[center][h2]Innocence Lost: A Science Fantasy RP[/h2] [img]https://i.imgur.com/m1olNR6.jpg?1[/img] [url=https://discord.gg/Tf5FKXJ][b]Official Discord Server[/b][/url][/center] [b]I. Intro[/b] [hider=Intro]We were just children, albeit ones of exceptional mind and body. Then the Ascendancy of Man took us from our families, our friends, and our homes; they said we were needed to fight the 'Alien Menace' that was threatening our civilization. In the name of 'survival', they [i]changed[/i] us, pumping our bodies full of impossible substances that defied the laws of reality. It was a miracle we all lived to see the horrors of war, they said, but was it really? After being altered and trained, we were thrown into the meatgrinder that the war against the other species of the sector had become. With new powers given to us by the impossible compounds that were flowing through our veins, our battalions slew huge numbers of the enemy. But it wasn't enough; in the Battle of Proxima, the Ascendancy's fleets and armies finally fell to a sustained assault by the Aliens, and we, the supernatural child soldiers that had wreaked such havoc against the foe, were captured and taken to a prison camp in one of the enemy's holdings. Despair overtook us as we awaited our fate. What abuse was coming? How will we be treated by those whom we had slaughtered in droves? But when our enemies, the Aliens known as the Rau've, showed pity on us instead, we wept in joy. They saw that we were just kids, and gave us mercy. We were offered new homes, new families among the Aliens, and most of us accepted. But [i]I[/i] didn't, same for a handful of others. I thanked our former captors - former, for the war had ended with a peace treaty - but I told them that I and the others with me wanted revenge on the regime that had betrayed us, used us, and were crueler than the enemy they fought. They sighed, and gave us coordinates to the Galactic Bazaar, a space station where jobs and ships can be found to start our revenge; they wouldn't help us directly. And so we, with magic, combat skills, and what few peaceful talents we remembered before we were 'drafted' by the Ascendancy of Man, we went to the space station where almost anything can be bought and sold. But one must be warned; the Ascendancy of Man was also there, and will not tolerate their former tools turning against their 'masters'. ------ I fought in the Ascendancy's Fleet. I believed in their propagandistic drivel. I did work dirty and clean for them, and what did I get? Thrown away without pay, without a pension, just tossed out like last day's trash. And to add insult to injury, they blamed [i]us[/i] for their own butts getting kicked on Proxima, said that us frontier-worlds didn't fight hard enough and so they got defeated. Well, I've had enough of them stomping on the little guy, so I joined the dime-a-dozen rebels - I mean, Moonstrike! My name is Natasha Zhang, and I lead a crew of humans, aliens, and even a robot or two in missions of piracy and smuggling against the Ascendancy. Moonstrike is the rebel network we belong to, and they give us jobs to do to bring down those Ascendancy morons. And this latest mission is the sweetest yet - A bunch of renegade Ascendancy Supersoldiers is coming to the Galactic Bazaar to rendezvous with us! Wait, what are these children doing walking about on the hangar bay? What, they have special powers normally seen only in those Crystal Aliens? Oh, no, those are the Supersoldiers Moonstrike One mentioned, aren't they?! God Almighty, why am I stuck in a babysitting job? ------ Basically, this is an RP set in a Science Fantasy world with both lasers and (limited to some people) Magic. You have two options of player character: - Child soldiers that had been taken from their homes and used by the Ascendancy of Man in their war against Aliens, were spared by said Aliens when they lost, and are now looking for revenge against their former abusers. You also have Magic. - Natasha Zhang's Crew, a motley crew of humans, aliens, and robots who fight as privateers for Moonstrike, a resistance group opposing the Ascendancy of Man. You don't have Magic (unless you have a crew member of the Kaisoken species) but have more skills, experience, and technology.[/hider] [b]II. Alien Species[/b] [hider=Alien Species] [url=https://stellaris.paradoxwikis.com/images/6/6a/Plantoid_06.png][b]The Rau've[/b][/url] - The prime leaders of the Coalition against Humanity, the Rau've are a race of plant people who are able to nourish themselves through photosynthesis, enabling them to mostly sidestep the agricultural stage of development. Highly philosophical and compassionate, the Rau've can still be savage in war, as their organic warships and crystal-based energy cannons show. But they were deeply horrified at their enemy's use of children in battle and were the prime advocates of letting the child soldiers go unpunished after the peace treaty was signed. [b]The Kaisoken[/b]: A race of sentient crystal-like minerals bound by quantum pathways and transcendent intelligence. Floating gently, the Kaisoken communicate through impulses translated into audible speech, and are proficient in the control of magic, though they are limited in a straight fight. They were traditionally enemies with the Rau've, who had used their nonsapient crystal 'cousins' in their tech but allied with them against the Ascendancy of Man, who had used ground Kaisoken dust in the experiments that eventually led to their child soldier program. Because of this, they broke off relations with the Rau've after the war for letting the child soldiers get off 'freely'. Kaisoken grow in size the older they are and the more cosmic power and knowledge they absorb, with Kaisoken over a Millenium old growing to the size of mountains. Note that the Kaisoken can control the process of their growth, with some remaining the size of a humanoid, but many pride themselves on growing mountain-sized, especially as Kaisoken reproduce by budding and the 'Mountains' can bud more Kaisoken. The Kaisoken are led by the 'Nineteen-Thousand-Year Mountain', the oldest of the Kaisoken who is the size of Mount Everest. [b]The Gill[/b]: Combining