[OOC] Knights of TERA (Modern Fantasy Monster Slaying)

[Gamerdude369]

Once a plight upon mankind, stories of monsters and vile creatures now serve as lessons for children, tall tales about how the weak can overcome the strong, about how simply trying, means you win. Long ago these nightmares were real, they demanded tribute, terrorized villages, they did all they could to keep us huddled, alone and afraid, getting us to fear the darkness. Now these monster are gone, no longer do they dwell in our realm for humanity drove them out, marching through their lands and liberating it in the name of progress. Leading the assault were people know by various names, people who were revered as heroes for their abilities to defy the odds, to perform miracles. These people were not special, everyone is born with the Light inside them, but few have the mettle to use it. All around the world there were such individuals, and when the world was finally small enough, they united under the name TERA and swore oaths to do all they can to keep the monsters out. Regrettably, the enemy enters the world through the hearts of man, being born from their despair and malice toward one another. It is the job of the Knights of TERA to stand vigilant, and protect the world when something crosses the boundary into our realm. The city of Greyridge holds one such unit of young Knights, this is the journey of their trials and tribulations as they learn what it truly means to be a hero. Rules: 1. Standard rules, keep it fair, keep it clean, keep it civil, keep it active, keep it exiting, keep it tame. I'm not a hard ass but I do like to keep the standard of community. 2. Everyone is part of the story. I'm GM sure, but you guys can craft the world and the story any way you see fit. NPCs, locations, encounters, I encourage character driven stories. 3. If there are any problems, ideas, or you just need someone to talk to, feel free to PM me. I'm here to have fun and you should too. 4. Post your CS in OCC before you post it in Characters. This will likely be open for a while but if that changes I will change it here in the rules. Holding off new applicants until further notice, (save for the six people who have shown interest.)

Terminology

TERA (Taboo Emendation and Recovery Agency)

The world’s first and only line of defense against the creatures of darkness that are attempting to worm their way back into our world. They answer to no one and do all they can to vanquish any monstrous threat and minimize the damage to civilization. Their origins are debatable as nearly every country had a society dedicated to the cause, but they all united under the banner of TERA in the seventeenth century.

Knights

The wielders of Light who fight for the benefit of mankind. There is a team located in every major city in the world. Usually a team consists of six people, but more members may be needed in largely populated areas. A Knight's job is to remain vigilant, as the threat can arrive at any time. Each Knight has a different style of wielding the Light, but TERA has classified them into three categories. Striker - An individual who imbeds their weapon with their inner light, allowing them to pull off daring feats of acrobatics and speed, allowing them to end most threats quickly. Defender - They wield their light like a shield, stretching it past their body and mind giving them increased physical prowess, allowing them to shake off even the most deadly of blows. Support - The most diverse form of fighting. These individuals wield their power as an energy, sending it far beyond their reach in order to perform what has been labeled throughout history as miracles. Some can use it to heal the wounds of an ally, others can set up barriers warding off the monsters. Each Support's abilities appear to be deeply rooted in their beliefs.

Lords

Upper management of TERA, former Knights who were forced to retire due to getting too old. When their Knighthood is finished they reenter the world to get a well enough social standing in order to further the cause both financially and politically. They set up the recovery efforts, helping to keep the existence of the monsters and themselves a secret. After destructive battles they swoop in and start to rebuild any damaged structures and fabricate stories for the media and those involved.

Medium/Warlock

The main targets of the agency. People have the ability to summon the creatures back into our world through negative emotions such as malice and desperation. It is believed that the process involves extinguishing the Light within the individual, allowing the Shadow to creep in, and eventually through the individual. Those who go through this process without realizing it are called Mediums, and those who purposely do this are Warlocks. The distinction needs to be made to protect the innocent, and those summoned by a Warlock are all the more deadly.

Light

The Light has yet to be properly identified as anything concrete. It is theorized that it is a source of life and warmth, and is the driving force behind mankind’s ambitions as no other being has exhibited the same symptoms. In the majority of cases the Light is not an energy source that can be tapped into, but there are those who can. It appears that there is a hereditary factor in this, but those with no family history can also tap into it. Young children are the ones that can wield it at such a level high enough to effectively further TERA's cause. This is likely because they are innocent and have yet to be tainted by the world at large.

