stone — Roleplayer Guild

Asonor Tal carries the future in its hands!

After the 2nd Armored Division's incredible victory at Soland's northern border, Asonor Tal is once again on the brink of complete domination of Western Thel. According to 2nd Armored Division Commander Reins, our glorious military's new tank model, the Elford 227-B, played an instrumental part in covering the Army's advance.

Soland's defeat at Uray Fortress allowed Asonoran forces to advance further towards their capital. Experts predict a conclusion to the annexation movement in about 2-3 months.

"With the supreme lack of proper resistance present in Soland's countryside, everything's gone smoother than planned," Reins says. "This annexation has been a rousing success. Glory to Asonor Tal!"

Reins further elaborated that full occupation would likely occur within 2 months after the end of combat. For more on Asonor Tal's southern efforts, turn to page A3.

To Face Tomorrow

What’s good, it’s stone. Welcome to To Face Tomorrow, a roleplay where you can play whoever you want in the world!

This roleplay is heavily inspired by @Reia’s now-defunct Destiny’s Call, which is a damn shame, because this concept is the hottest shit, I kid you not.

The essentials of the RP are thus: you create a character, send me the sheet, we talk about some character arc things, and boom! You’re ready to begin RPing.

And when I say anything, I mean most anything. Western Thel has a wide variety of cultures, countries, climates, and cities for you to stretch your legs in. Exotic monster hunters, church inquisitors, military academy students, soldiers, anything! Take on a non-combat role! Royalty, farming, FISHING, even. Anything's possible. This setting is made for everything. Powerful swordsmen, guns, tanks, airships, trains, magic, you name it, Thel's got it.

Here's the kicker. You don't know who the other PCs are. You don't know where in the world they are, you don't know what they look like, you don't even know who's playing what! The only time you'll interact with others is when your character's path brushes up against theirs, or if you specifically request to have your stories intertwined (more on that later).

Here's how the RP thread will work. Nobody will be posting in the IC except for me. I'll be using the IC to indicate the progression of time as well as posting important news and various rumors that may lead your character to something interesting. Rumors can range from something completely unrelated to another PC you can interact with! As always, the OOC is always open for speculation, shitposts, jokes, whatever. I fucking love thread shitposting.

As to where the RP will actually take place, that's up to you! I am experienced in forum RP, discord messaging, PM RP, Google Docs, smoke signals, and semaphore. All that matters is that it's a private line. You're essentially just doing a 1x1 with me (trust me, I don't bite) until you interact with others. That being said, the actions of one player in another area can definitely affect others.

This WILL be putting a lot of story things on me, the GM, but that's the fun of it! Don't worry about me disappearing, either. @Aviaire will track me down and beat the shit out of me if do.

For some basic ground rules, they're pretty much what you can find everywhere else on the guild.

RULESAll standard Guild rules apply.
Respect the mechanics of the roleplay
Try and match my response times. Since there's going to be an ingame calendar, I'd prefer if we RPed in sessions. I'll try and do at least one session with each person every week, which should keep people on somewhat consistent timeframes. Sessions won't need your undivided attention, it just means that you'll have somewhat quick response times about 1-2 sentences long. I'm UTC-6, but I'm alive basically all hours of the day, except for sleep. We'll work this out in DMs.
PC death CAN happen but is unlikely unless you either specify it as a "this might be cool" or you do something INCREDIBLY stupid or reckless. Don't worry, though. My primary aim is to tell a good story, and premature PC death doesn't really fulfill that desire, does it?
You are REQUIRED to talk to me if you feel like something (or someONE) is significantly hindering or impacting your RP experience, whether it's a story beat you don't really like or are uncomfortable with, a toxic player, or if I do something dumb that you don't feel like is okay. I'm here to make your experience the best that it can be.

Whew! That was a lot of heavy shit, let's talk about something more fun: RP mechanics!

Agency Points, or AP, are your SPECIAL LIMITED RESOURCE in this RP. Using AP, you're able to briefly take control of your future and grab hold of the reins from me! Basically, using AP allows you to rewrite a scene, force an interaction, win an encounter (within reason), or write the next few lines with what you want! AP should be spent solely in order to further your character's goals.

Your character will have a maximum of 5 AP, with the actual amount probably being less to account for narrative length and your character's power level (stronger characters will have less AP). NOTE THAT AP DOES NOT REGENERATE NATURALLY. I MIGHT GIVE IT OUT FOR SPECIAL REASONS, BUT OTHERWISE IT IS LIMITED. That being said, don't be afraid to use it. It's your best tool for making sure the story goes the way you want it to.

