Thread: The Creation War: Dragonsoul [SIGN-UPS ALWAYS OPEN]

So following up on a request from @Pi Face; and a binge playing my newly-purchased Skyrim, I decided to reboot an old RP of mine; I suppose you could call it a rather straightforward fantasy RP. This is also another foray of mine into serial RPs--this is intended as the first in a series, and so will end up rather short and simplistic as a proof of concept, but also fully capable of standing alone if it flops.

The Creation War:
DRAGONSOUL

Introduction:

Long ago, the seven Elemental Dragons came to the world of Aether, having battled and narrowly defeated a primordial entity called the Void. In the wake of their great war, Aether seethed with their unleashed primal energies; the raw force of their elemental power raged through the world, destroying its continents and leaving it a vast, empty ocean. Weakened and exhausted by their great battle, the Dragons, contrite for the destruction they had wreaked inadvertently on Aether, used the last of their life force to bind the wild energy into tamed ambient power known as Mana. With their dying breaths, they sealed their bodies away, and used their souls to recreate the lands obliterated in the war. While the wild magic had ran rampant through Aether, a haze of elemental force darkened the land; after the Dragons worked their miracle, a new day dawned on Aether, and the archipelago they created came to be known as the Kingdoms of the Sun.

But as the embodiments of the elements themselves and the very creators of the tamed Mana of Aether, the Dragons were eternal--their bodies had died, and their souls were drained, but they were not gone. As a physical race, the Dragons had become extinct; as avatars of power and keepers of the natural order, they had not. For centuries, the thirteen Kingdoms rebuilt, and in time, the cataclysm of the war faded from memory. But the power of the Dragons persisted, their souls preserved throughout the Kingdoms within the flow of Mana.

Now, it is rumored that the Dragons have returned, their souls reincarnated into the mortal races of the Kingdoms. Both the Emperor of the Sun and the nascent Rebellion prepare for the coming of these mortals empowered by the Dragons. To wield the power of a Dragon is to wield the elemental force of Creation—whoever commands these individuals, these reincarnated Dragonsouls, will command the fate of the Kingdoms.

The World:

The Kingdoms of the Sun:

A map of the thirteen Kingdoms

The Kingdoms of the Sun are a small archipelago comprised of fourteen islands, and the only known landmasses on the world of Aether. The endless sea that surrounds them is named Cyr. The Kingdoms are arranged in a vague ring, with the island of Solis resting near its center. Surrounding Solis and the center of the ring is a giant, unending wall of storms, variously dubbed the Maelstrom, the Dragonsbane, the Wrath of Hydraex. The Maelstrom prevents any ship from crossing across the center of the ring, forcing ships to cross the greater distance of the ring's circumference.

The Kingdoms can be divided into two groups: the seven elemental islands that are the final resting places of the Dragons, and the six remaining outer kingdoms. The elemental islands are distinguished by the sheer force of Mana surrounding them; the raw power of the Dragons continues to affect their terrain, long after their death. As numbered on the map:

