FujiwaraPhoenix

Another Life in a Fantasy World (Invite Only)

Nicolas Li

??? — Forest Shrine

Given how the last thing he had felt was the one-two of a speeding car and hitting the cold, hard pavement before blacking out, the last thing Nicolas had expected to feel was a mix of grass and stone upon waking up. Sure, there was something between him and that, but seeing as how he had most certainly gone flying through the air like a ragdoll, surely there had to have been someone able to call an ambulance to pick him up.

...Or maybe someone had tried to dispose of his body after the fact? It wasn't impossible, but theorizing didn't mean much if he didn't at least try to move.

With a grunt, the young man attempted to push himself off the ground and into a seated position—a feat that wouldn't have been possible had he actually still had the dozens of broken bones that would have resulted from being rammed into by a ton of steel—as he finally took in the scene around him. There was an odd serenity to the ruins that surrounded them, but shaking that sense of unease that was still poking at the back of his mind was not so easily dismissed. Nowhere near his college were there woods this overgrown, much less ones that housed old stone ruins that looked like they came out of a game or off a movie screen.

It was then, though, that Nick finally chose to examine himself. There was no sign of injury to be found; the pristine clothes (minus a few dirt stains from where he had been lying moments before) and perfectly able body proved that much.

It didn't take long after that for everything to click, especially when he noticed the fluffy-tailed girl poking another unconscious soul nearby.

"Mmm... Reincarnation it is, then. Damn, what a shitty way to go out," he mumbled to himself as he finally rose to his feet.

"Sure hope being gone doesn't mess everyone up too badly. It was bad enough when gramps died, so I can only imagine how everyone else feels right now..."

Some thoughts, however, were still left unspoken.

"...Right, can't linger on that too long, though. It'd be stupid to die twice in a row," Nick sighed, rolling his shoulders a few times before walking over to the two girls that were probably in the same boat as him and squatted down. "Any luck getting her to wake up? As pretty as this place is, it's not somewhere I'd like to stick around in the long term."

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze@Pyromania99

Another Life in a Fantasy World (Invite Only)

??? — Abandoned Inn

The haze that seemed to cloud your minds after you had closed them for what felt like the very last time soon gave way to the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling. The mattress upon which you lay was stiff and the blanket covering your body had a thin layer of dust upon it—one oddity among many, and far from the last. The room itself is rather rustic, if not unkempt; wooden floorboards and rough-hewn stone make up a majority of the workings of the room around you, and there is not a single piece of modernity in sight even as you rise and take stock of the situation around you. A glance out the window reveals some rather grim sights; even from this distance you can make out what appear to be rusted weapons and skeletons bereft of flesh lying on the streets... As well as some odd figures barely visible in the shaded alleyways nearby. But it doesn't take long for the focus to shift from your surroundings to yourselves in turn.

Your bodies feel no worse for wear in the briefest moments before you examine them, but once you do it is rather evident ere long that you aren't in your own—or, at the very least, the one that you used to know.

Regardless of whatever you do to take stock of the situation, leaving these rooms would bring you to a hallway, likewise connected to other rooms—as one might expect. Having woken up alone, however, one might find solace in the presence of others, equally disoriented by the situation though they might be.

@VitaVitaAR@Crimson Paladin@Rune_Alchemist

Another Life in a Fantasy World (Invite Only)

@Pyromania99@Crimson Paladin: Both OK.

With any luck, I'll have the OP up sometime in the next hour or so. hopefully.

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Kochiya Sanae

Seiga's Senkai

Upon hearing the Hourai immortal's words, Sanae's face quickly curled into a grimace, almost as if she had just been given a cup of coffee and told to drink it black. If something like this had been lying underground, who knew what else could be lurking in wait?

Needless to say, she agreed wholeheartedly with the half-ghost gardener's opinion on the matter. Though the hermit seemed the faintest bit annoyed at the trio's desire to seal the thing up, it didn't appear as if she had any intent to stop them.

"...Well, if it's sealing you need then I can handle that while I'm here recovering," Sanae added as she waved lethargically at the group. "It's not going to look pretty, but if I'm going to be here recovering I may as well help handle that."

To this, Geto finally found the timing well enough to interject with a statement of his own.

