The Official RPG Planning Topic

[Silvan Haven]

It is nice not to go around stepping on people's toes and telling them to suck it up though.

 

Ferrymen is an interesting name. Seems like something the normal people in whatever setting came up with themselves to call that group of beings that always wander around.

Edited October 2, 2014 by Silvan Haven

[Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva)]

EDIT: wait dangit I knew something weird was up here ignore this post please

Edited October 2, 2014 by Endless Sea (still alive)

[Krayzikk]

Wrong topic, Endless.

[Constructelf]

...Okay, I just took a stroll through the archives and stumbled upon Emotia's death. You guys are seriously messed up, y'know that? *is very much not kidding about this*

 

...I feel the need to have Joskander snap a few necks right now. Seriously.

Wrong topic. This topic is for planning side-RPGs as well as discussing RPGs and their themes in general.

 

On that note, I currently have a concept of a story where characters from myths and legends start coming to life and start messing around in the real world. I had originally planned it to around Bionicle themes, but then I realized that Bionicle didn't give us too many "legends" outside of Mata Nui, Artahka and Karzahni, Lhii, and such. Would this concept go better in OTC?

[Krayzikk]

Well, there's Irnakk. And you could probably think up a few yourself. Ultimately, if you didn't originally plan it with Bionicle, this probably isn't the best place for it. Oftentimes the Bionicle elements end up forced, if they're added after the fact.

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

Oftentimes the Bionicle elements end up forced, if they're added after the fact.

 

Quoted for truth. That being said...

 

I currently have a concept of a story where characters from myths and legends start coming to life and start messing around in the real world. I had originally planned it to around Bionicle themes, but then I realized that Bionicle didn't give us too many "legends" outside of Mata Nui, Artahka and Karzahni, Lhii, and such. Would this concept go better in OTC?

 

The biggest problem with legends in Bionicle is that they aren't just legends. Pretty much all of the old tales and horror stories are true, save perhaps ones like Irnakk and the like. That being said, unlike the RPG earlier, this is one where a major shift is required for it to function -

 

- You need to move it out of the main-stream universe. Your setting needs to be clear of beings like Toa, who serve as the heroes in most matoran legends, and powerful enemies such as the Barraki, Makuta, Karzanhi, and the like.

- As a qualification to the above, heavily changed alternate universes are great. Keeping it to an island would be a wise move. You want around a Mata-Nui sized setting; RPGs on a continental scale are a recipe for disaster, and something of Metru-Nui sized would be too small to give your enemies the space they need.

- Avoid making the players the heroes of legend, or allowing them to be ones. Instead, allow them to make their own heroes - their characters.

- Avoid bringing in the heroes of legend as NPCs. The players should be the heroes, not somebody controlled by the GM.

- If the above didn't clarify it: no "heroic" legends; if there were any, they're dead. It casts a much bleaker scene upon the setting.

- Don't give your heroes too many powers. I'd say lower-tier Skakdi, with no technology to bolster their powers, is the strongest PC you'd want - and even then, only to have creatures like Irnakk threaten them. Otherwise, it reduces the threat of your enemies.

 

Now, as the first might have suggested, your enemy creatures should be stories - but to make them effective, portray them as they are in the stories. Makuta could be a dark god of some form, while Karzahni could be a powerful entity ruling from some extra-dimensional realm; in fact, Karzahni would work best if kept out of the main game world, with portals and the like providing a means of transport, and a way for his Manas servitors to capture Matoran and the like. Having beings like the Barraki coming from the sea, leading armies, could be interesting. It would also present the opportunity for roleplay, as PCs could join with them, or at least work with them against the more demonic beings.

 

Rahi and the like, of course, would need to be portrayed as far more dangerous - Muaka and the like couldn't simply be "lulz i a pc kell" as they are sometimes made out to be, but actually threatening beasts.

 

I'd suggest, keeping with the story theme, implementing some form of "belief" mechanic - a way to distinguish the players out from commoners. Perhaps whatever is causing the legendary enemies to appear runs off of belief, and so the enemies become powerful. Lesser servants, like the Rahkshi, could appear on occasion and threaten them, so PCs grow more powerful as the commoners see them as being great heroes. Further, the player's characters could opt to either utilize belief or disbelief for power; through strong will, they could either believe in their own abilities, allowing them to actually function like the mask of probabilities, or reject the existence of their enemies, weakening legendary monsters and the like and, with large enough numbers, actively negating them completely. That's a start, at least.

 

Now, if you want to make this a Bionicle RPG, those are a few ideas to get started (but hardly the only ones). If getting things to fit sounds too complicated, OTC would perhaps be a better place to go. Of course, the more Bionicle RPGs, the better.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Not Quite Dead]

Okay, a little more complete this time. The setting is not in the bionicle canon. Mata-nui is probably not a giant space robot, metru-nui and the inside of said robot may or may not exist, the Skakdi and Vortixx homelands are to the south and west of Mata-Nui respectively. Details of other differences, including how far in the future this is are either unimportant or will be revealed IC

 

 

 

The Setup

 

The soil and sky is the color of rust. Vegetation is scarce, existing only as sparse jungle or scrubs, ground underfoot by workers and soldiers. The island of Mata-Nui is buried beneath stone and steel, the sprawl of the cities having covered the native life long ago. Makuta, the Great Spirit, Artahka, The Toa Nuva, their predecessors and successors. All of them are reduced to vague recollections at the edges of recorded history.

 

The southern Federation of Ta-Wahi, Ga-Wahi and Le-Wahi has fought the northern Alliance of Ko-Wahi and Po-Wahi for innumerable years. Small disagreements over issues of taxation, depletion of natural resources and political tension gave birth to a conflict for absolute dominance and victory, no matter the costs. War has spurred the development of the sciences. Technology, weapons and architecture are at the level of lost Metru-Nui.

 

Nothing but pyrrhic victories have been won for many years. That is about to change.

 

For all of recorded history, the Red Star has hung above the island. Every thirty-three thousand, three hundred and thirty-three years it brightens in the sky and releases seven bolts of red lightning. These bolts give temporary form to lost heroes and legends of the past, dead elemental gods whose power greatly exceeds that of modern warriors. Their purpose is described at the temple of Kini-Nui, a dead zone owned by neither side. Doors of impenetrable stone stand sealed and ask for the blood of the Red Star. Modern warriors are told to hunt the heroic spirits and bring their heads to the stone doors. When all seven have been brought, the doors will open and power unimaginable will be granted to the hunter.

 

This event, termed the Great Hunt, has never been completed. The heroes stay manifest for thirty-three days before fading, all recorded hunts have ended in death and failure. However, this time, the nations are ready. Greater numbers of warriors are to be dispatched then ever before. Both sides believe that completing the hunt will give them the strength to crush the other and have dedicated themselves to realizing that victory.

 

This is where you come in, you will play as a character allied to one of the nations, or to yourself. Co-operating with others to hunt the heroes of the past and realize the dreams and goals of their faction, or perhaps, claiming what lays beyond the doors for their own.

