The Tale of An Chéad Toshi: Uruk System Info/Extra Lore/etc

alatartheblue42

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Please, please, PLEASE do not post in this thread. This is intended to only be for me to have extra info for my RP of the same name, located over here.

If the length of this freaks you out, please don't panic. Trust me when I say this was not intended to be a 5 minute read. Take your time, ask questions if you have them.

Character Basics

I. Character Statistics
There are three main statistics, which determine how long your character will last in combat. Each Statistic has a set maximum a person can contain. Surpassing a Statistic cap is not possible in normal circumstances. Opportunities will be provided periodically to increase these caps.

Aura:
Aura
is the average Mage's last line of defense. Though sometimes referred to as Qi, Quintessence, or any number of other names, in the modern world, Aura is the standard term. An organism possessing Aura is a prerequisite to possessing magical capability; things that have no Aura can never create magic, no matter how they might try. Aura is normally spread throughout every nook and cranny of a person's body, but Mages are an exception.

In order to shield themselves from injury during combat, Mages manifest their Aura into an invisible barrier around their body. As long as this barrier stands, no sword can break their skin, no boulder can flatten them into a pancake, etc. As long as the barrier stands... Should a person's Aura be depleted, they will be left as mere flesh and blood in the midst of whatever situation caused their Aura to run out.

It is important to note that manifesting your Aura does not mean your body cannot suffer. Aura is no more than a shield. If you try to stand in front of a car while holding a knight's shield, even if the shield itself is relatively undamaged by the collision your arm might not be doing so hot. Aura also offers no protection against the environmental conditions of the area. If you stand in a fire, you will suffer.

Something else to keep in mind: Aura is highly resistant to impacts that don't utilize Aura or Prana somehow (the Aura Extension provided by Transformations compensates for this). This allows Mages to do what non-Mages cannot: stand up against monsters and other Mages on a level playing field.

As Aura is nothing more than a specialized form of energy, it can be converted to and from other mediums. Some use this to "heal" others by restoring their Aura via the use of Prana, while others might drain their own Aura for additional power to their spells.

Though Aura is produced by the body, its natural production rate is relatively negligible. As such, unlike the other statistics, Aura does not naturally regenerate during combat. Aura can only be restored via thaumaturgy, certain martial arts techniques, or a solid amount of time spent in restful situations.

Prana:
Prana
is the conventional form of energy used for thaumaturgy. Like Aura, the ability to hold Prana in your body is mandatory for the usage of magic. Prana is also notably easier to generate, as most organisms produce it steadily by converting it from the Mana around them through natural body processes. Prana generation, like most any other body process, speeds up notably in the presence of adrenaline and other body-accelerating hormones. Naturally, if your body is weakened due to hunger, exhaustion, or other issues, Prana generation is likewise slowed down.

Barring any abnormal conditions, each person recovers 5 Prana per post/turn in combat. When out of combat, Prana regeneration is significantly slower. Prana regenerated outside of combat or stressful situations shall be determined by the moderator(s)/GM(s), either upon request or their own choice.
Stamina:
Stamina
is how much energy a body has for physical exertion. Since nearly every action a person might take requires physical exertion (and therefore Stamina), it is a critical resource for those who find themselves active. However, just as it is easily expended, so is it relatively easily restored.

Much like Prana, Stamina regenerates far faster in stressful situations than in relaxing situations. At the start of each Post/Turn in combat, Stamina recovers by a value of 10. Furthermore, for every Phase that utilizes the Standby Action, Stamina recovers by an additional value of 10 per Phase.

Adrenaline is not a suitable substitute for a well-rested body, though. If one continually or repeatedly exerts themselves without allowing for rest and refueling, they will find themselves quickly growing tired (Stamina Cap will be temporarily reduced) and may even end up falling ill from overwork.

II. AMB Modules
Aura Monitor Bracelets (AMBs) provided by the Academy are able to be equipped with special modules to enhance their Mages' capabilities. There are a number of basic modules that have been mass produced and are offered gratis. More qualified Mages are permitted to request customized Modules. Generic modules can be exchanged for any other generic module, though the exchange process takes some time and is thus impractical to do in the field.

A list of the generic modules and their abilities are listed below:

Strength Module
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  • Definition:
    For those that rely on their physical strength to bring down enemies, you can't choose a better option than this. Highly favored among martial artists and Mages who use Techniques heavily.
  • Class Skill:
    Proficiency (Passive)
    Stamina Costs for TECHNIQUES are reduced to 80%.
  • Innate Attributes:
    STR: D • VIT: E • WIL: E • RES: E
    SPD: E • AGL: E • PER: E • REC: E

Fortification Module
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  • Definition:
    When a battle devolves into a vicious brawl, the brave souls who bear these Modules are the ones who protect their allies until the very end.
  • Class Skill:
    Last Stand (Passive)
    When the user's Aura falls below 40%, Defense abilities have their costs reduced by 30%.
  • Innate Attributes:
    STR: E • VIT: D • WIL: E • RES: E
    SPD: E • AGL: E • PER: E • REC: E

Enhancement Module
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  • Definition:
    For those who want a bit more "oomph" to their Spells. Unfortunately, mass-produced versions of this module are limited to only increasing a specific type of Spell, rather than a general increase to all spells. (A Spell's type is determined by the FIRST type listed in its description).
  • Class Skill:
    Conservation (Passive)
    Boosts Offensive Spell output by 15%; Boosts Defensive Spell output by 15%; Extends the duration of Buff and Debuff Spells by 1 Phase.
  • Innate Attributes:
    STR: E • VIT: E • WIL: D • RES: E
    SPD: E • AGL: E • PER: E • REC: E

Healing Module
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  • Definition:
    Taking out baddies is fine and dandy, but you'll be grateful for one of these in the neighborhood if you start taking hits.

    As Aura Recovery Spells are considerably more specific than the near-infinite variety of Offensive Spells (for example), the magic-augmenting part of Healing Modules is significantly smaller than that of most other Modules. The remaining space on the Module is used to augment the AMB's functionality with other useful medical functions for longer excursions.
  • Class Skill:
    Blessing (Passive)
    Aura Recovery Spells have their output boosted by 15%.

    AMB Improvements:
    Provides a limited on-board medical database with the ability to speculate some possible prognoses and suggest possible treatment.

  • Innate Attributes:
    STR: E • VIT: E • WIL: E • RES: D
    SPD: E • AGL: E • PER: E • REC: E

Acceleration Module
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  • Definition:
    If you need to get somewhere or do something in a hurry, this might be the module for you. As the passive effect is relatively energy-efficient, surplus energy generated by the module is stored up and can be released for a burst of power.
  • Class Skill:
    Swiftness (Passive)
    Increases the speed at which the body can function, allowing the wielder to recover from internal debuffs and ailments 1 Phase faster (external debuffs are unaffected).

    Burst (Active)
    Once every three turns, the wielder can provide the vocal command "Burst" to boost their speed by 100% of a normal person's speed (the equivalent of E rank Speed).
  • Innate Attributes:
    STR: E • VIT: E • WIL: E • RES: E
    SPD: D • AGL: E • PER: E • REC: E

Nimble Module
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  • Definition:
    The Nimble Module is the daisy among roses. While not as overtly flashy as some of the other modules, it lives by the adage "its the little things that count". You don't always need to sprint away at maximum speed to avoid an attack; sometimes a simple sidestep or a short hop will do. This module uses its power to increase its wielder's reaction time a little and help them waste less energy on extraneous movement.
  • Class Skill:
    Aptitude (Passive)
    Stamina Cost for Dodge & Evade & Evasion Dodge is reduced by 5.
    Stamina Cost for Evasion Guard & Counter & Parry Counter is reduced by 10.
  • Innate Attributes:
    STR: E • VIT: E • WIL: E • RES: E
    SPD: E • AGL: D • PER: E • REC: E

Explorer Module
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  • Definition:
    Unlike the other Modules, the Explorer Module prefers to provide technological support over magical support. While it does provide slight augmentation to the bearer's senses, its true value lies in its extra features. If you're planning to go on an excursion, one of these would definitely come in handy.
  • Class Skill:
    AMB Improvements:
    Provides the ability to create and display holographic maps, contains a small field guide, and has an expanded effective communication range.
  • Innate Attributes:
    STR: E • VIT: E • WIL: E • RES: E
    SPD: E • AGL: E • PER: D • REC: E

Regeneration Module
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  • Definition:
    Some people are just plain reckless. They charge straight at the enemies, or they use their own life-force to amplify their strikes. This Module helps said lovable lunatics stay in the fight a bit longer, even if they don't have a personal medic on call.
  • Class Skill:
    Regeneration (Passive)
    Restores 3% Aura at the start of every turn.
  • Innate Attributes:
    STR: E• VIT: E • WIL: E • RES: E
    SPD: E • AGL: E • PER: E • REC: D

Tactician Module
  • Definition:
    A specialized module designed specifically for those who use Summoning spells, this module allows them to better monitor the condition of their summons. When a summoning spell is summoned, data on the summon is added to the AMB's display, allowing the summoner to monitor the approximate Aura, Prana, and Stamina of their summons. Furthermore, this link also allows the summoner to distribute their Prana to their summons (though not vice versa). To top it off, the module improves the wielder's Perception to assist in monitoring the battlefield.
  • Class Skill:
    Tactical Reallocation (Passive)
    Allows the Summoner to send up to 15 Prana to their summon(s) per Turn. The Prana is evenly distributed among all selected summons; the amount each receives can only be adjusted by adding or removing them from the targets or adjusting the amount of Prana the AMB draws.

    Example: Selecting 3 summons and distributing 15 Prana will provide 5 Prana to each. Increasing the number of summons will decrease the amount each receives, and vice versa. The summoner can also choose to distribute less than 15 Prana, such as only sending out 9 Prana to give the summons each 3 Prana.

    Adjusting the targets or quantity of Prana is done via the holographic interface, and making any adjustment counts as an Action (though multiple adjustments can be made at once, like how multiple instances of Dodges can be used in one Phase).
  • AMB Upgrades:
    Tactical Overview (Passive)
    The AMB's interface provides details on the Aura, Prana, and Stamina of all summons affiliated with the bearer.
  • Innate Attributes:
    STR: E• VIT: E • WIL: E • RES: E
    SPD: E • AGL: E • PER: D • REC: E

III. Character Attributes
Attributes represent your character's capabilities. How much you can lift, how fast you can run, all of this is determined by your Attributes. Attributes are calculated as Ranks, starting from Rank E being considered "average" for a Mage. Like a sprinter's time record, these Attributes are the upper limits of what can be achieved by a person. Naturally, having enough Strength to lift a boulder doesn't mean you are obligated to constantly tear every door you find off of its hinges.

By default, characters start out at Rank E in attributes. These initial attributes can be raised or lowered via CP, so long as there is reasonable justification. A person raised as a martial artist might spend some CP to raise their Strength, but a bookworm would need additional justification if they wanted higher Strength.

Much like Statistics, Attributes can be periodically increased. While it takes more effort to increase at higher ranks, the rewards reaped likewise become greater over time.

Below is a list of available attributes and their explanations:

Strength
  • Explanation: Strength determines how much weight you can move, how much force you can put behind a sword swing, how high you can jump, etc. Higher Strength produces more damage for your melee attacks. If using a bow, sling, or similar projectile armament, your Strength also contributes to the projectile's speed.
  • Rank Increases:
    • [Rank E]: Possesses 100% of an average Mage's Strength
    • [Rank D]: Possesses 133% of an average Mage's Strength
    • [Rank C]: Possesses 166% of an average Mage's Strength
    • [Rank B]: Possesses 200% of an average Mage's Strength
    • [Rank A]: Possesses 250% of an average Mage's Strength
    • [Rank A+]: Possesses 300% of an average Mage's Strength
    • [Rank A++]: Possesses 375% of an average Mage's Strength
    • [Rank S]: Possesses 500% of an average Mage's Strength

Vitality
  • Explanation: Though Aura is a form of energy, the Aura manifested by an individual person may be more durable or fragile than another person's. This "durability" is known as Vitality. A person with greater than average Vitality will take less damage from physical impacts. Vitality also plays as a factor in how one is affected by physical ailments.
  • Rank Increases:
    • [Rank E]: Physical Damage received is reduced to 100%
    • [Rank D]: Physical Damage received is reduced to 95%
    • [Rank C]: Physical Damage received is reduced to 90%
    • [Rank B]: Physical Damage received is reduced to 80%
    • [Rank A]: Physical Damage received is reduced to 70%
    • [Rank A+]: Physical Damage received is reduced to 60%
    • [Rank A++]: Physical Damage received is reduced to 45%
    • [Rank S]: Physical Damage received is reduced to 25%

Willpower
  • Explanation: A simple way of describing a Mage's ability to manipulate magic. When utilizing Bonded Magic, a Mage's Willpower is primarily used to control the spell - to ensure it retains its form and reaches its target. For Cantrips and Wild Magic, a Mage's Willpower is of course used for control, but surplus Willpower can also be used to amplify the spell's effects.
  • Rank Increases:
    • [Rank E]: Possesses 100% of an average Mage's Willpower
    • [Rank D]: Possesses 133% of an average Mage's Willpower
    • [Rank C]: Possesses 166% of an average Mage's Willpower
    • [Rank B]: Possesses 200% of an average Mage's Willpower
    • [Rank A]: Possesses 250% of an average Mage's Willpower
    • [Rank A+]: Possesses 300% of an average Mage's Willpower
    • [Rank A++]: Possesses 375% of an average Mage's Willpower
    • [Rank S]: Possesses 500% of an average Mage's Willpower

Resistance
  • Explanation: Whereas Vitality is a measurement of how resilient to physical damage a person's Aura is, Resistance is said Aura's resilience against magical damage. It also therefore is crucial for defending oneself against curses and magical ailments.
  • Rank Increases:
    • [Rank E]: Magical Damage received is reduced to 100%
    • [Rank D]: Magical Damage received is reduced to 95%
    • [Rank C]: Magical Damage received is reduced to 90%
    • [Rank B]: Magical Damage received is reduced to 80%
    • [Rank A]: Magical Damage received is reduced to 70%
    • [Rank A+]: Magical Damage received is reduced to 60%
    • [Rank A++]: Magical Damage received is reduced to 45%
    • [Rank S]: Magical Damage received is reduced to 25%

