Post Majora's Mask Alternate Timeline Zelda RP (High Casual)

[Baklava]

Ugh. I'm salivating.

Mmmm baklava....

[BrassOtter]

I've had my eye on this website for about a week now, and I'm happy to announce this thread is the sole reason I have created an account. I simply cannot pass up the opportunity to join a Majora's Mask-based role play this well thought-out. I'm looking forward to the start of it.

Though, I have a question, and I apologize if it was answered and I simply missed it; What happened to the Graveyard after Dampe died? Was there another person to take it over after it was left without a curse or caretaker? If so... May my character be a Caretaker and/or the previous caretaker's son? I know it was said that Ikana became cutoff from the world, but a curious resident living so close to the border might be able to find a way through, especially if the borders may soon re-open...

[MercuryHg34]

An RP of my absolute favorite Zelda game on a different timeline than the original? Count me in!

I can't tell you how many times I've 100% completed this game...

[Chanda]

The graveyard is a part of the closed off Ikana, and I do have a no exceptions policy about being able to be from Ikana after the gates closed. It may be possible for your character to have been the gravekeeper/a son of the gravekeeper/in the employ of the gravekeeper during the five year open period, but your character would have been apart from the graveyard for 25 years at this point. That is pretty much the only way it would work. I am more than willing to bend some rules when it comes to anywhere OTHER than Ikana, but I'm afraid there will be no budging on this one.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[BrassOtter]

Alright, I understand, thank you. With the Gloomy, Death-Obsessed option gone... I think I'll try to nab an apprentice Steel-Smith instead.

[Bad Wolf]

Depending on the angle you take with that, it might overlap with my character idea a bit. But we'll see. Maybe they can be coworkers.

[Kiddo]

AND MY CHARACTER IS SO FREAKIN ORIGINAL SHE DON'T WORK WITH ANY O Y'ALL

:3

[Dervish]

Kiddo said
AND MY CHARACTER IS SO FREAKIN ORIGINAL SHE DON'T WORK WITH ANY O Y'ALL:3

Is she a chubby zora that can't swim, but has a heart of gold and wrestles Gorons for grocery money?

[Kiddo]

NOOOOO MY WELL-LAID PLANS

Edit: In some of that stuff, that is sadly close :(

[Bad Wolf]

You guys are making me miss playing my Redead. Stop that. Lol

[Baklava]

Bump.

[Kingleo]

Definitely count me interested!
I've always really loved the whole Majora's Mask premise, and this au is really well thought out and interesting!

[Chanda]

Below is all the information that will eventually be in the OC. Please read it over. As I said before, you may submit your sheets here in the interest check. Once we have seen enough applications, we will send all of you PMs to notify you if you have been chosen for the roster, at which point you will move your sheets to the CS depository tab (if such a thing exists). Remember that this is not first come first served, so do your best to create a compelling character that everyone will be excited to roleplay with.

~Playable Races~

INFO

Note that “Terminian” refers to all people who live in Termina, not just the humans. For example, you could have a Terminian Goron or a Terminian Zora. This is the equivalent of saying someone is Hyrulean, as opposed to the man-like race of Hylians. For the sake of this RP, we will call the race of men “humans” and leave Terminian as a term for describing nationality.

Human: The most prominent race of Termina. Although not Hylian, some of the humans of Termina have been known to have pointed ears as well. Although primarily based in Clock Town and the Ikana Kingdom, humans can be found all over Termina. Humans are all-rounders in terms of physical and magical abilities, and can choose any combination of skills and magic elements. You may not play a human born in or living in Ikana AFTER the borders closed. If you want to play a human who once lived in Ikana or was born there, they can only have lived there during the five year period during which it was a free kingdom. This is for story reasons, and I will not allow any exceptions. A month before the gates closed permanently, King Igos decreed that anyone who wanted to leave was welcome to do so.

Gerudo: This all-female faction holds an even balance between agile thieves and skilled warriors. Despite their agility, they lack brute force, making them ineffective against heavily armored opponents. They prefer to live in the Great Bay area, but can be found throughout Termina, typically up to no good. Given their reputation for piracy and other criminal acts, Gerudo have a hard time gaining the trust of other races, although most don’t particularly mind. The Gerudo have an ongoing racial feud with the neighboring Zoras of Great Bay, and are highly unlikely to get along. You may NOT play a male Gerudo.

