[Information] In This Life

[Valkyrur]

In This Life

It's a beautiful day. The weather's cool and sunny. There's a gentle breeze. The streets are busy as usual. The country is peaceful under the benevolent rule of the great ruler, His Majesty, the Emperor Kei. Monsters are kept well outside the city gates. Neighboring cities are mostly at peace with this country, Byakko.

Can things be any better?

There are guilds throughout the city for virtually any occupation one can imagine. There are always something to do in the city, always something fun to join in.

Quite a beautiful place isn't it? Come on, get a life already!

Note:

There you have it, that's the basic introduction of the role play. But, you really must take note of the information that follows. These are important details that kind of set this role play apart from other conventional role plays. You'll do well to read this before choosing to participate, because this might, and I emphasize on might, test your role playing abilities.

RULES ( You know you want to skip this )

1. I OWN YOU! ... Not really. You will obey these rules
2. Be discreet in your usage of profanities, if any.
3. Romance should be kept PG13.
4. All posts should contain at least one paragraph.
5. Also. You CANNOT mind-read another character, unless that player explicitly states that his character shows it physically.
6. You must check the events board here as often as possible!
7. I reserve any right to change these rules, as GM of the role play.

DETAILS

This is a free form role play, which means you can do whatever you want, whatever you like. You could be that lonely guy in some random alley... Or even that magnificent knight decked in some classy armor and sword. Anything is possible (But don't go overboard, obviously), and it's all up to you.

BUT!

All your role playing are to be done in FIRST PERSON.

No kidding. FIRST PERSON.

FIRST PERSON PERSPECTIVE. FIRST PERSON VIEW. FIRST PERSON.. SHOOTER

Got that? This role play will be conducted in FIRST PERSON. So, an example of how it would be like. Say, I'm playing the character of Emperor Kei in Byakko.

E.G.

I sighed, looking at the mountain of petitions neatly stacked on my table. What was more disturbing was the fact that there were more being brought in by the Palace Maids. My eyes widened as I watched them bring in loads after loads of scrolls. Right there and then, I knew, my day was gone.

Interaction E.G.

Player 1 (Emperor Kei):

Seeing one of my ministers walking by, I greeted him casually," Good day, Minister Prahish."

Player 2:

I had seen the Emperor coming from some distance back, and was praying very hard that he hadn't seen me, but he apparently did. I grimaced before wiping that expression out of my face and turning to face His Majesty.

"Greetings, Your Majesty. It is a good day indeed."

There you have it. Which means, instead of referring to your character by his/her name, or calling him/her, he/she... You refer yourself as the character. This should be interesting, because there will be more emphasis on the character's emotions, feelings, actions and thoughts.

Naturally, characters would become more predictable, since any role player can simply read the post in detail to know what that character is thinking... But look at rule 5. (Now you look at the rules )

You cannot 'mind-read' a character, or predict what s/he's planning.

That said, this clears up the details you really need to know. The rest of the side information below will help aid in your character creation, as well as role playing when the role play does begin.

Have fun!

DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THE IMAGES USED IN ANY PART OF THIS THREAD BELONGS TO ME. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS, AND ALL CREDITS SHOULD GO TO THEM.
​

 

[Valkyrur]

EVENTS BOARD

Events Board

This is where all the major events in the role play will be put up. Sometimes, Guilds will hold a random group event which anyone, or specific Guild members may participate in. Sometimes, even the Imperial Palace may plan something major. Unless you want to keep a low profile in the role play, you'll definitely love the activities here.

Being 'Kind'

The Security Council leader, Kai Yin, isn't about to let the unruly Black Tigers get away. Follow her and help provide whatever help that she needs!

- None -

Mandatory:
- Fei
- Shirou

Investigations

Recently, the Grunts Division had been investigating the cases of missing people. Their latest discovery were a series of badly mauled - and some partially eaten - bodies dumped outside the City Walls. Who could have done this?

- None -

Mandatory:
- None: Open only to Grunts -

< Note, there will always be an abundance of activities planned, in case this post seems a little short. It'll take a lot of work on my part, which is why I'm not going to be actively participating in the role play as a character. >

 

[Valkyrur]

KEY PLACES... AND DETAILS

Key Places, and Details

Definitely the places you want to know, and also need to know in order to survive in the role play.

BYAKKO

This is where the main events of the role play takes place. It's a very large city, and quite densely populated too. However, under the wise rule of the Emperor, much of the city's resources are well allocated to housing and most other necessary areas, like the economy, as well as amenities for the people.

