Limited Spaces
Interest Check
Welcome to Aurora! Before I get into describing the setting that all of this will take place in, I’d like to give a few words of caution, as well as describe how this roleplay will work; I’d like to think I operate things a bit differently as GM than most other roleplays. First off: gaining acceptance into this roleplay will be inherently more difficult than others. There are 7 open spots in this roleplay, and I will be hand-selecting which CS’s get the go-ahead after a certain time period is up. You will be sending me your characters over PM first, and I will acknowledge that I have received them.
When the creation period is up, I will respond to everyone letting them know if they have been accepted or not. Realize that I don’t do this out of spite, but that I can only handle so many players with how this roleplay will work, and I wish for only players who I believe will put in effort and fervor as well as boost the roleplay up. This most certainly means near-perfect spelling and grammar, as well as an interesting idea. And by that I mean, “more interesting.” I’m sure plenty of you have interesting ideas.
Now to describe how things will play out; I think of myself as a very improvisational GM. I do not like to create an event with the intention to lead a player down it perfectly and into my intended end. I forge events, see how the players reacts, and continue on from there. How you react will be the driving force of the roleplay and its plots. As plot progresses, I will introduce other events, which again, depending on your reaction, may lead down another path which I will further improvise with. This method has worked very well for me and my players in past roleplays, and I hope it works for you too.
Because I hope for a good player base and continued activity, I will NOT be lenient with extended absences that aren’t warned about. If you plan to be gone, tell me, otherwise I will boot you to free up space. It is perfectly fine if you are busy, but if you disappear without a peep, we will have problems.
With that, please enjoy and post a comment if you’re interested! I’d like to get a gauge of how many players will be vying for a position.
Aurora is a world quite different from our own, being in several ways completely alien to our concept of how the universe is structured. Individuals of Aurora live on the surfaces of their own worlds, but these “worlds” are no more than tiny shards compared to the infinite surface they float above.
Below everything rests the Infinite Ocean, an endless surface of waves and ripples that extends further into the horizon than anyone has dared venture. Above this ocean rests the one true sky, and in this sky float countless Spheres. These bodies, these ‘Spheres’ are the worlds that all stand upon. They vary in size from a simple hill to having the surface area of the United Kingdom. All are spherical, and despite the variation in size, all exert the same gravitational force on their inhabitants. While they rotate, they do not wander from the place, eternally rooted to their unique spot in the sky.
Their spacing is such that any well-built airship could take you from one Sphere to another in at least an hours time, though this distance increases the further one gets from the “central” Sphere. The worlds are concentrated in what is believed to be a center, and their density grows smaller the further one travels from this central point. Eventually it gets to the point where one cannot see another Sphere even if they travelled for years into the distance.
The inhabitants of these Spheres vary greatly, and it is a great achievement to say you have visited all of them and met their peoples. So to are the cultures and societies different on each world, though there are a number of nations which have lain claim to multiple Spheres.
Above the highest Spheres, one can look out into “space” which is believed to exist, though none have reached it. A “sun” exists in space, but it does not move much like the Spheres. Instead, it ignites and extinguishes in a daily cycle, leading to the effect of day and night which is universal for all Spheres -there are no timezones. Because the Spheres rotate during this day/night cycle, there does exist “Dim and Bright” times of the day for individuals depending on where they are on their Sphere. If their position on the Sphere is pointed away from the sun during the day, they receive only reflected light from the Infinite Ocean, which is slightly dimmer than if they were directly facing the sun.
The Infinite Ocean is mysterious in that none have gone below its surface or even approached it closely. Above every inch of its surface exists an invisible but impenetrable shield that no one in the history of all time has ever gone beyond. Airships crash when coming upon it, and living creatures are vaporized upon touching it.
Given their location above the Infinite Ocean, all Spheres technically share the same atmosphere, though there are degrees of distance from the surfaces of Spheres that can be measured related to the concentration of ‘mana’ in the air.
