They say the world wasn’t always so dark, that we needn’t rely on aether lanterns to warm our homes and our streets. Before our people moved to this place, the ‘sun’ shone above the land and warmed the surface for half a day. A beautiful thing, supposedly, but not one that exists. For if we, the last vestiges of mankind, have not found it, then it is surely a myth no more real than dragons or angels.
Now, our society thrives in spite of the setbacks thrown at us. A sprawling city of twenty million souls. Starvation is a rarity, and nearly all have a home. But what if I told you a secret - one that very few people knew? What if I told you the lanterns that lit our streets, the trains that travel throughout Caligo, and the world we live in is fueled by the ‘gifted’. An ironic name, in truth.
You see, these ‘gifted’ possess a much larger pool of Aether to draw on. The fourth dimensional compound, they call it. We can’t see it, smell it, feel it, hear it, or taste it, but it’s there. There’s a reason we trade in gold, silver and jewels. For they are the conductors. The ‘gifted’, however, do not need these earthly things. They can use it. They can bring it to life, in what many describe as magic.
However, they are dangerous. A lack of control springs disasters to life, and kills hundreds of people. Whenever you see a news report about a ‘gas leak’ or an ‘earthquake’, it’s unlikely to be the truth. It’s usually that a new mage was born, and taken into custody, to the places that fuel this great metropolis. You see, this aether is not a naturally occurring substance. It is something directly harvested from these people, who live in vast prisons hidden throughout our city. Some are disguised among regular buildings, others are underground, but none are known to the general public.
I bet you’re wondering how I know this. It’s because my job is to hunt these people down. A selective program upon our police force is in place to find these hunters, though we’re known by the term Venators. It’s not an easy duty to accept. These people, aside from their strange eyes and hair, look, act and feel like us. But when you see the destruction that they’re capable of, and the benefits they bring to the rest of society by being in chains, it’s easier to become resistant to compassion when it serves no purpose.
Information
1. The Story - This is a story about a mage outbreak - a rare and incidental occurrence. Within this city, the ‘gifted’ are either not known about, or heavily stigmatised. And those who know what is good for them, hide their gifts to avoid the ‘Venators’, a force designated to hunt and capture renegades and freshly born mages. Will you adapt to the world or rebel against it? You will either be playing a group of ‘gifted’ or a group of freshly recruited Venators.
2. Character Creation - This roleplay is evoking middle fantasy elements, steampunk inspirations and a number of other things. It is however, not a wish fulfillment RP nor is it a high fantasy one. There are methods and systems to how things work, and they should be somewhat feasible, not simply hand waved away with “muh magic.” I’m fine with edge, melodramatics and whatnot but don’t overplay it. This isn’t supposed to be some insane anime plot where you killed your entire clan, I’d like to maintain a good degree of potential realism to the world.
There’s a lot of options in regards to races, though blood is often heavily diluted and rarely comes through heavily, so for the most part, you’re humans. As for art, I’m ok with anime art, but fantasy art is preferred to better reflect uniqueness.
3. Conduct - This is not a high activity RP, but one where I’d like people to be able to take time out of their day once every two to three weeks and make a good, well written post that serves a purpose. I don’t really think there’s a place for metagaming, powerplaying, asspulling, though it’s bound to happen to some degree with all of us because people are incapable of not doing it at least subconsciously.(myself included). That being said, this is a collaborative storytelling exercise, and if we have disagreements, we can usually solve it or result to the whims of the gods(a discord dicebot)
4. Death - It’s not something I’m looking to make happen, but if you make consistently bad/risky choices and get unlucky as a result, then it can. Like I said, asspulling and wish fulfillment are not the name of the RP. Should it happen though, we can always bring another character into the story within reason.
5. Magic - The system I’m going for is not largely concrete nor understood by the people of the world fully. I’m taking inspiration from things like Hunter X Hunter, Jujutsu Kaisen, Bleach, and trying to add a level of realism to them to make it feasible. Sometimes, I will not succeed in this task, though know that I am trying. This being said though, there is no asspull powerups. There is no gold experience requiem, or time reversal, or any other world breaking power that needs another world breaking power to defeat. That’s my primary goal in this experience.
