[b]Overview[/b] This story is a fantasy that takes place in an era where advances in technology are minimized do to the influence of magic. Those who have greater magical abilities are able to gain control due to their power over those with less or no magical abilities. The use of magic has prevented the development of technology until the last 100 years, which has brought about a booming industrial age. Due to this, the landscape resembles that of older eras. Walls and towers are commonly used to defend major cities and territories. Yet guns are quickly replacing blade weapons for non-magic users. This is (most likely) the final draft of the first post of the OOC if I get enough interest. It’s based off an old RP I did a long time ago and after the changes I have made it should be good to go. If there are inactive characters they will be used in whichever way will continue the plot. I would also highly recommend that writers work together to create coop posts to help move the story along. Especially when there are a lot of characters interacting or doing a long dialogue. [b]The Story[/b] A small group of Special Battalion of Libertatem has been given orders to investigate the rumors of an Orb User in Heimat. The Imperial country of Heimat has recently began moving large forces of its military around, raising tensions in many of the surrounding nations. [b]Sources of Magic[/b] [b]Mana[/b] Mana is the source of life, and composes the world. Without mana, nothing would exist. There are two forms of mana: Natural Mana, and Personal Mana. [b]Natural Mana:[/b] Natural Mana is what everything in world is made of. It is the very essence that allows living things to survive. This type of Mana is not what Casters, Shifters, Summoners and Unimasters use. [b]Personal Mana:[/b] Personal Mana is the excess energy that is stored by Casters, Shifters, Summoners and Unimasters which enables them to use magic. This Mana is constantly regenerating in the body. Personal Mana can be expelled out of the body, in the form of Mana Thread. When it's in your body, Personal Mana in all of its forms cannot be seen with the exception a class of people with special abilities. [b]Mana Thread:[/b] Mana Thread is created when a Caster, Shifter, Summoner or Unimaster expels the excess Personal Mana in their body. It travels quickly according to a pattern in the mind of the person and then can be converted to create or manipulate the primary and secondary elements. [b]Primary Elements:[/b] These are Fire, Water, Air and Earth. They are the basis for all magic spells. [b]Secondary Elements:[/b] These are accessed when a magic user has mastered two of the primary elements. Fire mixed with Air will create Lightning, Fire mixed with Earth will create Metal, Water mixed with Air will create a Tornado, and Water mixed with Earth will create Ice. There is a fifth Secondary element and that can only be accessed by Casters. It is the ability to create barriers and healing magic. [b]The Users of Magic[/b] Mana can be used and manipulated during combat situations. The categories of magic users are Caster, Shifter, Summoner or Unimaster. Regardless of the class each magic user is limited to 2 spells/summons/shifting at one time. At a young age children are required by law to meet with a mana reader, an individual who can tell what a child’s abilities are by seeing the amount of mana their bodies hold. They can tell if the child is a Caster, Shifter, Summoner or Unimaster. From there they are transferred to the appropriate school if they are or aren’t users of magic. Please note that those who use their mana the most will naturally have more of it. For example, a Summoner will have a lot more mana than a Caster but that is because a Summoner uses more mana to Summon than a Caster uses to cast. [b]Casters[/b] Mages, popularly known as "Casters" by people over the world, use their own energies as their weapon. They must stand still at the moment they cast a spell and [i]can not move[/i] until they finish casting the spell. By expelling their Personal Mana as Mana Thread they create a pattern according to their desired target then convert their Mana Thread into an element to attack. They can only specialize in three of the four Primary Elements. They are the only ones who can use healing or protective magic, but to do so they must only mast 2 of the Primary Elements. Casters, by their very nature, have an advantage against Summoners. The Summons created are only one element. Casters just have to pick the appropriate counter element and can make short work of a powerful summon. But they are at a disadvantage against Shifters who specialize in assuming control of casted elements. [b]Shifters[/b] Shifters are the magic users who can manipulate casted elements. They are able to attack while on the move, which makes them extremely dangerous foes in combat. Shifters draw their power by using their Personal Mana in a unique way. They expel Mana Thread that intertwines with another’s elemental attack, overpower it, and then redirect it to a new target. Because of this specialization they are more limited on which Primary or Secondary Elements they can control. They