Donaut: Better. ^^ Approved. Jade: XD I already approved you, but still thanks for the extra details. They're always welcome. clawtooth35: Overall, awesome job on the bio. Tosca is probably the only character that has truly made use of the "Other" category. Good job on filling some extra gaps with the Valdeaunia social structure (i.e. no music schools and location of concert halls, etc), I have no problem with those. Just one thing, but this has been requested from many people already. I'd like it if you gave some background on Tosca's family and what her parents were like and how it was like growing up. The reason I ask this (besides the reasons I gave before) was that it's a little mysterious as to how a regular citizen rose to a profession that is mostly in service to nobility. For Tosca to be a citizen not born of nobility, but is able to reach the level of magick mastery that most nobles have, it'd be great to see why this was possible. What kind of family did she come from to promote such a growth? Just some family insight and you're good to go. ----------------- leon47: Just like I asked Kingdom///97.2, please re-read the entire RP and create one that follows the structure of the city's parameters. Right off the bat, there are no dragons in Valdeaunia. Despite you saying people think they're extinct, this is not a history inclusion I'm going to accept. This RP was never meant to be in the Fantasy genre (despite some magick), as such any mention of dragons is inappropriate. As well, how can a dragon race have created Mhaura when the poor district was developed into its present state during the past twelve years when Dhobar became the head of its administration? Before that, Valdeaunia was a city that had all its districts brimming with prosperity. Furthermore, Valdeaunia is a creation by mankind; no dragon could create such a city. The fact that your character is a dragon makes your bio invalid. As well, I doubt dragons can be citizens of a city, let alone live in one. And that power is ridiculous, to say the least. Meteor Rain could very well take out Valdeaunia in one go, so that's not good. I'll give you one more chance to remake your entire bio, one that shows you've read the descriptions and have thoughtfully created a character using those guidelines.
I rather like all the option updates. WiFi would be nice, but anything that has to do with the various modes appeases me greatly as well. It was obvious that the co-op (or competitive, it's not specific) mode for Break the Targets was coming. XD
Spitfire: Approved. --------------------- Finally got my bio finished. Sorry that it took so long; I'm not sure how much of this might be changed before the start of the RP, but I'm sure most of this will stay the same. Name: Korwyn Aveltas Age: 19 Appearance: Standing at a modest 5'5", Korwyn doesn't boast an intimidating physique that one might often find among the six-footed Royal Guards or the more skilled district militia. However, despite his modestly thin-build, Korwyn's ample amounts of physical activity from childhood to the present have granted him a toned body structure that is only noticeable when his upper body apparel is minimal. His straight chocolate-coloured locks drape wildly about his head, with many uneven strands hovering over his eyes and ears. Korwyn possesses an unusual pair of crimson-coloured eyes--a recessive trait he inherited from his father's gene pool. Korwyn prefers to dress casually and carefree and is easily distinguishable as a regular citizen when spotted on the streets. Magick Ability: Level 2. While able to cast levitation spells, his poor control and laughable dexterity make his applications of level 2 magick virtually useless in most situations. Job Class: Thief. He carries a skillfully-crafted dagger that he received as a gift from his childhood friend, Aethyr. Noble/Citizen: Citizen District: Estavel (Owns a small loft above a restaurant) Alignment: Good Background/History: At first glance, Korwyn seemed to come from a very well-to-do family. With a father working the trade of a Blacksmith, and a mother who became a self-employed potions merchant soon after graduating from the Institute, it was no stroke of luck that he and his family was able to live peacefully in the district of Estavel. However, that's as far as the picture-perfect facade goes before one delves beyond the closed doors of the Aveltas house. Rylian and Lithea Aveltas (Korwyn's parents) shared a mutual obsession with nobility. While they themselves were not born of noble blood, their economic successes were mostly driven by their desire to transform themselves into anything remotely related to the noble class, be it what they ate, what they wore, or how they acted. When their first and only child, Korwyn, was born, a future had already been planned well in advance was placed into action. Korwyn spent the first few years of his life being raised to identify and to believe in his parents ideals. Naturally, being young and completely dependent on his parents for wisdom during those early years of development soon led Korwyn to strive to become part of the Royal Knights--the future his parents had set for him since before his birth. By becoming one of the Royal Knights, the Aveltas family would really feel like they've finally entered the ranks of nobility. Korwyn's path to fulfilling this dream was to first obtain a mastery of level 3 magick, then later enter the Valdeaunia Academy. Having saved enough money years before in preparation, Korwyn was quickly sent to the Institute of Alchemy to begin his mastery of magick soon after his seventh birthday. But to his parents' dismay, Korwyn's progress was not going as well as they had hoped. While easily mastering Circumstantial Alteration in all its forms, Levitation was a different story. Clumsy and unrefined in his performances, Korwyn easily became the amusement of his class and many of his stuck-up peers often poked fun at his shortcomings for entertainment. With his pride broken and his hopes shattered, Korwyn found very little support at home and often went to bed with argumentative shouting as his lullaby. Korwyn's turning-point in life quite possibly happened the day he met a boy named Aethyr, a local resident of Mhaura, during his second year of schooling. With little improvement in his academics and virtually no support at home, Korwyn often found comfort in the many meaningless pranks he and Aethyr would pull on many of Mhaura's residents. The thrills and excitement he experienced from such happenings never failed to cheer him up. Thus, excusing himself as studying extra hours after school every day, Korwyn began to see Aethyr more and more, eventually learning about his friend's dream to live the life of an Assassin. The declaration had come as a complete shock at first as Korwyn's upbringing had labeled the Assassins as despicable heretics that polluted the very essence of humanity. But that was not how Korwyn viewed Aethyr, the one person who he felt understood him and his trouble best. Aethyr may not have been the best confidant one could have, but he certainly knew how to bring smiles back into Korwyn's face. It wasn't long before Rylian and Lithea found out about their son's deception. It happened on the same day that they received a letter from the Institute declaring Korwyn's immediate removal from the student roster. After seeing that his grades had not improved in the slightest--rather, they worsened--Korwyn's friendship with Aethyr finally came into light. It was here that Korwyn decided to bring his thoughts and feelings forward, lashing at his parents out of frustration and resentment. In the end, Korwyn revealed that he no longer wished to pursue the dream of Knighthood, and no longer any interest in pretending to be a noble. Such foul words of rejection was too much for the proud, deluded Rylian and Lithea to bear. With nothing more than the clothes he wore on his back, Korwyn was tossed out of the house and into the hot summer night, disowned completely. Aethyr had soon left to pursue his dream to join the Assassin's guild in a neighbouring city, and after humbly rejecting his offer to follow, Korwyn slowly began to see him less and less as time passed. The following years to come were not entirely regrettable as Korwyn forced himself to become much more self-sufficient to survive the streets on his own. Such self-sufficiency didn't take long to turn into work of thievery as Korwyn's days of job-hunting eventually transformed into ones of clever swindles and dextrous pick-pocketing. While the inadvertent change in profession--that being beggar to stealer--initially came as a shock, Korwyn eventually began to enjoy his daily quota of silly shenanigans as it reminded him of his pleasant memories with Aethyr. Korwyn continues to walk the streets of all three of Valdeaunia districts with very little ambition or motive in mind. Personality: A person living freely and without any real role-models to guide him for a large part of his life, Korwyn is a product of many different influences. Having learned the art of social stealth primarily through experience and by observational learning, Korwyn's young age has yet allowed him enough time polish off the art, however, his candid and inherently bright disposition often grants him success in many situations. Being abandoned by his parents did leave an emotional scar in Korwyn's heart, but his future experiences have relaxed many of his previous anxieties and curbed an interesting outlook on how he perceives the world around him. While he did fail to become the Royal Knight his parents wanted him to, his enjoyable success as a free spirit of Valdeaunia eventually brings him to no longer resent his parents but rather, secretly appreciates their deeds during his early childhood. He often pays them visits, but mostly to get amusement out of their spiteful hawking of his existence and their wide variety of death threats. Overall, Korwyn sports an outer exterior that remarks him as a sarcastic, playful, somewhat clumsy individual who doesn't always watch what he says, but also an interior that thinks deeply about his life-changing experiences and holds on tightly to his deeply-rooted beliefs. Demo Post: Durr, gtfo my internetz. I totall dint prufreed mah bio. Haha, nah. I plan to fill this up with something later, actually. Just right now... I'd rather sleep.
