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What if you... DMed me your 1x1 RP ideas... haha, just kidding... unless...?
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5 yrs ago
The Star Wars prequels are better than the Disney films for one simple reason: they created prequel memes. Every line in the prequels can be memed and referenced.
Footsteps wandered through the abyss, their movement echoing endlessly as a single individual limped through a vast expanse. While there was not a single visual clue as to their destination, they knew exactly where they were going. In the void they traversed, the confidence of their steps seeking to crush their own doubtful gait. All noise ceased upon a halted step, the traveller having reached their destination.
"Tomorrow it begins.", an ancient yet feeble voice would speak into the darkness, emanating from the limping wanderer.
"So it would seem.", a voice from within the darkness would respond, powerful yet complacent.
"And you would do nothing? Ha. How cruel.", the wanderer would respond with a smug chuckle, followed by hacking and wheezing from overexertion.
While not seen, their body would be heard collapsing to an invisible floor moments later, inhaling and exhaling desperately.
"And you would continue on your path despite all that it has cost you? So foolish. Ignorant. Your youth blinded you to the truth, and now even in your elder years you would continue on a path not fit for this world. A path that all who have tried have eventually failed.", the powerful voice would retort, looking down upon the ailing wanderer in a world in which only the pair could view one another.
"If you would bring me results - some form of proof that your labors are not in vain - then I may yet assist you more than I already have."
"Vain, hm? Heheheh. Yeah, you've certainly always been that as long as I've known you.", the wanderer responded with defiant glee through coughs.
Moments later after a silence fit to last an eternity, the wanderer shrieked out in pain as the sound of metal against flesh rung out. Falling fully to the floor, the wanderer became inconsolable.
"Do not presume to know me closely enough to jest. If you would bring me results, then do so. I do not permit you to remain in my presence any longer for today. Begone."
"...As you wish...!", the feeble voice would cry out in desperation one last time, still groaning in pain and coughing as if a plague had befallen them.
And with that the void disappeared, giving way to bright sunlight. From within dense forestry a figure wreathed in darkness emerged, their lungs clearing with the fresh Spring air.
March 1st, 1499 | Mortalion Academy| 8:00 AM
It was the first day of a new year for the students of Mortalion Academy. With orientation beginning at 9:00 AM, the gates of the school were just opening. As a hapless janitor let loose the last binding holding the gate back, students from all walks of life and from all sorts of bizarre origins burst through. The shining sun paired with the cool breeze above served to lighten the moods of all the ambitious freshmen, who raced to explore the campus. Many seniors were slower to approach, having been through this process year after year. The janitor, on the other hand, was firmly shoved aside the moment his task was completed and was now sleepily sitting on the freshly cut grass within the campus grounds.
Some others who lagged behind seemed unsure of where to go or what to do, and those people mainly seemed to follow the seniors. Other than the students and the janitor, no one else was in sight within the campus. The doors were locked, and not a single staff other than the janitor was in sight. Some surprised freshmen tried banging on the door or turning the handles of the front entrance to see if the main building was well and truly locked.
Any who had researched the academy beforehand would know that Mortalion Academy was particularly harsh with its rules towards being on time: in particular, those who were late or who didn't attend orientation for any reason were immediately expelled. With this dilemma fresh on the mind and showing no signs of changing any time soon, students began forming into groups to brainstorm reasons for the situation and potential solutions to fix it if something bad had truly happened.
It was about ten minutes in that an envelope magically appeared in the hands of every student. Upon opening it, the letter within would read, "All students must report to the gymnasium for orientation. Find your way there within the hour, or else face expulsion."
Thus began the school's first test, and for some students, its last.
The OOC is up now. Check it out, and feel free to ask any questions. It's early morning now though so I'll probably be passing out pretty quick here, but it's here. I'll also be PMing you guys shortly before I check out for the night with a link to the Discord I made for discussing things.
"Until the end of time do we wait, Wait for the darkness to abate? Nay, nay, for there exists a tale, Warming the hearts of those both strong and frail, A weapon to unite the world. Mortalion, bane of shadow, Hope it may bestow, Allow your banners to be unfurled."
