Pentagram: ENNEA

[Random]

PENTAGRAM
(n.) - a five-pointed star, drawn using a series of straight lines, used classically by Warlocks to indicate the five elements​

index
(n.) - a collection of information on a topic
register
(n.) - an official list of items​

A student eats lunch with a view of the private research centre, Marble Citadel, in District i.

​

Article:

17 March 2030, Official Trigonian Research and Development (Bioarcanism Development Division)
Project Proposal: ENNEA

Background

After the 2026 Over-Nine incident, Trigon lost more than half of her Level 9 mages, who were critical for research purposes. The loss of them allowed us to become vulnerable in the Angel War, more so than we would normally have been.

However, now the resources necessary are available, the Bioarcanism Development Division of TRED (Official Trigonian Research and Development) proposes to use collected genetic samples to create clones of the Level 9 mages, using IVF with artificial gametes, and raise them in a controlled environment in order to study their development and explore technical, scientific, military, and economic applications for Level 9 mages.

However, so as to avoid a repeat of the Over-Nine incident, the clones will have DNA of other high-powered mages to fertilise/be fertilised by the gametes recreated from the genetic code of the other Level 9s in an attempt to make their personalities more compatible and less prone to harming or killing each other. For the purposes of the experiment, a "high-powered mage" is defined as a mage with an maximum output of at least 75 gigawatts.

The clones, officially codenamed the Seven Gifts of God, are to be raised in the Zero Districts, ideally within the under-construction research facility Marble Citadel, and kept isolated from all contact other than with each other and with the supervisors of the experiment.



Objectives

To create and raise socially functional Level 9 mages based on the previous Level 9 mages
To study the growth of Level 9 mages, esp. bioarcanely
To explore the potential applications for Level 9 magic
To attempt to achieve Level 10 and explore potential applications for Level 10 magic

Source: Excerpt from ENNEA Project proposal (TRED Bioarcane Development Division Database of Studies)

The year is 2048.

The end of the universe has averted for two decades.

Trigon, a city shared by three worlds, is now recognised as an interplanetary superpower, the core of civilisation itself.

On the outside, it looks to be a utopia. Anybody familiar with its inner workings can tell you that it certainly is not.

Power is not gleaned without greed, and Trigon hungers again for knowledge and puissance.

The Level 9 mages from twenty-two years past have been resurrected, changed, for the city now seeks to tame destruction incarnate.

Because clearly, nothing can go wrong there.

---

Pentagram: Ennea is an anime science-fantasy roleplay, set in (big surprise) 2048. The main setting of the game will be the city of Trigon. Probably. It's out of the question that the characters might move about a little bit.

For terms used that you aren't familiar with, refer to the Index, where information (including finished character sheets) is stored.

Since a core theme of this is uniqueness and lack thereof, anyone who gets here before we start may, if you so wish, create the Gifts of God and play as them. However, this is a very limited position, as all Seven Gifts must be filled roles when the RP begins, and I will fill them in the form of NPCs if necessary.
Similarly, if you choose to not make a Gift, I will allow your character to be an exception to exactly one rule. On the other hand, they are still rules, and therefore each rule may have one exception.

This RP will use dice, mostly d100. I'll worry about that, but it's basically to give you more creative freedom without having to fling around wild accusations of things being unfair. A good rule of thumb is to just not that assume things happen.

Things to note​

• Only the Gifts can be Level 9. However, not all Gifts necessarily must be Level 9.
• Magic colour is the same as eye colour for a character. Silver is reserved for Wraiths.
• Characters in a group described in the Index, such as Spectre Priestesses, are NPCs. The plot will not work any other way.
• Nobody uses five elements except the Oprostatii. Mostly because that's what being an Oprostatis is.
• Celestials are exceptions to the rules. No screwing the rules for them. They're broken enough already.
• Having said that, don't worry about making your characters overpowered. Because seriously, even a Level 2 mage can output as much power as a 1-ton bomb as a prerequisite for reaching Level 2. Meaning that most are orders of magnitude more destructive than that.
• If you do decide to make a Gift, there is one based on each of the previous Level 9s, and they are all combined with another character. You can either make on yourself, or pick a character mentioned in the Index, but do ask for details of what they're like.

