Stern Algorithm

One Piece: The Sea Reaver Pirates Reborn

I'll toss my interest in here. I think I may have been part of a previous iteration.

Infactorium: A New 4Xpansion (Overlord RP) [DISCONTINUED]

During the week, Gammaton personally wandered into Anzelgard in an attempt to understand the beings she had resolved to surpass. With her disguise, she went by the name of Vanessa the Alchemist. Using her knowledge gained from consuming Szilard's brain, Gammaton was able to give a decent enough foreign backstory as to avoid scrutiny. 'Vanessa' quickly formed a 'friendship' with the blacksmith, Cormac, giving her a place to go and have an intelligent conversation when she was tired of observing the citizenry. She peddled simple potions for competitive prices, striking up conversations with her customers and analyzing their hopes and dreams. however, no sooner had she started her infiltration did the shadowy figure appear in the skies over Anzelgard, and it was all the local populace could talk about. Gammaton wondered waht it was doing. It didn't seem to be hunting, yet had staked this area as its territory for some inexplicable reason. Still, Gammaton had no reason to worry about it as long as it did not appear hostile to Infinifactorium. But the emergency meeting was called, and Gammaton arrived.

Gammaton was surprised Levia had tried poisoning it, even more surprised that such an act did not provoke the creature to violence. Gammaton was sure that the overseers could band together to take the creature down themselves, but doing so may reveal the guild to the locals. And there was another thought. "I believe that Lady Faetalis gave us these disguises for a reason. Now we could strip them off, and rise to do battle with the dragon, and only put our human skins back on once the fight was over, but then I feel that by doing so, we make a choice that these skins are not our true selves. What is it that we can do in these skins that we cannot do otherwise? Walk among the people of Anzelgard. And if our previous decision at this council was to take Anzelgard under our wing, then I feel that it is only fitting that we render the people Anzelgard capable of defending themselves from this threat. The dragon does not trouble Infinifactorium, but it troubles Anzelgard; it is all they have complained about for a week, so it behooves them to rise up and deal with this problem themselves. Of course, I have no qualms about training and guiding them, and will lead them into battle if necessary. But if these people are under our protection, then I think this is the perfect opportunity to have them earn their place as our vassal. To prove that they are worthy to be at Lady Faetalis' feet."

Arknights - E.R.R.A.N.T.

OK, so the CS doesn't exactly state the operator's class. It feels like everyone's a guard, with Marcellus being a sniper.

Jianghu: Age After War

Golden River Inn

Sheng Qingling

@Salsa Verde

Song Shi's words made Qingling reassess his situation. He knew that his parents believed he was dead, so hoping that they would come look for him was a vain hope. In another corner of the inn, there was a slight commotion, drawing Qingling's aural attention. Apparently some drunk had thrown his work order at some travelers. Qingling wondered why someone would simply throw away a chance at good, honest work, when his sensitive ears heard the drunk's compatriots complaining that the job was too dangerous. As it turns out, there had been a recent uptick of violence on the roads. In addition to the occasional bandit, a murderous couple had been cutting a bloody swath, hunting down Taoists on some sort of vendetta. Qingling's eyes widened. This was the sort of news he had been waiting around to hear.

Qingling turned his attention back to Song Shi. "Perhaps you're right. I hear there's a caravan leaving town tomorrow, but what about yourself? I would feel much safer to have a friend to travel with, but do you not have your own destination?"

---

@Zeroth @Cu Chulainn

That night Qingling spoke with the proprietor of the Golden River Inn, letting him know that he was leaving and thanking innkeeper for his hospitality and the opportunity to work for room and board.

The following morning, Qingling found himself standing in front of the gate with his guqin in its massive case, strapped to his back, wondering how he was going to weasel his way into the caravan. He had found this location by eavesdropping on the previous holders of the work order. He was unsure if these men really required music, but it was worth a shot. Readjusting the guqin on his back for comfort, he approached the caravan, "Salutations, I am part of a traveling performance troupe, but I was separated from them. It appears that your caravan is going in the direction that they were headed, so if you don't mind, might I hitch a ride? I can make it worth your while by providing some high-class, musical entertainment." he wasn't exactly sure if she would show, but he hoped Song Shi would join him.