- Words engraved upon an unmarked tombstone, belonging to a forgotten hero
The world of Runix is one in a constant cycle of peace and war. It is the focal point and center of a multidimensional rift that accepts all who wander to it, intentional or otherwise. Its countries and kingdoms are in constant chaos, as any new day could be one in which a new dark overlord, demon or some other such monstrosity falls through the rift and brings with it untold hatred and power. To fight against this evil and defy fate, the gods blessed the mortal races many millennia ago with a logic-defying power known as Discipline. Discipline was an absurd power not fully understood even in the modern day; nevertheless, it allowed mortals to fight against impossible odds and claim victory century after century, returning Runix to the status quo just on the brink of another disaster. Locked in a never-ending struggle, one hero rose above the rest during what was assumed to be the final hours of the planet. His Discipline shone brighter than any other, and wielding a legendary weapon known as Mortalion, struck down Malthus, the Lord of Crows and prince of demons. Mortalion was a holy weapon, powerful enough to purify Malthus in his entirety, leaving nothing left of the demon lord. The mere sight of Mortalion was enough to scatter the remaining demon clans that remained on Runix, hiding in the darkest pits of the realm and never to be seen again.
Or so it was thought to be.
The hero was mortal after all, and eventually passed on into memory - and further than that, forgotten entirely. Mortalion was lost to history, and with the passage of time came forth the demonic remnants, stronger than ever before with their time to skulk and plan for centuries. With the return of demons and the rifts bringing in new creatures constantly, the process of weaponizing Discipline on a worldwide scale began. Institutes and organizations were formed all over Runix, dedicated to the fight against demonkind. The core of these institutes was Mortalion Academy, named so for being founded on the location of the forgotten hero's grave. The school was seen as the greatest hope for Runix's survival, training the best and the brightest to become masters of war and heroes to protect the weak. It has stayed that way for ninety nine years, and the hundredth anniversary celebration of the academy's founding will soon arrive. With new students enrolling as well, it's expected to be the most joyous and memorable occasion in all the world.
The year is 1499 within recorded history, and right at the turn of the century, the world of Runix is at the height of its power. Would these new students step forth to end the demonic threat once and for all, or turn away in the face of overwhelming darkness?
The Academy
Mortalion Academy is the leading institute in the mass production of heroes and productive members of society. Over a three year course they will turn even the weakest souls into confident warriors ready to fight the demonic hordes threatening to overtake Runix. The academy itself is located in the heart of Nordren, the Kingdom of Light and birthplace of the wielder of Mortalion. Forested terrain surrounds the school's outskirts, and beyond that, vast mountain ranges and valleys. Many consider it to be the safest place in all of Runix for its powerful Disciplines and many famous heroes and celebrities that teach and live there. In almost every year since its founding it has been ranked number one in its efficiency and success among all the academies.
The Kingdoms
'The birthplace of hope', some people would call it. It's the location of Mortalion Academy, and home of the Paladin Order of Riverstock. It's the kingdom in which the hero who wielded Mortalion against the darkness fought, bled and claimed victory for his people.
'Where hope goes to die', some would say. History has not been kind to Valcroft, where Malthus and his demonic army began their assault on Runix with the assistance of the king of Valcroft at the time. Malthus, being a creature of sadism, cursed the kingdom to dwell in storms and rot for the rest of their days. Crops rarely grow in Valcroft, and creatures born of magical power feel their strength sapped for merely treading on the soil. To counter this, Valcroft has many ambitious and morally grey merchants and Smiths attempting to save their homeland from disaster through trading with other kingdoms of more bountiful harvests. On the flip-side, there are many Phantoms and dark-aligned Wizards seeking to destroy what little remains of Valcroft's beauty.
Many would call Agni a place made for warfare, and they wouldn't be wrong. Born in hellfire, its capital city is surrounded in the flames of the god Agni, who the kingdom is named for, and is also the creator of flame elementals. Many ambitious Smiths and Steelborn make the journey to Agni after graduating in order to pay tribute to the god of flames at his altar. It's said that the creator of Mortalion was born here.
Surrounded on all sides by powerful wind currents, the entire kingdom of Vesper is at the top of Mount Eclasius, the largest mountain in all of Runix. They are the creators of the Garuda Galeforce, a transit system stretching across Runix that allows for airborne transportation via creatures known as Garuda. Garuda are gigantic bird-like humanoids born from alchemical experiments on birds conducted within Vesper itself, and thanks to their efforts, the Galeforce has become a worldwide organization.
Very rarely do citizens of Girrech see the light of day. Some go their whole lives believing the sun to be a myth, in fact, for the entire kingdom dwells underground. They live many miles deep, surviving off of things along the trails and in the soil, living among earth elementals and fighting against whatever horrors might dwell further beneath them. There are strict policies and procedures to follow for a native citizen of Girrech to leave, and top notch security see to it that without valid reason, many never do.
