♫♪ This is a story of a world that was never meant to be, of a world that never saw the ground so far below the pearl white clouds. Rebirth and Destruction, again and again have shaped the Sky into a myriad of nations, races, and ideals that have butted heads since time immemorial. The history of the Precursors lost, buried amidst cannon fire and a maelstrom of fire.
Beyond this place, beyond this strife lies the home of the Gods, Estalucia, the fabled Kingdom of Gods. A place none have seen, but is whispered about in closed privacy, as a land of dreams, of undiscovered riches, magical knowledge beyond human comprehension, and perhaps even the secret to Divinity itself. It is rumored that the map to it was scattered far across the Blue Beyond, guarded by the watchdogs of the ancient precursors, the Astrals, and that those who lay claim to the pieces lay claim to Paradise itself.
Now, with the ancient race of Astrals all but extinct, Skyfarers from around the world scope the Grim Basin’s edge, searching in vain for a way to cut through the violent storm in search of the promised land. Take up arms, Skyfarer. Your dream lies just beyond the setting sun.
If my random esoteric rambling didn't scare you off, hey, welcome to my dumb little idea for a Granblue Fantasy roleplay.
For those of you who aren't in the know, Granblue Fantasy is a Japanese mobile game (wait don't leave) with a high fantasy world set in a sprawling sky-world dotted with numerous islands free floating in the air, with a number of races populating them. In these treacherous skies filled with violent storms, monsters, and the occasional Island God getting a little pissed and going on a rampage, Skyfarers are the archetypal adventurers/explorers/bounty hunters that perform jobs for hire, explore ancient ruins, and generally be badasses that go and make the world more livable for the not-so-badass.
Estalucia, homeland of the ancient Astral race is a fantastical paradise at the farthest ends of the sky, inaccessible save for those who have all the fragments of the map to get there, guarded by the uplifted Demigods called Primal Beasts, or Primals. These dangerous beings carry with them the secrets to lead you to their ancient master's home, and are willing to fight to take that secret to the grave.
In this rp, you would be playing as fledgling Skyfarers that, for story reasons, band together in a crew in order to overcome obstacles on your path to get to that sweet, sweet god kingdom. Along the way there will be NPCs controlled by me that will join the crew, giving players options to interact with and learn from if they so choose. At max, the player cast size will be capped at 12, allowing for 2 characters of each element to be playable amongst the cast.
I'm mostly going to be completely discarding any events that happen in the standard Granblue Fantasy timeline, since I imagine not everyone has the time to dump into a gacha game like some losers (namely me). So, don't worry too much if you don't know anything, I'm pretty much expecting everyone that does decide to hop on is going in blind for the most part.
Everyone is going to get their chance to shine, but I really want to collaborate with players on how to do that. What makes Granblue special to me are the ways characters both develop over time, and how they have interactions with characters that change their outlook on the world around them, or find a comrade in arms.
I don't mind if your character is powerful, but keep in mind that anything you have, I have to one up to have any situation be even plausible as a threat. As such, I'm definitely going to need to regulate power levels. Don't think this means that a weak character will be completely useless however; Often, underdogs will get an even brighter spotlight placed on them.
This isn't going to be some meat grinder rp; Unless you do something so insanely stupid that I genuinely seek your end IRL and IC, or literally want your character to die, it is unlikely that I would even consider killing you off. That's just not my style.
All the dumb anime/other mobile game collabs that are technically canon in universe are to not be mentioned, because I refuse to let this turn into a multiverse rp.
Taking place in the Tydagrande Skydom located in the Northeastern corner of the Grim Basin, containing a massive cluster of islands rivaling Phantagrande, numbering at over 300 individual inhabited islands, with many having unique customs and cultures to go with the extremely high diversity of the region.
