So to summarize, we've got the following elements covered: Fire: 2 Air/Wind: 1 Ice: 1 Lightning: 1 Earth: 1 Gravity: 1 Darkness: 1 Light: 1 Aether: 1
While the following elements have yet to find a champion: Water, Wood, Metal(?)
And I thought Valentia was more in Poland or Russia. Eh, I guess the map isn't exact, and doesn't have to be; as long as the Sanctum Cities are mostly defined, the setting's fine.
Hey! I'm interested in joining but I'm not sure which element I feel like choosing yet — is it fine to choose one that other characters already have or do you have a preference for the leftover elements to be used?
Hey! I'm interested in joining but I'm not sure which element I feel like choosing yet — is it fine to choose one that other characters already have or do you have a preference for the leftover elements to be used?
Considering there's not exactly a "first come first served" status and we're just making characters, I'd say no preference, you're fine. Of course, bear in mind we're probably a handful of students in a massive academy with applicants from all over the world, there's bound to be several students with the same element(s).
@Inedible Here is my submission to the competition, hope you like her!
The Mundane Name: Sadie Mercury
Age: 16
Sanctum City: Siscia
Personality: Sadie is an unrepentant trickster, who enjoys helping others better themselves with a trick or a prank to turn them in the right direction. She is fiercely protective of her friends and her people, and will square up against anyone who messes with them. She doesn’t try to actually hurt or injure others with her pranks, and when that does happen, she fesses up and does what she can to help the unfortunate person. She also acts wise beyond her years; and sometimes, she’s even right.
Background: As the 3rd, and youngest, child of George and Diana Mercury, Sadie grew up wanting for little, and with perhaps too much free time. Since shortly after the young girl figured out walking, aggrieved cries echoed in her wake as she toddled back and forth between interests, tricks, and exploration. As she grew older, her curiosity, and the complexity of her machinations, grew quickly, to the horror of the household at large. The saving grace is that her tricks rarely left any lasting damage, on object or person, though when something did go wrong, she went out of her way to fix things immediately.
The curiosity that led to all of her voracious learning and trickery also led her to follow every rabbit hole, to try and find every secret, every hidden tidbit about anything and everything around her, from her house, to her family and friends, to the world at large. While this curiosity did lead to good things, such as the discovery of her magical potential and subsequent enrollment into Nova Lux, it also got her into trouble more times than she could count.
When she got her acceptance letter to Nova Lux, Sadie was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement! She couldn’t wait to find out everything there was to know at, and about, the Academy.
The Magical Armgaus Name: Shining Steel Kyanite
Gladius: Magitech gauntlets (pictured in the Parma image)
Elementum: Metal
Elementum Abilities: Sadie has the ability to manipulate and reshape any metal within her area of control to augment the offensive and defensive capabilities of herself and nearby allies, by modifying weapons and armor and creating floating shields, alongside other more creative applications.
Hey! I'm interested in joining but I'm not sure which element I feel like choosing yet — is it fine to choose one that other characters already have or do you have a preference for the leftover elements to be used?
Sure, you can have the same element as another character. Shouldn't be a problem. Just remember the deadline is Wednesday!
Character stuff:
YOUSEEBIGGIRL
The Mundane
Name: Selma Rosmarie
Age: 17.
Sanctum City: Valentia, Venus
Description: Selma stands out without really trying. As one of the most statuesque young women you could ever meet, her tall and robust frame likens her more to a tree walking around than a teenage girl, but her goofball demeanor quickly undercuts any potential intimidation that stature may induce. Her speech patterns are more "coarse" than "rough", and a genuine frown is hard to find on her gentle features. More often it's simply the terse, grunted scowl of hard work than true displeasure. Her straight shoulder-length hair and eyes are both the color of the pines of her ancestral home, and her casual attire consists of a seemingly endless supply of loose work shirts in dark colors and long jeans. Her most prized accessories are the small, unassuming black ribbon perched in the back of her hair, and the silver pendant upon her neck.
