Acera is a planet on the brink of chaos.
For what seems like centuries, the nations of Acera have been toiling in the mud and dirt as death rained down from above. Some believe the world is near breaking point and the cause of that breaking point is the mineral known as etherium.
More valuable than oil and gasoline, gold or silk. A mineral that could generate so much power and wondrous results with little tampering. A mineral that some called magical when it was discovered close to forty years ago. It changed gunsmithing and blacksmithing alike in an instant. For bullets and pellets made of etherium could cause chemical reactions and devastating damage with little effort. When the Grand Dominion of Lagrande fired an artillery shell made out of etherium into the heart of the Vannetais Republic the city was destroyed. One shot. Mass destruction beyond the imagination. Genocide of a well-educated populace. Erasure of cultural monuments. The Republic conceded to Lagrande and became no more. In many minds it was the shot that was heard around the world. For the last twenty years, a war of dangerous lengths has pushed into a rigorous stalemate.
In the Kingdom of Volkovia, a push to liberate Vannetais from its Lagrandian Occupation has persisted. Though not many remain so hopeful. When does the next artillery shell drop? How many does Lagrande have of that magnitude? And what lengths will Lagrande go to have every piece of it in all of Acera? Word has come across the ranks about a laboratory in the mines in the northern mountains. Something strange happened and it has caught Lagrande’s attention. But it’s not important. Soldiers stay behind the trenches, fighting charge-to-charge as they have done so for two decades. However, maybe it’s not so unimportant to you.
You’re an outsider. In your world you were a nobody, somebody unimportant. But something that happened between Earth and Acera has made things odd. Confusing. This isn’t a normal Isekai story. You don’t remember much—things are fuzzy. When you come to you’re in somebody else’s body with gun or pike in hand. Your head is a mess, but all you know is you have to react. As far as you can tell you do not have magical powers. Perhaps you think it’s a dream. It doesn’t matter. You’re being charged by a soldier as gunfire rains down around you. Your instincts are someone else’s but you are in control. All you know is you have to survive.
Can You?
This Concept is:
As you might infer from the above, this is a bit of an experiment where I want to play away (subvert?) the typical isekai elements we see that are generalized power fantasy stories. The world that isekai characters are summoned to is not one rooted in a medieval renaissance, it is a world of fantastical elements sure but it is a setting derived somewhere between the Napoleonic Wars and the First World War. If we were to use an anime as a basis it would be more Valkyria Chronicles than Yōjo Senki.
Player Characters for the first application period would be the Isekai Protagonists whom have been transported into the bodies of ill-fated characters whom serve the Kingdom of Volkovia. This may include pilots within the aerial cavalry division, the royal military corps, the common military corps, or something else entirely. The isekai abilities should I choose to give them (this might just be a second lease on life) will be GM determined. I will not be looking at extensive sheets, but you will be responsible for a nominal isekai protagonist as well as the backstory and personality of the character whose body that protagonist inhabits.
When devising the tech level, this is a Late 19th Century-to-Early 20th Century amalgamation. Pre-modern artillery, early automobiles, biplanes, zeppelins, trains, and other amenities exist. Think of it as a little of an anachronism. The fantastical element known as etherium was discovered in small amounts thirty-to-fifty years prior to the “present day” of the setting. Volkovia, Lagrande, and other nations are in a race to unlock the power of this element at any cost. Fortunately, it is so rare that nations aren't able to drop city-destroying bombs often.
Finally, this will be a semi-linear sandbox in that I will devise events for characters (individually or as a group) as they interact with the world. This is not a large scale concurrent sandbox, mind you, but I will defer to player autonomy above all else. Unlike your typical isekai there is no heroic end goal like defeating a super powerful god emperor or saving the world. You're in fictional World War One with magical rocks. Keep that in mind.
Please ask questions below in the OOC so I can fully define the setting as needed and tailor the experience to your benefit as prospective players.
For what seems like centuries, the nations of Acera have been toiling in the mud and dirt as death rained down from above. Some believe the world is near breaking point and the cause of that breaking point is the mineral known as etherium.
More valuable than oil and gasoline, gold or silk. A mineral that could generate so much power and wondrous results with little tampering. A mineral that some called magical when it was discovered close to forty years ago. It changed gunsmithing and blacksmithing alike in an instant. For bullets and pellets made of etherium could cause chemical reactions and devastating damage with little effort. When the Grand Dominion of Lagrande fired an artillery shell made out of etherium into the heart of the Vannetais Republic the city was destroyed. One shot. Mass destruction beyond the imagination. Genocide of a well-educated populace. Erasure of cultural monuments. The Republic conceded to Lagrande and became no more. In many minds it was the shot that was heard around the world. For the last twenty years, a war of dangerous lengths has pushed into a rigorous stalemate.
In the Kingdom of Volkovia, a push to liberate Vannetais from its Lagrandian Occupation has persisted. Though not many remain so hopeful. When does the next artillery shell drop? How many does Lagrande have of that magnitude? And what lengths will Lagrande go to have every piece of it in all of Acera? Word has come across the ranks about a laboratory in the mines in the northern mountains. Something strange happened and it has caught Lagrande’s attention. But it’s not important. Soldiers stay behind the trenches, fighting charge-to-charge as they have done so for two decades. However, maybe it’s not so unimportant to you.
You’re an outsider. In your world you were a nobody, somebody unimportant. But something that happened between Earth and Acera has made things odd. Confusing. This isn’t a normal Isekai story. You don’t remember much—things are fuzzy. When you come to you’re in somebody else’s body with gun or pike in hand. Your head is a mess, but all you know is you have to react. As far as you can tell you do not have magical powers. Perhaps you think it’s a dream. It doesn’t matter. You’re being charged by a soldier as gunfire rains down around you. Your instincts are someone else’s but you are in control. All you know is you have to survive.
Can You?
This Concept is:
- An isekai with a twist!
- A touch-and-go isekai story with dashes of Valkyria Chronicles and other influences.
- A small-to-medium group concept at minimum. Beyond the Isekai characters, normal characters would be allowed.
- Loosely generated to allow player cooperative development.
As you might infer from the above, this is a bit of an experiment where I want to play away (subvert?) the typical isekai elements we see that are generalized power fantasy stories. The world that isekai characters are summoned to is not one rooted in a medieval renaissance, it is a world of fantastical elements sure but it is a setting derived somewhere between the Napoleonic Wars and the First World War. If we were to use an anime as a basis it would be more Valkyria Chronicles than Yōjo Senki.
Player Characters for the first application period would be the Isekai Protagonists whom have been transported into the bodies of ill-fated characters whom serve the Kingdom of Volkovia. This may include pilots within the aerial cavalry division, the royal military corps, the common military corps, or something else entirely. The isekai abilities should I choose to give them (this might just be a second lease on life) will be GM determined. I will not be looking at extensive sheets, but you will be responsible for a nominal isekai protagonist as well as the backstory and personality of the character whose body that protagonist inhabits.
When devising the tech level, this is a Late 19th Century-to-Early 20th Century amalgamation. Pre-modern artillery, early automobiles, biplanes, zeppelins, trains, and other amenities exist. Think of it as a little of an anachronism. The fantastical element known as etherium was discovered in small amounts thirty-to-fifty years prior to the “present day” of the setting. Volkovia, Lagrande, and other nations are in a race to unlock the power of this element at any cost. Fortunately, it is so rare that nations aren't able to drop city-destroying bombs often.
Finally, this will be a semi-linear sandbox in that I will devise events for characters (individually or as a group) as they interact with the world. This is not a large scale concurrent sandbox, mind you, but I will defer to player autonomy above all else. Unlike your typical isekai there is no heroic end goal like defeating a super powerful god emperor or saving the world. You're in fictional World War One with magical rocks. Keep that in mind.
Please ask questions below in the OOC so I can fully define the setting as needed and tailor the experience to your benefit as prospective players.
