RP Thread

Discussion Thread

Summary:

Thomas, a sweet, kind-hearted gamer, has taken refuge from the real world in his favorite MMO, and has been in there for three days. The safety features, which would have logged a person out long before now, haven't kicked in. Whether they've been disabled or just failed is unclear, and for the moment, irrelevant, since the only way to repair or reactivate them would be to shut down the machines for maintenance, and with Thomas still in the system, that's not an option. It can create massive mental trauma, amnesia, permanent short-term memory loss, or even put a person in a coma for uncertain lengths of time (each one of these virtual reality terminals has an internal power source to prevent a massive power failure from harming people playing the game).

This brings us to the PC's. You all have one thing in common. You're all on a speaking basis with Thomas. A friend, a brother, a classmate, an ex-girlfriend, maybe. The point is, you all know him, and you all feel obligated to help him. Maybe you're one of the people who bullied him, and didn't realize your actions would cause him to shut himself away like this. Maybe you're a friend who didn't take him seriously when he talked about how bad he was feeling. Or maybe you're a classmate who knew him, knew he wasn't in the best mental health, but did nothing, and sees this as a chance to make up for your previous inaction. Or, maybe you're even his English teacher, and would be ashamed to say you had an opportunity to help such a promising student, yet did nothing? Possibilities abound.

Now, armed with the characters you built (or, if you didn't have one prior to this incident, one of the "demo" characters the hobby shop keeps on hand, and power-leveled for the occasion) for each of the zones (see below), it's up to you to track down your friend, brother, or whatever Thomas was to you, and convince him to come home.

Also, his PM box is full, so no Dungeon Bypass for you.

Fortunately, you do have some ideas of where to look. Thomas has a special fondness for several high level areas in each of the zones, and since he's basically sequestering himself away, it's quite likely he'll be there, enjoying the area music (and possibly giving guidance to newer gamers who find themselves in over their heads. Even online, he's a sweet guy) and the lush landscapes.

Zones

The game features four "zones," each with its own atmosphere and theme. "Ysimal" is a fantasy zone, featuring knights, dragons, magic, and the like. "Remia," meanwhile, takes place in the same universe as Ysimal, but is an aquatic adventure taking place below the waves (the dev team tries to syncronize certain events— an apocalyptic sea-monster in Remia will be visible from coastal cities in Ysimal). The other two zones are "Ragnarok" versions of the first two. That is, they are what they'd look like if everything went to hell in a handbasket. These zones are darker, grittier, and more dangerous, often with areas that were once havens for players, such as Ysimal's large cities, being reduced to smoking ruins, while Remia's reefs have been filled with poisonous sewage from the world above, sea-monsters have risen en-mass from their depths to lay waste to the cities beneath the seas, and the brightly colored fish you encounter isn't some happy thing that wants to play with you, it's a poisonous fish covered in spines that will kill you if you touch it.

As a silver lining, however, the Ragnarok zones are "dynamic." That is, the Dev team pays attention to player actions. If a sufficient player presence emerges in a given city and remains there, in spite of the monsters, the city will be rebuilt in the next update, resulting in a safe haven in an otherwise dark world. Those of you who gamed with (or listened to) Thomas know that he distinguished himself in several such instances, earning himself several titles, his favorite being "the white wolf." Those of you who know the lore recognize this as a reference to a literal wolf that fought at the side of a famous knight (based on one of the Dev's first characters), and famed for its loyalty. White wolves are one of the community's most sought after pets, both for their lore value and their attractive statistics.

Characters

Character customization is extremely in-depth, allowing for a nigh infinite variety of looks for each character, even allowing for different postures and levels of repair for equipment (allowing, for example, a knight with perpetually blood-spattered armor and a tattered cape, for those who like the "war-torn" look). A player can have multiple characters for a single world, and can switch between them almost at will. Some canny players will even switch in the middle of battle, stunning someone as a rogue, freezing them as a mage, and then battering them as a fighter, though such things are broadly restricted to the "MLG 1337 pro" crowd. A player can have completely different characters in each zone, or they may "import" characters, resulting in a version adapted for the zone. The importing feature is similar to character creation, allowing players to adjust the aesthetic of their character and even swap out certain abilities (for example, a "wall" effect is much less effective in Remia, due to the aquatic nature allowing opponents to swim around it).