• 0. Solis - the heart of the Kingdoms, and the capital of the Lircon Empire. Protected from the rest of the world by the Maelstrom, it is rumored by inhabitants of the other islands that Solis is a paradise that has never known war and boasts technology far surpassing that of the other Kingdoms. The truth is uncertain; the only beings who leave Solis are the Imperial officials and officers that maintain the Empire.
• 1. Ignis - the resting place of the Dragon of Fire. Its most notable feature is the dormant volcano near the center of the island; the shrine to the Fire Dragon stands within its caldera. Ignis is mostly rural; it has no large cities, and supports mostly farming communities. As such, though it is one of the seven elemental islands, it is considered a backwater, and Imperial influence is very low. It is rumored to be the home of the Moonfall Rebellion.
• 2. Terrae - the resting place of the Dragon of Earth. It is rocky and mountainous, and most of its inhabitants live near the shores of the island. The srhine of the Earth Dragon is located on the peak of Summa, the highest mountain on the island. Though the terrain is difficult, Terrae boasts large reserves of metal ores, and thus is an important port and manufacturing center for the Empire. The Empire's main garrison is thus stationed here.
• 3. Lucis - the resting place of the Dragon of Light. A peaceful, forested isle, Lucis is famous for its unusually dense concentrations of ambient Mana. Many magically-attuned individuals are born here, and it features the Kingdoms' only dedicated magical academy. The shrine of the Light Dragon is located beneath the academy, which was built around and over it.
• 4. Aquae - the resting place of the Dragon of Water. Gloomy, wet, and marshy, it is crisscrossed by dozens of streams and rivers and dotted with just as many lakes and ponds. Though many fishing communities line its shores, Aquae would be unimportant, were it not for Emperess Polanna Lircon's influence in declaring the cult of the Water Dragon Hydraex the official religion of the Empire. The shrine to Hydraex is the site of many pilgrimages and floats at the center of the island's largest lake.
• 5. Venti - the resting place of the Dragon of Wind. The island is gentle and open, predominantly flat and hilly, though its southern shore is crowned with imposing mountains. The shrine to the Wind Dragon is located somewhere within those mountains. Because of the ease of settling in Venti, it is the most populous of the elemental islands.
• 6. Umbrae - the resting place of the Dragon of Shadow. It is very similar to Lucis, being thickly forested and boasting unusually dense concentrations of Mana, but it's forests are older, fiercer, more closely grown. Whereas Lucis's forests are bathed in sunlight, the dense canopy of Umbrae's forests means the forest floor sees very little light. Umbrae attracts loners rather than groups, and is mainly unpopulated save for a small port town on the southern shoreline. The shrine to the Shadow Dragon is located in the heart of its forests.
• 7. Fulminis - the resting place of the Dragon of Lightning. Rocky, barren, and constantly obscured by a dense cover of stormclouds, Fulminis is the only island in the thirteen Kingdoms to have no communities; only lone stragglers make their place here. The shrine to the Lightning Dragon is supposedly somewhere on the island, though no records of it exist.
• 8. Hextin - wild and untamed, Hextin is considered the frontier of the Empire. Many strange and exotic monsters roam the island, forcing its few inhabitants to adapt or die.
• 9. Pentron - near rich and prosperous Venti, Pentron is effectively Venti's sister island, nearly as fertile and open as the island of wind. Those dissatisfied with the more populated Venti often make their way here.
• 10. Trimos - large and varied in terrain, Trimos is the crown jewel of the Empire, the most populous island of the thirteen, and boasts several cities. More importantly, it is a key hub of trade, second only to Binthum, and sees many travelers heading to either Lucis or Aquae.
• 11. Tetrum - the southernmost island, Tetrum's only worthwhile feature is its calm and sheltered bay. The quiet beaches lining its bay make Tetrum a resort island of sorts for the rich and powerful.
• 12. Binthum - midway between Lucis and Terrae, Binthum is the heart of the Empire's economy, overseeing both the trade of manufactured goods and magical artifacts. Thus, it is the de facto capital of the Empire, because of Solis's inaccessibility, and houses the Empire's central garrison, naval base and shipyards, and the Imperial Bureaucracy.
• 13. Montrem - the easternmost island and the island most removed from the ring of the Kingdoms. It is mainly a place of exile, and is home to the Imperial Arena, where criminals are executed in gladiatorial combat and other sorts of public spectacle. The Tower of Aurora is located on its easternmost point, but is widely regarded to be an abandoned ruin.

Mana:

Mana is the ambient magical energy of Aether, tamed and shaped by the Dragons. It is omnipresent throughout the kingdom, and every individual can tap into it to augment their abilities or perform magic. Certain locations, such as the islands of Lucis and Umbrae, naturally attract greater concentrations of Mana, and thus further amplifies the powers of its residents. However, there are legends of certain locations where Mana is virtually unlimited, which could teoretically grant an individual limitless power. These sites are named Manafonts. However, these legends remain unsubstantiated, with not a single one found in the thousand years since the Cataclysm.

The Dragonsouls:

The Dragonsouls are the reincarnations of the Dragons. Yet their identities are unknown, their power obscured by the ambient Mana. While a Dragonsoul is typically no different from an ordinary mortal, they have the power to access to long buried power of the Dragons. Because of this, they have powerful affinities for magic. Moreover, should a Dragonsoul come into contact with an actual draconic relic, such as those at the Dragon shrines, they could unlock unbelievable potential. Because of this power, both the Empire and the Rebellion seek to control the Dragonsouls or eliminate them. Even now, the Empire is rounding up rogue magicians and other individuals of exceptional Mana control and sending them to the Arena at Montrem, to find the Dragonsouls by forcing them into deadly combat.

