TheMerlin

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

Obsessively editing posts.

Scorched Earth

I'm honoured that my roleplay could help to inspire that. If I had any artistic talent, I might have done the same for my characters.

Also, just edited my post again to mention Roland entering the shuttle bay. Forgot to do that earlier.

Also also, added a couple of pics to the Setting and interest check. They're representative of each of the 3 roles, so hopefully it makes a little bit easier for new people to find which section to refer to for their characters.

TheMerlin's Study

Liffis Kai

Name: Liffis Kai

Appearance:


Alias(es): Holy Man, (formerly) Demon of Turokia

Age: 27

Gender: Male

Description:

• Height - 5'8
• Build - Lean
• Skin Colour - White
• Hair Colour - Black
• Eye Colour - Dark Grey

Role: Spectre

Specialty: Assassination

Personality:
Sombre, gentle and deeply compassionate, Liffis is a follower of the Way of Light and is as close to a chaplain among the Spectres without actually being one. Though a man of religion, Liffis does not force his beliefs on others and cares for all fellow survivors of the program whether they desire it or not. To some, he is a calming and healing presence. To others, he is an uncomfortable reminder of what they once were. Either way, Liffis serves an important role by bringing an element of humanity to the Spectres and serving as a source of comfort to those who need it the most.

Even in battle, Liffis only targets those he has been assigned to kill and uses his psionic powers to avoid collateral damage if it can be helped. For each mark he does have to eliminate, he gives last rites as well as to any fallen ally that he finds along the way. A service he has held time and time again after each mission. By now he knows the words by heart, but still carries the book of his religion as a personal touchstone in times of doubt and troubled thoughts.

As with all Spectres, the program has altered Liffis's mind by causing him to frequently dissociate at seemingly random intervals, even in the midst of combat. He may speak his thoughts out loud without realizing it or stand dazed as though lost in another reality. Asides from this however, he remains unusually empathetic and kind-hearted for a Spectre. Perhaps this is also a result of the program enhancing certain aspects of his pre-Spectre personality rather than suppressing them, though that's not to say it was always for the better.

If there is anything that could disturb his serene demeanour, it's to meet someone from his past in a situation that led to him becoming a Spectre in the first place... The same kind of situation that drove him to madness before finding peace in the Light. Now in the last year of his shortened lifespan, Liffis hopes that he does not live long enough to ever see this come to pass.

Background:

Story of a Spectre

Born in the nation of Turokia, Liffis grew up as an orphan on the city streets surrounded by gang violence and crime, and a multitude of other doomed children like himself. Pickpocketing, scavenging, knife fighting, all of these skills were learned practically by the time they could walk and Liffis was no exception. Along with his cohort of friends, Liffis quickly learned the way of the streets and not only survive, but thrive as well, eventually coming to lead his own crew and teach other kids the way he had been taught.

By of the age of 16 however, everything changed the day the Vaimese Empire invaded the nation and the city he grew up in was quickly engulfed by the flames of war. Liffis hid as his companions were either killed or taken away to be made into slave soldiers by a mage called Ohren Forec. After his remaining friends were loaded onto trucks and driven away for further processing, Liffis clung on to the underside of one of them and held on for many miles before it finally stopped at a Vaimese military outpost.

Using the skills he learned on the streets, Liffis stole the key to one of holding cells where his friends were being kept and managed to spring some of them loose, but the guards were upon them before they could reach the others and so they made their escape. Including Liffis, only 4 of them managed to avoid being recaptured by fleeing to the safety of the wilderness. Swearing to rescue the rest of their friends someday, the 4 companions sought out the nearest recruiting station and lied about their ages to join the army of Turokia.

For 2 years, Liffis fought alongside his friends as soldiers under the command of General Seiger, who was assisted by a Knight of Belisio known as 'Griff'. Together they won many victories across the land, but the war was ultimately lost when Seiger died in the Battle of Gein Valley and Liffis barely escaped with his life, alone. With barely an army to return to and the Belisian forces recalled, the Vaimese Empire swept across the land of Turokia and Liffis made his way to Belisio, vowing to fulfil the promise he had made with his friends.

Volunteering for the Belisian super soldier program, Liffis survived the process of becoming a Spectre and once fully trained to wield his newfound abilities, he was sent to Turokia to carry out his first assignment: the assassination of the Vaimese mage and officer named Ohren Forec. Fortune was finally smiling upon Liffis, or so he thought at first, but upon reaching his target, he found that all the friends he failed to rescue 2 years ago were still alive and serving as Ohren's personal bodyguard.

Desperate to fulfil his promise, Liffis attempted to remind them of who he was, but they were too far gone having been brainwashed and memory-wiped to serve their master. They could not remember their former leader at all and fired upon him on Ohren's command. Liffis was forced to kill them in order to defend himself, but worst of all, his target managed to escape in the ensuing chaos. His mission deemed a failure, Liffis was recalled to Belisio, but he ignored his orders and instead went AWOL to hunt down the mage no matter where he fled.

