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Thoughts on Zelda: Breath of the Wind Gameplay Trailer
Toa Smoke Monster posted a blog entry in The Island
As you can tell from the trailer, this latest Zelda game looks beautiful. It also has some amazing music, though nearly all Zelda games have good music, so this isn't a surprise. As for the game itself, its looks like its going to be a lot of fun to play. I do get vibes from Uncharted, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Shadow of the Colossus from it, but those are good vibes. And who wouldn't want to explore Zelda game with a world that looks as big as the one in Xenoblade. (I don't know if it actually is or not, so don't quote me on that.) Also, it looks like a relative of Thardus from Metroid Prime is in this as well. I wonder how Link will deal with that threat. Overall, this looks to be a great game. If I do pick up Nintendo's next console, I will most likely get this game as well. -
-Discussion- -Profiles- "Gathered friends, come, listen to the tale of the downfall of Spherus Magna, let this show as warning and history of our world." "In the time before our time, the world was perfect. The Great Spirit Mata-Nui had blessed Spherus Magna, our home, with the power of Life. He had left us to govern ourselves, and live in peace and prosperity. It is more surprising that they had expected that to last forever than that it was disrupted. What has truly happened is unknown, perhaps the answer lost to the mists of time, but our world changed. The blessing of the Great Spirt seemed to fade, or even be corrupted, and the world twisted. And again the wars began. And they have continued for ages, in this lawless, uncivilized time where only small villages like yours are untouched. But perhaps you're looking for adventure. Perhaps you just want to fix things. I can't promise you anything, but... I want to fix things, too." The Le-Toa glances about the circle of merchants and villagers across the bonfire, his hand scratching the Hordika long gone feral and domesticated in a sense on the head. He gives a small grin. "Perhaps we can fix things, together. Or perhaps I'm crazy. In any case," He stands, brushing himself down, "I'm headed to the City of Flames across the sea with the caravan. Anyone is welcome to join me, if they so wish. I'll be in my tent." And he left, the Hordika following, disappearing into the temporary living quarters he had set up along with the rest of the merchant caravan, leaving the crowd to wonder and whisper and decide to themselves as the night sky, filled with stars but not a moon, became clearer in the dying fire-light. Information: First off, welcome to A Journey of Sands, Stars, and Spirit. This is indeed a text-based RPG much like you're used to, but with a few things. First off, this is not open-world. This is going to be a linear journey along the path I've laid out in my notes to save the world, fight people, and perhaps even experience sacrifice along the way. Your character options are going to be limited at first to Glatorian, Agori, and Matoran, but 1 character can be almost any species assuming that A, they begin as a merchant, and B, they are either not Toa or have a really good reason and backstory to be one. Total, you can start with 3 characters, but that number will increase as the story progresses and more variation, races, species, and such will become available as the RPG progresses. There is also going to be many opportunities to gain powerful weaponry, strange artifacts, or even new powers as rewards for good RPing and continuing the progression. Lastly, please, do have fun, and take note of the Rules before posting a profile or starting to play. Rules: 1. All BZP rules do still apply here. 2. Have respect for the staff, myself, and other players. Respect them as RPers, and respect their characters and let them control their own characters as they see fit. 3. Please do try to make your posts as readable as possible. A common help is to color-code each character, or even note in the beginning who and where. Ex. IC: Zakaro (BZPower) 4. As this is an epic quest, there's not much time for romantic or comedy subplots. Do keep those things to a minimum. 5. Your character is just as good as the others, within context. Play them realistically, unless your Matoran is an accomplished martial artist or fast on their feet, they're not going to easily take down a Glatorian without some weapons or other help. 6. In total, at the beginning, you may start with 2 villagers that are Agori, Glatorian, or Matoran, and 1 merchant of nearly any race. A merchant character will be harder to approve, especially if they are a Toa or otherwise more powerful character. Over the course of the RPG, I aim to keep everyone to a 1 Toa maximum, so decide wisely. 7. Have fun, and to show you read the rules combine Species and Gender into one catagory when making a character. Thank you, -Zakaro
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Good story doesn't excuse bad gameplay, nor does it excuse anything else. I would see where you're coming from if we were talking about good gameplay and bad story - but here, I don't. What do we play games for? Gameplay, I would think. Would they still be games without gameplay? Story can enhance a game, yes, but there are several other mediums stories can be told through, in most of which story is more important. Ideally, we would have good story and good gameplay, but that's often hard to come by, especially in AAA games that are just endless rehashes/reskins of previous games. Recently there's also been a lot of nonsense about 'immersion', whatever the heck that's supposed to mean, used to justify mildly irritating features. There's also a sort of popular train of thought - x game is good because it is good and you are absolutely not allowed to criticise it, x developer is good because we said so, x game is bad because we said so and cannot ever change from being bad despite us being in the age where games can be digitally patched, x developer is bad because of a thing they did a decade ago even though x liked developer did something similar last year. x publisher is also bad because they did THAT THING!!!! x publisher is better, they released [hyped game] for [free/at a discount]! [indie game] is great, never bad! All DLC is bad and can never be done well! Apparently, once you have a reputation, it is set in stone. Nothing ever changes. Nobody's willing to think just a little different and look at things from a different perspective. There's a lot of games put onto pedestals, and equally as much put down. Also, sometimes people seem at each other's throats for a variety of reasons, sometimes as little as liking the 'wrong thing' [how dare you like console/computer] Let's ask you a few questions, people of BZPower! Yes, I am asking you, not your friend's cat or your dad's mate. Does good story excuse bad gameplay? Does good gameplay excuse bad story? What is your opinion of Downloadable Content? How can it be done well? Examples of good and bad DLC? A much praised game you think is terrible? A much maligned game you think is actually quite good? What do you think makes a good game? Bonus question, because I want to know what people mean when they say this: What does 'immersion' even mean‽
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Gameplay Topic – Discussion Topic – Profile Topic Before playing you must create a character, submit it to the discussion topic and have it approved. Trapped in a Map The Carver looked out his window at the crowd milling about in the market below. He carefully scanned the throng, checking out each Matoran, deciding which one he should choose. Finally, he settled on an Onu-Matoran with decorative gold shoulder armour.His choice made, the Carver activated his mask power. His eyes briefly glowed red as dozens upon dozens of names started to float above the heads of the Matoran in the crowd, visible only to the Carver. Silently, he sought out the Onu-Matoran’s among all the others. Finding it, he memorized it and bent down to write it down on the map carved into the tablet in front of him. The name flashed three times then dissolved into the stone.The Carver straightened and looked once more out the window. The Onu-Matoran, and his distinctive golden armour, was gone! Story You are a citizen of the Matoran Universe, or, at least, you were. Now you are the victim of someone known only as the Carver, a sinister Toa who likes to “play” with beings like you. Your new home is simply called the Map, because it is a map, carved into a tablet by the Carver, and you are trapped inside. Now you must find a way to escape, or forever live with your destiny carved out by the Carver…Now 2000 years before the Great Cataclysm that rocked the Matoran Universe, the Carver has been trapping people for over 1000 years. Time runs more slowly in the land of the Map however, and to those living there it has been more like 60,000. More and more beings are being trapped, causing many disturbances in the City. Most of those recently trapped aren’t quick to submit to the rule and ideology of the Worshippers. Conflicts are breaking out and the City Law Enforcers can’t handle them all. The City is on the verge of breaking up.Write about your characters’ struggle to survive in this rugged world and the challenges they face as they try to achieve their goals. The Powers of the Map - When someone's name is carved into the Map:----> The person's name is carved into the Map, this can be seen happening in the sky above the Map.----> The name flashes three times, both on the tablet and in the sky.----> The being then has a gut wrenching feeling as the world starts to spin and the start to disappear from where they are in the Matoran Universe.----> Their body slowly fades away and then slowly appears in the Map below where their name was carved.- Any living creature can be trapped in the Map.-The holder of the Map can observe and control life going on in the world of the Map.----> People are controlled by the holder by putting thoughts into their heads. The people being controlled know these thoughts are not their own, but they are obligated to act on them.- The "ground" beneath it continues to infinity. There is no other side of the Map.- The sky continues infinitely up, as do the space around the Map and its infinite cliff in each direction.- Gravity pulls down perpendicular to the Map everywhere.- There is a sun that creates night and day, by rotating around the Map at an angular axis (at night there are also distant stars, but there is no moon).----> It rises over the eastern cliffs and sets over the western cliffs.----> It is night when the sun is below the horizon of northern cliffs. Factions The WorshippersMostly made up of those who have been trapped in the Map the longest, they are the rulers of the City. They are so called, because they have given up on escape and believe that by worshipping the Carver, he will grant them an easier life in the Map. Many disagree with their way of thinking but must live under their rule because of their large sphere of influence. They control all distribution of food and water through the use of the City Law Enforcers.City Law EnforcersA sub-faction of the Worshippers, they are a large group of citizens, mostly big, tough ones, who keep order in the City according to the Worshippers’ rule. They either firmly believe in or have been convinced of the Worshippers’ ideology. Their two main tasks are to control the distribution of food and water throughout the city, and to subdue anyone who speaks out against the Worshippers’ Rule and the Carver, lest the Carver get angry. The Inquisition - Created by Toa Levacious Zehvor, Lead by VoebiusThe worst thing that a Disrupter can hear is the phrase, “The "Inquisition is coming!” By the time you hear that, it is already likely too late for you to have any chance of escape. Only the most dangerous and powerful of Disrupters have survived attacks by the Inquisition, another sub-faction of the Worshippers, under the command of High Inquisitor Voebius have been responsible for purging more enemies of the Carver (and a few innocents) than any other organization. Completely ruthless, led by zealotry and a thirst for blood, those in the Inquisition tend to be skilled combatants, fighting in small groups either on foot or mounted upon great beasts. They also tend to capture enemies alive and interrogate them, torturing them to death. When they actually kill, it’s a big and very public display – people left dead in the streets, buildings burned, and so forth. No one expects the Inquisition until it’s too late to escape.The DisruptersA small faction with no real leader or clear organization. Its members are ordinary citizens who don't agree with the Worshippers submissive ways. Their main goals consist of starting protests, riots and just general chaos wherever they can so they can cause misery to the Worshippers as they attempt to control the City. Armageddon - Created by Toa of Dancing, Lead by Water.Some believe that annoying the Worshipers is not enough. Some believe that the only way to escape is death and destruction. Those are the ones who make up Armageddon. A few members believe that the destruction of the map will cause them to reappear in the Matoran Universe. Many others believe that their purpose is to commit suicide in an act of murderous salvation, freeing everyone on the map by killing them. Some believe something in between those, with their drive being to save anyone else from ever being sucked into the playhouse of a disgruntled Toa. In any case, their common mission is to destroy the map and completely defy the Carver.Other FactionsFactions may be created by players. This is highly encouraged, it will increase the fun in the game. They do not need to be approved, but if I don’t like the direction one is going, I will ask it to disband.All The RestAll those characters who do not agree with the Worshippers, or just don’t care about what goes on in the City, and are not part of a player made faction. Locations The CityA big city that occupies the most of the Map. It is completely enclosed by a tall, sturdy wall. There is only one gate in this wall, and it has been sealed due to the outlying land being called unsafe. The City houses (almost) all the inhabitants of the Map, and is therefore very busy and crowded. It was partly built carved out by the carver, but as more and more people arrived in the map, the inhabitants started to build it up more to accommodate the influx in population. It is now approximately half the size of Metru Nui, an contains inhabitants that equal three quarters of it's population.The PalaceThe most prominent building in the City. It is the headquarters of the Worshippers. It is a large hexagonal building that is mazelike inside, and it rises high up over the surrounding buildings to look out over the whole city. It is surrounded by a low wall and is heavily guarded by the City Law Enforcers.The TempleThe second largest building in the city. It is a temple that has been dedicated to worshipping the Carver. It is a circular building consisting of one main floor and one turret. From above it looks a bit like the first letter of the Matoran alphabet, symbolizing that the Carver comes first