Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by CreeXLR
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Heart of the Beast



Nobody knows where the titanic beasts known as Azuri came from, but one thing is for sure, they have always been there for as long as this world stood. The first races of the world lived in constant fear of the mighty beasts destroying their tiny lives, and it seemed that this balance would remain unchanged forever. One by one the ancient races perished, by the hand of time, the wrath of gods or the claws of the Beasts. Soon only the crafty Cauhri remained. Hidden in the darkness of the forests and the cold dampness of the caves they were destined to eventually meet the same fate as the one that had befallen the mighty Grato and majestic Fartrey races before them. Or so they thought, anyway. Nobody remembers how many thousands of years ago the first Beastmaster was born – a hero whose name is lost to time, who fought and tamed the first Great Beast. Soon other Beastmasters were born, and finally after an untold number of aeons the world seemingly calmed down.

Or did it?

Using the overwhelming strength of the titanic beasts the Cauhri Beastmasters soon conquered the entirety of the Karadun continent, taming the wild beasts and killing those too wild, eventually building an empire to rival the gods themselves. But great power bears great temptation. As centuries past, the Beastmasters have begun to see themselves as far superior to the normal Cauhri. Their armies and wealth grew at the expense of the lower classes. Eventually they decided that the entire world must belong to them. The eastern continent of Zengar did not stand much of a chance against the overwhelming power of the new Xelith Empire, and was swiftly conquered, despite its massive size. The few lucky enough to escape found their way to the tiny continent of Raveros in the west. Separated from the empire by a violent sea and having no beastmasters of its own it remained relatively safe.

Despite being unable to get their powerful land beasts across the sea, the Xelith Empire still continued to furiously assault Raveros using flying and sea born titans. Forced into an endless war, the kingdoms of Raveros banded together and built a great wall, which lined the entire continent on all sides. However the Empire, convinced of its divine right, never stopped trying to conquer the Walled Kingdom. That assault is still going on even now, a thousand years later.

Alas the wheels of fate have finally begun to grind down on the Empire.

As the war had reached its zenith and thousands of sky and sea born ships besieged the great Walls of Raveros each day, the Xelith Empire found itself fighting an ancient foe on the second front. Two years ago, in a small mountain mining village of Eriur a group of people appeared, wielding the talent of nullomancy for their own sake; and against the Empire. With great ferocity the group of merely five heroes had cut its way through Imperial garrisons and made it to the great city of Sayrn, in the heart of Zengar continent. There, concealed by the millions of inhabitants of all race and ilk, they patiently worked to build up strength and undermine the Empire. All who sought to root them out, be they soldier or marshal – were wiped out. To many in the imperial cities their adventures were but a laughable myth; after all none existed who could train them to such strength.

Well, they were wrong. There was one man. As inevitably as the wind, the news eventually reached the imperial palace – the fearsome group were led by none other than the King of Thieves himself. Arbos Xell – the genius nullomancer who once rivalled even the Emperor himself in power … and who died more than two hundred years ago. Alas it seemed his spirit was back, and was guiding those willing to oppose the Beastmasters’ regime.

Today, unnerved by the resurgence of his ancient nemesis, the Emperor himself authorizes a full scale relocation of troops into Zengar in order to combat the threat and maintain control. The greatest beastmasters of the Imperial Court are being summoned from their war across the ocean; their orders – to cross the Jaw Pass and exterminate Arbos and his disciples at all costs.
Meanwhile in Sayrn, the old spectre is preparing to leave the city and finally, after two years, go on the offensive. One final group of trainees is heading his way – recruited by his disciples from around the two continents. As soon as they are trained and ready – the new group would break through the blockade of Imperial Marshals and set out into the world, signalling the start of a new rebellion.

The year is 1249, and the time of Empire’s judgement is close at hand.




