BrokenPromise

RP time! - RPC#1

Seems interesting. I'll give it a shot.

Beta Testers Needed

Let me know when you start doing fire fox stuff.

RP time! - RPC#1

A few questions.

We're basically writing a single post for an RP?

In an RP, NPCs and the like are usually GM controlled. Are there any characters in the scene that are off limits or can we "take control" of the scene as we see fit?

Is successfully completing the objective required for the contest?

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

”You wot m8?!”

— Luana Roycroft

@Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin@Guy0fV4lor

After Luana explained how she could learn more about the attacks, it seemed her traveling company already knew what had caused the fire. ”This was just a test?” She pursed her lips. ”Your grace, I think you may be overestimating my druid magic. I only know enough to let me turn into common animals and grow plants. Inferring anything about the land or flames would have to be done through my spear or good old fashioned leg work. If the creature is slain and the body's location found there is little I can help with.” She had to question Aigorost's decision to have her swear fealty to the queen, but decided there wasn't much to be done about it now. It was natural to be curious of a new member's abilities.

But before long they were shuffled off to the fort. Not much to report here. Being a hunter, Luana had seen many large creatures being proccessed, so the great Wyvern was of little interest to her. But being of little interest still made it more interesting than everything else going on. Just pleasantries between acquaintances, none of which offered Luana as much as a hello. But maybe that was normal for royalty? It seemed they were getting closer to the fort, which would present more opportunities to cause some light hearted havoc examine things closer.

Synphony on Highschool

I can't wait to see all of your waifus/husbandos and character sheets!

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

”Boy are they serious about following the rules.”

— Luana Roycroft

That’s quite the vow. Is it possible for anyone to dedicate themselves that much to someone they just met?

Well, if it’s what the elves want, you’d be crazy to refuse.

---

@Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin@Guy0fV4lor

”Hmmm….”

Luana’s eyes scanned the burned landscape. Her eyes were squinted, but it wasn’t clear if it was the heat or a tiny detail she was trying to spot. Ash still fell from the sky, and some of it settled on Luana’s head. But the queen’s words snapped her out of her focus.

”I’ve determined that the forest was definitely burned by something!” She nodded, as if proud of the discovery. ”Though such destruction is not wholly unusual, even without the presence of fire breathing lizards, a single lightning bolt is enough to start a smoldering fire. If conditions are right, the fire can get hot enough that the heat alone will cause the surrounding trees to catch fire. I’ve heard of it happening in forests, and the hunters within described it as a racing wall of fire. Inhaling the heated air is enough to scar your lungs. Impressive stuff! ” She looked back towards the charred landscape. ”If you wanted to know where this fire started, I could go to a ‘burning’ area and follow the fire’s path back to its ‘burnt’ origin to find out what direction these wyvern came from. And if we found multiple sources it could suggest…” She trailed off. ”I would recommend talking to the locals and get a few eyewitnesses accounts of what’s been happening. I don't know how long ago the great Wyvern came through here, or even if this was from the more recent attacks. Getting a bit more information would make finding our mark easier.” She looked at the head of her spear. ”Though I could also confirm real quick if this fire was started by a Wyvern right now.”

Synphony on Highschool

@Ponn Oh yea, that's a fantastic waifu! You can put her in the character tab if you want. You can also put your character sheet there too, but I won't force you. but you're clear to start posting!

Synphony on Highschool

Filling out character sheets are lame. Instead, why not write something like this:

---

"Now isn't the time to be scared. Just think of the children. Think... Think of your paycheck." The Admissions officer entered the principle's office.

In times of yore, Sullivan Academy was a wizard's tower. Over the years it had received many expansions, to the point that it no longer resembled at all. But in that sprawl of lavish interiors and pearl-like siding, there was an old tower at its heart. The top most floor didn't have the same wow factor as the rest of the school. In times of yore, Merlin would have had the room over run with books, with each page bathed in candle light. But the new principle did not read books. She sat as still as a statue, her robe folded up around her form. She did not need light to see the orb, which bathed everything in its eerie light. The orb flickered like an old TV. It couldn't have been an interesting show if the principle's face was any indication.

"Ah, H-Hello! Is now a good time?" he hid a clipboard behind his back.

"I guess." She didn't look up from the orb. "What are we doing again?"

