So how is it decided what character you have and wether or not it's accepted? I want lancelot but I don't want to write a whole character sheet for nothing if it isn't accepted.
Before the character sheet section, there's a link to a list of mythological figures that are restricted. No one took Lancelot yet, so you're good on that.
Note that if your character is a very powerful being, human or spirit, she is likely to have been noticed and approached by at least a few other beings and groups, for various purposes, so you should include how your character dealt with such occurrences. You can also, of course, make your character currently weak, but have the potential to become very powerful.
I added this to the Biography section of the character sheet, so some of you guys may want to edit your biographies accordingly.
Based on the people who have replied to the thread so far, not counting the hosting team, we have about five players. While that should be enough to get the game going at a decent speed, I encourage you guys to each try to think of some other characters you can make. These characters can be more minor, as said in the opening thread, and less detailed than your "major" characters, but it's still better to fill up the factions a bit more and have more interaction opportunities.
Can different kinds of energy be converted into mana? Like, if mage 1 was in possession of a steady and intense source of heat, could he convert thermal energy into magical energy? I mean, it doesn't violate conservation of energy. The fuel source would eventually run out. However if there was enough energy present it could pay back the energy cost to cast the spell until such a time as it does run out.
It can be done, but only if you know a spell that does this. Heat is fire elemental energy, so skilled fire mages can turn it into mana and absorb it.
And what about antimatter? How does that factor in? Are there magical effects that could replicate the effects of the substance?
No E = mc^2, so there can't be anything that causes matter-antimatter annihilation like in real life. Nor can there be anything that simply destroys matter while ignoring defensive integrity.
How would a massive influx of neutrino particles effect magic and hyperspace, if at all?
Neutrinos normally pass through other matter without any effects, in real life, so whatever analogue they have in my universe would be the same. It most likely wouldn't have any effects.
While there is nothing stopping more than two characters from forming a single Soul Pact with each other, the Codex states that such Pacts are much harder to improve upon than simpler two-people Pacts, not to mention the difficulty of building deep trust between multiple people. Additionally, if the total power of all humans in the multi-Pact is less than the total power of all spirits in the Pact, or vice versa, there will be the same problems as a normal Pact with partners of unequal power. Due to the relative inefficiency of multi-Pacts, channeling one's power through multiple weaker partners is rather noticeably less effective than through a single stronger partner. As such, while some spirits resort to multi-Pacts if they really cannot find suitable partners, the majority of Pacts are limited to one human and one spirit, out of practical concerns.
I changed the mechanics of Soul Pacts involving multiple partners. They're more viable now, if you really want to make one.
And added this to section 3.5 of the Codex:
Similarly, a mage cannot significantly manipulate the magic sent forth by another mage unless the first mage is overwhelmingly more powerful.
I've finished the profiles of my first spirit/human pair, Amatsu-Mikaboshi and Hanazawa Maria. I'll be controlling a number of other characters as well, and their profiles will come later.
In case it's not obvious, a lot of the details of these characters' backstories are left hidden. They'll slowly be revealed as the plot progresses.
Name: Amatsu-Mikaboshi (天津甕星, "August Star of Heaven"); Ame no Kagaseo (天香香背男, "Brilliant Male"); "Mikkun" (みっくん, his partner Maria's nickname for him).
Species: Humanoid spirit of chaos and stars.
Alignment: Neutral.
Partner: Hanazawa Maria.
Faction: The Millennial Union.
Sex: Male.
Age: Unknown.
Appearance:
The human form of Amatsu-Mikaboshi is that of a Japanese man in his late 20s, or perhaps early 30s. He has straight black hair tied into a short ponytail, skin on the fairer side of typical eastern Asian skin tones, and black eyes that can feel rather intense and piercing at times. His face can be considered very handsome, though only by certain Asian standards, in a somewhat effeminate "pretty boy" kind of way that's rather far from the western imagery of a ruggedly masculine "hunk"; this is further dimished by his facial expression usually being an emotionless poker face, rather than anything more welcoming. At 170 cm, his height is average by Japanese standards and somewhat short compared to Caucasians, but his physical build is lean and graceful, with the toned muscles of a gymnast. He is almost always sharply dressed and immaculately groomed, usually wearing a black business suit and pants, formal black leather shoes, a white dress shirt underneath the suit, and a black and white tie. Even in otherwise informal situations, Mikaboshi's dress code is almost always at least business casual; the only thing out of the ordinary is what appears to be a green computer chip necklace (see Possessions). Using his magic, Mikaboshi can conjure whatever clothes he wants (see Abilities), but he usually prefers the aforementioned outfits.
Mikaboshi's spirit form has the same body shape as his human form, except made of a black and deep midnight blue energy with motes of glittering white light within, resembling the night sky. His outfit now resembles a simple men's kimono, also made of the aforementioned starry black energy, meaning that it seems to blend into his body. A basic oni mask covers his face, with two short horns protruding from the sides of its forehead, all made of the same energy. Inside the darkness that are his eyes, Mikaboshi's irises are now each a point of bright, gleaming white light, similar to the glittering star motes inside himself but more prominent.
When transforming, Mikaboshi's body smoothly shifts between the two forms, with little fuss or fanfare.
Mikaboshi's voice is the same in both forms, a smooth, even male voice of medium pitch.
Aura: Mikaboshi's aura is largely the same as the starry chaos that makes up his spirit form. Gazing into it is like gazing upon the night sky, evoking a sense of calmness, mystery, and inscrutable depth.
Personality:
To those around him, Mikaboshi appears to exhibit an almost machine-like degree of stoicism, nigh-perfectly calm and collected at practically all times, to the point where no one has ever seen him lose his composure. The only times when he can be seen displaying even any remote hints of emotion are when he spends his time off with his partner Maria, during which he sometimes allows himself a small smile or two at her rather overt displays of affection. His demeanor is usually quite amiable, and he does seem to be actually capable of understanding others' emotions. Though Mikaboshi isn't likely to win anyone over with charisma or personal magnetism, few can deny his sharp intellect and analytical capacities, such that he can perform competently in a leadership position through reasoning alone. His problem-solving style is cautious and conservative, usually seeking to minimize risks before proceeding.