HISTORY/LORE INTRO

Current Year: Renian Calendar Year 927

Around two thousand years ago, there lived a society of technically advanced peoples, far more than the present day. Something triggered a great collapse of their civilization and they all died and the whole world fell to ruin. Knowledge forgotten, records destroyed, technology broken and lives lost. Thus began the Ephemeral Darkness.

Around 400 years ago, the Renian Church came into full power and pushed mankind forth to a brighter future, ending the Ephemeral Darkness. In order to do so, the church brought forth education, art, science, and all other manners in a sort of intellectual renaissance. A period of time known as the Archaics took place, where a variety of nations sprung up. Generally, the more powerful nations were the bigger ones with more people and land to produce food and weaponry. Technology advanced to a level of around 1500s Europe, with gunpowder and firearms just appearing on the horizon and certain other aspects advancing even further.

Then, a new use for the mostly-useless pentium was created–a way to harvest its innate energy to power a nearly indefinite amount of things–everything from stoves and airships to guns and printing presses.

The Pentium Revolution occurred around 30 years before present day. In a few years, the entirety of the world flipped upside down. Any country, no matter the size, could become a major political force if it had easy access to pentium and a strong scientific backing.

The Empire of Asonor Tal/Asonoran Empire - Asonoran Culture is long and exhaustive. Even a light summary would take a while. So, here’s the abridged abridged version.

Western Thel used to be a lot of countries. There was a fair amount of conflict between them, until Emperor Zachariah Celestine conquered over half of them. Since then, over the course 250 years, his descendants (collectively known as the Celestine Dynasty) have continued his last wishes of controlling all of Thel. The current ruler of Asonor Tal is Emperor Cedric Celestine, whose latest acquisition is the northernmost province of the Kingdom of Soland.

The people of Asonor Tal are incredibly diverse. The country is primarily composed of two factions. One is a pro-conquest faction backed by the Emperor known as the Vermillion Lions. The other is a more conservatively-minded faction backed by the Governor General of Inia known as the Asonoran Representation Foundation.

The Duchy of Inia - The Duchy of Inia is in a strange spot regarding its status as a sovereign state. Inia was the first country Emperor Zachariah Celestine ever made an alliance with. It’s unknown why the warlord allowed Inia to keep itself somewhat independent from Asonoran rule, but that precedent stands to this day. Inia is jointly ruled by two leaders–a crown-appointed Duke of Inia and the Governor General of Inia, who is elected by its people.

Inia is ringed almost entirely by the North Eisen Range, with only a two kilometer wide opening at its northernmost point. As a result, its culture differs quite greatly from the rest of Asonor Tal, with a strong emphasis on more Pagan practices.

The People’s Republic of Cileza - A very young country, only about 5 years old. Used to be territory of the Empire, known as the Cilezan State. Some still regard it as the rightful property of the Empire. Eventually was liberated by Hammond “Earthquake Tiger” Garcia, who turned it into a dictatorship. The country suffered under his rule for three years, then overthrew him and instated the current government.

Cileza is known for its relatively high degree of technological advancement present in middle-class households, as well as its pentium-rich mines and control of an important shipping route. Almost every ship heading along the south coast of Thel needs to pass by Kalea, its capital city.

The Kingdom of Soland - Soland has always been at odds with the Empire. However, in the past, the presence of strong individual “heroes,” who always seemed to come from its capital, deterred Asonoran invasion. Now, the country is starting to feel the pressure from its larger, ever-growing neighbor.

As a result, Soland has poured a large amount of its funds towards pentium technology and pentium caster training. Several renowned casters rose from this new grueling program, and managed to slow the Empire’s progress briefly before being caught and executed in “secret.” Now, the Empire is knocking on Soland’s door, and it appears to be only a matter of time until the Kingdom enters the maw of the lion.

Zhenya Shogunate - One of the oldest countries on the continent, and for good reason. Zhenya’s military was widely feared as the best in the world, even though they largely stayed in their home country. However, after the Pentium Revolution, its largely infantry-based ranks are now regarded as a thing from the past. Zhenyan culture prides itself on conservatism, with respect for one’s superiors being one of the core tenets of the country’s overall philosophy.

Still, the Zhenyan sword style known as The Five Forms is still something to be feared. A master practitioner of one of the forms is known as an Ascendant Blade. There are currently four known Ascendant Blades, all of whom reside somewhere in Western Thel.

Cremt - The first country in Western Thel to adopt something akin to democracy in its governing system, Cremt as a country can best be described as “stew-like.” Originally formed from a collective of small nation-states now known only as the “Cremtian States,” everything in the country is decided by representative vote. The Cremtian people are meticulous about gathering proper information about a subject before voting on policy. Not a single document out of place.

