BrokenPromise

Synphony on Highschool

Don’t hate the player, hate the game!

~Ice-T

Symphony on Highschool (SoH) Is a highschool roleplay with a twist. I could tell you what the twist is, but I think it would be more fun if we played a game: I would like you to guess the twist. Yup, right now I’d like you to close your eyes and think about what the twist is. Just a few seconds is all I ask.

Well? Did you do it? I can't tell, given this was something I had to write before you read it. I’m just going to pretend you did anyway. Which is fine, because I’m also going to pretend I know what your answers are.

You thought I was going to say “It’s a magical school!” And while that’s correct, I hardly consider that a twist. That one Hogwarts game is selling like hotcakes, and nobody in this day and age does a regular school RP. So that’s strike one. Lame guess. I’ll give you another chance, but really think this time.

Oh! You think I’ll let you play as faculty? I mean, I will. But only if you want to. You still missed the mark. I want you to think hard about your third guess. You’re not getting another shot.

So let me get this straight, you think I’m going to host an RP where I, the GM, just sit back and let things unfold? Effectively making an RP where there is no GM and they players get to decide everything? I can’t believe it! You got it! Have a cookie!

Note to self, give this kid less chances next time. I don’t feel nearly as smart as I did a few seconds ago.

But yes, "Good" GMs are strict, power hungry, masochistic jerks that keep an iron grip on an RP's direction. They give you the illusion of choice while guiding you to their end goal, like some evil mastermind or normal politician. How many great RPs came to an end just because the GM decided to call the whole thing off? Clearly GMs are a blight on mankind, and real RPs won't be able to flourish until they are dealt with.

While GMs really have no business deciding how the world should be, I’m going to create some lore for us to work with. And by create, I mean copy several projects and smash them together.

The RP takes place in a fictional version of our world. While it looks mundane to most people, there are supernatural forces/energies that hide just out of sight. Monsters, Espers, and everything in between often try to operate away from prying eyes.

Magic is a largely unknown thing. Magi have only recently been able to study it thanks to advancements in technology. There’s still so much they don’t know about it. Mostly what they have is an idea about magic called “memory theory.”

Memory theory states that mana is made up of memories. Mana is made in the brain while a human is alive and is released upon their death. There was some speculation that mana might have been proof that human souls exist, but this was later disproved when the levels of mana in people with forms of memory impairment made less mana over the course of their lives.

The more mana that’s in our atmosphere, the more likely it is for supernatural events to happen. This means more monsters, but also more magi to fight them.

But we shouldn’t have to worry about that too much.

The bulk of the RP will (hopefully) take place in and around Sullivan Academy. A British boarding school that secretly teaches kids from around the world how to hone their magic. It use to go by a different name, but a fight between some Merlin wannabe and a full fledged turbo magus forced a change of leadership. There’s probably more details to fish around for, but who really cares? Most of the students are all about casting spells or something. Attention spans of youngsters these days.

Sullivan Academy’s students are primarily aspiring magi, which is just a catch all term for wizards and witches. And magi is the plural form of magus, just in case you can’t be bothered to call a witch or wizard by their correct title. Or maybe they don’t identify with a particular title and would prefer you call them a magus. I know a demi-wizzard that looks like a witch but would turn you into a toad if you ever called them as such, and quite rightly too. So always be polite.

Regardless of title, this is probably who you’re going to be playing as. A human that’s been blessed with the ability to use magic.

While any magus can cast any spell in theory, most lean into a genre or niche. The more specific it is, the more powerful the magic tends to be. As an example, a pyromancer’s spells will not be as powerful as that of a magus that focuses strictly on creating lava. The pyromancer has a much more versatile skill set, and can make everything from explosions to jets of flame and even lava. But a lava mage’s lava will be able to power through any of the pyromancer’s abilities, but those abilities are fewer in number and limited to the forms lava can take. This example assumes they are equally skilled.

And yes, circles of magic are called genres. The first magi were entertainers who could use their songs to conjure spells. Much of the terminology stuck. Spells are called melodies, and a spells components are often called "notes" as just a few examples.