Due to how difficult it is to tell what Mikaboshi is thinking through his mask of stoicism, his likes, dislikes, and other personal preferences are unknown to all but his closest and most trusted colleagues. Those that do know him well know that he strongly values intellectual freedom, and prefers peaceful resolutions, seeing violence as a waste of resources that is to be avoided whenever possible. There are likely much further depths to his mind, but as of now, only his most trusted partner Maria is privy to these secrets.
Many people who know of Mikaboshi assume that his relationship with Maria is a romantic one, given the frequency and openness with which she shows her affection for him. However, Mikaboshi himself declines to comment whenever he is inquired about such topics. Due to his lack of emotional displays, it's unclear if he even has any interest in love or sex at all.
Biography:
The history of this spirit before he took on the mantle of Amatsu-Mikaboshi is shrouded in complete mystery.
The previous Mikaboshi was a giant monstrous being of starry chaos, an obscure god known by few outside the upper ranks of the Japanese pantheon. Though he was of human-level intelligence, Mikaboshi pursued little more than the indulgence of his whims and impulses, most of which involved roaming the expanses of the Outer Chaos and savoring the tastes of the myriads of chaotic souls that spontaneously came into existence there as he consumed them, and attacking the occasional small village situated in the fringes of civilization whenever he felt like it. Around a century or so ago, some minor Japanese god sought to prove his strength by slaying Mikaboshi. The god of chaos promptly devoured his challenger, but was angered enough by the attack that he gathered an army of chaos monsters to assault the Japanese pantheon. A few major Japanese gods were killed and replaced in the attack, but ultimately Mikaboshi was no match for an entire pantheon, and fled back to the Outer Chaos.
The next time anyone ever saw Mikaboshi was 30 years ago, not long after Millennial Day, but that time it was a radically different Mikaboshi. Though still made of starry chaos, he was far more human-like, and almost unbelievably more in control of his emotional urges. He went to the Japanese pantheon to inform them that he had killed and consumed the previous Mikaboshi, apologize on the previous Mikaboshi's behalf, and state that he'll use his power as Mikaboshi for the good of humans and spirits alike. Most of the Japanese gods reacted to him with distrust and hostility, except the dawn goddess Ame no Uzume, whose previous incarnation was ironically one of the gods killed by the previous Mikaboshi's attack. Ame no Uzume cheerfully ran off with Mikaboshi to the human world, and helped him found Mikaboshi Corporation, a company that combined magic with human technology to improve quality of life. Whoever this Mikaboshi previously was, it was clear that he had a plan, as the magitech produced by Mikaboshi Corporation rapidly rose to prominence in the human world and contributed significantly to preventing the complete collapse of human society. It also made him quite rich, before he used that wealth to fund the creation of the Millennial Union. Though seen as hopelessly naive by some, the association with Mikaboshi Corporation helped the Millennial Union gain credibility and members, until it had grown to be one of the major factions in the world today.
Until five years ago, Mikaboshi's human partner had been Sebastian Crawford, a wheelchair-bound old man of a computer programmer who shared Mikaboshi's hopes and visions for the future. However, during a large-scale raid on Mikaboshi Corporation by the Protectorate of Humanity five years ago, Sebastian proved to be not strong enough to withstand channeling Mikaboshi's full power, and was rendered permanently brain-dead by the exertion. Having no choice but to find a stronger partner, Mikaboshi severed his contract with Sebastian, and disappeared from the public eye for a while. He returned some months later with a new partner, the young Hanazawa Maria, whose beauty and vivacious personality made her a spokesperson and poster girl of sorts for the Millennial Union.
Nowadays, the Union is gaining momentum, but still undoubtedly one of the weaker factions, not to mention its goals are in direct opposition against several of the other factions. Despite his power and intellect, Mikaboshi still has a long and difficult road ahead of him. Currently, he has an overall management role in the Union, coordinating its various projects and expanding the faction's influence.
Skills:
Disciplined Mind: As one may tell from his stoic attitude, Mikaboshi possesses an extraordinarily disciplined mind. It is almost impossible to read what he is thinking or feeling from his general demeanor, or provoke him into making less than rational decisions. This means that virtually no one can tell if he is lying, but neither will he appear very sincere when he is telling the truth, making it a double-edged sword. His concentration is also nigh-flawless, allowing him to focus on a task and be unaffected by distractions. Lastly, his mental defenses are extremely powerful, and practically airtight, allowing him to all but nullify the vast majority of magic that attempts to access or influence his mind without permission, and strongly resist those that he cannot nullify.
Intelligence: Mikaboshi is a highly intelligent individual, with powerful analytical faculties and a keen attention to detail.
Technology and Engineering: Mikaboshi appears to possess a thorough understanding of many forms of modern human technology, primarily electronics. This was a significant part of how Mikaboshi Corporation was able to revolutionize modern computing and long-ranged communication. He claims to have acquired the knowledge from newly human-turned spirits before Millennial Day, but declines to comment further.
Spiritual Knowledge: Mikaboshi possesses the amount of knowledge of magic and the spirit world, including its geography and history, that only a truly ancient spirit is likely to have. He declines to comment on how such knowledge was acquired.
Martial Prowess: Mikaboshi is a deadly physical combatant, highly proficient in many forms of martial arts, weapons, and marksmanship. He is no grandmaster in any one of them, but his versatility nevertheless makes him formidable. His physical body is exceedingly fit and agile as well.
Languages: Mikaboshi is fluent in English, Japanese, and a number of other major languages in the world. He has presumably lived long enough to learn each.
Cooking: Mikaboshi is a decent cook, and knows a few recipes from some different cultures.
Abilities:
The true extent of Mikaboshi's power is unknown. But considering that he was able to defeat and consume the previous Mikaboshi, and his performance against various groups that had attacked him and his organizations before, he seems no weaker than the major gods of other pantheons.
Being a person who favors simplicity, Mikaboshi is usually not one to give fancy names to his magical abilities. However, Maria insisted on giving his abilities wacky, over-the-top names that an eighth-grader might find cool, so Mikaboshi indulged her and complied.
Yozora Kyokei (夜空虚景, "Night Sky Hollowscape"): This is the ability that produces the black and midnight blue starry chaos that Mikaboshi's spirit form is made of. If his human bodily structure is damaged or disrupted in any way, it is able to rapidly dissolve into this starry chaos to reduce damage. In spirit form, Mikaboshi is able to freely shapeshift his body, and it has no vital spots, aside from where his soul is located in the mass of starry chaos; this spot can be moved around at will. This form has the standard weaknesses of amorphous beings. The starry chaos has the following properties: - Mikaboshi can change its hardness, elasticity, and texture at will, allowing him to form a variety of appendages from it, for both offense and defense; stronger and tougher ones cost more energy. He often manifests a large number of sharp black tendrils, which can strike with deadly force and speed. Its appearance can also be made to resemble ordinary objects, and this is actually what all of Mikaboshi's clothes are made of, though it'll rapidly return to its default appearance if disrupted by some external thing. - The starry chaos can drain energy from whatever it touches, causing weakness and potential death. The draining effect's magnitude can be adjusted, including turned off entirely, and made to selectively affect certain targets; stronger draining costs more energy. Especially tightly-bound energy is more difficult to drain from, and Mikaboshi may spend more energy in the draining attempt than he absorbs. The effect can also be reversed to transfer energy to another being, though this only costs energy if Mikaboshi is trying to force the transfer on a somehow unwilling target. - Mikaboshi can telepathically communicate with, and attempt to mentally influence, minds that are in contact with the starry chaos, with the usual limitations. These frequently manifest as whispers from within the chaos. - Every detached piece of the starry chaos is connected to Mikaboshi through hyperspace, and can be remotely controlled, allowing him to make clones of his body. It also acts as a beacon that he can quickly teleport to; the usual rules of teleportation apply. He has several beacons in certain secure places in the world.
Shiraboshi no Kamui Hikari (白星の神威光, "White Starlight of Divine Authority"): This is the ability that produces the motes of white starlight within Mikaboshi's starry chaos. The starlight can be extended outside the chaos in various forms. The starlight has the following properties: - The starlight has no physical impact, but can "soak" into other structures to inflict its effects. Denser or otherwise more well-crafted defenses are more difficult to soak into. - Mikaboshi can convert different sections of the starlight between its effects at will. This is a delicate procedure, and thus becomes much more difficult if the starlight is already inside a target's body or some other kind of powerful, complex magical structure. Failed conversions cause the starlight to fizzle into harmless energy. - The starlight can produce an intense searing effect that disintegrates matter on contact, which feels like burning but is heatless, as it is a purely magical destruction effect. This effect can be adjusted and made to selectively affect targets. Mikaboshi usually uses this in the form of thin, intensely concentrated piercing beams. - The starlight can selectively disrupt and burn away magical effects, positive or negative. This can be used to cleanse debuffs or dispel buffs. More powerful effects will only be weakened instead of removed. - The starlight can selectively heal targets. Living matter will be helped to regrow, potentially restoring lost limbs and the like, but matter incapable of regrowth will only be fully repaired if all the broken pieces are still present.
Miscellaneous Minor Rituals: Using his extensive knowledge of magic, Mikaboshi can jury-rig his chaotic energy into the suitable types of energy to power many of the miscellaneous minor rituals that he knows. However, this usually requires a lot of preparation, time, and concentration, and the rituals' effects are invariably much weaker than what Mikaboshi can naturally do with his own magic, so its usefulness is limited; it is practically useless in the heat of combat.
Soulshards:
Like with his magic, Mikaboshi is not the type to name his soulshards, but Maria also insisted on giving them "cool" names.
Yoruhebi no Tachi (夜蛇の太刀, "Greatsword of the Night Serpent"): A tachi, i.e. a long (80 cm) Japanese katana-like sword, made of Mikaboshi's starry chaos, but without the glittering star motes inside it; it is effectively a sword made of midnight-like darkness. The blade can extend like a snake, hence its name, and has more powerful versions of the starry chaos's properties. If Mikaboshi is not fighting seriously, he often uses only this sword.
Meisatsuboshi (明殺星, "Bright Killing Star"): A kodachi, i.e. a short (60 cm) Japanese wakizashi-like sword, made of Mikaboshi's intense white starlight. It has more powerful versions of the starlight's properties, and is thus very good at cutting through things, like a lightsaber. However, since it has no physical substance, it cannot be used to block or parry attacks. This sword is usually dual-wielded with Mikaboshi's first sword if he fights an opponent seriously.
Ougi · Hoshizora Zanmetsuken (奥義・星空斬滅剣, "Ultimate Technique: Slaying Annihilation Sword of the Night Sky"): The most absurd-sounding, but also the most powerful, this combines Mikaboshi's two swords to form a 70-cm katana that resembles the normal starry chaos, except with much larger and brighter four-pointed stars blazing within; the darkness also seems darker and sucks in light surrounding it. This has stronger versions of the other two swords' properties all at once, and is thus difficult to maintain for long without tiring him out, so Mikaboshi only uses it if he intends to use his absolute full power.
Possessions:
Sebastian's Memento: This is the most prized memento of Mikaboshi's former partner Sebastian, an eccentric necklace holding a green computer chip fragment lovingly preserved from the first computer that the old programmer ever received in his childhood. Mikaboshi enchanted it with powerful self-replenishing reinforcement magic to prevent it from breaking, and wears it when in a casual outfit in human form; it is usually teleported elsewhere when not worn.
Name: Hanazawa Maria (花澤 鞠亜); "Marin" (まりん, doujin singer pseudonym). (Remember that Japanese are family name first, given name second.)
Species: Human.
Alignment: Hybrid (Light/Neutral/Dark).
Partner: Amatsu-Mikaboshi.
Faction: The Millennial Union.
Sex: Female.
Age: 23.
