❖ Name:Valerian Remi Leclère. ❖ Age: 18. ❖ Birthplace: Perrence. ❖ Height: 6 ft. ❖ Weight: 213 lbs. ❖ Physique: Tall and in shape with faintly wavy, not-quite-straight, white hair, and amber eyes, Vel is the sort of person who easily stands out in a crowd. With an easy air about him, Vel moves with confidence in his stride and the natural grace of an athlete. Possessed of the pale flesh of someone from colder climates and the muscle of someone who takes care of themselves in all the ways one should, there is a certain discipline to him. His clothes are often well-cared-for, without scuffs or holes or loose threads, despite the fact that he often wears them almost sloppily. Yet, as if as a deliberate contrast, Vel can often be seen in well-tailored, and certainly expensive, clothes—not that such things could quite be described as ‘finery.’ On the other hand, he has a penchant for jewelry, wearing a few rings, one of which is the signet ring of his house—which he wears as a pendant around his neck, often hidden beneath his clothes as if to make a statement. While Valerian can often be seen with a smile, there is nonetheless something off about him; perhaps he’s seen too much….
❖ History:
Perrence born and raised, Valerian—or Vel for short—was a product of deliberate breeding, an experiment by his father—Marius Phillidor Leclère—to create ‘the perfect mage,’ insofar as one could even attempt such a thing. The ambitious, if callous and almost cruel, man had always desired only to bring his family—and his own—reputation and status to ever greater heights. In his wisdom, Marius married a Blarthic noblewoman despite her status even as he lusted after the distinctive Blood Type that ran in her line: Dualblood. So it was that arrangements were made and maiden names were shed as the families were joined as the two were wed. In swift order, a child was conceived and then another as Marius made sure he would always have an heir regardless of their circumstances. Though it was hard on Vel’s mother—Laufey Sessilia Leclère was made of sterner stuff than most. Thus were born Émeric, then Valerian, and of course, his sister Nina-Blær, though each was several years apart by necessity. While their mother cared for them all equally and her serving women assisted, Marius spent time and care with only one: Émeric.
Marius, it seemed, could not have asked for a more perfect candidate for an heir, as the boy had not only inherited his mother’s Dualblood manas, but had both a high RAS value of 8.25 and two stable mana colonies. So it was that Valerian grew up in the shadow of his older brother’s accomplishments—even though his parents believed that he too was possessed of the rare dual colony arrangement, something that he eventually discovered was not true (a fact that he quietly kept to himself). Of course, with a father who paid him little mind, Valerian often found himself somewhat desperately vying for the man’s approval, until eventually, Marius lost his temper. Berating the young boy, Marius drove a single truth into Vel—it was better to not be noticed.
So it was that for much of his childhood, and practically all of his adolescence, Vel made sure not to garner his father’s attention. He kept up with his studies, listened to his tutors, and diligently developed his magics if only to make good on his parents’ belief that he’d manifested two mana colonies at birth. At the young age of 13 Valerian finally—after many attempts since his Gift awakened at 9–managed to create a stable population split between two mana colonies. Of course, given that he couldn’t tell anyone he received no acclaim for the feat, but rather was treated rather poorly despite being what he’d thought was up to his father’s standards.
It turned out that meeting expectations was simply not enough for Marius, no, to please the man one would need to exceed such things. For a time, Vel did what he’d always done, doing his utmost to ignore the harsh words and displeased glances his father cast his way. That was until an argument between Vel and his older brother broke out when Vel was merely 15.
Yet though there was certainly a serious disagreement between them, it was their father who took things too far. Tired of their arguing and furious with Vel’s “lacking” performance, Marius forced the two into a no-holds-barred duel.
It ended in tragedy.A year passed between his brother’s…unfortunate passing and Vel’s withdrawal from his family. Rather than stay in their primary estate, he took up permanent residence in one of their other properties along with a small array of servants. It seemed to Vel—now haunted by his brother’s shocked final gaze—that while he’d finally earned his father’s respect, it had come at a cost far too great. Indeed, it had been one he had not willingly paid. So it was that for some time—indeed until the ripe age of 18–that he ignored all of his father’s correspondence and buried himself in frivolity.
It was an empty time, one devoid of any true joy, or at least absent of anything meaningful or lasting. However, when the clock struck midnight on his 18th birthday, it appeared that his father was quite done with his sulking. Showing up unannounced, the man gave Vel an ultimatum.
Attend Ersand’Enise Academy and further his father’s goals or be disowned.
Reluctantly, Valerian chose the former.
[ ❖ ] P E R S O N A L I T Y
❖ Motivation: Having few proper drives, let alone clear goals, perhaps the only thing that can be said about Vel’s motivations is that he has almost none. If there were one thing though, it would likely be that he desires to be better and perhaps make sure that fewer people like his father are left to roam free in the world.
Sharp-witted and with a tongue that could lash if he ever desired such, Vel is something of an ambivert preferring both more cerebral activities at some times and people at others. He is fiercely loyal, but often takes on an almost aloof affect as if he isn’t particularly attached to anything in the world. While he’s certainly no doormat, it couldn’t exactly be said that Valerian is the sort who tends to deliberately attract or seek attention, nor is he one to make much of a fuss about most things. Insults and slights roll off him like oil and water, almost never sinking in or mixing; whether this is a result of his not caring for himself much or a thick skin due to his father’s ravings is anyone’s guess. Yet despite his seemingly aloof nature, Vel is in fact fiercely loyal to those he truly connects with and could easily be considered a staunch defender of anyone he cares for. Furthermore, Vel is particularly opposed to the selfish or self-obsessed, and in particular, anyone with manipulative or exploitative behavior, which he absolutely abhors. Beyond this, he is slow to anger and eminently rational when it comes to most matters. At the same time however, he is a lover of the absurd and can at times take on mildly reckless, and decidedly mischievous, behavior so long as it is not at the expense of others–or at least only a fairly mild inconvenience.
It should be said that Valerian is decidedly good with people regardless of their age, creed, or gender. Easy-going, observant, and understanding he has fairly strong intuition and as such adapts rather quickly to both people and situations. However, perhaps one of his greatest flaws is that he simply cannot abide certain forms of injustice—even if he cares little about law and crime. Bullying, malicious pranks, narcissism, and cruelty are things that he not only hates but simply cannot tolerate. If he sees them, he will act, often before or without thinking and frequently with little regard for himself. Such situations are perhaps the only ones that are likely to result in his openly expressing and acting upon his anger—an emotion that he is rather unfamiliar with processing, let alone dealing with in anything remotely resembling a healthy manner.
Perhaps this is simply the cost of trauma.
[ ❖ ] C A P A B I L I T I E S
[ ❖ ] T H E G I F T | RAS {7[64]}
Kinetic{4}Arcane{3}Chemical{2}.