Greyridge

Population: 4 million Government: Democracy Division: TERA C626 A major port city of the world, Greyridge has become an economical hub for the world. It has everything you can imagine, from entertainment to business, from art to science, it is a city that has something for everyone. The city is split up into five districts.

Residential District

At the north side of the city, away from the ocean, is where the Greyridge suburb expanded. The majority of the middle class lives here and while it doesn't have the best crime rate, its people are content. Being the oldest part of Greyridge, it is commonly referred to as the Grey District.

Business District

Sky scrapers and department stores are spread throughout the east district. While there is no more room to expand, the buildings are tall enough that there are a lot of empty areas where new businesses can set up. This scene is also home to most of the crime families, as it makes it easier for them to launder their money through fake businesses.

Industrial District

On the west side of the city is where all manner of factories and shipping yards work day and night to manufacture and ship products. Lined with warehouses and storage facilities, this place is always business as usual.

Entertainment District

There is something for everyone in the neon lights of the southern district. Home to four grand theaters, seven casinos, a dozen reputable art galleries, and various other establishments, no one comes here and doesn’t dream of coming back. Its most popular venue is the Grey Lady, the highest rated casino were if you respect the Lady, you may walk out with her favor.

Political District

Right in the center of the city is where all political decisions regarding Greyridge are made. While not as developed as the Business District, it is often considered a part of it due to the major banks and lawyers being here. Being the center of the city, TERA felt that this was the best place to set up their office.

Character Sheet

Name: Age: (12-20) Rank: (I - III) Nationality: Weapon: Gear: Appearance: (Picture and/or description) Personality: History: Hobbies: Style: (Striker/Defender/Support) Abilities:

[cuttlebones]

Sorry if I missed it but what does rank mean?

[Gamerdude369]

Whoops, yea that is a thing. Rank is essentially a way of saying how long you have been a Knight. The higher the rank the more experienced you are. I just thought it would be an easier way to show how long everyone has been doing their job, and who might be stronger then who though that is not the main reason for it. I'll make it a point to award promotions IC, give the characters a reason to celebrate once in a while.

[Gentlemanvaultboy]

I had an idea but I'm unsure of what role it'd be. My idea was that mt characters weapon was magic grow capsules. You know, these things: Little capsules with sponges inside that dissolve in water and then the sponge things sucks up the water and get bigger and they're pretty much the coolest thing in the world when you're nine years old? Well take those, infuses them with light before dunking them, the have the now huge holy sponge creature fight for you. Mechanically it feels strikerish, but doesn't really seem like it's in the spirit of the class. Also, want to know if this is viable.

[Mayadere]

I'll be working on a character sheet sometime this evening. Also, Gent, I really like that idea. =D

[Gamerdude369]

@Gentlemanvaultboy Ya know the more I thought about it the more I found it to be appropriate. In this world innocence and child like activities are what fuel the Light and take it to the next level, so I say roll with it. I see the power as both striker and defender like, since lets say the sponge of a lion would be striker-ish and the sponge of a bear would be defender-ish. So I would say it falls into Support because of its diversity. Just throw some type of rules in there like you can only animate one at a time or pick four "favorite sponges" and those are the only ones you use. Other than that, green light.

[Gentlemanvaultboy]

