General OOC

[Wrenn]

Some of the questions brought up in Private Messages touched on similar themes, which means there's a lot more clarity needed than what my initial Introduction delivered. Here are those FAQs now answered, for us and future players:

1) Is there a storyline in place or is this a Sand Box rp?

There will be a plot, and while I will try to guide that plot with Milestones, it will be entirely up to you to decide how your characters achieve those milestones. As not every player will be interested in each milestone I will also create them according to your character's choices and your preferences.

2) What are the posting requirements? Style/length/speed

3rd Person/Past Tense.

I don't have a specific number of words or paragraphs. Some situations call for 1000+ words, others call for only 100 words. Through my posts I'll set the median about which you are allowed to float above and below. An rp has a certain momentum and I'll use common sense and my own judgement if I need to ask someone to add more meat to their posts, or calm down with the novellas ^^

For speed, or how often you need to post -- again it's a sliding rule based on the rp's current momentum and common sense. The maximum speed is pretty obvious: you can't double post with one character, or if you have two separate characters interacting, but you can if they are two separate characters not interacting, i.e. separate plots or scenes. The minimum speed is debatable, but I'd say that if someone is waiting specifically for you for three days, maybe you can send them or me a quick PM saying we can play you by proxy for that post.

3) What are the different races we can choose?

This is up to you. PM me if you have a new race that you'd like to play, and if it fits into the feel of the rp then I will add it to the "Races" OOC Subject. My only hard rule on races is this: There is no magic system beyond the caith and the elixers who manipulate it. There are no angels, demons or deities. A character or race cannot have a magical skill that is outside the caith system as it has so far been developed.

4) Are there different 'classes' in the traditional rp sense?

No, but that doesn't mean you can't think of a character in those archetypes of course. So there is no "knight-class" with a "heavy-weapon" attribute, but if you create a knight who wields heavy weapons then there you go! Again, the only hard rule is the caith rule previously mentioned. You're welcome to create a stealthy character with the ability to climb walls and ceilings, but he or she would have to be an alumen elixer who manipulates the stone, or a stannum elixer who uses air or vacuum pressure, or another way of describing it within the caith system. PM me if you need help thinking of a way to so describe it.

5) What spells are there, or what can an elixer do? How do familiars work?

The caith system is very rigid as far as which type for what element, but as far as spells go -- your imagination is your limit, provided your character is strong enough and has enough caith. Like just about everything in this rp, character strength is a nebulous concept and there's no Skill Level to guide you. So start modest for now, and the more we post (and the more Milestones we hit) the stronger our elixers become.

Familiars are ethereal beings that appear when an elixer casts a spell, which only elixers can see. To an elixer, the familiar appears to be what actually does the spell, while non-elixers see nothing but the elixer and the cast spell. Depending on the amount of caith released (i.e. the larger the spell), the different forms and sizes the familiar takes. Some may think these different sizes/shapes are actually different entities, and some may think they're the same familiar in different forms. Familiars are intelligent but non-sentient. They understand and obey the elixer during their brief appearance but cannot communicate or extrapolate.

[AxelZero93]

I really like how you went about all this. I'll be messaging you, I have a few questions I'd like to clear up before I try to actually join. But I am impressed by the amount of detail you put into the Caith system.

-AZ93

[Wrenn]

Thanks for the comment Axel! I just replied to your PM. Hope to see you join once I get a bit more of a plot/structure going.

Wrenn

[Igari]

Ohhh, purr purr, I shouldn't be but... This roleplay contains elements from two of the greatest game series of all times (Final Fantasy and Seiken Densetsu) and I just, it is well-thought out enough that I cannot help myself! I will definitely be heavily considering joining but just as Axel, I will PM you in regards to some ideas I had merely from reading the introduction! .///.

[BlackIceRocker]

Like Axel and Igari, I'm also interested in learning a bit more... perhaps a PM will be heading your way as well from me...

[Igari]

Ohhh, Icy! Hey there sweetie pea >:3 Fancy meeting you here after we so shortly met not so long ago in Requiem //giggles and huggles

Edit: Universal question! Pictures will be anime-based, yes? :3 (And no, I am not referring to characters from anime, just that kind of art style)

[Wrenn]

Welcome Igari and BlackIce! Thank you so much for your comments -- I'm thrilled to see this level of interest. (I was afraid it would sink without a trace...)