reptilian and amphibian features, the Gill are evolved to live primarily in water, with long, slender limbs for powerful strikes ending in webbed hands. Hardy against poisons and extreme terrain, on account of the noxious swamps on their homeworld, they have moved to colonize other oceanic places, and are proficient skirmishers. Like Humans, they need Kaisoken dust infused into their bodies to use Magic. [b]The Korta[/b]: Diminutive beings resembling pachyderms, the Korta are highly intelligent and analytical, mostly serving as engineers and bureaucrats. Computer systems, locks, and riddles tend to fall quickly before them. They also need Kaisoken dust mixed into their bloodstream to use Magic. [b]The Tayanen[/b]: Clusters of sentient amorphous material locked into massively armored shells, the Tayanen deliver heavy firepower with high resistance to physical damage due to their silicon-based biology, which also allows them to absorb electricity harmlessly. Nevertheless, they are slow to react, though their decision-making ability when in a group can be very fast. Basically, they are a combination of Geth from Mass Effect (highly dangerous and more intelligent when grouped together) and Slimes from Dungeons and Dragons (can eat and absorb most anything). Cannot use Magic at all unless grafted with a willing Kaisoken 'host' through an unknown process. [/hider] [b]III. Magic System[/b] [hider=Magic]There are six disciplines of Magic: [b]High[/b] - There are many theories that try to explain High Magic. Some say that it is the power of The Divine, it is the power of positive emotions, channeled through the human soul. Nevertheless, High Magic is the power of controlling Magical Energy itself, allowing for the ability to see all Magic, to draw available magical energy from the sky and earth, create constructs of condensed Mana, create and fuel magitech and enchanted items, ward people and places from magic, and finally, the ability to create bolts of silver-white light that cause damage that cannot be healed by magic to Mages and Magical creatures... But not ordinary targets, whose burns can be healed as normal. [b]World[/b] - World Magic is control over the physical elements of the world. Do you want to create Fire? World Magic. Do you want to alter Gravity to make yourself float? World Magic. Do you want to use lightning to electrocute a person? World Magic. Basically, if it has nothing to do with changing one thing to another, or controlling something that isn't wholly of this earth? World Magic is your key. Basically, Bending from Avatar: The Last Airbender, but without healing or spiritual arts and with control over gravity. [b]Change[/b] - This is the magic that deals with changing one thing to another. This magic can knit wounds and reverse aging, cause trees to grow fists, and turn vines into whips. This magic can change one substance to another, turning lead into gold, earth into acid, and fire into water. What it cannot do, however, is affect stuff protected by High magic, or reanimate/control beings which are already dead. That belongs to another school, the magic of the Underworld. [b]Underworld[/b] - Death is all around us, and the old laws against disturbing the ghosts who chose not to pass on are gone, cast into the wind. Nevertheless, the souls of the departed have to be treated with respect...but it is not the same for their bodies. Underworld Magic is the magic of Necromancy; it is the magic you wield when you want to raise an army of the dead, to control the shadows of the world, to speak with ghosts, and to strike people dead with one blow (this is a high-level spell). You can even use this to transcend death, allowing you continued existence in this world without the need for food, drink, and sleep... [b]Timespace[/b] - The magic of traveling vast distances in a single bound, of teleportation, portals, and scrying. The strongest Magi can even control probability, making a person luckier or unluckier, sometimes to absurd levels. But what it [i][b]can not[/b][/i] do is reverse the past; basically, no time travel. Bullet Time and Time Stop are also possibilities for incredibly strong practitioners but have certain requirements that limit their effectiveness in combat. [i]Bullet Time and Time Stop Nerfs:[/i] Bullet Time can only be activated defensively when confronted by attacks too fast for the mundane body to dodge normally. And by that, it only works when people are shooting bullets at the guy and it can only be used to dodge bullets and other attacks - it cannot be used to attack in turn. This keeps what I want - PCs being able to dodge bullets - without making them overpowered in offense, as well as giving PCs the choice [i]not to shoot bullets[/i] in the first place. As for Time Stop, not only can the 'time bubble' be cut apart by the right weapon and skillset, but it doesn't work on sapient beings; it can still be used to stop bullets, explosions, crashing trains, rampaging animals, and lightning strikes, but not melee strikes from sapient beings - neither the user or his opponents can use ranged attacks in a Time Stop. The in-universe reason for this is that having a Soul protects you from unauthorized changes to the timeline, and yes, AI have souls here as well. [b]Mind Magic[/b] - This magic deals with controlling minds and altering emotions of both humans and animals, as well as creating illusions, mental compulsions, and even erasing or editing memories. A very powerful magical discipline, but strong willpower can better resist its effects... [b]Note:[/b] A lot of individual spells are very broken by nature, and would fundamentally destroy the game’s balance if implemented. If you’re touching these spells, please make sure you have some limitations added to them. If you’re not sure, look no further than your GMs! They will be happy to answer your question/address the balancing of your powers. [/hider] [hider=Spell Mastery] [b]Spell Mastery[/b] Pretty self-explanatory. Each spell your character possesses has their own degree of mastery. The more you master a spell, the less effort (Mana, Time, other relevant resources) it takes to perform that spell. If you have enough spells from the same