You may have noticed I was careful to say that you were probably going to play as a magus. But if I’m not going to interfere with the RP, that means that you are welcome to play anything you can think of, and the lore must accommodate this choice!

Sure, most aspiring magi are just as I described them. But there are other things that inhabit the academy.

Sullivan Academy exists in a world, and that world is part of a multiverse, which is part of a greater omniverse! Some of the other inhabitants of the academy include maids, dimensional leaping dogs, astronauts, magi with wildly different magic from this world, space marines, mountain sailors, a cat that can walk on its hind legs, Bobba Fett, Elvis, Johnny cash as the wizard of oz, if you can think of it, it exists.

Do be aware though that the world has a certain balance to it. For every force, there is an equally great counter force that keeps it in check. More about that in the warp section, which happens to be the next section.

It’s basically a portal. If something happens that doesn’t make sense, just blame the warp. It came from there.

Another detail with the warp is that things from other worlds can come from it. While having a gaping hole in space time located near your school can be a problem, it manages to balance itself out. Universes have a tendency to reach an equilibrium of sorts. If something too strong comes along, something else will likely show up to counterbalance its presence. This is all assuming the principle doesn't wipe it out of existence with one of her spells the second it shows up. She is the great equalizer, like your mother when you fight with your siblings.

While I’m going to be taking a pretty hands off approach to the RP, I do think we need a few rules.

~ There is a waifu tax for joining. You must post at least one picture of an anime/cartoon/cgi girl in the OOC if you’re going to join the RP. This is more important than a character sheet, but you can post one of those too. Under some circumstances I may let you pay a “husbando” tax in place of a waifu tax. Just remember that your character’s face claim does not count towards the waifu tax.

~ Be excellent to each other!

~ If you feel like someone’s godmodding you, just god mod them back if you can’t talk it out.

~ Don’t grief weaker characters. I’m giving myself the strongest character in the setting for the express purpose of dealing with this ICly. I also like power fantasies, and other people’s power fantasies get in the way of that.

~ Don’t forget the waifu tax.

Q: Is this an april fool’s joke?

A: Not really.

Q: I can’t find any waifus to pay the waifu tax with.

A: That’s a statement, not a question. But you can just use artstation if you really can’t find any. Just be a little original and don't grab the first one that shows up on the first page. And of course, don't try to use someone else's waifu to pay the waifu tax.

Q: Is a section like this necessary?

A: Get off my back.

Q: Sooooooo, When is Symphony on High starting?

A:It's been going, dingus. Go there if you want something a bit more serious.

Thoughts on discord RP?

One reason why I don't like discord for long messages (let alone posts) is because it does not place a space between multiple messages by the same author. If I just slam enter every time I want a paragraph break, there actually isn't a break. It mashes everything together into a giant word wall. The most effective way I've found to "brute force" paragraph breaks is to do a paragraph break and then start to type the next paragraph. But then I have to guess when to end the message, and it can look weird if I guess wrong and there's too many/few words, and then I need to wonder how it looks on other screens-

I mean I'm probably nitpicking, but that's just it. There's really not that big a difference between the two mediums. What makes one more attractive than another comes down to what bells and whistles you want with your RP experience. For me, I just wanna write something up on my computer and post it with little to no fuss. I don't want to get distracted by an active chat room, DMs, or any of that other stuff that discord roleplayers want as part of their RP experience. When I'm writing, I just turn on some music and write. Of course I use discord, but those little red bubbles are pretty good at distracting me. I usually leave it off while I write.

I think my displeasure for discord RPing has mellowed in the four years since I last posted here, But it's just not how I like to write. But if you do like to RP on discord, I say go for it. If you think it's something you might enjoy you're probably already doing it. It's not like you have to pick one over the other either.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

"Ahahahaha! I ascend!”

— Luana Roycroft

"Welp! No reason to drag this out.” She saluted Ethelred. "Sounds like we'll be working together again!” Luana bent over and pat Lugh's head. She might have also sniffed his hair. "I know the queen didn't invite you, but I'm inviting you, so you can come along if you'd like!”

