Quick Synopsis; God(s) died, along with most of the world and the surrounding universe. Demons flood onto the last remaining continent, seeking our complete extermination, and the only thing that can protect us are the Wild Gods; humans imbued with the powers of God(s). Once a year the power seems to seek new hosts, and that time is upon us.
You will be a Wild God, a new deity granted the power to fight monsters, and protect the last bastion of humanity. Will you fall or flourish? Will you bravely face the beasts, or blindly flee back home? Will you hold the monsters at bay, or will you be the one to finally end their advances?
Go ahead and show some interest, and let's find out!
Welcome to the Last Continent. Welcome to Million.
12 years ago the universe as we know it came to an end. A few million people survived. In the first days those numbers were decimated as grief and fear led to mass suicides. Many more were lost as riots over food, shelter, and governance took place. By best estimates the populous at the end of the bloodshed was just about 1 Million.
Then came Arven; our leader.
Arven was a demon. I say was, because in the days just before the end he wound up sharing the demon's plans with God, or Gods; it's difficult to get a straight answer out of him on that one. Because of him we all still exist, even if it's a fractured, disjointed, and largely terrifying existence. In return for his service he was granted a fraction of his(or it's, or their) power. God's own might bestowed upon a demon. Using it he was easily able to contact the survivors of the end of days, to get them organized, and help them come to terms with things. He helped us build our ruined towns and cities into the six Havens. He became our leader, our hope, and he helped us understand five very important facts which we would come to call the five truths.
1. God, or Gods, were real; they had died to save us.
2. We were now the last people in the universe.
3. Demons, devils, monsters; whatever you want to call them they were real too... and they were coming for us, and none of our guns, or knives, or big ugly bombs could hurt them.
4. God(s) hadn't left us entirely helpless; their power had worked it's way into the land, and through it into us when they died. Some people found themselves imbued with the power of fallen dieties, the power to fight back granted not by heritage or right, but by random happenstance... Wild Gods. The Bestowal, as it's called, seems to happen once a year and when it does we do all in our power to find them, arm them, and give them what little aid we can to keep them alive a little longer.
5. Being a God isn't all it's cracked up to be.
That isn't to say that being one doesn't have it's perks...
All of the Wild Gods have the same general range of powers; they're stronger, faster, they can hold their breath longer and take more of a beating. They age slower, and can surround themselves in something that Arven calls Radiance. That last one is the important part. Because sure; you get to be a superhuman, but at the same time you're kind of necessary to hold back the monsters on our front-door.
See; while conventional weapons don't hurt the demons, Radiance does. And more than just around the body; it can be imbued into objects. Of course; the fact that it loses strength the further it gets from someone makes things like sniper rifles kind of useless, but at close range guns were deadly to them, which proved an issue once we pulled our collective heads out of our backsides and realized that we didn't have the resources to keep wasting bullets. Thankfully at closer range swords and clubs, and even big tree-branches can mortally injure the immortal monsters if imbued with Radiance.
But at the same time, they can hurt us, too. They can, and do, kill Wild Gods all the time. The Vildr, as they call them, are a demon's favored snack...
Anyway; on top of the basic powers people have a habit of picking up what Arven calls a 'Domain'. A thing that they're technically the god OF. Every now and then this is useful...
The first known Wild God was a woman named Claire Murdock, and she was the Goddess of Fire. Every flame she saw, she could command, and she could heat the air around her until it caught alight. More importantly every flame she commanded was a part of her Radiance, full to the brim with Demon-slaying power.
Then again, that's not always the case. Marco Valenzuela from last year's crop of Wild Gods wound up getting screwed over by his domain... He sits in a padded room just repeating 'too many' over and over. Arven says he's God of the Dead. Says it drove him insane.
Michelle Finn from the third group of Wild Gods wound up the Goddess of Lions... which seemed incredible until she realized there were only three left in a zoo in the Second Haven. Once one of them fell in a fight she was never the same; she refuses to fight any more, saying that losing one of them hurt too much.
Others are just useless; The God of Stationery died in his first outing. God of Martyrdom played his part too well. The God of Inspiration, while useful on the field, was too cowardly and spends his days in one of the Fifth Haven bars, inspiring new drink combinations to support his own alcoholism.
And some that seem useless are incredible; The God of Rube Goldbergian Machinations, for instance, wound up saving the Third Haven at the battle of Pluto's Spire, wiping out an entire horde of demons with one of his bizarre and overly complex Radiance-charged contraptions. The Goddess of Smoke realized early on that she could actually choke or make ill large groups of demons. The God of Dance found himself to be an untouchable blur of death to the demons.
Anyway; that time of year is coming close... The Thirteenth Bestowal is at hand. You can feel it in the air; like static all around. You can taste it on your tongue; like honey off a polished silver spoon. You can hear it in your dreams; the little whisper telling you your Domain, explaining your power to you...
You are to be a Wild God.