school mastered, you can choose to make it a Mastery trait. How many spells, you ask? Well, there’s not a hard-coded number for that. But I’d say about 3+ spells of the same school. We can lower the number if the spells are difficult enough, or raise it if they’re easier to cast. Having Mastery as a trait makes learning and mastering new spells of that school a lot easier. [b]How long is it going to take to master a spell:[/b] This gives me headaches every time. It really depends. From the length of an arc to the number of times the character practices/uses these spells. I’d say on average 1 spell is mastered every arc as a benchmark, but don’t take this as a gospel. Use a LOT of nuances when interpreting this. We’ll try to adjust and accommodate your needs, just let us know. [/hider] [hider=Enchantment Rules] [b]Enchantment Rules[/b] Enchantment requires High Magic and a spell that you or another party member knows, along with an item to be enchanted. Note however that the weaker and less durable the material is, the magic you can put into it is more limited; for example, oak can be enchanted to emit laser beams, birch cannot. This is the same for metals, and the strongest of spells can only be enchanted into 'Perfected Electrum (more below)'.[/hider] [hider=Perfected Electrum] [b]Perfected Electrum[/b] Electrum is a mix of Gold and Silver that occurs naturally but can be made by artificial means. This material, if treated by High and Change Magic by four different Magi (see 'Group Spells' below) can be 'perfected', aka transformed into metal as hard as a diamond yet not as brittle, and whose lightness is that of cloth. But the most valuable property of Perfected Electrum is that it can contain very, very strong spells, except for Resurrection (see below under 'Group Spells'). The Ascendancy of Man has a monopoly of Perfected Electrum; not that it helped them win the war. [/hider] [hider=Group Spells] [b]Group Spells[/b] Basically, multiple spell-casters with different Schools can do things that would strain a single Mage. This also helps in compensating for single Magi's weaknesses in specialization. [b]Update on Group Spells:[/b] There’s no longer any rules in terms of how many spells are needed to perform group spells. What combination of spells creating what is down to your creativity. Use your imagination! And a bit of common sense too… [/hider] [B]IV. Non-Magical Options[/b] [hider=Character Traits (Formerly Exceptional Skills)] [b]Character Traits (Formerly Exceptional Skills)[/b] Character Traits can both be a few neat bullet points to describe some of your character’s defining traits, and also accommodate your character’s non-magic skills. They essentially describe a portion of your character, and some of them might be capable of special effects that can benefit you and other characters in different ways. A character Trait consists of 3 parts as described : . : Self-explanatory : A few sentences explaining what characteristics of your character that this Trait is describing. You can go longer if you wish : These are optional, but the most interesting. These essentially encompasses the Ex Skills, but a lot more specific and individual-based. A few examples of generic trait to illustrate this further Swordmaster: His extended training with his family’s traditional blade and under their guidance have made him exceptionally capable with these weapons. Greatly increases proficiency when using blades Turtleback: His natural skin of his species allowed him to essentially be a walking mini-fortress. Enhanced resistance against physical attacks. A Healthy and Focused Mind: Her zen training allowed him to ascend to a higher spiritual state that allows her to act solely based on his instincts. Only usable in combat situation. Allows the character to ignore mind magic during these time. Only affected when said magic can affect subconscious thoughts. Disgraced Warrior: From a family of traitors, he is received by the public with mistrust. Reduce effectiveness when coercing people through diplomacy Supreme Chef: She’s just really good at cooking duh. (Yes, you can leave it blank. You don’t have to have an effect for every trait) Of course, these are generic examples that apply to no one in particular. Your character traits, however, are bound by their background. A character trait has to be connected somehow to your character and what makes them who they are. Unrelated traits will be rejected. Your trait names does not have to follow these format. Feel free to go ham and be creative with the name and description. [b]What these skills are not, however:[/b] They do not fully describe your character. There is and should be more depths to your character than just a bunch of bullet points. They have defining characteristics but they have nuances and more depths to and outside those characteristics. That’s how a great character is made Some potential questions. [b]How many traits are needed:[/b] There should be no limits to how many traits you have, but please refrain from making too many of them. Remember this is supposed to represent defining characteristics that screams that’s them when mentioned. You don’t want to describe yourself like that. For starters, around 3-4 traits would be a healthy number (this number is preliminary). [b]What about combat with vague measures to quantify your strength:[/b] Well, this is not a tabletop RP to begin with. There is no dice. We have narratives and plots to drive your characters around. How battles would turn out is entirely down to you and your fighting partners. Discuss with your partner how you would want fights to turn out. Maybe this guy have a really cool move that he wants to show off, or this lady is cocky and needs to be slapped down a peg. After all, it’s more about building your character than a game of who gets to win. If you have problem deciding the fight, the GMs can step in and help [b]Can you bypass these skills somehow:[/b] Yes. Having traits that give you enhanced characteristics (durability/strength/speed/etc.) does not make you infallible (unless you opt in for it, to which you would need to give a GOOD justification). Having enhanced resistance against Mind