Letter Bee

Iliad City: A Magical RP in an Original World (Resuming)

@Bartimaeus@LilSwifty@Nyxira@Smike@Rabidporcupine@Landaus Five-One@Nimbus@MK2@RabidChoco:

I, Jest, and Windstormugly talked about Custodian Lore a bit more, and we decided to edit the Custodian's lore to make The One less intentionally dickish. Here is the lore in bullet points:

- The majority of Custodians didn't rebel, and are still in Heaven.
- Only a few thousand Custodians were cast down to the Universe.
- Fallen Custodians can breed with other Custodians to make full-blooded members of their race, and breed with other species to create Part-Custodians.
- Few Custodians ended up in Historia as Coyote did.
- The grand majority of Custodians founded a 'Star Empire' a thousand light-years away from Historia.
- The reason the Star Empire doesn't just invade Historia is that even with advanced technology, the Galaxy is still very big and it's hard to find one single planet. Thus, they have to be summoned by [SPOILER] or be extremely lucky.

Academy of Noble Arms - The Golden Generation

Are you still looking for players? I am more than willing to join this. It's very interesting.

@WindsOfFate

We're open for 8 players, yes.

Academy of Noble Arms - The Golden Generation

After talking with TheHangedMan himself, we're limiting the number of A-Ranks after this.

Academy of Noble Arms - The Golden Generation

After conversing with @Renny, there is an IC reason why Nuru identifies as 'Egyptian' despite Egypt being an Arabized Muslim (with a Christian minority) country. Thus, he is accepted.

Academy of Noble Arms - The Golden Generation

Talking Renny's submission over in Discord.

Academy of Noble Arms - The Golden Generation

Oh! And the original maker of the idea, TheHandgedMan, will be my Co-GM - We agreed on Steam!

Academy of Noble Arms - The Golden Generation

Cynthia Weissberg

Appearance:

Name: Cynthia Weissberg

Age: 16

Nationality: German-Filipino

Noble Arm Name & Appearance:

Dragon-Queen Spear



Noble Arm Abilities:

Dual-Element Generation: Sea and Flame - Cynthia can generate water and fire from her spear, as well as control already-existing sources of it, dragging them from place to place. She can also turn water into ice and fire into lightning.

Friendly Fireproofing - With a moment of concentration, Cynthia can make it so that the fire and water she generates and controls refuse to burn, drown, or otherwise affect people she does not count as an enemy, enabling her to spare civilians and allies from her attacks. With another moment of concentration, she can also make it refuse to burn, freeze, or otherwise damage wood and other flammable materials. This makes her an immensely valuable asset on clearance missions, as it means that she can spray fire around without risking too much collateral damage.

Personality: Cynthia wants to enjoy what life has to offer, and that means playing video games, eating good food, listening to music, and for an Arms Master, fighting. However, Cynthia only enjoys fighting in spars or against ‘morally illegitimate’ foes, aka bullies and true scumbags. Against ‘morally grey’ fighters, like those who have experienced tragedy or even oppression from [Insert Source Here], Cynthia is forced to grit her teeth and keep on fighting, even as it breaks her heart to have to fight against people she can sympathize with on some level. This comes from an upbringing that, though loving, has not blinded her to the truth of the world.

*Likes: A good scrap, protecting civilians, and proving that she is more than her Noble Arm.

*Dislikes: Fighting against sympathetic people.

Fears: Being forced to kill someone she agrees with.

Bio: Cynthia was born in Germany, to a Filipino Mother and German Father who fell in love in the Philippines itself. Her upbringing was happy, although her parents were known for political views which came close to the Organization for Disarmament’s, political views which changed when Cynthia manifested her Noble Arm at a young age, changing their lives forever. From then on, Cynthia was the subject of both love and parental worry, due to the fact that she might get kidnapped by people who wanted to use her, ‘drafted’ by a Government who saw her mostly as an asset, or even grow to hate herself because of her powers.

Those fears didn’t happen, but they very well could have, as Cynthia’s life did get more dangerous every time her status as an Arms Master was publicized. Then one day, one of her parents’ former friends, now a Disabler, began harassing her family, first through cyberspace, then through physical means such as splattering graffiti and sending letter bombs. Eventually, said former friend tried to drive a car right into Cynthia and her mother, and Cynthia had to stop him - Even though the fight was not lethal, she was forever haunted by the look of hate her opponent had greeted her.