Zora: The aquatic, elegant race of amphibious fishpeople that live in the Western Ocean and Great Bay. Aside from their obvious swimming ability and their ability to breathe underwater as well as on land, Zoras who are well-versed in the use of magic are able to generate bioelecricity from within themselves. However, the Zora people are incapable of lasting very long in environments where it's very hot or cold, as their skin has to retain a certain level of moisture in order for them to perform at their best. Racial tensions between the Zoras and the Gerudo are at an all-time high, so any friendships between the two are very unlikely. The Zora people are highly vulnerable to fire and other forms of intense heat, and as such cannot practice Fire magic.

Deku: The Deku are the small, wooden scrub people who can be found all over Termina, but primarily make their home in the Southern Swamp. The small, wooden frame of the Deku people makes them ill-equipped offensively and defensively, and vulnerable to fire. However, the Dekus are quite fast on their feet and make for powerful mages, giving them the potential to learn powerful offensive spells or healing magic. Given their extensive knowledge of flora and fauna, the Deku people are naturally suited for poison and medicine making as well.

Goron: The strong but laid-back denizens of the Northern Mountains, the Gorons are natural warriors capable of ridiculous feats of strength. Due to their naturally tough skin and rocky outer shell, they are also highly resistant to physical attacks. Although some Gorons are more skilled than others in the art of racing, all Gorons are capable of curling into a ball and rolling around at high speeds. However, given their large stature and hulking build, the Gorons are rather ungraceful and slow on their feet, and have little magical talent to speak of. Gorons may not take the Acrobatics, Sneaking, or Thievery skills, and can only practice Earth and Fire magic.

Other Races: I am open to suggestions for other races, enemy races, etc. Let me know first, however.

~Banned Races~

INFO

Hylian: No one from Hyrule has made it to Termina before; not even Link.

Kokiri/Sheikah/Twili/Skyloftians/Subrosians: See above. No Hyrulean races.

Garo: A common request. The Garo that appeared in Majora’s Mask were nothing but spirits, and the spirits were banished from Ikana when Link defeated Twinmold. The living Garo were from a foreign nation, but it likely collapsed a long time ago. No exceptions, don’t ask.

“True Ikana”: Igos Du Ikana, his royal family, and the 50 original knights of Ikana are the only true born Ikana in Termina. Although characters may have lived in Ikana (or even been born there during the five year open period), no characters are permitted to be true descendants of the original race of Ikana that once made up the ancient kingdom. This is for story reasons, and there are no exceptions.

~Skills~

INFO

~A Note on Skills~

In order to keep things fair and balanced, we will organize skills based on a three tier system, first devised by Dervish in a previous RP. At character creation, you may select one expert-level skill, three major skills and three minor skills. In order to become more specialized, you may choose to trade two skills of a lower rank for another skill of the next highest rank. For example, you could give up two minor skills for one more major skill, as well as trading two major skills for one more expert skill. This trading goes both ways, so you can trade one expert skill for two more major skills if you'd like to be more varied and less specialized. The skill list is as follows -- if you have any questions about how a given skill translates into the roleplay medium, just ask.

Combat Skills: Each of the skills below pertains to the use of a certain type of weapon, armor, or style of combat. Melee focused characters will definitely want to choose one of these skills if they want to be effective in a fight. Keep in mind that all weapons have their own strengths and weaknesses, so it may be a good idea to take more than one to aid in versatility.

• Short Blade (daggers and other short swords. As an expert or major skill, it also allows you to better conceal your weapons in the event that you’re searched)

• Long Blade (arming swords, longswords, bastard swords, or any blade that cannot be easily concealed or must be wielded with two hands)

• Axe (any axe, either one handed or two handed.)

• Blunt (warhammers, maces, cudgels, or staff weapons without a point or blade)

• Polearm (spears, halberds, glaives, tridents, pikes, and other sticks with pointy things)

• Archery (slingshots, shortbows, longbows, and crossbows, both in terms of accuracy and reload speed. Taken as a major or expert skill, a character can fletch their own arrows.)

• Projectiles (affects accuracy with ranged weapons other than slings or bows. Includes throwing knives, throwing stars, needles, and bombs. Also improves the accuracy of projectile spells if taken as a major or expert skill.)

• Block (shields, of any size or construction. Even without a shield, it improves a character’s ability to block or parry incoming blows, allowing for better defensive weapon use.)

• Unarmed (skill in unarmed combat, obviously, including throws and grapples.)