This is a zoomed-in view of the common way in which streets would appear. Most, if not all of Byakko looks like this. Buildings all have curved roofs, and they literally line the streets. The various amenities like restaurants, grocery stores, markets, weapon shops are typically found by the side of streets. Note, too, that they are also spread out over the city, so there's no concentration of a specific amenity in one area.

This is the imperial palace of Byakko, where the royal family as well as some of the higher ranking nobility reside. The lower ranking nobles usually stay outside of the city in their private mansions.

The Imperial Palace is extensively guarded, and rarely have anyone stepped into the Palace itself save for the royalty and the higher ranking nobility, as well as the servants that serve in the palace. (And no, the servants don't even live inside the Palace. They work in shifts, and rest outside the Palace.)

Court sessions are always a public affair. The Emperor will always sit at the top of the Palace gates, with a servant by his side who will shout out his responses in his place- unless the Emperor himself wishes to address his subjects personally.

The ministers will all stand by the road, in position of authority, with the highest ranking closest to the Emperor, at the edge of the road, as shown by the lamp in the image. Commoners are allowed to stand anywhere, even directly below the gates.

However, as an unspoken rule, the commoners rarely ever did that, out of respect for the Emperor whom is greatly loved and respected.

This is a typical example of how a Guild would look like. Following the preferences of most Guild Masters, this design, although small, is considered 'elegant' and 'beautiful'. It may be small, but Guilds rarely called for a meeting that involved all members, so the size of the building was rarely an issue.

Guild Masters live within this building, along with the main Guild Committee. Members can come here to either meet the Guild Master or any of the Guild Committee members, or simply check the events board for any possible Guild Events.

Some Guilds, like the Hunter's Guild sell weapons. The rarity of these weapons can range from ubiquitous to the extremely rare, however, the rare weapons are only unlocked for a limited duration after completing a Guild Event.

What lies outside the city is a long road, which branches out like a river delta. Most of these paths lead into unknown areas that have virtually nothing. Others lead to the 'neighboring' cities, but they're really far away.

Monsters are abundant in these lands, and rarely do you have people living in these areas. At night, when the aurora appears in the sky, the stronger monsters appear. The relation between this aurora and the stronger monsters are presently unknown.

TECHNOLOGY & MAGIC

Byakko is pretty much your average ancient oriental city, with the highest level of technology being swords, cooking utensils, and ships (Not air-ships). Their best mode of travel is still the horse-driven carriage, but there is a magical variant, the Magic Carriage, but it requires an extensive amount of magic to power (Which requires a powerful mage... Who would most likely prefer to simply teleport ).

The magic in Byakko is, however, very extensively studied and experimented upon. The reason why Byakko is regarded as the most powerful city in the world is because of it's mages. They are not only able to conjure offensive spells of varying elements, but they are also able to summon the most massive of magical beasts to do their bidding.

A legend of the city was that it once held off a seven-nation army when the mages gathered to summon the city's patron guardian, the White Tiger, Byakko. The army was wiped out in an instant, and Byakko was saved. The leader of these mages became the first ever Emperor.

It is said that Emperor Kei is a descendant.

On a side note, those looking to have high-tech equipments. It is possible, but you must not be a citizen of Byakko. You would do well to mention that, yeah? I wouldn't mind seeing some KOS-MOS (From Xenosaga) like character in the city... In fact, that will be funny, but nice XD

CULTURE

For reasons unknown, the people particularly enjoy greeting each other with a cheerful 'HEY' and a slap on the person's back. This is a casual greeting usually seen from the commoners, amongst friends (Males and females alike). The more 'sophisticated', or 'classy', ones would simply give a polite greeting.

The people in Byakko are also highly superstitious. If you bother to look at the events, half of them are likely to be from people requesting for help to 'exorcise' a ghost. >.>

Typically, a high-classed male would dress as shown below... WITHOUT THAT FAN! XD

A high-classed female would dress as shown... I know that's just a doll, but well.

And... The commoners. Typically, they dress as shown below... Anyone watched Hong Gil Dong?

... Of course, there are other forms of clothing... Even if the 'neighboring' cities are damn far off, there are still visitors from all over the world visiting Byakko, through various means. Therefore, it is natural to see people wearing something else different from the above.