The family moved to the Philippines soon after, with Cynthia wondering just why this state of conflict had to be the case. Either way, she entered Trinidad Academy, with her skills and her parents’ connections and cash (although she hated using the latter) guaranteeing her a high-ish Student Rank...

*Current Goal: To do her own small part to create peace and cooperation between Arms Masters and Normal People.

Student Rank: 500

*Optional

Academy of Noble Arms - The Golden Generation

@Endeavor, Hello!

Academy of Noble Arms - The Golden Generation

Pablo Legazpi

Appearance:

Height: ~1.8 Meters. Weight: 55 kgs.

Name: Pablo Legazpi

Age: 16

Nationality: Filipino

Noble Arm Name & Appearance: Katotohanan Ng Mundo (Truth of the World)



Noble Arm Abilities:

The Light of Truth - By touching a target with any part of the sword, Pablo can reveal said target's 'truth'; this in essence means he can find out their life, their thoughts, and their secrets, without lies, self-delusions, and filters . When used upon a living person, they also see what is being revealed as well and know, instinctively, that it's the truth. When used on an inanimate object, Pablo can find out events the object was involved in; useful when used against a murder weapon. This power can undo any form of mind control or mental effect, illusions that are not based on holograms, and mundane indoctrination and brainwashing techniques, as well as various forms of insanity that lead one to believe lies.

But the drawback of this power is twofold: One, Pablo also uses the power on himself every time he activates it, preventing him from lying to himself about his actions and their consequences. The other flaw is that Pablo has no purely defensive or offensive powers except for his sword’s sharp blade and the effects of the truth on sapient minds.

Eyes of Truth - Pablo focuses the Sword's power into his eyes, allowing him to 'read' the hidden powers of Noble Arms within sight range, even if they are invisible or otherwise concealed. Like the above two powers, this cannot be used alongside the Light of Truth, though in this case, it's only because the latter is redundant with the Eyes.

Personality: Pablo is a naturally reckless person who relies on his powers too often, but can take advice when needed. He also has a high opinion of himself and his intelligence, as well as a sense of self-loathing whenever this high opinion is proven to be wrong. Despite this, however, Pablo is a kind person, one who focuses on helping others as well as himself, and is aware of his flaws. He is someone who wants to have friends, and goes to great lengths to get people to like him and keep liking him.

*Likes: Sweets, Swordsmanship, History and Literature.

*Dislikes: Bullies, Spicy Food.

Fears: Showing his darker side to his peers.

Bio: Pablo's great-grandparents were migrant workers who came to the city of Manila in the Magsaysay Administration, looking for opportunity, and unlike many others, finding it. While said great-grandparents were menial workers, their children, Pablo's grandparents, were lowly clerks, while Pablo's mother became a lawyer and his father an Eskrima instructor. And so, Pablo grew into some wealth and affluence, despite his mother frequently taking on cases for free. Despite this, Pablo's life seemed normal, although he was more intelligent than his peers by a large margin, to the point where he took advanced classes. This made him feel isolated, and also the target of bullies. It became worse when he realized that he was bisexual early on.

He was afraid that if anyone found out, he would be expelled from his family and left out in the streets; he didn't want that. But at the same time, this was what he was born with, and he couldn't change it - he tried. The only people he can confide his secrets to, as well as doubts, were people on the Internet. Yes, foolish idea, but as long as he didn't reveal his name and personal details, he would be all right, right? Wrong, because eventually, one of those people, a woman, found out his personal details and tried to blackmail him for money.

Pablo had to make a choice: Risk his secret coming out, or steal from what was not his? He chose the former, and he 'came out' to his mother that day. Surprisingly, his mother was understanding; not entirely approving, but not rejecting, either. And so they chose to confront the potential blackmailer together, Pablo's mother had a gun, just in case.

