The cave didn't look like much. You still have no idea what brought you here. It was a...feeling. Something was in here, calling you.

Not that you'd tell that to your friends. They would probably laugh and ask if you were drunk.

"Oi, shrimp. What are you doing, wandering off like that?"

Your brother, Kai. He must have followed you. He always was overprotective. You tell him that something was in here, maybe treasure. Enough to keep the band fed for a month, even.

He grumbles, but follows you anyway. You can't help but smile. Typical Kai.

You find it on an old stone altar. A ruby, shaped like a lotus flower. It draws you in. You can't help but touch it, even as Kai warns you not to.

A brilliant flash of crimson light. A burning pain, hotter than an open fire. And then, a voice.

Prove thine worth, o Chosen.

And there it was. The ruby, now embeded into your wrist, above your pulse. It is glowing, and warm.

Kai facepalms. "You goddamn idiot."

Howdy-hey! This is Grim with a new fantasy RP. Hey, I needed simething other than RWBY, and this thing has been cooking in my head for a while now.

You may have noticed that second-person blurb up there, and it's because I want one of YOU, yes you!, to be the main star of this play.

When sign-ups open, you can post an application for main character-dom! When sign-ups close, the players will vote if there is more than one applicant.

The only restrictions for the MC are:

• He/She must be Kai's younger sibling. Kai is twenty two currently.

• He/She must have the surname Alvaine.

That's pretty much it. Now, onto the lore.

Allright, men, my name is Kai Alvaine, leader of this here mercenary band. I might be young, but I've been with this band my entire life, and I am not exaggerating. My dad built this band, and I'm not about to let his work go to waste. You all better listen up, I don't want any of you to die early.

The world is at war. Sounds dramatic, eh? But we all know the truth. Bloody world is always at war.

As far back as we can all remember, these two huge superpowers, The Alliance of Free People and the United Empire of Artina have been fighting for the goddamn continent. These wars go on for years until they reach a stalemate, oder a ceasefire, wait a few years, and then go at it again. Idiots, the lot of them.

The Empire

These guys are the bigger of the two superpowers, controlling everything West of the Line.

It's just one huge country. Everything they conquer get assimilated. Governments? Poof! Religion? Worship the God-Emperor or die. Me, I'd rather pay lip service to a megalomaniac than die, honestly.

It's not all bad, though. They have one hell of an efficient government. Hell, the people can even impeach officials.

Really, just keep your head down and don't rebel like a moron. Them Imps would leave you alone.

The capital is called Korus. This is where Emperor Hyperion lives. No one outside have seen the guy. Lots of bronze statues to worship, though. And from what I've seen, guy looks more like an Empress in my humble opinion.

Now, the Imperial Paladins are the cream of the crop: the baddest badasses in the goddamn continent. There are only six of them, so chances are slim you'll meet one. If you do, my advice: Beg like a dog. You might live that way. Also, I heard they have dragons. Dunno, if it's true. Hopefully not.

The Alliance

So. These artsy-fartsy jerks are the other superpower. Everything East of The Line is their turf.

These guys are all about "democracy" and "equality". My ass. If they aren't as powerhungry as the Imps, I'll eat my sword.

So. The Alliance is made up of many smaller countries. Each country has a High Councilman who represents that country in the High Council. All of them are elected of course.

Laglade is the big cheese, the biggest, most powerful country in the Alliance. Their Capital City - creative name, I know - is where the High Council convenes.

Gothal is another notable country. Over there are the Spellweavers. Not those frauds and wussies we see everyday, I'm talking about real Masters.

Moving on.

The Line

Where we usually hang out. The neutral zone. A collection of five smaller countries who've managed to stay independent.

These five are Belandi, Rozel, Eltaria, Floran, Altore.

I heard Belandi to the north is about to surrender to the Empire. Well, hope not. That would break the current ceasefire and....yeah.

Monsters

Because apparently, war isn't enough. We have to deal with these things too. Thanks a lot, pantheon!

No one knows where they came from. Watch yourselves. Things are bloody everywhere.

Magic

Now, I'm no Spellweaver, but my Mom was so I know the basics. Each man is born with an Affinity: Fire, Air, Water, Earth. Sometimes you get one of the weird ones: The Greater Affinities, Light, Shadow and Eternity. Granted, no one knows what the hell someone with an Eternity Affinity can do. Mine is Earth, by the way.

This is useless to an average schmuck, but a Spellweaver can channel Prana, the world's energy to harness their Affinity and combine it with a Specialty.

These Specialties are Offense, Defense, Support, Bane (Status Effects), Enhancement andControl (Binding Monsters to your will).

A Spellweaver can only have one Affinity but up to three Specialties. But only Masters have three. You schmucks are lucky to learn even one!

The Red Dragons

Us. We're a travelling mercenary band trying to survive in this damn continent. Dramatic name, yeah, but Dad was a huge ham.

We only have two rules: One, don't get involved in the war. We are not the army. We kill bandits, get rid of monsters, protect towns...but the war is off limits. I mean it. I'll personally kick you out if you break this. Getting involved is bloody trouble. Remember that.

