[center]"Long ago, the Demon Mother and her generals led an army of devils and monsters, conquering the earth and subjugating the human race."

But, you and your friends don't really know anything about that.[/center]

	The year is 2371, and the vast majority of humans live and die at the mercy of their demon overlords. The only remaining exception—and humanity's last chance at freedom—were driven from their vast former civilization into small, underground cities. At least, you hope that, for humanity's sake, there exists more than this particular cell of human resistance fighters you're so intimately familiar with.

	Here, in this veritable prison of a cavern called Agartha, where a fake blue sky is projected onto the ceiling to simulate the "day" part of the city's day and night cycle, uniquely gifted individuals called Mediums are raised to become the next generation of heroes... who will accomplish little more than thinning the horde, as they do every year.  It's expected that this year will be a year like any other; young men and women who were considered children only a few months ago will be sent to the surface to die, and have nothing to show for it. One young hero and their ever-expanding circle of friends hope to finally break this cycle of death and hopelessness. By invoking spiritual beings called Jinn, Mediums are able to use their Resonant Power to manifest their desires as a kind of magic. Their sworn purpose is to bring humanity's most fervent wish to fruition: reclaiming their lost freedom and dominion of the earth.

[center]But what those humans truly wished for, above all else, was...[/center]

[center][h2]Character Creation[/h2][/center]
	There is more lore below, but before we continue, let's skip ahead to the real reason this exists, as it'll more quickly help you decide if you're going to be interested in this. Mediums invoke spirits called Jinn, who gift their human masters with power—but it comes with a price. To decide what kind of power your character gets, you'll first think about what kind of character you want to play. Then, you the player will make a wish—in-character. Then, another player, acting as your character's Jinn, will grant you the power to make that wish come true, but then tack on some kind of drawback or Achilles' heel to it.

[center]Yep. To get inspiration for your character's combat abilities, you'll be playing corrupt-a-wish![/center]

	There are a couple caveats. You aren't locked into whatever the first person to respond after you deigns to give you right away. You have a few options if you need to call a Mulligan. You can (in-character) try to negotiate with your Jinn, or summon another (just ask another player to throw you a bone). Or, if you're already accustomed to giving your characters balanced strengths and weaknesses, you can scroll down and read up on the general expectations and the combat mechanics to get a grasp on what you'll need, post your character sheet complete with combat abilities, and see if I like what you came up with. You're encouraged to at least try to play the game before resorting to that, though.

[center][h3]General Rules and Expectations[/h3]
[hider]
1.	Post length is whatever you need to make your character come alive. For some, this may only be a single spoken sentence and a short paragraph, or two. Others may write walls of text, and that's fine. Just don't respond to everything non-combat related with one-liners and zero depth or introspection, and you're good. If you're going to have a long-form, in-person conversation with another character, consider writing your posts together, just so your rapid-fire back-and-forth doesn't take over the thread.

2.	Presentation is pretty casual. Feel free to open your posts with fancy fonts and a poetic tagline for your character, or don't. If you want to embed background music for those special character-defining moments, then go for it. If you'd rather post an image than painstakingly describe every aspect of something, it's fine. As long as we can understand what is going on in your post, typos are excusable, but do try to use proper grammar.

3.	The setting is a fictionalized earth where demons undeniably exist, and as with any other fictional world where demons exist, there will be [i]some[/i] religious themes. If you have any concerns about this, feel free to ask me. However, like other fictional works such as Edmund McMillen's [i]The Binding of Isaac[/i], religion is a medium through which the story is being told, and not the "message," if the story must have one. If you're going to be offended in spite of that (or because of it), steer clear.

4.	The story's events will revolve around a "home base" named Agartha, where characters will stay until they deploy for missions. This structure will allow characters to return to base during periods of low user activity, and, either individually or as a group, re-deploy at any time—like a drop-in, drop-out co-op mode. This will also allow new players and characters to join the squad at almost any time. What this means for you is that periods of inactivity or discovering this RP after it's already underway will not be punished so severely that it becomes impossible to pick it up again, or at all. What it also means is that player-directed side quests can exist, and multiple small groups can tackle different missions at the same time, or PvP in training simulations until the story moves forward.

5.	Combat mechanics and rules are there to keep things fair for other players during PvP if that's your wheelhouse. If it's not, don't be paralyzed by all the nuances. The mechanics are there to give you a general idea of how this world's physics will work when two attacks meet, when spells of different elements and tiers clash, and so on. The "rules" are there to be consulted if someone is doing something unfair. If you have questions, you can ask me. If your PvP partner is fine with whatever, then you can do whatever, as long as you're not destroying the world and everything inside. We're here to have fun.

6.	Welcome to Unrealville, Fictionland, where complete immolation leaves a character fully clothed with only some minor burns to show for it, and losing an arm is only a flesh wound. Even though the setting is earth, we won't be adhering strictly to realism, despite the darker themes involved. Mediums especially are basically superheroes, so they should be able to shrug off things that would turn you and me into paste, like the term Cartoon Violence™ shrugs off the looming threat of parental supervision.

7.	Character couples are great, but don't lewd in public. (That means no sex scenes in the thread, per RPGuild official rules. There are other places where your characters can escalate their "relations," if you must.) If your character must be nude for a scene, I humbly request that you keep your word choices classy and your descriptions PG-13. If you're not confident in your ability to do this, you can "fade to black" as they say.

8.	Discord comes highly recommended for this RP, as there will be several fun integrations with it, most of which I don't want to spoil. Server link: https://discord.gg/ur9RW6XXcK
[/hider][/center]

[center][h3]Character Wishes and Power Level[/h3]
[hider]
1.	Your character's wish doesn't have to be a noble one, like "I want to defeat the Demon Mother" or "I want to free humanity from the demons." Most characters will be young, have been living in a cave and (for the most part) treated like nobility their whole lives just for being Mediums. Some will be eager to escape responsibility rather than embrace it, desire to see the wonders of the surface world more than dealing with the demon menace, and other such things. Also, the more specific your character's wish is, the easier it will be for someone to come up with a curse. You should make your wish in-character and include some kind of information about why your character is making this particular wish above any other (so it can be used against them, naturally).

2.	Your character can wish for anything, but that doesn't mean that your Jinn will give it to you. If it's something that is beyond their power to grant, they will give you a kind of power that should, theoretically, help your character achieve their wish. Even if it seems like a hopeless wish, they will offer you at least the impression of a step in that direction. They're crafty little buggers.

3.	Complete invincibility, unrestricted revival from death, time travel, and other "god tier" abilities are banned. Other abilities include global time stop/extreme time distortion, or any other skill (such as an EX-Mode, Adrenaline Rush, whatever) that would achieve the same effect, as well as any kind of 360° omniscient sixth sense, or free-reign teleportation, or infinite shadow clones, or any other kind of nonsense that would make your character impossible to reliably track down or hit. What this all means functionally for the game mechanics is that your skills can't guarantee that you always dodge (or hit), nor can you break the normal flow of combat by raising or lowering a character's number of actions per turn.

4.	Mind control, in all of its various forms and synonyms, is banned, even for use on or by NPCs. As a general rule, you should treat another person's character like you would treat your date. Don't grab them by the hand and pull them into a new scene without asking first, don't assume that they would act or react a certain way without giving them a chance; don't "god mod" as they say.

5.	For the purposes of this particular story, being "unable to control" your power (or character, when they are using it) doesn't qualify as a sufficient curse. Having one angsty boi scorch the earth while everyone else watches from a safe distance is no fun for anyone involved.

6.	Your character's "curse" should be thematically fitting and opposite to their "blessing," but in terms of your character's overall power level, they should still end up being very obviously super-human. Low-level monsters like goblins or slimes won't stand a chance against you even in a 10v1, and most regular humans are even weaker than they are. The goal isn't to ruin your character's power completely, as would usually be the case when playing corrupt-a-wish.
[/hider][/center]

[center][h3]/!\ Trade Offer /!\[/h3]
For the price of invoking a Jinn, you receive:

•	2-8 Basic attack skills (can have special effects; think in terms of Pokémon moves)
•	2-8 Basic spells (can be used at Tier 3 or lower, so each spell may have 3 variants)
•	Your Basic skills and spells should total 10; the ratio of skills to magic is your preference
•	One more magic spell (a Calamity, Summon, or Transformation)
•	Three other skills with passive effects that are always in play
•	One more passive skill, with some kind of negative effect (this is your "curse")
•	Five stars worth of buffs to any combination of stats (can exceed the normal limit)
•	One unique ability (can be any kind of skill or spell) that no other character can acquire
•	Some Jinn may gift their human hosts with an accompanying thematic weapon
•	If you are acting as a Jinn, feel free to suggest your own "sample abilities"[/center]


