STATUS:
Two days ago, Noble Arms is indisputably four years old, spread out across three threads, and the third thread is still ongoing and about to reach the endgame...
10 days ago
Current
Two days ago, Noble Arms is indisputably four years old, spread out across three threads, and the third thread is still ongoing and about to reach the endgame...
3
likes
21 days ago
Can't believe that I actually got an RP close to its endgame, btw...
4
likes
1 mo ago
Noble Arms is now either four years old, or three years and eleven months. The third thread had lasted for more than one year.
1
like
2 mos ago
New Interest Check, everybody!
2 mos ago
My Roleplay, Noble Arms: The ASEAN War, will reach its 4th year in June or July. It's been a long journey.
Actually edited my answer there a bit to try and make it a bit clearer. My goal is to make something that anyone can join in, not just those that have played the game.
Ah, saw your edit. To be honest, I don't think I'd be interested, then - I wanted something faithful to lore while not retaining the complicated ruleset.
I'm afraid not, we're going to stick with the physical adept archetype for this rp.
And, what I really mean by that is that I'm going to be using the lore I know, like atzlan being a megacorp and stuff like that, but it will be my own interpretation of it all. In the end its going to be different to whatever is written in the books or even video games. People are free to use what they know, of course, when creating their characters, I just might ask to edit some things to make them fit.
And sure, mages can go into melee if you like. We aren't playing with any rules or stats. Just kind of keep it realistic, a mage isn't going to physically kick as much ass as a trained street samurai or physical adept.
Understandable. I'll try and see if I have the time to join, then.
Iliad City: A Magical RP in an Original World - Reboot
I. Intro
In another universe, separated from ours' by impassable barriers, lies the planet of Historia, inhabited by Humans much like us, but blessed with impossible powers that we think of as 'Magic'.
Magic is a daily part of life, existing alongside technology just as advanced as ours', although some integrate magic with science to create advanced inventions. But it is a widely held belief among the people that the highest form of Magic is Storytelling, and that The One Deity, the Creator of the Multiverse, gave Humanity the power to warp reality through the telling of stories.
Three thousand years before the present day, when the greatest storyteller of that time, the Illuminated Poet, sang of the grief and joy of Humanity, appealing to The One Deity to provide a way through their sufferings. In response, The One himself came down and sang his own song, the Epics of Making and Unmaking, by which Humanity and whatever sapient beings lived beyond Historia was granted freedom from the will of the divine. From the Epic of Making were instructions for the casting of Magic, allowing Humanity to better their lives and that of others' at will, while the Epic of Unmaking allows one to reset the Universe itself back to the beginning, with the person or people who use it given power co-equal to The One Deity himself, but without infinite intelligence or wisdom.
And so the Illuminated Poet taught pieces of the Epic of Making to those who followed him, turning them into the first Magi. The Epic of Unmaking, however, was transmitted directly into the souls of his own children, the Twenty Sons and Thirty Daughters, who each inherited a fragment of the Epic. He then prophesied that the more descendants they have, the more the Epic of Unmaking will be shattered and its pieces spread out among each scion and that the Epic will only be completed once more when the descendants of the Illuminated Poet are reduced to one person, who will then have the decision to reset the universe.
The intention, of course, was to make sure that the universe will be reset only if Humanity becomes irredeemably corrupt and/or the amount of suffering in existence multiplies to an unbearable level. Despite the risks involved with the existence of such a power, a 'contingency plan' for Humanity was still regarded as necessary by all parties, including The One.
Fast-forward to the present, and the majority of the descendants of the Illuminated Poet have suffered purges, slaughters, genocides and massacres from the various nations of the world due to ignorance and misunderstanding, or even outright lies spread by their enemies. Their one safe refuge is Illiad City, an independent city-nation founded by the freethinkers and outcasts of the world, people dedicated to artistic and philosophical pursuits, as well as worshippers of The One Deity. Despite the hostility of other nations towards it, its access to a greater portion of the Epic of Making makes it equivalent to the great empires of the world in Magical might.
But now, a feud is brewing in the two prime Magical Academies of the city, a feud brewing from how to deal with the world's hostility towards them. Ironically, this feud might be the one thing that brings down the metropolis...