"If it's sealing cursed spirits away, I'm sure I can afford to help. I don't believe those two would let me roam around unsupervised anyways, so I might as well make myself useful somewhere a bit more comfortable, no?" he added, to which Seiga simply shrugged her shoulders.

"You two can stay behind then. Rayne, I'd also appreciate it if you could remain here as well for the moment. I'll need some able-bodied assistance if I'm to care for two more people, if only for a little while," she chimed in before flashing the group a smile. "As for the rest of you... I suppose I'm not able to kick you out, but I'm still not particularly pleased about what you did to be here to begin with."

"If you two... Er, three? Are planning to head out, then you might want to meet back up with the others at that inn Rayne mentioned," the green-haired girl remarked before handing the book they had found earlier that day off to whoever would take it. "Might want to hand that off to Anne; she's more the bookish type, so she might be able to make use of that better than us for the moment."

"Ah, I believe I shall stay behind as well," Carol added before the group chose to do anything further. "I'd like to research as much as possible while I have the opportunity, and this seems like a prudent opportunity to do so."

"Then I'll have you putting in some work as well. I'm not going to let you freeload here, either, you know."

---

The Dancing Donkey

By the time the groups had finally reconverged, the sun was finally beginning to set over the horizon. Lively cheer leaked out from every restaurant, tavern, and inn through the street, and the building where the group had agreed to meet was no different. The only real difference at hand now, though, was the distinct lack of half the cast they had started the day with.

For what little it was worth, though, those present didn't seem to be particularly worse for wear. In fact, with one half of the group now with proper funds to spend, not having to worry about lodging or food for a while wouldn't be an issue.

Not that it was an issue for anyone but Anne or Youmu at the moment, but that was a different matter entirely.

The interior of the inn was lit by lamps hung up on the walls, and just barely off to the side one could quite easily see a dozen tables lined up near a kitchen. The servers were milling around as people from all walks of life called for more food and alcohol to sate their cravings.

At the counter stood a bulky middle-aged man who waved at the group as they entered.

"Hello there! Haven't seen your faces before. Welcome to The Dancing Donkey! What'll it be? A room for the night? Food? Both?" he asked with a rather practiced smile on his face.

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze@Drifting Pollen@Rezod92

Another Life in a Fantasy World (Invite Only)

Form

• Name: Nicolas Li
• Age: 21
• Gender: Male
• Race: Human
• Appearance: "Need something from me?"
  Standing at a somewhat respectable 5’10”, Nick carries himself with an air of reserved confidence. His clothing now isn’t exactly suitable for the mess of procuring ingredients or the controlled chaos of the workshop, but it certainly conveys the atmosphere that someone in his newfound line of work “should” have.
• Personality: With a somewhat relaxed demeanor in his day-to-day life, Nick does not seem like the type who one might mistake for a chef—or, at least, not a chef who treats his kitchen like a battlefield (though it may as well be one). In a sense, that judgement would be correct; having never actually had to work in a proper kitchen, the pressures that he is used to are mostly with regards to long-term goals, and towards those he has had ample time to prepare. Paired with a humility and desire to learn from those who know more than he, though, one could consider him an eternal student.
  
  This is not to say that Nick is a doormat or spineless, though; while he may struggle at times with responsibilities thrust upon him, any acceptance of such is built upon a mix of patience and, ideally, mutual respect. Absent of either, the young man is more than willing to simply abandon endeavors in favor of paths that are more productive.
• History: Nick’s life was fairly unremarkable, as most are. Born of the love between Chinese and Japanese office workers who had moved to America for business opportunities, the young man was, in essence, caught between three worlds instead of the “usual” two. For most of his childhood, the young boy grappled with his identity—who he was and how he fit into the world didn’t align neatly, if at all. It was only when he began high school and, half on a whim and half because he was forced into it, began to cook did he find some direction in his life. While a need to excel in academics was more or less forced upon him due to the circumstances of his upbringing, the young man found that the food that he made, be it at the behest of others or for his own personal desires, was the best way to express himself.
  