[center][h3]Character Sheet[/h3][/center]
	You can fill out your character sheet either before or after making your wish. Doing it first will make it easier for other players to come up with a curse for you, but you may also want to design your character around their curse, so it's up to you. Fill in as many or as few of the optional sections as you like; they're there to give you inspiration. Just delete the sections you don't use, along with my helpfully unhelpful help text. You can also skip the "Combat Information" section for now.
[hider][noparse][h2]Personal Information[/h2]
[b]Name: [/b]It comes first, but if you're like me, this gets filled in last.
[b]Nickname: [/b](Optional) A casual way to address your character.
[b]Alias: [/b](Optional) If you're cool enough to have a codename or title, put that here.
[b]Gender: [/b]For the purposes of this character sheet, this "Gender" section should include everything but your character's sexual preference, which is listed further below.
[b]Age: [/b]
[b]Birthday: [/b](Optional)
[b]Blood Type: [/b](Optional)
[b]Species: [/b]Unless you're making a villain character, you'll be a Human. I may also allow a Nephilim or Beastkin into the party later on if you have a neat concept (and a reason why they don't eat humans).
[b]Job Class: [/b]Check the lore below for some example jobs. (I'm open to new job additions, too!)
[b]Hometown: [/b]This will most likely be Agartha, unless you want to make up a new place, describe it, and explain how you came to live in Agartha at some point in your back story. If you really want to be a hero and do all that, you might want to run the basic concept by me first, before you spend hours on it.
[b]Theme: [/b](Optional) Music that would play when your character is having a big moment, or just something for people to listen to while they read about them here.
 
[h2]Body Information[/h2]
[hider][img]Put your face claim image URL here. We expect lots of anime, but something closer to the "photorealistic" side of the spectrum will be accepted too.[/img][/hider]
[hr]
[b]Face: [/b](Optional) Use this to describe your character's face if you don't use a face claim.
[b]Body: [/b](Optional) Use this if you have a face claim that's not a full-body shot.
[b]Attire: [/b](Optional) Same as above, or if you just feel like pointing out the details.
[b]Ethnicity: [/b]Agartha is located in Switzerland, and houses a mixed population of the descendants of evacuees from all over Europe, so almost anything is believable as far as genealogy goes. Agartha more or less has an artificial skybox that runs on hand-waving magic, so you can ignore any real world effects of multiple generations of cave life that may exist, and give your character any skin color you want.
[b]Height: [/b]
[b]Weight: [/b](Optional)
[b]Eye Color: [/b](Optional) Use these if you have no face claim, or the image has wonky lighting.
[b]Hair Color: [/b](Optional) Use these if you have no face claim, or the image has wonky lighting.
[b]Senses: [/b](Optional) If your character has impaired vision or something else, put that here.
[b]Scent: [/b](Optional) This is here for the ladies (yes, I've seen profiles where this was used).
[b]Voice: [/b](Optional) If you read your character's voice lines a certain way, you can invite the rest of us to do the same.

[h2]Personality[/h2]
[b]Usual: [/b]
[b]In Battle: [/b]
[b]Speech: [/b]
[b]Habits: [/b]
[b]Making Friends: [/b]What Resonates with you?
[b]Sexuality: [/b](Optional)
[b]Likes: [/b]
[b]Dislikes: [/b]
[b]Hobbies: [/b]
[b]Issues: [/b](Optional)
[b]Alignment: [/b](Optional) If you want to start an argument about DnD alignments, put yours here.
 
[h2]History[/h2]
[b]Childhood: [/b]What your character's life was like up to now.
[b]Adulthood: [/b](Optional) If your character is significantly older than 18, here's another section.
[b]Family: [/b](Optional) If your character has family members to consider, you can list them here.
[b]Religion: [/b]This RP deals with some religious themes, so pretty much everyone is going to have [i]some[/i] kind of belief. The real question being asked here—that is not answered anywhere in the lore below—is whether or not (given your character's life experiences and all the supernatural stuff that's happened in general) they believe in the existence of the Creator or not, whether he still cares about humanity, whether or not he's still coming back to save them (why or why not), and so on.
 
[h2]Combat Information[/h2]
If you haven't made a wish yet, skip this section; your character sheet is done for now!
[h3]Armaments[/h3]
[b]Weapons: [/b]You should stick to having just one main weapon and maybe a sidearm. A Medium's weapons will be forged from the fossils of fallen angels (yes, really) so they can have magical properties like being able to be summoned into battle and later dismissed, able to duplicate themselves, transform, or whatever. The cooler stuff they can do should be described later below, in your Skills section.
[b]Armor: [/b]If your character wears armor, clothing or accessories with magical properties, type here.
[b]Other: [/b]Anything else your character carries with them, specifically for combat purposes. Some example items include the elixir—don't call it a potion—which restores your HP to max the first time you use one in a battle, restores it by half the second time, and so on. Other items include magic stones: crystallized magic power that is created when magical energy comes in contact with the sludge left behind by perishing monsters. You'll acquire these as you slay monsters, and you can share them with your friends to give them more options for elemental attacks. They also have monetary value.

[h3]Parameters[/h3]
These are your stats, which will range from zero to ten stars. Six stars in any given stat is considered the "human limit" for Mediums, and to boost it even higher, you'll need to rely on your invoked Jinn. Your Jinn will give you five stars worth of buffs, to assign as you see fit. Your initial stats should not exceed 25 stars, 5 of which will be the boost from your starting Jinn, and should go on the right side of the + signs.

Here are 25 stars for you to cut and paste however you like. Refer to PvP mechanics for what these do.
Strength: ★★★☆☆☆+★☆☆☆
If your Strength is plus or minus one from your opponent, you can parry their attacks.
If it's higher than your opponent's Defense, you can break their guard with a normal attack.

Resonance: ★★★☆☆☆+★☆☆☆
Every two stars reduces the RP magic consumes by 1 (you still need the full RP cost available for casting).
Each pair of stars also increases the efficacy of any healing magic you cast by 1 star's worth.

Defense: ★★★★☆☆+★☆☆☆
Each star of Defense should represent two normal attacks or one Skill's worth of damage you can take.
Your Defense also determines how strong your Guard is against physical attacks, including Skills.

Resilience: ★★★☆☆☆+★☆☆☆
Resilience should represent how many magical attacks you can take. Calamities take 2 stars.
Resilience will also decrease the efficacy of healing magic on yourself. A 1-star heal would heal 25% HP in the above example.

Reaction: ★★★★☆☆+★☆☆☆
Characters with higher Reaction can begin a battle with a Free Action (using spells, items, special moves).
After a Parry or elemental spell clash, only the character with higher Reaction can perform a follow-up attack.
Reaction also determines turn order, and is called when rolling for counterattacks and when fleeing AoE attacks.

Perception: ★★★☆☆☆+☆☆☆☆
Each star of Perception increases your dodge rate. Refer to the Glossary of Combat Abilities for details.
Dual Attacks, Crew Attacks, Rush Skills and Finest Arts will depreciate Perception with each consecutive dodge.

[b]Wish: [/b]"Where's your motivation?"
[b]Curse: [/b]Your wish's accompanying curse.
[b]Aura Color: [/b]When your character is overflowing with Resonant Power, what color is it?
[b]Fighting Style: [/b]What's your character's bread and butter?
 
[h3]Attack Skills[/h3]
Attack skills increase your attacking Strength by 2 stars, making them great for guard breaking.
They can also have additional special effects (think Pokémon), but don't make them too obnoxious.
All of these skills should be Basic skills. You can also list as many Rush skills as you want to name.
If your weapon has some kind of special gimmick to it, here's the place for it to shine.
You must have a minimum of 2 Basic skills, with a maximum of 8. Your Basic skills and spells should total 10.

[b]Skill 1: [/b]

[b]Skill 2: [/b]

[b]Skill 3: [/b]

[b]Skill 4: [/b]

[b]Skill 5: [/b]

[b]Rush Skills: [/b](Optional) If you want to give names to your 2-5 attack Rush strings, list them here.

[b]Finest Arts: [/b]You can mix up your Finest Arts combo any way you like. Just give it a name!

[h3]Resonant Power[/h3]
The type of Jinn you invoke should primarily determine what type of spells you receive.
You can have a mix of two or three elements if they all fit thematically with your character's Wish.
Each of your Basic spells can be used at Tiers 1-3, so you don't need multiple slots for one type.
Don't worry about trying to have one of everything for element clashing. That's what friends are for.
You must have a minimum of 2 Basic spells, with a maximum of 8. Your Basic skills and spells should total 10.

[b]Spell 1: [/b]

[b]Spell 2: [/b]

[b]Spell 3: [/b]

[b]Spell 4: [/b]

[b]Last Word: [/b]This is your Calamity tier spell, or Summon, or Transformation (only pick one).

[h3]Personal Skills[/h3]
These skills are passive and always activate. Their effects should be kept simple and easy to apply.

[b]Passive Skill 1: [/b]

[b]Passive Skill 2: [/b]

[b]Passive Skill 3: [/b]

[b]Curse: [/b]A thematically appropriate stumbling block for your character on their journey.

[b]Unique Skill: [/b]Can be a Basic skill, spell, or passive skill. Paste it under the appropriate header.[/noparse][/hider]

[center][h2]Life in Agartha, and Associated Lore[/h2]
[hider]
[center][h3]Humans[/h3][/center]
	Ordinary humans are at the bottom of the divine food chain, and second only to small animals in abject vulnerability. They can use only normal physical attacks, a guard which can be broken by the most Basic attack skills, and Basic magic, which they can only cast using the magic stones that are produced by Mediums. The strongest of them are just barely capable of surviving a one-on-one duel with the lowest rank-and-file monsters, and so they must rely on large numbers or Mediums to survive.

[center][h3]Mediums[/h3][/center]
	Gifted by the Pandora gene, Mediums are humanity's only real hope of defeating the Demon Mother and reclaiming their lost freedom and dominion of the earth. By invoking spiritual beings called Jinn, they are able to use their Resonant Power to manifest their desires as a kind of magic. Their sworn purpose is to bring humanity's most fervent wish to fruition, but no one but their Jinn really knows what they wish for in secret. Mediums live rich and full lives not unlike the nobility of old, and most have only known hardship during their combat training—before they are sent to the surface to die—while the common folk do little more than work. Both classes have mixed feelings about the other's roles, but the birth of a new Medium always brings joy to Agartha, as it means that more jobs will be created, and the city's population will once again be allowed to increase, to support the upbringing of the newest hero.

[center][h3]John Dee[/h3][/center]
	The so-called "original Medium" who appeared some time after the existence of the Demon Mother was known to mankind. Very little is known about the founder of the Brionac Program; even the name "John Dee" was only ever a pseudonym. Nobody knows why he was so secretive, only a privileged few have ever read the results of his research on the Pandora Gene—and nobody knows why or where he suddenly disappeared to, just as humanity's hope for its future began to rise to new heights.

[center][h3]The Pandora Gene[/h3][/center]
	All humans possess the Pandora gene, but nobody knows what causes the Pandora gene to activate. What is known is that, if it is not active shortly after birth, it is usually too late, and there is no known method to increase its activation rate. In times past, the people of Agartha tried to produce more Mediums by inflating the size of its population, but after some time it became clear that this would not be a viable solution to their plight, and the unofficial communal effort that had gone unacknowledged until then was quietly halted. Now, the population of Agartha is "carefully managed" by its government.

[center][h3]Jinn[/h3][/center]
	The conduits of power for the Mediums, Jinn are spiritual beings born from human desires. If humans have worshipped something in great numbers, there is probably a Jinn that embodies that thing, be it an object, element, force of nature, or anything else that evokes human desires. Neither inherently good nor inherently evil, Jinn are easily influenced by the human heart. Even when a Jinn is invoked by two Mediums on opposing sides of a battle, it never revokes either its blessing or its curse, even if it will result in the death of a recipient of its contracts. A Jinn is seemingly only bound by these two forces: its contracts, and human desire. Nothing else is known about Jinn. Perhaps there isn't anything to know.

[center][h3]Resonant Power[/h3][/center]
 	In essence, Resonant Power is created when large numbers of humans believe in something. When a Medium is successful in defeating evil beings and freeing enslaved humans, they gather the faith of their allies and the people. This faith can then be harnessed by invoked Jinn to empower one's body beyond the human limit, or cast magic, creating the phenomenon known as Resonant Power.

[center][h3]Mavericks[/h3][/center]
	Mediums who abandon their duty to fight for humanity's survival are called Mavericks. The loss of the people's faith results in an inability to accumulate Resonant Power. While they are still incredibly powerful compared to regular humans—retaining their ability to use Basic skills and magic—these oath breakers are fodder for Mediums, who are often capable of wiping the floor with a small group of them.

[center][h3]Agartha[/h3][/center]
	A small, underground civilization with only about fourteen thousand members. Even so, Agartha is rich with resources, and both Mediums and non-Mediums alike enjoy the city's advanced technology and relative safety. A clear blue sky is projected onto the roof of the cave to simulate day time, while the soft blue glow of its flora naturally imitate a beautiful starscape (albeit with the help of a fake projected moon), and a powerful magic/tech barrier repels low-level monsters. Its denizens are ethnically diverse, but most speak only English after living in such a small world for over three centuries. Transportation in Agartha is achieved with inclined elevators and cable cars, as its topography is complex. Life in Agartha is perhaps best described as "perfectly boring." While the Mediums stave off their boredom with unending training and missions, the common folk lose themselves in their work and very limited time for hobbies.

	In Agartha, everything revolves around the birth and upbringing of Mediums, as without them, their lives of independence from the demons would be unsustainable. Agartha's population is allowed to increase only when a new Medium arrives, and the vast majority of its resources go into the Brionac Program, which prepares young Mediums for a future mostly spent fighting evil beings. Despite working or training most of the time, the living conditions are downright luxurious compared to those of humans living under demonic rule. Though underground, the cavern is cool, with naturally circulated fresh air.

	Food is a constant concern, and is usually purchased not with gold but with meal tickets, which are provided and managed by Agartha's government. Fruit and vegetables are farmed using vertical and indoor agricultural techniques and technology. Large populations of cattle are unsustainable, so most of the meat eaten by its general population is artificially grown in labs, with the exception of fish that can be caught in a river that falls through the cavern. Wild game is costly and almost exclusively reserved for Mediums and their families. Monsters unfortunately yield no meat when killed, as they will degenerate into a kind of sludge, only edible by other monsters, and only used by humans to create magic stones.

	While Agartha's technology is advanced, it has regressed considerably in one aspect, and that is communications. Television no longer exists, and the news is spread with a city-wide intercom and old school papers. Landline phones also exist, but all forms of communication over the "air waves," such as cell phones, internet, and radio, have been eliminated, as demons can hijack them to cause mass panic and spy on people. More secure and advanced communication methods are used by Mediums, which run on magic, but have their own limitations. For one, they cease to function entirely during a Calamity.

	Like many other governments in the past, Agartha's is divided into legislative, executive, and judicial branches. All members of the legislative congress are human, and are voted in exclusively by humans, while the other two branches are mixed. The executive branch and associated military forces are almost exclusively Mediums, with many humans occupying the lower government worker positions and supporting roles, with few exceptions: Executive Elpidio, for example, is not a Medium, though he occupies a very important position. In short, the Mediums' dependency on humans as a primary source of their power, and the humans' lack of ability to use said power, creates a society where humans must decide how the system will work, while Mediums run it accordingly. The result is surely far from perfect.

	Rather than hosting celebrations on holidays regularly throughout the year, Agartha's times of excess are dictated by the death toll. If more Mediums are joining the force, and fewer are dying, a kind of festival colloquially called "Pandemonium" may occur, where many of the city's usual restrictions are temporarily rescinded. Everyone is given some extra time away from work or training, food will become purchasable with gold rather than meal tickets, couples will rendezvous—and all the usual celebratory fare. The noise tends to dissuade monsters from attacking, as the response is usually swift and merciless.

[center][h3]The Brionac Program[/h3][/center]
	The Brionac Program, and Brionac Academy, are responsible for training Mediums from a young age to combat the demon menace. Mediums are sorted into three different classes, based first on their estimated potential for slaying evil beings, and later based on their estimated body count. First Class Mediums are a menace on the battlefield, while Third Class Mediums are better off in support jobs or staying off the battlefield entirely—at least in theory. Mediums with First Class potential will drop off to lower classes if they don't deploy when Agartha is attacked, or if their body count is low, as will be the case for Valkyries. Drifters are not publicly acknowledged, but are internally referred to as Class Zero.

[center][h3]The Daemon Program[/h3][/center]
	A full-immersion virtual reality simulator that allows digital versions of evil beings to be fought in a safe environment, with user-controlled battlefield conditions. The program is new, and collecting the necessary data to produce these "Daemons" is difficult, so currently only common monsters and devils can be fought. Its creator, Executive Elpidio, hopes that the newest generation of Mediums can help him change that. He is also known to design his own opponents for aspiring Mediums to fight.

[center][h3]The Void[/h3][/center]
	A pitch-black cavern where Mediums who are at least 16 years of age and have graduated from the "education-only" portion of the Brionac Program go to contact and invoke Jinn. Only those Mediums with the nerve to enter this foreboding place alone and emerge successful are inducted into the second portion of the Brionac Program, where it becomes possible to go on missions with one's life on the line. The Void is home only to Jinn, and contains nothing but the metallic remnants of fallen angels. Despite smelling faintly of death, it is completely devoid of any kind of life, including predators. However, due to the sensory deprivation required to contact Jinn, many reportedly experience terrifying hallucinations.

[center][h3]Fallen Angels[/h3][/center]
	Existing only as fossils, fallen angels are spiritual beings that were forced to assume physical form before being cast out of the heavens. No flesh samples have survived, but a metallic substance was left over, which can be used to make magical weapons and magically infused technological devices. Even normal humans can technically use these weapons after a Medium has infused it with Resonant Power, but whether or not their frail bodies can physically handle the forces generated is another matter.

