A Discord server for this RP can be found [url=https://discord.gg/GmgJNHmXtV]here[/url]. You can also DM me on Discord at JohnSolaris#5728 for questions.

[hr][h1]Introduction[/h1]
[hider=Introduction]This story takes place in a world much like our own, at least on the surface. The primary difference is the existence of New Atlantis, an artificial island megacity in the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe, built through the cooperation of multiple world powers in the twentieth century. Spanning over a hundred kilometers in radius, and boasting a multinational population like no other, New Atlantis is unquestionably one of the central pillars of modern society.

However, in recent times the famed Atlantean city has fallen into uncertainty. At the culmination of political and territorial disputes between several world powers, New Atlantis was placed into lockdown four months ago, with no civilian travel permitted in or out. A veneer of normalcy was maintained by mass media, but people living elsewhere soon found themselves mysteriously unable to contact their friends and family in New Atlantis. Things looked completely normal from the outside, yet no electronic communication could go through, and those brave enough to violate the lockdown and enter the artificial island were never heard from again; it's like this city has silently disappeared from the world.

You are one of the many people desperately trying to find out the truth behind New Atlantis, for one reason or another. Perhaps you have resources and connections at your disposal that allow you to dig further and deeper than the average person. But the more you dig, the more you are met with coordinated, almost conspiracy-theory levels of effort in dodging and obfuscating the truth, in government and corporate entities alike. Just as you are about to reach your wit's end, [i]she[/i] appears before you.

Appearing human on the most basic level, yet inhumanly beautiful by the standards of most. Casually floating in midair, in blatant defiance of physics. Tight, revealing black dress that blends into the swirling aura of darkness around her, a presence both otherworldly and intimately familiar, akin to the spiritual manifestation of human decadence and desire itself. And her eyes, orbs of unnatural amaranth, are devoid of the usual gleam of human light and reason, instead resembling the bottomless abyss that consumes all who fall into its embrace.

"You desire the truth, don't you?" Her silken voice caresses your ears. "But is it something you can handle? The world is far darker and more dangerous than you could have ever imagined..." The seductress's ruby lips curl into a devious smirk. "But I can change that. I can give you power, the power to go far beyond human limits, to find out the truth of this world for yourself..."

You try to say something, anything, but your body is paralyzed by this woman's mysterious power. Is she going to give you power like this? In your heart of hearts, you know that the entity before you is the epitome of a deal with the devil. Should you accept what she offers, there will be no going back.

"Heh, did you think I was going to give you a choice?" As if reading your thoughts, her smirk widens into a grin. "Sorry, but the potential of your soul is too valuable. I'm going to implant you with the Seed now, and send you to New Atlantis. Embrace this power and become strong for me, will you? Then you may be able to get to the bottom of it all, fix everything, and come out of this alive… I'll be watching you carefully."

Before you can react, the demoness is already very close to you, tapping your chest with a delicate crimson-nailed finger. Instantly, the whole world around you becomes a blur, and you feel like you're falling through an endless pit…

…

Eventually things stop spinning, and your eyes readjust, but you still cannot believe what you're seeing. The sky is pitch-black, crackling with streams of searing, otherworldly colors that form eldritch sigils and bathe the world below in an eerie dim light. An utterly devastated cityscape sprawls around you, the shattered remains of buildings strangled by thick thorny vines of inky darkness. Puddles of black tar litter the ground, some seeping out of large cracks, occasionally erupting into sparks of ghostly flame. Just as you begin to wonder if you've been taken to another world entirely, you see the Atlantean Spire, the massive skyscraper tower and tallest building in the world, the most easily recognizable symbol of New Atlantis itself. Several vines of monstrous size have coiled themselves around the Spire, covered in thorns and made of the unknown black substance like the smaller specimens around you, cracks on their surfaces pulsating with dreadful energy. Can this really be New Atlantis? What happened to it in the past four months, and why didn't anyone outside notice?