• Heavy Armor (plate armor or heavy mail of any kind. Although heavier armor provides a great deal of protection from harm, it is also difficult to move around in and makes it more difficult to cast magic. These disadvantages become less significant if Heavy Armor is taken as a major or expert skill.)

• Light Armor (leather, fur, hide, scale, or light chainmail. While not nearly as protective as heavier armor, light armor affords greater freedom of movement, yet still inhibits spellcasting to a certain degree. If light armor is taken as a major or expert skill, it becomes more effective at protecting the wearer from harm.)

• Athletics (determines how quickly your character can move, and how much stamina they have. Does not govern acrobatic capability or weapon/reload speed, only movement.)

• Acrobatics (determines how high your character can jump, how quickly they can climb or otherwise negotiate obstacles, and how effectively they can perform acrobatic maneuvers, such as flips, rolls, pivots, lunges and sidesteps. Does not govern movement speed. A popular skill for thieves and warriors alike.)

Spellcasting Skills: For magic, skills are divided up based on their elemental type. Having an element of magic as one of your skills not only grants you access to spells of that element, but it also improves your efficiency in using and learning spells of that element. For example, a mage who has Fire Magic as an expert skill consumes less magic power when casting fire spells than a mage who only has it as a minor skill, and also learns new fire spells more quickly than less experienced mages. See the “Spells and Magic” section for more details.

• Fire (at expert level, casters can wield the more powerful Blue Fire.)
• Water (at major level, casters can use Ice magic. At expert level, casters can use Red Ice.)
• Wind (at expert level, casters can use storm magic to incorporate lightning into their spells)
• Forest
• Light
• Shadow
• Earth

Non-Combat Skills: These skills have little application in combat, but are useful off the battlefield.

• Alchemy (the ability to create potions, medicine, and poisons from various found ingredients. Also entails a certain amount of skill with general chemistry, and cooking.)

• Smithing/Armoring (how well your character can forge and repair weapons, armor, and other basic tools.)

• Sneak (how well your character can conceal themselves and move without attracting attention. Lends itself well to sneaking past guards and dealing with enemies quietly.)

• Thievery (governs the ability to do roguish and nefarious things, like pick pockets, crack safes, pick locks, and create forgeries. Best used for very naughty little boys, mmmyes.)

• Arcane Knowledge (your character’s ability to detect the use or presence of magic in their surroundings. Also allows your character to identify enchantments on magical items, see through magical illusions, and sense the remaining magic power of other mages.)

• Mechanics (your character’s ability to analyze, design, build, and repair tools, traps, and other structures. Overlaps with smithing somewhat, but with more of a focus on projects that are not related to weapons or armor. Also affords an aptitude for higher scientific study of physics, chemistry, and engineering.)

• Medical Knowledge (your character’s ability to diagnose illness, administer effective first aid, and perform advanced medical procedures on themselves or others. Also associated with knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the different races of Termina. Pairs well with healing magic and alchemy for more efficient and accurate healing.)

• Hunting/Tracking (your character’s ability to effectively find people, monsters, or animals based on the tracks they leave behind, and their ability to detect enemies who are in hiding or in disguise. Those who take this as a major or expert skill will also be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the many fearsome monsters that lurk in the darker parts of Termina.)

~Magic and Spellmaking ~

INFO

When creating a character, you may opt to pick one of the elemental magics as one of your skills. For more information on skills, see the appropriate section. You can pick as many magic skills as you like, as long as you stay within the limits of the tier system. Because no one element is suited for every situation, characters who rely on magical talent are strongly advised to choose more than one element. Note that some races are restricted in the types of magic they can choose. See the races section for more information.

Magic spells manifest in one of several varying elemental types; these types are Wind, Water, Earth, Fire, Forest, Light, and Shadow.

Every element is weak to a different element; the only exceptions are Light and Shadow, which are weak against no elements, counter no other element, and cancel each other out. These weaknesses are as follows. "-->" denotes weakness to the subsequent element.

Fire --> Water --> Wind --> Earth --> Forest --> Fire

As previously stated, Light Magic and Shadow Magic are not weak to any element, but also counter no other elements. If a light spell collides with a shadow spell, they will cancel each other out; an even draw.

Magic in Termina is tied to Magic Power, which is basically your character’s reserve of magical energy. Without it, your character can’t cast spells or use any form of magic whatsoever. Although it slowly recovers on its own, magic power can be restored with green or blue potions.