Tone:

This is generally in the middle of the "fluffy clouds of softness vs jagged spikes of edginess," leaning slightly more towards the darker side. Players are encouraged to have fun with it, but also to remember that their friend's life hangs in the balance.

Put it this way: the area music can be as festive as the Crystal Bearers version of "Moonless Starry Night," but at the back of your mind, you should carry "Midna's Lament." You're on a time limit, even if it's a long one with no definite end.

Also, this is a story primarily about friends, and the length they'd go to in order to save someone they care about. Character interaction is encouraged. Feel free to flesh out the relationships between characters both in-character and out. If you were Thomas' friend, are you pissed off at someone who bullied him, wanting nothing more than to slap him or her down, or are you willing to accept his or her help without complaint, your primary concern being Thomas' safety?

Things to remember when writing about your relationship with Thomas:

• Thomas was a sweet guy, but he wasn't defenseless. Properly motivated, he was a vicious fighter, and he had a great relationship with the school faculty. Assaulting him would have been a very bad move.
• Thomas is an insecure person, never entirely convinced his friends weren't just tolerating him out of pity, however much they tried to convince him otherwise.
• Thomas maintained good grades and had good relationships with the school faculty.
• Thomas' relationship with his mother was strained, at best, but this isn't general knowledge.
• Thomas was exceptionally loyal, honest, and trusting, particularly to romantic partners. If he developed a crush on someone, he told his current partner immediately, and reassured (honestly) that he had no intentions of acting on it, remaining committed and devoted.
• Thomas had low self esteem, apologizing incessantly, and was also too proud for his own good, refusing to walk away from an argument until it was resolved. Though he had trouble admitting when he was wrong in earlier years, by now, he was largely past that.
• Thomas was incredibly prudish. Sexuality beyond kissing disgusted him, and discussions thereof left him looking for a sink to throw up in.

Sign-up sheets have been posted and can be found here. This RP is intended for about six people, though a slightly larger or smaller group can be accommodated. Combat is largely freeform, but with certain "skills," representing the abilities your character has unlocked via leveling up, which can be worked out with me to avoid overpowered (or underpowered) characters.

Combat

On your turn, you have several actions you can take. You are allow one of each of these action types unless otherwise stated.

You can attack your enemy. You choose to make one heavy attack, two standard attacks, or three light attacks. Weapons modify this. Also, light weapons cannot make heavy attacks, heavy weapons cannot make light attacks. This is compensated for by heavy weapons doing lots of damage and light weapons usually being backstab weapons or something similar.

You can parry. You can make one parry attempt per weapon equipped (two for shields), and by sacrificing your attack, you can make an additional one. A successful parry nullifies an attack as long as it's subject to parries. Guy with a big sword, yeah. Dragon breathing fire at you? No. Certain weapons grant additional parry opportunities.

I'm assuming you wouldn't want to not take the parry actions. If you ever don't want to auto-parry, let me know. Otherwise I'll assume when attacks are made that you're going to make your full number of parries (not counting the one with the sacrificed attack. If you want to make that, you should tell me).

You can move. Medium range enemies (30ft, roughly), you can run over to and then attack. Long range (anything beyond 30) you'll have to take another turn to close the distance. Short range enemies are enemies close enough that movement can effectively be taken as part of the attack (roughly 10ft). Note that these are hasty abstractions. It isn't meant to be photo-realistic.

You can use one skill per turn.

Then, you can drink a potion, climb onto your mount, throw a switch, do whatever. This is your "noncombat action."

Also, feel free to ask questions. In fact, please ask any questions you have. I have time.

