[OOC] Farrow's Gift

[Marlowe]

Story

Magic doesn't exist.

At least, that's what you were told, right? It's what you've believed in for your entire life: magic only exists, and will only exist, in movies, video games, television shows, and books. The truth of the matter is that you've been fed a blatant lie.

Magic has been dead for as long as anybody can remember. A long time ago, mages from all over the world had an unanimous agreement to seal magic away from the grasp of man. These supernatural powers were far too dangerous for humankind to have; humans would always be hateful, greedy, and full of spite, and so to prevent future wars and bloodshed, the mages decided that it would be best if they did not let anyone get their hands on such destructive powers. With the removal of magic from the world, the fantastic beasts of the realm also vanished. Merlin's Nomicon, the catalyst they used to bind the magic away from the grasp of man, was hidden where nothing or no one could find it.

You must be looking at me like I'm crazy. In fact, you must be wondering why the hell I'm telling you all of this. You're just a guy or lady that lives in Darkwell, a small town on the west coast. You might be someone who works in a cafe. Someone who goes to Darkwell Community College. Someone who just sits around all day, drinking, or smoking, watching television, playing video games, or whatever.

Well, I'm here to tell you that you're in great danger.

Got your attention now, haven't I? Before you ask, no, you can't run away from it. There's nowhere that you can hide that he can't find you. Who is he, you're asking? That's a question for another time. All that you have to know is that he found Merlin's Nomicon, and he's opened it. You're a magus now, don't you know? That's what happens when magic runs rampant. Dragons come back from the dead. Werewolves stalk the street at night. That, and random, innocent people are bound to get drawn into a whole damn mess.

You might already know that you have powers. You might have no idea what the fuck I'm talking about. But know this-- you are in danger. From him. From others. From yourself.

Premise

The year is 2017, and you are a citizen of Darkwell, and your life has been normal until now. Suddenly, you're afflicted with magical powers that you can't necessarily control. This all happened after you were bedridden with a raging fever that you thought might kill you. You have no idea how you got these powers, or even what to do with them. You might keep them hidden. You might use them for your own benefit. Who knows?

You are a citizen of Darkwell, and you've noticed that things haven't been the same the past month. Reports of rabid dogs tearing people to shreds at night and strange creatures lurking around corners constantly reach your ears. You may-- or may not, for that matter --have powers, but judging from the things happening around you, you may not be the only one in this situation.

As if things can't get any worse, you suddenly get a letter in the mail:

totally not suspicious letter

Hello!

You have been invited to Darkwell City’s 100th anniversary party! One hundred years ago, this wonderful city that we call our home had been founded by brave pioneers. The party will be held at Darkwell City Diner—the whole place will be reserved just for us! There will be food and drink at the party, along with a special offer that you just CAN’T refuse… a raffle for a high-end PC! This personal computer can do anything you want due to its high-speed processor. Come and join us!
(the date and time is scrawled at the bottom of the letter. turns out it's a few days from now, actually.)

About Darkwell

Darkwell is a large town, yet not necessarily a city; it's large enough to have things to do in, but several people from Darkwell know each other in some way or form. It is located somewhere on the west coast, most likely within the borders of Oregon, but extremely close to California, as well. There's multiple stores and places to hang out at, but only one community college. Darkwell is also located near the coast, so there is also a dock and a small beach.

About Magic

You stumble upon an old and dusty book. It is called "The Basis of Modern Day Magic", but the author's name has been scratched out with heavy black ink. Will you open it?

Open the Book

Preface

Magic is something that is sacred, yet volatile. It can create and destroy. It can save lives and slaughter men. It can shield you from prying eyes or turn you into a god. It can allow things to start anew or end everything in the blink of an eye.

The art of magic has been around for thousands upon thousands of years, perhaps even before the eras of ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. Maybe its origins stem all the way to the creation of the universe. Yet, even after all of these years, man has never seemed to have a solid grasp on the idea of magic-- for every time we understand a theory or practice, we discover countless new spells in conjunction.