Magic use is typically divided into two categories; formal spells and free magic. Formal spells are specific techniques that are always cast the same way and have a consistent form. Formal spells are the main offensive output of magic, and allow for things like throwing fireballs and lightning bolts. Conversely, free magic refers to the utilitarian, practical uses of magic ability. For example, a fire mage, due to his skill with wielding flame, would obviously be able to light a torch unassisted. A water mage would be able to create and partially manipulate small volumes of water. A light mage would be able to illuminate dark areas. However, these applications of free magic are typically rather limited and have little to no offensive potential or use in combat. Just like casting regular spells, using free magic requires both focus to complete the casting and magic power to manipulate the magic. You cannot utilize free magic unless your character is at least of major skill in that element. If you are unsure of what you can do with free magic, ask a GM. DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING. When in doubt, remember that free magic is very limited by nature; don't expect to rely on it for any meaningful use in combat.

Your character’s starting spell selection depends on their level of skill with each of the elements, both in terms of quantity of spells and spell power. If your character has a magic skill at expert level, they can start with seven spells of that element (Two High tier spells, three Middle tier spells, and two Low tier spells). If your character has a magic skill at major level, they can start with five spells of that element (two middle, three low). If your character has a magic skill at minor level, they can start with two low tier spells of that element. Obviously, taking multiple magic skills will allow you to choose more spells at character creation; for example, taking Expert Fire and Major Wind would net you twelve spells total (seven fire, five wind). You cannot trade tiers of spells like you can trade tiers of skills.

As mentioned above, magic spells are separated into Low, Middle, and High tiers based on things like casting time, MP consumption, and effectiveness. Low tier spells are generally rather weak offensively or have minor practical use otherwise, but do not require as much magic power or casting time as higher tier spells. High tier spells allow for incredible magical feats, but require more time and focus to cast, and consume a lot of MP (usually at least a half of one’s total Magic Power). Middle tier spells, obviously, strike some middle ground between the two. If you have any questions about what tier a specific spell would be, ask a GM. Here are some example spells to use as a reference. As a rule of thumb, it’s better to be specific rather than vague.

~Purify (Water/Low)~
After a moment of preparation, Link places his hand above a small volume of water (no more than a few gallons). The water begins to glow, and is subsequently purified for drinking. The more water being purified, the longer the process takes and the more magic power is consumed during the spell.

~Close Wounds (Light/Middle)~
With adequate time and concentration, Link can cause his hand to glow with a white, healing aura. If Link then touches an open wound on himself or another person, the wound will begin to rapidly heal itself. The spell consumes magic power as long as the healing aura is active. The spell cannot mend broken bones or cure diseases or curses.

~Summon Fairy (Forest/High)~
Link can expend all of his magic power to summon a pink forest fairy to assist him. With the fairy’s aid, Link can revive an injured comrade on the brink of death and put them back in fighting shape. The fairy will disappear after it has offered its healing or once five minutes has passed, preventing it from being stored indefinitely. Link cannot use this spell if he himself is on the verge of death, as he needs to be able to focus to perform the summoning.

[The following three spells have been created to illustrate the way a similar spell would be improved at the various tiers.]

~Flare (Fire/Low)~
Link creates a small, softball-sized fireball in the palm of his hand. Once the fireball has been fully formed, he then throws the projectile at his target, causing it to burst on impact. Although the flames burn briefly, the fire quickly dissipates unless it has an ample fuel source to sustain it.

~Fireball (Fire/Middle)~
Link creates a basketball-sized orb of flame, which is then launched at his target once it has been fully formed. Link does not need a free hand to cast this spell, but it takes moment of preparation to create the fireball. The orb follows and arcing trajectory and explodes on impact, forcefully enough to stagger foes or even knock less sturdy ones to the ground. The fire quickly dissipates unless it has an ample fuel source to sustain it.

~Inferno (Fire/High)~
After five seconds of uninterrupted focus, Link thrusts both hands forward, firing a concentrated and fast moving beam of roaring blue flame that travels in a straight line towards his opponent, exploding violently on impact. The force of the explosion is so great that it can easily throw the unlucky recipient of the spell across rooms and even through walls. The flames left behind by this spell will linger for up to thirty seconds without a fuel source, burning rather intensely while doing so. This spell consumes nearly all of Link’s magic power.