can only specialize in two of the four. They are able to deflect Secondary elemental attacks with mastery in only one of the two Primary elements. (For example an Air and Earth shifter can deflect all Secondary Elements but can’t take control of them. They would only be able to control Air and Earth spells.) Shifters have a great advantage over Casters because they can take control of casted magic and redirect the attack to targets of their will. They are at a disadvantage when fighting a Summoner since the Summon can’t be harmed by the element it’s made of. [b]Summoners[/b] Utilizing their form of unique manipulation of mana, Summoners create creatures of any element. They must stand still at the moment they Summon. Once they have the creature Summoned they are free to move around, unlike mages. The summon can attack with magic just like a Caster but is limited to the element it is created from. Summoners are not limited in their choice of Primary or Secondary elements but can only summon up to two creatures at a time. The creature is implanted with a small shadow soul. This costs a great deal of Personal Mana and multiple summons per battle is extremely taxing on the Summoner’s body. The Summons don’t feel pain but do take damage. Summons, like Casters, can create magic spells but this drains the Summon of mana much quicker than if the Summon just did melee combat. Summoners have an advantage over Shifters since their Summons can’t be harmed but the element they attack with and their Summon can’t be controlled by the Shifter. They are at a disadvantage when up against a Caster since the Caster can create a variety of elements. [b]Unimasters[/b] Unimasters are fully in tune with a single element (Primary or Secondary). This is done through the control of every form magic. The ability to shift, cast, and summon grants a tremendous advantage in combat, but the greatest drawback to doing this is that you can only have full mastery over one element. [b]Specialty Users of Magic[/b] While Caster, Shifter, Summoner and Unimaster are the primary types of true magic use, there are a few blended types of magic user. There are also unique ways to use mana allowing people to read other people’s minds. [hider=My Hider] [b]Readers[/b] Much like how people can read a book, readers can tap into the human mind and look at their thoughts. Anyone can be a reader, in fact just because you are a reader doesn’t mean you can’t be a Caster, Summoner or anything else. Reader’s sense the Personal Mana of those around them, even if they can’t see them, and then can chose which mind to dive into. There are limitations but these vary between classes of readers. There are three primary types of readers. [b]Cover Readers[/b] Cover readers are readers who can read surface thoughts like reading off the cover of a book. They can only read the short term memory area of the brain. That means they only know what the person was thinking, seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, or tasting in the last 20 to 30 seconds. The big drawback is that you don’t get the reasons behind people’s actions. Also they can’t read everyone’s mind at once otherwise they would go insane due to sensory overload. Cover readers can only read one person’s mind at a time. [b]Inner Readers[/b] Inner readers are able to read the content of the mind. They look at everything in the person’s long term memory but they can’t access the short term memory, which is the last 20 to 30 seconds. The biggest drawback is the fact that they can’t see what the person they are reading is about to do. They also can only read one mind at a time. [b]Mana Reader[/b] Mana readers read a person’s mana. They see the expelled Mana Thread allowing them to predict the size, strength and the element of the attack. The strongest mana readers would only see the colors of Mana Threads but the rest of the world would be black and white. The major drawback is that just because they can see an attack doesn’t mean that they can always dodge or block it. [b]Guardians[/b] A Guardian is a person chosen by an Origin Orb to protect it from all the people who are after the orb. The people chosen are usually Caster, Shifter, Summoner or Unimaster. Guardians are people who are exceptionally good at combat and are extremely good at being a Caster, Shifter, Summoner or Unimaster. On top of the added ability to be better than normal in the magical department they are immune to all readers except the Mana Reader. They are also the only people in the world who have the ability to teleport. They carry around the orb within their body which causes most of the general population to think that orbs are just myths. Each Guardian has a curse placed upon them the moment they gain their Guardian powers. Each curse is unique to the orb. So for example the Guardian of the air orb has the curse of making the Guardian unable to touch the air orb. When a Guardian dies the orb chooses another person to take their place and they would also inherit the same curse of being unable to touch the air orb. The basic job of a Guardian, besides keeping the orb safe, is to find the person who can use the Origin Orb, test them