Noble Arms: The Normal People, an ASEAN War spinoff (Jets, Mechs, and Ships!)

[Letter Bee]

Noble Arms: The Normal People, an ASEAN War spinoff (Jets, Mechs, and Ships!)

It is 2022, nearly a century after the unintended consequences of one person's folly.

On the verge of Allied Victory in World War II, the British Scientist Alan Turing, one of the fathers of computer science, fed captured Nazi occult research into a prototype computer and accidentally made it work, leading to the manifestation of Noble Arms. These magical weapons are symbols of their user's inner selves, manifesting when a person undergoes great change and development in their lives, for good or for ill.

Taking the form of obsolete weapons and tools such as swords, spears, muskets, books, and even wooden ships, the Noble Arm can possess devastating powers that defy the laws of reality as we know it.

• The ability to manipulate the elements to the user's will.
• Forces that can reduce matter down to atoms in seconds.
• The strength to withstand the explosion of a nuclear missile.

You are not one of them - You are a normal person who paid for their normalcy by giving up opportunities for the rapid development (good or bad) that could give you a Noble Arm and the great power, prestige, and responsibilities that come with it.

But being normal does not mean staying powerless; your normal life has grounded you and kept your mind clear, plus you are willing to use technology to even the playing field against Arms Masters. These include machines of war that run on the Occult Principles which make Noble Arms work.

What does that mean? You are one of these individuals, given access to cutting-edge technology developed by the Paragons of Science, a group of renegades that took knowledge of the Occult Programming Language that created Noble Arms out of Britain and America's secret vaults and began giving it to the world.

Fighter Jets that have unrealistic ammo storage and cockpits that negate G-Force. Mechs with railguns and plasma blades that can match an Arms Master and their Noble Arm one-on-one. All to save the world from its most recent crisis.

In the year 2022, this world is similar, yet different; bound to the history of another timeline yet struggling to break away and become its own thing.

The most immediate crisis is the war in Southeast Asia, where China has launched a special military operation against the ASEAN countries. In response, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, united by the threat of Chinese aggression, have fought back with a mixture of mundane grit and the strategic use of Arms Masters, applying supernatural force where it is most needed.

Called in to aid its Chinese ally, the Russian Pacific Fleet, bolstered with ships, ammunition, and Arms Masters from North Korea, is maneuvering south to the Tsushima Strait, entering Japanese waters in a deliberate act of war. In an unprecedented move, Japan and South Korea have set aside historical enmities to form a fragile alliance, determined to halt the Russian advance - Your group is key to doing so; you may lack the supernatural abilities of the Arms Masters, but you have the tactical minds and will to fight back.

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This is an interest check for a Side RP/Spinoff RP of Noble Arms: The ASEAN War (link here), where the goal is to expand on the setting and elements that receive only mentions or exposition in the Main RP, as well as affect key elements in said RP, including if the JSSDF will show up to help the protagonists in that Main RP.

You are restricted to Normal People at the start of the RP, but depending on your personal development, you can gain a Noble Arm of your own.

Antagonists need special permission from all three members of the GM Council (Being Recruited).

You can find the Lore in the Noble Arms Lore Thread and the relevant lore for playing a character, plus the Character Sheet Skeleton, is below.

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Relevant Lore

Occult Programming Language

Occult Programming Language - Summary

The Occult Programming Language was developed by Alan Turing in the closing years of World War II, as a chance discovery that one-upped and exceeded the Nazis' attempts to harness mysticism and the occult for battle. It treated Reality as a giant computer, and one 'string' of the Language was able to alter or add one existing fact, but cannot directly destroy a physical object or even concept. Multiple strings of these accidentally infected the collective Human Subconscious like a computer virus, which Alan Turing discovered too late, and this infection altered all Human Souls to be capable of manifesting a Noble Arm.

Noble Arms

Noble Arms - Summary

Noble Arms are weapons born from the human soul, capable of magical powers dictated by their creator's personality as they grow and develop. These weapons take on the form of obsolete, but culturally resonant tools and armaments, mostly weaponry created before World War I, but an increasing number take on the form of objects such as books, mirrors, and even metal cubes or orbs. A few can even use ships, siege towers, or blimps as Noble Arms.

