@Marquise @Tea @6slyboy6 @Rain @ArenaSnow @SushiJaguar Character Sheet: * Given name & Family name: * Description/Image: * Worldview & Motivations: * Personality Traits: * Quirks/Hobbies: * Background Info: * Job Description/Role: * Properties & Possessions: * Other Notes:
If an image is provided, I must be able to see a face. Aliens do not exist as of yet. You may use either cartoon, anime, CG, or realistic pictures, or none at all. Verbal descriptions must be adequate, and preferably more engaging than an all-points bulletin. Worldview and motivations, being core to the character, must be thought-out. Background is malleable - you can come from the outbacks or with a silver spoon in your mouth. Your social standing is relatively free as well, so long as you're not playing one of the 7 Immortals. Your role on the ship must be a core active one, such as weapons officer, helm officer, captain, etc. Go for the highest ranks - you have my blessing! Every player needs to be and feel important.
So what would the level of infantry personal protection be? I mean, even a super advanced empire would have various degrees of investment in different fields. Did ground combat infantry/marine infantry advancement stagnate as a result of being no longer relevent? ARE we super cutting edge and take advantage of this against more mechanically technologically reliant foes? (i.e. boarding actions, shock troops, special forces divisions)
I ask because I intend on being the Infantry Officer/Marine Commander.
@Rain*Waves* Still working on my character sheet. I find that the posted requirements are producing exactly the effects (on me) that I was aiming for: in-depth character development. An unfortunate side effect is that it's incredibly time-consuming. I'm about 3/4 done, and I started several hours ago. e_e
Currently in hospital on placement; I shall try and get something up later today :) .
EDIT: @Thinslayer, do we have a name for the star carrier itself yet?
EDIT #2:
* Given name & Family name: Michi de Maganza
* Description/Image: Michi is not particularly physically prepossessing, standing a diminutive five foot three, and whipcord-lean rather than bulking with muscle. Svelte and trim and permanently youthful thanks to generations of genetic modification and the rigours of military life, she is far older than she appears.
Her face is fine-boned and sharp, with spectacular cheekbones and a pointed, elfin chin - as though generations of good breeding have come to their natural culmination and then progressed slightly further. She is not beautiful in the conventional sense – ‘striking’, instead, might be a better term. Pale-skinned, her Cupid’s bow lips stand out in an otherwise-bloodless aristocratic face, always painted a rich crimson, and her deep-set green eyes burn brightly, quick and darting and missing little. Pale blonde eyebrows arch dramatically, often raised in sardonic question, and her hair is currently a thick and lustrous matching shade – although kept severely in check in military braids, the gold beads which weight each of them gleaming brightly.
Michi is somewhat unusual amongst the upper echelons of the Empire in not radically changing and modifying her body; she is considered something of a prude amongst the glitterati of the Core as a result, having shown little interest in the kind of transformations that are commonplace amongst the glitterworld elite.
Michi is rarely seen out of uniform; the mess-dress of the Imperial Navy is acceptable at even the highest level, and she prefers the certainty it confers, with its medals and rank flashes, its gold braid, epaulettes, aiguilettes and clearly-defined code. On the rare occasions she might be encountered out of it, she dresses well but not ostentatiously. Her clothes might be of the finest make and perfectly tailored, but she is old, old money and from an old name; not for her the posturing of the nouveau riche. Flashing mood-silk ballgowns and clothes spun from cloth-of-gold are beneath her.
* Worldview & Motivations: Michi views the Crescent Empire and its Core as the pinnacle of civilisation and enlightenment. Although a Core native born and bred, and from one of the highest families in the Empire to boot, she has seen many places over the years in service to the Navy and has measured countless planets and polities against that yardstick; all have been found wanting in some manner or other. Whilst she might find the more extreme pleasures the glitterati pursue distasteful, she is always quick to champion the sophistication of a post-scarcity state and the many advantages the Empire offers, particularly over the ragtag fringe worlds and their endless, fractious bickering and warmongering.
Better by far that they accept imperial governance from those who know how to properly run a star nation and settle down into comfortable post-scarcity civilisation and peace.
She is motivated by duty and loyalty more than anything; the Empire has been good to the Maganzas, down the millennia, and she truly believes that imperial hegemony – backed up by the shattering power of the Imperial Navy - is the only way to keep the galaxy at peace and continued prosperity.
* Personality Traits: Serious and calm, unflappable in the face of almost any situation, Michi de Maganza is renowned for her equipoise and her sang-froid. Beneath the polish of a Coreworld native, though, beats an altogether more fiery heart, one that only really comes to the fore in moments of passion. This, then, when the shackles of good manners and taste are slackened, is the Michi de Maganza who will happily burn planets and star systems and leave a trail of graveyard worlds and shattered fleets in her wake until she achieves her objectives.
