icmasticc

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@GreenGoat - That'll work. Thanks for being understanding. Don't post the character under the tab yet, however. The submission period is still running, presently.

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@GreenGoat - Interesting concept indeed. I was wondering throughout the entire sheet if you were going to directly say what Helja and her father were accused of until I got down to the family section. It seemed like you were teasing just enough to reveal more in the IC, but the family section cleared some of my thoughts up at least. I like it. I also kind of like that she was killed by the Consortium without being arrested. I envisioned all the characters ending up in prison first somehow, but this isn't a bad either. I also like her personality and upbringing. A rich and sheltered kind of character isn't new by any means, but in the vein of this world I feel like you're going to be able to really expand on that and develop the character in a unique way. At least, I'm super intrigued to see how you play her in the IC.

Unfortunately, there are a few problems mainly with your spell, Dead Shape. Dead Shape, while not bad, is way too broad. The definition of dead material varies; I'd be fine with her being able to shape her own flesh into objects or other material, but it would need to be one or the other for now. I would also say the complexity of the object she shapes should increase the magic used to create it. There will be a chance for people to sort of upgrade spells later on (Something I haven't talked about thus far), but at this moment, think a bit smaller scale and more definitive.

Overall, this is another fascinating character to add to the cast. I like the concept and the potential within it. Great job. Oh, and plus ten points for using a Metal Gear reference lol.

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@Sypherkhode822 - So, to start with, I like the direction you took here. A terrorist cell is a nice addition to the world and I also like the idea that they sort of wanted to force the Consortium to use their might to subjugate the world instead of merely protecting it. I can see incorporating Thelemic Dawn into the story through sub-plots and what have you. I also like the hidden character depth you described in his personality. It leads me to believe watching his character development could be a really intriguing experience and he would make an interesting addition to the cast.

Here are a few issues I have with the sheet, however. First, the overall sheet is a bit sparse. I liked reading it, but it was like being teased with the vaguest sense of an awesome character concept. I can see the potential and foundation for a sophisticated man, but I would have liked more information, in the personality and family sections especially. My next thing is a bit minor, but in the Motivation section, I need you to change that he killed Consortium leaders. He can easily have killed Executives, but I haven't revealed the hierarchy of the Consortium yet and the higher tiers, suffice it to say, aren't so easily dispatched.

The last thing are your spells. They are not inherently bad at all, there's just a few problems with their mechanics. Spells in this universe are definite, basically meaning that there is no room for them to grow or improve due to the fact that magical absorption is so dangerous. Object possession is fine, but he shouldn't be discovering any new facets to it because it's a definite spell that has a specific cause and effect. Magic isn't something that grows stronger in this universe, it's a dangerous energy that can be used to do the impossible depending on the amount of energy absorbed. Too much though and sickness or death awaits the caster. The Mist ability is also fine as you've described it, just keep in mind the dangers of magic and I think it'll be fine.

Overall, I like the character itself besides the issues I described. Good job.

@corneredbliss - The first thing I'll say is I love the name Andromeda. I don't know why it stands out so much to me, but that was my very first thought when I looked at the sheet. My second thought was I love the fact that she is a Madame. She has the same potential for some wonderful and interesting character development with her motivation being especially interesting. Suggesting that the Consortium has succumbed to hypocrisy based on their actions is a interesting point of view indeed. I had hoped to mold them into a complex organization that didn't really fit into a good or evil label and your character and history seem to support that notion. I feel like this is the kind of perspective I'm seeking and that kind of thinking can also lead to some interesting sub-plots once the Pass The Baton system is in play.

On the negative side of things, like Sypher, I do wish there was a bit more information given in the family section. Neela and her past sound interesting and, even if you plan to delve into that in the IC, a little primer in the sheet wouldn't hurt anything. Based on the sheet, I'd be eager to read about Andi's family history and learn more as we go through the roleplay itself.

For the spells, I don't have a problem with them as it seems like you've understood that magic can be dangerous and in the case of Sway especially, you've noted that it would take more magic absorption to produce a longer effect which is completely correct. That one toes the line a little, but I'll let it play it out in the IC and see how you handle it as we're going through. Dissolve only stood out to me because it's so similar to my own character's Devour ability. However, the two are different enough that I don't see a true issue so I think you're fine there as well.

Overall, I also like your character and think they'd be a great addition to the cast.

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Good job to both of you! Hopefully we will get a few more sheets here in the coming days, but I will let you know that my plan is to start up the IC either this weekend or next week at the absolute latest. The whole board seems to be in a more quiet phase at the moment, but I don't want to drag out the submission period for too long. Worst case scenario, we'll begin the IC but keep submission open for a number of days to see if we wrangle just a few more characters. As this is a small group RP anyway, I'm not particularly fussed with the amount we have now including the coming character from my co-GM, @Noxious.

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Hey guys, I'll be reading over the presently submitted character sheets and sharing my thoughts on them later tonight or tomorrow at the latest. The impressions will mostly include ways to improve the current sheet if that needs to be done or editing changes that should be made. Rather than deny people, I'd rather help reach an acceptable status.