Personality: Selma Rosmarie is first and foremost a throwback. A traditionalist raised by traditionalists, her pointedly rustic upbringing produced a girl all but convinced she'd be most at home in the thick forests and surrounded by nature rather your usual cityscapes. The family business of contributing to Valentia's agriculture is, unfortunately, as close as the towering young woman could hope to get. Her appreciation for a hard day's work, an honest character, and deep respect for innocent life permeate her to the core, plainly expressing themselves in (almost) faultless integrity, unassuming candor, and drive to protect people from any foes, be they from without or from within. While not well-read, and at times admittedly simple, she also carries with her a folksy wisdom that can only be cultivated by long days tilling what little fields mankind has left, alone with one's mind and the greenery. While technological integration is impossible to escape, she's definitely below par when it comes to utilizing it.
Her honesty is the source of her unshakable self-assurance, completely willing to speak her mind and open about all that she is. Hers is the uncomplicated pride of refusing to lie to herself, or anyone else. She likes what she likes, talks as she talks, and thinks what she thinks. You have to be strong and resilient, sure, but you also have to be true to your heart. Simple pleasures like dancing to a pleasant tune, making a friend laugh, and the rush of fighting for the good of the world are food for the soul. They deserve to be shared with any who'll have them.
Background: Selma was born at the outskirts of Valentia, to a humble family of farmers that emigrated during the First Void from the heavily wooded mountains of the Black Forest. Devastated by the loss of their ancestral home, the Rosmarie clan clung covetously, perhaps even desperately to every tradition they had— while they could no longer exactly be people of the countryside, they could remember it as dearly as possible. They dove into the role of agriculture as a means of both living off the land humanity had left, and recapturing what they could of their lives deep within the woodlands of what was once southern Germany. They did everything they feasibly could by hand, passed on old stories left behind in a single book of fairy tales, and spoke reverently of the old country, accounts from the past known by heart to each member. It was not easy to transmute a family from a forest of wood to the outskirts of one built from concrete, but they were mountain folk: hardy, rugged, and resilient enough to weather it.
In this environment, Selma was introduced very early to work on the fields, picking root vegetables come time for harvest, sorting them by hand, and resting beneath the shade of the family oak, planted and nurtured as an acorn by the first generation of Rosmaries to find safety behind the Sanctum. Her respect for these traditions is healthy and unwavering, even in the face of the confusion of her more normal peers and friends. Over the years, the family had become just about comfortably middle-class again by a combination of frugal living and a few exceptionally good harvests after a begrudging "modernization" of their equipment. This coincided with Selma's first purchase of a phone, and perhaps more importantly her discovery of magical aptitude. Within this hardworking young woman was the potential to become one of the Ars Magi.
Her family could afford to let her take this to Nova Lux Academy now. She could go out and fight for what they had lost. Their land. Their home. The ground where they were meant to live and die. They gave her their well-wishes and unconditional support. This was bigger than them all. The big girl barely hesitated.
The Magical
Armgaus Name: Verdant Moss Emerald
Gladius:A heavy, robust axe, cheekily named 'Kleinbruder'. Its weighty head is bearded, and equally suitable for chopping down trees and Voids alike, whilst its sturdy wooden handle is curved to maximize force delivery in either one or two-handed grips. Etched into the sides of the head are fullers that form a runic pattern.
Parma: Very much the same unmistakable Douglas Fir of a girl. When transformed, Selma's mistletoe eyes gain a faint, arcane luminescence, and her hair grows a truly vibrant green. As for her attire, it hearkens to an idea of almost barbarism, tanned leathers and steel replacing the usual loose work shirts.
Elementum: Earth
Elementum Abilities: Ripper of soil, breaker of stone, maiden of mountains. The first thing about Selma is that she is strong, large frame and a lifetime of labor bolstered by the very earth she strikes. As indomitable and everlasting as the Black Forest range her family hails from, the girl's force of will and connection to the earth manifest as seismic tremors, effectively the ability to create crevasses, violent upheavals, and even the odd localized earthquake on contact. Her bones are hard, her skin tough, and her spirit endless, she's about as easy to knock down as the Alps even when not transformed. A lifetime of feeling soil beneath her feet has given her a good sense for how it vibrates, allowing her to pick up on most land movements larger than those of a vole. Seems to have some form of kinship with all but the most violent beasts of the wild. That, or errant birds genuinely do mistake her for a tree.