One of the most powerful nation states is the Zweite Junta, a large coalition of 13 massive allied islands that have come together to enforce a wide-spread rule over the people of Tydagrande. While the 13 Heads of Zweite are supposed to stand on equal footing, a recent inheritance of power from one of the Heads to their son caused a clash over territory in the mid-western region of Tydagrande. This struggle rages on, while the other 11 Heads scheme in the shadows for their own devices. The people outside of the 13 core islands are fearful of the power hungry Heads, with many of the inner lying islands becoming abandoned out of fear of conquest. The cast, in some way or another, has slighted the 13 Heads, resulting in them being locked away in Ziggurat, the Prison Isle of No Return, where an ancient secret lies buried and dormant.
The overall technology of the region is similar to others, meaning that melee weapons such as swords, spears, axes, and daggers are still commonplace in spite of the invention of basic firearms. Skyships in this Skydom are known for their incredible durability rather than speed, having to buffet many frequent storms due to the tumultuous climate of the region.
The Society: A military group of extreme discipline and cruel leadership, members of The Society are given ancient weapons left behind by the inhabitants of the Moon, which are sentient, and capable of "Devouring" Primal Beasts, proving significantly more effective against them than a normal sword. Agents of The Society that fail to perform have been known to disappear forever...
The Eternals: Those who could only be described as the strongest known beings throughout all the sky, the Eternals are a group of 10 who boast Primal-like strength brought upon by decades of training, and unfathomable amounts of talent. They claim to be neutral, but have been known to interfere in conflicts when it strikes their fancy. Each member has discarded their original name, instead going by the coded designation they are given, such as "Uno" for one. Players cannot be part of the Eternals to start with.
The Alchemist's Guild: Practically a cult in disguise, the Alchemist's Guild practices the ancient art of alchemy, which enabled one to transmute materials, ether, and, in the case of their "founder", the human soul to achieve immortality through body creation. They worship the scientific magic that brought fear to the Astrals as if it itself was a deity, using their authority as crusaders rather than scientists. Originally based in Helmuth, they seem to have branched out to Tydagrande.
The Knights of Geste: A group of 12 Knights that serve the kingdom of Geste, each boasting incredible power that puts most Skyfarers to shame. A benevolent group of fellows that serve King and Country faithfully, as personal advisers and bodyguards, having been known to even defeat the Island of Geste's primal beast, a ferocious beast with the body of a lion, but the wings and head of an eagle. Players cannot be one of the 12, but they can certainly be from Geste.
The Zweite Junta/The 13 Heads of Zweite: The rulers of 13 massive islands that banded together in an alliance, seemingly with the intent of conquering all of Tydagrande. Their ambitions are certainly grandiose, though whether they would spell disaster for the region is unknown, and, given that you're all in a jam because of them, they seem to not be very friendly to Skyfarers. Players cannot be one of the 13, but could be someone who worked for them, or who was a relative.
Fire: The Primordial flame all life seeks warmth from. Enables the creation of fire, or various other heat related abilities. Wind: The Primordial gale all skyfarers trust to guide them. Enables control of air, or various other air/wind/sound based abilities. Earth: The Primordial stone all islands are built upon. Enables control of rocks/sediment, or various other manipulations of the ground. Water: The Primordial sea from which all life drinks. Enables the control/creation of water, or various other liquid based abilities. Dark: The Primordial twilight, that guides the waking world to rest. Various applications. Light: The Primordial dawn, that spurs the world to wake and grow. Various applications.
The concentration of Ether in the air is typically what most individuals who use magic use in order to fuel their spells. Sustained and emitted by the Four Primal Beast Primarchs of Wind, Earth, Fire, and Water, these elements as well as the primordial forces of Dark and Light are invisible to the naked eye save for when they are in an area with high Ether Density, such as an island covered entirely with fire that never goes out, or a part of the Sky where a current blows. By tapping into the Ether in the air, one is capable of performing magic, so long as they have the proper knowledge to use their own bodies as a catalyst.