 

* * *

 

The Locale

 

The island of Mata-Nui is divided into six Wahi and the central holy grounds of Kini-Nui, much of the natural environment of the island has been covered in urban growth. All the borders between the northen wahi and southern wahi are heavily militarized and fortified. The heart of the war effort is in these areas.

 

Ta-Wahi, land of ash and fire. This region contains most of the forges and factories of war for the south.

 

Ga-Wahi, land of the sea. Runoff from the mainland has fouled much of Naho Bay. Many of the science and engineering faculties of the south are located here. The civilians and schools having moved to southern Ta-Wahi and Le-Wahi for fear of the northern border's proximity

 

Le-Wahi, land of the slums. In the past, Le-Wahi has home to massive swamps and beautiful forest and jungleland. In the present it is the main civilian area of the south and much has been paved over, entire forests and jungles fell by the saw or by fire. Far from the factories, research centers and factories. Jobs are scarce and poverty and crime is rampant.

 

Onu-Wahi, the drowned land. Onu-Wahi was a neutral state, it was destroyed many years ago and much of it lays sunken beneath the sea. The entire Koro is thought to be dead. Explorers or looters often enter and never return, lost to the dangerous and flooded caves.

 

Po-Wahi, land of stone and craftsmen. Po-Wahi is the north's counterpart to Ta-Wahi, all of it's forges and vast stone quarries serving to provide raw material and to process it. There are few civilian areas and Po-Koro is little more than a dusty ghost town.

 

Ko-Wahi, land of ice. The great centers of knowledge lay in Ko-Koro. The walls of prophecies and libraries are one of the north's greatest treasures. The wahi is home to the massive Mount Ihu and it's network of research facilities and colleges, built into the rock of the mountain to provide safety. Many of the north's civilians make their home in Ko-Koro or the surrounding area, many refuges from Po and Onu-Wahi poorly adapted to the cold weather.

 

Kini-Nui, land of the dead. The great temple sits nearly in the center of the island. The land around has been scorched and deforested by war. The temple itself stands alone, fronted by a large pair of stone doors. It has inscriptions in ancient languages detailing the Great Hunt, little of which has been translated. The only inhabitants are the members of a small church built nearby, that worship the dead gods summoned in the hunt.

 

* * *

 

Profile Creation

 

To create a character you need to fill out a profile giving information about them. I will approve them individually in the profiles topic. Here is a sample, consider these the minimum requirements for a profile. Keep in mind that this RPG is not set in the canon universe. So custom species and masks are allowed, they will be approved on a case-by-case basis

 

Name : Avoid using common human names

Faction : North, south or neutral

Species : Matoran, Toa, Turaga, Skakdi, Vortixx or custom

Equipment : Weapon(s), Kanohi, etc. No legendary masks like the Vahi, Olmak, etc.

Powers : Elemental and/or vision powers. Additional powers or custom ones will have to be approved. No light, shadow or time elementals

Biography : Describe your character's appearance, their history, personality and motivations.

Weaknesses : Self explanatory

 

* * *

 

Rules

 

No autohitting, bunnying or godmodding. Overall RPG forum rules apply. Play nice.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Tiragath

[Silvan Haven]

Just going to talk about background stuff for now. Will get to story later.

 

Mata Nui

 

The island measured 357 kio (303.91 miles / 489.09km) in length and 178 kio (151.53 miles / 243.86km) wide, located in the ocean surface of Aqua Magna.

 

New York city for comparison.

 

With a census-estimated 2013 population of 8,405,837^[1] distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km²)

 

As far as islands go Mata Nui is huge. the chances of them covering the entire thing in cities and the like are pretty slim. The chances of them killing all the vegetation are even slimmer. That stuff grows whether you like it or not and if the entire island is so bad that no plants can grow you have much bigger problems on your hands than a few twitchy neighbors.

 

 

Onu-Wahi, the drowned land. Onu-Wahi was a neutral state, it was destroyed many years ago and much of it lays sunken beneath the sea. The entire Koro is thought to be dead. Explorers or looters often enter and never return, lost to the dangerous and flooded caves.

 

That's a good sixth of the island gone right there. In addition, a lot of that flooding would have spread to Po-wahi meaning even more of Mata Nui is under water.

 

 

Po-Wahi, land of stone and craftsmen. Po-Wahi is the north's counterpart to Ta-Wahi, all of it's forges and vast stone quarries serving to provide raw material and to process it. There are few civilian areas and Po-Koro is

little more than a dusty ghost town.

 

If Po-koro is nothing more than a ghost town where do all the workers live? A several hours long commute for a factory worker is going to really degrade their efficiency.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Silvan Haven

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

I think my first question would be "how has the southern federation not won this war already?" They've got better resources, a bigger territory with very defensible positions and can even match the notherners in terms of research. And I'm wondering how the northern alliance produces enough food to feed its workers and armies using only a permanently-in-winter mountain and a desert full of nothing but blistering sand. 

 

There should probably also be a bit more info on how this Great Hunt works. How many have there been in the past and what information is available about them? Are the warriors summoned the same seven every time? How can so little of the related writings be translated when we have Kanohi specifically empowered to translate things? If getting the power behind the doors is so important to everyone then why hasn't one of the factions tried capturing and fortifying Kini Nui so the other side can't get to it even if they have all seven heads? And a fortress would do a pretty decent job at containing the Star's Seven, since if you're tangible enough to be decapitated you're tangible enough to go down if I hit you with a cordak or the right Kanoka no matter how much of an elemental god you are.

 

Also, if you're going to make it so Xia and Zakaz are in the same sea as Mata Nui how about a section in the locations either detailing them or explaining why they're off limits

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

My comments - 

 

The 33,333 years thing is pretty specific. And long to write out. Wouldn't a simple thirty thousand years flow better?

 

Considering the changes to the setting, I'd say your descriptions could use more flavor. Perhaps things regarding the Hunt? For instance, Kini-Nui would be a far more interesting place if minor spirits and the like stalked its wastes.

 

I'd suggest, as Flex did, to tone down the "urban growth" aspect of the island - but only slightly. For the biggest effect, what you want to do is present most of the island as being covered in ancient city ruins, dating back to before the start of the war in some cases, which have been leveled or left abandoned to Rahi. This sort of thing creates the most impressive set-pieces, and add weight to an "after the end" set up. Heck, if you want to throw a bit of Fallout in there, you might even take the whole idea further and even have irradiated areas. Or, if you're more of a fantasy type, have areas which were wiped out by nova blasts.

 

On that note, definitely prohibit the existence of Toa and the like. Otherwise, you diminish the legendary power of your spirit creatures, and bring about that whole nova blast issue - if it's already been done, the question "Why wasn't it done?" is removed quite easily. Because otherwise, why would the island even still be standing?