Located in a barren desert, Reiz is a place where survival of the fittest takes a deadly new meaning. Their hunters must be quick, their warriors stalwart, and their merchants cutthroat. Beasts lurk beneath the sands, striking as quick as a bolt. Encounters are not typically drawn-out battles in Reiz, but rather quick affairs decided by the first strike. Many Knights can find their livelihoods here, as many are desperate for the protection of armed and armored individuals such that a warrior of true skill would never find payment lacking with a life in Reiz.
The entire kingdom of Selica is located on the back of Leviathan - formerly one of the demon lords under Malthus, but who has remained passive for centuries with the blessing of Mortalion's strike still rendering the aquatic fiend immobile and comatose. Leviathan's back is large enough to support the weight of an entire kingdom, and thus they have turned him into an island for all the citizens to live on. There's a vast musical culture in Selica, with many musicians becoming inspired by the tropical aesthetic and blue ocean waves crashing against their makeshift island.
Discipline
There are many different ways that the world can bless an individual. Before recorded history, the gods granted mortal races a sliver of their strength and imbued it into them as life energy - the power known as Discipline. Disciplines and their various uses became the great equalizer for sentient races, allowing them to fight back the forces that would threaten their existence time and again. Said by some scholars to be minor miracles or wishes condensed into pure willpower, it allows anybody to become what they truly desire to be. Even sentient and mortal races brought to Runix via the rifts may develop Discipline merely by coexisting close to others who possess it naturally.
Discipline Materialization
Disciplines materialize under different forms for different people. Before the academies had developed their teaching methods and explored different theories of Discipline's uses, an individual would materialize their power without any choice from themselves. These would come to be referred to as "Natural" Disciplines. After further study during the initial goal of weaponizing Discipline, scholars found ways to alter a person's Discipline from its natural course, as long as it's before they awakened to their powers. There would go on to be seemingly no differences or negative repercussions for doing so, and thus it would become standard practice to allow students that haven't awoken to their Disciplines to choose from a list of the most known and most common types out there.
Basic Disciplines
These are the Disciplines that make up the majority of the population. Only those with ambition and talent can ever advance beyond this point to an upgraded Discipline. Either through the culmination of years of study, hard work, or an immense emotional reaction to trauma, a Discipline can be awoken in an individual provided they have the ability to do so at all. It has never been fully confirmed what the physical differences are between somebody with the capability to obtain a Discipline, and one who can't, are.
The only definitive evidence that somebody who hasn't awoken to a Discipline has the potential to, is due to studies conducted during the Autumn season. When leaves fall from trees, the fallen leaves will gradually form a perfect circle around the person without touching them; provided they don't move for an extended period of time. One scholar attempted to hypothesize that the amount of leaves that would surround a person was indicative of how much potential and strength their Discipline had, but this was dismissed as an attempt to boost the status and reputation of noble families, and forgotten soon after.
Knight: Fights with swords, hammers, spears and shields. Wears heavy/medium/cloth armor. They are the most defensive of the basic Disciplines, and are relied upon heavily in encounters against heavy-hitting enemies. Knights can fight long after the normal physical limitations of a mortal race, reducing the pain they feel as they fight due to the Stalwart passive.
Archer: Fights with bows, crossbows, and other ranged weaponry. Wears medium/cloth armor. Snipers by trade, an Archer litters the battlefield with a hail of projectiles to subdue or eliminate foes before they can become a threat. Archers have a perceptive eye such that they can more easily detect the presence of others due to the Perception passive.
Magus: Studies apprentice-level magic, and also fights with daggers and staves. Wears clothes. Gifted in attack, defensive and support magic, a Magus' goal is to manipulate the battle - slinging fireballs, casting barriers and mending wounds. Their power is drawn from the blessing of the world, however, and that blessing only permits them to cast a limited amount of times per day. They may learn more spells by studying and reading magical texts via the Scribe passive.
Rogue: Fights with daggers and bows. Wears medium/cloth armor. Less skilled than an Archer with bows, but unmatched in their ability to dexterously maneuver a fight with their daggers. They can also pick non-magic locks with the Lockpick passive and have flexible control over their body such that they can more easily fit in tight spaces and move with acrobatic precision via the Agility passive.
