Introduction
It has been a little over a year since the virtual reality video game, Pariah Online, has become an international hit.
Designed from the studies of a yet-to-be-named cyber-neurologist, the video game was always intended to be a breakthrough in changing the way the human mind perceives things when it is in a dream-like state. During the early development of these theories and experiments, the idea of applying it to a virtual world seemed like the only sensible conclusion. The true nature of Pariah Online is hardly public knowledge for very legal and serious reasons, and for the most part, there have been no detrimental issues that endangered the people in the game or the company's legal and financial security. That is until seven days ago a massive glitch spread throughout the game. Seven days ago when players could no longer log out nor survive fatal encounters. If they died in the game, they would go braindead in the real world.
With server technicians, neurologists, and software specialists trying to figure out the source of the problem, a different threat within the virtual world itself is awakening. How will these "Wayfarers" handle their responsibilities, anxieties, and doubts? Perhaps the answer begins in the City-State of Thorin. Only time will tell.
Designed from the studies of a yet-to-be-named cyber-neurologist, the video game was always intended to be a breakthrough in changing the way the human mind perceives things when it is in a dream-like state. During the early development of these theories and experiments, the idea of applying it to a virtual world seemed like the only sensible conclusion. The true nature of Pariah Online is hardly public knowledge for very legal and serious reasons, and for the most part, there have been no detrimental issues that endangered the people in the game or the company's legal and financial security. That is until seven days ago a massive glitch spread throughout the game. Seven days ago when players could no longer log out nor survive fatal encounters. If they died in the game, they would go braindead in the real world.
With server technicians, neurologists, and software specialists trying to figure out the source of the problem, a different threat within the virtual world itself is awakening. How will these "Wayfarers" handle their responsibilities, anxieties, and doubts? Perhaps the answer begins in the City-State of Thorin. Only time will tell.
Premise & Conceptualization
I started Pariah Online two years ago as an interpretation of the “trapped in a video game” trope that is so often seen in anime and manga. I looked at the works of Kazunori Ito, Mamare Touno, Ao Jumonji, and Fujino Omori as starting points – though I did want to put my own spin on it. I looked at the concepts of dreams and science fiction related to that and decided to frame a story that is tense, adventurous, and exciting.
In the first season of Pariah Online, several adventurers traveled from the city of Thorin to a dungeon that had manifested in the surrounding forests. After suspicious behavior, bizarrely intelligent enemies, and tricks blocking the group's path they discovered through the appearance of a “GM” that the game was going over a server-wide glitch that prevented them from leaving the game and that if they reached zero HP for longer than a small handful of minutes they would go braindead in the real world. After dealing with the anxiety and panic that would come with the announcement the group advanced through the dungeon as quickly and safely as they could. Afterwards the group disbanded, save for a few members who thought it better to remain as a team.
This is where the story picks up with new faces who are no doubt still adjusting to the news that they are trapped in the game. The chapters in season two will hopefully be more frequent and we will have less bumps in the road. I'd open the floor to suggestions on how to go forward, but I think having a semi-sandbox and giving player's option of where to go or what to do would be the best course of direction.
Any and all applications are welcome.
In the first season of Pariah Online, several adventurers traveled from the city of Thorin to a dungeon that had manifested in the surrounding forests. After suspicious behavior, bizarrely intelligent enemies, and tricks blocking the group's path they discovered through the appearance of a “GM” that the game was going over a server-wide glitch that prevented them from leaving the game and that if they reached zero HP for longer than a small handful of minutes they would go braindead in the real world. After dealing with the anxiety and panic that would come with the announcement the group advanced through the dungeon as quickly and safely as they could. Afterwards the group disbanded, save for a few members who thought it better to remain as a team.
This is where the story picks up with new faces who are no doubt still adjusting to the news that they are trapped in the game. The chapters in season two will hopefully be more frequent and we will have less bumps in the road. I'd open the floor to suggestions on how to go forward, but I think having a semi-sandbox and giving player's option of where to go or what to do would be the best course of direction.