Much better. Just one more thing and you're set: Assassins in Valdeaunia simply make a living killing people for a price--like most assassins do. This isn't the Maysaf with Altair and the sin-purging Assassin's Creed. If you want your character to be motivated by religious faith, then I won't stop you, but I just wanted to clear up that Assassins in Valdeaunia as a whole do not operate as an organization meant to 'bring peace to the world' like they do in a certain Ubisoft next-gen video game.
Donaut: Quite a few things I need you to clear up with your bio. Firstly, you're not allowed to be able to use Level 4 magick. I made this clear in the General Rules and Notes section, so please read them if you haven't already. On that note, being able to slow down enemies isn't even a power associated with Cosmic Windowing. Reversing/Accelerating aging on objects and essentially dreamgazing are the only powers accessible by Level 4 magick. But once again, no one in his RP is allowed to reach this level, it is simply historic reference for the RP. Second, Assassins are usually comprised of regular citizens. It's impossible for individuals to engage in Assassin-like activities *and* still be part of the nobility. If you want your character to be of noble blood, that's perfectly fine, but bear in mind that in order for him to be an Assassin, he must have been disowned by his family or forfeited his right to walk among the nobility because it just simply wouldn't work. That being said, because Assassins are mostly comprised of citizens who never had a proper childhood, their education in magick is lacking and most don't exceed Level 2 magick mastery (I made this magick specification in the Assassin Job Class summary, so please re-read the description if you're unsure of these facts). However, if your character only recently forfeited his noble rank to become an Assassin, I'll allow him to be able to use Level 3 magick BUT, the following things must be observed: because your character would then have to be a relatively new Assassin, there is no way he can be an extremely talented one as he would have been living the life of a noble up until recently. In anything, your character would still be trying to learn the ropes of being an Assassin. On the other hand, if your character gave up his noble rank when he was a child, he can then have the merits of being a skilled Assassin, however, this would mean his opportunity to learn level 3 magick would be taken away since getting a formal education would have been impossible. The bottom line here is that you cannot be both a skilled Assassin *and* possess Level 3 magick. This is simply illogical given the structure of Valdeaunia. Third thing. On the basis of Level 4 magick, it would be impractical that an Assassin would be the one to discover the secrets behind Level 4 magick mastery. Their lifestyle and way of life does not promote this kind of growth. At the very least, someone of the Scholar profession would be the most likely to attain the power of Level 4 magick mastery, but once again, no one in this RP can make a character who's attained this level. Moving on to your Background, there are some things I would like you to add/fix here as well. Roka has had many problems, but please elaborate on what these are. Obviously these problems led to the murder of his parents and siblings, but please expand as to why his family was being brutally targeted by others. And why did Roka end up in prison henceforth? It's confusing that his parents were murdered, his brothers hanged, then he's suddenly arrested by authorities soon after. What did Roka do to cause this? As well, what sort of revelation did Roka have that suddenly made him want to devote himself to God? He lived a terrible life and as far as I'm concerned, was wrongfully accused of a crime he didn't commit, and then sent to prison for a few years. So what happened to Roka to suddenly make him put such passionate faith in God and become an Assassin? How did he become an Assassin? I know this is a lot to read at once, but these are all severe holes in your bio that need fixing. Try to re-read the entire prologue and have a thorough look at the different job classes, magick system and districts. While there are a lot of details within each section, they are there because they form a logical wheel of combinations for people to come up with when creating their characters. For example, the nobility are almost exclusively found in Verlest, with the rest living in Estavel (these are written in the Noble/Citizen descriptions). While I never explicitly said so, it should be discerned that no Noble would be taking up residence in Mhaura given their attitude and outlook on lower-class citizens, as well as the fact that Mhaura is a district stricken by severe poverty. However, your character is written as a Noble, but lives in Mhaura. A noble living there would be illogical. You don't have to redo your entire character (but the option is there), however there is quite a bit you have to change before I can pass your bio. -------------------------- Kagiya: Approved. Your demo post amused me greatly. Jade Rhade: Approved (I'm bugged to ask you for more info, but nah. XD) Nailpolish <3: Approved ~Muffin~: Approved GX: Approved Sorax: Approved
Took a thorough look at the bios posted so far, and will disclose some changes I wish to be made. Please bear in mind that these inquiries are not solely for my own preference, but details like the ones I'm asking for can help you also better understand the just who your character is, and help you better understand their thoughts and emotions. This will make it easier to bring your character to life throughout the RP. For some of you, I can tell that you already understand the elements of RP'ing very well, however, please humour me if I've asked you to provide some additional information. I'm sure none of you will have a hard time completing these tasks. ---------------------------- Vivi: EDIT: APPROVED I already disclosed some of this to you before on MSN, but could you please be more specific on the weakness we discussed. As of now your character seems to be this vengeful individual with little to no obvious flaws. If your character can't control himself at the sight of thieves, please make this statement obvious in your bio. Other than that, your bio is ready to go. ---------------------------- Nailpolish <3: EDIT: APPROVED Your description on personality (for the RP) is fine, however if possible, please try to provide more insight on your character's past--such as how life was when he parents were still alive. Was her personality different when her parents were still alive? And did she have a good connection with her parents? After her parents will killed, what made her decide to become an Assassin? Other than that perhaps adding a bit more in that area, your bio is fine and is ready to go. ---------------------------- Rosey: One small detail. Andrea's father was killed during a hunting session? Does this mean her father was not a noble? People of nobility in Valdeaunia wouldn't really engage in activities such as hunting. Being rich allows them to buy materials they need, as well as food, so hunting as a profession is unlikely for her father if he was a noble. However, if his death was simply due to a hobby that went wrong, please disclose this information if possible. If Andrea's father was not a noble, can you please disclose how this affected Andrea's life? Everything else looks fine, so other than that small detail, your bio is ready to go. ---------------------------- ~Muffin~: EDIT: APPROVED Could you please entail more about your character's personality? Thanks for disclosing the circumstances surrounding her parents (with the death of Maddie's mother, and the disappeared/abandonment of her father), but for personality sake, it would be great to know how this family dynamic affected her as she grew up. Furthermore, it would be great to know how her family dynamic as well as her personality led her to become