[CENTER][IMG]http://oi58.tinypic.com/4h3wpg.jpg[/IMG] [B]Essence of the World II: Tears do Fall[/B][/CENTER] [HIDER=GENESIS][I]At first there was nothing but a dark empty void.. A space deprived of an essence where neither light nor darkness were absolute, where the concepts of good and evil were just as ghostly as morning fog reaching everywhere and nowhere at the same time. A space where even life and death themselves held no meaning as there was nothing to be alive or dead. And then there was a spark. As the non-existent and the existent whirled and whirled around each other for what seemed like an eternity there came a point where they stretched out, distanced themselves and eventually... parted. A line was drawn between them at that moment and in that line the first creation was born – Aaurus, the Origin. He who would later be called God, the Creator of All. And create he did, because he had the entire void in his hand, a space so full of paradoxes that only needed to be separated and shaped into existence. He created lands, oceans, light and darkness, life and death. And then he created angels and he created demons – beings selfless and beings selfish. To each a home – one soaring high up in the cold sky, and one deep, deep inside the warmth of dirt. Yet, even if he was the first Creator, he wasn't the only one. Life itself started recreating itself and with it death naturally followed. The beings alive gave birth to happiness, sadness, love, hate, and above all – meaning. And for meaning they fought. The Origin observed the tiny creatures as they loved and hated each other, as they fought and attracted death upon each other, and he failed to understand them. His own core was that of the void - it was deprived of emotion and as such what he saw puzzled him for the first time in his existence. As he watched and watched and watched there was one thing that he thought he finally started to understand, and that thing was what was called “intention”. It seemed that the newborn creatures had something he lacked and Aaurus was curious to understand what it was. What he did next changed him forever. He focused his gaze on one being, one demon, called Lucy and his gaze never left her. As he watched on her endless cycle of life and death he understood that there was only one way to understand Life’s creations and it was to merge with them. Instead of separating this time he did what the void had once done and merged his existence with that of Lucy. He gave away half of what he had been to her and acquired half of what she had been. The two beings had formed an union and they celebrated it with the creation of a new race – the humans. Those would be the true divine offspring, combining within themselves everything good and evil at the same time. They would be set on the Surface, the no-man’s land that appeared between Heaven and Hell, a truly marvelous place that neither demon nor angel could truly appreciate. With that final creation Aaurus and Lucy reached an agreement - they had interfered enough.[/I][/HIDER] [HIDER=SYNOPSIS]Five Thousand years ago, the first great war was fought between Angels and Demons. Through the machinations of one Demon Lord simply known as “The Fleshshaper” Heaven's Gate was destroyed and Heaven itself was ravaged and burned to ash, with only a few ruins now standing. Lacking a home, the Angels migrated to the Progaia, more commonly known as the Surface world; home to Humanity. As the Angels mingled with Humanity and bred with them, classes of distinct Angels were being formed as Human blood began to mix in. Still they all served the Angelic Council, the ruling body of Heaven that slowly came to dominate the Surface world in the city of Loom and regarded humanity not as equals. But as a little sibling that needed to always be protected and guided. This mixing of essence between Humanity and Angels caused an imbalance in the world. An imbalance that was causing the last Gate; Hell's Gate to crack and weaken and its Gatekeeper, Melody could only watch as the Gate crumbled. Furthermore, the weakening of the Gate caused Demons to slip through and slowly begin to wreck chaos throughout the surface world, mixing in their influence and essence with that of Humans and those who gave in to the temptations of Demons would gain access to a number of powers and abilities. Which caused Hell's Gate to only weaken due to further imbalance. Within the Shadows of the conflicts that were emerging was a Human spirit, Judas Iscariot, an enigma of Humanity that was damned to Hell for all eternity well over five thousand years ago for the Murder of his King, whom Heaven loved more than any other. Judas was soon forgotten and used that to his advantage. Paranoid and Psychotic, Judas Iscariot believed the citizens of Hell and Heaven to be Heathens to the Gods, and schemed a plan of Genocide in order to wipe them all off and claim the world for Humanity. He seeped his Essence into the first cracks of