The Summoners - Info Thread

Peregrine

Peregrine

Waiting for Wit
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. Multiple posts per week
  3. One post per week
  4. Slow As Molasses
Online Availability
On fairly regularly, every day. I'll notice a PM almost immediately. Replies come randomly.
Writing Levels
  1. Adept
  2. Advanced
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Primarily Prefer Male
  2. No Preferences
Genres
High fantasy is my personal favorite, followed closely by modern fantasy and post-apocalyptic, but I can happily play in any genre if the plot is good enough.
STORY SUMMARY​

After the world was invaded by otherworldly monsters, humanity began to fight for their survival. These days, the most respected occupations in the world belong to those who fight on the front lines.

In order to ensure a steady supply of strong warriors to protect the world, the nations of the world banded together to create the Four Great Colleges, designed to train the best of the best in their respective occupations.
 
THE WAR​

History
The invasion from the other world began approximately 85 years ago, when monsters began to appear from an unknown point in the western half of the continent.

At first, people did not take their threat too seriously, because they were few in number but not all that dangerous. Many researchers paid well for the corpses of the monsters, hoping to learn a bit about them.

However, as the years continued to pass, the number of monsters appearing in the west grew greater and greater, and their ferocity continued to rise. Many soldiers were brought out to the west to attempt to stabilize the situation.

63 years ago, as though it was planned, all of the monsters gathered together and turned into the first "monster tide" which swept over the defenses of the largest city on the west coast. Countless people died, while the survivors fled rapidly east. The army continued to move to the west, quelling the first monster tide.

However, the monsters continued to appear from an unknown source, their numbers seeming to grow greater and greater. Their numbers were eventually so great that humanity was entirely pressed back from the west coast, and they set up new defensive lines further east that were able to resist the monster tides.

At this point, half of the world has been taken over by the monsters. Humanity maintains a tenuous front line using the Great Mountains that splits the center of the continent as a no-mans land. The east coast has continued to develop weapons of war, hoping to drive the monsters back to the west and find the source of the seemingly endless tides of enemies.

The Front Lines
In order to promote versatility and quick reactions on the front lines, there are no large armies. Instead, soldiers are divided up into ten man teams, which are expected to have a diversity of fighters. Each team is led by a team captain, who reports to a base captain.

Bases are spread all across the front lines, and have 30 teams under them, who are expected to rotate through shifts that inspect the front lines. Only when a monster tide is detected will teams be drawn away from other places to reinforce a base. Otherwise, lone monsters or small groups are expected to be taken out by the teams, under the judgement of their captain.

Team Composition
Teams are divided into two major categories, attackers and support. Each of the two categories has five members within it. While there's some flexibility, and all members of a team are expected to have combat capability and creative flexibility, a team is not considered complete unless it has one member in each role.
Attackers
  • Combat Leader - Often the leader of the team as a whole, the combat leader is responsible for directing the flow of any attack, and making sure that all the attackers are where they need to be. Required to be ranged damage dealers so that they can get an overall view of the combat situation as a whole, Combat Leaders are almost always summoners, but may occasionally be alchemists or engineers. Due to the fact that melders are incapable of fighting long range, no melder can take the position of Combat Leader.
  • Defensive Warrior - An expert in taking hits, defensive fighters are the only warriors that aren't focused on dealing damage. Instead, their duty is to protect their other team members by drawing attention from the monsters and blocking or taking hits. Almost always melders, it is rare for other professions to be able to take this level of damage.
  • Control Fighters - Experts focused on manipulating the flow of the battle, control fighters are experts at limiting or controlling how or how many monsters are able to fight at once. This is most commonly done through quickly incapacitating specific targets, although there are other methods. Control fighters can come from any profession.
  • Single Target - Single targets are the best high damage dealers on a single point. They generally focus on taking down or otherwise incapacitating the most deadly target in the area, or dealing with lone enemies. All professions can be the single target attacker.
  • Wide Target - Wide target damage dealers focus on spreading damage over a large area. Generally skilled at taking out large numbers of weaker enemies, wide target damage dealers often require great skill and use to keep from becoming a threat to their own team members. Most commonly summoners, wide target attackers can occasionally be alchemists or engineers, but are rarely melders.
Support
  • Transportation - Responsible for carrying and distributing supplies for the entire team, transporters require methods to get large amounts of supplies across the most difficult terrain, while also keeping it safe from any form of damage. Almost always engineers, transporters can also occasionally be space element summoners. Alchemists and scribes are never transporters, as the supplies they need to do their job should be handled by the transporter.
  • Scouting - Responsible for keeping track of everything in the area, it is the scout's job to know what is near the team at any given moment. Due to the high demands upon this profession, scouts are almost always summoners, who rely upon the presence of their spirits to handle scouting over a large area. However, some particularly skilled engineers have begun to take up this role as well.
  • Medic - Responsible for healing all injuries the team may suffer on their journey, and make sure everyone stays in good physical health. Most commonly alchemists, who will be able to concoct healing potions while on the move, the role is occasionally filled by a summoner with an appropriate spirit.
  • Communications - The link between the team and the rest of the war, communications experts are exclusively responsible for maintaining a connection back to headquarters and the rest of civilization, both to relay any new orders to the team, and also make sure that headquarters is getting constant updates on what the team has encountered. The role is most commonly filled by an engineer, but can be filled by a summoner with the right spirit.
  • Architect - Required to be the most flexible and creative member on the team, architects are the ones responsible for handling anything unexpected that the team encounters on their journey. This can include things like environmental transformation to help the team pass through an area, but they're also the ones expected to come up with solutions when the team encounters a problem beyond their usual scope. Almost always scribes, who are the only ones versatile enough to create new spells on the fly through the use of their scrolls.
 