[center][h3]Medium Job Classes and Occupations[/h3][/center]
	Pioneers are seasoned adventurers who are privileged to choose their own battles, and explore the surface world at their own pace, drawing maps and scouring for what's left of the earth's precious remaining resources. For Pioneers, danger is never more than a hair's breadth away, as demonic cities and forces are everywhere and not always visible without a bird's-eye view. Pioneers must be quick on the draw and on their feet if they want to survive. They stay away from large-scale warfare.

	Vanguards are stalwart warriors who defend Agartha from higher-level monsters that won't be repelled by its barrier. They tend to stay within close proximity of Agartha, but aren't afraid to venture out beyond the boundaries of the barrier and confront the hordes of small fry accompanying the juicier targets. Defensive in build, with wide, sweeping attacks, Vanguards are well respected by the people.

	Juggernauts are physical powerhouses that live to fight the strongest beings the Demon Mother has on offer. They shine brightest when fighting a single opponent, but are more than capable of taking on smaller groups of moderate-to-highly dangerous monsters, such as a pack of dire wolves. They vary in their preference between speed and defense, but all of them are a force to be reckoned with.

	Valkyries are magical specialists with a knack for Resonance. The backbone of any task force, big or small, their supportive abilities are adored by the people, and are always the favorite of young and impressionable girls. However, not all Valkyries are of the emblematic "healing angels" variety. Some specialize in other types of magic, such as blessing's opposite, curse magic. Debilitating enemies in large numbers, they allow even normal humans to get in on the monster-slaying action from time to time.

	Warlocks are another type of magical specialist with a talent for laying waste to large swaths of demon scum using your basic elemental magics such as fire and ice, lightning and water, wind and earth, light and dark, etc. You can't go wrong with the classics, and the Warlock has remained effective for as long as Mediums who love magic have honed their craft, which is also as long as Mediums have existed.

	Sorcerers are strategic masterminds who specialize in dealing with magical foes. Essentially the "team leaders" of Warlocks and Valkyries, they are tacticians who directly counter the demon army's efforts to thwart the humans' advance with magic, while they themselves handle the "trickier" elements of magic, such as nature and artifice, sight and sound, time and space, and generally abstract spells.

	Bastioners are experts in artifice magic who act as architects, either in the city of Agartha or on the surface, quickly building forward operating bases, or FOBs. They can assemble towers and bunkers in no time, even in the middle of a battle, if there's enough space and they're left alone. At higher tiers of magic, they can conjure up rows of cannons or other siege weapons, laying waste to the evil hordes. Both on the battlefield and off, their unique abilities inspire awe and jealousy in the hearts of DIY guys.

	A secret job title given to a Medium with unique talents and the motivation to use them to defend Agartha, even at the behest of their life, is the Drifter. Drifters are given freedom to pursue their own targets and to execute their own missions because at any given point in time a Drifter can be called to action in Agartha. A Drifter preemptively hunts down and fells the deadliest of all evil beings—those with special attributes who are deemed too hazardous for ordinary Mediums, who prefer facing their foes head on—such as the infamous Medusa. The work of a Drifter is not seen by an audience, but felt by the world whenever these destructive monsters can no longer take human lives. (Credit: Co-GM dabombjk)
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[center][h2]Religious Lore and Bestiary[/h2]
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[center][h3]The Father, Creator of Earth and Humans[/h3][/center]
	After the demons took over the surface world and the human population began to plummet, all religious texts were targeted for destruction, by both malevolent demons and despairing humans alike. All that remains is collected and kept secure by Agartha's small but organized body of government. All that is publicly known is that a divine Father, the Creator, created mankind and gave them dominion of the earth. He then appeared before them many times, attempting to bring law and order to humanity, but they rejected his various laws and disciplines each time, until finally he came one last time, bringing only one commandment: love one another, as I have loved you. Again, the humans rejected his message and killed him, and he never returned to the world he'd given to his children to rule. Agartha's citizens believe various things regarding whether or not the Father will someday return to save his children from the demons. Almost all humans who live under demonic rule believe that no savior is coming.

[center][h3]Demon Mother[/h3][/center]
	Roughly 350 years ago, the Demon Mother appeared without warning, though her existence was not immediately known to humans. Some time after, evil beings quietly began to appear within the last of the earth's untouched wilderness. First came the devils, then monsters, and eventually demons and nephilim. Powerless to stop their rapidly climbing numbers, the world's governments tried to cover up their existence, and, in their desperate struggle for the last of the earth's resources, failed to unite against this supernatural threat, and were primarily conquered from within as they vied for the favor of the rapidly ascending demons. By the time the common people took notice of what was happening, all was already lost, and they could do nothing but curse their leaders and pray for a savior that never came.

[center][h3]Devils[/h3][/center]
	Animal-like in appearance, these low-level spiritual beings are the Demon Mother's spawn. They feed on negative emotions—primarily fear, by visiting nightmares upon innocent people—until they gain the power to take on physical form and take advantage of the local ecosystem. The most common form of devil is the infamous "unnaturally large black dog" of urban legend. They rival the cleverest animals on planet earth in intelligence, and are purely malevolent toward humans, though they don't always kill them on sight. Devils are exclusively male, and can mate with animals, which produces monsters.

[center][h3]Monsters[/h3][/center]
	Female animals that mate with devils give birth to monsters, which can take any kind of "genetic experiment gone wrong" form that you could imagine. This interbreeding of natural and spiritual being tends to also cause gigantism, though there are a few exceptions. Monsters do not retain the cleverness of their devil parent, and spend their days mindlessly eating anything that moves, including you. When killed, monsters quickly degenerate into an inedible sludge, so no meat can be harvested from them, but if the monster was killed with magic, the sludge will crystallize and become a magic stone, which can then be used to cast Basic magic of that same element one time, enabling even normal humans to use it.

[center][h3]Beastkin[/h3][/center]
	Mediums that willingly choose to invoke devils instead of Jinn retain only their human level of intelligence, and gain nothing but animalistic features and desires, malevolence, and brute physical strength. The most common kind of Beastkin is the Werewolf, but the most deadly of all might be the Wendigo. Infamous for its cultural association with death, winter, and cannibalism, it retains its former self's magical ability. Concealing its form, but not its presence, it terrorizes its prey before devouring it.

[center][h3]Demons[/h3][/center]
	When humans worship devils (by choice or otherwise) those devils may become demons. As the devil evolves into a demon, it gradually loses its animalistic features and gains human characteristics. In general, the more "human" a demon appears to be, the more dangerous it is. High-level demons can use Resonant Power, much like Mediums can, but do not require the aid of a Jinn to do so—therefore, their power does not come with a curse. Whether demons are openly malevolent or more neutral toward humans depends on the methods they used to achieve whatever level of deity they managed to extract from their human subjects. Those who rule through fear will be as violent as they were when they were mere devils, but those who were worshipped voluntarily or coerced without violent methods may turn out more level headed and cunning than their comrades. Regardless, none of them see humans as more than cattle to be exploited for their gain. Like their previous form, the devil, demons all begin their new lives as male, but gain the ability to assume a female form if they desire. Demons who become female in this way cannot give birth—the Demon Mother being the sole exception. Those who retain their male form or choose to revert to it can mate with human women, which may cause a Nephilim to be conceived. The odds of conception are low, however, and since almost all demons see almost all humans as utterly beneath them—in much the same way as humans view animals—such a "union" is extremely rare.

[center][h3]Nephilim[/h3][/center]
	Half-human and half-demon, nephilim can be identified during childhood, if certain conditions are met. Under a full moon during the witching hour, they will appear as the "black-eyed children" of urban legend. However, this is not common knowledge (nor would it even be useful in Agartha), so they often mingle with humans unnoticed, until they become young adults, at which point they will start to express the same gigantism trait as monsters—as well as a taste for human flesh, naturally. Nephilim are often abandoned by their true mothers and picked up by well-meaning strangers, mostly unsuspecting women who can't ignore an infant's cries. Even in cases where this doesn't happen, however, nephilim who reach this age often abandon their caretakers and live in exile, in search of acceptance by demons.

[center][h3]Witches[/h3][/center]
	The mothers of nephilim are called witches, due to the old superstitious belief that demons will not enter your home unless they are invited, or drawn there by some kind of wicked activity. Of course, this is not true, unfortunately for humans. Witches, as portrayed in popular culture, do not exist, but the art of witchcraft—potion making—absolutely does, and it's still as taboo as it ever was. Never make the unfortunate mistake of calling your healing elixir a "potion," or you'll get some looks from passersby.

