Hidden 4 yrs ago 4 yrs ago Post by Lucius Cypher
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Apotheosis Arcanaeum is one of the best academies for magical research and study. Founded by Archmage Aggi, a high elf born from the archfey, the academy prides itself on being the best institute for magical training and research, but at the same time remaining neutral to worldly affairs so that they may send their assistance and services wherever they are needed. The Apotheosis competes with many academies for prestige and in recent years many world disasters have put the college in some dire straights, however they remain strong and intend to reclaim former glory. Once more their doors are open to for discovery, fortune, and adventure.

Creatures with imagination aren't constrained by our experiences - We're inspired by them.
Archmage Aggi


You all will begin your adventure during the winter season in Trasis Republic in the city of Medaya, where the Apotheosis Arcanaeum is located. It is the year 7512, Duuri 7th. After a week of grueling tests and examinations, you have finally been accepted to the Arcanaeum. you're encouraged to take some time to familiarize yourself to your new classmates and staff, but be prepared; tomorrow you will begin your first delve and with it, learn what it really means to be a student of the Arcanaeum.

Rules:
1. You know the rules and so do I. Follow Guild Rules first and foremost, followed by whatever else I say. Rules subject to change as I determine.
2. Please post all Character Sheets onto the OoC first for me to read over. Any information you want kept a secret should be PM'd to me.
3. I'm fine with world building as far as things like making a town of village of your own, but anything more major such as whole new races or notable or unique abilities/technological advances should be cleared by me. If you're not certain if the thing you want is all that important, then you really need to bring it up with me.
4. I won't force you to play with others, but at the same time I'm not going to tailor the RP around you just because you had a fight with the other players and don't want to play with them anymore. If you choose to antagonize your fellow PC's either IC or OoC, don't be surprised if I shift my focus away from you. It's fine if you want to work on things alone, but this isn't your story, it's our story.
5. Following up on that, if you do have any issues with other players or even myself, feel free to speak about it either in PM's or OoC. Better that it is known openly than for you to stew on it.
6. More rules to apply as I see fit.



















Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Lucius Cypher
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@Bliss Audacious@EurmalEye@EliteCommander@rush99999

Better late than never I'd say. Let the adventure begin!
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Bliss Audacious
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Bliss Audacious Spell-bound in malaise / they/them

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Quite excited! I have a rambunctious one in the wings for this, I think. Though what are your feelings on the tone of this game?
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by rush99999
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the academy prides itself on accepting everyone and anyone

(...)

The college doesn't take just anyone after all


We'll let anyone join!

Can I join?

Whoa there. Steady on now. We don't just let anyone join.

But you just you'll let anyone join.

YOU FOOL! YOU'VE DOOMED US ALL!

*Paradox Induced Multiversal Implosion Destroys All Existence*
Hidden 4 yrs ago 4 yrs ago Post by Lucius Cypher
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@Bliss Audacious

Firstly, please do not post your character sheets in the CS tab until they have been approved by me. Suppose I ought to have made that a rule first. As for tone, I usually play things pretty seriously, but that doesn’t mean we do t have fun or things don’t get a bit goofy at times. It’s like Batman; most people are pretty serious but you also got a lot of colorful and weird people that makes taking yourself seriously feel a bit silly.

Godammit. I just realized I didn’t even put rules up. This is what happens when you try and finish off an OoC at 4 AM.

@rush99999

Admittedly an artifact from a previous verse. It’s more accurate to say that anyone can earn a spot in the Arcanum, as long as they prove their worth. Be it a criminal on the run or a king himself, everyone starts at Zero when they join the Arcanum. But the college isn’t some orphanage for lost children or a haven for shady folk to lay low. Just as well the college doesn’t involve themselves in the war of rich nobility nor even have a real say in politics, though obviously individuals within the college may have their own thoughts. I’ll probably edit things later though.
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Bliss Audacious
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Bliss Audacious Spell-bound in malaise / they/them

