[OOC] Symphony of Espers

[mantou]

Oh yea, wanted to talk about the character submissions.

@Hammerman I think Regina's fine. Accepted! Post her in the character tab.

@mantou Your character is still under construction, but I just wanted to make you aware that bronze glamors have no real benefit and so the slash protection on Aria's armor won't actually weaken incoming attacks. Though I'm fine leaving it there as flavor text. Inversely, Aegis feels weak. When I think of something gentle, I think of a gentle breeze that I could just as soon ignore. You can give it a bit more oomph by giving aegis a rank to help determine how hard/easy it is to resist, area of effect, and things of that nature.

@The World Gawr gura is accepted! Though bear in mind her bronze glamors aren't going to give her any advantage whatsoever. Like with Aria, I'm fine leaving them in so long as you understand they are purely cosmetic.

@BrokenPromise

Thanks for the guidance, I've updated all parts as noted.

[BrokenPromise]

@mantou Alright, I will discuss it with Erode and one of us will give you our final verdict.

Also, you guys are cool with discord, right? I'm going to set up a server for us over the coming days, provided its something most of you will make use of. I'll still be posting important updates to the OOC, as I feel that's a better place to put stuff you don't want to get lost.

[mantou]

@mantou Alright, I will discuss it with Erode and one of us will give you our final verdict.

Also, you guys are cool with discord, right? I'm going to set up a server for us over the coming days, provided its something most of you will make use of. I'll still be posting important updates to the OOC, as I feel that's a better place to put stuff you don't want to get lost.

@BrokenPromise

Noted. I hope Aegis is alright. I've made it so that the shield would be able to selectively pull enemies as well as be toggled so Aria isn't constantly attracting monsters necessarily. I attempted to use examples from the Doctrine to help with the description but I'm not sure how well I got it down.

And yeah, I'm good with discord!

[BrokenPromise]

@mantou If something needs to be changed, I'm anticipating something small enough for a "Do this, and then the character is accepted."

[SilverPaw]

I've been playing around with a few notes, and I've noticed piercing isn't viable if it's used on its own with a cast note. I assume that is on purpose, and means you can't give something a piercing property if it doesn't also, say, cause damage to an enemy.

[Hammerman]

@BrokenPromise
I'm good with Discord.

[The World]

@BrokenPromise

Discord would be fine with me, of course.

[BrokenPromise]

I'll see about getting something up soon, then. lots to do this week, kek!

I've been playing around with a few notes, and I've noticed piercing isn't viable if it's used on its own with a cast note. I assume that is on purpose, and means you can't give something a piercing property if it doesn't also, say, cause damage to an enemy.

@SilverPaw

Modification notes in general are just there to allow melodies to activate and perform in special ways. You're always going to need effect notes for the melody to do anything worthwile.

[Majoraa]

Yo, so it says that people generate more mana when they're feeling negative emotions right? Do still they have to die to release it in that case, or?

And can monster detect mana?

[ERode]

Monsters can detect mana. Esters sorta can as well, which is why they both gravitate towards areas of high mana concentration. People have to die to release their mana yea; think of them like inflatable mana balloons. They get bigger but you don’t get what’s inside until you pop them.

[ERode]

Klava Pavlova

_{22 y/o | Female | 5'9 | 148 lbs | Freelancer}
❄

Snow melted to water, dripping down the side of the paper cone that held what remained of Klava’s shaved ice. The summer’s heat, complete with clear blue skies and an overbearing sun, was miserable for the pale-skinned woman, but still preferable to the funeral home that she stood outside of. Lines of black-clothed well-wishers still shuffled in and out, speaking in murmured tones as they wiped their brows. A few of them glanced in her direction, only to turn away when she glanced back. Strangers, all of them. She never knew her grandpa was so well-known.

Klava crunched on some more shaved ice, feeling it melt on her tongue. It was just water now, all the flavouring having dripped onto her fingers or been consumed in the first couple of bites.