However, magicians are not the only ones capable of drawing on ether. Magic is merely one form of using the Ether that surrounds everything in the Sky, and from birth, every living thing is imbued with a natural Element, typically aligned with the most common Ether in the atmosphere of their island. A swordsman who never learned to cast a spell in his life may very well be able to use his Water Elemental properties to skirt across water as if it were solid ground, or a skilled martial artist may punch so fast that they create after images in the air around them due to their natural elemental affinities. One person may only ever be imbued with a singular element throughout their lifetime, though it is possible to use another form of Ether than the one they are born proficient in. A spearman may indeed have skin as hard as steel from their Earth attribute, but they may very well also be able to call on Dark magic or techniques to turn the tide of battle. However, just because one is born of an element doesn't mean that they have to develop some sort of special technique using Ether. Its all about one's dedication to bettering themselves at whatever it is they do.
The Elements have a check and balance on each other, as shown by the following: Fire Defeats Wind Wind Defeats Earth Earth Defeats Water Water Defeats Fire Dark and Light oppose one another, and as a result are effective, and weak against one another. In general, a being aligned to an Element weak to an attack's Element will take more damage from that hit, just as a rule of thumb. There are naturally exceptions to this, such as strange beings with no Elemental Affinity whatsoever.
Human: The most common of races in most any Skydom, Humans are known for their general flexibility, and overwhelming abundance of talent as Skyfarers, often finding perfect company amongst other races, and finding any particular weapon to fit snugly in their hands. You already know what a Human looks like. (In terms of an RPG, Humans are the Jack of All Trades type of race, featuring nothing outstanding, good or bad.)
Draph: A race of horned humanoids, generally huge in stature for the men, and rather buxom for the women. Even the most out of shape, pacifistic Draph male could look like a body builder compared to the strongest human you could find, but that's just in terms of appearances. They boast the highest natural physical strength of any race, leading many Draph to become successful skyfarers, martial artists, soldiers, pirates, and even common bandits due to their strength. (Overall, a race that favors Martial Prowess above all else, being similar to a Strength/Constitution race in your typical RPG. Draph mages aren't unheard of however, just exceedingly rare.)
Erune: The most reclusive of the races, the Erune greatly resemble humans save for their much thinner, more lithe physiques and their large animalistic ears that protrude feature prominently on their heads. While the actual type of animal ear depends on the family lineage, only the most purebred and typically royal bloodlines carry the recessive genes for tails, resulting in a Tailed Erune to be a unique site. Reclusive, and initially completely appalled by other races, the war with the Astrals deepened their trust with the other races, leading to Erunes becoming commonplace in today's world. Their species, due to their woodland ancestral dwellings, are typically found as being Skyfarers with ranged weapons, or communicating with spirits to use magic derived from Nature. (In terms of an RPG, this would be the Intelligence/Dexterity boosting race. Erunes that get into close combat are more commonplace than Draph mages, however.)
Harvin: Perhaps the most unintimidating race of them all, Harvins are tiny, having ears that protrude out and end at long, sharp points and almost child-like proportions throughout their entire lives. While small in stature, Harvins boast incredible magical prowess, and typically have sharp wits and intellect that they use to solve problems in spite of their size-handicap. They are also incredibly shrewd merchants, excellent craftsmen, and even thieves. (Tiny hobbits that can sell stuff good, cast stuff good, and steal stuff good. Punch things at your own risk, your arms are definitely too short to box with God. Standard Intelligence/Charisma race. Martial fighters are VERY uncommon.)
Dhirom: A race of proud conquerors and warriors, the Dhirom carry within them the blood of dragons, resulting in them having curved horns, reptilian tails, scales, and vestigial wings that sprout from the shoulders out. The degree to which their bodies are covered in scales varies, to some having it only along a single arm, to being spread out in small patches along their torso, or even covering just the back of their arms. Due to the various types of Dragons roaming the skies, the Dhirom have adopted unique elemental properties based on their lineage. Dhirom mages, while powerful, are also permanently limited to the type of magic of their same elemental type. Gold: Light Element Black: Dark Element Red: Fire Element White: Water Element Green: Wind Element Copper: Earth Element If two families of Dhirom were to marry into each other, the child will only have their scales be the color of their mother's. In rare cases, a genetic grandmother's scale color, if different, can also be randomly passed down in place of a mother's. Their leaders and generals have proven to be incredibly effective leaders, and Skyfarers of this race tend to not settle for anything less than First Mate on a ship. It is said that in the purest of bloodlines, individuals are capable of fully bringing out the power of their Ancestor Dragons. (An overly charismatic race that has distinct limitations due to their bloodlines. In terms of traditional RPG stats, they'd be the Charisma/Strength race)
Primals: The mysterious beings granted power by the Astrals. Typically programmed to follow a singular directive, some Primals have been known to possess free will, generally the ones that are far closer to looking like people than monsters. Functionally immortal, and boasting incredible power gifted by the Astrals, Primals are not to be taken lightly. In general, players will not be allowed to play as Primals, unless you can convince me otherwise on a case-by-case basis.