II. The Factions of Iliad City
Marduk Academy for The Mystic Arts Holds power over the pieces of the Epic of Making that govern 'Heroic' Magic - The Magic of Light, the Elements (Fire, Water, Air and Earth), and the power to heal the wounded and the sick with mystic energy alone. Their students are the champions of the defenseless, the honorable knights-errant and the wise wizards. But confronted with the hatred of other nations towards them, they seek a 'muscular' foreign policy, asking that Iliad City use its magical might to conquer the neighboring empires and repressive states that wish to destroy Illiad before they grow too strong. However, whispers are being heard that push for more than that - That Marduk Academy should attempt to rule the world so that no nation would exterminate the descendants of the Illuminated Poet once again.
And Professor Gilgamesha, its Principal, is beginning to listen...
Ishtar School for Creative Minds, on the other hand, holds power over the pieces of the Epic of Making that govern 'Black' Magic - The Magic of Darkness, Entropy, Blood and Death, as well as the power to inflict agony and weaken their enemies. Their students are the spies and assassins, the dark knights whom monsters and criminals fear. Despite this, they used to work alongside Marduk Academy, until Professor Nergal, it's principal, began urging for the casting of the Spell of Otherworldly Travel, which will transport Iliad City onto another dimension where its people can live in peace. Problem is that 1.) This requires the pieces of the Epic of Making that Marduk Academy does have, and 2.) Marduk Academy considers Ishtar's solution cowardly. And so the feud begins to simmer...
The Cassandra Club is the newest faction in the block, a small band of students from both Academies and a larger group from other schools who believe that the brewing feud between Marduk Academy and Ishtar School is being engineered by a 'sinister force' outside the city as part of a grand plan to conquer Iliad City and acquire the Epics of Making and Unmaking. Not merely that, but they believe in asking the question: Why do other nations hate us? What are the lies they've been fed in order to kill off the descendants of the Illuminated Poet? Do they even know that they are completing the Epic of Unmaking? And if so, who is trying to do so and is he someone who can take advantage of the power to rewrite the universe?
The Cassandra Club is led by the Anonymous Council, a group of 'concerned students and teachers' (PCs have the option to be part of this circle, also, certain characters of mine - William and Shah - will not be members of it) whose goals are to find out exactly who is profiting from the extermination of Descendants and stop them before its too late.
III. Interesting Places in Iliad City
The Leviathan Port - Iliad City's port is where most of its foreign trade comes from, due to the Hermannreich's on-and-off hostility. A bustling structure where great cargo ships dock and depart, the Leviathan Port is watched over by great ranged guns from two coastal forts that guard the entrance to the bay, as well as Ishtar School for Creative minds, whose campus is only a few miles away.
Artisan Coffeemakers United Branches - A set of coffeehouses spread all throughout Iliad City dedicated to the production of quality artisan coffee, tea, and pastries at a fair and affordable price. Both Ishtar and Marduk have cafes of ACUB in their premises, with secure internet lines to each other, and it is rumored that students who wish to establish forbidden contacts with each other are allowed to use said lines... For a price.
Enchanted Mountain - Iliad's prime amusement park, with a large Ferris Wheel, magitech roller coasters, and virtual reality simulations of any environment one can think of, as well as various restaurants catering to every palate. It is also a 'truce zone' between Iliad and Marduk, due to Professor Gilgamesha having spent time there in better days and not wanting to let the place be stained by the current inter-school conflict.
Kaleidoscope Arcades - A series of arcades filled with the latest games mundane science and magitech can supply, and are thus destinations where both Marduk and Ishtar and students from other schools can be found competing against each other in a halfway-friendly manner.
Paradise Spa - The place everyone who is anyone in Iliad goes to relax, Paradise Spa is filled with treatments both mundane and magical which rely on pleasing every sense possible, from sweet aromas to soft coats of mud, to serene sounds and calm colors, along with filling yet tasty smoothies and juices, Paradise Spa is where the troubles of the world fall away, even for a while.
Players can submit new places if they want to.
IV. How Magic Works
All Magic comes from instructions given in the Epic of Making, which in turn is a long poem or song that details the transference of a part of The One Deity's power to mortal Humanity, and the basic mental exercises used to 'pull' magical power from the depths of one's own soul to make what you imagine real.
The various 'types' of Magic come from concepts common to humanity, concepts that you either come up with or you are taught. If you can imagine a 'type' of magic, you can use it as long as you can come up with enough energy to do so. However, you cannot take magical energy from the surrounding environment, because of the fact that only Humans (or fully sapient aliens, if they exist) have magical energy.
Anyone can learn Magic, but few have the combination of strength of heart and imagination to be truly good at it. Therefore, Magical Academies are important so that what existing Magi already imagined before can be taught to other people. Basically, magical systems exist, but they are merely shortcuts for the human mind - You can totally make up your own magic system if you have energy and imagination.