Little Orchid Shopping Center - A place for the whole family to have some fun! It's lit brightly by rainbow aether lamps, and has a whole menagerie of activities to choose from, ranging from a spot of light shopping, to fairground rides fit for the whole family. Ferris wheels, bumper carts, merry-go-rounds, toy stores and candy shops galore! A children's paradise, with several getaways for the parents to leave their little tots to their fun. For the low price of 2 solidus a person entry fee(children under 12 go free when accompanied by a parent), it's a land of fun where dreams come true!
There's a secret to this place though. Beneath this family friendly theme park and mall, there's a 'daycare' or a 'warehouse' depending on who you ask and when you ask. Beneath the concrete runs thick aether-conducting cables that power many of the street lamps and attractions in the surrounding area. A correctional facility for the gifted of over one thousand people lies beneath. Darker still, it currently holds the largest amount of B+ graded gifted out of any such facility, meaning that the place where peoples children go and play on fairground rides, and mothers buy baby clothes, is right above one of the most dangerous places in the city.
Thankfully, it's very well secured. As all of you are familiar with by the heavy metal collars on your necks, bindings on your hands and the frequent exposure to needles and chemicals, your aether is subdued to a point of dormancy, only manifesting to be drawn into many of the massive platinum coils throughout the facility. It could be worse though. There's all the facilities a normal prison would have, and the food is far from the worst you've likely eaten in your lifetime. Supposedly, it's necessary to keep the aether flowing. It does not keep the guards from their cruelty though. Infightings are surprisingly common, despite the lack of difference between everyone.
And that's not to mention what the high grades have to go through. Only a few have seen them. Big tanks, filled to the brim with liquid metal and tubage to feed them. In a permanent state of sedation. Maybe it's better than what we go through. Or perhaps it's so much worse. We have no way of knowing. Regardless, life down here isn't good. It's not strictly bad either, if you think of the amount of suffering we endure. It's just nothing. And for some, nothing is ok.
But still, does freedom not call to you? Do your joints not ache from the bindings? Do you not wish to return to the homes and families you once had? Essentially, you're all going to be mages imprisoned at Little Orchid's 'Daycare', a ironic name for the sort of place it is. Your backstory should lead to your imprisonment here.
The World
The world that the roleplay takes place in has a lot of mystery behind it, and I’d like to keep a lot of that to OOC as well so that when reveals take place, there’s a greater degree of ‘oh shit’ than normal. However, there is plenty to be shared, especially general stuff about this city and the denizens who dwell within it. The general tech level that’s occurring is around the 1950s-1980s, with some things further along due to technology that utilizes Aether, and some are further behind. Expect trains, blimps, neon lights, skyscrapers and a sense of urban adventure to this dark fantasy.
A defining trait that is known by all is that the world is quite literally dark. There is no sun in the sky, only the stars and the aether lamps that both heat and brighten the city. In some private, richer districts, they have lamps so bright that they act as artificial suns but those are few and far between, and reserved for the wealthiest among society. Besides that, homelessness and hunger are not common happenings within Caligo. In spite of the land, the main problems that plague society are inequality and drug use. Homelessness and famine are lower than even todays standards in modern times simply due to the culture in place.
The City of Caligo is said to have come about from a great exodus. Apparently, many people saw a 'calamity' coming and migrated to this dark place to avoid such an occurance. Life was hard, made harder still when the waves of migration came. But, with hard times came great people who innovated and expanded the systems. The first Aether Lamps were built 300 years ago. Far more primitive and energy costly than the ones we have now, but it provided warmth to the first settlers. The remnants are at the hall of progress, where the initial designs are shown to the public. An innovation that has fueled this settlement to be sure.
When this calamity came, walls were erected. Supposedly, nothing remains outside of these lands but beasts and demons who dwell in the shadows. Not a pleasant thought and likely untrue, but there does remain the question of what lies beyond the walls. Occasionally, they're expanded to account for population growth, but that hasn't been done in the last 50 years. I wonder just how far they could go.
Every living being possesses Aether. It is, in some ways, an embodiment of the soul. To put it in video game terms, it’s your mana bar. However, the ‘gifted’ or mages have a venerable excess of this in varying degrees. It is not known what causes one to have more or less, but the amount you can hold at one time tends to be concrete for the most part. For those that are 'gifted', the body naturally restores it much quicker than a civilian, but it is by no means instant.
Aether cannot be senses by normal means. To those who possess it in great quantity however, the ability exists to 'see' it. However, the proof that it exists for your average person is that it can be stored by precious metals, to varying degrees. Gold, silver, platinum, precious jewels and the like are a valuable commodity because of this reason, but they must be pure in order to do so. A platinum core is essential in modern Aether Lamp designs due to its high melting point.