I can't stress enough how interested I am in collaboration, not just in terms of plot but also building up the world of Allevent into a more fully-realized realm. Any ideas you have, please feel free to share here -- and weigh in on other's ideas as well.

Since the rp is in its infancy I'm open to changes in some of the ideas. For instance Igari was wondering about the familiars being like summons, and if there could essentially be a summoning class. That isn't how I pictured it, but it that's something that you guys prefer then now's the time to do it! Obviously the familiars are so much like summons that it wouldn't be a big change, but I kind of picture them more as a cross between simple forces of nature personified, but also a mix of the spren from Stormlight Archive and the andat from the Long Price Quartet.

I like the idea that elixers don't really know exactly what's happening. Are they summoning a familiar which does the spell for them, or is the familiar just a byproduct of trapped caith being released, or is it simply a visualization trick that elixers employ to focus and direct their spells? More fun than just summoning, IMO.

[Howlkin Stranger]

Howlkin Stranger reporting in! I've got a lot of things in my head and over time I'll probably spill plenty of them right here. But like all others I'll probably ask a few questions before we start brainstorming more actively.
How is the Caith spent (if at all) by non-Elixers. E.g.: if we have a helicopter that uses electricity provided by Lumen-type crystals to bring the rotors to motion, can the Lumen used expire/run-out-of-energy/crack-under-pressure/etcetera. How is Caith triggered in mechanisms or forced to exhibit its powers?

Also, since the potential of having a Caithness-hunter caste in society excites me quite a bit, I'd like to ask if there could be stable "hunting grounds" for them, e.g. places that are overrun and have to regularly have the population of Caithness' curbed so as to avoid having them spill into inhabited areas.
Give me some time and I'll certainly get you a bunch of competing Caithness-hunting Guilds outlined too, if you like. And oh yeah, in fact, have you got any Guilds thought up on your own yet? I could really help you beef up the roster if you want me to!

[Wrenn]

Great questions!

Caith crystals: They're essentially rechargeable batteries, so they definitely deplete according to their use. (I know this is a slippery slope towards the laws of thermodynamics and physics in general, but hopefully we can navigate that slope successfully). Once a crystal is spent it can either be filled or replaced. An elixer could fill it from free caith if there's any abundant, or fill it from one crystal to another (like type to like type; no vivum in a ferrum crystal), but otherwise a non-elixer would have to replace it. What makes more sense: dud crystals are taken by their owner to some sort of facility to be recharged, or swapped at a shop for another and the shops then deal in bulk with these facilities?

The caith is triggered by being inset into glyphs that channel its power in specific ways, so the lumen powered helicopter in question would have a glyph inscribed in the rotors that worked that way. Or a stannum crystal could be used in some way. Although in this particular example I don't see helicopters in the world just yet ^^ Just cumbersome airships that are expensive and inefficient except when the alternate sea route is too long.

Caithness hunter societies would be a major way of harvesting caith crystals and should be quite a powerful force in the guilds.

No guilds of my own just yet -- right now I'm exploring a more kingdom/political plot, but I don't know where it's going ^^

[Wrenn]

Sorry, I missed a response to one of your questions:

Caithness: I picture caithness being spawned in a few different ways. A natural environment with an abundance of a given caith type would breed caithness. So at the foot of a volcano you're more likely to see ferrum caithness (caithnesses?) than any other type, same for vivum caithness on the ocean or in an arctic setting. Another way I picture it is from sudden surges in caith, like a lightning storm breeding lumen caithness or an earthquake breeding alumen. The final way is pretty tenuous so I'd probably just drop it, but:

Each of the caith types has an astrological connection.

Aurum - Sun
Vivum - Mercury
Cuprum - Venues
Alumen - Earth
Argentum - Moon
Ferrum - Mars
Stannum - Jupiter
Plumbum - Saturn
Spelter - Uranus
Kobold - Neptune
Bismuth - Pluto

Oh, high, I'm lumen and I don't really fit in because I was an afterthought and Wren ran out of planets! But, eff it I guess I'm from the sun too?

Obviously Allevent isn't earth so the planets don't necessarily correlate, but I guess caithness of a given type could be spawned by astrological conditions?

[unseenshadow2]

I have posted a character.