She large. No problems here!
@Inedible Here is my submission to the competition, hope you like her!
The Mundane Name: Sadie Mercury
Age: 16
Sanctum City: Siscia
Personality: Sadie is an unrepentant trickster, who enjoys helping others better themselves with a trick or a prank to turn them in the right direction. She is fiercely protective of her friends and her people, and will square up against anyone who messes with them. She doesn’t try to actually hurt or injure others with her pranks, and when that does happen, she fesses up and does what she can to help the unfortunate person. She also acts wise beyond her years; and sometimes, she’s even right.
Background: As the 3rd, and youngest, child of George and Diana Mercury, Sadie grew up wanting for little, and with perhaps too much free time. Since shortly after the young girl figured out walking, aggrieved cries echoed in her wake as she toddled back and forth between interests, tricks, and exploration. As she grew older, her curiosity, and the complexity of her machinations, grew quickly, to the horror of the household at large. The saving grace is that her tricks rarely left any lasting damage, on object or person, though when something did go wrong, she went out of her way to fix things immediately.
The curiosity that led to all of her voracious learning and trickery also led her to follow every rabbit hole, to try and find every secret, every hidden tidbit about anything and everything around her, from her house, to her family and friends, to the world at large. While this curiosity did lead to good things, such as the discovery of her magical potential and subsequent enrollment into Nova Lux, it also got her into trouble more times than she could count.
When she got her acceptance letter to Nova Lux, Sadie was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement! She couldn’t wait to find out everything there was to know at, and about, the Academy.
The Magical Armgaus Name: Shining Steel Kyanite
Gladius: Magitech gauntlets (pictured in the Parma image)
Elementum: Metal
Elementum Abilities: Sadie has the ability to manipulate and reshape any metal within her area of control to augment the offensive and defensive capabilities of herself and nearby allies, by modifying weapons and armor and creating floating shields, alongside other more creative applications.
should we move accepted characters over to the character tab? or has no one been officially accepted yet?
I'm going to walk back my earlier statement and close a bit earlier than planned. All submissions will be due by Wednesday the 14th. I'll pick 4-5 from that group.
that being said, while I made the "Are you a betting man" joke earlier, there's tough competition in here and idk if my character does enough to stand out. Good luck to everyone regardless, tho.
that being said, while I made the "Are you a betting man" joke earlier, there's tough competition in here and idk if my character does enough to stand out. Good luck to everyone regardless, tho.
Personally, I hope nobody's left out, this seems like a very interesting premise, but I understand that not all games and not all GMs can handle this many people.
<Snipped quote by Ammokkx> Personally, I hope nobody's left out, this seems like a very interesting premise, but I understand that not all games and not all GMs can handle this many people.
10-11 people is a ridiculous number unless you have a team of like 3 to manage everyone. I personally don't really blame Inedible. I once GM'd an RP with a ridiculous amount of characters and after a while I struggled with coming up with stuff for all of them to do.
Hell, I know of a few people who've been in massive conglomerates and more often than not it feels like a couple of players just get ignored in favor of a more rapid few.
here's my application! she's more of a anti-hero than a righteous magical girl but i wanted to try and see if this character may get accepted into this rp anyway ^_^ hope you like!
Description Astrelle’s appearance is striking to some, with dark, raven hair and wine-red lips that contrast notably from her pale complexion. Wispy bangs lightly layer over her forehead with some strands extending to her cheeks and chin to frame her face, creating a soft shadow around her features. These characteristics, in addition to Astrelle’s preference to dress in all black, give her presence an ominous mood.
Astrelle is lean, standing at an average 5’6” and around 120 pounds. She doesn’t have a very muscular physique, having had no need to run around or work much growing up. Astrelle’s confidence is visible in the way she walks and carries herself—her posture is almost always proper, and her lilac gaze is unwavering.