‘Mana’, as it is called, is the miracle energy that pervades every space in the world in some form or another. It exists in three states much like ordinary matter; solid, liquid, and gaseous. Solid mana takes the form of crystallized materials, generally green in appearance. It is used for many magical applications, mostly used directly by human (or any other race) hands. It can be turned into a writing material (much like graphite) to create magic runes, which, when recited, create a spell. When put into a stave, it can also facilitate spells cast by mages.
Liquid mana courses through large bodies of water, appearing as a slightly lighter liquid coursing through. In lakes, rivers, and seas, liquid mana runs in defined currents, can be harvested by individuals for use as a fuel in many ways ranging from power plants to personal vehicles.
Gaseous mana exists in the air, but it grows exponentially thinner the closer one is to the surface of a Sphere. Gaseous mana is used almost exclusively for the powering of airships travelling in the sky (in between Spheres). As the mana gas is thin on the surface of a planet, airships must first burn liquid mana to get themselves far up enough to run on the mana fumes. When burned, liquid mana turns into gaseous mana, and eventually condenses into liquid mana on Sphere surfaces.
Spheres all have their own names given to them by their inhabitants or otherwise, but there are a few notable Spheres that I will speak to you of:
Bulwark is the titular Sphere of the empire that owns it; the Bulwark Empire is the largest of Aurora, possessing well over a dozen Spheres themselves. Bulwark is a massive Sphere completely covered in a sprawling city, and is well-defended; massive platforms running on gaseous mana surround Bulwark in the sky, lending to its name. It is known as the undefeatable Sphere for its impassible defensive prowess. Below the surface of Bulwark exists the most massive tomb in Aurora.
Dereie is an arid Sphere home to the dragonborn, a race of humans capable of shifting into draconic forms. Massive spires exist on Drerie, stretching so far into the sky that airships can run on gas mana there. They are a warrior race and proud of their blood. Outsiders are rarely welcomed.
Nmesis is simply a spherical body of water with no solid surface whatsoever. Nmesis is highly secretive, though it is known that a great nation of aquatic peoples live beneath its waters.
Sabaton is an abandoned Sphere once belonging to the Bulwark. It served as a massive prison and insane asylum, and due to unknown reasons was left to its own designs. It is assumed that many people still live there, though they are regarded as little more than ghosts and ghouls or bandits seeking safety.
This will be updated with any other notable Spheres as players or I develop them.
Your characters will exist within this world, which at the time is suffering from a strange event; no children have been born in five years, and it is deeply disturbing for those who have noticed it. Questions are being asked, and the situation and paranoia associated with it has led to increasingly more antagonistic war rhetoric between nations. Aurora is on the brink of chaos, and no one knows how to solve the issue.
Creating a character is pretty much the same as in any other roleplay. I only ask of you to create a background that puts your character in a position in the present in which he/she/it is currently on a mission. It could be any sort of mission (‘mission’ is used loosely here). They could be on the hunt for someone with a bounty on their head, or they might be on the run from the authorities! They could be a warrior who is trying to move up in the ranks, or a mage trying to learn in an academy of magic! It can be anything so long as it creates a goal that I can facilitate. Initially all characters will be alone unless they agree with one another to start together.
This does not mean they will always be alone, however (they’ll always be with some NPCs or another, at the very least); if I deem it sensible or a good idea, and the opportunity arises, I will have characters come into contact with one another. Once again, though, this does not cement them together. At any point they can separate again in favor of going down a different path.
With that, use your imagination!
Note: Describe your background, but outside of your CS and in the PM you send me, please summarize exactly what your character’s current goal or situation is. Depending on how I feel about it, I may discuss it with you/ask questions. Silence does not necessarily mean I do not like it.
[Appearance at top of sheet]
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race: (if it is a race of your own creation, described it here)
Home Sphere: (if any)
Background
Skills/Abilities/Powers:
Equipment
Theme Song:
Other:
Notes:
