GuyYouMetOnline

Um, the whole 'training' thing you mentioned in your last RPG post isn't going to last too long, is it? I don't know how many of us want to spend time writing about training (I know I don't). I say that if you must include training, keep it short (though we could certainly mention more time passing in the RPG). Besides, with the spawn and titans running around, time for training isn't a luxury we'd be likely to have much of.

[color=purple]As Aesera reentered the main hall, she was not surprised to see the same maid who'd answered the door when she first arrived. "Follow me, please," the maid said, still doing an excellent job of concealing her dislike of Aesera. "I will take you to Lady Karma."[/color] [color=#800080]As Aesera followed the maid, her thoughts were on the upcomming meeting with Karma. It was clear from Alexia's reaction to her presence that Aesera's suspicions had been correct; she had not been expected to show up. Aesera wondered if it went beyond that. Had Karma perhaps been hoping that Aesera wouldn't come? And if so, would she be willing to give Aesera that which was needed to awaken the God of Honesty's soul?[/color] [color=#800080]It didn't take long to reach Karma's room. The maid gestured for Aesera to enter, and she did so while the maid remained outside. Lady Karma was waiting for her. "Please be seated," Karma said. Aesera nodded and took a seat opposite Karma.[/color] [color=#800080]Karma looked over Aesera. "Aesera Laoresk. I must say, this is quite unexpected."[/color] [color=#800080]"I thought it would be," Aesera replied, "and I understand completely. After Kajo's betrayal, it was probably assumed that the Laoresk family wouldn't return. An understandable conclusion, even though it turned out to be innacurate."[/color] [color=#800080]"I thought that you probably wouldn't know anything about your family's duty. It was assumed that Kajo kept the information from his son."[/color] [color=#800080]Aesera nodded. "He certainly tried, but Dad was too smart and clever for Kajo." She proceeded to tell Karma what she'd previously told Alexia.[/color] [color=#800080]"I am pleased that you know so much," Karma said after Aesera had finished. "Of course, a potential lack of knowledge wasn't the only concern. Another concern was your attitude towards your duty. After all, Kajo abandoned his duty; one of his descendants could easily do the same."[/color] [color=#800080]"Daego figured out a solution," Aesera told Karma. "I told you he was smart and clever. One of the reasons none of us learned of our duty before a certain age is because of the tendancy for children to resent their parents. But Daego, instead of avoiding that, used it. He and my mother, Maria, would 'accidentally' mention something about it from time to time, and every time I asked about it, I was told that it was 'private business'.[/color] [color=#800080]"As you can probably imagine, my desire to know grew over time. Daego, of course, had been counting on this. I already knew that he kept information about the subject in a binder, as I'd seen it on several occasions, though I never saw any of its contents. Well, one day Daego allowed be to see where he put it, though he did it well enough that I never suspected he'd let me see. So as soon as I had an opportunity to do so without my parents knowing, I went and grabbed the binder. There was a lot of info inside it, though it was incomplete. However, what I learned from the binder was more than enough to tell me the basics. From there, I searched for information much as my father had before me. And like my father, I had no doubts about the truth of what I learned. I thought that my parents didn't know what I was doing, but they did, as it was the responsmy actions were what they'd been aiming for.[/color] [color=#800080]"Eventually, of course, Daego revealed to me what he'd done. At that time, however, I was old enough that I was able to understand why he'd done it. Basically, Daego got me to discover everything for myself, much like he'd discovered everything for himself."[/color] [color=#800080]"Interesting," Karma said. "You father does indeed seem to be a clever and intelligent individual."[/color] [color=#800080]Aesera nodded. "Indeed he is. I am fortunate to have him as my father. Now, I'm sorry if this sounds a bit rude, as no offense is meant, but I think we've spent enough time on my family's history. Let's get down to business."[/color] [color=#800080]"No offense taken," Karma assured Aesera. "We probably should get down to business."[/color] [color=#800080]Karma stood up and grabbed a small, wooden box that was sitting on a desk. She opened it up and removed the object inside. The object appeared to be a headband, and it had a large jewel on it.[/color] [color=#800080]"This is yours," Karma said as she walked over to Aesera. "I'll admit that I have my doubts about giving this to you, but your grandfather's actions are not yours, so I will try not to judge you by them."[/color] [color=#800080]Aesera stood up as Karma approached and handed the object to her. Aesera lifted her hair and slid the headband over her head so that the jewel was on the back of her head, and she let her hair down to cover it. "I don't want the mark to be easily visible," she explained to Karma. "This way, I can pass as an ordinary human if need be."[/color] [color=#800080]Suddenly, Aesera became extremely disoriented. She found herself unable to see, hear, or even think clearly. This only lasted for a couple seconds, though, after which Aesera's senses normalized. Her mind, however, was not the same.[/color] [color=#800080][i]So this is what it feels like,[/i] Aesera thought. The powers she'd known would come with the awakening of the God of Honesty's soul had indeed come. Aesera could now see into the minds of others. She could read their thoughts and emotions, and she gained mastery over her powers, she would be able to go deep into a person's mind, uncover thoughts and memories long since buried in the recesses of the person's mind. But at the moment, Aesera didn't know how to control her powers. She was getting Karma's thoughts and emotions, but not only could she not yet go deep into Karma's mind, she couldn't even control her powers enough to direct them away from Karma's mind. She was invading the privacy of Karma's mind, and she wasn't yet able to stop herself from doing so.[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"It would seem that your feelings towards me are not nearly as severe as I'd feared," Aesera told Karma. "You've done much better than I expected in putting aside your oppinion of my grandfather. There does seem to be some lingering doubt, though. Am I the only one you have doubts about?"[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]Aesera didn't wait for Karma's answer. She didn't need to, as she could see it in Karma's mind. "I'm not? Surprising. Who is the other you have doubts about? Kairi. And why do you doubt him? Wait- he's- he did- I see. Your reasons for doubting him are quite valid, though I think you may be judging him a bit much by actions he took so long ago. Still, your concern is vaild. You do not know if he can be trusted. I must say, I find the irony here quite amusing. The only two among us you doubt are Honesty and Loyalty."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Ys, that is somewhat ironic, isn't it?" Karma replied. "Unfortunately, I know of no way to resolve my doubts about Kairi."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Really?" Aesera said. "Because I find the solution to be quite obvious. I assume we'll all be meeting each other? It's happening now, is it? Well, then I'd best finish here quickly. When I meet the others, I will examine Kairi's mind, and then when I get the chance to do it in private, I will tell you what I see inside his mind."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"That's- you're right, that should work. I'm sorry, I'm still not used to the idea o you being here."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"I know," Aesera told Karma. "Now, I should get going. I will join the others shortly, though there is one thing I want to do first. As of right now, I have no control over my powers. Before I meet the others, I want at least some basic control. At the very least, I want to be able to contain it so that I'm not continuously getting everyone's thoughts and emotions. I'd go crazy if that were the case. So I'll be a bit late to the gathering, but I will go as soon as I've gained that basic control over my powers."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]Aesera left Karma's room. She remained in the hall until she was ready, then told the maid to take her. The maid, who's name Aesera could now see was Selia, led Aesera to the dining hall.[/color] [color=#800080][/color] -------------------------------------------------- OOC: demonchild781, tell me if I need to change anything. And everyone else, feel free to have Aesera enter the room. Just don't have her say or do anything involving Kairi. I'm doing that part myself.