Brute: Fights with axes and martial arts. Wears medium/cloth armor. Aggressive warriors who channel their emotions into fighting power. They care little for defense or for getting dirty, and thus fight with heavy axes. Some Brutes, however, forgo a weapon entirely - choosing instead to fight with punches and kicks. The strength of a Brute defies logic such that they can cleave weaker foes into pieces with their axes or shatter bones with their fists due to their Barbarism passive. The trade-off to this, however, is that they are less perceptive in battle than others, more easily succumbing to sneak attacks or illusions.
Performer: Casts apprentice-level support and defensive magic, and also fights with daggers and instruments. Wears clothes. Where a Magus adopts support and defensive magic, Performers see it as a way of life. A Performer cannot use any offensive magic or heal, but do not rely on the world's blessing to cast their spells. Rather, they use instruments imbued with magic to cast their spells - and may continue to cast these spells as long as they play their instrument. A Performer must be wary, however: their instrument can be damaged or broken, and a Performer without their instrument is as threatening as any random peasant. A Performer may learn new spells by practicing the conversion of magical text to musical notes through the Recital passive.
Smith: Fights with any weapons they create. Wears clothes. Smiths are generally considered non-combatants - all of the power and miracles of their Discipline are directed towards the ability to create, rather than destroy or heal, through the Creation passive. They are able to use any weapon they create as skillfully as a trained warrior of that weapon, but never to surpass them, due to the Weapon Mimicry passive. With enough determination, Smiths can eventually create magical equipment; however, they will require the assistance of a caster able to imbue the spell to the item during the crafting process, and it may only be of apprentice-level.
Jack: Fights with anything. Wears medium/cloth armor. Jack is a formless Discipline generally considered useless by many. Those who attain it naturally are looked down on, and those who choose it via academic study are always met with confused stares and ridicule. A Jack can learn the abilities or spells of other Disciplines with immense time and effort, but otherwise have no outstanding talent or proficiency at anything. Their ability to comprehend combat is not enhanced by their Discipline, such as a Knight's ability to endure more damage or an Archer's enhanced perception; rather, they are a normal person of their race that gains nothing significant naturally. Many Jacks die horrible deaths trying and failing to learn the abilities of others, leaving themselves open to vicious assaults with their durability not enhanced by any Discipline or magic. The process of learning abilities for a Jack is wrought with peril, and many studies have failed to grasp the true requirements of it. Eventually, Jack simply became known as a dead-end Discipline. Their one and only known passive that allows them to copy others' abilities and skills, Mimic, ends up seeming like a curse more than a blessing to many.
Upgraded Disciplines
After an individual has had sufficient practice and understanding of their Discipline, they will be permitted to ascend to an Upgraded Discipline. This concept was not fully understood or believed to even exist until after the founding of the academies and their cultivating of students' Disciplines. Each basic Discipline has a path they may undertake to strengthen their powers under the guidance and tutelage of scholars and a ritual via support magic.
> Royal Knight: Fights with swords, hammers, spears, and shields. Wears heavy/medium/cloth armor. A Knight willing to serve their kingdom and country and uphold honor may become a Royal Knight. A Royal Knight has fully mastered the ability to reduce pain through the Null passive, becoming unable to feel pain whenever they please. In addition to this, their very body has become a shield, no longer staggering from all but the most vicious and deadly attacks through the Immovable passive. They will bleed, bend and twist, but very little will truly break a Royal Knight.
> Paladin: Fights with swords, hammers, spears, and shields, and can cast apprentice-level support and defensive magic. Wears heavy/medium/cloth armor. A Knight who swears an oath under the gods to save the world becomes a Paladin. Paladins may cast support magic, as well as buff their shields with defensive magic to become the ultimate master of defense.
> Gungnir: Fights with spears. Wears heavy/medium/cloth armor. A Knight who gives up their sword and shield and hones their skill with the spear to perfection will become a Gungnir. While still a defensive fighter, their way of defense is different from other Knights - rather than blocking, they prevent the enemy from approaching in the first place, lest they meet the vicious end of a Gungnir's spear. To a Gungnir, the best defense is a deadly offense. A Gungnir knows the existence and exact position of all living things within a ten meter radius of them via a mental map in their mind, due to the Battle Awareness passive. A Gungnir has also received the blessing of the god Odin, elementally charging the Gungnir's attacks with lightning and also rendering them unable to be harmed by electricity of any kind, known collectively as the Blessing of the Storm passive.
