ERode

Azure Dragon!

It took the group some time to arrive at the scene, but when they did...it wasn't a pretty sight. Bodies laid strewn on the dirty, scorched ground. A strange viscous substance was present, an odd substance that appeared to burn things. Some subset of lava magic? Some type of acid? It was odd though. Both the bandits and whatever merchant they were attacking had been caught up in whatever had happened. Frightening. Nightmarish. Scary.

Kerenza bit her tongue, forced her emotions and bile down her throat, and shuddered as a burning sensation filled the back of the mouth. This was odd. She had not heard whatever the driver of the cart had said before passing out, but the whole thing was very, very odd. Nevertheless, there were a ton of injured people, the majority of them passed out. To make matters worse, it sounded like more of them were coming. How many more? Who knew.

But she didn't need anyone to die that day, and closing her eyes, she 'summoned' the first of the Spirits that she had. Channelling magic into her clasped hands, as if in prayer, a tawny, grainy light began to collect in front of her, before slowing molding itself into the shape of a human being. Then, the light dimmed, giving away to physical features. Tanned skin and light brown hair.

Dust. Her thief, spy, and scout.

She nodded once at him, and he acknowledged that silent command, sliding away into the brush without a sound. In a bit, he should be able to come back and give more specific information on numbers and weapons. If not...well, he was a slippery bastard. Chances are, he'll give them a good chase.

Meanwhile, Kerenza brought her hands together once more, this time to pass down 'new' information to that slacking bastard, Forest. Location, situation, and a request for aid from the army, the police, who ever would come. If nothing else, they needed more hands to cart away the injured and such.

“I'd be glad to give you ten eyes, monkey, but two will be enough for now. Dust should be coming back with information soon, and then, we can have a proper fight based off that.”

Shock & A.W.E. [Redux]

Today was mission day! Yay! The first chance to see how her new comrades will do in a simulated combat environment! Though Hu-Shi had previously experienced the rather interesting holographic simulations of Lunar Academy through her one-on-one combat simulations, this would most definitely be the first time that she would be doing anything that involved 'hard' tactics and strategy. It was pretty exciting, really, if also a teensy bit nerve-wracking. While she was fairly confident that no one would verbally abuse her if she didn't confirm a kill or whatever, she wanted to make a good first impression combat-wise. When it came to peer evaluations, she didn't want to be the only person who got 80%, after all. Being the last person to get into the changing rooms, she took a deep breath, placing one hand over her heart to steady her heartbeat, and then, for just a moment, imagined how nice it would be to finally relieve some stress. Then, she started up the sequence to fit her into the exoskeleton-like interface suit.

“Scanning Now.”

She wondered if everyone else was as excited and awake as she was. Last night's coffee vs tea debate did last a long time, after all, and unlike herself, they've all probably been through dozens of these simulations already. Hopefully everyone would be energetic and ready to go. Seemed like the coffee lovers would be alright in the morning at least. That thought brought a smile on her lips, as a thousand unseen lasers rang over her body.

“Subject unconfirmed. Rescanning.”

Hu-Shi sighed, forced her smile away, and waited patiently as the process was redone.

“The subject is Hu-Shi Zhong. First Year. Height: 1.651 meters. Please confirm.”

She wondered why the machines would need something such as verbal confirmation, when it could even tell identical twins apart, but it was a mystery that was clearly meant not to be solved. Chances were, it was just supposed to be for procedural reasons or something.

“Yep, that's me,” she said cheerily, talking to the machine as if it were human.

“Error. Unknown command. Please re-confirm.”

This machine...really had no flexbility, did it?

“...affirmative.”

“Confirmation received. Please lift your arms to your sides.”

A few minutes later, Hu-Shi was finally suited up and ready to go.
~
Soon after, the charmingly rugged, if not slightly 'alien' Colonel Landsfeldt made it into the room, all pistons and electricity. As always, the decorated military officer was impeccably dressed, with such a gravity to him that even Elizabethan era gentlemen would find hard to match. Or, at least, Hu-Shi thought that would be the case. It was sorta hard to compare a cyborg and a 16th era dandy, after all. Though brief, the man's speech was one that made an impact because of its brevity. All lives are equal, and self-sacrifice is something to be expected. Dangerous words, if comprehended improperly. Still, she nodded. Most likely, she would be the one that would end up dead so one of her teammates would survive. After all, that was her role, wasn't it? The whole concept of the Jiang Shi Core was 'self-sacrifice'. More speed to smash through enemy artillery. More shields to withstand blows in place of your lighter-armored allies. More energy for those who are running out.