Magic could fall apart if you’re intoxicated/not paying attention. Use common sense and logic at all times. [b]Gaining/Losing traits:[/b] This is possible, as your character changes, but you shouldn’t gain too many traits throughout the journey anyway, so when you want to add/remove/change a trait, contact your GM. Don’t worry we’re friendly [b]What about Magic Mastery:[/b] If you have 3+ spells mastered from the same school of magic, you can gain a mastery trait of that specific school, giving you increased magic literacy for that school. If you CHOOSE to have that trait at the very beginning, and thus giving you at least 3 spells to be mastered, it’s best you contact the GM so we can discuss it. [/hider] [hider=Technology] Tech Level is...variable, thanks to the effects of widespread upheaval. Automation is common in the more civilized portions of the Sector, as well as lasers, railguns, EMP emitters, and plasma throwers. The main method of FTL is the use of a 'wormhole system' that links most planets, but Kaisoken, Rau've, and Ascendancy of Man use Spacewarpers, spaceships that either uses Magic (Kaisoken and Rau've) or Super-tech (Ascendancy) that can turn a hundred light-years' worth of distance to one day's trip. Cybernetics exist, but are taboo in the inner levels of the Ascendancy of Man, where biotechnology is preferred as 'it does not mar the pure human form'. Cybernetics can be used to justify possession of an Exceptional Skill, the same for Drugs, Powered Armor, and other pieces of technology. [/hider] [b]V. Rules[/b] [hider=Rules] [b]Basic Rules:[/b] 1) No Godmodding or Powergaming, aka no controlling other players' actions 2) Any consenting relationship between people of the same age group is allowed, whether it's Homosexual or Heterosexual. If you cannot stand such things, don't post here in the first place. 3) Be polite to others. 4) Please notify me if you will be gone for more than a week, I myself will let you guys know if I will be gone for that same amount of time. 5) GM Updates are bi-weekly now - if you don't respond to two updates in a row, and you don't give a good reason, you are regarded as dropped. 6) The GM reserves the right to control inactive PCs as NPCs in order to keep the plot moving. A few words from your co-GM Conscripts [b]New system, new rules, new expectations:[/b] With this, all technical limitations are virtually lifted. All previous nerfs on High Magic, Mind Magic, etc. have been removed. Now, the job of balancing your character power level (and I use this term very loosely) is up to me and [b]YOU.[/b] Yes you. You also share responsibility with us as well. We make sure nothing too drastic get accepted. You make sure you exercise the power we give you responsibly. You can have really devastating powers, and we expect you to use that power with modesty. We’re here to have a good time and build characters and relationship, not have a power fantasy. So we trust you with those powers you wield. And hopefully you will use it with great care. We believe you can do it! [b]DISCUSS DISCUSS DISCUSS:[/b] Given the really soft power system we have just implemented, this will mean there may be misunderstandings or miswordings when they describe their traits and effects. If you are confused and needs clarification, please talk to that particular person or raise the question on our Discord server. Try to know as much as possible about other character’s traits, as well as letting them know beforehand, before proceeding with whatever drastic you want to do to with that character, lest mistakes/conflicts happen because characters do something you do not expect. Discussions drive this community and keeps it active, so we encourage them! [/hider] [b]VI. Miscellaneous Lore and Worldbuilding[/b] [hider=The Coalition War] [hider=Background] Tensions have been rising between the Rau've and the Ascendancy for decades, after increasing demands from the Ascendancy and the Rau've refusing to meet it. In 2460, to ease mounting tensions, both sides signed a non-aggression pact with each other. However, the Rau've were also finding ways to undermine the Ascendancy through economic means like convincing allies to abandon their trade deal. In response, combined with the desire for expansions, the Ascendancy prepared for war. In 2468 AD, the planet of Ponin rebelled from Ascendancy rule, declaring themselves Rau've territory. In response, Ascendancy local officials terrorized the planet, mass-executing suspected dissidents, including many Rau've business owners and workers there. This prompted the Rau've to take military actions. They blockaded the planet with their fleet and demanded the release of the Rau've prisoners. However, they were forced back after Ascendancy forces under Kherol recaptured the rebel cities and set up siege cannons against the fleet. This incident served as a justification for the declaration of war for the Ascendancy 2 years later. [/hider] [hider=Army Group North] [b]Total forces:[/b] 2 fleets (2470 AD), 2 fleets (2475 AD) [b]Commanders: [/b] 2 unnamed Grand Admirals (2470 - 2472 AD), Laguna, Berkeley (2472 - 2475 AD) In preparation for the Alien Coalition War, the Army Group North was formed with 2 fleets, with their intended objectives be various populated planets along the border of Rau've space. The two Grand Admirals chosen for the task were supposed to be Laguna and Berkeley. However, for unexplicable reasons, the President intervened and assigned the task elsewhere instead, holding the two back despite both's bitter protests. When the war starts, the army group, despite early initiatives given by the Conundra Plan, were unable to breakthrough the third line of defense set up by the Rau've. A bitter back and forth stalemate occurred at Coccinia, Neptunia and Ipomoea space ports. Desperate for a breakthrough, and under threats of being displaced by the Ascendancy higher-ups, the two Grand Admirals devised a reckless attack plan to smash through the defense line. The plan was a tragic mixed bag of results. On the one hand, they managed to force a win and a breakthrough. On the other, it was a Pyrrhic one. One Grand Admiral died in combat, the other suffered from wounds, and