The admissions officer cleared his throat. "You thought it would be a good idea to have me interview this year's students! Surely a little one-on-one interaction would be more interesting than filling out a form. Besides, there was some concern most of the students weren't literate! So it seemed fitting to have the principle get an interview. You know, just to show there's no shame in it."

"Really?" The admissions officer nodded, which caused the principle to sigh. "I don't remember agreeing to this, but fine. Let's get it over with."

"Very well!" He drew his pen and clipboard. "Let's start with your name. I know it's on the building, but..."

"Silvia O'Sullivan." She propped up her head with her arm.

"Very good, very good... Age?"

"I've been seventeen for a very long time."

"We'll let that slide because you're the boss. Gender?" For the first time during their exchange, Silvia made direct eye contact with the admissions officer. She said nothing. "I suppose that was a little silly. What country are you from?"

Her eyes wandered back towards the orb. "North America. It's been a very long time since I've been there."

"What do you look like?"

"If you can't think of anything to write, just take a picture."

"Okay! Say cheese!" The camera snapped a picture. It wasn't too bad, but would it have killed her to look into the camera? And where did that little man on the side come from? But it didn't matter, there was more to review. "So um... your race?"

"I think I'm caucasian, but it's been so long since I've seen my skin tone outside the light of the orb I could be wrong."

"A relatable answer!" He continued to scribble. "How do you use your magic?"

"I seem to remember having the ability to learn any spell if I saw it enough times. But it's been so long since I've seen something new. Ever since I got this orb, I've been able to observe and ponder so many things. I don't think a spell exists that I can't cast. But as for actually using magic, I mostly just cast Level 1 Death, Abolish Entity, Great Dispel, Greater Wish, or Counter Spell to keep the omniverse from totally collapsing." The orb flashed again. "It's amazing how many cosmic horrors just fade into existence without rhyme or reason."

"Sounds important! Why did you initially enroll here?"

"I can't remember. It must have been to increase my number of known spells."

"And I know you don't need a roommate, but let's just do this part anyway."

"For the students, right?"

"Ah, yes, haha... " Hopefully this wouldn't take much longer. "How would you describe what you're like? Any hobbies, or things you'd want a roommate to know about you?"

"I would describe myself as a stoic person. I get bored easily, and I can't think of any hobbies I still pursue. I suppose I still find interest in the pursuits of others."

That almost sounded normal! "One last question. What is your life story? Tragic past?"

"My origins aren't so remarkable, and my past isn't tragic. If anything, I think it's my future that's tragic." She lowered her arms into her lap. "At the ripe age of seventeen, I came over here to better learn how to use magic. Britain had always been a hub for magi, with stories about Merlin, witches, and others of their kind. Everyone's magic manifested in different ways. Some could do fantastic things. They could fire rays of light that could cook a demon in an instant, or tear apart the very fabric of space time. My magic was far more humble: the ability to copy anything I saw. Weak on its own, but held great potential if I could survive long enough to master it. I did not rise up the ranks, I survived long enough to make something of myself. The frequent attacks on the old school gave me ample material for my studies. I learned far more from that then I did from class, and I was a good student. I got stronger faster than I could get through the curriculum. This was compounded the day I discovered this orb. I can't even remember how I found it. Maybe I always had it. Regardless, the ability to look into other worlds or different parts of my own gave me even greater opportunities to hone my craft. But it didn't matter how strong I became, because I couldn't get through the curriculum. There almost wasn't any reason to."

"That culminated in your fight with Merlin, didn't it?"

"Maybe? It happened so long ago I can't even remember. I don't think about the past very much anymore. It's so alien to me now. I think the young woman who I use to be wanted to get to where I am now. She wanted respect, and she wanted those around her to value her contributions to the school. But I wonder if she knew what she was doing with her power." The Orb was starting to flash now, not unlike clouds during a thunderstorm. "As a mere human who can only ever copy other people's spells I've attained so much. I have conquered death and old age. Entire civilizations will rise and fall in my infinite lifespan. If the world were to ever wage war on me, I could force them to surrender or wipe them out in a matter of minutes. But such power does not come without cost. The warp continues to spit out adversaries to match my might. It can't of course, but even these feeble attempts at challenging me are more than enough to doom this world and others. So I spend my days casting the same spells over and over again, trying to stem a problem that is created by my very existence. I am unable to shape this world the way I like because I am unable to fix this reoccurring problem. I could leave this world and visit another reality, but my problems would follow me. The noble solution might be to lock myself in a world where only I exist, but I've grown too comfortable in this reality. I cannot simply leave what I have spent so much time building, nor am I selfless enough to take my life. So I sit here, alone, joyless, in a stalemate with the omniverse, with only the pride of what I've made keeping me sane. Perhaps-"

"I-I think that's enough for an example!"