You are distracted from your thoughts by a sharp hiss nearby. Its source is a hideous thing straight out of some monster movie or video game, barely humanoid in shape, hunched over and sharp ice crystals protruding from its pallid skin. Darkness swirls around it, but unlike that of the woman earlier that felt like temptation itself, this energy makes every hair on your skin stand up in alert. Tattered remains of human clothing still cling to the creature, yet there is no intellect in its eyes as they focus on you, only the primal instinct to hunt and kill.

Somehow, you're not nearly as afraid as you should normally be. In fact, you feel a newfound power surging through you, something you've never experienced before; the sense of danger from the monster before you is quickly becoming insignificant in comparison. Is this what the dark goddess has given you? Can you really use it to find out the truth and return this city to normal? Whatever the case is, you're here now, and it's up to you to make the best of this unprecedented situation…
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[hr][h1]Additional Information[/h1]
This section contains additional information not covered in the introduction.

[hider=World Information]
As stated in the introduction, this RP takes place in a world that is roughly the same as modern Earth. The key differences will be summarized here.

[b]New Atlantis[/b] has already been touched on. The exact details behind its founding and construction are shrouded in mystery, but its cultural importance is at least on par with the biggest cities in real life today. It technically counts as its own sovereign state, but its immigration laws are infamously accommodating as long as one has the money to move there, resulting in a highly international population. Unfortunately, this also resulted in the territorial disputes that culminated in the city's recent lockdown. Other than what has already been mentioned, the details of New Atlantis are not set in stone, so feel free to contribute if you have any ideas.

[b]The year is early 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic never happened.[/b] 2020 was just like any other year before it. We all deserve some escapism from the pandemic, no?

[b]No celebrities will be harmed in the making of this RP.[/b] The world is similar to real life, but not identical, with quite a bit of publicly known alternate history involved. Whenever possible, avoid involving or mentioning real life public figures that are still alive today, treating them as having never existed and substituting in an NPC when needed. For instance, Donald Trump doesn't exist, and the president of the US is someone else entirely. Historical figures in the distant past are fair game, but err on the side of caution when it comes to people who died in the recent decades. When in doubt, consult the co-GM or me.

[b]Physics gets a bit wonky when magic is involved.[/b] In everyday life, on the surface level, the laws of physics appear largely identical to those in real life, but they're very different at the atomic level and below. This means that some well-known pieces of popular science and history are different from real life, e.g. no time dilation in Einstein's theory of relativity. This should have no effect on most characters, but [b][i]please consult me first if you want to make references to real life theoretical physics concepts[/i][/b]. Moreover, magic can extract energy from and dissipate energy into extradimensional hyperspace, so the conservation of mass and energy can be ignored to a limited extent. There are also some unintuitive quirks in this new physics that I had to add for the sake of consistency when magic is involved, but I’ll only bring them up when necessary.
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[hider=Magic System]
I call it "magic" here, but it could go by any number of names, and simply refers to everything that grants capabilities beyond real life modern technology. The exact nature of these powers will be gradually revealed as the plot progresses.

[hider=General Rules]
In general, every magical effect has an associated "power level", which determines the energy density of the effect, the rate at which the effect extracts energy from hyperspace, and how resistant the effect is to disruption when clashing against an opposing effect. Circumstantial factors like good tactics and weakness exploitation can tilt things in your favor, but there is often not much you can do if your opponent's power level is overwhelmingly stronger than yours. Power levels can often be increased by practice, experience, and certain significant events. [b][i]A player character's starting power level is expected to be roughly on par with modern military weapons, such as machine guns and grenades.[/i][/b]

Independently of power level, sustained exertion builds up strain at a rate inversely proportional to the user's skill and efficiency, which requires rest to recover from. Player characters can expect to regain full strength after one night of rest, though overexertion can lengthen the process. Exceptionally efficient entities can keep working indefinitely without rest at a moderate level of exertion. Traditional survival elements such as foraging for food and water will [i]not[/i] be a major part of the plot, for reasons that will be elaborated upon later; the basic gist is that magic makes your characters no longer have certain human necessities.