* Quirks/Hobbies: Michi rather enjoys collecting books – actual, physical, paper-and-leather books, printed or even hand-written from the ages before ubiquitous AI and digital media, and her office, as a consequence, frequently resembles an anachronistic library straight out of historical fiction. She is also a keen yachtswoman, owning her own civilian starship and competing in several of the most prestigious racing cups in the Empire. Finally, although she has little interest in melee combat – beyond the courses mandated by the Navy Academy for all officers – she is an excellent shot and enjoys marksmanship, with everything from her own favoured gravity-wave disruptor to antique chemical slug-throwers.
*Faults: Michi de Maganza can be cold-hearted and clinically ruthless. She cares for life, but only so long as its preservation doesn’t conflict with her objectives and strategy, and has little time for those armchair admirals who wring their hands and pontificate contrary to her actions after the fact. She has orchestrated slaughter on an inconceivable scale – but she always got the job done and expanded the Crescent Empire.
She is also – perhaps rightly – prideful; she grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth in one of the wealthiest and most idyllic regions of the entire galaxy, as a member of one of the great families of the most powerful galactic nation. She is aware of some of the faults of her brethren but does not take kindly to aspersions cast about her family, nor to those who paint all Coreworlders with the same brush, even as she herself to an extent looks down on the pitiable barbarians of the Fringe, not recognizing – or refusing to recognize – the similarity.
* Background Info: House Maganza has been a pillar of the Crescent Empire for generations. Their capital ringworld of Arcadia, and its surrounding sprawling fiefdom of the Elysian Reach, is deep within the very core of the Crescent Empire, close to Crescent Prime itself and insulated by depth from the fractious and barbaric fringe worlds. As a scion of that laurelled House and a Coreworlder to boot, Michi has wanted for nothing her entire life. She grew up in the studied idyll of Archades Citadel, the family’s ancestral seat at the heart of their power, and then continued her education on Crescent Prime itself. Saturated in the culture and ideals of the glitterworld Core, Michi spent her youth in dissipation, developing a pronounced taste for many of the finer things in life. Even then, however, the young Michi was uncomfortable with many of the more radical pastimes and fashions; only her social position saved her from outright ostracision.
House Maganza had always, though, sent its scions into the military and, soon enough, it was time for Michi to follow in her forebears’ footsteps. The discipline and relative austerity of the Imperial Navy suited her down to the ground; she flourished there, away from the body-mods and the expectations that she would twist herself to suit the latest fashion sweeping Crescent Prime. Her career has been built over long years of service; Michi de Maganza saw action many times in the Conquest War, rising up through the ranks as the war raged on. She built something of a reputation for being a strategically-superior, although ruthless, commander, enforcing the desires of the Crescent Empire with commendable efficiency and nary a qualm over the bloodshed.
Most recently, she has traded on her tactical and strategic victories during this vast conflict as well as a pervasive, byzantine web of family connections to gain an Admiral’s flag and command of the fleet.
* Job Description/Role: Admiral – in overall command of the imperial fleet, Michi has taken the star carrier as her flagship
* Properties & Possessions:
1. Maganza Ducal Signet Ring – worn on the little finger of Michi’s left hand, it is the only jewellery she generally permits herself, aside from the medals won during her Navy service.
2. Imperial Navy Uniform skinsuit – standard-issue for spacers, the skinsuit is equipped with powerful shield generators which can protect the wearer from the rigours of open space in the event of an emergency. Michi often uses hers to walk the actual surface of her star carrier and gain a little space and perspective.
3. Neural lace – a top-of-the-line AI implant woven all through Michi’s body, interfacing seamlessly with her brain and further enhanced by Navy upgrades, her AI allows her to process vast amounts of information – and entertainment – almost instantaneously. The lace provides an ever-present AI companion, reactive to Michi’s needs. She has had hers since the age of two and it is almost perfectly attuned to her.
4. Gravity-wave disruptor – technically and officially a sidearm, Michi’s gravity-wave cannon is entirely capable of projecting a burst of lethal gravitons to rip apart even the heaviest of targets. She mostly uses it to keep her aim in on the simulators, there being little opportunity for an Admiral of the Imperial Navy to engage in groundside combat or even hunting of any sort.
5. Dimensional containment unit – mostly used to store Michi’s extensive library and other essentials, such as fine food and wine from the Core, her DCU has followed her faithfully on every deployment, giving her some home comforts whether she has command of a destroyer or a dreadnaught.
6. Haven – a luxury civilian star-yacht, the Haven is Admiral Maganza's personal plaything and also serves as an informal officer’s club whilst docked to the carrier. It is sumptuously appointed and well-stocked with fine food and wine.
I've been considering how to open up the story, but then it occurred to me that I should probably wait for the other character apps first. The kind of opening sequence I should make depends on who's in it.
@Thinslayer, perhaps I could suggest you consolidate the lore info we've got so far into the first post of this OOC? It might attract in some more people, and it would be useful for us to have it all in one, easy-to-refer place. Just a thought :)
So what would the level of infantry personal protection be? I mean, even a super advanced empire would have various degrees of investment in different fields. Did ground combat infantry/marine infantry advancement stagnate as a result of being no longer relevent? ARE we super cutting edge and take advantage of this against more mechanically technologically reliant foes? (i.e. boarding actions, shock troops, special forces divisions)
I ask because I intend on being the Infantry Officer/Marine Commander.