Information for a CS

Gift-only section
Non-Gift section

Name: [[Good heavens, whatever might this be for?]]
Age: [[Some of these really are a mystery.]]
Race: [[See the Index for a list.]]
Appearance: [[Write some words or use a fucking picture or something.]]

Gene donors: [[List both "parents", one of which absolutely must be a Level 9.]]
Birthplace: [[Be as specific (or not) as you like.]]
History: [[Stuff that happened to your character. Optional, since some people are just boring.]]

Magic Type: [[Thaumaturgy, Sorcery, or Trickery. Or maybe none, because you're a familiar. Or maybe you're a mundane and thus a total scrub. Also, list the elements that the character can use.]]
Level: [[See the entry on the Bauer-West Level system in the Index for details.]]

General Personality: [[The external demeanour that the character interacts with the world using. Standard stuff.]]
Inner Personality: [[The cat's out of the bag. The beans are spilled. The cuttlefish is gutted. The walrus is in the tree. What are they really like inside? Optional, but fun.]]

Spells: [[Describe what they are and what they do. You can have as many as you can think up, and add in more as the RP goes on. I'll approve each one individually. If your character is a Warlock, feel free to add a hideously over-versatile Meridian Rule. Gifts have their Meridian Rule, as per standard, based on the Meridian Rule of their "parents". If they aren't a Warlock or Magician, however, don't bother with this section.]]

Stats:
(Measured from 0-100. You can have no more than 450 total.)
Potency: [[Magical output]]
Dexterity:
Agility:
Endurance:
Creativity:
Intelligence:
Awareness:

Add whatever else you think is appropriate.

Previous Level 9s

The following is a vague list of the Level 9s and their qualities. These are absolutely not templates for character sheets, and are only as vague as they are in order to make them more flexible for incorporation into Gifts.
#1 (Shadowdancer)
"It is finished."
Gender: Female
Appearance: Long white hair, red eyes
General Personality: Cold, aloof, stubborn
Inner Personality: Violent, psychotic, sadistic
Sin: Wrath
Virtue: Diligence
Meridian Rule: Telekinesis (non-contact)

#2 (Phantom)
"Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother."
Gender: Male
Appearance: Mid-length black hair, violet eyes
General Personality: Arrogant, confident, show-off
Inner Personality: Unsatisfied, low self-esteem, afraid of strength beyond his own
Sin: Pride
Virtue: Chastity
Meridian Rule: Density manipulation (contact)

#3 (Huntress)
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Gender: Female
Appearance: Long black hair, gold eyes (brown hair for Gift)
General Personality: Sarcastic, optimistic, strong morals
Inner Personality: Afraid of loss, admires others, selfless to a fault
Sin: Envy
Virtue: Humility
Meridian Rule: Velocity manipulation (contact)

#4 (Blinker)
"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
Gender: Female
Appearance: Mid-length lilac hair, orange eyes
General Personality: Naive, trusting, ditzy
Inner Personality: Upset at lack of intellect, lonely, empty
Sin: Gluttony
Virtue: Charity
Meridian Rule: Teleportation (contact)

#5 (Gambler)
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Gender: Male
Appearance: Short blue hair, dark blue eyes
General Personality: Laidback, amiable, self-indulging
Inner Personality: Empty, aspirationless
Sin: Sloth
Virtue: Patience
Meridian Rule: Probability manipulation (non-contact)

#6 (Guardian)
"I thirst."
Gender: Male
Appearance: Mid-length light red hair, green eyes
General Personality: Quiet, aloof, unassuming
Inner Personality: Maniacally possessive, protective, short-tempered
Sin: Greed
Virtue: Temperance
Meridian Rule: Shield generation (non-contact)