Player

• Name: Remember, this is the player's name, not the character's name.
• Sex: as per usual, "yes please" is not an acceptable answer. I'm looking at you, Nman.
• Age: In theory, there's no upper limit— if you want to play granny, out to save her grandson from these new-fangled computer games, you can, but it's going to be very strange. However, sixteen is the lower limit. A fifteen year old with a powerful motivation (and parental permission) may be permitted. Under that, no-go.
• Appearance: Hairstyles, eye color and clothing must obey the laws of physics and genetic possibility.
• Background: Self-explanatory... in more ways than one.
• Relation to Thomas: How you know Thomas, what sort of terms you're on with him, and why you're willing to go look for him like this.
• Personality: In theory, this is how you act while you're out of character.

Character

Flavor

• Name: This is the Character name. Go nuts if you like. "Brom" is just as acceptable as "sPaczboy210." That said, this MMO's community tends to look down on the latter. Also, demo characters have their names preceded by "DEMO_" to let other players know to expect impending noob behavior.
• Race: Standard fantasy fare. If you have something in mind, talk to me, and I'll see if I can help.
• Sex: As usual, "no thank you" is not an acceptable answer, either. I'm looking at you, Nman.
• Age: General sense of how old the character appears. Does not affect combat abilities.
• Appearance: Physics and genetic possibility can go fuck themselves.
  • Note: Equipment, class, and build mean jack-squat here. You have two slots for any given armor piece- a stat slot and a fashion slot. The former grants stats, the latter alters appearance. So it is completely possible to be a rogue in light armor ninja-flipping around, but looking like you're wearing a set of armor carved from slabs of granite. Such people are derided by the community, however, as many were fans of Dark Souls and have bad memories of the "flipping Havel" epidemic. By the same token, it is possible to be a warrior with the protection of that same set of granite armor, while looking like you're only wearing a stylish leather jacket. These people are better received, because you're slow walking through town in a leather jacket like a badass.
• Background: Optional. Players who prefer to RP in the MMO may give their characters an elaborate backstory. However, since lore is constantly expanding with updates, most histories have to focus on the character and the (comparatively) simple life he or she lived before taking up the call to adventure.
• Personality: Not technically optional, but feel free to say "same as player."

Mechanics

Note: Leave this section of the sign up blank. This will be explained below.

• Class:
  • Spec:
• Abilities:
• Equipment:
• Mount:

Explanation: This part of the sheet is left blank because the free form nature of the game means the first two are largely formalities, and the last will be determined by how you want to play. Any class can fill any roll, they just do so in different ways. So what you should think about instead are these options below, which are better for deciding what sort of character would be most appealing to you. When you've filled out these, we'll see about getting you situated with an "official" class and spec, and we'll work out the abilities ("So, you think your warrior wants to charge over and hit people, or do you maybe want something to use to yank an enemy to you, instead?" "Oh, yanking them closer sounds cool!" "Awesome. Grapple Chain it is. Now about crowd control...") and equipment from there. Mounts can be basically anything. Regular animal, dire animal (big, badass version of an animal, that is. May or may not have bone-spikes jutting out of it), or standard fantasy things, like pegasi or wyverns. However, no true dragons, and demo characters aren't able to start with a mount capable of flight. The categories below won't go on your finished sign up sheets.

• Melee (Drive me closer! I want to hit them with my sword!), Ranged (Boom, headshot.), or Magic (Yer a wizard, Harry!). Choose two (can be the same twice I.E., melee/melee, or magic/magic)
• Tank (You'll have to go through me! I'll take you all on!), Damage (I am princess stabbity! Stab! Kill! Kill!), Utility (summoning or buffs/healing. "You and what army?" "This one." "...Oh, sod." or alternatively, "Here's some healing. Now go fight the dragon, you big baby!") or Debuff (generally being a pain in the ass. Bleed effects, stun, poison, and the like). Choose two, as before.
• Character Comparisons: Not necessary, but appreciated. Characters from various media who have a similar feel to them, to help me understand what you're going for.

---

Cast Thus Far

Player Character Players and Characters, and their Players!