over 75% of both fleets' ships were lost. In response, the President replaced them with Laguna and Berkeley's fleets, who were fortunate enough to inherit the fruits of the previous two's labours. Itched from being kept back, the two commenced a bloody campaign across the northern frontier. Atrocities mount by the hour, as they plundered the planets they come across. At Raphanus, Viga and Ocimum were where war crimes and massacres ramped up the most, with all planets glassed, and a total of 80% of the population there executed or sent back to the Ascendancy for slavery. Due to this, resistance to Ascendancy occupation in these area were high, and it bought the Rau've enough time to counterattack and push Laguna and Berkeley back to the Ascendancy border and into Ascendancy territory. Army Group North was instrumental in the attack at Proxima with Berkeley leading the vanguard with Laguna ready to back them up. However, Berkeley's attack went badly and quickly crumbled before Laguna could join in and help. By the end of the battle, Berkeley's fleet was completely destroyed, while Laguna also suffered heavily, something she was still struggling to rebuild. [/hider] [hider=Army Group South] [b]Total forces:[/b] 2 fleets (2470 AD), 3 fleets (2473 AD) [b]Commanders:[/b] 5 unnamed Grand Admirals (2470 - 2475 AD) Army Group South had a relatively uninteresting but very tedious and bloody objective of securing planets crucial to the governmental bodies of the Rau've. The Rau've realized how important the area were, and so heavy defenses were placed there, along 4 major planets Musa, Citrus, Pyrus and Punica, creating an almost impenetrable line of defense. Military analysts dubbed this 'The Rau've meatgrinder', as both sides throughout the war threw in many manpower after manpower and failed to make any significant progress except for mounting atrocities and casualties. The initial 2 fleets at the start of the war slowly wilted with every skirmishes fought, gradually replaced by fresh troops. With the arrival of Kaisoken reinforcement, the grip of the Ascendancy loosened and they were forced back to the border. At Proxima, they were also played a huge role in the attack, but like Berkeley, also crumbled as well-expected, with most of the Grand Admirals in charge wiped out in the fight. [/hider] [hider=Home Reserve] [b]Total Forces:[/b] 1 fleet [b]Commanders:[/b] unnamed Grand Admiral This fleet does not take part in the war nor Proxima. Instead they were kept to keep general orders among the population and quelling dissidents. The fleet was still around after Proxima, but its role had been taken over by Grand Admiral Kherol and his fleet. [/hider] [hider=Army Group Centre] [b]Total forces:[/b] 2 fleets [b]Commanders:[/b] Alexander Kherol, Nikolas Zahrin (2470 - 2475 AD) Unquestionably the most successful front of the war. Army Group Centre was tasked with the important task of capturing the resource planets, power plants and the Rau've capital Brassica. During the initial stages of the war, Army Group Centre was the first to break through the Rau've defensive line almost without effort. Under the command of Kherol and Zahrin, the two fleets continued on a rampage across Rau've territory, destroying 2 Rau've fleet sent to stop both of them and 1 Kanarusian 'mercenary' fleet from the House of Salakar. They quickly secured their given objectives of seizing resources as well as capturing the Rau've capital, and their unprecedented success prompted both the Kaisoken and later the Kanarusian Confederacy to take up arms and declare war against the Ascendancy. The Rau've, facing a difficult situation, decided to abandon the capital and regrouped in their Unknown Space territory with the Kaisoken. Having learned how powerful the Ascendancy is the hard way, they switched tactics and began to harass Kherol's forces at the capital. Having extended his forces much further into Rau've territory than both Army Group, and since both groups are either unable or unwilling to provide support for Kherol, he faced the unenviable task of having to fend off Rau've from multiple directions. The Rau've also counter-attacked multiple times, with the ferocity that impressed both Ascendancy commanders, and quite considerable losses were inflicted on Kherol's fleet. After the second attack, Alexander decided to withdraw from the capital and regroup for another offensive. However, logistic reasons prevented this from occurring soon enough, and by the time it was fixed, the Rau've had heeded his plan and attacked just as the army was evacuating. For the first time ever, Alexander was faced with the prospect of a serious loss, but managed to pull through at the end. The exhausted Kherol's forces regrouped with Zahrin whom had been delegated to maintaining resources for the fleet. They held out for the longest time until news came in of a huge combined Kaisoken-Rau've-Kanarusian offensive aimed at Army Group Centre to take back the industrial complex. As both Army Group North and South were getting pushed back, once again Kherol had to fend off attacks from multiple directions. Unlike last time, Kherol was aware that he would not be able to hold ground, so overriding Zahrin to assume command of both fleets, Kherol engaged in a brilliant retreating fight. Often overlooked by his early Conundra Plan and overshadowed by his actions at Proxima, Alexander's Seven-Days Campaign were some of his most genius moments, as he defeated all three forces in a total of 10 battles in less than a week, significantly halting their advances into Ascendancy mainland, allowing Ascendancy forces to regroup and plan another offensive at Proxima. Army Group Centre were supposed to be the vanguard at Proxima, but as Kherol's plan was rejected, they were placed at the rear, in case of reinforcement was needed. However, both Nikolas and Alexander agreed not to participate, and as a result, both fleets were intact. This combined with the home fleet to create a desperate 'to the death' defensive line, were able to force a peace treaty out of what seemed to be total defeat. After the war, Kherol petitioned to be made the post-war peacekeeping forces, while Zahrin was forcefully