She saluted in unison with the others, and then proceeded to follow Team One into a control room, one larger than the ones she was accustomed. Closing her eyes before Richard even spoke, even though she made sure to thank him for the warning regardless, Hu-Shi decided that the blonde bad boy really did have a nice side, however hidden it may be. First tea, then consideration for his teammates. What a stand-up guy. Though the retina-burning whiteness did turn her vision a shade of green when she reopened her eyes, it was nothing major, and the Chinese AWE pilot rubbed her eyes a few more times to get the itchiness out of them, before taking a look around. A rather atmospheric room, it was. Appeared like one of those Middle Eastern battlezone places that one of her Battlefield-obsessed friends used to love playing. After the British boy kicked the table-shaped hologram projector, it soon became clear what the mission was.

They were on another planet, one that was filled to the brim with aliens. An infestation of Saurids, lizard-like beings that operated based off a hive mind, if she remembered her biology classes properly. They have no eyes, making dark areas an exceptionally bad place to fight them, and optical camouflage is generally useless due to their ability to detect heat and track based off scent. If the pilot bleeds, it is instrumental to wash and seal the wound immediately, before getting rid of the lingering odor. Due to the hive mind's signals being that of a biological nature, there was no way to get ahead of whatever their Matriarch plans by intercepting their signals or what-not. Generally, a massive pain in the ass if one is defending against an invasion of those overgrown pests.

However, the terrain was that of a savannah. And even better, it was a place with roads and bridges.

In other words, the ideal location for the Chrome Ex-Road to make its teamplay debut.

While others discussed strategy, Hu-Shi was more curious in regards to Roman's sudden shift in personality. It was almost like those internet tough guys. In real life, they were shy and submissive, but the moment they have some sort of 'armor' to protect their identity and their selves, they suddenly become aggressive and abrasive. So Jack Roman was that type of person, was he? Truly, Canadians were an odd race of people. Must have been all the maple syrup and hockey. Even though the former WAS quite good.

Deciding that she might as well say a bit about herself, just in case it may be useful in any way, Hu-Shi coughed slightly and interjected, “Excuse me, I'm not sure if it would be of any major benefit, but considering the high energy consumption of the Rapid team and the lack of enemy AWEs, I would suggest that the Core team and Rapid team rendezvous a few times. My Chrome Ex-Road has an extra energy core, and it would probably be helpful if Richard and Wolf would be able to continue going on for even a few minutes longer in their disruption.”

“Also, I think that it should be noted that my AWE uses tank treads for movement, meaning that it can carry heavy loads with less strain than a bipedal AWE. In terms of sustained movement, it should be good in this situation. Just two bits that you might find helpful when developing a team strategy, Sergeant Minari. I'm no good with thinking up strategies and plans myself.”

Wingless: From the Cracked-Open Sky (Flying Whales and Magical Mecha Kiddies)

While I'm at it, feel free to advertise this thingy for me~ I was originally going for a smallish group of just five, but seeing how we now have seven...

Gotta hunt down three other strangers to make a round double-digit number.

Wingless: From the Cracked-Open Sky (Flying Whales and Magical Mecha Kiddies)

You can give it to me now.

Wingless: From the Cracked-Open Sky (Flying Whales and Magical Mecha Kiddies)

Honestly? People have tried going down into the ocean before. And they never make it out. You won't really find anything special even if you did go into those ruins, mainly because the sea-peeps would be pissed off enough to destroy most of everything. Basically...right now, the oceans are Cthulu.

Of course, I do have plans in the future regarding the ocean, but for now, it's best not to think about swimming with tentacle monsters.

Wingless: From the Cracked-Open Sky (Flying Whales and Magical Mecha Kiddies)

Alright, so, for confirmation, those who have gave me their souls thus far are...Descartes, Anderiel, TehFake, Skylar, Ostarion, and DR_TRAPEZOID, yes?

