RyuShura

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

@Zombehs That's fine, haha. The more the merrier. Helps numb the pain when the thread eventually dies... er, um. Ahem.

What I mean to say is, Welcome to my little roleplay! :^D

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

It's almost ready... so don't worry... I think. I did hide all the dirty mags right...? D^:

Jokes aside, that's troubling news. If the tags don't work, I'll have to make a post rounding people up somewhere here or back on the INT check. I'll send them off and give official roll call soon, I guess.

Once enough people show up here, you guys can begin posting.
Turn order is lax, just don't go off on a 10 post two person thing though. Xd

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

Holy Smokes. I didn't expect to wake up to all of this... haha... I'm happy to see you're all interested. Don't worry about the cast limit for now. I will be taking an abundance of cast because I know some, unfortunate as it is, will eventually drop out.

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

This will be where characters will go eventually. After they receive their sheets.

As a short explanation of how the stat system will work:

Hider

The main point of this cut-and-dry rubric is to give players clarity, to get rid of the pesky question, 'is my character able to do this?' Let's just say everyone starts at 1 point in STR, DEX, and END, which equates to that of an average human. That means they can do everything you might expect from an average person, but no more. NOTE: However, that won't mean they won't be able to do things that are beyond their limits. By purposefully pushing yourself, you might be able to reach higher levels temporarily, but at the cost of a consequence. (determined by me, though we can always deliberate.) More on that later. As those numbers raise (or fall), it will affect their performance in respective fields, so players will be able to understand their limitations and thus, will be able to think of ways to work around them. It would allow for a clear sense of danger or threat, as no character will be strong in all areas. Hence, teamwork.

The traits are as follows:
STR = How much physical power you have. Also affects general speed.
END = This is how much you can exert yourself, push your own limits, and how much punishment your body can take. Dictates how long you can do something for a prolonged amount of time.
DEX = Your reaction speed, your athleticism, and precision. Important for performing extraordinary feats well.
SPI = Your affinity towards magic and all things supernatural. How well you control magic is linked to this stat, but how much you can output or sustain special abilities and spells is affected by END. Being as your body itself is the medium.

That said, all characters will start the story with all stats being 1/2, with the outlined power-level outlined in the list below. The exception to this is SPI, which will start at 0. Depending on your choice early on, these values will change. To keep things simple, each stat increase is quite significant. From just point 2, characters will already be encroaching superhuman levels. And it only goes up from there.

To answer any concerns you might have about power-creep, yes it will eventually happen, but I assure that won't be too quick or sudden. 'Essence', which can be used to raise these stats, is only earned after large victories and such and only in small quantities. Usually in just 1. The conversion ratio is also 1:1, for simplicity sake.

IMPORTANT: As an extension to this, adding the first point of Essence into SPI grants your character a unique ability they have access to. Their 'Expression', if you will. It will start off weak and difficult to use, but will grow and evolve as the stat increases. Usually they are unique and exclusive to the character, with no duplicates allowed in the party. As these are drawn from the nature of their very own 'Soul', which is unique to each and every person. More on this in the actual Roleplay.

Alternatively, instead of spending it on stats, you can use the Essence to unlock and empower any special abilities or powers your character might have attained, whether from an NPC or other method.

TLDR; These stats are a 'can I', or 'can't I', sort of system that is meant to push characters and encourage teamwork. There will be NO damage rolls, or luck involved, purely used as narrative tools. Leveling is made as simple as possible, with clear progression, so you can quickly go back and fight some more spooky monsters.

General Tier of Advancement:
< 1: Insignificant
1: Average Level
2: Abnormal Level
3: Superhuman Level
4: Demi-God
5: Ascendant
6: Near-God
7: Infant God
8: God
9: High God
10: Elder God
> 11: No Concurrent Data.

Cast List:

Rune_Alchemist, as Isabella
Aristo, as Ezain
kagethekiller, as Orpheus
ERode, as Aiv
Zombehs, as Ihosha
Lasrever, as Dwyn
Eklispe, as Solomon
Jerkchicken, as Unknown
Crabs, as RWBY ROSE

The Central HUB:

(This will be updated as it changes) Nothing. Unexplored.