retired and his fleet disbanded. In terms of atrocities, Army Group Centre were the cleanest out of three front, with Zahrin straight-up refusing to participate in war crimes. Kherol were also not involved in all systematic massacre of civilians, and in fact most reports indicate that they were treated well albeit strictly. However, he was alleged responsible for several questionable incidents like destroying Rau've ships that refused to surrender, and elements of his forces using prisoners as hostages. The most incriminating incident was the destruction of the House of Salakar, in which he glassed their planet, wiping out almost all House members. Kherol was reported unaware of the scale of civilian casualties, and that the Kanarusians hid their ships underneath their city, misleading him and also technically making them military targets [/hider] [hider=The Battle of Proxima] [b]The Battle of Proxima Centauri[/b] The Rau've/Kaisoken Alliance were lured to the Proxima System, only 4 light-years from Earth itself, and the Ascendancy immediately redeployed much of its remaining forces to crush the Nonhuman coalition once and for all. Their plan was to use the smaller ships of the Ascendancy (Cruisers and Frigates) to lure the Alliance as close to Proxima's Sun as possible. The Sun would then cut off the Alliance line of retreat as the Dreadnoughts hammer them with walls of fire; the Carriers would remain in reserve. It was a flawed strategy, as the Kaisoken contingents of the combined fleet caught on to it and sent their ships to envelop the Ascendancy's flotilla from above and below, snapping like a ferocious raptor's jaws. The Carriers under Grand Admiral Alexander Kherol were unable to do anything (or unwilling, as Kherol saw the strategy as stupid and wanted to save as much of the Ascendancy Fleet as he could from said stupidity) as the Dreadnought Fleet of the Ascendancy was almost completely destroyed. Nevertheless, though Kherol's non-interference was controversial, none can dispute that it was the survival of the Ascendancy's Carriers that prevented the Rau've and Kaisoken from vassalizing or annexing the Ascendancy outright, and even allowed the Humans to retain most of their territory, albeit under heavy requirements for war reparations. It was after the Ascendancy's defeat that Emmanuel Thoreau began to build and focus more on Carriers and Carrier-based space doctrine; the days of the Dreadnought were over. [/hider] [hider=Aftermath] The war ended with a quite favorable peace treaty considering the circumstances thanks to great diplomatic persuasion plus military backing. The Ascendancy got to keep 30 out of its original 50 star systems. The Ascendancy were also forced upon various economic and military sanctions, such as ones to reduce the size and number of dreadnoughts in their military fleet. The war devastated both the Rau've and the Ascendancy, thus inciting rebel tendencies that the post-war army under Kherol were trying hard to quell. [/hider] [/hider] [hider=The Fallen Stars (Added by Jest)] [b][u][i]The Fallen Stars[/i][/u][/b] It unanimously agreed that the Battle of Proxima - what was to be the last hope for the Ascendancy of Man to turn the war against the Coalition in their favor - was a pure and utter disaster. The Kaisoken catching wind and interfering in providing cover fire and an escape for the Coalition where there should have been none, the attack of consequent capture of the Star Marines by the Rau've, the Grand Admiral's refusal to take part in such a risky desperate strategy as that, all of these were indeed elements that made this battle a failure. However, there was one more element that not many people were aware of, an incident that only the Star Marines had any knowledge about, for there was more to this plan than what the records show... The role of the Star Marines in this war was never recorded; knowledge of their existence was already top-secret classified information, and their involvement in this battle was no different. Nevertheless, their role in this battle was of great importance, and was not originally without an escape from whatever disaster may await them. In the midst of the Dreadnaught bombardment, none that were in that battle had any idea that there was another ship, another dreadnaught separate from the others and distanced from the bombardment that occurred. Officially, its role was to be the lookout (for what little good [i]that[/i] did when the Kaisoken struck.) and terminate any backup that may occur. Unofficially however, this Dreadnaught was taken and commandeered by the Star Marines under Ascendancy Black Ops authority, to be used as a Command ship. Their role was supposed to be a simple one: All available squads were to assist in the destruction of the enemy, and the recovery of any information that could prove advantageous from whatever Database the Coalition - the Rau've especially - may have, with Timespace-class units opening portals into the ships and the rest of the units going in to slay any of the enemies that get in their way, terminate the enemy ships with the least fire thrown upon them or with the most ship defenses from the inside out, steal any vital information hey can grab, than retreat back to the command ship in question and retreating from the skirmish with an official record of the ship deserting their post. In short, a standard black ops mission in the midst of a battlefield, on the level risky, if not suicidal. However they were not ordered to die for this mission, and should anything have gone wrong, they were to immediately evacuate back to the Command Ship and retreat. After all, they were the secret weapon of the Ascendancy, their one last ace in the hole should this battle go terribly wrong...or so they were told. Everything was proceeding as planned, Most of the squads and even some squad leaders opened a portal to their enemy's ship, instilling a surprise attack upon them, while most of the Squad Leaders, took command and provided direction to their units from the Command Ship. However, the disaster of this battle, its tragedy, caught its grip on these Star Marines in a way they never intended. During the battle, one