#7 (Puppeteer)
"Truly, I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise."
Gender: Female
Appearance: Very long dark purple hair, turquoise eyes
General Personality: Friendly, rule-abiding, organised
Inner Personality: Lewd, brazen, manipulative
Sin: Lust
Virtue: Kindness
Meridian Rule: Mind control (non-contact)

Statsheet for existing characters

So, yeah, like, if you want to make something, like, make something or something.
​

 

[Random]

How magic will work

Thaumaturgy​

Thaumaturgy will work, obviously, based on spells. Spells made need a Power (amount of energy outputted), Volatility (amount of recoil) and Difficulty (complexity), all in arbitrary units. This, combined with any other special effects depending on what the spell actually does, will land it with a specific Willpower cost, which is calculated based on a formula I have. However, the higher the spell's Difficulty, the less likely a character is to be able to use it in the first place.

In other words, when making a spell, list its name, Power (average being 50-150), Volatility (average being 10-20), Difficulty (average being 10-25), elements, and what it actually does, and I'll do the rest.

Sorcery​

Sorcery is far simpler than Thaumaturgy. A Sorcerer will simply expend a given fraction of their Willpower into using their magic in whatever way they see fit. Their output is directly proportional to the amount of energy they put in.

Trickery​

Trickery will work like Thaumaturgy, except with the properties described under its entry in the Index, which is here.

 

[Random]

>arbitrary reminder that this is open

 

[Donk]

Hell, if nobody else is gonna step up to the plate, I will.

So, byeah. Sup.


Oh, and I have a few questions to throw out. Some of the magic, (especially Trickery) remind me of an anime called The Irregular at Magic High School. Yeah, killer name, I know. Will this work like that? Does magic require incantations and hand gestures to work or is it just thinking really hard about it? Since I think I'll probably go ahead and make a Gift, how much can you tell me about them? Are we going to start out during their life or once they're dumped out of the cloning tank? Also, what basis are the stats for? What can be seen as average? 25? 50?

 

[Random]

Oh, hi there.

Some of the magic, (especially Trickery) remind me of an anime called The Irregular at Magic High School.

Oh, Mahouka. It's been ages since I watched that.

I don't remember most of the magic from that, but it's not out of the question. Something like instantaneous healing falls more under Thaumaturgy (and even then it won't be instantaneous because all magic essentially does is pander to the laws of physics), disintegration falls kind of under Sorcery and be unusable on arcanes, although I kind of see how you would get that with Trickery.

Basically, Trickery warps space. Anything you can do with that, no matter how complex, goes.

Does magic require incantations and hand gestures to work or is it just thinking really hard about it?

Well, you can put in incantations and hand gestures as a requirement for certain spells if you so wish. It would make the spell far less costly, but also take several rounds to activate, so in the name of pragmatism, people usually just don't use them.

For Magicians, magic works at literally the touch of a button. For Sorcerers, it's as if magic were an extra limb. Warlocks just choose to use the spell and shit proceeds to happen.

Since I think I'll probably go ahead and make a Gift, how much can you tell me about them?

The Gifts are deliberately being raised in a way so as to be perfectly healthy, so as to study a "default" Level 9's development. They're currently living in their own personal wing of Marble Citadel, and one of the main aims is to make them socially functional and compatible with each other. That does not necessarily mean to say that objective has been achieved.

I can't really say that much more on the basis that I don't want to limit your options too much. The parents must be one of the original Level 9s, but you can either make the other yourself, or pull someone out of the Index to be their other donor. If you're doing the latter, I'll give you their details.

Are we going to start out during their life or once they're dumped out of the cloning tank?

They're dumped out of the cloning tank at their equivalent to "birth" (i.e. nine-month-old embryo) so as to simulate a "normal growth". As a result, the Gifts will already be at a stage where they can act independently when we begin.

Also, what basis are the stats for? What can be seen as average? 25? 50?

Potency defines your character's magical output. The higher it is, the denser the AMC field, the more powerful the magic your character can use it, and so on. Potency roughly lines up to fit the criterion of 10 points per Level minimum yield. So, to qualify as a Level 6, you need at least 60 Potency.
It also plays a roll in deciding Health.

Dexterity is dexterity. It dictates how well your character can aim at a distance, and makes critical rolls more likely.

Agility dictates mostly how fast your character is, but it also dictates physical strength and reaction time.

Endurance dictates your limits, and plays a large role in deciding Health and Willpower (essentially mana). It also helps Agility in dictating physical strength.

Creativity is how imaginative your character is. It helps Intelligence when trying to identify something, plays a large factor in making/learning spells for Warlocks and Magicians, and plays a part in deciding Willpower.

Intelligence helps initiative rolls, is used alongside Creativity to identify things, plays a small part in learning/making spells, and plays a part in deciding Willpower. It also helps shake off mental effects.

Awareness plays a part in aiming from a distance, reaction time, initiative rolls, and, obviously, awareness of surroundings.

The numbers work on an exponential scale, but average would be around 55.

 

[Esmeray]

*peeks in* I saw mages and social interaction and went "sqwee". I'm going to read everything later. ^^

 

[Random]

And suddenly this thread has a population.

If you have any questions, since I know for a fact that the chances of me covering everything are basically zero, feel free to ask and I'll get back toy you as quickly as I can.

 

[Donk]

And suddenly this thread has a population.

If you have any questions, since I know for a fact that the chances of me covering everything are basically zero, feel free to ask and I'll get back toy you as quickly as I can.

My job in eliciting at least one persons interest is complete. I take my leave. (Expect mein character tonight or so. Or morning for you. Somebody bring a chronomancer or something.)

 

[Random]

I approve of this message.

And also await your CS with interest.

 

[Nano]

This looks fun. Count me in! If there's magic, I'm joining~

 

[Donk]

Spoiler

Name:
Darius Alexander Rorchette

Appearance:
The most noticeable thing on Alex's face is the pair of boxy glasses he wears, a testament to his 'parents' combination of good genes. Turns out even the scientists couldn't make a perfect human being. Other than his less than stellar perception, he takes up after his father. Short, slightly curly black hair and a pair of violet eyes. (Alex would call them cyan, but that's just nitpicking.)

His body, while lanky and tall, has a fair bit of muscle to it. You can't do everything with magic, so he makes it a point to work out and exercise regularly. His total height rounds out at about six feet and he weighs one hundred and forty pounds. Average attire consists of either official uniform or basic business clothing. He himself prefers to keep his attire a little bit classy.

Gene donors:
The gene donors who 'made' Alex were a woman named Nadia Rorchette and the level nine Phantom. She was deemed a perfect match for the man's genetics. Alex leans towards his mothers collected and efficient personality rather than Phantoms' arrogance.

Level:
As of this current stage in his life, Alex is classified as a mid-tier Level Seven.

General Personality:
While Alex is generally nice and will help anyone however he can, he can be quite cold and off-putting in his mannerisms. Even as a younger boy, he never did gain many social skills, preferring to experiment with his toys and learn things. Efficiency is the way he goes about things, never fumbling with a spell, always taking his time and making ends meet.

Of course, don't think he's unable to hold a conversation. He very much enjoys talking about things that interest him. If you're into magic, then you might just make a friend very quickly. He takes his studies very seriously and often goes the long mile to make sure he understands a concept.

Inner Personality:
While it might appear that he enjoys studying and learning, he despises it. He's not as smart as he might seem, and often struggles with very complex things. He feels as a Gift, he can't fail, not even once. Dread follows him in tests and examinations. If you happen to get a better score or grade than him, good luck, because he will hunt you down do anything to try and be better.

Spells:
Alex's main elemental prowess comes from Geomancy.

