Appearance: "Yeah, this isn't half bad..." Standing at a solid 5'11", Steven is somewhat tall by kitsune standards; his height seems to have been inherited from his past self's, which is a boon unto itself, but as an aspiring wanderer with dreams of adventure, standing out like that might not necessarily be a good thing.
Personality: Steven is an adventurous spirit at heart, with a great affinity towards exploration and excitement. Had he not been caught up in that fateful plane crash, it is quite possible he would have had to abandon such wishes in favor of a more lucrative path... But those expectations are no more. Wanderlust aside, Steven is just as eager to see what this new fantasy world has to offer as he is to test himself. With media in this genre having been so popular back on Earth, the thought of being able to make his mark on the world is just as exciting as it is daunting. Traveling the world with companions by his side, overcoming overwhelming odds, and not knowing what the next journey might hold... It is a romantic and, as he himself would admit, rather naive view of the life he wants to lead, but some part of him wishes for it even so.
History: Steven is far from unique. As the firstborn son of an two Chinese immigrants to the US, the weight of the world was placed upon his shoulders at an early age. Their dreams, their hopes, their expectations—all burdens he and many others his age grew to share, and under the same banner they grew. Some fell to the wayside, some gave up, and some—like he had—persevered. The days came and went, and Steven eventually found his way into a fairly prestigious private university as a biology major. While he could not say if the hell that was pre-med was worth the trouble that was surely to follow, it did at least allow him the freedom to take a trip overseas courtesy of his own savings. Where else did he wish to go but Japan, then, where so much entertainment that he consumed during his free time came from? Unfortunately, the one thing Steven did not expect was a front-row seat to a re-enactment of a genre trope that had long since played itself out ere long. At least it wasn't a truck...?
Level: 1
Stats:
STR: 3
DEX: 2
MAG: 1
DEF: 1
RES: 1
AGI: 3
LCK: 1
Skills:
Skill Name: Kenki
Skill Description: Kenki can best be described as literally as the name it was given—"sword energy". Though not inherently magical by nature, kenki allows the user to empower swords and increase their blade's power and durability. The more refined the control over this ability one has, the more pronounced the effects.
Other: Can cook, but primarily focuses on East Asian cuisines. That said, it's not an easy thing to do so on the road, and with no familiar ingredients on hand most of the time aside... Nor any knowledge on how to make the components, but that's an issue for his future self.
@TheMushroomLord: As has been discussed, please reframe the skill to fit with the current schema.
Anyways I'm also done with my stuff so... time to slap it up.
Name: Steven Yu
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Race: Kitsune
Appearance: "Yeah, this isn't half bad..." Standing at a solid 5'11", Steven is somewhat tall by kitsune standards; his height seems to have been inherited from his past self's, which is a boon unto itself, but as an aspiring wanderer with dreams of adventure, standing out like that might not necessarily be a good thing.
Personality: Steven is an adventurous spirit at heart, with a great affinity towards exploration and excitement. Had he not been caught up in that fateful plane crash, it is quite possible he would have had to abandon such wishes in favor of a more lucrative path... But those expectations are no more. Wanderlust aside, Steven is just as eager to see what this new fantasy world has to offer as he is to test himself. With media in this genre having been so popular back on Earth, the thought of being able to make his mark on the world is just as exciting as it is daunting. Traveling the world with companions by his side, overcoming overwhelming odds, and not knowing what the next journey might hold... It is a romantic and, as he himself would admit, rather naive view of the life he wants to lead, but some part of him wishes for it even so.
History: Steven is far from unique. As the firstborn son of an two Chinese immigrants to the US, the weight of the world was placed upon his shoulders at an early age. Their dreams, their hopes, their expectations—all burdens he and many others his age grew to share, and under the same banner they grew. Some fell to the wayside, some gave up, and some—like he had—persevered. The days came and went, and Steven eventually found his way into a fairly prestigious private university as a biology major. While he could not say if the hell that was pre-med was worth the trouble that was surely to follow, it did at least allow him the freedom to take a trip overseas courtesy of his own savings. Where else did he wish to go but Japan, then, where so much entertainment that he consumed during his free time came from? Unfortunately, the one thing Steven did not expect was a front-row seat to a re-enactment of a genre trope that had long since played itself out ere long. At least it wasn't a truck...?
Level: 1
Stats:
STR: 3
DEX: 2
MAG: 1
DEF: 1
RES: 1
AGI: 3
LCK: 1
Skills:
Skill Name: Kenki
Skill Description: Kenki can best be described as literally as the name it was given—"sword energy". Though not inherently magical by nature, kenki allows the user to empower swords and increase their blade's power and durability. The more refined the control over this ability one has, the more pronounced the effects.