Squad made an emergency retreat: Squad 0. Their leader, Codename "Crowley" was one of the few squad leaders who joined the battle alongside his squad and made an unexpected retreat along with the rest of them, an oddity seeing as at the time there was little issue to be had with their mission. However, this confusion soon turned to dread. The Star Marines on the ship were ambushed by the Rau've, and the communication was cut off from the Command Ship. When the Command Ship finally did re-establish communications...The only person that was on the bridge was Squad 0 leader Crowley, drenched in blood, and surrounded by the shattered, broken remains of the Star Marines' most charismatic and dedicated. The Squad leaders on the Command Ship were all dead, and Crowley and his Squad 0 were the ones responsible. It was a coup, a stab in the back of all their friends, and nobody seemed to have saw it coming. To make matters worse, the last thing the Star Marines heard on their communicators was the sound of an explosion, followed by static. The Command Ship they were on, was destroyed like the rest of them. What happened was unclear, perhaps the Kaisoken saw that ship and destroyed it with the rest of them. But more importantly, thanks to this, their line of retreat was cut off, the Star Marines were unable to escape, thanks to a small group of Traitors. And as a result, the Star Marines on the enemy ship were captured and taken to the Rau've's home planet, and the rest is history. [/hider] [hider=The Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet] The first two centuries of the Ascendancy of Man were of construction, colonization, and exploration, as the 'Spacewarpers' of the Human Fleet opened up new horizons. Over time, autonomous trading companies grew in the fringes of Human Space, pushing the frontiers of expansion. But when the Rau've and Kaisoken were finally discovered, along with their equivalent or greater power to the Ascendancy, the first President-for-Life, Corrin Herbert, began to move towards centralization, nationalizing several trading companies and forcing those left to consolidate underneath Henry Windsor, one of the leading explorers and merchants of the fringe worlds. Together, these trading companies formed a formidable fleet, well-armed against Space Pirates (mostly Aliens and renegade Humans) and enough to endanger the Ascendancy itself if it came to war. And so Corrin Herbert was forced to make concessions: The Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet will be allowed to continue its operations, provided that it provide a large payment to the Ascendancy of Man and logistical support to its future wars. This was resented by Corrin's two successors, Elijah and Emmanuel Thoreau, but neither of them made any move to withdraw said concessions, being enmeshed with their own plans. Even the coming of the Rau've/Kaisoken War did not endanger the Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet, as the latter paid a large payment to the Ascendancy in order to avoid giving logistical support. This was a good thing, as the Windsors had already decided that the future lay in economic cooperation with Aliens (albeit with Humans on top) instead of making war with them. So they stood by, consolidating their power on the Southern Fringe of Human Space, well away from the Kaisoken and Rau've territory. And the war ended with the Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet more powerful than ever, with only the Ascendancy's Carrier Fleet able to contest them. Now, the Windsors cannot avoid a collision with the upper levels of the Ascendancy; money can no longer overcome the fear that the Trading Fleet, made up of Xenophiles and immensely rich and powerful, would conduct a coup. And the Windsors knew it, so they decided to conduct a coup for real, contacting disaffected elements among the fringe worlds and other dissidents only to find they had [i]already[/i] been contacted by a new organization, [i]Moonstrike[/i], an organization that seemed to have access to Ascendancy tech and military hardware. And so all activity from them stopped. Was it jealousy, or were they biding their time for something else?[/hider] [hider=Rough Timeline of Events] 2190 AD - Commonwealth of Humanity Formed, Faster-than-Light travel in the form of Spacewarpers discovered. 2260 AD - Commonwealth of Humanity meets the Gill, a minor Alien Race living in the water world of Gill'home. A resolution is drafted to 'uplift the Gill technologically' so that they can 'stand as equals' with the Human Race. 2261 AD - Humanity attempts to uplift the Gill by giving them advanced technology, causing the Gill to become more ambitious. 2281 AD - Korta and Tayanen Pirates attack Human planets, trading companies, and installations. A small number of Gill are discovered to have collaborated with the pirates in order to form their own 'space empire', and Humanity cuts off their entire species' uplift as a result. 2290 AD - The Commonwealth of Man defeats the Korta, Tayanen, and a few Rogue Gill in the battle of Gill'home, and renames itself the 'Ascendancy of Man'. Gill'home itself has its waters infected with a bioweapon which covers the sea in toxic algal blooms and causes mass ecosystem destruction, just as evidence comes out that the Gill species as a whole did not support the rogues. 2300 AD - The Ascendancy of Man discovers the Korta Home Worlds, and prepares to assault them. However, cooler heads prevail after the recent xenocide of the Gill and the Korta are merely vassalized and made to pay tribute. 2310 AD - The Tayanen Home Worlds are discovered and the Tayanen are made a vassal as well. Rumors emerge of a Galactic Bazaar being constructed by renegade Tayanen and Korta in concert with various unknown alien species. 2340 AD - The rumors are proven right and the completed Galactic Bazaar is discovered, along with the Rau've and Kaisoken Empires. The Ascendancy of Man turns into a 'dictatorship with a democratic appearance' shortly after, with the current President, Corrin Herbert, becoming the first 'President for Life'. 2365 AD - Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet founded. 