Appearance:
Maria is described by many people as "extremely attractive", among certain other far cruder words that will not be mentioned here. She is half-Japanese, half-Caucasian, with a face that is more youthful and cute than mature and beautiful, but frequently bears a devilishly seductive smile, showing a curious interplay of purity and allure. She has straight, glossy black hair that flows past her shoulders, practically flawless fair skin, and a lithe hourglass figure, with curves in all the right places that rival the best of glamor models and spirits of beauty. She is 165 cm in height, but often appears slightly taller, due to the heels of various heights that she almost always wears. Needless to say, Maria's appearance is unrealistically perfect, especially considering her lack of rigorous dieting, exercise, or any other beautification routine. Many people can sense the copious amounts of magic that suffuse every fiber of Maria's body, at which point it becomes obvious that magic is what maintains her beauty, akin to a fantastical form of makeup. Those who prefer more "natural" looks may find this somewhat off-putting.
Maria has some minor physical mutations. Her eyes are a bright violet, a color that human eyes don't normally have. She has a pair of small, black bat-like wings growing out of her back, and a thin, leathery black devil tail with a heart shape at the tip, making her resemble a succubus. But Maria shapeshifts her minor physical features often, including hairstyle, hair color, eye color, and other minor mutations, so these are only her "default" mutations.
Maria has a great number of different outfits of various styles, conjured by magic, that she wears depending on mood, practically all of which focus on sex appeal more than anything else. The style that she wears the most often is somewhat like Gothic Lolita, with a lot of black leather, as well as red or pink lipstick and nail polish, and occasionally some tattoos. Many of them show quite a bit of cleavage, and skin in general, though not to the point of public indecency. She has a fetish for "zettai ryouiki", so many of her outfits include thigh-high stockings or boots, paired with miniskirts or short shorts. She is also fond of high heels (though not too high; she considers anything above four inches to be overdone), and wears them almost all the time, with an intricate series of force-redirecting enchantments on the heels to ensure that they do not hinder movement or combat. Lastly, she often wears both a silver cross and a Satanic pentacle pendant at the same time, because she thinks they look cool, and have the bonus of annoying Christian fundamentalists.
When at the office in the Millennial Union, Maria usually wears a "sexy secretary" outfit that's on the borderline of professionally acceptable; whether it's on the right or wrong side of the borderline is a matter for contention. It consists of a white dress shirt loose enough to show a hint of cleavage, a black skirt with length that's a hand or so above the knee, sheer black stockings or pantyhose, two-inch black pumps, and sometimes glasses (fake ones for fetishistic purposes; Maria has perfect vision).
Maria has a soft, sweet voice that's rather pleasant to listen to. Be it magic or perfume, she also often has the fragrance of a number of different types of flowers at once.
Aura: Maria's aura is a soft, shimmering purple, with many other colors of the rainbow gently shifting, splitting, and merging within it in mesmerizing patterns. It is sweet, alluring, and intoxicating, similar to the auras of the succubi that Maria resembles, but also seems to have a sense of ethereal purity to it that hints at joys and pleasures beyond the merely carnal. When in one of the alternate states of her dream magic, Maria's aura changes. See Abilities for more details.
Personality:
As it is probably obvious from her appearance and clothes by now, Maria is exceedingly vain, believing herself to be one of the most beautiful things to ever exist in the universe. Her confidence in general is unshakeably strong, and she does not need to defeat or belittle others, or seek others' approval, to validate her own sense of self-worth. However, it still makes her feel very good to have people admire, love, or desire her, and she is utterly shameless, so she almost always flaunts her sex appeal whenever possible, as long as doing so isn't harmful in some other way.
Maria is what some may describe as an ethical hedonist, and lives to experience the various manners of pleasures that live has to offer. She is fascinated by the concepts of beauty and aesthetics, especially sexual attraction, and is happily and enthusiastically expressive in her creation and savoring of such things of beauty; this is another reason why she flaunts sex appeal all the time. She is very openly bisexual, and appreciates both male and female sexuality. She is also rather mischievous and playful, and likes to tease people, especially with sexual innuendos. In addition to sex, Maria is also enthusiastic about the Japanese concept of "moe", or cuteness, making her a fan of anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture in general.
Given her apparent obsession with sex appeal, not an insignificant number of people are quick to write Maria off as a shallow, brainless beauty with nothing underneath, but this can't be further from the truth. She is highly intelligent, and possesses an insatiable curiosity, always wanting to know more about the world and how it works. She passionately believes in personal freedom, imagination, variety, and spontaneity, and dreams of making the world a more fun place for everyone. She has a rather quirky sense of humor, which favors silly, over-the-top, and sometimes more than a little nerdy things. She likes a number of stereotypically girly things, including romance, idol singers, small cute animals, and sweets, and also some stereotypically manly things like comic books, action movies, video games, and "badass" things. There are not many things that she dislikes, the most notable among them being conservative Christianity, which stands against many of the things she loves.
However, Maria is not without her flaws, most of which are direct consequences of her more positive traits. First, there is her overwhelming vanity and pride, which are no doubt distasteful to those who prefer more humble people, and may cause her to overestimate herself; there is also her tendency of attention-seeking that some may find annoying. Due to her personal principles, she detests notions of duty and responsibility, and social norms and traditions, and has very low patience for boredom, monotony, and inflexible schedules. And her whims can often turn vindictive against those she despises, most often those who go against the principles she stands for, prompting her to humiliate and torment the targets of her ire for personal amusement, far beyond the point of necessity.
Most people who know of Maria assume that she is in a romantic relationship with her spirit partner Amatsu-Mikaboshi, seeing that she is very openly and physically affectionate with him much more than what is considered appropriate between friends, and the fact that she turns down all other suitors. However, Mikaboshi himself declines to elaborate, and Maria simply says it's a "secret", and playfully tells people to "use their imaginations".
Biography:
Maria's past, before she became the partner of Amatsu-Mikaboshi five years ago, is unknown to most of the public. Whenever inquired about such matters, she always states that she'd rather not talk about it, accompanied by her mood turning notably sourer than before. Some people have dug up records of a girl with the same name as Maria at some obscure Christian orphanage in the US, though the girl looked almost nothing like her. But then there is Maria's strong dislike of conservative Christianity, and the fact that she has the same family name as Cardinal Bishop Hanazawa Seiko, one of the most devout and powerful human members of the Celestiarchy, so there are still quite some rumors floating around.
It's well-known that the previous human partner of Amatsu-Mikaboshi was the paraplegic old computer programmer Sebastian Crawford, who became brain-dead from the strain of channeling Mikaboshi's full power during a Protectorate raid. Mikaboshi then disappeared from the public, and returned a few months later with Maria affectionately clinging to his arm. The very fact that Mikaboshi's new partner was a beautiful, then 18-year-old girl, when his previous partner was an old man, raised quite some eyebrows, and many people instantly dismissed Maria as having only been chosen because of her attractiveness and youth. Because of said attractiveness and youth, as well as her outgoing personality, Maria quickly became a poster girl of sorts for the Millennial Union, appearing in many of its advertisement campaigns to advocate the Union's goals and philosophies. Some people still believed her to be a brainless beauty, who only said things that her superiors told her to say; it didn't help that the other main things she did in public were fashion and glamor modeling, including for lingerie brands like Victoria's Secret. Maria herself never cared the slightest bit about what those people thought of her, of course, and there were nevertheless a notable amount of people who recognized her magical power, intellect, and authenticity of words. Aside from modeling, Maria performed singing and dancing covers of various songs with her best friend Ame no Uzume, the Japanese goddess of dawn and entertainment, on YouTube and Nico Nico Douga, and even released a few CDs together in the Japanese doujin music market.
Nowadays, Maria remains one of the most active members of the Millennial Union. In addition to being one of the people who handles the ad campaigns, her main role is going out to scout for and recruit new members for the Union, as office work is far too boring for her. The job is perfect for her personality, and she likens it to a grand adventure, where she gets to meet interesting new people all the time.
Skills:
Indomitable Ego: Maria possesses an amount of true confidence rivaled by few people in the world. It is virtually impossible to make her doubt her own capabilities, ideologies, or self-worth, and thus it is very difficult to psychologically manipulate her or fool her into making bad decisions. Her indomitably powerful ego also operates as an extremely strong mental defense, allowing her to nullify or at least strongly resist most hostile mental magic used against her.
Intelligence: Maria is very intelligent, intensely curious, and a quick learner of most things.
Self-Hypnosis: Through a combination of various meditative techniques taught to her by Mikaboshi, and modern hypnotherapeutic techniques, Maria can put herself into a deep hypnotic trance. The trance drastically enhances her concentration and visualization capabilities, blocks out distractions, and can allow her to enter certain alternate mental states that are beneficial to her dream magic; see Abilities. Note that hypnosis is not mind control, and cannot make a person do something she subconsciously does not want to do, so this does not make Maria more vulnerable to outside influence. She can also instantly snap out of any self-hypnotic trance whenever needed.
Knowledge from Amatsu-Mikaboshi: Through their telepathic connection, Maria has learned many of the things that Mikaboshi knows, mostly science and magic. However, she has little experience at the moment in actually using this knowledge, and thus cannot apply it to practical situations very well.
Martial Prowess: Maria has received rigorous martial arts training from Mikaboshi, aided by the telepathic link. She did not have time to learn everything that Mikaboshi had to offer, but she learned enough to be highly proficient in agility and finesse-based swordsmanship, unarmed combat, and marksmanship. As a result, she is physically very fit and has excellent reflexes.
Singing and Dancing: Maria has learned singing and dancing from Ame no Uzume, the goddess of entertainment, and been practicing for the past five years; the dancing also synergizes well with her agility-based martial arts training. She is quite flexible in the types of songs and dances she can perform, but mostly covers J-pop and related genres. She is good enough to have professionally debuted, but found record labels to be too restrictive, so she has mostly limited herself to Japanese doujin circles with Uzume.
Seduction: Beautiful, confident, uninhibited, and extremely in-tune with her own sexuality, Maria knows how to move and act in ways that can arouse the desires of many. She even knows how to bring out the most appealing aspects of her aura, so she can entice the sixth sense as well. This is, however, not a mind-altering effect; it's only effective on people who are already attracted to the type of women like her in the first place.
Languages: Maria is fluent in English and Japanese.
Otaku Knowledge: Maria has some significant knowledge of anime, manga, light novels, and other Japanese pop culture. Unlikely to have practical uses, but we never know…
Cooking: Maria is not phenomenal, but at least passable, in cooking.
Abilities:
Like Mikaboshi's, the full extent of Maria's power is unknown. But considering the fact that Maria was chosen to be Mikaboshi's partner after his previous partner was proven to be not strong enough, her power must be considerable indeed. Those who have seen Maria fight can confirm this speculation.
Due to having watched a little too much anime, Maria tends to give her magical abilities various impractically fancy, overblown, anime-esque names.
Yumeiro no Kaleidoscope (夢色のカライドスコープ, "Dream-Colored Kaleidoscope"): This is mostly Maria's only magic, but an extremely flexible one, allowing her to conjure various substances and objects from her "dreams", i.e. conscious and subconscious mind. An energy she calls "dreamstuff", usually resembling her aura, is materialized, then shaped by her imagination to have the desired properties. She can theoretically mimic the magic of other beings with this, but doing so requires a thorough understanding of the magic she wants to mimic, which she rarely has, so she's usually limited to conjuring simple objects and elemental substances. All following abilities are simply different ways of using this one ability.
Yumeiro no Incarnation (夢色のインカーネーション, "Dream-Colored Incarnation"): This is the magic that has thoroughly infused Maria's body, as mentioned in the Appearance section. Though her body appears only mildly mutated, it is in fact practically as heavily mutated as possible on any human, being entirely made of dreamstuff, allowing her to shapeshift at will; this is how she maintains her nigh-flawless beauty. Her clothes are made of dreamstuff as well, so she can conjure any outfit she desires. Maria can exist without problems as nothing but a cloud of dreamstuff, with the standard weaknesses of amorphous beings; destroying her physical body will cause it to dissolve into this state. Learned from mimicking Mikaboshi's starry chaos, Maria can remotely control detached pieces of dreamstuff through hyperspace, use them as teleportation beacons, and attempt telepathic communication and influence through them.