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@Lucius Cypher Apologies. I had not assumed there was a necessary approval process that had to be done behind closed doors. I've rescinded the post and sent it to you privately.
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by EliteCommander
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@Bliss AudaciousI think the usual approach is just to post it into the OOC for review before approval.
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Lucius Cypher
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@Bliss Audacious Thanks. It’s not your fault, I was just careless and forgot to double check my work. As I said, it’s what happens when you decide to keep writing well past your bedtime to meet some time crunch you make up for yourself.
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Bliss Audacious
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Actually I think I'll need to drop from this. Sorry for the trouble.
Hidden 4 yrs ago 4 yrs ago Post by EliteCommander
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Name: Sika

Race: Therian (Kobold base form)

Age: 10

Appearance:


Affinity: Vitamancy

Talents:
  • Hunting and other wilderness survival skills
  • Trap-making
  • Cleverness and creativity
  • Strong memory
  • Team-oriented
  • Unyielding optimism


Problems:
  • Incomplete language comprehension outside of her tribe’s language.
  • Almost entirely ignorant of how to live among civilization
  • Diminutive size
  • Unyielding optimism


Recommendation Letter: Sika was considered, from a young age, to be a strange one among her tribe. She grew up just a bit different from all the other Kobolds, and those differences only grew stronger as she became older. She would always tend to get lost in the caves or at night, and she eventually figured out that she could not see in the dark nearly as well as her kin. As well, while she does have claws, they did not become proper digging claws as she matured, so she could not easily contribute to many of the tasks that her tribe would find simple. She would find herself the subject of ridicule from other children for the fact that she could not explore the caves as they could, and she always felt the need to try and live up to expectations she simply could not meet.

While she practiced hard to try and learn skills to make up for her shortcomings, Sika still ended up as sort of a black sheep of the tribe by the time she was an adult. For a while, she could only hunt during the daytime, and she could only use traps that did not require too much digging. However, she was a perseverant, adaptable, and clever individual. She learned how to create tools to overcome her weakness in digging so she could craft more types of traps for hunting. For the kinds of prey that only tended to come out at night, she started patiently observing their habits and preferences so she could figure out lures to bait them into her limited vision, or simply into her traps. For navigating the darkness of the caves her tribe tended to use, she, throughout her life, developed a rather impressive memory and sense of direction. Even so, despite her accomplishments, Sika never ended up satisfying herself her own standards of being a worthy member of the tribe. In her mind, she had to go through so much extra effort just to do the same things as everyone else.

The event that would eventually come to reshape Sika’s life was the arrival of a group of outsiders. They were an expeditionary group, sent from the Apotheosis Aranaeum to study the Kobolds and other tribal people that lived in the remote areas of Crystaalilk. They were, as all outsiders, met initially with suspicion. But, Sika’s tribe, while defensive, was not a bloodthirsty one, and when the outsiders came bearing gifts of food and supplies, her tribe was honor-bound to treat with them as they would another Kobold tribe. The gift the outsiders wanted in return was one of knowledge, and it was one that was granted, albeit reluctantly. The task of leading around outsiders all day and answering endless questions was not a particularly desirable one for most of the tribe, so of course, Sika was one of those selected for it.

Over the course of a few months, and a few rounds of gifts on the part of the expedition, Sika spent most of her time with an Elvish man named Melecus tasked with studying the particulars of the tribe’s dialect, and their history. She was surprised to find that he could already sort of speak their language at the start, but even still, it took some time before he learned enough of their tribe’s particular dialect that they could communicate effectively. At that point, she spent most days doing just as she was asked and telling as many of the stories and myths of her people as she could remember. However, unlike most of the other Kobolds, she also returned that curiosity in kind. She asked Melecus about where he was from and what stories he could tell her. She learned some of his language, and more importantly, became engrossed in the concept of magic and being a mage. Sika started telling stories more personal to herself, rather than the tribe as a whole, and he eventually identified that she was not a Kobold at all, but rather a Fey like himself. A Therian.

Even after a few attempts at an explanation, Sika never truly understood what it meant to be a Therian, and she still thought of herself as Kobold, but she did understand that it meant she could be something else. She could have a body other than her own, and considering how much she hated the body fate had given her, that was an idea she latched onto. She told him she wanted to go to the Arcanaeum he had told her about this magic, though it was some time before she got her answer.