Sanguinaire: Blueblood ❖ Agitator ❖ Dualblood
❖ Experience: While he’s certainly not been to a school or other similar institution for mages prior to Ersand’Enise’s prestigious Academy, Vel has been tutored by skilled mages and experts since he first displayed the Gift. As a direct result of this and his own experimentation, Vel is surprisingly adroit in his use of magic. While he has managed to maintain a stable pair of mana colonies for the last five years, the young nobleman’s ability to ‘boost’ himself is inconsistent at best and dismal on average. However, he has gained sizable control over the colonies allowing him higher efficiency and control than the average mage of his skill level.
Beyond this, due to his extensive experimentation–if only in the interest of distracting himself since the…incident with his brother–Vel has developed some signature skills with the Kinetic school in particular. This school of magic is easily his most developed, allowing him to draw, expel, control, and cycle kinetic energy–and convert other energies into it–far more efficiently than with other schools. While his ability with the Arcane and Chemical schools is drastically less developed, one could more accurately state that he has overspecialized at the cost of many foundational skills. In the case of both schools, he uses them almost solely to draw energy and convert it, or to manage his own body’s energies to a degree. Nonetheless, he is somewhat more capable with the Arcane School, allowing him relatively standard–or at least simple–expressions of its signature magics.
❖ Skills
Catalyze Chemical{2-5}
By narrowing their focus, the mage drastically increases their awareness of their own biological make-up to the point that they can precisely detect even the mana colonies inhabiting their body. At this stage, the mage will begin drawing energy from their surroundings, deliberately catalyzing the reproductive processes of their colonies. This ability—while not terribly useful for most magic users—is absolutely pivotal for mages possessing the Dualblood Mana Type.
Essentially, by deliberately feeding a sharp influx of power into their mana colony (or colonies) they cause the manas to rapidly begin reproducing, thus causing a sizable increase in their RAS value. Eventually, mages using this spell can hone their control to such a degree that they can actually deliberately target only groups of their manas, allowing them to control the strength of the boost they receive up to a point. At the highest level, these individuals can even turn off the “reproduction signal” in their manas allowing them to more quickly recover from—but never entirely get rid of—the refractory period suffered by Dualblood mages.
❖ Spells
Force Implement Kinetic{3-7}
Through a series of varied and complex calculations, a mage skilled in the Kinetic School may arrest control of a chosen amount of air in their surroundings through the use of applied kinetic force. Following this, the mage can ‘shape’ the air using patterns of continuously generated kinetic energy moving in two or more opposing vectors. This results in largely invisible, but entirely tangible, ‘objects’ composed of pressurized air. These objects can be moved and otherwise manipulated by altering the position and orientation of the kinetic energy patterns. Notably, the kinetic force applied to the outside of the ‘object’ moving inwards is incrementally less than the force moving from the core moving outwards. The amount of kinetic energy used can vary. Lastly, if the ‘construct’ is destabilized the outer kinetic field will always fail first, resulting in a localized kinetic explosion. Notably, the pressurized air gradually increases in temperature the longer the spell remains active.
Force Lance Kinetic{4}
Functioning by the principles of Force Implement, this spell differs only in its shape and in the fact that it has a sort of internal kinetic energy reservoir that Vel can specifically use to—on command—and in an instant accelerate it to frightful speeds. Beyond this, the spell is only particularly notable in that Vel is exceptionally familiar with it due to having practiced extensively in its use.
Valerian is natively bilingual, being a native speaker in both Perrench and Blarthic Eskandish. Additionally, Valerian had to become fluent in Avincian and Revidian due to his noble upbringing. He is passable in several other local languages, but his grammar is significantly more rough.
[ ❖ ] T A L E N T S & F L A W S
[ ❖ ] Strengths & Flaws
❖ Knowledgeable - Skilled with magical calculations ❖ Athletic - High stamina (Limited) ❖ Exceptional Focus - Multitasker ❖ High pain threshold ❖ Fast Learner ❖ Resilient
❖ Blinded in the face of Injustice ❖ Conflict Avoidant - Emotional ❖ Dismissive - Situational ❖ Part-time Overthinker ❖ Prone to heatstroke ❖ Bad with authority ❖ Physically Limited
Though he’s not one to bring it up, it should not be understated that Valerian is, in fact, a polymath—otherwise known as an individual with wide-reaching knowledge, in this case with his particular areas of expertise being physics and what he refers to as ‘Magical Calculus.’ This form of math is essentially designed around making complex calculations and considerations that allow the magic-user to then create and maintain spells of particular complexity. In tangent with his exceptional ability to multitask, Vel becomes a significantly more impressive specimen than one might think considering his fairly ‘average’ (for a mage) RAS score.
Beyond the above, Vel is in good shape and fairly athletic, if only because he had to increase his physical stamina to compensate for the taxing nature of his mana blood type. Furthermore, on account of his being a dualblood with two active mana colonies, Vel runs particularly hot making him prone to overheating and things such as heatstroke. This means that despite him being in good shape it is not particularly safe for him to exercise or exert himself physically for long periods of time without magical aid. He is, like all Dualbloods, prone to sudden and unexpected bruising—though this has died down more and more as his colonies gradually acclimate to one another’s continued existence.
While he doesn’t suffer from issues of self-esteem, Vel often questions whether he ought to continue on given the sins of his past. This leaves him somewhat directionless and somewhat unmotivated beyond distracting or enjoying himself much of the time. In this way, he can sometimes be misunderstood and thought to simply not care for much of anything at all. Having been more or less controlled by his father’s whims for his entire life, Vel is wont to follow rather than lead. As, though he desires independence, he knows not at all what to do with it. Additionally, though he appears aloof to most things and largely unflappable, the reality is that he is actually far more aware of the harm that simple words or careless actions can cause. While this doesn’t always make him hesitant, it certainly can, and in addition to that, it means that any action he takes that might harm another is one he is likely to secretly agonize over far more than most. Yet, at the same time, Vel is just as likely to challenge authority as he is to follow the leader. This is the result of virtually all such figures in his life abusing their power more often than not. On another note, when faced with his own anger, Vel will often shut down–freezing and fleeing rather than choosing to fight. Only if cornered–physically or emotionally–is he ever likely to choose to fight as he has seen the damage his father’s lack of self-control caused and is adamant not to repeat the man’s mistakes. The only exception, however, is when his anger is in response to injustice, in which it will burn cold and quietly. During such times Vel will often ignore logic and his instincts, instead gunning recklessly to right perceived wrongs.
