》 𝖧𝖨𝖲𝖳𝖮𝖱𝖸

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No one knows the sources of magic that once permeated the world nor how they faded with time. In the modern age, the world has forgotten much of the arcane secrets. And terrors.

In the midst of perpetual upheavals and innovations the old magic, known as The Whisper, persists. Its champions still called themselves Crowns, the ones chosen by the aspects of humanity to fight the endless war against crawling shadows. The mark of a Crown was an appearance that suited only them, unusual and impossible in reality, while an ornament decorated their head, its shape and size distinct with every mind, but always wisping an ethereal white smoke.

The first crowns were chosen by the primary aspects of humanity--Wrath, Joy, Fear. They were not the strongest, nor the bravest. Some refused to bear the burden. But, one way or another, the unwanted responsibilities came to their doorstep. Then came the Crowns of Madness, Disgust, Grief, and Contempt. They were better than their cohorts, if only by sheer chance.

They learned the war and fought it. Hunted down the monsters and taught each other the methods of seeking and destroying. These Crowns named the amorphous creatures 'the Elegies' for the sad hum of music audible when one approached the source. And every appearance of an Elegy was heralded by the sound of bells--some tinkled and others clattered, while still others thrummed with a deep, resonating tone that quaked the air. These bells would soon be called 'the Death Knells', but for whom was the eternal question: the monster or the hunter?

The Crowned power allowed its users to step into another world, where people vanished and reality no longer acknowledged them. But here the Elegies dwelled, the funeral song of their otherworldly tunes driving mankind mad with sickness both physical and mental.

Then came the Crown of Pride, almost reluctantly like the powers that created them struggled to justify its decision. For a time they kept the Elegies at bay, but even the magic that bolstered their bodies in combat could not stop the flow of time. They aged and weakened, stronger than humans but too frail for Elegies. Most did not survive to see old age.

Before long the first Crowns were replaced, the few survivors seeking out the new to teach them the ways. It became an old tradition as human history continued its breakneck pace, that surviving Crowns would mentor those who had recently awoken and throughout time several Crowns pooled their resources to create discreet hubs of shelter and information for Crowns and their supporters to meet. Many of the locations were expanded and upgraded over time, changing their forms of business to match the ages, but never their true purpose.

The Industrial Revolution saw the emergence of new Crowns, of a different ilk. The ornament no longer breathed mist, but caught the light and refracted the colors. Their numbers were vastly greater than the first Crowns and their powers immensely more varied. There were too many to catalog, or even keep track of. They were divided into Prismatic Crowns and Ethereal Crowns thereafter, with the former category boasting champions for more complex aspects of humanity and everything in-between. There was peace for a time, until the Mourning Day, when an Elegy woke that was so powerful it set the world on fire. Many Crowns were lost that day, whose replacements would never match their courage and wisdom. But the creature fell, at last, to a hail of destruction from the combined might of hundreds.

Such a disaster has never been seen since, and the world has maintained a relative sort of peace until now.

》 𝖯𝖱𝖤𝖬𝖨𝖲𝖤

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Fast forward to the present day when the Crowns have had to innovate to get by. Seedy dives and bars were out of the question when they made hideouts prime targets for police stakeouts, so many of the established headquarters of Crown operations have been repurposed as more reputable, but low-brow fast-food joints and diners.

The mystique of the older traditions gave way in the self-deprecating climate of the times and much of the reverence had faded from what the Crowns could do. Those who fastidiously hunted and eradicated Elegies at the sound of every Death Knell had no time for the rigors of realities and either lived at the various hidden headquarters or remained homeless on the streets. But the Elegies remained the same, unfettered by worldly concerns, driving both human innovations and calamities.

Your character is someone who lives in the fictional city of Bloomfield Bay, a beautiful coastal metropolis boasting a burgeoning population of four million and upwards. As the city expands its residential districts and constructs more high-rise apartments surrounding the glistening waters of the bay, its population is blissfully unaware of the strange illnesses that have stricken several backpackers and citizens living in low-budget accommodations within the city slums. As the government does its best to pretend like the poor and their problems don't exist, the cases are swept under the rug as a localized epidemic affecting only areas with poor sanitation and hygiene.

People are told to wash their hands more often. Then the news segment cuts to the latest styles in Hollywood. The problems do not exist.