NPC/Follower List:

During your long and fantastical journey, you will come across remnants of this old world. Most of them, though the few there are, have been turned mad by the strange curse, ready to kill and butcher anything in sight. But some of them are just sane enough to communicate with. Fulfilling their wishes or doing strange favors, or simply just keeping them company, will often result in... something happening. Maybe they'll tell you the location of a strange artifact, provide some information to overcome an unforeseen threat in your path, even feel indebted enough to pledge themselves to your cause, offering special services and perks. They might just plain have nothing better to offer than their eternal gratitude.

In the end, what you do with them, is your own choice.

'Nera' - Ivory Goddess

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Drew this little sketch, might clean up the lines and color it... might not. Mr. Procrastination wants me dead.

The first face the players have met upon waking in this universe, and from what they've learned, is the reason they are there in the first place. The last of the 'Gods', Nera has also explained herself to be the Goddess governing 'Dreams'. She seems an odd sort, sometimes displaying a loving nature in one moment, then flipping to a murderous side in another. What that power might mean, is a different matter. From what it seems though, she cares a great deal over her 'little ones' and will try her best to accommodate their worries, though not without a touch of firmness.

Dreamcatcher, Dreamreaper, Dream-eater, among other nicknames.

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

Introduction

...

You wake up, in an unknown place, in an unknown age.

A sense of nostalgia washes over as you slowly regain your senses. Its feels very familiar, to breathe, as if once again, to move and to feel. Though just barely. Was this another life? When you try to look deeper, there are only grasps swirling inside your mind. There are no clear memories, just hazes and a strange loneliness. Almost like they had been extracted and lost. Your feelings might not even be fully intact either, numb and surely confused too. Everything about you feels fragmented, as though a puzzle that was left undone and unfinished. You look down at yourself, seeing a wispy and unrefined form. Was this what you always looked like? No. That fact you seem confident of, odd enough. Then, was this death? The afterlife? Taking a quick glance around, you are given no more answer than if you had just continued to keep your eyes closed. Only more questions.

Surrounding you are the ruins of a place that might have been grand and wondrous long ago, a pale and dusty stonework that was shattered at the ceiling. The scene outside the opening fills you with awe and dread. Or maybe you might find it familiar. A red stilted sun stares back at you through the crack, from within the bounds of a deep and endless void.

It shines, though barely, like a dying ember.

As you stare at the overwhelming sight, a voice greets you. It echoes in your ears.

"Welcome to our dying world..."

You turn around to see a great figure sitting on the archways that overlap within the shattered structure, a pale young girl with massive horns sprouting out of her silvered-haired head, like branches of an ancient tree. She is staring at the same sky you had been, pale moon-like eyes shining solemnly. An ivory dress wraps around her slender form, and an odd combination of metal plating and armor chained-latched around her body. As if to contain something. Her skin itself glows faintly, bearing a beautiful light which strikes a complete enigma in this cold and depressing place.

Before you can utter a remark, she speaks again.

"You may be confused, scared mayhaps. But do not worry. You are safe from danger, little one, so long as you are here in my domain. I am what you call a deity, a Goddess. The last, in fact..." she says, "You may call me Nera..."

Jumping from her perch, she floats downwards with a supernatural flutter, like a flower petal blowing in the wind. For a brief moment, Black-taloned feet can be seen underneath the folds of dress, which soon disappear as she lands before you, tapping the stone floor with a rhythmic beat.

She stands at an abnormal height, overshadowing you almost.

"I can see it in your eyes, a sea of questions. 'Why am I here?' 'What is this place?' 'What happened to my memories?', among many other things. However, I'm afraid that we must meet with the others, who are also waking. So I cannot answer them all right now. But I can answer the question of 'what' you are, because that one is simple. You are a 'lost soul'. A thing that has been forgotten and has long lost its purpose." her pink lips breaking into a smile, "That title might seem unflattering, and in some ways, it is. But you are also this world's last hope."

She extends a hand tipped with long black claws, "Will you accept this fate, little one?"

...

