[center][h1][color=gold]Wishing Star[/color][/h1]
[img]http://www.lovethispic.com/uploaded_images/129384-My-Bright-Star.jpg[/img][/center]

The wishing star, a legendary stone, said to have the ability to grant any wish. It has changed history every time it was found and continues to influence the current generation, but its presence has disappeared from recent history and the world has forgotten about this legendary artefact. Until now. A mysterious stranger heralded the star’s return into the century. His words spurred the continent to the exploration and settlement of The Frontier, a wild and untamed stretch of land, unexplored since ancient times due to an impassable mountain range. 

With modern technology that barrier has since been overcome and people have flocked in droves to the frontier. All who enter those treacherous lands don’t do so lightly. Many seek the wishing star, rich and poor alike. More than anything, the rumours of the wishing star attract the desperate, those whose wishes can’t be granted by normal means. Some causes are just, some less so, but there’s no justice in the frontier unless you deal it out yourself. The only law that governs the frontier is the law of the jungle. Take or be taken from, kill or be killed.

[hr][h2]The world[/h2]
It’s the turn of the century, and the three most powerful nations of the continent have signed a peace treaty after years of constant warfare. The terms of the peace treaty included the sharing of knowledge and freedom of trade. The treaty advanced technology and generated progress throughout the land, although the three nations kept their best secrets to themselves.

[h2]The nations[/h2]
[hider=Sola Kingdom]The strongest nation in terms of man power is the Sola kingdom. Established on fertile plains, the Sola kingdom had prides itself on tenacity. Their defensive prowess is lauded as the best in the continent. Their heavy knights and cavalry are almost unstoppable on the field of battle. Their people are free spirited and generally positive from having the freedom to stretch their wings. They have, however, had issues with other races, especially marauding-types such as goblins and orcs, who wanted to take some of their bountiful resources. But in recent years, that schism has been done away with for the most part, although there’s still plenty of people who discriminate against other races and there’s still a long way to go before things really even out. The Sola Kingdom features a royal family, the current head of which is in his 70s as his sons have yet to prove that they can replace him.[/hider]
[hider=Magnus Empire]
In terms of racism, the worst nation is probably the Magnus Empire. At least Sola had time to get into the swing of things before the orcs attacked. The Magnus Empire was founded in an area with scant vegetation, not because they wanted to settle there but because they had no other choice. They were chased out of their lands by various monster races, and then they were chased out of the next land by the ones that lived there. This happened for quite some time before they finally settled down. What they found in that canyon of theirs, however, changed them forever. They found the runes of their ancestors, the ancient ways of magic. They used this to turn their fate around, carving a nation for themselves and taking land from their surroundings. The culture of the Magnus Empire is the least receptive of other races as many have a deep rooted fear of their previous oppressors. However, the Magnus Empire considers power first and foremost, and while rare, it is theoretically possible for people of other races to climb to positions of power. The emperor of Magnus is always changing as it typically goes to whoever proves they can do the job better. The current emperor has been emperor for a decade unopposed.[/hider]
[hider=Yaroi Republic]
The nation with the most advanced technology is undoubtedly the Yaroi Republic, a nation which thrives on an island chain. The volcanic eruptions of ancient times led to mountainous lands of fertile soil, which eventually grew abundant forests. But this bounty had to be shared. Unlike the Magnus Empire, when the humans of the Yaroi republic were faced with racial threats, they bargained for their space and offered their services. The Yaroi Republic was built on the efforts of everyone, and its ruling system features a council of elected leaders, representative of parts of the Republic. Yaroi is currently the most equal state as it values the ability to contribute more than race or appearance. Because of their wealth of metal that exceeds the other 2 nations, they have risen to be the most technologically productive of the bunch.[/hider]
A few years ago, the 3 nations signed a peace treaty which allowed the sharing of information. This resulted in the mass production of firearms, widespread magic education and standardised military formations, although the greatest secrets are kept to their respective nations.