an Assassin. Everything else looks fine, so other than those fixes, your bio is ready to go. ---------------------------- Spit: EDIT: APPROVED XD Maybe you misunderstood, but the Assassins in Valdeaunia do not wield Short Swords, at least not as a weapon they're extremely skilled with. Short Blades and Daggers were the choices, but perhaps you misunderstood the idea of a Short Blade. To keep it simple, if you recall the two blade-like weapons that Legolas wielded in the Lord of the Rings movies, that is in effect, what I was referring to by Short Blades. These weapons allow more mobility in the user's arms than that of a Short Sword, and was the intention of me making it one of their forte weapons. If you could please make that correction, that'd be awesome. Just that one change will suffice, your bio is ready to go otherwise. ---------------------------- GX: EDIT: APPROVED Jacen has closed himself after his father died. Why is this so? Was his father's death a painful one to endure (ex. was he murdered? horrible illness?). As well, Jacen obviously has changed a lot since his father passed away. What was it about his father that he loved so much? If you could disclose the type of person Jacen's father was, and the kind of relationship he had with his son, this could provide better insight as to why Jacen has closed himself to others due to his father's passing. Just that little info would be great, and your bio is ready to go. Also, kudos to you for choosing Alchemist. This RP will do great with as much variety as possible. ---------------------------- Kingdom///97.2: I'll offer you another chance to submit a bio that follows the regulations of the RP. The capitalization of every word is unnecessary and would make things easier for you to type more quickly if you omitted doing it. Teleportation, Invisibility and "Level 4 Dark Magic" do not exist within Valdeaunia. Please refer to the Magick system I've devised in the RP info and categorize Satoshi accordingly. Next, please provide a demo post that allows me to see your level of experience in RPing. This will be your only chance to redo your bio. The only passable things on your bio is your name, age, weaponry choice, noble/citizen choice, district choice and alignment; but these are the least important aspects to your character and contribute very little to the RP after it starts. ---------------------------- clawtooth35: EDIT: APPROVED If you don't wish to be a job class that can be found in Valdeaunia, please refer to the descriptions for Traveler and Other and choose which one will be most appropriate. After doing so, please provide all of the necessary information for your character's job class (this includes a brief history of the job class you've chosen regarding where it originates from, why it was developed, what sort of powers/skills/abilities it entails that makes it different from anything found in Valdeaunia). Choosing Traveler or Other has *much* higher requirements in order to be accepted since it has to be something that will not interfere with the RP's structure. As well, this requires a lot more effort and information input from the user, but this shouldn't be a problem if you thoroughly understand what you want to be. Please submit your bio as soon as possible so I can overlook it and see if anything needs to be changed. Thanks. ---------------------------- Jade: EDIT: APPROVED Does Jade have any parents worth mentioning? Was she an orphan taken in by this master? Or something else? Just a little info on that would be helpful. Just that little detail and you're good to go. Loved your demo post. ---------------------------- Sorax: EDIT: APPROVED Interesting background/history. Arleck's family found out he was praticing alchemy and was consequently imprisoned. Does this mean Arleck's family cares very little about him? Or was it a painful choice for them to make? As well, does Arleck feel resentment towards his parents if they were the ones who reported him to officials of his city? Or does he forgive them for simply following the law of the land? Just that little bit more and your bio is ready to go. And another alchemist, ooh. ---------------------------- K a i r i: Very little problems. There's just one detail that needs changing due to the nature of the RP: I have no problem with Kyoudai having an interest in Aelthir, however, Aelthir's existence as the Ferawyn successor is not common knowledge. The only people who know of his connection to the Ferawyn House are those who secretly support him, but they disclose this information to very few people, and only talk about it with people they know are aware. If you still want Kyoudai to have an interest in Aelthir Ferawyn, feel free to do so, but bear in mind that it's unlikely that she knows he is the successor of the Ferawyn House--that is, until it's disclosed during the RP to her. Other than that, your bio is ready to go. ---------------------------- I believe that's all the bios posted so far. If you could all make those changes as soon as possible, that'd be great. Please mark at the top of your bio thread with "Changed" or "Edited" in a way that makes it easy to spot, so I know to look over your bio and make the next assessment. Thanks again, everyone! Your characters all seem very interesting! I'll try to have my bio up soon, but with studying for my last final, it's time-consuming enough to read everyone else's bios, so forgive me on that. P.S. Jade! DDDD: I was going to be a thief too. XD My thief will be fairly different from yours personality-wise, so don't worry about a clone.
Yeah, I know. Monday, right? My last final isn't until the 19th so you still got plenty lee-way until this thing goes underway. I haven't compiled my character's bio together yet, either. I've been reading nothing but psych textbooks since this evening started so I haven't looked thoroughly through all the bios yet, everyone. Mostly I've been reading the demo posts and they seem okay overall. Just a general statement; some of your demo posts have been pretty clumsy with the wording and sentence structures. By that I mean that some of the propositions I've been seeing are either being used incorrectly or are adding ambiguity to sentences where they shouldn't be or are better off without. I'm not implying that this means 'durr ur bio sucks, gtfo', because that would be unreasonable and pretty picky of me, however, it's something I feel can be worked on to better express a lot of the ideas I saw in a lot of the demo posts. It's great to see posts with actual detail, so keep it up. Anyway, I'll be sure to get to reading some of the bios in full tomorrow when I get the chance.
You can't disclose information on where to 'download' Final Mix+ because that's piracy and isn't supported here. However, discussing how to play imports is fine, and thus I'll explain. If you have one of the older fat consoles, you need something called a Slide Card. Find out your PS2 model # and then google for information for it on google. Slims can use what's called Magic Keys II which you can order online (just google that as well). After that, you need a disc called Swap Magic which can be ordered online. This disc serves as a boot disc that will bypass the region coding on your PS2. With this, in conjunction with Magic Keys/Slide Card, you'l be able to play your important games. For more information, google Slide Card (if you have a fat PS2), or Magic Keys II (if you have a slim) for more information on how it works and how the actual process of booting up a game works.
Ah, alright. That's fine then. I have at least 2 more on board, since it was with those two that I came up with the idea, so hopefully they'll get on writing bios soon. There are also some individuals I'm hoping will join too. We'll see how it goes. D:
Teh Vivi iz aksepted. I'm a little concerned as to how Marcus' father's death (by thieves) and Marcus' vengeance will tie in to Aelthir's story, but I completely leave that up to you. Other than that, I don't have any qualms about it.