But for those who cannot make up their own system or 'type' of Magic, here are the common systems that the Magical Academies teach:
Marduk Academy:
Elemental and Light Magic - Elemental Magic can directly control Fire, Water, Wind, Air, and Light, or create them out of nothing. This type can make fireballs, divert streams, lift the earth, cause gusts of wind, or smite people with blasts of pure energy. However, it cannot heal, enhance people, or predict the future unless mixed with another type of magic.
Healing Magic - Healing Magic can close wounds and replenish blood, cure diseases and heal cancer. However, only a few take it without mixing it with Elemental and Light Magic so that they can defend themselves or attack in turn.
Enchantment/Enhancement Magic - This covers Magic that strengthens the user, making them stronger, faster, and tougher, as well as Magic that can make mystic items and artifacts. By combining this school with the above two types of Magic, one can create swords that light up with fire, shields that are as light as cloth, and potions that when drunk, close wounds...
Ishtar School
The Combat Arts - Ishtar School thinks differently than Marduk Academy and does not divide Magic according to what it creates/controls, but rather according to the intent they are used for. In short, it doesn't matter that Magic used for fighting uses the elements, darkness, or even candy canes (although that last part is not encouraged), what matters is that the magic is used to fight.
The Kind Arts - This covers any use of magic meant to heal, protect, enhance and generally do positive things. As Ishtar School is still dedicated to what they think is Good, the Kind Arts are not discouraged, but those who learn them are encouraged to use Darkness, Ectoplasm, or just 'invisible waves of energy' to heal and never be too blatant about it.
The Dark Arts - Causing Agony. Disturbing the Dead from their rest. Draining magical energy from other human beings. All of those are regarded as necessary evils in Ishtar School, and they are taught to those students whom the faculty thinks can be trusted with their secrets. Darkness or 'invisible waves of energy' are mostly used as a 'conduit' for such powers, but some few use the Elements or even Light to give shape and range to their dark purposes. Beware of those.
Unnamed Schools, Mentors, Secret Societies, Etc.
Ex. Miscellenia - Anything you can think of as long as it's not too powerful or too gross. Candy Magic, Magical Girl Transformations, Exorcisms, go wild!
V. Rules
1.) Do not be an asshole. 2.) Take NSFW to PMs. 3.) 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. 4.) This game is friendly to m/m and f/f romance.
VI. Character Sheet
[b]Name:[/b] [b]Appearance:[/b] [b]Age:[/b] The usual age for a student is 13 to 18, but characters older than those are permitted. [b]Bio:[/b] [b]Mundane Skills:[/b] [b]Magic:[/b] [b]Personality:[/b] [b]Faction (Marduk, Ishtar, or Cassandra Club when it's founded):[/b] [b]Are you a Descendant of the Illuminated Poet?:[/b] Simple yes or no question.
And if we're making up the setting as we go, does that mean we're ignoring the lore as well, including stuff such as the Japanese Imperial State and Atzlan?
Edit: And yes, I said that I might not have the time for this RP, that might still be true, even though I am interested.
Kinetic Weapons are the most common form of armament in Human Space, due to their simplicity and ease of use, but Energy/Laser weapons are not unheard of. Power Armor is a prerequisite for all spaceborne military personnel, especially for battles abroad ships and colonies. The closer one is to the Inner Planets (Earth, Venus, and Mars), the easier is it to get Energy/Laser Weapons, due to the heartland of Humanity having a slight tech advantage over the rest of the Solar System.
If you want an equivalent tech level to a work of fiction, think Mass Effect.
Civilian and Medical Tech
Again, equivalent to Mass Effect, only with Nanomachines taking the place of Medi-gel.
The Imp-Drive and Spaceship Tech
The Imp-Drive is a machine that seems to violate already-existing scientific laws to reduce the mass of an existing object (think Mass Effect without Element Zero) to allow a starship-sized object to accelerate to velocities beyond the speed of light, something which should be impossible (leading to the name Imp-Drives). Imp-Drives differ from their fictional equivalent in one respect, however: they cannot be installed on objects lighter than 9800 tons - Doing so would cause the vessel they are in to uncontrollably accelerate until it tears itself apart. Thus, even the lightest of spacecraft would be heavy by the standards of 21st Century ocean navies.
Imp-Drives can theoretically go to other Star Systems, but due to the Outer Planets’ resources not even close to being fully-tapped, there is no economic reason to do so, plus there’s a Cold War to fight...