[b]In regards to money:[/b]
Most of the world settles for gold but unsettled tribes in the frontier settle for trading. The standard price for a day’s worth of rations is 5 silver, give or take. A bad revolver is worth somewhere around 100 gp, which is about the price for a pretty good sword. Different materials increase the price of equipment. Regional specialties may also affect the price range of goods and even a character’s race can affect how much a shopkeeper will sell their goods for.
[h2]The frontier[/h2]
[hider=Frontier map]
[img]http://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/34622871-8924-4890-ac2e-3a07ff554a59.jpg[/img]
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It has been a year since the continent began settling the frontier, and many have managed to stake their claims on its soil. The frontier settlers have mainly focused on self-sufficiency, building up their living space before they take the time to fully explore their surroundings. While there have been scouting expeditions in order to locate resources, the majority of the frontier is shrouded in mystery.

[b]Dust:[/b] The story begins in the fledgling town of Dust, what used to be a small stopping town on the way to the frontier proper. With the sudden rise in popularity of the frontier, the town has grown to take advantage of the trend. Shops selling arms and cafes sprang up in the wake of the wave of interest, and Dust has grown to be known as the starting point for those who wish to enter the frontier.

[b]Ironsong:[/b] The city of Iron. Nestled in the mountain range that marks the border between the frontier and the rest of the continent, Ironsong lives off the minerals they find inside the mountains they live amongst. What the surrounding area lacks in vegetation, it makes up for it in its wealth of metal and jewels. The people of Ironsong are a hardy bunch, consisting of many hardworking people. It transports much of its metals to the other settlements.

[b]Woodvale:[/b] The smallest town on the frontier, flanked on 2 sides by a forest. A rather diminutive town, it’s mostly used as a resupplying town for travellers, a short stop between Richtown and Ironsong. As such its population is rather small and combining that with the Woodvale mists that blanket the town regularly, not many stay in Woodvale for very long. Besides that, there’ve been some strange sightings reported in the woods around Woodvale recently...

[b]Richtown:[/b] The largest town in the frontier, funded mostly out of the pocket of the enigmatic Mr Rich, the richest man in civilised society and owner of Richtown. It’s more of a city than a settlement, it was developed very quickly as Mr Rich spared no expense in its construction. It features many services, including stores that sell anything from leather to luxury goods. It even features an advanced harbour and airship docks. Richtown has its own imports and exports but makes most of its money from tourism. It’s rather expensive to get a ticket to Richtown, or rather a ticket onto any airship anywhere. The town itself is informally divided into a tourist section and a working section. Prices are generally much higher in the tourist section but the quality is more consistent. In the work section quality is often not quite as high but there are many hidden gems to be found and exploring Richtown can be an adventure all on its own.

[b]The dark lands:[/b] A strange patch of land where nothing grows. Not a single blade of grass sprouts from its soil and the sky is almost perpetually covered with dark clouds. Strangest of all, a large citadel sits close to the center of the dark lands. Its architecture suggests it was a part of ancient civilisation, a lost link to a history none remember, yet it stands eerily untouched and strangely empty, as if all of the city’s occupants had taken all of their belongings and left very suddenly. A search of the citadel yielded nothing, no treasures, no bodies, no history. There has never been any mention of a civilisation on that part of the continent before. A very strange stretch of land, no one knows exactly what happened there.

[h2]Exploration[/h2]
Outside the borders of the frontier settlements, there are various beasts that may just try to make a hapless adventurer into a hapless meal. Generally speaking, however, large groups of people tend to scare away most would-be predators. However, there are occasionally some specimens desperate enough to take a risk against a larger group, although such beasts are rare. Nevertheless, beasts aren’t the only thing to watch out for.
Wandering bandits who make a living off attacking other adventurers, scammers who take advantage of less savvy people, even other adventurers. The Wishing Star is a prize worth dying for, so it follows that it would be a prize worth killing for. 