Welcome to the City of Valdeaunia. Located on the far east continent of Mindartia, Valdeaunia is a city currently immersed in political and economic turmoil, where great opportunity is monopolized by a few, and terrible misfortune awaiting many. But the proud city of Valdeaunia was not always like this. What used to be a magnificent city that contributed greatly to the region's highly astute reputation was quickly accelerated into its decline after the Great House of Ferawyn's leader at the time, Tyberias passed away from old age. By tradition, those from the lineage of the House of Ferawyn would succeed the throne and continue the rule over Valdeaunia. However, this is where the House of Ferawyn and its long-held practice of patrilineal inheritance came to an end. While pure at heart and possessing good intentions for the future of Valdeaunia, the current Ferawyn leaders, Cyrae and Miayr, miraculously lacked the competency and leadership ability of their predecessors, and were thus easily forced into being overthrown by their running opposition. In a twisted display of dirty politics through various cleverly planted scandals, Cyrae and Miayr, along with the entire lineage of the Ferawyn House were easily branded criminals and heretics and were consequently stripped of their title, charged with several offenses and then shipped overseas to a state prison. Hereafter saw a time of great change within the politics of Valdeaunia, as it not only marked the end of a long line of Ferawyn rulers, but also marked the first time the monarchial rule of Valdeaunia was succeeded by a democracy. As a result, Valdeaunia even became ruled by not one, but three different Houses, each contributing a single representative to help co-lead the city in what would publicly be announced as a mutual rule. The citizens believed this would bring back prosperity to their city, despite the drastic change in how the leadership was handled, and things did fair pleasantly for the next twelve years that followed. But the city would soon fall into a much worse crisis, one far more significant than the concerns of incompetent leadership. Slow and elusive corruption within the leadership of Valdeaunia gradually tore apart the city's socioeconomic infrastructure, eventually splitting the city's three great districts: Verlest, Mhaura and Estavel, into three significantly different areas that varied in wealth and social standing. Each district was ruled by one of the elected rulers: Ariya Solanea , Dhobar Gibkoug and Theranraila Eyllanlith, respectfully. A single hope, however, still exists within the city of Valdeaunia. For before Cyrae and Miayr were sent overseas, they sent their eight-year old son, Aelthir, to be hidden away and raised in secret by a close friend of the Ferawyns who lived in Estavel. Loyal followers of the Ferawyn House who were in charge of the couple's arrest reported that Aelthir was aboard the vessel along with his parents before it left the ports, thus finalizing the plan to send Aelthir into hiding. Twelve years had finally passed, and Aelthir was finally ready to attempt the long-awaited plan to overthrow the Valdeaunia leaders and take back the city. While growing up being told he would rule the city one day didn't mean much at the time, Aelthir finds himself finally understanding the seriousness of his endeavor when he finally begins his plan to ascension. Aelthir's struggle to reclaim the city will be a hard one, but a bright future awaits Valdeaunia, and it all rests on the shoulders of the last successor of the Ferawyn House. The Three Districts With structures carved and built by polished white stone and brick, along with luscious plant life that litter the streets and gardens with never-ending variety, Verlest is quite possibly the most beautiful place to be found in Valdeaunia. Women are dressed with poise and elegancy, their attire comprising of various types of silks, laces, and many the other of the city's most expensive fabrics. The city's nobility have always lived prosperously in Verlest; however, the corrupted governing philosophies and immoral beliefs that existed within the current leadership had inadvertently shifted most of the district's social standing to those of the merchant population. While Verlest bleeds a heavenly disposition in its aesthetics, at its core lives a viral wealth comprised of greedy merchants and swindling guild leaders. A far more humble district in sight of its bordering neighbour, Mhaura is plagued with unclean waters and constant crime. With stone and brick being severely monopolized by those of higher status, as well as being barely able to afford any life-sustaining assets, most of the deplorable district's inhabitants are forced to build their own homes, almost solely out of wood which are often frail and warped. Open windows are hammered shut with wooden planks during the winter months and lighting is handled exclusively with wax candles, with only the slightly more well-off being able to afford oil lanterns. With only flame-based light at their disposal to light up wooden homes, house fires are a common occurrence during the summer months and are the most frequently used method of crime second to pick-pocketing. Most residents can only afford to have one complete set of clothing, which are often inherited from older relatives or hand-made by oneself or family. Mhaura is a difficult district to survive in, and its residents desperately desire for change. What many residents consider to be the shining hope of Valdeaunia, Estavel is a district that many in Veslest look down upon, but what many in Mhaura aspire to reach. Many Mhaura residents who find relative success in their finances move into the Estavel district, where many find further happiness and prosperity. Estavel's uniqueness and charm lies in its ability to provide residents with choices. With a small monopoly on many different goods throughout the city, residents more well-off can afford to choose between building modest homes out of stone or brick, or very sturdy, slightly more complex structures out of top-grade wood. The diversity of the district's economic prowess also produced a large variety of jobs, all of which offer decent-paying wages. While modest in comparison to Verlest, Estavel provides a humble degree of independence to its residents, and allows them to be in control of their lives. In Estavel, happiness is not found in the amount of money being brought home, but in the ability to be able to pursue things one desires to a certain level of success. The Three Rulers of Valdeaunia Ariya Solanea Gender: Female Age: 29 Appearance: 5'3", slender-build, medium length curly-blonde hair, soft white skin with ocean blue eyes. Alignment: Evil Majick Ability: Level 3. Has a wide arsenal of offensive and defensive majick. Background: The current leader of the House of Solanea--which she herself was mostly responsible for making possible--and the leader in charge of Verlest. Ariya at first glance can be seen as a cheery, benevolent ruler who can always find a way to have fun. But at her core lies an incredibly devilish personality that can only be personified in her immoral actions against insubordinate henchmen and her desire to rule by brutal force. But what's most notable about Ariya is that despite any circumstance where she may be angry or upset, her emotional display is always cheerful and doesn't often correlate conventionally with actions she takes to outlet her emotions. (ex. making jokes to herself while torturing a victim). Her primary objective is to keep her position as Ruler of Valdeaunia, and has absolutely no sense of kinship or affinity toward the other two co-leaders. She has the future intention of ruling the entire city on her own and only acts on situations that work to her benefit. Dhobar Gibkoug Gender: Male Age: 43 Appearance: 6'3", obese, slightly bald (has limited hair on the sides), tanned rough skin with hazel eyes. Alignment: Evil Magick Ability: None Background: The fifth leader of the Gibkoug clan and the leader in charge of Mhaura, Dhobar is an impulsive individual who speaks more with his actions than he does with words. His rise to leadership was primarily accomplished through briberies disguised as 'generous donations' of many commodities to the citizens of his district. His facade held up well to gain citizen support but was immediately dropped the moment he was proclaimed a ruler of Valdeaunia. His gluttonous personality is not limited to food, but to women and wealth as well. He proceeded to raise property taxes and severely limited the amount of materials that his citizens could access. Draining the wallets of his citizens and providing them with virtually no resources created the Mhaura district that exists today. But being devoted to instant-gratification has thoroughly waned his intelligence and foresight, lacking greatly in both as almost all of his actions are carried out in terms of their immediate effects and consequences. He has a tendency to run away from dangerous situations and often looks to others to fix his mistakes. Theranraila Eyllanlith Gender: Male Age: 31 Appearance: 5'10", lanky build, long straight caramel-coloured hair, light coloured skin with emerald-coloured eyes. Alignment: Good Magick Ability: Level 3. Can use levitation spells, minor elemental spells. Background: The current leader of the House of Eyllanlith and the leader in charge of Estavel. The Eyllanlith House has always been close to the Ferawyn House and have been easily considered to be just as capable as the Ferawyns in terms of