Gameplay:

The Creation War is essentially a freeform fantasy journey RP. Though predominantly fantasy, it also incorporates elements of steampunk, depending on your play style.

Archetypes:

The centerpiece of this RP, archetypes are essentially character classes. However, because of the unlimited potential of Mana, anything is possible in the RP. Every player designs their own archetype; while you can stick to classic ideas like fighter, mage, or thief, you have great freedom in designing your character's archetype.

The only limitation is that it cannot be more advanced than steampunk, because this is still a magic-centric fantasy setting. Simple machines and gadgets are one thing; magicking up nukes and other modern weaponry without the requisite base of scientific knowledge is another. Be creative, but don't go overboard. Moreover, keep it balanced. No one is perfect or omnipotent; specializing in one thing often means skimping on another, while generalizing means you're not as effective in a particular skill.

What makes archetypes integral to gameplay as opposed to flavor text is that each archetypes gets three skills: one Primary skill, one Advanced skill, and one Epic skill. These three are ordered in terms of complexity and awesome-ness: Primary skills are meant to be staples and used often, Advanced ones less so, and Epic skills only in the most, well, epic of circumstances. As with archetypes, you design the three skills in your sign-up. NOTE: Skills are meant to be rather special and even unique to your character, even the Primary ones. For basic actions, like say a simple fireball, you don't need to designate a skill; it's a reasonable assumption that any character of your archetype would know it. A typical Primary skill would be something along the lines of say, Exploding Fireball Swarm, or Backflip Decapitation--powerful, impressive, but not insane. In comparison, an Epic skill would be something like Meteor Flare, or Quad-Wielding Blaze Charge. Those are meant to be as over-the-top awesome you want.

In-game, follow the drawbacks of your archetype and the distinction of your skills. Don't go spamming you Epic skills, and don't have your character ace every challenge instantly. It's simply a matter of balanced gameplay.

Rules:

• Standard RP etiquette. No godmodding, no bunnying, no tennising, etc.
• Be informed. Don't go charging in half-assed; if you need something clarified, or are unsure about the setting or plot or need a recap, ask for it. It's the GM's job to make sure everyone is as involved as possible.
• Keep it Teen. While there can be violence, blood, swearing, and romance, don't go over-the-top with it.
• Read the rules.

Sign-ups:

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Sexuality:

Appearance:
Personality:
History: Optional, but recommended. If you want to withhold it to make a dramatic reveal in-game, that's fine. But knowing the history of your character helps to flesh them out.

Race: Any reasonable fantasy or steampunk race. Elves, dawrves, even automatons are fine; living toasters or aliens are not.
Archetype: Your archetype's name and description, along with strength and drawbacks

Skills: As explained above, one Primary, one Advanced, and one Epic skill. Be sure to include limitations and drawbacks for Advanced and Epic skills.

Dragonsoul? Yes or no. The only advantage to being a Dragonsoul is that your character has natural affinity toward magic, especially elemental magic. NOTE: There are only seven Dragonsoul spots available--first come, first served. Only EARTH, LIGHT, and WATER remain.

Other: Whatever doesn't fit into the above.

Characters:

• Theon - Red Enchanter - @Renewal;
• Brianna - Emissary; Dragonsoul of Fire - @Renewal;
• Torveste - Archer; Dragonsoul of Wind - @Master Mew;
• Calasanz Grumiaux - Thief/Sorcerer; Dragonsoul of Shadow - @AmeKren;
• Clarissa "Claire" Es'Caelance - Swordmaster Mage - @Yun;
• Mugen Neverro - Scholar; Dragonsoul of Lightning - @Pi Face;
• Jago Trevis - Tinkerer - @Plumbum;

Any questions or clarification needed, just ask Renewal!

I am looking for a GM! PM me if you're interested.