above all else. Services are constantly being held in dedication to the Carver.The BarracksThe headquarters of the City Law Enforcers. A rectangular building located in the northeast corner of the city, this place crawls with the menacing figures. The basement consists of statis canisters where unlawful citizens are placed for certain amounts of time.The Royal GardensThe only gardens in the Map, as well as the only source of food. Workers cultivate this food and the Worshippers distribute it.The WellThe only source of water in the the City. Water is brought up from underground into the city via this well. Water can be gathered from here, but it is also distributed by the worshippers. Long lines can often be seen.The MarketThe busiest part of the City. Food and water is distributed from here. Venders gather from all over the City, trying to sell their goods, whatever they may be.The TunnelsA maze of tunnels under the surface of the Map, the entrance of which is just west of the Palace. Precious materials are mined from these tunnels, but many other beings and creatures roam these tunnels, and the entrance is not the only exit… However, it is important to note that at a certain point below ground the "earth/rock" becomes a mysterious substance which is immune to the elemental powers of Toa.The Outlying LandThe territory surrounding the city is flat and barren, inhabited mostly by Rahi. However, some beings who disagree with the ways of the Worshippers have found ways out of the city, in hopes of finding escape. It is deemed unsafe because the map is cracking and breaking around the edges.The Lake of LifeThe source of all water in the Map. It is a large lake in the northwestern corner of the Map. It’s water comes from underground and then flows off the edge of the Map through the two rivers: the River of Death and the River of Life.The Outcast TowersA group of tall structures in the southwest corner of the Map. They rise high above all other buildings in the Map, including the Palace and the Temple. They used to be the headquarters of the Worshippers, but were abandoned when the outlying land was deemed unsafe. Now they are mostly deserted, home only to rahi and rogue citizens. Character Profiles Who are you? Have you given up on escape and now worship the Carver? Or do you still resent the Carver for trapping you in the Map? Or perhaps you’ve just arrived in the Map and still don’t quite know what happened?Whoever you are, you must submit a profile of your character. Be sure to include a detailed description of your character. All profiles must be submitted in the following format: [b]Name:[/b] [Bionicle sounding][b]Gender:[/b] [male / female][b]Species:[/b] [any species is acceptable (including your own) within reason. if you are a toa or matoran or etc. please indicate your element][b]Affiliation:[/b] [Worshippers / City Law Enforcers / Disrupters / Other / None][b]Trapped:[/b] [have you been trapped long, or have you just arrived][b]Weapons/Tools:[/b] [be reasonable][b]Powers:[/b] [any other powers, again be reasonable][b]Appearance:[/b] [brief description or picture][b]Bio:[/b] [anything of importance of your character’s personality, goals, life, etc.]Profiles must be reviewed and approved by myself or another staff member, if a profile is incomplete or does not follow the rules, you will be asked to fix the problems before you can start playing. As well, players are only allowed to have three characters to start. NPC’s The following are profiles of the Non-Player Character, which will be controlled by myself throughout the game to help the plot move forward, and add challenges for your characters to face.Name: The CarverGender: MaleSpecies: Toa (Element unknown, assumed to be stone)Affiliation: NoneTrapped: Not Trapped, but the Trapper.Weapons/Tools: Carving tools and the Map.Powers: (Elemental Power of Stone?) Mask of Shinigamieyes Namevision, allows him to see a being’s name above their head. Can control anyone who resides in the Map.Appearance: Unknown.Bio: He was once betrayed by one of his fellow Toa and ever since has had a rotten view of the universe. He is constantly roaming the MU, trapping people in his map and having fun “playing” with them like dolls in a dollhouse.Now however, there too many people trapped in the Map, and he can monitor them all at all times of the day, so he mostly just spends his time keeping the leaders of the Worshippers in line.Name: CarmeraGender: FemaleSpecies: VortixxAffiliation: Leader of the WorshippersTrapped: One of the first ever trapped.Weapons/Tools: A laser pulse pistol that she keeps at her hip at all times.Powers: Manipulative and quick witted. Silver tongue.Appearance: Tall, with spiky black armour with blood red highlights.Bio: Carmera was once a black market businesswoman. She is the one who sold the Carver the special stone tablet that the Map is carved out of, but she got greedy when she found out just how powerful the tablet was and asked for more money, confronting and threatening the Carver. When the Carver refused, she shot him with her laser pistol. Before the bolt hit its mark, the Carver speedily carved her name into the Map. She and the laser pulse were transported to the mysterious world.She was determined to escape, but the powers of the Carver and the Map itself prevented it. The Carver was able to control her and anyone else in the Map like he was playing with little army men. She was a puppet and he was pulling the strings. The Carver used her to bring a kind of tyrannical order to the Map.Feeling defeated, and seemingly unable to take control of her own life, Carmera has simply fallen into place following the Carver’s rule and leading the Worshippers. Rules Rules and guidelines to be followed at all times during the game:- BZP standard rules and guidelines.- Respect the staff and the other players.- Use IC (In character) and OOC (Out of character) when posting in the game topic.---> A good habit for when using IC, would be to also state the character’s name, where they are, what they are doing, and other characters that may be nearby.---> eg. IC / the Carver / in his hut / carving into the Map:- Do not post in the game topic with just an OOC, post in the discussion topic instead.- When fighting other players be reasonable and take a hit once in a while.- Do not GodMod.- Do not kill other players.- Be reasonable when creating characters and in your IC posts.---> eg. No giving yourself super powerful Kanohi.---> eg. Don’t say you're at the Palace and then a second later you're at the Outcast Towers.---> eg. Don’t all of a sudden kill twenty NPC's.---> eg. etc.- Have fun! (Failure to comply with this rule is punishable by immediate banning! )Punishments:Please follow the rules so I do not have to use these.1. A warning.2. An injury or loss of a weapon or something. For example, loss of an arm.3. One character dies.4. All characters die, and player is banned for a week.5. Permanent Banning.Awards: I may give out extras throughout the game depending on how it goes. These would be things like extra characters and special items falling out of the sky. Staff As of right now, there is just myself. Thanks Thanks to all those who have supported, voted for, reviewed and provided suggestions for this RPG in the past. Your help is very much appreciated!
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“Hey, I’m gonna visit the sky today Hey, I’m gonna dance on the clouds today And make it rain on everybody beneath us Just because they try doesn't mean they can be us No, nobody can be us…” The Best Laid Plans A Tyler Durden Production ***** They rise thousands of feet into the air, towers of blackened steel, their glowing orbs of lights fiery torches in the eternal darkness of this polluted wasteland. And from them comes a message, droning in the air of a perpetual night. “Please, all craft evacuate Sub-District 1745. Gas leaks have lead to emergency conditions. Do not enter. Repeat: all craft evacuate Sub-District 1745, a now off-limits zone.” The broadcast fizzles out. Silence falls. And it starts again. Sub-District 1745. Home to twenty three hundred citizens, wiped off of the face of the planet. They tell us it is gas leaks. But even children think otherwise. ***** The Story So Far You give a man a nut and a bolt, you give him the resources to build God. You give him a screwdriver and wrench to go with it, and you challenge him to do it. The Matoran and Agori had to learn that the hard way: not very long after the death of Makuta Teridax, everything was all about peace and goodwill between the two vastly different species. The humanitarians of the two societies brokered different deals, negotiated day and night, worked to try and unite the yin and the yang that the two cities had become into one autonomous shape. Suffice it to say, it went nowhere, fast. The Agori just didn't have the trust in the Matoran and Toa, considering them half-sentient at best, while the Matoran and Toa, proud beings by any right, refused to deal with the scorn their organic counterparts bestowed on them whenever they so much as walked across the street. Tensions flared, and soon, elements followed suit. On the brink of a war they knew they couldn't afford so soon after the destruction of their old home, the Toa and Matoran fell back to the old Great Spirit robot and began cobbling together a masterpiece. The best part of a masterpiece, as any true genius will tell you, is that no one knows what exactly it is you're putting together, so naturally the Agori and Glatorian were taken by complete surprise when on a day like any other, a masterpiece, in the form of a city, shot itself up into the clouds, carrying along an entire civilization for the ride. And what a masterpiece it was: the city was an entirely self-sustaining work of engineering, just as much art as it was a habitat. The Great Spirit robot had been torn apart, its technology repurposed and its technological quirks used to create the city of Phan-Metru. But as much as the Matoran engineers tried to avoid cutting corners, a project of Phan-Metru's magnitude just didn't work like that. Namely, the problem had popped up over and over again during conception, design and construction was also the problem that needed to be solved most: how to power the city. Self-sustaining technology was all well and good sounding, but the Great Spirit Robot's machinery was completely totaled by the Melding, and the Prototype Robot's power source would be good for about fifteen minute's worth of energy before completely evaporating. Mata Nui's power was gone and the Ignika's usage to power a city would have detrimental effects on the entire population. The debate raged on for weeks until finally, one Nynrah Ghost posed an idea that was mad, pure folly, but the more and more the engineers thought about it, the more and more they liked the idea. The city, the engineers decided, would run on Antidermis. There had been tests run on Antidermis in the first days of the new civilization, and it was discovered that when mixed into a certain compound and distilled just right with Toa Power, Antidermis would react placidly enough that it could be bottled up and still used as an energy source, without the volaitility of the original Antidermis. With that in mind, enough Antidermis was "purified" so that the city could properly run autonomously. And run it did. It ran hard and it ran valiantly and it ran like a dream for a good fifty years or so before there were any problems. As a matter of fact, it ran so long that the government didn't even believe there would be any problems. Until there was a problem, and when it hit, it hit with the force of a sledgehammer. The Antidermis had escaped: somewhere, in the purification process, something had gone wonky, and quite a bit of sentient Antidermis slipped through the cracks in the Phan-Metru security system before the entire control room was put on lockdown; it's not enough to completely quell the leak, but it at least keeps the city floating for now. The Antidermis, as of now, is AWOL. The Suits are not quite sure what became of it, though The Powers that Be have certainly taken note recently of the fact that there is a slowly climbing variety of violent crimes taking place in areas that don't fall into the purview of the Rabble: the press has also caught onto this fact, and is doggedly pursuing the cause of the growing crime rates, unaware of the broiling, hellish substance beneath their very feet that both gives their city life and could be its death. Welcome to the world you live in: some of the Antidermis used to power Phan-Metru has escaped, with more leaking slowly by the day. Who screwed with the once-perfectly running machines, enabling a leak? Why do they want to knock the city out of the sky? Where is the Antidermis at now, and is it related to the growing surges of crime and hostility throughout Phan-Metru? That's what the Suits would like to know, but they're running out of time to figure it out. The Gumshoes are looking for answers, and fast, and the Rabble is growing impatient with the increasing opaqueness of their government. The Coppers are on standby, ready to fire on their own family and friends for the good of their country. The city in the skies is floating above civil war by just an inch, and one good shove from any side... Well. You get the idea. ***** Factions This game is rather outside the box when it comes to factions. There are no factions in this game in the traditional meaning of the term, due to the motives and objectives of various groups being mostly incompatible one with another. However, there are four main "interest groups", if you will. These would be the government, the press, the military, and the masses, or as they are popularly referred to, the Suits, the Gumshoes, the Coppers, and the Rabble. The Suits The main goal of the Suits is, primarily, keeping the entire city in one piece and under their control. With the situation worsening every day, they now resort to often authoritarian, mostly underhanded, tactics to retain power and order, often at the expense of the other groups. As of yet, they still retain command of the Coppers, but if cark goes down, and the Rabble - which by now remains, aside from all the catastrophes, the most likely thing to break the Suits' grip over the city - gains an upper hand over the Suits, the Coppers can turn the tables on their employer. The Suits' relationship with the Rabble, while we're at it, is rapidly deteriorating - the Rabble are gradually and anything but slowly losing more and more rights, being forced into more and more difficult conditions of life every day. The Gumshoes aren't entirely safe, either: for now there's still a free press, but that right just might slip, given the proper motivation. Good Karma: Friends in high places; assistance from the Coppers, when required. Bad Karma: Characters are almost universally hated, often victims of personal or propreitary attaks The Gumshoes The Gumshoes have, primarily, one objective: to discover the truth of what the cark is actually going on here. Unfortunately, nowadays that's becoming a rather difficult task. The Suits, as mentioned before, still allow free press - but what "free press" means in this city, exactly, is a matter as subjective as deciding what music is the best