Most surprisingly of all, some who come to the frontier don’t do it for the wishing star. The rest of the frontier is an unsullied oyster, its natural resources are almost boundless and a great wealth of ancient history lies beneath its earth. Some people in the frontier have been there since the very start, the frontier natives of various tribes. A great variety of races are spread amongst the vast land of the frontier, some not particularly welcoming of outside intrusion.

[h2]But how do you defend yourself in the frontier?[/h2]
[hider=It’s dangerous to go alone, so take this.]
[h2][u]Frontier survivor’s guide to living for longer than 5 minutes[/u][/h2]
The frontier’s a harsh place, but there’s a solution to every problem. More importantly, there’s always a sharp stick for every beast, bandit or wall that happens to look at you funny. It’s a dangerous world, but if you arm yourself well enough then it’s the world that needs to be afraid of you.

There are 3 types of weapons commonly used in the frontier, 1 sub-type that doesn’t count as a full weapon type (the hybrid) and 1 type that is often ignored. They are as follows:
[hider=Magical wizardry]
Everything that lives has magic in it, whether they can use it or not is another matter entirely. It permeates all living things and causes a number of health benefits including faster reflexes and increased natural regeneration. Magic is life and most are content to leave it at that, but as always, there are those who take it further. Magic is divided into 2 sub-categories; runic magic, the most common, and innate magic, which is fairly uncommon (although technically everyone has it what with magic being in everyone but shh).
[hider=Rune magic]
Our ancestors knew what they were doing with this stuff and words have been a traditional source of power for a long time. Several different cultures have different runic alphabets tied to ancient roots, and each works in different ways to each other. Magic has been everywhere for a long time and using the written language as a conduit for magical power has led to a practical and easy to use method of magic.

Runic magic uses written letters to collect, store and process magical power before releasing it to wreak havoc on your foes. There are several types of runes and several different ways of releasing the magic, such as the constant release runes which, when active, filters magic constantly to do the job, one-off runes which do the job once before disappearing, and multi-use which can be used again and again. Any living being can use activate rune magic, but not many take the time to learn the bothersome process of rune magic as if you mix it up even the slightest bit you might find that you accidentally used Laguz rather than Ansuz, making your all-important prisoner of war spill water rather than the beans. Runic magic needs precision to get the best effect and as such impractical is to create in direct combat, but prior preparation can more than make up for the lack of speed with copious amounts of power and can be rather versatile. Put it on a rock and you’ve got some throwing magic. Tattoo it on yourself to get out of a hairy situation, or put it on your weapons for extra punch. A lot of things can be done with runic magic but if you’re in dire need of a bear’s strength and all you have is 3 slots worth of owls’ wisdom then you’re going to have a bad time.
[/hider]
[hider=Innate magic]
Rather than the INT-based knowledge-centric runic magic, innate magic is a much more comfortably CHA based affair. Runes act as conduits for magic power but the human body has lines too. Some people are born with their veins and muscles twisted in such a way that their bodies act as natural conduits for magical power. These innate magicians are colloquially referred to as ‘psykers’ by some; namely, me. Innate magic has great base power but far less potential than runic magic, with the ability to dispense a quick and easy solution, albeit a weaker and potentially less efficient solution that masterfully executed rune magic could attain.

Innate magic is pretty much a shortcut to the results and can be used to an extent (a really short extent, mind you) by most, but to pull out any real power it must be trained and cultivated. Similar to rune magic; less easy to find but is usually intuitive to learn. Innate magicians can make for some pretty creative people.
[/hider]
[/hider]
[hider=Sword and bored]
[u]Melee weapons[/u]
Don’t let the title fool you, melee weapons can be as interesting or uninteresting as you’d like them to be. Swords, axes, maces, polearms, whatever you can think of. The age old adage of bigger sticks being weightier and more satisfying can ring true, but small sticks have their own selling points. The simplest and one of the most diverse category of fighting power, some morons even resort to using their fists in a world of guns and magic, but this is a world where bringing a sword to a gunfight isn’t necessarily a downside and with the aid of innate magic, fists can be used to deflect bullets, it just takes a lot of balls and practise.

