[OOC] A Certain Variegated Pseudepigraphum [Toaru/Raildex RPG]

Academy City. A sovereign city-state, renowned globally as an institution dedicated to the furtherment of science and education. Located in a walled enclave of Tokyo, Japan, its population of 2.3 million (of which 80% are students) are spread out across 23 School Districts, learning, growing and thriving for the neverending cause of advancement that has allowed the city to stay thirty years ahead of the rest of the world. Of course, an individual of said population (such as you), might not particularly care much for the specifics of something as vague as scientific progress, especially when it's really more of a footnote to Academy City's main attraction:

Psychic powers.

You see, the purpose of the city is to study psychic powers by creating beings known colloquially as Espers. These beings, usually members of the student population, have unlocked their potential to make use of a wide variety of extranormal abilities (some pretty cool, some useful, and some as pointless as a Creative Writing degree) thanks to the efforts of Academy City's local researchers and scientists. Ostensibly, the continued development of these abilities is core to the success of this "Power Curriculum Program", but the truth is that the students still continue to participate in a reasonably normal (albeit high-tech) school life, with regular testing by the institutions being the only difference to education anywhere else in the world.

Except when you've gathered up an entire technologically advanced city full of superpowered students, anything can happen, even if it may seem completely unbelievable. Strange happenings, shady organisations, and rumours coming true, all of these are almost "normal" in a place like Academy City.

For beneath its veneer of respectability, there are many dark mysteries waiting to be solved ...

Introduction

Academy City is a place of stories. No, let's try this again. Stories take place in Academy City. From the big to the small, the students of Academy City do things, whether they're powerful Level 4 Espers doing whatever a teenager does with immense power or a scrappy lower-levelled punk hoping to rise through the ranks or just being an overall drain on society. They do things, have their own little stories and whatnot, and sometimes, very rarely, these disparate folks have their tales intersect.

What causes people from different parts of the City to come together?

An incident, of course.

By some quirk of fate, all of you have met up at the exact same point at the exact same time on the exact same night, brought there by the exact same thing. It would probably make a funny story to tell to your other pals on the weekend or something, but unfortunately, there's nothing exactly happy about this incident.

A mangled corpse in a gutter is never happy.

And sadly, it's probably not even the only thing that'll force all your paths to cross.

What is an Esper?

Of course, you may also be wondering right now: what exactly is an esper, and what is this level thing you're yapping about? As the name suggests, espers are those who possess extranormal abilities, but to be more specific, espers in this setting are those who have undergone the Power Curriculum Program and cut themselves off from regular reality through drugs, surgery and other experimentation, thus giving them access to their powers.

Espers possess their own personal realities, and through the mysterious energy field they emit (known as AIM), they impose their own reality onto that of the world. Powers differ from esper to esper (although some types can be common, such as telekinesis), and each can only possess one type of power. These are ranked from Level 0 (essentially powerless) to Level 5 (of which there are only seven in Academy City) depending on their effectiveness. In this RPG, no characters are allowed to have already reached Level 5.

Final Words

If it hasn't already occurred to you, this is an RPG set in the world of the Raildex franchise (with A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun being its main representatives). You're all going to be students in Academy City (powers possibly optional, given the presence of numerous Level 0 Espers), hanging about and in most situations, enjoying your everyday springtime of youth as usual.

However, because it is Academy City, mysterious stuff abounds. And whether it be by your own free will or not, you'll be dragged into whatever mess crops up that week. And you'll have to try and solve with every other misfit who turns up too. Even right now, there's a corpse in front of you, so a quiet life certainly is out of the question.

But all of you are of the realm of Science, so it shouldn't be too hard to ferret the truth out, right?

Character Sheet

Name:
Nickname/Alias: (Optional)
Age:
Gender:
Appearance:
Biography:
Personality: (Likes and dislikes optional)
Esper Power: (If your character's an Esper, what is their power and what level is it from 0 to 4)
Skills: (what are they good at?)
Extra:

[Crimmy]

Reserved.