leadership and ability. However, due to strong oppositional devices and the overwhelmingly new task of democratically choosing their own leaders, large percentages of the Valdeaunia population were easily swayed to elect Dhobar and Ariya as rulers. Theranraila's genuine ability and the reputation of his House secured him the third ruler position. Theranraila was a proud supporter of Ferawyn rule and despite his intentions to make changes to better the city of Valdeaunia, his meek and somewhat passive personality have made this objective quite unsuccessful. While lacking mental strength and a backbone to invoke city-wide change, his merits as an excellent ruler show in the state of his district given these miserable times. Theranraila understands that a large respect the citizens have for his House is part of the reason why it would be unwise of the other two rulers to overthrow him from his position years ago, but his reign's security is also due to his talent to avoid any potential scandals that could turn his people against him. Theranraila hopes for his city to blossom the way it had done years before, but is too powerless to change the city by himself. The Successor of the Ferawyn House Aelthir Ferawyn (Laryth Varlas) Gender: Male Age: 20 Appearance: 5'8", thin-build, short wavy chestnut brown hair, light coloured skin with brown-coloured eyes Alignment: Good Magick Ability: Level 2. Background: When Cyrae and Miayr were overthrown and imprisoned overseas due to public scandal, their eight-year old son Aelthir was secretly sent to live with one of his father's best friends who lived in Estavel where he was raised for the next twelve years. Surprisingly, growing up with the knowledge of his parents being imprisoned overseas for false accusations did not produce a bitter, vengeful individual like one would expect, but instead blossomed a very intelligent, resourceful boy with the hope of reuniting with his parents after clearing their names. While passionate about saving his city from the clutches of bad leadership, Aelthir's young age and inexperience with dealing with sensitive politics forces him to depend on many of his House's low-profile supporters to overthrow the current leaders and start his plan to bring prosperity back to the entire city. Aelthir's strengths are not in physical endeavors such as wielding a sword or using a bow, but in his mental capacities. Aelthir is extremely observant of his surroundings and has an amazing memory recall ability that allows him to remember elaborate layouts and designs after only one glance. Aelthir is supported by many and some believe it is only a matter of time before change is brought once again to Valdeaunia. Magick in the City of Valdeaunia The ability to harness magick is something every individual is capable of doing through hard study and practice. Given this, there still exists the idea some are more naturally capable than others in the use of majick. Each district possesses its own local Majick Schools, however most of the great majick users that exist in the City of Valdeaunia are found in the schools located in Verlest and Estavel. Mhaura's magick-able population are mostly low-grade due to the district's poor economy and funding and thus very rarely produce great mages--even if their natural ability is high. One cannot expand their ability in an environment that does not promote it. Magick is permitted to be used by citizens only as an application to hasten or effectively complete every-day tasks like shopping, cleaning, etc. Using magick to inflict harm on others is a strict privilege only given to soldiers during wartimes and is prohibited to be used in the cities between residents. However, many crimes that occur in the cities sometimes involve illegal use of magick. Magick ability is split into four levels: Level 1 Level 1 users are only capable of performing what is called Circumstantial Alteration. Circumstantial Alternation essentially increases the chances of a particular event to occur that the user wishes for by forcefully altering the cosmic environment around him/her to benefit or produce the desired outcome. Some can say that Circumstantial Alteration is the art of forcefully manipulating luck. Any spell using Circumstantial Alternation still has the chance to fail, but how frequently one succeeds depends on the mastery of the user. Level 2 After mastering Circumstantial Alteration, one is considered a Level 2 mage if they master the art of Levitation. The art of moving objects at will is a handy skill that almost all citizens in Verlest and Estavel possess, and is used constantly in the two districts to carry out every-day tasks. Mastery of this skill varies in how many objects a Level 2 mage can move at the same time, how independently they can move each object from each other, and whether or not they require using a hand to move objects. Distance in which they can control moving objects is also another factor. Being able to only move one object at a time in a straight line for a short distance using one's hand is considered to be the lowest level of mastery for this skill. Level 3 The next level of magick mastery is Elemental Manipulation. After one is able to skillfully alter the cosmic environment around their target (Level 1) and able to assert enough magical force to physically control the target (Level 2), they can then manipulate the very nature of it to produce one of the four elements: Fire, Water, Wind and Earth (Level 3). Attaining the skill of a Level 3 mage is common among nobility, while Level 2 is a more common statistic among the general public. Like with natural ability to wield magick, individuals are more naturally talented at manipulating one element over the others, even though being able to manipulate all elements is possible with enough study and practice. Level 4 The final level of magick mastery is that of Cosmic Windowing, or the ability to manipulate and evaluate time. The number of known individuals worldwide who have attained this level of magick mastery is very small, and some say many of these Level 4 mages were self-proclaimed and never actually performed any proof of knowing such magick. Others say the powers described in Level 4 magick doesn't even exist and were simply folklore tales that ended up mistranslated from ancient scripture. By definition, Cosmic Windowing allowed an individual to reverse or accelerate the aging process of any physical object, be it a burnt out candle or a rusted sword. Another power of a Level 4 mage was the ability peek into the past of other individuals and see possible futures that await them. Job Classes in the City of Valdeaunia Knight A profession comprised of both those of the Noble class and the regular citizenry, the Knights who graduate from the Vadeaunia Academy make up one of the most popular occupations in Valdeaunia. While the main army infantry is deployed throughout various posts outside the city walls, a small number of Royal Guards are stationed to protect and monitor traffic at the main Valdeaunia Palace located in Verlest. Additionally, each district possesses its own militia that patrol the streets with the intention of stopping, solving and preventing crime. Militia patrols are often done in shifts, changing twice a day, and very few work this profession full-time due to its low-paying wage and life-risking environment. There is an obvious tension that exists between the Royal Knights of Verlest and the Militia, where the Militia are often seen as second-rate novices that have virtually no true skill by the former. This is mostly due to the fact that Royal Knights are mostly all descendants of royal bloodlines and rarely have any regular citizens within their ranks, whereas militia can be part-time blacksmiths or butchers. Being able to wear various different types of armour and/or equipment for many different purposes makes the Knight a very versatile fighter. As such, the Knight is skilled with many different weapons including the short sword (with or without a shield), broad (two-handed) sword, one-hand or two-hand axes, lances, and hand-to-hand combat. Each Knight has a particular weapon they are most skilled with, but usually have a secondary weapon (preferably their second-best art) on them at all times to help increase versatility during battle. Militia Knights tend to be Level 2 mages, but Royal Knights are usually expected to possess decent mastery of Level 3 magick. Assassin While having many bases throughout the continent, a secretly hidden Assassin's guild exists within the streets of Mhaura. On the far east end of the district, underneath the merchandise booth of guild-hired merchant, lies the entrance to the underground Assassin's guild. For centuries, these stealthily warriors have existed and have made a living eliminating targets, only as long as there were wealthy enough clients to meet the price of the task. While an organized group with many bases, most Assassins work alone and rarely befriend anyone among their own ranks. While there are some who have loved ones or families (usually the new, lower ranked novices) in Valdeaunia or in neighbouring cities, the general trend is the more experienced Assassins tend to have few attachments to anything, and very few have any family left alive. The Assassin is ably dressed in the various types of clothing depending on the nature and location of their task and is quite capable of fetching these and other commodities on their own--by purchase or thievery is decided at the Assassin's discretion. With agility and evasion as their