Nations, Conglomerates, and Orders: A Space Opera Universe
I. Premise
It is the year 2150, and the world continues to be harsh.
There was no clear winner in the past century’s conflicts, whether it be nation against nation, multinational pact against multinational pact, or various corporations against each other and other obstacles to their ‘bottom line’. Even the ‘next superpowers’, China and India, were merely a part of a new multipolar order of several Great Powers, an order challenged by a resurgent United States and Europe which seek to reclaim their old glory. But just because no one has won yet does not mean there hasn’t been change.
Environmental degradation and the effects of climate change have prompted a mass exodus from Earth, a mass exodus enabled by the development of the ‘Imp-Drive (Impossibility Drive)’, a form of propulsion that allows for relatively easy travel to other parts of the Solar System. Now, Humanity has expanded up to the Asteroid Belt, with the colonization of Jupiter’s Moons being seriously considered.
But to knit Human civilization together, the traditional structures of the Nation-State had to cooperate with organizations which claimed to transcend borders and peoples, organizations which entire countries had railed against for many decades. These organizations were composed not just of the much-reviled ‘Corporations’, but also charities, political parties, and other, seedier movements. In time, however, the increasingly far-flung holdings of Humanity would see the rebirth of a concept long-thought dead and buried: The Military Order.
Born from charities seeking protection for their activities, PMCs seeking moral legitimacy, and a hodgepodge of adventurers and ideologues seeking power for their competing visions as to how Humanity should be, the various space-age Military Orders became the main source of peace, order, and vital services in the colonies, rivalling traditional corporations and Nation-States which attempted to assert their authority. For the Military Orders had the geographic reach of the former and the military force of the latter, and a zeal driven by a vision of themselves as the future of Humanity and the old forms of organizing society as ‘stale’, ‘self-interested’, and ‘disconnected from the masses’.
Eventually, war came, and just like the previous century, there were no clear winners. The Military Orders gained legal recognition and the Geneva Convention was altered so that their forces didn’t count as ‘mercenaries’ or ‘enemy combatants’ in war, but they were bloodied into a stalemate by resurgent nation-states and corporations. Now, yet another Cold War looms, with a kaleidoscope of factions jockeying for power in an uncertain yet wondrous world...
I want to make this clear, Daniel responded to Don Juan’s telepathic message. I am not really interested in what you do as long as it’s not with my family. Just don’t shatter the domestic bliss of my home life and we’re good, okay? Now, I am going to start a discussion on tactics I want you to listen in on - Can you multitask?
Then he went to answer Yasuke, saying, “I like fire, yes - I am a person of many interests, and fire is a good tool for someone who wants to be a ‘Magus Killer’.”
A pause, “All my life, ever since I was aware of the corrupt nature of the Clock Tower and the Church, I’ve been researching ways to kill Magi, the more powerful, the better. I’ve also searched whatever intelligence reports, rumors, and wild stories I can wheedle out of Chaldea’s staff - Which includes my parents - for rumors of people or monsters effective at killing powerful Mages and Church Enforcers and the methods they use to be effective at said killing.”
Then he turned to Charlotte, “And I am glad to have one of the most skilled Pyromancers that I know as part of my team, and I know we’ll save many lives together and defeat those who would corrupt the timelines.”
He hoped that Don Juan didn’t go after 17-year olds - Wait, that’s legal in Europe and most of the world - Because Charlotte was beautiful and he just gave the Servant another glance at her.
Back to Yasuke, “And with your help, I’m sure we can keep collateral damage to a minimum, same for Don Juan and his own abilities! Heck, with DJ’s ‘ultra-redemption’ Noble Phantasm, we might even redeem a few evildoers instead of just killing them! Actually, with you and DJ’s immense resistances to damage, Crazy Horse’s scouting skills, plus Autocylus’ various abilities which can solve a problem without killing -”
It was then that Daniel decided to contact Auto telepathically, Auto, what are you doing right now? Can I see through your eyes for a bit? Also, I’m having an ad-hoc tactical discussion right now - Want to join?
Then back to the discussion, “Either way, we’d be an unstoppable force of Magus and Churchmen-killers, disposing of corrupt individuals to save innocent people! Can’t one think of a better career path?”
Member
AlphaCat,
CarteBlanche,
N3v3rM0r3,
Bacon,
RPM,
esqueleto,
Digmata,
QJT,
Aisede,
PrinceAlexus