Sir Gawain

Far into the deserts of Saudi Arabia, a secret temple was built long ago. At that temple, men, and women, were trained to kill. These warriors were trained to battle the Crusaders of Europe who had come to take 'their' holy city. The Europeans had great power, and were called Hashish. But those trained to kill the leaders were the Hashish eaters, or Hashshashins. This word latter became assassins, much more acceptable to the world at large. From that time, many have tried to become the greatest assassin for hire. But only one place still turned out the best of the best. The Hashsashin Temple. The Assassin Academy. - - - January 1, 2005 Hashsashin Temple Saudi Arabia Twelve new recruits stood before the Master of the Temple. He was a tall Eurasian man who appeared to be quite weak due to the lack of muscular arms. Some in the line up thought that they could take him in one or two swings. "So. You have come here to train as assassins? Ha! I've seen kittens more threatening." the instructor said. His words were carried by the spit that landed on many of their faces. "I'd like to see you try to beat an infant! Pathetic. But that's why you're here, isn't it? You want four year's training so that you won't be weak anymore. Too bad some of you won't survive." Before any of them could respond to his last comment, he turned and walked out of the small stone room. Through the same door the other had just left, a beautiful brown headed woman stepped into the room. One or two of the men tried to hold their composure, but the rest let loose some rather, unneccessary comments. "Well, I see that some of you are still men." Several people chuckled. "I am Marianna. Please report back here in two hours time. Then we'll have your rooms ready. In the meantime, explore the temple. But be wary. We let loose a leopard two weeks ago and haven't heard from six of our students since." The look on her face told them that she wasn't kidding. "Well?" she snapped when nobody did anything. "Get moving before I have to ruin any chance of family you've got!" That got them moving out the door. - - - OOC: So, here it is. Just explore the temple, castle, whatever you want to call it until you're given a little blue slip with your room number and location on it. I'll be PMing you with which room that is so that nobody else can intrude. Actually, I encourage Private Messaging here as a way to talk between characters without everyone else knowing. This will be the letter system. So if anybody doesn't understand a post, it's probably the result of the letter system. All information provided about Hashsashins is 100% fact. Even the word itself. So don't bother me with that. Start posting and get ready for one wild ride! Oh, also, there are other people at this academy. Feel free to hand them their asses on a platter, but they are more experienced, so make it a close fight.

Actually, I'm grounded for the weekend because I failed a test. But I got a few minutes while everyone's out to start this up. I'm putting my butt on the line to get this started! This is for you people!

Seven! There are seven people signed up! That's more than enough! This RP starts when I get back from school this afternoon. And sign ups will remain open until that time. That's why I have to hold off on announcing the missing members of the teams. I didn't expect more than enough people to sign up. You all are really into killing for money, aren't you?

Yes! One more person and then we can start! Just so you know, when this starts, all empty spaces on the teams will be autofilled with NPCs. In Shaga Mage's case, he'll have pretty much complete control over his team unless somebody else enters it. That's also the case with Silver Wolf Fang. At the rate this is going, we should be up on Saturday. Keep posting, but remember, be patient. Your assassins, learn how to wait for the kill. But seriously, this RP is basically entirely about refining them into cold blooded killers. Who actually know what they're doing and don't just fire at random hoping to hit something. That's the American style of shooting.

Name: Tyrone Ursarex (pun) Age: 15 Gender: Male (we really need some girls in here) Personality: Comedian. Smart ***. Good liar. Lazy. That about sums it up. Let's just say that Tyrone has a compliment for every occassion. And I mean EVERY occasion. Also tries to get out of doing work. But his sense of humor makes him very social and open. Appearance: 5' 8'', sleek black hair, pale skin, and red eyes. Think vampire. He's not scrawny, but he's not muscular either. Wears a brown shirt with yellow letters that read: Horse, whatcha gonna do about it? Also wears dark desert camo pants. His weapons are his hands because he has retractable claws for fingernails (see bio). Bio (wow, that was fast): Tyrone is the result of the reopening of stem cell research. Genetics has become something that is tolerated by the public, but complete combination between different creatures is rare. Tyrone was lucky enough to be someone with part bat (told ya) in his blood. Of course, there were some side effects, such as his hands and his sensitive hearing, although it isn't ultra sensitive. Tyrone is looking for his best friend for several reasons. One, he owes Tryone a good deal of money. Two, they still need to finish their shirt company. Three, his other friends don't have the same good sense of humor.