Hell's Gate and slowly eroded it from within. Making it even more fragile than it appeared. He would destroy the Gates of Hell with a sword he stole which contained the “Essence of the World” and watch as the remaining Angels and Demons killed each other in the Second Great War. His plan so far has worked, the world is in ruin and what remains of the Angelic Council has lost its grip on power as it focuses more and more on fighting the forces of Hell. Judas Iscariot, now free from his confines in Hell has returned fully to the Surface world and founded his own small country: The Kingdom of the Gospel. Technologically advanced and with a highly skilled military due to a good portion of the Military defecting to him. He strives towards a world derived of all Angels, Demons and anything in between. Believing Humanity to be the only race deserving of inheriting the world. To counteract Gospel's spread, a faction simply called Omnity was established by Judas's once King and former friend, Jesu Cristo. His spirit residing in Heaven even after its Fall. When Hell's gate finally collapsed, he came to the Surface world and created Omnity, a faction that strives for co-existence and peace within the three races. But are heavily outmatched at the moment due to Gospel's military skills and higher recruitment rates. The second great war has just begun. But as the weakened remnants of the Angelic Council fight off the Demonic hordes of Hell, Humanity has stepped into the ring, fighting not only the influence of the Divine and the Hellspawn, but themselves as well. Only time will tell who and what will emerge victorious.[/HIDER] [HIDER=TIMELINE][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/JFREd3r.jpg[/IMG][/HIDER] ---- [CENTER][B][U]FACTIONS[/B][/U] [I]There are more factions that will be revealed later, but for now, the following are the two major factions that players should be aware of.[/I][/CENTER] [B]The Kingdom of the Gospel[/B] [HIDER=DESCRIPTION]Formed a year ago by a seven thousand year old spirit named Judas Iscariot, whose own psychotic Paranoia and hatred of Angels and Demons is the main ideology behind his newly formed country. Large portions of the former military defected to him, giving him untold amounts of Military technology including, but not limited to Artillery, attack helicopters and Anti-air. His military is equipped with state of the art infantry weapons and have been trained and adapted to combat Demons and Angels. The Kingdom of the Gospel is friend to no one other than Mankind. Angels, Demons, “Tainted” Humans and even Humans who do not agree with their views are to be terminated on the spot. Purging the world of inferior beings who threatened Humanity's very existence in their eyes. Judas at first had to rely on his powerful mind dominating tactics as the foundation of his country. But quickly more and more people began to recruit voluntarily, and now its to the point where recruits are pouring into the flourishing country. The Angels mistreatment and sense of superiority over Humanity has come back to haunt them. As many believe Angels as a race are not to be trusted and are bitter over the Angelic domination of their species. But The Gospel has far more than a strong Military and a large source of manpower to back it up. They have something far worse: [URL=http://th08.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2014/028/f/e/black_skull_recon_squad_by_daroz-d744vlw.jpg]The Gate-Killers[/URL] A creation by Judas, a spiritual enigma himself. He concocted a way to fracture the soul of the recently deceased. So while most of it ends up in the void, a small portion of it now remains bound to the corpse that still decomposes until its just a skeleton. It's fitted with a combat body suit and advanced military hardware and is the elite of the elite of the Gospel Military. Their strength and agility easily matches that of an Angel or Demon, their reflexes are nigh perfect and they are not hindered by pain due to their skeletal forms, and most dangerous of all; their teamwork. Gate-killers go in groups of five and are in perfect sync with one another. Being able to bring down targets and break defensive lines effectively and efficiently. They cannot speak to others and they can only talk to each other through clicks that resound from their skulls. But they can understand others and are capable of reading and writing. Though they rarely communicate with Humans in any manner. Gate-Killers are used in highly intense combat zones and to find and locate valuable targets within the Angelic and Demonic community such as Archangels and Demon Lords and kill them. To give you an idea of their power, three groups of Gate-killers could easily take down an Archangel, a powerful being in of itself. If one sees a group of Gate-Killers, it is best to avoid them at all costs.