 

Now, with regards to Vortixx and Skakdi, and the power imbalance between nations - the problems TPTI brings up - there's a solution. First of all, don't make Le-Wahi so big and strong. Second, get rid of half of it. Have the Skakdi come from the south-west or whatever, and forcefully take the island. They're not aligned with Po-Wahi/Ko-Wahi per say, but they want more what the south has than what the north has, so they basically rip the southerner's a new one and settle for more than enough land than their small camps and groups need. Of course, they almost immediately go full on Zakaz, causing some to leave and join with the North or South, or go on their own. Others, hearing of the Hunt, might even leave on their own for the glory of their group/themselves/whatever.

 

From there, you need to give Ko-Wahi something the South wants. With the inhospitable climate, fighting them is like taking Russia in the winter, all year round. Thus, their battle becomes a defensive one, which puts them more tied.

 

For the Vortixx, it might be interesting to have them be some sort of foreign merchants. Giving them slaves and the like, and various employees of the Steltian species and the like, could increase this "alien" aspect. Further, you could give them Bionicle-level magitech and the like, such as Kanoka disks and similar devices, which they could sell to the other groups. Heck, make the resource Ko-Wahi has be the biggest thing the Vortixx need - in doing so, you give them the technology advantage. Players who opt to be Vortixx might be simple merchants, or perhaps mercenaries intent on finding the so-called power. Whatever is desired.

 

Overall, the RPG seems torn between aiming for "war-torn waste" and "after-the-end monster hunt". The Hunt seems to be the main plot, and thus, the second should be your primary focus. Instead, though, you aim for the "war-torn urban landscape" setting, rather than a "reclaimed by nature" one, which is both closer to the whole "Bionicle" thing and more interesting overall.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

Edited October 3, 2014 by Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Silvan Haven]

The general feel I got was more of an "Age before the Fall" type of setting. The Apocalypse might be on the way, but its not here quite yet.

 

Zephor's idea about the Skakdi invasion would certainly work to fix why the Southern Federation has yet to win. They lost a fair portion of their territory and need to keep troops by the Skakdi border in order to prevent a second invasion from taking even more land.

 

Not allowing Toa would be an interesting move. What if you had somebody invent a way for Matoran to use limited elemental powers in the last hundred thousand years or so? Say, Turaga level or something.

 

It all feels a bit bare bones. We hear some stuff about what the island is like but almost none about how it got there. Why is Onu-wahi underwater? What sort of weapons do either side use? What is that small temple by the Kini Nui like and what are the people who live in it like?

 

Stuff like that would help to flesh out the world that your players are going to be working in. Leave less empty grey void in the place between the words.

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

Not allowing Toa would be an interesting move. What if you had somebody invent a way for Matoran to use limited elemental powers in the last hundred thousand years or so? Say, Turaga level or something.

 

What about masks? The canonical reason why Matoran can't use Kanohi is a lack of will-power, which returns slightly when they become Turaga. If I recall, that was the whole reason the Toa Metru had to wisen up before they could use their Mask Powers. Perhaps there exist small groups of monastic soldiers, most likely primarily on the Northern side, who train to utilize powerful Great Masks - including, perhaps, elementally powered ones like the Garai. A small army of warrior monks (paladins?) could be an interesting feature for a setting, especially with Kanoka Blades and the like thrown on. You have to think - a Skakdi is strong, but a Le-Matoran warrior with a Great Kakama and a Twilight Blade would make a powerful enemy.

 

Vortixx tech also helps, as elemental amplifiers and the like (similar to what some Skakdi weapons use) could allow Matoran to channel their inner elemental power. When in doubt, Vortixx.

 

The general feel I got was more of an "Age before the Fall" type of setting. The Apocalypse might be on the way, but its not here quite yet.

 

Hmm... the issue with that comes down to the Hunt. It just doesn't strike me as a "civilization is going to end soon" thing, more of a "civilization is over, but lets screw with the survivors!" But that's more of a matter of personal taste, I think.

 

---- ----

 

A further comment, @Tiragath - I've considered the 30,000 thing, and decided it's tad ridiculous. Either you leave it at that length, and have the last Hunt predate the war by tens of thousands of years, or you have the length of time be far shorter. Consider - Matoran and the like live a very long time. When they go to war, they wouldn't do it like humans would, regardless of how many RPGs like portray it. War would not be battles where thousands of people died - whenever large numbers gathered, they would do so more for intimidation than to actually fight. At least, not after a while; only at the beginning of the war would things be like that.

 

Actually, that would strengthen the whole "after the end" thing, and the ruined island. The war could have escalated over a century or so, before finally exploding with Nova Blasts and the like, causing the present state. Those who fight today keep going over the same cause, but they've been at a stalemate for a very long time. More like a cold war most of the time, with only a few occasional intrusions.

 

In any event, I can't imagine a war of this kind going on for more than ~10,000 years for Matoran. That's a ridiculous long amount of time by our standards, and even for them, it would be enormous. Considering the island is still standing, I'd say roughly the ~8,000 year mark would be plausible. And remember, these are huge numbers.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Not Quite Dead]

Too many points to respond to, all good ones though.

 

Instead I will use time that could be spent responding to rework the RPG.

 

Just a few things.

 

>The hunt has been occuring for many cycles, I chose a large number because a) the MU inhabitants have long lifespans and b) I wanted it to appear timeless and mysterious, so even if only a dozen cycles have occured, it's history is still very long. I will shed more light on it, but ultimately the mechinations and history behind it would have to be explored IC, as describing too much would needlessly spoil things

 

>Glad you guys picked up on the after-the-end feel, more specifically I want a "last sparks before the fire gets snuffed out." vibe. As the fate of the world is ultimately to wind down and end, so the degraded environment and somewhat senseless conflict are symptoms of this. Obviously, this needs to be made clearer in the text

 

>More background info on things needed, affirmative, a few logical inconsistencies to resolve

 

>Going back to point two, the technological level is high. But the "magic" level in the modern day is going to be low. Elemental, natural and mask powers have all weakened. That is why I don't have an issue with allowing Toa and Skakdi and the like. Again, this is something I need to make clear in the text

[Silvan Haven]

 

Consider - Matoran and the like live a very long time. When they go to war, they wouldn't do it like humans would, regardless of how many RPGs like portray it. War would not be battles where thousands of people died - whenever large numbers gathered, they would do so more for intimidation than to actually fight. At least, not after a while; only at the beginning of the war would things be like that.

 

I'm not sure why having a longer lifespan would extend wars like that. Whatever reason you started the war for, waiting is not going to help you accomplish it it.

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

I'm not sure why having a longer lifespan would extend wars like that. Whatever reason you started the war for, waiting is not going to help you accomplish it it.

 

Initially? Yes. But Matoran, unlike humans, can afford to wait for a much longer period of time. The Great Beings had limited resources; Matoran would need to be highly efficient, which implies less food and other resources required to stay alive.

 

Thus, while the war would start off at a normal pace, the people involved would eventually note the folly of simple charging. Combatants would draw back, and wait. Heck, I could see an entire decade passed without a single shot fired, as various groups mobilized and made plans for attacks and counter attacks. The name of the game would be slowly whittling the enemy down.