"Rhino! Rhino! Report your status!" a dark figure was whispering loudly into his headset. He was hidden deep in the shadows, and whatever he was wearing was doing an excellent job of concealing him. A deep voice replied from the other end. "I'm still alive Wasp. That good enough?" The man called Rhino seemed to be bored. "No! It's not good enough! How about you follow procedure before one of us gets killed! Now, are you in position or not?" Wasp whispered back. He could barely keep from shouting. "Sir! Yessir! In position, sir! Ready to move out at your command. Sir." Rhino said with fake enthusiam. A high pitched voice chuckled on the headset. "Widow! Don't encourage him." Wasp said to the newcomer. "Oh Wasp, you're always so uptight. Loosen up a bit. Oh, and, the target's guards are gone. Rhino can move in at any time." Widow, the female, confirmed. Wasp sighed. "All right then. Let's move people. Mantis, grappling hook. Widow, sharp mind, sharp blade. Rhino, knock on the door. And everyone, don't get in my line of fire." The was a rousing chorus of "Yessir!" over the frequency, then the headset went dead. No calling for backup on this mission. Wasp rolled out his sniper rifle and waited for the tale-tell signs of battle below. He didn't have to wait long. A long burst of bullet fire erupted below, and Rhino let loose a long battle cry. [I]Finally.[/I] Wasp thought. [I]Action[/I] There was a semi alert guard in the third window from the right on the second floor. One quick shot brought the other guard into view. Piled corpses were harder to get past. While Wasp continued firing on the guards inside the building, Rhino was holding off the guards in the main door way. Mantis was suppossed to be helping Widow get inside, and Widow was to take down the target. Today, the target was a Russian mayor in a small town. Not an important political figure, but a perfect specimen for assassin cadets. All over the world right now, teams of assassins in training were taking down unimportant people to get ready for their real jobs. And tommorrow morning, they would all be headed back to the Hashshashin Temple in the middle east. Or rather, Assassin Academy. - - - I know, I know. No real closure to this story. But, if enough people want to see the rest, I'll gladly post it in the OB Anthology, completed. Just so you know, one person is enough ;) . On to the details. You will be playing an assassin-in-training straight from the Hashshashin Temple in Pakistan (the word assassin was derived from hashshashin). You will be refered to at all times by your codename. Normally, people will be assigned to a theme group, as shown by Wasp, (Praying) Mantis, (Black) Widow, and Rhino. Of course, there will be some exceptions, such as Rhino. As of now, there are 12 open spots, but we only need six to start. I am not included in those six. I will be playing as the mission officer at the academy. But you will be in one of the following groups: Tropical Birds, Predator Fish, and Grassland Mammal. This may be a little restricted, but is somewhat neccessary. Here are some examples (that may be used) as codenames in order: Toucan, Orca, Wildebeast. Ask any questions you want to. More detail will be revealed later. You may ask questions without actually signing up. Sign Up Sheet Name: Real Name Codename: Has to be in one of the three groups. Group: See above paragraph. Age: If you can give a perfect reason why a teenager would be in this RP, then your character shouldn't be less than 21. Gender: Male or Female or Other. Just kidding. No other option. Appearance: How your character looks without their field gear on. Casual. Field Gear: How your character looks during a mission. Most of these will be at night, no bright colors are not advised. Weapons: Oh yes, the weapons. Just so you know, this is set in modern day, as in right now. Only modern weapons. Also, you can, and should be, armed to the teeth! You are an assassin, ready for any situation. Just in reason. Personality (Optional): Let's face it, does anyone even use their personalities? Make it up as you go along, and we'll find out! Hobbies: They're assassins. Don't you think they like to do something interesting besides killing for money? I would(n't). Bio: Short or long. I'm the only person that has to read this. Tell us how you came to be at the academy, who you want to work for when you graduate, blood type, whatever. Be creative. Enjoy. Also, the opening story has been completed, just not posted on the boards yet.

Name: [B]Steven Parker[/B] Age: 32 Gender: Female (?) Just kidding. Steve is a guy. Make no mistake, HE is a DUDE. Wish: To have enough money to start his own gaming business with his best friend back home. Of course, ENOUGH is not defined as a set amount. This sounds cool, but could you put some detail in it? Or, if that's the way it's suppossed to be, then go on ahead and leave us in the dark!