Your story begins here.

》 𝖬𝖠𝖦𝖨𝖢 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖢𝖮𝖬𝖡𝖠𝖳

---

A force the Crowns call "The Whisper" is what awakens Crowns. An unintelligible whispering calls to someone, and leads them into the Grayspace, where their powers awaken. There are times when new Crowns do not survive the process, especially if an Elegy is lying in wait for them.

Crowns transform by summoning forth their 'crown' which can take the shape of any headgear or headwear they desire. When a Crown is first awakened, they’ll see a traditional royal crown float down to them, its border unstable, but undeniably fit for a king. For Ethereals, the crown they first see is ghostly and transparent, with a white mist billowing from it. Prismatics are greeted by a similar, but crystalline crown whose shape jitters like a glitch on a screen and whose form refracts light in every colour visible and invisible. The Crown moulds to its wielder’s soul once and remains that way forevermore. For Ethereals the Crown’s final shape will continue breathing a white mist, regardless of the colour/colours and make of its form. For Prismatics the Crown’s colours and features will finalise and the result glows noticeably. The transformation can also change eye and hair colour (along with hair length and style) and in some extreme cases encase an entire body in armour. Facial features and body type do not change, however.

Once the shape of the Crown is selected, the outfit follows, generally tailored to some vague notion of the user's thoughts and finished by The Whisper's power. Every Crown has a weapon, even if it's not immediately apparent. The weapon, too, can take on any shape and isn't always a conventional armament. A Crown's power and attributes will suit the aspect they champion, as it is the aspect that chooses them and grants them its blessings. While Crowned, physical capabilities surpass all human bounds. Running and jumping at speeds and heights normally impossible for humans is like breathing and reflexes are naturally sharpened. Stamina is nearly boundless and restricted mostly by the individual magical capacity of the Crowns. These basic enhancements can be further upgraded under the effects of certain Crowns.

Crowns are divided into Ethereal Crowns and Prismatic Crowns. Ethereal Crowns tend to have huge-radius AoE buffs/debuffs, but very few, if any, directly offensive capabilities. Prismatic Crowns are the scalpels to the Ethereal kitchen knives and possess immeasurable varieties of powers between various Crowns. While the Ethereal Crowns are limited to the eight basic aspects, Prismatic Crowns are free to champion any other more complex/nuanced aspects of humanity. There can only be one Crown of each type at a time, however. New Crowns are not selected by The Whisper until a previous Crown has died. Prismatic Crowns, though limited by the same restrictions, are as varied as there are words.

Crowns fight Elegies in a world they call the Grayspace, a strange limbo world where colors are muted and people disappear. The environment remains the same, but Crowns and Elegies cannot interact with objects aside from touching them. Doors do not budge and handles do not turn. The inanimate objects, then, become something like perfect barriers to use in order to avoid otherwise devastating attacks. Crowns have made use of the strange environment ever since the first battles.

The sound of a Death Knell signals an Elegy within roughly 10 kilometers, and the closer a Crown gets the louder the voiceless tune of the Elegies' songs sound. Crowns can hear Death Knells and Elegies even in the real world, but can only see and fight them in the Grayspace. The Crowns' transformations, however, can happen both within the Grayspace and reality. Old stories tell of more powerful Elegies, who can step out of the Grayspace for a time and threaten the Crowns in reality as well. Elegies come in all shapes and sizes and are often abstract in form. The more amorphous an Elegy is, the weaker and the easier to dispose of. Stronger Elegies have more unique personalities that shape their forms and amplify their songs, making them high-profile, but immensely dangerous targets.

An Elegy's song has been known to cause both creativity and madness, ultimately leading to future calamities. The Crowns agree that for every innovation brought about by the wonders of a song, there are thousands more driven mad, and even the creations brought forth by the song's inspiration has always wound up being the same instruments of destruction. Where the Elegies come from is a mystery, one that the Crowns have yet to solve.

Crowns can normally identify each other immediately by feeling the magical energies of others, though this only informs if someone is an Ethereal or a Prismatic Crown, and gives no information on what aspect another Crown champions. Veteran Crowns have learned to hide this aura, as Elegies can use the same trick to follow their movements in combat. New Crowns, especially after awakening to their powers, are always easily identified by the burst of uncontrolled magical energy around them. If they survive long enough for another Crown to find them, they'll be taken to the nearest headquarters for introduction and an explanation.