The blackmailer turned out to be one a former plaintiff that Pablo's mother had successfully prosecuted, and now sought to ruin the life of her family in response. She was also a Noble Arms master with a Gauntlet that created illusions and vertigo. Caught in a trap, Pablo and his mother risked death...until Pablo manifested his own Noble Arm, the Noble Arm of Truth. Taken by surprise, the blackmailer was defeated through a combination of quick moves and sucker punches by Pablo. And after that, the boy transferred to Trinidad Academy, rejecting offers from more reputable institutions because Trinidad Academy was both in his country and closer to home.

Besides, he wanted to see if the New Director could pull off what he promised...

*Current Goal: See if the New Director can make Trinidad Academy a place for heroes.

Student Rank: 1000

*Optional

Academy of Noble Arms - The Golden Generation

Academy of Noble Arms - The Golden Generation

In the twilight of World War II, a mysterious power surfaced among select humans. This power, the Noble Arm, was the ability to conjure up a paranormal weapon that can defy the laws of physics, a weapon innate in the user's mind and summoned by their will into reality. For reasons that are still unexplainable despite years of research, Noble Arms only take the form of weapons from before the First World War, however, despite the antiquity of these forms, the power they bear to the battlefield is unlike anything modern technology has been able to produce.

The ability to manipulate the elements to the user's will.

Forces that can reduce matter down to atoms in seconds.

The strength to withstand the explosion of a nuclear missile.

All of these powers, and more wondrous and terrifying abilities, come with Noble Arms. Thus, the ones who bear them, the Arms Masters, are sought after by countries all around the world. Where once the strength of a country was decided by the technological strength of their Army, it is now judged by the power of their Arms Masters.

But this state of affairs has produced sadness and strife; the world was not prepared for the possibility of superhumans, people who just by existing, challenge the notion of equality between men. And so Arms Masters and Normal Humans live in an uneasy state of coexistence, with radicals on both sides wishing to shatter the peace and dominate one another.

Focus now on the Trinidad Noble Arms Academy (Full name: Armamento Sanctuario la Trinidad de Filipinas: Armaments Sanctum Trinity of the Philippines). Based in the Philippines, Trinidad is an international school known for its relatively low standards and high graduation rate. It is a school that produces second-rate and mediocre Arms Masters, with no notable achievements save one: It was the Academy that produced the Hero of 1987, Angelito Jaime who single-handedly ended the war between the ASEAN member nations and China before it had even begun.

Now, though its reputation is tattered and its results unspectacular, Trinidad remains a highly populated Academy, boasting of a population of over 2000 students. This is due in part to Trinidad's unique scholarship system that allows the lower class, who normally are unable to enroll in an Arms Masters Academy, to enroll. However, this year, things have changed; the director has suddenly passed-away and another one has taken his place. This Director is driven, determined, and powerful. He has announced that he would be remaking the Academy into a first-rate producer of Arms Masters around the world, and he would take that first step by announcing the schools participation in the Noble Arms Summit - an international meet for all Arms Masters, and the main event is the Noble Arms Summit Student Tournament. The Director will achieve this goal by all means; even if it means culling down hundreds of incapable students.

What path will you take, on the dawn of this sudden revolution?

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Noble Arms

Noble Arms:

Noble Arms take the form of weaponry that were created before World War I - Each one of them has powerful abilities beyond normal human capacity, however they can only be used if they are released into reality by their user. Noble Arms exist in a kind of 'hyperspace' that is unique to its user and can be called from there - in essence, an Arms Master is always armed.

Noble Arms have an astonishingly versatile ability pool, from calling down fire, to strengthening the body, etc., and more often than not, possess more than one ability. However, similar to physical activity, using a Noble Arm is draining physically and more so mentally - Extended use of its abilities is much akin to overexerting yourself on both fronts, and as such, so much more fatal to overdo.

Noble Arm Ratings:

Noble Arms are rated according to how valuable they are, and that value is determined using two factors: Rarity of effect, and military usage. The strength of a Noble Arm is thus determined by how many military and police countermeasures are in place. The rankings go from F to A. There exist Noble Arms that change strength depending on the situation, and are added with the additional "+" symbol.

Examples of determining rank and its effects is:

- A Noble Arm Capable of strengthening its user is common, and can easily be countered by police officers with proper ordinance, and thus, merits an E rank, its user is not notable to the government and subsequently ignored.