and then give them the Origin Orb. Once they complete the task of finding the Orb User they can decide if they want to continue being a Guardian or not. [/hider] [b]Magical Items[/b] Magical items are useful things that are used to perform magic and some can be use by people without any magic abilities at all. Useable items include Origin Gems, Origin Orbs, and Magic Conductive Metal. [hider=My Hider] [b]Origin Gems[/b] These little gems are able to cast spells with the help of an individual. The person doesn’t even need to have any abilities with magic, all they must do is touch the gem and think about casting a spell. When the Origin Gem was created it was implanted with a limited amount of Personal Mana which usually lasts for a few battles. Each gem is tuned to a Primary or Secondary element (including the healing and defensive element) and can only cast that element. Due to the energy inside being unstable adding more Personal Mana would result in the energy being amplified to the point of overloading. The gem then explodes like a grenade go off. Because of the instability of origin gems, Casters and Summoners can’t handle origin gems. Their natural abilities with Personal Mana would make the gem overload within half of a single second of contact with their skin. This is not true for Shifters because they do not convert Mana Thread into an element. [b]Magic Conductive Metal (MCM)[/b] Magic Conductive Metal (MCM) is used primarily by Casters and Summoners. It can be made into weapons or armor. They use these items as a storehouse of extra Personal Mana since the body can only hold a certain amount. This mana can then be used in combat without burning up the reserves of Personal Mana in their bodies. Just like casting, the metal will expel Mana Thread in a pattern from the person’s mind and then convert into an element of the person’s choosing. This means that Summoners would be able to cast a spell at an enemy. The metal can only expel a limited amount of Mana Thread at one time and the spells cast are always weaker than what a Caster could create from their body. This is helpful for Casters to throw up a quick block against an elemental attack or to boost the power to a spell from their own body. Because it runs off of depositing Personal Mana, Shifters and normal humans can’t use MCM. They lack the knowledge of converting from Mana Thread to an element so for them it's just like holding a regular weapon or wearing regular armor. [b]Artifact Weapons[/b] Artifact weapons and armor are MCM items that have a shadow of the original holder's soul. This shadow soul is what gives an artifact item its power. The soul allows the weapon or armor to regenerate the Personal Mana used. In addition, the soul has a connection with the person using it. This allows the weapon or armor to be able to expel more Mana Thread and cast more powerful spells. The way an artifact item is created is by the owner of the item depositing an extremely vast amount of Personal Mana into the MCM over many years. When an individual crafts an artifact item, only they can harness its power. The only time someone outside the creator can use an artifact weapon is with the creator's death. Even then, there are conditions that apply to tapping into such a power. The shadow soul within the weapon or armor must find the new person acceptable. If not, the shadow soul will duel with the soul of the person holding the artifact item. If the shadow soul wins, the holder will die. If the shadow soul loses it will be replaced with a copy of the victor’s soul. [b]Origin Orbs[/b] Origin Orbs are the most powerful magical item. They were created at the beginning of time and help regulate the flow of Mana throughout the world. Because of this important task they are very different than any other magical item. They literally are alive and have a will of their own. They chose a Guardian who is destined to travel the world in search of the Orb’s user. Once a suitable user is found the Guardian must test them to make sure the person is a good candidate to receive the Orb. Orbs can only be used and guarded by one individual. Orbs are almost always stored inside a person’s body. This means that only one person can use the orb and only that person can use it until they die. When an orb looses its Guardian and/or user it will immediately teleport itself to the nearest user or Guardian. This teleportation will cause a few days delay in the time it takes for either to activate their powers as Guardian or user. Orb Users gain one of the three abilities when they are accepted by the orb and Guardian. [b]Divine Summon[/b] This is a very powerful summon restricted to the orb’s element. This would be more powerful than any creature a Summoner could create but it is restricted to the orb’s element. [b]Divine Attack[/b] This is a very powerful elemental attack well above what a Caster could create. It is restricted to the orb’s element. [b]Divine Shifting[/b] This ability would give the Orb User Shifting abilities of the orb’s element. They would also be able to create and then shift the element making them more powerful than any other Shifter. Now with each type of orb you