More likely that she was the stranger here. Only residual memories and family anecdotes told her who her grandfather was, and the number of times she made the trip back to Japan to connect with her extended family could be counted on one hand. It didn’t feel like anything, this whole experience. She let out a sigh and rested her head against timber. Was it cold, to have a more emotional reaction to the weather than the death of a relative? Her mother was certainly crying, crying in that beautiful way where tears leaked but her face never reddened or contorted. Her father stood beside her, impassive as a cliff face and tall as a tree when surrounded by their Japanese relatives. Twenty years with them and she still couldn’t tell what was going on inside their heads. There’ll be drinking later though. The coolers stacked atop the minitruck ensured it.

“Um, excuse me…” A reedy whisper sounded beside her. A withered face framed by hair as white as Klava’s own, and a hunched form cloaked in a dark kimono, from which only two leathery hands extended out. The old lady continued to speak, her eyes squinting against the glare of day. “You are Kuraba, yes? Do you recognize me?”

She blinked, then parsed the face to what she’s seen from family photos and Facetime. It took another step to switch her thoughts and her voice to Japanese. “Yes. Grandmother, it’s been a long while. I’m sorry for your loss.” That was what you were supposed to say, right? “I mi-” She clamped down on the lie. “I hope he passed peacefully.”

“Oh, of course he didn’t.” Her grandmother laughed, familial familiarity removing what reservations she had. “Wouldn’t shut up about not being able to finish Berserk.”

“Um, ok.”

“But it was painless, yes.” She scratched her nose. “Passed in his sleep. Very uncharacteristic. Honestly, that grump. Enough about that though.” Her withered hands lifted up to pat her cheeks, then dropped back to their sides. She sighed. “Oh, old age. Kuraba, dear, could you slap my cheeks for me?”

What was this old lady asking for? Klava considered it for a moment, before deciding to go for it. She raised both of her hands beside her grandmother’s face and then lightly slapped it.

“Mm, you’ve got good hands,” she murmured. “Still playing tennis?”

“Coaching right now.”

“Oh.” A crinkling smile emerged. “Ah, we’re getting sidetracked again, aren’t we?”

Klava shrugged, then drank down the melted slurry sitting at the bottom of her cone. “I don’t know. What’s this about?”

From her sleeves, the elderly lady drew out a thin prayer stick, painted aquamarine with two Chinese characters engraved at one end. “A gift,” she said. “And a responsibility too.”

“Is that so?” The girl took the prayer stick in her hands. It was cool to the touch, cold even, and the wood was smooth in a way that only old, dried wood could be. She stared at it, then let out a deep breath. A breath that turned to fog in the heat of the summer day. “So it is.”

Her grandmother’s smile became apologetic; she bowed her head once and stepped away, leaving Klava alone at the wake once more, an empty cone in one hand and a wooden stick in another.

In time, she’ll have to talk to her again, get a proper explanation for all that she had seen in the span of a single second. But for now, what Klava wanted was simple.

A few moments later, a solitary cloud emerged to stain the blue sky, and from it, frozen flakes fell, melting to rain mid-descent.
Snow in summer.

Truly ‘Calamitous Luck’.

Grimoire

An aquamarine prayer stick. The fortune on it reads, in Chinese characters, 'Calamitous Fortune'. It's been repurposed as a hairpin.

Instrument

Moya-no-Yume – A dagger with a hilt long enough to be comfortably held in two hands. The construction of the handguard includes embellishments of carp and streams, while the fabric that wraps around the hilt is an aged indigo. The blade is unremarkable, but well-maintained.

GRADE: Bronze
KEYWORD: Dagger
DAMAGE TYPE: Physical
DAMAGE: D
SPEED: C
SENTINEL: E
SPECIAL: Frosted Sheen – Moya-no-Yume’s blade is cold to the touch, and in warmer temperatures will exude a faint mist.

Style

Snowdrop Vestige – A fusion of a backless summer dress and the ritual garments of a shrine maiden. Vibrant sashes add color to the simple blue-white design, while kanji embroidered onto the long skirt improves resistance to supernatural effects. The sandals are impractically raised, and contain small bells within them.

GRADE: Bronze
PHYSICAL: E
ARCANE: D
CHAOS: C
SPECIAL: Sangfroid Convention – The impractical sandals offer no disadvantage to the wearer’s mobility, and the bells within them only sound in appropriate circumstances.

Genre:

Glacial Stream – The freezing waters that Klava eloquently manipulates to disarm and restrain her foes are but precursors to the glacier-sized mass she bludgeons them with when mercy is off the table.