  Of course, the life of a chef in any capacity was financially reckless, and his parents made that clear as day. For the most part, it was relegated to a side hobby—one among many side hobbies of a young man his age. Thus proceeded his daily life until he got into college, at which point he, by some odd set of circumstances, ended up going to cooking school on top of studying for a degree in biochemistry. This, naturally enough, consumed a rather significant amount of his time and left him the de facto friend that people flocked to in order to get a good meal for cheap. Would that it had continued until he had finished college, though; a rather unfortunate encounter with a student athlete who had drunk a bit too much and was behind the wheel made certain that he was just another life snuffed out a bit too soon.
  
  For what little it was worth, the impact took him out quickly enough that he wasn’t conscious for more than a second after being sent flying.
• Cheat: Dimensional Atelier - Nick has access to a "small" pocket dimension, accessible only to him and those given his OK, that contains a variety of equipment tailor-made for chemistry, alchemy, and the culinary arts that never seem to degrade in quality. It is, in essence, a personal workshop where he can work and store goods, and even rest in a pinch. The entry and exit point is bound to the location where he deploys it, but it can be moved or dispelled at will.
  
  • Skill Name: Fundamentals of Synthesis
  • Skill Description: This skill provides a basic understanding of the usage and functionality of all tools related to alchemy and chemistry. As an added bonus, any items that are produced by someone with this skill will have naturally higher quality than other goods made by the same process.
• Other: Though it might not necessarily need to bear repeating, Nick is quite proficient at cooking despite a lack of any dedicated skills towards doing so.

Another Life in a Fantasy World (Invite Only)

@Raineh Daze@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR: All OK.

Form

• Name: Nicolas Li
• Age: 21
• Gender: Male
• Race: Human
• Appearance: "Need something from me?"
  Standing at a somewhat respectable 5’10”, Nick carries himself with an air of reserved confidence. His clothing now isn’t exactly suitable for the mess of procuring ingredients or the controlled chaos of the workshop, but it certainly conveys the atmosphere that someone in his newfound line of work “should” have.
• Personality: With a somewhat relaxed demeanor in his day-to-day life, Nick does not seem like the type who one might mistake for a chef—or, at least, not a chef who treats his kitchen like a battlefield (though it may as well be one). In a sense, that judgement would be correct; having never actually had to work in a proper kitchen, the pressures that he is used to are mostly with regards to long-term goals, and towards those he has had ample time to prepare. Paired with a humility and desire to learn from those who know more than he, though, one could consider him an eternal student.
  
  This is not to say that Nick is a doormat or spineless, though; while he may struggle at times with responsibilities thrust upon him, any acceptance of such is built upon a mix of patience and, ideally, mutual respect. Absent of either, the young man is more than willing to simply abandon endeavors in favor of paths that are more productive.
• History: Nick’s life was fairly unremarkable, as most are. Born of the love between Chinese and Japanese office workers who had moved to America for business opportunities, the young man was, in essence, caught between three worlds instead of the “usual” two. For most of his childhood, the young boy grappled with his identity—who he was and how he fit into the world didn’t align neatly, if at all. It was only when he began high school and, half on a whim and half because he was forced into it, began to cook did he find some direction in his life. While a need to excel in academics was more or less forced upon him due to the circumstances of his upbringing, the young man found that the food that he made, be it at the behest of others or for his own personal desires, was the best way to express himself.
  
  Of course, the life of a chef in any capacity was financially reckless, and his parents made that clear as day. For the most part, it was relegated to a side hobby—one among many side hobbies of a young man his age. Thus proceeded his daily life until he got into college, at which point he, by some odd set of circumstances, ended up going to cooking school on top of studying for a degree in biochemistry. This, naturally enough, consumed a rather significant amount of his time and left him the de facto friend that people flocked to in order to get a good meal for cheap. Would that it had continued until he had finished college, though; a rather unfortunate encounter with a student athlete who had drunk a bit too much and was behind the wheel made certain that he was just another life snuffed out a bit too soon.
  
  For what little it was worth, the impact took him out quickly enough that he wasn’t conscious for more than a second after being sent flying.
• Cheat: Dimensional Atelier - Nick has access to a "small" pocket dimension, accessible only to him and those given his OK, that contains a variety of equipment tailor-made for chemistry, alchemy, and the culinary arts that never seem to degrade in quality. It is, in essence, a personal workshop where he can work and store goods, and even rest in a pinch. The entry and exit point is bound to the location where he deploys it, but it can be moved or dispelled at will.
  
