Letter Bee

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Iron Lady, Part Eight, The Golden Lady, Part Two, Midterm Madness, End (For Now)

It was rare that Priscilla set foot in Makati, one of the remaining bourgeois places in Manila and the centre of the state capitalist financial institutions which bound the syndicates and communes of the country together. Here was where the Bangko Sentral had its headquarters; Priscilla had deduced that the Bank and Aurelia had been exchanging money in ways that were not illegal, but clearly biased and partial. And it was in said Headquarters, Aurelia's territory, that she would meet with the woman herself to congratulate her on her victory in the Mid-terms; Aurelia was now a Congresswoman for the Ilocos Region, and more able to deal with Priscilla as a fellow member of the Government.

I feel like I am heading to the lair of a beast, the Lady President thought as she and her bodyguards went inside the bank building, a 'chic' 1920s' Art Deco building built two decades after the actual 1920s as a show of strength by the property's owners.

The doors were opened to let her through; guards searched them for weapons but in as respectful a way as possible. Then, they were led to the second floor, where a comparatively luxurious cafeteria cooled by an American-model air conditioner; Priscilla couldn't help but turn up her nose at that, scandalized at the extravagance. Thankfully, she noticed herself just in time to put a smile in her face as Aurelia, clad in silks and pineapple fibre and dyed cotton, entered the managers' cafeteria, bodyguards in tow.

The two sat down on each side of a table that had a rather nice view of Makati; even Priscilla was impressed by the vista. As waiters set down milk for Priscilla and wine for Aurelia, as well as rice cakes, beef ribs, and rice itself, the newly-minted Opposition Leader said, "Greetings, Lady President."

Priscilla smiled in unease, "Greetings, Congresswoman Dizon." She then pursed her lips. "Congratulations on your victory; I never anticipated that the public would need electric lighting."

Aurelia smiled with exaggerated indulgence. "My dear, don't beat yourself up; we may hold different beliefs, but we both know this: The people are the source of power, for they are made in the image of God. We just deal with that fact in different ways." A pause, and she continued, "And I have a plan to keep the people's mandate; to give them what they asked me to give. And I will look good doing it, too." A chuckle as she used a fork and knife to eat while Priscilla used a fork and spoon. "You came here to hear my plan, right?"

Priscilla's nervousness faded as she found herself in the political battlefield once again, and she said, "Yes. I presume it involves 'Special Economic Zones'?"

A nod from Aurelia. "Your instincts are more impressive than your fashion sense." A glare from Irene and the other bodyguards as she said that. "Yes, I do plan to propose a bill for Special Economic Zones where regulations and restrictions on business are less enforced than on other portions of the country. Tax breaks, lower tarriffs and customs duties, allowing syndicates and middlemen to keep a larger portion of the profits, the works. However, all of this is to be balanced out by the redistributive mechanisms you so love; labor laws, a minimum wage and universal basic income, and of course, voluntary and 'voluntary' contributions to the funds earmarked for the minimum wage." A smirk. "Because even with those, we'd gain more than we lose."

Priscilla smiled thinly as she sipped her milk. "You regain your image as paternal...guides over the people."

Aurelia nodded again. "You say you value equality and fairness, and I see you regard it as a scandal that those who work the hardest taste the fruits of their labor the least. I see where you are coming from. But the mercantile spirit is more than just 'sociopathy, monopoly, oppression and cronyism'. The mercantile spirit has also produced entrepreneurship, innovation, exploration of new frontiers, and the overcoming of challenges. Ambition is needed for true progress; that is my belief."

"And it was ambition that led you to be the first to swear allegiance to my father, husband, and me when we led the charge for Independence." Priscilla's face hardened. "But whatever good came of the capitalist system came at too high a price."

Aurelia smiled faintly. "Then let's make a synthesis, a Hegelian synthesis; combine our systems together to create a greater whole..."

Innocence Lost: An RP of Child Soldiers and Science Fantasy [5 Players]

Interested - already got a plan for punch guy!