Arknights - E.R.R.A.N.T.

Hey, I see it's been a while since there's been a post here, but I was wondering if this RP is still active and if I can apply with a character?

Jianghu: Age After War

Golden River Inn

Sheng Qingling

@Salsa Verde

Qingling placed his palms on the strings to quiet them, as if their vibrations would betray the uncertainty in his heart. I am at a crossroads. To go or to stay? To search or to stay put? You see, my parents are traveling entertainers, but we were separated at our last stop. I have been unable to find them. I had hoped to rendezvous with them here, in Xincai, where many paths meet, and that word of my music would reach them, leading them to me. But that has not happened. I have been on the road for my whole life, so I do not know of a 'hometown' that I could go to to wait for them. So for now, I am simply trying to earn my keep. Perhaps they will find me, or I will catch word of them. Their...exploits...can be very spectacular."

So as not to remain silent for too long and cause complaint, Qingling began playing again, this time strumming out a sweet, gentle tune reminiscent of the current season, Spring.

Jianghu: Age After War

Golden River Inn

Sheng Qingling

@Salsa Verde @Restalaan

When Qingling finished his song, a coin flew his way. His eyes traced the trajectory and saw a large woman leaving the inn. he thanked her silently for her patronage as another woman approached the stage and asked him what the song is called.

"'The Desperate Return'," Qingling replied, smiling up at Shi, trying to mask his own heartache, "Perhaps it is a bit too somber? After all, most people at an inn are travelers, so it may be inconsiderate to elicit homesickness. Additionally, for an inn with such...rambunctious clientele, maybe something more rowdy and rousing would be more appropriate? Do you have a request, Miss? I may not know every song, but if you hum a bit for me, or whistle, I will try to match the composition with what little skill I have."

As Qingling waited for Shi's request, he started making micro-adjustments to the individual bridges that held the strings taut, literally fine-tuning the instrument in preparation for whatever he might play next.

Infactorium: A New 4Xpansion (Overlord RP) [DISCONTINUED]

Gammaton accepted the jacket from Faetalis but didn't put it on yet. In her true form as an insectoid, she had a protective exoskeletal layer. She may be naked, but she felt secure. And when she was parasitizing a humanoid host, she would wear clothes. Given Faetalis' nude condition when she put on her new skin, Gammaton didn't want to risk the disrespect and unpleasantness of being exposed in the new image Faetalis had granted her. When the council was dismissed, Gammaton skulked back to Hivehill. Trying on the jacket, Gammaton confirmed that Faetalis had indeed peered into her own mind to confirm the image she wished to portray. But it only formed part of the picture, and Gammaton set the silk-producing insects of Hivehill to craft her a robe, regal in it's black and gold, utilitarian and intellectual in its construction.

Then she turned her thoughts to Hivehill. Gammaton and her army were the first line of defense, and it was her wish to be the last. Each floor was a production center in their own right, and no general worth their salt would ever concede to allow even a fraction of that infrastructure to fall to the enemy. But what worried Gammaton was the fact that Faetalis seemed to anticipate a challenge. As far as Gammaton knew, there was no power in this world that rivalled the guild. Caution seemed almost...excessive. But perhaps Faetalis had seen something in her scouting that shook her, and this was what worried Gammaton.

Upon entry, assuming enemies discovered the entrance at the base of the mountain, intruders would be greeted by the mines. There was a central shaft for ease of logistics that was too easy of a route deep into Hivehill. So Gammaton would have to seal this shaft the moment any invaders entered. She would commission to have a massive stone and steel pillar constructed that would form a centerpiece in the upper portions of Hivehill that would slam down as soon as any enemies stepped into the shaft. If the enemy were unfortunate, they would get crushed, and if they scattered, they would be isolated into separate, maze-like mining corridors with miner and soldier ants lurking around every corner. The entrance would be layered with various forms of detection to make sure that no one slipped in without being noticed. Since the ants were all under her command, Gammaton would grant them the same poison and negative status immunities she had, while simultaneously ordering the ants to flood the caverns with poison. It was a bit of twisted irony unknown to Gammaton, since in the real world, human houses are fumigated to get rid of insectoid pests, not the other way around. The first half of Hivehill would thus be a dark, claustrophobic and toxic gauntlet beset on all sides by hostile ants emerging from tunnels. if this didn't kill the enemies outright, it would at least disorient them and buy time for the rest of Infinifactorium to prepare.