Other: Can cook, but primarily focuses on East Asian cuisines. That said, it's not an easy thing to do so on the road, and with no familiar ingredients on hand most of the time aside... Nor any knowledge on how to make the components, but that's an issue for his future self.
With a rather uncanny callousness underlining his voice, a rather well-dressed man who looked to be no older than forty took a few steps towards the crashed plane in front of him. There was no sense of trepidation as he stepped closer to the flames, and less so as he simply leaped atop the charred wreck to peer inside.
Hundreds of people, dead in but an instant. Young, old, healthy, frail—as was expected of a tragedy on this magnitude, none seemed to be spared. But despite being surrounded by a scene that could easily carve itself into the mind of people who could bear witness to such tragedy, the man seemed... Unfazed.
Well, that was to be expected, of course. He was here on a little job for his master, whose capricious nature he was bound to follow regardless of his own opinions. Lucky, then, that he happened to arrive at such an opportune time.
Better than than to have to dirty his own hands, after all.
As he stopped near the center of the downed vehicle, the man raised his right arm in front of him and opened a small portal above his head. With his left, he formed a small lantern glowing with blue-green light, and with none others living to witness the scene to follow, raised that same object up and shook it as he would a bell.
The wreckage, at once, seemed to be suffused with a dim glow, and one by one dancing lights seemed to float up and away for but a brief moment before being drawn towards that light.
"Let this humble servant provide you all a second chance," the man spoke as he walked through the portal, each light slowly following in his wake, "though let your choices be yours and yours alone."
Ere long, that ethereal light had faded from the plane, leaving naught but ash and solitude as the gateway slowly closed behind him.
Premise
So... It might not be evident at a glance, but this is a fantasy isekai story. Sure, it seems more like the prelude for an urban fantasy of sorts, but no, it's a fantasy isekai.
With game elements. Yes, how original, I know.
Setting that self-deprecating humor aside for a moment, I'll provide a bit more background knowledge for those who haven't up and left already below.
Having met an untimely demise in the wake of a plane crash, you and a few other people have woken up in the middle of a completely unknown location. What that location is may vary from group to group, but what be more pressing is the fact that you... May or may not be the same person you were before blacking out. More curious still might be the odd UI-like menu in front of you that feels like something straight out of a game, complete with stats, skills, and other miscellaneous information. What to make of the situation is your choice to make, but to what end that may lead, only time can tell.
The System
In order to supplement their lack of experience in this new world, these wayward souls have been provided with a metaphysical construct henceforth dubbed "the System". This System does not turn the world into a game (though some might treat it as such anyways), but instead functions as both a way of quantifying abilities and the capabilities of the user. This does include the capability to gain experience and level up.
That being said, being able to level up does not mean that the natives of this world cannot also grow stronger and break past their limits. Rather, it is that the reincarnated have the ability to steer their growth as they see fit.
Other than that, the System has a built-in record system that functions similarly to a quest log and a messaging function that allows those who have met other wayward souls to communicate with one another regardless of the situation. It does not have a built-in map, minimap or inventory, though.
Only those who have been reincarnated (in other words, the player characters) can access this System, and it is an otherwise foreign concept to many of those who have lived in this world since being born.
Skills
A "Skill" in context of the System can be split into one of two categories: something that "increases the capabilities of a stat or action" or "allows for the execution of some type of action". The former would be something like a basic stat boost (e.g.; [MAG +10]), while the latter would be something more like [Holy Magic] or [Fire Magic]. Merely having a skill in the latter category does not mean that you can use any skill that it might fall under of course, but rather that you can use it at a basic level and that, if condition are right, you can learn how to use more advanced techniques in that vein. As to how to obtain them...
Well, some require luck, some require hard work, and some a mixture of both. Have fun exploring the possibilities!
I do believe that should be everything that I need to present to start? Honestly, this RP idea was spun up on impulse and I'm going to be running things fast and loose. Questions, concerns, or whatever else can be asked below, as usual. Here's a form for those who want to get started on some unapologetic isekai trash prep.
Everyone's entitled to some junk food every now and then, right?
Oh, right, before I forget: I'd ideally like to update once a week minimum, but I am okay with people going for super quick cycles (and participating in them myself). If you don't appear for a week, expect life to go on without you.
Name: Use whatever here, honestly. Taking up a new name? Standing by the one your parents gave you? Live life as you see fit; it's a second chance, after all.
Age: You can split it into physical and mental or just use one if you want. Please be clear, though.
Gender: In the here and now. If you know, you know.
Race: Classic fantasy triage? Sure. Something custom? Run it by me first and we'll talk.