Speed
  • Explanation: Speed is, quite simply, the Speed at which your body can move. It is important to note that Speed only pertains to how quickly you can move, not how nimble you are or how quickly you can react.
  • Rank Increases:
    • [Rank E]: Possesses 100% of an average Mage's movement speed
    • [Rank D]: Possesses 133% of an average Mage's movement speed
    • [Rank C]: Possesses 166% of an average Mage's movement speed
    • [Rank B]: Possesses 200% of an average Mage's movement speed
    • [Rank A]: Possesses 250% of an average Mage's movement speed
    • [Rank A+]: Possesses 300% of an average Mage's movement speed
    • [Rank A++]: Possesses 375% of an average Mage's movement speed
    • [Rank S]: Possesses 500% of an average Mage's movement speed

Dexterity
  • Explanation: Dexterity pertains to how nimble you are. While it has little impact when sprinting down a racetrack, if there are obstacles to avoid on your path or if you need to dodge an enemy's attack, Dexterity is essential. Dexterity aids in both your ability to dodge with small movements and your reaction time. Much like Speed in an obstacle course, though, Dexterity is useless without the Perception to notice things or the Speed to make your motions in time.
  • Rank Increases:
    • [Rank E]: Possesses 100% of an average Mage's Dexterity
    • [Rank D]: Possesses 133% of an average Mage's Dexterity
    • [Rank C]: Possesses 166% of an average Mage's Dexterity
    • [Rank B]: Possesses 200% of an average Mage's Dexterity
    • [Rank A]: Possesses 250% of an average Mage's Dexterity
    • [Rank A+]: Possesses 300% of an average Mage's Dexterity
    • [Rank A++]: Possesses 375% of an average Mage's Dexterity
    • [Rank S]: Possesses 500% of an average Mage's Dexterity

Perception
  • Explanation: Perception pertains both to how sharp your senses are and how easily you are able to perceive that which might go unnoticed by others. High Perception is indispensable for trackers and rogues - those who must notice every detail without fail. It is also highly beneficial for those who wish to hit fast-moving targets from range, as Perception contributes to one's accuracy.
  • Rank Increases:
    • [Rank E]: Possesses 100% of an average Mage's Perception
    • [Rank D]: Possesses 133% of an average Mage's Perception
    • [Rank C]: Possesses 166% of an average Mage's Perception
    • [Rank B]: Possesses 200% of an average Mage's Perception
    • [Rank A]: Possesses 250% of an average Mage's Perception
    • [Rank A+]: Possesses 300% of an average Mage's Perception
    • [Rank A++]: Possesses 375% of an average Mage's Perception
    • [Rank S]: Possesses 500% of an average Mage's Perception

Recovery
  • Explanation: Recovery is a measurement of how quickly a body is able to replenish its Stamina and, to a lesser extent, its Prana. Recovery has also been hypothesized to help people recover from being thrown off balance, stunned, etc, but as these are also affected by numerous other factors, no concrete benefit or scale has been specifically defined.
  • Rank Increases:
    • [Rank E]: Possesses 100% of an average Mage's Recovery
    • [Rank D]: Possesses 133% of an average Mage's Recovery
    • [Rank C]: Possesses 166% of an average Mage's Recovery
    • [Rank B]: Possesses 200% of an average Mage's Recovery
    • [Rank A]: Possesses 250% of an average Mage's Recovery
    • [Rank A+]: Possesses 300% of an average Mage's Recovery
    • [Rank A++]: Possesses 375% of an average Mage's Recovery
    • [Rank S]: Possesses 500% of an average Mage's Recovery

IV. Attribute Buffs and Debuffs
You have your base Attributes, as mentioned above. However, when you have your Attributes buffed or debuffed, the actual Attribute rank does not change. Instead, when you are buffed/debuffed, your base Attribute is multiplied by a certain multiplier based on the level of buff/debuff applied to you. Below are the possible levels, with Level 0 being "normal", positive levels being buffs, and negative levels being debuffs:

Level 7: 4.0x/.1x
Level 6: 3.0x/.3x
Level 5: 2.5x/.4x
Level 4: 2.0x/.5x
Level 3: 1.75x/.625x
Level 2: 1.5x/.75x
Level 1: 1.25x/.875x
Level 0: 1x/1x
Level -1: 0.875x/1.25x
Level -2: 0.75x/1.5x
Level -3: 0.625x/1.75x
Level -4: 0.5x/2.0x
Level -5: 0.4x/2.5x
Level -6: 0.3x/3.0x
Level -7: 0.1x/4.0x

And you may ask yourself, "why are there two sets of numbers?" And you may ask yourself, "why is there different formatting for different levels?" And yourself will answer, "well how the hell should I know? Isn't that Alatar dude supposed to be explaining this?" And yourself would be right.

Columns:
The left and right columns represent the different multipliers for the two categories of Attributes. The defensive Attributes (Vitality and Resistance) use the right column; their multipliers represent how the damage you receive is adjusted. If you have E Rank Vitality and have a level 1 Vitality buff, you multiply incoming damage by your Vitality (100%, or 1x) and then by the buff you are under (.875x). In other words, in this situation, incoming physical damage is reduced to 87.5% of its standard amount. This reduction would of course be greater if your natural Vitality was higher or if your buff was stronger. Similarly, if you have a level -1 debuff applied, you'd be taking 125% of the normal damage.

The left column, then, represents all the other Attributes. Like with the previous example, you take your base amount of the Attribute in question and multiply it by the level of buff/debuff you are under. E Rank Strength under a level 1 buff leads to 125% Strength; under a level -1 debuff, you'd have .875% Strength.

Normal, Great, and Mega:
Now, why is there different formatting? Because different levels of buff/debuff require different amounts of power to achieve. For our purposes, we will refer to the three types as "Normal-", "Great-", and "Mega-" buffs or debuffs. Normal buffs are bolded, Great buffs are underlined, and Mega buffs are italicized. Each of the three types naturally requires a different amount of power to achieve.

It is important to note that lesser types of buffs cannot ever reach the higher types' levels. No amount of Normal buffs can allow you to achieve a Level 4 buff; you require a Great buff in order to surpass Level 3. The same applies for Great buffs and Level 7.

That said, higher types can be counted as lower types. If you cast a single level of Great buff on someone who is only at level 2, they will still go up to level 3. Because of this, you must also take note of what order the buffs/debuffs were applied in. If you have a level 2 Normal buff, receive a Great buff to reach level 3, and then have an additional level 1 Normal buff applied, that third buff doesn't actually help you. Because the Great buff is already being used to reach level 3, the additional Normal buff would bring you to level 4, which is impossible for a normal buff.

How do Buffs/Debuffs Interact with One Another?:
In general, if a buff and a debuff are applied to the same target, the two cancel each other out by increasing/reducing the level of the other one. A level 3 buff and a level -3 debuff will lead to level 0; a level 3 buff and a level -1 debuff will lead to level 2.

But just as a Normal buff cannot reach Great buff territory yet Great buffs can compensate for missing Normal buffs, buffs/debuffs only cancel out equal or lesser levels. A person under 3 Normal levels and 1 Great level of buff would be at level 4. Apply a Normal level -1 debuff to them, and it would remove one of their Normal levels, reducing them to level 3 buff. Their Great buff would then fill in for one of the Normal slots.

But suppose for some reason a person was at level 3 because they had 3 Great buffs applied. A Normal level -1 debuff would not actually affect them then, because Normal debuffs cannot override Great buffs (and vice versa, extended to Great/Mega, etc). As mentioned earlier, of course, a level -1 Great debuff applied to a level 3 buff obtained through Normal buffs will still reduce the buff to level 2, because tiers can override anything of equal or lesser power.

It should go without saying, but a buff/debuff will always override the highest level of debuff/buff it can. A person at level 4 subjected to a Great level -1 debuff will lose a Great buff level, not a Normal buff. If we go back to a previously mentioned case, though, we can see something interesting.

Suppose we have 2 levels of Normal buff, followed by 1 level of Great buff, followed by an additional level 1 Normal buff. I mentioned earlier that because the Great buff would have filled in Level 3, the additional Normal buff would have no effect. But now consider what happens if a Great -1 debuff is applied. Great debuffs will always override Great buffs, if given the opportunity. As such, the Great buff would be countered, freeing up the Level 3 buff slot. That additional Normal buff that had been useless before will slide into the level 3 place and take effect.
 
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Spirits and Magic

I. The Basics of Magic
Magic, sometimes referred to as thaumaturgy, magecraft, sorcery, etc, is the act of producing "unnatural" results via the controlled release of Prana. While nearly 50% of the population can use Magic to some degree, less than 1% are able to use Magic well enough to be called "Mages". Magic is normally created through procedures known as Spells, though Spirits and extremely gifted Mages can sometimes manipulate Prana without the need for an explicit Spell.

There are three steps that go into creating a Spell:

  1. Generating Prana to fuel the spell
  2. Imbuing the Prana with Purpose and Intent
  3. Releasing the Prana in a controlled manner

The first step should be intuitive. As Prana is released to create the effect, first it must be accumulated. The primary source for this is the Mage's and/or Spirit's Prana reserves, but some may find more creative sources.

The second step requires more explanation. A cluster of Prana that has been designated for use in a Spell is given a "Purpose" and an "Intent". Its "Purpose" is to behave a certain way: Prana in an Ice spell is given the Purpose of being "Icy". Its "Intent" is what it is supposed to do with its purpose. For the Ice Spell, is it creating blades of ice to slice through obstacles? Or is it creating a gentle snow flurry suitable for children to play in? Purpose and Intent matter relatively little to Mages, beyond needing to know how to provide them, but they are of critical import to Spirits (see Bonded Magic, Spirit Subjects, and Spirit Methods).

The third step is perhaps even more critical than the second. If one is creating a flurry, is it to be created directly in front of them? 20 meters away? Encircling them? If one is creating blades of ice, how many? What size and shape? All of the numerous possible variables are determined during this step, allowing the lump of Prana to fulfill its Purpose and Intent. If a spell is disrupted before the Releasing step can be completed, the entire process will have been for naught. In some cases, an incomplete spell can be even more dangerous than a completed one, as all control over the Imbued Prana has been lost.

Spells are divided into a number of categories based on their effect(s). Said categories mean little save for the purpose of classification and ease of identification, though. Far more important to Mages is whether a Spell is created through "Bonded Magic" or "Wild Magic". Bonded Magic will be explained in greater detail later (see Bonded Magic, Spirit Subjects, and Spirit Methods). Wild Magic is the official term for any magic that is produced by a single individual. However, in modern times, Wild Magic is further divided into "Cantrips" and "actual Wild Magic".

Cantrips are the assorted Spells a Mage learns through their studies for their personal use. Almost every Mage ends up learning at least one Cantrip at some point, due to the sheer versatility offered by them. However, Spells can grow quite complex, especially high-level ones. Each Spell was carefully crafted by its creator for a specific effect. When a Mage must produce a Cantrip on their own though, they must be able to perfectly recall every detail that goes into the Spell. As such, there is a practical limit as to how many Cantrips one can simply memorize. This limit can be surpassed by using a "cheat sheet"; some sort of object that contains most of the Spell's details so that the Mage need only worry about casting the Spell, not remembering every detail personally.

"Actual Wild Magic" is Magic in the purest sense. It is produced when an individual simply bids their Prana to do their bidding, and it is made so. The amount of talent required for a Mage to create actual Wild Magic and control it is considerable, so much so that in standard society, producing actual Wild Magic intentionally is considered one of the greatest taboos a Mage can break. Humans that break said taboo are stripped of the title "Mage" and are instead called "Sorcerer", "Witch", etc. Spirits and other beings that manipulate Prana, on the other hand, have no such qualms due to their greater affinity for thaumaturgy. While they might codify certain useful actions into formal Spells, they do not have the same need to do so as Humans do.

II. What are Spirits?
Spirits are beings from Gaea that are essentially condensed Mana given consciousness. The amount of Mana devoted to this being determines the amount of power it possesses, which also tends to determine its size and form. Its powers are then determined by what was in the area (both physical and conceptual) during its creation: spirits born in the ocean will usually have water-based powers, for example, while spirits born in a chivalric order's base may find themselves embodying honor and chivalry. This is primarily true at the Spirit's initial creation, as Spirits can grow or change their powers by consuming sufficient amounts of condensed Mana, but their core components from birth can never be lost.

Spirits come in different classifications based on their manifestation's size and shape. In ascending order, they are:

Elemental Fragments (Fragments): usually manifests as a single flame, a drop of water, or a similar simple representation of their affiliated elements.
Sprites: similar to Fragments, but are a bit larger, can manipulate their form to a certain extent, etc.
Pixies: small balls of light with wings attached (like Navi from The Legend of Zelda)
Fairies: miniature humans with wings. Often are playful, and not necessarily the brightest bulbs as it were. Distinct from "Humanoid" spirits in that they are not generally more than a few centimeters vs being human sized.
Lesser Animals: mice, sparrows, rabbits, other small and generally docile creatures
Greater Animals and Elementals: lions, tigers, bears (oh my), wolves, etc that are larger and generally considered less docile
Lesser Mythicals and Artificials: golems, dire wolves, kappas, sentient swords, enchanted armors, etc.
Humanoid: spirits that resemble a normal human for the most part. May be unusually tall/short, have wings/tails/etc.
Greater Mythicals: dragons, true demons, gods, etc.

Spirits of the classification "Sprite" or higher have their entire existence contained within a "Spirit Core", a small sphere shape. The rest of their bodies are merely vessels constructed of Mana for transporting their Cores. Even if these bodies are damaged or destroyed, as long as the Core remains intact, the Spirit lives on. Spirits can also create or dismantle their bodies at will, if they have a reason to remain as a Core (such as being used in a Wand). Spirits can communicate telepathically while in Core form, though it is open telepathy that anyone nearby can listen in on rather than a direct message to someone.

