[h1][center][b]Animorphs[/b][/center][/h1] [i]We can't tell you who we are. Or where we live. It's too risky, and we've got to be careful. Really careful. So we don't trust anyone. Because if they find us... Well, we just won't let them find us. The thing you've got to know is that everyone is in really big trouble. Yeah. Even you.[/i] [hr] [h3][center][b]Plot[/b][/center][/h3] One night, five teenagers discover that parasitic aliens, called Yeerks, are secretly infiltrating Earth by taking over people's minds and bodies. They encounter an alien who is on their side, an Andalite named Elfangor, who, before dying from injuries sustained when his spaceship crashed, gives them the power to morph into any animal they have touched. Joined by Elfangor's younger sibling and unable to trust almost anyone else, they begin a violent and secretive guerrilla war against the invading Yeerks to save the Earth. During the course of the series, the five teenagers grow from fun-loving kids into an elite team of paramilitary troops, attacking the Yeerk invasion force wherever it is discovered. Along the way, they find allies that they never expected, enemies that prove more dangerous (and, in some cases, bizarre) than the Yeerks themselves could ever be, travel to alien worlds, and confront their own inner conflicts. Month after month of pressure begins to take its toll, and the kids are irrevocably changed from the innocent suburban youths they once were. [hr] [h3][center][b]Setting[/b][/center][/h3] Erie, Pennsylvania is a small town in Northwestern Pennsylvania, bordering Lake Erie to the north, and a dense forest to the east. Otherwise, the city is fairly isolated, and is usually only visited by sightseeing tourists for the lake, or people trying to get to Lancaster. In lieu of a map, I have a 3x3 grid with 9 districts in total -- I can't draw, but at least there's a setting! The districts are marked by their relation to Perry Square, the residential part of town. Other than that, it's worth noting that the year is 1998, but I still might occasionally make references to early 2000's movies and music, because that is how I roll. [hider=Erie, Pennsylvania] [h3][center][b]McCullough University[/b][/center][/h3] [center][b]Northwest[/b][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/il6KTkd.jpg[/img][/center] The sole college in Erie, known for its marine biology program and football team. As most of the alumni are science majors, McCullough's campus, which borders Lake Erie, features a library, laboratory, several dorms, and most of the usual buildings seen in small-town campuses. Their football team was formerly called "The McCullough Head-Hunters", with a mascot resembling a chieftain of The Susquehannock people, who lived in Erie before it's colonization. However, as a result of protests citing the name's racial insensitivity, McCullough University's football team recently changed their name and mascot to "The McCullough Lake-Sharks". The football stadium has a large aquarium-like exhibit, housing a bull shark named Leroy. [h3][center][b]Lake Erie's Museum of Natural Science (L.E.M.O.N.S)[/b][/center][/h3] [center][b]North[/b][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/StXvrtR.jpg[/img][/center] Called "The Lemon" by most of the townsfolk, Lake Erie's Museum of Natural Sciences hosts a wide array of exhibits designed to teach guests of the region's natural history, back to the times of dinosaurs. The ground floor covers more recent history involving logging and oil spills in the lake, while the lowest floor, three flights of stairs down, features prehistoric fossilized plants and animals. [h3][center][b]Presque Isle Park[/b][/center][/h3] [center][b]Northeast[/b][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/tMLbmc9.jpg[/img][/center] Nearly 850 acres of wilderness, interspersed with paved paths, bathrooms, and bridges across the many small creeks and valleys. It is abundant with small wildlife, including many types of birds, rabbits, raccoons, and so on. The most infamous animal is "Willy", a wolf who is occasionally spotted around the park's eastern border. Most Willy sightings are unsubstantiated claims of teenagers on dares, however, as the eastern edge of the park is nearly abandoned due to the unpaved walkways, mosquitoes, and graffiti. Many college parties take place on the eastern edge of the park as well, causing it to be littered with broken bottles and discarded rubbish. [h3][center][b]Downtown Erie[/b][/center][/h3] [center][b]West[/b][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/58C1ETy.jpg[/img][/center] The shopping hub of the city, Downtown Erie has a wide selection of restaurants, bars, cafes, movie theatres, arcades, and other small businesses. There are four chain