Yumeiro no Prism Trance (夢色のプリザム・トラﾝス, "Dream-Colored Prism Trance"): The effectiveness of Maria's dream magic at conjuring various types of substances depends strongly on her current mental state. Therefore, Maria can use self-hypnosis to put her into an alternate mental state, or "trance", which effectively "shifts" the elemental alignment of her dream magic, increasing its effectiveness in one area while decreasing effectiveness in other areas. Each trance doesn't change her intelligence or core beliefs, but simply exaggerates and dampens some of her personality traits; her aura will change accordingly as well. She'll never be as skilled in any element as an actual specialist, and her fighting style is always based on agility and speed, but she always retains at least basic proficiency in every element in any trance. It takes a second or so to switch to a different trance. Unless stated otherwise, each trance can last indefinitely. The trances are listed below. Each trance has its own main color as described, but also has hints of all other colors of the rainbow shifting within itself; the mood given off by her aura also changes to reflect the appropriate trance. In the Blaster, Crystal, Nebula, and Blooming Trances, Maria's eyes change to their corresponding colors, while her eye color stays violet in the other trances.
Gen'iro no Soul Trance (幻色のソール・トラﾝス, "Illusion-Colored Soul Trance"): Maria's default state, in which her personality is normal, and her aura a shimmering purple. In this state she is good at conjuring illusions that can fool the senses and inflict mental damage, but the illusions have no physical substance and can be easily disrupted by attacks; those with more powerful or skilled senses can see through illusions more easily. She can also make ethereal attacks that pass through physical matter, disrupts magic, and damages mana vessels, though they can be blocked by energy-based structures. Her conjuration of all other elements is slightly enhanced in this state as well.
Honooiro no Blaster Trance (炎色のブラスター・トラﾝス, "Flame-Colored Blaster Trance"): Maria becomes haughty, passionate, and thrill-seeking, and her aura becomes a fire-like red. Her ability to conjure fire, heat, and explosions is enhanced, and she gains considerable raw attack power.
Hyouiro no Crystal Trance (氷色のクリスタル・トラﾝス, "Ice-Colored Crystal Trance"): Maria becomes cool, analytical, and curious, and her aura becomes an icy crystalline blue. Her ability to conjure water, ice, and coldness is enhanced, and she gains considerable defense and precision.
Kumoiro no Nebula Trance (雲色のネビュラ・トラﾝス, "Cloud-Colored Nebula Trance"): Maria becomes energetic, cheerful, and optimistic, and her aura becomes a nebula-like golden yellow. Her ability to conjure wind, gases, and electricity is enhanced, and she gains considerable speed and evasion.
Hanairo no Blooming Trance (華色のブルーミﾝグ・トラﾝス, "Flower-Colored Blooming Trance"): Maria becomes elegant, self-assured, and artistically-minded, and her aura becomes green with floral and vine-like patterns. Her ability to conjure acids, poisons, and plant matter is enhanced, and she gains considerable disabling potential.
Myouiro no Pure Trance (明色のピュア・トラﾝス, "Light-Colored Pure Trance"): Maria becomes gentle, empathic, and compassionate, and her aura becomes a soft angelic white, almost Light-aligned. Her ability to conjure healing, cleansing, and bolstering energies is enhanced, and she gains considerable hybrid defensive and support capabilities.
Yoruiro no Shadow Trance (夜色のシャッドー・トラﾝス, "Night-Colored Shadow Trance"): Maria becomes indulgent, mischievous, and sadistic, and her aura becomes a shadowy demonic black, almost Dark-aligned. Her ability to conjure destructive, draining, and debilitating energies is enhanced, and she gains considerable hybrid offensive and support capabilities.
Saiiro no Rainbow Trance (彩色のレイﾝボー・トラﾝス, "Multi-Colored Rainbow Trance"): Maria's personality remains normal, but her aura becomes an intense psychedelic blend of the colors and textures of all the other trances' auras. This is a hyper mode that combines the benefits of all the other trances, so it cannot be maintained for long without exhaustion.
Yumeiro no Paradise (夢色のパラッダイス, "Dream-Colored Paradise"): Maria fills a large portion of space around herself with a strong energy field of dreamstuff, resembling the colors and textures of her current trance aura. Overall, it makes the affected area resemble a dream world of some kind. Maria can rapidly teleport to any point in this area, and conjure substances at any point, though the influence does not extend into other significant magical structures or solid objects, e.g. people's bodies. The Paradise takes quite a bit of energy to maintain, so it cannot be used for long without exhaustion, especially if used simultaneously with the Rainbow Trance. Obviously, the larger the area is, the more energy it costs; she usually keeps it no larger than a few city blocks or so.
Soulshards:
Yumekiri (夢切, "Dream Cutter"): A katana made of dreamstuff. The blade has a translucent glass-like sheen, and has colors and textures underneath that correspond to the aura of Maria's current trance; the shape of the hilt guard and color of the hilt wrapping change accordingly as well. The sword has enhanced versions of the current trance's specialties.
So is Zeus still available? I didn't see him on the list but I just wanted to make sure no one claimed the god of pervers...I mean the sky.
Yes, Zeus is still available. However, seeing that he's, you know, Zeus, he's gotta be one of the most powerful and influential spirits in existence. I can still let you play as him, but quite a bit of responsibility comes with that kind of power; I'll expect you to contribute pretty significantly to the plot as Zeus. Anyways, I just reserved Zeus for you.
Oh, and people don't need to add "[ACCEPTED]" to their accepted characters now. Now I have a section of accepted characters, and characters who appear in that list are considered valid.
EDIT: Added a couple more things to the first post:
Because the prevalence of [looking for Soul Pact partners], certain services have been created to make them easier, such as online advertisements and agents that seek out potential partners for clients as a paid service.
As explained in the Codex, projectile-type soulshards are no less viable than other types of soulshards, so don't be afraid to have those.
This is a new explanation that I added just now, in the section about soulshards, since @Sawdust thought having Zeus's thrown thunderbolts as soulshards wouldn't be viable.
Second edit: Just clarified that in the Possession section, you should not list your soulshards there. There's a separate section for soulshards for a reason.