can double cast, shift or summon. You can still use combination magic at the same time and you can combine one spell/Summon of the orb with one spell/Summon of your own. Meaning that no matter what you can at max have two spells or Summons. Also note that when using the orbs ability you don’t burn your Personal Mana because the energy comes from the orb. List of Orbs: Orange (Fire)- Currently open [Guardian: Currently open] Ocean Blue (Water)- Currently open [Guardian: Currently open] Clear (Air)- Currently open [Guardian: Currently open] Brown (Earth)- Currently open [Guardian: Currently open] Dark Blue (lightning)- Currently open [Guardian: Reserved] Cyan (ice)- Currently open [Guardian: Currently open] Steel (metal)- Currently open [Guardian: Currently open] Grey (Tornado)- Currently open [Guardian: Currently open] [/hider] [b]The World[/b] Here are some places of importance in the world. The world is split up between the main continent and many smaller islands that surround the continent. That way if you want your character to have a unique background it will not interfere with the other countries of the world. Please take advantage of it if you want! [b]Heimat[/b] Heimat has spent the last 50 years conquering its way across the main continent. It now controls every inch. Many of its cities still have the defenses from these wars of conquest. The wars have increased economic growth and technology but with the conclusion of the last war 5 years ago the economy has been in a major recession. It’s a vast region with many geologically different areas and resources. Politically the country is consolidating power and has been moving a lot of its military around. [b]Libertatem[/b] 50 Years ago Libertatem went through a devastating civil war that resulted in a Representative style Republic. It elects its Executive Branch Leader (Consul) to enforce the laws, the Senate creates the laws of the land and judge the laws of the land. To remove one group of elected officials from having too much power over the military it was made into its own separate branch of the government. The military is led by a dictatorship with 5 Admirals making decisions on everything. Their headquarters are located on an island that is out of the way from most shipping lanes. Due to their isolation they have always been self-sufficient. The military has been focused on creating new industries to create trade opportunities. Because of their powerful military operatives they have become a peacekeeping force that helps other nations settle disputes. Most nations are afraid of crossing Libertatem and usually work with them to settle disputes. Some of the larger and more powerful nations look at Libertatem and see a threat. Libertatem recruits the best fighters in the world and offers many incentives for their services. [hider=My hider] [b]Libertatem Military Battalion Break Down[/b] Officers: Admiral Rear Admiral Fleet Captain Captain Lieutenant First Lieutenant Second lieutenant Third Lieutenant Ensign Non-Commissioned Officers: Chief Petty Officer Petty Officer 1st Class Petty Officer 2nd Class Petty Officer 3rd Class Enlisted Personal: Crewman First Class Crewman New Recruit [b]Judicial Battalion:[/b] The Judicial battalion is in charge of keeping the peace within Libertatem. If the need to investigate members of Libertatem arises they are the ones who do the investigating, trial and sentencing. Because of their responsibilities they live at Libertatem and this battalion is the smallest in number but arguably one of the most powerful and important. In order to be in this battalion one must have completed 5 years field time and have an officer rank. [b]Cleric Battalion:[/b] The Cleric battalion specializes in medical support. They are a standard in any coordinated activities that Libertatem is involved in. They also deal in researching new and innovative ways of healing with magic. This is one of the smallest battalions in Libertatem due to the infrequent needs of healers on large missions. Most operatives in this battalion specialize in medicinal magic and defensive magic. [b]Maintenance Battalion:[/b] This is where most of the research for weapons is done. The maintenance personal that keep everything in working order are also a part of this battalion. They don’t actually participate in the operations themselves but they keep the people in the field supplied with anything they may need for their operations. This battalion, like the Judicial battalion doesn’t have members go out on missions and resides permanently in Libertatem. [b]Armed forces Battalion:[/b] This battalion is the largest in Libertatem. They are in charge of large offensive operations and defensive operations. Roughly half of this battalion is stationed at the island at all times to defend against possible attack. The other half is on missions divided up into squads of a few operatives, which are scattered all over the world. [b]Special Battalion:[/b] The Special battalion is the battalion for any and all individuals that have an exceptional rare combat style or specialty in combat magic. Be it casting, shifting or summoning. They are the elite fighters in Libertatem. [/hider]