In the meantime though, hope everyone is having a great week! Persona 5 just released so my rest of the spring is pretty much made lol.

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@GreenGoat - Same as what @corneredbliss said, if you need help hashing out details or even some inspiration, you can PM myself or @Noxious and we'll be glad to see what we can help with.

@Sypherkhode822 - I'll take a look at the sheet tomorrow considering the time on my side of the world (Eastern Standard US) and compose some thoughts along with Noxious. We won't be outright giving out approvals yet because we want to wait for the submission period to end, but we will give our impressions if we see things you can improve on or things that need to be edited and what not.

I just got out of the Ghost in the Shell movie. As a person who has watched both the anime movie and TV series, I thought it was pretty good. I like Scarlett Johansson though, so maybe I'm a bit bias lol.

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This is an Advanced roleplay

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C o l l u s i o n

An Original Roleplay By

icmasticc

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" For some offenses . . . There is only retribution "

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^{Key Points:
{} Co-GM - Noxious
{} Wide Linear Narrative featuring "Pass The Baton" system
{} A mature, dark fantasy set in a modern world where the heroes have already won
{} A roleplay following a group of unabashed villains
{} Magic plays an important role
{} Character-focused with player contributed lore
{} A vengeance fueled tale that will explore the limits of morality}

" This is how the world came to an end "

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" Humans have always been a resilient kind. Even though the species is prone to war and a constant struggle for superiority, they always seem to be able to come together when the threat proves great enough. At one time, this situation came to pass. And, as is their wont to do, humanity came together to repel the threat of self-proclaimed god-beings which, in turn, brought them a unity the likes of which had not been seen before. Seemingly a gift from fate, it was the sudden appearance of magical energy that allowed the world of humans to succeed in protecting their planet and it would be that same magical energy that would spur the creation of the largest peace-keeping organization ever established. Humanity prospered and with the addition of magic, life became easier and much smoother for all. This was not a way of life that was meant to last, however.

As time passed, the conglomerate that called itself the Executives Consortium grew larger and more influential. And as time passed, those born with the innate ability to use magic became more divisive in their intentions. The Consortium established branches in every major country of the world and, alongside regular governments, they made decisions that would impact the needs of the many. One of their primary roles became to police the members of the magically inclined community, or more specifically to punish the criminals who sought to use magic in a way that harmed the safety and stability of others. Under their purview, magically inclined criminals--Casters--were subject to a range of punishments spanning from imprisonment, to exile, all the way to the death penalty--that's when it started. Everything began when they executed that group. Back then, nobody knew just how everything would change after that fateful execution day. I'd say that's when they doomed us all, even if they didn't know it yet.

This is how the world came to an end. "

Welcome to your tale of vengeance

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Hey everyone and welcome to my roleplay! I've created an array of group roleplays over the years, but this one is a culmination of all my favorite aspects. As is stated near the top, this will be a mature narrative set in the uncommonly used dark fantasy genre. What's more important is that this is a story where the protagonists are actually the villains of the plot. Now, we're not talking about mustache-twirling supervillains, but flawed characters that have decided to take their vengeance against an organization that actually saved the world from the usual grand threat years prior. In this story, you, the players, have been executed. For varying reasons that you will create, the Executives Consortium captured and sentenced you to death. However, a mysterious force resurrects this cast and sets them on a path in which chaos follows their every step.

Although the narrative is a linear one, I have implemented a system that I call Pass The Baton. After a certain point, the players will be able to actually become temporary sub-GMs and lead the group in a sub-plot of their own creation. This will not only allow the cast to add meaningful story to the world, but it will also allow everyone to get a deeper look at the characters that come to be. This is a character-focused story where three dimensional, sophisticated people are the stars of the show. While there will be action and there will be set-pieces, good storytelling featuring equally well-made characters is the focus. In addition to this, players will also be able to contribute to building the world and adding to the lore as well. I want this to be a true collaborative effort and though I've laid the groundwork for the universe, I want everyone to feel involved in making this as successful as it can be.

This will be a small group roleplay. Me and my co-GM are only looking for four to five interested parties who will be here for the long haul. It will not be first come, first serve either; we will be judging who to add to the group through the character sheet submissions so everyone has a fair chance at making it in. Below is some information I have provided to help you get a sense of the world and if this should garner enough interest, there's plenty more in the OOC. As of now, this is just an interest check so no commitments are required.

@Noxious and I just want to know... Who would be interested in blazing a chaotic trail with us?

This interest check was also posted in the Advanced section and the OOC thread is already up, but I'll be keeping an eye on this interest check thread as well. OOC link below.

