This is the OOC so far, More details will be added in/refined as we come closer to starting up the IC... I'll create a Character sheet, or you all may feel free to create one of your own [though I'll ask for changes/updates if it's lacking vital details], I'll make the skeleton sometime tommorrow, though if someone makes a good CS already I may use it's layout for a skeleton. I may or may not add a racial section with more details 'per race' or simply let things be developed IC as we progress and they become relevant... I'm inclined to let most of it simply be unknown and be explained by someone relevant IC, similar to how it works in Mass effect itself =D Mass Effect/MLP Crossover Time-frame = Galactic year - 1258 A.R. [After Reapers] Main characters = Equestrian Races crewing a ship meant to facilitate inter-stellar exploration. Possibility of players using characters of other races as well. Primary RP Races = Equestrian Races - the 3 base pony races, 'possibility' of alicorns [fairly moderated], Changelings [possible royals, or at least different evolutions, available], Diamond Dogs, Thestrals, Potentially 'Nocturne ponies' [Dark themed Unicorns, Earth ponies, and Pegasi], Dragons [of a certain age range], Artificial constructs [likely magical in origin, such as a golem or senthetic platform with a soul bound to it], Minotaurs, Various other Equine races for those interested, Moon inhabitants [from the comics], Breezies? [Not likely useful as a playable race, but for secondary crew roles such as maintenance in small places], Kirin, Longma [and variants]. The Other Standard Races - Human, Turian, Salarian, Asari, Rakni?, so on, the other Mass effect races =D. possibly 'new' synthetics, or who knows, maybe there was some corner of the galaxy that the shockwaves didn't reach. Sangheli [Suggested by Draconilian] Mana Tech Automaton [Designed by Equestrian's, Their version of Synthetics, minus the 'artificial' intelligence] Current plot Details = Arrival of a Galactic Council Diplomatic vessel with 2 Spectre's as escorts, 1 as a person guard, and a second leading his own ship. contact has been established and a preliminary diplomatic crew of Equestrian's has been organized, Mainly made up of crew that had been intended for a newly constructed long-range ship... Given that it seems a piece of the galaxy abroad has come to the Equestrians, the chance might as well be taken to gain some early experience for the crew. Universal Summary: Naturally, once the Reapers were defeated, the Galaxy put all of it's effort into the recovery of the devastated Civilization... It wasn't an easy process, especially when the wave of destruction that erased the Reaper threat also killed every synthetic lifeform and shut-down every ship that was currently active. Cut off from interstellar travel, the Reconstruction efforts of each star-system were focused on their vicinity first. Naturally the civilized races sought to rebuild their network of travel and after decades of stabilizing their current 'safe zones' they set to studying the freshly studying the remains of the Relays and the Reapers, Though around earth where the Citadel and the Crucible remains lay, these were included in their research... It'd be centuries before experimentation lead to a successful jump to one of the other star systems, and centuries more before new dedicated relays were being built en masse... They are a farcry from the original relays and require frequent maintainance to ensure functionality, but the important part is that the galaxy is getting back on track. Centuries later still, The Citadel has been rebuild, sans 'psychotic murderbot entry portal technology'... just incase... And Galactic civilization has finally reached a point where it can take stock of the state of the galaxy overall, access the once more newly connected star-systems, and get to work on cleaning up the 'trouble' that has begun to rise up from some of the isolated systems that began to take on a less 'friendly' attitude during their survival efforts. Despite the Reapers being defeated and failing to truly wipe out the races of the cycle, The Galaxy was essentially still 'reborn', The Galactic Council has taken on a greatly hardened bond of cooperation with the races involved, Systems that have been isolated for a millenia are still being discovered and reconnected, And the fruits of a thousand years of Technological reconstruction are being reaped and shared the galaxy over... But more importantly, the races of the 'new cycle' that would have begun with the erasure of the previous Civilization have begun making appearance on the galactic playing field... 'Now' the ultimate question is, what will happen between the now even more numerous races of the galaxy? things are barely stable again, and new races are being thrown into the mix, what kind of chaos is going to break out in this new age of Galactic life? _____________________ RP Specific Background: [I can probably do better with the stuff below when it's not 5 in the morning, but I'm too eager to get this RP actually started to just let go right now XD feel free to provide suggestions or modifications, I'm open to anything that can improve the RP :D] [Hider=Equestrian Timeline] 1258 Years ago - The Explosion of the Relays that destroyed the reapers and Synthetics was an intensely destructive force, one that struck a hidden barrier near a relay that for millenia had been assumed a mysteriously empty Sector. The unusual energy of this barrier clashed with the inter-stellar shock-wave and put up