On her way towards the throne room, she stopped in front of Reinhardt. "Reinhardt right? You look capable, I can't wait to see what you're capable of!” Luana wrapped her arms around the knight and gave him a squeeze. "I can't hug Ethelred, so need to-” Her eyes shot open. "Wait, your not-” She released him and looked over her arms. Once she was satisfied, she sighed and looked back at Reinhardt with a sly grin. "I have to be careful around you folks! I know hugging some of you will turn me into an ice sculpture. It's hard! I'm a very physical person!”

Before departing for the throne room, she turned to the girls that were departing on their quest. "Elnith, Fio, Luna number two, I'm sure you'll be successful, but I'll be praying to Aigorost for your success anyway!” With a laugh, she vanished* behind the threshold of the door.

_{*But not like, literally vanished. She just moved swiftly.}

Using AI For RP Visualization

I feel like since we're specifically talking about RPs, that makes this discussion a lot simpler.

The two biggest cons I've heard for using AI art generation are that said art is technically made with stolen images, and the results tend to be on the generic side.

The former point has been discussed enough, but I guess we can address it here in part. It's stealing in a way. Even if the art is being pulled from various sources to make something new, it's still just a bunch of tiny stolen pieces of art. Having said that, I'm unsure if that's a problem for forum roleplayers. People have been taking artwork and saying "this is my character" since the hobby started. If you don't think taking a random picture and making it your FC is immoral, then there's no issue here.

As for the latter. I saw someone create Senator Palpatine in the style of Naruto. And it did a nice enough job. His face looked smoother than Palpatine's, and he looked far more like a ninja than a sith lord, but you could see what the AI was trying to do. That's to say it's no stand in for a paid commission or searching your favorite art hub for pictures. But if you aren't too picky, sure, it can get something for you pretty quick.

While I have some pretty complex feelings on AI art, it's a tool and how/if you should use it is going to be a case by case basis. I would never use it personally, but I also understand not every GM wants to hunt through pinterest for the perfect FC for an NPC, or a picture for a piece of scenery.

March of the White Rabbit: A Roll-Your-Own Magical Girl Roleplay

"My posts need to be less confusing. I guess It’s something to work on.”

— Tonya “Mac” Murphy

Tonya “Mac” Murphy

Age: 24/11 | Gender: Female/Female | Illusion, Gravity
Body | Power of Friendship, Regeneration, Third Eye | Cradle
Coercion, Soul Jar, Martial Training, True Sight, Parasite, Gifted, Awareness, Overcity Shift, Mystic Artifact

Magical Overload, Cradle Supply, Connected, Gifted Item (Aigorost) | Monstrous Form, Exposed, Mercy, Distrust
Redirected Magic, Second Specialization | Non-Standard Limbs, Destroyer

STR: 05 | AGI: 04 | VIT: 05 | MAG: 03 | LCK: 03
+46
STR: 20 | AGI: 20 | VIT: 20 | MAG: 20 | LCK: 20

Earnings this post: Zilch

Remaining: 8 Gold, 30 Silver, 39 Bronze
Total: 12 Gold, 162 Silver, 183 Bronze

The fight against the queen was not going well.

Finn had been decapitated, Penny had fled, and the queen was able to shatter all of her illusions and invisibility cloak with a single swing. An impressive feat when she was still hiding on top of a building. Though that didn’t seem to be enough, as the queen called out her full name. What was more shocking was how she paradoxically didn’t seem to know why she was trying to pit Beacon against wonderland despite knowing everything else.

It would have been easy to lose heart, but Mac was rather pleased with this development. Finn was headless, but alive. Mac was discovered, but the queen always seemed to know who she was. There was no point in getting bamboozled like some harem protagonist in a seasonal anime. Magic was bullshit. If artifacts like endless eclipse could exist and be duplicated, what prevented other magical girls from having such tools? The rules to this game were so convoluted and messy that I don’t even know how patrons are supposed to have fun with it. Like what gives? Magic is absolutely limitless and there’s no way to determine what your opponent has until they use it, provided they’re not just pulling shit out of their ass. There’s nothing wrong with a strong opponent, but with the doctrine of combat supremacy and patron’s doctrine of fighting getting revamped and ignored at the grand magistrate’s whim, it can’t even be considered a game anymore. And fair enough! But it’s this sorry state of affairs that makes people not want to interact with the main plot. All I wanted to do was get with with the flat chested one there but this bullshit-

Mac stowed endless eclipse.