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ELEMENTAL SPIRITS​

Overview
A naturally occurring phenomenon, spirits are a manifestation of the natural elemental power of the world. Born from the power of the world itself, spirits are the manifestation of dense elemental power given consciousness and form. Born small and weak, young spirits are not able to communicate with or influence the outside world. However, over time, they will naturally gather more elemental power around them, gaining a greater form and further intelligence as they mature. Spirits can be born anywhere in the world, but are most likely to form in an area that is dominated by their associated element. Spirits are also able to grow quicker when they are located in an area of their element that is undisturbed by other natural phenomenon

Natural Spirits
Due to the fact that spirits are born from the natural world, there can be a spirit for just about any aspect. This can range from commonly recognized elements, such as earth and plants, to small subsets of items, such as silk or gemstones. Particularly rare spirits are even able to be born from natural concepts, such as time or fortune.

In general, the broader the spiritual aspect, the older and more powerful the spirit is destined to be. This is because most spirits are born from a very small portion of an element. For instance, an earth spirit might have been born from clay, and have been a lesser clay spirit in its youth. However, as the spirit matures, it is able to start gathering natural energy from other sources. This will allow the spirit to transform from a clay spirit into a true earth spirit that is able to manipulate all aspects of dirt, soil, and rocks.

Human Interaction
Due to the fact that they are intermingled with the natural world, spirits are rarely visible to humans, or any other living creature. This is especially the case for young spirits, who have yet to gain enough power to actually manifest a form. However, spirits and humanity still have a unique relationship. Generally, for a spirit to interact with the physical world in any fashion, they must consume their own energy, rendering them permanently weaker. However, certain people are able to act as a channel for spirits, allowing them to manifest both form and power in the physical world without it permanently consuming their energy. Instead, the used energy returns to the spirit almost immediately, but they must rest for a period of time in order to reintegrate their used energy. This is why most spirit summoners will not keep their spirit present around them in physical form unless they need to accomplish something, as the spirit will consume power simply from maintaining a physical form.

Only particularly special people are able to see a spirit when it has not created a physical form. These people, naturally suited to be spiritualists, are able to see natural energy even when it has not taken a physical form. This also gives them an advantage when facing against a conjured spirit, because they will be able to see the spirit's spell before it is released.

Magic Items
When a spirit lives in an area for long enough, its presence will naturally transform some of the natural world around it, creating rare herbs and stones that are capable of manifesting a portion of the spirit's power without the spirit's presence. These rare items, often called magic items, are absolutely required materials for alchemists and engineers. Unlike spirits, people do not need to be able to establish a connection with a spirit to be able to tap into the natural energy inside a magic item. This allows people to use and combine them with other materials to create effects that seem far beyond the scope of the individual items.
 
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THE FOUR GREAT COLLEGES​

Every year, the greatest talents from around the world compete against each other to gain entrance to one of the four great colleges. Those who are successful will receive an additional four years of training from the best professors that the united military has to offer, and will gain the resources and support they need to push their knowledge and abilities to the next level.

The four great colleges are direct feeders for the military, which means they divide up their classes in the same way that the military divides up their teams. Each student will be expected to enter a specific major that corresponds to the role they hope to occupy in their future team. The schools use their knowledge of the current vacancies in the army and their own numbers to ensure that there is a maintained balance of all positions in the army.

Spirit Summoning
The most recognized profession when it comes to the war, spirit summoners make a contract with an elemental spirit, before summoning it to fight for them in battle. Spirit summoners are often physically the weakest, but their unique and rare ability to communicate with and contract with spirits makes them incredibly versatile warriors.

Spirit Melding
The more aggressive cousin to spirit summoners, spirit melders are also capable of forming a contract with a spirit. However, rather than being able to summon the spirit forth as an individual entity, spirit melders are able to temporarily fuse the spirit into their own body, becoming a half elemental life form. Spirit melders are highly physically capable, and make up for in stamina and endurance what they may lack in versatility.

Alchemy and Scribing
Potioneers and scrollmakers the alchemy school is responsible for training people who are capable of using magical materials to mimic the abilities of spirits, spirit summoners, and spirit melders. Alchemy potions are capable of healing grievous wounds, boosting people's strength and stamina, and can even be used to simulate the effects of a spirit melding. Scrolls created with the correct materials are capable of replicating a single instance of a spell, attack, or ability a spirit might release when under contract.

