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[h1][b]Welcome to the Starlight Brigade![/b][/h1]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9Q3i5w6-Ug[/youtube][/center]

While this is more or less an original setting, it has been heavily inspired this amazing music video. Go watch it, and come back to me. ;3

[b]This RP is for anyone who likes:[/b]
- Space cowboys/cowgirls and other outlaw themes in space (Firefly, Cowboy Bebop, etc)
- ALLIES OF JUSTICE! (e.g. You're the good guys! kinda...)
- Wild adventures and exploration
- Blurring the lines between magic and science (Numenera, Star Wars)
- Space operas (e.g. Captain Harlock's Endless Odyssey, Star Wars, Outlaw Star, Battlestar Galactica)
- Dogfights and Starship Battles

[s][b]Disclaimer[/b]
I'm mainly gauging interest in the setting at this time. 
This is still an early draft, and I haven't figured out what the initial premise will be yet.
I just know what themes I want to incorporate.
[/s]
[h2][color=#ffc300][b]✩ Lore ✩[/b][/color][/h2]
[h3][color=#ffc300]The Bones of Civilization[/color][/h3]
The civilizations that exist now have been around for tens of thousands of years, but they are just small footnotes in the galactic history. The real Goliaths have already come and gone. The galaxy is quite old, and though the Talim Empire is the first in its era to claim an entire sector, it isn't the first galaxy-spanning civilization.

No one knows what the first civilization even was like, but their ancient presence litters the galaxy. In fact, the Talim Empire owes much of its progress to alien artifacts found on their home world, which improved their technology by leaps and bounds. The best dating techniques the Talim have indicate many of these artifacts are millions of years old. A notable few are even older, estimated to have been made over billion years ago.

Their continued search for more of these artifacts led them to the discovery of the first star drive, and the Galactic Leylines which power them. Often referred to as 'the veins of the galaxy', the leylines are streams of phantom energy that circulate across the galaxy. Star drives harness the exotic energy of the leylines to travel faster than light. No one really understands how exactly they work, but a handful of clever engineers quickly put the discovery to good use. The Galactic Leylines are now used as an FTL highway, and there are no other known methods of crossing vast stellar distances without them.

Despite the difficulty in finding them, ancient technology and alien ruins are quite common. Many star-faring societies, even outside the Talim Empire, were built on the bones of a previous one. The trash of one civilization became the treasure of another.

Despite alien junk being quite common, it's rare to find one in good working condition, and rarer still to find someone who can repair it. Many of these lesser artifacts, also known as a Cyphers, circulate the trading stations. Cyphers can be anything: a crystal wire, a ball of condensed sound, a metal slate covered in odd symbols, a silver disc with a button on it. Cyphers can create a wide variety of effects, but often break or become inert after 1 or 2 uses.

[h3][color=#ffc300]Small Omens[/color][/h3]
Nanos are perhaps more of a mystery than star drives. Often manifesting as small creatures made of hardened light, these fairy-like beings tend to appear wherever an powerful artifact or leyline nexus is found. Unsurprisingly, many see them as a sign of good fortune and luck in many space-faring societies.

However, they possess abilities which are barely understood by even the most dedicated researchers. Nanos can meld into ancient technology like electric ghosts, and control them freely. Also like ghosts, Nanos exist in whatever dimensions or number of dimensions they choose, and can change how they manifest on a whim. Despite repeated attempts, they cannot be captured, bound, or destroyed. They just come and go as they please.

Most Nanos do not speak, or even acknowledge the existence of most creatures. The ones that do, spout glitchy gibberish not even the best translator A.I. can comprehend. There are rumors that being near a leyline nexus makes them easier to understand, but no such research has ever been made public.

[h3][color=#ffc300]Life in the Empire[/color][/h3]
The Talim Empire has its flaws and detractors, but for the most part the royal family is content to let the many worlds under its dominion maintain whatever beliefs and practices they want, as long as they pay taxes and don't participate in rebellions, they don't seem to care.

The reality is that despite their claims they don't have the resources to to police every world or system. The Talim Royal Navy mainly polices the trade stations and leyline gates. In particular, the Navy operates a citadel-style battle station adjacent to every leyline nexus in Talim Space. The Royal Navy does not take kindly to insurrection or smuggling, and they police traffic near any nexus with impunity. Several well-known attacks have tried and failed to take down the citadels, and their infamy has even coined the phrase 'bombing the citadel', which generally means some idiot is pursuing a lost cause and will probably get himself killed.

In frontier space, life is very different. The long arm of Talim Imperial Law can't stretch the vastness of space, so the outer world far from the loyal colonies, play by their own rules. Many systems are too remote to even collect taxes from. Governance and cultures vary wildly the farther one travels from the leylines.