  • Skill Name: Fundamentals of Synthesis
  • Skill Description: This skill provides a basic understanding of the usage and functionality of all tools related to alchemy and chemistry. As an added bonus, any items that are produced by someone with this skill will have naturally higher quality than other goods made by the same process.
• Other: Though it might not necessarily need to bear repeating, Nick is quite proficient at cooking despite a lack of any dedicated skills towards doing so.

Another Life in a Fantasy World (Invite Only)

Prologue

Between the simply-cut throne of marble atop a grand set of stairs and the spiraling stars flying overhead, one could have easily mistaken the scene at hand from something out of a movie. The intent to draw awe in the scene's presence alone was evident at a glance, but what served to draw the eye amidst it all was a somewhat boyish young man seated upon that throne. His gaze, at once sharp and listless, seemed to linger upon something in the skies above for but a moment before they turned to face whatever lay beneath him.

"I suppose we are due for something interesting this century..." he mused to himself as he moved to rest upon one of his arms. "Maybe Luni's suggestion will be worth testing. Bringing otherworlders in to bring a spark to this world may be just what it needs."

With a limp-wristed gesture, the man raised his free hand towards the sky, then down towards the ground below. Slowly, a small handful of those stars were dragged down from their seats, pulled into the orb that the man had been so intent to place his focus upon.

"New forms, same minds. A scant few boons to aid in their acclimation. No more, no less," he spoke as the sphere flashed with every new light added to it. "Scatter them to the winds. Their lives shall be theirs, and theirs alone; whether they live or die again matters not compared to what change they may bring."

But to what end those souls plucked from beyond would have upon this world... Only they themselves could say now.

Scenario

This is an isekai fantasy RP. No fancy gimmicks (other than player cheats and a little helping hand). Invite only. If you're here, you know what this is about.

Here's a breakdown of the relevant mechanics outside of the usual fantasy stuff.

• Cheats: Standard fare. Something that breaks the rules of logic relative to even the magic of the new world.
• Skills: You get one new skill independent of your past life. This one needs to be reasonable relative to the character, be it conceptually or otherwise.
• System Access: Free text-based communications line that cannot be intercepted or interfered with. Can store records and send messages to other reincarnators. Basically a glorified notepad and chat room.

Anyways, form below.

Form

• 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.
• Cheat: Because is it really an isekai without some bullshit power on hand? You could argue that these are a bit more balanced than most, which obviously means they'll be vetted
  
  • Skill Name:
  • Skill Description:
• Other: Anything else of note? Put it here.

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Kochiya Sanae

Nieve — Seiga's Senkai

Seiga returned Youmu's indignant declaration with a wry smile, but ultimately chose to not give any proper response to her outcry. Whether that meant she was joking about doing so or had a plan to get Youmu to pay her back in due time was anybody's guess, and Sanae was certainly not willing to poke that hornet's nest to try and find out.

More relevant to the subject matter at hand, though, was further focus placed upon the ominous orb that had continued to grip the attention of those present. The necromancer couldn't really blame them, given how it was front and center and just screamed bad news, but it wasn't as if she could really provide much to help on that front.

If there was anyone to help find out, though, the immortal would be exactly the person to ask.

"I chose to err on the side of caution when retrieving that one and had my dear Yoshika bring it back, but she hasn't really told me anything special about it in particular," the hermit replied, lazily waving one hand in front of her. "If you wish to find out, please, be my guest. It's not as if anything can kill an immortal like you for long."

With her tacit approval provided, Mokou would thus be free to interact with the orb as she saw fit. If she chose to touch it, however, the reason behind everyone's instinctual concern around it would become quite evident. A flood of anguish and torment would flood into her from the orb—the feelings of resentment and anger of thousands of souls sealed within. The attack was purely mental in nature, but whether or not the immortal could weather the storm on her own or would need someone to pry her away would be up to her and her alone.

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze

---

Nieve — Mages' Guild

Though it seemed as though she had already been expecting some sort of bad news, Serena's expression turned grim as Anne began to detail to them the events that had just transpired. She said nothing as the older woman spoke her piece and gave her suggestions on how to proceed. Instead, the princess sat in silence with one hand brought up to her mouth, her lips pursed as she seemed to lose herself in her thoughts.