So at this point you may be asking yourself; but what can I //do// in this roleplay. Short answer; anything you want, it’s a roleplay. If you can scheme up a way for it to happen reasonably, it can happen.
That being said here’s a quick list of things Wild Gods are encouraged to do;
-Fight Monsters: The meat and potatoes of the God-Game is the preservation of mankind. Newbies are placed in First Haven, the most well-guarded of the cities, in order to learn their trade. Plenty of Wild Gods from prior generations will be around to help you learn to deal with your abilities, and plenty of Gods and Mortals alike will be available to help you learn how to fight if you aren’t already in the know.
-Quest the Badlands: Resources are limited, and it’s ever necessary to search for more. Metal for everything from weapons to garden rakes to Chatterboxes, animals for food hide and tools, and most importantly water. As the Badlands are rife with Demons only Gods can be trusted with this most important of tasks.
-Gather Believers: Just like the God(s) of old your power is intrinsically tied to belief. Every Wild God is strong in their own right, but those who actively petition followers tend to be stronger still. Some take this a bit further, inventing whole religions for themselves, but that’s personal preference. Noting this trend Arven has allowed the Housing units in First Haven to be converted to Temples or Churches if a Wild God so wills it.
-Search for Survivors: Beyond the Badlands there are still cities out there… Cities that weren’t able to evacuate to the Havens when the monsters first struck. If you make it out that far it’s expected you look for anyone who might still be breathing.
-Study the Abyssal Gates: When the demons come it’s not all at once. They trickle through the Abyssal Gates, the links between this fragment of remaining world and what most assume is Hell. Three Wild Gods have been lost going through the gates, but it is believed that to truly end their onslaught one would have to find a way to safely pass through, and take the fight to the demon army’s leaders.
-Visit Godsfall: In the center of the First Haven lies Godsfall; the place where Arven claims the battle between deity and demon came to its bitter end… A deep scarred pit in the earth where rainfall turns silver as it pools, and mortal and god alike can feel a surge of strength, vitality, and hope. Furthermore; some Wild Gods claim to hear more… whispers, fragmented messages from the God or Gods that came before the end, one one or two occasions a Wild God who visited here has even claimed that God still lives.
-Do Volunteer Work: It isn’t just the fighting that should concern a God, but the aftermath. Many use their bolstered strength and stamina to repair walls and homes that are damaged in demon strikes, and are rewarded for their efforts.
-Relax: It may not seem important now, but between all the activity it’s important to take a break. Kick back, have a drink, watch a bad movie if you remembered to charge the generator. Considering the amount of physical and mental strain Wild Gods undergo this is vital to their continued wellbeing.
Now considering the world is mostly gone some things are a bit different. The names of some things have changed. Some things that didn’t exist(or we didn’t know about) have come into play. And some places have been renamed, so let’s cover that;
Abyssal Gate: The gates that monsters and demons flood through during their attacks. Leads to elsewhere.
Ambrosia: A popular beverage devised by the God of Energy Drinks. Can let you stay up for days, but the crash hits hard.
Arven: The former demon turned God of Mankind; he lives in the First Haven and helps the keep things running smoothly.
Bestowal: A yearly event where the world seems to randomly choose new Wild Gods.
Chatterbox: A type of vid-phone designed by the God of Communications two years after the End to make up for the distinct lack of working Cell-phones and computers.
Cryer: Brave mortal watchmen of the Havens who sound the alarm when they spot demons.
End: The day the universe blinked out, God(s) died, and we were left to fend for ourselves on a chunk of earth besieged by demons.
Heath: A covered flame at the center of each of the Havens. A place for reflection and meetings.
Jen: A nickname for portable Generators, which most people in the Havens are forced to rely on for power.
Million: The name of the Last Continent, the strip of land that tore out of the Earth and was saved. Or rather; the chunks of Earth, as it seems to be composed of bits and pieces of several continents all squished into one Pangean stretch and held together with luck and godstuff.
Minister: The leaders of the Havens; elected officials who do their best to keep things running smoothly.
Monlin: Monere Lingua, or Monster Lingo. The writing and speech used by the monsters who haven’t picked up English. Arven speaks and reads it fluently and sometimes attempts to teach the Ministers or certain Wild Gods.
N.N.: The ‘New Net’, a reformed internet that can be accessed from a Chatterbox. It’s missing a good deal of the stuff we all knew and loved, but is rapidly expanding to make up for what we lost in The End.
OG: Original God; one of those from the First Bestowal whose powers, experience, and wisdom are held in high regard. There are five of them left of the original thirty three and they are each exceptional.
Prayer: While the meaning hasn’t changed the effects have… Gods can hear the prayers of their followers, and directly respond if they so choose. Acclimating to hearing prayers can be… disorienting to say the least.
Slate: A Wild God whose power drove them bonkers. Their brain is a blank slate that their Domain paints upon.