As a result of the physical limitations imposed on him by his mana blood type, Valerian tends to favor ranged magic. This is largely due to his having to expend energy to keep himself from overheating or otherwise overexerting himself. It should additionally be noted that the variety of his casting is somewhat limited—or at least specialized—due to his lack of training and unique situation. This has resulted in his being particularly good at drawing and casting, whereas his ability to contain energy is severely lacking relative to most mages and his conversion rate is rather middling.
Sanguinaire Talent - Clinical Finisher: Valerian is exacting in his method of feeding, doing no more harm than is necessary, and extracting only so much as he requires. Mechanically, this results in a +1 on each feeding roll (Satisfaction/Quantity/Mana Type).
[ ❖ ] I N V E N T O R Y
Money - Owned: Vel has about 349 Magus to his name in the bank, but only carries about 2 Magus worth at any given time.
Wardrobe - Owned: Largely kept in his quarters at Ersand’Enise, Vel has a wide assortment of clothes, the majority of which are high-quality. He does have a series of garments that are…lower class at best, as sometimes he enjoys consorting with commoners as he’s not above such things. This assortment of clothes includes a few different sets of jewelry–mostly rings and necklaces, though there are the rare, but simple earrings for when he’s in the mood for such things.
L'Oeil Ensanglanté - Worn: A Strangely gorgeous and intricate ring made of multiple moving rings, With the 2 most center rings appearing to be made of gears. These central rings each have intricate cravings within and are made of dark steel and vibrant bronze. Each tooth of the gear is marked with a number going from 1-9. The ring has a very intricate enchantment made specifically to assist in the daily life of Dualbloods. The ring is able to keep track of the amount of manas in circulation within the wearer's body, which makes it essentially useless to non-dualbloods. For Dualbloods however, it is an essential tool as each ring is attuned to one of the wearer's mana colonies. As a result, the numbers of the gears serve as a means for the wearer to keep track of their colonies. Each denotation on the gears represents a factor of 10%. Keeping the gears at roughly 5 each is often best.
Lilac - Owned: A horse, affectionately named and cared for, Lilac is Vel’s favored mount and in a way, his closest confidante. She is fast, strong, well-trained, and incredibly loyal–if somewhat fiery in her temperament.
Signet Ring Pendant - Worn: Always on his person, if typically hidden beneath his shirt, is the signet ring of his house, which on top of denoting his lineage also serves as a universal sign of his position as heir. The ring is, all-in-all, incredibly intricate and rather ostentatious. It is rather valuable as one might expect of such a thing.
[ ❖ ] J O U R N E Y
This will be updated as the RP goes on.
【Entry title】
Entry location/date
WRITTEN ENTRY
[ ❖ ] M I S C E L L A N E O U S
The Leclère Family
~ “Bloodless and Bloodied.” ~
[ ❖ ] R E P U T A T I O N
Starting with Lazare who was essentially the family’s founder, the Leclère Family has held the favor of three kings since their rise to power. Notably, Benedict the Blessed, Guillaume II, and now Rouis XI have favored the Leclères, with Marius outright having Rouis XI’s ear. They are—nonetheless—considered an upstart and rather young noble family, if a powerful one. The oldblood noble houses hold them largely in disdain, with some notable exceptions for those who have worked with them historically, and perhaps one or two who have recognized their rather impressive rise to prominence. The Leclères are considered unwise to cross, even if they are held—to a degree—in low esteem by some of the old blood houses.
Holding the King’s ear, and a relatively stable standing amongst the high nobility, much of their power comes from political maneuvering, historical reputation, and allies rather than large holdings or huge stakes in the economy. In recent years, there have been rumors that have rather put into question whether it is strictly wise to allow the Leclères in their positions. As such, some of the lower and middling noble houses have closely watched their dealings, watching and waiting for any weakness or opportunity to take them down. This has been what the current head of the family: Marius Phillidor Leclère has been working against as no one would have dared oppose them when his father was in power. So it is that Marius works to ensure that they will not dare do so in the future as well.
[ ❖ ] H I S T O R Y
Lazare Phillipe Leclère–Marius’ father–raised their family’s position from that of lesser nobles during the great unrest caused by the War of the Glades. Capitalizing on the shifting political situation and unstable footing of a great many noble houses, Lazare took a gamble on his holdings to raise a small militia, which he went on to train alongside several compatriots who he later allowed to inconspicuously go missing. Once his force was thoroughly trained, he waged a smaller guerilla war on the usurpers to gain the favor of Benedict the Blessed while he remained in hiding. Lazare’s small, but elite, force came to be known as the ghosts of the countryside and demons of the night, striking unexpectedly and with a ferocity not often seen in a force so small.
While they could hardly win a war entirely on their own, their efforts did ultimately earn the King-in-hiding’s attention, which eventually allowed Lazare to join forces with Benedict’s allies. With time and underground collaboration–keeping their plans and troop movements as clandestine as possible–they were eventually able to assist Benedict in reclaiming his throne and securing his rule.
So it was that in the aftermath Lazare and his family were rewarded for their patriotism and loyalty earning themselves land and titles to match. For some time, Lazare bided his time, but to his chagrin opportunity would not present itself again in his generation, so instead he trained his sons such that they could continue his legacy and rise amongst the peerage. Years later, after Lazare had passed–and Marius had “outlived” all his brothers–strife once more reared its head in Perrence. With the country threatened by foreign powers that had once been theirs to control, King Rouis XI found himself desperately in need of allies and advisors whom he knew he could trust. Thus he called upon his old friend. Marius Leclère as the two had attended the same Academy in their youth and the two began their plans to unite the nobility and resolve the war that would come to be known as the Joruban Revolution.
[ ❖ ] M E M B E R S & T I T L E S
Marquess Marius Phillidor Leclère. Marchioness Laufey Sessilia Leclère. Lord & Heir Valerian Remi Leclère. Lady Nina-Blær Leclère.
Man, hate to...what, triple post here, but I just thought I'd say that I really enjoyed our conversation last Sunday @Dark Jack. Definitely hope you pop back on tomorrow or whenever possible. Even if we don't talk about Prophecy stuff, I'm sure there's some subject that could be fun. Plus, I always love to share my own worldbuilding stuff with people of like minds :3
Anyways, I know you're busy with Uni, but I do wonder...do you teach there or have you just taken a lot of classes over the years because I swear you were in University ages ago too, so it makes me ask "Why so long?" Haha ^^;
Figured I'd save this somewhere else. This is the stuff I've got for my character for the potential reboot.
Summary: A man with a background of fighting constantly to get ahead, to do something–perhaps anything even–to distinguish himself. He wants to innovate, to leave his mark on the world heedless of those he might hinder or harm in the process. Yet, an ambition like this is like a raging inferno: sure to burn you eventually. So it is that at some point his misdeeds, his careless actions, and indeed his thoughtlessness catches up with him. The world judges him and he realizes–finally–that the way he had been living is unmaintainable. It is not enough to claw and bite and scramble over others to move forward, nor is it possible always to win.