One cannot exclusively assume a Spirit's classification by their appearance, though. As Spirits can create or dismantle their bodies, so too can they choose to rearrange the shape of their bodies. It is not unheard of for the Fairy fluttering around someone's head to actually be a Humanoid in disguise. For reasons unknown, though, while Spirits can take on a "lesser" form, it is impossible for them to take on a "greater" form. A Humanoid might pretend to be a large lizard, but they can't take on a dragon's form. In addition, with few exceptions, taking on a lesser form is actually rather uncomfortable for the Spirit; some describe the sensation as if one is wearing clothes that are a few sizes too tight. For this reason, many Spirits remain in either their standard form or their Core form.

As beings of Mana, spirits are not subjected to the same lifespan limitations and organic problems as humans or other carbon-based life forms. Spirits do not age unless they wish to, do not get diseases, do not require sleep, etc. However, they are not perfect. They are extremely susceptible to changes in their Mana (due to curses, expending Mana, etc), must periodically absorb Mana to replenish their bodies, and can still perish (though this is extremely rare and difficult).


III. Bonds and Bonding
A Bond is a magical pact between a human and a Spirit that allows the two to share their power, thereby permitting the pair to utilize magic beyond what either could do alone.

In order to form a Bond, both must be willing to make the pact, and the human must have magical potential, but those are the only clear-cut requirements. In all other aspects (method of forging pact, motivation, any conditions, etc), Bonds can have infinite variety. Some Spirits may require a sacrifice of some kind to grant their power, or may only make Bonds with people of a certain lineage, etc. This may also tie into their motivation for making a Bond, as sapient beings rarely take action without some degree of personal gain.

Human motivations for forming a Bond are often much more obvious than a Spirit's motivation. Those who are weak often search out new avenues to power through forming Pacts, while those with uncontrollable magic power may be seeking to contain their magic through a Bond with a Spirit experienced in the area that troubles them.

As a general rule of thumb, Spirits tend to only make one Bond at a time, while experienced human Mages often hold multiple Bonds at once. This is because while humans are versatile in what thaumaturgies they can use, Spirits are rather limited by their nature (see "Spirit Subjects and Spirit Methods" below).

It is unknown how the concept of Bonding came about, or how the process was developed. All of the requisite knowledge for forming the Bond is known to the Spirit at its conception, and all that is required of the Mage is their consent. Just as mysterious is the Transformation process that is in turn provided to the Mage upon the forming of their first Bond (see Transformations for more details).


IV. Bonded Magic, Spirit Subjects, and Spirit Methods
While many humans are able to wield magic at some level or other, Spirits are able to wield magic with far greater ease and to greater degree. But while both can wield magic alone, history has proven that two working in sync can perform far better than one working alone. It is for this reason that Bonded Magic was developed. By splitting the burden of spellcasting, a human and a Bonded Spirit can utilize magic in ways they could not alone. To understand this, first let us consider the steps of casting a spell:

  1. Generating Prana to fuel the spell
  2. Imbuing the Prana with Purpose and Intent
  3. Releasing the Prana in a controlled manner

In Wild Magic and Cantrips, one individual must handle all three steps. In Bonded Magic, Prana is drawn from one or both parties in order to provide fuel. The Spirit is then tasked with Imbuing the Prana, giving it a Purpose and the means to fulfill said purpose (Intent). Finally, the Mage channels the Imbued Prana out of the pair and into the world to create the intended effect. By sharing this burden, the amount of Prana needed from each party can be reduced, the Spirit can utilize its greater familiarity with Prana to provide a more effective Imbuing, and the Mage can focus their efforts on controlling the output.

Bonded Magic is not without drawbacks, though. While humans are incredibly versatile beings, Spirits have two important characteristics that limit the scope of their abilities. These two characteristics are known as their "Subject" and their "Method".

A Spirit's Subject is the center of their existence. Oftentimes, it is one of the basic magic elements: Spirits born of the ocean often have the Subject of "Water", for example. Subjects can also be concepts, though. One might occasionally come across a Spirit of "Honor", or of "Winter", or even of "Cats". Whatever the Subject, though, all Spirits are limited in that they can only perform magic that is somehow connected to their Subject. A Water Spirit cannot perform Fire magic, though they may be able to create scalding water to inflict "burns". It is thus said that a Spirit's Subject determines the Purpose it can provide to spells. Sometimes, over the course of a Spirit's life, they may be able to gain additional Subjects, but they can never change the Subject they were born unto.

While a Spirit's Subject determines the Purpose of spells it uses, a Spirit's Method determines the Intent that spell takes on. Even if a Spirit has the Subject of Water, what does that mean in practice? Does the Spirit focus the water into a precise stream or a sharp blade to mow down enemies? Does it wrap allies in a tender watery embrace to restore their strength? Does it create water traps and barriers to weaken opponents or fortify comrades? This is where a Spirit's Method comes into play; it is the Method by which their power is manifested. Like a Subject, a Spirit is bestowed a Method at birth that can never be changed. However, gaining additional Methods is far easier than gaining additional Subjects.

Returning to the concept of Bonded Magic, we can now see its limitations. No matter how talented a Mage is, the Spirit is the one in charge of Imbuing the Prana with its Purpose and Intent, which in turn draw upon the Spirit's Subject and Method. As such, a Mage cannot utilize their Bond with a Water Spirit if trying to cast fire magic, nor can they use the Bond if they wish to create blades of water using a Water Spirit whose Method pertains to healing.

V. Transformations
Relatively little is known about the magical process known as Transformation. First and foremost, it is the only known efficient method of manifesting a Mage's Aura into a usable shield. Secondly, it seems that it can give superhuman qualities to the body of the Mage, allowing them to run faster, lift more, recover faster, etc. These qualities require the Transformation process to be upgraded with certain resources, a similarly mysterious process. Thirdly, it seems to operate like the "magical girls" in Old-Terra fiction, where the user simply declares "Transform" (in the language of their choosing) with the proper intent, and they are shrouded in light for a moment before reappearing wearing a different outfit. To disable the Transformation, all one must do is declare "Release" with the intent, and the light reappears to restore them to their original appearance. And finally, possessing the ability to Transform also provides one more significant advantage (see "Death" below).

Beyond that, everything else about the process is unclear. How is it so efficient that the Prana drain for manifesting an Aura barrier is negligible, when manifesting Aura through conventional thaumaturgy is incredibly costly and time-consuming? Why is an alternate appearance always included, rather than just retaining the original appearance? How are Transformation outfits chosen for a given person? Why are the Transformation outfits equally durable, no matter if they are skintight stockings or full-body plate mail? How can the process be upgraded while barely knowing how it works in the first place? And most of all, what happens to the clothes the Mage was wearing before? All of these, and more, are good questions. But while many have speculated answers, the truth remains a mystery.



VI. Gods, Divinity, and Blessings
Though the title might seem intimidating, Gods are actually nothing more than Spirits who are powerful or famous enough to gather divinity. Faith is a powerful tool, as proven during the Apocalypse when the power of humanity's prayers helped tear apart the boundary between Terra and Gaea. Put simply, the more people believe in the power of a Spirit and consider the Spirit to be the strongest in its "area of expertise", the more faith they produce for the Spirit.

For example, the Spirit known as Poseidon inhabits the ocean off of Uruk's coast. The people of Uruk greatly respect and fear him as the strongest Spirit of Water in the area, especially when it comes to the ocean and marine life. Thus, through their faith, Poseidon has accumulated Divinity and has become a God. Were the people of Uruk suddenly to start placing a different Water Spirit above Poseidon, then their faith in Poseidon would dwindle as it was transferred to the new Spirit. Poseidon would therefore lose his Divinity, and when all of his Divinity is lost, he would lose the title of God.

From this, one can see that elevating a Spirit to or removing them from God status is as simple as managing the faith awarded unto them. And because people can have faith in multiple Gods, especially ones of different elements or areas, there are any number of Gods that can be found in the world, or even in Uruk itself. However, it is here that an important distinction must be made. Not all Gods are equal. Just as not all Spirits are equally powerful, Gods vary immensely in power. The God of Bells, an Artificial inhabiting one of the cathedrals of Uruk, might be able to challenge Uruk's God of Frogs, but neither could hope to challenge Poseidon. Both of said Gods are relatively new, having only achieved apotheosis in the last couple centuries. Both are also quite specific in their demesne. Meanwhile, Poseidon has been gathering faith worthy of a God of "Water" itself, and has been doing so for millennia. Thus are the many Gods categorized variously as "Greater", "Lesser", "Old", and "New". "Greater" and "Lesser" refer to their general strength. "Old" is given to the Gods that were in existence prior to the Apocalypse; those that waged war in the newly combined Terra and Gaea; those that pushed humanity to the brink. "New", in turn, is for those who came into power after the Apocalypse, and who generally had little to no role in humanity's near extinction.

There is one more important thing to note about Gods. To them, Divinity is just another type of magical resource. While many can use theirs to create various miracles or wage war, Gods are also able to grant Blessings. Blessings are a small sliver of a God's Divinity, granted unto another being (usually a human). This Blessing bestows a specific power related to the God's abilities upon the recipient. For example, a Blessing from Poseidon might allow one to practice "waterbending" or absorb Water-based attacks, while a blessing from the Frog God could grant the ability to speak to or shapeshift into a frog. Blessings cannot be removed, save by the God that granted it or a God of the same type (a different Water God could remove Poseidon's Blessing with some notable effort).

VII. Wands
In order to better facilitate Bonded Magic, Spirits usually take up residence in a "Wand", a tool to improve a human's spellcasting. Despite the name, these are not necessarily the wooden cylinders of Old Terra fiction, but rather just anything that is specialized for the purpose of holding a Spirit's core and improving the human's magic. These can take on nearly any form, though "medieval" weaponry is by far the most common.

The majority of Uruk's Mages receive their first Wand from the Academy and then either improve it or acquire additional elsewhere. Though each Academy Wand contains only one Core Slot, Academy Wands are able to be modified with ease to incorporate additional Core Slots or improve efficiency. Some Mages, especially those Bonded to an Artificial Spirit, may use their own Spirit(s) in their true forms rather than bothering with a Wand.

It is very important to remember that Spirit Cores are roughly the size of a billiard ball. In order to have a Core Slot, a Wand must be able to hold something of that size. The Core doesn't have to be completely surrounded/enclosed, whatever, but a reasonable effort must be made to hold the Core.

VIII. Death
One of the great questions of humanity prior to the Apocalypse was "What happens when a person dies?" Well, for better or worse, that question has been answered. There is, in fact, an Underworld, a Realm of the Dead, whatever you want to call it. When someone dies, their soul departs from their body and is summoned to the underworld.

There is one notable exception to the above, however. As an added benefit of being able to Transform, Mages experience death differently. They still bleed and die from wounds, of course, but when their souls depart from their body, they do not make it very far. Instead, their soul becomes compressed into a small crystal ball, approximately the size of a billiard ball. Thanks to this, Mages can fight with much less fear for their lives. After all, if they die, their soul can simply be picked up and brought back to Uruk by a comrade. There, powerful magic can be used to create a new body and attach a Mage's crystallized soul to it, granting them new life. The process is said to be excruciatingly painful, though. Plus, death itself is rarely a pleasant experience, so its generally advised to avoid dying whenever possible.

It is important to note that a Mage's soul is crystallized where their body died, and that crystallized souls have no means of interacting with the world themselves. Thus, Mages who die are heavily reliant on their comrades willingness and ability to both retrieve the crystallized soul and collect any belongings that may have been brought along. Anything that was on the deceased's personage would be left behind if the allies were unwilling or unable to carry it.

Furthermore, in the event that an entire party of Mages is killed, there will not be anybody alive to return the souls to Uruk for resurrection. If your entire team dies, you are entirely reliant upon the willingness and ability of other characters to mount an expedition to retrieve your souls. If nobody is willing, or if your soul(s) is(are) unable to be located, then your character will PERMANENTLY DIE
So, uh, don't go off picking solo fights with really powerful monsters without telling people where you're going. IF- and I mean IF - the moderators are feeling particularly kind or generous, they may arrange for NPCs to find your souls and return them to Uruk, or for servants of the Underworld to retrieve them and take them to the Land of the Dead, where you might be able to have a word with the God(s) of the dead and maybe be granted the chance at second life. Or you'll be stuck in hell for eternity.
 
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Character Skill Primer

Character Skills
In order to provide an estimate on their power and complexity, all Spells are assigned a Grade. The Grades go in the following order, from weakest to strongest:

  • Civilian Grade C
  • Civilian Grade B
  • Civilian Grade A
  • Military Grade E
  • Military Grade D
  • Military Grade C
  • Military Grade B
  • Military Grade A
  • Military Grade S

As one might surmise, there is an important difference between "Civilian Grade" magic and "Military Grade" magic. Military Grade E is considered the lowest grade a spell can have and still be practical for combat. The Civilian Grade spells are considered too weak in raw output to be useful in most combat situations. For example, Civilian Grade C might have a spell that creates a flame like that of a match, while Military Grade E could create and launch a small fireball.

The distinction is also important in that Spirits of Fairy and above tend to only have interest in Bonding with someone who has the talent to use at least Military Grade E spells. Because of this, it is general practice to only refer to those who can use Military Grade magic as Mages. Everyone else who has magic potential but cannot reach Military Grade spells is referred to as a Magician or Magic User.

Now, why is this Grade scale important to your characters? Because Grades determine many things about spells. For everything following, unless otherwise mentioned, Civilian Grades are excluded due to being insufficiently powerful for normal interest. This is where we get technical with the numbers, so I apologize in advance.

Numerical Output:
First and foremost, every Grade has limitations on its numerical output. That is, flat numbers such as "Deals 20 damage" or "Restores 10 Aura" fall under this restriction. For every Grade, there is a minimum numerical output, an average numerical output, and a maximum numerical output. The minimum numerical output is, of course, the absolute minimum potency a spell can have and still be considered part of a certain Grade. Likewise, the maximum numerical output is the upper limit. The average numerical output is what is generally expected of a spell of a certain Grade. While minimums and maximums may overlap with other Grades, the average is unique to a Grade. Grades have the following minimums / averages / maximums.