Edward Barone: He is known now as The Mortal God, though during his life most just called him Eddie. A man who, with no Radiance or Godly ability, somehow managed to kill a demon. Though he died in the process he saved a large number of people and is considered a folk hero. Many people have attempted to determine just how he succeeded, but as of yet no luck.
Wild God: People who inherit the power of God(s) during the Bestowal.
And of course there’s places. These I’ll update as we visit new areas, if we get that far;
First Haven
-Godsfall; The crater that is said to be the dying point of God.
-Grayhall; The civic building from which Arven administrates
-Temple Row; the street where new Gods are given temporary housing. Some pay to build temples or churches there and have them maintained even when they move to the other Havens.
-St. Edward’s; A small church on August and 3rd street that was built as a monument to the folk hero Edward Barone
-Eden Center; a shopping market in the First Haven, quite popular.
-Eden Park; believed to once be a chunk of Central Park.
-Banner Row; A street known for it’s rather vibrant nightlife.
-God’s Oak; a large oak tree heavy laden with crosses, stars of David, Islamic moon and stars, and the icons of hundreds of other faiths. A memorial to the fall of old religion.
-Star Row; a street which has been painted to mimic the night sky of old, a reminder of the beauty that once was.
Second Haven
Third Haven
-Pluto’s Spire; A monumental pillar of ice in which a large number of Demons have been frozen to death. Formed by one of the peculiar contraptions of Lars Kourig; God of Rube Goldbergian Machinations.
Fourth Haven
Fifth Haven
Sixth Haven
Badlands
Now that that’s out of the way let’s talk about character creation. Your character is a Wild God, and for the most part you’ll have freedom to make them however you want. The one big point you need to pay attention to, however is their domain. A domain has to be narrow; for instance ‘Ants’ would work, but not ‘Insects. ‘Engineering’, but not ‘Science’. ‘Hatred’ but not ‘Emotion’. Furthermore; while you’re free to choose something like Stars, or Killer Whales, or the like be aware that the universe is gone. Stars have all blinked out and you would feel something was missing, able only to use the basic Wild God skills. With rare beasties there may be only one or two left, and you may not be anywhere near them… So think before you choose.
Aside from that keep in mind that your characters were human until days before the start of the RP. This means they look human, it means they don’t have full control and understanding of their abilities, and it means that there may still be some disorientation from their heightened skills.
When filling out a character sheet please use the template provided below;
Template
:=:=:Name:
:=:=:Alias:
:=:=:Age:
:=:=:Race:
:=:=:Gender:
:=:=:Appearance:
:=:=:Symbol(s):
:=:=:Alignment:
:=:=:Weapon(s):
:=:=:Domain:
:=:=:Application(s):
-Active:
-Passive:
:=:=:Followers:
Explanation
:=:=:Name: Their name...
:=:=:Alias: Some Gods choose to take up new names that match their abilities, or to sound more impressive.
:=:=:Age: How old are they; this should fit within the regular human lifespan as they will just be ascending to Godhood
:=:=:Race: Whichever is applicable
:=:=:Gender: Whichever is applicable
:=:=:Appearance: What do they look like? I like descriptions, but pictures work too.
:=:=:Symbol(s): In tribute to the Gods of old some Wild Gods take up a symbol or mark by which they and those who choose to support them are known.
:=:=:Alignment: Considering there's a common goal this won't be too important as over-arching goals go, but for the day to day interactions it can cause friction between characters.
:=:=:Weapon(s): What does your character slash, bash, smash, and crash foes with?
:=:=:Domain: The overarching theme of their Godhood; this can be a physical thing, a skill, or a concept.
:=:=:Application(s): How can they use their abilities?
-Active: Which applications of their powers can they call upon at will?
-Passive: Which ones just always work, beneath the surface?
:=:=:Followers: Some people have taken to worshiping the Wild Gods, just as they did the Gods of old. This isn't quite as formal as it used to be, what with the face to face interaction, but it seems that those with followers don't tire as quickly, and as they garner more there may be other bonuses.
And last but not least, before I forget it, The Rules;
1. Follow the Guild rules
2. Give your characters Character. There should be no cardboard cutouts or carbon copies or mary sues or gary stus. Your characters should be full of life; they should have flaws as well as strengths and should react to things the way a person would actually react. Remember; they’re new to this God stuff.
3. If you have a question, ask it. Don’t feel like you have to press on blindly; I’m here to help.
4. Don’t fight OOC. If there’s an issue, bring it to me, I’ll listen to both sides and either make a ruling or open it to a vote.
5. Don’t vanish. If you intend to drop out, or know you’ll be leaving for an extended time let me know.
6. Try to have a good time. If it becomes boring or overwhelming let me know and I’ll see what I can do to help.
That’s it.
Welcome to the OOC.
If you’ve got questions, comments, or concerns post them here.
If you just want to get to know your fellow RPers I encourage you to chat.
Hopefully we’ll get the IC started once I start getting more character sheets in.
Good day;
-GS