》 𝖫𝖮𝖢𝖠𝖳𝖨𝖮𝖭𝖲

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Bloomfield Bay sprawls around the water's edge on the city's massive southern side filled with ports and ships loaded with cargo. The city center is the downtown business district filled with large, multilevel shopping complexes and high-end businesses catering to every luxurious need. The further west you go in the city, the more impoverished the housing and businesses. The west end has the oldest, original architecture of the city's first settlements, but is poorly maintained. Newer, more modern houses crop up on the east, where suburbs filled with new family homes and smaller apartment complexes expand ever outward and cozy businesses set up shop in response to the demand. The city's north is filled with factories and manufacturing plants sequestered away from the scenic cityline. Large swathes of land are devoted to warehouses and rented storage units and even further north are the wide, sweeping farmlands that provide the city's agricultural goods.

Public transit runs throughout the city and is normally more efficient than cars in most places except for the far north end. Trains stations, lightrails, buses, and rentable scooters/bikes are plentiful throughout the city and provide ample means of transportation for everyone. Rush hours in the mornings and late afternoons still require a squeeze onto the trains and lightrails, but increased frequency of public transit during peak hours alleviate much of the congestion.

Many private and public schools and universities litter the massive city and many major companies have recently decided to call Bloomfield Bay their headquarters, bringing with them employees and families eager to settle into the beautiful metropolis.

》 BURGER QUEEN (ON FIFTH AVE AND WINDSOR ST)

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Just another fast-food restaurant with limited seating capacity on the suburban east side of the city. The chain has recently upgraded their locations with cove lighting and nicer chairs, with significantly better interior decorating. Sitting just outside the business district of the bustling city, this Burger Queen sees a steady stream of customers and has even added a special VIP room in the back for its most frequent customers. A clean and tidy, but otherwise homeless man lives in an SUV outside this location and despite numerous complaints to the city council, some influence or higher power has allowed him to remain right where he is. No one knows where he goes to take showers and clean up, but his car and clothes are consistently clean. Most people assume some kind soul is giving him money.

》 THE EXCELSIOR COMPLEX (ON A ST AND TREMANE RD)

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Smack in the middle of the most expensive district in the city center, this apartment complex is only for the filthy rich and obscenely lavish. There's 24/7 security, surveillance, and multiple layers of scans to even get in the front door. Airport security has nothing on this place. The penthouse apartment at the Excelsior is known to host many get-togethers and meetings for the owners' friends, who are all in possession of a guest-access keycard and Excelsior-issued ID. The apartment owner is almost always overseas on lucrative foreign business trips and is rarely around to help others get into this meeting hotspot, as much as he would like to. Rumors say he's been sending money to the homeless guy outside the Burger Queen.

》 SULTRY SIPS (ON LEICESTER ST AND ESCALERO AVE)

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This is one of those seedy bars in the wrong (read: west) side of town that most Crown headquarters have stopped being, but the Sultry Sips doesn't care about that. Featuring 'entertainers' and blackjack among other hedonistic activities, the Sips is about as dirty as used lingerie and smells about the same. Its VIP room is immaculately clean, however, and is equipped with a jacuzzi and bar, making it the next best place to bum at for those who still can't get into the Excelsior. Just be careful of the drunkards outside on the way in. The Sips' owner is a older Crown who's since retired herself from active combat and settles for running her unregistered brothel/registered bar in relative peace while mentoring any new Crowns who cross her path.

》 ABANDONED WAREHOUSE (ON IMBREE RD AND MCNEILLY ST)

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Someone owns this large, abandoned warehouse on the north edge of the city and just won't use it for some inexplicable, Crown-related reason, so the Crowns have set up shop and made themselves cozy with secondhand furniture and jerryrigged electricity from a generator. It's a communal effort from the Crowns to keep the place tidy, but with people coming and going and dropping off more bargain bin household supplies, it's something of a comfortable mess. The largest of all the Crown HQs but the least pretty, it's still a good place to meet up for Crowns living in the area.