  • Military Grade E: 0 / 15 / 30
  • Military Grade D: 20 / 35 / 50
  • Military Grade C: 40 / 55 / 70
  • Military Grade B: 60 / 75 / 90
  • Military Grade A: 80 / 95 / 110
  • Military Grade S: 120 / 150 / 200

A reminder once again that these are for flat numbers, such as "Deals 20 damage" or "Restores 10 Aura". Spells that work based on percentages or that don't use numbers must refer to the next section.

Value Output:
Conceptually similar to Numerical Output, but different in important ways. Numerical Output is a hard cap on the numbers that can be used in a Spell. A Spell of Military Grade E can *never* deal 40 damage without extra assistance. However, this does not mean that a Grade E spell that deals 30 damage cannot have other effects. And for Spells that go beyond simple numbers, how is their grade calculated? Thus do we come to Value Output, the restrictions on the total amount of value (under the Skill Value System) a Spell must have.

Value Output, like Numerical Output, has a minimum, average, and maximum for every Grade.

  • Military Grade E: 0 / 20 / 45
  • Military Grade D: 20 / 45 / 70
  • Military Grade C: 40 / 70 / 100
  • Military Grade B: 60 / 100 / 150
  • Military Grade A: 80 / 130 / 200
  • Military Grade S: 120 / 200 / 300

It is important to note that the Value Output limitations are always in effect for every Spell, no matter how much or little you want to put in.

Attribute Modifiers:
If you read the limitations on Numerical Output and went "But muh damage!", this is the section you should be interested in. Skills that use flat numbers can also take advantage of what is known as Attribute Modifiers. If you have a sizable Strength Attribute, you can amplify your physical damage by using it as an Attribute Modifier. Attribute Modifiers work the same way for all Attributes, but some Attributes are considerably less useful for Attribute Modifiers than others. This is because Attribute Modifiers can only be used if it makes sense for the Spell. We will go into detail on that in a moment. First, let us list the amount of support Attribute Modifiers can provide:

  • Rank E: +0
  • Rank D: +5
  • Rank C: +10
  • Rank B: +15
  • Rank A: +30
  • Rank A+: +45
  • Rank A++: +70
  • Rank S: +100

Now, what does this actually mean? Well, if your skill says something like "Swings a sword and deals 10 damage", and you have E Strength, then you deal 10 damage. But if you have D Strength, you can use it as an Attribute Modifier to add +5 to your damage. And so on, so forth. Nifty perk, huh?

There are also other ways to use Attributes that are less specifically enumerated. For example, when casting a magical projectile, you might choose to set the projectile's Speed as scaling off of your Willpower. If you're creative, I bet you can come up with some other clever tricks too.

Of course, there are some strings attached.

First, Attribute Modifiers must make sense for the context. If you're casting a spell to heal your ally, using Strength wouldn't make much sense, no? And if you're planting a magical landmine, how would Perception help out?

Second, you can only use one Attribute Modifier to modify one aspect. If Strength is amplifying your damage, you can't also use it to increase the Speed at which you throw something. Likewise, if you're using a magic sword strike, you can't use both Strength and Willpower for increasing damage. But you can use Strength to amplify your damage and Speed to increase how fast you move, since those are separate modifiers for separate things.

Third, you can only benefit from an Attribute that is up to 2 Ranks higher than the skill's Grade. 10 damage E Grade fireball spells don't get to tack on +100 damage, sorry. The most they can add is E +2 ranks = C Modifier. Even if you're the stronkest Mage ever, you only get to use the bonus of C rank.

Fourth, if a skill creates an Area of Effect (AoE) result, like an explosion, then the modifier is halved. If you have C rank Willpower for +10 damage on a single target skill, the AoE only gets to add +5.

Fifth, if a skill involves multiple impacts (a combo attack or a spell that splits into multiple smaller projectiles), then the modifier is either condensed onto a single impact, or split evenly among all impacts. Basically, you can add a bit more to every sword swing, or you can arrange for one sword swing to be stronger than the others.

Sixth, you cannot use Attribute Modifiers to increase things that are based on percentages. No amplifying your buff/debuff potency, or dealing more percent damage.

Finally, even if Attributes themselves can't often be changed in combat, Attribute Modifiers are still affected by buffs and debuffs. Your Attribute rank is considered only after factoring in buffs and debuffs. "But it doesn't perfectly line up!" you might say. And you're right. If you are between Ranks, round down.

Skill "Types":
Skill Types relate to how long it takes for a skill's effect to, well, take effect. There are three types:
  • 1. Active:
    An Active skill requires conscious activation to produce a relatively instantaneous effect. The spell is cast, has a simple effect, and is done. There is no direct lasting effect because of the ability.
    (Example: Throwing a rock at someone is an Active effect. You throw it, it hits them, they give you a nasty look, and that's it.)

    2. Active Continuous:
    Active Continuous skills require conscious input to activate, but then have a lasting effect. The lasting effect may be paid for up front for a set duration, or may require constant power input over some length of time.
    (Example: You throw the rock, but its a magic rock that weakens the enemy's defense for 3 Phases. Or you enchant your sword with a magic coating that constantly drains your Prana in exchange for increasing its damage.)

    3. Passive:
    Passive skills require zero conscious input. If the conditions are met, the skill takes effect. Many are permanent effects, though some may trigger when one gets critically injured or whatnot.
    (Example: You have a deep affinity for rocks. When you hold a rock, your Strength goes up by 10%. You are constantly compelled to provide a name for any rock you pick up, as it becomes one of your friends.)

Skill "Affinities":
Every skill has a different purpose. Some have damaging qualities, some are designed to heal, some weaken your enemies, etc. Based on the properties of your skill, you should list out what Affinities it has, in order of their importance. The order is very important. If your sword slash weakens their defense, did the skill come about because you wanted to hurt them (with the defense weakening as an added bonus), or is it designed to weaken their defense and just so happens to do so by inflicting a wound?

Below are the possible Affinities. They're all pretty self-explanatory:

Offensive Affinity
You want to hurt someone. You really want to hurt someone. The hurtier the better.

Defensive Affinity
You don't like pain, and you want everyone else to know it.

Buffing Affinity
You like your allies (or yourself). Go Team!

Debuffing Affinity
You do not like your enemies. Booooooooo.

Recovery Affinity
You like cosplaying as a nurse.

Why Use Bonded Magic?:
It doesn't take a genius to wonder why, as a character designer, you might want to use Bonded Magic. After all, Bonded Magic is heavily restricted by the Spirit involved, while Cantrips have near infinite versatility. However, Bonded Magic does offer key benefits.

First off, Bonded Magic does not have the same storage limits as Cantrips do. Since the Mage is only executing part of the Spell, they do not have to have perfect knowledge of the complete spell. They can just trust their Spirit to be doing its job properly and transfer the correct Spell over to their control. In practical terms, this means you are only limited on your number of Bonded Magic spells by your creativity and your available CP.

Secondly, the Spirit's overall power helps contribute to how efficient your Spell is. When using Bonded Magic, your Spirit can provide a certain amount of "Base Value" to your Spells, essentially giving you some free power to work with. The amounts are based on the Spirit's Classification, or rather, whatever Classification it is relative to you (it may be offering you less than its full power).

  • Fairy: 15 Base Value
  • Lesser Animals: 30 Base Value
  • Greater Animals and Elementals: 45 Base Value
  • Lesser Mythicals and Artificials: 60 Base Value
  • Humanoid: 75 Base Value
  • Greater Mythicals: 100 Base Value

So what does this mean? Well, assume you had a Fire Fairy helping you out with casting a Fireball. As a Cantrip, a Fireball that deals 20 damage would cost 20 value for the damage + 5 value for casting a projectile. 25 value generally would cost 25 Prana. However, with your Fire Fairy providing 15 base value, you only have to pay the cost of 25 (total value) - 15 (base value) = 10 (remaining cost). You just saved 15 Prana. And you save that 15 Prana every time you cast it. Naturally, you can see how this provides an enormous efficiency boost.

And, like always, there are limitations. If a Spirit tries to put too much Base Value into a Spell, then the Spell could overload and fall apart. Therefore, you may only receive Base Value up to the same Grade as the Spell you are casting. A Fairy is equivalent to E Grade Spells, a Humanoid to A Grade, etc. In other words, even with a Humanoid Spirit, you may only receive 15 Base Value towards an E Grade Spell.
 
System Information

I. Character Points
Character Points (CP) are a simple way to measure your character's overall power. Every ability or advantage you add to your character requires CP to add. CP is an OOC resource; it does not exist IC.

Perhaps you want to add a Spell to your repertoire. A basic Military Grade E Spell would require you to spend 2 CP OOC, as well as learn/develop the spell IC. A Military Grade D Spell would need 4 CP, and so on. You can also spend CP to Bond additional Spirits, obtain Blessings, etc (so long as you can also justify the acquisition IC of course).

CP is given out by mod discretion upon completing tasks. When one concludes a mission, when one survives a fierce fight, when one devotes themselves to their studies, etc, there is the chance to obtain CP. Once you have collected enough CP to make your desired purchase, reach out to the mod(s) about it so that they may approve your acquisition and provide an IC opportunity.

II. Missions & Requests
Missions are formal tasks entrusted to you by the Academy. They are usually carried out through group effort, and they can have nearly infinite variety. OOC, Missions are the primary source of CP, plot development, etc, so participation is generally expected.

Missions will generally have your Player Characters face off against a group of antagonists at some point, though in some cases, combat may be avoidable or even inadvisable. Creativity in problem solving is highly encouraged. I may have plans laid out for what I expect in a Mission, but if you throw a wrench in my plans, then the Mission will be adapted accordingly. This (generally) won't be one of those RPs where if a player tries to do something cool that the GM didn't expect, the GM says "screw you, it didn't work, follow my plan". I'm here to have fun too, and if you want a wild ride, you'll get one.


Mission Rewards:
OOC, Mission Rewards generally include CP and a sense of satisfaction. IC, you may receive materials for upgrading your equipment, access to better resources for future missions, or even new Spirits or Blessings. Do Missions, get stronk, take over da world.

Requests:
Not everything that needs to be done is important enough to receive direct attention from the Academy. The Academy may also refuse to help in situations it doesn't have an interest in or stand to profit from. Yet even so, there are still plenty of opportunities for Mages to perform work outside of the Missions handed out by the Academy. Perhaps a family needs help exterminating some monsters around their farm. Maybe an old lady isn't feeling too well and needs a hand in her shop. That dude wants an escort while he travels to a small village. This martial artist wants someone to train with. The list is as vast as the population.

Any extra tasks that your character accepts in addition to their Academy-issued Mission(s) is called a Request. There are several important things to take note of:
  • You can take on as many or as few Requests as you like. Do keep in mind that the Academy expects you to fulfill your Missions, even if you take on a bunch of Requests.
  • Requests are (usually) "gentleman's agreements" rather than legal contracts. You pledge to do a task; the offering party pledges to offer some sort of compensation. If you don't fulfill your obligation, you probably won't get your reward. Likewise, there is no legal requirement for the offering party to actually compensate you at all, or restriction on what they can offer. If some guy looks down on his luck and offers you your weight in gold, maybe take it with a grain of salt. Beware of potential scams.
  • If they can scam you, its only fair that you can scam them. Do consider that your reputation might suffer as a result though.
  • Because Requests take some OOC time to create and carry out, Requests will generally only be offered if you tell me you're looking for Requests or if you don't appear to be doing anything productive.

III. General Combat
Combat here is turn based. 1 Post equals 1 Turn. However, each full Turn is also separated into 2 Phases.
For more information regarding Phases, please refer to the section "Phase Action Combat System".

Character Statistics
During combat, every character needs to track their own Statistics (Aura, Prana, Stamina) at all times. At the top of your post, you should put a little header section to contain this and other info, and put the Statistics you have at the start of your post. As you go through your post, taking various actions, you should write in the costs of your actions (eg: "Cast Fireball: -10 Prana). Providing an end-of-turn summary is optional, but you should never put end-of-turn Statistics in your header.

9 times out of 10, there will be a mod overseeing your combat situations, either as your antagonist(s) or as an impartial observer. The mod is responsible for deciding discrepancies between posted actions and what actually happens (like if you get stabbed before you can cast your spell, you might not finish the spell). As such, the mod will also be tasked with deciding how much damage is dealt and/or correcting the Statistic values in your posts. For a very rough example:

Person A: A shoots a fireball at B (-10 Prana)
Person B: B closes the distance and stabs at A before A can cast (-5 Stamina)
Mod: B reached A before A could finish casting. A takes 10 damage, but since their spell was incomplete, they did not lose any Prana.

Naturally, what the mod decides is what happens. You can try to argue your case OOC and get it changed, but IC what the mod says happened is what happened. Make sure your next post accurately reflects the mod's verdict(s) (A would have lost 10 Aura but not lost Prana, so they have to make sure their values are correct). Failure to accurately record Statistic changes will result in mod displeasure and possible punishment.

The common way to track your statistics is by simply detailing it in a manner similar to:
Aura: 100
Prana: 100
Stamina: 100

Damage Calculation
In general, follow these rules of thumb when calculating damage:

1. A regular attack with E Rank Attributes while using a weapon deals about 10 points of damage.
2. Guarding will reduce your damage based on the effectiveness of your Guard. An average Guard will reduce damage to your actual person by roughly 50%, with the remaining damage being taken by whatever you were using to block.
3. How you attack makes a big difference on your damage. Punching someone will generally be less damaging than stabbing them. Someone who is too close to you to be slashed effectively will take less damage than someone at your ideal range, so it might be more effective to slug them at that point.
4. How you react can in turn change what damage you receive. Being grazed by the tip of a spear will deal less damage than being completely impaled.
5. Smaller/lighter weapons can generally be used to attack faster than bulky/heavy weapons. A dagger wielder will probably be able to get in at least two slices or stabs for every swing a greatsword wielder makes.
6. The faster you are, the quicker you can attack. The faster your opponent, the better they'll be able to keep up with you. Big Speed difference = big difference in number of hits you can attempt.
7. Projectile Speed is dependent on the weapon used. Skills generally will either have a set Speed or use the Speed of their weapon (ie if shooting a Fireball it'll have its own Speed; if shooting a magic bullet you'll probably use the gun's speed).