[center][h3]Undead[/h3][/center]
	The undead are humans that have been partially resurrected with time magic. Some are driven mad by the desire to return to the afterlife whence they came, while some have been driven mad by the torment of an existence devoid of any earthly pleasure, and seek only to satisfy those desires once again. Contrary to popular myth, they are not harmed by healing magic, but are simply immune to it. However, the realization that their corrupt body cannot be fully returned to life may drive them berserk.
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[center][h2]Combat Abilities and PvP Mechanics[/h2]
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[center][h2]The Basics[/h2][/center]
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[center][h3]Rounds: The Flow of Combat[/h3][/center]
	Combat takes place in Rounds, which are sequences of each player's Turn. A Round in a 1v1 scenario, for example, consists of 2 Turns, because there are 2 involved players. Turn order is decided by comparing each character's Reaction stat, with higher star ratings going first. If two players tie, and they are allies, turn order will be decided alphabetically. If they are enemies, a coin is flipped. For a Reaction tie between 3 or more players, if the battle is a free-for-all, a turn order between them will be generated using Random.org. Note that faster players can decide when to use their Turn; if they want a slower ally to do something first before using their own Turn, they can declare that they wish to shuffle Turn order.

[center][h3]Turns: The Speed Limit[/h3][/center]
	When an RPG is broken, speed is usually the cause, especially if it gives you more moves than your opponent. In Our Dying Wish, each character will normally be limited to 2 combat-related Actions per Turn, regardless of their Reaction stat. Your character's first Action will either be a "Free Action" or a "Reaction," depending on if they are currently being attacked or not. In other words, your character gets more options during the first Action of their Turn, if they are "free" in the sense that they are not under pressure from enemy attacks, and can move about the battlefield and act "freely." Their second Action will be either a normal "Action" or another "Reaction," if special circumstances call for it. High-Reaction characters can be expected to act first and to get more Free Actions, giving them more options in combat, rather than extra Actions to abuse.

[center][h3]Damage "Calculation"[/h3][/center]
	There are no real numbers being tracked with regards to HP. Each character's HP is the same as any other, and ranges from 0% to 100%; damage calculation is done with those percentages. Damage is calculated by first considering the type of attack and whether Defense or Resilience is checked against it. The "star rating" of the attacker's move is compared to the defending character's Defense or Resilience, and the difference is turned into a percentage and subtracted from their HP. Normal attacks deal half a star's worth of Defense in damage, while Skills normally deal a full star. If you have four stars of Defense and take a full-damage hit from a Skill that deals normal damage, you'll be at 75% health, for example. Spells also deal a full star of damage, and Calamity spells deal two—this holds true even if the type of magic being cast is healing, so the higher your Resilience to magic is, the smaller the portion of health you'll receive. (This is to keep characters with a focus on physical attacks from benefiting too much from self-healing; characters with a higher investment in magic (Resonance) will naturally offset this.) If the result of a damage check is [i]exactly[/i] zero, then you'll be left with 0.1% HP as a second chance. So, if you have exactly two stars of Resilience, you can still take a Calamity spell and survive from full health. At the end of each of my (Emeth's) posts, you will find a brief report on everyone's current HP and RP. A more detailed combat record can be found on the Discord server, in the ooc-combat-menu channel.

[center][h3]Consecutive Attacks and Combos[/h3][/center]
	Normally, a single Guard or Dodge Reaction can be used to block or avoid as many attacks as necessary within a single Turn, with Dodge Reactions rolling unlimited dice as needed. However, consecutive attacks from an aggressive, pursuing opponent, from hordes of monsters, or from more intelligent and coordinated foes will depreciate the value of these options over time. In the case of consecutive attacks, each subsequent hit on a Guard will reduce its effective Defense by 1 star, and in the case of Dodges, each subsequent attack will reduce the dodging character's Perception by 1 star, increasing the chance of a failed dodge check. If you're severely outnumbered, consider Fleeing, which will perform a single pair of dodge checks instead.

	Distinct and separate from the concept of consecutive attacks are combos. When a character's Guard is broken, or they take direct damage from an attack, their current Turn ends, and they become vulnerable until the beginning of their next Turn. Each attack they take during this vulnerable state will string together; this is called a combo. Combos can be cancelled by a third party, such as the victim's ally stepping in to React in their stead. This is called a Rescue; a Rescue requires the rescuer to have a Free Action, and protects the rescuee from any further damage until their next Turn. If the rescuer's Reaction fails and they get hit, they become the victim of the next combo, instead of the ally they Rescued before.

[center][h3]Resonant Power[/h3][/center]
	Forget about painstakingly memorizing long incantations or tediously drawing magic circles—for Mediums, this is all accomplished automatically on the back end, by their Jinn. All a Medium needs to do to cast magic is to will it into existence using their Resonant Power. Resonant Power (RP) begins at zero at the start of every battle, increases every time your character performs most combat-related Actions, and is consumed when using high-tier Skills and spells. The more invested your character is in a battle (the more you participate), the faster you'll be able to use higher-tiered magic and Skills. Joining a battle and immediately seizing the victory in one move won't be possible, since you'll be starting at zero RP. At the end of each of my (Emeth's) posts, you will find a brief report on everyone's current RP and HP. A more detailed combat record can be found on the Discord server, in the ooc-combat-menu channel.

[center][h3]Instant Cast and Safe Cast[/h3][/center]
	Any spell that is not a Calamity (Tier 4) spell can be cast instantly, making instant cast the normal casting speed. Calamities are the exception, and require a Free Action (specifically, Safe Cast) to use with no chance of being punished. Normally, a spell that is cast as an Action has priority over physical attacks, and cannot be interrupted by any other spell, except one of its opposing element or a higher tier. If the defending character has neither of these options available, they should Dodge or Guard. When used as a Reaction, however, any normal, non-Calamity spell will have less priority than physical attacks and other spells, trading hits with physicals and, in the case of magic, causing the Reacting character to take the hit at the cost of casting their own spell, which the attacking mage can safely deal with on their next Turn, before the Reacting mage's recovery Turn.

[center][h3]Quickly Identifying Magic[/h3][/center]
•	A small magic circle in front of the caster is a Tier 1 Basic Spell.
•	A large magic circle on the ground is a Tier 2 Field Spell.
•	A small magic circle beneath a target is a Tier 3 Resonant Magic.
•	A large magic circle above the field of battle is a Tier 4 Calamity.
•	A small magic circle above the caster is a Tier 5 Transformation.
•	A large magic circle in front of the caster is a Tier 5 Summon.
•	The color of the magic circle indicates what element it is, as noted below.

[center][h3]Elemental Dichotomies[/h3][/center]
	Rather than the elemental rock-paper-scissors that you're probably used to, elements come in pairs that oppose each other. What this effectively means is that enemies that are associated with these elements and wield them as their primary means of attack will not be doing "super-effective" damage against each other. If two players cast opposing elemental magic at the same tier, and at the same time, the magic circles will destabilize and the spells will fizzle out. This cancels both attacks, just as any two physical attacks of similar strength would be cancelled during a parry, and grants the mage casting the opposing magic +1 RP. The existence of these elemental dichotomies also means there is no "neutral" or "non elemental" damage type that can't be resisted.

[center][h3]The Elements (and their Magic Circles)[/h3][/center]

•	Fire and Ice (Orange and Cyan)

•	Lightning and Water (Yellow and Blue)

•	Wind and Earth (Green and Brown)

•	Light and Dark (White and Black)

•	Nature and Artifice (Lime and Gray)
	[Umbrella Elements: Wood and Metal]

•	Sight and Sound (Pulsing White, Vibrating Black)
	[Umbrella Elements: Truth and Illusion]

•	Time and Space (Inverted Colors, Nebula Colors)
	[Umbrella Elements: Sun and Moon]

•	Blessing and Curse (Gold and Blood Red)
	[Umbrella Elements: Life and Death]

•	(Etc, I may add more on request?)

[center][h3]Elemental Resistances[/h3][/center]
	Elemental resistances come in the form of passive skills. Any passive skill that gives resistance to one element will also give resistance to its opposing element. So, you will never encounter an opponent that is resistant to fire, but not to ice, for example. It's also important to note that, while these skills are passive in the sense that they are always active, they draw on Resonant Power to fuel their effects. Your character will be completely immune (no damage, no knockback, nothing) to any elemental spell they resist that has an RP cost equal or less than their current RP level. For example, if you resist fire and ice, you will always be immune to Tier 1 fire and ice spells, because Tier 1 magic costs nothing. However, to resist Tiers 2, 3, and 4, your character must currently have 4, 6, or 10 RP respectively. In other words, if you have enough RP to cast the spell you're trying to resist, then you can resist it, if you have the required skill.

[center][h3]Resistance Skills[/h3][/center]
•	Extremophile: Resist Fire and Ice.
•	Weathered: Resist Lightning and Water.
•	Immovable: Resist Wind and Earth.
•	Transcendent: Resist Light and Dark.
•	Incorporeal: Resist Nature and Artifice.
•	Enlightened: Resist Sight and Sound.
•	Unstoppable: Resist Time and Space.
•	Ineffable: Resist Blessing and Curse.