Personality Astrelle is often seen with a slight smile on her face, a cold grin that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Those close to her know this subtle expression to be a mask of sorts, or defensive wall Astrelle adorns to hide her true thoughts and feelings. On the surface, she appears amicable and friendly, offering everyone the same listless grin. She can be carefree, playful, even, in the way that she constantly seeks new methods of entertaining herself. She likes to keep people that she finds interesting by her side and fills her days with pointless activities to stave off boredom.
Underneath the jovial demeanor, Astrelle is more apathetic than many would expect. While she can be genuinely caring to those around her, she believes that the reason she bothers keeping such pretenses is to disguise her darker machinations. Astrelle is self-centered, and misleading others believe she is kind works to her advantage. She usually has no qualms taking actions for her personal gain even if it disadvantages someone else, because she matters the most to herself. This rather extreme ideology formed when Astrelle realized she was never going to be anyone else’s priority, and so decided she would be the one to look after herself.
In relationships, Astrelle tries to take a calculated approach and views them as transactional dealings. What can she gain, and what are her benefits? There is a part of her that still desires to be needed, to be important to someone, which has manifested in Astrelle’s promiscuous and flirtatious tendencies. Her pride would never allow herself to admit this, but despite the methodical way she evaluates her friendships, she truly doesn’t like being alone.
Background Astrelle was born with a proverbial silver spoon in her mouth. She was the only daughter of the Lennox family, who were close assistants of the Venus Duodecim family that managed the city of Valentia, where she was born and grew up. The Lennoxes served the Duodecim clan in various capacities, from important political work to mundane tasks like caring for their homes. In the past, there have been certain cases where especially capable individuals would be married into the family as well. Needless to say, the close position of Astrelle’s family to the Duodecim's power allowed her many luxuries in life, despite the havoc that Voids wreaked on the world.
Astrelle’s parents were strict and austere in their approach to work and parenting. Even though Astrelle rarely saw them growing up, they expected nothing less than perfection from their offspring and were frugal with affection and praise. Astrelle and her three brothers were expected to continue the same line of work as their father and were thus tutored heavily from a young age. Corporal punishment was not out of the question, or rather, given generously, if the children did not quietly obey their demands.
As the years passed, Astrelle became less compliant with her lifestyle. She had no attachment to her cold home that felt more like a hostile institution, with strangers that walked about constantly, guards to keep the children in check, and tutors that did little more than echo her parents’ values at her. Astrelle’s first acts of rebellion were subtle. If she could not obtain the affection of her family members, she would fill the emptiness in her heart with material goods. She spent lavishly, adorning herself with expensive fabrics and jewels, and purchasing various trinkets and playthings on whims. Of course, Astrelle was punished for these actions, but she would rather have held on to sanity if she were going to be punished anyway.
As a teenager, Astrelle’s disobedience only grew. Since her parents weren’t home much, she exercised her authority and found a hobby in ordering the maids to do pointless tasks, punishing them herself when they refused. She openly skipped lessons to explore the city with friends, or smuggled them into her room for her own amusement. Eventually, no one batted an eye anymore at the rotation of men and women that would tiptoe out the door in the middle of the night or at the break of dawn.
All of this was reported to Astrelle’s parents, of course. The consequences were varied, but they could never completely stop Astrelle’s behaviour. They had lost hope for her contributing anything worthwhile to the family’s legacy, that is, until they discovered her affinity for magic. Her parents were ecstatic with the arrangement—her problematic behaviour would no longer be their concern, and Astrelle would become a noble Ars Magi that defended humanity against the monstrosities outside their walls.
Astrelle hated how willing they were to throw their only daughter on the battlefield, sacrificed her like a chess piece for something as ridiculous as the family’s reputation. She decided that she would take advantage of the cards she was dealt. At least at Nova Lux, she had value.
The Magical
Armgaus Name: Exalted Lavender Azurite
Gladius Astrelle wields a large scythe named 'Oblivion' that is as dark as the element she controls. The weapon itself towers over her 5’6” frame and is easily handled by Astrelle despite its large size. Tendrils of shadow emanate from its blade as it’s swung.