GRADE: Silver
ELEMENT: Aqua
NOTES: [Freeze (2), Cold Insulation (2)] Damage X (6), Restrain (4), Dispel (6), Rain (6), Trap (0), Enhance (2), Trigger (0), Blink (4), Powerful (0)
SPECIAL: Rime Rose – Klava’s ice is as clear as glass and as enduring as permafrost. Elemental constructs formed from her Genre counts as one rank higher.

Leitmotif

GRADE: Bronze
SPECIAL: Meltwater Spring – Klava’s body and clothing remain clean no matter how dirty her surroundings or what attack she’s struck by.

Banner

22 | Female | Freelancers | Meltwater Spring
Moya-no-Yume | Dagger | Physical | Frosted Sheen
Snowdrop Vestige | Sangfroid Convention
Glacial Stream | Aqua | Rime Rose
[Freeze, Cold Insulation] Damage X, Restrain, Dispel, Rain, Trap, Enhance, Trigger, Blink, Powerful

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: C | SENTINEL: E | 750

PHYSICAL: E| ARCANE: D | CHAOS: C | 750

[Majoraa]

I BRING YOU, THE CHILD.

Fable, the Timekeeper

NAME:

Finnegan Vanhorn, though he'd never disclose his real name easily. He usually goes by Fable, or his title as the Timekeeper. (...Or TK if it's too complicated. He won't mind.)

AGE:

13

SEX:

Male

APPERANCE:

Leaning more towards the short side, Fable's usual appearance is nothing remarkable. Brown fluffy hair paired with matching brown eyes, he comes off as stoic. Though that could be cause he's usually quiet. Despite that, he surprisingly dresses well for someone who prioritizes comfort.

+

Transformed, Fable's appearance takes on a more steampunkish aesthetic. A dark-colored tailcoat paired with a vest, accented with different metals shaped like gears. Though that's not the kicker. As an Esper, part of his body turn mechanical, more evident with his arms. His eyes also take on a more golden color in this form.

GRIMIORE:

A silver pocketwatch. Appears to be antique.

INSTRUMENT: Aeterna

Fable's rapier. Nothing special about it, but it gets work done.

GRADE: Bronze
KEYWORD: Sword
DAMAGE TYPE: Physical
DAMAGE: D
SPEED: C
SENTINEL: E
SPECIAL: Swift and Keen: Well, aren't all rapiers swift and keen? In any case, it's swifter in Fable's hands, and always ready for service.

STYLE: Clockwork Tailcoat

It's a nice coat isn't it? As mentioned above, Fable dons the fancy jacket in his Esper form.

GRADE: Bronze
PHYSICAL: E
ARCANE: C
CHAOS: D
SPECIAL: Industrial: Comes equipped with some neat goggles and a pair of gloves. May come in handy!

GENRE: Chronosphere

Fable's magic, though leaning a bit away from offensive movesets, revolves around the concept of time.

GRADE: Silver
ELEMENT: Lightning
NOTES: [Paralysis (4), Speedster (4)] Damage (2), Damage X (6), Slow Fall (4), Blink (4), Restrain (4), Minor Heal (4), Heal (16), Quicken (0), AoE (2)
SPECIAL: Overclock: Of course being part machine temporarily does have some perks. Casting Speedster on himself increases Damage by +1 Rank.

LEITMOTIF: Automaton

His mechanical limbs are detachable, allowing him to fight and such from a distance.

GRADE: Bronze
SPECIAL: The interior of Fable's transformed body is made up of gears.

FACTION:

Freelancer...for now.

TRIVIA:

He doesn't really talk about himself much. But word on the grapevine is that Fable is the youngest member of one of the more wealthy families in Pax Septimus. His family was often busy, sometimes he was too. The only one of them he usually clung to was his older sister. And even then she'd have more important matters to attend to. Sure, such a life could be concidered lucky, but to Fable, it felt...unsatisfying. Not to mention frustrating at times.

He eventually developed a habit of slipping away unnoticed, going out to wander through the city and do what he wanted for a change. Of course the crime rate was something Fable kept in mind, he learned to be careful with wandering off too far. Though the one thing he didn't learn about? What to do about a monster attack.