Buffs and Debuffs
Just like you have to track your Statistics, you also have to track any buffs or debuffs that are affecting you. If you don't track a buff, the mod may forget about it, and it isn't their fault for not taking it into account since you didn't track it. If you don't track a debuff, the mod might forget about it, but if they don't forget, they might decide you are trying to cheat and deliver punishment.

The person affected by the buff/debuff is the one who tracks it, not the person who cast it. The caster can track it for their own purposes if they so please, but the target is the only one with responsibility.


Generally speaking, buffs and debuffs have a set duration (often in Phases but sometimes in Turns). The timer theoretically starts as soon as the buff/debuff is applied. However, if you boost your Strength right at the end of your Phase, you can't exactly profit from the buff. In that case, the Phase/Turn in which you cast it might not count towards the timer, since you couldn't actually make use of it. Conversely, if you boost your Speed at the start of your Reaction Phase and then use that Speed to dodge a bunch of incoming attacks, you did profit from the buff, so it would actually count that Phase towards the timer.

Turn Cycle
As combat is turn-based, people will take turns writing their posts. The cycle as a whole goes Player Character(s) -> Mod Antagonists -> Player Character(s), with the Mod Antagonist post both encapsulating any verdicts on what happened previously and any actions the Antagonists make. In the event that two Player Characters are facing off (such as a duel), the Mod will write an evaluation in between the two parties' posts, like so: Party 1 -> Mod eval -> Party 2 -> Mod eval -> Party 1. In such instances, if there's nothing that needs to be evaluated, the Mod may only give an extremely brief post, or may not even post at all, instead opting to just notify the next Party that they can post.

Turn Order
As can be seen in the Turn Cycle, teams move as a group in posting order. Within a team though, post order is irrelevant. If Player B wants to post before Player A, that's not a problem. Remember that you can only post once per turn, though, and there must be an opponent's post in between your posts. If in the duel scenario, its a 2v2 duel, both C and D in Party 2 must post before either A or B in Party 1 can post again.

Skips
Sometimes, things come up OOC. Work suddenly calls a person in, and they aren't able to post. Their internet service gets cut all of a sudden and it takes a week to restore. Maybe they just got tired of the club and decided to leave without saying anything. In such cases, even if we all really want to wait for them OOC, we can't just hold up a large group of characters because one person can't post. Therefore, their turn may be "Skipped" if they take too long to post.

IC, Skips manifest as "Aurashock", a semi-random occurrence where a person completely freezes up and becomes unresponsive. For the character, its like they closed their eyes to blink at 5:00 PM and then opened their eyes from the blink at 5:05 PM, with no recollection of time having passed. As you might guess, this is not a fun thing to experience, especially if you're in combat. Just because your mind is shut down, that doesn't mean enemies can't still hit your body. If you have teammates, then they might try to protect you or heal you, but they can only do so much.

It is important to note that Statistics do not regenerate naturally when you are experiencing Aurashock. You are not taking the Standby Action, you are taking no Action.

Special Combat Conditions
Your environment can play a key factor in combat. In a thick forest, it might be hard to move around or use projectiles. In fog, your senses might be reduced. Special Combat Conditions arise from the setting and last as long as the source of the change is present.

Reserved Posts
Maybe you're a support character who wants to make sure your buffs are distributed to the offense units before they attack. You should post first. But wait, you really need to finish this homework assignment first. Ah, but if you take too long to write, someone else might post first and mess up your plan. What do you do?

Well, you make a "Reserved Post". All it is is simply a post where you say "Reserved for X length of time". This is a promise from you to everyone else that you plan on posting, but its taking more time than expected. You promise to post within the time length specified. If you do not post before your time runs out, then people can ignore your Reserved Post and post anyway, and you don't get to complain. Obviously, the less time you ask for, the better it is for the group as a whole. Thus, Reserved Posts should not usually ask for more than two or three hours of time, unless it has been agreed upon by the entire group.

Reserved Posts by mods for mod duties are exempt from the above rule. You cannot skip a mod post.

IV. Phase Action Combat System
We use something known as the Phase Action Combat System during combat here. Basically, every person's turn is divided into two smaller units of time known as Phases. Each Phase may contain a single "Action" listed below. The two Phases are known as:

1. Reaction Phase (RP)
This Phase is called the Reaction Phase because, most of the time, you will be Reacting to other characters'/antagonists' Actions. Dodge that Fireball, Parry that sword swing and retaliate, such actions are typical of the Reaction Phase.

2. Action Phase (AP)
The Action Phase comes after your Reaction Phase. Everything that you needed to React to has now passed into history. You can no longer change what happened, but you can change the future. Cast your spells, swing your blade, catch your breath, whatever your next move might be, this is where you make it.

In essence, the flow of combat looks like this:
Character A: [AP][RP/AP][RP/AP][RP/AP]
Character B: [RP/AP][RP/AP][RP/AP]

As you can see above, Character A starts combat with an AP (combat just started, so there's nothing to react to and therefore no RP). In B's turn, he reacts to A's AP with his RP and then moves a bit further in time with his AP. A then reacts to B's AP in his own RP, and makes his next AP. This cycle continues until combat has ended.

It is important to note that Phases are not set units of time. Phases can be as long or as short as necessary. In large battles, RP's are often significantly longer than AP's in "actual" time passed, because there are more things to react to.

Within each Phase, there are several Actions a character may take. Each Action has a general amount of Stamina it consumes. In addition, you can have multiple instances of an Action in one Phase, but you cannot have multiple Actions. Assume you're fighting 3 enemies. They all cast spells at you. Taking the "Evade" action doesn't mean you only get to Evade once; it means you are spending your Phase Evading and not doing anything else. Were you to try to Evade and then go on the offensive, you would be taking the Counter Action, not Evade and then Attack. Evade + Attack doesn't exist as an Action option; Counter does.

With the exception of "Attack", the Stamina listed here is for the entire Phase. Evade 1 attack or 5 attacks, you still spend 20 Stamina. The Attack Action consumes more Stamina the more attacks you perform though. Using basic Attacks in order to Parry, Counter, etc has the same rule; you spend more Stamina the more Attacks you perform.

A complete list of possible Actions is below:

  • Attack
    Definition: A basic normal attack that a character can perform. Swing your sword, thrust your spear, shoot your bow, jab with your fist, all of these are basic attacks. The number of attacks you can perform in one Phase is affected by the weapon(s) you're using, the enemy's reaction, etc. If you slash with a sword and punch with your fist, that's two separate attacks, just like swinging your sword twice.
    General Stamina Consumption: 5 Stamina per attack
  • Skill
    Definition: If you want to use a Spell or a special Technique, you use the Skill Action. Unlike the basic Attack option, unless otherwise noted, you can only execute one Skill per phase. If your Skill needs you to focus your energies on charging up, that charging up process also counts as a Skill action.
    General Stamina Consumption: Variable
  • Guard
    Definition: The Guard action is when you try to defend yourself against an enemy attack. Guarding can allow you to reduce damage to your person, but generally speaking, any damage that you don't take yourself is taken by whatever it was you were guarding with (your weapon, a convenient branch lying next to you, etc).
    General Stamina Consumption: None
  • Parry
    Definition: By Guarding against an attack successfully, one might be able to create a hole in the enemy's stance and retaliate. Parry allows you to Guard and then take an additional action. Keep in mind, though, that Parries are harder to pull off successfully and are more draining on your Stamina than a simple Guard.
    General Stamina Consumption: 15 Stamina + x Stamina for 2nd action
  • Evade
    Definition: Evasion is when a character puts their Speed to the test to avoid an incoming attack. Evades rely on large body movement, so the more space you have available, the easier it will be to Evade.
    General Stamina Consumption: 20 Stamina
  • Dodge
    Definition: Not every attack requires you to sprint out of the way. Sometimes, simply sidestepping or ducking can allow the attack to pass you by. Dodges rely on your Dexterity to determine the minimum amount of movement necessary to avoid injury and execute it. Because of this, they require far less Stamina and space, but may be more susceptible to misjudging the movement amount needed and thus result in more grazes or failed dodges.
    General Stamina Consumption: 10 Stamina
  • Evasion Dodge
    Definition: Evasion Dodge combines the actions of both Evade and Dodge, allowing to focus completely on avoiding damage. Perfect when one attack needs only a small movement to escape while another needs a large move.
    General Stamina Consumption: 25 Stamina
  • Evasion Guard
    Definition: Evasion Guard combines the actions of both Evasion Dodge and Guard, allowing to focus on defense and avoiding damage. Sometimes, you have to take a hit, but that doesn't mean you need to take every hit.
    General Stamina Consumption: 30 Stamina
  • Counter
    Definition: Escaping an enemy's attack may provide you with the perfect opportunity for retaliation. A Counter occurs when you take an evasive maneuver and then follow it up with another Action (often offensive, but not necessarily). Counters are quite draining for your Stamina, though, so be cautious that you don't overexert yourself.
    General Stamina Consumption: 35 Stamina + x Stamina for 2nd action
  • Parry Counter
    Definition: It is possible to roll everything into one monstrous package known as Parry Counter. When you need to avoid one attack by Dodging or Evading, need to intercept another with a Guard, and still want a chance to take another Action, you opt for a Parry Counter. As one might imagine though, it is incredibly draining on your Stamina and thus should rarely be used.
    General Stamina Consumption: 45 Stamina + x Stamina for 2nd action
  • Item
    Definition: If you have a consumable item or piece of equipment that you want to use, call upon this Action.
    General Stamina Consumption: None
  • Standby
    Definition: Standby is when your character takes some time to settle their mind, take a few deep breaths, rest up, etc. Rather than consuming Stamina, it actually helps you regenerate Stamina. The base regeneration is 10 Stamina per Standby Phase with E Rank Recovery, and is multiplied based on your Recovery. As your character is resting, Standby cannot be performed while moving very far or quickly, nor can it be combined with any other action.

    Standby is also beneficial in that it allows you to observe your surroundings better. Performing Standby, especially in your AP, will grant you better odds of anticipating future attacks, noticing small details, etc.
    General Stamina Regeneration: 10 Stamina per Standby Phase

Tips and Tricks:
1. While Attributes play a major role in deciding whether an action is possible, it is your writing quality that determines whether you are successful. Even with great attributes, bad writing will lead to bad results. Similarly, even with poor attributes, one might be able to pull off an excellent maneuver if their writing is skilled enough.
2. Because there is nothing to react to when combat is only just starting, the individuals/team that make the first combat action are only granted an AP on their first turn.
3. If an individual arrives at an area where combat is already taking place, they will only have an AP on their first turn as they will be too late arriving to react to anything.
4. It is preferred that you clearly separate Reaction Phase and Action Phase within your character's post. Putting one or both in a quotation box is effective, as is providing a couple lines of empty space.
5. In the event that a skill or situation demands you take a certain action for a "Turn" rather than a "Phase", you must take a full Turn to perform the necessary action. Things that require a full Turn cannot be started on an AP and finished on an RP, they must start in RP and finish in AP.
6. On the other hand, if the skill states "Requires two Phases" rather than "one Turn", then you can use it across the turn separation (ie start in AP, finish in RP).

V. Advanced Combat Information
We've covered all the basics; now there's just a bit more to take note of:

Detail and Creativity
In case you haven't heard it enough, creativity is highly encouraged and desirable. The better your writing, the better your character will perform. A well-written attack will not only have a better chance of landing, but may also be granted a bit of extra damage. A clever Guard may allow you to reduce far more damage than usual, or maybe even negate it entirely.

However, it is important to note that while good writing is always encouraged, good writing is more important while Reacting to attacks. Your opponent can't anticipate your every move; they can only write what they think might work. However, since you're Reacting to their post, you already know what actions they took. You only have to react to the one situation, not near-infinite possibilities. Therefore, a higher standard of writing is expected for Reactions.

Rarely Used Actions
As was mentioned previously, the Reaction Phase is named thusly because you normally React to enemy actions there. However, that does not mean it is impossible to "react" to an attack during your AP. You could, potentially, try to predict an enemy's attack and use your AP to react earlier than your foe anticipates, granting you extra time to escape/raise your guard/etc.

Similarly, you are not forced to React during your Reaction Phase. Maybe you don't mind taking a hit or two. Or maybe you weren't attacked. Rather than just say "ok, guess I'll just sit around and wait for my AP", you could take action then and there. Go on the offensive during your RP, start charging up a big spell, etc.

Reacting to Someone Else's RP
Generally speaking, your enemy's RP should have finished by the time your AP ends and their AP starts. As such, you can't usually react to what happened in their RP: it happened in the past during your AP.

However, that does not mean you can never react to an RP. If someone is attacking you during their RP, like what was discussed above in "Rarely Used Actions", then you are still sometimes able to react to their RP, to prevent them from automatically scoring a hit.

This does sometimes come with drawbacks, though. Their RP is still happening at the same time as your previous AP. As such, if you want to react to their RP, you may need to cancel your AP (essentially, render it null/nonexistent) in order to react in time. Reacting to an enemy's RP without canceling your AP may be too dangerous. But like every rule, there's always a bigger exception.

Standby Action
The Standby Action, as you hopefully know, helps your character regain Stamina. However, as mentioned in the Action description, it also allows you to better grasp your surroundings, especially when used in your AP. And if you're spending your AP on the lookout for enemy attacks, then you have a much better shot at reacting to said attacks, even if they are coming at you from an enemy's RP. Even if you aren't low on Stamina, if you find the enemy is landing too many hits on you, you may want to consider taking a Standby Action to gain better awareness of your surroundings.

Cancelled Actions
As discussed previously, sometimes you have to cancel your AP (or at least part of it) in order to react to something. Sometimes, though, cancels happen at mod discretion without prior consent. Suppose, for example, Person A is locked in mortal combat with Person B.

Person A's AP: A swings his sword violently, trying to cleave B in twain at the navel. He then follows it up with a powerful roundhouse kick, hoping to let his boot finish off what his greatsword couldn't.
Person B's RP: B performs a Parry Counter, falling back while bringing his shield arm up to intercept the mighty blow. The impact threatened to shatter the bones in B's arm, but his trusty shield held back his rival's swing long enough. Stepping back in closer, B stabbed viciously with his right hand's shortsword, thrusting the deadly tip straight towards A's gut.