to listen to when cooking risotto with salmon while drinking a cup of hot chocolate. They are usually under constant surveillance, if somewhat passive, by the Coppers, and viewed with immense distrust by the Rabble. With no friends, no subordinates, and no supporters, the Gumshoes, more than ever before, have to rely on their own wits and skills to reveal what the actual rabid pancake is going on. Good Karma: Access into otherwise restricted areas; can get high ranking sources in Suits or Coppers. Bad Karma: Their dogged protection of their sources leaves them open to persecution and smear campaigns. The Coppers The Coppers do, mostly, what they're paid for - maintain order. Under the current circumstances of life in Phan-Metru, the task is neither the easiest nor the most simplistic, which is often problematic because thinking is often not a Copper's favourite pastime - they prefer donut eating. With the Rabble being more and more troublesome every day, more often than not the Coppers find themselves the enforcers of the Suits' authoritarian ways, more often protectors of the regime than of the law. It is under these circumstances that many of them find questioning - yes, their brain cells are active enough to process such complex thought, I know, amazing, right? - their loyalties. Good Karma: Access into otherwise restricted areas; the Suits and Gumshoes, when required, may give assistance. Bad Karma: Characters are occasionally hated, almost universally disrespected; need to follow orders from the Suits. The Rabble Lastly and unfortunately leastly, there's the Rabble. There are about 200,000 people on this city, but only an obscure, perhaps ten percent minority is not part of the Rabble. They are the the overarching grey masses of working class citizens pushed to the very edge, living a shallow existence on a dying city where the Coppers are untrustworthy, the Gumshoes are untrustworthy, and the Suits are doing their very best to maintain an atmosphere of mistrust by both willingly and unwillingly pushing the Rabble further down. The Rabble, of course, resents this, and when capable, or when it thinks itself capable, it resists. It is the Rabble who are the most dangerous threat to the Suits, though it may not look that way - there is nothing stronger than a guy down on his luck who is just trying to survive and might just possibly decide that tossing a rock at you will help. Good Karma: Support from other members of the Rabble; undisputed control over some of the more...lawless...regions of the city. Bad Karma: Terrible financial status; disrespect from the Suits, often from the Coppers. ***** The City Itself Picture a city the size of Metru Nui, but largely divided by class instead of by element. A city of 20,000 strong and growing, Phan-Metru is an amalgamation of the latest and greatest tech from the old Matoran Universe, plus a series of generational improvements and experimental ideas. Viewscreens like those of Metru Nui line the skies, along with budding chute systems where personal speeder races - highly lucrative, but totally illegal - have become the norm in many parts of the city. Meanwhile, the center of the city itself and its outskirts have become where the well-to-do stay, along with many journalists and cops who don't work the beat in the grimier parts of the city. Places of Interest Plaza Nuva - The throbbing heart of Phan-Metru, the Plaza Nuva is the business and tourism center of the city. It's the place you want to be if you expect to have any sort of quality of life beyond lower middle class. Businesses, police stations, and high rise condominiums dot the streets, stabbing up towards the skies like giant Protosteel swords, attempting to impale the clouds. Almost always crowded with people. Typewriter Town - As you can plainly guess, this is where most of the Phan-Metru journalists camp out and talk. It's a quiet little part of town, with cafes, low-key bars, and various parks and the like; it's almost as if the entire district were solely invented for the sake of having Gumshoes meet up with their sources inconspicuously. There are about half a dozen small residential buildings, but nothing much in the way of creature comforts beyond a simple safe house for a high-placed source. Gearheadville - Screw Antidermis: adrenaline runs through the very veins of this part of the city. Speeder stores, garages, repair shops...if you can think of it, and it pertains to personal transportation, it's in Gearheadville, and it's in spades. The mechanics are a wily sort; jaded and rough, always stained with a touch of motor oil. They know more than they let on, too: Gearheadville is where you go if you're looking to get involved with a street racing league and earn a few bucks. Just expect to earn yourself a bit of a rap sheet while you're there. Stab 'N' Grab - Not exactly The Ghetto, not exactly Gearheadville, but close. the Stab 'N' Grab, as it's so coarsely named by the more highbrow citizens of Phan-Metru, is not the kind of place you want to rep. It's similar in appearance to the Plaza Nuva, if darker and more wicked. The air is slightly thicker and more dangerous here, as though there's blood intertwined with the carbon and oxygen. As you'd expect, there's no honor among thieves here at the Stab 'N' Grab, so don't just watch your back, watch your front, your sides, your diagonals and your wallet, too. You may have noticed I said wallet: yes, I know bringing your cash into a place called the Stab 'N' Grab doesn't sound smart, but this little corner of the sky happens to have the best black market this side of the stratosphere. Technology months - sometimes even years - ahead of what the Suits have under their belt can be found in prototype form, depending on who your connections are. Background checks for weapons? Well, well, it looks like we have a funny guy on our hands. The Ghetto - You may have noticed I mentioned The Ghetto. Also known as the Outskirts ('Skirts) or the Fruit Loops for their distinct shape and coloration, this place is almost as aptly named as the Stab 'N' Grab: this part of the city is pretty much the epidermis of town, wrapping around Plaza Nuva in three levels color coded Blue, Green, and Red, Blue on the outside edge of the city, Green in the middle, and Red being the closest to the city itself. Repping these colors in the wrong places could get you robbed, beaten down, or worse if you don't play your cards right, but they all share a certain camaraderie in that a good 80 to 85 percent of the population calls one of the colors home. Many of the chutes from Gearheadville that are home to street racers run through The Ghetto as well, as well as certain black market operations that have been pushed out of - or escaped from - the Stab 'N' Grab, so it's not uncommon to see a good bit of crime here, either. ***** Rules 1. No god-modding. Most of you probably know what this means, but in the event that some of you do not, there are three basic types of modding. The first is autohitting, wherein you hit another PC without either permission or having given a chance for them to respond. The second is metagaming, which is when your character knows something they should not be able to know. Like a character all of a sudden knowing what is happening across the city with no reason. Finally, no performing things your character should not be able to do. This means no elemental manipulation at insane levels, like using lightning to atomize a solid object. No dodging things that you should not be able to dodge. That includes "sudden feelings" that make you want to dodge an unseen attack. And no "He tripped, acidentally avoiding the attack". Both of those are very large no-nos. In conjunction with the above, Nova Blasts are expressly forbidden without prior staff consent. 2. As you might have guessed from the above, there is no "Thou shalt not kill PCs" rule. If your character is put into a situation where they cannot escape without modding, your character will die. This does not mean, however, that you have permission to go around killing other people's PCs. Character death will be strictly monitored. 3. Use IC (In Character) and OOC (Out Of Character) in your posts. Example: IC: Vakama ducked down, barely evading the shadow hand that grabbed the pillar above him. "Going to have to try harder than that!" OOC: Anyone want to back him up? I'm kind of outgunned. 4. Keep OOC only posts to a minimum. And by minimum, I mean that one or two is allowable, but any more than that, and I'm going to step in. PMs are around for a reason. 5. Respect the staff. This includes the Head GM, and any other staff members that he may hire. They are where they are for good reasons, and they are just trying to do their jobs. If you feel a staff member is being unfair, contact one of the other staff member, or the Head GM, and we will sort things out. 6. As much as we would prefer not to use it, there is a punishment system in place. The first offense will come with an official warning, carried out both in PM and in the topic. Second is a warning, plus a major character injury. This is your last chance to turn back before we have to start bringing out the heavy consequences. Third is a temporary ban, the length of which will be decided based on the severity of the offense. The fourth offense will kill all of your characters, and carry a second temporary ban. This is your last chance to turn yourself around. The fifth offense will ban you from the game, forever. Leave the topics, do not come back. Now, due to the inherent flaws of a tier system, some of these skips can and will be skipped over if your action is severe enough to warrant it. ***** Character Creation This is the profile template you'll be using. Please note, that species such as Makuta, Great Being, Krahka's species, and a few others are explicitly forbidden. The Glatorian and Agori are more or less banned due to the backstory, unless you have a really good reason. Masks such as the Avohkii, the Mask of Shadows, the Vahi, Olmaks, Masks of Summoning, and the Olisi are forbidden. Any and all unique masks are forbidden, and the staff reserve the right to deny any overpowered masks that we have not yet thought of. Elements are the same story: no Light, no Shadow, no custom elements except Crystal and Oil. Name: Pretty straight forward. Keep it Bionicle-y, and no canon characters. Species: Again. Pretty self explanatory. See the above for any banned species. Gender: Do I even have to point this one out? Appearance: What your character looks like. Powers: Here's where you list your element, your mask, or any other power types inherent with your character. Skills: Good at using your element? Strong fighter? Psychologist? What your character is good at. Weaknesses: You have to have one. What is your character bad at? What problems do they have? Equipment: Here's where you put your weapons, your pencils, your first aid kits. What does your character carry with them? Bio: Your character's past. What are they like? What have they been through? Also doubles as your character's personality section. Must be at least two sentences long, and if you go for the minimum, they'd better be exceptional sentences. ***** Dedications Even though this was mainly an in-house production, and I kept most of the details to myself beyond the introduction and basic premise, I think it would be apt here to make some dedications and special thank yous to the people who not only inspired me to make this game possible, but to the people that inspire me on an all-around basis almost every single day of my life. Get some Kleenex handy, smoke if you got 'em: there are feels on the horizon and there's no way around 'em. Special thanks to the people who inspired me to get into the RPG forum: to everyone who's still kicking that played Requiem, this one's for you, to Exo-Fat, you mad frickin' genius, to anyone who ever read one of my pre-2011 "open for interaction" posts and figured "eh, why not?" this one's for you. Thanks for giving me a ride for this long and this far: from here on out, it's my turn to drive. Be warned, I don't like speed limits. Special thanks to everyone in the BZPRPG that, for some unfathomable reason, put me and my writing on a pedestal and gave me a shot to shine in a game where nobody is really supposed to shine. Special thanks to Dov and Krayzikk, who will stay up at night as late as they need to if it means me pitching them one of my crazy ideas during a hallucinogenic fugue staTe. Special thanks to Snipe for so much more than I could ever list. Special thanks to Grochi for giving me a chance to keep my insult Humor sharp. Special thanks to Vorex for keeping my real insults sharp. You all are my muses. Never change. Much love to everyone in my WC crew: here's to Ghost, aka David Tennant's young doppelganger, you're pretty alright, even if you are the new kid. To Veef/Corv, aka Commander Shepard, aka Joss Whedon of Western Europe, you have an incredible talent for doing what you do: you're a genius artist, a great writer, and one of the realest and kindest people I know. To Francis, aka the Master of Disguise, aka OG Fruit Bowl, I have nothing in my heart for you but love and admiration. We've been doing this thing togethEr since the beginning, and I want to thank you for giving me a boost when I've felt like quitting, having my back at the good times, the bad times, and the worst times, and being just a general astounding human being every day. Special, special thanks to Biebs and Rene, aka Dr. Jekyll and Mister Indeterminate Gender, aka Beauty and the More Beauty, aka What Would I Do Without You Two?, two of the most astounding human beings I've ever come across, for their constant love and encouragement, whether it's necessary or not. I'm proud to have you two as spouses, and I'd like to thank both of you or molding my writing Style and making me what I am as a writer and a person - or, rather, what people tell me I am - more than either of you could ever know. Finally, last, and anything but least, thank you to Nuju Metru, aka Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of San Francisco, aka Brunette Joffrey, aka Skinny Love, aka The Cheerio Bandit, aka Aaron. Whether you know it or not, RPing under you This past year, getting to know you, hanging out late at night telling terrible jokes and coming up with actors for our characters, all that stUpid stuff that we took for granted ended up changed my life. Even though I maDe sure never to tell you I even had an RPG concept caught up, even though you never saw a word that's in this post before today, your fingerprints are on almost every inch of this entire game from the intro to even these dedications. You have so many talents, and I got nothing but faith that you're going to use them to the best of your ability, squared, throughout your entire life. You're going to change the world by the time you're done with it: it's just a matter of when you start. I'm honored to call you one of my best frIends in the world, and I love you, Aaron, even during the times where I pretend that you're not, and that I don't. Here's tO the future: it's ours for the taking. Take care, everybody. Enjoy the game, and God willing we'll all meet again in Techna III: The Search for a Proper Ending. -Tyler I'm serious about the Techna thing.