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> Marksman: Fights with bows, crossbows, and other ranged weaponry. Wears medium/cloth armor. An Archer who continues on the path of finding the perfect shot will find themselves on the other side as a Marksman. They have gained the agility and acrobatics of a Rogue through their Agility passive, and their perception has increased such that they can detect and see even invisible targets: the Perfect Vision passive. Their Discipline has also increased in power such that they can never miss a target within ten meters or less in distance from them, through the Called Shot passive. The target may still successfully block attacks from a Marksman, but arrows will always miraculously find a way to make contact with a target in some way as long as they are within ten meters.
> Arbalist: Fights with crossbows. Wears heavy/medium/cloth armor. Arbalists solidify themselves within the rigid position of a military formation. Becoming a defensive sentry, they align themselves more with a soldier than a hunter. An Arbalist dedicates themselves exclusively to the crossbow, and due to their rigidity, may also choose to don heavy armor to become a more defensive ranged combatant. An Arbalist can reload a crossbow as fast as an Archer would nock an arrow, and aim just as skillfully. Time seems to slow somewhat to an Arbalist when staring down the sights of their crossbow, giving them time to think and strategize while still taking a careful shot thanks to the Careful Shot passive. They are also more durable and can take pain better than most, inheriting the Knight's Stalwart passive.
> Spellbow: Fights with bows, and can cast apprentice-level offensive, support and defensive magic through their arrows. Wears medium/cloth armor. Archers who value the power and creativity of magic can become Spellbows. A Spellbow engraves runes onto their bow, which when touched by an arrow, can imbue the arrow with spells memorized by the bow itself. Spells that a Spellbow may learn are limited to what a regular Magus is capable of, however. When a Spellbow runs out of arrows in their quiver, they may call upon the power of magic to conjure arrows of light to shoot forth - however, these arrows cannot be imbued with additional magic, and merely act as regular arrows; this is known as the Conjure Arrows passive. A Spellbow may also learn new spells similar to the Magus by studying magic texts and runic symbols through the Scribe passive.
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> Wizard: Studies apprentice-level, scholar-level and master-level offensive magic, apprentice-level support and defensive magic, and can also use daggers and staves. Wears clothes. A Magus willing to embrace the destructive potential of magic, for better or worse, may become a Wizard. A Wizard may learn spells from the apprentice, scholar and master classifications of magic; although they may not learn support and defensive magic above apprentice-level, abandoning their studies in those fields. A Wizard has also become somewhat capable at close combat with a dagger, such that they could match and surpass a Rogue in a fight using daggers. Wizards also gain Starsight: a passive ability that allows them to observe the movements and activity of multidimensional rifts by observing the night sky.
> Cleric: Studies apprentice-level, scholar-level and master-level support and defensive magic, apprentice-level offensive magic, and can also use daggers, staves and hammers. Wears clothes. A Magus accepting of their duty to help others and to slaying demonkind may become a Cleric. A Cleric may learn spells from the apprentice, scholar and master classifications of magic; although they may not learn offensive magic above apprentice-level, becoming too pacifistic to embrace such destruction with a clear conscience. Clerics have learned to fight with hammers, becoming skilled enough to competently fight and defeat lesser warriors and to survive long enough to back away and cast a spell. Clerics also gain the Seersight passive: vision that allows them to sense the presence or absence of demonic power within an individual by looking at them, and how potent it might be.
> Spellsword: Studies apprentice-level and scholar-level magic, and can also use daggers, staves and swords. Wears medium/cloth armor. A Magus who trains both body and mind in the pursuit of strength may become a Spellsword. Spellswords may learn apprentice-level and scholar-level spells of the offensive, defensive and supportive types, and are also skilled in close combat with swords such that they could match a Royal Knight or Paladin in pure swordplay. They also gain the passive Riposte: when a Spellsword successfully blocks a melee attack, they may counter with the instant casting of a spell with a wave of their off-hand, the spell not costing anything from their daily spell pool.
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> Phantom: Fights with daggers and bows, and can cast apprentice-level support magic. Wears medium/cloth armor. A Phantom is a Rogue who has successfully come to represent the sin of greed. Using powers treading close to demonic, they whisk about the battlefield wreathed in shadows, assassinating and subduing foes with poison and magic. Phantoms are ultimately not very durable however, and thus may take advantage of the passive Shade Shift to move faster - almost like a blur - when in contact with the shadow of an object that isn't themselves, up until the point they stop touching the shadow. Their ability to wield daggers has also improved immensely, able to rival dedicated close combatants in short intervals by taking advantage of hit-and-run tactics. Through the dark powers associated with a Phantom, they gain the passive Warlock Strike, which allows them access to the Dark element even if they don't naturally possess it, and may create Dark-element skills that conjure magical poisons to inflict upon foes.