Afterword:

Now is time I answer some questions. :^D

Firstly, I hope my writing prompt fulfilled its purpose, which was to leave a mystery while both explaining the plot and the setting of this roleplay all at once. I felt like this round-about method was necessary, being that this setting, and one of the major points of this particular roleplay, is to figure out a new and strange world as you go along.

Why no Char Sheets?

As you will notice, I have not provided a character sheet. That is on purpose. This roleplay will feature a 'formless' character from which you will build and develop as you play and earn more power, ranked simply by how much "Essence" they have accumulated. (I know there are other roleplays like this, but I think I have differentiated enough to make mine stand out.) Only once you overcome your first challenges and reach the first tier of power, will you be awarded a sheet to fill out. As a fair warning, there will be stats for traits involved in this roleplay, so if you don't like that, then you might as well turn away now. Now, don't worry. There won't be huge numbers to jumble around or giant totals you need to calculate. Often times, the problem with an XP system, is that it encourages grinding, and doesn't contribute cohesively in a narrative sense. And since we're trying to tell a story, that would be kinda bad. So characters will only really be issued upgrades after major victories, or after special story interactions. Which mostly involve fighting huge terrifying monsters and engaging in epic boss battles, as the the thread title suggests. Each point of 'Essence' earned is big and meaningful, resulting in a 'Level up', if you will. Of course, there will be chances to acquire all kinds of strange loot throughout the journey too. If it helps, imagine this roleplay to be a cross between Shadow of the Colossus and Dark Souls. Although this will have more of a lighter and more fantastical focus, with wondrous, yet depressing, environments and a whole slew of interesting NPCs to interact with. I plan to have pretty much everything in this setting to feel grand and massive in scale, with each step of the journey being tracked as we update the HUB and your sheets.

Yes, you read that right. There will be an expandable HUB area that will slowly be populated by new inhabitants, most of which will help you in some way, and physically change based on your decisions in this strange new land.

Of course, this journey cannot be made alone. This is story where you and your companions will have to fight against all odds, and only together will you be overcome the dark treats that lurk in this world. Even then, no single character will feel like they are any less powerful alone. Each will be epic in their own way. It's just the things you face will be even MORE powerful. Disclaimer; because of the presence of magic and the how the progression of your characters will work, who eventually hit near god-like levels at the end-game, things will start to get real crazy and break all logic and science. If you don't like that, then I'm afraid this roleplay probably isn't for you. 'The rule of cool', goes a long way here. So long as it still makes sense in the context, of course. But don't let that fool you into thinking your character will be of consequences. On the contrary, punishment is taken very seriously. Slip up hard enough and you might lose an arm. Or a friend's.

TLDR; If you are looking for some fun character building, quirky NPCs, a distinct leveling and reward-system, and super epic boss fighting, all in a depressing yet fantastical world, then this is the roleplay for you.

The Cast:

I will only be accepting up to a handful of players for this roleplay, maybe 4 - 6, since this story is meant to focus on a small set of characters. To better grow and develope them. Since this will be a smaller roleplay, I only ask those who wish to join to be fully ready to commit to the journey and willing to interact with the others. If for some reason you lose interest in this roleplay, or if something comes up, please notify me. If not, I will assume you have dropped it in a 7 days of inactive time. Might seem short, but so is a simple update. If you do not care about this roleplay, then why should I treat you the same? (List will be updated over time.)
@Lasrever ^^
@Rune_Alchemist ^^
@Jerkchicken ^^
@Crabs ^^
@zombehs ^*
@kagethekiller ^*
@ERode ^^
@Eklispe ^

Rules:
1. All site rules apply.
2. My Decision is final. - We may debate over what happens, but in the end, if I say something goes. It goes.
3. Be respectful - That means no whining over what happens in the roleplay, or flaming others. We are fully capable of talking out issues and dealing with problems in a mature fashion.
4. Writing Quality - This is under the casual section, but to anyone who is thinking of joining, I recommend a bit of even higher skill than that. At the very least, I expect a coherent understanding of the English language. As for posts, the length of a post does not matter so much to me as effectively conveying your ideas. I'm sure you're tired of reading this, but remember; Quality over Quantity.
5. And lastly; Have fun! That's why we're here, after all. If you just wanna talk in the OOC, I'm always a chatter bug. :^D

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

@Aristo Maybe I didn't word that well.