Any and all applications are welcome.
The World of Pariah
In the world of Pariah Online, there exists a divide between the inhabitants of the world and the players who choose to interact with it.
From the moment that the players entered the world there was a tension. The inhabitants of the Kingdoms of Sarna, otherwise known as “denizens” by the players of Pariah Online, have always looked at the powerful outsiders as a dangerous precedent but one they needed exactly at the time of their appearance. They dubbed these alien adventurers from another dimension as “wayfarers”, a fitting title given their nature as homeless vagabonds and travelers. But why would these denizens exactly need wayfarers in the first place? Why were they met with a weary welcome rather than one at the end of a sword?
The answer is not a complicated one, nor a strange or particularly unique one. Before the arrival of the wayfarers and their impeccable talents the denizens of Sarna had been losing their heroes year-after-year to coordinated attacks from supernatural monstrosities. Their origin? Supernatural dens that would create and empower them. Supernatural dens they had come to know as “dungeons”. The wayfarers served a purpose to clear these dungeons and destroy them; as the heroes of Sarna had done the same before them. But as more wayfarers arrived as did more dungeons and more kingdoms and cities found themselves in danger. Some denizens speculated their appearance was only making things worse, though their critique was heard on deaf ears as hordes of orcs, goblins, golems, and all sorts of monsters began to push against the walls of the cities that depended on the wayfarers to protect them in an era where heroes of their own were at an all-time low.
Even with the support of the fraternities to arm, educate, train, and direct the wayfarers, a problem continued to brew. But the Council of Monarchs saw little choice. Their hands were tied.
The Fraternities, hero-adventurer guilds that had been established for centuries, found a new life by the flood of wayfarers. Denizen recruitment had been at an all-time low and fraternity leaders saw this as a chance to return to prominence; to propagate a newfound Age of Heroes even if the heroes were men and women whom had no idea what they were doing at first and were by the denizen perception certifiably insane. The five fraternities – Draethir, Drox, Queon, Sikth, and Tyhrien – were more than happy to deal with the eccentricities of the wayfarers as long as they served their role.
And for a year, they have served that role indeed.
From the moment that the players entered the world there was a tension. The inhabitants of the Kingdoms of Sarna, otherwise known as “denizens” by the players of Pariah Online, have always looked at the powerful outsiders as a dangerous precedent but one they needed exactly at the time of their appearance. They dubbed these alien adventurers from another dimension as “wayfarers”, a fitting title given their nature as homeless vagabonds and travelers. But why would these denizens exactly need wayfarers in the first place? Why were they met with a weary welcome rather than one at the end of a sword?
The answer is not a complicated one, nor a strange or particularly unique one. Before the arrival of the wayfarers and their impeccable talents the denizens of Sarna had been losing their heroes year-after-year to coordinated attacks from supernatural monstrosities. Their origin? Supernatural dens that would create and empower them. Supernatural dens they had come to know as “dungeons”. The wayfarers served a purpose to clear these dungeons and destroy them; as the heroes of Sarna had done the same before them. But as more wayfarers arrived as did more dungeons and more kingdoms and cities found themselves in danger. Some denizens speculated their appearance was only making things worse, though their critique was heard on deaf ears as hordes of orcs, goblins, golems, and all sorts of monsters began to push against the walls of the cities that depended on the wayfarers to protect them in an era where heroes of their own were at an all-time low.
Even with the support of the fraternities to arm, educate, train, and direct the wayfarers, a problem continued to brew. But the Council of Monarchs saw little choice. Their hands were tied.
The Fraternities, hero-adventurer guilds that had been established for centuries, found a new life by the flood of wayfarers. Denizen recruitment had been at an all-time low and fraternity leaders saw this as a chance to return to prominence; to propagate a newfound Age of Heroes even if the heroes were men and women whom had no idea what they were doing at first and were by the denizen perception certifiably insane. The five fraternities – Draethir, Drox, Queon, Sikth, and Tyhrien – were more than happy to deal with the eccentricities of the wayfarers as long as they served their role.
