Shards of Memory: Black Dawn

[Innue]

It was dawn this time, at least as much of dawn as it could be. The dark mist that tinted the sky black gave way to he growing light, allowing the dark form of the UN's kensai to be seen as ecliptic dots in the sky. Slowly, they moved towards Shard 4 like ghosts in the sky - the face of of the killers unknowingly obscured.

-

Death was a morning norm; the ravages of war had taken its toll on both sides. Even though years had passed, there was still no victory. When one side would surge, the other would surge as well. The original war began nearly 200 years ago, shortly after the Great Rift. The separation between the two worlds was torn, shattered by the influence of each upon the other. Originally it was harmless – a portal between the two worlds.

The two drastically different cultures mixed, often causing a violent reaction on both sides. Arla, lacking a true military force on par with the various groups on Earth, were forced to use magic against the opposition. While it stopped the individual fights, it sparked the war. Many were jealous of the Arlanian's ability to manipulate what was around them. Many wished to eliminate this by any means. The Arlanians, equally displeased with the situation sought a way to restore their true homeland.

Of course, it was never that simple. The rift was too large for any magic to destroy, not even Ara, who possessed magic that rivaled those of the Four. The attempt to close the rift, not only by the Arlanians, but by those of Earth, agitated the rift. The growth rate increased exponentially.

The period became known as the Merging, a deceitful name to make the history seem less violent. The Merging was actually a time of great conflict, the two worlds unable to occupy the same physical space as each other. They both shattered upon pressure. Many people died and much of the land mass of both worlds was lost forever into the void of space. Ara, who had not the power to close the rift, still had the power to save both worlds.

During the merging Ara drained all of she could from Arla, not only to protect it, but to protect everyone. The magic she used permeated everything, protecting it from the violent clutches of space. The two cores froze into spheres of metal, with gyrating metal rings flowing around them. She saved the concepts of both worlds – she saved the night and day, the rain, the moon, and the most importantly.... the people. She could not save everyone, and despite what she sacrificed on that day – she was branded as an enemy.

As the new world began, there was a temporary time of peace. Both sides, heavily wounded from the Merging were forced into submission by their own folly. A temporary, old symbiotic relationship ensued. The Arlanian's magic was now used in conjunction with the advanced technology of the Earth. Metal tendrils reached out from each shard, each a walkway to another. It showed the true unification of both worlds.

Gardens were planted, the shards connected, and Ara was able to watch as a new, almost more utopian world was created. However, it was short lived.

Memories rarely die and the most haunting ones have the habit of returning with the smallest of prompting. The conflict that destroyed the 32nd Shard, less than 20 years ago, brought memories that were never meant to return. The violent fight killed all of those on that shard, regardless to what side they were on. Of course, neither side saw it that way.

Protests erupted on the other shards, demanding that magic be destroyed or controlled. The UN, formed by the various new nations that had formed after the merging, took this as a prime opportunity to take control over all of the shards. The Arlanians, vastly outnumbered, watched in horror as the Controlled Information Act was passed. This gave the UN the power to set up a new agency to control nearly everything – the magic, the written word, and many of the freedoms that both sides had taken for granted.

The CIA grew in power, the people pleased with the initial progress. The Great Library, the main project of the CIA was built to house the information taken from the Arlanians – mostly their spellbooks. The CIA soon became the true face of the UN.

It is unknown how it truly happened, but Ara was killed. Murdered by someone who wished for everything to end. As she laid dying, she released the power she had over the world, once again saving it from itself. The spell that maintained the world would live on, she joining the stars and the Four to watch over her people.

However, the pieces that were Arla began to produce a crystal like substance. It was years after it was discovered that a use could be made out of it. The UN, in an attempt to finally gain supremacy, created the CRS, a reactor that use the created crystals as a power source. What truly made them up is unknown, but the potent power was clearly displayed by the UN's new weapons – the kensai. Some Arlanians, who were powerful enough to maintain their magic, were now forced to fight with creations on their level.

Arina Emutato, the only Arlanian with enough blood to revive the royal ways, took the name Arina si Kasezia at request by her supporters and formed the Arlanian Empire not more than 4 years ago in order to protect all of those that she felt would be persecuted by the UN. Using the magic that she could still tap into, Arina and her small force were able to take full control over 3 shards and truly formed the beginnings of an Empire.