It was hard to say how Maura was going to react to her performance here. They had done a number on Wonderland’s forces, but it didn’t look like there was much to be had from sticking around. Her illusions had been shattered, but it was a simple matter to put her invisibility cloak back up and disguise herself as a certain loud mouse.

---

@Majoras End@PlatinumSkink

Mayra had been pretty clever with her use of concealment magic, but such smoke and mirrors couldn’t do much to fool an active third eye.

"Thanks for the save, burning lizard! Looks like my buddy went to pieces after meeting the queen.” Iron Mouse was keeping pace with Mayra when she looked at Finn’s head. "I didn’t think your meeting with the queen was going to be so violent. Guess diplomacy won’t be an option in the future.” She chuckled. "Let’s go grab my boyfriend and blow this midnight carnival. If Nefer is still here, she can steer into the clear with us in the rear while we down beer with a cheer.” She looked up at Mayra. "You could come too if you want, but you’d have to sit on someone’s lap. I’ve got dibs on Oliver!”

Of course, that depended on the very specific circumstance that Nefer hadn’t driven off already, and Oliver was still around.

"Oliver, you there? We uh, we opened the box. And…”

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Deep inhale ”Mb….BOYS!”

— Luana Roycroft

Having already said far more than she probably should have, Luana had decided she was going to remain quiet for the rest of the meeting. She gave Ethelred a nod when he mentioned her. She wasn’t sure why he had felt the need to include that she was talkative, but figured it was because he was a man of few words. Yes, that made the most sense.

But the most impressive development was that Sorcha seemed to be an elf scholar of sorts. Luana could barely contain her excitement, but the tug of war in her mind between expressing that excitement and keeping quiet caused her to freeze in place. When Sorcha slapped her on the back, she didn’t stumble, but tipped forward like a vase falling off a desk. She didn’t hit the floor until Sorcha was well away from her. But this was good. This had to be why she was destined to meet this woman. Anyone who knew that much about elves would be instrumental in getting her in close proximity to them.

The meeting continued. It seemed that she was going to get paired up with Ethelred again, along with Reinhardt. Initially it seemed a little odd that Sorcha and Luana were the only woman going up against the wyverns, but it did make sense. Woman were more charismatic than men were, which made them a good choice for locating a giant smith. Whereas slaying wyvern was definitely more of a guy’s job. Luana would be fooling herself if she thought her spear arm was as strong as any mans. Though her ability to find her prey and general knowledge of creatures was sure to be a boon to the group, and Sorcha would want to see her in action. It was a little unfortunate that she wouldn’t get to do any bonding with Lunalel or Fio, but she knew Elnith would keep them safe. Moreover, as an isolated hermit, she didn’t mind being surrounded by men once more. It had been a very long time since she had gone hunting, and there was something nostalgic about clearing beasts out of an area. She was looking forward to it.

She hadn’t heard Lugh’s name called. Was he the squire? If so, that meant they’d get to spend even more time together!

But there was little reason to speak up at this time. After picking herself up, Luana allowed herself to be an observer.

Well, it looks like I've forgotten how to write

I've also taken a break from writing from time to time. Sometimes when you're outputting so much, you need to take a few years to focus on other things.

I'm sure you'll find something that suits you here.

March of the White Rabbit: A Roll-Your-Own Magical Girl Roleplay

"That’s one Aurelio too many.”

