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[hr][hr][b]	[color=black]P R E M I S E[/color][/b][hr][hr]
[color=gray][indent]In some sort of introduction, I believe I should mention that this isn't my roleplay. It belongs to our glorious leader, [@Gowi]. I just sorta make tea and tell Gowi the ideas look pretty but for now, I'm doing some intense interest checking! Without further ado, a word from our leader:

[quote=Glorious Leader]"Pariah (or Pariah Online) is a semi-linear collaborative story based around the concepts of anime serials like [i][b]Log Horizon[/b][/i], [i][b]Sword Art Online[/b][/i], [b][i]Overlord[/i][/b], [i][b]Familia Myth[/b][/i], and the grandfather of the “trapped in a game” framework, [i][b].hack//SIGN[/b][/i]. You’ll notice there is only one real outlier in these influences in that of my mention of Familia Myth, which I’ll admit has more to do with me liking how that particular serial looks at things like guilds, dungeons, and progression in an interestingly designed way. Anyway, as you can imagine the central idea of this roleplay is the whole “trapped in a game” plot device and the hurdles that comes with it. But as with inspired settings, this is wholly original— this is not set in any fandom and is not an amalgamation of them.

But with that said, I definitely still have ideas for Pariah— and I hope for those who are newly interested and those who have put up with me are interested enough to invest their time and energy into writing collaborative stories in this setting."[/quote]
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[hr][hr][b]	[color=black]P R O G R E S S I O N   I N   T H E   G A M E[/color][/b][hr][hr]
[color=gray][indent]Pariah is not like conventional virtual reality modules and as such does not use traditional levelling systems. Instead, Pariah holds a framework that is designed to allocate things with a state of the art progression system that revolves around benchmarks, achievements, and attributes. With this it can be simplified generally in an easy context— if you want to be skilled with a knowledge, item, or weapon then you need to put forward effort into experiencing the world with that aspect. With this system, level becomes simply a number used to mark progression and not an extent of a character's power. A character's power is entirely defined by the actions they took to reach a higher level. If the character spent most of their time using a sword and killing monsters then they will become proficient in using swords and killing monsters. Alternatively, if the character chooses to spend all their time baking bread then they'll make the best damn bread around.

The character will initially start with a basic level in all skills which will remain hidden. When the character begins to specialize into these skills by using them (i.e. swinging a sword, baking bread) the skill will become visible. Much like in real life, proficiency stems from practice and abilities are learned through experiment. With abilities, pressing a button simply does not work. The character must independently swing the sword or cast the spell and if the system registers their attempts correctly, it will perform the act.

This system heavily favors independence and allows characters to be specialized how the user wishes to specialize them. It might not be efficient or even good but it is possible. Want to be a plate armour-wearing mage? Go for it. Want to be a rogue that drags aggro, sure! Point is, the player is free to build their character how they wish to.

In terms of threat assessment given the nature of the augmented reality that is Pariah, there are no visual statistic boxes of the people or the icons within the world. But Pariah’s creator sees it more as another reality than a video game and as such doesn’t expect people to assess threat beyond their own common sense, research, and observational skills. Essentially the lesson is be wary of your environment, monsters, and hostile icons or players.[/indent][/color]
[hr][hr][b]	[color=black]A F F I L A T I O N   A N D   P A T H O S[/color][/b][hr][hr]
[color=gray][indent]A pathos represents one of the several virtue-oriented fraternities in the world of Pariah and serve as factions that the player affiliates with to not only serve as the central sanctum that provides shelter as well as esoteric information regarding the path the pathos represents. These pathos are conventionally defended and led by their followers. 

[hider=The Pathos Fraternities][u][b]DROX:[/b][/u] The pathos of service and humility, the Drox fraternity has stood indifferent of pathos politics and more concerned with the plight of the smallfolk; and in the current days of the world of Pariah this seems to be unchanged. The Drox fraternity has held many professions and roles in its history but most of all they have seemed to follow a trend of the ranger, warden, priest, and spiritualist. Their founder, Kieamiera Drox, was a fair-haired girl who did right by her gut and not her birthright; a sentiment that is carried in the virtue that has remained central to the fraternity— compassion. If you choose Drox you have the soul of a protector of some form.

[u][b]QUEON:[/b][/u] The creativity of spirituality, magic, and nobility is always a curious thing; a fact that the pathos of the Queon fraternity have kept in mind for centuries. Founded by the first “wizard”, Queon Toraendel, the fraternity has come to represent a pathos that has evolved with the times; much like their scientific knowledge. Represented by scientists, spellcasters, spiritualists, and craftsmen— the limits of the fraternity seem endless. But with a virtue like knowledge would the sky not be the limit? If you choose Queon you are a great thinker and possibly indebted to your curiosity. 

[u][b]SIKTH:[/b][/u] As discreet as they are ruthless, the pathos of the Sikth fraternity are not for the weak-willed or naively idealistic. However, the followers of the fraternity are not full of assassins and spies exclusively, as anybody who believes in their paramount virtue of unity as defined by the fraternity’s founder, Sieana Kthar, can commit to their cause and beliefs. If you choose Sikth you have a keen practical and cautious mind that believes at all costs things must be bound together.

[u][b]TYHRIEN:[/b][/u] Out of all of the pathos that are followed it probably comes as no surprise that the Tyhrien fraternity has been the most significant and well-renowned. Named after its founder, Ser Tyhrien Toraendel, the fraternity serves as an icon to all residents of the world that only one virtue is important in life— honor. It is for this reason that one will find many devotees among the noble professions and individuals who are simple idealistic in their mission. If you choose Tyhrien you have the spirit of a knight and a hero.[/hider][/indent][/color]
[hr][hr][b]	[color=black]C O N C L U S I O N[/color][/b][hr][hr]
[color=gray][indent]There you have it - that was awful fancy! Anyways, if your interest has stayed fairly constant through all of this then just pop over to our [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/157854-p-a-r-i-a-h/ooc]OOC[/url] and say hello! Thanks for reading!

[sub]Guess I'll go make some tea now...[/sub]
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