There are some more specific instances of the power level rule.
- No effect can be unblockable, undodgeable, irresistible, immune, or absolute in any other way. Again, has to obey power levels.
- All effects must originate from the user and travel to their targets, even if invisibly. Otherwise the effect would have infinite speed, which implies infinite power level. For example, to manipulate a rock, you have to send out your geomantic magic to permeate that rock first.
- No magical effect can work in terms of abstract concepts or semantics. Everything must be based on physics and power levels.
- Every entity has generic magic resistance proportional to power level, in addition to specific elemental resistances. As a result, you can't directly manipulate the matter that makes up another entity's body unless your power level is overwhelmingly stronger than the target's.

There are some categories of abilities and effects that are notoriously hard to balance. [b][i]You must consult me first if you want to have any abilities in any of the following categories.[/i][/b]
- Any mind-altering effect more specific than inducing hallucinations or approximate emotions in the target.
- Space manipulation, portals, teleportation, and intangibility.
- Time manipulation, precognition, postcognition, and time travel. This category in particular is banned in all but the most extreme and specific plot circumstances, so don't get your hopes up.
- Probability manipulation, which is also banned except in the most specific and restricted circumstances.
- Anything that deals with the soul.

Lastly, a common type of entity is the amorphous entity made of some homogeneous substance, seemingly lacking vital organs. Such entities are held together by internal circuits of holomatter, so anything that disrupts said circuits or destroys the substance can damage the amorphous being. Strong physical blows can cause stress to said circuits as well, which takes energy to recover from, meaning amorphous beings are not immune to physical attacks.
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[hider=Elements]
Most types of magic are roughly categorized by elements and combinations thereof. Every element has a good degree of variety within itself, including physical (matter-based) and magical (energy-based) aspects. Someone may have aptitude for only a subset of an element, e.g. an earth user who specializes in metal, or combining subsets of multiple elements, e.g. combining heat and stone to make magma. The general fighting style of each element is given, though a user with very high skill level or unusual aptitude may be able to subvert these styles (e.g. a defensive wind user with walls of compressed air). Feel free to combine multiple elements to make more interesting abilities; doing so will not make your character weaker than specialists if the constituent elements synergize with each other properly. Also, note that due to the power level rule earlier, there is no elemental immunity, absorption, or reflection, only resistance.

[b]Fire[/b]:
- Physical: Conjures explosions. Very high burst damage, but lacks defensive power.
- Magical: Conjures heat, flames, and combustion. Has both high burst and sustained damage, but relatively lacking in utility. Can strongly buff offensive power.

[b]Earth[/b]:
- Physical: Conjures stone, metal, and earthen matter. Strong and durable, but slow.
- Magical: Conjures corrosive chemicals and matter transmutation magic. High damage over time, and very good at breaking physical defense. Can strongly buff defense.

[b]Wood[/b]:
- Physical: Conjures fleshy or plant-like organic matter. Regenerative and relatively durable.
- Magical: Conjures magical toxins and pathogens. High damage over time, and can inflict a variety of physical ailments. Can heal, cleanse debuffs, and provide balanced buffs.

[b]Water[/b]:
- Physical: Conjures liquid with adjustable viscosity and pressure. Versatile and fluid in form.
- Magical: Conjures ice, snow, and cold. Can defend the user, and slow down or trap enemies. Can heal, cleanse debufs, and preserve.

[b]Air[/b]:
- Physical: Conjures wind and compressed gas. Very fast, but lacks defensive power.
- Magical: Conjures electricity and magnetic fields. Very fast, and can paralyze or disrupt enemies. Can strongly buff agility and speed.

[b]Arcane[/b]:
This is a catch-all term for explicitly supernatural effects that don't fall under any of the five natural elements, such as telepathy, spiritual energy, and space manipulation. Fighting styles highly vary between users.
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[hider=Common Magical Powers and Archetypes]
The most common magical ability is the [b]sixth sense[/b], an extrasensory ability to detect magic around oneself. Accuracy and range improves with skill, and the most skilled can replace their mundane senses entirely with the sixth sense. Most magical objects have specific "auras" that register to the sixth sense as synesthesia, conveying appropriate feelings of images and concepts. Certain effects can mask objects from the sixth sense or block it out, which can in turn be defeated by more skilled sensors. Every player character will have at least a rudimentary level in this ability, though some may be more skilled if it fits the character concept.

