[OOC] The Spirits Within: Oakridge Chronicles

[Mirandae]

.

[Mirandae]

.

[smarty0114]

I'm gonna get to work on a character. Should have one up by tonight :)

Edit: Here he is :) Let me know if anything needs to be changed.

Main Character: Charles

_{Charles "Charlie" Arcan
◆ 22 ◆ January 14th ◆ 6"2 ◆ Guardian}

_{◆ I D E O L O G Y}

Charlie sees the world in shades of grey. Yeah, there's right and wrong but he believes that most things have a little bit of both. Where as most people see the Mordrem as the highest form of evil, Charlie understands that they are most likely attempting to survive, although that doesn't mean he won't try and stop them.

Charlie is rather quiet, often deep in his own thoughts. He's very intelligent, and so he often likes to contemplate his words before letting them out onto the world. This goes for any of his actions as well. He's very cautious, and isn't one to take risks unless it's absolutely necessary. His silence can often be mistaken for shyness or anger, which simply isn't true. Charlie is slow to anger, and he loves making friends, although he can be more reserved when doing so.

But, when Charlie does make a friend, they're a friend for life. He values loyalty more than anything, and would sooner die for a friend than betray them so he can live. That said, his enemies are not likely to become anything more. Charlie may understand their motives, but he is not one to forgive and forget. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

In his free time, Charlie enjoys a multitude of things. If he's not spending time with friends he's most likely reading a riveting novel or training. He has a love for all the arts but in particular he like to write, and enjoys entertaining the fantasy of becoming a bestselling author one day, after the Mordrem have been defeated.

_{◆ A P P E A R A N C E}

Charlie's wardrobe consists of mostly blues. He often can be seen wearing a hoodie with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, with some beige pants and black sneakers, giving him a more casual look. Some days, he may put on a sweater over a collared shirt, although the sneakers won't change.

_{◆ B A C K G R O U N D}

Charlie was born to a wealthy family on the western coast of Tenebra. His parents, Violet and Emerson, were artists, renowned painters to be specific. He and his parents lived in a house by the sea, a couple of miles from the large city of Lucidus, and so he spent much of his time by the water, splashing and swimming. In short, he was rather content with his life.

It is from his parents that Charlie found his love of art. From an early age they taught him how to paint, sculpt, and write. He always had more of an affinity for writing, and he would often sit in the home's library and write short stories until the sun set and his mother called him for dinner.

It was around the age of nine when his Guardian powers first manifested. His mother discovered it, and his father was the one who insisted he be sent to Oakridge. His mother wanted it to be kept a secret, so that no one would come and take him away, but in the end it came down to Charlie. While his parents were fighting he stopped them both by shouting "I want to go!" That was the end of it.

At Oakridge, Charlie flourished. His mother and father didn't visit as often as he'd have liked but he soon forgot all about those troubles. He made many friends, and excelled in many of his classes. It helped that a year after he was admitted into the school, his best friend from back home, Eliza, was admitted as well. As the war progressed, he continuously begged his parents to leave Lucidus and come live in Cetra, closer to him and further away from the ever growing Dark Zone, but they refused, much to his chagrin.

_{◆ W A R F A R E}

For a weapon, Charlie created a staff that holds a one handed sword inside. The staff itself is made of birch wood, with symbols carved into it. At the top is an amethyst, held in place by what appear to be roots. When twisted, the wood can be pulled off, leaving a sword in it's place with an amethyst as the hilt.

_{◇ Lux [ Fire ] [ -Flamestroke ] Orb of fire that is hurled and explodes in a fiery ring. May sometimes emerge from Charlie's body in the form of a phoenix. This spirit values courage and bravery.
◇ Glacia [ Ice ] [ -Frostbite ] Launches an icicle at target. May sometimes emerge from Charlie's body and take the form of an owl. This spirit values wisdom and intelligence.
◇ Aura [ Air ] [ +Feather ] Target levitates off the ground. May emerge from Charlie's body and take the form of an eagle. This spirit values loyalty and mercy.}

_{◆ A S P E K T S}

_{◇ Ravager
◇ Saboteur
◇ Lancer
◇ Synergist}

Secondary Character: Eliza Galloway

_{Eliza Galloway
◆ 22 ◆ April 24th ◆ 5"6 ◆ Guardian}

_{◆ A P P E A R A N C E}

Eliza will often be found wearing rather casual clothes. A thigh length dress over some black leggins with some simple combat boots and an army jacket works just fine for her. Her chocolate brown hair is let down most of the time, although when she's thinking hard she'll tie it up into a bun.