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The Light Meets the Dark An RPG for Contest #25 by Levacius Zehvor Date: 849 AGC (After Great Cataclysm), below the Southern Continent ~ Prelude to Destruction ~ The end of the world seemed to come. We had no name to give it, no name that had a proper fit to it. But the Matoran are an ordered people, and we soon regrouped and looked at the world we had been left with. This was our world, the Matoran Universe, ravaged by quakes, and stars falling from the sky. Together, as a people, we gave it a name. Only one name could fit, and that was the Great Cataclysm. For thousands of years, the Visorak had ravaged our lands; now, though, they were leaderless. Those who remained loyal, still, had been mustered together by the Brotherhood of Makuta, the angels of Mata-Nui who had fallen and become demons. Their leader, who must therefore have been the devil, had seemingly slipped away from the world, leaving his dogs uncontrolled as they waged a terrible war against the Dark Hunters. But evil was not the only one hiding – so, too, had Mata-Nui vanished. Those who spoke his words were silent. But, perhaps the most devastating thing for us was the silence of Metru-Nui. Without its forges and research labs functioning, the largest source of industry in the north was shut down. The power plant, able to provide energy to all but the volcanic Southern Islands, was inoperable. Only then did we realize our folly; only then, we saw how foolish our trust in one place had been. Our physical needs, all entrusted to one city. Our peace of mind, all entrusted to the Toa. With Mata-Nui silent, the Toa were all we had, and they were fading away. Hundreds had died as a result of the aftereffects of the Toa/Dark Hunter War, and the ancient organizations that kept them in close contact had disbanded. They were separated. They were weak. They were vulnerable. The many enemies of the Toa from across all of time struck. Whole teams vanished or were murdered. Only a few hundred are suspected to survive. ~The Sky Falls ~ We were the people of the Southern Continent, in the past. Most of us, at the very least – the capital city of the continent, and many of the surrounding territories, catapulted into the skies above, leaving a massive chasm. Many died during Skyfall – when the stars themselves died. When, one by one, the points of light in the sky died out, and massive crystals struck the ground with massive force, destroying cities and ravaging the landscape. When I say many, I speak of both the percentages and the actual loss. It is suspected that over two million Matoran died within the matter of months that it took for Skyfall to reach its completion. Close to one tenth of the Matoran Universe, of numerous species, were lost to us. Those who survived on the Continent tried to flee, leaving under twenty thousand survivors scattered and ready to be brought together to complete one final plan. The sky had been lost to us. The night was nothing but darkness. The Three Suns of the day provided us only dim light. It was in the dim light we worked. It was in the dark of noon we worked on the greatest of projects that the united Southern Continents people had ever devised – perhaps the greatest in all of history. We dug. We dug, and we kept digging until we couldn’t anymore. We made use of the ancient tunnel networks that we used for trade before the chute systems. We found the ancient caves, and dark oceans beneath the surface. And as we kept digging, and exploring, and building, we found solace in the underground. It was safe there. ~ The World Below~ Our colonies spread. The only record we had of the passing of time were found in small watches and clocks. Lightstones were used to provide illumination; into the largest of caverns, the base of our great city Metru-Sumonu, the Under-Earth City, we had carried one of the Sky Crystals from the surface. We found our source of life in the waters of the Ga-Rivon waterway, and the underground sea Ga-Rivok. We found ways to farm. We opened the tunnels to mine. And in the underworld, we prospered. From our new home we began discussing things of the surface world – politics and defense. We still remembered our home. We remembered how the world once was. But the past was behind us, and we could never return. We were happy here, in the belly of the universe. But our happiness was not to last. ~ The Beast Rises ~ Perhaps the Makuta were demons, in their own way, and in every sense of the word. But they were still the creations of Mata-Nui. They were a group with minds bound to the world and their own desires. What we awoke as we dug was not a creature of desire or emotion. It was simply the Beast. It began thirteen years ago, when the cavern of Tzont had finally reached full stability. But we kept digging past it. We wanted to go deeper. We wanted to see what could be found there. But none of us know what they found. The day came when the entire cavern started to collapse, despite being completely secured. But this was only the aftermath – before the caverns collapsed, the survivors came to us. They returned to the city, and told us of the Beast. Just what it was, none were completely sure. Some described it as a giant wreathed in fire. Others, a titan of pure electricity, scarring the land around it. But all told of their close encounters – of how rocks seemed to move slightly to the side when they would have crushed them, or how they just happened to trip on a small rock as a lance of pure flame rocketed past their heads. As though they had been saved, even when they shouldn’t have. The Beast was not seen again for close to a decade. During this time, there was a spike in the number of mysterious occurrences in the tunnels, with people randomly dying, and just as often escaping what they believed certain death. All marked off as just random events. Until the Beast returned once more, destroying the city of Taunn; the first of our outposts, and the only one leading into the upper tunnels, and the world above. More escaped the second massacre, and with more stories of life and death. They told stories of how the Beast destroyed the passages and ruined the surrounding tunnels. We began a hunt for other caverns, and other ways back out. But it was a hopeless quest, for the Beast destroyed every tunnel we could think of. Some were unlucky enough to find them at the same time. After a time, it was decided to give up. There was nothing for us on the surface – and if our adversary wished to trap us down here, so be it. It has been months since we last heard from the Beast, and its actions - at least, most of, for there are still some who would pursue it, and already have. As for the rest of us, we have taken the time to prepare ourselves. We will be ready for whatever comes next. This is how we came into the tunnels. This is how we came to Sumonu-Wahi, the Land Under the Earth. This is how you came down here. And what happens next lies in your hands. ~Overview of the RPG ~ By Toa Levacius Zehvor, Creator What you have just read is the backstory of this RPG – how the characters got to where they are now. Why they’re living in the small, four Kio deep thick crust that lies between the Southern Continent and Karda-Nui. Of course, the pretty question isn’t how they got here, it’s ‘what’s next?’You have entered The Light Meets the Dark. Named after an album, yes, because I thought the name fit the RPG quite well – the light of civilization, in the darkness of Sumonu-Wahi. This RPG will bear with it a number of restrictions, but also a lot of freedom in personal backstory – it’s your characters, and what they do, that is the focal point of this RPG. Play every action as if you’re the main character, because every one of your characters is the focal point of this story.This RPG focuses primarily on story and character development. The main mechanic is the Morality Meter that accounts for the many actions your character makes and begins drawing them closer to the light… or deeper into darkness.Since we’ve already finished the history, we shall skip past it and move directly to more information on Sumonu-Wahi. First we will talk about the locations, and then the factions and people (NPCs) that occupy them. Finally, we’ll get to the Morality Meter, and finally creating your beautiful character. ~ Sumonu-Wahi: Places to See ~ The Numerous Locations of Sumonu-Wahi to Explore Link to Full Map The following is a description of Sumonu-Wahi ( - , which translates to Land Under the Earh in Old Matoran). Close to ninety percent of the region that is safe to transverse is simply the tunnels and minor caves that can be found amongst them – but it’s what’s happening in the remaining ten percent, the major caves, that matters the most.Architecture: It is impossible to properly describe this, as it varies so greatly – from across the Southern Continent have there been civilians, all with their own traditional designs and ideas. Generally, the size of the inhabitant and their wealth dictate the size of the structure, however.Economy: The economy of Sumonu-Wahi works based on the standard currency piece of the widget. Most traders operate in small guilds, but nothing large has ever assumed full control, and many act independently. Many private individuals invest in shops and work out business deals in exchange for doing so.Political: Sumonu-Wahi’s controlling government is best classified as an oligarchy. The most wealthy individuals and groups who originally took charge in leading us down beneath the earth still retain power, controlling the actions of those lower downs. The largest businesses and guilds are often under their control as well. The five major houses are Kaimiro, Redome, Pheond, Kirak, and Irikin.Classes: There’s an upper class, a middle class, and a lower class. For the most part, the upper class control everything, though they often are forced to make concessions to keep the tradesmen and warriors of the middle class from causing problems. The lower class, on the other hand, have almost no say in anything, bowing to the wishes of those above them.Metru-Sumonu (The Under-Earth City): The largest and most important cavern houses the city Metru-Sumonu. Close to twenty thousand surface world survivors reside here. The city is centered around a lightstone that was teleported down from the surface world with Kanoka disks, large enough to provide illumination to the whole place. There are three major pillars and numerous artificial supports to help with the ceiling. Most of the wealthy reside further from the lightstone, along the sides of the cavern – the closer a building is to it, the smaller it will generally be. Windows are rarely seen, and almost always facing away from it, with interior lightstones providing light.Flames are not allowed to burn here, in order to prevent a buildup of smoke and pollution in the air. There is no electricity here. If heat is required, a heatstone is used. Many highly specialized ones can be purchased, including ones hot enough to be used in a forge. For the same reason, firearms are eschewed for disks and the popular Zamor sphere launcher.A few more well known locales to hang out are the Sumonu Bar & Grill (frequented by commoners), the Dark Abyss Saloon (frequented by criminals), and the Maroon Moon (a high-end bar/restaurant often used by those on business).Taunn (Destroyed): This was the first of the caverns to be inhabited, and closest to the surface world. It is now almost completely collapsed due to the Beast. The only inhabitants now are criminals who make use of its bad reputation and far out location to keep the guards from coming after them. Most are also scavengers, claiming the equipment of the dead for their own use or selling it to others. Before its destruction, it was owned by House Irikin.Faen: The city of Faen is also known as the Cemetery, for the bodies of the deceased are all brought here for burial. Irikin owns this cavern, and keeps it well guarded. There is a small temple to Mata-Nui here.Aila: Also owned by House Irikin, the small settlement of Aila is a primarily religious one. The largest temple to Mata-Nui in the Wahi can be found here, along with museums and numerous statues depicting great heroes. The guards here are few, but are highly trained and equipped well. Most Toa reside here.Tzont (Destroyed): This was one of the two mining operations formerly controlled by House Kamirio. It was destroyed by the Beast, who collapsed most of the cavern and all of the adjoining tunnels. No criminal band even considers going here – the entire place is said to be haunted by the spirits of the dead.Feurn: Owned by House Kamirio, this cavern is the second largest mining camp in the Wahi. Many poorer workers are employed in these tunnels, and it is considered one of the worst places to be so. With the destruction of Tzont, this work is just getting harder and harder, as they attempt to compensate for their loss is their race against Redome.Eleurn: Owned by House Redome, this small town is the location of the most extensive mining networks in recent history. Worker treatment is just as harsh here as elsewhere, with the miners being pressured to claim as much benefit as they can while Kamirio is recovering from Tzont. The sheer number is also much higher, though the pay is as well.Gesph: The prison colony of the city, and yet another mine. Prisoners are forced to work here for the benefit of the city, under the supervision of Redome guards. Overall, the cost of the guards is too high to make Gesph a major source of profit, and most of what’s made here is marked off as extra revenue, and is never counted on.Irund: Under the control of House Pheond, this city is almost entirely watermill based factory work. Goods are typically brought down river when transported from here to Metru-Sumonu, but through the caverns when going the opposite way.Nourn: The cavern of Nourn is a primarily residential, with those within paying rent to House Pheond to live here. It is somewhat notorious for being used by criminals as a hide out. It also has a secondary purpose as a mine – more specifically, a mine of the crystal used to make Zamor Spheres, ammunition to the favored weapon in the Wahi.Arik, Ariv, and Arif: These three caverns bordering lake Ga-Rivok are the major source of fishing and agriculture in the city. Controlled by House Kirak, they represent the breadbasket of Sumonu-Wahi. Very little goes on here other than the occasional robbery, but most would prefer to go after more valuable things like ore or weapons. Most of the ground here has been removed and replaced with soil filled grounds for growing food, and small canals for bringing water to the ‘fields’. Supplies from Irund and Metru-Sumonu are brought downriver, but taken back up by tunnel travelling supply trains.Ga-Rivok & Ga-Rivon: The Ga-Rivon river stretches for an unknowable distance away from here, ending with the Ga-Rivok lake. It is estimated the lake is close to eight hundred Bio deep, with the top of the overall cave being about twenty Bio high, save at the three caverns adjoining it. ~ Sumonu-Wahi: People to Meet ~ Detailed Descriptions of Factions, and Those Who Are In Them Sumonu-Wahi is a host to a number of organizations that spring up almost daily. The world is full of lots of ambiguity when it comes to morals, especially among the leadership. Deciding what’s right and what’s wrong out of this tangle is what makes you different, and what gives you the power to change things for the better, or for the worse. ~ Part the First: The Five Houses ~ The most powerful organizations are the Five Houses. Each is based within Metru-Sumonu, though their primary holdings lie outside the city limits. These five Houses were the former leaders of some of the largest cities on the Southern Continent, and were behind the creation of Metru-Sumonu, supplying the resources and directing workers. They are from whence the city came, and never shall it be away from their rule.It is of note that due to the lack of blood ties between members of the Matoran Universe, the House does not refer to any form of family links. The Houses are simply groups of beings coming together to support the power they have. Becoming a member of a House is difficult, though many try to gain the support of one of them.House Kamirio: One of the two mining Houses, Kamirio is mostly composed of Steltians and Vortixx. It is among the most brutal of the houses to be a lower class worker for, but among the most prosperous for a trader just starting off. There are numerous artisans under Kamirio’s employ as well.House Redome: The other mining house, Redome has always been in competition since the beginning of the city. It is composed primarily of Matoran and Skakdi, and many of