The main point is to give players clarity, to get rid of the pesky question, 'is my character able to do this?' Let's just say everyone starts at 1 point in STR, DEX, and END, which equates to that of an average human. That means they can do everything you might expect from an average person, but no more. As those numbers raise, it will affect their performance in respective fields, so players will be able to understand their limitations and thus, will be able to think of ways to work around them. It would allow for a clear sense of danger or threat, as no character will be strong in all areas. Hence, teamwork. And don't worry about numbers interrupting the narrative. Maybe a rock needs like 2 STR to push, and your character lacks it. If so, it will always be told naturally through the story.

Also, there won't be traits like INT and stuff, because... well, I think it's kinda dumb. How smart or tactical they are, how they interact with other characters, and their personality, I want that to be up for you to decide.

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

Introduction

...

You wake up, in an unknown place, in an unknown age.

A sense of nostalgia washes over as you slowly regain your senses. Its feels very familiar, to breathe, as if once again, to move and to feel. Though just barely. Was this another life? When you try to look deeper, there are only grasps swirling inside your mind. There are no clear memories, just hazes and a strange loneliness. Almost like they had been extracted and lost. Your feelings might not even be fully intact either, numb and surely confused too. Everything about you feels fragmented, as though a puzzle that was left undone and unfinished. You look down at yourself, seeing a wispy and unrefined form. Was this what you always looked like? No. That fact you seem confident of, odd enough. Then, was this death? The afterlife? Taking a quick glance around, you are given no more answer than if you had just continued to keep your eyes closed. Only more questions.

Surrounding you are the ruins of a place that might have been grand and wondrous long ago, a pale and dusty stonework that was shattered at the ceiling. The scene outside the opening fills you with awe and dread. Or maybe you might find it familiar. A red stilted sun stares back at you through the crack, from within the bounds of a deep and endless void.

It shines, though barely, like a dying ember.

As you stare at the overwhelming sight, a voice greets you. It echoes in your ears.

"Welcome to our dying world..."

You turn around to see a great figure sitting on the archways that overlap within the shattered structure, a pale young girl with massive horns sprouting out of her silvered-haired head, like branches of an ancient tree. She is staring at the same sky you had been, pale moon-like eyes shining solemnly. An ivory dress wraps around her slender form, and an odd combination of metal plating and armor chained-latched around her body. As if to contain something. Her skin itself glows faintly, bearing a beautiful light which strikes a complete enigma in this cold and depressing place.

Before you can utter a remark, she speaks again.

"You may be confused, scared mayhaps. But do not worry. You are safe from danger, little one, so long as you are here in my domain. I am what you call a deity, a Goddess. The last, in fact..." she says, "You may call me Nera..."

Jumping from her perch, she floats downwards with a supernatural flutter, like a flower petal blowing in the wind. For a brief moment, Black-taloned feet can be seen underneath the folds of dress, which soon disappear as she lands before you, tapping the stone floor with a rhythmic beat.

She stands at an abnormal height, overshadowing you almost.

"I can see it in your eyes, a sea of questions. 'Why am I here?' 'What is this place?' 'What happened to my memories?', among many other things. However, I'm afraid that we must meet with the others, who are also waking. So I cannot answer them all right now. But I can answer the question of 'what' you are, because that one is simple. You are a 'lost soul'. A thing that has been forgotten and has long lost its purpose." her pink lips breaking into a smile, "That title might seem unflattering, and in some ways, it is. But you are also this world's last hope."

She extends a hand tipped with long black claws, "Will you accept this fate, little one?"

...

Afterword:

Now is time I answer some questions. :^D

Firstly, I hope my writing prompt fulfilled its purpose, which was to leave a mystery while both explaining the plot and the setting of this roleplay all at once. I felt like this round-about method was necessary, being that this setting, and one of the major points of this particular roleplay, is to figure out a new and strange world as you go along.

Why no Char Sheets?

