Aer
A beautiful planet home to some of the galaxy's most beautiful, mysterious inhabitants. Lush forests and cryptic wilds combine with roaring oceans, gaping canyons, and challenging mountains - all of which the peoples of Aer call home. Mankind first descended upon Aer in year 3000, a year in which all of society decided to reset its calendar.
Two thousand, eight hundred years later, the origin of man has become a mystery. Now, Aer is the home of billions of humans who thrive in towering cities built with metals and technologies previously unknown. Although technology has evolved to include light based communication, advanced armoring and weaponry, and even a degree of advanced transportation (flying shuttles, etc), the majority of it is limited to the extremely wealthy. In fact, swords, bow and arrows, and even sail-based ships, are still common.
Aer is spotted by five enormous continents: Gaia, Valira, Arcarus, Sol, and Xav'r. The largest continent, Gaia is about twice as large as the rest of the continents, each of which are small enough to allow for four unique nations to form among them. Although the Valiran, Arcaran, Soli, and Xav'ran governments had flourished at one point, a World War (which erupted on the four hundreth year, lasting twenty years alone) nearly destroyed the whole of civilization. Luckily, a truce was forced under certain conditions which isolated the four continents. Prior to the Aerian Union, Gaia was a no-man's-land free for all brave souls to explore. It was a pure wilderness that was only touched by factions of Seekers. These were individuals who were known for their ability, whether it was their combat prowess, or exceptional survival skills. When banded together, they would form coalitions and depart on long journeys to "the Gaia". It was around five hundred years into Aer's history that Gaia was finally deemed habitable for settling. However, only a small portion of the continent is home to any humans. Located on a small stretch of land on the South Eastern side of Gaia is a province known as "Sovereign." It began as a small colony of Seekers who survived the Voyage, a long, perilous journey made on ships that barely withstood the ocean waters. Every now and then a small group would make it to the same little stretch of land, awaiting for another group. Those who lived back on the peripheral continents wouldn't hear from the Seekers for years, if at all.
Year five hundred, about thirty different, independent factions had made it to the same land. Having set up a colony which what was then dubbed "Sovereign", the Seekers formed a base of operations of the settlement. Now, Sovereign resembles a small state, about the size of New York. It is one of the most densely populated and busiest states in the world, especially its capitol: Sanctuary. Although the region of Sovereign has grown, about half of Gaia remains unclaimed and uncharted. The central hub of Seekers is in Sanctuary, where the Seeker's United Nation or S.U.N has its official academy and headquarters. Independent from any nation's government, the S.U.N. takes applicants every year in what is called the "Voyage", as a tribute to the pioneers who sacrificed their lives in the old age. The Voyage (a.k.a. Seeker's Exam) is a set of tests that begin in randomly selected city located in one of the four peripheral continents. Young (and sometimes old) applicants can take the Voyage alone or in groups of up to four. It's a dangerous exam in which many do lose their lives, often causing international backlash against the ethical aspects of the exam. Nonetheless, it has become a global event and tradition that brings forth a hundred or so Seekers every year... out of about ten thousand applicants.
The Story
Indigo will begin with the nearing of Voyage 2820 (it is year 2820 in lore time). Our characters will be tasked with reaching the city in which the examination begins (IF your character will be taking the Voyage to become a Seeker). If your character is not taking the Voyage or is already a Seeker (only under special circumstances), then you will be beginning on a separate storyline which all the prospective Seekers will eventually fall upon. For futuresight, a second World War is brewing, and a lot of supernatural elements are unfolding.
For starters, there will be a large controversy regarding "Channelers", or unique individuals who are born with the ability to harness their spirit and express unique abilities (superpowers, okay?). This RP will dive into a lot of spirituality and supernatural stuff, so be ready for that. Of course it will be no doubt that the majority of Seekers are, in fact, Channelers, as it is their abilities that help them survive the Voyage. I will say this: Channelers don't HAVE to be born. I will only allow THREE characters (excluding any of mine) to be born Channelers. Everyone else will have to either train to learn Channeling.
Superpowers in this RP will work much like Mass Effect. They aren't TOO powerful or flamboyant, but more of a supplement to a character's abilities. And just like how a regular soldier (with the right armor and weaponry) can take down a biotic-charged supermutant in Mass Effect, regular characters will also be able to take on Channelers. Powers can range from basic telekinesis to cloning, etc. Just no super crazy stuff like time control + dimensional warping.