So he surrenders to judgment, knowing that it will hurt him, knowing that it may hinder his progress for some time. Knowing that such a thing will leave its mark. Yet, at the same time, this judgment and the repercussions of his actions have fostered in him something new: wisdom. So it is that with experience and insight as his tools, the flames of his ambition are tempered, and a new path–a more careful one–is begun.
Potentially an ex-convict in his “relative” youth, his obsession with magic and the workings and allure of Realms beyond his own have led him on a treacherous path. Recklessly, he stole from other mages, snatching research notes and spellbooks all in the pursuit of achieving the first of his many aspirations: Reaching the Realm of Dreams.
While he could certainly visit after a fashion, that was merely his soul, and all that he could do was control the nature of his dreams.
It wasn’t enough, in fact, it was unacceptable. He wished to trawl the vast ocean of ideas, sift through the concepts formed by mortal kind, and recorded in that place. The whimsy of it called to him, but so too did the potential power that such a feat might bring, and the doors it could open for further research.
Could he draw directly from the Dream, could he enchant objects that could do so? Could he sift the infinite threads and currents of knowledge and there and discover spells that no other mortal had yet to make let alone conceive of?
What could such revelations allow? Might he step from one realm to another soul and body both? The idea delighted him and since it had come to roost within his skull, he found he could not escape it.
So, foolishly, he’d stolen and pilfered, and snatched. Any scrap of magical research, any spellbook he could get his dextrous hands on. For some time he went uncontested, uncaught, his own spellwork shifting to make his deeds easier.
However, one cannot escape the consequences of their actions forever, and he was no different from any other in that regard. So it was that one day he was caught, one day he was brought up on charges. Yet, not all could be proved or even pinned on him. Surely a single man, let alone a boy, could not steal from so many mages. Surely their defenses, their precautions would have caught him sooner.
His sentence was–as these things go–far kinder than it could have been. Still, he did not fight it, realizing that there was little point. To further anger all those mages would be folly. So he plead guilty, and his sentence was decided.
A decade or more of confinement. No tools for writing. He would pay in time, and time itself would wear down his memory such that all that he had stolen would erode within his mind. Though not happy that the thief would live, many of the mages were placated by his sentence.
On that day, he learned more clearly a single lesson than he had on any day prior. Sometimes, to win a war, you must first surrender several battles. You must lose, so that later you might win, or at least survive.
Still, he was lucky, for while he was disowned, his family at least paid the fines for his transgressions. His father told him not to show his face in their community again, and left never to visit him again. It stung, but what stung more was the disappointment in his mother’s eyes and the confused dismay in the gaze of his younger sister.
He would likely never see her again and he knew the girl had adored him as only a sister could her elder brother. He could not watch them leave and he convinced himself that it was just as well that they’d never meet each other again.
For there was one thing he knew.
He couldn’t stop.
This was too important.
After all, why should only the gods know other realms? Why not men as well….
His family would be safer this way, far from him and his workings.
The years dragged on, without a book to read, without decent company to talk to, yet he would not languish. He couldn’t, he simply could not allow it. He chipped at the stone of his cell and the wood of the single bed he was provided. He drew diagrams and spellforms and incantations. Depictions of the realms as he understood them. Old spells he’d read from books he’d stolen. The guards surely thought him mad. After all, he spoke to himself, always muttering under his breath. It was nonsense to many of the guards, but the reality was simple. They were invocations, chants, notes he’d read, principles of magic. Anything at all that he could remember.
Oh, and when he dreamed he reveled in the expression of his craft. Every word he’d ever read or written swirled in endless colorful patterns around him. He made diagrams of many colors, connecting words and ideas, concepts and designs. In his dreams he kept the spark alive. While he was awake, he made sure it would not diminish.
He told himself he would forget not a single passage, nor a single phrase or pair of words…but the years wore on and slowly words slipped between his fingers like so many tiny grains of sand.
Eventually the mutterings of his captors, the chuckles and mockery of their laughter as they watched him scratch desperately at the stone of his cell…it made him think.
‘Perhaps I am mad afterall’.
It never stopped him. So years slipped by, knowledge slipped away, and eventually the date of his release finally came. He was given only the clothing on his back and what few belongings his family had deigned to leave in the custody of the prison. It wasn’t much. Some clothes, some food, a bit of coin, and better than anything else…a single thick tome.
It wasn’t all his research, it wasn’t even half, but it was better than nothing, and further there were pages that remained. He cried that day, making sure not to get any of the pages wet.
More importantly though, with the fines paid, and his sentence served, he was finally free. This time, he would endeavor to keep it that way.
With years to develop and refine mnemonic devices [name] has an exceptional memory, the sort that most mages would perhaps kill for. While he cannot simply remember anything he’s ever seen or heard, he can recall the vast majority–if only those things that he deliberately dedicates to memory.
He’s a lucid dreamer and one could comb far and wide and struggle to find a single mage as utterly dedicated as he is. Still, his many years of confinement may have taught him memorization, but they did little for many other things, particularly his demeanor. Having been isolated for so long, he finds crowds difficult, and people are–while not a mystery–a source of irrational paranoia.
Yet, at the same time, he is unflinchingly confident, perhaps to a degree that borders on insane. Indeed, he’s the sort of person who one might either consider mad or–at best–eccentric.
Still, he is fiercely intelligent, wildly observant, and undeniably thorough in his craft. While not reckless in the same ways of his youth, [name] is a man unafraid of taking risks…so long as they are calculated such that they will only affect him…or conversely individuals who no one will consider or believe.
Dream-Probe
Wants to create, or has created, an enchanted item that he can use to sift through ideas and knowledge within the Dreamrealm. It both allows him to view said ideas and concepts, but also records them somehow.
Spells
He would have spells associated with stealth, misdirection, and item acquisition. He would also have spells for recording information swiftly, as well as defense and concealment.
<Snipped quote by yoshua171> Thanks. One very likely reason that you don't remember some of these terms is that they're new. Reniam was always just Reniam, but in theme with giving the planes "-realm" names I gave it its secondary name of the Corerealm. The Ether/Dreamrealm is essentially what was called the Spirit Realm in the previous iteration, and Stupor is still pretty much what Stupor always was: the space between realms. The Divide is also pretty much the same thing, with the main difference being that it is no longer between Reniam and Hell, but rather between Reniam and all other realms and keeping out all gods rather than just the "bad" ones.
Tidall and Drigall are both "new" in a sense, though there is somewhat of a relation between them and the old Hell and Heaven. Essentially in the new version, the creator spirits divided the gods and angels between those two realms rather than the "upper" and "lower" planes. The gods who vied for dominion over the other gods, Reniam and the "mundane" (the class previously labelled "mortals") became the Everbound and sent to Tidall the Everrealm, and the gods that fought to preserve peace and freedom became the Neverbound and sent to Drigall the Neverrealm.