Appearance: Text, images, what have you.
Personality: Self-explanatory.
History: Also self-explanatory.
Level: Your level. You'll gain levels at my discretion, based on things accomplished or otherwise.
Stats: You start with 1 point in each stat at default and can allocate up to five to start. Three points a level, but if I'm going to be honest, stats are going to be more like guidelines than hard values to calculate against for the sake of the story.
STR: Self-explanatory. More STR, hit harder.
DEX: Accuracy. Higher levels of DEX allows for you to hit smaller targets, be more likely to hit stuff, and be able to land things from further away.
MAG: Also self-explanatory. Higher MAG increases your mana capacity and ability to fire out more/stronger spells.
DEF: Physical defense. The higher your DEF, the more punches you can take.
RES: Magical defense. The higher your RES, the more fireballs to the face you can take.
AGI: Speed. The higher your AGI, the faster you can go. There are diminishing returns the more you invest in this, so be wary.
LCK: Luck. The bullshit stat, which will impact the chances of things going your way. As with AGI, there are diminishing returns the more you invest in this, so be wary about trying to lean too hard into this. Luck won't save you from a skilled opponent, and even the luckiest people can have a bad day.
Skills: You get ONE starter skill. No, it's not a cheat, and yes, I will be vetting these.
The echoing wail that Fran had let loose did indeed stop the cows in their tracks, but though the fear that had stopped them in their tracks stopped the rampage, it could not stop their momentum. What had once been a stampede quickly turend into a multi-cow pileup, with multiple heifers crashing and colliding with one another as they ground to a halt. Needless to say, it was certainly a sight to witness for any of the farmhands who still had their wits about them.
The very same action that had stopped the cows had, of course, stopped everything else in the process. Though Rayne was able to weather the storm, everyone around her had not been so lucky. Most of the people who had been running about trying to get the smaller animals back towards somewhere manageable looked as if they were frozen still, their joints locked in place as they struggled to overwhelm the sudden fear striking at their very core. The animals fared no better, and a few seemed to fall over just as the cows had. That did provide a moment to gather them up all the same, though—provided people could get moving and transport them elsewhere before clarity returned to their minds and led to an even bigger freakout than before.
Those nearest the wall—or, in other words, those who Rayne had immediately rushed to assuage the fears of—almost instantly readied themselves for combat as soon as they regained their senses. Their ears hadn't quite recovered from the shriek, but the young woman's gestures and the way she seemed to be more concerned about them than fighting whoever had caused the issue seemed to at least give them reason to slowly return to what they were doing before.
Hopefully it didn't take too long for their hearing to return.
With a rather uncanny callousness underlining his voice, a rather well-dressed man who looked to be no older than forty took a few steps towards the crashed plane in front of him. There was no sense of trepidation as he stepped closer to the flames, and less so as he simply leaped atop the charred wreck to peer inside.
Hundreds of people, dead in but an instant. Young, old, healthy, frail—as was expected of a tragedy on this magnitude, none seemed to be spared. But despite being surrounded by a scene that could easily carve itself into the mind of people who could bear witness to such tragedy, the man seemed... Unfazed.
Well, that was to be expected, of course. He was here on a little job for his master, whose capricious nature he was bound to follow regardless of his own opinions. Lucky, then, that he happened to arrive at such an opportune time.
Better than than to have to dirty his own hands, after all.
As he stopped near the center of the downed vehicle, the man raised his right arm in front of him and opened a small portal above his head. With his left, he formed a small lantern glowing with blue-green light, and with none others living to witness the scene to follow, raised that same object up and shook it as he would a bell.
The wreckage, at once, seemed to be suffused with a dim glow, and one by one dancing lights seemed to float up and away for but a brief moment before being drawn towards that light.
"Let this humble servant provide you all a second chance," the man spoke as he walked through the portal, each light slowly following in his wake, "though let your choices be yours and yours alone."
Ere long, that ethereal light had faded from the plane, leaving naught but ash and solitude as the gateway slowly closed behind him.
Premise
So... It might not be evident at a glance, but this is a fantasy isekai story. Sure, it seems more like the prelude for an urban fantasy of sorts, but no, it's a fantasy isekai.
With game elements. Yes, how original, I know.
Setting that self-deprecating humor aside for a moment, I'll provide a bit more background knowledge for those who haven't up and left already below.
Having met an untimely demise in the wake of a plane crash, you and a few other people have woken up in the middle of a completely unknown location. What that location is may vary from group to group, but what be more pressing is the fact that you... May or may not be the same person you were before blacking out. More curious still might be the odd UI-like menu in front of you that feels like something straight out of a game, complete with stats, skills, and other miscellaneous information. What to make of the situation is your choice to make, but to what end that may lead, only time can tell.