 

 

Admittedly, most wars wouldn't last that long. I can't imagine most would last more than a few years. But if the name of the game here is eternal war, the GM needs a method for it to be waged. Massive battlefields would not be it.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Silvan Haven]

 

Combatants would draw back, and wait.

 

The only time you do that in a war is when you want the other guy to make his move first. Other than that you want to keep your momentum. Something that is rather lacking in a several hundred, thousand, tens of thousands years long war.

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

The only time you do that in a war is when you want the other guy to make his move first. Other than that you want to keep your momentum. Something that is rather lacking in a several hundred, thousand, tens of thousands years long war.

 

Coming from someone with a maximum life expectancy ranging close to 80. That's what makes the war aspect of these RPGs difficult. Consider children playing "cowboys vs. indians" next to military generals in terms of outlook. Then consider us to a create which could live one thousand times as long as us, if not far longer. A different life span doesn't just make you live longer, it would mean a completely different thought process.

 

If you realized you were going to die tomorrow, would you treat danger and life in general differently than if you knew that, as long as you stayed healthy, you could live another sixty? Not to make assumptions, but for most people, yes - very differently. But what if instead of sixty years, it was six hundred? Or six thousand? Or sixty thousand, in this case? And for all of those sixty thousand years, you would be in good health, and perfectly capable of doing things you enjoyed.

 

Military tactics change between cultures, and there is no "this is they one and only right way" rule which governs them in the real world, let alone in fiction.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Silvan Haven]

Its somebody with an average life expectancy of 80 and several thousand years of military history to pull from.

 

The length of a person's maximum life span does not affect how a war is waged. Nobody running a campaign is going to factor in when they die as part of their plans on how to beat the other side.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

The hunt has been occuring for many cycles, I chose a large number because a) the MU inhabitants have long lifespans and b) I wanted it to appear timeless and mysterious, so even if only a dozen cycles have occured, it's history is still very long.

 

Just thought I'd point out that even if you have only three cycles occurring thats still 99,999 years which is only one year away from how long the Matoran universe has existed as a whole. I know you're going for a far future vibe but those big numbers add up quickly.

 

 

And I'm with Silvan on this one Lev. War is war regardless of what tactics you employ; there will be goals you need to achieve, locations you need to secure, targets you need to destroy. Hanging around doing nothing is pointless, no-one is going to gather for a battle then just disperse after a bit of sabre-rattling

[Silvan Haven]

An on-again off-again conflict would make much more sense than tens of thousands of years of constant warfare.

[25K Now!]

I had this weirdest idea of an RPG involving cooking. With meals such as Roast Kikanalo with Madu.

[shadow pridak money gang]

Approved x1

 

-Tyler

[25K Now!]

Welcome to the island of Metru Nui, the City of Legendary Dishes. Its six districts each specialise in certain dishes, their many cooks working day and night to ensure that the meals they can produce are of the highest quality. Observed by the automated food inspectors, the Vahki, the Matoran restaurateurs labour in peace, all hoping to receive glowing reviews from the retired Master Chef, Turaga Dume, who is now a legendary critic.

 

However, tensions have begun to rise following unfavourable reviews on Yelp between Ta and Po. A war of delicious proportions is about to start, and the cuisine of the island shall never be the same ever again!

 

And what is Teridax, a member of the chef's guild that is the Brotherhood of Makuta as well as a supreme cook famous for his experimentality and absolutely ruthless devotion to promoting his arts, planning in the shadows?

 

This is a tale of overcooked Kane-Ra steaks!

[shadow pridak money gang]

Can't approve unless Po is Tex-Mex as all get out

 

-Tyler

[25K Now!]

Done.

[Ghidora131]

An RPG on cooking? Seriously? Sigh...

 

 

 

Well, at least it's tasty...

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

Too many points to respond to, all good ones though.

 

Instead I will use time that could be spent responding to rework the RPG.

 

Just a few things.

 

>The hunt has been occuring for many cycles, I chose a large number because a) the MU inhabitants have long lifespans and b) I wanted it to appear timeless and mysterious, so even if only a dozen cycles have occured, it's history is still very long. I will shed more light on it, but ultimately the mechinations and history behind it would have to be explored IC, as describing too much would needlessly spoil things

 

>Glad you guys picked up on the after-the-end feel, more specifically I want a "last sparks before the fire gets snuffed out." vibe. As the fate of the world is ultimately to wind down and end, so the degraded environment and somewhat senseless conflict are symptoms of this. Obviously, this needs to be made clearer in the text

 

>More background info on things needed, affirmative, a few logical inconsistencies to resolve

 

>Going back to point two, the technological level is high. But the "magic" level in the modern day is going to be low. Elemental, natural and mask powers have all weakened. That is why I don't have an issue with allowing Toa and Skakdi and the like. Again, this is something I need to make clear in the text

 

Huh, I didn't notice this post...

 

Why weaken a species? The Skakdi aren't particularly powerful in terms of elemental abilities, and you need two of them in any case to make it work. But there's no sense weakening Toa, who basically live and breathe theirs. And as far as mask powers and the like, there's no sense hampering them either - they're technological anyways, albeit in a way which we can't explain (sufficiently advanced technology and such).

 

If you want the Hunt to be mysterious and timeless, don't give it a time. Just say the Hunt's happening, as it was prophesied it would.

 

Back to technology, though, don't make it a "high-point" when you're at the "last sparks" point - like everything else, it should be dying. Having more advanced stuff found in the ruins, or only sold by the Vortixx, gives a sense of decay. Especially if you keep it mostly limited to weapons, which would tie into the war taking over culture.

 

An on-again off-again conflict would make much more sense than tens of thousands of years of constant warfare.

And I'm with Silvan on this one Lev. War is war regardless of what tactics you employ; there will be goals you need to achieve, locations you need to secure, targets you need to destroy. Hanging around doing nothing is pointless, no-one is going to gather for a battle then just disperse after a bit of sabre-rattling

 

As I was saying - more of a cold war. The South can't advance very far, because Ko-Metru is mostly frozen wasteland; there's little to fortify. The Skakdi would have the land they need, so they would only be an occasional threat, whenever a particularly group made the decision to head east. This all, of course, rests upon the idea of the South being the aggressor - which is pretty much a must, given the situation.

 

What would seem like an on-again-off-again conflict to humans, who would pass entire generations in between, would seem far more constant to a person who can fight a dozen battles with a century between them.

 

EDIT: I better...

 

Welcome to the island of Metru Nui, the City of Legendary Dishes. Its six districts each specialise in certain dishes, their many cooks working day and night to ensure that the meals they can produce are of the highest quality. Observed by the automated food inspectors, the Vahki, the Matoran restaurateurs labour in peace, all hoping to receive glowing reviews from the retired Master Chef, Turaga Dume, who is now a legendary critic.

 

However, tensions have begun to rise following unfavourable reviews on Yelp between Ta and Po. A war of delicious proportions is about to start, and the cuisine of the island shall never be the same ever again!