[center][h3]Status Effects and Curses[/h3]
Like the elements these are associated with, the statuses in each pair will cancel each other out and cannot both be applied.[/center]

[color=orange][b]Burn: [/b][/color]Deals 5% chip damage to the afflicted character each time they use a physical attack or Skill. Up to three Burn statuses can stack, causing "second degree" burns which deal 10% and "third degree" burns which deal 15% each time. The Burn status can be removed with Salve or reduced by 1 every time the victim is healed or Chilled.

[color=cyan][b]Chilled: [/b][/color]Causes the afflicted character to take 5% chip damage on each of their Turns; also reduces their Reaction and Perception by 1 star for each stack of this status. The status can be removed by spending a Turn Fleeing to warm up or reduced by 1 when Burn is applied. If Chilled is allowed to stack 3 times, 1 stack of Chilled is removed and Sleep is added instead.

[color=yellow][b]Stunned: [/b][/color]Causes the afflicted character to lose their Action after Recovering from damage. The status is removed immediately after applying its effect a single time, and cannot be acquired again next Round.

[color=blue][b]Sleep: [/b][/color]The afflicted character cannot act for 3 Rounds. The status is removed immediately upon the victim Recovering from taking damage a single time. While under the Sleep status, they will take 1.5x damage from any attack executed during that combo. The status can be warded off for up to 5 Rounds using Coffee. For each Round that passes while under Sleep status, 1 stack of Chilled status is removed, if applicable.

[color=green][b]Altitude Sickness: [/b][/color]The afflicted character loses their +2 Strength bonus when using skills, and their Defense is reduced by 2 stars instead of 1 whenever their Guard is attacked consecutively. If they use the Flee command at any time while under this status, they must Recover on their next turn, as though they had taken damage. The status ends after 3 Rounds, or when the victim uses Medicine.

[color=brown][b]Petrification: [/b][/color]The afflicted character's Defense is used as a counter. Each time the victim performs any action, the counter will be reduced by 1 (usually this will be 2 for each of their Turns, except during Recovery Turns). Throughout the duration of the countdown, their Reaction is treated as zero stars for the purposes of determining turn order, their Perception is decreased by 2 stars, and their Defense is increased by 2 Stars. Once the countdown reaches 0, the character is Petrified and cannot act during their Turn. Their Defense is increased to 10 stars, they are treated as being in a constant Guard state, and they will not take damage unless their Guard is broken. If their Guard is broken by any means, they are freed from the Petrified status, but they will take double the damage they would have taken if they hadn't been Guarding. Using a Salve during the countdown will cancel the status, but afterwards, the stone shell must be broken. If it is not broken by either an enemy or an ally, and the rest of the victim's party is KO'd, they too will count as KO'd and their opponent will not be required to finish them to claim victory.

[color=white][b]Spotted: [/b][/color]Afflicted characters are treated as priority targets for enemies, and cannot enter stealth mode, even with a Free Action. The status will end if the Spotted character is Rescued by an ally, causing the enemies to become distracted (though the Rescuing ally will inherit the status for one Round). The original target can then choose to re-enter stealth mode during their Free Action after that.

[color=black][b]Blinded: [/b][/color]An afflicted character must pass two dodge checks for each attack coming during a Reaction, and their own targets are able to roll twice for each dodge check whenever they are attacked by their Blinded foe. The status ends one full Round after the offending light source (or lack thereof) is removed. The status can be warded off for 5 Rounds using Salve.

[color=lime][b]Poison: [/b][/color]Afflicted characters take 10% chip damage on each of their Turns. If at any time the afflicted character uses the Flee Reaction, their increased heart rate will cause the poison to spread faster, replacing the base Poison status with a Lethal Poison status that deals 20% damage on each of their Turns. The Lethal Poison status can also be inflicted directly by some foes. These statuses will last until the victim uses an Elixir or an Antidote.

[color=gray][b]Radiation Sickness: [/b][/color]Prevents the afflicted character from healing by any means until they first cure the status. The status itself can only be cured by first leaving the effective range of the radiation, then drinking an Elixir or Medicine. Using an Elixir to cure this status will cancel the healing effect but still cause the drinker's "tolerance" for that battle to increase, reducing the healing effect of future Elixirs as well.

[color=white][b]Obsession: [/b][/color]Characters that have been afflicted with this status must continue attacking the same target, and cannot be forced to change targets. If the target of the afflicted character's Obsession is Rescued, they will instead attack the Rescuer until the Round ends and their original target becomes a valid option again. The status will end only when the target of the afflicted character's Obsession is KO'd.

[color=black][b]Confusion: [/b][/color]On each of the afflicted character's Turns, a D4 will be rolled to determine if the character attacks normally, uses a Basic skill or spell, Guards, or Dodges. If the roll is a 2, a D10 will then be rolled to determine which Basic skill or spell is used, based on the order they are listed in the character sheet. Don't even think about changing the order mid-battle, or I'll know. [i]/Revolver Ocelot voice[/i] A list of all the battle's participants will then be generated on Random.org, and the afflicted character will attack them all in that order, if applicable, removing two participants from the list on each Turn. Even if the victim of the Confusion status is taking damage or Recovering and a D4 roll is not necessary, two names will be removed from the list on each of their Turns. Once the end of the list has been reached, the status will end on its own.

[color=d1d3d3][b]Cosmic Interference: [/b][/color]The afflicted character's stats are all increased to a minimum of 3 stars, and are then shuffled every Round, with each row of stars being shifted down one position at the end of each of their Turns. After a full rotation of 6 shuffles, the status will end on its own.

[color=purple][b]Radio Silence: [/b][/color][i]In space, no one can hear you scream.[/i] Afflicted characters cannot cast Tier 2-5 spells or begin Crew Attacks. The status will end automatically if at any time a Calamity is used, or if the afflicted character reaches 10 RP by any means.

[color=gold][b]Amnesia: [/b][/color]Afflicted characters cannot use Rush skills or Finest Arts, and will "forget" one random Basic skill or spell at the end of each of their Turns, decided by rolling a D12. If an 11 or 12 is rolled, the status ends. Only one Basic skill or spell can be "forgotten" at a time.

[color=red][b]Misery: [/b][/color]Afflicted characters can gain only 1 RP per each of their Turns regardless of actions chosen. An ally can remove this status by spending a free action to hug their afflicted friend, both gaining a +1 RP bonus. They can also remove the status themselves by taking their frustration out on an enemy using Finest Arts.

[center][h3]Items[/h3][/center]

[b]Elixirs: [/b]The standard Elixir heals for 100% HP when consumed, cut by a third for each use after that in the same battle. Removes the Poison/Lethal Poison and Radiation Sickness statuses, but does not prevent them from being re-applied.

[b]Potions: [/b]Forbidden tonics that can have a wide variety of effects. They are stronger than any of their legal counterparts, but sanity is the price to pay for power. A random status effect or curse may be applied, or the potion may backfire entirely. It's not like these things are regulated, you know. Of course, a witch may be willing to remove these curses—for a small fee.

[b]Magic Stones: [/b]Allows one cast of a Tier 1 spell of its associated element. Does not grant +1 RP when used. Even regular humans can use these, and they also have monetary value. The most coveted are the Space-elemental Teleport Stones.

[b]Antidote: [/b]Removes Poison/Lethal Poison statuses and wards them off for 5 Rounds.

[b]Medicine: [/b]Removes Altitude Sickness status and wards it off for 5 Rounds. Removes the Radiation Sickness status when consumed outside the effective range of the radiation, but does not ward it off while inside that radius.

[b]Salve: [/b]Removes Burn status and Petrification countdown. Wards off Blinded status for 5 Rounds.

[b]Coffee: [/b]Wards off Sleep status for 5 Rounds. Removes one stack of Chilled per Round if consumed hot. Adds Burn status if spilled.
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[center][h2]Glossary of Combat Abilities[/h2][/center]
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[center][h3]Actions[/h3][/center]
[b]Normal Attacks: [/b]Normal attacks will use your Strength stat to determine how much Strength is required for your opponent to Parry, and how much Defense is required to hold a Guard against them. Using a normal attack increases your RP by 1 and deals a half-star of your target's Defense in damage.

[b]Basic Skills: [/b]Basic attack Skills are a cut above regular attacks, and add +2 stars to Strength and do a full star of your opponent's Defense in damage. Basic attack Skills do not cost any RP to use, but using them does not increase your RP, either, so don't over-rely on them.

[b]Basic Magic: [/b]Also called Tier 1 magic, it draws a small magic circle in front of the user, with effects that are typically aimed at a single target, based on line of sight. The caster is also a valid target for Tier 1 spells. This is the only tier of magic that boosts the caster's RP (by 1) when cast, instead of consuming it.

[b]Crew Attacks: [/b]Crew attacks are coordinated combos between two or more characters using their normal attacks and Basic Skills or Magic. Successfully using one of these will raise each character's RP by an additional point. They cost nothing except creativity and practice, so gang up on those demon scum. Crew Attacks are considered consecutive attacks for the purposes of Reaction (refer to The Basics).