all it's fight, but it eventually shattered, much to the chagrin of those who had created it Millenia ago. The Event was carefully covered up by Princess Celestia who had hoped the barrier would keep the dangers of the Galaxy away, but with it gone there was no way to avoid eventually becoming known, and without her sister and the 'elements' she did not have the power alone to rebuild the barrier before the unique forces at work on Equuis would spread enough to be detected... Granted, as far as her sight could reach, she was not the warden of the stars, and did not realize how the galaxy was devastated by the events. This was the time that Celestia began covertly guiding Equestria into technological advances of it's own, though it would be many centuries before they'd be even close to prepared to face the galaxy. [the length of time between major events of the series is entirely guess work XD] 262 years ago - Nightmare moon Returns and is subsequently 'cleansed' to return Luna to her Sister. 261 Years ago - Rough time-frame where Discord first returned and was defeated. 260 Years ago - Time frame of the invasion of the Royal wedding, and King sombra's Release/defeat. After a couple years of recovery, Celestia chose to aprise Luna of the 'barrier event', and the preparations she has covertly made over the centuries. Luna's greater expertise in the 'stars' provides much greater information on the state of things, and urges them to push the development a bit faster. 259 years ago - Time-frame of the reformation of discord, and coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle, as well as the return of the 'elements' to the Tree of Harmony. 258 Year ago - Time of Tirek's return, duel with Twilight while wielding the power of the 4 Princesses, the revelation of 'rainbow power', and his subsequent defeat. The tremendous magical discharges that were released by Tirek and Twilight, and even by the 'Rainbow power' put off enough magical discharge to be detected by the galactic sensor network. Several of the magical beams released during the fight, in fact, simply 'kept going', not unlike the event described by a certain famous gunnery chief when speaking of firing weapons of mass destruction into space... Eventually, it was liable to hit something. It wasn't long before Luna's 'searching of the stars' brought information of suddenly increased activity in their corner of the galaxy. For the sake of symplicity, we'll assume that, scientifically speaking, this 'new energy' that is detected is reffered to as 'magic energy' by ponies, suggestions for naming it otherwise are open =D 256 Years ago - several of the 'stray beams' from the epic battle a couple of years prior, finally hit something, currently it's not known what, but Luna lost track of the beams paths, though once again activity aroudn their previous locations sky rocketed. 200 years ago - Twilight sparkles unusually high expertise in scientific devices, leads Celestia to introduce her to their 'exploration projects', and chooses to let her take charge of the Equestria's 'technological development'... The ultimate reasons why she dove into it are not a matter of public knowledge. Unfortunately, My brain is frying itself right now, So i'm not going to detail every bit of progress that was made =D 103 Years ago - The first attempts at space faring craft are made, using emergency long-range teleport beacons to rescue the crew from failed designs... not always successful, but it kept Casualties to remarkably few. 89 Years ago - the first 'flawless' test flight of a space craft is completed, though it only involved safely progressing a certain distance into space and coming back. 86 years ago - First team of ponies successfully land on Luna's Moon, the Moon's inhabitants imply being impressed by their success. 75 years ago - Completion of the first 'colonization vessel' that was intended for the nearest known planet of the Equuis system. 60 years ago - Successful establishment of 'Equuis 2' on a uniquely healthy planet orbiting Equuis 1. 30 years ago - Successful establishment of a 'foreward colony' reffered to as Equuis 3, on an Ice planet orbiting a greater distance than Equuis 2. 10 years ago - Study begins on the farthest anomalous object in the Equuis system, unknowingly disignated as a Mass Relay. 9 years ago - Research on the Mechanical Ruins reveals many pieces of information and potential technological materials, though little is useable due to the thousand years of direpair... It does however inspire the Newest project, The designing and construction of a Long range exploration vessel expected to be the first successful foray into exploring beyond their home system as well as establishing, hopefully peaceful, contact with other races., projected completion time is roughly 8 years. 1 year ago - The Long range Exploration Vessel [L.R.E.V.] 'Harmony' is completed [I know it's really cliche to use that name, but I have to consider what 'they' might call it] 1 month ago - Something resembling an un-destroyed, and white, version of the ruined object suddenly appears on a different edge of the System. Initial distance scans warn of a protective field around it that may disrupt unprotected mana-tech devices, Development of prototype work-arounds begins. 1 day ago - Several ships of an unknown nature seem to 'teleport' into the system from along side this Large device, several vanish shortly after, several remain near it, and 2 are openly approaching the System's inhabited planets... Communication is established. [/hider]