— Tonya “Mac” Murphy

Tonya “Mac” Murphy

Age: 24/11 | Gender: Female/Female | Illusion, Gravity
Body | Power of Friendship, Regeneration, Third Eye | Cradle
Coercion, Soul Jar, Martial Training, True Sight, Parasite, Gifted, Awareness, Overcity Shift, Mystic Artifact

Magical Overload, Cradle Supply, Connected, Gifted Item (Aigorost) | Monstrous Form, Exposed, Mercy, Distrust
Redirected Magic, Second Specialization | Non-Standard Limbs, Destroyer

STR: 05 | AGI: 04 | VIT: 05 | MAG: 03 | LCK: 03
+46
STR: 20 | AGI: 20 | VIT: 20 | MAG: 20 | LCK: 20

Earnings this post: Zilch

Remaining: 8 Gold, 30 Silver, 39 Bronze
Total: 12 Gold, 162 Silver, 183 Bronze

@Majoras End@PlatinumSkink@Shifter_Master

The intention of speaking with the pink clone was to gauge its reaction to her actions. While Mac had little respect for beacon, she had seen first hand that not everyone believed in the rigid extermination of all monsters. Not all aspired to become the ascendancy, and most were willing to live and let live so long as the monster in question wasn’t a murderer. Given that this one was from Alicia’s unit, there was the possibility that he, like her, had some ideas that did not fit in with Beacon’s stringent code. Maybe he was able to see the suffering the queen of hearts brought to everyone, and understood the need to oppose her. Perhaps a few sensible words was all it would take to get him on board.

Mac would be disappointed.

The outcome shouldn’t have been a surprise. Even if the clone was just a clone, the pink boy seemed to have more magical power than most clones did. That was to say, it could cast spells, and even rivaled her own magical might. It was astute enough to try and disrupt her connection to Suwako by way of confusion magic. The illusion flickered and changed shape before her eyes. Not a bad trick. In fact, Mac might have been impressed if she didn’t take her job so seriously. But Mac was a specialist, and this situation fell squarely in her realm of expertise.

With a bink of her eyes, a third eye on the center of her forehead opened up and surveyed the area. All of the unusual magics in the area could be understood with ease, and the barrage of magic designed to attack her mind was rendered inept. Between her replica of Endless Eclipse, Magic eye, and true sight, she had more than enough ways to overcome any sort of confusion magic. Even if its magic had been countered, it was still a threat. Mac would have to take care of the clone post haste.

As soon as the attack on the queen went off, the pink clone was covered in an illusion of itself while simultaneously being turned invisible. Once the replacement illusion was in place, a well of gravity built up around the clone. A magical girl/boy might have been able to resist it, but the clone would have little choice but to burst.

But such a technique with so many layers of magic took a lot of Mac’s focus. She noticed too late that Finn had appeared, and could only watch as the queen attacked him.

Her lips trembled. She didn’t know Finn that well, but she had seen how he had interacted with Oliver and knew this wouldn’t please him that much. What even prompted him to do that in the first place? The queen was powerful, and there was no way her own spell was going to distract her for more than a moment. Hadn’t they come here to keep an eye on Penny and Lily. Hadn’t she been the one to suggest that? And instead she was trying to get Beacon and Wonderland to fight each other…

Maybe the confusion spell had worked better than she thought.

Mac bit her lower lip. It would have been easy to just break stealth and charge the queen head on. She may have indirectly caused Finn’s death while pursuing some personal vendetta. But she stowed her loathing with a growl. There would be time to get emotional later. The queen was still talking to Finn, and that weird lizard woman was trying to save him. Penny was nowhere to be found, and Lily looked like she was just normal pissed at the moment. Might as well press the situation and see if they can salvage Finn.

---

A few smaller arrows flew from Suwako’s bow and towards the Queen of hearts. “You’re not the only headhunter here.” Suwako drew another arrow. “For every one of us that you strike down, five more will take our place. Ten will take theirs, and a hundred theirs. Such is the price of your villany!” She fired again, and it wouldn’t be her last.

The Pink Aurelio looked like he was about to start casting a spell, but in truth, Mac needed to conserve her mana. So this was just an attempt to make it look like there was another body participating in the fight.

---

"...Wait, that worked?"

— Chloe Irving

Chloe

Age: 23/12 | Gender: Female/Female | Spirit
The Orb/Ghoulish Gauntlets | Third Eye, Focused Assault | Mint, ???
Wings, Enhanced Outfit, Big Damn Hero, Blood Magic, Inter-dimensional Home, Sorcery
Mint Benefits, Dark Weapon | Mint Drawbacks, Dominator

STR: 03 | AGI: 03 | VIT: 03 | MAG: 03 | LCK: 03

STR: 06 | AGI: 10 | VIT: 06 | MAG: 17 | LCK: 04

Earnings this post: Zilch

Remaining: 6 Gold, 9 silver, 13 bronze

"...Bonnie?”