If you would like to pm me with any questions or advice, feel free to do so.

Thanks.

[Manic Creator]

This is amazing!!! I am a little limited, however I would love to join this. I was thinking on the races, simply because I dislike being something COMPLETELY human and thats it...bleh. Sooo, I was wondering about the different countries/regions. If we can come up with enough detail to build a baseline idea of a region/culture/race, is that alright with you??

Also, I know it was asked, but I didn't see an answer. Sorry. As for pictures, are we using anime style images or other?

[Wrenn]

Welcome Shadow and Manic -- glad you're both here. Shadow, I've approved your character and look forward to the rp. Manic, you're right I think I missed that question -- I'm fine with either realistic or anime character pictures. As far as races, I'm open to anything except for a race that requires a magic system outside of the caith, so no angels or demons. Just about anything else is welcome. Hope to see a character soon!

Thanks,
Wrenn

[Igari]

Heh! I submitted in my character as a WIP~ (Kind of just wanted to get her slot in there before I finish her up nicely~) So you're more than welcome to take a look at how she is coming along so far but I'll post on the OOC when I am all done with her and everything. I'm thinking to create another race that is similar to humans but give me a moment here to think of a name!

//huggles Ren Ren with a purr purr

[Howlkin Stranger]

Alright, I'll think on my character a little more and probably wait to see what the other people do. Not going to be in a hurry to give you a WIP. But in order to pursue another line of thought I need to ask you this:
Can Caith have any adverse effects on sentient beings? You mentioned addiction to Cuprum, but what other things could there be? Could one's exposure to too much Caith turn a sentient being into a Caithness? In that case, could one retain sentience, so could we actually get smart (or sentient) Caithnesses? Caithness mutants anyone? Eerie towns the inhabitants of which have transformed into life-sized crystallized statues of themselves?
Also to answer your earlier question. I believe that refueling your Caith supply at specific facilities should be a viable method of dealing with them running out of energy. Although if we're to compromise we could have only larger Caith be usable multiple times and therefore possible to refuel. Smaller chunks of it (used as small batteries in firearms or something of the sort for example) could be expendable, for example because when drained they turn brittle and decompose...
Come to think of it. Any ideas for effects of Caith when ground into dust?

Just juggling things and presenting some results of my brainstorming heheh.

[BlackIceRocker]

Well, Wrenn, after our little discussion in PMs, I'll begin working on a character tonight and hopefully be able to have him/her up by the end of the day tomorrow.

Also, 'sup, Igari? Can't browse the forum without running into you again, can I? =V

[Wrenn]

These, and some others posed by different players in PM, are really good ideas. They touch somewhat on potential later plot developments so I won't say much. In fact, I'll skip right down to the safer waters of the caith crystal topic. ^^

Yes, let's say that larger crystals are used multiple times, and each time it's depleted and refuel it has a slightly reduced capacity and a greater chance of breaking outright. A sudden break in a particularly large & full crystal, resulting in a huge release of trapped caith, is prime breeding ground for a sudden Caithness appearance. And smaller crystals have a one time use and turn to powder. I've got nothing on any effects of that powder.

On a small aside, as you mentioned firearms. Sounds like the perfect name for a ferrum powered gun ^^

[Igari]

Purr purr~ I was just thinking the same thing, Icy! Similar interests, I think~ It's still nice to see you here :3 I know you'll have lots of fun things to contribute too!

I finished up editing Xioban's profile so you all are free to go look at her now! I hope you like the finished product~ //super excited .///.

Edit: Also, um, Shadow, I hope you don't mind but I took out the liberty to do two things for you. The first was a re-sizing of your image so that we don't have to scroll as much to see the whole thing! I've uploaded it for you~

Adion Volf

I also took the time to just make an icon for your character!

Adion Icon

Of course, Ren Ren, you can easily go to the character and edit this in yourself but I thought you'd appreciate it better if I offered this to you first, Shadow :3 Hope this wasn't too intrusive!

[fueledbymadness]

This is amazing; seriously, the world you've created and the caith, it's all really great! I'd love to be a part of this roleplay. (: I've got a character in mind, but I was wondering if you could give me more information on the guardians? What it takes to get in, specializations within it...etc

[AxelZero93]

Woot! Accepted! And with 5 people, 6 maybe if someone else joins, then well have a perfect group :D