ASTA

^>V

^What?
>Has a bad habit of breaking drinking glasses.
vNeeds to give me breakfast.

The Prophecy

@Cthulu

1) Tribal societies, despite widespread misconception, are not societies that live in harmony with nature. They just use significantly less resources than developed cities and nations because they don’t have access to iPods, iPads and smart phones, and other nonsensical devices that are not required for survival. They also number far fewer than many human groups, and therefore use less resources as a result. Of course they’re going to ‘know how much to use’, which is false considering these people probably don’t even know what the definition of an ecosystem or an environment even is.

2) As Shien has pointed out, nature is not a tranquil place filled with butterflies and pixies, and where humanity is the only species on the globe that is capable of great ‘evil’ deeds. Contrary to popular belief, lions are not noble creatures that should be admired only for their strength, valor or purity; these attributes are nothing more than the idolizations of various human cultures that held great ignorance regarding how lions really conduct themselves in the wild. The animals we share our world with do not subscribe to our definition of morality, because it is simply not applicable to their mental processes, their lifestyles or their intrinsic quest to survive. The larger outside world cares little for concepts of right and wrong. Malkor-Kurz, having been written as a realistic landscape with relevant hardships (and a place that is largely devoid of human influence), is no exception to this rule.

3) Del-korm can sustain themselves, but they are competing with other predators for food—including one another. Resources are limited and time is finite. This is no different than when humans compete with one another for a single open job position at a newly-opened firm. One person will get this job, while the others will be forced to look elsewhere for work. The job hunt at large can become absolutely menacing and bloodthirsty when positions (food) in a city or town (forest, plains or mountains) are limited due to a stagnant economy (a set amount of prey creatures present in a given radius).

4) Ritualistic cannibalism is taboo in many human societies, but not all. Are these people evil for practicing their religious beliefs? Are the ancient Inca and Aztec civilizations worthy of damnation because they practiced human sacrifice to pay homage to their deities? What about people in Asia who consume dogs? Are they evil for eating a creature that Americans consider “Man’s Best Friend”?

5) In regards to the maggot/virus statement—that can very easily be used to describe deer, grey wolves or humans. Other ‘pest’ creatures, like rats or mice or even cockroaches, come to mind. Any animal that has reproductive capability can become a destructive burden on the surrounding land that it occupies if given the chance. Like I’ve said, the Earth is huge and has a lot of food, water and raw materials to sustain the human species for a [set] around of time, but even presently, there isn’t enough of everything to go around for everyone without extremely adverse environmental or economical consequences occurring. I mean, could you imagine if all seven billion of us had access to an automobile?

6) No, del-korm are not one-hundred percent loyal to one another. Humans aren’t either. The only time this changes is when Malkor-Kurz (or the del-korm race as a whole) faces invasion or extermination from an external (or internal) threat, because now it’s a battle between literal species, not like-minded peoples of vaguely-similar societies that share similar physical appearances.

@Yosuha

Perhaps. That depends on what Dark says, though I should maybe note that the only two del-korm in existence that can use magic are Aeon and Claw. If such an ability did come to pass, it would only be in possession of Claw and his mother.

@Dark

Well, in that case, I guess they could simply believe that an afterlife doesn't exist. It would add more depth and content to some of their philosophical, religious and ideological beliefs anyway.

Also Cthulu, no one's arguing, and the discussion isn't chaotic. I'm actually enjoying this talk, because it's introducing me to different viewpoints. These are the kind of things I want to see happen in the IC thread too.

It's healthy is what I'm saying, if that makes sense.

The Prophecy

That aside, I'm sorry but I really need more, namely an explanation as to why they don't have afterlives. Even if you have a cultural reason for it (one that I do not necessarily agree with; it seems like your del-korm would have no moral compass with the way they work, meaning that their pursuit of "carving one's legacy into the fabric of time" could just as easily (or more easily, even) be accomplished by acts of cruelty as it could by acts of glory) (to say that a "treasured afterlife awaits" would probably also be a grossly mistaken assumption for any mortal dweller of the Planes to make, since if they are judged as more good than evil then yes, they will be able to go to the Upper Plane, but if not they go to the Lower Plane, which is essentially a fate that means either being eternally hunted and tormented or allowing one's self to be erased), this is a high fantasy setting which I painstalkingly designed so that almost everything has a reason for being the way they are. Mortals have afterlives, other beings don't; if the del-korm are to be the only exception from this rule, there needs to be a good IC reason for that. I'm trying to be as accomodating with these new ideas as I can, but there really does need to be a mechanical justification to cram something operating on remarkably different principles than other beings into the world.