The Istio system, in particular, is a known stomping ground of many exiles, navy deserters, refugees, smugglers, traders, pirates, and adventurers. Every station and colony in the Istio system is a melting pot of different cultures and alien species, and each one is starkly different from the next. 

One might think this chaotic experiment in alien cohabitation would fail miserably, but it didn't. Istio thrives. In fact, it is the most prosperous trading outpost outside the inner worlds (mostly [i]off the books[/i] of course).

[h3][color=#ffc300]Sun Eaters[/color][/h3]

[indent]"This is Marzia Satauros captain of the Halcyon, a frigate of Talim Imperial Navy. 

If you're receiving this message, then we're already dead.

What it's important now is that you listen and spread the word. 

We rode the leyline to the Theurge's Nexus to trade food and supplies, but when we arrived there was nothing. The station was gone. The planets were gone. Even Theurge's Eye, a red giant, one of the few left in the sector, was gone. We only found bits of debris floating around in the void.

At first we thought it was fluke. We thought the star charts were wrong at first, but they weren't. My navigator was able to analyze and update our star charts. Our high-energy scans attracted... [i]them[/i]. The Eminent. 

My navigator thinks they've been mining nearby systems for at least the past decade, but no one noticed them until they came to harvest Theurge's Eye. The debris field we found earlier was what remained of the trading stations in orbit are the Eye. The best data we have suggests they've been targeting resource-rich systems and plundering them to the last atom, which means the Talim Sector is in danger.

The Eminent are real, and they are coming."[/indent]
[right]--[i]The last transmission of the Halcyon[/i][/right]
[h3][color=#ffc300]Echoes from the Void[/color][/h3]
[indent]"In the worlds of Talim system, Theurge's Nexus could be seen easily in the night sky. The nebula with its colorful palette of gold and blue stood out among the stars. Theurge's Eye was at its center, a red gem studding the starry canvas. It's been gone for thirty years now. It disappeared over the course of ten days, slowly fading into the pale white backdrop of more distant stars.

The Eminent were only rumors when I was a young boy, the kind of thing the old veteran merchants and traders told stories about after one too many shots of Istian Firebrew. We weren't blind. We all knew the legends. We all saw the stars fading... We just didn't want to believe it. Sun eaters? It sounded impossible.

The SOS message from the Halcyon was received by every station and scrap hauler from the Eos nexus to Istio.

The loss of the Halcyon and Theurge's Nexus made the nightmares real."[/indent]
[right]--[i]Edel Thane, Comms Engineer aboard the Ymeria[/i][/right]

[h2][color=#ffc300][b]✩ Character Creation ✩[/b][/color][/h2]

[hider=Character Creation]
[h3][color=#ffc300]The Hook[/color][/h3]
The disappearance of Theurge's Nexus was one of the greatest mysteries of the last few decades. It became the cornerstone of ghost stories among spacers for years to come. No one has ever encountered the Eminent and lived to tell the tale, until now.

Even traveling at light speed the Halcyon's SOS message took more than 30 years to reach Istio. Being one of the few systems in the frontier with the tech needed to relay broadcasts through the leylines, the new of the Halcyon has spread like wildfire through all the nearby systems and beyond.

It's been one week since the Halcyon's broadcast was received, and the firestorm of gossip rages on. Many new faces have drifted into the system for one reason or another. Istio's backwater planets are deep in the Imperial frontier and comfortably far from Naval patrols. It's always been the place to go to escape your troubles, but that's now changing. 

Once the news hit the leylines, every citadel in Talim could trace the rumors back to Istio. No one knows what will happen next, and it's set many residents on edge.

Whether your character just arrived seeking the latest news, has been here for while enjoying the lively debates, or is planning an inconspicuous escape, your character will start in Istio. 

[h3][color=#ffc300]Describe your character in one line~![/color][/h3]

Digging through hundreds or thousands of lines of text, when I just need a quick reference is really frustrating sometimes. I have a very demanding job, and therefore a limited amount of time to work on the RP, so streamlining things helps a lot. 

So... in additional to the normal, long form character sheet, I challenge you guys to write a one-liner! Haha! xD

Don't panic though! I got tips for ya <3

[h3][color=#ffc300]Here's how it should look[/color][/h3]
[b]Name[/b] is a(n) [b]adjective[/b] [b]species[/b] [b]profession[/b] who [b]focus[/b]

[u][b]Examples[/b][/u]:
Vosk is a brawny Killorian fighter pilot who howls at the moon
Mei Fang is a brave Talim swordswoman who wields phantom blades
Skreed is a witty Tusker rogue who cuts with words
Xit'hachek is a strange Orvon mystic who listens to the void
L'Arachel is a short-tempered Myrrian scholar who steps through time
Thyrboss is a lucky Ulimari crafter who talks to machines

[i]Adjective[/i] - This can be anything really, but must represent your character's most obvious, and/or strongest attribute. It represents the first thing that comes to mind when someone else hears your character's name.