Name: Daniel Dashing Age: 14 Rank: I Nationality: American Weapon: Magic Grow Capsules Gear: Pouch on belt. When lid is pulled it acts sort of like a tape measure, onto which various capsules are stored. Appearance: Short, with short blond curly hair. Often dressed very professionally with a suit and tie, a vest, clean shoes, because such a look is as close as one can get to the dignity of a knight without actually donning armor. Despite this, his tie is always some sort of ludicrous novelty design. He has a pair of long thin scars running down the left side of his face that just miss his left eye. Personality: Daniel is a small friendly guy. He tries very much to live up to the platonic ideals of knighthood, striving to be polite, generous, honorable, and chivalrous in all situation. When people speak to him, he listens. Really listens, and remembers, because you are important. He's kind of intense, and it tends to put people off. It's like he's laser focused all the time, on everything. He is, without question, a workaholic. History: Daniel has wanted to be a Knight ever since he was five, when his entire life was stolen away by the machinations of a spiteful neighbor. The man put a monster under young Daniels bed, and when his parents went to check...well, he's blocked most of the memories of that night from his mind. He does remember one thing, though. The Knight. A shining figure in the dark of his room, holding him, monster dead on the floor. For Daniel this was akin to a religious experience. For all intents and purposes adopted by his savior, who was themselves barely a teenager at the time, Daniel was brought up in Knighthood. His foster parent drilled in the philosophy of the light, the merits of behaving virtuously, and the benefits of always being prepared. He took these lessons to heart and entered the Knighthood himself at twelve, working with the fervor of a fanatic. Hobbies: Daniel is always trying to organize something. A baseball league, a ball, a charity, a tournament. If there is a committee he wants on it. If there is a meeting he wants to be a part of it. He likes being around people, and on the off chance that there is nothing for him to work on in his downtime you'd be able to find him in a park, or a restaurant, or a club, somewhere where he will be surrounded by them. Style: Variable. Because of the way he uses his light he prefers to hold back and watch for a hole that needs filling. Abilities: Daniel infuses light into Magic Grow Capsules, bringing them to life as servants. They become bigger and stronger, taking on the characteristics of the thing they were made in the image of while still remaining spongy and malleable. Bringing these creatures of light to life takes a lot out of Daniel, realistically meaning that he's only able to do it once every day. In addition, they have a rather short lifespan of six hours, whereupon they dissolve.

[Gamerdude369]

@Gentlemanvaultboy Looks good to me. Go ahead an put it in the character tab.

[AiyvaGuard]

reserve pls.

[Teal]

I'm interested. Could you get me a spot while I set up a CS? It might take only one hour, but I just want to be assured.

[Gamerdude369]

Yep, I'll wait for both of you before I start this up. I think that makes six of us now. Good number. I think I'll hold off there for now. After the first mission I might take a few more applicants.

[Teal]

Done. I threw the CS in the character section, but I'll spare you some seconds anyway. Name: Aaron Hodges Age: 17 Rank: I Nationality: England Weapon: A cane Gear: A smart phone, which he uses to store profiles and skip to deductions based on intel gathered in field work, and a small notebook with a pen which he uses to write messages. Appearance: Standing at 5'9, with a weight of around 130 pounds, Aaron is a rather slim fella. Mistaking his slim build for a physical shortcoming, however, is one many are bound to make. While not guaranteed to emerge as a winner, he is able to hold his own against a man twice his age and body size, without employing the Light. His most unique traits are his natural blue hair, which somewhat match his piercing blue eyes. In terms of fashion preferences, he's not against hiding his androgynous appearance - quite the contrary actually - he pretty much advertises it, choosing a variety of clothing that some might agree are not fit for a male. Personality: Aaron adopts most of his personality feats from his favorite fictional character, that is Sherlock Holmes. Not to say he tried to mimic his personality. It just so happened that they had a couple of things in common. The most 'in your face' feature is probably his habit of just saying things bluntly. While that's not always intentional (considering he still doesn't have a full understanding of human emotions), he may use it deliberately sometimes in order to create a strategic opportunity. Should his behavior prove to be overwhelming to the community, then he will feel obliged to issue an apology. Other than that, he isn't a bad person after all. He enjoys making new friends, in spite of having difficulties in doing so, and respects anyone who engages in field work, no matter what cause they're following. He is usually very clam, but may be caught having brief panic attacks in the face of danger. He is also very smart and witty, able to skip to conclusions with very little bits of information. History: Left before the doorstep of an orphanage in Sussex when he was just three months old, Aaron soon became the adopted son of a rich conglomerate. It is unknown why he was abandoned, but there are several hints that point to his mutation - blue hair, to be more precise. His adoptive father had grown so fond of him that, by the time he reached six years old, he decided to spare him from the dangers of the outside and school him at home. He was raised spotless, never once facing danger or trying any other different sensation. However, everything would change in his 14th birthday. It was that day, that dreadful day, that a strange winged creature broke through the manor where Aaron lived and caused a turmoil, killing his foster father in the process. Unable to comprehend what happened, Aaron, instead of following his instincts and running away, actually tried to reason with the beast. It was that pure action that awakened the light inside him and gave him enough force to fend off the beast. With the manor destroyed and his foster father dead, Aaron saw it fit to run away and enjoy the world, taking his father's cane with himself. It took two years for his act of valor to finally be noticed, when a then 16 year old Aaron, now travelling the world as a nomad and gathering knowledge on a life he was so oblivious of, was contacted by TERA. Hobbies: Chess, brain teasers, crosspuzzles - anything involving wit, he is up for it. He doesn't shy away from outdoor activities either, practing his Judo time to time. Style: Support. Abilities: He possesses the ability to animate paper, often creating a running paper airplane which he uses to deliver messages in long distances, hence why he keeps a small notebook with himself. Once he uses this ability, he develops a sort of symbiotic relationship with his creation, able to see what IT sees and feel whatever IT feels. While the range of control he has can be expanded to cover an entire nation, natural factors such as wind, rain and other lifeforms such as seagulls can intercept his messages and force him to restart all over again.