Many melee-enthusiasts utilise armor to better protect themselves in a fight but armour is expensive and some get just by on their speed and a lot of luck. This process is made somewhat easier as magic naturally increases human reflexes, allowing sword-wielding fighters to really stand up to those pesky rangers.
[/hider]

[hider=Way of the gun (and other ranged weaponry)]
Don’t let the name fool you (again). Guns are the newest and most undisciplined form of combat to date, although that hasn’t prevented the rise of gun disciplines and the legendary gun kata is a sight to behold. With that being said, the majority of plebs can only dream of mastering gun fu and must instead settle for boring old reliable ranged damage from behind cover.

There are several schools of thought that believe the gun is the penultimate weapon of range that replace all previous conventional range weapons; a school of thought which happens to be wrong. Guns were created to replace cumbersome crossbows; if one takes time to master the bow then they can make their weapons perform far better than any gun. But a big bow is hard to fit in a narrow doorway. Guns are easy to use, easy to carry and are pretty convenient but lack the skill ceiling other ranged weapons (such as the good old throwing rock) can display.
[/hider]
[hider=Hybrid weapon extension package (only $9.99!)]
Hybrid weapons are weapons that mix the weapon types to create unique combinations. It’s to be noted that etching reusable runes onto conventional weapons is a common occurrence, but gun blades are significantly rare, if not unique, because people discovered a long time ago that they kind of suck. A weapon is best if it’s balanced for either swordplay or gunplay, so gun blades typically either end up being impractically large bladed bayonets or really bad swords that shoot bullets into your leg.

Runic enchanting is usually the way to go. Anyone alive can use it, though some have specific control requirements. Common enchantments need simply for a living thing to hold the weapon, but some enchantments require the injection of magic to activate its effect. Some require more magic, some less. Some build it by absorbing magic from the environment or take it from the user directly. There’s a lot of stuff you can do with it, with a range of prices.
[/hider]
[hider=The dusty neglected last weapon category rule book not considered canon by fans but which is still written by the original author]
The final weapon you can use in the frontier is one that is often forgotten. Diplomacy, speechcraft, the greatest weapon in a politician’s arsenal and the one tool most often used last, if at all. A skilled fighter can take on 10 men at once, the world’s best gun can kill 10 men at once, a well prepared spell can kill hundreds, but a well-placed word can end conflict before it even begins. In a way, this weapon is the most difficult to use and master, but it’s not without rewards. The many factions that fight for supremacy may just heed a friendly word. Everyone has their enemies but not many have more allies than their nemesis. 
[/hider]
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[hr][h2]Now that that’s over with…[/h2]
Since one of my RPs suddenly died and the rest were moving extremely slowly, I was suddenly left with a lot of boredom on my hands and a bit of time, so I decided it was finally time to live up to my title. With that said, here’re some “rules” to bring order to this chaotic age.

[h2]guidelines[/h2]
Because rules aren’t my style.
[hider=You better read this, there’s only 3]
[h3]Point 1: Keep the OOC clean.[/h3]
Banter is all well and good but if 2 of you start getting it on (an argument, that is), then you should get a room. 
[h3]Point 2: Silence is golden but gold is overrated.[/h3]
Something that needs to be clarified first (or not quite first) is the fact that I’m not perfect [s](though I’m damn close)[/s]. I may well screw up at some point due to any number of factors, and I may not even notice it, depending on what those factors are. So speak up when you need to, or if you think you need to. This somewhat relates to the next guideline, but not that much.
[h3]Point 3: Enjoy your stay.[/h3]
If you’re not enjoying it then what’s the point? I’m trying to have fun, you’re trying to have fun. I may be GM but I’ve got to respect your rights to a good game. If you’re not having fun then, chances are, something went wrong somewhere down the line. Invoke this guideline whenever you feel like you’re not enjoying it as much as you should and I’m not doing anything about it.
[/hider]
[b]Posting order:[/b] There isn’t one. Say what you have to say, as long as you get it over with in a timely manner, we’ll be fine with it. Just have a reason for it, alright? Don’t go for 3 pages of absolutely nothing.
[b]Writing standards:[/b] The only thing I expect from your writing is that you put thought into it. Check it before you submit it, just make sure you don’t dig yourself into a hole. I’ll be calling out if it’s a real outlier but otherwise, I don’t really care that much.