stores, McDonald's, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, and Best Buy. Other than that, it is almost entirely family owned businesses, which is seen as a highlight of the town. There are many frog statues that decorate the town, although they are largely unexplained -- Some citizens believe that they are the project of an eccentric artist, some believe that they are installed by the city. Some, like the ones installed in front of [url=http://badgertronics.com/photo/erie-frogs/img_0061.jpg]The Downtown Erie Opera House[/url], or [url=http://badgertronics.com/photo/erie-frogs/img_0047.jpg]O'Shaughnessy's[/url], have a clear connection to the businesses they reside by. Others, like the frogs in front of the [url=http://badgertronics.com/photo/erie-frogs/img_0070.jpg]Chase Bank[/url] and [url=http://badgertronics.com/photo/erie-frogs/img_0072.jpg]Downtown Erie Theatre[/url], are more abstract. [h3][center][b]Perry Square[/b][/center][/h3] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/tju71Ra.jpg[/img][/center] Named for the commanding general of The Battle for Lake Erie, Perry Square is considered the heart of the town. Although mostly residential, there are still small parks, cafes, and libraries. The most notable location is Strong Vincent High, one of two high schools in town. As Strong Vincent's is a public school, it has a student body of about 1000. The school itself is fairly unexceptional outside of their track team. [h3][center][b]Uptown Erie[/b][/center][/h3] [center][b]East[/b][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/L5cB2rx.jpg[/img][/center] Deceptively named, Uptown Erie is essentially the town's industrial district. Housing the entirety of Erie's warehouses, factories, and power plants, Uptown Erie is known for very little other than the smell of the paper mill. As it's on the border of the town and the forest while remaining in close proximity to the lake, the businesses that aren't based in fishing are usually centered around lumber harvesting, much to the chagrin of the largely environmentalist student body of McCullough Univeristy. Uptown Erie is the number one source of pollution in Erie, and has been the site of a yearly protest for decades. [h3][center][b]The Erie Mall[/b][/center][/h3] [center][b]Southwest[/b][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/Hr9HX03.jpg[/img][/center] Although it's on the edge of town, just bordering the highway that seperates Erie from the rest of the world, it's said that The Erie Mall is "Where Erieites pass around the same hundred dollar bill aroybd". Seen as the go-to hangout for teenagers, The Erie Mall has the same stores you see in most every mall, and has no shortage of mallrats to populate them. [h3][center][b]Southside[/b][/center][/h3] [center][b]South[/b][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/OqjaJZm.jpg[/img][/center] Often confused for Downtown Erie by the occasional tourist, Southside is the underbelly of the city. Considered to be "On the wrong side of the tracks", it's worth noting that there actually [i]is[/i] a long-abandoned set of train tracks that separates Perry Square from Southside. Most of Erie's crime, poverty, and general skeeviness is found in this neighborhood. It's also home to The Stanislaus High School, a high school that allows students to gain credits for trade school. Although it has a more advanced college prep program, Strong Vincent is still regarded as the better of the two schools. [h3][center][b]Cedar Hills[/b][/center][/h3] [center][b]Southeast[/b][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/Wl5iU8l.jpg[/img][/center] Cedar Hills is Erie's trailer park -- Home of the city's meth labs, mayonnaise sandwiches, and petty theft. Although the sunny forest depicted on the trailer park's welcome sign gives Cedar Hills some semblance of cleanliness, the smell of cat pee and smoke is an undeniable testament to the park's character. [/hider] [hr] [h3][center][b]Rules[/b][/center][/h3] • If your character can't survive the situation they're in, they won't. • Everybody has Quasi-GM plot powers. If you want something to happen, like a car crashing or your character's family member being a controller or something, go right ahead! That being said, it helps if you ask first, just in case it conflicts with plot stuff I haven't mentioned. • We're in this for the long run. I'm not going to have a "Don't be a dick" rule, because that's kind of pretentious of me, but try to play nice. We're all friends here. [hr] [h3][center][b]One-Offs[/b][/center][/h3] Alright so, I figured I should summarize this pretty quickly. In the books, there's a lot of character-building/details that we find while the characters are alone, because of the first-person perspective they're written in. Since we can't get exposition that way, one-offs are essentially filler arcs that center around your character, in a single post, for all of your exposition/character building/deep dark secret needs! Put 'em in a hider like this. [hider=One-Off] "I used my powers to steal a car! Now I can use that car in future storylines!"