The mines would all ultimately converge on a single exit big enough for only one person to squeeze through at a time that led to the second half of Hivehill, which would be the opposite, a large open area, the hive of Hivehill dangling overhead as swarms of wasps would descend on the enemies with nowhere to hide. Far from the entrance would be bombardier beetles spraying volatile caustics at them, defended by soldier ants. It would test the enemy's ability to deal with open warfare, and given that it's impossible that all enemies exit the mines at the same time, it would put them at a terrible disadvantage at the beginning of combat. If she was in her final form, then Gammaton may join her soldiers at this point, commanding and buffing them, swooping down to deal sonic death. If not, she would prepare by gorging herself on food, building up 'evolution points' and waiting for the enemies to arrive.

Should enemies make it past the field of battle, they would enter the chamber of the queens. The queens of Hivehill are technically a form of furniture, barely mobile unit production buildings, but with a trap component capable of combat. The three queens are spread around the circular chamber evenly, and will swipe at enemies with their scythe-like appendages and spew venom, while spawning adds at regular intervals. Gammaton would also put the beast pens to use, and any creatures that Levia was willing to spare would be thrown in for a completely random variable. In this room, Gammaton will also face the enemy herself. If she was in her egg form, then the enemies will get the full battle, as Gammaton will fight in each form, using abilities that each form specializes in. Upon defeat, each form would undergo the next step of metamorphosis, becoming more powerful, and the battle would continue. It is only upon defeating her in her final form that Gammaton will concede and hand over the key to Tungsten's Big Scrap Alley. It perhaps wasn't the mot imaginative gauntlet, but it embodied what Gammaton was most comfortable with.

Jianghu: Age After War

Golden River Inn

Sheng Qingling

It had been a few days since Qingling arrived at Xincai. he knew he had to get away from the place where his family's crime had been discovered so he wouldn't get caught, but he had no idea where his parents went. His father didn't really have a place to call home, and his mother had only mentioned the Immortal Tools in passing; it hadn't occurred to her to tell him a place to go should he ever get lost. After all, both of his parents were great martial artists, and would be able to find him. But now they believed he was dead, and he had no way of locating them.

From the moment he arrived in the city, he began plying his trade, performing in the streets for coin and keeping his ears open for gossip. it wasn't long until rumors brought him to the Golden River Inn, a place where martial artists gathered. It would be the perfect location to keep his ear to the ground for any news of his parents. If they were on the vengeance warpath, he was sure he'd hear news of them resurface sooner or later. He had approached the innkeeper with his musical talent, offering to entertain the guests in exchange for room, board, and a small income; a few songs later, and he had the job.

Everyday since, Qingling would check the board for news of his parents, but so far there was nothing. Currently, he sat at the north wall of the ground floor were he had been given a stage from which to play. As he strummed his guqin, Qingling sang about a soldier whose contingent had suffered a grave defeat. Behind enemy lines, the soldier needed to find a way back to his homeland. His motivation being the fact that news of his defeat would reach his parents and that they would presume him dead. He blamed himself for his filial impiety at allowing his parents to suffer the grief of losing a child when he was actually well and alive.

Though the subject matter hit close to home, Qingling did not allow his voice to waver, delivering the music impeccably. Expression through song was his own way of lamenting his situation and confronting the worry that plagued him. In a way, he was screaming out to the world in a vain attempt to reach his parents to let them know that he was alive and for them not to grieve. He knew it was pointless, but it was cathartic in its own way.

Qingling had considered journeying out to search for them himself, but not only did he not know where to start or what direction to head in, he was also in poor health. Qingling had died, or nearly died, he wasn't sure which, and years of drugs and having his meridians tweaked had taken a tremendous toll on his body. He didn't blame his mother for trying to hone him but he had to admit that it had come at a great cost. If he was to travel out, he would almost certainly need an escort. But who could he trust to take him? Who could he rely on?

Jianghu: Age After War

Sheng Qingling

"Meridians run through the body like strings on a harp. Hum the right note to a string, and it will vibrate in response."