@Duoya

Thanks; just waiting for a Co-GM or two to help me cope with the future stress of the RP...

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Decided not to drop Leonard L. Scipio.

Innocence Lost: An RP of Child Soldiers and Science Fantasy [5 Players]

@Letter Bee
What is the general age range of the child soldiers and what's the range of their physical changes because of the experimentation? Just want to get a good idea of my weirdness wiggle room.

@Pathfinder

16 - 18. They look just like normal humans.

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Scipio Industries and Finance

"Clone Troopers?!" Leonard couldn't help but shout in childish glee as he sat on his throne at the Venator's bridge. "Someone had the idea before I and Pau Je did?!" He then turned towards the Kaminoan by his right side, his expression a mix of fascinated, like a young boy in a candy store, and jealous, like someone who has had 'his' idea stolen even though it wasn't even patented. Pau Je turned towards him and said:

"There were rumors of a cell of cloners who left Kamino with a couple of thousand embryos and never came back. I was too young and inexperienced back then to be invited, but I heard tales that they knew the Empire was going to destroy our way of life and left to preserve it." Her tone was that of reverence with a tinge of envy.

Rule Findos, at Leonard's left side, then spoke: "We cannot trust smugglers and pirates, sir! Especially not ones who supposedly stood by as the Imperial Presence in the Tanarus System was supposedly destroyed by this 'Republic Remnant'. We only have their hearsay, after all."

After Rule paused, Leonard turned to an angry Raj Vizla, whose tense body language was not fully concealed by his Mandalorian Armor, and said, "Calm yourself. We will gain the resources and expertise to make new clones, one way or another, and you will have the opportunity to prove yourself worthy of being the template for this new army." Returning to Pau and Rule, Leonard would continue, "Send a transmission to the smugglers and pirates recently escaped from Tanarus. Tell them that we believe their words."

A pause. "In fact, send this message to all smuggers in Dandoran; that the CEO of Scipio Industries and Finance, Leonard L. Scipio, is posting a 100,000-credit reward for any information or evidence that this 'Republic-in-Exile exists, as well as their status. Tell them too that this reward will be collected in Paradise; we're going there."

Pau Je blinked. "But what about Dandoran? We are not going to build a base there?"

Leonard shook his head. "No, but give a few thousand credits to the local Church of the Force anyway so that they'd pray for my soul anyway; my soul needs it."

And with that, Scipio Industries and Finance, having made sure that their paint job was brown instead of red and that their transponders said 'Scipio Industries and Finance', would head for Paradise, ready to chase down leads to this very interesting faction...

Innocence Lost: An RP of Child Soldiers and Science Fantasy [5 Players]

This definitely has my interest. Given thsy this is a science fantasy story, firearms are allowed, yes? Even if not I'll still throw my hat in the ring.

@Otaku95

Umm, yes. Kinetic Weapons, Lasers, and Plasma Weapons are allowed.

Innocence Lost: An RP of Child Soldiers and Science Fantasy [5 Players]

Inviting @Conscripts to become my new Co-GM.

Innocence Lost: An RP of Child Soldiers and Science Fantasy [5 Players]

Innocence Lost: An RP of Child Soldiers and Science Fantasy

I.Intro.

Intro

We were just children, albeit ones of exceptional mind and body. Then the Ascendancy of Man took us from our families, our friends, and our homes; they said we were needed to fight the 'Alien Menace' that was threatening our civilization. In the name of 'survival', they changed us, pumping our bodies full of impossible substances that defied the laws of reality. It was a miracle we all lived to see the horrors of war, they said, but was it really?

After being altered and trained, we were thrown into the meatgrinder that the war against the other species of the sector had become. With new powers given to us by the impossible compounds that were flowing through our veins, our battalions slew huge numbers of the enemy. But it wasn't enough; in the Battle of Proxima, the Ascendancy's fleets and armies finally fell to a sustained assault by the Aliens, and we, the extra-normal child soldiers that had wreaked such havoc against the foe, were captured and taken to a prison camp in one of the enemy's holdings.