With small conflicts between the UN and their kensai, they were eventually able to gather enough resources to create their own version from the captured models in battle. This put them, once again, on par with the larger UN. And this, is where the true conflict lies.

-

Light erupted from both sides as shots were fired. Like fireflies they danced in the sky, brilliant colors flickering against the brightening sky. The victor of it did not matter. Like Ara's spell that kept the world in a perpetual state, the war would remain even if the battle was one by a single side. It was nearly a spell of its own, one that desperately needed to be broken.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~The World~

The world is a web of floating pieces of earth. The metal pathways that once connected the shards do not remain, most of the metal salvaged for kensai production. The numbered shards are mostly covered with skyscrapers in the middle. The outer ring are usually reserved for parks with trees creating a 'wall' between the edge and the rest of the shard.

Water is pulled out of the Rift, as Ara had stored it there. It still rains and snows on occasion, water escaping from the rift and creating clouds and other various weather features.

Most things are powered by crystals, which seem to have a perpetual energy source. They do not take from anything, but will fade over time before 'resting' and restoring themselves to full power. It is unknown how they truly work but it is suspected it is due to Ara's spell.

If there are any other questions about the world, please ask. And do read the intro....

Geography -

--0-------0------0-----31------0--------0-----0 >
--------16------------------30------------------ >
--------------15--------25------8-----------29- >
---1-----14-------26----10----------7--------- >
-0-----------------------------24-----------0---->
-----17---------9-------3-----6------11-------->
0------------------13--OO--27---28-----------0->
---------2------------------12------------23----->
------0-----------21----19-------------4--------->
---------18--------------------22------------0--->
0----0----------5-------20-----------0---------->
-----------0-----------0-------------0------------->

The world is made up of floating pieces of earth, suspended by a peculiar magic. The 2d image that is above only really indicates the distance between them one way. Each of those spins around the two cores in the center.

The Arlanian Empire controls the 'Southeast' part of the world, comprised of Shards 7, 11, and 4. It is consider a solitary nation.

The UN is separated into 5 nations for political purposes.

Shards 20, 22, and 23 make up the Era, being predominantly comprised of pieces of Old Japan. They are one of the few nations to maintain a name from before the Merging. The name actually stood for, at creation, Eastern Revival Alliance. The name, however, was dropped with the creation of the UN. They kept the territory as one nation and the name was changed to a word, rather than an acronym. The capital is on Shard 22.

Shards 2, 21, 18, and 5 make up Elencia, a self created name that has no particular origin. It was one of the first created after the Merging. It is rumored that Elencia was the name of the wife of an influential force in creating the nation that it is. However, there is no proof that this is true. The capital is on Shard 21.

Shards 25, 30, 10, 8, and 29 is known as the Republic of Artemis. This nation was one of the few that was not created until the creation of the CIA and the UN. As the other world 'nations' converged, they forced the mostly autonomous shards to create the nation of Artemis. They were given the name, rather than it being chosen, as a reference to their contribution to the CIA. The capital is on Shard 8.

Shards 1, 14, 17, 15, 16, and 26 is known as the Nation of Deichtine. Many of the shards that make up this nation were formerly Arlanian. They are noted for having a high prominence of those with 'gifts'. It is further rumored that this was the original birthplace of Arina si Kasezia. The capital is on Shard 1.

Shards 9, 13, 3, 19, 12, 27, 28, 24, and 6 are known as the Ouroboros. Both Elenican and Ouroboros were created at similar times and the argue of age is one that cannot be ended. Ouroboros, however, stakes the claim that it would live forever and it is one of the key elements of the people that make up the nation. The capital is on Shard 3.

Political Powers -

Arlanian Empire – In an attempt to prevent complete eradication of the Arlanian ways and people, the Arlanian Empire was created. The run the more 'eastern' region of the shards, taking the major shards of 11, 7, and 4. The capital is on Shard 11, their largest shard.

Unified Nation – This group, basically synonymous with the CIA, controls basically whatever it can, controlling the major shards 1-30, except for what is controlled by the Arlanian Empire, The Ravens, or are owned by private people (mostly insignificant ones). They also have very limited control of the Outer Reaches, which is controlled by a group called the Ravens. These Shards are broken into various 'nations'.