Physical [b]metamorphoses[/b] are common manifestations of magical power, which can be subtle or overt, depending on the person. They usually confer abilities derived from the physiological changes of said metamorphoses, e.g. a fire breath or electrified spikes growing out of the body. Metamorphoses can potentially be exchanged by physically transplanting the relevant body parts.

[b]Thaumaturgy[/b] refers to general magical abilities that are not derived from obvious physiological changes, instead manifesting mainly through the magical circuits that extend from the soul. Some use extensive mnemonic rituals and self-suggestion to reliably invoke these powers, akin to fantasy spellcasting, while others use them spontaneously via instinct, like psychic powers. Thaumaturgic powers can potentially be learned or taught by exchanging the relevant energies and energy manipulation procedures.

[b]Eidolons[/b] are magical constructs derived from the depths of the user's mind that the user can conjure. Each eidolon tends to have a very specific and complex structure that confers distinct properties and abilities, which are instinctively produced by the user's subconsciousness, and are generally beyond the user's capability to consciously modify, at least until the user gains more understanding of his own powers; simple objects that the user can consciously modify do not fall under the classification of eidolons. An eidolon can take the form of a weapon, armor, miscellaneous item, or even a summoned entity that can act with varying degrees of autonomy. Usually only one copy of an eidolon can be sustained by the user at once (even if the eidolon itself actually consists of a group of physically separate items, e.g. a pair of daggers), and it takes energy and effort to repair if damaged or destroyed. Some eidolons can sustain themselves even when cut off from their owners, and it's potentially possible to transfer an eidolon between owners. It's possible to convert a pre-existing object into your eidolon, if there is already an extensive personal and magical connection between you and the object.

All ability categories can be freely combined with each other and elements, as long as it fits the character. You don't have to have all three categories of power if it doesn't fit the character concept.
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[hider=Fighting Style Metric]
This is a metric that I use to roughly gauge the strengths and weaknesses of a character's overall fighting style, trying to strike a balance between comprehensiveness and simplicity. There are twelve independent categories, and 120 points to distribute between them, with 10 being the average for a player character; you can leave it as the average if you don’t feel like your character would be particularly good or bad at a stat. The categories can be conceptually divided into six pairs, though there's no restriction on being good at both halves of a pair. Some characters may have multiple forms that have the same stat total but different stat spreads. [b][i]The number of points is independent of power level, and instead represents the efficiency and robustness of the character's magic.[/i][/b] Additional points may be granted as the character improves in the story.

[b]Melee[/b]: The ability to affect targets close to the character.
[b]Ranged[/b]: The ability to affect targets far away from the character.

[b]Focus[/b]: The ability to concentrate on affecting a small area.
[b]Spread[/b]: The ability to affect large areas at once.

[b]Burst[/b]: The ability to effectively unleash large bursts of power in short durations.
[b]Sustain[/b]: The ability to steadily unleash power over long durations.

[b]Force[/b]: The ability to effectively utilize brute force in magical effects.
[b]Finesse[/b]: The ability to create subtle effects and exploit weaknesses.

[b]Defense[/b]: The ability to withstand harm through defense and durability.
[b]Agility[/b]: The ability to avoid harm through agility and speed.

[b]Support[/b]: The ability to enhance targets in various ways.
[b]Sabotage[/b]: The ability to debilitate targets in various ways.