Now, it might be possible for A to react to B's attack. However, there's definitely no way A could perform his kick; he'd be stabbed before the kick could connect, and he definitely wouldn't have any chance to avoid or defend against the stab. Thus, A's kick would have been Cancelled, since he has to react to the fact that he is getting stabbed. The kick never happened, so A doesn't expend any resources on it.

Free Action
Free Action is a very special property that can be granted to some Skills or Actions, allowing for multiple Actions to be used in a single Phase. And I don't mean rolling Evade + Attack into a Counter, I mean Skill + Skill. Obviously, with such a useful ability, there are restrictions.

First and foremost, adding the Free Action property to a Skill requires extra Value cost. For some Skills, it may not even be possible to add it.

Secondly, even if you have a Free Action ability, there are restrictions on how you can use it. For example, you can only use 1 Free Action ability per Phase. You can use the same ability twice in one Phase, but the second use will count as a regular Action, rather than gaining the Free Action property again. Furthermore, you cannot combine a Free Action ability with the Standby Action.

VI. Ailments and Status Conditions
As you might expect, there are innumerable variations on ailments that can be inflicted during this club. However, rather than write out specific rules on the various options, I was advised to simply let each individual decide how they want their ailment to function. Personally, I'm not sure how this will work out, but no harm in trying; I can make explicit ones later if needed.

VII. Consumable Item System
Some items can be consumed to gain their effects, and some equipment may have methods in which it can be used as a "consumable". This section details how said consumable items work:

Item Rules:
  • Usage of an item must be indicated in bold
  • Only 1 item per use of the Item Action (which in turn can normally only be done once per Phase).
  • You are responsible for tracking all items that you have with you at all times. If you do not state that an item is on your person, it will be assumed that you left it behind somewhere. Trying to use said item will result in your mod laughing at you.

Depending on the type of item, there are two Activation Methods:
Instantaneous:
An item that has an Instantaneous method means that as soon as the item is used, it takes effect. You drink a potion, you regain 50 Prana right there and then.

Instantaneous is considered the default Activation Method. If an item's Activation Method is not explicitly stated, it will be assumed to be Instantaneous.

Delayed:
If an item has a Delayed Activation Method, that means some amount of time needs to pass before the result takes effect. The item must state approximately how long it takes to activate. If it is intended for use in combat, this time must be stated in Phases. Much like buffs and debuffs, if there is no time left between when you use an Item and when that Phase ends, the timer will not count down that Phase.

An item with a 3 Phase delay would look something like this:
Turn 1:
RP: Item Action
AP: Standby (Delay Phase 1)

Turn 2:
RP: Evade (Delay Phase 2)
AP: Attack (Delay Phase 3)
End of AP/Start of next RP --> Item Effect activated

VIII. Wands and Weapons
In this world, there are all manner of wands and weapons to be found. Some wield keen blades, some use sturdy fists, some strike from afar with firearms, some use what their surroundings offer them, etc. Here, we will give a brief discussion of how the more common types work.

Melee Weapons:
  • In general, smaller weapons are easier to wield and will allow you to get in more hits per Phase. Larger weapons compensate for being unwieldy and slow by having greater range and hitting with devastating force, often allowing them to knock enemies backwards, break enemy stances, etc.
  • Greatswords and other oversized weapons usually only get the chance for one attack per Phase. Weapons such as shortswords can periodically get in two attacks per Phase. Small weapons or close combat weapons, like daggers or gauntlets, will usually be able to score two hits and sometimes even three.
  • Because smaller weapons have such a high base attack rate, for balance purposes, each hit usually deals only 75% of the "standard" damage. Similarly, because they have such low hit rate, oversized weapons may sometimes deal 120% of the "standard" damage
  • Both the aforementioned points only apply to basic attacks, and may not apply in all situations. In the right circumstances, a greatsword could get 3 hits in, or a dagger could only get in 1 hit. Similarly, a casual strike from a greatsword may not even deal 100% damage, let alone extra. Meanwhile, a dagger strike could be written in such a way that it is given bonus damage beyond even 100%.
  • All of the above only applies to melee weapons.

Ranged Weapons:
First off, note that Aura Extension does not apply to projectiles. In order to do full damage, you will need to have your projectiles either crafted through magic (normal for characters) or imbued with magic (usually for NPCs). In order to compensate for the need to spend Prana on creating projectiles, projectiles may deal higher damage than melee attacks. Furthermore, the ability to create the appropriate projectile for your weapon is provided for free (doesn't cost CP, cantrip slots, etc)
Non-firearm categories will be added if/when the need arises.

Firearms
  • - Explanation:
    Firearms are, broadly, any weapon that launches a physical object and is not a bow. Because there are so many different makes, models, etc of firearm, they are loosely grouped into categories based on similar properties. Before you look at the current list of categories, read through the following explanations of the mechanics we use. Please note that the norm is for firearms to not have any extra features, such as bayonets.

    P:D = Prana to Damage Ratio of one Bullet (Use this much Prana to create the bullet : has this much base damage)
    SPP = Shots per Phase (The maximum number of times you can pull the trigger in one phase)
    Dmg = Maximum Damage per Phase
    (Some Letter) = Base Bullet Speed.
    Line/Cone/Arc = Projectile path type (whether it can arc, only flies straight, spreads like a cone)
    Pierce/Blunt = The manner in which the damage is delivered.

    Below is a list of the current types of firearms. If you don't see one you want, don't worry. We're always happy to add more if you want something new.

    - Firearm Types:
    • Pistol | P:D 1:5 | SPP 4 | Dmg 20 | C | Line | Pierce
    • Revolver | P:D 2:7 | SPP 3 | Dmg 21 | C | Line | Pierce
    • Shotgun | P:D 8:16 | SPP 2 | Dmg 32 | C | Cone (Immediate) | Pierce
    • Bolt Action Rifle | P:D 1:12 | SPP 2 | Dmg 24 | B | Line | Pierce
    • Sniper Rifle | P:D 5:30 | SPP 1 | Dmg 30 | B | Line | Pierce
    • Submachine Gun | P:D 1:4 | SPP 7 | Dmg 28 | C | Line | Pierce
    • Assault Rifle | P:D 1:3 | SPP 9 | Dmg 27 | C | Line | Pierce
    • Machine Gun | P:D 1:3 | SPP 12 | Dmg 36 | C | Cone | Pierce
    • Minigun | P:D 1:3 | SPP 15 | Dmg 45 | C | Cone | Pierce
    • Cannon | P:D 5:40 | SPP 1 | Dmg 40 | C | Arc | Blunt
    • Antique Rifle | P:D 4:20 | SPP 1 | Dmg 20 | C | Line | Pierce
 
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Lore/Worldbuilding Information

A Brief History of the Apocalypse
One fateful day in the 21st century, humanity made their first contact with an extraterrestrial group. A fleet of bizarre starships suddenly emerged near Earth and began laying siege to the planet. In every aspect, humanity found themselves failing in the bitter fight to defend their planet. The enemy ships were beyond the reach of most human technology, so they could safely lurk in orbit while their weapons carved open the planet's surface. Even their ground forces were more than the humans could handle. The smallest alien soldiers could face down an entire infantry battalion and still emerge victorious. The largest of their ground forces were more than capable of shrugging off a nuclear strike.

Faced with this seemingly insurmountable threat that was dubbed the "Lacertan Lizards", humanity pulled out all the stops in their quest for survival. They rushed forward with all manner of military research. Entire cities were drafted and instructed in the usage of weaponry. Even the ones known as Mages, they that possessed mystical powers science could not explain, came out of the shadows and revealed themselves to the world in the hopes they would be able to assist in turning the tide.

Alas, humanity's efforts seemed insufficient. The people cried out for salvation, for the gods of yore to return once more and cast out these invaders. Unfortunately, the prayers of humanity were heard and answered. Gaea, the parallel Earth infinitely close yet impossibly far from the one we know, the world beyond life, the home of gods and demons alike; thanks to the carnage of the war and the intensity of humanity's prayers, the separation between these two disparate worlds became almost nil. Gates between Gaea and Terra formed all over, providing connections between the two either via transportation or via the two physically merging.

Just as the humans of Terra found themselves baffled by the sudden appearance of gods and demons, so too did the various spirits and beasts of Gaea marvel at this new world they had come to. The Lacertan Lizards showed no signs of discriminating against Gaeans or Terrans in their bloody conquest, turning their weaponry against these newcomers as well. The Lizards may have bitten off more than they could chew by doing so, though, as the retaliation of the ancient gods was swift and terrible. The mighty warships that had barraged Terran cities began to sink one by one in the face of foes who could surpass even their might. humans all over rejoiced at this changing of the tide, hoping that the Lizards would be destroyed once and for all.

Fate is a capricious mistress, though, as humans discovered in both the figurative and literal sense. The gods fought not to save humans, but for their own desires; the lives that they saved or destroyed in the process were inconsequential. Furthermore, the gods were hardly a united front. Most of them acted as individuals or with a small entourage of lesser beings, and battles between the gods themselves were all too frequent. Humanity could do little more than cower in terror and flee as far from their now countless foes as possible.

Yet, despite the apocalypse surrounding them, humans did not give up. They began forming towns and cities, rebuilding what they had once lost. And despite the capriciousness of the gods reigning on high and the monsters roaming below, humans did not find themselves bereft of allies. Many of the sprites and spirits found themselves sympathizing with the humans and offered their support in the reconstruction. Some of the more peace-inclined gods even elected to take humans under their wings and shelter them from the chaos of war.

And eventually, the nightmare came to an end. The Lizards seemed to have exhausted much of their forces and were forced to desist in their assaults. The gods found themselves weary of their eternal battles and elected to rest. Humanity may have fallen from its pedestal as the most powerful life form on the planet, but they were not yet eradicated.

Our eyes now turn from the broad overview of the Earth's history and zero in on one of the human cities that found itself prospering after the war: "An Chéad Toshi: Uruk". Here, humanity would push themselves off the dirt of their tattered planet and reach out once more towards the sky. Here, our story begins.

An Chéad Toshi: Uruk
Founded in the year 0 of the New Human Era, it serves as the symbol of human perseverance. The florid name comes from the three main groups that came together to create it: a group of mages from Ireland, scientists and scholars from Japan, and the one known as "Gilgamesh". All manner of humans have come to live here and celebrate in the prosperity and security it offers.

Uruk is ruled first and foremost by its king, Gilgamesh. He is advised on various matters by the Thaumaturgical Society, the Galileans, the Chorus, the Noblesse, and the Parliament, who each oversee different aspects of the city.

Uruk is situated on the coast of Poseidon's Ocean and spans a significant region. The city proper is protected by a great wall known as the Bastion, though smaller communities and farmlands have been developed outside the Bastion. Though there is naturally greater risk to living beyond the Bastion, remaining close to it still places one within a relatively safe area thanks to the valiant efforts of Uruk's soldiers.

Considering the many threats to humanity beyond the Bastion, all citizens who show signs of significant magical talent are immediately pressed into military service and are relocated to the Academy so that they can develop this talent. As magical talent often manifests around puberty or during the teenage years, this leads to the vast majority of Academy Trainees being youthful, which leads to numerous criticisms about this policy being inhumane or unnecessarily cruel. Despite the protests, though, trained Mages are still of great enough importance to Uruk's military that this policy has shown no signs of changing. It also doesn't help that some sections of the city have a tendency to fear Mages due to prior bad experiences and therefore support any policy that leads to Mages not being in their community.

Mages are required to provide military service until their honorable discharge (usually after about 10 years of service) or their death. Any conviction of crimes that would be severe enough to receive dishonorable discharge lead to execution for Mages. In some extremely rare cases, Mages have been exiled from Uruk rather than executed for crimes, though these cases are few and far enough between that no precedent has been formed. After honorable discharge, Mages are free to take up any lifestyle they desire, though many still end up remaining with the Academy, either becoming professors and researchers or even just simply remaining as soldiers.

For the far greater number of citizens that do not become Mages, they are still required to perform military service, though they have much more freedom and flexibility in the process. Between their 18th and 25th birthday, all able-bodied citizens must receive military training and perform at least one turn of service. Exceptions are made for those who can provide other essential services to the city, such as for those who have the intellect to develop new weapons.

The Uruk Magic Surveillance System (UMSS) and Specters
In order to promote public safety and to facilitate the forced recruitment of budding Mages, Uruk's researchers have developed the UMSS to monitor the city and its surroundings for the use of any magic of Military Grade. As each Mage has a unique "fingerprint" in the use of magic, it is easy to record instances of Military Grade magic, evaluate who created it and where, and flag it for review if the "fingerprint" is unregistered. Because of this system, any use of unauthorized Military Grade magic is easily noticeable, making it impossible for budding Mages to escape notice. It also ensures that if someone tries using Military Grade magic to cause harm to the city or its inhabitants, the person can be identified and apprehended.

Upon detecting unauthorized Military Grade magic usage, the system sends a report to its human monitors, who then evaluate the situation and react accordingly. If it is a registered Mage acting rashly, Academy Mages are deployed to subdue the criminal. If it is an unregistered Mage, additional investigation is performed to find out if it is an Uruk citizen or an enemy attack. In the case of the latter, the Academy is once again contacted; if the former, the mysterious Specters are deployed to retrieve the budding Mage and deliver them to the Academy.

Little is known about the Specters. Everything listed here is common knowledge or easily available to Uruk citizens; anything further is a secret so closely guarded that only Gilgamesh, the Specters themselves, and possibly his closest advisers know. They stand about two meters tall, that much is clear, and they have humanoid hands. Any other features are completely concealed by jet black cloaks with cowls that cover their bodies, similarly black gloves on the hands, and powerful magic that conceals everything else with an equally pitch black darkness. They have impossibly powerful barriers that prevent any attacks from connecting, and it is presumed that they are similarly enchanted to have indefinite amounts of strength and stamina. They also are either incapable of speech or choose not to speak, and only communicate through basic gestures. They seem to operate exclusively in pairs. They use driverless jet black automobiles as transportation, though this is only for their initial approach and for after they have apprehended the Mage. During the hunt, they travel on foot, running ceaselessly until they catch up to their target.