The World




The world of HotB is incredibly expansive and varied. A myriad of lesser races and mythical creatures co-exist in a careful equilibrium. No scholar has ever succeeded in recording all of them and as such, even to this day, new creatures and races are being discovered in the far ends of this massive planet. However the only major race remaining in the world is the Cauhri - humanoid people with dark skin and long ears, pointed back or downwards. Many millenia of survival through hiding in shadows and caves gave them an enhanced sense of hearing and ability to see in the dark. Though in these civilized times precious few have retained those talents. Their main strength however is their quick wit, and ability to adapt. it is thanks to that, that Cauhri are the only major race to have survived to this day. Cauhri have the most balanced affinity for Nullomancy out of all the races of the world.

The industry and lifestyle of the Cauhri revolves entirely around the utilization of Null Crystals, and is as such very different from our world. While on the surface it might appear that the world of HotB is that of a pre-industrial old world level, that is not entirely correct. The presence of null crystals removed the need for certain technologies to be invented or become widespread, such as for example electricity. As a result radio waves were never discovered either, and so on and so forth. On the other hand however, many creations that would be impossible even in modern times were created thanks to the crystals, such as perpetual engines and architectural creations possible only in our imagination. One of the shining examples of that is the great Magna Rail - the city sized train that constantly runs across the continents on an electro-magnetic storm, created by its infinite electricity engine.




The Empire



The Xelith Empire is the foremost authority in the world of HotB, flaunting an overwhelming military, industrial, artistic and technological advantage over their only rival - the Walled Kingdom of Raveros. However its reliance on old world standards of governance lead to it being largely corrupt. With any noble of note completely entangled in the endless war with Raveros, only the most slippery, lame or incapable royals remain on the mainland to govern the provinces. As a result many a decision are made with expected short-sightedness, often resulting in bloodshed. That, coupled with rampant nepotism lead to a brutal authoritarian regime that normal folk have to suffer under. Many rebellions were attempted, but the empire's complete monopoly on nullomancers means they were crushed swiftly and incredibly brutally.

The presence of gods in this worlds also means that the imperial city is incredibly fractured between different sects and chruches - something a skilled con man could potentially exploit as a way to hasten the fall of the golden seat. However one must bear in mind, that even the most slippery of nobles and the most devout of zealots still bear their allegiance to the emperor above any deities.

Within the empire Nullomancers are treated with utmost reverence. Those born into the noble houses of Karudun are given officer positions within the Xelith navy or join the Imperial Marshals. While those brought in from outside are given a choice between becoming housecarls for nobility, or apprenticing under a High Craftsman in order to learn to use nullomancy for the purposes of creation. Those who refuse or show signs of anti-imperial tendencies, however, are either banished to remote regions without training, or executed as an imperial risk.

While the Empire certainly commits a great many atrocities due to incompetent governance, many however still view it as a force for good - brining order, peace and industry to a world where nine times out of ten stepping off the paved road means getting eaten by a chimaera. Something any would-be rebel should perhaps keep in mind.




Null Crystals and Nullomancy




The main element of the world of HotB is undoubtedly the Null Crystals - special minerals with the unique ability to store and release virtually anything. From matter and sounds, to force effects and abstract mechanisms - anything can be stored in a null crystal, as long a set of rules are followed. Crystals range from the tiniest H grade dust, to the most common D grade 1x2cm and to the massive S grade 0.5x2m in size, with many of the most common sizes sold freely by crystal merchants.

All the world's appliances run on crystals - from the stove, to the music player, to the fridge. As such much of the commerce is built around collecting empty crystals and selling charged ones. For example in our world fridges run on electricity - while in the world of HotB they run on a frost crystal. And once the crystal ran out after a week or so - you would take it to a crystal merchant, pay a small amount of coin and exchange your empty crystal for a charged one. Same goes for everything else in the normal household.

Nullomancers are very special people, born with the magical ability to control and recharge null crystals using their own energy. A nullomancer would embed a charged crystal in their body, allowing for the charge to be used repeatedly, instead of running out. With the universal versatility of crystals and the infinite possible charges and combinations available the nullomancers range in power from skilled craftsmen who merely use their talent to create - to absolute godlike monsters who have found ways to extend their lifespan and attained destructive powers beyond those of lesser gods, such as the Emperor for example.

Crystals are incredibly hard and virtually indestructible unless using specialized equipment. Keep that in mind for when someone swings a sword at you - that crystal in your forearm will more than reliably bounce it off!