Using these materials in instruments is the only way for non-gifted to access their own personal supply of Aether. The main recipient of this is weaponry, though there is plenty of civilian applications. These have to be done sparingly, for a civilian fully depleting their supply of Aether can lead to serious health complications that most commonly result in death, so caution is highly advised when using such implements.
Fundamentally, magic is a miracle. It can make the impossible, well, possible. It is a 3 stage process. Conversion, Materialization, Release. Magic is by no means a simple thing to do or achieve, even to those that are 'gifted' but when realized, a mage is a truly terrifying thing to behold.
Conversion is taking the Aether that is latent to you, and transferring it into energy that you can use. Materialization is taking your thoughts and using the energy to manifest them into a technique or spell. Release, is well, emitting such a thing into the world. It sounds simple, but it is a difficult system to master. Convert too much, your body will implode from the energy. Materialize poorly and you simply won't have a spell. Release too late and you'll blow yourself up. There's inherent risk to using magic without fully understanding the 3 core principles.
The way we help these techniques is through components. Verbal, somatic and material are helpful, because our brains subconsciously do a lot of the work. It's often a cliche in TV shows for a hero to shout the name of his power and do a gesture, or swing a wand around, but it actually assists in the casting process by creating a relationship in your brain. Think of it as having a calculator to solve a complex math problem rather than working it out on a sheet of paper. Of course, there are advantages to skipping this process, such as being able to better hide your casting, but you're using a lot more brain power on such a thing.
Going from this, the usage of Aether in its innate form is simple. The first thing most mages learn before any cool mega fireballs, or summoning blades is emission, strengthening and fortification. Being able to strengthen your body is the most crucial thing, as being taken out by a bullet before you can get a spell off means you're not much of a threat. Strengthening the body allows you to outspeed and outmuscle those you shouldn't, simply by virtue of your magic, which is another crucial step. Emission is being able to fire magical energy at another. A simple, always useful technique. Though, in its formless state, it has much less blasting power than a mega fireball, it's still capable of taking people out.
Once these hurdles are gone through though, the possibilities of shaping your magic are infinite. Of course, creating a technique and spell takes time and a lot of brain power. There's only so many techniques you can actively use, and the more complex and powerful, the less space for others you have. Some people like to have a versatile toolbox of abilities to be able to pull from, and some like to have a bazooka. Whatever the case, know your limits when creating techniques.
As said before, techniques in some capacity are 'miracles'. They can manifest the abstract into reality. For instance, if you wanted to have a technique to generate ice, the aether will find a way to make it work. If you want your technique to heal, the aether will instinctively cause the body to clock in overdrive and cause the natural regeneration to take a matter of minutes rather than months, and perhaps it could go even beyond that. Even in the abstract, should someone want their technique to say, manifest a system of gambling in which they could receive a colossal amount of energy or lose it all, it COULD be done. It may be complex, but the manifestation of aether would make the impossible possible. So long as there are sufficient tradeoffs. The limit is imagination for the most part.
There is said to be a higher level of power said to be attainable once the technique has been mastered, a final release if you will, but it is a very rare phenomenon. A way to overcome the limits of your aether capacity, to amplify your technique to a new level. (More to be revealed)
-UNDER CONSTRUCTION-
-UNDER CONSTRUCTION-
There are ways to spot the gifted in a crowd. They posssess traits different to the average person as a result of their exceptional reserves of aether, and this usually manifests in strange colored hair, strange colorations on the eyes, heterochromia, strange pigmentations on the skin, gigantism, dwarfism, claws where nails should be, etc. It's said that aether is an extension of the soul, and these manifest because of that, a truer self emerges, but that could just be hearsay from mages that wish to justify themselves. Those born with these differentials are often extremely unlucky and constantly discriminated against, but alas, they're far from the prisons once the truth of their nature is out.
What potentially makes it not hearsay, is 'restrictions'. A trade of the soul to the body. Oftentimes, these are pure 50/50 exchanges. The loss of use of the legs in return for a greater than average aether supply. Poor vision in exchange for supernatural hearing. An inability to manifest magic in return for a superhuman body. Regardless, they exist and are usually designated from birth, and doing so intentionally has never really been manifested. They break all known laws of science, and yet they are present, giving some weight to the theory.