No! No! No! This isn't good! I can't be an alchemist! I'd be sent straight to Hell when I die! Michael was thinking frantically. But he didn't let the others see his emotion. But these Broken Alchemists seemed to already know his heritage. And they were dangling the perfect trap in front of the other's eyes. But why had Inequivelant warned him? Surely they needed all the help they could get. He decided to reveal a little of what he knew right then and there. "Uh, guys. Maybe we should just find Ciena ourselves." "Why? You don't WANT to be kidnapped do you?" Celia asked sarcastically. "Well, it doesn't matter if we're kidnapped or not." "What do you mean?" Isis asked. Psych gave him a look that plainly said, SHUT UP NOW! "I mean that you can't turn the humonculi into humans like that. Her ability is cleansing, right? You can only cleanse something that is impure, as in not its intended state. The humonculi aren't impure, if only artificial." There was a long pause. "How do you figure that? And if that's true, how do you know it?" Itsu asked. She looked a little shocked. He looked at all the faces in the room. Everyone, except the Broken Alchemists, looked puzzled. "If you don't tell them," Inequivelant threatened. "I know! I will them, after Ciena's helped Isis and Itsu!" Michael yelled. "Why not now?" Isis said quietly. He was staring at the floor. "Because, if I told you now, you might use your powers to kill me. It's that bad. Even if it's not my fault. Don't bother asking them. Kyoske and Damon don't know about my ancestry either." OOC: Okay, in my next post, you'll finally figure out Michael's 'horrible' family secret. This is drawing to a close soon, not now, but soon. Then we get to enter the Hunting Ground. ;)

OOC: Hmm. It looks like this is subconciously coming to an end. Broken Alchemy was sorta a success, but there's still some issues to take care of first. This wasn't good. Jason gazed around nervously, knowing what their fate was if these people didn't agree on sparing them. He walked over to the Chimera Master and said quietly, "Sir, we should cut our losses and leave. We still have the stone, but we can't sell it from the grave!" The Chimera Master nodded in agreement, a little awkwardly. He wasn't one to give up. But while the others were in a huddle, the Broken Alchemists backed up slowly to the secret door they had built earlier. When the group broke from their huddle, only Jason remained. He could have been smiling under that mask from the way he spoke. "Some other day, we'll meet again. Hopefully under friendlier terms. Good luck, you'll need it." Before he could turn, they broke out of their trance. "Hold it!" Itsu cried out. He stopped and turned around, just inside the doorway. "Where do you think you're going? You still have to show us where this Cleanser person is!" He paused, but replied, "One of you knows why they can't use her. You cannot cleanse what is not impure. She'll let you find her, if she wants you to. Don't worry too much about that. As for where we're going, off the maps. Someplace like Lior, where the State won't find us." As he left, they looked around uneasily. "What did he mean by, one of us knows why they can't use her?" Kyoske asked. Michael cringed nervously. No, not now. When Isis is cured, then I'll tell them everything. Aloud he said, "Come on. We'd better find that Ciena/Cleanser girl before the State does. Ready to get cured Isis?"

OOC: :animecry: Is he evil? Or just misunderstood? No,no, you're right. Evil. Michael was having the time of his life. He twisted both of his guns on his forefingers idly. Several duplicates closed in on him, holding weapons of various degrees. He let the guns stop long enough to fire, then continued twirling them. This gave his enemies the idea that he wasn't even shooting. Damon fired a shot behind Michael and stopped fighting long enough to say, "Nice weather we're having." Michael smiled. Idle conversation in the midst of battle. "Not too much Partly cloudy, hundred percent chance of blood stains. But tomorrow looks better." Damon laughed and kept walking, picking his shots carefully. But Michael stopped thinking and let his body go on autopilot for awhile. Should he tell them? He owed it to Isis to tell him, but the others, might not understand. They trusted him, but did they have the right to know his family's secret? Could they be trusted? "We'll have to wait until we find whoever Isis needs to. I'll know by then." "Know what?" Michael turned. It was that general Koregaten person. "What will you know? To turn yourself in I hope! We'll win this war, by strength of numbers only if need be!" "If you knew what I wanted to tell them, you'd have enough sense to kill me on sight." He left the Thunder Bolt Alchemist to fend for himself. Too bad he was more than capable to handle the situation. Most of the chimera were dead, but the duplicates didn't seem to end, or die. Have to go for the leader, he thought, and ran off to find the others for a heavy siege.