Noble Arms exist in a kind of 'hyperspace' that is unique to its user and can be called from there - in essence, an Arms Master is always armed... as long as they are conscious; most Arms Masters lose their powers when they sleep.

Noble Arms have an astonishingly potent ability pool, from calling down fire to strengthening the body, etc., and more often than not, possess more than one ability. They are also quicker to use and some of them can reach nuke-level strength (though these are a rarity). However, OPL is more adaptable, especially when applied to mundane objects like Mechs and Fighter Planes.

To define what a weapon is, a weapon is 'something crafted or shaped by human hands for the specific purpose of harming'. This also means that you can use a bunch of Stone Age flint knives, a wand, and yes, a staff as weapons.

OPL Enhanced Jets

Think of the KAI KF-21 Boramae and the Mitsubishi F-2 or some other high-end South Korean or Japanese Plane, and imagine that they have been given 'cheat codes' that allow them to store more ammunition than a normal plane can fit, unnatural endurance and resistance to enemy fire, and cockpits that negate the effects of G-Force on the Pilot and thus allow them to do impossible maneuvers that would have killed anyone in an un-enhanced plane.

Now think of other models of Jet Fighter, whether US or UK or even former Soviet models and imagine that they have those same enhancements. Then imagine them all flying together against the combined Russian and North Korean armada. That is what you pilot; that's where you come in.

Paragon of Science Prototype Mechs

Four meters tall or slightly taller and barely qualifying as giant robots, the Paragons of Science's Prototype Mechs (image reference here) are vehicles that defy the innate impracticality of the Humanoid Mecha, able to move as well as any human and ward off attacks that should bring them down if they were normal machines (such as mundane bazooka shots). Equipped with railgun-based rifles, plasma swords, missiles, and even anti-gravity packs that allow them to fly (but slower than OPL Enhanced Jets), each Mech can kill Arms Masters in droves.

OPL Enhanced Helicopters

Helicopters are ubiquitous on the modern battlefield and have proven their versatility and utility in modern warfighting and, indeed, in modern society over and over. In urban environments, in the wilds and rural areas, and at sea, the helicopters' ability to maneuver, take off, and land in relatively tight spaces fly at slow speeds, and hover on the spot are all massively useful. Combining this with the ability to carry sophisticated sensors, communications equipment, weaponry of various types, and other equipment, or to transport payloads of cargo and people into these same spaces, their utility is without question.

With the advent of OPL and its application to other aircraft and vehicles, naturally, the same minds turned their attention to how it could be used with rotary-winged aircraft to similarly enhance and adapt their abilities.

Operating often right at the front lines and under the fire of hostile guns and other hazards, being able to give the relatively mechanically fragile helicopter more survivability was a very alluring prospect. Resolving, or at least; relieving some of the helicopters’ inherent compromises and flaws was an obvious attraction.

Imagine the already awesome firepower and sensor capabilities of the Apache, Supercobra, or Mi-28 but with the addition of near-impenetrable armor, all-seeing sensors, or massively enhanced weapon payloads.

Similarly, the possibility of enhancing combat duration through almost infinite fuel and reducing maintenance through this capability for increased endurance and durability.

Differences from IRL and the Original

- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is considerably more militarized and economically linked than IRL, with coordination between their best Arms Masters and their separate militaries.

- This in turn has its roots in 1988 when China had a confrontation with the ASEAN Countries over the Spratlys and ASEAN won due to the intervention of Filipino Arms Master Angelito Jaime (who had a spear that could open a portal through which he was clever enough to use to redirect bullets, artillery, cruise missiles, and potentially even nukes back at the person who fired them, and this works on many other NA attacks too). This victory, however, led to an undercurrent of resentment between China and ASEAN which burst into fire decades later in the ASEAN War.

- The Philippines is now led by a 'Government of National Salvation' chaired by an Original Character. The IRL Government/Administration is no longer in power.

- After some thought, another OC (Democratic) is the President of the US instead of anyone IRL.