_{◆ I D E O L O G Y}

To Eliza, life is just one big game, where the main goal is to have fun. She sees the slimmest silver linings in anything and everything, and would rather have a spontaneous dance party than sit around and fret about things that she can't control. She's flirty, fun, and spontaneous, and she wants everyone to know it.

While some might consider Eliza a useless jokester, she does care, perhaps too much in some cases. She gets invested in her friends lives and has a habit of meddling in other peoples business. But, while she can be invasive when it comes to other people's feelings, she's rather closed off when it comes to hers. She'll only share her true feelings with her good friends, and even for them it takes some coaxing.

When Eliza isn't training she's probably holding an impromptu dance party in her room, or perhaps flirting with some of her more attractive classmates. She's been told she has a habit of leading boys on but she considers it a friendly game of tag. She does like to read, adventure novels in particular, and she also has a peculiar fondness for scavenger hunts, most likely due to her incredible talent at finding hidden objects.

_{◆ B A C K G R O U N D}

Eliza grew up outside of Lucidus, right next door to the Arcans. Her father died soon after her birth, but her mother was a rather esteemed scientist. While her mother rarely spoke about her father, Eliza did manage to eke out of her that he had been a wealthy business man before he'd gone missing, presumed dead. Her father's disappearance would later gnaw at her as she grew older, and she still wonders if he is truly out there.

Growing up, she found that she was never very lonely. She was introduced to the neighbor boy, Charlie, around the age of three, and they were inseparable until he went off to Oakridge. She would often think up a grand adventure for them to go on, casting both of them in the role of Guardian. Little did she know that her adventures would soon become reality.

While her mother spent most of her early childhood at home, she returned to work around the time Eliza turned five. Eliza from that point on was raised by a nanny, Alerie, a kind young woman who treated Eliza very kindly. It would be Alerie who discovered Eliza's abilities when she was only eight years old, just a few months after Charlie was shipped off to Oakridge.

At Oakridge, Eliza kept in touch with her mother and Alerie, constantly writing the both of them. She spent most of her time with Charlie, although she did become her class' vice president and was always rather popular, although she really kept her good friends limited to Charlie.

_{◆ W A R F A R E}

Eliza's fighting style is quick and agile. She dances around her enemy, aided by her spirits, and excels at wearing down and enemy until they finally submit. Her weapon of choice is a chakram as it allows her to flow throughout the battle field, rather than get weighed down by the weight of a sword or gun.

_{◇ Impeta [ Air ] [ -Blind ] A gust of wind forces Eliza's enemy back, sometime's throwing them a few feet if they are light enough. Will sometimes manifest itself as large wings on Eliza's back, beating the air in front of her.
◇ Nox [ Dark ] [ -Poison ] Eliza throws a spear made of shadows at her target. May sometimes manifest itself as a raven on her shoulder.}

_{◆ A S P E K T S}

_{◇ Fanatic
◇ Vicar
◇ Adept
◇ Sentinel}

[Mirandae]

@smarty0114

Wow, you were fast. Forgetful as I am, I have now added code for the character name in the sheet.

This is a good foundation for a character. But you still have a lot of time until the actual roleplay would begin, so I suggest you flesh things out whenever you feel like it.

Charles' parents could prove to be interesting secondary characters for a sub-plot. Perhaps something happens wherever they live when the army is mobilized, which forces them to decide whether to leave or stay. There is a bit of potential there.

A wealthy family on the western coast of Tenebra would probably live in a rather large city. Maybe you could create a name for it, so that I can put it on the map?

I also added some code for spirits. Could I ask of you to concretize Charles' spirits? Think of them as spells rather than manipulation.

[Redrum]

Before I flesh out my character I wanted to ask -- would a fisticuff Guardian be impractical in this roleplay? I'm really digging the idea of some shotgun Gauntlets -- definitely ripping the idea from RWBY -- but I just wanted to ask before I have it set in stone.

[Mirandae]

@Redrum

Go for it. Nothing is more badass than punching aliens to death.

[Redrum]

@Redrum

Go for it. Nothing is more badass than punching aliens to death.

@Prisk

Great! I'll go ahead and work on my little bruiser then, and while I'm at it I'll just fit the lore I've been working on into her profile. It relates to her anyway.

[Mirandae]

Lovely.

◆ Added an optional 'Appearance' section to the character sheet.

[icmasticc]

Figured I'd post to at least confirm that I am indeed in this. I'm working on a character as well, but it won't be up super quickly.

[Ambrosia]

I'm currently working on my character sheet too, although I'll be on a plane for all of tomorrow so I'm not sure when it'll be up.