Two, don't involve civilians in our jobs. There are clients, there are comrades and there are targets. No one else matters. Kill a civilian and the punishment is death.

The Ruby

Goddamn it. My sibling found this thing and now the idiot transforms into an armored superhuman at seemingly random times for ten minutes.

And now we've got Imps on our tails. Fucking damn it!

So. There we have it. The Main Character is rather important. They need to be active, they need to be reliable. Also, whoever wants to be MC must also be the Co-GM.

One last note, as with Welcome to Beacon the Discussion thread will be used for world-building. Veterans will know the drill.

edited 22nd Aug '14 11:21:29 PM by GrimHelm

Character Sheet

• Name:
• Age:
• Gender:
• Appearance:
• Years of Service: How long have you been in the band?
• Ranking: Like I said, Dad was a huge ham. He made up this whole ranking system. (Kai and the MC are of course, exceptions.)
  • Rank V: The newbies, the fresh meat. Sent on the easy cannon-fodder missions.
  • Rank IV: Attained after 3 years of service or 15 completed missions. Whatever comes first.
  • Rank III: Attained after 6 years of service or 20 completed missions.
  • Rank II: Attained after 9 years of service or 25 completed missions.
  • Rank I: Attained after 12 years of service or 30 completed missions.
• Affinity:
• Specialty: If Spellweaver
• Spells: If Spellweaver
• Abilities and Equipment: The MC must describe the form the Crimson Armor takes. The Armor makes the MC stronger, faster, tougher and automatically makes him/her a Master Spellweaver. The Armor gets stronger as we move on in the RP.
• Personality:
• Bio:

edited 22nd Aug '14 11:27:49 PM by GrimHelm

Woo! Sign me up! Question: may I make two bios, one MC and one non-MC, in case someone else comes along with an MC application? I'm sure you're getting tired of having me as your co-GM, anyway.

Okay, here's the MC bio! But, then again, I should probably finish after you've made Kai's, because I don't know how differently the siblings can look from each other in terms of skin tone and hair/eye color.

• MC Sheet
• Name: Aki Alvaine
• Age: I'm 19, but I'm going to be 20 soon!
• Gender: Female
• Appearance: I look alright, I guess. I have naturally brown skin and black hair like the rest of family, but my really light blue, almost-silver-colored eyes make me stand out from everyone else. Sometimes people get scared of looking me in the eye because of it. I don't mind most of the time, because Kai's there to help me out. Besides, it's actually kind of fun doing that to people.
• Affinity: Water
• Specialty: Support, Defense, Enhancement
• Spells:
  • Phase Change: The easiest spell I can perform, it allows me to change a body of water's state of matter at will.
  • Water Cloak: My go-to spell. I cover my arms in water, turning them into extended tentacle arms. I can use these arms to grab objects or enemies, whip or blast enemies with water, and freeze them. (With the power of the Crimson Lotus, this spell is augmented to the point that she could mold the ends of the tentacles into any shape, such as a claw, blade, or hook, as well as only locally freeze the ends while retaining the mobility of the tentacle as a whole.)
  • Water Orb: My big defensive spell. I take a whole bunch of water and create a thick orb with me as the center, protecting me and anyone else inside from attacks. The orb spins so I can try to reflect physical attacks and dissipate non-physical ones.
  • Fog Screen: I make the water in the area into a thick fog, using it as cover when I'm outnumbered.
  • Amphibian: Allows me and anyone else I cast this on to be able to breath and move through water like it were air, though unlike moving through air they can still swim through water, allowing for a three-dimensional area of movement.
• Abilities and Equipment: I always carry two waterskins with me for whatever reason I need water, whether for drinking or fighting.
  • When the Ruby transforms, she is covered in what appears to be a sheath for her skin, made of smaller rubies that fit like pieces in a puzzle. It shows off her figure while being both flexible and extremely durable. She can extend the sheath to cover her face or morph the armor to act as a weapon, an extended limb, or other simple things.
• Personality: I just go with the flow of things, I guess. I stay with the Red Dragons because my family started it, and I don't want to leave it behind. I do what my brother tells me to do because I trust him, and I try to get to know everyone on the team.
• Bio: I grew up on the Line with my family, learning how to control magic from Mom while Kai learned how to lead the Red Dragons with Dad. Now the time has come where we're both major parts of the team now, with Kai leading and me being the medium between him and everyone else. Then I found this crystal, and...here we are now.