"Oh?" Silvia looked at the Admissions Officer one last time before glancing back at her orb. "Very well, you may leave."

"Y-Yes."

"But one more thing."

The Admissions Officer hadn't fully turned away from Silvia. "Yes?"

"That was more fun than I thought it would be. I think the students might enjoy this."

"Ah! Well, thank you! I do my best!" As soon as he got out of the principle's tower, he breathed a long, long, and well deserved sigh of relief. "Never had I thought I would miss Fae Creek so much."

Synphony on Highschool

Don’t hate the player, hate the game!

~Ice-T

Symphony on Highschool (SoH) Is a highschool roleplay with a twist. I could tell you what the twist is, but I think it would be more fun if we played a game: I would like you to guess the twist. Yup, right now I’d like you to close your eyes and think about what the twist is. Just a few seconds is all I ask.

Well? Did you do it? I can't tell, given this was something I had to write before you read it. I’m just going to pretend you did anyway. Which is fine, because I’m also going to pretend I know what your answers are.

You thought I was going to say “It’s a magical school!” And while that’s correct, I hardly consider that a twist. That one Hogwarts game is selling like hotcakes, and nobody in this day and age does a regular school RP. So that’s strike one. Lame guess. I’ll give you another chance, but really think this time.

Oh! You think I’ll let you play as faculty? I mean, I will. But only if you want to. You still missed the mark. I want you to think hard about your third guess. You’re not getting another shot.

So let me get this straight, you think I’m going to host an RP where I, the GM, just sit back and let things unfold? Effectively making an RP where there is no GM and they players get to decide everything? I can’t believe it! You got it! Have a cookie!

Note to self, give this kid less chances next time. I don’t feel nearly as smart as I did a few seconds ago.

But yes, "Good" GMs are strict, power hungry, masochistic jerks that keep an iron grip on an RP's direction. They give you the illusion of choice while guiding you to their end goal, like some evil mastermind or normal politician. How many great RPs came to an end just because the GM decided to call the whole thing off? Clearly GMs are a blight on mankind, and real RPs won't be able to flourish until they are dealt with.

While GMs really have no business deciding how the world should be, I’m going to create some lore for us to work with. And by create, I mean copy several projects and smash them together.

The RP takes place in a fictional version of our world. While it looks mundane to most people, there are supernatural forces/energies that hide just out of sight. Monsters, Espers, and everything in between often try to operate away from prying eyes.

Magic is a largely unknown thing. Magi have only recently been able to study it thanks to advancements in technology. There’s still so much they don’t know about it. Mostly what they have is an idea about magic called “memory theory.”

Memory theory states that mana is made up of memories. Mana is made in the brain while a human is alive and is released upon their death. There was some speculation that mana might have been proof that human souls exist, but this was later disproved when the levels of mana in people with forms of memory impairment made less mana over the course of their lives.

The more mana that’s in our atmosphere, the more likely it is for supernatural events to happen. This means more monsters, but also more magi to fight them.

But we shouldn’t have to worry about that too much.

The bulk of the RP will (hopefully) take place in and around Sullivan Academy. A British boarding school that secretly teaches kids from around the world how to hone their magic. It use to go by a different name, but a fight between some Merlin wannabe and a full fledged turbo magus forced a change of leadership. There’s probably more details to fish around for, but who really cares? Most of the students are all about casting spells or something. Attention spans of youngsters these days.

Sullivan Academy’s students are primarily aspiring magi, which is just a catch all term for wizards and witches. And magi is the plural form of magus, just in case you can’t be bothered to call a witch or wizard by their correct title. Or maybe they don’t identify with a particular title and would prefer you call them a magus. I know a demi-wizzard that looks like a witch but would turn you into a toad if you ever called them as such, and quite rightly too. So always be polite.

Regardless of title, this is probably who you’re going to be playing as. A human that’s been blessed with the ability to use magic.