It was just before the expedition was set to move on that Melecus offered Sika a chance. It would not help her to join him, but she could make her own case for acceptance into the Arcanaeum. He gave her a book with hand-drawn maps, which he taught her to read, as well as copies of notes he made on their respective languages to help her translate and learn more of his language. He told her that, if she could make it on her own from her village to the Aranaeum, then the journey would be enough to prove her worth to them. He had written pages of helpful advice to assist her journey, and finally, gave her a pouch of circular, shiny objects. He told her to go to a specific city and wait for a specific woman, a “captain” of a big boat, to give her that pouch, and tell her that she wanted to go to a place called Trasis. The woman would take her on the boat to the island, and only then would Sika be able to reach the Arcanaeum.

Melecus had also tried to warn Sika of the many dangers and challenges she would face on such a journey, but she had not spent much time worrying about them. As soon as the expedition left, so too did Sika. And indeed, her journey was one which could be written into a novel. Across many miles, many regions, and many landscapes she walked. She had no carriage or beasts of burden to carry a stockpile of food and supplies, so every day called upon her skills of survival to hunt and forage in order to sustain herself. Melecus had given her some descriptions and illustrations in the book of a few types of plants that were safe to eat in regions outside her homeland, but that was far from enough to make it easy. Even the simple act of walking could be made a challenge when forced to traverse everything from mountains, to thick forests, to swampland. She had to find new ways to hunt creatures that behaved in ways she had never seen, and to fight off dangerous beasts that could easily see her as a meal. She dealt with injury and pain, exhaustion and hunger, all while protecting with her life the gifts that Melecus had given her. Sika was mentally at her lowest when, under the guise of a friendly offering of a warm meal, she was lured into the camp of a small group of highwaymen, beaten, and robbed of her few belongings. Still, even when it would have been easier to give up, she persevered, tracked them despite her injuries, and stole in the night everything they had taken from her.

It took over a year, a year of pain and persistence, but Sika never faltered in her commitment. She made it to the city, braved its frighteningly large crowds and alien buildings for days until she could find the woman Melecus had described and gave her the pouch. She boarded the impossibly large boat and endured days of the most sickening nausea she had ever experienced, but she finally made it to the island. The final stretch of the journey to Medaya was a casual stroll compared to everything she had been through. But, through it all, as just a diminutive Kobold, she had finally made it to the Apotheosis Aranaeum.
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Lucius Cypher
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@Bliss Audacious Damn shame, but I wish you the best.

@Thinslayer Open spot if you're interested.

@EliteCommander Not a bad CS. Sika's gotta lot more work ahead of her though to prove her worth to the Arcanaeum, but she's shown that she's got the grit to see it through. Accepted.
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by EurmalEye
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@Lucius Cypher Just an update- My CS is in the works and should be done at some point tomorrow. Just to double check it is okay if I am a Hobgoblin vs a goblin?
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Lucius Cypher
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That’s acceptable. Keep in mind that a hobgoblin isn’t quite as agile as a regular goblin, but otherwise benefits from being larger physically.
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by EurmalEye
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@Lucius Cypher Hmm that actually matters quite a bit, I'll just go regular goblin then, thanks for the heads up!
Hidden 4 yrs ago 4 yrs ago Post by EurmalEye
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-removed-
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Lucius Cypher
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@EurmalEye

While not bad, I should explain that magic is not an easy skill to learn, and it's certainly not something that one could pick up especially for young children. Though I wanted to explain it IC, here is how magic works: Even the most basic spell saps away at your stamina, even if you fail to cast it. And unlike normal physical actions where trying to do things beyond your limits will have your body react in such a way that basically says "Don't do this you're going to hurt yourself", magic doesn't have that same limiter. The damage the body takes for casting spells to the point they're physically injuries is called "Blood Sickness", mainly because over use of one's magic actually drains the blood from your body, commonly resulting in very desiccated corpses.

For Gulzbak to have tried to light a match via magic at such a young age wouldn't just leave him with disappointment, but sever and often lethal blood lost for children. It's one of the primary reasons why there isn't any child mages; they don't survive the small mistakes that happen when casting spells. Adult bodies might not be able to handle it any better, but their chances of surviving is generally better. It's also why I made it a point to mention when races reach their physical maturity as it does play a very important role for when someone would be suitable to start trying to learn magic.