 

And what is Teridax, a member of the chef's guild that is the Brotherhood of Makuta as well as a supreme cook famous for his experimentality and absolutely ruthless devotion to promoting his arts, planning in the shadows?

 

This is a tale of overcooked Kane-Ra steaks!

 

Needs more Gordon Ramsay.

 

I'll add in that Ga-Metru would absolutely need to be Greek.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

Edited October 4, 2014 by Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Silvan Haven]

 

What would seem like an on-again-off-again conflict to humans, who would pass entire generations in between, would seem far more constant to a person who can fight a dozen battles with a century between them.

 

Not constant enough to call it a war the entire time.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Brief draft of something I've been working on and tinkering with. Not finished yet, still need to add the sections for the profile, members of faculty, rules and such, but wanted some outside opinions on what I had so far.

 

CorpusRahkshi

 

 

 

All around you is the dark. It is all you have ever known. A liquid gloom that swaddles you better than any blanket, that keeps you safe from the burning gaze of the sun. The only light you need-the only light you want-is the dim green glow that oozes from the crystalline confine that is your entire world. Oh there’s definitely something beyond the glassy walls that cocoon you, but they are dim shadows, patches of deeper blackness within the blackness, beyond your concern and ability to care. You have your world of green gloaming. And it is good.

Then suddenly, pressure. Pulling you and pushing you all at once. Squeezing your boneless body through pipes and tubes you hadn’t known ever existed and now desperately wish didn’t exist at all. You are forced, squirming every inch of the way, further from your old home and towards-Ah! Towards pain! You are pressed into something unyielding and cold, so cold! The ooze that held you before was merely cool, this dread chill is new, sharp and biting like you are caught in the maw of some icy beast. 

Your next new experience is gravity, as you tumble freely until the ground rises to meet you in a cacophonous clang. You begin to realise from the cold, the noise, the inflexibility of the prison you find yourself in that you have gone from a womb of slime to a womb of steel. The metal may close around you tightly, but you are aware that it stretches out far beyond the normal reach of the strip of meat that is your body. Stretches out into gangly limbs, all four naught but metal but…you can feel through them? You’d question how that works but you’re flooded by fresh sensations. Your eyes see better now, freed from the murk of viridescent crystal, and the dark holds no secrets from them as you take in every detail of the cave you find yourself in. You can feel the slight breeze that wafts through the air, bringing with it a smell of musty dampness. You’ve never smelt anything before. It’s…weird. 

But none of this, not the sight, not the smell, not the sensations, none of it compares to the raw power you can feel flowing through the new you-all of the new you, flesh and metal. 

You start getting these new limbs in order. Two end in broad feet that are seeking purchase even before you plant them firmly beneath you. Two others end in a tangle of fingers, each one tapering to a wedge-like claw that score shallow gouges into the rock as you push yourself upwards. Standing for the first time is hard. You hadn’t understood how complicated legs were before, there’s so many minute differences in weight and balance that threaten to topple you right back down again. You fight the urge to hold your arms aloft like wings, letting your joints learn how to compensate. 

Once you’ve mastered standing up, all you want is to run. To chase. To hunt. You want to scale every height of a mountain, to tear down every tree in a forest. Boundless energy bursting through you, its fantastic! Before, when you were tiny and blind, you just felt safe because you were comfortable. Now you feel safe because you’re strong! You could take on the world and win! 

You need to do something to stamp your place in this new world, something to tell anyone who can hear that you are here now and aren’t going to leave any time soon. The armour plates around your head respond to your subconscious will, pulling back to expose the stub of raw flesh that is your head as you open your mouthparts and scream. It is a scream of defiance backed by the staccato rattling of the spines on our back, a scream to put fear in the hearts of anyone who would see you killed or thrown back to that half-life you now realise you led before. You are here to stay! You…are Rahkshi!

 

Over in the furthest reach of the birthing chamber, hidden behind illusory weaves of shadow that even your eyes could not see through, the Makuta who has been watching the whole scene smiles. For it is good.

 

 

Welcome!

 

~From the Notes and Observations of Makuta Tridax, Master of the Isle of Nynrah~

Rahkshi. They have always been our stalwart servants. Our eyes, our ears and, if needed, our iron fist. The production of kraata and the design of their armour has been perfected over the many millennia we have been using them so that they are now a shining example of what the biological and the mechanical are capable of when working in unison. 

Which is why it is somewhat perturbing that they seem to be changing.

The “fault”, as I shall call it for now, is a development in their cognitive abilities, allowing them both a range of thought greater than their usual bestial processes and a better capacity to express these thoughts. Put succinctly, they’re getting smarter. Kraata which should be little better than mindless animals seeking to spread corruption purely on instinct are reasoning, imagining and even philosophising. I wouldn’t expect these traits, certainly not to this level, from anything short of a full blown Shadow Kraata yet we now have new-spawns displaying them left, right and centre. It is truly fascinating. 

At first we were unsure of what to do with this new breed. Study them? Train them? Destroy them? There were a number of voices in favour of that latter option but fortunately saner heads prevailed. After all, who knew what kind of use these smarter Rahkshi could have. Imagine a squad of them with teamwork and co-ordination to rival that of Toa teams. Imagine being able to produce strategic geniuses by the handful instead of waiting for likely to generals to rise through the ranks. Imagine Rahkshi who could be expert spies or assassins instead of simply living wrecking balls. With this ridiculous extended skirmish the Dark Hunters have declared on us entering its tenth year some more advanced troops in the field would help enormously with keeping the regions we possess pacified and under control. Though personally I find myself more intrigued by the scientific possibilities of what this might mean for my fellows and I. Evolution in the kraata could mean another step of evolution for we Makuta, and I wish to be ready if we undergo any more radical changes. 

The answer to our curiosity and wariness towards the new breed was to re-use our leader’s solution to the Matoran Civil War: stick everything in a box and wait to see the results. And so the Corpus Rahkshi academy was born. A place to properly keep them. A place to properly train them. A place to properly keep an eye on them…

 

Ah Rahkshi. We all know they’re pretty awesome, and this RPG is all about them. Basic summary is that, for whatever reason, the Brotherhood of Makuta’s Rahkshi have started getting smarter. An increasing number of them are no longer behaving like feral creatures but have begun developing personalities and increased intelligence. The Makuta decided they’d keep these Rahkshi around rather than atomise them so created a big old school to teach them and, if need be, contain them.

You play as one of the new Rahkshi. Sorry, no exceptions. You’ll be joining the student body, and get to undergo the daily life of a walking weapon being trained by a (quite literally) shadowy organisation. What could possibly go wrong?

 

 

 

Locations

 

~From the Notes and Observations of Makuta Tridax, Master of the Isle of Nynrah~

I was deemed to most suitable to oversee the Corpus Rahkshi project. I am one of the Brotherhood’s chief scientific minds, and the one least likely to simply give them more teeth and let them loose on an innocent population. Yes Chirox, I know you’re reading this. 