OOC: Just so you know, Tyler, there aren't really hundreds of BA. But, considering what they're capable of it's not hard to imagine them finding a way around that. I'll just fix that little problem. The Chimera Master watched the battle from the church tower. He was smugly sipping champagne as the duplicates kept falling in battle. "Should I really bring them back to life? After all they've been through, even Hell would be a Heaven." "Not at all sir." Jason replied, looking out of the window. "But I do think that it's time we finish this. War is only Hell if you fight it, but quite boring if all you do is watch." But the Master wouldn't have it. "No, no, no. You can't do anything down there. Look at who's with them. The Full Metal Alchemist. The Strong Arm Alchemist. The Flame Alchemist. The Thunder Bolt Alchemist. You'd be killed before you hit the ground. But Choke Point, on the other hand, doesn't have that problem." "Death is a liability and you know it. We're almost humonculi with you leading us! But I do see your point. And I say, let the chimera have some fun." ----------- The military troops were weakening against the onslaught of what they didn't know were copies of the real things. Nobody paid attention enough to notice that they seemed to be killing the same person over and over. But they paid attention to the inhuman howls that erupted from within the town's buidlings. The State Alchemists were already losing many of their own. Brigadier General Koregaten had fallen. Then something even stranger happened. Colonel Mustang's gloves transmuted themselves into water. Lieutenant Armstrong's gauntlets turned into sand. And Ed Elric's arm and leg fell apart, along with Al's. The best had been defeated, apparently effortlessly! Then a small group of people, most adorned in black cloaks, arrived at the battle front. The first was a tall, heavier man who seemed to have an unbelievable grin on his face. But one of them behind him looked as if he was using alchemy, but his hands were in his pockets! The first of the newcomers stepped forward and said, quite loudly, "Don't worry. You will die, but you'll all get a second chance at life. We'll even let you go free, as soon as we sell the philosopher's stone." Many heads turned involuntarily. "But first, you will meet your maker." With that, hordes of hideous, things, jumped through doors, windows and walls of the surrounding homes. The chimera lept gleefully at their first meal. OOC: Just for reference, the Chimera Master does bring them all back to life with his ability to bypass certain traits of human alchemy. No one is dead for good. Except the copies.

As Isis was busying himself with hitting every three feet of sidewalk he could, Michael turned back to more important matters, at least to him. He turned and spoke to Celia, "Hey. I know that as an Ishbalin, I'm not suppossed to aprove of alchemy, but," He held up his borken arm, which he had kept inside his coat. But she wasn't paying any attention to him. Istead, staring down at the floor, lost in her own thoughts. "Need a hand, or more?" Kysoke asked slyly. Michael frowned, but let him transmute his arm back together. "Doesn't that hurt?" "Nope. Only when you're putting it on for the first time. Besides, what you did was like welding. Thanks man." Michael replied. "Any time, for a friend at least. Especially Reycha's boyfriend." Kysoke regretted bringing that back up. "Yeah, we're gonna have to talk about that, aren't we? And when the 'talk' is over, you're gonna wish you hadn't fixed my arm." "Hey! Come on now! She was worried about you, and she was right to be apparently! What are you thinking? You can't fire that in here! You could blow the gas tank! Damn! That hurts, you sunnuva . . ." And that little feud continued a long way down the road, not helped by Isis' driving. OOC: Yeah, let's go ahead an stuff Tai in here. But it has to be someone without three characters already who introduces him, so you're out of that category digix. OK guys, next stop, the Broken Alchemists' headquarters! Remember, they've already made one philosopher's stone.

Inequivelant, Jason, opened the door into the Chimera Master's chamber. The older man didn't turn to face him, but continued pacing in front of the State scouting group they had captured. "Sir," he offered. The Master was silent, allowing Jason to continue. "The first samples are ready. We have the stones." The Chimera Master chuckled quietly. He walked up to the nearest soldier, who had short dark hair. "Hear that? A philosopher's stone, in our hands. Not that we need it. Don't bother threatening us with the fact that the State will be coming after us. Even if we do give them the stone. No one can kill us, because no one can kill me." The soldier spat in his face. He grimaced, and clapped his hands together, preparing to transmute the man. The poor soldier whined, "You wouldn't. You'd die!" "Would I?" he said and surprisingly placed his right hand on his left arm. There was a blinding flash, and there he stood, with a giant beast-like claw in place of his arm. Jason turned away, but still heard the soldier sputtering as his body fell with a muffled, but wet, thud. "I'll leave you hear with your new pets, shall I?" Jason asked. His Master nodded and he left the room. As he walked down the hallway, he could hear the soldier scream as he was brought back to life, just to be killed again. Further down the hall, he heard the howls and snarls of chimera. "Truly frightening."