[Gamerdude369]

@Teal I approve. I love the picture you found for the character. Since you are the brain I will send you information every so often to help you portray that, and likewise you can ask me spoiler questions, but don't expect me to give too much away. ;)

[Mayadere]

Raine

Name: Raine Fuchs Age: 16 Rank: II Nationality: German Weapon: Twin short swords Gear: A modified messengers bag that hooks over his left shoulder and rests on his right hip. It has specially placed sheaths for both of his weapons. But mainly it is used so he can have access to the various nicknacks he carries, along with a good amount of bandages, gauze, and suturing tools. Appearance: Roughly standing at 6'7 and weighing roughly 215pounds, Raine is a fairly tall, lanky teenager. His hair is relatively long, going well past his shoulders and half-way down his back, falling in uneven blackish-blue locks. He often keeps it braided though or tied back or has a thick headband on, it is rare for him to leave it unmanaged. His eyes are pale green, which match rather well with his pale skin and lightly freckled cheeks. With his skin seeming to lack much color, despite the amount of sun he gets, it is very easy to see the countless scars that dot his body. Most of them are pale pink and old, though some are just a few shades whiter than his skin itself. Most of them take the shape of claw and bite marks. There are quite a few of them, though they do not often get seen. As far as clothing goes, Raine is often found to be lacking in any kind of fashion sense. He doesn't like suits in the slightest, it is hard, if not impossible to get him to wear one. He is most often found in what most would call common-wear, consisting of long sleeved T-shirts, hoodies and jackets, baggy shorts, and anything else he finds comfortable. And quite often these objects of clothing do not match, either. Personality: Quiet with a rather rich inner-world, Raine doesn't often initiate a conversation or speak up unless it is absolutely necessary. He mostly expresses himself through his facial features and body language, which is very expressive most of the time if people look, its easy to catch him smirking or dragging his feet in irritation. He is truly a very friendly and accepting fellow of everyone, always enjoying watching those around him with great interest. It is hard, if not nearly impossible to actually anger or irritate him. He is more likely to burst into tears rather than he is to start yelling, though. History: Around the time Raine five, he was found by a Knight in an abandoned home while on a hunt for a Warlock. It was by a spur of bad luck that the monster had used young Raine to lure the Knight in for the kill. Or well, that was what its plan had been. But instead the Knight turned the tables on the monstrosity and managed to destroy it, at the cost of nearly loosing an arm. It was at that time in Raine's child-filled panic that caused his light to show itself, managing to not only mend the woman's arm, but also tending to his own gashes and cuts that the creature had caused when coercing him to be bait. Since it was unknown if he had family or where he was from, Raine was adopted by the Knight that had rescued him, which resulted in the start of his training. He was brought along on many trips and the learning of his abilities and more about the monsters that had left him with so many scars. By the time he was 12, he entered his Knighthood and was assigned to Greyridge. Hobbies: Much despite his quietness, Raine actually really enjoys reading out-loud to people. He likes to read in general and actually finds a lot of fun in various sports. Style: Support Abilities: Able to mend wounds by focusing light into his hands or an object. Often he imbues bandages and other things with light to gradually mend minor wounds and sometimes greater (non-lifethreatening) wounds. The bandages can also alleviate pain and prevent/dissolve infection. But for things like broken bones or the alike he is required to touch them, otherwise it could take days or longer to heal them. The amount of healing he is able to do is highly dependent on how much energy he has. The less energy he has, the less effective his healing is. His healing can be fairly self-exhausting, depending on how long it takes him to heal the various wounds. It isn't entirely uncommon for him to be napping frequently in odd places.