[color=purple]"It seems that I was right," Aesera said to Alexia. "My arrival is indeed unexpected. I do understand why, of course. It's because of the actions of my grandfather, Kajo."[/color] [color=purple]"Yes," Alexia replied. "After his... departure, it was assumed that the Laoresk family would no longer be one of us."[/color] [color=purple]Aesera chuckled. "'Departure'. I suppose that's the polite way to describe what he did. My parents and I, however, prefer to call it what it was: betrayal. Fortunately, Kajo's attitude died with him."[/color] [color=purple]"Still, I would have thought that he'd have kept the knowledge secret."[/color] [color=purple]Aesera nodded. "He tried, but he didn't succeed. Daego, Kajo's son and my father, was able to rediscover the knowledge. He's always been a smart one, my father. Kajo probably would have succeeded in keeping the knowledge from most people, but not my father. Daego figured everything out on his own."[/color] [color=purple]"How'd he manage that?" Alexia asked.[/color] [color=purple]"Well, when Kajo abandoned his duties, Daego was nearing the age where he was to learn of those duties. He'd often heard Kajo and his wife, Kalria, mention things about some god or goddess or something. And when Kajo abandoned his duties, he and his wife became much more tight-lipped about it. Dad still overheard a few things, though, one of which was a statement by Kajo about his determination to keep the knowledge secret from Daego.[/color] [color=purple]"Okay, so Daego didn't know much at this point, but he wasn't one to turn down a challenge. He began hunting for this knowledge Kajo was so determined to keep secret from him, and he did it without Kajo ever discovering what he was doing. Dad didn't have much to go on, but what he did know was enough. What he knew pointed him in the direction of religion and religious legends, so that's the area in which he looked. Eventually, he came upon the legends of Star. He'd heard enough from Kajo that when he began examining the legends of Star, he knew he'd found what he was looking for.[/color] [color=purple]"Dad studied the legends of Star very thuroughly. He never doubted that any of it was true. After all, why would his parents have tried to keep the knowledge from him if it was all false? So he knew that it was all real, but he didn't know why his parents cared. It took him a while, but eventually he discovered the reason, learned of the Laoresk family's duty, the duty that Kajo had abandoned."[/color] [color=purple]"I see," Alexia replied. "Just how much about your family's duty did he learn?" she asked.[/color] [color=purple]"A lot," Aesera told her. "Almost undoubtably a good deal more than Kajo knew. His search uncovered quite a bit. And he made sure I knew everything, too, and that I understood and accepted my duty, which I do. And I know a lot about it, too. I know which soul has been passed through my family's bloodline, and I know of the powers that will come once it is awakened. I do not know how to control those powers, of course, but I know what to expect, and that should give me a certain advantage. I don't know as much about the rest of you, though. I've got a basic idea of what powers come with which soul, but no more than that. And I certainly don't know who has which soul."[/color] [color=#800080]"I see," Alexia said. "Well, that's good. I was afraid you wouldn't know much of anything."[/color] [color=#800080]"A valid concern. You had no way of knowing how much knowledge my family retained. Oh, and before I forget, I want to apologize for my behavior towards your maid. I did push my way through, but understand that I didn't want to be rude. I was simply concerned that the maid would describe me in an unfavorable manner, or perhaps fail to mention me to you at all. I could not take that risk. What I did was, unfortunately, necessary, nd I apologize for the rudeness I was forces to display."[/color] [color=#800080]"Um... apology accepted, I guess," Alexia replied.[/color] [color=#800080]"Good," Aesera said. "All right, I guess I should just wait here, then. I assume Lady Karma will send for me when she's done with everyone else."[/color] [color=#800080]Alexia nodded. "Yes. Chase told her of you, so she will send for you when she's finished with the others."[/color] [color=#800080]"I'll just wait here, then," Aesera said. She found a chair and sat down, awaiting the call to her meeting with Karma.[/color] [color=#800080][/color] ------------------------------------------ OOC: I hope all that's okay. demonchild, please tell me if I need to change anything.

OOC: Deathsye, I'd tell you to edit your post to remove the digivolution to rookie, but I think it's about time for that to happen anyways, so you don't have to change anything (although you may want to edit the part where you referred to Merlin as a girl, because he's a guy. That goes for you, too, Knuckles' Girl). Oh, and just a general note: from what I understand, our digivices will not have information on spliced digimon. They can have info on 'normal' Digimon, but not on spliced ones (unless Darren says otherwise, of course). Also, because Tempest hasn't been online for a while, his (or her) character is introduced in this post. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [color=purple]Aesera didn't know if her current situation was real or not, but she decided that it really didn't matter. There was a possibility that it was real, so she knew that she should act like it was real. After all, if it turned out to not be real, acting like it was real wouldn't do any harm, where as treating it like it wasn't real when it actually was could have very bad results.[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]Aesera was going to treat what was happening as though it were real. However, she had no idea of what she should do. [i]I don't know enough,[/i] she decided. [i]If I knew more about the digital world and the Digidestined, I might be able to figure something out.[/i][/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Hey, Tokomon," Aesera said. "You know a lot more about the Digidestined and the digital world than I do."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Yes, though that's really quite an understatement," Tokomon replied. And it was, too. Aesera had never seen any use for knowledge of those old stories. Tokomon had always been obsessed with them, but Aesera really didn't care about them. Now she needed that knowledge, that information, so it was fortunate that Tokomon had it.[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"I need you to explain all that stuff to me," Aesera told Tokomon. "And I mean everything. Don't spare any details. There's no telling what pieces of information might be important."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Okay, but it'll take a while," Tokomon warned Aesera.[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Well, we seem to have a while," Aesera replied.[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"All right, then. The digital world and the Digidestined."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]Aesera nodded. "Indeed. Let's begin, shall we?"[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]Aesera did her best to listen to everything Tokomon was saying. The little Digimon had gone through the basics about the digital world and had moved on to the first group of Digidestined. He'd just finished detailing their adventures when Aesera stopped him. "We're getting close to the signal this digivice is picking up," she said. "You can tell me the rest later. Right now we need to focus on who or what's up ahead."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]Who was up ahead turned out to be a human with a Digimon partner. At Tokomon's urging, Aesera pointed her Digivice at the Digimon. The Digivice identified the Digimon as Tsumemon. [/color][color=#800080]"Hey there, Tokomon!" the Tsumemon said.[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Hello," Aesera said the the boy and his Tsumemon partner. "My name is Aesera, and this is my partner, Tokomon."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Call me Merlin," the boy replied. "This is my partner, Tsumemon. Newly digivolved from Kuramon."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Nice to meet you," Aesera said. "Now, I'm assuming that, like me, you're not quite sure how you ended up here, and that you have absolutly no idea why. Is that accurate?"[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]Merlin nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. I have no idea what's going on here, that's for sure."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"But you're another one!" Tokomon exclaimed. "A Digidestined, just like Aesera! Isn't this great?"[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Ignore him," Aesera said to Merlin. "He's been like that ever since he saw this digivice. I'm not sure what I think about all this, but Tokomon has never been more excited in his life."[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Yeah, I think I can see that," Merlin replied. "I-"[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]Merlin was cut off by Tokomon, who was once again on Aesera's sholder, looking at her digivice. "Someone else is coming," Tokomon said.[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]The newcomers were a boy named Adam and his partner, Impmon, who'd recently digivolved from Yaamon. Shortly after they showed up, another pair, Mia and Tsunomon arrived. After them, it was Chase and his partner, the in-training Digimon Hopmon. Throughout the introductions, Tokomon kept nudgeing Aesera, but she ignored him. Eventually, though, she did look, just in time to see Tokomon start to glow, then undergo a transformation.[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]After his change, Tokomon actually didn't look too different. His coloration had changed, and he was a bit larger now, but aside from those, the only difference was his ears, which were now quite large. To everyone's surprise, he rose into the air by flapping his ears like wings, and landed on Aesera's sholder. "Look at me!" he exclaimed. "I digivolved!"[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]Aesera's digivice identified Tokomon's digivolved form as Patamon. "Well, congradulations, Patamon," Aesera said. "Now, this deigivice seems to be showing a couple more signals. Shall we go take a look?"[/color] [color=#800080][/color] [color=#800080]"Of course!" Patamon agreed. "Come on, everyone! Let's go!"[/color] [color=#800080][/color] -------------------------------------------------------------- OOC: Okay, Digimon may now digivolve to the rookie level.

Yeah, I guess I'm just paranoid. I've seen quite a few RPGs die because of posting orders. And yes, I realize that the posting order is only for this part of the RPG, but I've seen times where an RPG doesn't even make it through a posting order once. But yeah, I'm probably just being paranoid.

Okay, I have a concern about the posting order thing. This isn't the first time I've done an RPG with a posting order, and every other RPG I've been in with a posting order died for the same reason. The reason: the next person in the order wasn't posting. Maybe the person posted eventually, but with a posting order, it'll be a long time before all of us have posted. I realize we're only doing the order once, but still, it could take a while. And when an RPG slows down, people lose interest. demonchild781, if you really think we need the posting order (which I don't think we do. Just make sure that everyone's done the soul thing before the RPG moves on), then there should be a time limit. If the person whos turn it is doesn't post within a specified amoun of time (usually it's a given number of days), then that person's skipped, and it's the next person's turn. Now, I'm not trying to tell you what to do with your RPG. It's just that I've never once seen a posting order work out well, and I don't want to see this RPG die before it even gets going.