[Crimmy]

@HereComesTheSnow@banjoanjo@GreenGoat@Plank Sinatra@Krayzikk@ADamnFiddle@Avant@NarayanK@Etranger

Here we go!

[NaraK]

i decided to just bring back my old char

level 0 boi

Appearance

"I'm hungry."

Name: Bang Constantine

Nickname/Alias: "Boxer" / "Author" / "TOGWSLHCDABTTOTHWTDBKDTTA"

That last nickname

"That One Guy Who Seems Like He Could Do Anything Better Than The One Thing He Wants To Do But Keeps Doing That Thing Anyway"

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Appearance: With a build that is more bulky than lean, Bang is around 5’7”. He sports short, dark hair, turquoise eyes, and slightly tanned skin.

Biography: Bang is a simple person, whose simplicity outweighs his oddities. The Asian Latin American boxer was born in Japan and eventually raised in a small home in Virginia, where he initially attended school before taking his boxing classes. Bang discovered that his physical limits were able to be pushed to admirable heights. Though he did not believe that he would be able to participate amongst prodigies who were either stronger or smarter than him, both his friends and family believed that physical activities helped push him towards working hard. He eventually returned to Japan and moved into Academy City, where he focused on getting closer to his dream as a writer. Yet, there's something that makes his writing feel either too generic or too odd...

Personality: Calm, but straightforward, Bang Constantine has little to hide from the world. Though not one to raise a hand to take advantage of defenseless people, he is not one to refuse a good challenge. His sense of humor is otherworldly and he can come to odd conclusions, but his observant nature is one of his biggest strengths. His senses become sharper when he tenses up, making him rather consistent despite being a Level 0. He talks in a brief manner and has yet to get visibly angry. Bang looks up to Espers, though he has yet to active ignore anyone aside from several individuals he deliberately tries to ignore.

He isn't the best at socializing and frequently comes off as a weirdo, but he has little to no ill intentions.

Esper Power: Level 0 - None

Skills: Exercising, boxing, studying, running, bamboozling people (unintentionally), being at the sidelines, stargazing

Extra: Bang has partial acrophobia and eidetic memory.

Theme

[Crimmy]

@NarayanK Go for it.

[ADamnFiddle]

@Crimmy

Petrovich, Kyra

Name: Petrovich, Kyra

Nickname/Alias: The Conductor

Age: 15

Gender: Female

Appearance:

Hider

Biography: Kyra Petrovich was born to a broken family. Her mother had died during her childbirth due to complications, and father were killed by “Mafioso” due to their involvement in dubious activities. Such individuals, while perchance not deserving of such a fate, should understand the dangers of illegal activities and should be prepared to face the consequences from either law enforcement or other rivals. Perhaps by a stroke of good luck, or perhaps by the intervention of a higher being, the pair were able to avoid the fates that had befallen their father..

Thus, the pair was sent to an orphanage that sat next to the Volga in southern Russia ran by the clergy. Though life was not always pleasant, at the very least the comforting position of her older brother often gave her hope. Though once spoiled by her affluent father, she could not say she didn’t enjoy the spoiling she had received from the meagerness her brother was able to provide for the few outside of the orphanage.

Things would change when a string of fortunate luck allowed for Kyra to be selected for the ESPer programme in Academy City. Her unnatural affinity for her ESPer powers had caused her to grow at an exponential rate compared to the majority of students within the academy. Perhaps fortune had blessed the young girl, despite her more humble beginnings. This unnatural reaction to the ESPer system could be considered a blessing, but as with any power therein exists a curse buried before the luster.

Personality: Kyra seems to be a rather outgoing. An idealist who would go about proclaiming the desire to find true love and other such trivialities, despite not having much experience in the former. The sort of person who idealizes the constructs of chivalry presented within the confines of knights from the stories of old and despite knowing their validity within the world as a whole, wishes the constructs were withheld by others, even if lightly, despite her inability to follow such ideas.