• Edward Hand, playing DEMO_WeltPolitik, played by Musik Maestro.
• Giovanni "John" Martini, playing DEMO_Lisher, played by Nman.
• Jan Lehrer, playing Russell Warren, played by Infinite Paragon.
• Wyatt Keenan, playing Brother Gregori, played by Good Is Good
• Michelle Davis, playing Rouge Chevalier, played by Katarsus
• Elaine Layton, playing Atrika, played by Karrin Blue
• Ernesto "Ernie" Cruz, playing Millions, played by Rivux

edited 2nd Jan '15 2:38:08 PM by dragon573

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

Well, legitimate interest here. I've got a couple questions:

1.) IRL, at approximately what level of academic studies was Thomas at? A better way to phrase it: I'm reasonably sure he was high-school to college level but about where in that spectrum would he fall?

2.) To what degree would Thomas aid people in-game, whether in a Ragnarok area or not?

edited 26th Dec '14 9:47:31 PM by InfiniteParagon

"You lost, Dio. You lost for one simple reason - you were using charcoal." - Hank Hill

Looks cool, bro.

Guess we can say... Thomas was alone

Regarding him being in school, Junior, if that's what you're asking. The year when it hits you you're coming to the end of everything you've known for the past eleven years. And regarding him helping people... well, here's an example.

There's one quest that requires Naga Fangs. It's a quest for advancing one's alchemy, and until then it's mostly "find roots/herbs/leaves" and whatnot. Thing is, Nagas are low-level enemies, but they're the high-end low-level enemies. You have no trouble with them when you hit your stride, but while you're still young and tender? Early. Game. Hell. So the poor schmucks who decide straight off the bat "I want to learn alchemy and make a lot of potions to use/sell/share" go wandering into that cave and get swarmed by the early game's demonic spider equivalent.

The dev team either didn't think it through, or demonstrated From Software levels of sadism with that one. Probably the former, because they patched it later.

Thomas ran across a new player waiting outside the cave asking for help, and she'd gathered a small party. He says, roughly, "Just stay behind me." He's mid-level at this point. He switches to his tank build, goes through, slaughters everything, then more or less solos the area boss and gives her the naga skin gloves it drops to boost her alchemy further. Repeats the process for the other four people in the party.

So, he's sort of a knight errant in terms of helping people. He's on his way to do something, hears someone needs help, goes off and helps them, goes back to what he's doing. Unless he has someone waiting for him. Then he tries to go back when he's done.

edited 27th Dec '14 12:08:36 AM by dragon573

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

Positing interest. Thinking about a Marche "That's escapism, it's not healthy!" Mc Insensitivepants

"The literal meaning of life is whatever you're doing that prevents you from killing yourself." Albert Camus

Well, there's a healthy dose of Jerkass Has a Point there.

That's three. Two more and I'll get off of my lazy ass and to working on the sign-up sheet.

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

Seems interesting.

Posted earlier than intended, but it's fine.

Player

• Name: Remember, this is the player's name, not the character's name.
• Sex: as per usual, "yes please" is not an acceptable answer. I'm looking at you, Nman.
• Age: In theory, there's no upper limit— if you want to play granny, out to save her grandson from these new-fangled computer games, you can, but it's going to be very strange. However, sixteen is the lower limit. A fifteen year old with a powerful motivation (and parental permission) may be permitted. Under that, no-go.
• Appearance: Hairstyles, eye color and clothing must obey the laws of physics and genetic possibility.
• Background: Self-explanatory... in more ways than one.
• Relation to Thomas: How you know Thomas, what sort of terms you're on with him, and why you're willing to go look for him like this.
• Personality: In theory, this is how you act while you're out of character.