- On the other hand, a Noble Arm capable of creating explosions in the atmosphere is uncommon and dangerous, as such, the user must undergo a government registration form and be placed under mild scrutiny. The Noble Arm in question will merit a C or B rank.

- Finally, there are Noble Arms that can achieve effects akin to nuclear explosions. Such Noble Arms are both rare and extremely dangerous to countries at large. Its user will be under constant surveillance and limits will be placed on the usage of their Noble Arm. Such Noble Arms are always rated A.

Trinidad Academy

Trinidad Academy

Trinidad Academy is located in the Philippines, near the coast of Manila. It's funded by several important banks plus a few military organizations and as such, its curriculum matches that of its investors, many of whom double as corrupt oligarchs. In this sense, Trinidad is both a school and a military academy. While the students are generally treated as normal students, those in the 11th and 12th grade go through the C.A.T - Citizen Army Training. While this is mandatory in most schools, for Trinidad which is an Academy backed by the military and the country's prime educational facility for Arms Masters, the military has a direct hand in the CAT's.

The academy has a myriad of high-tech facilities available to its students. Most can only be used during classes and can only be used outside of them if for club activities and with the permission of the director, or otherwise if reservations were made. However, reservations cost-per-hour of use, making it a non-option for most students and a reason why Trinidad isn’t able to punch above its own weight - The most skilled students just don’t have the money to use the good training facilities.

Technically, the Academy has a ranking system that works on two fronts: 40% on your academics, 40% on your Noble Arms testing grades, 10% conduct, and 10% on honors brought to the academy. Students that enter the top 50 in rankings are given scholarships that include discounts to the school cafeteria and facilities, and a 40% cut of their tuition. Students in the top 20 are given more benefits, such as consideration for special trips - such as overseas training or special vacation spots courtesy of the schools backers - and a 50% cut in their tuition fee. Students in the top 5 have a 100% discount on tuition, a stipend of 5000 PHP (roughly 105 USD) every month, and free use of the schools facilities, however permission is still needed from the director, given reservations in several special training programs - some of them overseas - and vacation spots. Lastly they are exempt from being late for regular classes so long as they remain in the top 5.

Student rankings are evaluated every end of the semester, with the first semester rankings being determined by the last semester of the previous year's rankings. However, corruption in the system has brought over a lot of Students which do not fit their designated rating, thus holding back the Academy from punching above its own weight.

This system has been in effect since the school's inception, and the new Director plans to make it work as written, closing opportunities for bribery and making the process more transparent, as well as demoting students who did not merit their ranks.

And finally, the Academy has dorms that can be rented for roughly 5000 php per month.

Noble Arms Summit

The greatest gathering of Arms Masters in the world. Taking place once every two years, over a period of one week, the Noble Arms Summit is both a show of force and an opportunity to share info about the information and abilities of Noble Arms, and is meant to progress research into the mysterious power. While older Arms Masters generally attend the summit in order to scout out potential apprentices and to update themselves on current developments, students that attend are generally only here for one thing: The Noble Arms Summit Student Tournament.

This tournament is the Summit's main event and draws the eyes of the whole world. Winners of the tournament are the prime targets of sponsors, advertisement and admiration; they are practically guaranteed a good life. Eligible participants of this tournament are those in the seventh grade to college students up to the 3rd year only.

The tournament is split into two divisions: Team and Individual. Participants in the Individual Division can participate in the Team Division, however, most schools avoid doing this and usually choose to focus on one division. The required number of students in the team division is 6, and the total number of Arms Masters a school can choose to represent their school is eight. Also, there can only be 3 participant schools per country, meaning that unless a certain standard has been met, as long as those standards have not been reached, a school will not even be considered by the governing body of that country.

The current Individual's champion is the USA's Joshua Banning, and the current runner-up is China's Cuifen Jiang-yi. The current champion of the team division is Japan's Shin-Sakura Gakuen, with its captain Tomoyo Sakuragi being a previous Individual Champion three years ago.