1. Don't be a dick. That's my job. 2. Try to cooperate with others. You're all part of a crew, so any bad blood between characters has to get settled at some point. Rivalries are fine, absolute hatred of someone isn't. Also, don't give people cause to hate you. 3. I'm prone to error, and as such I'm willing to listen if you tell me I'm wrong. If something feels off, tell me. I won't ban you for pointing out inconsistencies. 4. Please, communicate! I get that writing an rp post takes a lot of time for some people, and that people work and have responsibilities, but for fuck's sake, at least tell me if you're going to be unable to post/need to quit. Find some way to tell me if you aren't going to be active, or I will have to drop you after 2 weeks of silence and inactivity. 5. Don't metagame. If another character stumbled onto knowledge that X enemy is extremely weak to say, sound, and they never communicated that to you in the slightest and you weren't there, I will not accept your character randomly screaming and killing everything and going "wuh happen?". Its another matter if you're in the same room as them when they discover it, as you could believably infer it. 6. I may not be consistent, but by no means is the rp "Dead" if I haven't posted. Believe it or not, I want this to live, and as such I'll try and stay on the ball schedule wise for posting. 7. I won't wait for your characters for too long before posting again. If 6/7 people are in a position to proceed, I'm not gonna wait a week for a single person to chime in before the next scene. Its nothing personal, I just want to respect everyone's time, and I'm more than happy to retcon stuff that you want your character to have done in the transition. 8. I'm not trying to personally attack anyone, I'm just a rood dood. If I come across as overly harsh, unless I'm like, being obviously hostile, I'm just poking fun. 9. Your Female Draphs must have at least Double D's. 10. No playing canon characters, be creative ya butts. This is going to be as far removed from having any characters involved outside of indirect references, or occasional NPC cameos.
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b] (Choose from Human, Draph, Erune, Harvin, Dhirom [Make sure to note scale color], or Primal, in a case by case basis.)
[b]Element:[/b] (Choose from Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Dark, or Light)
[b]Dream:[/b] (Why are you out here? Everybody has a reason to go Skyfaring. What do you want to find at Estalucia?)
[b]Home:[/b] (Where are you from? What's it like? Give a brief description of the island your character is native to.)
[b]Gimmicks:[/b] (Gimmicks are what make your character special. What makes the way you fight unique? Are you an alchemist that chucks potion-bottle-bombs at people? A bard that's music is so bad it physically hurts those around him? Get creative and have fun with potential gimmicks, but remember to keep your Element in mind)
[b]Personality:[/b] (How does your character act around others? Give a brief, maybe 1-2 paragraph summary of their personality as a whole, but make sure its something you know you'll have fun writing.)
[b]Background:[/b] (What's your story? How did you wind up in Ziggurat/Wandering the skies?)
[b]Inventory:[/b] (What does your character have on them? This includes weapons, armor, key items given through the story, and mementos of family/home if you have any that you'd want to keep hold of.)
I know very little about GBF's lore, but seeing how that isn't a problem in this scenario, I'm definitely interested! totally not in this just so I can play a super stacked draph, nopenope~
I'll reserve wind because... uh, wind erosion slowly wears down rocks after many years? And how does fire put out wind? Does it use up all the oxygen and hurt the air? Whatever, wind sounds cool.