Below is the reading material pertaining to crystal mechanics and nullomancy, as well as links to several posts from the previous incarnation of this RP for you to see them all in action.





First time using nullomancy, and fighting a nullomancer. 8 posts

Everybody VS Arbos - Showing more advanced control techniques In Character




Pantheon




In the world of HotB gods are not a myth but an acute reality! In the center of the world map you will find a place called The Forbidden Isle - the giant island the size of Australia floating in the air, half a mile above the oceanic void. That place is this world's Olypmus and Valhalla in one. Hundreds of different deities live there, intermingling, scheming, messing around and keeping the world running. Gods of HotB very rarely physically appear in front of mortals - preferring to appear in dreams or as apparitions.

Only one man has ever gone to the Forbidden Isle and returned - I'll let you guess who it was on your own! ..Hint: It's Arbos.

Below is the list of currently written out deities! Pardon the different writing style - each player was welcome to submit their own deity to the pantheon, and this is merely a compilation. All of you are still welcome to come up with your own deities too, just please PM me first so I can make sure it doesn't clash with anything I've got planned!

WARNING: There's a shit ton of them, so feel free to skip anything outside the first 5 (I've put a separator in place for ease of it) - since they're integral to the main plot





Notable NPC's


These are the five original disciples of Arbos. At the start of the story you've been discovered as a nullomancer by one of them (depending on your geographic start point relative Sayrn) trained for two weeks in basics and then sent off to the big city to finish training under the spectre. (If you originate from Venoire mountains north of Sayrn - you were recruited by the rebels, since that area is now controlled by the resistance)














Character Sheet


Please note that the following template is only a guide, not a strict directive, so if you want to add something (or leave something out for some reason) it is your choice. I understand that for some people the character creation is the most interesting part so there is no length limit on any aspect of your character sheet. But if you write more than two paragraphs at 10 lines per point please put it under hider. Enjoy~

  • Name:
  • Gender:
  • Race: Cauhri by default, if you come up with your own race remember to keep it small - within the limit of a single city-state/tribe, no more than 10,000 specimens. Please PM me beforehand.
  • Age:
  • Origin: Geographically will decide who trained you prior to game start (details above in the NPC section) All points of origin will be added to the world map once everyone submitted their characters! :)
  • Personality:
  • Looks:
  • Affinity: If applicable, use the list of pre-made Gods and deities or come up with your own (preferable). As always don't forget to PM me about your deity beforehand.
  • Nullomancer: Yes/No
  • Special ability (if any):
  • Background:
  • Other:


I'll be looking for upper-casual lower-advanced level of posts, so 3-4 paragraphs or so, however if you want to have a conversation with someone IC it's perfectly acceptable to go shorter. Basically do whatever feels right, I'm not strict about it :) ...Though if you're completely shit and don't show any signs of improvement/don't respond to critique I reserve the right to kick you out with a god damn smile on my face.

Alright let's all have some fun! As usual feel free to PM me with any and all questions - I'm always happy to help! Please do let me note if I forgot anything or if you think something needs to be added in here!




Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by babbysama
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Is there still room in this?

This seems quite interesting, and I love the admixture of magic and tech (I see there's some Ivalice influence thrown in there too, no?).
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by CreeXLR
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@babbysama I haven't heard from at least 3 of the people in over two weeks, so sure! Had any issues wrapping your head around crystal mechanics?
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by White Iris
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@babbysama I haven't heard from at least 3 of the people in over two weeks, so sure! Had any issues wrapping your head around crystal mechanics?


You just want to talk about them some more... ;)
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Exit
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Read through the IC. Very exciting stuff with some potential for creative use of the magic system... of which I probably don't understand at all. I still have to read through the OOC but I have an early start tomorrow so it'll have to wait till then.

But yeah... undying interest placed here for all to see. Looking forward to this.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by CreeXLR
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<Snipped quote by CreeXLR>

You just want to talk about them some more... ;)


They're the part people always struggle with Love! I have a feeling half the people who signed up in the first thread didn't even LOOK at them! I mean i COULD have Arbos spoon feed them every charge and possibility IC, but it just wouldn't be as fun as coming up with your own unique spin on things :)

Read through the IC. Very exciting stuff with some potential for creative use of the magic system... of which I probably don't understand at all. I still have to read through the OOC but I have an early start tomorrow so it'll have to wait till then.

