Edit 1: After reading Blizzard's guidelines I decided to add a features section of this story. Check it out for some more guidelines to the game
Edit 2: Added maps and City Info
Edit 3: Added information about the
Brotherhood of Blood,
Dylon's Drifters, and the
Thieves GuildDarkness BecomesOut of the Darkness came the Spectrum. A benevolent stream of light, containing every color imaginable. The Spectrum traveled through the void of space, filling it with the four Primaries, Greens, Blues, Yellows and
Reds. The Greens became our planet, and the Blues followed the Greens to give the planet the Water of Life. The Yellows gave birth to our mighty sun, while the Reds danced circles in the skies, becoming the stars. However, the reds were separate from the other colors. The Blues gave life to all the living creatures, and the Greens were the creatures' home, while the Yellows warmed the living beings with its rays of sunshine. The Reds did nothing other than watch from a far, alone in the cold dark universe. The Spectrum's benevolence was scattered into the four Primaries and it shielded all living creatures from the Darkness. However, the Reds were constantly surrounded by the Darkness, and after time, the Spectrum's light began to fade in the Reds.
One night, Rosa was staring up at the night sky, watching the stars in the sky. She did this quite often, as she would always get a warm feeling from the night sky filled with all those twinkling lights. Her favorite star she had named Phoenix, and for good reason too. Every night Rosa would come out, just before the first stars came out, and every night Phoenix would be the first to light the night sky, and just before dawn, Phoenix would slowly die with the rising sun. Rosa never fretted, however, because she knew that Phoenix would be back the next night. On this night, Phoenix was not the first star out, in fact, Rosa would never see Phoenix again.
The Darkness had seen the weakness in the Spectrum's design, and exploited it flawlessly. It began by letting the Reds realize they were different than the other Primaries. Soon thereafter the whisperings began. In a deep, cold voice, the Darkness spoke, "Unessential... meaningless... distant..." These words the Reds were already toying with in their minds, but the Darkness magnified them. One night, the Reds confronted the Darkness.
"Why would the Spectrum do this? Why would She create four Primaries, but seclude us from the rest?" The Reds hearts were sinking.
The Darkness withheld a sinister laugh, instead voice its "sincere" concern. "Poor little Reds, out in the void of space all by themselves. Too far away to have any impact on the planet and its life. Such a waste..."
The Reds perked their heads up, "A
waste? What do you mean?"
"Well, my little Reds... your color, it deserves to be closer to life. You have so much to offer to the planet and its inhabitants." The Darkness swirled around the Reds in an eerily comforting way, putting the Reds into a hazy delirium.
The Reds fought to think straight, but were lost in thoughts of hopelessness and meaninglessness. "What should we do then? How can we be closer?"
"Mmmm... well." The Darkness slyly said, "You do know that I have been to the other side of the universe, I even move faster than the Spectrum ever could. And yes... I have seen the planet up close, watched the living creatures even closer."
The Reds minds continued to spin, vividly imagining the Darkness swirling through the void all the way to the planet. "How do we get close to the planet? We want to experience life!"
The Darkness spun around the Reds and whispered, "I could take you there."
"Please, get us there, what must we do to be closer?"
"Give me your color." And the Darkness began to grow darker.
Rosa noticed Phoenix's absence. She did not realize that the Darkness was responsible for taking the light away. Several more nights passed and Rosa still had not seen Phoenix. What's more, she noticed a lack of brilliance in the sky, there seemed to be very few stars left in the sky. Rosa became depressed and illness quickly followed. She was bedridden for weeks, and by the time the last star went out, Rosa was on the brink of death. That's when she was visited by the Darkness.
The house became quiet, no sound entered the house, and no sound was made in the house. A blanket fell over the house, overwhelming Rosa in her bed. It was pure evil that she felt, pure evil with a hint of familiarity. She looked towards the window, and opened her mouth to inquire about the strange presence; nothing escaped her lips.