After that, Liffis became a phantom and would soon be known as the 'Demon of Turokia', haunting the ruins of the nation and slaying any mage he could find in hopes of one of them being Ohren. Bounties were placed on the Demon's head by the Vaimese forces and several teams of Belisian commandoes were sent to retrieve him, only to return in a state of insanity that made them a danger to everyone around them. Eventually a Knight was dispatched to succeed where all others had failed and Liffis was returned in the same state as those affected by his psionic powers, radiating from him like an aura of madness.

Too traumatized from his experiences and mentally broken even for a Spectre to be field effective anymore, Liffis was put into isolation and there he would remain, deemed a failure of the program. Many attempts were made to salvage him with chemical treatments and therapy, but nothing worked. The only thing he responded to were the odd visits from the Knight who managed to retrieve him, an anomaly capable of resisting his psionic powers.

At first, it was only to monitor Liffis. Then came the questions, details about his first assignment and why it failed. Eventually, questioning turned into full length conversations and when Liffis was finally considered mentally sound enough to continue his duties, he was released from isolation and sent back into the field. On their last meeting, the Knight had left behind a parting gift. A book regarding the Way of Light.

Since then, Liffis gradually learned to be at peace with his past and his eventual fate. Though marred by a life of loss and hardship, he found refuge in his newfound religion and now goes by the moniker of 'Holy Man', serving as living proof that even a Spectre can regain their mind and their humanity. However the current war may progress, he will accept its outcome for better or worse. The only thing that haunts his dreams is the possibility that one of his childhood friends may still be alive, guarding the mage named Ohren Forec.

Equipment:

• Vorpal Pattern Vibrosword - Vibro-generator seamlessly integrated into the hilt allows the blade to vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies, allowing it to penetrate through flesh and armour at a single touch. Button activated.
• X-13 Stealth Suit - Neural-linked stealth suit generates a cloaking field that can be controlled at will to conceal the wearer and any handheld weapon or object, making them appear as no more than a slight shimmer in the air.
• 'Thanatos' Pistol Mk 4 - 6 round capacity heavy pistol designed for firing .75 cal explosive ammunition.

Abilities:

• Tranquillity - Uses telepathy to remove all desire to fight in up to a dozen targeted individuals. Does not work on those who are strong-willed or are able to kill without emotions.
• Barrier - Uses telekinesis to produce a protective field capable of deflecting bullets, lasers, explosions and magical attacks. Requires complete focus to use.
• Push - Telekinetic push with the force of a physical shove to any person or object within line of sight.
• Artificially Enhanced Physiology - Peak human level physical performance attained from a series of chemical injections standard to all members of the Spectre program.
• Madness - Uses telepathy to induce a berserk state of extreme emotional instability in everyone within 100 metres, causing them to recklessly attack friends and foes alike. Liffis must be in a similar mental state himself to use this ability.

Extra:

TheMerlin's Study

Roland Leonis

Name: Roland Leonis

Appearance:


Alias(es): Sir Roland, Knight Commander, The Old Lion

Age: 62

Gender: Male

Description:

• Height - 6'7
• Build - Lean
• Skin Colour - White
• Hair Colour - Grey
• Eye Colour - Hazel

Role: Knight

Specialty: Swordmaster

Personality:
Noble, dignified and at all times composed, Sir Roland Leonis cuts an imposing figure with his tall stature and commands the respect of every room he enters, though at heart he is a gentle mannered and soft-spoken man. Even in the heat of battle, he remains even tempered and is more a craftsman at work than a warrior fuelled by adrenaline. A master of his art, every movement precise and deliberate with the weight of experience behind them. As a show of contempt for the enemy, Roland sometimes lectures his foes on their technique during combat before they meet their demise at the end of his sword. All the better if his students are around to learn from it too.

As a veteran of many battles against the Vaimese throughout the world of Ith, he has seen the fall of many allies along with their nations. Despite such losses however, his resolve remains firm and now that the enemy approaches his very own homeland, he is all too glad for the chance to tweak their noses one last time on the field of battle if this should be the end. A paragon of virtue and bravery, his title of Knight Commander is well earned and perhaps also the affectionate moniker of 'Old Lion' as the other Knights like to call him, much to his chagrin.

Regarding mages, he upholds the longstanding tradition of rivalry between Knights and Battlemages, and encourages his subordinates to upstage them at every opportunity, but it is all done in the spirit of camaraderie and he ultimately respects them as fellow defenders of Belisio. The same cannot be said however of those who undergo the Spectre program, sacrificing their future and sometimes their very humanity in exchange for stronger bodies and unnatural psionic abilities. To Roland, such individuals are to be admired for what they are willing to give, but above all else pitied for their doomed existence. Were it not for the desperate situation at hand, such a thing would not be necessary.

Background:

Makings of a Knight

Growing up as the firstborn son of the Leonis family, Roland has held a sword in his hands from the moment he could walk and take a stance with proper form, and as the latest addition in a long line of Knights stretching back to the founding of Belisio, no expense was spared in his training and education as a future Knight-to-be. Afforded the best tutors, the best academy and the best equipment money could buy, the way of the sword had been laid out before him and though he lacked in natural talent, he more than made up for it in sheer enthusiasm.