But yeah... undying interest placed here for all to see. Looking forward to this.


IC? You mean the old rp? cause if you read all that then i must honestly take my hat off to you!
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by babbysama
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@CreeXLR Yeah, I have a few questions I suppose. I saw that some of the disciples of Arbos still used weapons, even though they were nullomancers. Is that just because null crystals run out of charges and they needed a leg up when they did, or is there some way of combining nullomantic properties with weapons (ex. enchanted weapons)? And can you expand a little bit more on the "starting" areas (climate, inhabitants, w/e, or would you like us to just fill that in ourselves)?

Other than that, I was thinking of RPing a martial artist type character who uses wind magic, or one of the nullomancers who uses their thaumaturgy for "creative" purposes that you mentioned. Would it be possible to summon spirits or weapons/armor by using null crystals and use them for combat purposes, or nah (a la Ritualists in Guild Wars 1)?

Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by FantasyChic
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I'm still here and still interested. Was kind of waiting for the OOC to be up before I worked on a character. And look, here it is.
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@CreeXLR Haha no. IC as in Interest Check. I took a peak at the previous RP and although I really want to go through it all, mostly just to see some Nullomancy in action, there's too much information there for me to cover tonight. Tomorrow when I get back home I'll buckle in for the long read.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by CreeXLR
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@babbysama yes, since at the start of the game you'll have limited amount of crystals (you start with a max of 20, it will rise as we go along) so getting caught with your crystals still recharging is a possibility. And yes there are nullomantic weapons - AKA specific weapons designed to be used by nullomancers and augment nullomancy. The most basic example would be a marshal's staff - an iron staff with a mechanism that draws a small amount of blood from the user - thus allowing the staff to count as part of the body and extending the control range as well as releasing contact-only charges from the weapon instead of, say, from your hand) Yes, starting areas are up to you pretty much entirely, i will only request corrections if it's something heavily contradictory (such as saying you come from a desert in Karudun for example - since that is an imperial continent that is almost entirely urbanized)

Yes summoning weapons is one of the most basic things to do. In introductory post you will see a few NPC's running in a 'living' armour which shifts and expands through nullomancy, instead of requiring gaps and joints for movement.

@FantasyChic Nice!

@Exit For what it's worth that RP was some of my favourite writing done in a looong time, so it should be an easy read.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by babbysama
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@CreeXLR Alright then, thanks for the prompt response! I'll get started on a CS for a summoner-type character and try and have it up ASAP
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@babbysama Don't rush. I'd say at the rate it usually take to fill people in we wouldn't manage to start this week anyway. Take your time, read the OOC and the old rp carefully (at least the parts that are linked to) so you can have a better understanding of the works! Perhaps you'd prefer being a construct type nullomancer - that would require a whole different build from say, a high mobility blade summoner build Don't rush :)
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Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by babbysama
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@CreeXLR Yeah I'm thinking of something like that. Kind of like a support-type character, who summons creatures (fire/water/earth/air elementals, something like that) to use in battle rather than being a frontliner; maybe using a polestaff or quarterstaff to fight with in the case of nullomantic failure and to augment their summoning. Would that work?
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by CreeXLR
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@babbysama Sadly summoning semi-conscious creatures such as elemntals is one thing i've expressely forbidden - it doesn't work within nullomantic rules. Not unless you've somehow managed to store someone's soul to use as a driving mechanism and got excpetionally good at anchoring. If you wanted to play support there are a myriad of other options - gasses, illusions, battle chants - you can play a full fledged bard with real effect on people with the most basic of siren charges (the old group managed to get their hands on a siren call within the first 10 posts)