the later species are employed as guards for the House. In the past, it always lagged behind Kamirio in keeping power, but has recently begun to have success in surpassing them.House Pheond: This house has always been more focused on the people more than anything – which is to say, they were slave dealers on the surface world. The factories they run are jokingly referred to as being nothing more than this, but in truth, they are quite humane compared to the mines. Pheond also owns a lot of property, renting it out to the other Houses and independents alike.House Kirak: This house was a large one on the surface, owning close to one eight of the land on the Southern Continent – almost all of it farmland. Agriculture was how they got rich, and how they still manage to make by. As their three territories of Ariv, Arik, and Arif are some of the only sources of food in Sumonu-Wahi, their monopoly has allowed them to keep up with the other Houses.House Irikin: The oldest of the Houses, acting as the complimentary religious one. They drew much of their surface importance from matters related to Mata-Nui that they drew their wealth and importance, and now they have very little influence in the city, taking most of their wealth from their renowned artists and a few donations. Their ownership of Taunn was once a good source of wealth, as they rented out land there for cheap, allowing beings to occasional venture to the surface and remember their old homes. Whether or not its lost will be their fall is yet to be known. Most members are of the Matoran species. ~ Part the Second: Criminals, and Those Who Break Their Legs ~ As in any civilized society, the people of Sumono-Wahi are under the juristiction of guards that uphold the law. These laws outlaw the obvious such as slavery, murder, assault, battery, arson, thievery, and everything else. Resisting arrest or disobeying an officer of the law is quite common, but don’t do that either. Even those in the Houses are subject to the laws of the city – those caught and incarcerated are ridiculed by their fellows.Metru-Sumonu Guard (MSG): The true guardians and police force of the city. The MSG are among the best trained warriors to be found, outside the elite guards of the Five Houses – who are often picked from this group, or from being adventurers. The MSG works primarily with House Redome, who keep their prison, but also provides free services to the temples controlled by House Irikin when needed.House Guards: This group is actually five – the five groups of guards working for the five houses and patrolling their lands. Little is to be said on them beyond that they’re guards working for the Houses.Black Sickle Gang (The Sickle): The Sickle are the largest gang in Sumonu-Wahi. While they may not be the most powerful, their members are the most dangerous, living in the fringe caves and assaulting society from afar to claim what they want at others expense. They are led by the uncreatively named the Black Sickle, a female Skakdi with an unstable mind and a somewhat obvious choice in weaponry.The Syndicate Under the Earth (The Syndicate): The Syndicate doesn’t really have a name, as its members hardly know each other. Members of this group typically act under at least three aliases – the first, their name in public; the second, their name in the syndicate; the third, their real name. They meet each other under the second. Contacting each other is difficult, which means members have to be perfect at both hiding and searching. Generally, higher ranking beings get better at both, to the point that the organizations only ‘leader’ of sorts only appears once every several months. ~ Part the Third: Hunting the Beast ~ Not all in the city seek to go about mundane tasks. The appearance of the Beast as sparked the formation of three major groups, all with their own plans for it.While the general public has never seen the Beast, members of these groups often are those who witnessed its powers, particularly at Taunn. On the rare occasion, they have actually caught up with it – both the Speakers and Templars took heavy casualties, including Toa, in their few run-ins, while the Sen’Iva have been more careful and lost fewer to their enemy.Templars of Mata-Nui: The Templars are aligned against the Beast. Composed primarily of Matoran, with Turaga back at the base, it has the backing of House Irikin, and to lose extents Kamirio, who want revenge for the events at Tzont. Their plans involve destroying the Beast, one way or another, and they have tried all they can to find some way of accomplishing it. The Tempars believe in using force of arms and the blessing of Mata-Nui to do their job, along with what can be learned from history. They rarely conflict with the other two groups.The Sen’Iva Order: This Order is named after the ancient Sen’Iva, a small group who were dedicated to sealing away evils in the Matoran Universe, and putting escapees back. They believe the only way to defeat the Beast is to find where it came from and lure it back there, banishing it rather than destroying it. They are more willing to employ weapons of magic or science in this pursuit. They occasionally find themselves pitted against the Speakers.Speakers of Truth: The Speakers believe that the Beast is a divine being, equal to Mata-Nui himself, and that it cannot be destroyed or sealed away. Instead, they hope to find a way to find it and use its power. They are willing to use almost anything to that end, and are far more visible than the Sen’Iva, who often compete with them over new weaponry and research bases. ~ The Final Part: For Everything Else – You! ~ For the Non-Affiliated and Custom Factions Of course, the most important factor is you, as the player.Most NPCs in the game do not have any form of affiliation with any of the groups presented above. They are instead neutral citizens doing what they need to do to survive the day.PCs are a special case. Each of your characters is their own unique person, and is expected to be played that way. As is fitting, such individuals are sometimes able to form together and create their own groups and factions.The rules for creating a faction in-game are simple. At ten characters, and a minimum of five players, a faction may be created by filling out this form – You may attempt to win over NPCs and establish a base of operations, but it’s a slow process, especially at the beginning. If your goal is to create a new organization, go for it.Finally, you may forsake one (1) of your character slots to begin the game with a character who is in charge of a faction, following the same list of information given above. Such a faction may have from 5 and 50 member (the number will be provided to you by the GM, but you may choose any number of 5 to 20 on your initiative to be more certain), and you must include any operatives. You need only name important NPCs, and their positions. You must provide at least a 30 Word goal description, and a tagged on 100 Word write-up describing the factions beginnings and other information. You may only create one new faction per player. It will be added to the Profiles topic rather than the Main topic.~ Gameplay: Character Morality ~ Every Action Has a Consequence While playing this RPG, your character will constantly be observed for every action they take. Most of these actions don’t mean much, but others do – especially the following.A] Interactions with other player’s characters.B] Interactions taken during GM started eventsC] Interactions that move the story forwardsD] Interactions with heavy consequences for manyThe purpose of this RPG is, as stated above, to tell the story and to show your characters, the stars of that story, developed along the way to its completion. As such, they will gain further powers and abilities as they develop, which may be essential to the actually completion of the story. What differentiates PCs from NPCs is that they’re able to go through such development and change, whilst the NPCs are static.As characters take actions, they are counted upon something called the Morality Meter. Well, actually, it’s closer to an Excel Sheet than a Meter.The rating of the Morality Meter goes from 999 (Saint) to -666 (Irredeemable). Yes, there are more points to earn on the positive side than the negative side. Most characters will start off at a flat 0 on the meter, which is dead center. You are neither particularly good, nor particularly evil.Both 999 and -666 represent the characters ultimate ascension to good or complete corruption into evil. It is possible for a good character to fall back to darkness, even from this point, but not without severe reasons. And, along a similar vein, the greatest evil can be redeemed – but it’s incredibly hard, thus the title of Irredeemable.As you ascend on the side of good, you may gain the following powers – As you fall to the side of evil, you may gain the following powers – Finally, a character who remains at 0 and is actively trying to keep themselves from going either way (not swinging constantly and being indecisive, but just as firm in their beliefs as those above), they are provided with their own abilities.Now, as stated above, it’s your characters actions that cause the meter to slide. The only other way is by having something out of the ordinary (GM related) change it, such as having your moral light drained.It should be somewhat easy to figure out that some things are good (helping people out a burning building) while others are evil (setting said building on fire with people in it). Other things are less clear – but you must still make a decision, based on character personality, and stick with it.There are a few other points that must be remembered –A] As characters move further along the Meter either way, their personality will change. It must change, to some extent. Otherwise, this is just a chart. If your character does not develop, they do not gain powers.B] It’s easier to do evil actions than good actions. Allowing yourself down the dark path and following dark desires is easier than choosing to do the right thing. In the end, though, good has the best payoff.Finally, some of the common species (but not custom ones) do have an effect on the morality meter. Matoran advance at a much higher rate than all other species either way, and Toa are drawn to good. Vortixx are able to progress down the dark path easier. Skakdi are impeded going either way, due to their mentality, but it isn’t as bad when moving to darkness. ~ Gameplay: Character Mortality ~ The Rules of the RPG, and How to Create Your Character ~ Character Creation ~ The character sheet is as follows – Name, along with Gender & Species, are self explanatory. You can put your characters assumed alias’ and the like in name as well, such as codenames or nicknames. Gender does not dictate what elements you can or cannot be, but the ratio is usually about nine-one with NPCs. You may create custom species, including intelligent Rahi, but only if powers are limited – elemental powers doubly so. When discussing Matoran, Turaga, and Toa, you should use the elemental prefix if known, or 'of X' if not. (Male Ta-Toa, Female Toa of Magnetism).The Powers and Abilities sections refer to two different things. Abilities are things that have nothing to do with their powers, but are completely physical. Powers are everything else. You may create your own. Be logical with this - things such as Time and Life are outlawed, and a few power combinations are also outlawed (Psionics + Intangibility). If your goal is to make the most powerful character ever, you're just being a munchkin. We don't need that.Equipment is your items. Note that anything that creates lots of smoke or steam isn’t likely to be found – the most common weapon is the Zamor Sphere Launcher. Overall, the tech isn’t that flashy, since there’s no electricity or power plants, but the technology can still be very Sci-Fi like in nature. This is where you put what your mask does, if you have one.Appearance is what your character looks like. You may link and image of your character, or post the image if under 10 KB. The image must be clear and easy to see. Otherwise, use a description of thirty words or greater. Shapeshifter types must describe their common/favored/default form.Faction is who your character is aligned with, if anybody.Morality is what ‘rank’ your character has on the Morality Meter.Personality is how your character behaves. Include your characters alignment on the Law/Chaos and Good/Evil charts if you are familiar. This section must be a minimum of sixty words in total, as it’s who your character is – and that’s one of the most important things in this RPG. You are expected to stick to it.Biography, or History, is where your characters age and past goes. The bare minimum is fifty-words, but with a twist. All species other than Matoran must have a minimum of 100 instead. Skakdi need 200, and Toa 250. This means that more powerful characters need to have more work put into them. Custom species start at 150 and then go up.I am going to be very free in what I allow players to choose in a few respects. First of all, I am allowing players to act as the leaders or higher-ups of the factions provided, unless a prior name is given. There are a few rules on this, however. For a higher-up, the character must have an additional 100 words in the Bio (or 300, whichever is higher) and 15 words in the personality. For a full on faction leader, a minimum of 500 words for the biography must be provided, and at least an additional 25 words for the personality. This is not a guarantee, and some factions do not have a single 'leader'. In addition, you must follow through with this character and manage them efficiently and realistically. Your cations are much more subject to analysis or being retconned. As long as you follow what the personality description of your character says, there should be no problem.There are three characters who you are not allowed to play as, because they have already been named or have details beyond what I'm going to allow. These, and the reasons behind the choices, are -~ The Beast; Primordial Horror [Why? I dunno. Because.]~ Black Sickle; Leader of 'The Sickle' [Why? Because she's my sample NPC]~ Overseer [syndicate Name]; Leader of 'The Syndicate' [Why? Because GM plans]You may have five (5) characters at the start, and may be awarded for doing things that progress the story an additional one (1) character slot up to three times, for a maximum of eight (8) characters possible.Characters are to be posted in the Discussion Topic, called Dark Abyss Saloon, for approval. Upon approval, they are to be posted in the Profiles Topic, called Sumonu-Wahi Citizen List. If another character is approved later, edit the initial post and add them to it. A person should never have more than one post in the Profiles Topic.Special Note: Players may only create a single (1) Toa character – there aren’t many left in the universe, after all. Just killing them off because you’re tired of them won’t get you that privilege back, but a meaningful death may, after a time.Sample CharacterThis is a sample character; the difference between this one and a starting character is the preset morality - the difference is that hers cannot change, as she is an NPC.~ The Rules & Miscellaneous~ You must follow the following rules to play this RPG.The rules of the RPG are as follows –1. All BZPower and RPG Forum Rules apply. Attempt to use proper grammar and spelling – you won’t get punished for bad writing, but you’re just setting yourself up to be misinterpreted.2. No godmodding. You must be willing to accept your character losing a fight. You need to know when to hold ‘em, and when to fold ‘em. This branches down to not doing anything overpower, not auto-hitting everyone, not avoiding every attack, and not bunnying (taking control of another players character without permission).3. Comedy and romance are allowed, but limited. Don’t take it too far. In addition, do not attempt constant references to things in the real world. Even when the Matoran Universe had a functioning internet, there was no Maskbook.4. Posts in the Main Topic must never be solely in OOC. Zero tolerance.5. You are developing this story, but I will exploit any slip-ups or mistake you make, moreso with major catastrophes in the works.Punishments are –First Offense – Warning! This is your only one – don’t keep it up.Second Offense – You will receive a debilitating injury of some kind to your character.Third Offense – One of your characters dies, and cannot be replaced.Fourth Offense – All remaining characters die. Somehow – I’ll make it happen. You can make one more character, and try to get back in good graces, after a 48 hour ban. If you persist…Fifth Offense – All characters gone forever. Leave now and never come back.To play the RPG after your character is approved (above), you must make posts in the main RPG topic using IC and OOC. Example – It’s pretty simple, really.Now that you know what you do, I’ll say what I do. I’m the GameMaster.I’m in control of the NPCs in the game, and so are any Co-GMs I choose to take that job. You have control of them, too, but to a lesser extent – such as the conversation you have with a merchant, or the people you see walking by waving. I control character approval, and am alone in this. I, and any Co-GM I choose, will also be in charge of assigning punishments to those who break the rules.~ Thanking People ~ Oh, all of you. Everyone here who’s played my RPGs, or who’s been even-headed enough to let me play in theirs. Everybody who’s given advice or helped out with anything in anyway. This is a great forum, and you’re all just great, except for those of you who aren’t.With all of this said –Thank you,Toa Levacius Zehvor