When an unregistered Mage and Uruk citizen is discovered, Specters can be spotted approaching their target. If no resistance is offered, the Specters grant the Mage 10 minutes to make their farewells to their current life and pack up any belongings they can carry (if the location is not the Mage's home, they will also transport the Mage to said home so they can collect said belongings). If the Mage or people connected to the Mage try to resist, this mercy is not offered, and the Mage will be forcibly seized. Uruk's history is quite clear on escape attempts: nobody has ever successfully escaped the Specters. The longest recorded resistance effort lasted approximately 45 hours, when a noble girl tried to escape. Despite the use of ambushes, cars, illusion magic, and even an airship, the Specters still captured the girl. Said incident also resulted in the greatest number of Specters being deployed at once, with a new pair being added every 12 hours for a total of 8 on a single case.

Technology and Thaumaturgy
Though Armageddon resulted in a catastrophic loss of life and resources, much of the scientific knowledge was able to be retained. And when the resources or knowledge of science fall short, Thaumaturgy is able to supplement it. Thanks to that, Uruk enjoys a standard of living even a little beyond that of humans prior to Armageddon. Naturally, though, there are some instances where technology lags behind the old world, such as in the vastness of the internet and the practicality of long-distance communication. However, when it comes to everyday inventions like the microwave or automobiles, the two are about equal.

Technology, in particular military technology, has obtained notable advancements from being able to integrate the legacy of humans with articles scavenged from Lacertan weapons, as well as Thaumaturgy becoming commonplace. Professional soldiers of Uruk now utilize energy- or Thaumaturgy- based weaponry for the majority of their arsenal, although beyond the Bastion physical ammunition firearms are still the norm. In addition, Uruk's forces have recently bolstered their combat capabilities through the addition of Powered Suits, humanoid heavy machinery modeled after one of the Lacertan's main weapons.

Aircraft have perhaps seen the greatest change. Gone are the passenger planes and fighter jets of yore. The forces of the Angels who rule the skies have proven relentless in destroying any human vessels capable of ascending above 15,000 feet. Instead, humanity now relies on the air transportation traditionally used in Gaea, airships. Though they are significantly limited in speed and maximum altitude compared to Terran aircraft, the fact that the Angels permit them is an astronomical advantage. Airships also allow more versatility in where they can stop at, as traditional aircraft require a lengthy landing field while airships can drop anchor most anywhere.

Oceanic travel is practically nonexistent: humans have airships for ease of travel, and the fierce creatures of the ocean have ensured that any sailor mad enough to venture too far out into the open water meets a watery grave. A few naval warships have been developed, if for no other reason than their potential future use, but oceanic travel is mainly limited to fishing boats. Freshwater transportation is likewise limited to the occasional barge or small craft, as airships exceed their waterlocked counterparts in nearly every aspect.

Why are Mages Forced into the Military?
Many citizens of Uruk have asked this question of their government. The Bastion is plenty secure, after all. Mandatory military duty for all citizens ensures that the army is never truly "short-staffed". And technology is constantly improving. So why force Mages, many of whom are still little more than children or young teens, to train their magic and fight for the city?

The answer never seems to satisfy the ones asking, but any who have been in a serious battle understand: Mages are the only real defense against the monsters beyond the Bastion. To be sure, technology has improved. Now, the average soldier fighting a monster is less like a handgun versus a tank and more like an AK-47 versus a tank. Or, in other words, soldiers are more effective than they used to be, but its still hardly a fair fight to pit them against monsters. Meanwhile, a trained Mage is more like an anti-tank rifle or guided missile against said tanks. The amount of destructive force offered by even a handful of young mages easily surpasses that of a hundred average soldiers. And thanks to the power of Aura and Transformations, that handful of mages can easily return alive, while the soldiers would almost certainly lose some comrades.

Aura Extension
For reasons unknown, when held by a Transformed Mage, a sword becomes far more effective at monster-slaying than a standard gun. It is speculated that somehow, through something known as the "Aura Extension Hypothesis", the Mage's Aura flows through the weapon they hold, and by doing so, allows it to deal more damage to other Aura-based entities. For example, a sword held by a Transformed Mage would deal approximately 10 damage to another Aura-wielder (such as a Mage or a monster), while a gun held by a non-Mage soldier would maybe only deal 2 or 3 damage in the same span of time. Similarly, a sword held by said soldier would probably only deal 1 or 2 damage.

Oddly enough, though, this Aura Extension does not seem to passively apply to Mages using ranged weaponry. Perhaps it is because the Aura Extension ceases when the weapon is no longer connected to the Mage, but bullets, arrows, slingshot pellets, etc do not seem to benefit from the Aura Extension process. To compensate, Mages have developed ways to produce projectiles made out of Prana, a somewhat cruder but still potent way to circumvent the problem.
 
Glossary

Magician: Someone capable of wielding magic (to any degree). Generally used to refer to civilians rather than military Mages.

Mage: The official term for people who can wield Military Grade spells via Bonded Magic.

Sorcerer/Sorceress: The unofficial term for people who regularly wield Military Grade spells via Wild Magic. May also be referred to as Warlocks or Witches, or similar phrases.

Trainee: Someone who has just begun their "studies" at the Academy.

Aura Wielder: Any person or creature that can manifest its Aura as a barrier for self defense. Nearly all Mages qualify as Aura Wielders thanks to Transformations, but many "monsters" from Gaea also qualify.

Aura Monitor Bracelet (AMB): Specially designed bracelets that allow one to accurately measure the current strength of their Aura and other vital statistics. Each is also equipped with short-range communication function that allows for voice, text, video, and data sharing. Using these, one can remain in touch with comrades in the field, and those with supportive roles can monitor the statuses of their allies. Different expansion modules can be equipped into the bracelets to allow for additional thaumaturgy to be used.

Aurashock: An unfortunate side effect of the human body manifesting and projecting its aura. Sometimes, for reasons unknown, the mind and body will suddenly freeze up, as if the person were merely a realistic statue. As the cause is still unknown, a cure is likewise impossible. Frequency seems to vary by individual, with some experiencing it regularly and some almost never. Government officials are under standing orders to retrieve any individuals struck by Aurashock and relocate them to a safe location. Of course, this can only come into effect if it occurs within government lands. There have been a few cases where Mages out in the wilderness have been afflicted and never located again.

Powered Suits: Humanoid machinery designed to allow for tasks well beyond a normal human's limits. Modern powered suits stand 6-8 meters tall, and find themselves used in both military and civilian activities. Unfortunately, while these suits would represent a decisive change in the military might of pre-Armageddon, the military models are generally seen more as expensive toys than critical assets due to the overwhelming superiority of combat Mages. As such, they are more often than not used merely as pack mules or in situations that require extraordinary physical strength. Lacertan powered suits are an entirely different matter.



Lacertan Lizards: the name given to the alien invaders who assaulted Earth. So named for no other reason than claims that the aliens seemed to come from the Lacertan constellation and were a bunch of lizard people.

Earth: Technically refers to both Terra and Gaea, but predominantly used as an alternate name for Terra.

Terra: AKA the "human world", "Upper Earth", etc. The world humanity inhabited and dominated for millennia prior to the assault of the Lacertan Lizards. Prior to Armageddon, the extremely low quantity of Mana made Mages, spirits, etc extremely rare. As Mana was scarce for much of Terra's history, most living entities from Terra lack the ability to manifest an Aura (save for those proficient in Thaumaturgy).

Gaea: AKA Agartha, "Lower Earth", etc. The mystical world connected to Terra, it is inhabited by all manner of strange and mythical beings. Due to having evolved in an extremely Mana rich environment, all living entities that originated from Gaea possess and can manifest at will their Auras.

Gates: Connections between Gaea and Terra. Vary in size and form. Some are physical portals, some are just single use anomalies where something passes through and the Gate vanishes, and some are spots where the two worlds have physically been merged into one. Though Gates were once small and exceedingly rare, in the wake of Armageddon they are abundant.





Gilgamesh: The king and one of the founders of An Chéad Toshi: Uruk. During Armageddon, the Gilgamesh from Terran myths was reincarnated to once more lead humans in their uprising against the oppressive Gods. This reincarnation was successful in obtaining the Elixir of Immortality and has led Uruk as a harsh-but-fair ruler ever since its founding nearly 200 years ago.

Thaumaturgical Society: The government administration and political force devoted to the research of all things related to magecraft. Works closely with the Galileians to integrate science and magic, overlaps with the Noblesse in that magic is somewhat lineage based.

Galileians: The government administration and political force devoted to the study of science and technology. Works closely with the Thaumaturgical Society to integrate science and magic.

The Chorus: The government administration and political force that oversees all religions and their activities. Remains relatively aloof from the other factions. Is responsible for both creating new Gods that think well of humanity and drawing faith away from Old Gods who do not assist humanity.

Noblesse: The government administration and political force that controls and supports the interests of nobles and those with a powerful lineage. Overlaps somewhat with the Thaumaturgical Society due to strong magic being a trend in older families. Often opposes Parliament and its "new blood" leaders. Is heavily involved with the military.

Parliament: The government administration and political force that is supposed to support the interests of the common people. Often disagrees with the Noblesse due to favoring commoners and social movement. Is heavily involved in trade and commerce, especially when it pertains to the "little guy".
 
Known Enemy Compendium

This will contain any information that your characters would know/have access to IC on various enemies they encounter. Obviously there will be more entries in the future as enemies are created/come into use.

Angel

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Overall Statistics:
Health: 250/250
Prana: 350/350
Stamina: 150/150

Attributes:
STR: D • VIT: D • WIL: A • RES: C
SPD: C • DEX: C • PER: C • REC: C

Description:
Winged monsters that possess powerful magical abilities. They are not to be taken lightly, even by seasoned Mages. With their wide variety of magical capabilities, they have spells for every occasion, and their passive levitation abilities allow them numerous advantages. They often move alone and haphazardly during the day, but at night they band together and are as coordinated as trained soldiers. Angels are said to have fallen down from the moon during the Apocalypse, and have ruled the stratosphere ever since.

Angel magic is cast via their singing, with different spells being created from different pitches. In theory, this can be used to predict the type of spell that will come, but in practice, the number of spells they possess and the short time interval between a pitch being sung and the magic activating limits this strategy to only those with musical ear training. However, it does mean that they are highly susceptible to any strategy that limits their ability to sing.

The power that allows Angels to levitate and fly flows through their wings, though the wings are not utilized like bird wings. While the wings are protected by Aura like the rest of their body, any damage that is able to be inflicted directly to the wings can be devastatingly effective.

Though they are usually just referred to as Angels, these creatures are technically only one type of Angel, and the weakest kind at that.

  • Skill List:

    [*]
    [Innate Skill] Levitation​
    • Description: The magical power flowing through an Angel's wings grants it the ability to effortlessly float a short distance above the ground.
    • Effect: Allows Levitation up to 1m above a surface.
    • Cost: None
    • Type: Passive
    • Affinity: Buffing
    • Prerequisites:
      • Requires wings to be intact

    [Innate Skill] Angel Wings​
    • - Description: By adjusting the flow of mana within their wings, Angels can take to the skies with True Flight.

      - Effect: Enables True Flight until canceled
      - Cost: 10 Prana + 10 Stamina per Phase
      - Type: Passive
      - Duration: Until canceled
      - Affinity: Buffing
      - Prerequisites:
      • Requires wings to be intact
      - Limitations:

    [Rank C] Chain Lightning (*SPELL*)​
    • - Description: Golden lightning crackles in the air between the Angel's wings for a moment before surging forth with devastating force. The bolt flies straight to its target, from whence it can then leap to any other metallic targets nearby.

      - Effect: Deals 30 Magical Damage to the primary target. Can chain to any metallic objects within 10 meters. Chains deal 15 Magical Damage and can occur up to twice. Lightning travels with C rank Speed
      - Attribute Modifier: Willpower (modifier applied to initial strike)
      - Cost: 25 Prana
      - Type: Active
      - Affinity: Offensive

    [Rank C] Whirlwind (*SPELL*)​
    • - Description: As the Angel sings, a glowing light-green rune forms. A moment later, raging winds erupt from the rune, viciously slicing through anything nearby.

      - Effect: Deals 20 Physical Damage (Slash) to all within a 10m radius
      - Attribute Modifier: Willpower
      - Cost: 30 Prana + 5 Stamina
      - Type: Active
      - Affinity:Offensive
      - Limitations:
      • The rune must be placed within visual range of the caster and no more than 50m away from the caster.

    [Rank C] Flame Barrage (*SPELL*)​
    • - Description: Launches a series of five fireballs in quick succession.

      - Effect: Deals 10 Magic Damage per fireball. Projectile Speed = C

      - Attribute Modifier: Willpower (split across fireballs)
      - Cost: 25 Prana + 10 Stamina
      - Type: Active
      - Affinity: Offensive
      - Prerequisites:
      - Limitations:


    [Rank C] Light Burst (*SPELL*)​
    • - Description: Releases a blinding surge of light to dazzle the eyes of all nearby.

      - Effect: Inflicts 2 Phases of Blindness on all within a 20m radius of the caster
      - Attribute Modifier: None
      - Cost: 30 Prana + 30 Aura + 30 Stamina
      - Type: Active
      - Duration: 2 Phases
      - Affinity: Debuffing
      - Prerequisites:
      - Limitations:
      • Only affects direct optical input. Alternate vision types and other senses are not affected

    [Rank C] Dark Drain (*SPELL*)​
    • - Description: Creates a dome of darkness around the caster. All within are sapped of their strength, and that energy is used to restore the caster's power

      - Effect: Deals 20 Magical Damage to all within a 5m radius. Restores Aura to the caster equal to 50% of damage inflicted.

      - Attribute Modifier: Willpower
      - Cost: 30 Prana + 20 Stamina
      - Type: Active
      - Affinity: Offensive, Recovery
      - Prerequisites:
      - Limitations:

    [Rank D] Crushing Boulder (*SPELL*)​
    • - Description: Uses magic to generate a sizable stone boulder, which is then launched forth to crush victims.

      - Effect: Deals 40 Physical Damage. Projectile Speed modified by Willpower
      - Attribute Modifier: Willpower
      - Cost: 10 Prana + 20 Stamina
      - Type: Active
      - Affinity: Offensive

    [Rank D] Water Blast (*SPELL*)​
    • - Description: Water is gathered into an orb between the caster's hands before a powerful burst of water surges forth. The force behind the water is more than sufficient to send ordinary people flying.