if you read the linked advanced nullomancy training you can see Arbos using construction and linking techniques to instantaneously make and shift between mechanical limbs, pneumatic weapons and full fledged artillery. Think outside the box. Absolutely anything is possible through nullomancy, the question lies only in how much of a master class you'd have to be in order to pull it off. Like making an elemental - if i had to have Arbos makes one, i would have him get the crystal dagger of K'tal - a mass murderer who killed countless people in an attempt to store a person's soul, use it to steal a soul of an animal, combine it with a few empty crystals and his blood to make a bloodlink core, then channel a stone skeleton around the core, fill it with fire and anchor that fire to the core, then use the commanding call of a high siren to awaken the soul and assume control, while using infection technique to feed the familiar necessary energy for upkeep.
And there i'd have my elemental familiar. The only problem is - it's be a game long quest to travel the world and gather the artifacts and charges necessary to pull it off. :) So think in these terms - set yourself a goal, and that will be your motivation to keep moving :D Go big! Say you want to be able to create and pilot a giant robot the size of a sky scraper - and chances are with Arbos' guidance - come the end of teh game you'll be doing just that. Think big. Don't rush. Have fun.
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Anndgrim
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Meta-gaming : extreme edition.

Anyway, how is the dagger supposed to work in a world where nullomancy is the only form of magic.
Or the siren call for that matter.

I don't see how a crystal could be made to gain the ability to capture a soul.
Is it bathed in a tank that has been filled with the abstract concept of capturing someone's soul?

Does the siren get its power from having a crystal charged with the Element of "telling people what to do".

Can I charge a crystal with the abstract notion of "Helplessness in facing the inherent finiteness of life."?

How do I submerge a crystal in "Helplessness in facing the inherent finiteness of life."?

P.S. : The part about the largest contact surface means crystals cannot be filled with any type of mix.
If you use steel, iron will be stored.
If you use bronze then copper.
If you use any liquid with a water base (acid, poison) the only thing stored will be water.
If you want to store oil, only the most common of the components of that oil will be stored.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by CreeXLR
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@Anndgrim
Nullomancy is not the only form of magic and as an old player you should know that well, shame on you.

Under constantly changing conditions the most common denominator will be stored - kill a few thousand people of different races and eventually the only thing in common between them would be the etherial. Or go visit the god of the underworld and win them in a game of poker if you prefer. You should know this. Shame on you.

Sirens and other mythical creatures have their abilities completely unrelated to nullomancy or crystals. the swamp sirens put people to sleep to drown and eat them - you personally captured one and stored her call to use as a debuff on enemies in battle in the last RP. You know this, shame on you.

Yes, just keep it in your pocket in real life and it will charge that rather quickly. Or use any of the siren calls and mental control to instill that emotion and feeling like you know how to do. Shame on you.

and finally you know as well as I do that crystals do not filter out things, compound materials are stored as is. Hence the whole section on purity and isolating the precise thing/element/matter you want stored beforehand. Again Grim, you know this, shame on you.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Anndgrim
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@Anndgrim
Nullomancy is not the only form of magic and as an old player you should know that well, shame on you.

Under constantly changing conditions the most common denominator will be stored - kill a few thousand people of different races and eventually the only thing in common between them would be the etherial. Or go visit the god of the underworld and win them in a game of poker if you prefer. You should know this. Shame on you.

Sirens and other mythical creatures have their abilities completely unrelated to nullomancy or crystals. the swamp sirens put people to sleep to drown and eat them - you personally captured one and stored her call to use as a debuff on enemies in battle in the last RP. You know this, shame on you.

Yes, just keep it in your pocket in real life and it will charge that rather quickly. Or use any of the siren calls and mental control to instill that emotion and feeling like you know how to do. Shame on you.

and finally you know as well as I do that crystals do not filter out things, compound materials are stored as is. Hence the whole section on purity and isolating the precise thing/element/matter you want stored beforehand. Again Grim, you know this, shame on you.


:D

I thought you'd realize that I wasn't asking those questions for my own benefit.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by CreeXLR
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Well there's a reason I bookended every sentence with a "shame on you" :P Comedy :D
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by I Am Player 1
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Yeah, so I'm in. I have an idea for a character; roughly how long should the Character Profile be?
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by CreeXLR
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@I Am Player 1
Look at the NPC section - those are char sheets from previous RP, follow their example when in doubt ^^
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