While any magus can cast any spell in theory, most lean into a genre or niche. The more specific it is, the more powerful the magic tends to be. As an example, a pyromancer’s spells will not be as powerful as that of a magus that focuses strictly on creating lava. The pyromancer has a much more versatile skill set, and can make everything from explosions to jets of flame and even lava. But a lava mage’s lava will be able to power through any of the pyromancer’s abilities, but those abilities are fewer in number and limited to the forms lava can take. This example assumes they are equally skilled.

And yes, circles of magic are called genres. The first magi were entertainers who could use their songs to conjure spells. Much of the terminology stuck. Spells are called melodies, and a spells components are often called "notes" as just a few examples.

You may have noticed I was careful to say that you were probably going to play as a magus. But if I’m not going to interfere with the RP, that means that you are welcome to play anything you can think of, and the lore must accommodate this choice!

Sure, most aspiring magi are just as I described them. But there are other things that inhabit the academy.

Sullivan Academy exists in a world, and that world is part of a multiverse, which is part of a greater omniverse! Some of the other inhabitants of the academy include maids, dimensional leaping dogs, astronauts, magi with wildly different magic from this world, space marines, mountain sailors, a cat that can walk on its hind legs, Bobba Fett, Elvis, Johnny cash as the wizard of oz, if you can think of it, it exists.

Do be aware though that the world has a certain balance to it. For every force, there is an equally great counter force that keeps it in check. More about that in the warp section, which happens to be the next section.

It’s basically a portal. If something happens that doesn’t make sense, just blame the warp. It came from there.

Another detail with the warp is that things from other worlds can come from it. While having a gaping hole in space time located near your school can be a problem, it manages to balance itself out. Universes have a tendency to reach an equilibrium of sorts. If something too strong comes along, something else will likely show up to counterbalance its presence. This is all assuming the principle doesn't wipe it out of existence with one of her spells the second it shows up. She is the great equalizer, like your mother when you fight with your siblings.

While I’m going to be taking a pretty hands off approach to the RP, I do think we need a few rules.

~ There is a waifu tax for joining. You must post at least one picture of an anime/cartoon/cgi girl in the OOC if you’re going to join the RP. This is more important than a character sheet, but you can post one of those too. Under some circumstances I may let you pay a “husbando” tax in place of a waifu tax. Just remember that your character’s face claim does not count towards the waifu tax.

~ Be excellent to each other!

~ If you feel like someone’s godmodding you, just god mod them back if you can’t talk it out.

~ Don’t grief weaker characters. I’m giving myself the strongest character in the setting for the express purpose of dealing with this ICly. I also like power fantasies, and other people’s power fantasies get in the way of that.

~ Don’t forget the waifu tax.

Q: Is this an april fool’s joke?

A: Not really.

Q: I can’t find any waifus to pay the waifu tax with.

A: That’s a statement, not a question. But you can just use artstation if you really can’t find any. Just be a little original and don't grab the first one that shows up on the first page. And of course, don't try to use someone else's waifu to pay the waifu tax.

Q: Is a section like this necessary?

A: Get off my back.

Q: Sooooooo, When is Symphony on High starting?

A:It's been going, dingus. Go there if you want something a bit more serious.

Thoughts on discord RP?

One reason why I don't like discord for long messages (let alone posts) is because it does not place a space between multiple messages by the same author. If I just slam enter every time I want a paragraph break, there actually isn't a break. It mashes everything together into a giant word wall. The most effective way I've found to "brute force" paragraph breaks is to do a paragraph break and then start to type the next paragraph. But then I have to guess when to end the message, and it can look weird if I guess wrong and there's too many/few words, and then I need to wonder how it looks on other screens-

I mean I'm probably nitpicking, but that's just it. There's really not that big a difference between the two mediums. What makes one more attractive than another comes down to what bells and whistles you want with your RP experience. For me, I just wanna write something up on my computer and post it with little to no fuss. I don't want to get distracted by an active chat room, DMs, or any of that other stuff that discord roleplayers want as part of their RP experience. When I'm writing, I just turn on some music and write. Of course I use discord, but those little red bubbles are pretty good at distracting me. I usually leave it off while I write.

I think my displeasure for discord RPing has mellowed in the four years since I last posted here, But it's just not how I like to write. But if you do like to RP on discord, I say go for it. If you think it's something you might enjoy you're probably already doing it. It's not like you have to pick one over the other either.