Name:

Sheng Qingling

Titles: 

None, though rumors refer to him as the 'Venom Voice'

Age: 

14

Rank: 

Second Class-equivalent, offensive power wise, but not experience-wise

Allegiance: 

Recusant Clans (unaffiliated)

Appearance: 

Qingling appears to be in a perpetual state of poor health, though he tries to cover it up with nice clothes, makeup, and a weak smile. His small frame is dwarfed by the guqin (Chinese zither) that he insists on taking with him everywhere.

Personality: 

Inexperienced and naive, Qingling seeks stability and approval. Due to his upbringing, Qingling is a skilled actor and tends to lie and keep secrets compulsively. He'll try to get close to whoever he thinks can provide him protection since his life was suddenly pulled out from under him. As a hired musician by trade, all he has known is a sheltered life in some rich mansion, but as a con-artist, all he has known is the endless traveling from one mark to the next. Qingling tries to pretend that he is in control of his situation in order to mask the fear and insecurity of having had a near-death experience and being separated from his parents for the first time in his life.

History:

Sheng Yelang, Qingling's father, is a loud, burly, and boisterous man; proud, arrogant, and ill-tempered. A disagreement with a former master led to unsanctioned combat in which Yelang killed his master and fled the punishment of his sect. He never talks about his former sect, though rumor has it that he was a disciple of the Shaolin. His understanding of Buddhist cultivation practices attests to this, but to anyone who knows him, it is obvious that the tenets of celibacy, prohibition from alcohol, and veganism were not for Yelang. Yelang wandered the jianghu as a vagabond and mercenary, and though he remained unaffiliated, he cozied up with various recusant clans and criminal organizations, who were all too eager to hire him for his skill. His combat style is wild and unrestrained, releasing explosive qi through his strikes. This demeanor, coupled with his signature ability, infusing qi into his throat to release a devastating howl, earned him the nickname of 'The Wolf of the West'. His ambition has always been to make a name for himself and to live life to the fullest, even if it meant taking what wasn't his.

Yu Zheng'e, Qingling's mother, is a tall, hard, cruel, and gaunt woman. She comes from a recusant clan, known as the Immortal Tools, that specializes in meridian control, resulting in the hardening of the extremities. Zheng'e's meridian control is so good that she can feign lifelessness and hide her presence, making her the perfect ambush predator. Her attacks involve long arcing swings of her completely straightened arms and legs coming together in a snapping motion like scissor blades, coupled with her signature move of spinning her hardened body longitudinally while grasping an enemy's throat and pulling them into a death spiral where she breaks their neck and spine has earned her the nickname of 'Urban Alligator', especially since she often attacks her enemies unaware. Zheng'e has always been a studious member of her sect, and simply desires to perfect her craft, even if she has to test her brutal techniques on others.

The romance of the predators begins thusly, while under the employ of the Immortal Tools, Sheng Yelang and Yu Zheng'e took a strong liking to one another. He was the cocky bad boy, she was the quiet girl who'd twist your head off. Being a particularly unorthodox sect, the Immortal Tools did not have any qualms about 'not keeping things within the sect', and did not object to Yelang and Zheng'e's relationship. During the war, Yelang and Zheng'e formed a terrifying duo, his attention-grabbing style perfectly complemented her stealth. Despite being a recusant clan, the Immortal Tools were one of the least offensive to the Martial Alliance, so when it came time to form the Iron Concord, the leader of the Immortal Tools readily accepted as it aligned rather well with their isolationist and defensive doctrine. However, the envoy sent by the Martial Alliance was a member of Shaolin who recognized Yelang. To become a part of the Concord, the leader of the Immortal Tools was willing to tentatively end their dealings with Yelang, who would be exiled from their lands. Zheng'e knew full well that this was just a ruse to placate the envoy, and that their leader would go back on his word as soon as the backs of the Martial Alliance were turned, yet Zheng'e joined her now husband in his temporary exile as an opportunity to see the world and to raise their child with whom she was pregnant with in an open and free environment.