Because of these abnormalities however, there exists a rather large black market within the city for contraband that allows the user to mask these traits. Hair dye, wigs and contact lenses are the big sellers, as is cosmetic surgery. These practices and items have been banned by the official government of Caligo, but of course, where there is interest and money, there is sales. What seems silly could help save a trip to the cells after all.
Within the dark world of Mages and Venators, officials have been given rankings and grades corresponding to their level of capability. All mages are ranked from F to S, S being kept for those who are exceptions to the rules, ones who could truly threaten the city as a whole. These rankings can change, and for mages, they are mostly based on the amount of Aether they possess. For Venators, it is the innate capabilities they are capable of, and as a result, the rankings are far more flexible and based on accomplishments.
A general idea of what the rankings represent for mages are such, by official Venator handbook rules:
F - Barely above civilian level. Does not constitute a significant threat even if free. E - A low level mage, could kill a fresh Venator without sufficient preparation. Could kill a number of civilians before response if free. D - A threat to multiple low ranking Venators, but not much to a highly seasoned one with preperation. C - A genuine threat, and a mine of Aether. These mages need to be kept secure within second level of any cells they're in, and closely monitored. Could, without interference, destroy an entire neighborhood before a sufficient response could be organized. B - If free, requires at least an A rank Venator to respond to the issue. They possess a genuinely terrifying reserve of aether and have the capacity to develop truly lethal techniques. If left untethered, could destroy an entire city block before sufficient responses could call in. A - The creme of the crop. Requires either multiple A-Rank Venators or an S rank to deal with. At this point, the potential for development of techniques requires only their imagination. With the amount of Aether they possess, they could fuel a good chunk of their city based on their own supply. If let free, they would pose a remarkable challenge to re-contain. S - The exceptions to the rules. These mages are to be discovered and kept locked away, and used for the betterment of the city. It would require an S rank Venator to kill or contain them before the manifestation of a technique, and a team at minimum afterward. These should not be allowed to walk free from containment, for their value to the city is equivalent to one hundred C's at minimum.
On a general level, we will be playing characters at C+
-UNDER CONSTRUCTION-
Character Sheets
Full Name
A character quote or motto
Age | Gender | Assigned Grade
P E R S O N A L I T Y
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So, I know that your conception of your character can change as the story moves along or even as you write this application and get a feel for her. The purpose of this exercise is to try to think of five (or possibly more) essential traits, followed by a brief paragraph below the bullet points to summarize what your character is like and how we can expect her to interact with others.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
What does your character look like? How does he dress? How old is he? What are his defining features? Does he have any particularly noteworthy traits, birthmarks, possessions, or scars?
M A G I C
-UNDER CONSTRUCTION-
B A C K S T O R Y
M O T I V A T I O N
I N V E N T O R Y
-UNDER CONSTRUCTION-
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
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W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
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Nobody's perfect. What are some things that your character just tends to struggle with? What are some personality traits of his that may cause problems for himself and others? Is there anything that most people might expect him to know that he doesn't?
S T A T S
These reflect capabilities that your character has. These scale from 1-10, with 3 being around the level of a civilian(save for aether control/reserves). They are broad, but help define a characters skillset. For instance, a high dexterity/agility character will be an apt lockpick, or stealthier than average. A high wisdom character will be generally more perceptive/insightful etc. You will have 40 points to distribute across the board as you see fit. These may change throughout the course of your RP, this is just your starting point!
Anything not covered above goes here. You can leave this blank if you like.
It's not all bad. I'm told when to wake up, when to eat, when to shit, and when to sleep, but I'm alive and fed. The walls are white, blindingly so. And the collar is too tight sometimes. I've developed a new method of sleeping because of it. If you don't get your 8 hours, you tend to drop. I've seen a few people go that way, newbies and kids. Never seen what happens to the bodies, but if you've got a vivid imagination, you can take a guess.
These inner conflicts I've been having with myself - was it really my fault? Aside from having a strange tint to my eyes, and a few streaks of red in my hair, there was never any signs to it. I was a construction worker, like everyone else. Supposedly, I manifested it later than others but was I really responsible for their deaths? I went to work on the new buildings in Eltmer Square like everyone else that day. Had my lunch, some banter with the colleagues. James and Mike were always a good chat, they were ribbing me for not asking out the receptionist at Fergusons. I got embarrassed about it and told 'em to stop. Stubbed my toe on a toolbox. Next thing I knew, I woke up to corpses on a scaffold and I was surrounded by people in suits.