Character

Flavor

• Name: This is the Character name. Go nuts if you like. "Brom" is just as acceptable as "sPaczboy210." That said, this MMO's community tends to look down on the latter. Also, demo characters have their names preceded by "DEMO_" to let other players know to expect impending noob behavior.
• Race: Standard fantasy fare. If you have something in mind, talk to me, and I'll see if I can help.
• Sex: As usual, "no thank you" is not an acceptable answer, either. I'm looking at you, Nman.
• Age: General sense of how old the character appears. Does not affect combat abilities.
• Appearance: Physics and genetic possibility can go fuck themselves.
  • Note: Equipment, class, and build mean jack-squat here. You have two slots for any given armor piece- a stat slot and a fashion slot. The former grants stats, the latter alters appearance. So it is completely possible to be a rogue in light armor ninja-flipping around, but looking like you're wearing a set of armor carved from slabs of granite. Such people are derided by the community, however, as many were fans of Dark Souls and have bad memories of the "flipping Havel" epidemic. By the same token, it is possible to be a warrior with the protection of that same set of granite armor, while looking like you're only wearing a stylish leather jacket. These people are better received, because you're slow walking through town in a leather jacket like a badass.
• Background: Optional. Players who prefer to RP in the MMO may give their characters an elaborate backstory. However, since lore is constantly expanding with updates, most histories have to focus on the character and the (comparatively) simple life he or she lived before taking up the call to adventure.
• Personality: Not technically optional, but feel free to say "same as player."

Mechanics

Note: Leave this section of the sign up blank. This will be explained below.

• Class:
  • Spec:
• Abilities:

Explanation: This part of the sheet is left blank because the free form nature of the game means the first two are largely formalities, and the last will be determined by how you want to play. Any class can fill any roll, they just do so in different ways. So what you should think about instead are these options below, which are better for deciding what sort of character would be most appealing to you. When you've filled out these, we'll see about getting you situated with an "official" class and spec, and we'll work out the abilities ("So, you think your warrior wants to charge over and hit people, or do you maybe want something to use to yank an enemy to you, instead?" "Oh, yanking them closer sounds cool!" "Awesome. Grapple Chain it is. Now about crowd control...") from there. The categories below won't go on your finished sign up sheets.

• Melee (Drive me closer! I want to hit them with my sword!), Ranged (Boom, headshot.), or Magic (Yer a wizard, Harry!). Choose two (can be the same twice I.E., melee/melee, or magic/magic)
• Tank (You'll have to go through me! I'll take you all on!), Damage (I am princess stabbity! Stab! Kill! Kill!), Utility (summoning or buffs/healing. "You and what army?" "This one." "...Oh, sod." or alternatively, "Here's some healing. Now go fight the dragon, you big baby!") or Debuff (generally being a pain in the ass. Bleed effects, stun, poison, and the like). Choose two, as before.
• Character Comparisons: Not necessary, but appreciated. Characters from various media who have a similar feel to them, to help me understand what you're going for.

edited 27th Dec '14 7:14:08 AM by dragon573

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

I'm working on his distanced/estranged/absent birth father.

Well, how does Magic work here and generally all those skill trees? Like, is there Fishing and Mining to go with Alchemy for example? Do specific actions improve through use, like Blocking or Sprinting? Oh, and would (Half) Demon be a possible race? Wanted to do an Ice/Water-Themed Half-Demon Magic Knight.

"The Omniverse is the collection of all possibilities, and all possibilities must eventually come to pass."

K Ok, so I'm going to go for a kind of Jerkass with a Heart of Gold Politician, in it to try and get votes for the next election.