Being unnecessarily cruel is typically reserved for an enemy that has wronged you in a very specific way. They're not an 'evil' people by nature (I really dislike it when people pin that overused and ill-defined word to some of my species), but their more extreme 'base instincts' typically disregard moral compasses. This really comes into play when starvation looms, which may demand unguarded young to be consumed in a desperate effort to retain's one strength, which is needed to ward off potential challengers or other predatory animals. The former example is seen as abhorrent to the mother of those deceased children--and for good reason too; she is in a deep state of mourning, and has lost her family to a seemingly uncaring stranger that she probably did not know.

But, to other starving del-korm, it would be seen as a method of ensuring one's longevity. If that one del-korm did not eat those children, he probably would have become prey to a healthier and stronger predator--perhaps another example of his own kind, or maybe even a member of one of the other carnivorous species native to Malkor-Kurz. Or, if his luck was especially poor later on, those same children he would have eaten once they came of age.

This example, I feel, only reinforces Shien's previous statement regarding the exceptionally grey nature of morality, because morality is really only given one of its many definitions through the strong observance of a third party. Who was right in this instance? The starving individual that only wanted to live? Or the saddened mother who lost her children to a person who is uncaring? Who is right and who is wrong? Do not think like a human, but think like a native of Malkor-Kurz.

In the wild, can an action such as that really be considered evil? To a human or elf perhaps, but keep in mind, del-korm do not have access to farms, castles, suits of armor, or weapons. While meager tool use is indeed prevalent, the technological feats humans are famous for are out of the del-korm's reach. Humans, by comparison, live incredibly lavish lives when compared to them. A human being that can provide adequate amounts of food for himself and his family does not need to worry about whether or not a meal can be claimed next week. These are the sort of things that go on in Malkor-Kurz. These are the sort of tough decisions people in Malkor-Kurz have to make on a day-to-day basis.

If you want to call del-korm cruel, then you might as well throw your average lion, tiger or even human being in this general category as well, because all three of those creatures are more than capable of being perceived as cruel by an outside viewer.

To conclude: del-korm do indeed have a moral compass, but it is not uniform with the established norm on account of the decisions and actions their homeland demands of them. How they naturally think also has much to do with it as well.

For the question on afterlives: What sorts of creatures don't have them? What are the prerequisites that need to be met in order to not have one?

EDIT: The response to Shien made most of this post notably pointless, but it's still a point I feel needs to be made.

Fractured Empire-WIP Renaissance Fantasy Nation Building and Rping

Dinh AaronMk said
You had me until the RTS-tier stats. Then you lost me.

That^

The Prophecy

Well, I never really envisioned the del-korm having any sort of afterlife, because I've come to realize that it conflicts with what their definition of life is. To them, life isn't something to be squandered or taken lightly, but should be used to carve one's legacy into the fabric of time so that later generations will remember you. Though, life should also be enjoyed to the fullest, and part of that is testing your physical or mental limits.

Reach new heights. Become the strongest, fastest, swiftest, and most intelligent and cunning hunter possible. Stuff like that.

To believe that a treasured afterlife awaits them when they die would, at least in my opinion, make them lazy and make them think that their lives are disposable and/or replaceable with something better.

(this also has made me decide that del-korm are most definitely not immortal; it wouldn't fit them, but I did have some very strange ways of dealing with possible del-korm immortality where, because of their short life spans, del-korm were almost completely unaware of their inability to be die from old age. But, they probably live up to age three-hundred or so, which would make Claw--who is 120 years old--roughly middle age, and his mother--who is 180--just over middle age.)

It's why they place a very stern emphasis on deeds and accomplishments and why reputation is an actual currency in Malkor-Kurz (if you're known as a very undesirable person, people are less likely to want to deal with you, and being socially active in Malkor-Kurz is how you come to accumulate meaningful friendships and companionships, which inevitably lead to favors and advancement in del-korm society).

GEARS - Mecha Sci-fi with Anthro characters. RP in a detailed, story-driven world.