And so it was that Qingling was born to a pair of the jianghu's notable deviants. It was discovered at a young age that Qingling was blessed with an incredible sense of hearing. Zheng'e was prone to experimentation and, inspired by her husband's wolf howl technique, decided to train Qingling in the art of using sound as a weapon. Here Zheng'e merged different philosophies, starting with Buddhist mantric chanting as the foundation, though she quickly moved into the realm of music. She linked the five notes of the pentatonic scale with the five elements, linked the octave with the eight trigrams and the Buddhist principle of the Noble Eightfold Path, and linked the seven notes of the major scale with the seven chakras. In this way, she tied her son's understanding of sound with his meridians and humors, which followed similar principles as the five elements; and chakras could be construed as the Buddhist concept of meridians. This knowledge allowed Qingling's ability with sound-based martial arts to skyrocket in power, so to further the experiment, Zheng'e brought Qingling out into the streets as a performer and saw how her son's music could affect people in subtle ways.

Given that the family was traveling, they needed a means to support themselves, and though Yelang was fine with committing acts of robbery, Zheng'e wanted to try a more insidious approach. Qingling would play music in a village square, attracting a large crowd, who would shower them with coins. But inevitably, they would catch the ear of a greedy merchant who wanted Qingling's music all to himself. The family would be offered food, lodging and pay, if only they stayed at the merchant's mansion so that he could hear Qingling's songs as he wished. Yelang and Zheng'e would, of course, comply, and during these times, the family would live in the lap of luxury. However, another thought occurred to Zheng'e, who began to train Qingling in the art of hypnotism. By lacing his qi-infused music with subtle suggestions, they could collect greater riches from their patron, even going so far as to have him leave his inheritance for Qingling.

But to cash in on their inheritance, the merchant would have to die. Though the family could murder the merchant easily, it would be too obvious, so Zheng'e decided that a slower approach was necessary. Qingling hadn't yet learned how to kill someone with his music, so Zheng'e gave him some 'help'. She began to slowly poison Qingling with drugs, while manipulating his meridians to throw his qi off-balance. This 'poisoned' qi would flow from Qingling's music and into the merchant, killing him slowly. Eventually, the merchant died, but one does not simply cheat the rich out of their inheritance. The merchant's sons as well as their friends and neighbors felt that it was improper to leave one's inheritance to strangers based on Confucian principles, and did not honor the merchant's will. The magistrate agreed, though he was likely bribed by the sons. Qingling's family were chased out of the household with nothing.

However, by now, Zheng'e had become slightly obsessed with her plan, and she felt that though things didn't work out this time, she could always try again, after they had relocated to a different city that hadn't heard of what they'd done. So the same tactic was attempted a few more times, but each time the rich man's family would sue for the inheritance and win. During their final attempt, rumor had gotten out about a 'venom voiced' child, and concerned parties quickly called up the local exorcists to investigate. The exorcist that arrived was a hero of Wudang and a powerful Taoist. he immediately realized what was happening and recognized Yelang and Zheng'e by their descriptions from the past, and attacked. At this point, Qingling had learned to weaponize his sound, and fired destructive shockwaves of sound from his instrument towards the Taoist. To defend himself, the Taoist leapt behind Qingling and struck a pressure point. Though he had only intended to stun Qingling, who was but a child, Qingling's twisted meridians unraveled from the strike, sending his qi spiraling out of control. It seemed like a fatal blow as blood gushed from Qingling's mouth while he collapsed in a heap, his heart having stopped. Realizing what had transpired, Zheng'e screamed, knowing that her 'training' and scheming had been partially responsible for her son's death. Though shocked by what he had done, the Taoist would not relent until he had brought Yelang and Zheng'e to justice, so Qingling's parents fled from the Taoist's pursuit, filled with rage and vowing to one day avenge their son.

As the Taoist went after the two deviant parents, the merchant's family's hired thugs had to deal with Qingling's body. Without the reverence to give the boy a proper burial, they simply took him out to a nearby forest and dumped his corpse near a creek. Yet Qingling was alive, and still conscious, though his internals were thoroughly messed up. In what seemed like his final moments, Qingling used the hearing that he had been blessed with to listen to the tranquil sounds of nature to find solace from the pain that wracked his body. For a moment, his soul harmonized with his environment. What Qingling didn't know was that for his type of martial arts, resonating with different sounds allowed him to draw energy from his surroundings. Unwittingly, Qingling was repairing some of the damage that had been done to his qi for years. He eventually drew enough energy from the sounds of nature that his heart leapt back into action. Qingling gasped for breath, reborn in a sense, and completely bewildered. For the first time in his life, he was alone in a vast world. Looking to his left, Qingling saw that the thugs had dumped his 'accursed' guqin next to him. Climbing to his feet, Qingling pulled the guqin up by the strap, shouldering it. He took one step, then another. He was still in pain, his meridians still in a precarious state. but he had only one thing in mind, and that was to survive and reunite with his parents, by any means necessary.