[b]Magic Stones: [/b]When magic is used to defeat monsters, the energy will crystallize the sludge left behind by the dying monster, creating a magic stone of the same element as the spell that dealt the final blow. These are consumable items that can be used to cast Tier 1 spells that are normally unavailable to you otherwise. Using them won't raise RP, but they will give you more options to defend against magic.

[center][h3]Using Free Actions[/h3][/center]
[b]Dual Attack: [/b]Using your free action for a consecutive attack against the same target may force them to play defense as you gain RP faster. You can also attack two different targets.

[b]Wind-Up Skills: [/b]Some skills may take additional actions to prepare, or even outright require a free action to use, in exchange for more damage, hitting multiple targets, or other extraordinary effects. If your character has one of these, this is the time to use one without worry of making yourself a target.

[b]Safe Cast: [/b]If a spell you wish to cast would normally leave you open to attacks from other enemies not being targeted, or doesn't deal damage at all, you can use a free action to both stay safe during the cast and ensure that it will not be cancelled by magic of the opposing element, or a spell of a higher tier.

[b]Rescue: [/b]Use a Free Action to Rescue one of your allies who's either about to or currently taking damage. Though this requires a Free Action, it does not consume either of your two actions. Rescuing an ally forces any enemies targeting them to target you instead, and you can then React with an attack to Parry, use your Guard, or simply push your ally out of the way and dodge in their stead. You gain an extra +1 RP for Rescuing in addition to whatever you would normally gain. If you rescue an ally by Parrying with a normal attack, that's +3!

[b]Elixirs: [/b]An elixir will restore your HP by 100% the first time you use one in a battle, and the effect is cut by a third for each additional elixir you use during the same battle. Using an elixir only takes up one of your actions in a turn, but the only way to use one safely without getting punished is with a Free Action.

[center][h3]Reactions[/h3][/center]
[b]Parrying: [/b]Using a normal attack or Skill with a Strength value roughly equal to that of an incoming physical attack (plus or minus one star) will Parry the attack, cancelling it out with yours. A Parry will give both you and your opponent +1 RP, which will stack with the +1 from using a normal attack, if you used a normal attack for the Parry, making these a great option for building RP fast. If you Parry an opponent with higher Reaction than you, however, you cannot safely attack again that turn, as their speed allows them to Break Through. Consider starting a Crew Attack, or using a Rush Skill or Finest Arts to Parry.

[b]Break Through: [/b]If the Strength of your attack is greater than your opponent's by 2 stars or more, you can simply capitalize on their poor decision making skills and Break Through the attack, dealing the appropriate amount of damage for the attack you used, then either follow up or attack another target. If you have higher Reaction than your opponent, and their first Action on their Turn was a Parry, you can ignore their Strength and Break Through their second attack using your Reaction stat instead of Strength.

[b]Element Clashing: [/b]The magical equivalent of a parry requires you to cast a spell of the opposing element to the one you're facing, at the same tier or higher. Doing so gives you +1 RP, just like a parry, but unlike a parry, your opponent does not gain +1 RP alongside you.

[b]Spell Break: [/b]The magical equivalent of Breaking Through requires you to cast magic a single tier higher than your opponent's magic. Field (Tier 2) Magic will break Basic (Tier 1) Spells, cancelling them, while Resonant (Tier 3) Magic will more or less "override" Field Magic, ignoring it. A Calamity will trump all of these, but they take time to cast, so they aren't useful for defending yourself.

[b]Guarding: [/b]If your Defense is equal to or greater than the Strength of the incoming attack, you can Guard, taking no damage and robbing your opponent of their RP bonus for attacking, which might help you stall your opponent. If their Strength is higher than your Defense, your guard will be broken, and you will take half damage from the attack that broke your Guard, lose the rest of your current turn, and be completely vulnerable to enemy attacks until your next turn, or until you are Rescued. You can Guard against as many separate attacks from different enemies as you need using only one Reaction; however, consecutive attacks from Dual Attacks, Crew Attacks, Rush Skills and Finest Arts will reduce your Defense by 1 star for each attack, eventually breaking your Guard. When being attacked consecutively, you cannot switch from Guarding to dodging just before a guard break—though, if your foes' combo has ended, and another, bigger attack threatens to break your new, fresh Guard, you can do this, though it will cost another Action to dodge. Magic will always deal half damage against a Guard at Tier 1, break it at Tier 2, and ignore it at either Resonant or Calamity tier. To more effectively and reliably defend against magic, you must break the enemy's spells with your own using higher tiers, or their opposing elements. For Tier 1 spells, you can also rely on Magic Stones.

[b]Dodging: [/b]Each star of your Perception represents a D6 that you will roll when performing a dodge check. If you roll at least one 6, you'll dodge the attack. If you need to dodge more attacks, you will roll again as needed. You gain just 1 RP per Reaction used for dodging, regardless of how many times you roll, and how many attacks you evade—even if you fail your first roll, you will gain +1 RP for trying. Your opponent will also lose their +1 RP bonus for attacking, if applicable, when you dodge a normal attack. Dodging multiple attacks works similarly as with a Guard; you may dodge attacks from several enemies using one Reaction, but consecutive attacks will reduce your Perception by 1 star for each consecutive attack dodged (in other words, some of your D6s will be taken away until your opponent has finished their Dual Attack, Crew Attack, Rush Skill or Finest Arts).

Below is a table showing what your chance of dodging an attack will be, based on the number of D6s.
[i](Super huge thank you to Ryik for making a more sensible dodging curve easy to implement.)[/i]

1d6 = 16.67%
2d6 = 30.56%
3d6 = 42.13%
4d6 = 51.77%
5d6 = 59.81%
6d6 = 66.51%
7d6 = 72.09%
8d6 = 76.74%
9d6 = 80.62%
10d6 = 83.85%

[b]Counterattacking: [/b]During a successful dodge, you have a chance to counterattack, rolling with Reaction in place of Perception, and with D10s in place of D6s, with the chance to counterattack capping at a 65% chance of rolling at least one 10 for it. Performing a counterattack does not require an action, and does not cause any hit stun or change the flow of combat in any way. You simply get a free half-star of physical damage, equivalent to those cheeky hits speedrunners get on a boss when they're not "supposed" to be vulnerable.

Below is a table showing what your chance of counterattacking will be, based on the number of D10s.
[i](Super huge thank you to Ryik again for doing the math for the lazy GM.)[/i]

1d10 = 10%
2d10 = 19%
3d10 = 27.1%
4d10 = 34.39%
5d10 = 40.95%
6d10 = 46.86%
7d10 = 52.17%
8d10 = 56.95%
9d10 = 61.26%
10d10 = 65.13%

[b]Fleeing: [/b]An area-of-effect attack with a wide blast radius such as Tier 2 magic, rapid-fire projectile weapon, or homing attacks (such as some Tier 3 magic) may require you to flee outright instead of dodging. You may also want to flee when facing multiple consecutive attacks that will drain your Defense or Perception until you eventually take damage. When fleeing, you perform two dodge checks, and if you fail either, you will trip and fall, taking damage from the attack. You can re-roll just one of these dodge checks using Reaction instead of Perception to save yourself from the fall and successfully flee. Fleeing will consume both of your actions for that Turn, so you will not be able to retaliate with an attack right after fleeing. Unlike dodging, fleeing neither grants your character +1 RP nor robs your opponent of any RP for attacking, so use this option wisely.

[b]Recovering: [/b]After taking damage, your character's first action on their next turn will be spent regaining their footing. Then, their second action that turn will be a guaranteed Action, rather than a Reaction—in other words, you will start the next round of combat, even if your opponent's Reaction is higher. Because of this, there are no infinite combos, even if your allies aren't around to rescue you.

[center][h3]Resonant Powers[/h3][/center]
[b]Rush Skills: [/b]Rush Skills are strings of consecutive attacks against a single target. A Rush Skill will drain all of your RP, and the amount of RP you currently have will determine how many attacks you get. Two-to-five attack combos require 3, 5, 7 and 9 RP, respectively. These attacks will not raise your RP, so you'll end with 0. However, Rush Skills raise your Strength by 2 stars and deal a full star of damage per hit just like any other Skill, and they also ignore the opponent's Reaction stat, allowing a character with a lower Reaction stat to Parry and continue attacking without fear of retaliation. Rush Skills cannot be interrupted by damage trades.

[b]Finest Arts: [/b]By spending a full bar of 10 RP, your character can use their Finest Arts, the physical equivalent of a Calamity. Finest Arts is an uninterrupted string of 5 Basic attack Skills, and it won't be stopped even if you take a hit from a third party while using it. In fighting game terms, you have "super armor" during your Finest Arts string, and you can't be KO'd until it's over, leaving you with at least 0.1% HP no matter how many attacks you may take throughout its duration. Health-draining effects that take place at either the start or end of your Turn can still kill you, if applicable.