Silverwind Blade said
Looks good to me - the only thing of note to mention is probably to drop the references to the UMP-45, Beretta M9, and the .50BMG as no real-world weapons exist in the setting. The weapons themselves are fine, of course. Regarding personal history, if you can just PM it to me, then that'll be fine - I prefer to have it for my own reference when I'm plotting and planning, so I can weave elements of peoples' backstories into things once things get moving a bit more and we get into the plot a bit more. Regarding Kitsune Peril being old too, I imagine it's probably a contemporary of the earlier models of my own GEAR, so alongside one another they're in the process of being phased out and replaced with newer models, slowly but surely, but still plenty of them in service. So yeah, if you edit the weapon descs and PM me over your personal history, I'll consider him to be approved.

Weapon details have been altered, while small corrections to spelling, grammar and content errors have been made as well.

And yes, Kitsune Peril would be one of the more common GEARs. Also, I'm unsure if GEAR loadouts or weapons are exclusive to the characters the RPers choose to use. If not, I'd assume Arcade's chosen kit would be accessible to NPCs and players alike if desired, though the Aeon series of weapons are probably not very popular among pilots due to their greater weight and higher degree of risk as opposed to other weapon technologies.

Fun fact: I was also playing around with a light-gas rifle, autocannon variant that used HEAP/HEAT gyrojet cartridges and even some form of scramjet cannon (or something along those lines).

A lot of this stuff I borrow from actual real-world technologies, which I typically throw into my own sci-fi creations.

I'll be sending the history bit sometime later today.

Void of the Stars II: Return to the Stars [Sci-Fi] [Always Accepting]

The Great Nahman Jayden said
Not to mention my nation is only entirely magic because I considered it less out there than some other things that have happened.

So you complain about the RP losing its science fiction premise, but then you decide to add a magic-orientated nation and species to the roleplay?

Void of the Stars II: Return to the Stars [Sci-Fi] [Always Accepting]

The Great Nahman Jayden said
A parallel dimension ruled by gods of chaos? We no longer have the right to call this a Sci-Fi RP.

>Claims Warhammer 40k warp travel means the RP is no longer sci-fi.

>Fails to realize entire RP lost its sci-fi title long ago, considering magic is present, while his own nation is literally comprised solely of magical telepathic aliens that can control the minds of others.

Void of the Stars II: Return to the Stars [Sci-Fi] [Always Accepting]

WilsonTurner said
I'm not starting a war?And I'm not saying that they are all-powerful gods. If anyone has a number of highly-trained, highly-skilled soldiers that were both naturally and genetically altered to war, with proper leadership and loyalty, then they could easily wipe out a superior-numbered force.

The problem with this assumption is that it's speaking in absolutes. On pen and paper, and by technicality, a force with superior numbers simply has more firepower to bring to the field; this same force can also spread out its elements and assets (infantry, armor elements and airborne/spaceborne power) over a wider area than a smaller yet better-trained force can, which will cause problems if this larger army starts disrupting supply lines, forcing choke-points and dominating the field of battle to where the advantages of your Draconians are more or less rendered moot and void. The idea of an all-elite army dominating a significantly larger one each and every time is something that you see in fiction, not in reality (exceptions, of course, do exist)..

Examples of this occurring can be seen in one of Humanity's most famous wars, WWII, where the USSR, which vastly out-performed Nazi Germany's military forces in the numbers department, walked away with a handy victory (though after losing much in the way of war material and men).

Additionally, Draconians dumping that much genetic augmentation and training into each and every solider makes for an extremely strong but ungodly brittle military force that will never recover once it begins to suffer major defeats. It's unable to wage a war of attrition, as the enemies it's facing can afford to keep throwing bodies on the front lines without taking a second look at their wallet.

The Draconians, however, cannot. Their method of war sounds like it relies on shock value, surprise and running into conscripts/unseasoned soldiers---which are advantages that won't last long once people catch on to how they conduct themselves during war. Soldiers will, inevitably, survive encounters with them, which will gradually see the emergence of a proper force perfectly tailored to doing battle with these supposed 'unstoppable' super-soldiers.you have created.

There's also the issue where being 12 feet tall is not an advantage. You instantly become bait for every anti-material rifle, tank (yes, tank) and aircraft out there.

Anyway, are there any mini plots going on that might concern individual characters rather than whole nations? Or is that something that might come along later?

GEARS - Mecha Sci-fi with Anthro characters. RP in a detailed, story-driven world.