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Toa Levacius Zehvor Presents Waves of the South IntroductionThe Matoran Universe – a mysterious, barely tamed place, filled with exotic lands and places of wonder. So many travelled, yet so much more left unexplored! Yet never has any solid land managed to capture the alluring beauty of the crystalline seas of liquid protodermis. It is here that our story shall be told.Our story is not of armies meeting each other on the open field. It is not one of stranded villagers struggling to trek through Kio of wilderness. It is not the story of heroes meeting an ancient evil. This is that tale of Yheyn-Seas, and the events that transpired there. It is a tale of daring heroes clashing with manipulative villains, searching for new lands, and ancient treasures.Perhaps you are a hero. Perhaps you are a villain. Or perhaps you don’t know what you are. It doesn’t matter – you have become part of this grand tale. The Yheyn-Seas are open to you, and great treasures are waiting to be found. It’s up to you and others both similar and dissimilar to find them. For you are not alone, travelling the waves of the south.History The following is a detailed history of Yheyn –Matoran civilization first began to grow on Yheyn in the year 4,318 PL, not a great deal of time after the Great Spirit first illuminated the universe. Turaga Gauraur was appointed as the first Count of Yheyn, aided by the members of the islands judicial system, the Justiciars. The island was at peace until the year 3,100 PL, until the increasing cruelty of the Justiciars forced Gauraur to disown them. But the Justiciars were ready, and with superior numbers, they easily defeated Gauraur and executed him.Thus began the reign of the Justiciars. And so it would remain for 200 years, until Gremost, an emissary from the Toa Council, stood up to the order and struck quickly, overpowering their armies and killing off their leadership. For decades, the free Matoran of Yheyn who rallied under him toiled to finish up the job. Gremost then claimed the title of Count of Yheyn, and the Toa of Earth began construction of Castle Sakrinil, a project spanning the centuries.Quiet millennia passed until the year 8,619 IA. At the time, most of the Matoran Universe was in the hands of the Barraki. Fear for their homelands led to the leaders of the twelve major countries in the eastern Southern Islands to meet with each other on the central island of Everok on the sixth month of that year to forge an alliance.Thus the Southern Alliance was formed, a confederation consisting of twelve minor countries joined together to defend their homes. Whilst the combined military force would not see conflict with the League, who had been focused only on the north, the trade agreements formed over those six millennia remained. The wealth, fortune, and security offered by the Alliance made the decision for its continuation unanimous.Yheyn was both the smallest and most isolated of the Island-Countries. Gremost eventually tired of the annual visits to Everok, where the leaders of the countries convened in the Council of Twelve. He appointed Vamden, a foreigner, to the position of Ambassador, and declared him as his eventual successor. During that time, construction for the Shimmering Palace began – its purpose for show, not as a home.It is the year 3,692 AL in the Island-Country of Yheyn, and the citizens mourn the five hundred anniversary of Gremost’s passing. Vamden holds control of the country, not as Count, but as Governor, with a Turaga named Jovalik acting as viscount and in control of Sakrinil. Vamden himself sits in Shimmering Palace.Despite these changes, Yheyn has remained quite static over the millennia. But with so much opportunity for adventure, how much longer could that last?Atlas The Southern Alliance controls the entire eastern chain of the Southern Islands – or at least, all known islands. The islands composing it are (in order of size) Everok, Ampora, Wulfath, Riffia, Fanik, Nui-Vatur, Tiyark, Kigym, Ibrak, Aztara, Acirma, and finally Yheyn.This RPG is set in the Yheyn-Seas – the area directly around and including the Island-Country of Yheyn. Yheyn is only a minor part of the Alliance, due in part to its small size and population, but also its isolation. At the speed of a standard transport ship, it takes a full week to reach Yheyn from its closest neighbor, Ampora. Blue = Water /// Dark Green = Light-Medium Forest /// Light Green = Agricultural, GrasslandGrey = Mountain /// Red = Volcanic /// Brown = Desert /// Star = High InhabitationFor the original, full size map, click here. It is much larger; I have pretty fast internet connection and it takes some time for me to load it.The Island of Yheyn Yheyn may not have the most environmental regions in the Alliance, but it certainly does for its small size. The southernmost, and inhabited, area of Yheyn is rich agricultural land, composed of rolling hills and fields. Much of the area is connected by canals or railroads, and small settlements dot the landscape. To the north is a vast jungle, followed by deserts, badlands, and mountains. The worst regions are even volcanic. The only hospitable area is the central forest of Karda-Vir and the lake found within.The railroads are considered an eyesore – a necessary one, yes, but unpleasant to view nonetheless. Many emerge from Sakrinil, but none are found within a couple dozen Kio of Shimmering Palace. They are relatively new constructions, and prone to malfunctions.There are only two major locations on Yheyn of interest –Shimmering Palace – Shimmering Palace is the current seat of power on the island of Yheyn. The palace is composed of marvelous zoos and shining, marble buildings reflected by the shining water it rests near. The palace proper is home to Governor Vamden, and is staffed by over six dozen workers and nearly twice that many soldiers, many of whom are foreigners. Though only this central complex has a wall, the cities well positioned towers and twisting pattern of buildings add to its defensibility.The Shimmering Palace is open for players to move about at their leisure, though causing any unwanted trouble could mean immediate arrest, or worse. Being allowed past the palace gates is a rare privilege, and speaking to the Governor himself is an honor most only dream of. In most cases, one will speak to the castle steward, or the captain-of-the-guard with regards to defense or military matters.People of Interest – Governor Vamden (Toa of Air), Steward Onuks (Turaga of Fire), Captain-of-the-Guard Elain (Toa of Water), see FactionsSakrinil – The city of Sakrinil is the largest in the Yheyn-Seas, housing nearly fifteen thousand residents of assorted races. It doesn’t extend very far into the land, instead being spread out across a massive distance around the coast. The city is quite wealthy, and even its lower class are considered better off than in most feudal societies. Still, there’s always a lower rung, and a few areas of the city are no more than hovels.Sakrinil had been the seat of power in Yheyn since the Justiciars fall, and the construction of Castle Sakrinil. Now, with the construction of the Shimmering Palace, that significance is gone. Within Castle Sakrinil resides the honorable ruler of the city, Viscount Jovalik, an elderly Turaga who was previously the major of a small village before being appointed in his current position by Governor Vamden.While not common knowledge, those with a basic understanding of the city realize Jovalik is just a figurehead, and has been slowly falling out of touch with reality. It is the guildmasters that hold true power. He is often used as a scapegoat for the Governors bad decisions.Sakrinil is completely open to the players. Its larger size and spread out guards make it easier to get away with crimes here, but causing major trouble is likely to result in it coming back around. It runs off of a currency system of widgets where international trading us concerned; otherwise, you better know how to barter.People of Interest – Viscount Jovalik (Turaga of Fire), Steward Tselkar (Ko-Matoran), Captain-of-the-Guard Morvalk (Toa of Iron), see Factions.The Yheyn-SeasWhilst Yheyn is part of the Yheyn-Seas, it has been isolated from the smaller islands due to having its own locations and its great size. The more important islands of the Yheyn-Seas that have been discovered are as follows –The Six Lights – These six highly volcanic islands can be found off the east coast of Yheyn. They are inhabited only by Rahi.Moroni – Moroni is a cluster of five islands to the south-east of Yheyn. The first, almost twice as large as the other four combined, is a barren wasteland, with a single mountain known as Smugglers Peak jutting out from it. Smugglers Peak is easily 400 Bio high, with a Kio spanning base. It receives its name from the many criminals inhabiting its ancient ruins – these huge stone fortresses and archways are the only signs of civilization prior to that of Yheyn.The first two smaller isles are coated by tropical forests, and also common places for criminals to hole up. The other two – one volcanic, one a rocky waste devoid of life – are rarely visited.Effrah – Effrah is composed of a northern and southern mountain range with a loose, temperate forest squeezed in between them. There are no locations of interest here, save for the village of Port Green Peak, located on the coast of the southern mountain/forest border.Dajon – Dajon is mostly coated in a thick, verdant rainforest, with mountains on its western, eastern, southern, and central points. It is the newest island to be discovered and is still mostly unexplored. The only ‘civilization’ is a few scientific camps.Nibar – The island of Nibar has been dubbed the Serpents Isle for its shape, a great twisting ‘body’ ending with a ‘head’. Along the lower (southern) area of the ‘body’ is a mountain chain, which continues into the ‘body’s upper section along the ‘belly’. The upper portion is coated in rainforests. The ‘head’ is another of the Southern Islands volcanic regions. Nibar is uninhabited, but was not always – Overlook Courthouse, ancient base of the Justiciars, is hidden amongst the coastal mountains.Frumus – Frumus is the only island independent from Yheyn proper and the Southern Alliance as a whole, and has been so for the last 300 years. It is composed of a number of closely knit fishing and farming villages, the largest being Fisherman’s Rise, located on a seaside plateau. The diplomatic break-off guarantees peace and continued trade between Frumus and the mainland.As far as geography, Frumus is mostly flatland along the western and southern areas, and is famed for its massive, unexplained canyons. The small upper region of the island is forested, with a few mountains on the far, seaside edge. It is located west-south-west of Yheyn.Kantis – The final island is Kantis, located west and a little north of Shimmering Palace. It is the only ore rich island that Yheyn retains. The southern coast is mostly agricultural, to supply the miners, and the east coast a mountainous area. The remainder is barren wasteland, rich in ore but not much else – and the ore is running dry.Leaving the MapSimply put, you won’t be going north, east, or west. You can, but there is nothing further east or west, and there isn’t much of interest to the north until you reach the other Island-Countries – and a week’s travel in-game would be far too long to do in the RPG. And for those wondering, Yheyn continues off the map for another fifty, sixty miles of volcanoes, barrens, and mountains.The south, however, is open to be explored. This is encouraged! There’s still a lot of room to fill out on the map, and a lot more sea to cover.It is for this reason that the southern area of the map remains incomplete. What islands are down there are known, and only to me. But it’s dependant on where the players go that they will be found – and what finding them might cause.SpeciesThis details the common species of the Matoran Universe and their existence on Yheyn and the Yheyn-Seas.Matoran – The Matoran are the most populous species of Yheyn, and composing some eighty odd percent of the population. Most Matoran are workers – fishermen, smiths, millers, whatever – though, while most Matoran are soldiers, most soldiers are Matoran. They are the ones who are described as making the world run.Turaga – Turaga are the revered leaders of the Matoran. Turaga, for the most part, hold sedentary jobs such as priests, scribes, sages, librarians, or judges.Toa – Toa are the most powerful of the Matoran species, and act as the warriors and defenders. Most Toa are part of the Toa Council, and follow the Toa Code, or the Xankah Order, which favors the greater good over its cost. A few, however, choose neither organization. Many of these have gone rogue; some are powerful political figures. For PCs, the first of these is the only alternative.Prime Species* – There are two of six ‘prime species’ encountered on Yheyn. These are those of Carapar and Pridak. Those of Carapar’s are much wider and stand a head shorter than a Vortixx, with dark colors for armoring. They have thick armoring and are both incredibly strong and tough, to the point that crossbows are called in as soon as they're spotted, as a normal arrow lacks the armor-piercing capabilities to get through; they are also highly resistant to the environment. Those of Pridak’s are of roughly Toa size, and usually either red or white with a secondary color. Those of this species are much more physically adept than any Toa, being able to move incredibly fast,and having greatly enhanced senses and strength. Both can use Kanohi mask powers, and are able to adapt to both adapt to new mask powers quicker, and use them at a much heightened level of efficiency. Many are natural leaders as well, meaning that only a highly charismatic individual can keep a large force together for a long time; the Barraki are brought to mind. Bickering has pushed the other Prime Species out; those from which Ehlek hailed mysteriously vanished.Steltians – The species of Stelt are the third most common species, after the Matoran types and prime species. They come in many shapes and sizes – the Leader, Guard, and Slave types the most prominent – and are often associated with the crime in the city. The war-like nature of these species is kept in check by the Toa Council and city guards, and the fact that many are more concerned with material possession than battle.Vortixx – The Vortixx are among the most physically powerful of the species of Yheyn,, second only to Steltians of the Slave and Leader classes. There are very few of them on the island. Most are master businessman, artisans, or conmen – usually a mix. The most advanced technology is that of the Vortixx, mostly based off of clockwork. Recent inventors have turned to using steam.Zyglak – A major problem on any mostly coastal area like Yheyn is the Zyglak. Their numbers are unknown; their hiding places impossible to find. Unlike Rahi, the barbaric but cunning species keeps a step ahead of its adversaries. The Toa Council has deemed lethal force necessary for them. FactionsThere are a great many factions in this RPG at the beginning. Aligning yourself with a faction presents its own benefits, and its own problems. If you don’t like the ones presented, I encourage you not to remain neutral – instead, join with other players and build up your own!That marked as a ‘Current Event’ will be removed and placed in the Discussion topic if this RPG ever wins.Primary FactionsSouthern Alliance – Any character in the RPG lives under the control of the Southern Alliance. Even independent organizations or islands, such as Frumus, have their fate resting in the Alliances hands. It is also the largest and by far most powerful