Unfortunately for Cremt, however, the Central Thel drought has not been kind to its cultural homogeneity. An extremely large number of refugees, forced from their homes due to dust storms, famine, and overpopulation, have taken up residence within Cremt. The nation is currently embroiled in a years-long discussion about refugee naturalization, housing, and rights.

The Holy City of Vil - Vil is the capital of Renaism. The higher members of the Church's clergy take residence here. People often make pilgrimages to its marble streets.

Hastetia - A state beholden to Vil, Hastetia has no ruling government of its own. Rather, it functions as an effective land barrier for those foolish enough to attack the holy capital. Furthermore, it seems like the country itself receives blessings from Renia, supposedly having bountiful harvests and beautiful people. The jury's out on whether it's actually true, though.

Pentium

For the majority of human history, pentium appeared to be nothing more than just a pretty-looking crystal. Named for its ability to come in five varieties of colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and white), most mined pentium ended up on the shelves of jewelers and the buttons of noblemen.

That is, until G. Mercer discovered its ability to unleash a burst of energy. Pentium, when treated with a specific chemical process, was able to generate energy and completely revolutionize technology. The burst left no unpleasant odors, no annoying smoke, and didn’t need water or pumps.

Mercer’s discovery led to an absolute overhaul of technology. Soon, everything was running on pentium, save for the largest vehicles like ships and trains. Washing machines, self-propelling carriages, stoves, everything ran on pentium power.

Of course, that included weaponry as well.

Before the Pentium Revolution, the vast majority of combat was fought using infantry foot soldiers bearing melee weapons accompanied by cavalry and archers. Individual soldiers could hone their strengths and become celebrated heroes capable of extraordinary feats, but those were few and far between. A country’s military power was largely defined by its ability to muster up more troops than the enemy.

After the rise of compact, efficient power, war machines like tanks and artillery appeared. The common soldier would be equipped with a single-shot pentium rifle. Swords, lances, horses, bows, and other relics of a bygone era fell out of favor. More than ever before, war was now about resources.

The most influential weapons took the form of pentium channelers. These included pentium rifles, yes, but their most recognized versions were known as pentium staves. Using the power of pentium crystal combinations, casters could launch high-powered blasts of fire, gusts of wind, and various other elemental magics. Using one required intense study. The vast majority of casters could only use one type of energy at varying levels of power. Some high-ranking court casters or those with many years of study could manage two. Only a rare few could ever cast competently with three.

Where does pentium come from?
Pentium is found underground, though scientists haven't yet figured out exactly why it appears where it appears. It's mined by excavating the rock around the pentium in order to best preserve the crystal's form. big veins can take days or even weeks to fully excavate. It's why they don't really use explosives to mine it

The refinement/mining process results in pentium dust, which is about as fine as sand. Pentium dust can be repurposed into "lower quality" pentium crystals by filling in a quartz or glass container. They're less efficient from a size/energy standpoint, but also much cheaper to produce/buy.

Hunting monsters also gets you dust in fairly small quantities. Jaeger Corps sometimes supplement hunting income by selling dust they collect.

How is it used in machinery?
When it's not being cast, channeling pentium simply results in a burst of clean, emissionless energy. This can then be used to move machinery.

What happens to spent pentium?
Even though it is incredibly weight efficient, pentium crystals do not carry a limitless amount of energy. After all the energy from a crystal is spent, its color dulls and its internal light fades to nothing.

Used pentium crystals are often used as decorations, jewelry, or repurposed into other materials like stained glass.

What is casting?
Casting is the art of using mental focus and Intent in order to enact change. MAGIC! Casters must maintain a stable mental state, visualize the change, and pour energy into their casting medium. After enough uses, the crystals in their staves must be replenished.

Using different colored pentium crystals results in different magic. Most casters are only skilled enough to use one color. Very few can use two.

Magenta - Fire, Light
Magenta Casters can create balls of flame and blind enemies. They are the most valued  type of war caster. Especially skilled ones can melt metal and boil water.

Yellow - Movement, Flow, Connection
Yellow Casters can move heavy objects through force of will and shake the earth to disrupt their enemies. They are especially useful in logistics.

Cyan - Cold, Darkness, Condensation
Cyan Casters can freeze the moisture in the air around people and snuff out important lights. Paradoxically, cyan pentium is still spent, even though cyan casting more akin to removing energy instead of creating it.

Black - Weakening
Black pentium and its corresponding casting is still relatively unexplored. Nihil casting seems to be able to weaken the caster or their targets, though what exactly is weakened isn't quite so clear.