> Mirage: Fights with daggers and bows. Wears medium/cloth armor. The most common oddity in day to day life is the feeling that an item has been misplaced with no memory of where it was last left. More often than not it isn't the person's ignorance, but rather a Mirage, that ends up being the problem. They are master thieves, capable of even disarming and pickpocketing enemies in the heat of battle due to the Theft passive. When a Mirage has been discovered, they may also take advantage of their Discipline's blessing to turn invisible once per day.
While they try not to engage in direct combat, they've become skilled enough to in short intervals. They have also gained the ability to become automatically proficient with any weapon they've stolen from another person for up to an hour after their initial theft of the item through the Muscle Memory passive, before it wears off. They also possess the Step Immunity passive, becoming unable to be affected by Step. A Mirage is also precise and agile enough that they can even run across bodies of water or up walls if they aren't too high by making use of the Balance passive. Last but not least, a Mirage can pick and dismantle even enchanted and magical locks and devices through the Soulpick passive.
> Lotus: Fights with swords and bows. Wears medium/cloth armor. Abandoning the ways of a hit-and-run fighter and shadow skulker, a Lotus meets his opponents on the battlefield. They combine the grace of a Rogue with sword skills surpassing even the most powerful Royal Knights and Paladins, and the bow accuracy and deadliness of an Archer, gaining their Perception passive. The speed of their strikes matches even the lightning reflexes of a Gungnir, their striking power surpassing a Brute, and have awakened to the passive of Step: whenever an opponent moves away from the Lotus while in close combat, they may reflexively follow the fleeing individual step for step and movement for movement as long as the Lotus has not been harmed during the enemy's retreat.
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> Berserker: Fights with axes and martial arts. Wears medium/cloth armor. Berserkers fully embrace their rage and hatred, allowing their frustration to power them and keep them moving. A Berserker cannot be budged if they do not wish to be, still feeling the pain of attacks but not allowing themselves to be knocked down by them through the Immovable, Lesser passive. Their axe swings can blow away boulders and trees without the support of any magic.
During a fight, Berserkers can enter a rage state via their Enrage passive that can't be concluded until all enemies have been defeated or the Berserker is knocked unconscious or killed. During this state, their speed grows to match that of a Phantom, and their strikes create air ripples to blow enemies away. While enraged, a Berserker will also passively emit steam from their body via the Burned World, Lesser passive, burning those that get too close to them. However, a Berserker will lose any ability to defend themselves, their mind one of pure aggression no longer seeing the need to block or dodge.
> Monk: Fights with martial arts and staves, and can cast apprentice-level defensive magic. Wears clothing. When a Brute has found a way to make amends with their rage, they become eligible to fight on as a Monk. Doing away with weapons that relieved their anger such as axes, they have instead refined their martial arts to become powerful enough to destroy stone structures with ease, even without the assistance of magic. With an emphasis on precision instead of blind violence, Monks can target specific areas of an opponent's body and disable them temporarily via the Focused Strike passive.
Unlike other casters who usually require specific movements to use their spells, Monks may cast their spells freely during regular movement or even while attacking through the Kata passive. Monks have also awakened to the passive ability of Step: whenever an opponent moves away from the Monk while in close combat, they may reflexively follow the fleeing individual, step for step and movement for movement as long as the Monk has not been harmed during the enemy's retreat. Monks also lose the perceptive weakness of Brute, no longer being tricked or caught off guard easily.
> Beastblood: Fights with axes, martial arts and bestial limbs. Wears cloth armor. A Brute who has accepted their monstrous nature may drink the blood of a vicious beast, gaining the ability to transform parts of themselves into the beast of which the blood belonged to. With enough mastery, a Beastblood eventually learns the abilities and spells that the beast had when they were alive, and even how to become the beast in its entirety at will. A Beastblood will need a strong will, however, or else the monstrous soul within them could take over their mind and body permanently. A Beastblood loses all prior passive abilities gained for their Discipline, instead gaining the beast's passive abilities as they grow in experience.
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> Bard: Studies apprentice-level, scholar-level and master-level support and defensive magic, and fights with daggers and instruments. Wears medium/cloth armor. A Bard continues the spoils and lyrical genius of a Performer with more flair and flamboyance than ever before. They have become a master of their instrument, such that no magic of apprentice or scholar level may harm their instruments at all. Even with attacks that would damage it, such as physical attacks or master-level magic, it will likely still take multiple hits to shatter the powerful protective blessing on the instrument itself. A Bard has also attained speed and skill with daggers surpassing a Rogue, and gain Step Immunity while playing their instrument, becoming immune to the Step ability.