[Garden Gnome]

@Prisk

Hey Prisk, do you mind elaborating on what spirit powers/abilities are?
Are they like purely elemental or can they be mutations like enhanced strength/regeneration, etc.?

[Mirandae]

@Garden Gnome

Sure!

So, you can think of the roleplay as two parts: there is the written part, and then there is the game with the meters and aspekts and all that. Guardians are already extremely strong and durable because of all the spirits within them. But, on the 'game' side of things, the powers/abilities can provide 'buffs', 'enchantments', whatever you want to call it and other such things.

What you can do is to add 'exotic effects' to your spirits that enhances strength or provides some kind of protection, whatever you want, and attach it to an element that makes sense. For example, the earth element is usually known to have a lot of strengthening and protection magic. So, the spirit could have some kind of attack related to the earth element, which at the same time gives your character some kind of buff or enchantment.

I will go through everyone's suggested spirits, so you don't have to get it right or perfect on the first try. Just go crazy, and then I'll balance things for you.

[smarty0114]

@Prisk Alrighty so I think I fixed the spirit issue, let me know if I need to do some more work in that department. I only gave him three main abilities, wasn't sure if that's below or above average so if it's either I'd be happy to lower/raise the number. I'll be sure to flesh out his history a bit, I'm kind of playing around with the idea of using his best friend as a secondary character. And I do love the idea of a storyline involving his parents, one that could put him in a stay with the army or leave and protect family situation. Oh and I put in his history that he and his parents lived right outside the city of Lucidus.

[Mirandae]

@smarty0114
Cool. Your spirits look good. You can change and tweak them as much as you want until your first in-character post. I created a new exotic effect for 'Aura', check the hider. It prevents the 'meltdown' exotic effect; a nifty buff.

§

_{◆ W A R F A R E}

_{◇ Lux Orb of fire that is hurled and explodes in a fiery ring; causes Fire damage and Flamestroke.
◇ Glacia Launches an icicle at target; causes Frostbite.
◇ Aura Target levitates; grants Feather.}

[sub][color=d8996d]◆ W A R F A R E[/color][/sub][indent]
[sub][color=d8996d]◇ Lux[/color] Orb of fire that is hurled and explodes in a fiery ring; causes [color=d8996d]Fire[/color] damage and [color=d8996d]Flamestroke[/color].[/sub]
[sub][color=d8996d]◇ Glacia[/color] Launches an icicle at target; causes [color=d8996d]Frostbite[/color].[/sub]
[sub][color=d8996d]◇ Aura[/color] Target levitates; grants [color=d8996d]Feather[/color].[/sub]
[/indent]

Everything else sounds awesome. That is a good secondary character, indeed. I will add Lucidus to the map the next time I edit it.

[Vox]

Jack

<sub>Jack Chambers
◆ 23 ◆ Dec 23 ◆ 6'1" ◆ Guardian

"Spirits guide you."</sub>

_{◆ I D E O L O G Y}

A follower of an esoteric Greater Good, Jack always acts for the good of the greater community. Sometimes that means saving the greatest number of people, yet at other times that may mean saving the one person who is needed the most. He is often unsure which is better. Always willing to lend a helpful hand.

A spiritualist, Jack believes the line between Guardian and spirit is blurred and none too clear. Through the communion with his spirits and frequent meditation, he gains access to their knowledge, experience, and wisdom relayed through dreams, visions, and intuition, though his interpretations are not always correct. He reveres spirits of all kinds, understanding that they are beings of nature and a part of the world just as much as a rock or a tree. This often leads him at odds with those who forcefully absorb and abuse spirits.

A social butterfly, Jack hides behind a mask of happiness and smiles. He flits about from one group to another, dispensing a kind word here, a crude joke there, yet always keeping people at arm's length.

A man of action, Jack often acts first based on his intuition, placing faith in himself and the spirits that guide him. Once a viable plan is set, he jumps forward into action. Too much time to mull about and ponder leaves him constantly anxious that is better dealt with when already committed to a plan.

_{◆ B A C K G R O U N D}

All along the borders of the Zone roam nomadic herds of doctors, scientists, and soldiers, moving with ever changing landscape. Seekers of knowledge, seekers of death, Samaritans and lowlifes of all types count among their numbers as they travel around in large mobile bases, acting as fringe outposts for the Nexus. However, these bases on wheels also house a rudimentary science lab for field researchers as well as holding all the supplies necessary for field hospitals for Zoners and soldiers alike. Popular targets for Aggressors, Fanatics, and Mordrem alike, all mobile bases come with the ability to self-destruct.