2390 AD - Corrin Herbert was replaced with Elijah Thoreau, who orders his son, Emmanuel, to begin experiments on Magic. 2420 AD - Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet sets up shop in Gill'home, saving the remaining Gill from starvation and death and cleaning up the planet from the remnants of the bioweapon used by the Ascendancy, starting a project of ecological restoration in defiance of the Ascendancy's ideology. 2421 AD - Emmanuel Thoreau becomes the new President-for-Life, Experiments on Kaisoken dust continue. 2442 AD - Alexander Kherol born. 2470 AD - The Alien Coalition War begins, with Ascendancy Forces attacking the Rau've and Kaisoken for 'living space'. 2475 AD - Battle of Proxima Centauri. The Ascendancy loses. Tayanen and Korta released from Human vassalage. 2476 AD - Start of the RP. [/hider] [b]VII. Character Sheet Skeleton[/b] [b]UPDATED CSes[/b] (Note that you do not necessarily have to follow these skeletons. Feel free to alter the skeleton if you feel fit) [hider=Character CS][b]Name:[/b] What’s your characters name? [b]Age:[/b] How old is your character? [b]Physical Description:[/b] What does your character look like? Place any photos or written descriptions here. ------------------------- [b]Important items:[/b] What possessions are important to your character? [b]Weapons:[/b] (What kind of weapons do your character have?) [b]Spell List:[/b] This is specifically for races capable of magic via Kaisoken dust, Kaisoken themselves, the Star Marines created using Kaisoken dust, or GM-permitted "special cases". 6 Spells in total for Star Marines and 8 spells for Kaisoken members. [b]Character Traits:[/b] It should be noted that the Star Marines spent most of their experimental life mastering magic as opposed to physical ability, and so has lesser abilities as a result that will grow in due time. ------------------------- [b]Short Bio:[/b] Tell us your character's story up to this point. Who are they exactly? Where did they come from? What are they like? All of the above goes here. [b]Theme Song:[/b] (Purely optional, if possible, try to find a song that bests represents your character.)[/hider] [hider=Species CS][b]Name:[/b] (What is the name of the Species?) [b]Status to Humans:[/b] (How are their relationship to Mankind/How do they see Mankind?) [b]Life expectancy:[/b] (How old on average can they be before dying of old age?) [b]Genders:[/b] (How many genders do they have, just the binary 2, or perhaps more?) [b]Full Description:[/b] (Fully explain the appearance, abilities, and average personality of the Species. This would be where you would add an image of your race if you have one.) ------------------------------------------- [b]Type of society:[/b] (Self-explanatory; Do they have a hierarchy, are they democratic, or perhaps ruled by a patriarch or a matriarch, what kind of systems of social activity do they have, what sort of trading/economic system do they possess?) [b]Technological advancement:[/b] (How far has their technology come compared to other races?) -------------------------------------------- [b]Miscellaneous:[/b] (Anything else you want to say about your race?)[/hider] [hider=Planet/System CS][b]Planet Name:[/b] (The name of the planet goes here) [b]World Type:[/b] (Is it similar to Earth ala a Continental World? Or is it a planet covered in Oceans with barely any land. Or is it a planet covered in complete deserts? Or is it a planet covered in jungles.) [b]Classification:[/b] (What is the classification of your world?) Class D (planetoid or moon with little to no atmosphere) Class H (generally uninhabitable) Class J (gas giant) Class K (habitable, as long as pressure domes are used) Class L (marginally habitable, with vegetation but no animal life) Class M (terrestrial/Habitable/akin to Earth) Class N (sulfuric) Class R (a rogue planet, not as habitable as a terrestrial planet) Class Y (toxic atmosphere, high temperatures) [b]Moon:[/b] (Does it have a moon? Or two or three?) [b]The Civilized Populace:[/b] (Who is civilized in your world? Is there one or more races that are classified as Civilized. Fallen Civilizations are counted into this, if they were on the planet before their fall it counts. Example: Humans that are on planet Earth.) Population: (How many people are living on your planet?) Tourism: (Is your planet a tourist spot in the galaxy? Within whom they share a border with.) --------------------------------------------- [b]System Name:[/b] (The Name of the System’s Star) [b]Star Class:[/b] (The class of the star) [b]Planetary Bodies:[/b] (The Planetary bodies within the System as a whole, how many planets does it have including the one you named above. How many of them ‘can’ be terraformed and etc. Is there an asteroid belt similar to the Sol System? How many Gas Giants are there?) [b]Location:[/b] (How far is your planet from the Ascendancy of Man's Core Sector) ----------------------------------------------- [b]Landmasses:[/b] (Continents and etc. If it is a Continental World it’ll have to have continents. Islands or etc. Anything can go here as long as it can hold life on it. In terms of cities on the land.) [b]Waters:[/b] (The next part is how many oceans, lakes, rivers, seas does the planet hold?) [b]Notorious Monsters/Creatures:[/b] (What’s the apex predator on your planet? Or what was the apex predator before your culture on your planet evolved enough to take them down? As well they can be for a specific creature type that is horrifying and terrifying at all the same time alike the Underveiled.) [b]Level of Development:[/b] (What’s the level of technology on your land masses? Are they all the same or are they in different eras completely outpacing the other ones.) [b]Economy:[/b] (The Economy of the Planet, what’s the primary currency the entire planet uses? It could be based on the most technological continent or otherwise.) [b]Type of Society:[/b] (What’s the society as a whole? In terms of the people who lived on it before any outside influence from another space faring faction. This is similar to the type of society in the species sheet but different. Since its more focused only on the ones who inhabit the planet before other people colonized it.)[/hider]