Stern Algorithm

The Village of Soren (a 1x1 Harvest Moon/Rune Factory-inspired Village RP for FaithfulMuse and Stern Algorithm)

Also, even though I've 'reserved' some of the jobs, feel free to take them for your characters, a lot of mine aren't quite set in stone yet. It may take me a bit to write up bios for all my characters, though only a few of them will be extremely in-depth.

When we start, do you want your characters to be established citizens, or new arrivals?

Welcome To Shine City (Season 1)

Shizuka will probably finish her interaction with Jake, but will go back to her dorm for a quiet evening. It might be kind of boring (and depending on how long the night lasts, I might not get to post for a while), but Shizuka isn't much of a night-life person. She'll work at the Shiny Kettle again on Sunday if anyone wants to come in for a drink then, and she'll attend classes/TA during the weekdays and will have plenty of opportunities to interact with students/faculty.

Evolution of Conflict: A Sci-Fi Mecha 1x1 FaithfulMuse and Stern Algorithm

"My parents taught me that in the past, Ascendeds were hunted down by Wildtypes as monsters and oppressed, and that I should be sympathetic to their history. Supposedly, back before the Race Wars, my family followed the Ascendeds to help them start their own life out here, where the Unified Earth Dominion couldn't reach them. Well, I guess, the UED's reach was longer than expected so the war started, but now The Ascendancy is established, so every turned out alright in the end, right? Ascendeds have a place they can call home," Israfil said with a sort of lost look in his eyes.

---

Tera didn't say anything for a bit. She had heard some Quantums speak like that too. They were either obsessed with 'upgrading' themselves to the point that they no longer had human traits, or they felt that they were so far below the 'miracle' that was biological sentience that they stopped valuing their own minds and gave themselves up to despair. "Is that how you define yourself?" Tera asked, a bit more sternly than she intended, "Is your worth dependent on what value others assign you?" If a human sentient mind cannot define its own worth internally, what hope did an artificial mind have?

---

"I know," Maya said, "we have files on all of you. Your sister's got quite the history. To be frank, her position on the team was always tenuous. While Lear gets a free pass, the committees say your sister is 'too difficult' to control, and won't 'contribute' to the team. There was one gambit keeping her in, and you demonstrated that in the last mission. The combination. Engineers saw something similar in both your cogs, but they didn't know what. Now, she's practically indispensable, both of you are, and I'm glad for it." Maya sighed a bit, smiling at Claire, "Maybe I've been keeping Lear on too tight a leash; maybe if i just give him some freedom and trust, things won't turn out as badly as I think. Maybe...I just can't forgive him for what he did to your sister. As a fellow Ascended, I feel shame when one of my kind abuses their gift." may chuckled dryly, "As it turns out, the whole point of his cog is to abuse his gift."

Welcome To Shine City (Season 1)

Shizuka watched as Jake tossed the cigarette butt. She was glad to see he wasn't offended; some people could get angry at the smallest criticisms, especially if it was in front of other people. But then Jake again offered her the $300, threatening to shove it down her shirt if she didn't accept. "V-very well, i-if you put it that way," Shizuka stuttered, blushing, feeling embarrassed and maybe even a little violated. Maybe it was sexual harassment, but more than likely it was just a sort of crude humor to accompany the show, so Shizuka decided to let it slide. She tenderly reached for the money, seeing it as the quickest, and possibly only way out of this escalating mess.

When he apologized and put the camera away, Shizuka relaxed a bit, and smiled slightly at his joke about his mind living in the gutter, though realized the somewhat inappropriate nature of the joke given the fact Jake was (to her knowledge) pretending to be homeless. When he took off his sunglasses, she looked into his eyes momentarily, then averted her gaze to not seem rude; also, she had seen something unsettling. She did wonder for a moment why he put the camera away, since she thought these sorts of shows usually kept filming; they could always cut away to something else, or edit it in post-processing, but she didn't question it. "I-I hope my reluctance to accept your prize didn't diminish the entertainment value of your program," Shizuka apologized, feeling that this level of awkwardness did not make for good television.