EDIT: Here are my sign-ups, if you feel you need an example for archetypes and skills (though I'm a bit lazy on appearance and personality ):

Name: Theon

Age: 27
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Straight

Appearance: Tall and willowy, pale-skinned, with black, medium-length hair and grey eyes. He typically wears fine yet nondescript clothing. Marking his status as a Red Enchanter, he wears a scarlet cloak and wide-brimmed hat, along with gloves of red leather. He carries both a staff and a shortsword.
Personality: Quiet but jovial, Theon is an adventurer at heart; always on the move, he is happiest when exploring someplace new and meeting new people. While he is very open to new friendships, and always willing to offer a helping hand, his wandering nature tends to make him unreliable and flaky. Still, if the situation is dire and the mood strikes him, he will fight to the very end for his comrades.
History: Withholding this for the plot.

Race: Elven
Archetype: Red Enchanter--that is, an enchanter equally competent in enchanting both minds and artifacts. However, while a Red Enchanter has an unusually broad grasp of both major schools of enchanting, he has no mastery of the higher arts of either school, and is not as proficient at even the lower skills.

Skills:
Primary: Glamor. A standard mental illusion. Unlike more advanced illusions, which create actual constructs independent of the target, glamors affect the target's mind only; a non-affected person can inform the target that whatever they are experiencing is an illusion. Depending on the complexity (a simple image is fairly easy; a full simulation of an opponent, involving all five of the target's senses, is not) and number of targeted individuals, the glamor can be held from as many as a few hours to no more than a few seconds.
Advanced: Enchanted Rune. A powerful elemental enchantment. Its true strength is in its versatility; depending on the runes inscribed onto the object, the enchantment can vary from something as basic as setting it on fire, such as a flaming sword, to careful and specific applications and uses, such as lancing a specific target with a razor thin bolt of flame. Longer enchantments are more powerful, but are also more limited and require more time to inscribe.
Epic: Draconic Lance. An ultimate weapon enchantment. This enchantment can turn any object into a spear of unstoppable force, which launches itself at a designated target with dizzying speed. Anything struck by the lance is likely to be obliterated--and a good deal of the surrounding area with it. Moreover, this enchantment is one of the rare few that can layer itself on top of previous enchantments, instead of overwriting them; this means that a Draconic Lance enchanted from an enchanted weapon gains that weapon's enchantments. The drawback is that the enchantment must be prepared on a scroll, a month-long process involving a handful of rare ingredients, as well as incredible expenditure of Mana.

Dragonsoul? No

Other: N/A.

Name: Brianna

Age: 19
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Straight

Appearance: Of middling height and athletic build, Brianna has dark hair and green eyes. As a wandering emissary, her clothing is worn and practical, though well-maintained. She wears a haphazard mix of leather and plate armor, and a plain traveler's cloak. Her only real possessions are her knives and her emissary's saber.
Personality: Reserved and stoic, she has a practical mindset, with an emphasis on fulfilling her duties and obligations as quickly as possible--she hates being beholden or in debt to anyone. As a result, she dislikes interacting with others in anything but a professional setting; personal obligations and the complications of relationships and friendship are burdens she prefers not to deal with, and so frequently comes off as rude and blunt to strangers.
History: As with Theon, withholding this for the sake of the plot (and to de-emphasize my characters).

Race: Human
Archetype: Emissary. Emissaries are a diverse order of summoners who simultaneously train in physical combat. Thus they are capable of summoning various spirits and fighting alongside them in the midst of battle. However, the greatest drawback of becoming an emissary is the terms of their spirit contracts--because their physical training detracts from their education in the summoning arts, they are forced to acquiesce to the demands of their contracted spirits more often, as they lack the experience to forcibly ignore such demands. Most emissaries end up with only one contract with a Major Spirit, compared to a pure summoner who can often hold as many as a dozen. Lastly, though emissaries may gather in convents or monasteries in training, the path of a emissary is a solitary one because of the individual nature of their contracts; each emissary must learn to use their powers through experience, with no teachers or ancient lore available for assistance.