In this book is an explanation of modern day magic. It discusses everything that a man or woman should know before calling themselves a proper magus. Read carefully, for if you misunderstand or misinterpret anything, it may as well lead to your death.

~ SR

Chapter 1: Prana

The concept of prana is difficult to understand, for some. Think of prana as a life-source-- as blood, as a soul or spirit. Every living thing, from the smallest insect to the largest dragon, has prana. Some things may have less prana than others, however. For instance, a rat has a significantly smaller prana pool than a human, and a human has much less prana than a basilisk.

Prana is what one uses to cast magic. One must access it by tapping into it; you must focus your energy, your life-source, in order to cast spells. A dragon's fire breath, a basilisk's petrifying gaze, or a cockatrice's extremely potent venom are all forms of spells that require prana to exist. However, humans are interesting when it comes to using prana; all human beings have similar amounts of prana at their expense, though only a select few can use magic.

Yet, as prana is basically the lifeblood of many living things, using too much of it means coma or death. Dragons can breathe a limited amount of fire before they are worn out. Humans can destroy themselves if they use too much magic, depleting their prana pool. Thus, it is extremely important that a magus know what they can and can't handle.

All schools of magic require prana to use, some requiring more prana to use. [It seems like someone scratched out the next sentence with a heavy hand].

Chapter 2: Bleeding

Bleeding is a term when a magus' psyche is impacted by the potency and even overuse of their own magic. A magus who is suffering from bleeding can suffer from hallucinations, insanity, extreme depression, personality disorders, and more. Not much is known about bleeding, and so there is no known cure.

Chapter 3: Introduction to the Schools of Magic

There are six schools of magic, each of them significantly different than the others. However, a magus cannot only learn one school in order to deem himself or herself a proper and competent magus. In fact, it is often the case that a specific type of magic cannot be useful without working alongside another.

That being the case, a magus is only expected to be somewhat capable at two to three schools of magic. However, being adept at three schools of magic is rather rare. Studying and forcing oneself to learn more than three is extremely dangerous to one's own mental well-being, thus leading to bleeding.

Chapter 4: Conjuration Magic

Perhaps the most common type of magic among mages, conjuration magic is also the simplest form of magic overall. It gives mages the ability to conjure weapons such as blades, swords, lances, bows, and more. It also grants mages the ability to summon bestial familiars.

Chapter 5: Alchemy

Another common type of magic is alchemy. With alchemy, a magus can imbue their weapons with magical energy. For instance, a magus can make an ice bow whose arrows slow enemies, or their gun can fire bursts of concentrated light that scalds their opponent.

Chapter 6: Anima Magic

The third-most common type of magic is anima magic. Anima magic usually never affects a magus' opponent-- instead, it boosts a magus' abilities instead. It allows a magus to move quicker, to jump higher, allow their skin to become as hard as stone, and more. One who is more skilled in the school of anima magic can increase the potency of their curses and poisons. Experienced anima magic users can also bolster their allies' abilities, such as making their spells do more damage or allowing them to move faster than before.

Chapter 7: Arcane Magic

Usually known as red magic, a magus who learns the art of arcane magic can bend specific elements to their will. Mages are able to conjure spears of lightning, gales of wind, torrents of fire, storms of ice, and more. Even then, a magus prefers to stick to one of the four classes of arcane magic-- fire, ice, lightning, or wind.

Chapter 8: Metamorphosis

Through metamorphosis, a magus can change into a beast. Usually, one decides to stick to a single type of creatures to shift into. This does not include extremely large beasts, however. The longer a magus is within their shifted form, the more it draws upon their prana.

Chapter 9: White Magic

White magic is typically used for more supportive roles. This type of magic cannot physically harm an opponent, even if it is combined with anima magic. A magus that uses white magic can heal wounds at an accelerated rate, produce shields for allies, and more.

Chapter 10: Black Magic

While particularly difficult to describe, black magic is mostly used to conjure curses that afflict enemies. Curses can be used in order to hinder opponents, such as stunning them, slowing their movements, or even clouding their thoughts. Some mages have figured out how to use shadows to their advantage through black magic.

