DruSM157

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

The RP begins, and soon the question of who isn't pulling their weight as DPS and Healers need to adjust will begin flooding the story

Onto a Sea of Stars | [Full]

So I started thinking

on ocean ships they had sea shanties

why aren't there any space shanties

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: Fountain Square -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Kazuki was going to make them late.

”Look, if you want to finish your little performance, go ahead. But I’m going to check us in at the Wayfarer’s Retreat. I added the location as a waypoint for our party; so you can’t get lost.” His brother’s little concerts were impressive enough that other players did enjoy watching them. Hell, they’d received a few guild invites because of Kazuki’s popularity-okay, not they just Kazuki. Raid groups didn’t hate Kazuma-Benkei’s-skills as a tank. In fact he was an extremely reliable tank in most dungeons and encounters.

It was the attitude that rubbed groups the wrong way.

”The DPS died during the trash pull. That’s unacceptable.

The off-tank didn’t pull the right groups. It took us 15 seconds longer than average to defeat this boss.

The DPS isn’t committing enough damage to skip the second phase. If you can’t parse, why the hell are you even playing the game?

Kicked. Removed. No commendations. This was normal. People needed to play perfectly if they wanted to be the best, and these chumps were in it for “fun” and to “relax”. They had no idea how important it was to be regarded as a top player. As a reliable tank. As someone people could look up to. Accepted.

Kazuki was the opposite. His brother was more concerned with mastering the music in the game than healing in dungeons. And being forced to carry his older brother through these events while shouting down everyone else? It hadn’t made a good impression on anyone.

Benkei made his way into the Wayfarer’s Retreat. Even though he’d customized his avatar, he’d spent hours making the avatar resemble himself IRL. In a world where everyone else made themselves look fantastic and wonderful, Bekei’s obsession was making himself look...well, like himself. It didn’t matter that his avatar looked a little silly with the oversized sword nearly the size of its wielder. He wanted to be the best version of himself in the game, since outside he was...well, he was Kazuma. Second son, second best, completely forgettable and average.

But here?

He scanned around the room, surprised at some of the top level players that had been invited. He’d recognized a few of them; he had to know the competition he faced in his dream of becoming number 1. He found a seat away from the group, eyeing up the ones talking and chatting amongst themselves. Raids were cooperative experiences, but in his mind, it was just as much player vs player as any arena match. These people were his competitors on his journey to become the best. There was the one girl; the tank everyone hated. Still, she was one of the best in the game, and it made sense she’d be invited here to complete a raid before anyone else knew about it.

There were other big names showing up as well. Former members of famous guilds, players who just wound up in nearly every party eventually...all sorts. Benkei wondered if they’d be reliable.

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

_______________________________________________ // INFO I R L Full Name - Kazuma Hoshizawa Age - 17 Place of Origin - Japan Occupation - High School Student A V A T A R Character's Name - Benkei Pathos Affiliation - Tyhrien Role - Tank Profession - Fisherman Weapon of Choice - Great Sword Domains - Earth/Conjuration - // PERSONALITY P E R S O N A L I T Y Self-Conscious Being the younger brother to a prodigy never helped after the divorce. Kazuki went with their mother, but Kazuma had to stay with their father. The pressure his father exerted on Kazuma was enough to develop into a full blown complex, with Kazuma breaking down with panic attacks in private. Around others, Kazuma is extremely self-conscious of how he is perceived, how he performs and where he falls in the group dynamic. Everything has to be perfect. With Kazuki here because of him, he has to prove that he has some sort of worth; even if it’s just in a video game. Short-Tempered If someone shows him up, if someone pushes him, or if anyone picks on his brother, Kazuma is prone to outbursts, threats and yelling. His youth mixed with his own inferiority complex makes a volatile concoction for Kazuma, and he takes it out on the people around him. He has to prove himself every second of every day, because he lives in constant fear that people will simply say that he is a complete fraud of a “badass player”. Obsessive Kazuma has a one-track mind at being the best. He wants to complete all the content and complete it perfectly, collect all the rare items, and to be regarded by everyone who sees him as a “great player”. The fact that the only regular person he interacts with and plays with in the game is his big brother is a testament to how his personality bristles with others and pushes would-be friends away, and his compulsion to be the best at any cost puts himself constantly at risk. // BENCHMARKS B E N C H M A R K S Gaia’s Protection Kazuma has focused his magical toolkit on synergizing with his chosen role; he uses the power of the earth to construct barriers around himself and others to protect them from enemy attacks, and is capable of shifting the ground around him to trap enemies in soft dirt or sand. Protective Knight Kazuma forgoes movement speed in combat to instead stand his ground against heavier enemies. If he puts himself between an ally and a monster, he will act as an immovable wall to protect those around him. Natural Aggro Kazuma just has that personality to piss anyone off, and it seems to work well enough on enemies as well. As long as Kazuma can focus on a target, the target will probably focus on him as well, giving his allies breathing room. Earthen Stubbornness Being badly wounded does not stop Kazuma in combat. Instead, his stalwart nature and connection to the earth increases his defense when he’s in a critical situation, giving him precious extra seconds to survive long enough for his allies to help him