As you will notice, I have not provided a character sheet. That is on purpose. This roleplay will feature a 'formless' character from which you will build and develop as you play and earn more power, ranked simply by how much "Essence" they have accumulated. Only once you overcome your first challenges and reach the first tier of power, will you be awarded a sheet to fill out. As a fair warning, there will be stats for traits involved in this roleplay, so if you don't like that, then you might as well turn away now. Now, don't worry. There won't be huge numbers to jumble around or giant totals you need to calculate. Often times, the problem with an XP system, is that it encourages grinding, and doesn't contribute cohesively in a narrative sense. And since we're trying to tell a story, that would be kinda bad. So characters will only really be issued upgrades after major victories, or after special story interactions. Which mostly involve fighting huge terrifying monsters and engaging in epic boss battles, as the the thread title suggests. Each point of 'Essence' earned is big and meaningful, resulting in a 'Level up', if you will. Of course, there will be chances to acquire all kinds of strange loot throughout the journey too. If it helps, imagine this roleplay to be a cross between Shadow of the Colossus and Dark Souls. Although this will have more of a lighter and more fantastical focus, with wondrous, yet depressing, environments and a whole slew of interesting NPCs to interact with. I plan to have pretty much everything in this setting to feel grand and massive in scale, with each step of the journey being tracked as we update the HUB and your sheets.

Yes, you read that right. There will be an expandable HUB area that will slowly be populated by new inhabitants, most of which will help you in some way, and physically change based on your decisions in this strange new land.

Of course, this journey cannot be made alone. This is story where you and your companions will have to fight against all odds, and only together will you be overcome the dark treats that lurk in this world. Even then, no single character will feel like they are any less powerful alone. Each will be epic in their own way. It's just the things you face will be even MORE powerful. Disclaimer; because of the presence of magic and the how the progression of your characters will work, who eventually hit near god-like levels at the end-game, things will start to get real crazy and break all logic and science. If you don't like that, then I'm afraid this roleplay probably isn't for you. 'The rule of cool', goes a long way here. So long as it still makes sense in the context, of course. But don't let that fool you into thinking your character will be of consequences. On the contrary, punishment is taking very seriously. Slip up and you might lose an arm. Or a friend's.

TLDR; If you are looking for some fun character building, quirky NPCs, a distinct leveling and reward-system, and super epic boss fighting, all in a depressing yet fantastical world, then this is the roleplay for you.

The Cast:

I will only be accepting up to a handful of players for this roleplay, maybe 4 - 6, since this story is meant to focus on a small set of characters. To better grow and develope them. Since this will be a smaller roleplay, I only ask those who wish to join to be fully ready to commit to the journey and willing to interact with the others. If for some reason you lose interest in this roleplay, or if something comes up, please notify me. If not, I will assume you have dropped it in a 7 days of inactive time. Might seem short, but so is a simple update. If you do not care about this roleplay, then why should I treat you the same?

Rules:
1. All site rules apply.
2. My Decision is final. - We may debate over what happens, but in the end, if I say something goes. It goes.
3. Be respectful - That means no fighting over what happens in the roleplay, or flaming others. We are fully capable of talking out issues and dealing with problems in a mature fashion.
4. Writing Quality - This is under the casual section, but to anyone who is thinking of joining, I recommend a bit of even higher skill than that. At the very least, I expect a coherent understanding of the English language. As for posts, the length of a post does not matter so much to me as effectively conveying your ideas. I'm sure you're tired of reading this, but remember; Quality over Quantity.
5. And lastly; Have fun! That's why we're here, after all. If you just wanna talk in the OOC, I'm always a chatter bug. :^D

Edit: the main thread is up; roleplayerguild.com/topics/166041-sha…

Afterlife: Dead Sun

Haha, that all sounds fun too... Hmm. Yeah, I like the idea of doing something crazy and wacky. Something... esoteric? Maybe? I'm not sure...

After typing that... I had some free time and went ahead to make this doodle of what I'm sorta planning on what my character is gonna look like. I dunno how I feel about it yet. I tried to keep them mostly androgynous, as the OP described the weak souls to be. Even if I don't use this design, I think I'll start out with something in between and slowly work my way towards something as the roleplay continues. :^D

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