》 THE BAGEL PANTRY (ON STATENHAM RD AND GEYER BLVD)

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A southside eatery specializing in bagels and bagel sandwiches that gets plenty of foot traffic from the trendy occupants of the city's southern end, which borders the expansive bay and is ringed with high-rise apartment complexes. The location isn't as expensive or extravagant as the inner city business district, but is becoming quite popular for its views of the coast and its small, but somewhat affordable apartments. The Bagel Pantry has a large basement that's been added to over the years by various Crowns, resulting into a smorgasbord of mancave, cutesy decor, floral arrangements, and modern-aesthetic furniture.

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》 BLOOMFIELD BAY AIRPORT

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The mid-sized airport maintains a conjoined international and domestic terminal, despite the growing number of flights. The lounge area is spacious and mostly clean, but finding empty benches has become a problem lately. The airport’s food court is accessible without checking in, offering a range of fast food restaurants and coffee shops. The wi-fi is notoriously slow, though.

》 MUSEUM OF WILDLIFE HISTORY

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Nominated in Bloomfield Bay’s top 5 must see destinations of 2020, the museum is a popular attraction for both tourists and locals alike not just for its exhibitions, but for the gorgeous, old-world floral murals across all its walls, floors, and ceilings. It is considered to house the most extensive collection of fauna and floral specimens on this side of the hemisphere. This month's exhibition is about the bison and several of its extinct cousins.

》 FARMERS' MARKET

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A weekly affair that draws in both tourists and Bloomfield’s increasingly diverse population. The stalls change often, boasting mundane fruits and vegetables along side every specialty and delicacy to be found in Bloomfield Bay. Only one thing to remember when visiting: bring cash.

》 ROYAL CASINO

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A part of a blooming casino-hotel chain on the East coast, this particular branch has adopted the bright neon, futuristic aesthetic. Even the poker tables have interactive interfaces. The grand venue is built into a high-rise, luxury hotel of the Royal Casino Hotel brand and comes with a massive attached concert hall where anyone who is anyone hopes to play, but few are allowed to book. The casino is often crowded, but always packed during peak seasons. There is complementary hot chocolate for visitors.

》 KINGSWAY PARK

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A large park in the heart of the city, comprises of Her Highness Lake and the surrounding trees. The canopy stays green all year round through the miracles of modern horticulture and some evergreens. The park is a popular spot for joggers, couples, old people, and ducks.

》 FAIRGROUNDS

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A theme park located on the East side of the city. It opens partially all year round, providing the general public with unhealthy food and nausea-inducing rides. The park only opens fully to host the annual Winter Fair a week before Christmas. No Bloomfield locals worth their salt can afford to miss out on the delights of the fair. When the park isn't open, the Fairgrounds is often hosting outdoor concerts and miscellaneous events.

》 BLOOMFIELD BAY BEACH RESORT

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One of the more luxurious locations in Bloomfield. Locals do not frequent here, and almost every store around the corner is a tourist trap. However, the resort does boast a perfect view of the bay and a very comprehensive breakfast buffet along with a private section of the nearby beachfront for VIP guests.

》 BAYSIDE AQUARIUM

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Easily accessible from public transport, the aquarium is a popular spot for couples and highschool field trips. Its mascot, Sheila the Seal, is also quite a hit with the kids, having been featured in a comic series and a cereal brand. The aquarium has its own food court and dining area for families, along with its own cafe and, of course, a souvenir shop.

》 SHIPYARD

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West Bloomfield Bay Shipyard and Warehouses used to belong to Noble and Sons Trading Company before the latter went bankrupt. These days it serves as a maintenance yard and port for the city council and the main port for Bloomfield Bay. The place began to receive increased tourist interest after its appearance in the film ‘Mobsters Versus Pirates: Al Capone’d In Davy’s Lockers.

》 SOUTHPOINT PIER

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Southpoint Pier is a food, entertainment, and festival district hearkening to the atmosphere of carnivals. Most people are drawn here for the floating fish 'n' chips shops along the walkway, as well as the chance to enjoy long walks and the sea breeze. After dark, the place is lit up with a variety of neon lights, and there is also an opportunity to purchase the famous ‘BloomBay Bitch’ shirts from the local gift shop. A warning, however: the seagulls are vicious and they want your fries.