The silence was eventually broken as Serena let out a subtle sigh and looked towards Anne.

"I suppose further investigation is in order," she said simply before quietly producing a bag of coins from a nearby drawer. "I have no reason to doubt your testimony, but revealing anything to the public about this incident would probably raise further issues. For now, please keep quiet about this matter; I'll have some guards check the issue out under some different pretenses later."

With that, Serena calmly handed the bag off to Anne before glancing at the child still in her care.

"That aside, I would recommend you all try and remove the residual curses lingering around you. It's not immediately threatening—I assume you managed to avoid being hit directly—but the traces can still be tracked for a while after they have been placed. Beyond that... You should probably go and rest for a while. It may be likely that I will need your assistance sooner than not."

@VitaVitaAR@Drifting Pollen@Rezod92

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Nieve — Mages' Guild

With little to show for their efforts, the group of travelers chose to make their way back to the Mages' Guild to report the results of their little trip. Though now short a member of their entourage, the trio (and the fae child still in Anne's care) had made their return without drawing too much attention to themselves.

The remnants of the rock dust scattered about on their clothing would have stood out a bit, unfortunately enough.

Once the group had entered the building, it didn't take particularly long for Serena to come down and greet them. With the requested goods missing and the traces of something having gone awry fairly evident to see on them, though, the princess seemed to take a moment to wonder what could have happened to leave them all like this.

"Complications, I presume?" she asked before beckoning the group to follow her back to the room she had been experimenting in before. "Please, fill me in on the details."

@VitaVitaAR@Drifting Pollen@Rezod92

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Kochiya Sanae

Nieve — Beneath the Mausoleum

With every bone in her body desiring some relaxation and maybe a hot drink to get rid of the sluggishness still clinging to her body, the green-haired shrine maiden could barely muster any sort of desire to actually fight her two traveling companions, much less on the side of the necromancer Taoist (regardless of if she had helped them or not). Those not from Gensokyo seemed more inclined towards speaking about the odd disparity in their number (if not questions in general), though, which was a line of questioning that was far less likely to result in any sort of unnecessary combat.

All the more reason to try and help push that along.

"It could be a preference, or it could be something else. Maybe it's easier to reinforce a connection than it is to establish one? That'd explain why I can summon Kanako-sama and Suwako-sama..." she trailed off before glancing towards the still-fuming Seiga.

"Enough about the who and why we're all here! Even if you were looking for me, putting my dear Yoshika-chan in that sort of situation is absolutely unforgivable!" Seiga exclaimed, only for the smallest of the four intruders to raise her hand in response.

"Ah, you can place the blame on Miss Konpaku for that one," she spoke, fully aware that she was effectively sacrificing the half-ghost swordswoman in order to wring information out of the woman. "So if you want to air your grievances about that, please do so with her. I would like to return to my earlier statement. After all, there are more than a few things here—that large black orb most of all—that don't seem to fit in with the atmosphere here. Would you mind enlightening us on why they're here to begin with?"

For what little it was worth, being able to redirect her ire towards Youmu had left Seiga at least a little less inclined towards indiscriminate danmaku, especially within the confines of her own home, and so the hermit slowly drifted towards the ground before entering her home proper.

"Hmph. As long as you're not trying to steal them for yourselves, I don't particularly mind. I have made a promise to care for Miss Kochiya until she has recovered, at least, and I can't very well do so if my house is in shambles... Though I will certainly collect my dues in time. From your mistress, perhaps," she spoke, glaring at Youmu before finally taking a seat. "In any case... Most of these goods were not made by me, nor were they stolen, per se. That orb in particular was a rather nasty piece of work. I believe it was somewhere around two li underground in... That direction? Obviously, I don't have the tools to try and break it down, and trying to do so without any sort of help would be near-suicidal, so I made the choice to simply seal it up here. The other goods were in odd underground ruins I found here and there as I was searching for a place to settle down after finding myself in this world, and they seemed valuable enough to take with me. Does that answer your questions, or do you still have more to ask?"

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze@DracoLunaris