The sun and moon are probably self-explanatory, but the Voidband is probably the most significant new addition aside from just the complete change of structure. You see, Tidall and Drigall are actually semispheres encompassing Reniam, as depicted, and can be seen in the sky. Not in the sense of "there is the crust of another planet outside the planet", since those realms are semi-metaphysical, but in the world the "stars" are powerful magical presences in Tidall and Drigall, meaning that in the space that separates the two realms there is a completely vacant stretch of sky at night that is just uniform black (clouds notwithstanding). I have a lot of little interactions in mind with this new mechanic, but among other things this new sky-structure has an easily observable effect on how Reniam sees the moon. When the moon shines through the Voidband it is white; when it shines through Tidall it is orange; and when it shines through Drigall it is green. The sun also takes on different hues depending on what it shines through, but its more intense light makes it somewhat less noticeable than with the moon.
<Snipped quote by yoshua171> Heh, that one is hardly unique to The Prophecy, it's just an existing concept I adapted because it suited the Grand Master.
<Snipped quote by yoshua171> I actually don't think I've changed the Laws of Magic specifically, though I would have to check my notes to be sure. It's more that I've pondered the origin of magic quite a bit - where do spells come from? Why can spoken words invoke specific effects? That kind of thing - and addressing those unanswered questions made me reconsider some of the mechanical aspects of spellcraft. The short version is that internal magic (elemental, arcane, black (no longer called that) and summoning magic, as well as necromancy and the Art of the Warden) has become much more closely tied to the Dreamrealm.
Ah, but as a fellow worldbuilder, I know very well that even seemingly "small" changes can end up having a big impact on how things truly function in a world. At the very least changes to magic--particularly deeper explanations--tend to lead to a better general understanding of how things work, which makes interacting with the systems much easier and more engaging.
Fantasy Cosmology, as always--at least to me--is something I always find almost endlessly intriguing. So the addition of more specific realm details regarding where certain gods and entities are located in the planar sense is something that catches my attention, in addition to you adding the Void band. Definitely curious about that little planar substrate, as it were and what sort of properties it might have as a metaphysical plane.
I like the change in regards to the "heavenly bodies" in regards to the planes actually having a tangible effect on the sky--night in particular. It gives a cool bit of flavor to the world by changing something very familiar in a fairly simple way. Plus, the fact that the stars are actually divine presences that are just far away (or otherwise so powerful that the "light" of their power leaks into the visible spectrum of light in Reniam's night sky). That reminds me of something my friend and I incorporated into our own world (Tir an Fhairn) actually.
Tir na Fhairn doesn't have a central planet or heavenly bodies, instead its material plane is an essentially flat literal plane. It has three metaphysical planes that overlap with it. Two of those are spheres, that overlap in the middle like a Venn diagram. One of them is like is something that separates all the planes, existing more thickly where any plane would meet, but equally existing everywhere for the most part. There's also a sort of "pseudo-plane" that provides physical structure to everything else and also literally dictates the laws of physics and magic and whatnot.
Anyway, the point is, there are sort of "domains" that beings in the spherical realms create, and those manifest as stars of various hue in the material plane. The "Sun" as it were is actually a giant magical construct crafted by one of the two groups of "gods" that exist in that world. Anyways, back to the Prophecy haha.
I know the idea of contracts is something more adapted to the world than something distinctly unique to it, but it nonetheless grabs my attention. I also like that the magic is structured, and seeing as you've found deeper explanations for spellcraft in particular I'm very interested in what the reasoning for how spellcraft works ends up being.
Sidenote, I found you on discord. Turns out I already had you added haha. Granted, I know you tend to be more active here on the Guild than you are on discord haha. Legion showed up in the discord last night, so that's neat. No idea if he'd be interested in a reboot, but I figured I'd let you know incase you were unaware. I also reached out to two very reliable friends of mine, letting 'em know that if this gets rebooted I'm going to throw it their way to see if they'd join with me so we can have some adventures and whatnot :3
So yeah, I guess the question is, do you have any interest in doing that, or does it feel like too much effort on your part without any idea whether it will last a significant amount of time?
<Snipped quote by yoshua171> Oh, so many small and big things, including some that I wanted to do even while this iteration of the RP was still running, like fixing a bunch of the confusing and misleading labels I had on things. For instance, "demon lords" are no longer a thing, nor is clearly defined good and evil; all deities save the creator spirits are "gods", and pretty much all of the beings that were previously labelled "demons" are now just variations of "angels". The class of beings previously confusingly labelled "immortals" - which would now be gods, angels and demons - are now "divines", and "demons" are "lesser" divines that, unlike angels, do not have a patron god and thus require alternative sources of power. I've changed rune swords, a lot of the rules of magic (especially favored power)... so many different things. I even changed the fundamental structure of the world:
Okay first of all, props, that's a really cool graphic. Simple, but elegant even if I don't remember some of the terms lol. These changes sound fascinating and have further piqued my curiosity.
Also, I just found out that I've had you added on discord this whole time like a fool and never had a proper chat with you. We should change that, especially since we're both such avid worldbuilders haha.
There is one thing that still really fascinates me in particular about your world, and it's the idea of making bargains with Demons, for power and whatnot. Just the idea of having to go through a contract like a lawyer, and the margin for error (and the cost of such errors) being so high is absolutely intriguing to me. I remember I was going to do something with that in regards to Ilitas, but I'm thinking I'd design a different character, but keep that throughline since it intrigues me so much.
So that's where my brain's at. I'd love to hear some of the changes for various things. Like the Laws of Magic in particular :3
Heh, hey yoshua. I know the feeling... I also keep wanting to continue this RP or - more likely since I have to accept that it is well and truly dead by now - reboot it. If I ever did so, however, the setting would be somewhat different from what it was originally. In the years since I created the RP-world I have begun rewriting the story it is based on, you see, and I have made changes to a lot of various things about the world in a way I think works much better and makes a lot more sense. I've also learned a lot about being better GM in the meantime, so that would probably be rather different in a new iteration, too.
I'm already curious what a rewrite would end up making this already deep and fascinating world look like and I'm sure you've improved (somehow) with the passage of time. I know I have, that's for sure haha.