Character Name
Arcade Ruthless

Age
30

Species
King Cheetah

Appearance

His left fang is broken, but for the most part, Arcade is lackluster in his visage. Pelt texture is matted, while his eyes are brown. Usually sports a stylish strip of fur that runs down the top of his head and stops at the small of his back; could be likened to a Mohawk of sorts. Short for his age at 5'1 and lean, though I suppose this counts as a perk given the fact that Kitsune Peril was made with usability in mind rather than catering to persons of heavy and tall stature.

Personality

During combat missions, Arcade typically comes off as a jokester, which some may find annoying---especially during the heat of battle where the only thing coming from his end is hysterical laughter and a seemingly never-ending sea of puns, one-liners and lighthearted threats thrown at the enemy. In truth, Arcade uses his sense of humor as a front to protect himself from the deliberating effects of war, for his years spent as a LDF solider have begun to take their toll on his mental health and stability, while his past questionable deeds and controversial actions have led to Arcade debating his own purity numerous times in the past. Honest and blunt, Ruthless is a duty-bound individual that takes prides in his work, and puts forth as much effort as he can afford to offer in everything that he does.

Personal History

(I would rather explore this using IC interactions, but if it's required to be posted now, I'll add it)

Personal Weapons and Equipment

AMP-46: Modified AMP-45 variant, which is chambered for high-velocity .460 Backhand +P ammunition. Due to the recoil, the '46 is normally fired in bursts. Suitable for defeating higher forms of personnel body armor, but is out-performed by assault rifles and battle rifles both in range and, in many cases, stopping power. Comes with tactical flashlight and rail-mounted holographic sight.

M-Tactical: Standard combat knife. Blade is serrated to enhance cutting power.

GEAR Pilot's Attire: Self-cooling full body sleeve that affords moderate protection from ballistic threats, shrapnel and blast over-pressure. Helmet is equipped with bullet-resistant glass view-slit, radio transmitter/receiver and independent oxygen supply/air filtration system.

Roller M7B: Modified base model Roller M7 service pistol, which supports a tactical flashlight, laser sight and extended magazine, and to accept .460 Backhand and .460 Backhand +P ammunition.

Personal Theme



Gear Name

Kitsune Peril

Appearance



Lacks in creature comforts, which is expressed by a cramped torso-cockpit that is hot, dry and relatively uncomfortable. Roughly half the size of normal GEARs, Kitsune Peril stands 2.8 meters tall and weighs ten tons (fully kitted). Because of its semi-stationary and defensive nature, the machine lacks jump-jets of any kind, and seems to mimic its power-loader ancestry both in its heavy gait and internal workings. Torso and arms are both controlled using a teleoperation haptic interface (in the form of a wearable harness and a pair of force-feedback gauntlets similar to real-world 'waldo' control systems), while footpedals paired with a series of pressure sensors allow for precise leg movement. At the rear and sides of each foot rest retractable bracing pads, which can be unfolded to stabilize Kitsune Peril when its Aeon-II rifle is set to significantly higher settings.

Role

Support, which constitutes a GEAR designed to lay down punishing suppressive fire from a fortified and/or concealed position, sowing confusion and terror within enemy ranks as rounds are put down range in either burst fire, single fire or in fully-automatic fire mode. Use of an Aeon weapon tends to draw dangerous attention to a Support Role GEAR (the weapon's report is incredibly loud and especially bright), which permits the pilot's squad or fire-team mates to maneuver effectively on the battlefield at the possible expense of the Support GEAR's longevity. Threat of flanking and return fire is mitigated by engaging targets from medium, long or very long ranges, while large ammunition stores ensures a contentious stream of devastating firepower to be brought to bear upon opposing forces.

Normal Loadout

Aeon-II

The Aeon series of Squad Support Automatic Rifles (or SSAR) utilize bulk-loaded liquid propellants and electrothermal-chemical technology, or ETC, to fire projectiles at hypervelocity speeds, dramatically improving the weapon's overall penetration probability, accuracy, range, and stopping power. A product of Southern technological prowess, their performance can be likened to that of an electromagnetic weapon's (like a railgun), though without the railgun's more restricting flaws--such as the intense rail erosion it undergoes when firing, its low efficiency and its unreasonable energy requirements. Recoil, however, is roughly comparable, which suffice to say is rather potent, but is counteracted by the inclusion of a muzzle break, the rifle's intrinsic weight, a deployable bipod, and a piston/cylinder recoil-compensation system.