The person standing in front of him looked like an ordinary human, but Michael could simply feel the difference. "What do you want from me?" he asked the man. "We want you to make sure that Isis finds that girl. And when he does, we'll see her too." He had a wicked grin on his face that sent shivers running up Michael's spine. "So there is a way to cure him?" The man just nodded, still grinning. Michael thought that he should change the subject. No need to get a humonculus angry. "Well, how does that help me, this?" he said, holding up the remnants of his right arm. The disguised artificial being just pointed towards the other end of town and walked away. Michael sighed and sat on the curb, watching cars drive by. He was convinced now more than ever, that life SUCKS. "Wish I could find Damon, or Isis. Or anyone, for that matter, willing to give directions." He hadn't seen any military personel since the 'incident' and was getting worried about where they were. His mind wandered back to Reycha, and the rest of the Ishbalins. "She'll be okay." he kept telling himself over and over. But the truth was that he wasn't sure if she would be. Reycha always worried more about him than he did about her. He could only imagine what she was doing now. Then it hit him. "She wouldn't, though. I mean, they need to be protected! If he even considers it and I find out!" He continued storming along, getting worked up over nothing. "Hey! Do you know where you're going sir?" Michael looked up and saw a State Alchemist talking to him. "No, actually. Could you help me out? Please!"

Central hadn't changed much in the few months he had been away. Of course, he hadn't really seen any of Central, so he couldn't make that statement. But Michael was still determined to enjoy some sites before meeting up with Damon. Then they could find Isis and Itsu. A good few people were shooting him dirty looks as he passed. An Ishbalin in the middle of the State military headquarters? They must have thought he was crazy. At least they kept walking with smirks covering their faces behind his back. "I wonder if I'll run into Tai while I'm here too." he thought aloud. Some rude person bumped into him as if he didn't have the energy to move. "Hey, watch it buddy! I have friends in . . ." His threat was cut short by his right arm cracking in two and falling to the ground. The passerby had been an alchemist. "You sunnuva!" The alchemist broke into a run and Michael brought out his gun from his coat. He tried to fire, but the loss of weight in his right side threw his aim off. Sighing, he picked up what was left of his automail arm. "Where am I going to find a mechanic who'd be willing to repair this?" As he trudged through Central, stopping on every street looking for a mechanic, he began thinking that he should've just stayed in Ishbal. "Reycha was right! I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing here! Prejudice is a cruel thing. I can't meet Damon and Isis like this!" Suddenly, someone came up behind him and spoke, sending Michael flying into the air out of surprise. "Why do you need a mechanic? I know a darn good alchemist who would just looove to fix that arm of yours." "Huh?" he whimpered and turned to see who had stalked up on him, only to be shocked again.

"Choke Point's becoming a problem for us. He'll have to be properly reassigned." the Chimera Master spoke quietly with Inequivelant following closely behind. The second man was fiddling with a pebble in his hand, ready to transmute it in case of any unwanted surprises. "What would you want him to do? We can't even get close to him. Choke Point would even transmute my weapons before I fired them." Inequivelant replied. He was loyal, but knew that his master often overlooked important points of an operation. "Yes, he would. That's why I'm working on my little project." Inequivelant raised his eyebrows and a slight silence ensued. "But enough of that. Now's the time for you to earn your keep. Fifty gallons should be plenty." Chimera Master pushed open a door on the side of the hall. It was completely empty, except for a large pool in the center that was empty. Inequivelant nodded and walked forward. It's for the betterment of mankind, and I have no place to disrupt destiny. He placed the pebble on the rim of the pool and clapped his hands together, feeling instantly the boundless potential of his unique power. When he touched the tiny stone again, it became almost like a fountain as red water began pouring through it endlessly. He stopped when the bowl was almost completely full. "Done." he said, and picked up the pebble again. He hadn't even used a fraction of the stone to make the water. "Who will be performing the grand transmutation?" "That is Choke Point's puishment. He will serve this purpose, he will kill for his people. It will be safe too, because now no one will be injured if any 'accidents' happen." Inequivelant, Jason, smiled beneath his mask. Accidents happened all the time when the Broken Alchemists were around. "Am I on guard duty then? People want to kill us for our talents." "Do you still have that pebble?" "Ah. I guess you want me to pay them off then?" "Exactly. However much they want. And also make sure they don't leave alive." As Jason turned to leave, he began thinking about which side of the war he'd rather see win. Did he like the State or the Ishbalins? Neither really. Ishbalins hate any alchemists and the State would have them all under examination for the rest of their lives. They'll all die, he thought as he left the pool room. They'll all die, and we'll control the world.