Kyra is loyal to those she cares about, and a tad bit headstrong for her own good. Of course, that doesn't exactly make her a "good" person, but of course, one could say that Kyra tends to operate in some degree of respect to those around her. Though this “respect” could be considered a rather perverse usage of the term than most others would comfortably situate with. Stubborn to a near fault, when Kyra decides something it is nigh impossible to change her opinion without good reason.

Usually preferring introversy, Kyra regularly maintains a facade of confidence backed up by her intelligence and kind nature, through tends to prefer a peaceful approach to most things, and would likely be the last to resort to violence. That being said, one could imagine if therein exists not the proper means to end a situation in a non-violent manner, Kyra would not hesitate to end the matter before it becomes out of control, and would even implement this solution in the event a better one presented itself not to her during initial problem-solving.

In addition to this, Kyra is very introspective and hard on herself for any failures and the like, often taking into consideration the best possible outcome she could have done ages after the outcome had resolved itself. She still complains about poor moves she had made during chess games with her brother when they were but young children.

Esper Power: Heat Absorption & Emission rank 4: An eb & flow; the ability to direct the flow of the energy known as “thermal energy”, or heat, as well as the ability to internalize and compartmentalize said energy.

Heat Transfer refers to the disciple within thermodynamics, and by extension thermal engineering, that refers to the concerns the generation, use, conversion, and exchange of thermal energy between physical systems. One could conclude then that the “physical systems” at play are the internal (self), and the external (world). One would then expect the body of Kyra to attempt to reach equilibrium towards the world, however, due to the abilities’ absorption effect as well, the energy (heat) stored within her body is kept within so long as she desires it as potential energy.

One could then compare the individual known as Kyra Petrovich as the “faucet” and “drain”, who controls both the output and input of the energy (heat). Therefore, her body could be considered a “bomb waiting for activation.

Though misguided expectation would presume Kyra’s body to feel hot, however, due to the constant absorption of heat causes her to feel more cold than hot, similar in property to ice in water removing the heat from the water around it. If she were to stop the ability or to have reached the total limit of her “container”, the excess heat could be passively deposited as she is able to integrate the surrounding energy (heat) into her. Therefore, the body of “Kyra Petrovich” could be considered a bomb.

At level 4, the “two sides” of energy transfer become massively powerful, as does the “tank” which “contains” the energy (heat) absorbed, allowing for both the instant solidification of most airborne gases as well as the liquidation of most metal through touch alone. In the same vein, the creation of plasma is also possible at this rank. It should be obvious that the ability is weaker in colder environments due to the requirement to shuffle around instead of being able to use convection to obtain the ability passively, through gales do influence this gain positively.

While it should be noted that if Kyra was a level 5 with the ability, the phenomenon known as “Absolute Zero” would be a possibility, and beyond that even theoretical negative values. She, however, is not at this level yet.

Skills:

Reading: During her youth, Kyra would often consume massive texts often considered above the curve for a little girl. The orphanage she grew up in had its own library not due to any other reason aside from the caretaker’s own personal tastes. Even though they were his private collection, the rambunctiousness and desire to speak about such works, as well as her brothers seemingly close ties to the man had caused him to permit the entry of Kyra into his library. Both a knowledge and a hunger for texts is ingrained upon Kyra’s existence, as if attempting to reach a truth of sorts.

That being said, this extends to other written works.

Athleticism: Perhaps not so much a skill as an affinity. Mens sana in corpore sano, after all. Perhaps not the most athletic individual within academy city, at the very least her fiery fervor would make most individuals blush in embarrassment for her.

Studious: The ability to get second place within standardized testing without fail, always agonizing about how they are not able to receive the top position and hating their single mistakes for it.