In addition I control the island of Nynrah, giving me access not just to some of the most industrious and ingenious craftsmen the world has to offer but to the resources and infrastructure those same craftsmen use to ship raw materials and finished products. The perfect place to ensure a small army of Rahkshi are properly housed and maintained and enable any damage they cause to be rapidly fixed. There’s no other way of saying it, I was the perfect choice. 

The academy was constructed using a pet project of Mutran’s; that odd growing rock he is inordinately fond of. Given an energy supply to prevent it consuming the students and proper constraints to mould it into appropriate shape, it allowed us to quickly develop and construct an adaptable and self-repairing building to hold the Rahkshi. Most useful.

 

The RPG takes place in the eponymous Corpus Rahkshi Academy, a castle-like building on its own island just off the south coast of Nynrah. The centre comprises of four blocks of accommodation enveloping a square courtyard, with longer wings on its east and west flanks. Built out of the same stuff the Mountain on Xia is made of, it can fix itself up in case of…incidents and be reconfigured if a room needs to be repurposed. And speaking of rooms, here’s a few of the more important areas within the school grounds.

 

The Gymnasium

 

~From the Notes and Observations of Makuta Tridax, Master of the Isle of Nynrah~

Physical training is of course a must. If we intend to put these Rahkshi into the field as soldiers then they’ll need to be in peak condition, and versed in all forms of combat and warfare.

 

The Gym is a huge hall, large enough that its almost its own separate building tacked on to the east side of the academy. In its base state it is a big, empty, upturned bowl but it is the most malleable of the all the school facilities. Want a duel? It can manifest an arena. Want a naval battle? It can simulate water. It has been specifically created to provide any imaginable threat to keep the Rahkshi on their toes.

 

The Library

 

~From the Notes and Observations of Makuta Tridax, Master of the Isle of Nynrah~

Since the students have been blessed with advanced minds, let them make use of them. Intelligence in one’s underlings is like a flower; for it to properly bloom it must be given the right ground to take root in and sustenance to feed on. And, if needs be, a bit of pruning from time to time…

 

The Library, located in the Academy’s west wing, is full of a surprisingly diverse range of subjects. There are the obvious books on martial arts and tactics, but they share the building with tomes on anatomy, zoology, engineering, chemistry, architecture, with encyclopaedias, and a seemingly endless catalogue of historical archives. Sure the warfare section is noticeably closer to the entry as a subtle hint, and the histories have been edited and worded with a Makuta-favourable bias but hey, its the thought that counts right?

 

The Refectory

 

~From the Notes and Observations of Makuta Tridax, Master of the Isle of Nynrah~

Its a necessity that the Rahkshi be fed, but I see no reason to go to any extensive expense or strife to do so. They are here to learn, not to feast.

 

In the Academy’s eastern wing, conveniently close to the Gym, is the Refectory. It is fairly uninteresting architecturally, being little more than an enclosed box lined with long dining tables. But as the place where all those growing kraata go to eat it’s a focal point of interaction and communication. Shame the only food they serve is a kind of thick gruel, high on nutrition but low on taste.

 

Dormitories

 

~From the Notes and Observations of Makuta Tridax, Master of the Isle of Nynrah~

Some say we have been a little overly optimistic in how many dormitories we have, since the entire south block is, at present, entirely unused. I say that is an unimaginative viewpoint. There’s always a use for an empty room or fifty.

 

Along with the courtyard that they surround the dorms form the central hub of Corpus Rahkshi. Each room houses a single Rahkshi and are not particularly spacious, containing just one bed and a boxy cupboard for storage. The idea being that such spartan living will encourage the Rahkshi to go out and fill their days with activity rather than laze around listlessly. And for the cleaning and maintenance of their armour suits, each floor has its own washroom, communal arrangements complete with cold and colder running water.

 

Chirox Causeway

 

~From the Notes and Observations of Makuta Tridax, Master of the Isle of Nynrah~

Technically the students are not permitted to visit the mainland, however in practice there is nothing really that can be done to stop them short of keeping them in chains every second of every day. And thats really only a last resort solution. So I have endeavoured to make the journey, if not exactly perilous, then at least…entertaining. Rather than have a bridge connecting the Academy’s island with mainland Nynrah I had placed a series of irregularly positioned hexagonal pillars, the idea being that the students gain some small manner of exercise from jumping across or flying through them. The name comes from the causeway’s likeness to a set of teeth rising from the sea, and we all know how our esteemed colleague prefers his monsters toothy. Still reading, Chirox?

 

If you want to go from the Academy to the mainland by foot then you must use the Chirox Causeway, a network of pillars all at varying distances and heights. The students, being Rahkshi, can of course just fly over but some like the challenge of trying to navigate the Causeway’s twists and turns.

 

 

 

Off Campus Locations

 

~From the Notes and Observations of Makuta Tridax, Master of the Isle of Nynrah~

The island of Nynrah -my island of Nynrah- is the ideal place for an assortment of unknown quantities like the evolved Rahkshi. It is out of the way of any random passers by, has a nearby harbour to ship in supplies and, potentially the most useful of all, is home to the famed Nynrah Ghosts, craftsman without equal. At first we tried forbidding the students from visiting the mainland…and every single one of them ignored the order. So until we can train or breed this disobedient streak out of them we have compromised and requested they keep their excursions restricted to night hours.

 

The Academy is not the only location in the game. Nynrah plays host to it and there are areas where the student body likes to frequent. And while it is generally frowned upon to visit them during daylight, its not really going to get you any serious repercussions if you do. Just…try not to get caught.

 

Phantom-on-the-Water

 

~From the Notes and Observations of Makuta Tridax, Master of the Isle of Nynrah~

The Ghosts are an illusive kin. It is how they earned the name after all. So I only feel confident saying that Phantom-on-the-Water is the only village entirely comprised of the craftsmen if I am permitted to affix the addendum “that we know of”. Spanning either side of the River Eidolon it is a mess of smoking chimneys and glowing furnaces, with dying embers and the sound of hammers filling the air. Nothing is ever still, nothing is ever quiet. I suppose it would appeal to a certain sort of person but I personally prefer peace and solitude in which to contemplate important matters. For their part the Ghosts seem unexpectedly happy at having the Academy nearby, possibly as having a building full of Rahkshi just next door discourages any snoops seeking them out.