The main thing stopping me is the fact that I honestly struggle to have faith in my hypothetical players anymore. The primary reason I prefer to GM in the first place is to avoid the potential issue of the GM abandoning the RP and leaving the players hanging dry... but knowing that I will always be around as GM doesn't help much when the players abandon it instead. Obviously I don't mean to blame anyone for leaving; no one should feel forced to participate in an RP if they no longer feel like it, and as I have always said real life comes first. But twice now on just this site I have put in huge amounts of work to make RPs (The Prophecy and Night of the Hunt) only for them to peter out and die because the players just stop posting. Stuff like this really kills my motivation for this kind of thing... so unless I someday come upon a group of thoroughly dedicated players that assure me that they'll stick around for the long haul, I don't know if I'll want to put in the work all over again.
Yeah, I definitely understand how demotivating that can be. That's actually largely why I tend not to GM, especially wholly original settings because the reality tends to be that the average person has more trouble connecting with things that aren't familiar in some large way. That's not a failing, it's just a sad reality I've discovered based on my personal experience. Still, at the same time, I've come to realize that from to time it's better to try anyways, because otherwise it leaves you with this...sort of unfulfilled longing? I don't know if you relate to that at all, but I thought I'd put it out there.
I will say that my problem when I fell off--as I believe I told you--had less to do with you and everything to do with the fact that I'd made a character that didn't have enough intrigue/staying power to keep me invested in his story. Furthermore, I then fumbled the process of creating a new character who would keep my interest, much to my chagrin (ah Ilitas, if only I could have finished you). If it means anything or would help, I've got virtually nothing on my plate in terms of RPs or writing at the moment and I'd love to explore a new and improved version of the Prophecy's world.
I've got a Bleach Fandom RP I'm GMing that I need to figure out in the coming months, but my players are being startlingly patient with my current situation (IRL has some stuff going on that is a bit rough) and as I'm sure you know, GMing takes a much greater toll than being a player does. So yeah, if you'd be at all interested in doing something like that, I'd love to work with you! It might also be possible that I could rope in some friends of mine if you got us a Compendium 2.0 to work with. I know Shien still has it saved somewhere even if the current link no longer leads to anything--though she hasn't yet responded to my request for a link to the new site so I can look at things again.
Anyway...that was long and rambly, but here we are haha. I'll leave it at that until you get time for a reply :)
P.S. If you have anything like a Discord I'd love to chat more one on one as well.
P.S.S. I think my problem with I'onriyi was very much that he was a little too...unambiguously good and I've found I have a much greater enjoyment for characters who are either morally grey (with or without some good leanings) or outright evil (with shades of grey thrown in to make things interesting). So I'm confident I could make a character that--along with your exceptional GMing--would keep me around for some time :P Okay. Now I'm done lol.
【Additional Appearance Info: Wearing her Shihakusho well-cinched, one could say that Seikō is rather conservative in terms of her clothing choices. The reality is due to her experiences, she’d much rather not tempt the world. Nonetheless, Seikō is a rather attractive woman, standing at 5’4 and weighing in at around 140 lbs with an hourglass figure and sufficient assets that she feels she must conceal them. Above all, though, her brilliant, almost glowing sapphire eyes are her most defining feature, especially when paired with her barely shoulder-length raven-black hair. Beyond this, of note is the pendant that rests around her neck, almost a choker given its tightness.
【Biography: Born far out in the Rukongai in a District often raided and terrorized by the violence of the gangs of the outer districts, one could say that Seikō has always led a difficult existence. Even as a young child, she came to know that danger was always just around the next corner. Yet, sometimes one can never truly understand what is at risk until it is taken from them, and unfortunately, this has very much been her experience.
So it was at a young age, barely able to fend for herself, that she witnessed the horrible violence of the outer district. Though her parents did their utmost to protect her, hiding her away, they failed in one way.
They did not blind her to the world, did not deafen her to their screams, did not dampen her senses as the scent of blood filled her nostrils. Crying in silence and wanting to scream, she lost her parents and much of the community she’d grown up in.
Frozen in terror, trapped in a state of shock, face and shirt drenched with her own tears, Seikō remained in that decrepit place for a long time. Whether hours or days, she didn’t emerge until someone found her and sadly, they were not just a kind stranger, but rather a raider.
Still, seeing her dirty tear-streaked face as her wide blue eyes stared at him emptily, he must have taken pity on her. So it was that she accompanied the raider in his rough lifestyle.
Many years later, after hardships too numerous to count, Seikō escaped Funinjō and his posse, fleeing to safe districts. Now a young woman hardened by the many hardships of learning to survive and stay safe–and often failing–amidst such rough company, Seikō was closed off for a long time. Retreating into herself and avoiding others for fear of being hurt, it took many many years for her to begin coming out of her shell despite her resilient nature.
Still, eventually, she sought greater safety and decided that she would rather die doing something that mattered than continue to waste away in the districts forever. So it was that she began opening up, reaching out, and even occasionally letting people into her life. Though she could not wash away the pains of her past, Seikō found meaning in helping others escape the possibility of such things in their future.
With time, she heard stories even as she noticed the imperceptible burden that others seemed to bear with her around. Though it upset her to see this, eventually, she found solace in the knowledge that it wasn’t truly her fault, as she discovered the source of the problem: Her Spiritual Pressure.
Though it wasn’t titanic like some legendary shinigami of the past, it was still sufficient to cause the average soul trouble. With this knowledge in hand, she applied for the Shin’o Academy, thinking that she could better protect others from the horrors of the world if she was stronger. Yet in her heart of hearts, she knew that she was running away, trying to get as far from reminders of her past as she could. After all, maybe that distance would help her heal or…help her forget.
Years passed, and she trained, and though she was never considered particularly talented by her teachers or her peers, she was well-liked. Her kind demeanor and attentiveness made her rather popular, but as she graduated and became a member of 5th division, such things stopped mattering nearly as much, and she quickly found herself isolated. Time went on this way for some time until the steady, safe, and largely unchanging environment of the Seireitei was struck by a sudden and violent upheaval.
The betrayal of a Captain, in fact, the Captain of her very own division: Tsubomi Suzunami. Though she’d never had any special relationship with the woman, the sudden violence and instability in a place she’d thought free of such rattled Seikō moreso even than many members of her division. Worse still was that many of her peers joined their Captain in her insurrection. So it was that she found herself numbly watching as so-many strangers–people she knew but was not close to–fought eachother because of the foolish mistakes of one woman.
It was madness. It terrified her, but she’d been scared before, frozen, petrified. Never again. Acting quickly, Seikō had sprung into motion, getting as many of those who had not betrayed her and Soul Society out of the way even as she felt the true battle begin. The one between their Captain and a shinigami who she recognized as the Lieutenant of 7th Division: Yōki, Kōunora.