As mentioned in the skills section, the higher your skill with a particular element is, the more efficient you are at casting lower-level spells of that element. So, for example, if you were an expert fire mage, you may be able to cast the Flare spell mentioned above near-instantly, without waiting for the fireball to form. So, if you want to be throwing dozens of fireballs around with a mere flick of the wrist, it is to your benefit to invest in higher level magic. However, regardless of your skills, High tier spells will consume a lot of magic power and require casting time, without exception.

Certain combinations of elements can yield interesting "combined" element attacks. For example, a Fire/Water mage can cast spells that generate steam and smoke. A Fire/Earth mage can generate lava and molten rock. The sole exceptions are again with Light and Shadow; while you may choose to wield both light and shadow magic, you can never mix the two in the same spell. However, note that combining elements will cost more magic power. In order to combine elements, you must have both elements used as major or expert skills.

~Character Sheet~

INFO

Name:

Race:

Age:

Gender:

Appearance: (In at least one paragraph, describe your character's appearance, including eye color, hair color and style, body build, height, skin color, scars/tatoos/birthmarks, etc. A picture will suffice, but please make sure to denote any differences from your envisioned appearance and the actual picture in text. Please avoid pictures that are too modern or otherwise don’t fit the feel of the Zelda Universe.)

Clothing/Armor: (In at least one paragraph, describe your character's preferred style of dress. Remember that the setting is Zelda, so please avoid modern clothing or something that is otherwise out of place. A picture well suffice, and it may be the same picture as your appearance, but please make sure to outline the parameters of your armor (if applicable) in text. Remember that the more protective armor is, the more it restricts movement. This can be alleviated by taking the appropriate armor skills.)

Weapons: (Describe the weapons your character carries with them on a regular basis. You may include pictures if you wish, although as long as you’re clear enough it’s not entirely necessary. In this section, you must also describe where your character keeps their weapons. In case your character is caught off guard or restrained in some way, it’s much more believable that they could quickly draw their dagger if it was sheathed at their waist than if it was at the bottom of a cluttered backpack, after all. This is for the sake of consistency. For weapons like bows or crossbows that require bolts or arrows, make sure to note how many arrows your character keeps on them on a regular basis and where.)

Skills: (See the Skills section for more details. In listing your skills, you should also give some description as to how they acquired these talents – this should make sense given your character’s backstory. It’s very unlikely, for example, for a street urchin who never went to school to be an expert in Mechanics. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but that’s where the description comes in. Please list skills like this:
<Skill (Tier)> – <Justification for skill.>

Magic: (If you have no magic skills, skip this section entirely.
If applicable, list your spell(s). See the magic and spellcasting section for more information.

Please list spells like this:

~Spell Name (Element/Tier)~
(Spell Description)

Inventory: (List what your character currently has on them and regularly carries around. Try not to list too much; carrying heavy loads will considerably slow down your character and probably require a cumbersome backpack on top of that. In other words, pack light. For the same reasons mentioned in the Weapons section, you must describe where your character keeps these items on their person. It may be wise to organize these items in a list, as you will be editing this section frequently as your character acquires more items.)

Backstory: (In at least two decent length paragraphs, detail your character's life up until this point. Please do not have your character too intertwined with existing characters or established canon unless you have run the idea by a GM first. For story purposes, your character cannot have ever been in Ikana after the gates closed. No exceptions. If you wish to keep your backstory secret, you MUST PM me what you have in mind beforehand so I can fact check it and such and give valid reasons for keeping it from the rest of the players.)

Wallet: (The currency is Rupees. You may start with up to 100. If your character carries a wallet, please denote where they keep that wallet in the inventory section.)

[Bad Wolf]

Wow. You really did make things more specific with the character sheet. Interesting. I'll start working on that sucker tonight, but my character is going to have high mechanics for sure.

[Chanda]

All for good reason. To be fair, the poor non-melee people in the last roleplay got the short end of the stick, so I wanted to account for a focus on magic and utility skills.

[Kingleo]

When creating a spell that would be a combination of elements, how does it take up spell slots? Would it take up two one from each element? Or perhaps you would chooses one a side?

[Chanda]

It takes up one of each element, unfortunately. Combination magic is powerful, but costly, and for good reason.

[Bad Wolf]

Chanda, would someone who just has metal plates sewn into their boots and metal gauntlets for armor need the Heavy Armor skill? Or is that minimal enough to not really count? Or would you just let that fall under Block?

[Chanda]

No, they wouldn't need the Heavy Armor skill. You don't need an armor skill to physically wear heavy armor, but it does help if you're in a full suit and want to be able to fight and move effectively.

[Baklava]

Bump.