- The Original Character President of the US was the perfect domestic president, saving the country from COVID-19, restoring the US Economy, limiting corporate power, strengthening the Trade Unions and making them more relevant, and creating more well-paying jobs. The downside to this? His foreign policy sucks, as he despises the prospect of sending Americans to die overseas for ideological goals so much that he is willing to neglect or withdraw from the US alliances and defense commitments and thus emboldened China and Russia to move into open war, mistakenly sensing weakness.

- The US Congress, however, was capable of striking back to issue sanctions, provide weapons, vehicles, supplies, money, and all possible aid to ASEAN and Ukraine, and is trying to scramble enough people to form a majority that can declare war even with a Presidential Veto.

- Indonesia has been caught flat-footed by China's new militaristic mood, and while it remains Democratic, its military (both Army and Navy) is rising in power once again, although its President is still canny enough to balance out competing interests.

- In 2014, instead of a certain terrorist organization taking over large portions of Iraq and Syria, the Hammer of Masters, an organization of Arms Master terrorists, did so instead to establish a 'Malikate' where Arms Masters can rule over Non-Arms Masters as the 'Superior Race'. This was crushed in 2018 - 2019, when the 'Big Three' first made their appearance, and the Paragons and Seven Virtues began giving away Noble Arms.

- As for the various groups in the Original Noble Arms, the Hammer of Masters (mentioned above) and the Disablers have dwindled into near-irrelevance over the last four years due to the existence of the Seven Virtues and Paragons of Science (both of whom have defectors from both groups), same for the Arms of Nobility and the Organization for Disarmament. It is also rumored that the Seven Virtues and Paragons have been organizing manhunts for members of the Hammer and Disablers who remain diehard fanatics of their ideologies.

- There are people within China trying to fight against the current leadership of its Government so that they can change their country and shift it to a direction they believe is more productive. Some of them are fringe groups given power by Noble Arms, such as the ASEAN-allied Qing Restoration Society (QRS), but others fight within the current Government, such as the [Insert Name Here] Clique and the [Blank] and [REDACTED] Factions, to stop a war they consider senseless and counter to China's prosperity.

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Character Sheet

Character Sheet

[center][b]Appearance:[/b]
(Picture preferred, although written descriptions are good too. Also, please include miscellaneous information such as height and weight.)[/center]

[b]Name:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b]

[b]Nationality:[/b]

[b]Jet or Mech:[/b] Do you use a Jet, or a Mech? If a Jet, what model? All Mechs use the same model... for now.

[b]Preferred Armament:[/b] What weapons do you prefer to use for your Jet or Mech?

[b]Custom Modifications:[/b] Did you request any special systems for your Jet or Mech?

[b]Misc Abilities:[/b] What are your other talents?

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]*Likes:[/b]

[b]*Dislikes:[/b]

[b]Fears:[/b]

[b]Bio:[/b]

[b]*Current Goal:[/b]

[b]Military or Civilian Rank:[/b]

*Optional

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Rules

Rules

1.) Cooperative storytelling comes first; prospective players should not seek to game or break the system to make themselves as powerful as possible. One should also not use one's PC's powers to brute-force all obstacles the GM brings before them, or use sophistry, psychological tricks, or 'mental influence magic' to win every diplomatic confrontation. This is not an RP where 'storygaming' is an ugly word.
2.) Nor does an angsty backstory that fits various 'story beats' make one's character good if their purpose is to defeat everyone and establish themselves as the 'top dogs' and otherwise make it an arms race with the GM on who can god-mode more. If one won't use their angsty backstory to make a good story, this is not the RP for them.
3.) That said, powerful characters and angsty backstories are permitted, as long as they are made by players who are willing to cooperate and the GM to make a good and dynamic story that isn't just 'X overpowers Y' by bending the rules so far they break, violating the spirit of said rules and (to quote Dave Brookshaw of Onyx Path publishing) common sense.
4.) The first three rules are the most important; let's just say that people who cannot follow them have proven problematic before, and we should have people who can follow the first three rules in this RP.
5.) Do not be an asshole.
6.) Post length is five sentences minimum, but longer posts are encouraged. GMs are also bound by this rule.
7.) 1 US Dollar is 55 Philippine Pesos - Remember this when you spend money.
8.) No Arms Master characters during the start of the RP.
9.) Once a PC/OC becomes an Arms Master, every other Normal Person OC gets an upgrade to their mech, jet, or ship that is equivalent to the Noble Arm the Arms Master manifests.