[b]Field Magic: [/b]Also called Tier 2 magic, this spell draws a large magic circle on the ground, affecting the entire area above it. In the moment that it's cast, Tier 2 magic breaks any Tier 1 magic being cast there, effectively cancelling Basic spells and erasing Tier 1 blessings and curses. This is only a momentary effect, however, and ongoing Field magic will not prevent further casting. Field magic costs 4 RP to cast.

[b]Resonant Magic: [/b]Also called Tier 3 magic, Resonant magic will cost 6 RP. Smaller magic circles will appear underneath each member of any unified group, be they allies or enemies, and bypass any active Tier 2 magic effects. For example, casting Resonant Heal will heal all your allies, and also momentarily protect them from any damage they might take from incoming (or ongoing) Field magic. Characters that are in stealth mode will not be included in Resonant tier magic—from friends or foes alike.

[b]Calamities: [/b]Also called Tier 4 magic, this tier draws a large magic circle above the field of battle, and targets anything. Unlike Tier 2's momentary cancelling effect on Tier 1 magic, Tier 4 both breaks all lesser magic in its radius and blocks anything below Tier 5 until the Calamity is over—including another Calamity. A Calamity isn't necessarily an attack—it could have almost any effect. A Calamity costs 10 RP, and takes up two of your character's allotted actions per turn, so cast them wisely, preferably when your allies have you covered, or you have your opponent on defense. Otherwise, you'll just become a target.

[b]Transformations: [/b]A form of Tier 5 magic, Transformations draw a small magic circle above the caster's body, transforming their body and attire and removing status effects and curses as it passes through them. Transformations require 10 RP to use, but they do not "cost" any RP when cast. Instead, your RP will be reduced by 2 per action (4 total per turn), until it reaches zero, after which the Transformation will end. Actions that normally increase RP will instead prevent it from being lost, prolonging the Transformation. Transformations can give you 5 stars worth of stat boosts and a new passive skill, or two passive skills.

[b]Summons: [/b]Another form of Tier 5 magic is the Summon. Summons are indicated by a large magic circle in front of the caster. Summons also require 10 RP to use, but do not "cost" any RP when cast. Instead, their "cost" is that your character cannot use their RP for anything else, or the Summon will be dismissed. The Summon can be a high-level monster under your character's command, or it can be your Jinn. A monster can attack in sync with your movements, as though you were its puppet master, and it can also tank attacks for you—though if it is killed, you can kiss your RP goodbye. If you summon your Jinn, it will have spells identical to yours, and can similarly tank spells—but not physical attacks. It will, however, be totally immune to spells of its own type and its opposing type. If you both cast the same Tier 1 spell, it'll create a Tier 2 spell that can be used for free, shutting down enemy mages. A Summon will be in sync with you, and can't help you attack more times per turn, or from different angles.

	A summoned Jinn will need a Resilience stat to determine how many magical attacks they can take, and up to 3 relevant elemental resistance skills. A summoned monster will require a full suite of stats, with Resonance being replaced by a new "Aggression" stat. For every two stars of Aggression, a monster will gain +1 Rage (the monster equivalent of RP) when using one of their zero-cost skills, of which they can have up to 3. Monsters will also have up to 3 Rage skills, which will—you guessed it—cost Rage to use, as well as 3 passive skills.
[/hider]

[center][h3]So yeah, TL;DR. How do I write my post?[/h3][/center]
	If there are attacks headed your way, choose from the list of Reactions to deal with it effectively. If there aren't any, choose a Free Action instead. If you had a Free Action or your chosen Reaction was successful in dealing with incoming attacks, you'll get another Action after that. If your chosen Action is an attack, you should describe it, but whether or not it will hit and what effect it will have is up to your opponent to write. Even if your opponent failed to defend against your attack from the last turn, which should guarantee that any follow-up attacks this turn will land, you should [i]still[/i] write your post with the assumption that they may not be hit—because a third party may interfere. Even in a 1v1, though, let your opponent describe the damage. (Just because their HP hits zero doesn't necessarily mean they're dead, just unable to keep fighting.) After this, they will recover, and start the next round.

	All of this information is probably a lot to take in at once, but that's because I more or less just gave you everything I'm "pretty sure" about with regards to how combat's going to work. Most of the number crunching and nuances of combat will be handled on the back end by the GMs, outside of PvP or side quests. It's usually going to be pretty simple on the player end, especially if you use the OoC Discord combat menu, which will present you with a much narrower range of immediately useful options to choose from, like any good RPG combat menu should. This will be useful for new players or anyone who is risk-averse. My goal for complexity on the player end is Pokémon—there's a lot of stuff going on underneath the surface, but the players shouldn't need to understand all of it to get started.
[/hider]

[center][h3]Patch Notes[/h3][/center]
[hider][h3]9/09/21[/h3]

PvP Mechanics Changes:
-Status effects were rebalanced a bit; Wind gained the Altitude Sickness status and its previous status, changed to Radiation Sickness, was given to Artifice

-All items currently mentioned (I hope) are listed right below status effects


[h3]9/08/21[/h3]

OoC Post Changes:
-Multiple Jinns no longer allowed; instead, existing abilities and stats will be buffed at key points in the story

-Fixed errors regarding spell count in the trade offer and character sheet

-Fixed several errors regarding multiple Reactions being needed to deal with incoming attacks

PvP Mechanics Changes:
-Added status effects, one for every element that currently exists; Artifice might get a different one instead of "Lethal Poison" later

-Re-integrated fleeing dodges as an option for consecutive attacks, and requirement for dodging AoE blast radius attacks (mainly to buff higher-tier magic)

-In addition to robbing an attacker's RP gains during a dodge, counterattacks have been implemented, further making "attack with 12 Strength" less of a foolproof strategy (courtesy of the Nerf Rika Squad)

-Added further uses for the Reaction stat in the above two mechanics

-Further described the actual event of an elemental spell clash under Elemental Dichotomies, and added a clause stating your opponent does not gain +1 RP (always intended)

-Clarified Rescuing, just because I felt like the description was ass

-Buffed Elixirs to only have their effect cut by a third with each use; like dodging, they have a "curve" now, and remain useful for slightly longer

-Added a clause stating that, during consecutive attacks, you cannot switch from a Guard to dodging just before a guard break (this was always an intended mechanic)

-With all of the ways consecutive attacks can now be dealt with, Rush skills have been buffed to deal a full star of damage per hit; they are now "in business"

-Clarification added on how Finest Arts can prevent death through its duration, but not afterwards (Ink will still die if he spams FA)

-Tentative details were added on how summoned monsters might work; these may change as needed for balance purposes

-Sample combat scenarios were deleted as most of them were rendered obsolete by these updates, and people learned faster just by asking me anyway


[h3]8/29/21[/h3]

OoC Post Changes:
-Max dodge chance removed from Character Wishes and Power Level section to reflect evasion curve changes

Character Sheet Changes:
-Resonance no longer reduces the RP cost of Rush Skills or Finest Arts; this has broken the game twice (Rika has ultimately benefited from this change)

-Some semantics were clarified under the description of Resilience; Perception was changed to reflect changes to Dodging mechanics

-Fixed a consistency error in the Character Sheet regarding how many Basic Skills you should have

PvP Mechanics Changes:
-Rounds: The Flow of Combat section added under The Basics for clarification of existing mechanics

-Turns: The Speed Limit section under The Basics rewritten for clarification of existing mechanics

-Damage "Calculation" section under The Basics rewritten for clarification of existing mechanics

-Consecutive Attacks and Combos section added under The Basics for clarification of existing mechanics; Guards and Dodges were buffed against consecutive attacks; Rika's 5th Vanguard Skill was nerfed to reflect this

-Instant Cast and Safe Cast section added under The Basics for clarification of existing mechanics; Tier 1-3 spells got a priority buff during Actions

-Parrying and Break Through sections edited to clarify semantics; you *can* attack again after Parrying an opponent with higher Reaction, but they'll Break Through

-Guarding and Dodging sections were changed to reflect buffs against consecutive attacks, and changes to the evasion curve

-Dodging normal attacks now robs your opponent of their +1 RP bonus for attacking, same as during a Guard; this fixes a potentially unwinnable fight scenario

-Since the Dodging mechanic now requires an evasion table, it exists now

-After multiple buffs to the Dodging mechanic, autododges are no longer allowed, as the usefulness of "Fleeing" has been merged into the Dodging mechanic for a buff; Rika's combat abilities were changed to reflect this

-Rush Skills are now declared to increase Strength by +2 stars, just like any other Skill already does, and they now share the super armor trait of Finest Arts

-Now that Rush Skills can no longer be used for free using Resonance, 2-hit Rushes were re-implemented, and costs were adjusted, also to fix potentially unwinnable fight scenarios

-Sample Combat Scenarios were edited slightly to reflect changes to the mechanics, particularly dodges robbing RP bonuses[/hider][/center]