Engineering
Geniuses of magical technology, engineers use the same resources as an alchemist, but instead transform it into a machine. Creators of tools of all variety, engineers are capable of making things that have a far longer lasting ability than any potion or scroll could ever achieve. However, what they are able to gain in capability, they have to pay for in creation time and resources. It takes much longer to make any engineering item than it would a potion or scroll given the same resources, and, as delicate of an act as potioneering and scrollwork might be, it is nothing compared to the numerous and complex interwoven processes required to get a working piece of magitech.
 
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THE MONSTERS​

The origin of monsters is unknown, but what is certain is that they appear without a trace from common locations. Fortunately for humanity, these locations all seem to be within a certain radius of each other, which means that the monster invasion is tied in to the west coast, and there should be no risk of monsters suddenly appearing in the densest human hubs in the east.

Monsters appear to have an inherent hierarchy. The monsters that appeared at the very start of the invasion were the weakest and the least intelligent, which put them at the very bottom of the hierarchy. However, those higher up are not only stronger, but more intelligent, making them notably more dangerous to humanity. It is believed that the appearance of the first mid-tier monster is what led to the first monster wave.

It is speculated that monsters have some way of communicating telepathically with each other in the presence of a mid or high tier monster. These monsters are able to direct the lesser monsters into a cohesive unit, which causes a monster tide. For this reason, one of the quickest and most efficient ways to disrupt a monster tide is to find and kill the leader causing it.

Monsters leave desolation in their wake. Their presence seems to be sufficient to drain the vitality from the world. Anywhere that is exposed to a regular presence of monsters will quickly become unable to support any form of life. This has a devastating effect on spirits, which are made up of natural energy. Although no one who has witnessed it has survived, it is believed that it is possible for monsters to devour spirits directly, as the elemental king of light vanished on a mission with his summoner, and later communication with the other elemental kings said that the king is gone, and no other light spirit has grown enough to replace him.
 
CHARACTER INDEX​


Name: Jade Palmer
Image Source: See The World Burn by serafleur on DeviantArt
Age: 19
College of Spirit Summoning
Spirit Summoned: The element of Fire

Brief Bio: Ever since the war began, the Palmer family had been instrumental in the battle. Each descendant participated in the battle against the monsters. The Palmer name was recognized and carried a certain prestige with it. It only made Jade grow up with a certain chip on her shoulder. Jade is charismatic and friendly to all but she also has a sense that, due to her family lineage, she is of a higher caliber than others. It occasionally created friction with members of other families.

The Palmer family is recognized for their signature dark hair. Jade has long, black hair just like all her family members, including the men...well Jade HAD long black hair. During the summoning ceremony, Jade successfully summoned the element of fire. Upon connecting with the spirit her hair turned red as if she had been "kissed by fire".
 
CHARACTER INDEX​


Name: Idarin Assuncao
Image Source: 65 by Anna Helme
Age: 18
College of Spirit Summoning
Spirit Summoned: The King of Spirits

Brief Bio: Born the third, and by far youngest, son of an extended branch of the Assuncao family, Idarin watched the war swallow up his parents and two elder brothers before he turned 10, when the entire family was forced towards the front lines by a call to war from the main family. Still bearing the scar he gained on the day the monsters broke through the front lines and tore apart the town, Idarin was returned to the main branch of the Assuncao family, but was not well recieved.

Never actually abused, but ignored by almost everyone in the family, Idarin turned himself into even more of a social pariah by refusing to interact with the children his age during school. However, he quickly gained the attention and financial support of the main family by showing an almost unprecedented aptitude for spirit summoning during his high school years. Once ignored by the family, their leaders are now attempting—and mostly failing—to close the distance they created with the young man during his childhood due to his acceptance at the Great College for Spirit Summoning.
 
CHARACTER INDEX​


Name: Laura Maravel
Image Source: KEHAN by shuangwen
Age: 19
College of Spirit Summoning
Spirit Summoned: Greater Wind Spirit - Feathered Serpent

Brief Bio: Close allies of the Palmer and Lawrence family, the Maravel family were solid and reliable participants in the battlefield. While no one in their family had ever excelled at war like those in the Palmer or Assuncao family, they had produced a number of highly reliable alchemists in recent years.

Friends with Jade since early childhood, Laura was always happy to follow the charismatic and powerful girl around. When Jade protected her from the childish bullying of her elder cousins, she became determined to help her best friend reach the highest point in life she could. Always believing that she would end up an alchemist like her mother, everything changed for Laura when she tested a high compatibility with spirits. Not only enough to turn her into a summoner, but enough to land her one of the top positions in the College of Spirit Summoning.

With pressure on her from her family to help them rise to greater heights, Laura is now caught in conflict between the expectations of her family, her affection for her best friend, and her own desire to be the best summoner she can be.
 
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