Well, seeing as how sign-ups are closed, it doesn't really matter, but I'll tell you about the rating anyways. True, writing about violence isn't actually violence. However, the thread ratings are supposed to reflect the content of the writing. Read the stiky threads in the Adventure Square, Adventure Inn, and/or Arena Underground, and you should have no further questions on that topic. As for your other questions, go read the sign-up thread in the Adventure Inn. However, don't bother signing up, because Darren has closed sign-ups.

OOC: I guess I'm last in the order, then? Tell you what, demonchild781. I'll post my arrival now, then wait to post again until you tell me to (besides, I don't want to post your character's reaction to mine. I'd prefer that you do it, since you know Alexia better than I do). ---------------------------------------------------- [color=indigo][i]If this doesn't come as a shock to them,[/i] Aesera thought as she walked down the street, [i]nothing will.[/i][/color] [color=#4b0082]Aesera had gone straight home after calling her mother. She'd hoped that Maria would have news of Daego, Aesera's father. Unfortunately, when Aesera got home Maria told her that she hadn't been able to contact him. "I fear for his safety," she'd said. Aesera, however, hadn't been too surprised. Maria wouldn't have been the only one worried about a loved one if things got out of control, and since the spawn had apeared, things were certainly getting out of control. The phone lines were probably clogged at this point, though they'd likely clear up before too long.[/color] [color=#4b0082]Maria had given Aesera some news. Aesera had been summoned to the mansion of Lady Karma. This was also not too surprising, given that spawn had been seen. The presence of spawn meant that other events were occuring, meant that it was time. Aesera knew that in addition to herself, six others had been summoned to the mansion of Lady Karma. But whether any of those six knew of her, she wasn't too certain.[/color] [color=#4b0082]Aesera's grandfather, Kajo, had never accepted his duty. He'd distanced himself from the others, and had had nothing more to do with them. Aesera was certain that resentment towards the name of Laoresk still remained. And she also suspected that the others of Kajo's time had never expected to see one of his bloodline again. So she wondered if the current generation had even been told of the Laoresks. But Kajo's attitude had died with him. Aesera and her parents did accept their duty, though they'd been reluctant to contact any of the others, thanks to the resentment that undoubtably remained. But now, circumstances had dictated that a Laoresk be reunited with the other seven families.[/color] [color=#4b0082]Aesera didn't think that Karma was actually expecting her to show up. She'd simply been doing her duty when she'd summoned the newest Laoresk, but she probably wasn't expecting Aesera to show up. This, of course, made Aesera look forward to her meeting with Karma. She knew she'd love the look on the woman's face.[/color] [color=#4b0082]Aesera stood at the front entrance to Karma's mansion, waiting for someone to come and let her in. Eventually the door was opened by a woman who was undoubtably a maid. "Hello," the maid said. "Who are you, and what business do you have here?"[/color] [color=#4b0082][i]So you, at least, weren't expecting me,[/i] Aesera thought. "My name is Aesera Laoresk," she told the maid, "and I was summoned here by Lady Karma. I'm guessing you're aware of the reason."[/color] [color=#4b0082]The maid didn't seem to know just what to make of Aesera. She was muttering something to herself, and she looked quite confused. "Yes, I'm one of them," Aesera said. "Weren't expecting me, were you? Now, would you pleae let me in?"[/color] [color=#4b0082]"I- I must talk to Miss Alexia," the maid told Aesera.[/color] [color=#4b0082]"I have a better idea," Aesera replied. "Take me to her. She may know who I am. And if she doesn't, I know that Lady Karma does. And I won't accept you telling me to wait out here. See, I can't trust you to be objective. You probably think I'm either crazy or lying, and this belief will influence how you describe me to this Alexia. Either that, or you won't mention me at all. So I'll be going with you. That's the only way I can be sure you'll do what you say you will."[/color] [color=#4b0082]Without waiting for the maid's response, Aesera pushed her to the side and entered the mansion. The maid, clearly angry but doing a pretty good job of hiding it, closed the door and motioned for Aesera to follow her. "Come this way, please," she said. "I'll take you to Miss Alexia. She'll sort this whole thing out."[/color] [color=#4b0082]"Thank you," Aesera said. "And I'm sorry for my forceful behavior, but you gave me no choice. Now, let's go." She followed as the maid led her to Alexia.[/color] ------------------------------------------------- OOC: Hope that's good, demonchild781. If I need to change anything, please tell me.

Okay, Darren asked me to start the Underground thread, so I am. He's going to post pictures of the digivices and crests here as soon as he can. In the meantime, please ask any questions you have here, and either Darren or I will answer them.

demonchild781 has given me permission to sign up for this RPG, despite the fact that it's already started. ------------------------------------------------ [color=indigo]Aesera had been expecting a normal day. The 22-year-old woman was on her daily run in Central Park in New York City. After her run, she'd head for home, stopping on the way to pick up something for dinner. At least, that was her plan. It wouldn't happen, though. In fact, Aesera wouldn't even finish her run.[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]It happened when she has about halfway through her run. A man was coming towards her, and as he got closer, Aesera came to a stop. Something about the man was... well, odd. He was moving in a kind of jerky manner, and there was a strange look in his eyes.[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]At first, Aesera thought that the man might be lustful towards her. Aesera was no stranger to this kind of attitude. She was a very good-looking woman. She wasn't as thin as those called beautiful, but those people were harmfully thin, and Aesera didn't want that. She took care of her body, watching her diet and getting some exercise every day, and it showed.[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]As the man drew closer, Aesera could tell that something was really wrong with him. The man's motions were somewhat... unhuman, somehow. It soon became clear that the man's intent was hostile. He charged at Aesera, probably thinking that she wouldn't be able to defend herself. He was wrong.[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]Aulea let the man come, not acting until the last second. As he was about to make contact with her, she ducked down as, using the man's momentum to aid her, she threw him over her sholder and onto the ground behind her. She supn around, and as the man tried to stand up, she knocked him down again, then dropped down and thrust her elbow into his chest. Getting to her feet, Aesera brought her foot down on his head with the intent of knocking him unconcious.[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]Aesera thought she'd finished with the man, and she was right, but things weren't done yet. Something was happening. As Aesera watched, a black worm emerged from the man's mouth. Aesera knew exactly what the thing was. she stomped on it repeatedly until she was certain it was dead. She then took her cell phone out of her pocket, flipped it open, and called home. It wasn't long before someone answered.[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]"Laoresk household, Maria speaking," the person on the other end said.[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]"Mom, it's Aesera," Aesera said.[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]"Oh, hello, dear."[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]"Yeah, no time for niceties," Aesera replied. "I've got a dead man at my feet. He came at me, and I defended myself. I thought I'd just knocked him out. I didn't want to kill him. Turns out he was already dead. There was a spawn inside him."[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, after which Maria responded, "A spawn? You're sure?"[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]"I'm sure."[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]"Okay, Aesera, I need you to come home," Maria said after another brief silence. "Get here as soon as you possibly can. I'll try to contact your father. And Aesera, be careful."[/color] [color=#4b0082][/color] [color=#4b0082]"Got it," Aesera replied. She terminated the call and put the cell phone back into her pocket. Leaving the dead man's body behind her, she headed for home.[/color]

Okay, Darren's pretty busy right now, so he doesn't have time to start the RPG today. Instead, he had me do it for him. The RPG is up in the Square, and I'll be running it for Darren until he's not as busy. So don't worry, the RPG is indeed happening. As I said, it's up in the Square, so the RPG has now oficially started.