Despair overtook us as we awaited our fate. What abuse was coming? How will we be treated by those whom we had slaugthered in droves? But when our enemies, the Aliens known as the Rau've, showed pity on us instead, we wept in joy. They saw that we were just kids, and gave us mercy.

We were offered new homes, new families among the Aliens, and most of us accepted. But I didn't, same for a handful of others. I thanked our former captors - former, for the war had ended with a peace treaty - but I told them that I and the others with me wanted revenge on the regime that had betrayed us, used us, and were more cruel than the enemy they fought. They sighed, and gave us coordinates to the Galactic Bazaar, a space station where jobs and ships can be found to start our revenge; they wouldn't help us directly.

And so we, with magic, combat skills, and what few peaceful talents we remembered before we were 'drafted' by the Ascendancy of Man, we went to the space station where almost anything can be sold and bought. But one must be warned; the Ascendancy of Man was also there, and will not tolerate their former tools turning against their 'masters'...

------

Basically, this is an RP where you play former child soldiers in a Science Fantasy world with both lasers and (limited to some people) Magic. Taken and used by the dictatorial regime controlling Humanity in a war where they were in the wrong, you have forsaken the Aliens' enemy of a new home and a peaceful life in exchange for a quest to bring down the people who had taken your childhood away from you. Or at least, that's what some of you say; others just want closure.

Forming yourselves into a party, you must first survive and find work in a space station where both legal and illegal trading are widespread, and then you must find or buy a ship in order to begin the task of destroying your former tormentors, the Ascendancy of Man...

II. Alien Species

Alien Species

The Rau've - The prime leaders of the Coalition against Humanity, the Rau've are a race of plant people who are able to nourish themselves through photosynthesis, enabling them to mostly sidestep the agricultural stage of development. Highly philosophical and compassionate, the Rau've can still be savage in war, as their organic warships and crystal-based energy cannons show. But they were deeply horrified at their enemy's use of children in battle, and were the prime advocates of letting the child soldiers go unpunished after the peace treaty was signed.

The Kaisoken: A race of sentient crystal-like minerals bound by quantum pathways and transcendant intelligence. Floating gently, the Kaisoken communicate through impulses translated into audible speech, and are proficient in the control of magic, though they are limited in a straight fight. They were traditionallly enemies with the Rau've, who had used their nonsapient crystal 'cousins' in their tech, but allied with them against the Ascendancy of Man, who had used ground Kaisoken dust in the experiments that eventually led to their child soldier program. Because of this, they broke off relations with the Rau've after the war for letting the child soldiers get off 'freely'.

The Gill: Combining reptilian and amphibian features, the Gill are evolved to live primarily in water, with long, slender limbs for powerful strikes ending in webbed hands. Hardy against poisons and extreme terrain, on account of the noxious swamps on their homeworld, they have moved to colonize other oceanic places, and are proficient skirmishers. Like Humans, they need Kaisoken dust infused into their bodies to use Magic.

The Korta: Diminuitive beings resembling pachyderms, the Korta are highly intelligent and analytical, mostly serving as engineers and bureaucrats. Computer systems, locks, and riddles tend to fall quickly before them. They also need Kaisoken dust mixed into their bloodstream to use Magic.

The Tayanen: Clusters of sentient amorphous material locked into massively armored shells, the Tayanen deliver heavy firepower with high resistance to shock, heat, or trauma, having little vulnerable area. Nevertheless, they are slow to react, though their decision making ability when in a group can be very fast. Cannot use Magic at all unless grafted with a willing Kaisoken 'host' through an unknown process.

III. Magic System

Magic

There are six disciplines of Magic:

High - There are many theories that try to explain High Magic. Some say that it is the power of The Divine, it is the power of positive emotions, channeled through the human soul. Nevertheless, High Magic is the power of controlling Magical Energy itself, allowing for the ability to see all Magic, to draw available magical energy from the sky and earth, create constructs of condensed Mana, create and fuel magitech and enchanted items, ward people and places from magic, and finally, the ability to create bolts of silver-white light that cause damage that cannot be healed by Magic (although Science is exempt).