Enamoured by the tales of his father's deeds, Roland spent almost every waking moment of his childhood practicing drills and techniques as though in a hurry to become like this father, a Knight of Belisio. After all, what could be more enchanting to the imagination than the thought of being like the heroes from the stories? To Roland, every bruise and callus he received from countless bouts with instructors, fellow students and even his father was like a badge of honour, marking each step towards the realization of a dream... but he had no idea how harsh the reality of such a dream could be.

By the age of 16, Roland had awakened his ki powers during a particularly intense sparring session with his tutor as each strike appeared slower than the last, allowing him to dodge, parry and counter with ease. In fact, his reflexes had been honed to such a degree that he could see every twitch of a muscle, every shift in weight and momentum telegraphing a move before it even occurred, and when he relayed this experience to his father, the man decided it was time for the boy's apprenticeship to officially begin. This was the moment his entire family had been waiting for.

Gone were the tutors or the company of the other students at the academy. It was now just Roland and his father, locked in an endless regime of training and studying from dawn til dusk without a single moment spared for leisure. Only enough rest for his body to recover from the point of exhaustion, everyday for the next 5 years. A living hell. It was no longer enough to be exceptional with the sword, he had to be perfect and it was not enough to read another swordsman's movements, but projectiles too. Bullets for instance. Simulated at first, then real as learning to control one's ki became mastery of it.

By the age of 21 when his father had deemed his training to be complete, Roland was brought before the Knight Commander of the time and made to undertake a battery of tests where failing even one meant rejection and another year of training before being allowed to try again. By a broad margin however, he passed every single test and the house of Leonis gained a new Knight to carry its name into battle. What remained of the boy who had dreamed of such a day however had been whittled away over time like a blade's edge to the grindstone. There was now only the man, Sir Roland Leonis. A Knight of Belisio.

From hereon, the rest of his tale is his to tell for the life of a Knight is only measured in deeds, of which there are many in Sir Roland's case. All else that is known according to the public records is that he once had a son who died in battle against the Vaimese forces many years ago, though the exact time and location remains undisclosed.

Equipment:

• Ancestral plate armour - Duty
• Ancestral longsword - Starlight
• Personal shield generator - protects against energy weapons.

Abilities:

• Enhanced Reflexes - Able to perceive bullets in flight.
• Ki Reinforcement - Infuse armaments with ki to increase their durability.
• Air Slash - Charge sword with ki and send it forth as a flying blade of energy, attacking foes from a distance.
• Flash Step - Ki technique for bursts of accelerated movement speed.
• Light Step - Ki technique for negating one's weight.

Extra:

Scorched Earth

The knights would get a kick out of heckling him, that's for sure.

Scorched Earth

Made a few minor edits myself. Just the tail end of Liffis's perspective, if it changes anything.

Scorched Earth

Alright everyone, first post is up. The roleplay has officially begun. Please remember to post in order of when your character got approved, at least until we make the first full round of posts. So right now, @deadpixel101 is next then after that it'll be @ReusableSword and so on. If there's anyone who is unable to post for whatever reason, just let me know and we'll skip your turn if that's alright.

Scorched Earth

Also added this paragraph to the Setting in regards to mana:

There are 2 methods of using mana, manipulation and casting. Manipulation is directly controlling the elements in one's surrounding environment. This is limited by line of sight and the availability of whatever the mage can skilfully control, but is quicker and generally less taxing to use. Casting on the other hand involves the conversion of raw magical energy into matter to conjure something from nothing. Useful for when resources are limited or unavailable, but the feedback is more burdensome on the mage as manipulation is still required after casting, essentially doubling the cost of power involved.

Thanks to @ReusableSword for the idea.

Scorched Earth (Fantasy, Sci Fi, Magic, Technology, War)

Quick notice, roleplay's about to start soon. Say about tomorrow or the day after from the time of this post. Anyone who's interested in joining, you still can after the roleplay begins, but you might have to wait a bit depending on whether we're still in the first round of posts or not.

Turn order will be based on whoever got their characters approved earlier, which you'll be able to see at the top of the Characters thread listed in descending order. That's only for the first round of posts though, after that everyone is free to write at their own pace. If you haven't gotten a cs ready yet, there's still time if you want to be part of the first round of posts.

Scorched Earth

@John F Kennedy hey, I think you may have posted in the wrong thread. Characters thread is the next one over, you'll want your cs over there ->

Also, I'll give it another day until I start writing the first post for the roleplay. Turn order will be based on whoever got their characters approved first, which you can see at the top of the Characters thread listed in descending order, but that's just for the first round of posts. After that, everyone is free to post at their own pace.

Anyone who hasn't gotten a cs ready by then can still join after we begin, but you might have to wait a bit before being able to post, depending on whether we're still in the first round of posts or not.