faction. If you mark this as your faction, you may change it at any time.Goals – The defense of the Southern Islands against all threats, within and without.Leaders – Governor Vamden, Viscount Jovalik, Ambassador Orgym (Onu-Matoran) [away from island]Base – Shimmering PalaceAllied with Traders Guild, Coast Guard, Toa Council Opposed to Vermillion Dragon, RebellionYheyn Traders Guild – Each country in the alliance has a Traders Guild; the largest and most populated can have two or three. Guilds form the basis of society in the Alliance, and the Traders Guilds are the most important of all. It is composed of multiple smaller guilds and merchant organizations. While limited on power to the Southern Alliance as whole, the Traders Guild almost certainly controls all wealth on its island.The Traders Guild was created to keep businesses from being more successful than each other. Those who set up shop under the Guild can look forward to being successful as long as they pay its dues and follow its rules. But those who refuse to do so often run into ‘accidents’. Some still remain resolute, and operate successfully in the city. If you are part of the Traders Guild, you must own your own business, but may also join another faction or create your own.Symbol – Pile of silver and gold on a brown background.Goals – Successful and profitable trade for the merchants of Yheyn, both with its citizens and with external organizations.Leaders – Guildmistress Sarillia (Vortixx), numerous othersBase – SakrinilAllied with Southern AllianceSecondary FactionsYheyn Coast Guard – The largest military force of Yheyn are those who guard its coast line against Rahi (or worse). All without a criminal record are permitted to join.Symbol – A wave rising from a red sea, white sunGoals – Defense of the Yheyn coastline.Leader – Commander V. Redblade (Ta-Matoran)Base – Sakrinil, Port Wardens StoneAllied with Southern Alliance, Toa Council, Xankah Order Opposed to Vermillion DragonToa Council – The Toa Council is the oldest order of Toa, and has chambers across the Matoran Universe. The one on Yheyn is one of the oldest, and only those on Everok and Nui-Vatur beat it in the Southern Islands. In the ancient past, Toa were forced to join it, or be considered rogue and imprisoned. Members must follow the Toa Code to the letter, or else risk punishment. Disagreements on this led to the creation of the Xankah Order.If a good enough reason is presented, the Toa Council may allow a member to fight for one of the other factions, doing as they see fit.Requirements – ToaSymbol – Unity, Duty, Destiny symbolGoals – Enforce the Toa Code; protect the security of the Universe.Leader – Toa Sorlan (Toa of Magnetism)Base – Sakrinil, Council ChambersAllied with Southern Alliance, Coast Guard Opposed to Xankah Order (non-combat), Rogue ToaXankah Order – The Order formed long after the Toa Councils conception, only a few thousand years ago. It was created by warrior Toa Precentus, who hailed from Yheyn as a Matoran. It follows the words of The Role of the Toa, a report accusing the Toa Council of value rules more than lives. It only loosely follows the Toa Code, allowing enemies to be slain if it means saving innocent lives. Though Precentus has long since left Yheyn, his presence allowed the Order to grow large enough on Yheyn that the Toa Council cannot risk open war on them.Like the Council, they will ‘loan’ out members. While the terms of the agreement are usually more lenient, though the Order is more selective of whom their members work with.Requirements – ToaSymbol – Silver claymore over a light grey map of the Matoran Universe; light green backgroundGoals – Protect the Matoran at any cost; root out evil wherever it hides.Leader – Toa Pearaldra (Toa of Psionics)Base – Coast 25 Kio West of SakrinilAllied with Southern Alliance, Coast Guard Opposed to Toa Council (non-combat), Rogue ToaGuild of Sages (NPC) – The Guild of Sages is composed of a number of Turaga. All seeking information about forbidden or forgotten lore may speak to the Sages, though often at a price.Goals – Learn everything.Base – Sakrinil (Great Library)The Vermillion Dragon – One of the largest criminal organizations is the Vermillion Dragon. Originally based in Sakrinil, it became dispersed after the death of its leader by the Coast Guard, and scattered across the smaller islands. They have many small bases across the islands, and are composed mostly of smugglers and other riff-raff. Over the years, they have managed to drive out other pirating groups or absorb them, granting the Dragon unsurpassed power over Yheyn’s underworld.Symbol – A vermillion Proto-Drake with glowing orange eyes over a purple background.Goals – Make a profit, and have fun doing it!Leaders – Nuvinus (Steltian Leader), many othersBase – Largest is on Moroni (N. Jungle Isle, ruins), numerous others; all hiddenEnemies of Coast Guard, Southern AllianceYheyn Rebellion – A very small organization that started up within days of Vamden appointing himself Governor. The organization has sworn to “free Yheyn from the Alliance, and execute the spineless traitor who supports them.” Many members were miners from the islands to the north, sent away after Vamden yielded those rights to Ampora. Most members of the Rebellion are natives, though the aid of foreigners is accepted. As they are a recently formed group, they have yet to rally behind any one symbol, and even their leader holds limited power.Goals – Secede from the Southern Alliance, execute Vamden for treason.Leaders – Eydarian (Prime Species [Pridak]), loosely connected othersBase – None, most members on FrumusEnemies of Southern AllianceParties vs. Guilds vs. [PC] FactionsThe term ‘party’ when used in this RPG refers to a group of three or more PCs who are working together towards a common goal. It is the most commonly used term, as most players will become a component in a party at some point (it’s dangerous to go alone, sword or not). Adventuring parties do not collect NPC allies.The term ‘guild’ is the only one used ‘officially’ in-game. It is created when a group of at least three BZPower members, and at least five characters, come together and form their own group. Such a guild is extremely small, and holds little power, especially when compared to true guilds, such as the Traders Guild. To become a guild, players must submit the following form –[b]Guild Name:[/b][b]Founders & Positions (Characters/Users):[/b][b]Members (Characters/Users):[/b][b]Emblem:[/b] [b][alternatively Crest/Colors/Symbol or whatever] [/b][b]Goals:[/b]The guild may of course grow over time, and also attract attention.At fifteen characters, and at least five members, the guild may begin garnering attention from one or more major factions, who will ask/demand their allegiance as allies. Players may at this time determine a base of operations, and NPCs may begin coming to join with them.If a guild ever grows to twenty-five characters (and at least ten members), the number of NPCs attempting to join increases further. From henceforth, it is a Faction*. At this point, a base of operations is a necessity. Players may place the faction as a joinable, PC run faction. However, the faction will begin gaining more enemies.* It is still a guild. Faction is the out-of-game term for it.Character Creation & GameplayWaves of the South is a text-based RPG. It is controlled by the GameMaster – that’s me, and – and any Co-GameMasters that I appoint over the course of the RPG. Of course, the person who’s really important is you – the players! So, how do you play?To CreateWhile I do not mind modifications if you deem them necessary, this character sheet fulfills all required functions in the RPG – [b]Character Name:[/b][b]Gender & Species:[/b][b]Powers:[/b][b]Equipment:[/b][b]Appearance:[/b][b]Faction:[/b][b]Personality:[/b][b]Biography:[/b]Character name is pretty self explanatory. It is, of course, your characters name. If s/he has a preferred alias, be it a codename or nickname, put that there.Gender and species are, again, self explanatory. Place both your characters gender and their species there. Keep in mind that the species list is not the only species that you can play as. For gender, there exist males and females of all elements, but the ratio is usually nine to one in favor of the canon one.Note: You can create custom species. Play as an intelligent Rahi if you feel like it! Assume a power limit equal to that of a Toa.Powers is where you place any powers that your character has that aren’t derived from equipment. This includes any secondary abilities, or improved physical abilities.Note: You can make up your characters powers if you want to. This isn’t the BZPRPG!Equipment is where all of your items go. Keep in mind with equipment that technology is limited – mostly steam and clockwork, though no steam powered sea vessels are used on Yheyn. There’s some pretty cool stuff being made, but in real world terms, anything after 1900, and a lot from before, isn’t going to be there. The creation of Kanohi masks is one of the most complex arts, though Kanoka are too rare a resource to waste on botched masks, and they are rarely made. Gunpowder is present, but used mostly for cannons, as handheld weapons using it were deemed inefficient. Natural resources, from Rahi and local flora, are commonly used.Note: You can create your custom Kanohi, and ‘immoral’ ones are opened up for use to all Toa, as the Brotherhoods betrayal has yet to occur. Any unique or semi-unique masks are banned, or any I feel are too powerful. As far as weaponry and stuff, it’s mostly rather mundane – Toa are known to use their powerful tools, but that’s about it.Keep in mind that heavy equipment is dangerous to use and hampers more than it helps when on board a sea vessel. As that is the most effective means to transport oneself between the islands, it’s safer to use lighter, more elegant arms and armor.Appearance describes what your character looks like. A twenty word (or greater) description will work best, but if you have an MOC or sprite of your character, you can post that instead. The image must be clear enough to see and make out properly. If your character is a shapeshifter, or has an otherwise malleable form, simply provide the most common/favored/default form.Faction is your characters affiliation. You may place your character in any you wish, unless they are restricted for whatever reason. Alignment (see below) does not restrict you from a faction, but it can put you at odds with other members.Note: As noted, or at least implied, above, a Toa character not in the Toa Council or Xankah Order is a rogue Toa, whoever they sign up with. They will be hounded as criminals. But hey, that’s what friend are for, right?Personality is how your character behaves. It is also here that you place your alignment. If you are not familiar with the Law/Chaos, Good/Evil alignment chart, look it up to figure out the one that best describes your character. You don’t need to be lengthy in your description, but can be.Biography, or History, is the final section. This is where you put your characters age and past. The bare minimum is fifty words, which is an incredibly small amount (the above paragraph is fifty-one).Keep this in mind – your characters are exceptional. They are the movers and shakers in the world, the ones that can actually make a difference. While outmatched by powerful entities and NPCs (such as many described on this page), they aren’t just normal NPCs. Of course, one person can only do so much. Fending off two Toa is regarded as an impossible task, without great advantages present.You may have five (5) characters at the start, and have the potential to be rewarded for excellent roleplaying with an additional one (1) character slot up to once, for a maximum of six (6) characters possible. There aren't very many people on Yheyn, especially not those as exceptional as PC's; the higher than average Toa to non-Toa population ratio adjusts this somewhat.To PlayAs a play of this RPG, you must follow these rules –RulesThe rules of the RPG are as follows –1. All BZPower Rules and RPG Forum Rules apply. Attempt proper grammar and spelling if possible – you won’t get punished for bad writing, but it’s easier for everyone when you use it.2. No godmodding. This means that, when in combat, you must be willing to accept lost. When your vessel is surrounded by four others, it’s time to accept defeat. This branches down into not doing anything overpowered, not auto-hitting anyone, and not bunnying (taking control of another players character without permission).3. Comedy and romance is to be limited. As a swashbuckling RPG populated by charming rogues, a little bit of romance is allowed – but only simple flirting. That’s it. Doing something humorous or cracking jokes is alright, but nothing ridiculous – throwing pies at people, for example.4. No posts made solely in OOC. That is why the Discussion Topics exist. Zero tolerance rule for this one.5. You have a say in how the story develops, but if I can see even one reason why your plan to murder the Governor of Yheyn is going to fail, I will exploit it. Make world-shattering plans as good as you can!If you don’t, you will be punished, as follows –First Offense – Warning! This is your only one – don’t keep it up.Second Offense – You will receive a debilitating injury of some kind to your character.Third Offense – One of your characters dies, and cannot be replaced.Fourth Offense – All remaining characters die. Somehow – I’ll make it happen. You can make one more character, and try to get back in good graces, after a 48 hour ban. If you persist…Fifth Offense – All characters gone forever. Leave now and never come back.In order to actually play the RPG, you need to fill out the character profile and place it in the Profiles topic. Once approved, you can begin playing in the main RPG topic, by placing posts in IC and OOC. Example – It’s pretty simple, really.The GameMaster (GM)My job is a pretty simple one, really. In this RPG, I will not manifest my will into any PCs, but shall instead remain restricted to the following tasks, outside of obviously approving characters and punishing rule breakers –Controlling NPCs named on this page when PCs attempt to interact with them. This also applies to extremely entities and similarTimekeeper. Once I feel enough events have transpired to warrant it, the time in the RPG will change. Everything starts off at dusk (6 PM). I will then post to indicate midnight (12 AM), dawn (6 AM), midday/noon (12 PM), and dusk once more. The cycle then continues.Co-GameMasters have only the power to approve characters and to punish rule breakers. I will select up to two, dependant on how busy I am and how much I need them. Other powers will be given as needed. This is not a lifetime office – after one has served for enough time, you will be honorably discharged and awarded a new character slot. And you can, of course, retire. During your time in office, all punishments dealt to you will be doubled, and breaking a rule will result in immediate firing.Consider the FollowingTraveling takes time. Keep that in mind when you go island hopping – you will not immediately appear at your destination. Dajon, for example, is half a day’s travel in-game from Sakrinil. Frumus, to the west, would take even longer; Kantis could take well past a full days time (though you would leave from Shimmering Palace in that case). During this time, don’t just be static. Plan with other characters on what your game-plan is. Have a little IC interaction. Try to toss somebody overboard after a heated debate. If there’s not any role-playing in an RPG, that's bad.On that note, what if most of the players are on long voyages at the same time, with only a few in the city, or doing other things? In that case, the majority can ask for the GameMaster to ‘jump time’ if you will, which would be the vast majority (80%) of active players voting to advance everything a full day, or more, into the future.Then you come upon the problem of travelling. A ship needs a crew. Three or four characters together can pool enough money/goods/loans to purchase a small sea vessel, and a few NPC hirelings to get it moving.One last thing – an RPG wouldn’t be very fun without PVP being an option. For this RPG, however, it is not the intended primary focus. Most (80%) of interactions advancing the story will involve role-playing, with lengthy discussion being possible. Lots of puzzles will be provided in search of ancient treasures (because what’s a swashbuckling RPG without treasure hunts?), and pretty much every riddle I can dig up, rather than super monsters.With that said –Thank You,Toa Levacius Zehvor
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Attention:We are continuing this topic on my blog here.