"Hush child." The Darkness flowed into her room, surrounding her gently with the insanity of nothingness. What was this familiarity Rosa felt? Her weak body could not handle the sensation and quickly became unconscious.
When her eyes opened she saw a star. "Phoenix?" She asked, even though she knew Phoenix never had such a malignant aura about him.
"No child, I am Niribu." The light came closer and Rosa let the light fall into her hands. "Take me, I am yours."
Rosa clasped her hands around Niribu and fell backwards slowly, and just before she hit the ground, she awoke. The presence was gone from the house. Her body felt strong. Rosa was fully recovered, but whereas the Darkness was no longer surrounding the house, Rosa did still feel different. Niribu was inside her, festering, waiting for his time to cover the entire world in Darkness.
The PlanetThe Greens provided the creature on the planet mountains and valleys, forests and caves, and all sorts of terrain to be inhabited. The Blues breathed life into the creatures, and the Yellows provided them warmth. Everything had its place on the planet. A circle of life allowed Humans, the images of the Spectrum, to thrive. Human's had powers of creativity and through their creativity they could manipulate the world around them. Most humans could only manipulate certain elements, whether it be earth, fire, water, or wind, but a few could also expand their powers of manipulation and control another aspect, unique to that person. While no one could create something out of nothing, a human's powers were only limited to their creativity. One human that manipulated water could be in a stone cave, but feel a deep well beneath them and summon the water through the crevices in the rocks beneath. Another human that manipulates wind might be submerged under water, but have a constant breath from the surface wind. Regardless, humans had no need to harm each other, beasts were plentiful, and plants grew rampant. No human was without. However, the day the Darkness stepped into the world through Rosa, doubt entered humans' minds much as it did with the Reds. As soon as Niribu entered Rosa, the great Kingdom Unificus began to crumble. King Ursa died that night and his sons were both convinced they were the rightful heir. Kingdom Unificus would quickly decay leaving not only two factions, each siding with it's prince, but also a good number who saw Zenith and his great powers as a manipulator as a potential king.
Unificus: This city has always been the center of the planet. King Ursa ruled here and so did all the kings before him. Life always thrived here, as travelers who went from the northern coast to the southern coast had to go through the mountain pass. The mountains were dangerous, so Unificus was the only plausible route for sane adventurers. Since the king died, it is now Prince Wensil's stronghold, and his Royalists make sure no other faction members even pass through the city. It is still a safe thriving place for those who support Prince Wensil, although fewer outsiders dare visit for fear of Prince Wensil's paranoia towards other factions.
Castle Terna: An ancient king, King Leon, built Castle Terna. There was a time when the planet was plagued with goblins. They overran Unificus from the mountains and King Leon was forced to relocate Unificus's population, so he built a castle to protect his people. Along with the castle, a military was created to defeat the goblins. The goblins were driven back into the mountains and Unificus eventually became the thriving city it was prior to the goblin invasion; however, since then the kingdom maintained its military in case goblins ever decided to strike again. Now Prince Capsol commands the Military of the Republic and resides behind the Castle's tall walls.
Shishra: Shishra has been the main port since before the goblin's ever thought about invading Unificus. Safe on its high coast, Shishra has a diverse population of adventurers, tradesmen, and sailors. Zenith is a resident of Shishra and since King Ursa died, he has become Lord over Shishra, spreading the word that anyone can come to Shishra to learn of his powers and join him in establishing a new "free" government.
Fendmoore: Fendmoore has remained virtually untouched by the inland cities. Isolated, it is a quiet town full of fishermen and families. The factions haven't tainted the town, and despite increasing turmoil in the rest of the world, Fendmoore remains relatively quiet.
Darson: Another quiet town, Darson finds solace in the middle of a forest outsiders fear. Many adventurers come to Darson to stay while they scour the nearby trees in search of mystical beasts and hidden caves. Darson's east wall was built to fend off the forest's beasts that would attack the city when no adventurers were nearby to protect it. Now Darson tries to remain untouched by the near-faction-war, although some rumors are being spread about Zenith and his Freeseekers; many in the town find the promise of power alluring, especially living near such a dangerous forest.