OOC: Darren's pretty busy right now, so he's having me start the RPG. --------------------------------------------------- [color=darkslategray]Appearances can be decieving.[/color] [color=darkslategray]Keralamon was quite familiar with this concept, as it applied to her. She didn't look too dangerous. Her basic body shape was human, yet she looked nothing like a human. Her skin was a whitish color, and there were several designs that looked a bit like elaborate tattoos but were actually part of her natural appearance. She was a little over six feet tall, and had long hair that was kind of a whitish-purple. Her eyes were blue, but even they had a non-human look about them. Keralamon had gold rings on her wrists, and similar rings on her ankles.[/color] [color=#2f4f4f]Looking at Keralamon, one wouldn't think that she was too dangerous, but this was not the case. Keralamon was quite powerful, and could be very dangeous indeed. She wasn't a good one to pick a fight with.[/color] [color=#2f4f4f]Keralamon entered the chamber and stoped before the figure at the other end. "What is it?" she asked.[/color] [color=#2f4f4f]"Ah, Keralamon," the figure replied. "Yes. I have a task for you."[/color] [color=#2f4f4f]"What is it?"[/color] [color=#2f4f4f]"It has come to my attention that some of our number are traitors. I want them eliminated."[/color] [color=#2f4f4f]"How many?"[/color] [color=#2f4f4f]"I don't have an exact number," the figure said, "but it's not too many. And I'm pretty sure there's not a single Mega-level among them. Just Champions and a couple Ultimates, I think. Shouldn't be any trouble for you."[/color] [color=#2f4f4f]"Not if your assessment is accurate," Keralamon agreed. "Have you managed to identify any of them?"[/color] [color=#2f4f4f]"Yes," the figure said. "I know the identities of two of them. Follow them and don't let them see you. They should lead you to the rest of the traitors. And when you find them..."[/color] [color=#2f4f4f]"I take them out," Keralamon finished. "I can handle it."[/color] [color=#2f4f4f]"I'm certain you can."[/color] [color=purple]Aesera got herself a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table, breathing heavily. She'sdjust returned from her daily run, and she needed to rest for a bit. Before long, there was movement to her left, and her partner, Tokomon, leapt onto the table.[/color] [color=#800080]"You have a good run, Aesera?" Tokomon asked.[/color] [color=#800080]Aesera nodded. "Yeah."[/color] [color=#800080]Aesera reached into her pocked and removed a small device. She put it on the table and began examining it. Tokomon went over to it. "What is it?"[/color] [color=#800080]"I don't know," Aesera said. "I found it during my run. I have no idea what it is or what it was doing on the side of the road. I found this, too," she added, setting another object on the table beside the first one.[/color] [color=#800080]Tokomon inspected the device. "Hmm... oh! This is a- no, it- well, of course it does."[/color] [color=#800080]"Tokomon?" Aesera prompted.[/color] [color=#800080]"Huh? Oh, sorry, Aesera. I think this is a digivice. The other thing is a tag, and you can see it has a small object inside, a crest."[/color] [color=#800080]"A digivice?" Aesera repeated.[/color] [color=#800080]"That's right! It doesn't look like the old digivices, but then, the first and second sets of digivices didn't look the same, so that's really not surprising. I-"[/color] [color=#800080]"Calm down, Tokomon," Aesera said. "Seriously, don't get so excited." Aesera had to admit, though, that Tokomon's excitement wasn't surprising. The little guy was obsessed with the stories of the digital world and the Digidestined, and he knew basically everything there was to know about those legends. Of course he'd go nuts if he thought Aesera'd found a digivice.[/color] [color=#800080]"Sorry," Tokomon replied. "It's just that there haven't been any of these in over fifty years. Can I take it?"[/color] [color=#800080]Aulea nodded. "Sure, go nuts." Tokomon took the digivice and tag in his mouth and ran towards Aesera's bedroom. Aesera leaned back in her chair. [i]Why do I feel like I just made a mistake?[/i][/color] [color=#800080]A while later, Aesera stood up and went to her room. She opened the door to find Tokomon on the floor with a number of books around him. Some looked like he'd been using them, while others looked like they'd just been thrown off the shelf. Tokomon had one book open in front of him. The digivice was sitting next to the book, with the tag beside it.[/color] [color=#800080]Tokomon looked up as Aulea entered. "Sorry about the mess, Aesera. It's hard to get books off the shelf by myself."[/color] [color=#800080]"And just what are you looking for?" Aesera asked.[/color] [color=#800080]"I'm examining your crest," Tokomon said. "I'm trying to figure out what it's the crest of, but the symbol isn't one that's been used before. I'm looking at the old crests, seeing what the relation is between crest symbol and crest trait. If I do that, I might be able to figure out what trait your crest represents."[/color] [color=#800080]"You're sure excited about this," Aesera observed. "You should really back down a bit. I mean, just because I found this thing, you're acting like we're in one of those old stories."[/color] [color=#800080]"Well, you wouldn't have been given a digivice for no reason," Tokomon replied.[/color] [color=#800080]"Oh, come on, Tokomon! I don't know what those two things are, but they aren't items out of the past. Nothing's going to-".[/color] [color=#800080]Aesera was cut off by her computer, which made an odd noise as the screen started to glow. "Now what the hell?" Aesera muttered.[/color] [color=#800080]Tokomon was going nuts. "It's- the digivice- we're going-". Suddenly, he ran out of Aesera's room. A few seconds later, Aesera could hear a lot of bonging around. [i]Now what?[/i] she wondered as she went to investigate.[/color] [color=#800080]She found Tokomon in her parents' bedroom, rumaging around and making a mess of things. "What are you doing?" Aesera asked.[/color] [color=#800080]"Give me a hand, Aesera," Tokomon said. "Where's your dad keep all that safety-food stuff?"[/color] [color=#800080]Tokomon was referring to the stockpile of non-perishable food items Aesera's father always kept in the house. Her father was something of a consiracy theorist, and he was also somewhat paranoid. He was always afraid that some major disaster of some kind would occur, so he kept supplies around 'just in case'.[/color] [color=#800080]"I think he keeps all that crap in the basement," Aesera told Tokomon. "What's going on, Tokomon?"[/color] [color=#800080]"The basement? Grab your mom's hiking pack and come on. We need to hurry!"[/color] [color=#800080]Tokomon ran out of the room. Aesera sighed, found her mom's hiking pack, and followed Tokomon to the basement. Tokomon immediately began piling supplies into the pack. "We're not going to go empty-handed," he said.[/color] [color=#800080]"Go where?" Aesera asked. "Tokomon, please tell me just what the hell is going on?"[/color] [color=#800080]"Hey, grab a bunch of those water bottles."[/color] [color=#800080]Aulea got the water bottles and put them in the pack. "There. Now could you please tell me what's going on?"[/color] [color=#800080]"A portal to the digital world opened!" Tokomon exclaimed. "Grab the pack and come on!" He ran up the stairs. Aulea closed the pack and put it on her back as she followed Tokomon back to her room. Her computer screen was still glowing. Tokomon took the tag and slipped it around Aesera's neck like a necklace. Aesera picked up the digivice at Tokomon's directon.[/color] [color=#800080]Tokomon checked to make sure that Aesera had the pack. "Okay, we're ready," he said. "Hold your digivice up to the computer screen. Come on, do it!"[/color] [color=#800080]"If I do it, will you calm down?" Aesera asked. Tokomon just stared at her. "Fine," Aesera said. she turned to face her computer and held her Digivice up to the screen. For a second, nothing happened, but then there was a flash and a bunch of bright lights, after which Aesera found herself face-down in grass. She picked herself up and looked around. She seemed to be in the woods somewhere, but the trees didn't look like anything on Earth. [i]Well, this is all nice and normal[/i],she thought.[/color] [color=#800080]"I can't believe we're really here!" Tokomon exclaimed from beside Aesera. "Aesera, we're actually here!"[/color] [color=#800080]"Yeah, I get it, we're here. You don't happen to know where 'here' is, do you?"[/color] [color=#800080]"We're in the digital world! A portal opened in response to your digivice, and now we're here!"[/color] [color=#800080][i]This can't be real, can it?[/i] Aesera wondered. [i]Well, I guess I should act like it is.[/i][/color] [color=#800080]Tokomon had jumped onto Aesera's sholder and was looking at her Digivice. "What are you looking for?" Aesera asked.[/color] [color=#800080]"The old digivices could detect other digivices. I'm guessing that this one can, too And it looks like it's indicating something over there," Tokomon said, pointing south. He jumped down from Aesera's sholder. "Let's go take a look!"[/color] [color=#800080]Aesera didn't have any better ideas, so she nodded in agreement, and the two of them set off.[/color] ----------------------------------------------------------- OOC: Okay, everyone, your characters should enter the digital world and meet up with each other. Also, in addition to Aesera, I'll be taking on the role of Keralamon. You'll learn more about her in future posts, but I'll tell you now that she's one of the 'bad guys'. Right now, when I write as her, it'll provide a look at how our enemies work, how they're organized and stuff like that. You'll learn more as it happens. All right, Darren will post as soon as he can. Until then I'll be running the RPG for him. So let's get this going.