Aeon-II is a weapon system that has an elevated level of flexibility due to its DU/D (dial up/ down) function (when dialing up, more fuel is injected into the gun's pressurized holding chambers while more heat is applied to generate a denser and hotter plasma; dialing down, naturally, confers the exact opposite outcome), which permits it to function as a light machinegun, heavy machinegun, battle rifle, heavy autocannon, anti-material rifle, or assault rifle when a combat situation require it.

The Aeon-II is chambered for a substandard intermediate .50 AMX cartridge, the .50 Special, which has been altered to include a denser and sturdier ballistic cap, shell and an inert filling. More exotic ammunition, such as self-guided or laser-designated 'smart' rounds, cannot be used, as the forces imparted onto their fragile electronic systems would disrupt the reliability of these unique ammunition types. Explosive ammunition, for similar reasons, also cannot be used, which hampers Aeon-II's anti-infantry capabilities when compared to more orthodox anti-infantry weapons.

Unfortunately, the use of 'hot plasma' cartridges and volatile fuel mixtures has forced the designers of Aeon-II to make the weapon from denser alloys and sophisticated composites that incorporate refractory metals into their base designs, while active cooling systems--such as heat sinks and radiators--have been built into Aeon-II to manage the dangerous temperatures that Arcade must contend with when waging war against the LDF's foes, resulting in a bulky and unwieldy weapon with a total weight figure that even larger GEARs may find detrimental to their reliance on speed and agility.

Kitsune Peril's main weapon is fed from a GEAR-sized assault pack, which has a maximum capacity of 30,000 rounds of .50 Special (and an additional 2,000 rounds in the feed shoot). Below it rests Aeon-II's supplementary fuel reservoir, which consists of two tanks that each hold one half of the fuel mixture Aeon-II needs to function properly. Alone, neither liquid is flammable, which somewhat helps to boost Kitsune Peril's chance of survival if a hit is scored on its rear person. The ammunition feed shoot and two fuel cables attached to the rifle sweep under Kitsune Peril's right armpit.

Aegis

An Aegis system is a defensive hardware loadout that is melded with the main torso armor, chest armor and faulds of Arcade's GEAR. It operates on the same principle as electromagnetic reactive armor (or ERA), where rounds that successfully penetrate the breastplate are instantly vaporized by a high current of electricity. Power constraints and technical complexity issues limit the system to the chest and torso areas. The system is recharged by Kitsune Peril's large power cell. Aegis is only able to endure several hits before it is fully-compromised and needs to be replaced.

Other Systems and Equipment

Smoke discharger, chaff launchers and electronic-counter measures; NBC protection and EMP hardened. Sophisticated stealth technology, such as thermal cloaking, radar-defeating materials or sound-muffling features, are not used. Visual and tactical readouts are provided by thermal imaging cameras, UV imaging cameras and motion trackers.

CIWS (smaller, obviously, and mounted on Kitsune Peril’s right shoulder). Fires dart clusters to destroy incoming missiles, though extremely ineffective against incoming bullets and shells. Very important to Arcade's survival, as his GEAR and its weapon both have an annoying knack for drawing the attention of heat-sinking missiles.

Entrenching spade (used to dig fox holes and to perform menial engineering work if needed). Also makes for a suitable melee weapon in a pinch.

Three Aeon-II and Aeon-I replacement barrels (barrels are interchangeable between both models). Also can be used as a melee weapon, though this is not recommended for obvious reasons.

Other Notes

Kitsune Peril is one of the oldest GEARs still in active service with the LDF, and has been upgraded and retrofitted with various examples of advanced technical improvements to ensure that it is able to contend with current and future GEAR models.

Despite these proactive and preventive, Kitsune Peril is relatively slow and ungainly when compared to older or newer GEAR models, and has begun to show its growing obsolescence in the face of swifter and faster GEAR variants. Arcade playfully describes his proven war machine as a “Persistent throwback to an era where heavy armor and superior firepower put you a cut above the rest ”, though the seasoned pilot has slowly begun to realize that a newer GEAR model may be required sooner rather than later. On today's battlefields, sheer armor and firepower are no longer guarantees of a sweeping victory.

However, what separates Kitsune Peril from its counterparts is the sheer robustness and hardiness of its superstructure and the simplicity of its internal components. Kitsune Peril's range of motion and joint flexibility have both been greatly reduced to allow augmentative armoring of its joint areas and other bodily sectors where structural weak-points are present, while more daring feats of physical strength and increased amounts of muscle strand can be performed and installed without concern for body-wide system failure.

My favorite color is a toss up between red and black.