 

To most of the outside world Phantom-on-the-Water is just another village full of Fe-Matoran and the industry they love. It churns out well-made but none too special weaponry, maybe a few more ornate trinkets from time to time, but is otherwise indistinguishable from the other settlements on the island. But what the Brotherhood, and by extension you the players, are aware of is that is it headquarters for the ingenious Nynrah Ghosts, a group of Matoran who have always been a bit…looser with their morals than others. Either through avarice or sheer love of their craft they’re generally quite happy to make anything if offered the right price…

 

 

The Cauldron

 

After running through Phantom-on-the-Water the River Eidolon ends at a series of steep cliffs known as Blacksmith’s Bluffs. Where the course of the river stays truest it has managed to wear these cliffs down into a sandy beach the Ghosts use as a harbour for shipping. But the river splits off into a delta of many little streams and tributaries, most of which aren’t strong enough to erode the cliffs down and instead wind up spilling over the edge as a number of waterfalls. And the largest and most powerful of these falls has wound up carving away at the base of the cliffs, where the hammering of waves already weakened it. The combined might of all that water has opened up a fairly sizeable cave that, due to the turbulent curtain of spray that conceals it, has become referred to by the Ghosts as the Cauldron. They use it for smuggling as, so far at least, the Brotherhood is unaware of its presence. The Rahkshi students, on the other hand, know full well it exists and have adopted it for a similar purpose; smuggling and storing items otherwise considered contraband, be they specialised weaponry or just food nicer than the slop served in the Refectory.

 

 

On the subject of Rahkshi

 

~From the Notes and Observations of Makuta Tridax, Master of the Isle of Nynrah~

Anyone with the clearance to read these notes is already well aware of what Rahkshi are capable of. I see no point in compiling a list of what everyone already knows and don’t appreciate having my time wasted on such pointless tasks.

 

~From the Notes and Observations of Makuta Tridax, Master of the Isle of Nynrah~

…I have been informed that for the sake of completeness I need to make a short reference piece on what Rahkshi can do in case the students demonstrate greater prowess. Very well then. 

In terms of sheer physical strength Rahkshi are blessed with greater power than their somewhat gangly frame would suggest. They’re much stronger than Toa, and could even give one of the Skakdi a decent challenge in an arm wrestle or other such test of brawn. With this strength comes a good deal of durability; extensive testing has concluded that a Rahkshi could be thrown or driven through a solid stone wall without any permanent damage. However that is not to say they could shrug it off, their armour does feel pain. It was necessary to give them tactile senses so they could feel temperature changes, know if they were attacked from behind, pick things up without applying pressure enough to crush them, etc. We were at least able to make it so a Rahkshi armour keeps the kraata inside relatively safe from exposure to light, which even the new breed remain depressingly vulnerable to if bright enough. Their metal casings stop sunlight from burning their skin but do little to stop it affecting their sight; Rahkshi are like Onu-Matoran, their vision is near-perfect in the dark but tends to blur or fade the brighter the light gets. The fault in the new breed that gives them their intelligence also allows them to fight down the instinctive fear and dislike of sunlight but it still tends to disorientate and confuse them, a weakness which should leave them once they mature enough. All the more reason for the academy to exist, to train them up to a level they are high enough to shrug off these detrimental effects altogether. 

From strength to speed but alas, this is nothing too special. It was impossible to engineer the armour to be any faster than normal without it also wearing through its joints at an alarming rate. Their reaction speed, on the other hand, is suberb. A Rahkshi would have no trouble snatching a thrown knife or Kanoka right out of the air, though launched projectiles (a cordak or zamor sphere, for example) would give them a bit more trouble. Rahkshi on the whole, though, are better built for cross-country, their durability giving them excellent stamina, their long limbs giving them a decent stride and broad feet providing excellent traction. Assuming they stick to land rather than simply taking to the air a Rahkshi could keep running for days on end.

These estimations are, of course, barring the use of any powers the Rahkshi have. And speaking of powers, those seem to be developing as normal in the new breed. Whatever fault they have that has changed their mentality has not changed that much, at least to the limited degree they have developed so far. And, for anyone voicing their doubts on the significance of the change in our Rahkshi, or questioning what military use this study of them has, I remind those voices that we never expected even the original Rahkshi to able to form Kaita. Yet look how useful a trait that was and continues to be. And yes, for the record, the new breed have demonstrated the capability to form Kaita, which only leads me to question what is going through three of these more advanced minds when they're all crammed into one body. 

Which finally leads me to the newfound intelligence of the Rahkshi. It differs a little between each individual, as it does with any sapient species, but the new breed seem to have brainpower in the same range as your average Matoran. Which is interesting as, so far, they're still all at a fairly early stage in their development. Will their intelligence continue to grow as they level up? And if so, how smart would a new breed be at the sixth stage? Or as a Shadow Kraata? Perhaps we already have level six Rahkshi with the same fault and they're smart enough to conceal it. Its certainly easy to overlook or miss even in the confirmed cases. I know many of my fellows believe that their inability to speak Matoran means the new breed are still little better than rahi, but this is purely a physical limitation. They understand Matoran, and often many other languages, perfectly fine but their mouths are just not built right for the job of speaking it...so they've developed their own language. Its spread through the school like wildfire, all the students have mastered it. And I recently discovered a few of the Ghosts had picked it up as well, I suspect in anticipation of what constant customers the students may become. With this in mind we may need to curtail visits to the mainland a little more...

 

Playing as a Rahkshi means you get a few advantages, what with being encased in solid metal and all. You’re stronger and tougher than you would be as, say, a Toa. You’re nowhere near invincible but you’re packing enough brute power to give anything that isn’t Krekka level brawny a really bad day. Oh, but since kraata are mentally linked with the armour they inhabit (since thats how they move it and all) you’re going to feel any damage that gets inflicted upon it. Basically you can’t pull a Black Knight and claim losing an arm ’tis but a scratch is what I’m saying. 

You start as a fairly newborn kraata, which would normally put you at level one but thanks the boost from being made Rahkshi and the few months you’ve spent training at the academy your powers are currently at the second level. This would be so you have powers that might be of some actual use, though you’re not quite at the point where you could level cities so a bit of creativity and imagination in how you use them is going to go a long way.

You can also fly, a standard Rahkshi ability, an action which takes about as much energy to maintain as a light jog. You also need to be able to get into the ‘reclined’ position, but thats only going to be a problem if you’ve got a trapped foot or something.

Kaita are also possible, though there are a few restrictions on forming them. First, they can only be formed by three player characters, no roping in a couple of NPCs to make yourself suddenly bigger and stronger. And each specific combination requires a profile be filled out and approved beforehand of what the Kaita would look like and what additional power it gets upon formation. Finally, in a slight change from how Rahkshi Kaita usually work, the minds of all three participants are present and have the potential to control the one body, but they have to be working together to maintain the fusion. You can't simply have one player performing one action while another makes an entirely different and separate attack and the third trying to retreat because that loss of unity will result in the Kaita simply dissolving back into three Rahkshi. You need to all be working together to the one goal, co-ordinating your efforts as a team for the Kaita to actually work. 

Edited October 12, 2014 by I Am Ultron Six

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

Brief draft of something I've been working on and tinkering with. Not finished yet, still need to add the sections for the profile, members of faculty, rules and such, but wanted some outside opinions on what I had so far.

 

The first thing to note, in terms of formatting, the smaller (than standard for this forum) text size is quite inconvenient. It's not all the way to "zoom in to read" level, but doing so certainly doesn't hurt.