[/hider] [hr] [h3][center][b]Roles[/b][/center][/h3] [color=lightblue]The Leader[/color]- Whether they like it or not, this character is the type of person who people naturally gravitate to in times of crisis. Their ability to keep a clear head under pressure and naturally strong leadership abilities are their best strengths, and characters will naturally fall in behind them when the going gets rough. Taken by [@Eggs] [color=indianred]The Lancer[/color]- Where the leader is calm and in control, their lancer is often rash and impulsive. They can be the leader's best friend or worst rival, but the lancer is the second-in-command, first and foremost. Though their unpredictability can sometimes make them difficult to work with, their ability to think outside of the box and their extreme loyalty make them an asset to the team. Taken by [@Deadbeatwalking] [color=forestgreen]The Big Guy[/color]- While not necessarily the largest member of the team, physically, he's definitely the most aggressive. He could hold his own in a fight even before gaining the ability to morph. He's almost always in favor of doing things in the most direct, preferably physical way possible. This trait may put him at odds with the rest of the team. Taken by [@Inkarnate] [color=lightyellow]The Smart Guy[/color]- An extremely intelligent character who prefers to think things through before jumping into them. Exact area(s) of expertise are up to the player, but this should generally be the more logical character in the group. They generally prefers peace; or at least, not getting their ass kicked unnecessarily. Snarkiness requested but not required. Taken by [@VitaminD10000] [color=pink]The Heart[/color]- The more emotional/artsy character, and the group's moral compass. They are the first one to speak up whenever it seems the group is going too far past that line that separates good from evil. This character has an excellent understanding of how people tick, and while they usually uses this gift for good, to help keep the group cohesive and take care of members emotionally and whatnot, they are also an excellent manipulator. Taken by [@Sloth] [color=cyan]The Alien[/color]- A young member of the Andalites who grants the group their morphing powers. They'll be with Elfangor as he dies, and then with the group, probably hiding on someone's property. They'll give background on the secret invaders and their motives, while being very cryptic about their own people. Characteristics include arrogance and a complete lack of knowledge regarding human culture. Taken by [@Raijinslayer] [color=orange]The Nothlit[/color]- A member of the team who unintentionally passed the two hour time limit for morphing, and is stuck in a nonhuman body forever. Plot subjects include angsting about missing their family, angsting about living outside, and angsting about not being human. [hr] [h3][center][b]Sheet[/b][/center][/h3] In lieu of a traditional sheet, I'd like to find out about your character and writing ability through an in-character interview. Assume the questions are being asked to your character by a man in a suit, who has pulled them out of class and into an empty classroom. Relationships should be empty until people start getting accepted. Those interested in playing the Alien should PM me for a different sheet. [pre][center][img]http://www.immersion-3d.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/image-placeholder-500x500.jpg[/img] [h1][b]Firstname Lastname[/b][/h1] [h3]What's your name?[/h3] [i]Answer.[/i] [h3]How old are you?[/h3] [i]Answer.[/i] [h3]What do you look like?[/h3] [i]Answer.[/i] [h3]Do you have any hobbies?[/h3] [i]Answer.[/i] [h3]What are some things that you especially dislike?[/h3] [i]Answer.[/i] [h3]What are your goals for the future? Both immediate and long-term.[/h3] [i]Answer.[/i] [h3]What's your home life like? Specifically, what is your relationship like with your parents?[/h3] [i]Answer.[/i] [h3]What's your favorite animal, and why?[/h3] [i]Answer.[/i] [h3]Favorite color?[/h3] [i]Answer.[/i] [h3]Do you identify with any song or piece of music?[/h3] [i]Answer.[/i] [h3]Do you believe in aliens?[/h3] [i]Answer.[/i] [hr] [h1][b]Firstnames's Relationships[/b][/h1] [color=lightyellow][b]The Smart Guy[/b][/color] [color=pink][b]The Chick[/b][/color] [color=lightblue][b]The Leader[/b][/color] [color=indianred][b]The Lancer[/b][/color] [b][color=seagreen]The Big Guy[/color][/b] [/center][/pre]