But back then, there was no Zone. There was however, a city, north of Helston and nestled in the mountains. Concordia it was called, and in the city of Concordia was a boy named Jack. Jack's father was a doctor, working at some nondescript hospital while his mother was a physical trainer, both happily married and content by all means. Jack himself was a bright and loving boy, loved and cared for by all around him. Life was generally perfect.

Then the Event. A Disturbance felt across the world, but heeded by little.

At first there were no signs of anything being wrong. Life went on like normal, there was nothing special on the news save for an incident at Nexus Industries. There were the occasional refugees that trickled into the city, carrying strange scars and horror stories that were eventually all quickly dismissed. Then, as if a floodgate had opened, they came in all at once. Those who had their homes destroyed by the encroaching Mordrem sought shelter wherever they could. They came into Concordia by the tens, then hundreds, then thousands. Curfews were placed, barricades were built, security blocks were established as more and more people infected with Stigma came, with the consequence of more and more husks appearing everyday.

Despite his parents' wishes, Jack at this time regularly volunteered at his father's hospital as patient numbers began to rise, their protests only stopped when it was discovered that Jack was a Guardian medic, brimming with spirits that too had fled the Mordrem.

Of course, the protests were only stopped because very soon afterwards, his parents received a letter from Nexus Industries, congratulating Jack on his acceptance to Oakridge for his "unique abilities." The next day, Jack was sent to Oakridge, never to see his parents again. The last he had heard of them, Concordia had fallen to the Mordrem. His father managed to flee and now worked at a mobile base, helping all those in need. His mother died in the attack.

_{◆ W A R F A R E}

Jack's magic is often only used for utility reasons or to incapacitate a foe.

Unlike other Guardians, Jack prefers to fight at range using (often) modified military equipment. Through a combination of studying and spiritual knowledge coupled with constant training and a touch of spiritual assistance, Jack is a precision marksmen who can place shots where they'll do the most damage.

In melee, Jack is a brutal pugilist. Agile, quick, and armed with steel plated cestuses, Jack strikes with incapacitating jabs and devastating critical blows.

_{◇ Fibbe (Lightning) A jolt of electricity delivered through physical contact, it can cause muscle spasms and restart hearts alike; denoted by an electrostatic discharge and a distinct whine before contact
◇ Dite (Air) Given time, Jack can map out the entirety of a target's body systems through the air they breathe; Empowers Adept, denoted by Jack inhaling a faint pink mist
◇ Cea (Air) A brief gust of air that can be used for a wide variety of purposes, such as carrying medi-gel to allow for distant application or increasing a bullet's velocity; can Dispel
◇ McCoy (Holy) Mend tissue and broken bones. Patient still feels pain, tires out both Jack and the patient depending on the severity of the wound; denoted by a blue mist exuding out of Jack's hands and the taste of a random fruit lollipop by the patient}

_{◆ A S P E K T S}

_{◇ Lancer - Physical Damage increased
◇ Adept - Physical Crit Chance
◇ Medic - HeilinBot
◇ Lucky - Increases potency of other Aspekts}

[Anima]

I'll have a character up soon. Most likely a WIP however.

[Mirandae]

@Vox

Lovely. I'll ignore Ideology and Warfare for now, as you marked them as WIP.

But! The background section is nice. There's a lot of potential for sub-plots, as well, here and there. The first thing that comes to mind: would you care to write some lore for those 'mobile bases'? Like, some technical stuff that I can put in the Technology section of the codex? You don't have to, but as you mentioned them, you probably have a decent idea of how they would work.

*Helston, no 'e' at the end. Anyway, I'll place Concordia on the map the next time I edit it! Yet another thing you can write lore about, if you would be interested in it, and create sub-plots for. Maybe something about Jack's father?

At first I was a bit confused about the timeline there. I assumed the 'Event' you described to be the Calamity and the emergence of the Mordrem, which was twenty years ago. But, then you described a bit of delay: "At first there were no signs of anything being wrong", so I think you're right on track.

You can just put the names of the Aspekts in the section, no need to indicate what they do.

Anyway, looks really good so far! Healing bots are always welcome. Keep at it, there's still plenty of time.

[Garden Gnome]

I just realised that the fanatics remind me of the Cleaners from the Division.
youtube.com/watch?v=0WT9Dpn4nqs

[Mirandae]

Yup, that was the main influence for the Fanatic faction! Pretty cool video there. Captures their ruthlessness.

◆ Moved all combat information and spirit creation into a hider next to the Codex.

[Anima]

I made it a moral obligation to purge every single Cleaner off the streets of New York. I regret nothing!