• Non-MC Sheet
• Name: Brand
• Age: 23
• Gender: Male
• Appearance: Brand is noticeably taller than most people, standing at 6' 4". He has white skin, blonde hair and hetero-chromatic eyes; the left one is green while the other is blue. He wears a gray ensemble of clothing, just a hooded jacket, mask, shirt, pants, gloves, headband, and shoes. Without his clothes people would notice the branded "R"s all over his body. Also, Brand has paid for an enchanter to make all of his clothes fireproof.
• Team Role: Long-ranged offensive support or shock trooper for the team. He's also good at making threats.
• Years of Service: 10
• Ranking: II
• Affinity: Fire
• Specialty: Offense, Enhancement
• Spells:
  • Fire Breath: Simple and effective, Brand releases a stream of fire from his mouth. He can keep going as long as he can draw Prana.
  • Combustion Blast: A stronger version of the more common Fire Ball spell. It explodes on impact and travels farther than Fireball, but it requires more Prana and concentration to create one. Interrupting the creation process is extremely dangerous, so Brand avoids using this in close range and prefers to snipe with it.
  • Leap of Flame: Brand propels himself using jets of fire from his feet and palms. While he can't fly, he can jump pretty far with it.
  • Fire Shroud: Brand covers himself in flames, which makes touching him hard to do without burning oneself and lights up the area. Requires a lot of energy to perform and enhances the effects of his other spells.
  • Fire Blade: Brand creates a straight meter-long blade of fire, which requires energy to keep alive after each impact.
• Abilities and Equipment: Brand always has a pair of knives with him, balanced so that he can throw them as well as he can fight with them. He has enchanted ropes that he can attach to the knife handles to increase their range. Brand also has a telescope that he uses to spot from afar as a means of either scouting an area or using the full potential of Combustion Blast's range.
• Personality: Brand is a bit of an anti-social jerk, but his heart usually ends up in the right place. He can get really angry really quickly, especially at people he thinks are incompetent or arrogant. He's quick to threaten violence at non-civilians, but whatever standards he has are unimpeachable, including the rules Kai has placed on the team. He's obedient to Kai, but will question orders when he feels they don't make any sense. He's hard on newcomers, either warning them of the life a mercenary lives or telling them outright that they don't belong in the group. The Empire and his branding are real BerserkButtons for him, and he's always looking for an opportunity to hinder an Imperial effort.
• Bio: Brand was born in the Empire under a different name into a family that was associated with a rebellion. When his family was killed in battle, Brand was captured given a massive branding all over his body with the letter "R" as an example to other youths. He was 12. After a year of wandering and getting into fights with any Imperial authority he could find, his life was saved by a young Kai and Red Dragons after he had gotten in too deep against a city governor. Since then Brand has given himself and new name dedicated his life to Kai and the team, feeling that he owes them after they saved his and gave him a home.

edited 27th Aug '14 1:01:14 PM by Insano

I might also be interested in the MC position. just give me some time to make up a sheet

@ Insano: Two bios are okay. And...actually,, I'm waiting on the MC before posting Kai.

Oh, so the MC's appearance will affect Kai's? Alright, then. Getting back to work.

Question: Is there a limit to the number of spells we can have? Also, what kind of clothes are in style right now in the Verse?

edited 22nd Aug '14 9:38:07 PM by Insano

The spell limit is five. And dude, it's a fantasy world. Clothes are whatever.

Alright, then. Also, can the MC have some experience with magic before becoming a Master Spellweaver due to the Crimson Lotus, or was he/she a Badass Normal like Kai?

Also, the limit is five spells no matter how many Specialties you have, right?

edited 22nd Aug '14 9:57:53 PM by Insano

So...A guy wielding a bayonetted fully automatic flintlock rifle would work fine?

Can a flintlock rifle even be automatic?

If it's magic it can.

Yep. Five, no matter what. Also, the MC is fully customizable. Whatever works!

And, Troy, guns are rare. Like, Imperial Monopoly rare.

Okay...But it could still theoretically exist in this world, right? Not saying my character's going to have it, just asking.

Is it okay if we start making non-MC bios now or does that need to wait?

Yeah, you can just post your character now.

Also: Wow, Beacon reunion.

You did advertise in Beacon. Though I might not join, I'm already in four different Rps.

Interested, give me some time to read through that text wall. Hopefully this one will go slower than Beacon so I can keep up with it this time

@KSPAM: I think Grim might be hoping for that.

@Grim: Could you provide specific definitions for the Specialties, please? I'm having a hard time figuring out the differences between a Support spell and an Enhancement spell, or what counts as a Bane spell, for starters.

edited 22nd Aug '14 10:39:49 PM by Insano

I miiiiiiiight be the MC if making an interesting side character isn't what I intend to go with this time like I always do. I dunno.

EDIT: We already got a bunch of MC candidates it looks like, so NEVERMIND.

edited 22nd Aug '14 10:48:22 PM by KSPAM

Would it be possible to make an ex-paladin?

Are there any monsters or demihumans that would reasonably side with or take an interest in human affairs? Vampires, orcs, onis, demigods etc.

@ Solus: Er, no. Paladins are loyal for life. Or, they get executed.

@ Insano: Let's see..A Support Spell affects others, healing and status buffs. Enhancements affect the self, making your abilities more effective.

@ KSPAM: The Elves of Eltaria, of course! And the Werebeasts of Rozel.

darn... and I was going to make him a dragoon...

Sorry, man. Actually, before we really get going. I am going to use my temporary access to a PC to modify the character sheet a bit.

I actually have an idea for a character...

Maybe some kind of dragoon with a Sanosuke style zanbato. The huge ass sword with the spear length handle.

Maybe some shockwaves here and there...

oh god I can see it now...