[quote name='Sandy']Heh, I wondered, sure, but didn't get anything out of it. It was so vague, I could connect it to anything else that the "recommendation" has something to do with the Crossover. *shrugs*[/quote] Yeah, it's vague, but I couldn't really put anything more without giving the plot away. And if there's one thing I don't like doing, it's giving plots away (but you're right, Keith's recommendation is related to [i]Crossover[/i]). Anyways, I hope you do decide to join the RPG. And like I said in my last post, don't worry about the whole MMORPG thing. It'll start out like that, but when the plot gets going, that'll change. All right, on to you, Nefertimon. [QUOTE=Nefertimon]I already started my signup, but I still have a few questions: 1. When do we decide on class information? Or did you just forget to include that in the signup form? 2. Can we keep an animal in Crossover from the start of the RPG? My character is a 4-year veteran, just to let you know... 3. If the answer to the above question is yes, can that animal have any special powers of its own? 4. What kind of job does a mercenary do? 5. Can I sign up as two characters?[/QUOTE] 1: I think you misunderstood something. Specifying a character class isn't necesary, as class basically has no effect on players. It's simply used by the game as a way to classify players (which helps with the IE system, among other things). If you want to name a class or classes, that's fine, but it's not necessary. If you do want to name a class, do so in the 'abilties' section of the sign-up form. 2: Veteran players can have animals at the start of the RPG, because they've been playing for a while and therefore have been able to purchase animals. New players, however, cannot start with animals. 3: No. Transportation animals are used solely for transportation, so it would be pointless for them to have special powers. Some can fly (these ones are more expensive than land-bound ones) 4: Mercenary is a job classification. Mercenaries are hired to perform various tasks, often involving some form of violence. 5: Sure, if you want to. I'd recommend that you limit yourself to one character, though. But if you really want to, then sure, go ahead. You'll have to be sure to remember to post as both of them, though. Okay, there are a couple of other things I forgot to mention. One is the VR age limit. The mental health risks of VR are substantially greater for younger people, so nobody under the age of 16 is allowed to use VR. The other thing I forgot is about a certain feature of [i]Crossover[/i] that I forgot to mention: mounted combat. Now I know that I said transportation animals, such as horses, are intended solely for transportation. However, you can ride a horse into battle. This is also true for all other transportation animals. Now, there are times when players will have temporary access to animals other than the ones they bought. For example, there are times, usually during large-scale conflicts, when dragons are avalible for players to ride. These creatures have the abilities commonly attributed to them (dragons, for example, are large, strong creatures that can fly and breathe fire). Once whatever event is occuring has ended, these creatures cease to be avalible for player use until the next such event. Well, that's everything for the moment. As always, if I realize I've forgottend something I'll add it. And also as always, feel free to ask any questions you have.

I didn't hint at anything? What about the conversation between Branit and Keith? Didn't you wonder what they were talking about? I'm not going to tell you, but I will say that it's important. So yes, there is a plot, and it will involve events both in and out of [i]Crossover[/i]. When I start the RPG, there'll be a period of 'daily MMORPG routine', but this won't go on for too long. So don't worry, because I do have a story planned out.

That has nothing to do with my idea (I've never even heard of it before). Oh, and here's one thing I forgot to mention: travel. [i]Crossover[/i]'s world is quite large, and getting from place to place can take a while. However, there are options for quicker travel. There is free teleportation avalible, but only between specified locations, usually major cities. Players can pay for teleportation to other locations, the price increasing the farther away you're being teleported. Also animals such as horses are available for purchace. And there are abilities that can aid in travel. Well, there we go. Any questions?