And for a year, they have served that role indeed.
Magic
According to the ancient texts dating back to before the Kingdoms of Sarna had been raised from the earth, magic is said to have originated from the twin gods Arcanen and Primora, who have ruled over their respective fields since the dawn of all things. The two primary branches of magical study originate from these gods: the Arcane, the domain of Arcanen, and the Primordial, the domain of Primora.
The primordial domain contains all magic based upon the elements that make up the world, ranging from the ice that fills the tundra, to the fire that burns in every hearth, to the stone that makes up the very ground we walk upon and everything else in between. Primora's magic is wide and varied, possessing no shortage of uses in everyday life; when combined with arcane utility and a little bit of creativity, there exist few bounds to the limits of magic's potential. For most Wayfarers, however, this power is seen primarily as a weapon to be used against the monsters that lurk in the depths. The offensive might of primordial magic cannot be overstated, and it is most often found at the forefront of the war for Sarna's survival.
Unlike its more violent cousin, the arcane domain is seen more for its potential utilitarian uses than its usefulness in direct contact with the enemy. All magic that does not fit the mold of the primordial domain is typically associated with the arcane, showing a great breadth of uses: from transmutation of matter to the enhancement of the human body, enchantment of weapons and the creation of alchemical potions, there is little that an experienced mage can't do if they have access to the proper training and tools.
Magic in Pariah: Online operates in a similar manner to other MMORPGs. All wayfarers have some basic grasp on spellcasting, and the vast majority of players implement magic into their arsenal in some form. New spells are learned from the writings and tomes of the wizards that came before, and specific trainers and masters may be sought out to pursue mastery in the supernatural arts.
While many denizens are capable of wielding magic, it is often said that Wayfarers are significantly more attuned to the domains than most denizens could ever hope to be; this is one of the many reasons Wayfarers are more effective dungeoneers, as their magical affinity allows them to more easily interact with (and thus disable) the ancient constructs at the heart of every dungeon that spawn the monstrous hordes.
The primordial domain contains all magic based upon the elements that make up the world, ranging from the ice that fills the tundra, to the fire that burns in every hearth, to the stone that makes up the very ground we walk upon and everything else in between. Primora's magic is wide and varied, possessing no shortage of uses in everyday life; when combined with arcane utility and a little bit of creativity, there exist few bounds to the limits of magic's potential. For most Wayfarers, however, this power is seen primarily as a weapon to be used against the monsters that lurk in the depths. The offensive might of primordial magic cannot be overstated, and it is most often found at the forefront of the war for Sarna's survival.
Unlike its more violent cousin, the arcane domain is seen more for its potential utilitarian uses than its usefulness in direct contact with the enemy. All magic that does not fit the mold of the primordial domain is typically associated with the arcane, showing a great breadth of uses: from transmutation of matter to the enhancement of the human body, enchantment of weapons and the creation of alchemical potions, there is little that an experienced mage can't do if they have access to the proper training and tools.
Magic in Pariah: Online operates in a similar manner to other MMORPGs. All wayfarers have some basic grasp on spellcasting, and the vast majority of players implement magic into their arsenal in some form. New spells are learned from the writings and tomes of the wizards that came before, and specific trainers and masters may be sought out to pursue mastery in the supernatural arts.
While many denizens are capable of wielding magic, it is often said that Wayfarers are significantly more attuned to the domains than most denizens could ever hope to be; this is one of the many reasons Wayfarers are more effective dungeoneers, as their magical affinity allows them to more easily interact with (and thus disable) the ancient constructs at the heart of every dungeon that spawn the monstrous hordes.
The Five Fraternities
Draethir
Sometimes the most essential pillar is the one that will get their hands dirty and not hide the fact. The pathos of Draethir is vicious, but admired for their conviction and dedication to getting results. Members value perseverance over all other virtues.