Min-maxing and dumping stats are not needed, because even a low stat contributes appropriately to a character's fighting style. For example, a huge warhammer may be almost purely Force, while a greatsword may be mainly Force but also has a small amount of Finesse. This is not a mechanics-based tabletop RPG, so the stats are not absolute.
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[/hider]
[hider=Approximate Map]
This is a very rough, approximate map of the state that New Atlantis is currently in. It is to scale.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/LDkizls.png[/img]

The city is divided into six main zones. The former urban core of the city, around 55 kilometers in radius (comparable to New York City), is where the player characters start in. The five surrounding zones are each aligned with three of the five elements, with the dominant element in bold. The overall metropolitan area of the city is around 100 kilometers in radius, and is surrounded by the "Great Barrier", which produces the otherworldly night sky effect visible throughout the city. The barrier extends into the sky and underground as a sphere, and so far nothing has managed to penetrate it to escape the city. More information on various areas of the city will be revealed as the story develops.
[/hider]
[hr][h1]Character Sheet[/h1]
[hider=Character Sheet]
[b]Name[/b]: Can include full name, nicknames, pseudonyms, titles, epithets, and the like.

[b]Age[/b]: Has to be within normal human limits.

[b]Gender[/b]: Could be nonbinary. But remember, you don't need to focus on gender issues unless it makes sense for your character and would make a good story.

[b]Appearance[/b]: The awakening of your character's magical powers could have changed his appearance drastically, potentially going as far as transforming his body into something completely inhuman, so there's a lot of leeway where appearance is concerned.

[b]Personality[/b]: You don't have to give an extensive psychoanalysis of your character, but a general summary is helpful. Think about your character's preferences, principles, aspirations, fears, etc.. These are going to be important to how the character's abilities manifest and develop.

[b]Backstory[/b]: Again, only a general summary will suffice, though you'll need to have my permission first if you want to have any secret parts of your character's backstory that are not revealed to the public. As the introduction suggests, the standard plot hook is that your character is trying to find out the truth behind New Atlantis for some reason or another, but failing at every turn, before suddenly being granted magical powers and sent to New Atlantis by the unknown dark goddess. If you don't want to take this plot hook, you'll have to talk to me so we can work out something to properly involve your character.

[b]Skills[/b]: Your character's mundane skills without the aid of magic.

[b]Abilities[/b]: Your character's magical abilities, which must be derived from the character's personality and backstory. A general summary of the character's elements, abilities, and fighting style is needed, though you don't need to list every single thing your character can do. If you're unsure whether a specific action fits your character's moveset, ask me, and I'll call you out if I feel that it's an asspull. You can have a few minor elemental resistances for free, but major resistances need to be balanced out by vulnerabilities. Your character's stat spread should also be listed here.
[/hider]
A blank character sheet can be found below and copied for your convenience.

[hider=Blank Character Sheet]
[noparse][b]Name[/b]:

[b]Age[/b]:

[b]Gender[/b]:

[b]Appearance[/b]:

[b]Personality[/b]:

[b]Backstory[/b]:

[b]Skills[/b]:

[b]Abilities[/b]:[/noparse]
[/hider]
[hr][h1]Rules[/h1]
All guild rules apply. In addition, there are a few points that I want to clarify and emphasize.

[b]- Each player is not limited to one character. Feel free to make multiple characters now or later if you think you can handle it, within reason. You can make minor characters that are more akin to NPCs, and potentially turn them into major characters later if you want. I expect this to be a pretty slow-paced RP, maybe one or two posts a week, so use that to judge how many characters you want.

- I am someone who takes internal consistency and verisimilitude very seriously. Therefore, if I see something in your post that I believe to be a plot hole, I'm almost always going to ask you to fix it. If you don't, I may have to gratuitously retcon some things, or even declare your post invalid.

- Don't godmod. When interacting with another character, work together with that character's owner to ensure everyone's actions, reactions, and consequences remain consistent. That includes NPCs controlled by the GM and co-GM.

- I'll try to give player characters a moderate amount of plot armor and good luck. But actions have consequences, and the suspension of disbelief only stretches so far. Keep that in mind before you try to make a dangerously reckless character.

- Mature topics involving corruption on both personal and societal levels will be discussed in the plot. As per forum rules, there won't be anything explicit, nor will I make things pointlessly grimdark, but just be aware that this isn't an innocent kids' show.

- If you want to leave the game, I'll try to retcon out your character's existence. If that's not feasible, I'll try to remove your character from the plot as painlessly as possible.[/b]