The Ravens – a scavenger group that has no 'home'. They are the shards furthest away from the center and receive very little in benefit from the UN, who they frequently take from. They have only one numbered shard - Shard 31.

Thread Rules:
- Your character can die.
- My word is final (although, I am definitely open to discussions).
- Follow common roleplaying conventions and the rules for the Casual RP forum.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

+ Bio Formats +

NOTE: Advice for making a bio can be found on page 2.

Name: (Must be different from Username, or Real name)
Age: (Character age)
Gender: (Character Gender)
Gift: (See Gift Section - Page 2)
Birthplace: (Shard and Nation)
Profession/Rank: (characters employment and area of expertise - see page 2)
Kensai Piloted: (If any, name it - see page 2 for Kensai description - last 2 posts)
Affiliations: (If with a group/power)

Physical Appearance:
Clothing/Armor: (Military has uniforms - see page 3)
Weapons: (Any weapons the character uses, no bio weapons, anti-matter, or mass destruction weapons.)

History: (Include information about their past, what events shaped their personality, and if they have one, how they obtained their Kensai.)
Other: (anything else)

Name/Age/Gender/Occupation/Affiliation

Kensai Bio:

NOTE: Only Faction Leaders/Lords/Guardians can initially have custom kensai.

Kensai Name: (The name of the characters kensai)
Kensai Pilot: (Name of the pilot if any)
Kensai Weapons: (How many, and what it is armed with, go into detail on how they work, weapons rules apply, see rules)
Kensai Armor:
Kensai Engines: (Movement, speed, OS etc)
Kensai Appearance:
Kensai History: (If not a generic unit, what is its unique history)
Kensai Other: (Anything else)
Name/Weapon/Armor/Pilot/Other

Player List:

NOTE: All bios from the last Shards are considered accepted. I just need updated information if it has changed.

Roleplayer -
Name / Age / Gender / Occupation / Kensai / Affiliation

Innue -
Rin Taiki / 18 / M / CEO / None(yet) / None
Saisei / 22 / F / Bodyguard / None(yet) / RinCo
Trip Wry / 19 / F / Agent / None(yet) / CIA
Key Eamok / 21 / M / Agent / None(yet) / CIA
Shimi Megumi / 20 / F / Librarian / None / CIA
Li-ebe Seishen "The Widow" / 23 / F / Pilot / Schattentraum / CIA
Ni-ki Williams / 19 / F / Pilot / ??? / AE
Setsuya Emutato-kaen / 408 / F / ??? / None / AE
Arina si (sor'imperia) Kasezia / 27 / F / Queen / AE

Kensai List:

Roleplayer / Name / Weapon / Armor / Pilot / Other

Innue -
Schattentraum / Black Spike and Spider Bite / EPC / Li-ebe Seishen / None
IO-06 Nearau / HOPE Rifle / Burst / Ni-ki Williams / None

How to created a SoM bio?

Since this is one of my more complex, and I think interesting, threads, there are particular things that need to be noted about it.

I encourage everyone to create multiple characters for this thread. Each person should have at least a 'main character' to use and their bio should be fairly detailed. If you can to create more 'throwaway' characters, I am allowing that. They do not be be very detailed. This is useful for those that want to bio UN Faction Leaders, which allow highly customized kensai and need subordinates. You can create those people for your use. Use the same format, but you can just be less detailed.

I expect those going for positions of power on this, such as a Lord in the AE or a Division Director to detail their bios fairly well as it is important that the characters have a backstory.

Some of the details on the bio format may be confusing. It would be good to look through the Political Structure posts for the AE and the UN if you are bioing for them. The Ravens really don't worry about that.

Positions I am currently looking to be filled:
- Division Directors
- Faction Leaders - Faction leaders see page 3
- AE Lords/Guardians
- Leader of the Ravens

I need those, as they are important roles in the story.

For those that are wondering about the 'Gifts' section, please see the appropriate posts below. They should be helpful in answering your questions.

You DO NOT have to be a part of either group. You can very well just be a normal person, such as a lawyer or doctor. It may be harder to engage in the story though.