Chapter 11: ????

[The pages of this chapter have been torn out in a violent fashion.]

Bestiary

No recordings of fantastic beasts yet.

Rules

- My word is law. When I am not around, ask co-GMs questions, or just wait till I get back.

- You're all mature. Do I really have to explain things like no godmodding and all?

- There can and will be romance in this RP, but please, I don't want to be reading a post and all of a sudden BAM, there's smut. Take that to PMs.

- Please, for the love of God, be active. Don't randomly disappear. Be active in the OOC and the Discord chat. If something comes up or you don't know how to post, please tell us! We'll be happy to help.

- Characters' ages are restricted to 18-30 years of age. Nothing younger, nothing older.

- You can make as many characters as you want, but please put equal thought into every one of them. Take your time in making sheets. Don't rush. I can tell when you do so!

- I don't want real-life pictures for appearances of your characters. Anime pictures only, please.

- Put one of your character's quotes in the "Other" section of your character sheet.

- You may format the character sheet however you'd like as it will be permalinked to the OOC thread. But please, remove the things in parenthesis!

Character Skeleton

[b]Name:[/b] (First and last, please!)
[b]Age:[/b] (18-30 years of age.)
[b]Gender:[/b] (Self-explanatory)
[b]Occupation:[/b] (What do you in Darkwell?)
[b]Relationships:[/b] (Their relationships with other citizens. You can start filling this in as other people make their sheets.)
[b]Abilities:[/b] (Their magical abilities. Don't be overpowered, and make sure to state whether or not your character knows they have them.)
[b]Appearance:[/b] (Again, anime images only, but you can use text along with it.)
[b]Personality:[/b] (Self-explanatory.)
[b]Short Biography:[/b] (Nothing [i]too[/i] extravagant.)
[b]Other:[/b] (Anything else you'd like to add.)

[Marlowe]

Environment

This section tells you guys what's the time of day, season, weather, etc!

Season

| Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |

Weather

| Clear | Sunny | Rainy | Cloudy | Windy | Stormy | Snowing | Hail |

Time of Day

| Morning | Afternoon | Evening | Dusk | Night | Dawn |

[Marlowe]

Reserved.

[Marlowe]

@RumikoOhara
@Fisticuffs
@Project
@HushedWhispers
@Elle Santiago
@Pathfinder
@Etranger
@Tominas
@PentagonWhite
@tfd
@Solace

[Solace]

owo

[Mage]

Currently working in the CS. If I change the layout a bit, but still keep all of the information, will it be acceptable?

Also, may I post a WIP or you'd rather only see the complete version?

[Marlowe]

@Project Would rather see the completed version~

[Pathfinder]

I'm having trouble finding a picture of any dude that isn't a dark haired waif.

[Marlowe]

@Pathfinder Have you tried Zerochan yet?

How about this one?

[Tominas]

@Ambra
In all fairness, that is a light-haired waif.

Pathfinder, a lot of the older animes tend to have a few more masculine chars if that's what you're looking for. Try the cowboy bebops, ghost in the shell, stuff along those lines and you'll usually find a few. Fist of the North Star, that's a good one.

[Pathfinder]

None of these boys have any meat on their bones! Who's in charge of feeding them because they ain't doing a good job. In all seriousness though, I don't think the body type I'm looking for is well represented in anime style.

[Pathfinder]

@Tominas
I just might have to try that, I'm not too good at looking for visual stuff because I always describe my characters with word. It's always been easier that way for me.

[Marlowe]

If you really have to, you can just describe it in text form.

[Tominas]

@Pathfinder
If you tell me what you're looking for, I'd be happy to help. The beefy body isn't really all that well represented in anime, I feel your pain.

[Marlowe]

@Pathfinder If you search up fan art of Gladiolus from FFXV, you might get something.

[PentagonWhite]

I'll have a character profile up today, hopefully. I've slid into the discord, when will the powers be assigned?

[Elle Santiago]

Edit: Edited my CS. Added relationship.