Mind giving me an idea of the gender, age, and experience of your planned characters? Just to note, but the Fae will generally be 'new' to the job.

Wingless: From the Cracked-Open Sky (Flying Whales and Magical Mecha Kiddies)

Whee~ Two people I don't know~

Now, I just need one more person that I don't know or haven't RPed with often enough, and my quota shall be filled...

Wingless: From the Cracked-Open Sky (probs animu mecha flying whale thingies)

I think that this was too TL;DR for a Casual Int Chek. So this is probs a k place to find people who would actually read it. Just note that this will be put in Casual, and have a standard post size of (gasp, the horror) only two paragraphs. Yeah. Such blasphemy.



From the cracked-open sky,
here lies an audible voice.
A parting word in a drop of water,
as the brightest star says,
"Goodbye."

For as long as recorded memory stood, humans have lived on the back of whales. Floating in the ever-changing sky, they coexist with other animals who formerly lived on the land, staying in pods of these massive flying whales, each one an independent, sustainable island of earth and mass in its own way. In a world where the sea has devoured all of the land, the wingless live on the backs of giants, a world where only those who can fly have the right to do the impossible.

Yet, once upon a time, it wasn't like this.

The world was of three: land, sky, and sea. The winged of the sky developed their kingdoms above the clouds, possessing the ability to generate supernatural phenomenons. Untouched by the activities of the land, they stayed as beings who were magnificent and divine, lead by dragons who were millenniums old. The ancients of the sea too developed their civilizations in the bottom of the ocean, considering themselves patrons of the waterkind, prospering in massive coral reefs and forests of seaweed. Though the magic of their elders, those who had tentacles, were of a darker nature than the winged, they were a just race. And then, those of the land, lead by the humans, a race younger than others, and yet, expanded the fastest. In just a few centuries, they have either tamed all others who lived on the land, or produced the weapons that allowed their inferior bodies kill those who resisted their rule. Though they were once also capable of using magic, they feared it instead of worship it, going about the motions to eradicate the witches and warlocks living amongst them. Technology replaced magic, and with technology came industrialization.

The kingdoms of man grew larger and larger, their population increasing exponentially. Unaware of those who inhabited the sky and the oceans, the humans crowned themselves as the masters of the world. Waste spilled into the oceans. Smoke drifted up into the sky. The lesser races of the ocean and sky were hunted and feasted upon as humans enjoyed new delicacies. More centuries passed, and men now lived in buildings of steel and concrete, believing that the greatest threats to humanity could only come from the inside, that the only things left for them to explore was space.

They were wrong.

A millennium of watching their homes become ruined had tried the patience of both the ocean and the sky, but it was ultimately the ocean that made its move first, every member of their kind banding together to eradicate the humans who carelessly ruined their own civilization.

It was only the whales who had thought that humans deserved another chance, but even amongst that race, it was but a percentage that believed that they should save and preserve the culture of the land. For whales had also been hunted, and many of them also sought vengeance.

In the span of three days, water levels rose all across the Earth, swallowing the continents whole. Only a few percentiles of the human race remained, and with them, only a small selection of the land's races were spared the indiscriminant attack. In the end, only a few of the Great Whales, giant leviathans who only surfaced the sea once every decade, chose to ultimately spare the humans. Yet the ocean was no longer a safe place for those of the land, and the dragons who ruled the sky were unwilling to intervene, for they too saw no point in saving a species that had only proven itself to be greedy monkeys that stole from other kingdoms.

The sea was no longer safe, but the sky was neutral.

With no other choice, one of the oldest races of the ocean left their homes in an act that could only be considered an irrational miracle. They rose above sea level and flew.

In just a few dozen years, they mastered the art of magic on their own, earning the respect of the dragons.

In a century, they grew five times their original size, and have recreated 'soil' on their massive backs.

In another twenty years, they taught humans how to live without utterly destroying everything.

And now, three hundred and ninety-three years after the flood that turned the planet completely blue, the story of the wingless begins once more.

---

Era'Thet, like every town, is named after the whale that it is built upon. A recent addition to the pod of Regana'Hier, Era'Thet had only been a member for three years, having joined the group of flying whales for unknown reasons. Originally devoid of human life, it is now the home of roughly three thousand humans, living in a sporadic settlement consisting of well-built, stone buildings, but only simple, dirt roads. Other than the essentials of water and electricity, it is very much a developing town, and still has much work to be done before it could be considered a proper, modern town.

The landscape of Era'Thet itself is that of a healthy forest on mountainous terrain. While the concept of a 'tall' mountain doesn't exist, there's no denying the fact that much of the land is sloped up and down in hills. From there, many canine-esque creatures lurk, four-legged beasts that dance between trees, being both a feared predator and the most common form of game meat. Many picturesque waterfalls and streams are also present, coming from lakes located at the highest points of the whale's back, which would eventually fall into the stomach of Era'Thet, nourishing it with vast quantities of rainwater it accumulates whenever it chooses to wander into a cloud. However, there are no fish in those streams.

Currently, the only form of long-range communication is through radio, and the majority of residents travel via bicycles. While the domestication of animals has been rather successful as of late, most sources of meat still come from the wild, and much of the back of the whale has yet to be explored. The 'Whale Shrine' has yet to be found as well, making it nigh-impossible for humans to communicate directly with Era'Thet.

---

Humans are, generally, existences incapable of utilizing magic. Without as many plentiful resources as before, humans are now at an extreme disadvantage in this world, even with the help of the whales that they live on. Thus, in order to help them gain more independence, the whales have created the first artifacts in the world capable of allowing anyone to use magic. Though it could be considered more as something that is 'grown' off the whale, just like terrain and fauna, these artifacts, dubbed 'Artificial Wings', give humans the ability to fly, as well as one other ability. However, only humans who have not yet reached adulthood are capable of utilizing these Artificial Wings, ultimately limiting the percentage of the human population that is capable of becoming the 'Fae', users of the Artificial Wings.

Artificial Wings, first and foremost, take the form of crystals, often worn as a piece of jewelry. These crystals, when activated by someone with the potential of becoming a Fae, manifest in three forms, depending on the stage of development for a Fae. Stage I is the manifestation of armor over one part of the Fae's body, as well as granting flight in the form of being able to 'walk' on air as one would on land. Stage II is the manifestation of a Fae's full armor, as well as their Artificial Wing's innate abilities. Stage III is the manifestation of the Fae's weapon, which acts both as an extension to the AW's abilities, as well as a powerful physical weapon that doesn't rely on magic. Though it always varies, it takes a year for a talented Fae to bring their AW up to Stage III.

The abilities of the Artificial Wings are rarely something that is only destructive. Instead, more often than not, they will be utility-based abilities, such as changing the state of an object to what it was twenty hours ago, or accelerating the speeds of an object. Abilities are accumulated from generation to generation, meaning that, as long as the Artificial Wings are continually passed down from one Fae to another, the abilities and parameters of an Artificial Wing will continue to grow stronger. This isn't the only way to strengthen an AW, however. Provided that two Artificial Wings originate from different whales, it is possible, through a long process, to fuse the two together, creating a new pair. Such processes are rarely done, however, simply due to the fact that the strength of a fused Wing doesn't necessarily equate to the strength of two separate Wings.

Often, unawakened Wings are found in random places deep in the wilderness, but occasionally, they will be the source of odd incidents. When such things happen, or when anything that humans normally can't handle happens, it is the job of Daedalus, an organization composed of Fae and former Fae, to resolve those incidents.

---

The name of the organization in Regana'Hier that manages all Fae, Daedalus could be considered a special operations force composed almost fully of Fae and former Fae. Tasked with both the special education and management of those with the potential to become a Fae, all candidates are run through a series of mental and physical tests, While it certainly isn't a necessity for a Fae to be physically and mentally fit, it should be noted that Artificial Wings act as a multiplier in terms of the increase to physical strength. There may be some who are blessed with high multipliers, but ultimately, the weaker you are normally, the weaker you are with Wings. These tests also serve as rankings in terms of priority in receiving Wings, which is generally a good indication of when one will become a proper Fae, a magical warrior who fights for the sake of humankind and whalekind.