Skills:
Primary: Spirit Strike. Follow up every strike with an attack from the Spirit World. In practice, the Spirit Strike is invisible to everyone but other spiritually aware individuals. It is extremely effective against spirits, and is capable of draining some Mana.
Advanced: Spirit Armory. Summons spiritual armor and weapons. While very durable and allows Brianna access to a range of weaponry, this spell is one of the few that drains health instead of Mana: summoning and maintaining the equipment drains her life force. Thus, it is best suited for enemies that are capable of dealing more damage than her equipment drains.
Epic: Contract Release. Destroys the blood contract binding her Major Spirit--allowing the Spirit to possess her. While nominally a bad thing, the specific terms of an emissary's contract allows them to willingly drive off possession upon termination of the contract. While possessed, Brianna is essentially invincible, incredibly fast, and capable of unleashing great bursts of magic. However, the costs to her body and psyche could be catastrophic. Moreover, until she writes a new blood contract--a process which involves defeating the Spirit to be contracted--she is devoid of all her spiritual powers.

Dragonsoul? Yes, Dragonsoul of Fire.

Other: N/A.

Name: Torveste
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Appearance:

Personality: Reserved, cautious, pragmatic, and (at times) genre-savvy
History: Holding out on this one until I feel I have a better feel for the game-world. The culture is a little murky for me at the moment...
Race: Elven
Archetype: Archer

Skills:

Primary: Elemental Archer
Through the use of the most rudimentary of wind-based magic, Torveste guides his arrows through the air to their intended target. Essentially a passive trait, improving the range, accuracy, and piercing-capabilities of his arrows.

Advanced: Aerial Acrobatics
Through the magical manipulation of the wind, Torveste can generate brief, powerful gusts of wind to propel himself through the air (like, a few extra feet, not as a flight ability) to gain a tactical advantage in close combat - as a drawback, this tactic can understandably backfire and runs the risk of unintentionally aiding a more pragmatic foe, as well.

Epic: Microburst
Just what it says on the can. In a pinch, Torveste can initiate a devastating microburst, knocking down trees, levelling small, vulnerable structures, and flooring all nearby combatants, both friend and foe. Naturally, this affects everyone nearby, including Torveste himself, so it isn't exactly the most prudent tactic.

Dragonsoul? Yes. Preferably wind, if we get to choose.

Other: Nothing at the moment, might think of something later.

I'll finish this guy, but I'm keeping it here so I remember to do stuff.

Name: Mugen Neverro
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Pansexual

Appearance:
Personality:
History: Optional, but recommended. If you want to withhold it to make a dramatic reveal in-game, that's fine. But knowing the history of your character helps to flesh them out.

Race: Human
Archetype: Scholar: One part scientist, one part theoligist, and one part magician, scholars are people who dedicate their lives to pursuit of knowledge on Mana, the Dragonsouls, and the Void. They commonly use a mixture of magic and technology, crafting machines that are just as mystical as they are scientific in princi
Skills:
Primary:
Plasma Casters: Mugen wears a pair of gloves on his hands. While Mugen isn't very good at performing magic himself, he can use the gloves to emulate electricity-based magic to some extent. He can use these gloves to power mechanical objects, or fire bolts of lightning. He can also remove Mana bound to enchanted objects and transfer it to something else, bestowing the enchantment on something else. So if he took the mana from a flaming sword, he could then put it on an axe, and the axe would be on fire.

Advanced:
Robot Creation: Mugen is experienced in creating robots. These machines can act on their own, and may or may not be capable of thought. Mugen needs to bind some of his Mana to them to power the machines. He also needs to find some manner of parts; It's not going to be easy for him to find the components for a flying robot that shoots lasers on a deserted island. It also takes some time to build robots, so it's not really practical to start making an android in the middle of a battlefield.

Epic:
Time Splicer:

Dragonsoul? Yes. he has the electric dragon.

Other: Whatever doesn't fit into the above.