> Dancer: Studies apprentice-level and scholar-level support and defensive magic, apprentice-level offensive magic, and fights with daggers. Wears clothes. A Dancer forgoes an instrument, instead dancing to the tune of their soul. Their swift movements are illusory in nature, mesmerizing the most perceptive of combatants into a trance before slicing them open while they're caught off guard. Dancers can cast spells as a Performer would, but rather than play an instrument, they can cast and maintain spells by staying agile and by moving at all times to their own rhythm via the Dance passive. If a Dancer is staggered, knocked down or otherwise rendered immobile, their spells are dispelled until they can begin moving once more. Their skills with a dagger rivals a high-end Rogue, have gained the Rogue's Agility passive, and when combined with magic, make for a deadly assassin on the battlefield.
> Poet: Fights with daggers. Wears clothes. Some Performers realize that their specialty is not in entertaining others, but by giving hope to others by passing on the stories of those who inspire. A Poet gives up the ability to cast spells naturally or with the assistance of an instrument. Instead a Poet witnesses, memorizes, and writes. With a day of time dedicated to it, a Poet can create a tome of a spell they have witnessed before; assuming they know the name of the spell, the exact effects of the spell, and the first name of the person they saw casting it. It will be a perfect replica of the original caster's spell, with as much or as little power as it may have had. Going along with this, Poets have the Photographic Memory passive and can bring up the smallest details from their mind as if it happened seconds ago. A Poet has no limit to the amount of tomes they can carry, although they must spend a day per creation of a tome and the tome will crumble to dust after a single use. They must also bring something with them to transport their tomes in.
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> Steelborn: Fights with any weapons they create. Wears clothes and any armor they create. Smiths that have decided to continue their passion for weapons of war will inevitably become Steelborn. A Steelborn can instantly recognize the composition and structural strengths and weaknesses of any metallic object, and assuming they can get in an attack on those weaknesses, deal damage to those weak points surpassing a Berserker's strikes through the Deconstruction passive. Despite this, they are still very much non-combative. A Steelborn may now enchant a weapon with a scholar or master spell assuming they have the assistance of a caster able to apply it during the crafting process, gaining the Advanced Enchanting passive.
> Alchemist: Fights with daggers. Wears clothes. Once a Smith tackles the daunting task of herbalism and learning the properties of which plants mix with which, they may become an Alchemist. Forgetting their teachings as a weapon maker, they instead devote their time to medicine both natural and magical - potions and poisons of varying potency through the Alchemy passive. With enough time and experience, an Alchemist may even 'transmute': the process of converting an object's material composition from one type into another.
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Elements, Skills and Spells
Elements: Every creature has a natural element to them. Fire, wind, earth, lightning, water, light and darkness are the basic elements that make up the world of Runix. Some magical creatures are naturally attuned to a particular element, but with some races such as humans or elves it's more ambiguous. For those not born with an element, it will awaken to the individual after receiving their Discipline. Unlike with Disciplines, there is no way to choose one's element - a person is simply born with their element, and it cannot be altered through the academy's methods. The only way for one to control multiple elements not belonging to themselves, is for a person to make use of magic items or become a magic Discipline such as a Magus which can use all elements. Typically, however, people find the greatest success using their innate element; even those capable of using multiple through magic. Non-magic Disciplines may still make use of their elements, by imbuing their attacks and techniques with their element through a type of ability called a skill.
Elements also have weaknesses and strengths against other elements, as listed below:
Fire > Wind > Earth > Lightning > Water > Fire, and Light <> Darkness
Skills: Those without the ability to use magic learn to instead draw power from within, using skills to increase their damage or defense. An example would be a Knight with the element of fire setting their blade ablaze as they slash, creating a skill that would be commonly known as 'Flame Slash'. Disciplines capable of casting spells must instead choose whether to learn a new skill or study a new spell. Those starting out with their Disciplines start with two free slots to allocate to either skills, spells, or one of each. Skills, unlike spells, do not share daily uses; rather, each skill has three uses per day.
