain wild and masterless, and for all life on it to be wild and masterless, which puts the will of the planet totally at odds with the very idea of civilization itself. For the purpose of eradicating mankind, it has spawned the Gohma—creatures with the shape of animals but skin of black ash and veins of crimson lava. And within the planet's fiery center is the a gargantuan monster of immeasurable impurity that awakens every thirteen thousand years, rising from the planet's surface and destroying entire continents in the process.

Fortunately, there is another primeval force at odds with the will of the planet: Mantra. Though it takes many forms, Mantra is the antithesis of wilderness, as it embodies a facet of human behavior and consciousness. Few humans have are able to harness the power of Mantra, but those who do gain superhuman strength, agility, regeneration, long life, and overall survivability, not to mention the power to breath in space. It is in space lies the massive wherein lie the forces that fight against the Gohma and subdue Vlitra whenever it arises, led by the Emperor of Shinkoku, Strada. Fighting under the Emperor, and leading Shinkoku's soldiers, are the demigod Guardian Generals, individuals of great power whose positions grant them Mantra Reactors implanted in their torsos, whose power is augmented by both the strength of the generals' personal Mantras and the volume of prayers offered by mortals.

Synopsis
This is intended to be a high-energy, combat-focused RP, of high casual standards. It is sent into the ancient past, but thanks to Mantra, those from the Karma Fortress have futuristic technology, though stylized in a mystical manner. Once all characters are created, we will begin the roleplay with a massive space battle against Gohma carriers launching from gaea's surface toward the Karma Fortress, and we'll show off our characters' powers, relationships, and personalities during that time. Afterward, I will select an individual from the players known as the Castaway, and another known as the Ringleader. Both of these players will have special responsibilities; basically, one becomes the story's main hero and the other becomes the main villain. Everyone else starts off on the side of the Ringleader, but I may allow a couple to defect, or pursue other courses. I will also be assigning specific roles to characters like Strategist, Right-Hand Man, and Fleet Commander. Not all people will be required to post consistently, but when you're called, I will expect you to show up. It is very likely that characters will die.

Here's a sheet if you want to start brainstorming:



Name: (I will not accept any modern names)

Sex:

Apparent Age: (This is just how old the character looks)

Mantra: (This is your character's theme, what defines their personality, abilities, ideals, basically everything. While it must have a sizable impact on your character, it can be implemented in creative ways. The available Mantras are: Gluttony, Indulgence, Perfectionism, Envy, Terror, Ambition, tenacity, Servility, Audacity, Conceit, Despair, Arrogance, Rage, Brutality, Greed, Indolence, and Cupidity. If you have an idea for another one, let me know)

Power: (In addition the the generic superhuman abilities shared by characters. It must be befitting your Mantra)

Primary Attack: (What your character uses to fight in normal circumstances. This can include a weapon, or using your character's power offensively. If barehanded, specify the style)

Vajra Form: (A more powerful form assumable by your character when motivated. This change is physical)

Mantra Form: (A seriously powerful form assumable by your character when really motivated, and using your Mantra Reactor, which uses up Mantra, a finite resource)

End-all Form: (Only certain characters may access this form. It is ridiculously powerful and humongously-sized, using up incredible amounts of Mantra from the Karma Fortress)

Ranking Event: (How your character came to possess the title of Guardian General. This counts as a limited form of backstory. Generally, it involves your character either defeating an existing General and taking their position, or being given the position after the retirement/death of an existing General)

Personality: (Highly dependent on Mantra. Making your character either completely good or completely bad is not a great idea. I know the Mantras mostly have negative connotations, but one or more of them are going to at the very least be anti-heroes, so being too definitively bad will eliminate that possibility for you, and being too good isn't really an option.)

Precious Thing: (Something that seriously motivates your character. The loss of this thing would make your character hellbent on revenge, and the threatened loss of this thing might make your character perform unspeakable acts)

Appearance: (I will not accept any modern looks. This is set in the ancient past, and not in Europe. I would vastly prefer your character's clothing to be stylized in an eastern fashion, which includes any country in Asia except for Russia, including the Middle East and India. Your characters themselves can be of any body type, from muscular to scrawny to obese to decrepit, and may or may not have symbolic tattoos. The Mantra Reactor in your body turns any part of the body commonly used for combat into a durable golden metal, and can even weaponize body parts. You must use written description for your character, but if you can find a suitable image you can also use that image and then just give a written description of that)



-two more examples to come-

Oh, and I need help coming up with a title for the RP proper, should this arouse any interest, seeing as neither Asura nor his wrath will be present in this story.