Eventually, in the process of serving as triage and combatant, Seikō found that she’d moved startlingly close to the brilliant and blinding display that was the two high-ranking shinigami. It was a sight that she found both harrowing and stunning in equal measure. After all, one woman was a blinding flourish of almost impossible-to-follow blades and afterimages, one flowing into the next with an ease that had to have been practiced for decades. Yet…the Lieutenant never faltered, even outclassed as she should have been by Tsubomi, Kōunora somehow managed to evade or turn away the vast majority of the errant Captain’s blows. There was something about the younger shinigami’s movements that felt somehow more honed even than the Captain’s…but that was impossible. Tsubomi had been a Captain for a long time and even if she was hardly the strongest of the Gotei 13’s upper echelons, she was couldn’t possibly so sloppy as to be outclassed by a lieutenant.
Yet she was.
Still, as enraptured as she’d been in the magnificent display above, she soon detected a presence at her side, attacking. Eyes widening, Seikō reacted as quickly as possible. Rather than attempt to block, she’d utilized kido, using a defensive spell in the same instant as she preemptively wreathed herself in Kaido.
Still, the blade struck her with a terrible ferocity that sent her flying. Gritting her teeth from the pain, she flipped in the air and drew her blade in the same instant as she dug her fingertips into a wall to slow her flight. Still, the traitor kept coming, his eyes blazing with fury as he used shunpo to close the distance.
That was his first mistake, for she saw through his every move, and as he appeared, her hilt was already in position to slam his sword down into the ground. With her other hand upraised, she paralyzed him with a spell and then left him for dead. Wiping a bit of blood off her cheek, she cast her gaze around and located one of her compatriots fighting a small group of lesser shinigami who had surely defected.
Narrowing her gaze in disgust at the sight of her ally being bullied, Seikō vanished in a flash step. Joining Kana, Shion in her defensive, the two bonded that day, even amidst that chaos and despair. It was a good thing, too, for though Seikō had shaken off her shock rather quickly, Shion was another case entirely. In the coming months, the two grew close, and as the vice-grip of depressive trauma began to loosen, their friendship began to blossom.
It would be the one thing that truly made Seikō feel secure in the world. Well…that and their new Captain, the very woman who had defeated Tsubomi.
The thought always made Seikō chuckle with a grim sort of amusement; after all, fate did have a twisted sense of humor, why should she be any different?
【Personality: Seikō is a woman who has been tempered in the fires of tragedy and pain, given time to cool, before being reforged in the very same flames. Through the many trials and tribulations of her life thus far, Seikō has been forced to be strong to survive. So it is that in the face of violence, she does not flinch but remains steady and brave as she braces herself against further misfortune. Yet still this is not the sum of her being, for not every facet of her has been forged to the same pristine finish. Quite the opposite, as beneath the brave face, the mask, the wall she puts up to protect herself from the world, there is something brittle and bleeding. Something she refuses to look at, refuses to acknowledge, refuses to accept. It is part of her and it is hurting, wailing, clawing, screaming…silent. Unwilling to look at such a part of herself, Seikō instead turns her attention outwards, nurturing others where she can and protecting whoever she can manage such that perhaps some few will never experience what she’s had to endure.
Still, her past has not just left her with nasty scars and unhealed wounds–psychological and otherwise–but wisdom as well. When one suffers and struggles and yet finds a way through the world, so too do they learn, and indeed Seikō has learned much from her trials. She has learned the importance of bonds, of appearances, and what strength truly looks like. Sadly, a gentle heart and a kind guiding hand cannot save the world…indeed, cannot save her from it either. Nonetheless, she tries, and secretly she hopes as well, hiding that tiny flickering flame of wonder away from the cruel claws of existence such that no more of her innocence might be torn away.
【Notable Traits】
【Likes/Dislikes】
✔ Hopeful people ✔ Kindness ✔ The night sky ✔ Steamed Buns
✘ Liars ✘ Fish ✘ Pessimists ✘ Violence for its own sake
Friends who bonded in a time of strife, Shion and Seikō could be considered to be inseparable. They look out for eachother…and in a world intent on doling out unpredictable cruelty and violence, it’s a good thing that they do. Though she’s never said it, Seikō’s feelings for Shion are more deep and complicated than she might like.
Yōki, Kōunora: Superior Officer
Finding the Captain inspiring, Seikō sees in her what she wish she could see in herself. True strength. Not soundness of body or soul, but mastery of self. In this way she admires the woman tremendously and tries–in all the wrong ways–to to be like her. Perhaps one day she will learn that it is not her capacities as a shinigami that afford Kōunora peace and confidence, but rather the fact that the Captain has accepted herself in her entirety. Then again…perhaps not.
【Capabilities】
【General Aptitude】
Fighting Style:
While it cannot be said that Seikō is quite a generalist, she certainly isn’t a specialist either. Instead, she combines her skills into a more comprehensive style that relies heavily on her capacity for analysis and variability. While some are exceptionally fast or skilled in one art or another, Seikō’s strength is that she can easily adapt to most situations. Thus, it should be said that–at least for now–she is too early in her development to have developed a proper Fighting Style, as it were.
Your perception gives you an edge in combat, allowing you not just to follow the movement of things much faster than you, but also to predict things more accurately than the average individual and act–or react–accordingly. Functionally, this allows the individual in question to treat half of their Proficiency in Perception as Proficiency in Hoho, but purely when reacting or attempting to predict and capitalize on someone’s future positioning. Notably, the Proficiency Tier is rounded down to the nearest number.
Notably, those who do not possess this Specialty only choose a Primary and cannot use any other class of kido. Otherwise, those possessing this specialty must choose either Hado or Bakudo as their Primary and Secondary, respectively. The Primary discipline gains the full allotment of spells for their rank, whereas the secondary gains the allotment for one tier below their Proficiency. Individuals exceeding the Grandmaster Proficiency Tier are capable of utilizing their secondary at the same rank as their primary, but they are not capable of creating new Kidō of that class. Individuals below Grandmaster cannot utilize Forbidden Kidō, whereas those at Legend or Mythic Proficiency may create Forbidden Kidō. Individuals below Adept cannot create new Kidō.
Kaido: (Kido Expert):
Unlike the other classes of Kido, Kaido requires a particular degree of aptitude to utilize at all. This Specialty allows the user access to Restorative Spells, allowing them to heal themselves and others. Individuals with this Specialty can heal themselves at their Proficiency tier and heal others at one level below such. At Expert, this specialty allows the complete restoration of minor wounds--lacerations, bruises, minor fractures, etc. Notably, at Expert, a specialist can heal more serious injuries but never completely, resulting in lasting complications that cannot be corrected. However, due to the individual’s lack of general experience, they are only capable of healing themselves at their full capacity, whereas they can heal the superficial wounds of others as well as stabilize them. At Adept tier, this specialty allows the restoration of major wounds, including broken bones, major fractures, and even the partial loss or destruction of some organs. At Grandmaster, a Kaido practitioner can even regenerate organs and limbs wholesale. Beyond the threshold of Grandmaster, even long-standing injuries can be mended, reducing or removing complications entirely.