Physical Description Kazuma is an average Japanese High Schooler. Standing at 5’8, he’s unimpressive in many respects. His physicality is also the same; he’s skinny and weak; constantly placing in the lower half of school physical exams. The only redeeming quality about himself is that his face is fair and slightly handsome; a trait he shares with his older brother. In Pariah Online, his character is surprisingly similar to himself in real life. Soft facial features, brown hair; but there is an exception: his in-game model has blue eyes, unlike his real-life brown. His character’s body is also far more toned and muscular, though it does seem quite comical for a character who is set at slightly below the average male character height to wield such a large greatsword. His character is usually decked out in suits of armor; giving him a slightly more “buff” look than if he wore normal clothes. Character Conceptualization Kazuma lives in shadows. The shadow of his parent’s divorce, the shadow of the constant expectations thrust upon him, and the biggest shadow of all: his older brother Kazuki. Since being separated from his older brother during his parent’s divorce, Kazuma is constantly pressured to perform well in school, do well and follow his older brother’s example; something that Kazuma is struggling every day to do. The only time his life wasn’t filled with panic-inducing stress were the hours he cemented into Pariah Online. And then Kazuki crashed that too. While his brother supported him as a healer, Kazuki didn’t have the same fervent desire to cement his legacy as the greatest as Kazuma had. Kazuki focused on other, unimportant aspects of the game, while Kazuma grinded to push himself to the top; pushing others away and causing rifts in multiple playgroups he’d been invited to. His skill as a tank; putting himself in the middle of battle and controlling the flow of the enemy-that was Kazuma’s way of exerting control on the life he had zero control over. But even so, that control is extremely tenuous... Other Information N/A

Onto a Sea of Stars | [Full]

So if you do the nasty in the pasty with a bug alien girl, does she eat your skull?

Onto a Sea of Stars | [Full]

Onto a Sea of Stars | [Full]

Jeez, everyone's CSes are so nice. Stop setting the bar so high for the rest of us :P

Two mechanics seems redundant though, so I'm going to re-tool my character into a medic or something.

Someone who can generate electricity seems kind of appropriate, given my username. Is "fuel source" a job? :P

@Zapdos

I haven't written in like 6 months and it all sort of poured out haha

Onto a Sea of Stars | [Full]

If people are really that bored and want to doxx me, they will be disappointed in how little I do/have done.

Onto a Sea of Stars | [Full]

@Helios J Mears

Is Mears your last name? Because seriously I NEVER meet people who share my last name. This is really freaking me out.

Also, will edit and format the character sheet now that I'm off work.

Onto a Sea of Stars | [Full]

Dun Elrin

<sub>19 | Human | Male | Gunner/Security

Character Post</sub>

Duststorms were typical on Veros. The boy had been born and raised on the planet, one of the first children born of the young settlement that had been chartered before the conflicts of war began to envelop the galaxy. His parents had died of rustlung only a year into his birth, but luckily it was the old Marshal, his grandfather, that had stepped in to raise the boy. Duncan, or Dun for short, stared out the thick window to the outside, while his grandfather sat at his desk, rifling through a stack of papers.

Marshal Gale Elrin was not a gentle man. His skin resembled coarse leather, his hair was greasy and unkempt, and the man’s face had not seen a razor blade in years. He’d been chosen by the settlement during the chartering as their choice of Marshal due to his experience in the Border World conflicts as a well regarded Colonel, and his years as a well-regarded marshal in the inner ring systems. He’d been the man who brought in Beltrix Gespard alive, after all, after the Truvelian had killed ten other marshals between Tervix and Brousal. For the Marshal, Veros was a chance to retire in quiet solitude and peace away from the hustle and bustle of the inner system. He’d grow fat and old and die in his sleep. He didn’t expect that the planet’s constant dust storms to be extremely hostile to humans; and in the first three years settling the town of Burgess Claim, over half the settlers had died of disease.

“Grandpa,” the boy said, walking over to his grandfather’s desk, “when’s the storm gonna pass?”

“Probably won’t pass til tomorrow morning,” the old man replied, “Go read a holostory for now.”

“I’ve read all the holos in the house,” the boy whined. “When are you going to teach me to shoot like you?”

The Marshal raised a thick eyebrow, eying the scrawny boy up. He’d just turned thirteen, and some of the colony boys had started learning to use a rifle even earlier. They’d had to, with so many of the original settlers buried in the ground.

“Come with me,” he grunted, walking leading the boy downstairs. With the environment so dangerous, the Marshal had set up his own shooting gallery across from the holding cells; which besides the weekend drunk, had remained unused for most of the season. On the far wall, the Marshal had set up several targets. He stood the boy at a taped mark on the floor, and fumbled in his jacket, before producing his sidearm: a heavy Rigel-V Duster. The models were heavy, unwieldy, and hit heavy for a kinetic firearm. The Marshal handed the boy the revolver and stood behind him.