The Village of Soren (a 1x1 Harvest Moon/Rune Factory-inspired Village RP for FaithfulMuse and Stern Algorithm)

I like your characters. Am I right in assuming that Eline and Elliot are from the same mother but different fathers? Also, is Elizabeth human-sized or fairy-sized (I'm guessing human-sized)?

For Illithor's family, are the listed ages how they appear, or their actual age in years?

Evolution of Conflict: A Sci-Fi Mecha 1x1 FaithfulMuse and Stern Algorithm

"Yeah, Cepheus was a border planet, but we didn't spend much time there," Israfil said. "What's your family like?" Israfil asked, thinking it as the next natural question to ask when getting to know someone.

---

"I suppose you're right about that," Tera said. But something about the cogs made her uneasy. Being a Quantum, she was comprised of man-made hardware and software, whereas a cog, if it had the ability to enter her mind, where was the separation? Maybe Blythe felt secure in the fact that the cog could never truly bypass her biological 'hardware' to threaten her sense of self. On the one hand, some humans held on to the notion that no matter what, human sentience was a miracle, while Quantum sentience was not. On the other hand, there were some who felt threatened by Quantums, claiming that Quantum sentience 'cheapened' the miracle of sentience altogether. "Aren't you afraid of something entering your mind? of losing your sense of self?" Tera blurted out, seeking empathy.

---

"I have no real issue with your sister. For one, Sion's always managed to take the brunt of it; he's always looking out for me in his own way. Secondly, your sister follows orders and is quite capable. She also doesn't appear to have any intention of harming those around her for personal gain..." Maya trailed off, realizing she had said too much. She knew Solomon was too ambitious for his own good, her main fear right now was letting success get to Solomon's head. On the other hand, if he felt threatened by being overshadowed by his teammates, he might also resort to doing something awful. Maya didn't want him on the team, but the higher-ups were already furious that there would only be two Ascendeds.

The Village of Soren (a 1x1 Harvest Moon/Rune Factory-inspired Village RP for FaithfulMuse and Stern Algorithm)

House of Malkas

Name: Malkas
Age: 68 years (looks to be in his early 30s)
Gender: Male
Species: Dark Elf
Occupation: Mayor
Appearance:

Malkas

Malkas has grey skin, long silver hair and piercing red eyes. He has a svelte body.

Biography:

Malkas was a spy and assassin for the Obsidian Order, which is the intelligence division of the most powerful elf nations, Elsil. However, being a dark elf, he was considered of low birth, so his love for his future wife, Anya, a light elf, was taboo and forbidden. Tired of his life of secrecy, the overall political fumbling of Elsil, and its cultural restrictions, Malkas ran away with Anya to start a new life. During his travels, he met Harin and Grom, and the three decided that no existing nation could satisfy their desire for freedom, so they traveled out unoccupied lands and founded Soren together.

Name: Anya
Age: 72 years (looks to be in her early 30s)
Gender: Female
Species: Light Elf
Occupation: Innkeeper
Appearance:

Anya

Biography:

Anya is elf nobility from Elsil. She fell in love with Malkas, which was considered taboo. She ran away with him and has supported him in his endeavors to found Soren.

Name: Teann
Age: 25 years (looks to be in her early 20s)
Gender: Female
Species: Mixed Elf
Occupation: Inn tavern waitress
Appearance:

Teann

With elf ears poking through her hair.

Biography:

Born in Elsil, and lived there for 15 years. She was treated as a mutt and bastard due to being of mixed heritage. She followed her parents when they left Elsil and wandered from village to village for three years. She has lived in Soren since its founding seven years ago.

Name: Kalram
Age: 15 years (looks 15)
Gender: Male
Species: Mixed Elf
Occupation: None
Appearance:

Kalram

Biography: Was born in Elsil and lvied there until he was five. Traveled from village to village with his parents for three years, and lived in Soren for seven years.