SECURITY

It might be interesting to also note that the guards dress like the commoner male above, but with a more elegant design, and a uniform color scheme, depending on the rank of the guard. Metal inhibits magic, which explains why they avoid wearing armor, and opt for plain cloth and the only metallic article being their weapons.

However, to compensate for the lowered defense against successful strikes, they undergo intensive training that imparts to them the ability to parry. Combine this with magic, they are quite a force to be reckoned with.

While this may be an optimal level for guards to reach, it is not easy at all. Which forms a triangle hierarchy amongst the guards, and the different colors to differentiate them

White Tiger Division - White

The most powerful division that have completely mastered the usage of martial arts with magic. Anyone member of this division can easily outmatch anyone else from the divisions below them. Because of their skill, they are also forbidden to participate in any fighting competitions, and are delegated to the sole purpose of protecting the Emperor. There are very few people in this division, most of which holds key positions amongst the guards.

Black Tiger Division - Black

The second most powerful. They are only weaker in terms of their martial arts ability. They are allowed to participate in fighting competitions, and in fact, have to participate as a rule. Those who get defeated by someone of a lower division would usually get replaced, which is why this division is highly competitive.

Orange Tiger Division - Orange

This division is the second lowest level, with a substantial number of guards. Most of them are more skilled in either magic or martial arts. Guards here are usually trying balance out their capabilities such both martial arts or magic would be just as good.

Grunts Division - Yellow

The lowest level. It has the largest number of guards, but most of them are not particularly skilled with magic or martial arts- being only skilled to a really small extent. It is the most embarrassing level to be at, and most of the guards here are always striving to rise to the next division.

As a result, it is extremely competitive here, worse than the Black Tiger Division.

 

[Valkyrur]

KEY CHARACTERS: AND INFORMATION

Key Characters that you definitely need to know.

Emperor Kei

And yes, this is probably the most you can see of him, because he rarely ventures out of the Palace, and when he does, he does it in secret, and the only times you see him is when he's having his court sessions with his ministers. During court sessions, he rarely smiles, so this image is probably the best image you can have of him.

Not much else is known about him other than the fact that it is under his rule that Byakko is experiencing one of it's highest level of economic prosperity.


... And that's all for key characters... Lol

The other key positions, like the Prime Minister, and all the key position-holders in the Security Council never show their face in public. Most of the time, these people are away on official business recognized by the Emperor

(Recognized meaning that the Emperor openly announces their absence. If you're not recognized and are absent, it means that the minister skipped the court session, and unless the minister is sick, he will definitely be sacked.)

RACES:

Byakko is an open society, which also allows for all sorts of races to reside in the city, so long they do not cause trouble or commit crimes.

The most dominant of the races is the Humans. Need I describe them? They look like... humans. The most balanced race, with the potential to be strong in both magic and martial arts, but unable to be the strongest in both.

Now, for the lesser races... Probably the most interesting ones.

VAMPIRES

Beautiful creatures of the night that must avoid sunlight at all cost. Prolonged exposure of about a minute will cause them to burst into flames. At night, they are at their best, with heightened senses, and physical strength. What is most prominent of this race is their strong magical abilities (Unaffected by the time of the day).

At night, they're significantly stronger than humans, but weaker than the Animal Shifters. They do not sleep... Are not immortal, but just live a significant longer life, probably about 400 years.

To kill them... Just take it like you're killing a human.

.. Lol.

ANIMAL SHIFTERS

These are basically like werewolves, except there are all sort of transformations. One can transform into tiger... into wolves...

... into rabbits... >.>

Anything. Depending on the animal they morph into, their strength varies. The predator animals all gain the full strength they have, even when they turn into their animal forms. The prey animals... Their weakness is when they're in their animal forms. Lulz.

Most people shift into Predator Animals. In their human forms, they have increased regeneration, are not afraid of the sun, and have supernatural strength that far surpasses humans and vampires alike. Even at night, they are stronger than vampires...

However, they are completely unable to use magic at all. Which is why Animal Shifter guards are permanently stuck in the Orange Tiger Division.

At night, the instance the moon appears the sky, they begin to transform. Depending on the phase of the moon, their strength waxes and wanes.

During a New Moon, they lose all their powers, and are merely in animal form with barely any strength.

During a Crescent Moon, they have slightly more strength, but slightly weaker than their original powers.

Half Moon.... Half their powers.

Gibbous Moon, 3/4?

Full Moon. Good luck. They still have their full powers. AND, they can retain their human forms if they will it.