strong points in battle, the Assassin goes for the quick disarm/kill, one that requires the least amount of time and the least amount of resistance from the enemy. For such a style choice of battle, the Assassin's arsenal comprises of short daggers, one to two short blades, throwing knives and an abundance of small explosives, which are usually used more to distract opponents an draw their attention to them. Most Assassins don't exceed Level 2 magick mastery. Archer There are many who wished to become Knights, but didn't possess the physical strength and stamina to wield swords and axes for long periods of time. Those who didn't want to give up their dreams of becoming capable fighters thus entered the Academy of Archery, a school solely found in Estavel. It's not to be mistaken that Archers are merely the applicants who didn't make it to Knighthood; to be an Archer requires its own set of important attributes. With exceptional eyesight and a thorough understanding of the nature of the wind's influence on any given shot, being able to adjust one's shot to various environmental circumstances in an instant is a relatively small feat for an excellent Archer of Valdeaunia. An important note about the Archery School is its independency from the Valdeaunia rule. Some are recruited into the ranks of the military, whereas others graduate from the Academy and utilize their skills as a means to make a living hunting wild animals in the surrounding forests of Valdeaunia and make profit from hides and selling meat to the butchers in the city districts. Those who usually became independent archers were those of citizens who paid for their own education fees into the academy, whereas military recruits were usually allowed in through patronage of a high ranking noble. Along with the skills of using various types of bows, archers also tend to carry a pair of hunting daggers, either for close-range combat or for application purposes such as skinning their prey after successfully completing their hunt. While Archers have sometimes achieved the level of Level 3 magick mastery--thus using Wind Manipulation to enhance their shots--many have found high level Circumstantial Alteration magick to suffice in most situations. Thief While not as combat-savvy as Assassins, thieves possess many similar traits in being deceptive and stealthily in their movements to accomplish goals. Thieves are home-grown and thus is no real standard on how thieves complete their tasks and their reasons for doing so. Thieves are present in all the districts but are most numerous in Mhaura where the security is the lowest and individuals are less able to protect their assets from their clutches. Thieves are not all born with malice. Many thieves exist simply because they're unable to sustain their survival otherwise. Without the money to enter either the majick schools or the Knight or Archer academies, thieves are the product of the deteriorating economy and the city's leaders doing very little to address the problem. Skills of an accomplished thief include swift lock-picking and fighting with traditional daggers (however, these fighting styles are also home-grown and are mostly makeshift mimicry of some observational learning). However, thieves also excel in many interpersonal skills. Their ability to think quickly on the spot and improvise vocally in sticky situations offer these rogues an incredible degree of social stealth and such abilities favour them most when attempting to swindle more vulnerable targets. Thieves tend to have zero magick mastery, however some may learn magick from loved ones or relatives. Alchemist A graduate of another one of Estavel's independent schools, the Institute of Alchemy, Alchemists specialize in the art of creation. Having thoroughly studied the practice of combining various elements of all three different states to create new substances or objects, an alchemist is one of the most resourceful people in Valdeaunia. Along with the Academy of Archery, most Alchemists were independently funded and usually use their skills as a means to make a living for themselves. They often set up shops in the district of their choosing, where they sell many of their creations to interested clients. Most of the Institute's most talented Alchemists are recruited into the Vadeaunia Palace where they are paid a handsome wage to carry out tasks given to them by higher officials, including the three Valdeaunia Rulers. The alchemist has virtually no fighting ability and usually has very little battle experience, if any at all. Their strength is in their ingenuity with the elements and their ability to create handy items such as restorative drinks, ailment inducing drinks, or attribute enhancing drinks. Alchemists usually have a great mastery of Level 3 magick. Blacksmith Although not fighters by nature, Blacksmiths are indeed, weapon specialists. Having extensive knowledge of the structures and applications of many weapons, the Blacksmith is very knowledgeable of what weapon is best for a client simply by observing them. Unlike Alchemy and Archery, being a Blacksmith is not something one can learn in a school, but is usually taught to children from one's parents. Many of the first Blacksmiths of Valdeaunia were retired Knights and Archers of the military who decided to make a living making weapons instead of being on the battlefield using them. As time went on, the trade of the Blacksmith slowly died out as a 'retired soldier''s occupation and became a common profession that matched the popularity of independent Alchemists and Archers. Because of this shift in origin, only some Blacksmiths have actual knowledge of basic combat and have participated in battles. As an occupation usually passed down from one's parents, most Blacksmiths are inexperienced in majick training, but those lucky enough who have close relations with Level 3 mages can sometimes excel in learning how to manipulate the fire element--the element most functional for their profession. Merchant Arguably the most popular occupation of Valdeaunia is that of the merchant. The wide variety of the merchant occupation is easily recognized in the sales of fisheries, pottery, jewelry, clothing, accessories and many others. Other types of merchants find their profits in opening inns for travelers, starting restaurants or performing various types of shows on a scheduled basis. While most merchant businesses are inherited by one's parents, a small percentage of merchants is due to that of entrepreneurism. In Valdeaunia's current times of turmoil, however, merchants aiming to start their own businesses see little success as many of the city's goods and wealth is monopolized by a few. Lower-class merchants try to make profits from things they find during their treks through the woods and often converse about the greedy merchants that have taken up residence in Verlest while in town, ultimateley blaming them for their failings of their sales. The merchant occupation is deemed with less respect due to their usual lack of education in any of the schools that exist in Valdeaunia. Merchant attitudes vary from person to person, and a lot of their inventory's value lies in their luck to find something rare. Merchants very rarely have any majick ability. Scholar Bookworms by profession, the scholars are intelligent individuals who spend most of their time behind the palace walls, translating scripture and seeking out truths from unsolved mysteries of the past. Most of Valdeaunia's higher officials--second in rank to the three leaders--are comprised of scholars, and are often looked upon as trusted advisors that help decide policies and moderate debates during council meetings. Since the scholar's main ability lies simply in decoding factual truths from books and scriptures, some fail to possess a mind that understands reason and a strong sense of self and justice. Thus, a lot of weak-minded scholars often blindly follow the intentions and wills of the Valdeaunia rulers and seldom speak out against new policies out of fear. Scholars have no fighting ability but are proficient Level 3 mages. Many possess extremely powerful Elemental Manipulation spells that make up for their lack of battle experience if presented an opposition. It is this reason that scholars are well-protected against those who despise them. *Traveler This is a special class of people that don't live in Valdeaunia, but are visiting either by business or for personal reasons. People of this category might have their own nuances that don't match up with the conventions of Valdeaunia (ex. they might possess different kinds of magic, different professions). They are usually from neighbouring cities. *Other If for whatever reason, you feel your character doesn't fit into any of the categories stated above (although please try to make a character that fits into one of them), feel free to state the job class of your character and we can try to work something out. There is some lee-way that I can allow (which I why I made this Other category) but there are limits. The list can be exhausting, so I will handle this on a case-to-case basis. Types of Residents Noble The higher-ranked citizens of Valdeaunia, Nobles are almost exclusively found in Verlest, with only a small percentage living in Estavel. Many nobles are often arrogant and look down upon those who are both financially and socially inferior to them. Despite such a tough exterior, nobles are slowly on the decline due to the change in leadership style that has taken residence in Valdeaunia. Greedy merchants are slowly on the rise