Welcome to the Underground thread for [i]Intersection[/i]. The recruitment thread can be found [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?p=748038#post748038][color=blue]here[/color][/url]. The information in this thread elaborates and builds on what's in the recruitment thread, so you should read the recruitment thread first. Okay, not all of the information here is essential. You need to know about everything listed under 'Game Rules/Features', as these are about how the game of [i]Crossover[/i] works. The rest is mostly about VR technology, and though none of it is absolutly essential to know (except for the first item, VR usage), there is important information, so I would recommend that you read it. Okay, here's the list: [center][b][u]Game Rules/Features[/u][/b][/center] [b]Items/equipment/money: [/b][i]Crossover[/i]'s system for aquiring equipmant, items, and money is pretty standard. Items and equipment can be located in certain areas throught the game's world. Money is won from battles, and can be used to purchase equipment and items. Money is also awarded for winning arena matches, and tournament victors often recieve equipment or items in addition to the cash prizes. Various peices of equipment do not have specific stats, but they do vary. Certain varieties of armor are more effective, for example, and certain weapons are better at peircing armor. Material has a lot to do with this; better materials make better equipment. The skill of the one who forges the equipment is also a factor. The main variation in equipment, however, lies in differing attributes. Attributes have various effects, most specific to certain equipment types. For example, a sword could have a fire attribute, adding the element of fire to the weapon. Armor with a fire attribute would increase one's defence against the element of fire. And attributes are not limited to elemental effects. A sword could have an increased ability to pierce armor, for example. Weapons commonly weilded by magic-users, such as staffs, often have attributes that strengthen various types of magic or aid in the use of magic. Many pieces of equipment come with attributes. Equipment with more attributes tends to be more expensive, however, and price also varies depending on what attributes the equipment has. Attributes can also be on equipment found throughout the game world, and pieces of equipment won as prizes usually have preexisting attributes. It's possible to add attributes to a piece of equipment. Adding an attribute to a piece of equipment requires a certain quantity of materials. The materials needed vary based on what type of equipment the attribute is being added to, as well as what the attribute is. These materials are usually items that have no use other than to add attributes to equipment. Most are pretty common, and can be found in almost any location. Some merchants sell materials, but they're quite easy to find, so players usually don't spend money on them. [b]Character jobs:[/b] As mentioned in the recruitment thread, character jobs are not set in stone. A job is simply a method of clasification. A player who participates in a lot of arena battles will be classified as a gladiator, while a player who forges equipment will be classified as a blacksmith. This classification can change. For example, if a blacksmith player starts fighting in arena matches and stops forgeing equipment, his/her job will change from blacksmith to gladiator. Also, it's possible to have more than one job at a time. For example, a player who both forges equipment and often fights in arena matches will be classified as both a blacksmith and a gladiator. [b]Charachter class/abilities:[/b] Classes, like jobs, are usedas a method of classification. Players who know a lot of healing and support magic will be classified as healers. Players who know offensive spells are classified according to what kind of magic they use. One who likes fire magic will be classified as a fire mage, someone who knows water-based spells is a water mage, Illusionist magic fools the senses, etc. Players who know weapon-based abilities are classified as fighters. Like jobs, a player can have more than one class. However, players with several classes are masters of none, as the effort needed to build up so many different ability types makes it next to impossible to master any of them. There are no class restrictions on jobs. Any player can do any job, regardless of class. However, certain classes tend to be associated with certain jobs. For example, players with a job of gladiator are more likely to know weapon-based abilities, so they're often classified as fighters. [b]Character deaths:[/b] Avatars can die. If an avatar takes too much damage, it dies. When an avatar dies, its status is reset to what it was when the player last logged in; all items, equipment, money, etc. that a player gained in his.her session before dying is lost. Also, dying usually comes with an additional penalty, usually a monetary loss, though sometimes equipment can be downgraded or, if no downgrading is possible, lost completely. Items may also be lost. Avatars never die when under identity establishment (see below for more information about identity establishment). Avatars can only die when their players are playing. Also, an avatar's death never harms the player. The player is automatically logged out when this happens to prevent potentially harmful mental shock. The player them must log back in, and will find him/herself penalized as previously described. When two or more players fight, the loser(s) sometimes die. Players usually don't kill each other, instead agreeing on prize the loser gives to the winner or sometimes just fighting for fun, with no reward for the winner. When one player does kill another, that player gains any money and items that the loser loses. If the loser loses equipment attributes, the winner gets the materials the user used to add those attributes. There is an exception to the above rule. There are always more experienced players who deliberatly target new players. Whenever such players are identified by [i]Crossover[/i] servers, those players are penalized as though they died and their victems are treated as though they killed their attackers. For this reason, 'n00b hunting' doesn't happen in [i]Crossover[/i]. [b]Saving player information:[/b] When purchasing [i]Crossover[/i] (see 'VR usage' below), a person is given a small device called a VR identifier. Each VR program has it's own identifiers, and you can't use a VR program without the appropriate identifier. Idenifiers are also used to store information. A [i]Crossover[/i] identifier, for example, stores a player's information and status, allowing the player to pick up right where he/she left off (kind of like a memory card). When entering VR, one inserts the identifier into a slot on the VR unit. The VR unit uses the identifier to determine which program to load, and also loads any stored information. [b]Identity establishment: [/b]I mentioned this in the recruitment thread, but here I'll go into more detail about it. As I said in the recruitment thread, identity establishment (IE) is a feature of [i]Crossover[/i]. [i]Crossover[/i] moniters the in-game actions of players, and uses this data (called identity information, or II) to maintain the in-game characters (avatars) while players aren't playing. For example, say you're a merchant in-game. A [i]Crossover[/i] server will take note of things such as your negotiating style, the types of items you aquire, the kind of people you tend to do business with, etc. When you're not playing, the server controls your avatar according to the II. So the merchant avatar will continue to do business in the same manner even when the player isn't playing. Now, many players are things such as mercenaries. They're given specific tasks to complete; killing a specified individual, for example. The IE feature does not complete such tasks. The player is allowed to do that. Instead, the IE feature would result in having the avatar stake out the area and make observations according to gathered II. When a new player begins playing, IE is innefective because there's no II on the new player. [i]Crossover[/i] starts monitering players as soon as they begin playing. As soon as a job choice is identified, IE controls the avatar according to job-standard data, the same data used for NPCs. So a new merchant avatar would act like an NPC merchant when the player is not playing. As [i]Crossover[/i] gathers II on the new player, the data isused to modify the avatar's actions, which become more like the player's as more II is gathered. [center][b][u]Other Information[/u][/b][/center] [b]VR usage:[/b] A virtual reality interface isn't a simple thing. VR units aren't helmets like they often are in science-fiction. VR units are more like a science-fiction stasis chamber, where you lie on your back inside the unit. A VR user lies in the unit, which has multiple necessary functions built in. It moniters the mental and physical condition of the user, and maintains the user's body. VR units are equiped with the latest in medical monitering equipment, and will withdraw a user from VR if the user's physical and/or mental health is at risk. In addition, VR units include complex electronic components necessary for operation. VR units are not available for private purchase. Their requirements render private ownership impossible. Instead, VR units can be found in dedicated facilities. Such facilities have become quite common, so finding one isn't too hard, although small towns may not have any such facilities. These facilities do charge you for using VR. Most offer memberships, where for a monthly (or whatever) fee you get access to VR units. Facilities also offer per-use fees for people who want to experience VR but won't be doing so very often. IN addition, purchase of a VR program is rewuired to use the program. For example, [i]Crossover[/i] players must purchase [i]Crossover.[/i] However, these programs are avalible for purchase at VR facilities, so they're easy to get. [b]VR computers:[/b] Virtual reality requires an enormous amount of processing power. Computers that run VR units must be extremely high-powered machines, and the servers even more so. And some VR programs, such as [i]Crossover[/i], operate on a global network, so VR computers can't be isolated. For these reasons, security is a major issue. VR computers have the best security programs that exist. No hacker has ever managed to hack into a VR computer. None have even come close. Of course, there's always the risk of terrorists or other people invading a VR facility to use its computers for whatever reason. For this reason, VR facilities are heavily guarded, usually by those with experience in the armed forces. And these people are given the best equipment. Nobody's ever manages to take control of a VR facility. [b]Health risks:[/b] There are no physical health risks associated with virtual reality technology, and this includes the game [i]Crossover[/i]. However, there are certain potential mental effects. VR simulates reality so well that the mind can have trouble telling virtual reality apart from reality. Certain safties have been added into VR hardware to minimize the risk of problems, but such problems have not been completely eliminated. Feel free to mention these proplems in your posts, especially the disorientation (new players will be expected to experience this upon exiting VR) A common effect of using VR equipment is some slight disorientation after use. This is caused by slight differences between VR sensory input and real sensory input. It usually fades after a few seconds, and is more common in new users of VR. However, there are instances where this is more severe. In rare instances, there can be long-term sensory confusion, or a decline in perceptive ability (poorer vision, for example). Prolonged usage of VR increases the chance that disorientation will be experienced upon returning to reality, but it doesn't increase the severity. However, in rare cases prolonged usage can have a major effect on one's mind, causing one to have difficulty determining what is real and what isn't. Such people often hallucinate. Another severe effect associated with prolonged usage is a phenomenon termed 'reality switching'. Ocasionally, prolonged VR usage results in a reversal of 'real' and 'not real'. The reality switcher believes that the VR world is real, and that the real world is the fake. These severe effects are quite rare, however. Okay, I think that's everything important. I may have forgotten something, so if I think of anything I forgot, I'll add it. And if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask them.

[color=darkslategray][i]"You wanted to see me, sir?" Keith asked as he entered the room.[/i][/color] [color=#2f4f4f][i]"Indeed I did, Keith," Commander Branit replied. He motioned towards the chairs in front of his desk. "Take a seat, please."[/i][/color] [color=#2f4f4f][i]Keith sat down in the indicated chair, facing Branit. Branit indicated a folder, stuffed full of papers, that was sitting on his desk. "I've thuroughly examined the report," he said. "Is there anything you'd like to add to it?"[/i][/color] [color=#2f4f4f][i]"No, sir," Keith replied. "I put the report together myself, and I had several others check it out before givng it to you. Nothing was left out."[/i][/color] [color=#2f4f4f][i]"That's good to hear. Now, I'm sure you're aware of the difficulties this situation presents us with."[/i][/color] [color=#2f4f4f][i]Keith nodded. "That's correct, sir."[/i][/color] [color=#2f4f4f][i]"Good. All right, let's get straight to the point. Keith, you've been involved in this whole thing from the beginning, much longer than I've known about it. So I'm assuming there are some very good reasons for your... unusual recommendation. I'd like to hear them."[/i][/color] [color=#2f4f4f][i]"I thought that's what you wanted," Keith replied. "Some of my team had a hard time figuring it out, too. It does sound crazy, I'll admit. But it's actually very doable, and it's so damn crazy that nobody else will even consider the possibility that there's anything going on."[/i][/color] [color=#2f4f4f][i]"I have to agree with you there," Branit said. "Anyways, let's move on. First, please tell me just how you came up with it."[/i][/color] [color=#2f4f4f][i]"Yes, sir," Keith replied. "The first step was when I..."[/i][/color] [color=teal][i]The technology has existed for quite some time now, but it became public knowledge in the year 2047, just five years ago. Some people were surprised by the announcement, but most had been expecting it for some time. The announcement was made by the U.S. millitary, which revealed that it had developed true virtual reality. This technology had been used by the millitary for things such as training exercises. Now, the technology was being released into the commercial market.[/i][/color] [color=#008080][i]Although the millitary never officially sain anything about the reason for this, the reason was no secret. The millitary was charging companies for access to the technology. They'd released the technology as a means of aquiring additional funding. And since the millitary's VR technology was more advance than the VR tech that was publicly released, nobody considered the release to be a significant security risk.[/i][/color] [color=#008080][i]Along with the announcement of the technology, several noted software companies announced VR software that was in development. In particular, one company took the lead. Trancendent Software, though a public company, often did work for the millitary. As such, they'd had access to VR technology for longer than any other company. Their program, called [/i]Crossover[i], was nearing completion when VR technology was revealed. [/i]Crossover[i] was released almost exactly one year later, and it was huge.[/i][/color] [color=#008080]Crossover[i] was similar in many ways to pre-VR MMORPGs. In fact, it was a logical step up, and a direction that nobody was surprised to see the genre head in.[/i] Crossover[i] offered players an entire virtual world to explore. It was your typical fantasy world: medieval setting, magic, dragons, etc. But nobody complained about this, because VR made the tried-and-true setting into a fresh and exciting experience.[/i][/color] [color=#008080]Crossover[i] players could choose what they wanted to do in the game. They could choose anything. A player could be a farmer, a blacksmith, a gladiator, a mercenary, a horse trainer, anything. If it existed in the game's world, a player could do it. The variety was extremely far above anything that came before Crossover.[/i][/color] [color=#008080][i]There was yet another feature of[/i] Crossover [i]that everyone talked about. [/i]Crossover [i]featured a system called "Identity Establishment". Players' actions were continually recorded by the game, which used this data to manipulate their in-game selves, or avatars, when they weren't playing the game. Basically, the system kept a player's character in action even when the player wasn't in the game.[/i][/color] [color=#008080]Crossover[i] is still extremely popular even now, four years after its initial release. New players continue to enter the game, while veteren players kept coming back, as it seemed impossible to run out of things to do in the game. Though no similar games have yet been released, it's clear that [/i]Crossover[i] has set a new standard.[/i][/color] [color=black]I seem to be on a VR kick these days. [i]Intersection[/i] is my latest RPG, and it's about a virtual reality game called [i]Crossover[/i]. [i]Crossover[/i] was introduced above, and the Underground thread ([url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?p=748040#post748040

Okay, everyone, Darren and I finally got the story figured out, and sign-ups are now open. Click[color=blue] [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=54948"][color=blue]here[/color][/url][/color] to go to the sign-up thread.