[hr][h2]Character sheets[/h2]
Post them in the OOC first, alright?

[hider=CS template]
[u]Biographical details[/u]

[b]Name:[/b] Self-explanatory
[b]Appearance:[/b] Either a description or picture. Clothes can be described in the armour section.
[b]Race:[/b] Up to your discretion but don’t go overboard. Keep in mind that certain races have been discriminated against in the past. You will get racial characteristics from your races but some people will be prejudiced against certain races and act accordingly.
[b]Height:[/b] Yeah, I need this.
[b]Weight:[/b] As above
[b]Age:[/b] There aren’t any restrictions, but you have to be reasonable.
[b]Occupation:[/b] Pretty much whatever you want, but it has to make sense.
[b]Personality:[/b] Description of what they’re like, what they do at parties, etc. I want some variety, arite?
[b]History:[/b] Whatever you want to reveal to other players. Be creative with what you leave out, if you want to leave something out. Note that your character doesn’t have to specifically be looking for the wishing star, but if they are looking for it it’d make it easier for me.
[b]Other:[/b] Quirks, fears, favourite colour, whatever you want to mention that you haven’t yet.

[u]Combat section[/u]
[b]Weapons:[/b] Your current arms, formatted in such a way that there’s space to talk about its special characteristics. Be creative. Weapons shouldn’t be anything too crazy yet.
[b]Armour:[/b] What you’re wearing, formatted as above. Also include the clothes you’re wearing.
[b]magic:[/b] Runic, innate or none. With runic magic you typically inscribe 1 use runes onto something or other, like paper or something, and use it whenever. Innate magic works a lot like psychic powers in that you can naturally manipulate or do something that’s magicky without runes.
[b]Fighting style:[/b] Exactly as it sounds. Do you fight up close and personal or long ranged? Do you jump in and gun everything down or are you more careful with your approach? Or, controversially, do you prefer not to fight at all?

[u]Miscellaneous stuff (well I say misc stuff but it’s pretty important)[/u]
[b]Inventory:[/b] Your other gear that you haven’t listed, including food, water, and tools. I’d prefer you list these. Keep in mind that you should be well stocked, it’ll be a long trip and you don’t want to be unprepared. You can stock up on food and water in most towns, but certain towns won’t have certain tools.
[b]Money:[/b] Everyone gets around 150 starting gold, or somewhere around there. Gold can be used to buy goods, bribe people and upgrade stuff. Having money is good and not having it is pretty annoying, but I’ll do my best not to let you die without it. Keep track of your expenses and update the gold tally regularly.
[/hider]
You better read this: 
[hider=regulations]
Let me just make a few things clear. Let's get the small stuff out of the way first: You don't have to start with any supplies like rations or whatever unless you really want to, you can buy them in the first town when the RP begins. There's only one general rule with the CS, don't be too ridiculous. I'll be looking them over and telling you about it if I find something wrong with it, but just remember to exercise some restraint. You're not gonna have a flying mithril sword or a quadruple fire shotgun yet, you might find one later but for now, you should just have normal stuff. There is an exception, but before I explain, to prove that you've read through this, put your character's favourite sauce flavour in the other section.

Alright, now for the exception. For every character I'm going to allow them 1 special "thing", something that makes them stand out above the rest, be that an above average gun, sword, armour, or whatever. Pretty much a heritage weapon or something, something tied to your backstory that is pretty strong, like magic, an artifact, or whatever. But it's only 1 thing. This thing can also be a pet or something, but you can't divide your special to have 2 things. I'll be looking over it anyway, but I want that to be clarified before we begin.
[/hider]
[hr]
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