 
Body Enhancements:

Enhanced Hearing - Qingling was born with enhanced hearing, able to pick out a pin drop on a different floor of a busy inn, hearing sounds outside of normal human range, and even navigating in total darkness via echolocation. This coupled with a basic ability to sense qi makes it incredibly hard to hide from Qingling as one would need to not only suppress their qi, but also mute any bodily functions that make sound, such as a heartbeat.
Vocal Mimic - Qingling has trained his vocal cords to be able to mimic not only other people's voices, but also various sounds.

Equipment:

Guqin - The guqin is Qingling's instrument of choice, a gift from his parents.

Guqin

Cultivation Base:

Zheng'e drew inspiration from Eastern and Western philosophy to develop Qingling's technique without fully understanding how they worked. The foundation is mantra, the resonant hum that allows one to harmonize with the universe. Sound is a relatively low form of energy, one could even consider it waste energy, and drawing power from it is almost impossible. Through resonating with the sound, instead of taking energy from it, the practitioner becomes one with it, and the energy from this harmonization is greater than merely the sum of its parts. Understanding the different aspects of the various sounds in nature, one can create a 'symphony' with one's qi. Following the principles of Taoism and internal alchemy, one can draw upon these aspects to balance, heal, and augment one's meridians. This requires mediation and contemplation in natural environments where there is a plethora of sounds that one can focus on at different intervals; animal sounds, plant sounds, water sounds, etc. While meditation is possible in urban environments, city life renders humans imbalanced, and the sounds they make and the qi they produce are of poor quality. A practitioner can also make their own sounds during meditation; Buddhist monks strike the wooden fish and chant Om as part of their practice, but the practitioner must know what they are lacking in order to choose the right sound. The beauty of this form of cultivation is that it can be done in a group, as more voices in harmony add to the process.

However, Qingling was trained by two parents who believed that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Following the Immortal Tools' philosophy, Zheng'e used risky shortcuts to power when raising her son, manipulating his meridians and feeding him pills to turn his qi into a poisonous weapon. Though reckless, this was not done out of cruelty or maliciousness, but out of a sincere desire to make Qingling stronger. This coupled with her own ignorance of the depths of sound-based martial arts and the foundations she borrowed from, means that Qingling does not know how to cultivate himself and will remain in poor health until he figures it out.

Techniques:

Sharps and Flats - Qingling strums the guqin forcefully, infusing his qi into a sonic blast in the direction of his arm. Different notes can produce blunt, forceful blasts, or slicing waves. The attacks can be spread out in a wide cone or concentrated into a single corridor.

Meridian Resonance - Qingling can play music to attack an opponent's meridian's directly. Though his qi enters primarily through the meridians of the ears, he can combine this technique with his sonic blasts to strike at pressure points on other parts of the body. This can be used to interfere with an opponent's internal energy, but it can also be used to supplement or boost an ally. However, Qingling's understanding of meridians is at the novice level, so he mostly just injects his own messed up qi into the opponent. While this technique can be used for hypnotism, hypnosis is subtle and weak, and any practitioner of the martial arts will not only be able to detect it, but will be able to 'block' the weak, hypnotic qi. Even against non-practitioners, hypnotic suggestion requires chronic application over weeks and months to truly take effect.

Sounding - Every object has a frequency at which it will shatter. By listening intently to the sound an object makes on impact under three different circumstances, Qingling is able to triangulate this frequency.

Shatter - Once Qingling knows an object's resonant frequency, he is able to replicate it using his guqin. If the object is within hearing range, it will shatter if Qingling holds the note for a long enough period of time. The period of time that the note needs to be held depends on the quality of the object.