Beurgh. I had a different character sheet, but I forgot to save the document that I was writing with and ended up destroying it. This is the basic, solid idea of it, but I am going to edit the history a bit later after work. Probably.

[Teal]

@Teal Since you are the brain I will send you information every so often to help you portray that, and likewise you can ask me spoiler questions, but don't expect me to give too much away. ;)

@Gamerdude369

That won't be necessary. You can throw a couple of vague hints now and then, but let me piece out the big picture. What is the point of being the group's brain if I don't get to use it? E: Speaking of questions, I have some I want to make. For starters, what kind of tone do you want this RP to have? Is it going to be like an overall light tone with occasional dark moments? And, can a person be stripped off from the light? Like, can the light disappear in that person to the point where he wouldn't be able to use any powers? Is there gonna be a main villain?

[Gamerdude369]

@Mayadere Looks good. Accepted. I like the backstory, I will need to discuss a few things about it at some point, just so I have them for later. @Teal As you wish, but the door is open. And to answer you're questions: What kind of tone do you want this RP to have? Is it going to be like an overall light tone with occasional dark moments? Pretty much that. The most serious it will get is on the occasional high tension hunt, or where the plot develops. Most of the time it will just be about a bunch of kids doing what kids do. In the down time everyone will be free to do as they wish, I only ask that we try to develop our characters and the world. So everyone will be able to make locations and NPCs which I will do my best to involve them in the plot as the story goes on. Can a person be stripped off from the light? Like, can the light disappear in that person to the point where he wouldn't be able to use any powers? As far as everyone is concerned there have not been any proven cases of someone "loosing" the Light within themselves. If a Knight manages to live long enough, they will find it harder and harder to "use" the Light. The explanation for this is that as you get older the world looses some of its shine, and in turn you loose some of your own. When you are a kid, everything is new and exiting, the world serves to feed you're imagination and every day is an adventure. But when you get older, you don't get that as much. The Light feeds on that feeling of childishness and builds up a surplus of stored of energy, which we use to fuel our talents. Even when you are older you can still use the power, but you don't recharge at the same rate, so you are not as effective as a Knight any more. It is known that people have gone out in "a blaze of glory," using the last of their Light, extinguishing it and ripping victory from the jaws of defeat at the cost of their life. This is still a fogy concept as testing it would mean having someone die, and TERA is not willing to risk it. Is there gonna be a main villain? It depends on how long this goes on for. (hopefully a while) Will there be a guy we will curse as they fly off into the night, yes. Will this be a being we can't defeat with brute strength alone, likely. Do I have an master mind or a king monster in mind, yes, but I don't plan to tip that hand for a while. I can say that we should fight more than just mindless creatures. Was all of that good? @All Some time monday I should have the first IC post up. Bear with me as the first hunt will be a little stiff while I get a feel for your characters. In my experience the first event is always the hardest as the characters need to fall in line and everyone needs to establish a relationship of sorts, but after that it will open up and should hopefully flow more natural.

[Teal]

Yeah, thank you for taking your time to answer all that.

[Mayadere]

o_o Well, anytime you wanna' discuss it, feel free to poke me.

[cuttlebones]

By the way will our light powers develop over the course of the RP?

[Gamerdude369]

@cuttlebones Good question. It is something I plan to do through one fashion or another. The short answer is yes. The long answer is that as far as anyone knows, you’re light doesn't get stronger, you just get more efficient at using it. Progression will be a natural thing and everyone will be promoted at some point, but there may also be an event that sends you to the next level, which in this world would be an unprecedented occurrence. So short answer again, yes. @AiyvaGuard If you are still around there is still a spot open for you. Even if we start the hunt you can just pop in. @All Ok, so the first post is a thing. Much longer than I intended, but I wanted to paint a picture of what is going on now. Be in the office or don’t be in the office, I will give you guys warning before I force us into the hunt. Feel free to use Jasmine as you want or make up another secretary. I’d just rather you not be off fighting something.