While his Meridian Rule compromises most of the elements, it works especially well with earthen materials. His ability is standard manipulation. His father was able to augment density, but Alex can change things. He can't change, say, a computer into a fridge, or a car into a train, but he can certainly change a fork into a knife. He can also manipulate the size of an object, sizing up a fork into one of the pitch variety.

His ability has its limits, though. He can only work on something that he has an intimate knowledge about. Standard metallic objects like a fork or a sword he can easily change, but to modify something as complex as a phone would take a lot of studying and identifying what an object is made up out of. He can make a killer sand castle, though. An example would be him fighting in a melee with a metal bat or a sword. Said weapon could be elongated and warped to become double its size, or extend five extra feet to stab a far away opponent.

Stats:

Potency: Seventy.
Dexterity: Sixty-five.
Agility: Fifty-five.
Endurance: Fifty-five.
Creativity: Sixty.
Intelligence: Eighty.
Awareness: Sixty-five.
​

​

​

Sorry for the late character sheet, but I hope its all right. Wasn't sure about a few things, but it should be good.​

 

[Random]

If there's magic

On a more serious note, please do if you're up for it. It'd be great to have you.

@Donk
He really takes after his dad, doesn't he? It's perfect, I just need to verify a few things about Alex.

Would I be right in cataloguing his MR as this, crossreferencing it against 2's MR, Phase:

/name/
Power: Varies (I'll come up with an exact multiplier)
Volatility: 10
Difficulty: 45
Elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water
The caster manipulates the shape of an object by rearranging its molecules. The user inputs a varying amount of energy based on the change made, which alters the target's potential damage and HP, but must pass an Intelligence roll to do so.

Also, what's the name of his MR, and is it contact or non-contact?

Lastly, does he know any other Spells, and what order did he learn his elements in (seems like a stupid detail, I know, but elements you learn first are more effective that those you learned recently).

 

[Donk]

@Donk
He really takes after his dad, doesn't he? It's perfect, I just need to verify a few things about Alex.

Would I be right in cataloguing his MR as this, crossreferencing it against 2's MR, Phase:

/name/
Power: Varies (I'll come up with an exact multiplier)
Volatility: 10
Difficulty: 45
Elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water
The caster manipulates the shape of an object by rearranging its molecules. The user inputs a varying amount of energy based on the change made, which alters the target's potential damage and HP, but must pass an Intelligence roll to do so.

Also, what's the name of his MR, and is it contact or non-contact?

Lastly, does he know any other Spells, and what order did he learn his elements in (seems like a stupid detail, I know, but elements you learn first are more effective that those you learned recently).

I'm not sure how many spells I should come up with, but I'll tell you the order in which he learned. Geomancy, Pyromancy, Aeromancy, Hydromancy, Akyromancy.

The name of the spell... Any ideas? I got nothin'. Also, it is contact.

 

[Random]

I'm not sure how many spells I should come up with, but I'll tell you the order in which he learned. Geomancy, Pyromancy, Aeromancy, Hydromancy, Akyromancy.

The name of the spell... Any ideas? I got nothin'. Also, it is contact.

Fast reply is fast. Although I will be the first to slightly crush your dreams by telling you that only the eight Oprostatii and their fellow candidates know all five elements. Even the original Level 9s had four at most. It's an obscenely rare AMC structure that is compatible with all five.

You can come up with as many spells (which for whatever reason decided to capitalize itself in my last post) as you feel he should have.

Welp, now you really are asking. I tend to come up with weird names for these things, but "Distortion Mold" comes to mind. Not sure how well it fits though. *rimshot*

 

[Donk]

Scratch the rest, I'll keep it to Geomancy and Pyromancy for now. He'll learn more later, right? I'll also work on more spells if I get around to it.

By the way, I think I'll name the ability 'Deviation'

 

[Random]

Fair enough. He's fully capable of getting more capable the further we go. Does that land Deviation with both of those elements or just Geomancy?

 

[Donk]

Deviation is a geomancical spell, yes. Geomancy and Pyromancy are his firsts because they work well together. IRON INTO STEEL. COPPER INTO BRONZE. COAL INTO DIAMONDS?