World - World Magic is control over the physical elements of the world. You want to create Fire? World Magic. You want to alter Gravity to make yourself float? World Magic. You want to use lightning to electrocute a person? World Magic. Basically, if it has nothing to do with changing one thing to another, or controlling something that isn't wholly of this earth? World Magic is your key. Basically, Bending from Avatar: The Last Airbender, but without healing or spiritual arts and with control over gravity.

Change - This is the magic that deals with changing one thing to another. This magic can knit wounds and reverse aging, cause trees to grow fists and turn vines into whips. This magic can change one substance to another, turning lead into gold, earth into acid, and fire into water. What it cannot do, however, is affect stuff protected by High magic, or mess with things that are already dead. That belongs to another school, the magic of the Underworld.

Underworld - Death is all around us, and the old laws against disturbing the ghosts who chose not to pass on are gone, cast into the wind. Nevertheless, the souls of the departed have to be treated with respect...but it is not the same for their bodies. Underworld Magic is the magic of Necromancy; it is the magic you wield when you want to raise an army of the dead, to control the shadows of the world, to speak with ghosts, and to strike people dead with one blow. You can even use this to transcend death, allowing you continued existence in this world without need for food, drink, and sleep...

Timespace - The magic of travelling vast distances in a single bound, of teleportation, portals, bullet time, and scrying. The strongest Magi can even control probability, making a person luckier or unluckier, sometimes to absurd levels. But what it cannot do is reverse the past, basically, no time travel. Time stop, however, is a possibility...

Mind Magic - This magic deals with controlling minds and altering emotions of both humans and animals, as well as creating illusions, mental compulsions, and even erasing or editing memories. A very powerful magical discipline, but a strong willpower can break its effects...

Basically, each PC is supposed to mix and match effects from multiple sources of magic, but the more disciplines you take your power from, the less room you have to grow.

You have six spells available, but the more schools you pick, the weaker they will be, as a rule.

Counterspell/Dispel Magic rules.

Countering and Dispelling Magic

Making Anti-Magic spells is a bit complicated, but basically, you first need three High Magic spells, including the Anti-Magic rote, and one spell of the School you want to dispel. For example, if you want to dispel Underworld Magic, you need three High Magic spells and one Underworld Magic spell. As you have six starting spells available, you can theoretically be able to counter or Dispel three schools maximum. You can only counter or dispel High Magic if all six of your starting spells are of that school.

Enchantment Rules

Enchantment Rules

Enchantment requires High Magic and a spell that you or another party member knows, along with an item to be enhcanted. Note however that the weaker and less durable the material is, the magic you can put into it is more limited; for example, oak can be enchanted to emit laser beams, birch cannot. This is the same for metals, and the strongest of spells can only be enchanted into 'Perfected Electrum (more below)'.

Perfected Electrum

Perfected Electrum

Electrum is a mix of Gold and Silver that occurs naturally, but can be made by artificial means. This material, if treated by High and Change Magic by four different Magi (see 'Group Spells' below) can be 'perfected', aka transformed into a metal as hard as diamond yet not as brittle, and whose lightness is that of cloth. But the most valuable property of Perfected Electrum is that it can contain very, very strong spells, except for Resurrection (see below under 'Group Spells'). The Ascendancy of Man has a monopoly of Perfected Electrum; not that it helped them win the war.

Group Spells

Group Spells

Basically, multiple spell-casters with different Schools can do things that would strain a single Mage. This also helps in compensating for single Magi's weaknesses in specialization.

Example Spell:

Resurrection (High, Change, Underworld + materials for a new body) - Three Magi, or alternatively, a single Magi who has six High, Change, and Underworld spells each, can bring back a dead person. High Magic is used to supply magical energy for the permanent return of the Soul (said soul must always be willing), Change is used to turn inorganic material into organic matter, and Underworld is used to tug back the Soul from wherever it's been. Resurrection cannot be Enchanted into Items.