Turns out I have aether in excess. They say I'm 'gifted'. Living like this doesn't really seem like a gift though. If I killed them, why did I do it? It's easy to say you're a good person - but I am, or was? I lived responsibly. Looked after my grandma. Fed stray cats on my way to work. I refuse to believe I'd ever do that - and if they know how to supress this 'gift', then why am I still here? I miss the outside world, the lights, having a drink with my friends. Could I not wear this big cumbersome collar at my own house? Why am I living like a chicken in one of those highrise farms?
I know the answer, and it's one I'm not comfortable accepting. This is how the city runs. They need people like us to fuel it. And I think I've come to realize I'm not the good person I thought I was. So long as it didn't harm me, I was alright doing shit for others. But, I can't live like this, treated like a stray dog that'd bite the hand of others. The others are arranging a breakout, and I'm joining them. We've been planning it for months. Some of the others know how to use their gifts. They've made techniques - spells - magics with them. Supposedly, it can be controlled. And if I get out of here, perhaps I can go back to a normal life. Maybe I'll see that pretty receptionist again. Or maybe I'll be hunted down like a dog by those people in suits. Whatever it is, it's better than this. I'm tired of living in a cage.
In theory, very interested. The concept looks cool and I sense a larger and deeper mystery lurking beneath the surface. In practice, we'll see what my availability looks like (you know what my schedule is like, lol). Count me as a strong maybe.
Victor looks older than he is thanks to the visuals created by his excess of aether. White hair streaks across his head despite his frequent use of dye, creating a somewhat strange look. His eyes are an inky black thanks to the contacts that he wears, but beneath are a piercing grey. This, combined with his facial hair works to his advantage in a lot of ways. He looks like a non-issue, a middle aged man whose best days are behind him and his form of dress accomplishes this. He makes sure to use lost fashions, helping to reinforce the impression.
M A G I C
Victor's ability is broad and generally useful - manipulation of shadows. At first glance, this would seem to be a largely useless ability, but with conditions and development, it has become a broad, useful toolbox. For example, he can shift his position between shadows so long as they are connected. Furthermore, if he impacts a shadow, it impacts the being casting it, whether that's an object or a living being.
These are just two applications of the broad skillset he's developed throughout the years. And as a mage ages and learns more and more, the more applications they can add to their developed techniques. Perhaps he could have achieved the apex that so many mages reach for, the -REDACTED-.
B A C K S T O R Y
- TO BE REVEALED -
M O T I V A T I O N
Fundamentally, Victor's reason for being is freedom. He has avoided time in the cells and wishes to continue to do so, but also holds sympathy towards his fellow mages for being kept in changes. He'd very much love to live in a world where he didn't have to hide, but he's also a practical man and knows this will likely never come to pass. Alas, it doesn't mean that he can't assist his fellow 'gifted'
I N V E N T O R Y
❖A aether infused platinum-alloyed rapier. ❖ Simple but well kept dress, definitely a bit more old fashioned. ❖ A decent supply of black hair dye and a few sets of black contact lenses. ❖ A well used zippo lighter
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖Fencing - A personal hobby of his, and not a completely dead art. ❖Confident - Victor is cautious and self serving, but he's also confident about his own abilities, and this helps bring them out to the fullest capabilities. If he truly believes he can win a fight, he'll go all in. ❖Savvy - There's a reason that he hasn't been caught yet, and it's not just caution. He knows his way around the streets, how to hide from the Venators and where to get resources he requires to live day by day. ❖Well read - He's lived a long time, and read a lot of books. He's knowledgeable on a variety of topics, especially ones that are applicable and useful.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖Gambling - Victor has a little bit of a gambling addiction. He loses a lot of spare cash on poker tables, and even if he gets a win, he'll bet it right back in ❖Self-serving - He's seldom ready to put his life down for his comrades or for the cause if it's likely to damn him. Occasionally, a line will be crossed that forces him to be involved, but whilst he has the liberty to make his own decision, he'll always pick himself ❖Drinking - A gambler and a drunk? How cliche. Yet, he's seen enough in his life that he'd like to forget. And no matter how many hits of whiskey he takes, they never seem to go away. Still, it lessens the pain. ❖Aged - He's approaching his 50s. Even with his large aether reserves, his body isn't what it used to be, and so he finds his stamina and ability to move limited far more than the youngsters that are out and about.