OOC

Magic

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Magic

Nobody knows how magical energy began to permeate Earth's atmosphere, but historical records claim that it was discovered just before the god-beings arrived. The energy exists as a naturally occurring phenomenon in the atmosphere and is absorbed by the human body in trace amounts. At first, these trace amounts had no effect, but it was not long before humans began to produce unbelievable and impossible feats due to this energy. However, it was discovered that only some bodies could actually convert the energy into a state ready to manifest; in laymans terms, only some people could actually use magic while others were not as lucky. After the threat to the world was quelled, magic was studied in more depth and as time passed, people learned how to manifest this magic by way of spells. Spells cause specific effects and was determined to be the best way to utilize magical energy because it was also learned that this same energy is dangerous to human beings in large amounts. The body is basically being poisoned over time, but the natural absorption amount is so small that most people can live a normal, full life if they limit their magical use. The problems arose when some tried to become the wizards they had read about in their favorite novels and upon attempting to completely manipulate aspects of elements with magical energy, they developed a disease that severely shortened their lifespan or outright killed them.

Presently, it is a worldwide known fact that magically inclined humans--or Casters, as they are called--are only able to manifest two spells naturally. Any more would cause more energy to be absorbed and the threat of magical poisoning to become a reality. Coincidentally, because outright manipulation of fantastic power is extremely dangerous, there are no potential threats of sorcerers or highly proficient casters who would have used magic for something as petty as world domination. The Consortium sees this as a fine trade-off for only being able to use two spells with energy manifested from the body.

Talismans
To combat magical poisoning--and to provide normal people a way to benefit from magic--the Consortium developed means to use spells without using the human body as a medium to manifest the energy. They created and mass produced talismans that crystallized specific spells and allowed people to enjoy the ease of life that magic brought without the hidden dangers and provided they could pay for the spells they wanted. The introduction of talismans curbed the rate of magical poisoning due to absorbing too much energy and the majority of the magically inclined lived in relative peace. On the flip side of this coin, there were those who decided to use their innate magical ability and even the talismans for criminal means. All in all, the world eventually returned to a normal state of being with law-abiding citizens living alongside those who had less savory machinations and those who could not use magic naturally were still able to use the talismans alongside those who simply wished to avoid poisoning. Both communities are protected by a combination of regular law enforcement and law enforcement supplied by the Consortium to go after criminals with innate magic ability or who used talismans to aid in their crimes.

Spells
Spells are the manifestations of concentrated amounts of magical energy. They vary greatly and can literally manifest as anything the caster desires as long as they absorb enough energy. The problem lies in the fact that absorbing too much energy can bring about the disease of magical poisoning which results in a slow shutdown of organs at the least and outright death at the most. Due to this, it is a general rule amongst the caster community to avoid attempting to completely manipulate any element or force because absolute manipulation leads to outright death as proven in historical record. Instead, spells that have a specific use and effect are employed.

In addition to this method of harnessing magic, it is also generally accepted that a caster should only ever hone two spells to use consistently. Developing a wide array of different spells results in magical poisoning because the energy absorbed to use them all is too much. As such, even those in the Consortium are relegated to two major spells in the name of safety and a long life. It is also because of these reasons that guns and other standard weaponry did not fade from the world. With magic being as restrictive as it is and highly destructive talismans not existing due to the same safety concerns, standard weapons remained as prevalent as they were since before magical energy existed. It is just as likely, if not more likely, that crime would still be committed with a gun versus a constant barrage of spells. No one wants to die the painful death that magical poisoning affords.

The Setting

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The Setting

I mentioned above that this takes place in the modern world. The setting for this roleplay is a more fantastical, fictionalized version of Earth. What I mean by that is although this is indeed Earth and all the present locations exist on it as they should, there are also fictional locations (which you can create) and fantastical beasts that exist on it as well. I felt like this would ground the roleplay in a semblance of realism while also providing a nice fantasy slant as well. To that end, the technology level mirrors our present reality as well. Guns and projectile weapons, like in real life, are going to be better weapon options than anything melee-oriented and even a martial arts master can be killed by a bullet or two. Cars exist and still drive on the road with four wheels and smartphones and computers are as prevalent as they ever were. This is pretty much the world of today that also adds magic and fantastical beasts into the mix.

You'll see it in the character sheets, but as a player, you will be able to create locations for this world as well and using the Pass The Baton system, we might even be able to visit that location and run through a sub-plot within it if you choose to become a temporary sub-GM and take on that mantle for a little bit. This is why I have provided no map of the world or anything because it's literally just the world we already live in. You're free to find a globe or atlas though.

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@Sypherkhode822 - Might want to take a look at your formatting. Your sheet is not super readable at this moment.

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@Celaira - Yoooooooo. Hopefully you'll join up after reading it all through.

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@Snagglepuss89 - Thanks for letting me know, I appreciate it. Best of luck to you as of well.

@GreenGoat - Nice to hear. We're in the submission phase right now so go ahead and work on a character and we will see how it all shakes out when the time comes to look over everything.

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@Juicy - That's fair, I can get with that. I'll say though, we're looking at a little bit of time before this thing starts. We're in no rush to begin because we want to give people time to come up with quality submissions, characters they can be proud of rather than products of a rushed deadline. Of course, that doesn't mean the submission process will drag either, but you get my point; if you want, you've got plenty of time to make a decision on creating a character or not. I appreciate the consideration though.