(AKA I Wanna Get Off Mercurius' Wild Ride) Brief overview: A normal high school girl, a mysterious item/place that transports her to a completely different world where she learns that she has been chosen to bear a great power that could either save the local kingdom from their enemies or destroy the entire world. She meets those destined to protect her, goes on a quest, faces enemies who use dastardly tactics, learns about herself, and oftentimes finds love. Sometimes things end happily. Sometimes the protectors meet their deaths in brutal ways. Sometimes the girl returns home, unable to be with her love for the rest of her life. And sometimes, the girl meets with a dreadful fate. And so it's gone in the world of Relgas as long as anyone can remember it. When the stars align, two of the Four Elemental Embodiments, must grant a portion of their powers to two opposing sides of a human conflict. The other two can either abstain from granting a human their power, or choose to do so, just a much smaller portion. This time, it is the Lord of the Skies, Mercurius' turn. He is still haunted by the unfortunate fate of his last chosen one and is determine to not let it happen again. His options are limited since direct divine intervention is not allowed. But Mercurius is known for being the most capricious and flexible of the Embodiments. He figures that if he can't intervention once he chooses his bearer, he'll just have to change up what kind of bearer he chooses. After all, there's plenty of other women who fit the requirements that aren't high schoolers. A young college student from another world who was a tourist stopping by an old well while visiting a friend in Japan over the summer between semesters should do nicely. [hider=Rules/Guidelines] What this isn't: -A modern person brings a gun into a a pre-industrial setting and dominates every fight -A mean spirited parody of the genre or its characters -An edgy retelling/subversion of the genre -A modern person fixes all the problems of said setting -A completely meta adventure. There will probably be some lampshading, but it won't be a constant thing. -A romance with the protagonist. Probably breaking a cardinal rule of the genre, but I think other types of relationships would be more interesting to explore. -A power fantasy What this is: -A fun romp in a setting typical to the genre. There will be tweaks, of course, but everything should still feel familiar -A focus on the synergy and relationships of the main characters; no one just fades into the background after their discovery episode -Facing opponents who aren't 100% evil (the "opposing" group is a typical portal genre style protagonist group who has been told that you are the baddies) Kinds of players I'm looking for: -A small group of no more than four -18+ (more for comfort reasons than anything else) -Communicative: It's all right if small talk isn't your thing, just be willing to discuss things like plots and characters and keep others in the loop if replies are going to be held up for a while on your end -Willingness to play NPCs (ie the "opposing" group. I don't mind playing the NPCs myself, but trying to keep up with at least six NPCs might be a bit much for my abilities). The technicalities of this can be discussed if anyone has a better solution. -All the usual RP courtesy things [/hider] [hider=The World of Relgas] The land of Relgas is split up into four regions: North, East, South, and West. Each region has and Element Embodiment associated with it. While there is a cultural similarity that runs through all the regions, they can vary in things such as government set-up and laws along with variations on certain traditions. The ones most involved in this scenario: The Eastern Region: This region is known for its might winds thanks to bordering warm ocean waters. The inhabitants harness this wind as a source of power to run various things (though nothing has been industrialized yet) such as mills to turn its plentiful wheat crop into flour, which is sold both locally and abroad. The region is the least united in terms of government. There is a seat of government in the most populated city of the region, Decurius, but the majority of the population is spread throughout the region, each with their own leader and additional laws besides the overall laws of the region. These leaders then in turn vote for a "king" to be the head and representative of the region, mostly in dealing with other regions or leading the region in times of war. Other regions view such a set up as too chaotic, and it is oftentimes said that anyone from the East is unreliable since it's hard to predict what they will feel like doing at the moment, a trait they share with their Embodiment, Mercurius. They are currently coming into conflict with the Southern Region. The Southern Region: This regions is known for its wetlands and torrential rainfall. The inhabitants have learned to use the water to advance their irrigation techniques and to cut and shape things that would otherwise be impossible to do so quickly, making them the primary provider of already shaped building materials such as stones. They are also known for their medicines and purifying techniques, some of which other places have adopted in order to have cleaner water. The bulk in the population of the region lies in Anap, the seat of the government. It is a huge city broken into several districts that have appointed governors reporting to one ruler whose rule is absolute. The recent dynasty has outlasted any of its predecessors by a large margin, making others wonder if the ruling family is somehow doing something to keep themselves in that position when even the successful ones died out by then. It is oftentimes said that someone from the South can shape anyone or anything into what they want with merely a word or a single action, so anything they say or do should come under scrutiny, much like their Embodiment, Appaanii. They are currently coming into conflict with the Eastern Region. The Western Region: TBD if it comes into play The Northern Region: TBD if it comes into play [/hider] [hider=The Elemental Embodiments] These are the very broad characteristics associated with them. The actual Embodiments themselves will eventually have NPC pages. Mercurius Associated Element: Air Associated Direction: East Associated Season: Spring Associated Animal: Birds, especially raptors/other bird of prey Associated Strength: Flexibility Associated Flaw: Flighty Status: Associated region is in conflict with Apaanii's region Terriku Associated Element: Earth Associated Direction: West Associated Season: Fall Associated Animal: Beasts of burden, especially oxen Associated Strength: Steadfastness Associated Flaw: Obstinate Status: Neutral Apaanii Associated Element: Water Associated Direction: South Associated Season: Summer Associated Animal: Cetacea, such as Porpoises/Whales Associated Strength: Cultivation Associated Flaw: Manipulation Status: Associated region is in conflict with Mercurius' region Gahl Associated Element: Fire Associated Direction: North Associated Season: Winter Associated Animal: Reptiles, especially lizards Associated Strength: Creativeness Associated Weakness: Recklessness Status: Neutral [/hider]