Contrary to her behavior earlier, Chloe was very quiet, very not smiling, and very not flirty as Al continued to talk about the broker. Her eyes shot open when Al placed a hat on her head, and she could feel the tattoo manifesting on her flesh… right beside the other one.

But Chloe remained still, right up until Al started clapping.

She lifted the hat off of her head and looked it over, occasionally glancing up at Al. "Ah, I see.” She looked into the hat a bit longer. "I’ll think about what shape I want it to be later. I mean, us girls do like our wide brimmed hats.” She cracked a smile before placing it back on her head. "But I don’t have any intention of stepping down from my new position. Up is the only direction for me.“ She placed her hands on her hips. Having the hat called a “curse” was not something she liked the sound of, but it couldn’t have been that bad. "Well, I have a lot of ideas I’d like to run by you, and quite frankly, two brokers should speak in a more refined location than some graffiti covered back alley. Feeling peckish?“

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

”Did someone say the “E” word?

— Luana Roycroft

Luana placed a hand on Lugh's head and ruffled his hair. ”There there. Far be it for me to critique your diet, but if you ate more things like tomatoes you’d be a lot taller. Potatoes, eggs, salmon, and milk are all really good for you!” Were those anything like tomatoes? Luana seemed to think so.

She was about to say something to Elnith, but Vyrell managed to beat her to the punch. Luana closed her mouth and nodded at their comments. ”Glad the tales about me impress.” She cracked a nervous smile as Vyrell turned away. ”Who was that guy?” Luana spoke to Lugh and Elnith while watching the prodigal knight. ”Something about his features seems familiar.”

But neither Lugh nor Elnith would have a chance to respond before Luana was utterly captivated by something he said. The hermit’s eyes expanded and her mouth hung agape. Even as the queen was speaking, she walked towards the knight and maid in a trance. She finally came to a stop beside the queen, who was also standing in front of Lunalel.

”Yes, yes! Tell us everything about the elves!” She leaned in towards Lunalel. ”So they travel around by boat? How did the boat look? I bet it was built with some crazy architecture. Like they probably willed a tree to grow into the correct shape, creating an ergonomic interior and a hydrodynamic exterior! Did you get to stand on the ship? It probably felt like magic under your feet! And of course they would have a crest that looks like a tree! They live in the forest right? But the elves themselves, how did they look? Did they look healthy? Anything that can survive in the forest like that has to be pretty fit! I bet Sarah was like, tall, skilled with her weapon, and a lot stronger than she looked. You probably had difficulty tracing her movements, just because of how graceful and fluid-like they were. Did she move like a river, or the wind off a frigid mountain?” Luana placed a hand on Lunalel’s shoulder. ”Or did you not get to see her fight? That would be a shame if you didn’t. Or maybe, yes! You look scholarly enough that you probably, wait, no, let me confirm.” She reached into her cloak and pulled out something wrapped in cloth out from her cloak. She gently peeled back the cloth to reveal the head of Endless Eclipse. The blade’s sheen vanished as Lunalel’s “sparring match” with Sarah started to play out across the blade. ”I knew it!” She practically shouted the words. ”You tested your steel in a once in a lifetime encounter with an elf! I’m so jealous!” After pausing for a moment, her eyes shifted between Lunalel and Sorcha. ”...Right, sorry! Just got a little excited.” She folded the cloth back over the spearhead before shooting a grin at Lunalel. ”I’m Luana, by the way. I think we’re going to be good friends.” She took a deep breath. ”Tell you what? You can call me Luna.” With a nod, she turned around. ”I’ll um, just go back over there ‘till im needed.” She prepared to scuff back towards Lugh and Elnith.

Art by Wanderingwolf

Mouth/eye cards? I don't think I know what those are.

I do not post any of my blender projects online for various reasons. As for my non-blender work, you can see almost everything I've written in the past six years by looking back through my posts.