Parma
In her transformed state, Astrelle looks rather similar to her ordinary appearance. She dons a stylized combat uniform, and the color of her lavender eyes is more intense.
Elementum: Darkness
Elementum Abilities Shadow warping and stealth. Astrelle can travel within shadows, and jump from one to another within a certain distance. She can completely immerse herself within a shadow, becoming invisible and intangible to the outside world. Her stealth and warping abilities make her perfect for sneak attacks and scouting.
I wish I could take everyone, but having to keep track of 12 or so characters is, as noted, a nightmarish prospect. Especially if the plot is going to move forward at anything resembling an acceptable pace. And as this is intended to be a primarily GM-led experience rather than a bunch of people doing their own thing, I think a small group is the best way to go.
I'm giving some thought to running two versions of the game for two separate groups, but I won't make any promises.
here's my application! she's more of a anti-hero than a righteous magical girl but i wanted to try and see if this character may get accepted into this rp anyway ^_^ hope you like!
Description Astrelle’s appearance is striking to some, with dark, raven hair and wine-red lips that contrast notably from her pale complexion. Wispy bangs lightly layer over her forehead with some strands extending to her cheeks and chin to frame her face, creating a soft shadow around her features. These characteristics, in addition to Astrelle’s preference to dress in all black, give her presence an ominous mood.
Astrelle is lean, standing at an average 5’6” and around 120 pounds. She doesn’t have a very muscular physique, having had no need to run around or work much growing up. Astrelle’s confidence is visible in the way she walks and carries herself—her posture is almost always proper, and her lilac gaze is unwavering.
Personality Astrelle is often seen with a slight smile on her face, a cold grin that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Those close to her know this subtle expression to be a mask of sorts, or defensive wall Astrelle adorns to hide her true thoughts and feelings. On the surface, she appears amicable and friendly, offering everyone the same listless grin. She can be carefree, playful, even, in the way that she constantly seeks new methods of entertaining herself. She likes to keep people that she finds interesting by her side and fills her days with pointless activities to stave off boredom.
Underneath the jovial demeanor, Astrelle is more apathetic than many would expect. While she can be genuinely caring to those around her, she believes that the reason she bothers keeping such pretenses is to disguise her darker machinations. Astrelle is self-centered, and misleading others believe she is kind works to her advantage. She usually has no qualms taking actions for her personal gain even if it disadvantages someone else, because she matters the most to herself. This rather extreme ideology formed when Astrelle realized she was never going to be anyone else’s priority, and so decided she would be the one to look after herself.
In relationships, Astrelle tries to take a calculated approach and views them as transactional dealings. What can she gain, and what are her benefits? There is a part of her that still desires to be needed, to be important to someone, which has manifested in Astrelle’s promiscuous and flirtatious tendencies. Her pride would never allow herself to admit this, but despite the methodical way she evaluates her friendships, she truly doesn’t like being alone.
Background Astrelle was born with a proverbial silver spoon in her mouth. She was the only daughter of the Lennox family, who were close assistants of the Venus Duodecim family that managed the city of Valentia, where she was born and grew up. The Lennoxes served the Duodecim clan in various capacities, from important political work to mundane tasks like caring for their homes. In the past, there have been certain cases where especially capable individuals would be married into the family as well. Needless to say, the close position of Astrelle’s family to the Duodecim's power allowed her many luxuries in life, despite the havoc that Voids wreaked on the world.
Astrelle’s parents were strict and austere in their approach to work and parenting. Even though Astrelle rarely saw them growing up, they expected nothing less than perfection from their offspring and were frugal with affection and praise. Astrelle and her three brothers were expected to continue the same line of work as their father and were thus tutored heavily from a young age. Corporal punishment was not out of the question, or rather, given generously, if the children did not quietly obey their demands.