Characters
First, let me explain the races available. When I say races, I don't mean like Skyrim where each race is a different species. However, there are THREE playable "species".
- Humans: You know what a human is. Humans are the newest arrivals on Aer, and their history often clashes with the two other species' history.
- Asura: Asura are humanoid creatures that resemble humans except for a more floral skin and hair texture. They usually have unique floral patterns on their bodies that resemble tattoos, and they are always rather light in stature. They resemble a blend between sylvari from Guild Wars 2 and typical fantasy elves. The Asura claim to be the first inhabitants of Aer, long before mankind reached it. However, they have a suppressed rivalry with the Indra, with whom they competed in ancient times. Asura are some of the most intellectual beings, and most Asura are channelers. On the flip side indigenous Asura (typically found in the Gaian wilderness) are extremely dangerous.
- Indra: Indra are also humanoid creatures, however they are easily distinguished by their scaly, reptilian bodies (apologies for the crude picture). Their hair often resembles what can only be described as "tentacles", more akin to the hair of those blue people from Avatar. The Indra come from the ocean and mostly inhabit coastal regions or islands. Their long rivalry with the Asura finally died out before Mankind reached Aer, but there is still a little hostility between the two species. The Indra lack any central society, unlike the humans and Asura, which have united in the mainlands. Typically, an Indra wandering solid land is a rare sight, as the majority of them live in tribes where water is plenty and land is scarce. The Indra boast a unique ability to regrow any lost limbs within a few weeks.
Now onto the races:
Valirans: Valira is known as the "brawn" of all civilization. It boasts some of the finest warriors and weaponry where it lacks in intellectual advancement. Most of the country is a stretch of farmland and valleys with a few mountains and hillsides along the way. The people of Valira are known for their strong wills and hardy natures, though it is coupled with a tendency to be a bit too rough and stubborn. Valira's capitol is "Vantus". The majority of Valira is humans, though the government is mostly Asuran. Both sides get along rather well in Valira.
Arcarians: Arcarus is the opposite of Valira. It is the "brain" of all civilization, as some of the finest discoveries in all sciences have been made by Arcarians within Arcarian walls. The majority of Arcarus is mysterious jungles and forests. However, the cities blossom among the enigmatic thicket. For example, the capitol, Argos, actually floats above ancient ruins which are still being explored. The College of Argos is said to be the best college in the entire world, accepting only the brightest of individuals. Arcarus is balanced with all three species, but their is a tendency for the Asura to be a bit more dominant in number and presence.
Soli: Sol is the smallest continent on Aer, but is also said to be one of the most beautiful. The entirety of the continent is one big island. It is the closest to Gaia and is said to be original home of the Seekers. All three species live in a unique harmony in Sol, though it is also the poorest continent in the world. There are no big cities or skyscrapers. Instead, the people live like the peoples of Earth's Caribbean. Note that this also means there are many, many pirate problems.
Xav'ran: Xav'r is the most diverse continent/country of the four. It is known for its extremely advanced industry and technology. Though the technology may not be as intricate as that of Arcarus, Xav'r definitely has a industrial advantage over all the other countries. For one thing, it has the largest number of cities, as most of the country is urban. As such, it is also home to some of the largest gangs and underworld organizations. Xav'r is the "New York" of Aer: a place where you either make it or you fall to nothing. Entrepreneurs, inventors, big dreamers - they all come to Xav'r with high hopes. The capitol of Xav'r is Wayfare City. Asura are the minority in Xav'r, and are often subject to racism. Spotting an Indra in Xav'r is like spotting a black guy in China.
I will have a distinct system for character sheets. First off, I will be using a SIMPLE system for distributing strength and power between character sheets. There will basically be an "Ability Point" system. Ability points will be used for weapons, powers, upgrades, pets, items, vehicles, etc. It won't be anything TOO drastic. But you basically get Ability Points by successfully completing events that I (as the GM) write out for you guys. For example, say that during the Voyage, one of the characters is attacked by a large monster. By killing the monster in a realistic, unique, or creative manner, your character would be awarded an ability point. All this will be explained in the OOC in MUCH greater and easy-to-understand detail.
All of this is the result of a 15 minute brainstorm. Changes are GOING to be made. I just wanna gauge people's interest.
Let's see what happens.