OOC Discussion Discord

[Letter Bee]

Appearance:
An old Korean man who is 5'7 inches tall and 80kg in weight, Admiral Yi Yeol keeps a finely-groomed white beard and mustache that accentuate his brown eyes, which can switch from friendly to stern in mere seconds. Lean, yet muscular, Admiral Yi Yeol bears the mark of many years practicing traditional Korean Martial Arts in his body language and his hand calluses, and his uniform is clean as per regulations; he is not ashamed of his increasing wrinkles.

Name: Admiral Yi Yeol

Age: 62

Nationality: South Korean

Jet or Mech: Neither; he has a Sejong the Great-class destroyer.

Preferred Armament: Guided Missiles, but he also uses the other IRL arms and ammunition of the Sejong the Great-class destroyer.

Custom Modifications:
- Custom Computer Core capable of calculating and processing Occult Programming Language.
- OPL-based 'cheat codes' that reduce the effects of environmental hazards by 90%, allowing the ship to endure typhoons, tsunamis, blizzards, and extreme temperatures without being destroyed.
- OPL-based 'cheat codes' that make the ship's hull as tough as carbon-fiber armor without affecting its weight and maneuverability.

Misc Abilities: Taekwondo, Korean Swordsmanship, Archery, and Equestrianism. He is, of course, a competent and well-read Admiral who knows the capabilities of his fleet and that of the JSDF enough to be appointed the overall commander of the combined Japanese-South Korean flotilla.

Personality: An honorable man, known for his wisdom. A loving grandfather and father. An open-minded family patriarch who is capable of extending courtesy and politeness even to his enemies. Well-read, generous, and above all, willing to fight for his country within the bounds of reason and morality, a stance that has earned him the dislike of war hawks and doves alike, who see him as not taking a side. His response to that is that he has a side - The best interests of his country and its people, which are helped by hewing closely to Humanity as a concept.

*Likes: Beef Bulgogi, Books, Martial Arts, Learning.

*Dislikes: Bitter things, his own country's politicians and corporate goons, the suggestion of treachery.

Fears: The fall of his country and the international order he has helped prop up for decades.

Bio: Yi Yeol is a descendant of Yi Sun-Shin, one of the greatest naval commanders in history. For years, he endeavors to live up to that name, even pursuing a military career under the sometimes stifling pressure of his family. He had an arranged marriage; he had a wife and several children and he loved them dearly. His children were raised better than he was, with them being allowed to choose their own paths, for good or for ill. Some of them died before him; he took care of their children, his own flesh and blood. It was a mundane, boring life, one that grew his skills while keeping him away from Arms Mastery.

Then, the ASEAN War started with the People's Republic of China invading everywhere at once, emboldened by the US President's inexplicable withdrawal from world affairs. He was called up to lead the South Korean Navy; his predecessor had been assassinated by a North Korean Arms Master. Accepting the help of the Paragons of Science, he began coordinating with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in preparation for when Russia and North Korea sent their fleets in support of China, anticipating that they would have to go through the Tsushima Strait. This was what happened sooner than he expected, and this November of 2022, he is ready to confront this unprecedented foe, and sink their ships to the bottom of the ocean!

*Current Goal: Defeat the Russian and North Korean fleet.

Military or Civilian Rank: Admiral.

*Optional

[Letter Bee]

12/5/2024 - I added an update to the Rules:

9.) Once a PC/OC becomes an Arms Master, every other Normal Person OC gets an upgrade to their mech, jet, or ship that is equivalent to the Noble Arm the Arms Master manifests.

[Letter Bee]

• The ability to manipulate the elements to the user's will.
• Forces that can reduce matter down to atoms in seconds.
• The strength to withstand the explosion of a nuclear missile.

@Letter Bee

To clarify; these examples are all of higher-end Noble Arms - Not all Arms Masters can do this and those who can do so have tradeoffs and drawbacks: An Arms Master with the power of a nuke may not have the range of one, or if they do, they may not have the endurance to sustain it for more than a few minutes. You will also be acting in coordination with larger forces - The PCs are the sharp tip of a knife, if that makes sense.