      - Effect: Deals 20 damage and knocks targets back 20m
      - Attribute Modifier: Willpower
      - Cost: 10 Prana + 20 Stamina
      - Type: Active
      - Affinity: Offensive

    [Rank C] Piercing Ice (*SPELL*)​
    • - Description: A sizable icicle is created and launched at high speed. The icicle is specifically designed to convey maximum punishment to the target, even if they attempt to put up defenses.

      - Effect: Deals 30 Physical Damage. Defense Bypass. Projectile Speed modified by Willpower
      - Attribute Modifier: Willpower
      - Cost: 25 Prana + 5 Stamina
      - Type: Active
      - Affinity: Offensive
 
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NPC Repository

This post will contain some information about the various NPCs. It will not include full character sheets. If a character has a character sheet, it will be added to the NPC Sheet Thread.

Characters here are sorted according to their primary association. For example, while Headmaster Miyamoto is involved with Uruk's central government and the Thaumaturgical Society, he is primarily involved with the Academy, and thus is listed there.

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The Immortal King. The absolute ruler of Uruk ever since its founding and for the foreseeable future. A firm believer in harsh-but-fair policies for the greater good. The reincarnation of the original King Gilgamesh from Old Terra mythology. This reincarnation was successful in obtaining and consuming the Herb of Immortality.

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(Photo taken from her time as a warrior)

Once a folk hero, Tia Sanna traded her sword in for a pen about 12 years ago, using her fame and popularity to become a politician and quickly ascend to the position of Prime Minister.
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The majestic god of Glory. Extremely popular due to how broad of applications the concept of Glory can reach. Holds daily audiences in his temple, and the line is almost never empty.

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Despite representing a wingless creature, this goddess is as flighty as they come. Though she could've become one of Uruk's most prestigious divinities due to her power over Fortune, she has never shown interest in such and whiles away each day without a care in the world. She may have a shrine, but there's a reason the saying is "pray good fortune comes your way" and not "go to good fortune and pray". Yet despite her chaotic nature, somehow, nobody seems to be able to resist this charming girl and her good cheer. Much like the frogs she represents though, she has no love of the cold and will be far less seen during the winter months.

Her name comes from a lake a little south of Uruk: Lake Kiriya.

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Once a Lacertan mech, this vessel was abandoned in the aftermath of Armageddon. Eventually, it was reborn as an Artificial Spirit. Though the citizens of Uruk were naturally terrified to see a Lacertan weapon in the sky once more, Ventus worked hard and eventually turned their suspicions into respect. Ever since, he has been revered as the God of Swift Wind.

Partly due to his size and partly to his nature of Wind, Ventus rarely remains in one place for long. His Temple doesn't take up nearly as much real estate as some other divinities', but trades land for towering height. Indeed, the Temple of Ventus is the second-tallest structure in all Uruk, only surpassed in height by the Grand Tower.

In terms of prayers received, Ventus is popular among travelers seeking a swift journey and among sailors, who spend significant time in the sky.

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Though an Old God, Ereshkigal has never seemed to bear any ill will against Humans. So long as humans are mortal, they shall die, and so long as they die, there will be a desire for a God of Death to watch over the souls of the fallen. By King Gilgamesh's recommendation, Ereshkigal was selected for the role of Uruk's official goddess of Death.

Due to the controversial nature of what she governs, its debatable whether one could say she is popular, or only prayed to out of perceived necessity/obligation. Ereshkigal herself doesn't exactly go out of her way to improve her reputation. Her presence in Uruk is extremely rare; most of her time is spent watching over the Underworld. But even if she is personally too busy to self-promote, the testimony to her character from other divinities and those who have returned to the world of the living (for whatever reason) are always overwhelmingly positive.

Among the gods, she is known to be especially close friends with Heimdallr and Dian Cecht, to the point where the three of them are sometimes nicknamed "the triplets".

Heimdallr's actual appearance is unknown; everyone who meets Heimdallr says Heimdallr appears as someone different, usually a person that they know somehow.

Due to their changing nature, Heimdallr generally seeks to avoid public appearances. When one is unavoidable though, Heimdallr often wears a full cloak with a cowl large enough to conceal all facial features and, in recent times, has taken to using an electronic voice modulator. These measures are not perfect, but are taken to try and reduce the oddity of the scene.

Heimdallr's power governs all manner of connections, both tangible and in-. They are popular among travelers and craftsmen for their power over things that connect, such as roads and bridges. It is said that so long as a bridge blessed by Heimdallr remains in use, it will never fall into disrepair.

Heimdallr's power also extends to connections between people. Many a lovestruck teen has prayed for Heimdallr to deepen the connection between themself and their beloved, and marriage counselors are sometimes jokingly referred to as the Disciples of Heimdallr.

But controlling power over connections also means possessing the ability to sever them. Though Heimdallr often hesitates to wield said aspect, there are numerous folk tales and cautionary fables warning of the danger of praying Heimdallr to sever your connection to another.

One such tale speaks of two sisters who one day got into a terrible argument. The first sister, in her rage, stormed to Heimdallr's temple and demanded the severance of her connection to her sister. The first sister returned home that night and was alarmed to see a stranger sitting at the dinner table with her parents. Despite all others insisting that the stranger was her sister, the girl couldn't remember a single thing about the stranger she was told she grew up with. By severing her connection with her sister, the girl had lost all memories pertaining to said sister. Horrified by what she had done, the girl returned to Heimdallr and begged for the process to be reversed, but was informed that it was impossible. A thread, once cut, can never be uncut. The only way forward is to find a new thread or attempt to tie the severed ends together.

Among the gods, Heimdallr is known to be especially close friends with Ereshkigal and Dian Cecht, to the point where the three of them are sometimes nicknamed "the triplets".

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Dian Cecht is one of the first New Gods to come about. Uruk was founded by three groups, one of which was a group of Celtic Mages. Dian Cecht was just an everyday Spirit who grew attached to this group of Mages and decided to heal their wounded. When they met King Gilgamesh and began to settle Uruk, he just decided to stick around. Before anyone knew what was happening, he had already amassed an abundance of faith from the people and become their deity of Health. Ever since, this jolly man has traveled throughout Uruk, healing the sick and bringing a warm smile to all.

Among the gods, Dian Cecht is known to be especially close friends with Ereshkigal and Heimdallr, to the point where the three of them are sometimes nicknamed "the triplets".

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Considering how commonplace the concept of Night is, you'd think that Tsukihime would be much older than she actually is. Her youthful appearance goes beyond simple appearance; this Spirit only came into existence about 20 years ago. Her ascent to divinity is even more recent, having occurred a mere 13 years ago. She assisted Tia Sanna in her crusade against Arianrhod, earning significant popularity in the process and rocketing her fame upward. Of course, all of this was only possible because of Arianrhod (the one who had previously held the position of divinity of Night) having turned traitor.

Due to Arianrhod's betrayal, Tsukihime's youth (in both actual existence and in being divine), and Night automatically causing some suspicion among people, even having assisted Tia Sanna, Tsukihime still has trouble gaining as many followers as the other gods. As such, she is rather zealous about her work, doing her best to make sure she is associated with the positive parts of Night and not the negative.

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Formerly known as Gobinu, this God is highly unusual in his willingness to change with the times. Like Dian Cecht, he began as a Spirit helping out the earliest settlers of Uruk, assisting them with crafting tools and weaponry. As times changed and civilization advanced, though, Gaibhne changed as well. When Uruk industrialized, he moved on from being a simple blacksmith to also being a mechanic. With the appearance of computers, he even expanded his expertise to include knowledge of programming. One of the other changes was to his name, opting to take on a more modernized spelling to fit with the times.

Generally cheerful and laid back, he can quickly become obsessed when he encounters something new and fascinating. He has refused numerous offers to have a Temple constructed in his honor, insisting that his Temple was anywhere that people were working with metals.

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first Disciple of Theia and famous mage, has been deceased for a few generations.
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Headmaster of the Academy. Employs harsh tactics, even by the standards of previous Headmasters, but insists all is for the preservation and furtherance of Order.

Known to be an extremely powerful Mage. Speculated to be involved with a Goddess of Order, though there is nothing more than rumors to prove such.

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Academy Professor, instructor of the player characters' class. Roughly 170 cm tall. Has a cherished "#1 Sister" coffee mug at her desk.

Known abilities: Skilled with swords. Appears to have some ability related to striking at a distance and replicating her swords.

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Academy Professor. Roughly 190 cm tall. Suffers from a mild case of plot convenient obliviousness. Supposedly has a "private reserve" in his desk.

Known abilities: Wields an utterly massive sword as if it were as light as a feather.

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Academy Professor and future author of a #1 Uruk Times Bestseller. Extremely flirtatious and laid-back.

Known abilities: An expert in aerial combat. Has the power to create translucent barriers.

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A spirit teaching theoretical thaumaturgical physics in the higher grades (and to some prodigies), infamously known for constantly spinning in place

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(first name "Captain", last name "of the UAS Iltami")
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Chief of the Galileans, head of Project Gravigigas

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member of Project Gravigigas
None at this time
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Owner of the Golden Deer Tavern, and the barkeep there. Tries to be friendly and approachable, but there is a clear distinction between those he is merely acting friendly with and those who he truly considers friends.
yes, he has legs. They just never got shown in his original game, so they never bothered to actually draw them

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A spirit that works in/around Normaden. Something of a freelancer/mercenary. Will take most any job if paid enough.
 
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The Student Council
The student council exists of representatives from each year, for a total of 10 students. On paper, they exist to share experiences and knowledge across years, to work together on handling Academy-wide and year-specific issues, to advice the school board and teachers on certain topics, and to serve as examples for other students. The four official positions are traditionally divided among the 7th to 10th year students.

The representatives for each year are officially 'elected' by the students in the same year, although they need approval from the headmaster. Due to a combination of odd tastes and various campaign tactics, as well as a headmaster that was okay with anyone that at least acted serious, a pretty diverse bunch managed to get in. A lot of the students that enter the Student Council manage to get re-elected once they advance a year, meaning that some of the student council members have been a part of the council for multiple years in a row.

Chairman: The head of the Student Council. They enjoy a fair bit of influence and are meant to oversee all of Student Council's tasks. Their power is close to that of an actual teacher’s.

Vice-Chairman: The second in command of the Student Council. They replace the Chairman whenever needed. They are also associated with the more punitive side of the council, in order to keep the Chairman themselves approachable to all students. Although giving the more ostracizing tasks to the Vice-Chairman isn’t a rule, it has been a tradition that most Student Councils abided by.

Treasurer: The third in command of the Student Council. They are allowed to come up with budget proposals and may present them to the headmaster and/or school board. For as long as they produce workable enough results, they are even granted a small 'flexible' budget which they can use to fund various clubs, projects and enterprises in the school. While most of this has to be agreed upon by the rest of the Student Council, they are nearly always the ones whom set the gears in motion and crunch the numbers until they can get things rolling.

Secretary: The fourth in command of the Student Council. They are tasked with keeping account of any problems and (proposed) solutions that are brought to the Student Council, whether they are brought forth by other representatives, students or teachers. They also have the ungrateful task of sifting through the pile of issues, complaints, plans and ideas to see which of them need to be set on the agenda to discuss with the rest of the Student Council.


Current Members
Information about the student council can be obtained IC, such as by asking around or by meeting one of the council members. If you wish to actively pursue this information, be sure to notify me of the preferred IC and OOC methods. Any newly gained information of importance will be added to this section, including information regarding to the Frog's Fortune quest, which is detailed below.

Background refers to a brief overview of what is known about their past. Spirit(s) refers to a brief overview of what their spirits are like and what they are capable of. Relations refers to their connections among others in the academy, in particular with other Student Council Members. Connections refers to their connections towards the outside of the academy, such as companies, clubs or family. Wish refers to the Frog’s Fortune Quest detailed below.

Tenth Year Representative & Chairman:
Name:
Age:
Personality:
Background:
Spirit(s):
Relations:
Connections:
Wish:

Ninth Year Representative & Vice-Chairman:
Name:
Age:
Personality:
Background:
Spirit(s):
Relations:
Connections:
Wish:

Eighth Year Representative:
Name:
Age:
Personality:
Background:
Spirit(s):
Relations:
Connections:
Wish:

Seventh Year Representative & Treasurer:
Name: Celestia Mayer von Rothschield
Age:
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Spirit(s):
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Connections:
Wish:

Sixth Year Representative & Secretary:
Name: Essence Parker
Age:18
Personality:
Background:
Spirit(s): Three animal-like spirits. One is a dog; Stanley Barker, another a bird; Ruya Proudfeather, and the third a mole, Kerr Underground.
Relations:
Connections:
Wish:

Fifth Year Representative:
Name:
Age:
Personality:
Background:
Spirit(s):
Relations:
Connections:
Wish:

Fourth Year Representative:
Name:
Age:
Personality:
Background:
Spirit(s):
Relations:
Connections:
Wish:

Third Year Representative:
Name:
Age:
Personality:
Background:
Spirit(s):
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Wish:

Second Year Representative:
Name: Fenton Trask
Age:
Personality: Compassionate, naive
Background:
Spirit(s):
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Connections:
Wish:

First Year Representative:
Name:
Age:
Personality:
Background:
Spirit(s):
Relations:
Connections:
Wish:


Quest: Frog's Fortune
The second year representative, Fenton Trask, requested the class to help him investigate the Student Council Members. Having gained a Disciple Blessing from Kiriyako, he has now been tasked with making the hidden wishes of the student council come true in order to gain a Grand Blessing.

This quest will focus a lot more on the 'slice-of-life' aspects, with some hints of drama and mystery. Those interested can use off-time, time-skips or missions in which student council members are present to progress this quest. Student Council Members will also feature in some of the official missions, which means that they may, on the side-line, also progress this quest.

Note, however, that this is a 'background' thing, both IC and OOC. It’s a great thing to fill up the downtime, but nobody wants you to start interviewing a Student Council member about their hidden love life while the Academy is under attack by space lizards.
 
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