Generally, Fae work in teams of around three to five, and are managed by a co-ordinator who acts as their support during missions. Though the coordinator is rarely seen in combat, it isn't unnatural for them to be in peak physical condition, with at least six years of experience in some form of martial combat. After all, all coordinators are originally Fae, and while they mainly serve as a strategist, they are still more capable than other humans in terms of combat prowess. Teams are often given free reign over how they choose to approach an order from the central command of Daedalus, but punishment is swiftly and harshly dealt out to those who breach any rules.

Currently, the Daedalus outpost in Era'Thet is such that there aren't really any teams. Only a bunch of Fae and coordinators, still unclear as to how they're supposed to group up. Daedalus modus operandi, after all, highly favors the independent and the self-disciplined.

---

Humans
Humans are...humans. Outside of certain things such as having an average lifespan of 130 years due to the influence of the whale's magic, they're relatively the same as they've always been.

Whales
Massive, island-sized behemoths of the sky, they house a variety of lifeforms on their backs, and have a hard, crusty outer skin that protects their inner skin from the rays of the sun. All the 'lakes' and 'tunnels' of the whale's back ultimately lead inside the whale, which is why falling into it...won't be a very nice experience. It is unknown what exactly whales eat, but regardless, they're able to reach amazing feats, both magically and physically. On the back of every whale is a Whale Shrine, allowing humans to communicate with their whale directly. Outside of that, they communicate via a sequence of low-frequency groans. To humans, whales are idolized in the same manner as the dragons are to the winged: that of saviours and teachers.

Dragons
Considered the strongest race above the ocean and below the heavens, Dragons are considered gods. With a lifespan that reaches upwards to three thousand years, they are immeasurably wise and the first existences to have attained the holy grail that is magic. Guardians to all the winged, they act as teachers for civilizations that they deem intelligent and responsible enough for the usage of magic. However, it should be noted that Dragons are not 'born' Dragons, but evolve into becoming such. Similar to a serpent, a proto-Dragon is the product of the reproduction of two Dragons. Immeasurably weak, the only reason a proto-Dragon survives its first five hundred years of life is due to its parents. The next five hundred years is for the proto-Dragon to explore the sky by itself, growing stronger through its own experiences. Needless to say, proto-Dragons are generally treated with the same respect one would give to a prince, but some races still view them as a delicacy of a meal. After one thousand years of life, proto-Dragons grow wings, and their magical ability increase tenfold, truly joining the ranks of gods.

---

A few questions to ask yourself before you join.
Will you stay devoted and post without me nagging you to do so?
Will you give me your skype and your soul?
Will you post at least two paragraphs worth of text each post?
Will you use proper, gentemanly English?
Will you take advice and criticism like a man, not like a female dog?
Will you actually do what I tell you to do for the sake of plotting?
Will you make a character that isn't so anti-social that logically, they won't even be talking to anyone?
Will you PM your CS before you post it in the IntChek or OOC or whatevar?

Le CS
Image: Animu/mango-style preferred.
Quote: A catchphrase or something...that your characters will actually use.
Name: Can be from any ethnicity, or even named after brands such as Coca-Cola.
Age: 6-18 for the Fae, 18+ for the muggles.
Gender: Male? Female? Or Hideyoshi?
Personality: One paragraph minimum. Your character will be changing as the RP goes, but at least keep some traits of their personality consistent. Don't write that they're a cute, shy little girl, and then write her as a Rambo.
Skills: Normal skills only, such as fishing and what-not.
Likes/Dislikes: Unless they have no soul, put something in there.
History: Two paragraph minimum. No need to make it tragic, but should include SOMETHING that makes it apparent why they chose to be a Fae.

Artificial Wings
Name: Name of your Wings. The naming convention is that of naming it based off fairy tales that relate to their ability. Three Little Pigs, for example, would be the construction of temporary barriers.
Stage: I, II, or III
Description/Image: Describe what your Wings look like when activated. Or use an image.
Ability: Your ability. If it's something annoyingly OP, prepared for lots of nerfing.

http://Reality - OOC

Pls. Averus isn't even OP. He's just the only animu dude in a group filled with animu girls. It's his harem potential that makes him OP.

Wingless: From the Cracked-Open Sky (Flying Whales and Magical Mecha Kiddies)

Polite would be me ignoring you until you get the message and disappear. I've done it before, I can do it again.