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Tyler Durden, Legolover-361, and KNI proudly present...* * * I am Toa Techna Torch. Needless to say, we're going down.Radiation interference is startingly high. I can barely keep this channel op--I can barely keep this channel open to tell you that we--To tell you that we're crash-landing on an unknown world. We don't know who lives here. We don't know if we can even survive. We may be stuck there for eternities on end. But toge--But together we can overcome any obstacle. Please, please, plea----put aside your diff----work togeth--We can do thi--This is Toa Techna Torch, signin--[static]* * *Three weeks later...This is Ryjak speaking. I am exploring this new world.Now that we have landed, progress must ensue. I have created an ideal environment on the surface, as the air is better the deeper we are.I know it's hard, but we only have a little longer before we settle. We are closer to our goal than ever before.Fight on. Good men and women, this is all we've got left.* * *Two months later...This is Toa Techna Gust, head of whatever remains of the citizens of Techna.If you're hearing this, congratulations: you're not dead yet. Consider that your silver lining, because there's not much else besides that to feel happy about.The sheer force of the Battle for Techna, coupled with my fight with Ryjak I'ended up crashing some vague system, programmed in by the Spherus Magnan designers millenia ago. As far as we know, Torch tried to steer the ship away, but to no avail: we crashed anyway, and nobody's heard from him since.I don't have time to mimic his idealism: the Hackers cut and ran as soon as they had a chance, leaving us stranded here in the downed wreckage of the ship. Whatever assistance they could have provided in bringing Techna back is gone, along with their turncoat leader, Ryjak. And he's not even the worst of our problems.Yeah, you heard me, not even close. I haven't even gotten to the Umbrae yet.Of course, there's not much I can really tell you: everyone who's seen one has either been killed or driven into catatonia by...whatever it is they wield. People have caught glimpses of things, though: long, spindly-looking creatures, unclear in the night but certainly a threat. When I sent out ADR to try and investigate, they didn't return for days. Airu went out to investigate and found the ADR destroyed, torn into shreds, not one of which was bigger than my palm.And then there's the planet we crashed on: we considered naming it the Death Star, but Airu and I decided that that name made this place sound too happy. So, for now, we just call it "Karzahni Magna". The planet appears to be entirely mechanical, with barely enough oxygen for one species, let alone multiple. From what we could tell, it's been controlled since its creation by some kind of AI. At some point, it created a scout program and sent it through the universe: we know it as Equinox, which, to the best of my knowledge, has now found its way into my system and rooted itself there permanently: it often jokes that it has some kind of crush on me. Calling on its power for the Battle of Techna had consequences for me which I never could have imagined...And then there are the nightmares.These...things...the Umbrae. They've been manipulating me, appearing in my head lately, haunting my dreams, to the point where I've been relying on Equinox to keep me awake. When we hooked up a Toa to a brain monitor while he slept, we found some kind of virus-like program had made its way into his head. When we tried to exterminate it, it exhibited a strange sort of survival mechanism like Equinox used to have and completely destroyed the Toa's brain.Do you wish you were dead yet? I know I do...* * *Thirteen weeks later...I-I'm confused. This Ryjak speaking. I developed a machine that can-The volcano, it-I've almost reached the bottom. It's a challenge to resist the heat, but I'm doing it. All I hear are strange sounds-I'm down here. I can't believe what I'm seeing. It's like-Get that away from me!What are you-AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHI'd like to inform the citizens of Techna that I'm waiting. We're waiting.It's not the best sounding message, but it's all I have.[transmission ends]* * *Incoming call from Gust. Answer? y / n> yAnswering...Yo. This is Gust.Lemme see if I can call up the proper files here...Ah. There we go. The history's a little jarbled due to the Techna Nui's systems being scrambled right before we crash-landed. If you've just woken up from your post-impact coma, consider this a mental warm-up exercise to jog your memory. If you get frustrated, don't worry -- this isn't half of what you'll be feeling soon enough.Gust has sent you a file: techna-history.doc. Open? y / n> yOpening file...<<-begin document->>File Creator: TorchCreated: 2 B.L. (Before Launch)Last Edited By: GustLast Edited: 100,005 P.L. (Post-Launch)HISTORY of TECHNAFifty years after our population of Spherus Magna, we, the Matoran, Toa, etc., finally ga thered enough technical knowhow to examine the technology within the damaged Matoran Universe. Together with the Glatorian we copied detailed designs and brainstormed how to recreate them ourselves.I [Torch] was a Matoran then, rather young compared to most. Even so I [Torch] helped construct the first working quantum computer; I was also one of the first to suggest examining Matoran and Toa themselves. In doing so we discovered how to meld organic and mechanical parts together into one body. Ten years later we began adding impla nts to Toa and Matoran. Another ten years after, we created the first synthetic, completely robotic Matoran, one of fire.A mere year after the first S-toran (as they were called) was created, all of us (the Matoran, Toa, Glatorian, Agori, etc.) happened upon a grand plan: to take the Matoran Universe and recreate it into a grand spaceship to locate other planets to colonize. Some jumped for the idea; others didn't. With what help we had, we worked for two centuries on the spaceship.One thousand years afterward, now one hundred thousand years ago, we finished the starship. We tookthe Great Spirit Mata Nui's Kanohi Ignika and installed it as our SCPU (Supervisory Central Processing Unit), called "all aboard who's going aboard," and launched the starship into space. We dubbed it the Techna Nui.In a large chamber within the spaceship TechnaNui is the city we call Techna; we all live[d] within this space-city.During our time in space we have discovered howto create synthetic elements and Kanohi, how to create customized species, and how to link us all together using Techna's SCPU, thus allowing hover-taxis to be driven automatically without crashing, and allowing the Techna Nui to fly itself through space. Now no one remembers who's a Matoran and who's an S-toran -- both have so many implants, they seem equallyrobotic.<<-end document->>Well, congratulations. You now know what happened before you got here and what happened to bring you here. Now onto what's going to happen.* * *Gust has sent you a file: karzahni-magna.doc. Open? y / n> yOpening file...<<-begin document->>File Creator: GustCreated: 100,005 P.L. (Post-Launch)Last Edited By: GustLast Edited: 100,005 P.L. (Post-Launch)LOCALERock. Metal. Cold. Thin air but strong winds. Little light, save from an orange-red globe that rises every "morning" and sets every "night". Little moisture and plantlife.In other words: This place is the epitome of mystery. And I mean that in a completely non-corny way....Aw, who am I kidding? Of course it's corny.We've set up camp approximately... five kio from our crash-landing. Settlement's name, for the time being, is New Metru Nui. Intel suggests that the Hackers have formed their own city, but as of now, nothing can be confirmed.What few scanners we have with us detect a lot of metal underground. The actual surface is mainly rock, but the smooth metal subterrain shows through some places thanks to some form of erosion. How rock can disappear sans outside forces, though, we have no clue. There's also a load of radiation interference -- nothing deadly, just annoying if you have a built-in radiation scanner. A lot of static. Some of us have picked up some garbled snippets of voices, but otherwise it only serves as noise pollution.Very little oxygen, as stated above. Water sources are almost nonexistent, and we've only been able to tap a couple sources of groundwater before we hit metal. Whatever food we have from Techna is still working out somewhat well for us, but we still need to set up processing plants: we're still sustaining too many people with too few resources. And we're getting tired of stale bread. No point in toasting it if it's already as hard as Torch's head.Speaking of Torch, military also leaves something to be desired. A lot of the remaining Techna Guard was killed in the crash, and as we speak, we have maybe five hundred well-armed ground troops. Airu's been put in command of the army: for now, it's hard to have the Toa Techna with only one Techna.As for leadership, we basically run things the same way we did on the ship. The head of the Toa Techna (that's me, for those keeping score at home) runs the place, with constant input from his advisers and regular meetings for the citizens of New Metru Nui to decide what they want to implement.Need a map? No problem. Scroll down a liiiittle further. Technan territory is blue; our current extent of knowledge is represented by the pale blue halo. Hacker presence and extent of knowledge is in red.NEW METRU NUI: Techna's BaseIn the last few seconds of his Titan transformation, Gust threw a vicious cyclone at his rival, creating a hole in the ground so large that it could house the science district with room to spare.Welcome to New Metru Nui.New Metru Nui was founded a couple miles southwest of the Techna Nui's crash. The ship's iron corpse still looms in the Eastern Canyon, raising towards the sky in a sort of grosteque mockery of itself. The city was founded with what technology could be smuggled out of the ship, and as of right now, it's still a rather small settlement, about as big as Ta-Koro was during the height of its existence. In the center of the city sits a giant tower called The Citadel, where most of the technology and computer systems controlling New Metru Nui have made their home. Gust's penthouse residence is on the top floor.Places of InterestThe Citadel-- As mentioned above, the lifeblood of New Metru Nui. There are coding departments, personal residences for government officials, and even some restaurants scattered across this building, and it's the singlest largest employer in the city.The Wall of History-- Although not actually a wall, this virtual reality simulator was given the name by Airu in honor of the Old Universe's landmark of the same name. When in use, any person can go anywhere in time and meet anyone, even having actual conversations with them depending on how much information the database has on them. In times of stress, Gust often uses this feature to converse with people from his past, like Torch, Matrapolix, and Jade, for advise, current event updates, or simply therapeutic relief.KRAHZIA: Hackers' BaseIn the last seconds of his Titan transformation, Ryjak punched the rocky ground so hard, it shattered and created a hole in the ground so large, it could house the entire science district.Welcome to Krahzia.Now the Hacker main base, Ryjak has used all the power he can muster to build a city for the Hackers. Even with a mask of speed and the darkest element to fuel him, he's been going for days and has still only built a few buildings. Ryjak is convinced that if he doesn't stop, he'll be ready for all the Hackers (and Technans) to reside in his city. He has stored all the resources of the Hackers here, including food, water, supplies, and supposedly Enaltai's gauntlets, which somehow survived the explosion that killed him and Matrapolix.The houses are very modern looking, but obviously he has not had time to furnish, paint, or install anything in them. The mask of speed only goes so fast. It would take him years to get all of that done, so he is only doing the basics.(Note: We don't actually know where this city is. We've received descriptions from eyewitnesses, but they've never been able to pinpoint the city's location. All they've seen is a black blur and half-finished buildings. They just might have been brainwashed; I -- we -- don't know.)NORTHERN VOLCANO: Hackers' territoryThe volcano is the most visible landmark discovered so far on the planet. Raising above even the ship in sheer height, it's not actually volcanic: at least, not in the sense that you're thinking of. It acts as a sort of defense mechanism for the surrounding area, shooting off plasma flows from all directions as soon as you get near it. Between that and whatever the creatures are that already inhabit this planet, nobody's really been able to do a lot of documentation on it.In reality, underneath the volcano resides Tarei, home city of the Umbrae, though neither of the factions know this.EASTERN CANYON: Technans' territoryThe Eastern Canyon's title is a bit of a misnomer. It was created extremely recently, having been the site of the crash of the Techna Nui. The resulting mayhem created the canyon, and in the center lies the metallic hulk that was once the ship. The ship itself remains fortified, but the area around it is of no strategic value and is a veritable no man's land.Places of InterestTechna Nui-- The wreckage of the ship remains here. There is a garrison of a couple dozen troops on guard at all times in case of a Hacker resurgence, but as of yet, they haven't been called into action.<<-end document->>* * *Gust has sent you a file: current-crisis.doc. Open? y / n> yOpening file...<<-begin document->>File Creator: GustCreated: 100,005 P.L. (Post-Launch)Last Edited By: GustLast Edited: 100,005 P.L. (Post-Launch)THE SITUATIONSimple enough. We'd like to rebuild the Techna Nui, but without the parts to do so, well, we're kind of screwed. So we need your help.Unless, of course, you're a Hacker intercepting this transmission for spying purposes, in which case, screw you.A list of rules:1. All forum rules apply.2. No more than five characters per player. This is to prevent confusion and keep players with more time from effectively "taking over" the RPG.3. No god-modding. "God-modding" is when you make your character do something ridiculously over-powered -- for example, calling an asteroid down from the heavens or releasing a power blast at the last moment to destroy all your enemies. Play fair or don't play.4. No auto-hitting. "Auto-hitting" is when you damage another character without giving the other player a chance to post saying his or her character dodged, blocked, or something else.5. Listen to the RPG staff. They are RPG staff for a reason; thus, you cannot disobey them without very, very good reason. Techna's RPG staff -- Tyler Durden, Shadow Guardian, Krayzikk, and Legolover-361 -- will be playing as different important storyline characters, which will provide an easy way to recognize them.6. Running story arcs is encouraged; making said story arcs rigid is not. This should be a rule of thumb for making and running story arcs: If you can't adjust your story arc to let other people play, too, don't run it. This is the Bionicle RPG forum, not one of the Library forums.7. Don't just fight -- contribute. Whether you're helping the Toa Techna, the Hackers, or starting your own faction, you're contributing to the TBRPG. Develop new technology, try to gain political followers, or solve mysteries! Don't make a character who only looks for street-fights or drinks all the time.8. Excessive ridiculousness is frowned upon. Sorry, but this is not the Comedies forum. Using cartoon physics is not allowed and will be viewed as god-modding. A character made only to poke fun at other people (as in, he doesn't even work at anything) will also be frowned upon.9. Do not control or replace staff NPCs. This should be common sense. The list of staff NPCs includes the Umbrae, the surviving Toa Techna, and leaders of various divisions. You can't create PCs to replace those NPCs, either, unless the staff grants you permission (and please do not ask for permission; if your character is in a certain field and he / she does well, he / she will be provided with opportunities to be promoted).10. Rule-breaking will be punished. You have four strikes. Depending on the severity of your first offense, you will either be warned and lose your first strike or be warned and lose your first and second strikes. Losing your third strike will result in something bad happening to one or all of your characters, again depending on the severity of the offense. Losing your fourth strike will get you banned from the game.11. Characters are posted for approval in the Citizen Directory, and all-OOC discussions among three or more players go in Emergency Transmissions. Please place your posts within the appropriate topics so we can keep Techna a neat, orderly RPG.12. Remember: You're playing this to have fun!CITIZEN DIRECTORYIf you haven't already registered in your city's directory, please do so using the below form:Name:Gender: (Male / Female / None)Species:Appearance: (optional unless your character differs from the norm in any way)Kanohi: (if applicable)Powers: (if applicable)Weapons:Implants: (none, robotic arm, x-ray eyepiece, arm blaster, shoulder disk launcher, etc.; preferably one or two, keep within reason)Personality:Alignment: (Hackers / Techna / Neutral)Bio: (please include an occupation if your character has one)No Makuta, Great Being, a member of Botar's species, a Baterra, or any Rahi were allowed on the Techna Nui, but there were a ton of Glatorian, Toa, Matoran, Agori, and similar species, as well as some (not over-powered) custom species. There's no Mask of Time, Mask of Life, Mask of Light, Mask of Shadow, Mask of Dimensional Gates, Mask of Creation, or Mask of Undeath anywhere to be found here. Most people have implants, but none are particularly powerful. Custom Kanohi and elements have also been noted to exist.Techna had its own custom Kanohi and elements: Crystal, Nucleons (control over protons and neutrons), and Data (ability to adjust data and data flow, and act as a sentient database). I dunno how well these'll work out on Karzahni Magna, but they're there.Special Kanohi include the Mask of Engineering (enhances engineering abilities), Mask of Logic (speeds thought processes tenfold), Mask of Hyperspace (creates a hyperspace storage pocket), Mask of Remembrance (plants memories within others' minds), and Mask of Time Perception (speeds up or slows down perception of time, including user).All characters have a brain implant that allows them to communicate with others mentally, either via audio or text (like how you’re receiving this message).<<-end document->>* * *That's all I have to say, except for one simple albeit important reiteration:Please don't die on us.Thanks.Toa GustFormer Toa TechnaCurrent Supervisor of New Metru NuiGust has disconnected from the call.RPG StaffHead GMTyler DurdenCo-GMsLegolover-361Shadow GuardianDovydas of GuletKrayzikk Champion of RPGsSpecial ThanksFirst and foremost, I'd like to thank Legolover-361 for giving me the reins this season and giving us all a chance to continue the stories that we started back in January. When he and I created the groundwork for this RPG on another site, we had no idea that it would end up a contest winner two seasons in a row, and for that, the entire Techna staff thanks you. I'd like to thank Shadow Guardian (KNI) for invaluable assistance in fleshing up the Hackers and constantly being the voice of reason when my plot ideas tend to get too nonsensical. I'd like to thank Dovydas of Gulet for being KNI's voice of reason and for always managing to drop funny Game of Thrones references while we were writing. Special thanks to my friend and brother Shadow Kurahk and the players of Requiem: you know who you are. You helped inspire me to get into this forum, and thanks to you all, I never looked back.Most of all, thanks to you, the player, reading this. Without you all, none of this would be possible.Enjoy the ride.-Teezy