Additionally for Alaphaine to try and cast multiple spells and having no supplies to replenish himself would also result in his quick death, more so since he was already in dire straights before that.

Magic in this RP is something that really relies on the caster being physically capable. The usual image of a squishy wizard who is magically mighty but physically frail just isn't viable, as magic relies entirely on your physical health and fortitude in order to utilize, rather than anything mental like willpower or intelligence. It's also why nearly anyone who knows magic learns it via academies and colleges; there's no real safe way to train even if you have family who are somewhat capable of magic. Again, IC I would introduce a crash course of the difficulties of magic and how one goes about to actually being able to prepare themselves to casting spells, even ones as simple as lighting a match or moving some dirt.
Hidden 4 yrs ago 4 yrs ago Post by Thinslayer
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Caeda Carnelis, a.k.a. "Cece"

(pronounced SEE-duh car-NEL-iss)


Race: Orc
(Her adoptive mother is an elf child, Soleil Carnelis, pictured on the right. About 30 years old.)
Birthdate: Krugh 12th, 7492
Affinity: Terramancy
Talents:
  • Unarmed martial arts
  • Spearfighting
  • Masonry
  • Wilderness survival
  • Hunting

Problems:
  • Hubris - Caeda developed an inflated pride from her martial superiority to all challengers up to this point. She is particularly proud of surviving her migration through the Or-Clans.
  • Untrustworthy - She's as likely to pursue her own ends as follow through on her promises. Having rarely lived among large groups of individuals, she doesn't yet appreciate the value of a good reputation.
  • Liar - When her pride is well and truly challenged, she resorts to lies to maintain her sense of self-worth.
  • Hard Learner - Due to her hubris, she doesn't accept feedback very well, so the only way she learns is the hard way, through trial and error. That she survived fighting the Or-Clans long enough to get good is nothing short of a miracle.

Recommendation Letter:
To Apotheosis Arcanaeum Admissions,

Firstly, you'll have to pardon my poor writing skills, as I rarely have opportunity to write recommendation letters. I feel strongly that I must make an exception to that trend, because this young lady, Caeda Carnelis, is possibly the most promising warrior I've ever met from the Or-Clans. That her mother is not an orc cannot be a coincidence. She was adopted by an orphaned elf child, Soleil Carnelis, and together survived migration through the Or-Clans - a marvelous feat in and of itself. Her skill with the spear is peerless, and her ferocity unarmed cannot be underestimated. Her magical potential is uncommonly high, though as we currently lack master arcanists at this facility, we referred her to Apotheosis Arcanaeum for further education.

Feel free to contact me for any further details at the aerocode written on the back.

Sincerely,
Jong Li-Wei, Master of Polearts at Xiadan Martial Arts Academy


Other:
Her personal goal is to unite all the Or-Clans under one banner - hers. She will stop at nothing to achieve it.
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Lucius Cypher
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@Thinslayer. Conceptually not bad, though if possible could you perhaps detail Caeda’s specific accolades in the recommendation letter? Specific battles or enemies she’s defeated, or perhaps tales of her skills as a mason or bushcraft. If her education in masonry is a formal one another recommendation letter from a stone cutting guild could also help, shows that she is more than merely another orcish Warrior. Add those extra bits of info so I can look it over again and it should be good to go.
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by EliteCommander
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@Lucius CypherYou know, it occurs to me that Melecus probably would have included an actual recommendation letter as well along with the other things he gave to Sika.
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Lucius Cypher
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If you'd like. I'm doubtful that Melecus would write a letter of recommendation for Sika before Sika's journey to the college, but I can definitely see him writing one after she had arrived or just verbally vouching for her. Usually people write letters so they can contact the college hopeful and inform them of their acceptance/denial, kinda like a modern-day college. Thus those who just waltz up to the gates of the academy and claim that they're worthy of education without any proof or documentation are usually just denied at best, or put through convoluted tests that threatens their lives at worse. Mind you the latter isn't a popular method, but since you're familiar with the roots of this RP, I'm sure you know who the college turns to when they need to send some strapping youths on a quest to prove themselves. Hint: it's the daemon.
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