Apparently, finding himself lost one day, Fable was unfortunate enough to stumble onto one such monster. A shadowy apparition-like being, indecipherable. Frightened, he tried to quietly get away before the monster noticed him. Sadly, something had to happen. The littlest of sounds were able to attract it's attention. He had to run.

Fable ended up hiding in an abandoned clock shop, taking a moment of respite. He just had to wait until the shade gave up and left, or chose a different target to kill. It managed to follow him inside, but the ticking of the remaining clocks distracted it enough to buy Fable some time. Though what could he do? There was nothing to fight it off with, and running again could alert it too.

Then something caught the boy's eye. A silver sheen near the corner of the store.

He snuck over and grabbed it. A silver pocketwatch. Though antique, it appeared to be in mint condition. Before Fable knew it, the unassuming trinket had given him just the power he needed to rid himself of his little stalker. Flashes of light could be seen from outside the shop like a contained storm; though there was no rain or thunder, and Fable walked away without a scratch and with a goal in mind. He had to learn more about espers and monsters.

Like other Freelancers, Fable believes both the GEMINI Agents, and the Mavericks bring up good points. But their methods and ideals bring in more drawbacks than benefits. He's willing to work with either side on occasion, but only cause he wants to figure out how to end the cycle of conflict his own way.

Still, what of his family? Whether they're entrepreneurs to important buisnesses, or one of the mafia factions that taint the city, they'll have to catch onto his dissapearing act at some point. Right?

Post Banner

13 | Male | Freelancers | Automaton
Aeterna | Sword | Physical | Swift and Keen
Clockwork Tailcoat | Industrial
Chronosphere | Lightning | Overclock
[Paralysis (4), Speedster (4)] Damage (2), Damage X (6), Slow Fall (4), Blink (4), Restrain (4), Minor Heal (4), Heal (16), Quicken (0), AoE (2)

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: C | SENTINEL: E | 750

PHYSICAL: E | ARCANE: C | CHAOS: D | 750

[ERode]

@mantou Looks good. For your weapon's special, slap on this line here: "The pulling effect of Aegis is an arcane ability equivalent to a D rank spell." You got a name for her nursery?

@Majoras End Most of it looks fine to me. In regards to your Automaton special, however, it sounds more like a Leitmotif or a Style special. Genre specials are meant more to center around the magic being cast, while Fable's detachable flying limbs is a good deal more physical than that. I'm personally leaning towards it being a Leitmotif.

[Majoraa]

@ERode

I can probably swap it over or something. Anything you can suggest for the genre special then?

[ERode]

Do you still want the Genre special to be Silver? Or it be a Bronze Genre?

If Bronze, then just think of anything that seems aesthetic to your steampunk theme. Like, idk, his lightning is just electricity-infused copper wiring.

[Majoraa]

Do you still want the Genre special to be Silver? Or it be a Bronze Genre?

If Bronze, then just think of anything that seems aesthetic to your steampunk theme. Like, idk, his lightning is just electricity-infused copper wiring.

@ERode

You can swap?? I'd probably stick with Silver tho.

[ERode]

Whatcha mean by 'you can swap'?

The concept of any Silver special is that it's situationally useful. For a Silver Genre Special, you can imagine that it's something that grants a Rank up for either a certain type of spell or in certain circumstances.

As some examples...
Access the power grid and use Bend to increase the damage of spells by one rank.
Self-cast Speedster increases Damage by one rank as well, because robot overclock.

[Majoraa]

Whatcha mean by 'you can swap'?

The concept of any Silver special is that it's situationally useful. For a Silver Genre Special, you can imagine that it's something that grants a Rank up for either a certain type of spell or in certain circumstances.

As some examples...
Access the power grid and use Bend to increase the damage of spells by one rank.
Self-cast Speedster increases Damage by one rank as well, because robot overclock.

@ERode

I meant like you can choose between bronze and silver. And now I realize how dumb that question is.

ALTHOUGH, the second example does sound good!

Edit Boiii: Updates have been made!

[ERode]

Oops. Was gonna also say that because Bronze specials are only aesthetic additions or flavor stuff, having detachable grapple hook arms might be too useful for something that's only Bronze. Would be better at Bronze just to say that his transformed body's interior is made up of gears and save the detachable stuff for higher grades.

[Majoraa]

@ERode

Bleh. Right, updated again!