IV. What if I don't want to play a Mage?

Exceptional Skills

Any PC can replace a spell from their spell list with an 'Exceptional Skill', which is basically a mundane talent that can be boosted to extraordinary and unnatural levels. All Exceptional Skills can resist the magical equivalent, or even counter them; for example, Exceptional Swordsmanship allows you to cut through magical barriers or attacks, while Exceptional Medicine can cure wounds caused by High Magic and normally unhealable by any spell, provided one has the right materials. Exceptional Skills can be anything you want, as long as 1.) it does not have an obviously magical effect, and 2.) It is an enhanced version of something a normal human can already do, just boosted to implausible levels.

This is an incomplete list of examples:

- Exceptional Swordsmanship
- Exceptional Archery
- Exceptional Unarmed
- Exceptional Endurance (can resist even magic)
- Exceptional Bureaucracy
- Exceptional Trading
- Exceptional Diplomacy (stuff done with this can resist the effects of Mind magic, even if the target is weak-willed)
- Exceptional Medicine

Exceptional Skills can also be stacked, aka doubled or even tripled in power. For example, you can use up three spell slots to gain Exceptional Swordsmanship x3, which allows you to cut through a two-story building made up of granite, and tear apart a Time Stop with a slash. More on stacking in the Rules section.

Note that Exceptional Skills are intended to be specialized, but at the same time, lack the versatility of Magic. And yes, you can have both Exceptional Skills and Magic; Exceptional Skills replace individual spells, not the entire spell list.

Technology

Tech Level is...variable, thanks to the effects of widespread upheaval. Automation is common in the more civilized portions of the Sector, as well as lasers, railguns, EMP emitters, and plasma throwers. The main method of FTL is the use of a 'wormhole system' that links most planets, but Kaisoken, Rau've, and Ascendancy of Man use Spacewarpers, spaceships that either use Magic (Kaisoken and Rau've) or Super-tech (Ascendancy) that can turn a hundred light years' worth of distance to one day's trip.

V. Rules

Rules

1.) No Godmoding or Powergaming, aka no controlling other players' actions, no defeating your enemy in one shot, and no shrugging of all hits without a magical shield.
2.) Any consenting relationship between people of the same age group is allowed, whether it's Homosexual or Heterosexual. If you cannot stand such things, don't post here in the first place.
3.) Be polite to others.
4.) Please notify me if you will be gone for more than a week, I myself will let you guys know if I will be gone for that same amount of time.
5.) It's a fantasy world; you can learn Magic - two new spells of any School per Story Arc, more if you find a willing mentor (another PC, another Magic-user, a Kaisoken who doesn't hate your guts) and time. New Exceptional Skills, on the other hand, are easier to stack, harder to learn - You can double the power of two Exceptional Skills every first arc, and select a new exceptional skill every second arc. The story for this RP will have Eight Arcs, so you get to stack two skills on the first, add one skill on the second, stack again on the third, and so on.

VI. Character Sheet Skeleton

Character Sheet Skeleton

Name: What’s your characters name?
Age: How old is your character?
Physical Description: What does your character look like?
Place any photo’s here.
Important items: What possessions are important to your character?
Short Bio: Tell us your character's story up to this point.
Spell List: 6 Spells overall.
Exceptional Skill List: Replace any number of your 6 Spells with an Exceptional Skill

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Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Shit. I've had a bit of a time. Now that NaNoWriMo, the three back to back major projects, and my week of depression are done I can actually get back to this. I'll try to get a post done after I finish my research essay.

<Snipped quote by Letter Bee>

I ain't had the time to read the IC since my disappearance yet, but assuming you haven't already done something with them then yeah sure you can be the one to do it.

@Keyguyperson

Ah, already did something with them and are doing more stuff.

So, will there be a War Arc soon?

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Still in the RP, and Ken is still technically active (especially if @CaptainBritton wants to interact), but I think I will try and see what stories I want to tell in this setting for now.