Player

• Name: Edward Hand
• Sex: Male
• Age: 46
• Appearance: Edward is of fairly average height, around 5' 11'', and is kind of chubby. He has brown hair, that's slightly receding, and infused with lots of grey hairs as well, giving him the definite appearance of an aging man. He keeps himself well dressed when dealing with business, always wearing professional suits and fancy shoes and ties.
• Background / Relation To Thomas: (The actual politics will be spalling here, as I barely understand how my own country's system works, let alone whatever country Thomas is in.) Ed has been one of those small town politicians for as long as most can remember, and is always looking out for ways to get more votes on his side, and finally get into the big league politically. His son, Jack, had been friends with Thomas, and Ed always found him to be a good kid. He'd always say hi to him whenever they passed on the street, and that was worth a point in Ed's book. Ed hadn't really got to talk to the kid much the past two years, after divorcing Jacks mom meant he saw less of Jack, and, of course, less of Thomas. However, when he heard the news about what had happened to him, Edward immediately saw it as a way to possibly win himself some votes in the next election, and almost immediately volunteered for the "rescue" attempt, despite very little experience with gaming before hand (he faintly remembered playing something called "Ultra Luigi Sisters" or something in college, but that was it.)
• Personality: Edward is mostly self serving, usually looking out for number one above others. However, although he can be an asshole at times, he's not 100% a dick. He's perfectly happy to help others, as long as it doesn't have any detrimental effects toward him, and tries to be nice to whoever he can, and usually not just in the hope they might vote for him afterwards.

Character

• Name: DEMO_WeltPolitik
• Race: Human. Ed didn't really understand what the other options were.
• Sex: Male
• Age: 25. If he can be whoever he wants, may as well be young and spry, right?
• Appearance: DEMO_WeltPolitik is like a younger, more attractive version of Edward. Full hair with no greys, a lean, muscley body, Ed's own perfect view of himself. He's equipped with what he's been told are the "finest robes in the game, worn only by the nobility" in his fashion slot, keeping up his air of professionalism.
• Background / Personality: Edward has no time for such silly things as roleplaying when there's votes to be won (and kids to be rescued).

Mechanics

• Class: Rogue
  • Spec: Duelist
• Abilities:
  • Dance of Blades
  • Riposte
  • Bleed
  • Taunt
• Equipment: Rapier

I'm not sure if the his connection to Thomas is as strong as you'd want, but I'm fairly happy with this.

edited 31st Dec '14 5:29:55 PM by MusikMaestro

The standard professions such as mining, alchemy, and the like improve with use, to a point. Every few level/rank ups, you have to find an NPC and take a quest related to the profession, such as seeking out a legendary dwarven smith, who tells you to go bring him a deposit of thundersteel from beneath a gnoll camp or something. Completing this quest allows you to continue progressing. I glazed over them because I didn't think people would be interested in stopping to fish while their friend is in jeopardy, but if you like, I can add that in.

Blocking, however, is more dependent on your shield and abilities. Combat related aspects of the game follow the standard "kill stuff, get experience, level up, buy abilities" formula.

For magic, it follows the Dragon Age system, mechanically speaking. Your implement (your staff, wand, rod, or even certain weapons) determines the type of damage you deal with your basic attack, while additional abilities all have their own damage type. Fire effects tend towards damage, with a smattering of debuff for their damage over time abilities, ice tends towards debuff, freezing people solid or coating the ground in frost to slow their movement, with a bit of utility, some abilities being able to grant your allies a layer of ice on top of their armor for better protection and around their weapons for improved damage, and so forth. This is for mage classes, however. Cleric classes tend towards light or dark based magic, and tend to be less flashy.

As for half-demon, sure, I'm game.

@Musik: I'll let this one in. For the most part, I would like characters to have a stronger motivation, but I like the sneaky politician angle you took. So, what were you thinking in terms of your character's play-style?

edited 27th Dec '14 2:07:10 PM by dragon573

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

I was thinking melee/melee and tank/debuff. I'm not really sure what comparison to go for, that's just the kind of build I tend to go for in games with character creation. I guess a bit like a poison type pokemon?

Alrighty. Avoidance tank (don't get hit) or Armor tank (got hit, didn't feel it), and status debuff (stun, blind, weaken) or damage debuff (poison, bleed, armor breaking— that is, hitting someone so that their armor or scales break, making attacks do more damage)? It can be a mix of debuff types.

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

I think a dodge tank and damage debuffs, maybe.

Alrighty then. That sounds like rogue class, duelist specialization.

Now, abilities. I've got a few ideas. I'm going to try to get everyone four abilities to start with.

Taunt- baits enemies into attacking you.

Riposte- active for three turns, gives you a free basic attack at reduced damage against each enemy that attacks you, with reduced damage for each successive hit.