Extra: Though it isn’t required due to the stipend she receives due to her ranking, Kyra works at a cafe under a pseudonym as to avoid attention. How putting on glasses like Clark Kent fools anyone is beyond her though.

[Crimmy]

@ADamnFiddle Go for it.

[HereComesTheSnow]

Well, if that's not the most obvious team-up in the world, I've failed as a writer.

Thermodynamic Duo a go-go.

[ADamnFiddle]

Well, if that's not the most obvious team-up in the world, I've failed as a writer.

Thermodynamic Duo a go-go.

@HereComesTheSnow

The dynamic duo back at it again.

[Crimmy]

I guess together they'll be hot stuff, huh.

[HereComesTheSnow]

Kara's a real hottie doncha know

[Avant]

I did my thing.

Junia Drachma

Name: Junia Drachma
Nickname/Alias: N/A
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Appearance:


Biography: Junia is Greek by origin, but she has spent little time in Greece at all, as her family is effectively nomadic by virtue of her parent’s business. Zoe and Nestor Drachma are management consultants that work for a multinational corporation, and they travelled from office place to office place doing their work, dragging Junia wherever they went. Junia was often left to her own devices in foreign countries, and so she had to work hard to find something to do in her spare time. Junia often took to the internet when she had nothing better to do, and there she found great satisfaction in being an enormous troll. With few rules, boundaries, and no oversight, she thought nothing of making fun of people and stirring up big arguments just to watch the sparks fly. She was always exceptionally clever at finding the key topics that would rile people up, and she learned a lot about languages and culture just to support her malicious hobby.

Her parents, enamoured with the idea of having an Esper for a daughter, decided to send Junia off to participate in the Power Curriculum Program. Junia didn’t care much about their reasons, but she did like the idea of going somewhere new, and perhaps staying in place for longer than a few weeks for once. Upon the discovery of her powers, her parents were keen for her to be a fixture in Academy city, and she was keen to put down roots and milk the place for all it was worth.

Personality: Junia is ultimately not a nice person. She is lacking in empathy and care for others, and instead seeks her own thrills and happiness regardless of what she steps on in the way. She has a decidedly malicious streak, and enjoys making fun of others and seeing them at odds with each other. One thing that can be said about her is that it is almost never personal when she targets someone. When she aggravates someone, it is not about getting back over a petty insult or wanting to see someone specific suffer, it is just because she enjoys it. Interestingly enough, she is keen to see people give as good as they get, and somewhat enjoys the exchange of barbs as much as she enjoys seeing someone just plain cry over them.

Her sole redeeming feature is that she is usually quite dedicated. A trait that was drilled into her by private tutors and passed down from her parents, she carries a high degree of professionalism in anything she commits to. Even if she’s doing it for purely selfish reasons, she won’t turn mess around in a serious situation just for a laugh. If she decides she’s going to investigate something, then she’s going to investigate it well, even if all she gets out of it is the satisfaction of her morbid curiosity.

Esper Power:
Dacia-12 Manipulation: Level 3

Along the lines of other elemental and substance based manipulation powers, Junia’s power allows her to summon and manipulate a burning, acid-like chemical dubbed Dacia-12. So far, she has managed to summon a fist sized glob to lob at her enemies at best.

Skills: She is a polyglot, diligent at any given task, and knows her way around a computer.

Etra: N/A

[HereComesTheSnow]

What's with these foreigners and their normal names?

This isn't Kamachi at all!!!! Give me a Gorgeouspalace!!!!!

[Crimmy]

@Avant So she has control over anything that can accept a negative charge?

[Avant]

@Avant So she has control over anything that can accept a negative charge?

@Crimmy

I'm going to go on the record and say I was shit at highschool chemistry and physics.

I was just using my usual flowery language to describe the act of her controlling some vague substance that melts things. Can I just say that rather than running around looking for, I dunno, some extremely specific Alkali 30 billion element?