 

As far as the RPG itself goes, I have two things which came immediately to mind. The first being, how do you condition a Rahkshi? Unless the assumption is for suits of living metal, the Rahkshi themselves can't really be in better physical shape, which makes exercise somewhat of a joke. However, actual combat training, and powers, can both be worked on. Thus, a re-wording to focus more on the latter two than the first would seem more appropriate.

 

The second is a question - are the Rahkshi aware of how their suits are produced, or has Tridax been keeping that information to himself?

 

Other than that, I think it's very well done. Though I am somewhat concerned about where the story might go, since there's not really an objective set at the moment other than "go to school and train", which could lead to stagnation. I trust there's a plan to avoid this?

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

[The Lorax]

Also, can these more brainy kraata speak matoran, or do they just screech at each other? Do they understand each others' screeching? Obviously they can read and write, but is verbal communication there?

[otter]

Will I be able to pursue a romance sub-plot between two Kraata because they're at a Makuta-sponsored high school?

 

(in actuality I really like that RPG idea and I want to see it happen [assuming an actual conflict does become present somewhere] although the small font hurts my eyes)

[Keeper of Kraata]

I support this RPG 100%. Rahkshi high school! Rahkshi high school!

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

The first thing to note, in terms of formatting, the smaller (than standard for this forum) text size is quite inconvenient. It's not all the way to "zoom in to read" level, but doing so certainly doesn't hurt.

 

Hmm, hadn't spotted that. Side effect of just copying it straight to BZP I think.

 

 

As far as the RPG itself goes, I have two things which came immediately to mind. The first being, how do you condition a Rahkshi? Unless the assumption is for suits of living metal, the Rahkshi themselves can't really be in better physical shape, which makes exercise somewhat of a joke. However, actual combat training, and powers, can both be worked on. Thus, a re-wording to focus more on the latter two than the first would seem more appropriate.

 

I would have thought regular physical exertion would help the kraata get used to piloting Rahkshi suits more easily, but pretty sure I did put more of a focus on how this is to level them up to six or shadow. There's a Tridax section that specifically says that isn't there?

 

 

Though I am somewhat concerned about where the story might go, since there's not really an objective set at the moment other than "go to school and train", which could lead to stagnation. I trust there's a plan to avoid this?

 

There's a section I haven't posted yet that essentially details 'homework' for the Rahkshi; various longer term projects they'll be assigned to work on. Missions for the players to carry out if they want, basically. 

And this being me I of course have bigger plans in mind. Mwahahahahaha.

 

 

Also, can these more brainy kraata speak matoran, or do they just screech at each other? Do they understand each others' screeching? Obviously they can read and write, but is verbal communication there?

 

Gah, meant to put something about that in the About Rahkshi section! Thats going to number one on the to-do list...

Short answer is that they can't speak Matoran (simply physically incapable of it what with their very different mouths) but can understand and write it, and have developed their own language to communicate with each other (its one of the things that tipped the Makuta off that they were smarter than the average Rahkshi). 

 

 

Will I be able to pursue a romance sub-plot between two Kraata because they're at a Makuta-sponsored high school?

 

Yes. Yes you will.

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

I would have thought regular physical exertion would help the kraata get used to piloting Rahkshi suits more easily, but pretty sure I did put more of a focus on how this is to level them up to six or shadow. There's a Tridax section that specifically says that isn't there?

 

Yeah, that makes sense. And while there's nothing specific going against it, verb choice tends more towards the physical than supernatural powers.

 

There's a section I haven't posted yet that essentially details 'homework' for the Rahkshi; various longer term projects they'll be assigned to work on. Missions for the players to carry out if they want, basically. 

And this being me I of course have bigger plans in mind. Mwahahahahaha.

 

So away-missions and the like, then?

 

---

 

Addendum, what with the High School stuff being mentioned, is the goal here to aim for HS or college? Brainwashing the youth would lean more towards university, but the poor conditions, gated community, and lack of teacher awareness (the Cauldron) lean more towards the former.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

 

EDIT: I realize I should put a "somewhat sarcastic" disclaimer up to that bottom comment. So here it is.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Toa Levacius Zehvor

[The Lorax]

I would have thought regular physical exertion would help the kraata get used to piloting Rahkshi suits more easily, but pretty sure I did put more of a focus on how this is to level them up to six or shadow. There's a Tridax section that specifically says that isn't there?

 

 

I don't think he mentions levelling them up, except for this bit:

All the more reason for the academy to exist, to train them up to a level they are high enough to shrug off these detrimental effects altogether.

 

Speaking of which, how quickly do kraata level up in this game? Canon never talked about it, but I imagine you have some rate in mind.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

So away-missions and the like, then?

 

Of the three projects I have lined up I think only one could really be called an away mission. But its stuff to do at any rate.

 

 

Addendum, what with the High School stuff being mentioned, is the goal here to aim for HS or college? Brainwashing the youth would lean more towards university, but the poor conditions, gated community, and lack of teacher awareness (the Cauldron) lean more towards the former.

 

 

I would say high school, but add a disclaimer that everything I think I know about high schools has been filtered from media portrayal rather than first hand experience.

 

 

I don't think he mentions levelling them up

 

I was also thinking of the intro and Gym sections where he mentions how smarter Rahkshi would make much better soldiers if you train 'em up right.

 

 

Speaking of which, how quickly do kraata level up in this game? Canon never talked about it, but I imagine you have some rate in mind.

 

Eh, no real definite rate set in stone. If you manage to post a great deal every day mentioning your character training some aspect in some way then you'll gain levels faster than someone else not posting as often, sure, but if that someone else is also making longer posts that they've clearly put a lot of effort into then they'll get a boost from that. I want to reward the actions of both characters and players, both quality and quantity

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

I would say high school, but add a disclaimer that everything I think I know about high schools has been filtered from media portrayal rather than first hand experience.

 

It's certainly something.

 

(Side Note: We were going to make one of these at our school, but the administration has a strict "no fun" policy which they've been tightening ever since they put up a fence my Sophomore year. For all of the good it does.)

 

Eh, no real definite rate set in stone. If you manage to post a great deal every day mentioning your character training some aspect in some way then you'll gain levels faster than someone else not posting as often, sure, but if that someone else is also making longer posts that they've clearly put a lot of effort into then they'll get a boost from that. I want to reward the actions of both characters and players, both quality and quantity

 

Is there an intention for characters to reach "shadow kraata" level in place, or is the idea for advancement to only go so far within the (presumably less than years long) span of the RPG?

 

Also, while players are presumed new, how long is this program in the making? Are there already senior Rahkshi in place, leading things like the Matoran Right's Club or Band, or is this supposed to be one of the first waves?

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

Edited October 12, 2014 by Toa Levacius Zehvor

[NorikSigma]

This looks very promising

 

Regarding Levacius' point, do they even have the freedom top form clubs and band? Just curious, as this looks more like a military training facility in terms of function.

 

And Kraata improving: it's purely GM decision, right?

[Toatapio Nuva]

Removed

Edited October 20, 2014 by Toatapio Nuva