Bleed- you stick your enemy somewhere vulnerable, causing damage over time for the next three turns.

Stiletto- you strike with a concealed knife, breaking a target's armor for four turns.

Do these sound good?

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

Could I maybe get some sort of haste thing to increase my evasion slightly rather than stiletto? Otherwise I wouldn't see much use in taunt.

I wonder how long this will look when I post it... took me a while to type up.

---

Player

• Name: Jan Lehrer
• Sex: Male
• Age: 22
• Appearance: Jan stands at 6'1'', with narrow features and signs of either your typical sleep-deprived college student or an insomniac on his face. Has short ginger hair which tends to naturally grow 'slicked back' and a light amount of freckles on either side of his face. Tends to stand on one leg with the other propped on the toes (attributed to a wound sustained as a child which still puts him in moderate discomfort to this day), usually near a wall to mask the effect. Dresses business-casual far too often for his own good and carries a modern-style walking stick.
• Background: The illegitimate son of a German businessman and an Irish woman, Jan's lived in the US with his uncle (estranged from the broader family) and his wife since he was a kid. He's known the story of his birth for a couple years now and doesn't really care too much - he's more attached to the idea of not disgracing the Lehrer family than he is his father, as that ship sailed 22 years and some odd months ago. In college now for a business degree, Jan's been an insomniac ever since he was a little kid. He's filled the time as best he can with studying and academics, but the only real hobby he picked up was gaming and watching movies. Since the former's a little easier to do at 2AM, that's what he tends to be doing when he's not attending classes.
• Relation to Thomas:
  • At a time early in the lifespan of his favorite MMO, Jan and a small group of other players banded together in Ragnarok Ysimal to attempt a grand quest: Knowing that Ragnarok zones are dynamically changing patch-to-patch due to player actions, they set out to push that change as far as they could - they set out to turn a village located in a profitable area into a 'white light in the darkness' like no other. They began by attempting what was at the time one of the single hardest raids in the zone - the slaying of a High Dragon. The initial results were extremely unfavorable and the group almost laid the idea to rest - until they ran into Thomas. The series of events leading to Thomas joining the party are largely unknown by the general populace, the details known by a small few who cared to inquire and those who sought the information later.
  • What happened, however, was that Jan's party did what no other group could - they killed it, brought back the rewards and mementos to prove it and subsequently became extremely popular in that corner of the globe. The fame of that party would grow to a unprecedented level - more people joined and the group furthered their cause from patch to patch, the original party (minus Thomas except for a few occasions) leading the charge. Unable to keep up with the rate the group progressed, however, most of the original party left to do their own thing, IRL or in-game.
  • In part due to his insomnia, Jan stayed, and as a result came to lead the guild that would form in the wake of these events, named 'Pagan Braves'. While he was not a large contributor to the group at large beforehand (due to his perceived inadequacy at leading), he came to rise to the occasion due to an old comrade - Thomas, whom he initially tried to convince to join the guild as a leading member somewhere between the breaking up of the original group and the forming of Pagan Braves. While Thomas declined for unclear reasons, he did aid Jan throughout the forming of the guild and its first steps as one. Jan and Thomas became good friends through this, keeping in contact almost daily (even briefly) in a chat between the two of them and a couple of the original members.
  • Pagan Braves established itself as a prominent raiding guild within Ragnarok Ysimal, especially where dragons were concerned. The guild had an odd focus on raids against dragons, actually, but that wasn't questioned much. Jan personally oversaw the raids for a long while, eventually focusing on crafting classes as the guild became more self-sustaining in that regard and the need for support of their home base (the aforementioned village) being apparent.
  • This was the case for many many months until about three days ago, when Thomas stopped all communications with Jan. While the other members thought he was off doing things in real life, Jan knew Thomas well enough to know that wasn't the case here. He made efforts to locate Thomas until the news of his extremely elongated stay in-game came to his attention. At that point, he increased efforts to find him and opted to personally aid the party being formed to find him once he found out.
• Personality: Detailed in his Character sheet.