[i]Species[/i] - Super simple! What species are you? Are you a human? Or a sentient plant monster? Vote on your phones now!
Oh, and... Every last one of the alien species mentioned I made up on the spot, so there is no lore for them. You're welcome to make your own though! ;)

[i]Profession[/i] - Pretty straight forward here. Pick a skilled profession and put it here.

[i]Focus[/i] - This should be the one thing that makes your character stand out in this wild alien society. It should be a brief phrase that describes what your character does [i]best[/i]. They could be good at other things, and they may not be as skilled or talented as someone else. Still, this is what you're character is best at.

Alternatively, it could also be purely thematic. Someone who 'howls at the moon' could be a space werewolf, or follow a strange moon-worshiping cult. Both work.

Remember! It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to fit the character.

[h3][color=#ffc300]Character Sheet Breakdown[/color][/h3]
[u][b]Name[/b][/u]:
[u][b]Aliases[/b][/u]: (if any)
[u][b]Species:[/b][/u]
You can play any crazy species you want as long as you can meet two vague criteria:
1) The species can communicate effectively with the other characters. 
2) Their language/culture/personal beliefs does not prevent them from allying with other characters in-game. It's expected that you guys will be teaming up.
[u][b]Homeworld:[/b][/u]
You can make up your own world, use someone else's, one I've mentioned, or a random one. 
If none of that really suits you, just put 'Spacer' to indicate you were born and raised in the void. ;)
[u][b]Age[/b][/u]:
Tell me what age group your character belongs in for their particular species! 
Pick one of the following categories:
* Juvenile
* Adult
* Middle-aged
* Old
* Very Old
* Ancient

For humanoid species, I'm allowing juveniles (i.e. underaged) characters because this isn't smut, and it makes sense for the genre.
However, I don't need to tell you what the forum rules are, so please do me a favor exercise good judgement. If it seems questionable, you probably shouldn't do it, okay? (e.g. no romancing lolis, etc).

You can add numbers of years if you want to, but I don't require them.

[u][b]Gender[/b][/u]:
OPTIONAL
Some species don't have genders, y'know?
Jot it down, if it makes sense for your character to have one.

[u][b]Appearance[/b][/u]:
In keeping with the original music video, I'd prefer anime-esque art or digital art if you use images from the web.
Aside from that... pictures, written descriptions, whatever. I like 'em all. Go nuts.

[u][b]Personality[/b][/u]:
Put the usual here. You know what to do~

[u][b]Background[/b][/u]:
You can write a couple of brief paragraphs, or you can write a life story, if that's your jam. Both are fine. 
However, I need [b][u]everyone[/u][/b] to [i]at least[/i] answer these questions:
* How did you end up in the Istio system?
* How did you character earn the focus they have? (a.k.a. why does your short-form description make sense?)

If you get stuck, need more context, or just have a few questions... join the discord! 
I'll help you figure it out, and I'm sure others would probably be happy to help as well.

[u][b]Talents[/b][/u]
Pick three.

'Talents' can be can be skills your character has worked hard to master (crafting, larceny, stealth, piloting gunfighting, close combat), a strange ability, a special trait unique to your species, influence or renown with a specific group, or something else entirely. In any case, these should represent the cool things your character can do. You get bonus points, if your focus in the one-line description hints at them (not a requirement though).

They are NOT a license to make up cheatsy-doodle abilities that break the game, however~ You've been warned!
 
Protip: At least one of them should be kind of useful for badass space adventures. ;3

[u][b]Cyphers[/b][/u]:
Leave this blank for now.

Each accepted character will have one of these to start, which I may randomly generate.... Mwahaha!

If someone has a compelling/cool reason they should have one, we can work that out.

[h3][color=#ffc300]CS Template[/color][/h3]
Do the clicky thing for the free code sample. ;3
[hider][code]
<One line description goes here>

[u][b]Name[/b][/u]:
[u][b]Aliases[/b][/u]:
[u][b]Species:[/b][/u]

[u][b]Homeworld:[/b][/u]

[u][b]Age[/b][/u]:

[u][b]Gender[/b][/u]:

[u][b]Appearance[/b][/u]:
[hider][img][/img][/hider]

[u][b]Personality[/b][/u]:

[u][b]Background[/b][/u]:

[u][b]Talents[/b][/u]
[list]
[*] Name - Description
[*] Name - Description
[*] Name - Description
[/list]
[u][b]Cyphers[/b][/u]:
[/code][/hider][/hider]

[hr]

So....

What do you guys think? 
Does this sound like something you'd be interested in?

Feedback and questions are both appreciated~