and the freedoms, as well as social standing of nobility have begun to recede in recent years. Even so, the class is still a predominant part of the community and many blindly believe they will continue to be the most privileged society in the city. It is almost a requirement for all nobles to have graduated from at least one of the city's educational schools. Many female nobles have graduated from the Institute of Alchemy, and others from the Academy of Archery. Most of the male nobles attend the Valdeaunia Academy with the intention to become part of the Royal Guards, or many strive to become one of the Scholar elites. Magick ability in the noble community varies, but it has become almost an unwritten requirement for all nobles to manipulate as least two elements of Level 3 magick. Citizen Considered to be the lower-class of society, and found almost exclusively in Mhaura, the regular citizens of Valdeaunia still make up a massive majority of the population at large. They occupy most of the professions on the district streets and are the most variant in terms of ability and wealth. Most of the more well-off citizens have taken up residence in Estavel and are usually the ones who enter the academic schools with independent funding. There is no overall expectation that citizens have for each other--unlike the nobility--but it's a seemingly uniform goal of all Mhaura residents to 'make it' to Estavel, which is considered to be the district of opportunity for the less fortunate. Because of the large range of variation within the citizen population, the level of majick mastery varies across the board from Level 1 to Level 3. Currency in the City of Valdeaunia There are three types of currency that currently exist in the city of Valdeaunia: bhel, ghel, and yhel--each sporting a distinct colour: blue, green and yellow respectfully. Crafted by the Palace Alchemists, who are sworn to secrecy with the currency's formula, bhel, ghel and yhel are crystal-like structures that take on a flat, oval shape. As it was the House of Ferawyn that first introduced this kind of currency, a spectral image of their family crest is placed inside each piece, causing each to emit a colourful glow at any time of the day. Many efforts have been made to create replicas of Valdeaunia's currency, and such success could be said with the aesthetics. However, such visual clones have been easily spotted after the Palace Alchemists devised a way to expose real from fake. In a process called Desyncronization, Palace Alchemists run a specific magickal current through the bhel/ghel/yhel in question. If discovered to be a fake, the crystal-like structure will produce numerous cracks on the surface. If a real piece of currency, the Ferawyn crest will temporarily glow more fervent than before. To help counter the counterfeit movement, citizens are encouraged to visit the Palace Gates often where a certified Alchemist can take a look at any currency that is suspected to be fake. Having to pay fractions of currency is a common occurrence in Valdeaunia. Because of this, each piece of currency has several fault lines across it that is used as breaking points. Although naturally very solid pieces of crystal forged by the very best Alchemists in the city, snapping the currency at these designated points is very easy and requires little strength to accomplish. The currency hierarchy is as follows: 10,000 yhel = 100 ghel = 1 bhel The following are some guidelines as to the relative worth of each piece of currency in relation to the economy of Valdeaunia. *note* These are guidelines to help you get a sense of how to price your expenses throughout the RP. ~15 yhel - A plain dagger made of valdeaunia copper ~6-7 ghel - A well-crafted broad sword made from valdeaunia steel, hilt made with polished gold. ~3 ghel - A relatively old horse, untrained for any purpose ~10 ghel - A pure breed horse intended for the military and nobility ~1/4 yhel - A bowl of porridge from a poorly tended shop in Mhaura ~60-100 yhel - A full-course dinner at a highly reputable restaurant in Verlest ~1/2 yhel - A simple un-dyed cotton shirt ~6-7 ghel - A full tailored custom gown ~3-4 yhel - A per night fee at a Mhaura inn (includes meal accommodation of a crust of bread and sometimes soup) ~10-15 yhel - A per night fee at a Estavel inn (includes a decently cooked meal) ~80 yhel - A per night fee at a high-end Verlest inn (includes a full course meal) Ball-park ranges for Assassination fees A citizen for a personal reason = ~20 yhel An average Estavel merchant = ~70 yhel A well-guarded noble with even people to test his food = ~1-5 bhel Average salaries of different jobs on a per week basis. A poor merchant of Mhaura = ~1-2 yhel An average merchant of Estavel = ~60-70 yhel A talented Verlest Blacksmith who can use level 3 magick = ~60-70g A top-notch tailor who exclusively does commissions for Nobles = ~1-2 bhel The head of a Noble household = ~10-40 bhel depending on successes RP Bio Requirements Name: First Name and Last Name Age: Appearance: Facial features, body type, height (weight if you want), any notable aesthetics (ex. scars) Magick Ability (State level and/or unique abilities *see note on Traveler description) Job Class: State any notable clothing and weaponry. Noble/Citizen: District: District you live in, or are staying at if you're a Traveler Alignment: Background/History/Personality: Please provide some information on your character's past such as what it was like growing up and what kind of family does he/she come from. If you're a traveler, please state why you have come to Valdeaunia and explain briefly about the matter that surrounds the visit. For personality, please discuss more than brief one-word adjectives. If your character acts and behaves in a certain way, please provide some brief insight as to why they have developed in such a way. Also, after providing the strengths of your character, please disclose any weaknesses of your characters (both physically and mentally if they apply). Demo Post: Please provide a demonstration of your RPing skill by writing a small excerpt of something involving your character. It can be absolutely anything, and does not need to be strictly an introduction of your character. While this also helps me determine your experience with RPing, it also may help you give a test run of the character you have created, and will let you see if there's something you want to add to or remove from his/her profile. General Rules and General Notes The only general rule I have is simply no godmodding. While many people look at this in specific ways, it encompasses many different things. You cannot extensively control anyone's character without their permission, you cannot kill their character without their permission, and you can't make your character completely invincible that even God himself cannot strike him/her down. Part of participating in an RP that will feel real is creating and interacting with characters that are real. No one is perfect, no one can do absolutely everything with utmost perfection; every character is allowed to excel at something, but something else must suffer for it. EDIT: Actually, I lied. One small detail: although I gave information on Level 4 magick, no one in this RP should be able to use it. It's simply a historical reference that can be made throughout, but no one in Valdeaunia here should be able to wield it. Secondly, in case many of you haven't noticed, this is probably one of the more elaborate RPs to hit the forums, and as such, there is some elaborate expectation I expect from able participants. Yes, you guessed it, most likely. Not only am I expecting relatively perfect spelling and grammar, but I'm expecting some mature insight from posters as they work their characters through this RP. The Demo Post requirement will help me greatly in determining who and who not to accept. I want to stress that if you are not selected to partake in this RP, it is not out of spite that I do, but there is a level that I am looking for in participants in order for this RP to run smoothly and hopefully without much error. If you are not accepted, my only advice is try to improve on your RPing for next time. Third on the agenda. This RP will hopefully end shortly after the new year when we are all back in classes. Consequently, this RP--believe it or not--was drastically cut in terms of its complexity. There were many other things that could've been added like a Beastiary for example, (Knights on Griffins, anyone?) and races (Elves, Dwarves, Humans, etc). However, adding these elements would greatly contribute to a social and geographical dynamic that just isn't feasible to do well in ~2 week period. I'm not going to be too upset of this isn't doable in 2 weeks, as for the most part, I'm just trying to start an RP that can be fun and enjoyed by some of the more experienced RPers on here for the holidays. Last, but not least, the schedule. Bios can start going up immediately after this post and I'll try to look over them as they come in. I have my last final next Wednesday and I am planning to start the RP hopefully shortly after that. That gives you from now until next Wednesday to think up a bio and post it for me to see. Since I will probably be studying for my final during this time, I may not be able to quickly check your bios immediately after they come in. As well, do not worry if Wednesday comes and I haven't looked at your bio. I'm going to try to give enough time so that if there are any changes I need you to make, you can do so and get my feedback until it's