Character

Flavor

• Name: Russell Warren
• Race: Half-Elvish, Half-Dragonoid◊ in this case. What exactly you'd call the race is... iffy. (I suppose i'll use the name of the insprations for the race for now, so Au'llezen?) In our case, take the male figure shown on the right in the above image, lower the horns closer to the jawline and put in some elven ears that look... split down the middle, almost, and not in a good way.
• Sex: Male
• Age: Mid-twenties, he assumes.
• Appearance: Ready for battle.◊
• Background: In our particular case, Russell Warren has earned his background mainly through the story of the Pagan Braves. And in-character description of him would tell of how he "Wages war against his unholy lineage for the good of all Ysimal" or something. As recognition of his achievements in the Pagan Braves, guild members who are not on a name-basis of any sort refer to him as 'Commander' officially. Unofficially, and on a more friendly and formal basis, 'Commander Rusty'.
• Personality: IRL and in-game, Jan/Russell comes off as oddly intimidating. However, while Jan is more formal and introverted, Russell is more extroverted and visibly caring in regards to guild members or those in need of aid - his tendency to appeal to the intimidation factor of his avatar and speak more bluntly, however, often undermine his efforts to be nice until you come to understand him a little better. After constant raids, he's adopted a with me or without me approach during the course of battle, demanding obedience to strategy but also listening to criticisms or suggestions from those he has even a small reason to trust.

Mechanics

• Warrior
  • Warlord
    • Warcry: An issued challenge to a selected area on the field or a slightly larger area around the player. Increases the players aggro on enemies hit by Warcry.
    • Tomahawk: A ranged attack using the Warlord's own weapon on a targeted enemy. Puts the player on top of the aggro list for the targeted enemy, damages them slightly and forces them to acknowledge (and thus target) the player for a turn. The weapon is returned to the user upon completion of the attack.
    • Overpower: A frontal cone AOE attack which sends flame into the targeted area damaging enemies in the AOE and burning them for two turns.
    • Conquer: A battle standard placed where the ability is cast which increases the damage and defense of party members in the area. Lasts three turns with a one-turn cooldown.

edited 29th Dec '14 7:49:09 PM by InfiniteParagon

"You lost, Dio. You lost for one simple reason - you were using charcoal." - Hank Hill

That's fair enough.

Dance of Blades- Raises evasion and movement speed.

Wait a minute! Paragon! It's been too long! I didn't recognize you with the new avatar!

Anyway, it looks good! What sort of character were you thinking?

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

Ok, I've edited them into the sign-up.

Wunderbar! That's one member of our party!

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

A true TANK is usually my preferred role. Heavy armor and such. If there's any builds specific to this MMO (which needs a name, BTW) that are Tank builds, i'm listening.

Also any DPS role that sounds appropriate for raiding/dragonslaying, i'm willing to consider.

And yes, it has been too long. I've been inactive for about a year now, I think, although I lurk.

"You lost, Dio. You lost for one simple reason - you were using charcoal." - Hank Hill

Yeah, working on a name.

Well, if you want pure Tank...

Melee/Melee, Tank/Tank.

• Warrior
  • Defender

Taunt- Baits enemies into attacking you

Grapple Chain- Throws a spiked chain with a blade on the end to stab an enemy, and jerks them into melee range. Deals minor damage, interrupts attacks and forces flying targets to the ground.

Shield Blow- Bashes hard with a shield, knocking an enemy down. Enemies too large for knockdown are staggered.

Armored Fist- Strikes with the pommel of a weapon, dealing moderate damage and stunning the target.

How do these look?

Oh, Maestro, the Dance of Blades thing lasts three turns. Remember that.

edited 27th Dec '14 6:43:16 PM by dragon573

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

Actually, let's see here...

What about Melee/Ranged, Tank/Utility?

"You lost, Dio. You lost for one simple reason - you were using charcoal." - Hank Hill

This certainly looks intriguing. If I think of a good character, I might jump in.