Name: Jago Trevis
Age: 23
Gender: M
Sexuality: Asexual
Appearance: Jago has a lean, athletic build and stands at 5'10" tall. He always has a hood that obscures the top half of his face, although on the bottom half, he has a full beard.
Personality: Jago has a very analytical mind, fast to gather a situation, fast to find the solution and quick amd ruthless in enacting it. Jago never shows any emotion and he has a serious lack of empathy, simply seeing any old worry as an inevitable fact that can no longer change, or if the problem is still current focused on seeking a solution.
History: Very little is known of Jago. In fact, the first anyone had heard of him was when he opened a shop to sell his services to the less technically-minded. This is in fact his entire notable history.
Race: Human!
Archetype: Tinkerer: A Tinkerer is a technological mastermind - making unique gadgets and using them to great effect. A tinkerer is often difficult to pinpoint as their gadget skills can mean they will take o almost any role. Individually, Jago is very agile, wielding a one-handed sword, and his Flechette Launcher, a device strapped to his forearm that fires volleys of spikes and can deploy a small buckler (but it can't be a shield and spike launcher at once). Jago can materialise more ammo for the Launcher as he goes, which means ammo is not a concern.
Skills:
Primary: Sworderang: Throwing one's sword always works, and thanks to Jago's adaptation of his sword, it comes right back. Usually straight through someone's neck in both directions, neither of which are necessarily the same one. Similarly, Jago can retrieve his one-handed sword
Advanced: Flechette Storm: By throwing Jago's Flechette Launcher into overdrive, he can fire it at rates matching today's fully-automatic firearms. However, this burns through his spikes much faster than he can materialise them and can potentially damage the device or his arm. As such, he can't use his Launcher for a while after a Flechette Storm.
Epic: Overdrive: Jago can temporarily gain strength and speed far beyond that of a human, although the mechanisms by which he achieves this are unknown.
Dragonsoul? Naw.

Oh my holy. You made this waaay bigger. Will the SU's stay open after the start?

Originally Posted by Summer Camp

Oh my holy. You made this waaay bigger. Will the SU's stay open after the start?

Ren's on vacation, so at the latest, it won't start until the 18th. So I wouldn't worry too much.

I'd like to join, but my favorite kind of magic has to do with time-space manipulation, which doesn't seem to be here, so....

Originally Posted by AmeKren

I'd like to join, but my favorite kind of magic has to do with time-space manipulation, which doesn't seem to be here, so....

...so you'll branch out? I assume that's where you were going with that, or you wouldn't have bothered posting here.

Ooh! Maybe that could fall under light or dark type? Renewal said that Dragonsouls are especially good at elemental magic, which implies magic doesn't necessarily have to be elemental in nature.

You did say any reasonable fantasy race, so...

Name: Calasanz Grumiaux
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Straight

Appearance: Black fur, with white stripes, resembles a sort of bipedal tiger. Has blue eyes. 6'5. Wears a linen gray shirt, with black cotton pants with a plethora of pockets. Has a sort of "utility belt" filled with "useful things" which tends to be filled with lock picks, rope, oil, anything she's nicked recently. Over all of this is a silky black cloak with gold-threaded trim. Has two black scimitars attached to her belt.
Personality: Out-going, reasonable and friendly. She likes to keep things lighthearted and often jokes around, but is capable of being serious if necessary.
History: I don't know much about the culture of the area either, so all I can put is that she frequently wanders the world for fortune, whatever it may be.

Race: Rakshasa- A race of bipedal felines. They tend to be powerful sorcerers and, although they disdain physical fighting as ignoble, they can be dangerous in close combat as well.
Archetype: Thief/Sorcerer
Skills:
Primary-Feline Grace
Can move swiftly and silently through inborn abilities and usually isn't noticed by her prey until it's too late to save their life... or more likely, their worldly possessions.
Advanced-Shadow-Walking
Can use shadows as a mode of transportation. The drawback is that it is very easy to get lost when you don't know what your doing and it is very disorient to the user if they are not used to doing such, Not the mention that entrances and exits from the "shadow world" tend to dissimilar with a simple application of light.
Epic Shadow Manipulation
Can control, and "Solidify" various shadows. (Think Gaara from Naruto with sand) At night it would be possible to literally drown someone in darkness. The drawback is that it is very energy consuming and it can't be done with the shadows of living beings.

Dragonsoul: Shadow

Other: Tends to only steal from people that are deliberately rude to her whether it's for her race or merchants that get "snippy" when she tries to haggle them down to a more(to her) reasonable price.

I have returned! @Pi Face; @Plumbum; @Summer Camp; still interested?

@Master Mew; accepted. Hopefully the setting will be interesting and presentable; worldbuilding has always been a weakness of mine.

@AmeKren; accepted as well. As with Master Mew, hopefully you'll think up a deeper history once the RP actually starts and you're able to get a more tangible grasp of the setting.

No problem.

Still here, still in this!

Any word on Jago?

Still here, and still ready.

It's an odd feeling, I haven't actually participated in someone else's rp in quite some time now.

Am I still able to sign up?