Crossroads: Crossroads is a major trading post even after King Ursa died. The factions all have some pull in the town, however, which leads to violence at night between the factions. During the day, however, Crossroads remains a lively, friendly place, as if the factions set aside their differences to keep the city alive and in business.
Port Brenan: Port Brenan and it's inhabitants have struggled in keeping up with Shishra's massive port. When King Ursa died and the Princes seperated, the town immediately sided with Prince Capson, providing him with supplies while he provided the town with military support. Any Freeseekers found in Port Brenan should fear for their life, as the inhabitants were already sour towards Shishra before the king died. Now they have an excuse to act against Shishra.
Okalade: The people in this small town have always been hard workers. They build boats for both Shishra and Port Brenan, and now that the factions have taken over those towns, Okalade is struggling to continue making ships. Zenith doesn't want Okalade making ships for Prince Capsol, and currently Zenith has Freeseekers that regularly "check in" with Okalade to make sure they aren't associating with anyone from Port Brenan or other factions.
Yisra: Yisra is somewhat isolated from the near-war. It's a small town and it's people have always enjoyed the serenity they've found away from the big cities. It's inhabitants hunt the wild game nearby, and any supplies they get from Yimne, although most of the time the citizens of Yisra keep to themselves and very seldom leave. Occasionally though an adventurer has been born in Yisra, a few even braved the mountains to the north and are rumored to still be up there somewhere.
Yimne: The people of Yimne get a lot of support from Unificus as Yimne has been a resort of sorts for people in Unificus. Now the people in Yimne tend to side with Prince Wensil and long for peace again. Still, they maintain their paradise and try to live life like they did before King Ursa died, welcoming visitors with open arms.
The FactionsPrince Wensil's Royalists: The Royalists hold onto the idea that the Kingdom is not crumbling, and ignore the fact that something has just shook the world out of place. They believe that if Prince Wensil, the heir to the throne by eldest birthright, takes the throne, order will be restored and peace will naturally continue. They aim to obtain Prince Wensil's succession to the throne by peaceful, diplomatic means, however, they see anyone that disagrees as a menace and will pull strings to make those people disappear.
Prince Capsol's Republic: Prince Capsol and his followers don't ignore the fact that the kingdom is struggling. The believe they have to take the kingdom back and put Prince Capsol on the throne to restore order. While not directly approving of war, they are taking a more militaristic approach to the Kingdom's turmoil and are building a ready army to combat opposing forces if neccessary.
Zenith's Freeseekers: Zenith is a powerful manipulator and believes that due to his incredible power, he should have control over the kingdom. He realizes that he needs more followers to support him, however, and he aims to gain followers by offering them power and a place in his kingdom. Although he's not ready to seize control of the throne currently, he and his followers are quickly becoming a force to be noticed.
Additional BackgroundThe Brotherhood of Blood: This elite order of assassins has remained in the shadows for 149 years, never drawing too much attention to the Kingdom, while effectively becoming wealthy beyond its dreams as an organization. The Brotherhood is not evil, nor is it good; it simply seeks monetary gains through "contracts" with wealthy patrons. Not much is known about the people pulling the strings in the Brotherhood, in fact, most assume the Brotherhood itself is just a rumor. However, some people with enough money can seek the services the Brotherhood has to offer. Initiation into the Brotherhood is rare, as no one has found a way to find where these silent killers reside. But they have eyes everywhere and watch potential assassins from the shadows.
Dylon's Drifters: People seeking a job as a mercenary (unless self-contracted), go through Dylon Q. (the man for
you!). His father started an organized "business" where mercenaries could come and find work. Whether it be guarding a farmhouse from the wolves that keep killing the chickens, or providing a squad of ruthless killers for the war, Dylon Q. is the man for
you!
