2052.

The world has undergone a revolution with the development and discovery of an incredible capacity within the human mind: Esper powers. Psychic abilities to tap into the minds of others or manipulate the world at large, from reading minds to igniting and directing flames. Naturally, this capability to use psychic abilities at first occurred in only small numbers, but as time went on they became increasingly common. While espers remain in a minority, their numbers have still risen. Additionally, the creation of treatments to facilitate the development of esper powers in powerless humans(at least those who have enough compatibility with these treatments) has opened a window for further developments in psychic power.

Needless to say, research into the military use of espers had already begun when they appeared.

The first was dubbed an "Autonomous Extrasensory Phenomena", or AEP. A strange, inhuman shape, it was recorded on many devices and witnesses by hundreds of thousands as it wandered seemingly aimlessly through Shinjuku. A second appeared randomly in Berlin. The third in Seoul. Hazy, unidentifiable shapes that nevertheless existed in the eyes of all who witnessed them. Nations all over the world attempted to understand what these strange entities were, but the answer came much faster then they would have expected.

February 14th, 2032, is the day that the they attacked. Bizarre and unnatural creatures, the AEPs having become tangible beings, suddenly appeared all across the world and began killing human beings indiscriminately. In the initial panic and mass evacuations, large stretches of land were given up to the creatures, which became inactive once there were no human beings left within range.

These places would become known as 'Ghost Zones', abandoned towns and even large stretches of cities infested with AEPs. Standard military weapon proved ineffective against the creatures, failing except in massive overwhelming amounts for even a single AEP, or Phantom as they had come to be known.

But humanity wouldn't be defeated so easily. Even as Ghost Zones steadily began to grow wider, research accelerated. It was soon discovered that esper abilities were capable of piercing Phantom defenses, even objects manipulated by telekinesis could tear right through them. Theorized to be due to Phantoms using their own psychic abilities as a form of defense, this lead to the creation of the Anti-Phantom Suppression Unit. The APSU was the first military unit formed entirely of Espers, originating in Japan but eventually becoming a worldwide organization.

Capable of containing the growth of Ghost Zones and even penetrating them in order to recover assets lost during the initial invasion, the APSU has proven vital to humanity's survival.

Twenty years later, and while Ghost Zones remain it has become possible for most of humanity to regain a largely normal life.

But the goal of one day exterminating the mysterious Phantoms entirely still remains.

Reconnaissance indicates, however, that something new may be stirring among them... Recently, Phantoms have attacked residential areas once again after being largely contained.

It's up to the APSU to stop them.

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For this RP, I'll be looking for up to six [b]players[/b] to play as a squad within the Japanese division of the APSU. Each player will have access to an esper power, a psychic ability of some form that allows them to combat the deadly Phantoms. They will also have some form of Neural Link weapon. Neural Link weapons are wirelessly connected to the wielder's brain, most effective with melee weapons in constant contact with the wielder's body or with weapons that are directly manipulated by the wielder's psychic abilities. These weapons can pierce the defenses of Phantoms and destroy their cores. Other objects manipulated via psychic abilities may also be used as impromptu weapons against Phantoms.

For a few more setting details...

[list][*][u][b]Phantoms:[/b][/u] Bizarre, otherworldly entities of unknown origin. Initially assumed to be some form of strange psychic phenomena, it became clear that they were in fact some form of hostile creature. Coming in a variety of shapes and sizes with widely varying abilities, Phantoms are linked by the fact they seem to operate as a single faction and are universally hostile to human beings. Immediately on sighting a human, a Phantom will attempt to kill them without hesitation and consume their body. All Phantoms also possess a core, usually located at center mass, destruction of which will cause immediate death dispersal of the body. It is theorized that Phantoms are in some part composed of psychic energy, explaining why psychic abilities are capable of damaging them so easily. Phantoms are categorized by their overall danger level:[list][*][u]Level 1:[/u] Threat Level Low. A trained APSU operative should have no issue dispatching a Level 1 Phantom.
[*][u]Level 2:[/u] Threat Level Moderate. Caution should be exercised, but a trained APSU operative should be able to dispatch Level 2 Phantoms as long as they are aware of the potential danger.
[*][u]Level 3:[/u] Threat Level Medium. Experienced APSU operatives advised. Extra care should be taken when engaging a Level 3 Phantom.
[*][u]Level 4:[/u] Threat Level High. Multiple APSU operatives advised. Do not engage without support.
[*][u]Level 5:[/u] Threat Level Extreme. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary.[/list]
[*][u][b]Ghost Zone:[/b][/u] Abandoned areas overtaken by Phantoms. Commonly the site of APSU missions, efforts to reclaim Ghost Zones have been in the works recently. They are populated with numerous Phantoms, and in many cases are heavily overgrown and in states of disrepair. Caution is advised.
[*][b][u]Neural Link Weapon[/u][/b]: Specially designed weaponry created to wirelessly link to the brain of an APSU operative. Most commonly they are melee weapons, or weapons specifically manipulated via the use of esper powers. Nearly all APSU field operatives utilize some form of Neural Link Weapon.[/list]

[hr]

A couple more things: I'll be enforcing a weekly posting schedule to keep the RP moving. If you do not think you will be able to keep up with that, please keep that in mind before signing up. If you are unable to post for whatever reason, I am willing to extend the deadline for up to one additional week.

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[list][*][u][b]Name:[/b][/u]
[*][u][b]Age:[/b][/u]
[*][u][b]Gender:[/b][/u]
[*][u][b]Appearance:[/b][/u]
[*][u][b]Personality:[/b][/u]
[*][u][b]Brief Backstory:[/b][/u]
[*][u][b]Esper Power:[/b][/u]
[*][u][b]Equipment:[/b][/u]
[*][u][b]Skills:[/b][/u][/list]

[@Jing][@KenjuGuy][@Dark Cloud][@1Charak2]