Yeah, like Darren said, he and I are running this together. Anyways, here's my character: [b]Name:[/b] Aesera Laoresk [b]Age: [/b]19 [b]Gender:[/b] Female [b]Country:[/b] U.S.A. [b]Personality: [/b]Aesera is a very pragmatic individual. Her primary concern is with how likely an action is to lead to the desired result. She's always evaluating everything. Though she usually takes an action only after considering all alternatives, she is willing to forgo this if for whatever reason she can't take the time to do it. When considering what action to take, Aulea's primary consideration is how well an action would work towards the desired result. This takes precedence over everything else, including how others feel about her actions and even how Aesera herself feels about them. As a result, she can seem cold and uncaring, but this isn't true. She simply doesn't let her feelings get in the way of necessary actions. [b]Biography:[/b] Aesera's life until now has been unexceptional. It was all pretty ordinary. Aesera's mother was a busy woman, so she wasn't home as often as Aesera's father, who did the at-home work, such as maintainence, paying the bills, that sort of thing. Aside from this reversal of 'traditional' gender roles (something which Aesera and her parents disliked), Aesera's childhood was pretty normal. As Aesera went through elementary school, she was basically a loner. She preferred to remain by herself. However, she did observe her classmates. So she saw who the class bully and his posse decided to single out. This kid, David, endured the bullying for quite a while. However, one day he confronted the bullies. He'd clearly been taking martial arts classes of some sort, because when the bullies refused to leave him alone and advanced on him, he fought back, and fought quite well. Aesera, who saw this, learned from the incident that undesirable actions were sometimes necessary. David clearly hadn't wanted to fight, but he'd had to. At home, Aesera's mother was becoming quite stressed. She was simply trying to do too much. Not only did she have a time-consuming job, but she also tried to maintain friendships with too many people. She'd often go out with colleagues, even when she didn't really have the time to do so. She was just very bad at saying 'no', as she didn't want to upset anyone. Aesera's father repeatedly told her to just say no sometimes and accept that she couldn't make everybodyh happy. Aesera agreed with her father, and learned from this that sometimes it's best to ignore what people may think. Eventually, the stress got to Aesera's mother. She kept it inside at work, but at home she was increasingly unpleasant. After a particularly nasty episode, she realized that she really did have to reduce the amount of things she did. She starting telling her friends' no' sometimes, but she didn't really know how to properly do so, and came across more forcefully than she'd intended. As a result, her former friends tended to distance themselves from her. However, she wasn't feeling stressed anymore, and tended to agree that she was better off this way, even though she hadn't wanted to admit it. This whoth thing taught Aulea that sometimes even one's personal feelings had to take a backseat to practicality. She never forgot these lessons, and has lived by them ever since. [b]Apperance:[/b] Aesera's often described as being 'good-looking' or 'pretty', but she's never heard anyone call her 'beautiful'. She's a tall woman, standing well over six feet in height. She's big, too. Not fat, though. Looking at her, it's easy to tell that she works out a lot. She's in excellent physical condition, and she works hard to keep herself that way. Her appearance doesn't change much in the digital world. Her clothes are slightly different, mainly in color, but that's about it. [u]Digimon[/u] [b]Name:[/b] Patamon [b]Digivolution Line [/b](click on names for pictures)[b]:[/b] [url="http://ca.geocities.com/digi_josied/digidex/Poyomon.html"]Poyomon[/url]--[url="http://ca.geocities.com/digi_josied/digidex/Tokomon.html"]Tokomon[/url]--[url="http://ca.geocities.com/digi_josied/digidex/Patamon.html"]Patamon[/url]--[url="http://ca.geocities.com/digi_josied/digidex/Airdramon.html"]Airdramon[/url]--[url="http://ca.geocities.com/digi_josied/digidex/Gigadramon.html"]Gigadramon[/url]--[url="http://ca.geocities.com/digi_josied/digidex/Machinedramon.html"]Machinedramon[/url] [b]Digivice:[/b] Main color: purple, secondary colors: red and blue

[color=darkorchid] [color=darkorchid]Kalria had something of a reputation. There were other mercenaries who were better at certain things, but when it came to violence, Kalria was the best. She fought like none other. Which was undoubtably why she was the one approached about her current task: to kill Sage Helena. Her employer said that Helena was attempting to harness forbidden magic. Kalria'd heard that rumor herself, but her employer regarded it as more than just a rumor. So he'd hired Kalria to kill Helena.[/color] Kalria was currently attempting to locate Helena. This was prooving to be quite dificult to do, but there was a positive side to that. Helena couldn't have a huge number of others with her, because larger groups were harder to hide. Kalria could be reasonably confident that Helena would have a small group with her at most. And though Kalria didn't know exactly how many there were or what they could do, she was confident that if she waited until the conflicting energies within her entered into their compimentary state, she would be able to take them out, as well as Helena herself. But it wouldn't be so easy, though Kalria didn't know this. It happened suddenly, without warning. One minute Kalria was wandering around town listening for potentially useful rumors, and the next everything had gone crazy. She wasn't sure just what happened, but she was suddenly in front of a giant mirror, with everyone and everything lined up in front of it. Everything Kalria saw had a reflection, although the reflections were a bit different. Kalria, however, had no reflection. Before she could think about what this meant, she felt herself being drawn towards the mirror. When she came into contact with it, she was back in the world she knew. Only... it wasn't the world she knew. Looking around, Kalria saw that she was in a completely different area. Looking around, she didn'tt see much. Just some mountains and, off in the distance, a ruined city. [i]What the hell just happened?[/i] Kalria wondered. Suddenly, there was motion. Acting on instinct, she ducked behind a nearby large rock and observed. There was a huge dragon-like creature with seven people around it, and there were three others nearby. But the most startling thing was that two identical human figures were potruding from behind the dragon-beast's two heads. When she'd been hired to kill Helena, Kalria'd been given a very detailed description of what Helena looked like. So she was able to recognize the potruding figures as Helena, even though they looked a bit different. And apparently, she wasn't the only one who saw this. Two of the trio called out Helena's name. Kalria, however, said nothing. She simply remained hidden as she observed the events unfolding before her. Kalria listened as the man who identified himself as Lust explained to the trio what was happening. She found it difficult to believe, but then again, she sure as hell didn't have any better ideas. So she decided to postpone judgement until she was able to learn more. For now, she continued to watch and listen. And soon, the talking ceased as the beast that was apparently Helena attacked the trio facing her and the group Kalria decided, based on their names, to call the 'Sins'. However, her attack didn't seem to do much. [i]I guess you're not as powerful as that Lust guy says you are[/i], Kalria thought. And it was at this moment that it happened. There was an explosion of light. When the light reacher her, she suddenly felt... odd. Or rather, she was feeling things that were odd, including something within her own body. And then the opposing energies within Kalria entered into their complimentary state. She knew this because of the familiar physical boost and drastic strengthening of her abilities. And it was then that Kalria figured out what she was feeling. She was feeling elemental energies that she'd never felt before. She could sense energies of other elements, and she found that she was also able to sense the fire and water energies within herself. It seemed that Helena wasn't finished. After Wrath taunted the trio, Helena fired a beam at a nearby mountain. The mountain started to colapse, each boulder becoming some kind of wolflike creature when it hit the ground. Kalria found that she could feel the mountain's collapse, feel when the rock ceased to be rock. This was clearly because of her new sensitivity to the elements, but she didn't have time to think about it. Most of the creatures surrounded the trio, but some of them saw Kalria and encircled her. "Well, shit," Kalria said to herself. The creatures had seen her and taken her to be an enemy. She was certain that in her enhanced state, she could take the creatures around her. But there were many more beasts that could replace them, and Kalria couldn't last forever even in her enhanced state. However, she might not have to. [i]If I can get myself a little space,[/i] she thought, [i]I could launch ice spikes right at Helena. I probably can't pierce her main body, but the human potrusions shouldn't be a problem. I clear myself some space by taking out these creatures, then pierce Helena before any more can get to me. Hopefully, that'll take her out.Then I fight through the Sins if necessary, grab one of Helena's heads so I can proove she died, and go get paid.[/i] Kalria drew her bladed staffs in one quick motion. She charged the nearest creature while blasting fire in all directions to keep the others away from her. She surrounded herself and her weapons with fire as she struck down the first beast, then moved to fight the others. [/color]------------------------------------------------------ OOC: Well, there's my post. tell me if I need to change anything, Omega.