[/HIDER] [B]Omnity[/B] [HIDER=DESCRIPTION]Formed shortly after the Kingdom of the Gospel in response to its Xenophobic dogma. Led by another Human spirit, Jesu Cristo, a legendary figure in human history and is known as “The King of Kings”. Omnity believes in co-existence between the three races and accepts anyone under its wing, offering them protection. However, they lack the advanced military hardware that Gospel has obtained and is playing a strictly defensive game of warfare right now, currently lacking the capabilities to amount an effective assault against Gospel forces. Omnity is also fighting an uphill battle in terms of recruitment. The majority of humans are flocking to Gospel due to immense distrust of Angels and their previous treatment of Humanity and their world. With many seeing Omnity's ideals as either naive, or dishonest. This has resulted in a drastic difference in Manpower with Omnity struggling to convince people that the Angels and Demons can live with them in peace. But all is not lost. Omnity has control over two major cities in the region (as compared to Gospel's one) and they have begun to receive support from outside groups that for now, will stay in the shadows. This is resulting in more advanced military equipment and a financial support meant to help the local economies when struggling. Omnity also has their own semi-official crack group of combat specialists: [URL=http://th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2010/151/1/a/Stalker_by_artmaru.jpg]The Runners[/URL] Though nowhere near as powerful as Gate-killers, the Runners specialize more in reconnaissance and scouting than military operations. They are called Runners due to their speed and constantly needing to be on the move. They do not live inside cities, but the few who live out in the wilderness are hardened survivors and scavengers. They return to the Omnity cities only once every few weeks to report any new acquired information. Since the Cities are isolated due to the many dangers in the wilderness and on the roads, the Runners are one of the few sources of news of the outside world. Runners, unlike Gate-killers, usually operate alone and tend to be categorized as intensely anti-social and having severe trust issues due to the extreme living conditions which they voluntary put themselves through for various reasons. And although their strength absolutely pales in comparison to Gate-killers, they are still incredibly dangerous to fight. They will not attack on sight and, for the most part, are not hostile towards most people. But their knowledge of the land, considerable combat capabilities, and a knack for survival in the most dangerous of environments makes them a tough foe should you ever be unfortunate (and stupid) enough to take one on.[/HIDER] ---- [CENTER][B][U]LOCATIONS[/U][/B][/CENTER] So far I've created a total of four cities in which the Players can explore and interact with if they so desire. All these cities are located in Western Europe to give you a rough estimate of the setting. There may be small towns and villages strewn about, but they are most likely under the protection of one of the factions. Independent towns are rare due to the dangers that lurk about and the desire of the two main factions to assimilate them into their own holdings. Maybe in the future we'll have more than four, but that’s for another time. [URL=http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/152/8/4/Afternow_by_merl1ncz.jpg]Loom[/URL] [HIDER=DESCRIPTION]The City of Loom was the main setting for Season 1. A large city located near the ocean, it is now unfortunately a shell of its former self. Judas Iscariot destroyed the urban center a year ago during his rise to power. Flattening the center of the city. To make matters worse, the center of the city is now where the Angels and Demons tend to fight, causing catastrophic damage that makes the region impossible to live in. Instead, the struggling residents live out the outskirts of the City. With no Government to keep order. Life in Loom is hard with food and water scarce, and people will often fight each other over them. Many Residents desire to move towards the more prosperous cities. But travel is near suicide without a a fast mode of transportation. As the wilderness is riddled with Bandits, rogue angels and Demons and other unknown horrors. Also in the City are small footholds of the two main factions. The Kingdom of the Gospel and Omnity. Since fighting for control of the city is pointless due to the damage and the constant warring between Demons and Angels. Both factions recruit residents into joining their forces with promises of safe passage to their own cities. Despite the presence of both factions in the area. This city is considered neutral territory for all and is the one place where everyone can enter or leave.