CIA's Structure -
The CIA, being the largest organization, is split into divisions. There are 5 divisions of the CIA split up by geography.

Arc – Comprised of shards 20, 22, and 24, Arc is the smallest of all of the Divisions of the CIA. The focus of this group is specialty training and they are heavily responsible for any of the more 'special' project on the entire agency. Part of it is their proximity to a test subject that is Shard 4.

Cradle – Comprised of shards 2, 18, 21, and 5, this group is responsible for most of the long term projects of the division. It is the 'nurturer' of the agency and many of the wounded to go one of the shards of Cradle.

Arrow – The fighting force of the CIA is mostly trained here. Arrow is the 'offensive power' of the agency. While all agencies are perfectly capable of protecting themselves, this group is very focused on training soldiers and keeping the military aspect of the group high.

Flag – Flag is probably the least known division of the CIA. Anything the other groups need to be done, Flag takes up.

Central – The largest division, it is made up of shards 24, 6, 28, 27, 3, 12, 19, 13, and 9. It is the group that controls all of the other agencies and is responsible for the whole creation of the CIA – the Grand Library. It is said that Central is not only the political power of the CIA, but also the true research division...

The CIA is ranked similarly to the military for the bulk of the organization. The lowest level are simply called Agents, an element borrowed directly from the military. That title is kept alone unless they are in a particular group such as a Specialist group in which they would be 'Name' Arc Operations Agent. Agents are those that are the 'ground force' of the CIA and there are not a lot of them. Most of their tasks involve computer work or various other tasks that don't require a kensai. There are exclusive groups which are not really anywhere on the scale of rank. They are a complete specialist, such as an Archiver. They have no authority, but also can only be issued orders by a Chair.

Above the agent is the pilot, at least in military operations. Pilots are not only split up by division, but by faction within the division. A common title for a pilot would be 'Name' Arc Sword. Faction names are sometimes named by the person that runs it (they are often given honorary titles like Li-ebe who is 'The Widow'). Each faction tends to have 3-10 kensai in each group. One of the most famous factions, no longer existing, was the one run by the current CIA Director – Arc's White Dragon. Individual faction leaders, of course, are the highest in pilot ranks on the field. The faction leaders, yearly, vote for their division faction leader.

Beyond that things progress into the chairs. Specialists will have their equivalent to faction leaders if it is a large department such as medical or research fields. They are the ones that do most of the day to day running of the organization in that area. Before the overall director of the entire agency are the Division Directors. There are 5 and they vote from their ranks for overall director. Another person will be then put in charge of that division. Anything that requires a vote, the CIA director receives 2 votes. All other decisions by this person that are not requiring of a vote are not questionable and must be executed.

Chain of Command (overall – separate for each individual class):
Agent
Pilot
Faction Leader
Division Director
CIA Director

The specialist chain of command only consists of the specialist and their 'chair'. This does not apply to all groups. Groups that only have 1-2 people will just be represented by themselves should they be called to meetings (one must be selected if there are 2) and are not given a title.

The Arlanian Empire -

Nearly all authority in the Arlanian Empire lays with the Queen. However, there are various subordinates. Many of the titles that people have are ones the Queen has just chosen solely out of whim. As they are building an Empire, many of the tasks overlap each other currently. Having a small population, their nobility is often overlapping with their fighting force.

If the Queen does go onto the battlefield, she is, of course, the authority on that unless she defers that right to one of her other subordinates. Following behind her are the 4 Lords. Each Lord has 2 people that take control should something happen to them. They are split up based on the Arlanian Sky.

The lords possess the titles of Seiryu,(Gen)bu, Byakko, and Suzaku. The Guardians, the people under the lords, have the name Kanoga, Shiboshu, Yokohama, Tiroi, Virae, Dunotori, Thifareemit, or (Sordi)chi.

The Arlanian power structure is the one that is able to be changed most easily. As it grows, it is suspected this will change.

Chain of Command:
Royal Family
Lord
Guardian
Everything else

The Raven Command -

The Ravens only have a leader at the time. They have no true chain of command and whomever has proven worthy is given the right to lead at the time. This frequently changes after battles, based on who survives and who accomplishes what.

What is a shard?