So our characters are in the area for whatever reason, and they get drawn into the fight against Helena. Yes, that does help.

Okay, I say that the fact that nobody's posted in the RPG yet indicates that nobody has a clue about what to post (I know I don't). Which is why I'm asking you, Abel. Just what are we supposed to put in our first posts?

Name: Kalria Selkes Age: 29 Class: Elementalist Weapon: A pair of bladed staffs Appearance: Kalria stands well over six feet tall. She's often described as 'good-looking' or 'pretty', but only rarely is she described as 'beautiful'. She's in superb physical shape, and she works hard to keep herself that way. Looking at her, one can tell that messing with her would probably be a very bad idea. Skills: Kalria is an Elementalist. Specifically, she is a 'Dual Elementalist', one who has powers of two diferent elements. Dual Elementalists are uncommon, but hardly unheard of. However, Kalria is different from most Dual Elementalists. First, most Dual Elementalists are not as strong in either of their elements as a standart Elementalist. Kalria, however, is just as strong, if not stronger, in both of her elements. But although this is unusual, it's hardly unique. What makes Kalria unique is the fact that her two elements are fire and water. She is the first known Dual Elementalist to have powers of two opposing elements. There's a possibility that her stronger-than-usual powers are related to this unprecedented combination of elements. Also, this combination is almost certainly related to the... unpredictability of her powers. Kalria's powers are not fully stable. The opposing nature of her two elements prevents a seamless combination of their powers within one individual. Because of this, Kalria's powers are in a state of flux. At one moment it may be dificult for her to use her water-based powers, and at another she may have trouble using her fire-based abilities. Sometimes she's unable to draw on enough energy to use specific abilities, such as the creation of fire or water. The actual abilities Kalria has are pretty standard. She is able to manipulate and, to an extent, create fire and water in any form. Her fire powers allow her to sense heat, and she has a greater resistance to temperature extremes. Her water powers allow her to sense water in any form, as well as allow her to stay underwater longer than most people can (not indefinitely, though. She can stay under for a lot longer than most people, but she can't actually breath underwater). Due to the instability of her powers, Kalria is not always able to use certain abilities. However, the conflicting nature of her powers does have a positive side. Sometimes, her powers will enter into a complimentary state, rather than an oppositional one. When this happens, Kalria's abilities are boosted far beyond their normal limits. And when she's in this state, people notice something... different about her. Nobody can articulate just what this difference is, bun almost everyone notices it. However, this state occurs randomly; it's not something Kalria can control. Also, the state usually lasts for only a short period of time. Because of the somewhat unpredictable nature of Kalria's powers, she doesn't rely completely on them like some magic-users do. She is very skilled with her bladed staffs, and she is always sure to maintain her skill. Her weapons are the one thing that Kalria knows she will always have avalible. Genetic Variation: Kalria gained increased sensitivity too all elements. Now, instead of being attuned only to fire and water, she is attuned to all elements. However, this does not mean that she has abilities of all elements. She's simply attuned to them, though she can manipulate them to a small extent. She can sense all elemental energies, giving her an unparalelled level of awareness of the world around her. She no longer has to see something to know that it's there. Another effect is that Kalria now has some control over the internal conflict between her elementally opposed powers of fire and water. She can't control it completely, but she is able to influence the status of her conflicing powers. For example, she can draw one element ahead of the other, boosting her abilities of that element while weakening her abilities with the other. Or she can aid them in reaching their complementary state, and she can hold that state for longer periods of time. Personality: Kalria is a hardened individual. She often comes across as cold and uncaring, but this is not an accrate impression. She simply surpresses them. She does what she believes is necessary, regardless of how she or anyone else feels. She's used to working alone, and prefers it to working as part of a group. However, she does recognize the advantages of a group, and is willing to be part of one when necessary. However, she tends not to engage in small talk, interacting with others only in relation to the task at hand. Motivation: Kalria is going up against Helena for a very simple reason: she was hired to do so. Biography: Kalria's childhood can be described in one word: ordinary. It was as she became older that she discovered her abilities and her unique combination of elemental abilities was revealed. She was trained to use her powers by a woman named Trea. Trea never did understand Kalria's... uniqueness, but she was quick to accept it. It was Trea who first told Kalria that it would be unwise to rely on her powers, as they were somewhat unpredictable. While taking these lessons, Kalria became quite interested in the forces of the elements. Trea, who knew quite a bit about those forces, began teaching her more about them. Along with these lessons, she continues to learn about and develop her powers. However, Trea suggested that Kalria also learn how to fight with a weapon, as her powers were somewhat unpredictable. At Trea's suggestion, Kalria began learning the art of weapon combat. Before long, she selected the bladed staff as her weapon of choice. Once she'd become skilled with one bladed staff, she began learning to fight with a pair. She quickly became a force to be reckoned with. As an adult, Kalria found herself with only one marketable skill: fighting. She weighed various options, including a millitary career, but eventually tok the path of a mercenary. She quickly earned herself quite a reputation. She wasn't the best at stealth, but she could fight. She completed jobs that nobody else could. She demanded a high price, but she was among the very best, so those who hired her could be certain that she'd succeed in her tasks. It was because of her skill that she was approached about killing Helena. She knew that it was dangerous, but she was being offered enough money that she decided to accept. She's currently attempting to learn everything she can about Helena, thus making it easier for her to figure out a way to kill Helena.

Name: Aesera Laoresk Age: 19 Gender: Female Appearance: Aesera's often described as being 'good-looking' or 'pretty', but she's never heard anyone call her beautiful. She's a tall woman, standing well over six feet in height. She's big, too. Not fat, though. Looking at her, it's easy to tell that she works out a lot. She's in excellent physical condition, and she works hard to keep herself that way. Personality: Aesera is a pragmatist. She does what she has to. She always evaluating any situation. She takes action only after giving the action careful thought. However, when thinking about her actions she puts practicality above all else. Things like how her actions make others feel are secondary, as is how the actiions would make Aesera herself feel. Aesera will do whatever she thinks needs to be done, no matter what. As a result, she often comes across as cold and uncaring. This isn't true; she just doesn't let feelings get in the way of actions. Digimon Name: Hawkmon Gender: Male Forms (click on names for pictures): [url="http://ca.geocities.com/digi_josied6/images/Pururumon.jpg"]Pururumon[/url], [url="http://ca.geocities.com/digi_josied6/images/Poromon.gif"]Poromon[/url], [url="http://ca.geocities.com/digi_josied4/images/Hawkmon.gif"]Hawkmon[/url], [url="http://ca.geocities.com/digi_josied7/images/Thunderbirdmon.jpg"]Thunderbirdmon[/url], [url="http://cf.geocities.com/digi_josied/images/AeroVeedramon.jpg"]AeroVeedramon[/url], [url="http://ca.geocities.com/digi_josied6/images/Phoenixmon.jpg"]Phoenixmon[/url] Binary Coding: 01, 01, 00, 11, 10, 11

Well, I don't have any specfic ideas right now, but if you'd like some help with the story, or with getting things written up (I'm free for the next couple weeks, so I can do that. It'd help get this started sooner, right?), please feel free to ask me.