Extra Organizations

Arms of Nobility

An organization bent on pushing the importance of Noble Arms and Arms Masters, and is the chief backer of their rights globally. Many of its supporters are wealthy and well known, however, they often face strong opposition from non-Arms Masters due to the agendas they push and the number of benefits they desire for Arms Masters.

Organization for Disarmament

An organization determined to limit the use of Noble Arms and the suppression of Arms Masters. Their main goal is to abolish schools and facilities dedicated to Noble Arms and to limit the occupation of Arms Masters to the military only. Often, they are supported by many labor unions and social media outlets.

The Hammer of Masters

A terrorist organization bent on creating a world where Arms Masters are the rulers. Their ideology is that Arms Masters are not, in fact, human, but a new superior race that deserves to be in power. The current number of members is unknown, however, they have 2 confirmed A ranked Arms Masters in their ranks, a fact that worries many countries.

The Disablers

A terrorist organization bent on erasing or otherwise oppressing Arms Masters. Their ideology is that Arms Masters are not, in fact, human, but a race of monsters born with nothing but the ability to bring misery and destruction and as such must be culled or otherwise strictly controlled. A cause that many have joined and more have supported, and because of the support they have garnered from the masses, they are able to move through countries and city with relative ease.

Noble Arms specific classes

• Emergency Response Course: Classes focused on what to do during an emergency situation, such as during a riot, robberies, or when confronted with hostile forces. Mainly focused on what to do during human-based emergencies.
• Small Unit Tactics: class centered on how to work in groups numbering 3-6 members. Not necessarily centered on combat.
• Crisis Management: How to respond to natural disasters or a national crisis, and how to deal with the aftermath.
• Control Course: Focusing specifically on learning total control over the student's NA.
• NA-PE: Physical education, but with Noble Arms.
• Group Combat: Working on teamwork in combat involving 5 or more people.

Character Sheet

[center][b]Appearance:[/b] (Picture preferred, although written descriptions are good too. Also, please included miscellaneous information such as height and weight.)[/center]

[b]Name:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b]

[b]Nationality:[/b]

[b]Noble Arm Name & Appearance:[/b]

[b]Noble Arm Abilities:[/b] (No maximum number, however, try and be sensible about this. Just because you [i]can[/i] doesn't mean you [i]should[/i], also be as detailed as you can, especially on its strengths, weaknesses, and effects. Also, most players should start out at B-Rank, only one or two players can have A-ranks and even then they are asked not to godmode and powergame all the time.)

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]*Likes:[/b]

[b]*Dislikes:[/b]

[b]Fears:[/b]

[b]Bio:[/b]

[b]*Current Goal:[/b]

[b]Student Rank:[/b]

*Optional

Rules

1.) Cooperative storytelling comes first. You are not here to godmode by gaming/breaking the system to make yourself as powerful as possible. You are not here to use your powers to brute-force all obstacles the GM brings before you, or use sophistry, psychological tricks, or 'mental influence magic' to win every diplomatic confrontation. If you find 'Storygaming' an ugly word, this is not the RP for you.
2.) Nor does an angsty backstory that fits various 'story beats' make your character good if their purpose is to defeat everyone and establish themselves as superior top dogs and otherwise make it an arms race with the GM on who can godmode more. If you're not going to use your angsty backstory to make a good story, this is not the RP for you.
3.) That said, powerful characters and angsty backstories are permitted, as long as they are made by players who are willing to cooperate with each other and the GM to make a good dynamic story that isn't just 'X overpowers Y' by bending the rules so far they break, violating the spirit of said rules, and (to quote Dave Brookshaw of Onyx Path publishing) of course, common sense.
4.) I am not as lenient as TheHangedMan. If you cannot obey the prior three rules, you don't need to respond to this thread at all; there are other games for you.
5.) Do not be an asshole.
6.) Post length is five sentences minimum, but longer posts are encouraged, of course. GMs are also bound by this rule.
7.) Characters are supposed to start out at B-Rank - Sorry for not adding this earlier. Note that exceptions can be made for one (two at the most) players who can be trusted to control themselves and not powergame when it weakens the story.

Differences from the Original and IRL Life

- Grace Poe is this timeline's President of the Philippines and not Rodrigo Duterte.
- Jim Mattis is this timeline's President of the United States instead of Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton.
- More to follow.

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