Shards are the floating pieces of earth that revolve around the dual cores. They are the fragmented pieces of what used to be Earth and Arla, which had an equal amount of land. Each of the numbered shards are about the size of Quebec or larger on the flat portion. The spears that go downwards add even more land (shards often resemble floating Vs). Even with 31 Shards, most of the world's land was lost to the Merging, or to the innumerable number of numberless shards that float around others. Most of the numbered shards are completely populated with what resemble skyscrapers. There is, of course, some plant life in the form of parks, but most of the agriculture is done on the smaller shards.

Most military storage is also done on the smaller shards which allow various points to be created around a larger shard for protection.

+ Gifts +

Certain people of Arlanian blood are capable of minor magic. If you do have spells, you need to clarify them with me.

Gifts, however, are something more innate. It is something that can be done over and over (particular restrictions). Only certain people have them, but they can be gained through Arina si Kasezia, who has the power to give Gifts.

Gifts should not be overpowered and should learn along the side of things like Shimi Megumi's power over paper, or the Widow's Puppet ability.

+ UN Kensai +

Kensai Name: A-01 Shisso

Kensai Weapons: The basic kensai for the UN is armed with mostly physical projectile weapons, particularly focusing on barrage fire weapons. While both arms are capable of wielding such weapons, they are traditionally used by the left arm. These weapons vary from a machine gun style weapon to a more powerful single shot weapon. They, however, are not capable of using energy projectile weapons as it is too draining on the cores. On the left shoulder, there is a spot for either a set of 4 rockets or a spare Chaos Bomb(one mounted in chest). Chaos Bombs are capable of taking out 5 kensai at once within 30 feet of explosion point.

The right arm traditionally uses a EDB (Energy Disruption Blade) which has a line of energy that allows it to cut into metal and other objects with relative ease. The EDB is capable of cutting through most defenses if given enough time. Other Kensai, especially those with various energy shielding, are more capable of resisting such weapons. The EDB is highly efficient, only draining energy when it is cutting into something. However... after about 20 'cuts' the Shisso will be too drained to operate. These cuts are usually ones on the destruction level. Impacting with other blades does not drain the EDB by much as the two disruptions merely transfer energy to each other. EDB's vary in size depending on the preference of the pilot.

Kensai Armor: The Shisso has minimal armor. It can withstand a decent amount of rounds from kensai on its level. Single shot, more powerful weapons, will have no issues going through the Shisso's armor. Rapid fire weapons, like those usually put onto Shisso's are traditionally smaller in size and do less damage depending on impact point. They are especially vulnerable on the back where their propulsion system is. It has extremely light armoring and a solitary round, even from another Shisso, will incapacitate it.

Kensai Engines: The Shisso uses a basic level CRS (Crystalline Reactor System). The system is highly efficient despite its basic design. It allows the Shisso perpetual flight as long as no other activities are being done. This makes the Shisso especially useful in moving around in pre-battle formations.

Kensai Appearance: 35 feet in height, the Shisso is average in most design fields. It does not boast a highly aerodynamic frame and is not capable of extremely fast flight over a long range. It is, however, fairly agile with its movement. The legs and arms are not bulked down with any form of armor. The traditional humanoid appearance, the cockpit is in the chest which protrudes proudly outwards from the rest of the machine. This is where the bulk of the armor is situation to protect the pilot. The head, which occasionally varies by faction, has angled sensory visor resting back from the rest of the head. The helmet usually has some sort of communication antenna on this model as it is not capable of sustaining internally protected communications. The Shisso are completely white with black accents on parts like the shoulder and the feet. The left shoulder traditionally bears the faction crest while the right shoulder, which protrudes upwards like the left traditionally bears the emblem of the nation that it is from.

Kensai Other: This is the first created model

Kensai Name: SO-01 Scharfschütze

Kensai Weapons: The Scharfschütze boasts the most powerful weapons for the basic models of kensai. It has a dual projectile sniper rifle that can switch between an energy based shot to a traditional projectile. The rifle, unlike the Shisso, is mounted to the right. It has direct access to a personal CRS solely to power the weapon. They also have EDB weapons like the Shisso. They are traditionally shorter than the ones on the Shisso. They are usually wielded by the left hand.