White - Un-weakening
White pentium and its corresponding casting is even less explored than its opposite. Ashen casting appears to strengthen the caster or their targets, but only after they've been weakened by nihil casting in the first place. Otherwise, nothing appears to happen.

The central tenet of the Church of Renia is, of course, belief in The Progenitor. All Renaism requires is belief in Her. The Church does not forbid belief in other religions besides Renaism, provided believers are able to reconcile any conflicting doctrine in their own minds. Most people solely believe in Renia, but a not-insignificant number also hold shamanistic or pagan traditions and beliefs as well.

Renaists believe that each person is beholden to a Purpose. While not explicitly profession-related, this often translates into a person searching through multiple jobs to discover what they can do best in order to best provide fulfillment for their life. If one lives life to its fullest, then they shall be blessed with peace after death. In order to help people fulfill their Purpose, the Church offers free education to children all the way up to the age of fifteen weekly, held on Sundays. Certain countries may offer their own education programs, but let it be known that wherever the Renian church is, it will bring enlightenment with it.

Those that do not search for purpose or actively choose to avoid it suffer the worst fates. Those who unjustly take the life or violate freedoms of another face Genoa, where their soul suffers for a thousand eternities.

These commands are given in Testaments, dating back to before the Ephemeral Darkness. There is no explicit denial of any practice in life in them, and there are no mentions of what "personal freedom" entails. Most have taken it to mean life, liberty, and Purpose, but some theologists disagree.

Monsters - One key quirk of Pentium is that it attracts monsters. Sometimes, it attracts *big* monsters. Where monsters come from is a bit unclear, as sometimes they are born from the wild, and other times they seem to simply appear from nowhere (some particularly religious say they climb out of Genoa itself to seek revenge for the milennia of torture enacted on them after sinning in life, but that's just a myth. probably). 

Monsters are generally somewhat unintelligent creatures with terrifying physical capabilities. They range from larger versions of ordinary beasts to horrifying amalgamations from children's nightmares.

Monster hide is tough, meaning ordinary weapons do significantly reduced damage. Only magic or specially reinforced weapons generally cause them harm.

Jaeger Corps - Groups of mercenaries that take out monsters for bounties amongst their other work. Generally about 40-50 strong, not counting support members, a competent jaeger corps can keep an entire province safe from most monsters.

Jaeger corps are generally made up of a Commander, several squadron leaders, support members, and the regular fighters. Some jaeger corps use traps, teamwork, and communication to track and hunt down monsters. Others are like packs of monsters themselves, roaming the area and killing monsters nearby, then extorting the populace for a reward.

Different countries have different stances on jaeger corps' legality. Talk to me if you want to know more specifics.

Character Sheet

More fun things! Here's an example CS! Remember to submit it to me in DM, not here. Otherwise, I'll be forced to reject your character out of principle, no matter how uwu special awesome they are.

Summary: This isn't much else than a simple pitch. Gimme a couple sentences that summarize the overall idea of your character and arc.
Meta Stuff: This is where you tell me what you're looking for. What vibe do you wnat your adventure to have? What's your response time? How do you write? That kinda stuff. IMPORTANT if you wanna work with someone else/want to meet up with them eventually, put their name here. Trust me to work out the details. ALSO TELL ME IF YOU PREFER DISCORD, FORUM PM, DOCS, WHATEVER. WE CAN DISCUSS IF YOU'RE NOT SURE.

Name: 
Gender: 
Appearance: Faceclaim or description, keep it brief (like 5 sentences MAX or I beat you to death). If you have multiple pictures that you want to reference (I want THIS character's hair but THIS character's weapon), go ahead! It's not like anyone else is gonna see it lmao
Personality/Reputation: I hate personality sections, but I understand their importance. Reputation is also important. How do others around your character see them? This helps me in writing NPCs that will interact with your character. Try and keep this brief. Once again, no more than 5 sentences.
Abilities: What training they have, if they have a draconic bloodline that grants them divine power, specialized skills, little quirky hobbies, anything. A list is preferred, but if for some ungodly reason you have to write a paragraph, so be it.
History: Like everything else, summarize.
YOUR ideas: This is where you tell me the general idea of where you want your character to go. These goals do NOT have to be your character's. They can, but ideally this is where you tell me what YOU think. Do you want a shorter character arc where your PC learns about the importance of family? Do you want something longer and tied into the mysteries of the PC's brother's murder? Use as much space as you wish, no length restrictions here.

Once you're done, remember to PM me your sheet with a subject along the lines of "Character Sheet for TFT" or something

That's a lot of things! I hope you're excited as I am for To Face Tomorrow. Feel free to ask questions about the setting, either here or on discord. I'm stone#2804, you can DM me there if you like.
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