House of Emtardas

Name: Emtardas
Age: ?? (looks to be in his late 20s)
Gender: Male
Species: Eastern Human
Occupation: General store manager
Appearance:

Emtardas

Biography:

Emtardas was an up-and-coming imperial alchemist in the nation of Mythos but joined the Mythos Senate's Alchemists committee, becoming a senator. From there, through various Machiavellian plots both open and underhanded, Emtardas weeded out his competitors and opponents, consolidating power until he crowned himself Emperor of Mythos. From there, he led Mythos into a golden age of science, making the nation strong. His goal was to unite all countries under one banner and to eliminate war and racial hatred. However, his radical new laws could not enforce racial harmony, in a violent rebellion, he was ousted and presumed dead, and the country eventually tore itself apart. At least, that is if Emtardas is actually who he claims to be. The empire of Mythos crumbled two years ago and that was about when Emtardas showed up at Soren with Reas. If he is the Dread Emperor of Mythos, then he is a lot older than he appears.

Name: Reas
Age: ?? (looks to be about 11)
Gender: ?? (preferred pronouns: ze, zir, zirs, zirself)
Species: Human (artificial)
Occupation: General store helper
Appearance:

Reas

Biography:

Reas claims to be an artificial human created by Emtardas through alchemy as a helper, though Emtardas insists on treating Reas as his child. Reas actually has strength and intelligence greater than zir appearance, as could be seen when Reas carried Emtardas' unconscious body into Soren when they first arrived.

House of Harin

Name: Harin
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Species: Dwarf
Occupation: Carpenter
Appearance:

Harin

Biography:

Harin hails from the underground kingdom of Deepfault, where he was a master carpenter. His skills at first applied to building defenses and fortifications, but it soon became apparent that his skills with siege engines was quite great, and that became his focus. The cities that were destroyed and lives that were lost thanks to his machines of war finally took a toll on him. Ashamed of his crimes against humanity, Harin took his wife and children and fled his post as Chief War Engineer. While wandering, he happened upon Malkas and Grom, and decided to help them found their ideal village.

Name: Benna
Age: 37
Gender: Female
Species: Dwarf
Occupation: None
Appearance:

Benna

Biography:

Harin's wife. She convinced Harin of the horrors of his war machines. Left Deepfault with him and their children to found Soren.

Name: Balio
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Species: Dwarf
Occupation: Miner
Appearance:

Balio

Biography:

Was quite young when the family left Deepfault, but was in the process of becoming a miner with his brother Sunder. Dyes his hair blonde to differentiate himself from his brothers.

Name: Sunder
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Species: Dwarf
Occupation: Miner
Appearance:

Sunder

Biography:

Was quite young when the family left Deepfault, but was in the process of becoming a miner with his brother Sunder. Dyes his hair black to differentiate himself from his brothers.

Name: Gil
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Species: Dwarf
Occupation: Apprentice Carpenter
Appearance:

Gil

Biography:

Was quite young when the family left Deepfault. Has chosen to become his father's apprentice as a carpenter. Keeps his natural red hair, like his father's.

Name: Kran
Age: 9
Gender: Female
Species: Dwarf
Occupation: None
Appearance:

Kran

Biography:

Kran was born after the family left Deepfault. She has very vague memories of traveling, but most of her memories are of Soren.

House of Grom

Name: Grom
Age: 57
Gender: Male
Species: Orc
Occupation: Farmer/Rancher
Appearance:

Grom is tall and muscular, with dark green skin and graying hair. He has a grizzled look, with small squinty eyes. His lips are cracked and scarred, with an underbite due to his previous practice of growing fangs that he has since relinquished. he is usually seen with an animal bone in his mouth that he uses to keep his teeth filed down.