Spells: Those who can cast spells may draw from their natural element, or from another that they have studied. Unlike with skills, all spells share a daily usage pool from those that they know. Magic Disciplines at the start may choose any number between two skills, two spells or one skill and one spell to know. At the start, a caster has a daily spell pool of four, gaining more through study and combat experience. A caster also starts with an extra element known for the purpose of casting spells using that element.
There are three types of spells that casters may use depending on their Discipline.
Offensive: These spells damage and destroy, leaving nothing but dust in their wake. The original magic of demons, introduced to the world during their invasion of Runix.
Defensive: These spells reinforce and protect, as well as strengthen the physical or mental abilities of allies.
Support: These spells heal and rebuild, as well as anything miscellaneous that might not fit into either of the other two categories such as magical sleep, paralysis, blindness, etc.
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Name: Race: [Can be any race that is mortal, and that lives to a maximum of 300 years without magical interference.] Gender: Age: Discipline: [You can start with none if you'd prefer to get it IC.] Weapons: Armor: Misc. Items: Element: [Fire, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Water, Light, Darkness. If you're a Discipline with magic, choose two. Natural element first.] Skills: [Start with two if a non-magical Discipline, or your choice of zero, one or two allocated between skills and spells if a magical Discipline. Basic abilities like adding your element to your weapon for an attack, etc.] Spells: [Start with your choice of one or two allocated between skills and spells. Basic spells like shooting a fireball, mending minor cuts and bruises, etc.] Racial Abilities: [Any racial-based abilities or passives that might be natural to your race. Normal humans receive no racial abilities, but will instead start with two character-unique passive abilities.] Passive Abilities: [Non-racial passives, whether they be related to your character's Discipline or even unique to the character themselves. Characters start with any Discipline passives they might have, and one unique character-exclusive passive.] Personality: [Minimum 1 paragraph please.] History: [Minimum 2 paragraphs please.]
With that, we have our crew. I'll get the OOC up within the next few hours, and I'm also considering making a Discord server for the RP to discuss things once the OOC is up, if that's something everyone would be interested in?
I'm thinking up an RP for a fantasy setting taking place in an academy - original concept, I know. It'll have classes (the RPG kind that would appear on one's character sheet), classes (to attend and learn), and classes (of people born wealthy and poor, and perhaps even a narrative challenging the idea of what economic difference means in some way big or small)!
I, myself, won't play a singular character, but rather will act as the one controlling NPCs and writing how the world reacts to the actions of the players. Kind of like a DM, but without the dice rolls and all that. And controlling enemies and villains as well, of course, in order to not have RP combat where a player is basically mashing their character against an NPC they're also controlling like some kind of little kid playing out a fight scene with his action figures on Christmas Day.
And of course, things to be learned through the course of the story that I won't divulge for the sake of letting things progress naturally. It'll be a mix of slice of life at an anime-inspired fantasy academy and all the hijinks that come with such a thing, and a serious narrative when plot points relating to the overarching story come into play. I won't be railroading with the plot though; rather, it'll be up to you guys who you ultimately side with at the end of the day and what choices you make. Save the school, conspire with the villains, abandon your friends and leave the world to its fate - whatever you want, that's up to you.
Going with that, if such choices would naturally progress to character conflict or even IC fights, PVP is allowed - provided, and only provided it makes sense to both your characters' personalities and the situation at hand. There will be an in-universe mechanic to prevent character death under normal circumstances (clerics do exist, so rejoice!), but for serious battles, character death is a very real possibility with no chances of revival upon 'true' death. The signs of a battle having the risk of permanent death will be obvious when it comes along, so plan accordingly.
I'm looking for 4 players right now to get things started, with the potential to add a 5th and maybe even a 6th character later down the line once we get the IC going in a consistent rhythm.
I will also be imposing a 48 hour time limit for the RP. If you can't post within 48 hours of the last post made and have given no reason as to why, the next person in the posting order will be allowed to skip you and make their next post. If you have three skipped posts without giving notice for any of them, you will be booted from the RP. No hard feelings, I've just seen countless RPs die due to simple inactivity so that'll be a rule throughout the entire story. Real life gets in the way at times, and that's cool. But surely you should be able to let everyone know why, and more importantly, if you're okay in the first place.
That being said, I think that's about it for this interest check! Let me know if you're interested. First come, first serve - if anybody is late, they'll be informed via PM at the first opportunity that a spot has opened up for them to join the RP; whether that be a dropped player or the 5th and 6th spots opening up, people will be PMed in order of who showed interest after the initial four people showing interest.
Feel free to ask questions either on here or via PM, and let me know if you want to join! Thanks in advance.