The System
In order to supplement their lack of experience in this new world, these wayward souls have been provided with a metaphysical construct henceforth dubbed "the System". This System does not turn the world into a game (though some might treat it as such anyways), but instead functions as both a way of quantifying abilities and the capabilities of the user. This does include the capability to gain experience and level up.
That being said, being able to level up does not mean that the natives of this world cannot also grow stronger and break past their limits. Rather, it is that the reincarnated have the ability to steer their growth as they see fit.
Other than that, the System has a built-in record system that functions similarly to a quest log and a messaging function that allows those who have met other wayward souls to communicate with one another regardless of the situation. It does not have a built-in map, minimap or inventory, though.
Only those who have been reincarnated (in other words, the player characters) can access this System, and it is an otherwise foreign concept to many of those who have lived in this world since being born.
Skills
A "Skill" in context of the System can be split into one of two categories: something that "increases the capabilities of a stat or action" or "allows for the execution of some type of action". The former would be something like a basic stat boost (e.g.; [MAG +10]), while the latter would be something more like [Holy Magic] or [Fire Magic]. Merely having a skill in the latter category does not mean that you can use any skill that it might fall under of course, but rather that you can use it at a basic level and that, if condition are right, you can learn how to use more advanced techniques in that vein. As to how to obtain them...
Well, some require luck, some require hard work, and some a mixture of both. Have fun exploring the possibilities!
I do believe that should be everything that I need to present to start? Honestly, this RP idea was spun up on impulse and I'm going to be running things fast and loose. Questions, concerns, or whatever else can be asked below, as usual. Here's a form for those who want to get started on some unapologetic isekai trash prep.
Everyone's entitled to some junk food every now and then, right?
Name: Use whatever here, honestly. Taking up a new name? Standing by the one your parents gave you? Live life as you see fit; it's a second chance, after all.
Age: You can split it into physical and mental or just use one if you want. Please be clear, though.
Gender: In the here and now. If you know, you know.
Race: Classic fantasy triage? Sure. Something custom? Run it by me first and we'll talk.
Appearance: Text, images, what have you.
Personality: Self-explanatory.
History: Also self-explanatory.
Level: Your level. You'll gain levels at my discretion, based on things accomplished or otherwise.
Stats: You start with 1 point in each stat at default and can allocate up to five to start. Three points a level, but if I'm going to be honest, stats are going to be more like guidelines than hard values to calculate against for the sake of the story.
STR: Self-explanatory. More STR, hit harder.
DEX: Accuracy. Higher levels of DEX allows for you to hit smaller targets, be more likely to hit stuff, and be able to land things from further away.
MAG: Also self-explanatory. Higher MAG increases your mana capacity and ability to fire out more/stronger spells.
DEF: Physical defense. The higher your DEF, the more punches you can take.
RES: Magical defense. The higher your RES, the more fireballs to the face you can take.
AGI: Speed. The higher your AGI, the faster you can go. There are diminishing returns the more you invest in this, so be wary.
LCK: Luck. The bullshit stat, which will impact the chances of things going your way. As with AGI, there are diminishing returns the more you invest in this, so be wary about trying to lean too hard into this. Luck won't save you from a skilled opponent, and even the luckiest people can have a bad day.
Skills: You get ONE starter skill. No, it's not a cheat, and yes, I will be vetting these.
While he had expected a chase to break out while pursuing the Nidoran, Richard had not expected to have to sprint so quickly after it in the process. A jog or a light run, maybe but not something on this level. Luna was able to keep up just fine, in part due to her own inclination towards it all, but this whole situation was still a question of if he could make it.
Though he had expected to continue his pursuit for a while, Richard found himself given a rather convenient boon in how the Nidoran tried—and failed—to shake him off by attempting a sharp turn and tumbling in the progress. With the distance all but closed now, the Pokemon seemed to finally give up attempting to run and chose to take the fight to him instead.
All the better, really.
"Luna, sit this one out, okay?" Richard said, motioning for the Grass Snake Pokemon to wait on standby before letting Sara out of her ball. The Nacli glanced around for a moment after finding itself in a completely new environment, but it didn't take long for her to realize what it was that Richard wanted.
"All right, Sara, simple orders for you. Use Mud Shot, and don't stop until that Nidoran's about to go down."
There wasn't really going to be any fancy maneuvering here, but it would be likely that the battlefield would start to change if this went on for longer than he had expected. In that case, it'd be a simple enough matter to start forcing the Nidoran into having to wade through the build-up of mud and make it easier to hit, at which point the battle was all but over.
Hopefully it didn't try to run away again, though...