okay. Once again, I repeat, if I refuse your bio (this is different than me saying "Just make these changes and you're okay"), then please humbly accept that you're not going to be able to participate. I'll do those over PM. For those of you who've yet to submit a bio or make appropriate edits: The RP has started, however, I will still allow RP submissions today and tomorrow at the very latest. If you do not make your submission (or make the fixes I've asked very promptly of you) by the end of the 21st, depending on the circumstances I'm going to have to deny you participation in the RP. Due to the nature of this RP, waiting until Saturday to submit an bio may end being too late depending on how far in the RP we're in. I've allowed ample amounts of time for people to get their bios in, so drawing the line two days after the RP has started is not unreasonable. Bear in mind that until your bio is approved, you cannot post in the RP. Fix/submit your bio and wait until it is approved before you post. I will not take this lightly if people do not follow this instruction. Guidelines/Rules on how to control story characters: There are a few things I want all of you to keep in mind when interacting with story characters (more specifically: Aelthir (and his subordinates), Ariya Solanea, Dhobar Gibkoug and Theranraila Eyllanlith): - Try to keep them as very much in character as possible. The intro post you will soon read contains scenes using all four story characters so feel free to use the first post as a reference to as to how you write your scene when interacting with any of them. Naturally, I'm not expecting perfect imitations since everyone's interpretations vary, however, try not to stray too far from their character sketches. Important - when someone has taken control of a story character (by interacting with him/her) in their posts before anyone else has, they have "claimed" the character's attention and cannot be unclaimed until they have dismissed the character from their scene. If you wish to interact with a character that has currently been claimed, you must either: wait until the poster has clearly dismissed the character from their scene, thus allowing the story character to be 'claimed' again. you must enter your character in the same scene as the one told/described by the current claimer Ex. If someone claimed Aelthir and 'saw him in the marketplace in Mhaura', if you want to interact with Aelthir as well, you must either wait until the poster has explicitly dismissed Aelthir from the scene (ex. character leaving the marketplace, or Aelthir leaving the marketplace) or place your character in the marketplace in Mhaura as well (ex. while poster and Aelthir are taking in the marketplace, your character will enter the scene and interact with them as well) This system might be confusing for some, but I'm sure it'll make much more sense once it's been used in application. One final rule: At some point, all of you will have to have a 'first encounter' with Aelthir if you have plans to take part in his ascension (be it good or bad purposes). There is a simple requirement for this 'first encounter' post: - During your first encounter, you must dismiss yourself or Aelthir at the end of the post. In other words, you will meet Aelthir and say goodbye all in the same post. The reason for doing this is so that Aelthir does not remain in someone's possession for more than that post. Keeping possession of a character for more than one post will be fine in the future, however, for the 'first encounter' posts to run smoothly, I ask that all of you dismiss Aelthir promptly from your scene at the end of it. If you still have any questions, please feel free to PM me. That's all! And thanks for reading! -------------------------------- Knight - Repliku: Approved Knight - darkriku: Approved Assassin - Nailpolish <3: Approved Assassin - ~Muffin~: Approved Assassin - Donaut: Approved Assassin - Spitfire: Approved Assassin - Nymph of Destiny: Approved Archer - Vivi: Approved Thief - Soushirei: Alchemist - GX: Approved Merchant - White_Rook: Approved Noble[Alchemy background] - Kagiya: Approved Noble[Archery background] - Rosey: Approved Noble[Archery background] - K a i r i: Approved Traveler[Alchemist] - Sorax: Approved Traveler[Martial Artist/Fighter] - Jade Rhade: Approved Traveler[Bounty Hunter] - Spike: Approved Opera Singer - clawtooth35: Approved
Getting all of that this Christmas? WOW.
There's too much uncertainty to tell if I'll want a child. My attitude right now though (and by right now, I mean my opinion right now on the future) is a big fat no to having children. The world doesn't need any more Soushireis, and no woman should go through the pain of bringing them into the world.
Money. That's the way it's been for years. That's because that's all I tell people when they ask me what I want. I'm not complaining. Money is awesome, and I can buy what I want. :3 Yes yes, I know a lot of you like the idea of being surprised and not knowing what's under that uber stylish wrapping paper, and all the power to you if that's what you like.
In regards to editing my post: You do realize I only put that there because I was proving that no one has the ability to truly override the censor. I was merely proving the point that you moderators do not have special privileges in this manner and aren't abusing it in this way. If you want to keep the filtering bypass a secret, by all means, but keep in mind that this member is a prime example that you, the staff, are being perceived as individuals who abuse their powers (even when such powers don't exist). EDIT: My bad, Kairi was the one who edited it. Sorry Kitty. ;p
I'm proving a point. He's attacking the idea that Mods have special privileges (i.e. being able to swear) and abusing them, when in reality this is doable by anyone. I don't care if anyone finds out how this is done, because: a) Anyone who excessively abuses this bypass is surely going to just take it in the *** one day b) There's no feasible way to solve this without doing what I mentioned earlier, and taking those means to do so just isn't realistic.
Big hint: Code: [FONT=arial]s[/FONT]hit -Edited for obvious reasons- Just because you can't notice a difference, doesn't mean anything hasn't been changed. In actuality, the point is to make it LOOK like nothing changed, since that would make members believe someone was truly able to swear uncensored, which you, my friend, unfortunately were a victim of just now.
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Anyone, not just staff members, can bypass the filter. It's a major loophole in the system and there's no way to fix it. Well, there *is* a way to fix it, but it would severely mess up the way all of us are able to post things. Big hint: to fix it, we would have to get rid of the ability to bold, italicize, underline, change font types, size, and any other text-based manipulation.
Just "rolling with it" is once again, another thing up to the RP starter. Letting someone in your RP despite their close-minded txt tlk, but assuming they won't play a big part--therefore ending up just ignoring their input to the story movement--can be dangerous, at least in the sense that some people will get upset over being cast aside or any other reason. Repliku brings up a good point on making a separate section. I've said time and time again about how it would be somewhat impossible to completely change the section since there are obviously people who are resenting the need to increase the quality/requirements for RPs. It's strange how I couldn't fathom the idea myself, but at this point--where some members are completely adamant on sticking to their current ways--the only way that could address the issue with as little resistance as possible is to just make another sub-section that doesn't interfere with the present. Of course, this greatly reduces the incentive for some members to improve on their spelling/grammar/RP skill overall, but at least the option to view/partake in more thorough RPs is available. You do understand that a lot of these people asking for 'proper spelling/proper grammar' are actually asking for a whole lot more. However, since it's impossible (and very unconstructive) to simply tell someone to "think of better ideas", it's a very loosely-implied notion that people with impeccable spelling and grammar will more often than not, merit more thoughtfully constructed ideas for an RP. While it *would* be nice for spelling and grammar to be corrected, it still doesn't change the fact that a lot of the older, experienced RPers aren't interested in Pokemon RPs or KH/FF High School ideas. So in hindsight, there's a bigger picture to be considered when someone starts requesting better spelling/grammar. True, if we simply just wanted to b!tch about people spelling better for the sake of just being correct, then that *would* be rather **** (as Repliku said), but a lot of the time there's a deeper meaning behind it. And for the record, a lot of the people complaining haven't RP'ed at all because there just hasn't been an RP made that has been worth joining. You can say "there are good ones out there", but that's simply a matter of opinion. I've had a good look around. There was not a single RP I found interesting or compelling enough to join.
Both were pretty amazing; I liked the Versus XIII trailer's action a little more despite the MASSIVE EMOISM that just reeked all over that video. And there are higher quality versions on Gametrailers at the moment in the Featured User Movies section. That's where I watched them.