Drox
The pathos of service and humility, the Drox fraternity has stood indifferent of pathos politics and more concerned with the plight of the smallfolk; and in the current days of the world of Pariah this seems to be unchanged. Originally an order of green-wardens, the hero-adventurers of Drox are almost as well-recognized as those of Tyhrien. Members value compassion over all other virtues. Their devotion to nature tends to mean professions such as herbalists or similarly nature-aligned tendencies.
Queon:
The creativity of spirituality, magic, and nobility is always a curious thing; a fact that the pathos of the Queon fraternity have kept in mind for centuries. Members value knowledge over all other virtues, though there are those who say the true virtue of Queon is actually responsibility.
Sikth:
As discreet as they are ruthless, the pathos of the Sikth fraternity are not for the weak-willed or naively idealistic. However, the followers of the fraternity are not full of assassins and spies exclusively, as anybody who believes in their paramount virtue of unity as defined by the fraternity’s founder. Virtues associated with members of Sikth include foresight, prudence, and industriousness.
Tyhrien
The first hero-adventurer’s guild to grace the lands of the Kingdoms of Sarna and most likely the most beloved among the common citizenry. Members value honor above all other virtues.
Sometimes the most essential pillar is the one that will get their hands dirty and not hide the fact. The pathos of Draethir is vicious, but admired for their conviction and dedication to getting results. Members value perseverance over all other virtues.
Drox
The pathos of service and humility, the Drox fraternity has stood indifferent of pathos politics and more concerned with the plight of the smallfolk; and in the current days of the world of Pariah this seems to be unchanged. Originally an order of green-wardens, the hero-adventurers of Drox are almost as well-recognized as those of Tyhrien. Members value compassion over all other virtues. Their devotion to nature tends to mean professions such as herbalists or similarly nature-aligned tendencies.
Queon:
The creativity of spirituality, magic, and nobility is always a curious thing; a fact that the pathos of the Queon fraternity have kept in mind for centuries. Members value knowledge over all other virtues, though there are those who say the true virtue of Queon is actually responsibility.
Sikth:
As discreet as they are ruthless, the pathos of the Sikth fraternity are not for the weak-willed or naively idealistic. However, the followers of the fraternity are not full of assassins and spies exclusively, as anybody who believes in their paramount virtue of unity as defined by the fraternity’s founder. Virtues associated with members of Sikth include foresight, prudence, and industriousness.
Tyhrien
The first hero-adventurer’s guild to grace the lands of the Kingdoms of Sarna and most likely the most beloved among the common citizenry. Members value honor above all other virtues.
Character Progression
Pariah is not like conventional virtual reality modules and as such does not use traditional levelling systems.
Instead, Pariah holds a framework that is designed to allocate things with a state of the art progression system that revolves around benchmarks, achievements, and attributes. With this it can be simplified generally in an easy context; if you want to be skilled with a knowledge, item, or weapon then you need to put forward effort into experiencing the world with that aspect. With this system, level becomes simply a number used to mark progression and not an extent of a character's power. A character's power is entirely defined by the actions they took to reach a higher level. If the character spent most of their time using a sword and killing monsters then they will become proficient in using swords and killing monsters. Alternatively, if the character chooses to spend all their time baking bread then they'll make the best damn bread around.
The character will initially start with a basic level in all skills which will remain hidden. When the character begins to specialize into these skills by using them (i.e. swinging a sword, baking bread) the skill will become visible. Much like in real life, proficiency stems from practice and abilities are learned through experiment. With abilities, pressing a button simply does not work. The character must independently swing the sword or cast the spell and if the system registers their attempts correctly, it will perform the act. This system heavily favors independence and allows characters to be specialized how the user wishes to specialize them. It might not be efficient or even good but it is possible.
Want to be a plate armor-wearing mage? Go for it. Want to be a rogue that drags aggro, sure! Point is, the player is free to build their character how they wish to.