“Now, you want to hold it like so-” the old man helped the boy wrap his fingers around the grip. His small hands barely fit. “You’ll grow into a gun like this,” he remarked and helped the young boy line up the sights. “Now, don’t yank the trigger. You want to squeeze it. Kinetic guns like this-”

The boy squeezed the trigger-

The Duster erupted in an explosion of sound. Standing fifteen yards away, the large Grix smuggler who’d only seconds earlier had been holding a small holdout pistol pointed at Fiona Miles, the local merchant’s daughter, crumbled onto the ground, gasping for air. The man stood over the smuggler as the girl quickly pulled away from the large hairy alien, half-in shock from momentarily being a hostage and half in shock that the young Marshal had the goddamn gall to shoot the smuggler while he still had her at gunpoint!

“Of all the stupid, lowdown, worthless lawmen I have ever had the misfortune of meeting-” she spat venom at the man, as he simply sauntered over to the Grix, the red-haired alien’s barrel chest heaving up and down.
“Enough of the drama,” the young man said, kicking the alien in the side. “I hit you with a concussive shot. ‘Nuffin that’d kill your sorry hide.”

Duncan Elrin stood above the Grix, his shadow covering the alien’s torso. He’d grown tall and broad, with strong shoulders and sharp eyes, both traits hammered into his body by his grandfather’s lessons. On his hip sat the ragged leather holster that Gale Elrin had worn for thirty years. Dun had made sure to put the old iron to good use during his time as the settlement’s Marshal.

The Grix was only able to force out another pained moan, as the Marshal pulled the alien up. In the two years since his grandfather had passed, Dun had taken up Gale’s position as the town Marshal. As Burgess Claim slowly grew in size, it had become an important trader in ore and red sand, enough that the local port was constantly abuzz with merchant ships.

And with trade came crime. The Marshal’s office was constantly filled with smugglers, thieves, dealers, and other surly types. The fact that Dun was constantly flashing his iron at anyone that smelled rotten was bad enough that the constant threats on his job had finally come to fruition on that day. As he carried the Grix into his office, he stopped, dumbfounded by the three men waiting for him.

The mayor was the one he recognized. Hillock Burgess was the namesake of Burgess Claim, after all. He’d survived the years to become a well-connected man for the rim-side colonies, and with his stake in many of the local mining organizations, he’d become wealthy quickly. The two men standing at Burgess’ wings were not locals. One was older, dressed like many of the Rim-side settlers. The younger man was dressed nicer and had a shiny leather jacket covering a pressed-blue shirt. Both men wore Marshal badges.

“Mr. Elrin,” Burgess began, wiping his silver spectacles with a handkerchief, “we at the colony appreciate the years of service your grandfather gave to the town. And we are in your debt for carrying on his legacy after his sudden demise. But-”

Dun’s face flushed deep crimson. “You weedy sumbitch-” he growled, moving towards the mayor before the two Marshal’s quickly grabbed him, pulling him back.

“As I was saying,” the man continued, “you are not a licensed Marshal. You’ve been acting under the Deputy Statue of the Marshal’s code, acting as interim Marshal, but as of today you are relieved of your duty.”
“Where the hell am I supposed to go!?” Dun snarled.

“It’s not my problem, Mr. Elrin.” The mayor sighed. “Your effects have been boxed up for you. I’ve taken the liberty to pay you a handsome sum for your family’s stake in the colony. Out of kindness, of course.” He handed him a small sum of credits. Handsome indeed. “It’s enough to charter passage to wherever you’d like to go. A chance to start a new life.”

Those words were the executioner’s fatal swing against any hopes Dun had. His weekly brawls and shootouts had made him few friends in the settlement, but he was doing as his grandfather had tasked him: he was protecting the colony. Of course, others saw it as painting the colony in a darker color; a hothead like Dun walking around, ready to draw iron at anyone who toed the line, was not healthy for business; and it was business that was keeping Burgess Claim alive now.

Dun pictured countless words and actions against the mayor. Shoving his iron down the old man’s throat, punching the spectacles off his fat little nose, or just saying something with enough bile and vitriol to start a brawl with the two hired tin stars. But there was no fight in his heart with the understanding that this was no longer his home.

Chartering a flight didn’t take too long, and a night sleeping on the bench of the port wasn’t the worst sleep he’d had. The morning before his departure, he trekked down the dusty paths to the local graveyard, kneeling down at the Elrin plot. Three dust-weathered gravestones sat there: Bren Elrin, Jess Elrin, and Gale Elrin’s names marked their resting place. Dun took the wethered old Marshal Star from his pack, placed it on the red dirt of the graves, and covered it with a handful of the rest dust.

He gathered his things and left the past behind.

_{Character Ties}

1) TBD later if accepted. Do not fill out.
2) TBD later if accepted. Do not fill out.

_Inventory

1) Duster Kinetic Revolver
2) Emergency Medical Kit
3) Weapon Maintenance Tools

Edit: Annnnd finished