*If Chosen as a secondary via Kido Specialist, the shinigami's Kido Proficiency will need to be one tier higher than normal.
【Artes】
Shunpo(Hoho Practitioner):
Meaning “Flash Steps,” this technique, while not the pinnacle of Hoho, is the primary Arte afforded by the Skill. This Arte allows the user to move faster than the eye can easily follow by using as few steps as possible to cross a distance. The higher the user’s Hoho Proficiency, the faster and more efficient this Arte becomes. This technique clashes against the Perception Skill, meaning that the lower an individual’s skill value is, the more difficulty they will have predicting the trajectory of or even following the user’s movement. This becomes more pronounced if the Perception Skill is at a lower Proficiency Tier than the Shunpo User’s Hoho Skill.
{Unique} Bakudo #60 Datsuraku Hada(Shedding Scales): “Interlock, defend. Lock yourself away from the world and hide…”
A spell designed by Yōki, Kōunora, the Captain of the 5th Division, Datsuraku Hada is a defensive kido utilized to protect either the user or a chosen target. When activated, this spell creates numerous ‘scales’ of dense reishi over the entire surface area of the protected individual’s body–each of these scales serve as numerous powerful barriers. However, the spell’s most distinct property is that if the damage threshold for a subset of barriers (scales) is exceeded, the scales will destroy themselves in such a way that disperses the attack. This is accomplished by the reishi temporarily adapting to the reiatsu or reishi of the opposing attack, briefly causing the scales in question to become the antithesis of the opposing force. Notably, these ‘scales’ may be replenished by channeling additional reiatsu into the spell.
This spell utilizes the user’s understanding of biological systems to harness Kaido in order to prime the body for healing before any damage has occurred. This drastically increases the efficacy of Kaido spells, in addition to wreathing the caster’s body in light blue healing kido. Unfortunately, Mae-sedai does have potentially dangerous side effects as it can lead to the generation of malformations in the body and is intensely draining if maintained for too long. Notably, the more skilled the user of the spell, the more potent Mae-sedai is and the longer it may be used without negative side effects.
Meaning “Profound Reflection”, this technique functions by arresting the outward exertion of one’s reiatsu, allowing Seiko to harness the full extent of her reiryoku. After managing this process, Seiko channels said reiryoku directly to her senses. Through this process, her physical and spiritual awareness are drastically amplified. Through [name]’s use Seiko can analyze her opponents and the environments around her with drastically increased precision allowing her to react more swiftly and accurately than normal. This technique can be utilized for up to 6 posts at base, with this duration increasing by 2 posts for every additional tier in Perception Seiko has. At Legend, the duration is increased to 20 posts, whereas at Mythic the technique may be utilized indefinitely.
*During this technique’s use, the user’s Perception Proficiency is raised by one tier for every two tiers they already have in the Skill. If the user’s Perception is Mythic, this technique gives them perception beyond that of those at their same Proficiency Tier.
**For users who have reached the ‘Master’ Proficiency Tier in Perception, this technique may allow them to win clashes that would otherwise have ended in a tie.
***At ‘Perception Grandmaster’ they may treat clashes where their Attribute or Skill was one tier below that of the aggressor as if their proficiency was tied with the aggressor, allowing them to tie.
【Zanpakuto】
Sealed State
~"They say Ignorance is bliss, but I will not let you choose it."~
Attunement(1): Phase One - Unattuned. Deviation: N/A.
Inner World & Spirit:
A vast serpent whose coils contain a frozen ocean of endless depth. Cracks splinter across the ice’s surface and throughout its form as it begins to buckle under the pressure of the Serpent’s constricting vice grip. As it tightens its grip, the serpent’s smooth obsidian scales shimmer with a prismatic sheen. Staring into her soul, always watching, the serpent gazes out into the dark beyond, its reptilian eyes speckled with flickering starlight.
This is the current form of her inner world and sword spirit, though it may change to some degree in the future.
Zanpakuto Personality: Patient and understanding, Zen'nō Kaiyō-kami is a rather maternal figure, its voice one of reason in its master’s mind. Nonetheless, their relationship is rocky as Seikō finds the ancient and ever-present gaze of her spirit to be overbearing. After all, it can see into the depths of her being where no one else can, and though Zen'nō is as gentle as possible…she has no intention of allowing Seikō to avoid her traumas forever.
Shikai Zanpakuto held aloft, its point to the sky, Seikō drew a clockwise arc before aligning the blade at its center. As she began to chant its release, she swiftly brought it down into a horizontal alignment and declared.
~"Constrict the endless depths, Zen'nō Kaiyō-kami(全能海洋神 Almighty Ocean God)."~
Thusly, her blade grew wider and its grip longer, becoming a sword spear as its hilt dissolved and spikes grew backwards from the base of the massive spearhead. As the transformation completed, so too was its potency revealed. Roaring backwards, an azure aura and a tremendous force came suddenly into being, parted by the spear tip of Seikō’s shikai. She gritted her teeth for along with its power, so too had been unleashed the furious—barely tolerated—agony that had been nestled deep within her soul.
Ability: Upon entering its release state, Seikō’s Zanpakuto continuously generates an incredibly intense aura of turbulent azure reiryoku that acts much like incredibly high-pressure water. Additionally, Seikō’s Shikai focuses her reiatsu, bringing it into alignment with her Sword Spirit. As a result, there is an intense–physically tangible–force that emanates from her Shikai’s azure reiryoku at all times. This force can be used both offensively to enhance the already potent reiryoku of her Shikai or defensively to slow or weaken attacks. However, there is–unfortunately–a catch: Seikō’s Shikai is indiscriminate and constantly puts her body under significant physical strain so long as it remains active. Functionally it is as if Seikō is being constantly poisoned while her Shikai is active–unfortunately, this effect does not carry over to other individuals who come into contact with her Zanpakuto’s Shikai ability.
As with all Shikai, Seikō’s Reiatsu modifier is doubled while it is active (Mod 10).
During Shikai, Seikō’s Zanpakuto puts her under tremendous pressure in addition to poisoning her. As a result, her Resilience stat is reduced by 10 points. If at Dismal, this effect instead reduces her Strength and Mobility by 5. This can be offset by continuous usage of Kaido, but the effect is only halved (from 10 to 5, thus affecting either Strength or Mobility, rather than both).
This effect is more pronounced on other individuals and performs a check on their Resilience stat, causing a reduction of one milestone tier. This reduction carries over to the affected individual’s Skills, allowing them access to the maximum Proficiency value for their new attribute score in their affected stats.
Member
Snowdrops
Fallenreaper
Taka
Dark Jack
Crimson Flame
Danyel
Kalas
HeMandaddy
Lord Zee