Instead, Pariah holds a framework that is designed to allocate things with a state of the art progression system that revolves around benchmarks, achievements, and attributes. With this it can be simplified generally in an easy context; if you want to be skilled with a knowledge, item, or weapon then you need to put forward effort into experiencing the world with that aspect. With this system, level becomes simply a number used to mark progression and not an extent of a character's power. A character's power is entirely defined by the actions they took to reach a higher level. If the character spent most of their time using a sword and killing monsters then they will become proficient in using swords and killing monsters. Alternatively, if the character chooses to spend all their time baking bread then they'll make the best damn bread around.
The character will initially start with a basic level in all skills which will remain hidden. When the character begins to specialize into these skills by using them (i.e. swinging a sword, baking bread) the skill will become visible. Much like in real life, proficiency stems from practice and abilities are learned through experiment. With abilities, pressing a button simply does not work. The character must independently swing the sword or cast the spell and if the system registers their attempts correctly, it will perform the act. This system heavily favors independence and allows characters to be specialized how the user wishes to specialize them. It might not be efficient or even good but it is possible.
Want to be a plate armor-wearing mage? Go for it. Want to be a rogue that drags aggro, sure! Point is, the player is free to build their character how they wish to.
Expectations
Pacing: Activity will be left vague as social obligations such as employment, academics, and so forth take precedent over a shared hobby. But we should try to post with some regularity. Obligations will be reminded if needed, but this is a low stress endeavor so we shouldn't feel the need to make extreme demands regarding this. Just communicate your schedule when there are issues and keep me informed is the bulk of it.
Writing Ability: The writing level I expect is somewhere around medium expectations (high school-level equivalent). This means comprehensive understanding of basic grammar and spelling is expected, characterization is important, narrative is important, and detail behind those are appreciated. I’d like to see a few paragraphs, though if it fits a post that there is enough to respond to and react to within one paragraph than that’s fine, but one-liner’s will definitely be off-base. Keep with the fluidity and enjoy yourself; though quality posts don’t have to be textbooks. Quality over Quantity, yet have fun and make engaging moments of introspection and interaction. With that said, I will not be putting posts under extreme analysis nor will I be inciting a “word count”. So just use your personal judgment of quality and we’ll be awesome.
Etiquette: Rule number zero of my perspective is pretty simple; don’t test my patience or be an irredeemable jerk. Generally, the idea here is a simplified version of any sort of rules since we are all adults and we pretty much know the big rules — follow the host site’s rules, communicate, collaborate, and don’t be antagonistic towards others or at the very least keep the toxicity to a bare minimum. Playful banter and crass jokes are one thing; but actively making somebody feel unwelcome is another one entirely. There is a difference between being blunt and being tactless.
Writing Ability: The writing level I expect is somewhere around medium expectations (high school-level equivalent). This means comprehensive understanding of basic grammar and spelling is expected, characterization is important, narrative is important, and detail behind those are appreciated. I’d like to see a few paragraphs, though if it fits a post that there is enough to respond to and react to within one paragraph than that’s fine, but one-liner’s will definitely be off-base. Keep with the fluidity and enjoy yourself; though quality posts don’t have to be textbooks. Quality over Quantity, yet have fun and make engaging moments of introspection and interaction. With that said, I will not be putting posts under extreme analysis nor will I be inciting a “word count”. So just use your personal judgment of quality and we’ll be awesome.
Etiquette: Rule number zero of my perspective is pretty simple; don’t test my patience or be an irredeemable jerk. Generally, the idea here is a simplified version of any sort of rules since we are all adults and we pretty much know the big rules — follow the host site’s rules, communicate, collaborate, and don’t be antagonistic towards others or at the very least keep the toxicity to a bare minimum. Playful banter and crass jokes are one thing; but actively making somebody feel unwelcome is another one entirely. There is a difference between being blunt and being tactless.