[Crimmy]

<Snipped quote by Crimmy>

I'm going to go on the record and say I was shit at highschool chemistry and physics.

I was just using my usual flowery language to describe the act of her controlling some vague substance that melts things. Can I just say that rather than running around looking for, I dunno, some extremely specific Alkali 30 billion element?

@Avant

Like the blood in Alien, right? Some sorta sizzly, melty thing?

Yeah, you can control that. Give it a funky name though. Funky names are what make this universe.

[Avant]

<Snipped quote by Avant>

Like the blood in Alien, right? Some sorta sizzly, melty thing?

Yeah, you can control that. Give it a funky name though. Funky names are what make this universe.

@Crimmy

Alright, I gave it a dumb funky name.

[Crimmy]

@Avant

Those funky vowels hit the spot.

Go ahead, comrade.

[GreenGoat]

nice, we have a nice group of people now.

[Crimmy]

nice, we have a nice group of people now.

@GreenGoat

Decent sized group of people to discover a corpse.

Of those who first turned up in the IntCheck, just three more profiles to go.

[Etranger]

I've finished my sheet. Hope it's okay @Crimmy

Taro

Name: Taro Tanaka
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Appearance:


Biography: In Japan, the saying goes that “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” Taro is the nail that stuck out, but he has never let himself be hammered down. From an early age, Taro enjoyed the feeling of being unique; he liked to have unique things and do that which others did not. It helped that he came from a upper-middle class family that liked to indulge his habits, and so when Taro wanted something unique, he got something unique. As a child, he liked to indulge in alternative fashions, dressing in western fashions when no one else did, and if the trend changed, he would change to be contrarian towards it. His contrarianism had its logical limits, but he never liked to be one of the crowd. He always wanted to stand out.

One day, Taro decided he wanted to apply to the Power Curriculum Program in Academy City, hoping to become a full fledged Esper. Sure, it wasn’t wholeheartedly unique, but many Espers had very unique powers and some acquired no shortage of fame for their prowess.

Upon being tested, Taro heard these very words; “Ah, Telekinesis. A very typical power.”

He was aghast. He could not have it be that he would have such a generic power, no matter how strong said powers might be. He demanded more tests be performed, but eventually learned there was no fighting the fact that he had one of the most typical powers among Espers. He almost wanted to depart Academy city and close his ears to talk of Espers and their powers forever. However, he eventually resolved himself to find a way to make himself unique and interesting even with the most common power imaginable, and he was damned if he would let himself just be any other telekinetic Esper.

Personality: Taro loves to be the centre of attention, and he likes to achieve that by going against the grain. He likes to find things that no one is indulging in and take them up himself in hopes that it will make him stand out. This makes him highly open to new ideas and experiences, but he also tends to become quickly bored with something that doesn’t put him in the spotlight. That said, Taro is usually loathe to try anything that he doesn’t at least see as being good or interesting. While he enjoys attention, it’s exclusively positive attention that he enjoys, and he does not desire to be mocked or draw ire for what he does. He’s by no means suicidal either, and he won’t do anything stupid in a serious situation just to get people’s attention.

While some might assume him to be a mean spirited snob from his behaviour, he is ultimately anything but that. He does not like to bring others down just to make himself look better. His quest for uniqueness is entirely personal, and nobody deserves to be mocked and belittled just to make him feel even better about himself. He loves to learn from others, usually so he can find out what’s popular so he can avoid it, but also so that he can encourage others to find their own unique niche to fit into. After all, if he can enjoy having his own thing, so should everyone else.

Esper Power: Telekinesis: Level 4
Taro is capable of manipulating objects using an invisible psychic energy. For instance, he can throw a tank up to 30 meters, and control multiple objects at the same time. The larger the object, the less of them he can control at once and vice versa.
Skills: Amateur painter, poet, and basketball player. He also knows a lot of random facts and trivia, picked up from investigating new avenues of uniqueness.