Caitlyn Sigbin

“I swear to all that’s holy, if this is another jump scare, I’m going to hurt you.”

Caitlyn Sigbin
19
Female

Occupation:
Darkwell Community College Student; works part-time as a waitress in Darkwell City Diner

Relationships:
Caitlyn’s roommate is Jude Marshall. In her opinion, she thinks they have a pretty warm friendship, if friendship meant sharing dog food between their pets and having her and Benjamin fawn over Charlie. Jude is usually quiet so Caitlyn converses minimally with him as to not discomfort him by pushing too much. She was a bit intimidated by him at first but upon learning of his job in the flower shop, The Mystery of Life, she became rather fond of him and actually started to think of him as her honorary big brother.

Caitlyn is an acquaintance of Wren Faulkner. She frequents the Darkwell Mocha for its fabulous hot chocolate she always order no matter the time of day with an unhealthy helping of sweet pastries. She also seldom sees Wren stalking the halls of Darkwell College, at times with a dangerous expression on her face when not holding the familiar cup of coffee.

Caitlyn works in Darkwell City Diner and has Garrett Fischermann as her boss. She's scared of him due to his intensity in the workplace and the fact that he is her boss. While she’s aware that she won’t get fired for a single mistake, Garrett seems to have that kind of presence where she’d rather avoid having said mistake. That’s just her opinion, however.

Abilities:
Caitlyn's magic is Metamorphosis. She learned that she has her magic when she woke up under the heavy mass of her blanket and felt more than saw that she had four legs and covered in black fur being licked in the face by her dog -- Benjamin. She finds her magic strange, weird, and reality-defying, making her hate having and using it. Unfortunately, she has the tendency to shape-shift accidentally and has no choice but to practice turning back.

Personality:
Caitlyn likes to have fun, be it partying with other people or curling up in her bed with books in hand. She's amiable to strangers and friends alike, not hesitating to help a friend in need. When she's the one who needs help, she's not beyond asking her parents or friends for help. Still, she'd rather exhaust all her options first before asking other people. Her short temper is not well-known, however, due to her warm and welcoming personality. When she sees someone's being harassed or violated, Caitlyn would be likely to damn the consequences and throw herself in the situation even without knowing anything about it. After all, it's better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.

Biography:
Caitlyn never had a single place to call home, though that's not a bad thing. Her father an avid photographer and mother a skilled painter, they moved pretty much everywhere her parents' passions led them. She came to learn early on to cherish the present and relish the moments presented both happy and sad. Home, for her, is the people who loves her unfailingly. Still, while her childhood was fun, reality demands that she stay in one place for her college courses. Caitlyn settled in Darkwell because of its scenic location and tight knit community. It has only been a year and she loved it already, treasuring its homey feel.

Others:
Caitlyn hates the supernatural with a passion. Once, when she was little, her mother and father played a prank on her. Her father edited a picture to show a ghost standing next to her and her mother played along perfectly. So utterly convinced, Caitlyn avoided horror stories to the point she’d walk out whenever she suspects a commercial or a show to have a hint of scary ghosts in them. Even when her parents told her that it was just a joke, the concept of ghosts and what unhealthy things they could do to someone has been so ingrained within her that she couldn't get past that fear. She even adopted a dog when she moved in Darkwell, an adorable shih tzu with white fur and brown ears and eyes, just to mask her paranoia when she hears a sound that freaks her out. In her spare time, she likes to take pictures and draw, giving her the habit of carrying a camera, notepad, and pencil wherever she goes. It has elicited escapades at the most unusual times, braving the midnight sky just to capture a single moment. She also has a horrible singing voice, doing the songs she sings a serious injustice.

Recently, due to recent reports about strange things happening at night, Caitlyn has instilled her own curfew for her own safety.

[Fisticuffs]

Checking in! About to get cracking on a CS.

[Pathfinder]

@Ambra
Would something like this work?

[Tominas]

@Ambra
Let it be said, this weekend I'm going to be driving for... sixteen hours? To see the eclipse happening Monday. I'll try to get a CS up Saturday, but make no promises.