Oops, I don't think I answered your question. With the advent of Seed, combat options have expanded tremendously. Seed is an artificial nanoparticle designed to respond to mental commands and powered by ambient energy (or soul energy, if you have a transformer of some kind). It effectively has one foot in the spiritual realm and one in the physical realm. You may think of it as a sort of hi-tech "fairy dust." Whatever you can imagine, it can do. These days, it's dirt cheap and easy to mass produce, and can be found in every aspect of society. While only Immortals are capable of controlling it directly, computer systems that are able to manipulate it are fairly simple to program. Some applications include: * Direct weaponization. Immortals can literally tear their opponents apart at a molecular level with it. * Indirect weaponization. Particle guns fire Seed particles programmed for various destructive effects. There are gravity wave disrupters that fire Seed that creates quantum singularities. There are positron blasters that fire Seed that analyzes the target material, transforms into its corresponding antiparticle, and annihilates it. And there are Soul Blades that directly channel spiritual energies through a particle field of Seed. * Direct protection. Seed particles can be quite durable and make for powerful particle shields if properly managed. * Indirect protection. They can repair or harden any material they are imbued in. * Physical enhancement. Many Immortals (and soldiers too) like to inject Seed into their bodies for various functions, such as breathing alien atmospheres, enduring extreme temperatures, boosting physical prowess, and more. * Adaptability. With a few blueprints downloaded to your computer, you can keep a supply of Seed to engineer battlefield equipment as needed. Need a jetpack? Tear some material from that building over there and make one. Diving underwater? Tear apart your jetpack and make a pressure suit. With enough blueprints downloaded, you can adapt to nearly any situation. And don't worry, Seed can alchemize any element into any other as needed.
So really, you don't need to worry too much about how your battlesuit works or what it looks like. You can look like whatever you want and still kick serious butt.
Ever play one of those 4X games? eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate? Suppose you've reached the endgame, finished all the technologies, and took over most of the known galaxy. What happens now? Well, buckle up soldier, because you're getting a front row seat.
You are the crew of a Crescent Empire star carrier, the most powerful vessel in the galaxy. You can destroy planets and stars, create life, travel through time, and generally kick ass. Your ship has a complement of Warp Fighters aboard as well. Warp Fighters are manned starfighters able to transform between bipedal mech and high-performance interceptor as the mission demands. Though most of the systems can be and are automated, Imperial military doctrine requires that wars be fought with lives on the line, so no remote drones for you.
The dirty little secret that the Empire isn't telling you is that it's falling apart. All this "perfection" comes at a great price, and your civilization was unprepared to pay it. People are spontaneously transforming into monsters, robots are becoming sentient and rebellious, and mysterious advanced aliens wielding the Empire's own tech have begun advancing on its colonies. Your mission is to restore order and peace to the Empire. You have the whole fleet at your command, and even a member of the ruling Council has joined your crew. Good luck!
All of us would be crew aboard one ship, but I also wanted the option to traverse space individually, hence the Warp Fighters. Each role should play out more like Artemis Starship Simulator, with a captain, gunner, helm officer, etc. The ship itself is sentient and *can* be controlled autonomously, but it needs humans to train it and give it a soul. We're training it from scratch - how to move, shoot, repair itself, and such like.
The Empire sees itself as a bastion of goodness, a light on a hill so to speak, but reality is a bit more complicated. At the start of the mission, we will be running various goody-two-shoes jobs like feeding orphans, building shelters for the homeless, rescuing the stranded, and the like. Later on, though, we will be delving into the darker side of the Empire, into its genetic experiments, morally bankrupt population, and corruption at the highest levels of government.
The Empire has a foothold in every single star system, whether it be a core world, colony, conquered group, or military outpost. Only the core worlds produce the best starships and tech; the other worlds are struggling to catch up, or even taking different paths. While the official government is an oligarchy, with 7 Immortals on the Immortal Council, the Empire is so vast that the more remote colonies can get away with operating like sovereign states. One of your missions will be to change that. __________
The Core worlds are, at once, a bastion of high civilization and a den of evil. The economy is almost totally automated - from production and services to mining, farming, and maintenance. Even science and coding are automated to some degree. The end result is that work and money have become obsolete. Any necessary economic transactions result in bartering.
Sounds like utopia right?
Wrong. Having nothing worthwhile to do with their lives, the people have wholly devoted themselves to the pursuit of pleasure. Alcohol, drugs, games, and especially sex are popular pastimes, and all manner of historic depravities occur on these worlds. The more conscientious members of society devote themselves to the pursuit of science and the arts. The military used to be an outlet for their energies until the end of the Conquest War.
The outer worlds are more or less postmodern, which is to say, considerably less advanced. Most of them can't even get a craft in orbit, let alone out of their solar system. And unfortunately, those that *used* to have spacefaring abilities were bombed back to the stone age duing the Conquest War. Over the last few years, some have regained some degree interstellar travel, but they're nowhere near as advanced as their conquerors. Our game will start with one of their emmisaries returning a batch of starship crew to their post around Crescent Prime.