[/HIDER] [URL=http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/304/6/c/epocholis_by_jonasdero-d4ca97z.jpg]Kenan[/URL] [HIDER=DESCRIPTION]Omnity's open door policy to all the races had the effect of certain...shady types entering Omnity's capital and choosing to reside there and risked causing problems. Not wanting to openly expel them and look hypocritical. Jesu decided to “adopt” the city of Kenan under the wing of Omnity. Directly north of Loom, Kenan is the night life of the region with bright lights, casinos, strip clubs, bars, and brothels littered all over the strip. Most of the control of the City is handled by a small handful of large casino owners that keep the City economically prosperous and only answer to Jesu, who is wise enough not to strain their relationship by interfering with their somewhat complex local affairs. The Casino owners are still economic rivals and have underlings from all three races engage in various activities in an attempt to undermine the business practices of the others in order to increase their own profits. This ranges from a wide variety of things, from stealing, vandalism, fixing games, to hits on semi-important figures in their line of work. However, it must be stated that the violence and murders that goes on is behind closed doors and out of the public eye for the most part. Even though the populace knows what is going on in dark alleyways and abandoned warehouses, its better than it being on the streets in front of the populace Because if it was, Jesu would not tolerate it and slam his considerable might down upon the owners. Despite economic rivalries between the various Casino owners, all of them are rather amicable towards each other and would never risk trying to undermine each other politically. Knowing that it would be the death of their city. All of them have equal political power and contribute to the city in terms of defense and various public services. The City has capable defenses mainly due to the fact that it has all three races in their services and utilizes their unique abilities to maximize the city guard's effectiveness. And also provides a environment for the more nefarious Demons and Humans alike to put to use their various...skills.[/HIDER] [URL=http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/144/f/3/Colony_by_merl1ncz.jpg]Koa[/URL] [HIDER=DESCRIPTION]Even further north of Loom and Kenan, the Capital of Omnity is home to Jesu Cristo, a seven thousand year old human spirit known as “the King of Kings”. The city has many natural barriers that prevents an easy invasion, such as mountains and a large river. Despite being the capital of Omnity, the city looks rather humble from the outside. With there being very few skyscrapers and looking far more serene and clean than all the other cities. All the races are welcome to Koa as residents and to contribute to the cause of co-operation and peace between all three races. With Angels, Demons and Humans contributing to the local work force and over military. The city is guarded well, with Runners constantly patrolling the mountains and river unseen. And the powerful Angels and Demons within can fight back any intrusions that manage to get into the City. And of course, there is Jesu himself. A powerhouse of a figure in his own right.[/HIDER] [URL=http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/284/2/a/sunset_city_by_matlatart-d31zc0k.jpg]Echetus[/URL] [HIDER=DESCRIPTION]The Capital of The Kingdom of the Gospel, which lies northwest of Loom. The Largest of the cities with the most urban development. It is also a fortress, with Gate-Killers always on reserve in case a threat decides to teleport in their city (few have tried and the results were... messy). The city also has a huge arsenal of weaponry to fight off any outside attackers. The City otherwise is very controlled. No one is to leave or enter the City without permissions of the higher ups and guards are always patrolling the streets. Despite this, the average citizen's life is rather good. The city has no problem providing food and shelter to its inhabitants and its local economy is stronger than the other three cities, which is how it is able to produce such an expansive war machine. Plus due to the constant flow of new people, the city is always expanding to make room for the influxes of new people. Take note that this is one of the hardest cities to enter, as any Demon or Angel near the City will either be chased off or more likely killed. Humans who enter the City are usually not going to come back out any time soon. Which means foreigner's idea of the City is rather limited, other than it is very large and very dangerous.[/HIDER] ---- [CENTER][B][U]RACIAL SUMMARY[/U][/B][/CENTER] [B]Demons[/B]: With their robust monopoly on magical arts, innumerable demonic kinds, and a perpetual hunger for essence to fuel their ritualistic evolution, the demons of Hell bring a frightening amount of dread to the table. What they lack in high quality essence, they make up for it in their finesse in essence manipulation (magic, essentially). Their evolution ritual is always a gamble, though: if they have not consumed enough essence, they risk dying and returning to the Void to await another chance to respawn in Hell. [b]That being said, demons should never be underestimated as they almost always have a way out of trouble.[/b] [B]Angels[/B]: In stark contrast to demons, angels have the purest, highest quality of essence. Their auras are so forceful and overwhelming, it is a sight to behold; only fools disregard an angel's presence. Fewer in number, the angels possess extraordinary biological abilities, which some might seem like magic. But angels cannot wield magic, at least not in the flexible way that humans and demon do. [b]Regardless, with their powerfully trained angelic classes, especially Weather Angels, the winged forces of Heaven are not easily defeated, especially in large groups.[/b] [B]Humans[/B]: Let's be blunt here, humans can be weak and strong; dumb and wise. Yet they remain a force to be reckoned with; they always have and always will. Their essence is far richer than demons, yet not too rigid for them to use magic (unlike angels). They are the most numerous and can also have offspring, unlike their supernatural "cousins." They have the most potential to become highly effective, but it is a long journey with no promises of reward at the end. [b]Such is our struggle, but therein lies our greatest strength: determination.[/b] [B]Iotans[/B]: A strange new race shrouded in mystery and have only just begun to reveal themselves to the inhabitants of the Three Worlds. Being former angels, demons, and humans, the Iotans practically religiously follow a former Demon Lord known only as Ioi. He has transcended from the normal demonic evolutionary path and is now known as the Empty Lord. In short, Iotans are peaceful and loving, but even in battle, they are still pacifists. Having created a fighting style and technology (nigh identical to magic) that focuses on subduing and capturing their enemies, they seek to avoid the death of "original life" (angels, demons, humans) at all cost. [b]A fight with an Iotan is a battle of attrition at its finest.[/b] ---- [CENTER][B][U]TECHNOLOGICAL & MAGICAL SUMMARY[/U][/B][/CENTER] 1. Technology is for the most part modern day with a hint of some futuristic gadgets and such. Certain individuals and secret organizations are on the rise to using advance technology to combat the supernatural. As such, [b]magitek[/b] is starting to become a bit more commonplace. 2. Magic is based around essence. What is essence? Essence is the mysterious entity that is the source of everything keeping this world together. It can't be created or destroyed, just manipulated and used for a variety of things, that I guess for all intents and purposes we should call magic. Essence is everywhere, it's within all living beings and is in all inanimate objects. Yet each of the three main races (angel, human, demon) utilize magic in different ways simply due to their biology. I encourage all of you to utilize creative magic around the broad rules of each race. [B]Angels[/B]: Angels cannot manipulate essence around themselves. Instead what they must rely on is the potent essence that is unique for them alone, hence the description that they have a “holy” aura around them. Angels are already physically strong so the majority of magic is defensive in nature. Using a lot of healing, illusion and protective magic, not to say that offensive is impossible for an Angel. Far from it, but it is more common for Angels to have more defensive magic than anything else. [B]Demons[/B]: The polar opposite of angels. Their own inner essence is rather bland in comparison to that of an angel or even a human. To compensate for this weakness, they manipulate the essence around them for a variety of mostly offensive magical spells (such as generic fireballs and lightning combination). Once again, this is not strictly limited to offensive magic, this is just the norm for demons. The demon lords of Hell, for example, have far more at their disposal. Additionally, with their longer life spans, demons generally have greater knowledge and experience with magic than humans. [B]Humans[/B]: Humanity, for the most part, have not been able to use magic for most of their history. Their very bodies form a barrier between humanity and access to its own inward essence, with only a small handful of humans having been able to cross that barrier throughout time. However, with the fall of the final gate (Hell's Gate) a year ago, the balance of essence has gone out of whack and has been slowly shifting. This has resulted in mankind having greater access to their own essence for magical purposes, albeit it's still incredibly difficult. Humans, have a strong essence within themselves like angels, but instead, humans use it to mix with the essence of the outside world, making a diverse of magic very possible for humans. Think of it like a form of alchemy or chemistry: mixing one's own essence with some other kind of essence to basically form a magical cocktail of sorts. ---- [center][b][u]RULES[/b][/u][/center] 1. Be like the Fonz and follow all RPG's rules. GMs reserve the right to change anything, OOC or IC, that is uncool. [hider=HELPFUL PICTURE][img]http://s5.postimg.org/jfzoelp4n/fonz.png[/img][/HIDER] 2. All character sheets must follow the template provided below and be accepted by both myself and Mikael before you are allowed to post in the IC thread. [hider=HELPFUL PICTURE][img]http://s5.postimg.org/y0lcn69h3/approval_stamp.gif[/img][/HIDER] 3. Roleplayers in Essence are expected to uphold a certain level of good taste. Generally it is best to not be overbearing when detailing carnage, physical torture, or when touching culturally taboo subjects. Cussing should be kept to a minimum, or at least not used unless necessary to the character. Essence has traditionally been focused on emotional pain and tragedy; however, some things are strictly off-limits no matter the level of detail, such as: rape. Regarding consensual sex, please do a fade-to-black if your characters are going down this road. No exceptions. [hider=HELPFUL PICTURE][img]http://s5.postimg.org/7zxuub0c7/censored.png[/img][/HIDER] 4. Roleplayers in Essence are expected to stay in contact with at least the GMs. If IRL events are bogging you down, let us know and we'll send our love your way and lay off you in the IC. We are masters of tucking away PCs and NPCs whenever an RPer needs a break. Additionally, we do not have a set posting frequency, but Mikael and I will keep an eye on roleplayers who don't post much IC. [hider=HELPFUL PICTURE][img]http://s5.postimg.org/x7uuc20zb/keepintouch.png[/img][/HIDER] 5. It is the GMs' job to keep the story moving forward and remove sources of stagnation. If a roleplayer ends up tying up story elements for whatever reason, attempts to reconcile the issues will be made. If this is not possible, they can expect GMs to push things along, even if they get upset over it. Generally, it is best to learn to go with the flow when needed and not take things personally. Roleplaying is a hobby: it should be always be fun. [hider=HELPFUL PICTURE][img]http://s5.postimg.org/qmmpq1aif/flow.gif[/img][/HIDER] ---- [center][b][u]RESTRICTIONS[/b][/u][/center] 1. No characters under the [b]age of 16[/b] please. If you absolutely must have a 15 year old (or younger) PC or NPC, discuss it with Mikael and I. 2. Please work with what [b]content[/b] we have [b]currently[/b] as far as race, magic, locations, and other things. You must ask permission for introducing completely [b]new[/b] concepts. This restriction is in place so that we can regulate new things and ensure that nothing goes against the established grain and lore. 3. [b]Roleplaying as a Gate-Killer.[/b] The reason is that they really wouldn't be too fun for a player to control since they don't talk and mainly take orders from Gospel (aka: me) which would be incredibly dry for a player. 4. [b]Starting as an Iotan.[/b] The process to becoming an Iotan is a very deep and emotional experience, thus it is worth writing out IC for good reads. If you have interest in becoming one, either now or later as the story progresses, talk to Mikael and he'll see what he can do for you. ---- [CENTER][B]CHARACTER SHEET TEMPLATE[/B][/CENTER] [b]Name[/b]: (in case of amnesia or some other cliche, put "Currently Unknown") [b]Alias/Nickname[/b]: (are they famous with anything?) [b]Age[/b]: (apparent and actual; if you are older than 100 years old, you better have a good reason for it) [b]Race[/b]: (Self explanatory) [b]Appearance[/b]: (could be either a picture or a description, or both. If you are an angel, describe your wing color and size. Size is important: a large winged angel might fly for long periods of time, but would have trouble moving in tight areas; vice versa for a small winged angel.) [b]Social Status[/b]: (how high up the hierarchy they are; how do others deem your character; if you are in a FACTION, mention it here) [b]Relations[/b]: (do they have family, friends, admirers, servants etc.?) [b]General Activity[/b]: (what they do with their days? Do they have a duty or job? Are they wanderers? This entry, by no means, limits your character, but it would be considered your character's MO; [i]modus operandi[/i]; general way of doing things) [b]Abilities[/b]: (If you are an angel, put your Class here, and maybe additional info if your angel has a unique style. If you have more than one angelic class, ask permission. If you are a demon, this is your magic set. If you are human, this is also your magic set) [b]Equipment[/b]: (any unique equipment should go here; it does not matter if your character has it on their person or not; for example, having a house full of relics would go here) [b]Personality[/b]: (1-2 paragraphs, or you may opt to put "Will show IC") [b]Biography[/b]: (2 or more paragraphs. Please specify what part of it is well know and what isn't. I suggest you only tell us what is known to the vast public and reveal the rest / the truth in-story.)