Third edit: Added this to the Codex, section 2.2.1:
Generally, the effects [of a magic circuit] produced are more powerful if more mana is channelled through the circuit, but too much energy may be more unstable or difficult to control.
So you can put more mana into your spells to make them stronger. I thought something like that would be obvious, but other people might not be as well-acquainted with my setting, so I added that in.
Also added this paragraph:
Depending on the magic circuit’s construction and effects, certain types of mana may be more efficient than other types in activating the circuit. For example, a fire magic circuit will usually be more effective if powered by fire-aligned mana, and less effective if powered by ice-aligned mana. Certain mana types may even cause additional side effects, which may be beneficial or harmful. For example, channelling lightning-aligned mana through the aforementioned fire magic circuit may produce superheated electrical plasma instead, but end up frying the circuit. Very skilled magic users can control these effects to certain extents. Note: The magic circuits inside souls generally won’t be permanently damaged by such side effects, unless soul overdrive occurs (see section 2.2.5).
Edit 5: Added another section, 3.11, to the Codex, describing the weaknesses of amorphous beings, e.g. beings made of fire or slime. Those were always in my setting, but I forgot to add them to the Codex until now.
Edit 6: Added this to section 1.2 of the Codex:
Note: Some forms of mana may resemble light, but actually isn’t, so they do not actually travel at the speed of light, unless they’re extremely powerful. Close to demideity power level (see section 2.2.3) is needed to do this to even small and light objects.
And this to section 3.4:
Also, as the magic comes into contact with its target, only the target’s surface layer will be affected, and the magic must try to force its way down to subsequent layers.
Edit 7: Added a few things to the inter-faction relations. More specifically, how the other factions treat the Mythic Accord, Millennial Union, and Wandering Souls.
Edit 8: Added this to section 1.2:
Similar to chemical reactions in real life, most forms of mana cause mana reactions when coming into contact with other substances, and hence produce their physical effects. The mana itself is “consumed”, converted into other forms and substances by the reaction, so that the reaction will eventually run out of the needed fuel and stop. It is thus difficult to produce a self-perpetuating mana reaction, and all reactions should be assumed to be limited in duration unless specified otherwise.
Also specified in section 2.2.1 that magic circuits simply convert input mana into further refined mana that have more specific effects. In other words, this is still limited by the mana reaction thing added above.
Edit 9: Added in the Codex that teleportation and wormhole creation becomes more difficult and costly if done too frequently or too far, due to hyperspace destabilization, and traces are more obvious and harder to cover up too. To avoid this, wait for hyperspace to restabilize before traveling through it again.
Among the Infernal Legion, demons do not dream, nor sleep. For sleep is for the weak and foolish, those who allow themselves to become easy prey for the stronger and more cunning. The only demon of note to have dared to sleep every night was the former Prince of Darkness himself, whose overwhelming spiritual power and unparalleled combat skills allowed himself to be convinced that no one could succeed in harming him, even if they attacked during such periods of relative vulnerability. And that had proven to be his undoing.
But one can still contemplate, and reminisce. Asmodeus, the current reigning Prince of Darkness, closes his eyes, and thinks back to an earlier time, when he was foolish enough to challenge the Father of Demonkind to a fair duel for the first, and last, time. Though it was millennia ago, the memory remains fresh, and continues to strike a chilling chord in the Crimson Fiend's heart.
"For this once, I will grant you the privilege of making your first move," said Satan, the barest hint of a mocking sneer on his handsome face. His eyes, orbs of the deepest purple, swept over the red-skinned demon prince with a cold glint of amusement and pity. "Do not waste it, and do not disappoint me." As he spoke, three pairs of dark bat-like wings expanded forth out of the back of his elaborate pitch-black robes, their form and arrangement a twisted mockery of the white seraphic wings that the Adversary possessed prior to his fall from Heaven. Waves of demonic energy rippled around him, sending his dark hair and opulent garbs aflutter, and even in this leashed state his immense power was palpable to everyone present.
With a snarl, Asmodeus summoned his soulshard, the demonic trident that was the source of inspiration for humans' imagery of the devil's pitchfork. The head of the three-pronged spear burned with hellish crimson flames and noxious black smoke as its owner gathered power, preparing to unleash his strongest attack.
For an instant, Asmodeus met Satan's eyes, and saw the barest hint of a mocking sneer. It sent the then-young demon prince over the edge.
"TURN TO CINDERS!" Asmodeus bellowed, at the same time plunging the tip of his trident into the ground. A fiery demonic power rapidly spread from that point, turning the obsidian floor into lava imbued with poisonous fumes and Dark magic. Within mere seconds, the entire arena was transformed into the Lake of Fire, the Crimson Fiend's most dreaded spell that had claimed countless souls in Hell's name. But Asmodeus was not content with this display. Satan asked him to attack first, so he did, sending a further pulse of magic into the massive pool of Hell-magma. An instant later, a dozen or so geysers of liquid Hellfire erupted from all around Satan, converging upon his comparatively tiny figure from all angles simultaneously, while the entire Lake surged upwards in an infernal tide to engulf the Prince of Darkness whole. The moment Satan was swallowed, Asmodeus willed the magma to compress itself around its victim, producing temperatures hotter than the cores of stars all the while crushing Satan with immense pressure and entombing him in a volcanic prison. As the magma settled into a giant lump of obsidian, Asmodeus could already feel a small hint of fatigue in his bones, for he had just unleashed as much energy upon his enemy as he possibly could within such a period of time.
"Is this all?" Asmodeus suddenly heard Satan's voice resound throughout space around him, even though the Adversary should still be trapped inside his magma prison. "Pathetic."
The prison shattered.