Thieves Guild:
Thieves Guild? *Laughs* What's that? There is no Thieves Guild. *Looks around* Or is there? I mean, I won't tell you. Yeah, there is no Thieves Guild. Why? Are you a thief? I might have a job for you... I mean, no. We never had this conversation. *vanishes into the shadows*
RosaAside from the initial storyline, Rosa is somewhat of a mystery and her background is not known to the public. She is, however, vital to the storyline, and the players will interact with her, unknowingly at first, but her (and Niribu's) actions will be felt throughout the entire planet.
Character creationName: Create a name for your characterSex: Male/femaleAge: Define your character's age (Knowing humans age similarly to the way we age
)Faction: Possible factions include the side of Prince Wensil, the older of the brothers; the side of Prince Capsol, the younger of the brothers; or the side the aspiring manipulator, Zenith. No one can simply claim "Neutral."Elemental Efficiency: Choose 1; Earth, Wind, Water, FireUnique Efficiency: Choose a unique expertise of manipulation that you and only you lay claim to. This will have to be verified by me, but is very open to creativity. Give a couple sentences describing it.Profession: Choose your trade. Open to creativity, but more than 1 person can be the same profession (i.e. two people could be Hunters, or two people could be Priests
)Initial Stats: You have 10 points to spend on your initial stats.-Strength: Determines your physical strength. Weight you can carry, power you strike with, etc.-Endurance: Determines how much you can withstand. "HP
" if you will, distance you can run, etc.-Dexterity: Determines your finesse. Detailed tasks, such as lock picking, or skills with items/weapons.-Intelligence: Determines how smart you are. Your ability to effectively solve problems, the weight you have on convincing other people that you're right, effectiveness of manipulation, etc.-Willpower: Determines your ability to push yourself. Amount of mana, potential to learn new manipulations, etc.-Luck: Determines your luck. Just like every other game, no one REALLY
knows what luck does.Background Info: Give some background information about your character and any unique personality traits he/she may have.Color: Choose 1: Green, Red, Blue, YellowStarting Location: Choose a city to start in. You can't choose a city owned by an enemy faction.Features of Darkness BecomesDay-to-day Update: As soon as I come inside from smoking hookah I'll create a map of the world so you can decide where you character starts out and can decide how your character moves around and such.
-I'll notify the players when each day starts and post a new map where all the players are and what events are happening where along with common knowledge of Heroes or Villains on the map
-With the daily update I'll inform players of the conclusion of the previous day, whether or not HP/Mana is restored, etc.
-Daily/Major Events will be updated here.
Action points: Players will have action points assigned to their characters, action points will deteriorate as the player moves his character and interacts with the world.
-The storyteller will notify the player during the day when an action point is used up. For instance, if the player is sitting reading a book, the storyteller might grant the player new knowledge (of a skill or ability or secret information via message to the player).
-Action points will increase due to circumstances in game, characters' levels, etc.
-If you post a reply after your action points are depleted for that day you're post will be notified to a moderator and most likely be deleted.
-Editing posts will have to be done in such a way that the original content is not obstructed, this will have to be done with a sense of honesty, although if someone abuses editing posts (by adding actions to a character or something of the sort) you might be flagged and not be able to edit posts without getting your post deleted. I don't do this to make it un-fun, just to make it fair.
HP/Mana: Characters will have set HP/Mana and I as the storyteller will keep track of each player's HP and Mana. Most of the time, if a character rests at the end of the day, HP and Mana will be partially or totally restored for the next day. By using HP/Mana, I hope to allow a better strategic feel to battle (with NPCs/monsters/other players).
Enemy database: More than likely when a player comes across an enemy I'll create a database that'll be posted in here and updated as the player encounters new enemies. Information will be approximate and incomplete, as enemies are always full of suprises. However, general information such as enemy skills, HP, Mana, equipment, and loot will be pretty standard. New enemies can (and will) suprise players.
Leveling: Characters will have levels, each one starting at 1 (unless extenuating circumstances call for else).
-Character levels will be visible to everyone
-When a character levels up he/she will be able to increase stats, as well as learn new skills.
-When a character levels up, private information will be messaged to that player.
-Leveling up will be done by me, and will occur overnight.