》 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖢𝖧𝖠𝖱𝖠𝖢𝖳𝖤𝖱 𝖲𝖧𝖤𝖤𝖳

---

Ethereal Crowns are limited slots and not FCFS, but Prismatics can be almost anything you prefer and does not require slot competition. All eight Ethereal Crown slots do not need to be filled. Multiple apps are allowed, limited only by your capacity to play them all.

Personality stats should be self-explanatory. Just copy and paste either a blank star or a filled-in star for the ranking out of five stars. Don't use these as hard guidelines for how to play a character, they're for fun. Likewise don’t set confidence to zero stars and then have the character never stop believing in himself. Be reasonable.

The name of your crown should correlate in some way to a core aspect of the powers granted. It can be a loose fit, but don't stretch too hard.

Clearly state what the appearance of your Crown is in the Crowned form as well as what weapon the Crown granted your character. It can be a brief line in the magic or transformed appearance section, but it needs to be there.

Combat stats follow: strength is a measure of direct damage; support is a measure of anything else that helps teammates other than you directly killing/damaging something; dexterity is a measure of how fast your character moves/attacks; defense is a measure of how tanky the character is or how effective they are at deflecting or countering attackers; magical energy is a measure of how long a character can fight before they need to rest or how often they can fire off big attacks. The stars are a rough rule of thumb, five stars is five big attacks before the character needs to rest and so forth.

You character can have anywhere from 1-5 main skills (with minor variations being offshoots of the main skills and don't need to be mentioned). Make sure to describe your skills clearly--if it's an AoE, say so, if it's a high-energy skill, say so, etc. Don't stack your skills list with nothing but high-energy skills because the rough rule of thumb is purely a guideline for you and not a perfect indicator of how many of those big skills I'll allow you to keep firing in one fight. The bigger/more damaging the effect the more energy it'll cost. I'll leave it to you to figure out what category a skill falls into, but if you need to check, feel free to ping and ask.

Don't take the stars too literally, they're just general indicators to guide combat. On the other end, don't completely ignore the stats you set, either. Find a good balance when you play.

Try not to create characters with the same weapon/skills/personality/history as a preexisting one. It's certainly possible in the universe of the story, but it tends to rub players the wrong way, so first come first served on the character/power archetypes and no repeats.

A sample character is below, but I won't be playing that one so the bow and the corresponding Crown is not taken, as a disclaimer. It's purely a sample.

Will be sharing a Discord (invite link here: discord.gg/Wyqb5XV) with another RP I'm running (on another site) because I'd rather manage everything on one server.

I reserve the right to reject anyone without any reason stated. If this happens, don't continue posting in the RP's thread or intchk, thanks.

✺ 1. GMs' word is law. There's room for discussion, but only with good reason. Co-GM is @RedDusk.

✺ 2. No god-modding/meta-gaming of any sort. GMs will warn. If the behavior is persistent, the player will be kicked.

✺ 3. No drama. Period. Personal problems with each other go straight to PMs/DMs. GMs are here to manage the scope of the game only and will not step in to deal with personal drama unless it relates to the game. If the drama is not contained to private conversations, relevant players will be kicked.

✺ 4. No discussion of highly controversial topics in the OOC or the Discord. If it's liable to start a fight, don't bring it up. Current events/news is a fine line--don't devolve conversations into flame wars.

✺ 5. Romance is fine if relevant players are on board. Anything further than kissing and holding hands needs to fade to black or go to PMs only.

✺ 6. Discord is highly recommended (if you want faster responses from me/an easier time talking with others in the RP), but not mandatory.

✺ 7. Ping GMs for relevant questions or to resolve RP-related concerns/issues.

✺ 8. Any PvP with other players needs to be discussed with the relevant player(s). Players will decide how a fight proceeds, what attacks connect, what don't, etc. GMs will only deal with magical power interactions to clarify how effects work against or on top of each other.

✺ 9. No posting requirements/minimums. GMs will move events along when it seems like most people have finished interacting/responding. If there's a delay but you do intend to respond that round, ping a GM in the Discord or the OOC to let them know. Wait time is at GM discretion. If you hold up a round too long, GMs will move on regardless.

✺ 10. Characters will be written out or killed off if players are inactive for longer than two months.

✺ 11. Submit sheets in the OOC first, not the CHAR tab. Only post in the CHAR tab after GM approval.