The first things Asmodeus saw were six weapons, each cutting and piercing through the Crimson Fiend's hyper-dense demonic stone as if it was nothing more than wet clay. An axe, a scythe, a spiked mace, an undulating whip, a drill-like lance, and a serrated sword, each a soulshard in its own right that channelled Satan's terrifying power. As the stone prison shattered, Satan's own monstrous battle form was seen, a hulking six-armed humanoid dragon clad in not scales but heavy plates of the deepest, darkest fell metal that seemed to suck in what little light that existed in this arena. From the gaps in the creature's armor bled out a thick ooze of smouldering, throbbing Hellish red, spontaneously forming eerie sigils on the armor's surface, as if it was perpetually stained by the freshly spilled blood of thousands. Satan's shadow, now given material form by his power, trailed behind and around him as six serpentine heads of pure darkness, roughly following his limbs' movements. The sheer pressure from the Beast's aura felt almost solid, as if the fabric of space itself was held down by the shackles of Satan's immeasurable sin. His eyes, now akin to torches of blazing crimson power, pierced into Asmodeus's, and for an instant the younger demon felt a hint of fear.
Then the attacks began.
Asmodeus barely registered the creature's draconic jaws opening before his vision was engulfed by an endless expanse of blackness, its sheer power assaulting his senses and feeling almost akin to being swallowed by the ineffable Abyss itself. Armor of demonic stone reflexively formed around Asmodeus to protect him, but even through it he felt intense, searing agony as the blast scoured his body and mind alike. With his immense willpower, Asmodeus managed to not falter, before his senses screamed at him for an even greater power rapidly approaching. Through reflexes honed by the past decades of relentless training in the pits of Hell, Asmodeus barely managed to swerve to the right and back, before the black lance slammed itself into the ground where he stood an instant ago. Instead of pushing outwards with the shockwave of its impact, the drill-like weapon was spinning madly and suctioning in all things around it like a dark vortex, and it was all Asmodeus could do to steel himself and not be pulled in before the spear's gyrations ceased. He was only granted a second of reprieve, before the six additional shadowy heads of the Beast unleashed their own breath weapons, and this time Asmodeus focused power to create an exceptionally thick and well-fortified obsidian shield in front of him so he could-
Pain.
It took Asmodeus almost an entire second to realize that Satan was now standing to his front left, where the black lance had landed. The soulshard must've allowed Satan to teleport to it, bypassing Asmodeus's obsidian shield entirely. But instead, Asmodeus was more focused on the jagged sword impaled through his torso, right where his heart was. His body was too powerful and well-built to die simply from the sundering of a organ that pumped blood, but losing such a vital organ still made him violently spasm; soon he'd likely be too weakened to continue fighting. He thought of getting away, but then he felt the curved blade of Satan's scythe behind his back that would sever his spine if he tried, and a moment later Satan's whip twined itself around Asmodeus's legs and dug its thorns into his flesh. The axe was held against a side of his neck, and the mace above his head, ready to bash his skull in. For good measure, Satan's shadow materialized behind Asmodeus, the six serpentine heads spreading out to seal the route of retreat if there even was one, and numerous tendrils formed out of the blood that dripped from the Beast's armor extended to block off even the sides.
"I win," said Satan, his voice still perfectly even and smooth despite his current monstrous form.
The Crimson Fiend said nothing. There was nothing he could say.
"To any and all who dare to challenge my rule, allow me to remind you that I am God, and this world is mine to do with as I please," Satan's voice boomed across the arena, to all the demons that were watching. "And unlike that pretender up there in his so-called Heaven, I am a fair and just God. Serve me well, and you shall be handsomely rewarded. But rebellious subjects are not useful to me, and will be crushed without mercy, like this wretch before me." He spat on Asmodeus's face, and the younger demon felt the caustic liquid's sharp sting, before Satan dissolved his soulshards and allowed Asmodeus to crumple to the ground in a bleeding, broken heap.
For an instant, Asmodeus felt an all-consuming rage within himself, a desire to sacrifice all of his body and soul in a titanic explosion, as a final act of spite. Even if his strongest normal attack failed to wound Satan, an attack fueled by the very power of his whole existence must perform differently... But no, that would not do. His power still had much room for further growth, and Satan could not have been that much stronger than him. So he suppressed the burning fire of his rage, and held on to an ember of it deep within himself. One day, he would learn of all of Satan's secrets... And then, Satan would be the one crushed beneath the feet of Asmodeus, the ruler of all that is and will be.
As Asmodeus opens his eyes, he smiles. Oh, how glorious it was... Even a century after, his heart still flutters with excitement when he thinks back to that moment, when he finally was able to destroy the enemy that he hated and despised with all his being. Yes, his heart, now made of molten obsidian, after his former heart of flesh was torn to shreds in his duel against Satan so long ago. The wound could have healed, but never did, as he instead filled it with black stone as a reminder of his terrible failure, and of his vow to make Satan pay for his impertinence... It was not easy, arranging for every single demon prince to unite against Satan, for Satan's words were far more trustworthy than those of the demon princes, who even now must be each plotting their plots that would grant them control of the Infernal Legion. But no matter. Soon... Soon, the Horsemen will be complete.
Yes... Sometimes, the humans manage to produce some truly fascinating ideas. A laughably inaccurate transcription of the Celestiarchy's teachings, the human Bible speaks of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, harbingers of true ruin that will spell the world's end. Regrettably, such beings never existed in Hell's history... Until now. Satan had been a fool, forbidding the extraction of energies from beyond the sealed Abyssal Gate, for its supposed "dangers". With Satan out of the way, and Asmodeus's ascension to the throne of the Prince of Darkness, he was finally able to take the true power of the Abyss and forge it into the gestalt ultra-demonic entity sleeping before him. War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death itself... A single component of this superweapon is more powerful than any spirit in existence, he's sure of it, more powerful than even Satan himself. Though he does not understand the inner workings of the eldritch energies powering this awe-inspiring monstrosity, it is still made to obey Asmodeus and Asmodeus alone. Soon, he will be unstoppable.
Also, nothing says a human-spirit pair have to be in the same faction, but them being in different factions may make them distant from each other and have less opportunities to deepen their bond.
Added this to the character sheet.
EDIT: Also added this to the Millennial Union's goals:
Additionally, the Union is working with all manners of individuals and organizations in improving the quality of life in the Bastions, and pacifying the Wastes.
And clarified that the Union doesn't have an official army, and is only secretly preparing for war, i.e. the public doesn't know.
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