Skills: Each character will begin with two skills. Whether they be a magic spell or an attack, each skill will have its pros/cons, mana requirements, and other parameters.
-I will assign skills to characters based on their actions/elemental and unique efficiencies at level up and creation.
-I will have unique skills to the character, along with some general skills that can be learned through leveling up/events
Be yourself: You should act however you want your character to act. If one player wants his character to be a bloodthirsty barbarian, he will level up accordingly, based on his actions. However, if a player wants to be a shy, bookworm that stays away from battle, he will still gain levels. Leveling, along with other aspects, will not be based solely on whether or not your character went into the woods and killed wolves all day long (although if you do go kill wolves all day long, you're bound to gain experience).
Events/enemies/interactions: You can move your character around and interact with existing environment. However, you can't just walk into the woods and magically find a magical leprechaun, kill it and steal its pot of gold. Having said that, if you're wandering through the woods, I won't leave you high and dry, I'll be sure to keep things interesting by adding things to interact with. For example:
Player:
Hex is wandering through the woods, finds himself hungry, so he sits down and eats the berries he previously collected. He looks around, gripping his blade tight; he can't overcome the feeling that he's being watched.
Storyteller (ME!):
A wolf glares at Hex, quietly stalking him from behind the brush. Hex's perception allows him to be aware of the wolf before the wolf has a chance to attack Hex unaware. What does Hex do?
Player: Hex sees the wolf, knowing the wolf would kick his level 1 ass, Hex throws a Vial of Smoke at the brush where the wolf is and runs away.
Storyteller:
The wolf was dazed by the smoke, and stopped stalking Hex. Hex is now fatigued, but his endurance increased.
States: The story will have a list of states that affect players. For instance, if the player is fatigued, he can no longer travel, but fatigue can be "healed" via resting/items/etc.
My Sample SubmissionName: Hex
Sex: Male
Age: 21
Faction: Prince Wensil
Elemental Efficiency: Earth
Unique Efficiency: Space. Manipulation of space. I am learning to be able to bend space to my will. Initially I can fold it to teleport, but am still limited to how far I can fold space and just what I can send through it.
Profession: Alchemist.
Initial Stats:
Strength:0
Endurance:1
Dexterity:0
Intelligence:3
Willpower:5
Luck:1
Background Info: Hex is rather apathetic. He's not specifically good at anything, but he does seem to pick things up quickly. He's weaker and slower than most, and his mind tends to wander a lot. Nevertheless, he does keep things interesting and is constantly figuring out new ways around old obstacles.
Color: Green
Starting Location: Okalade
A Few Final NotesOnce you post your submission I will send a message to you with private specifics of your character, such as your initial skills based on your efficiencies and profession, along with any unique traits you may or may not have. Once I give you this information, you just need to hold on to it and add to it as you progress through the game and level up. You can let other people know your information, just keep in mind, there are 3 factions and not everyone has to be a friend in this game.
I will not have a specific character in the game, instead I will update the story daily based on what characters are present and how they fit in. I will give a scenario with each update that will allow each character to make decisions as to what needs to be done. More storyline will be posted as the game goes along, but right now these are the points you need to be aware of.
-The three factions are Prince Wensil's Royalists; Prince Capsol's Republic; and Zenith's Freeseekers.
-Rosa is wandering the land with Niribu (Darkness Incarnate) festering inside her. Eventually circumstance will lead to the release of Niribu (and death of Rosa). "Rosa" will appear in the game, but not by her name, as to prevent actions being taken hastily based on knowledge of Niribu residing in her.
-There is one land mass, with the Kingdom Unificus the center. Outlying regions can be defined in background information, but everything is relatively close and the whole planet is affected by the crumbling Kingdom
-Skills will be defined once profiles are submitted, as will HP, and Mana.
-Although there will be an update every day, depending on player activity, there will be "Instances" where a more direct interactivity takes place.
-Your destiny is up to you. Whether it's to get caught up in the struggle, or realize a change in the world, you must decide for yourself what path you walk.