OTHERS

... Are extremely rare. The above two are the only ones seen other than humans. There may be others, but they either hid their existence well, or don't exist...?

You can come up with more, but you'll have to describe in as much detail as possible about them and PM to me. I'll add them up here if I approve of it.

 

[Valkyrur]

THE ELEMENTS

Elements

*I admit, I almost forgot about this one until I saw some other Information threads. LOL.

Magic in the role playing universe revolves around the Four Basic Elements.

Fire, Water, Wind, Earth

Various other combination can come out of this four basic elements. To put it simply, the Magic System in this role play is simple. Master all Four Elements, and you'll be some overpowered Warlock. Well, it's not that easy for a character though. Each elements require specific 'compensations', elaborated below. The combination I leave to you all to innovate, but don't overpower yourselves.

Key Information

The hierarchy of magic practitioners are as follows. (Stipulated by the Guild of Magical Arts)

* From the highest ranking to the lowest
** The weakest magic users that can use magic, but not strong enough to use it offensively. These people use magic in their daily lives.

1. Warlock (Only 1)
2. Archmagi
3. Elementals
4. Pixie
5. Sorcerer / Sorceress
6. Wizard / Witch
7. The Laypeople**

Fire

Highly destructive. This element can only be used offensively, rarely defensive, with no healing capabilities. It is commonly used to power up the furnace in most smithies, help with cooking in restaurants.

A Warlock of this element is able to control Fire with utmost ease. While ordinary sorcerers have to ensure the fire summoned thus not scald them, a Warlock is partially immune to fire, with the ability to summon the ultimate Guardian of Fire, Suzaku.

However, a fire user has to compensate for his/her usage with a higher frequency of fevers. The stronger the user, the higher the frequency, which means that the Warlock is almost always experiencing a fever, however, s/he would usually have grown used to it.

Water

A versatile element, Water can be used both offensively and defensively, with a slight ability to heal. It is most commonly used to provide fresh drinking water when users summon water from the moisture in the air.

A Warlock of this element is able to manipulate Water, and every aspect of it. Which, also allows a Warlock to dabble into the usage of Ice elemental spells. The ultimate Guardian of Water, Genbu, can be summoned exclusively by the Warlock too.

However, the compensation that a water user has to pay is a psychological aversion for water. This is involuntary, and creates a near-phobia like reaction to water, usually occurring after the usage of a water spell. The stronger the spell, the longer this aversion lasts.

The Warlock of the element at the moment has overcome this by psychologically conditioning herself to block out these fears. Thus her nickname, the 'Strong Willed'.

Wind

An largely offensive element like fire, with no healing capabilities. However, it is a required element for summoning. This element has the least usage amongst the commoners, though in the Imperial Palace, it is used to cool the Emperor. (lol)

Summoning is currently debated within Byakko- as to whether or not to regard it as a separate element. Presently, it's just considered to be under the element of Wind.

The Warlock of Wind is a master summoner, presumably one descended from the mages that helped summoned Byakko to defend the city. He can easily call upon virtually any beast one can imagine, ranging from the mythical to the most ubiquitous. This Warlock is the only one that can summon the Guardian of Wind without much difficulty as compared to the other elements. The Guardian of Wind is Seiryuu.

However, the compensation is breathlessness. Like water users, this is experienced after using a Wind element spell. The duration of breathlessness depends on the strength of the spell. The Warlock have never quite got over this compensation, but he's used to it.

Earth

The most defensive element. It also has the strongest healing capabilities. One of the sub-elements under this category is the forbidden Necromancy, which can bring people back to life... In skeleton form. Lol

Earth can be used offensively, but it isn't easy to use it offensively. Most users, including the Warlock, use it purely for its defensive abilities and its healing abilities. Clerics are mostly from this element.

The Warlock of Earth, is really, the Head Cleric. She heads the Clerics Guild, and is a sort of 'authority' in the arts of healing. Regarded as miracle healer, she serves the Emperor directly, and also aid the Security Council on occasion, especially in the repair of the castle walls.

The compensation of Earth is the lightest of all, simply, the need to eat at least a bowl of soil. (LOL) Naturally, the stronger the spell, the more soil must be taken in. Soil is almost like the metabolic substrate of these Earth users, and in fact, because of them, there have been various recipes invented using soil...

Soil Cakes, anyone? Or Soil Fong? (XD Can't resist the Bleach reference)