 

[Random]

You know, if you hadn't put in that picture, I would've.

Very well! List the stuff we just covered on the CS somewhere and you're good to go. Feel free to post it in the Index when you're done.

 

[Donk]

How do these look? I wasn't entirely sure what to do with the volatility and what not, but I tried to make it sound fair. Also, eight spells because Alex has 80 INT. Makes sense, eh?

By the way, I know AMC fields protect against energy and what not, but what do they do about heat? What's stopping someone from just creating a bubble of fire around someone and letting them roast?

 

[Random]

@Donk, when I refer to energy, I do so in the physical sense. Be it thermal, kinetic, or electrical, AMC fields just kind of protect against pretty much everything. That's why nothing short of magic can usually harm an arcane, just because the output is so massive. It's not 100% effective, so while arcanes are hurt by magic, mundanes would just outright be vaporised.

Alex, for instance, is about 260 times as durable as the most durable mundane ever born.

Okey-doke, number crunching time!

So, Deviation, after doing the math, could be used, on average, about 134 times before expending all of his energy, a single cast using up about 0.74% of his Willpower, and that's under stress (i.e. in a battle or some such thing). A pretty comfortable amount for a Meridian Rule.

Iron Coffin seems awfully lacking in durability, only capable of withstanding 840 megajoules. A well-placed gunshot could punch through it, and a decent kick from an arcane could outright shatter it. It's good for a second's worth of stalling, which is a lot in a magic duel, but it can be torn apart with its victim's bare hands.
Approximate uses: 150

Deadly Implement has much the same problem as Iron Coffin. Works great on mundanes, but arcanes can shrug it off with ease, and probably break it in the process of shrugging.
Approximate uses: 450

Iron Dust would tear a mundane's eyes to shreds (or slash their head clean off on a good day), and blind an arcane for a few seconds.
Approximate uses: 450

Forge Steel would apply no notable increase to the time it takes to use magic, and will boost, for instance, Deadly Implement's damage by almost five times. Even then, it would take a lot to bring down an arcane, but a mundane could be cut clean in two with next to no effort three times over in a single slash.
Approximate uses: 450

Will-O-Wisp is basically Fire Sorcery that can create its own flame. At absolute maximum output, it has the destructive power of 7 tons of TNT. An average, unprotected arcane could survive about five direct hits from it at maximum, but could survive about 16 ordinary hits from it.
Approximate uses: 150

Pire Watcher. What can I say about this spell? How about "who's a cute widdle suicide bomber"? All of them "attacking" at once, keeping with the theme of TNT, is about 0.1 tons of force. Not nearly enough to bother an arcane, but they can take care of mundanes with ease.
Approximate uses: 450

Flaming Chariot is a spell with which the sole purpose is to move around with an equal balance of speed and being a hardcore badass. It takes, on average, 2.34 gigajoules to maintain the horse's form, so it can therefore take an equal amount of punishment before the interference proves too much. This horse would be able move at an average of 25km/s in a straight line. No, that wasn't a typo. On the other hand, it's more than difficult to build up to that speed due to an unfortunate phenomenon known as the corner.
Approximate uses: 90

Infusion is the only spell of the bunch with any kind of range, and is quite obviously one of Alex's newer developments. Alone, it can boost Deadly Implement to over six times its normal output. If combined with Forge Steel, it is capable of boosting it to almost eleven times. The flames released at range have output as much power as a ton of TNT, and the weapon itself, over two tons. At absolute maximum output, it is capable of releasing as much as four tons. While it's a stretch to imagine even this being a viable weapon in a magic duel, it is fully capable of blocking any and all mundane weaponry, Trickery notwithstanding.
Approximate uses: 225

All of these are accepted if you're happy with them, although I get the impression that you misread

Power (average being 50-150)

as "5-15" or some such thing. Correct me if I'm wrong, of course, but the spells just seemed a little lacking in energy output for a mid-tier Level 7.