As the years passed, Astrelle became less compliant with her lifestyle. She had no attachment to her cold home that felt more like a hostile institution, with strangers that walked about constantly, guards to keep the children in check, and tutors that did little more than echo her parents’ values at her. Astrelle’s first acts of rebellion were subtle. If she could not obtain the affection of her family members, she would fill the emptiness in her heart with material goods. She spent lavishly, adorning herself with expensive fabrics and jewels, and purchasing various trinkets and playthings on whims. Of course, Astrelle was punished for these actions, but she would rather have held on to sanity if she were going to be punished anyway.
As a teenager, Astrelle’s disobedience only grew. Since her parents weren’t home much, she exercised her authority and found a hobby in ordering the maids to do pointless tasks, punishing them herself when they refused. She openly skipped lessons to explore the city with friends, or smuggled them into her room for her own amusement. Eventually, no one batted an eye anymore at the rotation of men and women that would tiptoe out the door in the middle of the night or at the break of dawn.
All of this was reported to Astrelle’s parents, of course. The consequences were varied, but they could never completely stop Astrelle’s behaviour. They had lost hope for her contributing anything worthwhile to the family’s legacy, that is, until they discovered her affinity for magic. Her parents were ecstatic with the arrangement—her problematic behaviour would no longer be their concern, and Astrelle would become a noble Ars Magi that defended humanity against the monstrosities outside their walls.
Astrelle hated how willing they were to throw their only daughter on the battlefield, sacrificed her like a chess piece for something as ridiculous as the family’s reputation. She decided that she would take advantage of the cards she was dealt. At least at Nova Lux, she had value.
The Magical
Armgaus Name: Exalted Lavender Azurite
Gladius Astrelle wields a large scythe named 'Oblivion' that is as dark as the element she controls. The weapon itself towers over her 5’6” frame and is easily handled by Astrelle despite its large size. Tendrils of shadow emanate from its blade as it’s swung.
Parma
In her transformed state, Astrelle looks rather similar to her ordinary appearance. She dons a stylized combat uniform, and the color of her lavender eyes is more intense.
Elementum: Darkness
Elementum Abilities Shadow warping and stealth. Astrelle can travel within shadows, and jump from one to another within a certain distance. She can completely immerse herself within a shadow, becoming invisible and intangible to the outside world. Her stealth and warping abilities make her perfect for sneak attacks and scouting.
Thanks for your submission, Astrelle looks good so far.
I'm giving some thought to running two versions of the game for two separate groups, but I won't make any promises.
Wouldn't recommend it for the sake of your sanity. GMing even one group is kind of a pain, and keeping track of two at once means your workload is also doubled. It's not just keeping track of everyone, but also double the amount of writing you need to do, and that adds up quickly.
I mean personally, I’m not sure if it would be awful to start with 12 or so characters, if nothing else because RPs on guild typically don’t have the best retention rates. I struggle to think of many games that don’t drop like half their players in the first few weeks. Ultimately though it’s your decision, just figured I’d give my thoughts.
I mean personally, I’m not sure if it would be awful to start with 12 or so characters, if nothing else because RPs on guild typically don’t have the best retention rates. I struggle to think of many games that don’t drop like half their players in the first few weeks. Ultimately though it’s your decision, just figured I’d give my thoughts.
You're still dealing with 12 players at the start though. It's a mess on the players' front, too, because who do you interact with? The first few pages are going to be bloated with all these disparate character interactions and somebody might not even show up on a page if they're a bit unlucky.
Personal experience has left me as not much of a fan, but it's Inedible's choice in the end. I can see my position is in the minority anyway, as from what I can tell, everyone here is assumed or hoped everyone got in.
You're still dealing with 12 players at the start though. It's a mess on the players' front, too, because who do you interact with? The first few pages are going to be bloated with all these disparate character interactions and somebody might not even show up on a page if they're a bit unlucky.
Personal experience has left me as not much of a fan, but it's Inedible's choice in the end. I can see my position is in the minority anyway, as from what I can tell, everyone here is assumed or hoped everyone got in.
I mean having played a lot of large games, with significantly more than 12 characters, I’ve never really found any of this to be a problem, typically I’ve found players are pretty good at finding opportunities to interact and move at a decent pace. But yeah it’s Inedible’s choice.
1x Laugh