Biography:

Grom was a celebrated raid leader in the Iron Tribes, a major alliance of orcish nations. However as he rose in fame, a jealous colleague conspired with the enemy and lure Grom into a setup in which he was branded as a traitor. Mercifully, he was given the choice of an honorable death or a dishonorable exile, and he chose the latter, taking his family with him. During his exile, he met Malkas and Harin, and the three came up with the idea to found Soren.

Name: Jeel
Age: 50
Gender: Female
Species: Orc
Occupation: Tailor
Appearance:

Jeel is tall and muscular with brownish green skin and long black hair. She also exhibits cracked lips and an underbite due to previously having fangs. She keeps a bag of acorns to keep her teeth in check.

Biography:

Jeel's wife. Followed him in exile.

Name: Zaria
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Species: Orc
Occupation: Farmhand
Appearance:

Zaria's appearance is svelte but powerful. She has light-green skin and short brown hair. She has never grown out fangs so her lips are unharmed.

Biography:

Grom's daughter.

Name: Bormash
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Species: Orc
Occupation: Handyman/helper
Appearance:

Tall and muscular like his parents, with long black hair tied back in a ponytail. Dark-green skin.

Biography:

Grom's son.

Name: Lannis
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Species: Orc
Occupation: None
Appearance:

Small and weak-looking as far as orcs go. She has brown hair and light-green skin.

Biography:

Grom's Daughter.

The Village of Soren (a 1x1 Harvest Moon/Rune Factory-inspired Village RP for FaithfulMuse and Stern Algorithm)

No worries, I have not suffered such trauma personally and am not triggered by it. I have more of a problem with characters who are rapists than with characters who are rape victims. The character also fits because the village is sort of comprised of people who left behind their painful pasts to make a new start away from the world. I have updated to first post with a brief history of Soren, and some notes about some races. In a way, they are sort of a tongue-in-cheek 'explanation' for why these races exhibit certain characteristics, especially with the dwarves and orcs.

Welcome To Shine City (Season 1)

Shizuka heard her name come on the radio and was distracted for a moment when Jake started telling her about the 'Karma Contest', letting him place the $300 in her hand. Hearing her name on the radio while being told at the same time that she was on camera was overwhelming to say the least, causing her to pull back in anxiety; strong enough to be felt, but not strong enough to break Jake's grip on her hand. Shizuka's left hand went up to her chest as she closed her eyes tightly, her knees shaking slightly. However, after this initial moment of apprehension, Shizuka took a breath, regained her composure, and gently returned Jake's handshake out of propriety, trying to avoid looking directly into the camera. While Shizuka may have heard Jake's music here and there around the city, she wasn't that familiar with artists and did not recognize him for the celebrity that he was.

"Th-thank you, sir, but I can't accept this money," Shizuka began, trying to think of how to get out of this awkward situation, but because she was somewhat flustered, she sort of just kept talking, "I-I appreciate and understand what you're trying to do with your show, and I don't mean to be overly critical, but the people more able to give charity are less in need of a cash prize." Shizuka's eyes darted around as she kept trying to think of an easy out when her gaze fell on Jake's discarded cigarette butt. "Ummm, sir...if you want to set a good example for the viewers..." Shizuka's voice dropped to a light whisper, she didn't want to come off as mean, but it had bothered her, "C-could you...throw that...used cigarette into a...proper waste receptacle...?" She blushed, hoping that the man wouldn't take offense or feel humiliated in front of his audience. Shizuka chided herself for just making the situation worse.

Evolution of Conflict: A Sci-Fi Mecha 1x1 FaithfulMuse and Stern Algorithm

Yes, the doctor can use healing magic, so your fairy character is good as are the shapeshifting siblings. Butcher and Baker would be two separate jobs. The general store basically sells stuff the trader brings, as well as anything that doesn't have its own dedicated store. The butcher and rancher could probably be the same person. And yes, I totally forgot inkeeper.

Thanks for letting me know. Top 5% is pretty ambitious, good luck!