Kensai Armor: The Scharfschütze is minimally armored and has about half the staying power of the Shisso if barraged by fire (and hit). It also has the same weakness with the propulsion system.

Kensai Engines: The Scharfschütze is one of the few models that has a dual CRS system. While one is usually designated for the use of the rifle, they can both be used to power the movement and other aspects of the model. It should also be noted that the CRS on the Scharfschütze are significantly larger than those on the Shisso, giving them longer staying power. They are, of course, extremely fast and capable of high energy outputs.

Kensai Appearance: Shorter than traditional kensai, the Scharfschütze stands about 30 feet high. The frame is also significant sleeker and less bulky than the Shisso as the parts of the Scharfschütze are angled to allow maximum aerodynamic qualities. It should be noted that this does thin a lot of the fame down which is why it has minimal armor. It, of course, has most of the armor situation in the chest where the cockpit is. The color of the Scharfschütze is pure black, showing that they are special operations. They do, as well, boast the same shoulder marks at the Shisso.

Kensai Other: The second generation model of the UN.

+ Arlanian Empire Kensai +

Kensai Name: E01 Wä(c)hter

Kensai Weapons: The Arlanian Empire's kensai design is a hybrid between the Scharfschütze and the Shisso, mostly because the plans were created from captured models of kensai. The weapons on the Wä*hter are mostly energy based. The AE's ability to still use magic allows many of the models to use the 'Könighand' (King Hand) which can channel the abilities of the pilot into the gem that is slotted onto the mech. Traditionally these are on one of the hands, but some more advanced models have the gem slotted over the chest. Only particular abilities can be channeled through the 'Könighand', but it does allow at least the raw energy to come out. Usually, the average person can only give up about 5 shots through the 'Könighand' before they themselves pass out. It does, of course, also have the CRS. The weapons on the Wä(c)hter are dual purpose like the Scharfschütz but are only capable of solitary shots. They can fire a shot about every second. Like all Kensai, they too wield and EDB which has the same statistics are the Shisso. If the 'Könighand' is used to put energy into the EDB, they are quite capable of cutting through things with more efficiency.

Kensai Armor: It is about the same level of armor as the Shisso, usually relying on the 'Könighand' and their more powerful weapons to cut through the ranks of the Shisso. Traditionally, a solitary shot to a major point on another kensai will take it out. They, as well, possess an unprotected propulsion system.

Kensai Engines: The Wächter also has a dual CRS system allowing it to move faster than the Shisso, but slower than the Scharfschütze.

Kensai Appearance: It is a physical cross between both UN models. Mostly they are painted blue with white accents, crests placed on the models to indicate 'Faction' (Divided between Lords/Guardians) and has the symbol of their leader on the chest.

+ CIA Factions +

This is for the various military factions created by the players giving the names and other needed information.

Faction information uses the following format -

Faction Name:
Faction Leader:
Division(Arc/Cradle/Arrow/Flag/Central):
Faction Symbol:
Faction Colors:

+ National Flags +

+ Uniforms - CIA +

Unless Special Operations, uniforms are by division. Mostly, the all contain the same design.

The basic uniforms are black, with trim based on Division. The black coats are long in the back, descending to about the back of the knee. The front, however, ends about at the waist. The coat buttons up on the right side of the chest with 4 buttons in a rectangle. If the CIA member has a particular Faction or other allegiance, their patch will be on the left part of their chest.

The buttons on the uniform are always a silver color and any basic personnel will have silver trim around the edges. The cuffs of the uniform are quite stiff and always tailored to the wearer. They have bright silver buttons as well. The Trim that edges up to the stiff color runs along the side of the arm to the top of the shoulder. The number of trim lines is indicative of rank and faction and division.

Paired with this are black slacks and black boots, both which are mandatory.

Arc, in addition to the silver trim, will have yellow trim running parallel to the silver. Cradle has a white additional trim. Arrow just has an additional silver strand. Flag has a blue band of trim and Central has a golden band.

Upon special approval, additional trims can be added if a faction has attained particular status or has a particular department like Research and Development.

Special operations have their own uniforms. Most noted is the Widow's blood red jacket which has black trim instead or the White Dragon's white, gold, and blue.

+ Uniforms - Arlanian Empire +