*Note, this RP may contain suggestive themes, will contain violence, adult language, and possibly adult content. But only a little if at all. Enjoy. All rights reserved. Only available at participating Otaku Boards.* "What's going to happen to us?" the small boy asked his mother, clutching desperatley to her. The people in black cloaks had appeared during the night and captured everyone, forcing them into small rooms. She looked down and hugged the boy, a tear rolling down her face. "I don't know. I hope that they'll just let us go. We haven't done anything to them, haven't taken any side in the war." "I'm scared." he cried. "Don't worry. Everything'll be alright. I won't let anything happen to you." The three men gathered outside the building were talking about that very fate. "We don't have to kill all of them. We're still humans." One of them said loudly. "Humans? You can call yourself a human, Choke Point, but we are nigh on becoming gods! Can you comprehend that? Nothing, no one can stop us!" a second, taller man said. "If nothing can stop us then why did we have to choose to sacrifice a practically hidden mountain town? Why not just take all of Central? Why not just finish this war before it even really gets started?" the first one replied. "Inequivelant, what do you say?" the large man asked the one who hadn't spoken yet. The third person looked up, his face almost completely covered by the purple mask he wore. "My opinion doesn't matter, and that's enough. These people are standing in our way. Cimera Master is our leader, and you should learn to respect him Choke Point." The man called Choke Point growled and turned away to leave. That was the last he argued about the point, and he left the town during the transmutation. They would teach him manners later. New Ishbal: Michael was gathering everything he would need in the coming months. He was planning on finding Isis, somewhere, and helping in his search for a cure. The whole thing had been bothering him for months, but now he could barely sleep. He kept telling himself that it was his fault the humonculi even knew where the city was. "Do you have to go?" an Ishbalin girl asked, laying on the bed with her head in her hands. Michael sighed and nodded. That was all she needed. "Well, I'll miss you, and so will everyone else. Just make sure you don't get killed out there." He smiled and laughed. "I won't get killed. After all, I'm going to be traveling with Isis and Itsu, aren't I? Those two get out of more trouble than Damon starts half the time." She frowned. "I just don't think too much of that Itsu woman. She's too pretty to be a fighter." "Ha! Don't worry, she's interested in Isis, not me. And I'm going, no matter what you say. Goodbye." "You sure I can't say anything?" she asked. He bent down and hugged her saying, "Yes, no matter what you say. And don't even think about trying. I'll see you in a few months. Bye." "Bye." Finally! he thought. Out to start a new adventure with good friends. But before he could actually set off, he had to tell Kyoske what he was doing. Kyoske would have to defend the city with one less soldier again. Poor guy, he has so much pressure, Michael thought and set off down the road to Ishbal military headquarters. OOC: Okay, this RPG is open! This is a pretty long opening, but I had to cover a few bases first. I wanted to show how the Broken Alchemists act and what exactly Michael had been doing during these past months. Let the posting begin, and try to tell what the original characters were doing this whole time.

Ladies (or rather, lady) and gentlemen, oh who the hell am I kidding? Gentlemen? Okay, lady and rough 'n tumble boys, Full Metal Alchemist Broken Alchemy is going up now! Join in soon!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first new player! The character's good, but we'd all appreciate it if you put some detail in about their eyes and hair, so that we know how to describe him entirely Ty. I wonder if Kiba and Wolf are joining back up. They were important characters. If not, then Tai and Damon are still apppearing anyways!

:animecry: I'm so happy to see these faces here again! To business. Aura Star, it hasn't even been an entire year since BotS. It's been more like seven months. It was built a good deal around Isis's situation with becoming a humonculi, but also with enough time to rest and rebuild. I have to have two characters now! Name: Michael Age: 23 (he had a birthday since last time) Side: Ishbal Job: Gunslinger Description: Dark skin, red iris, and black hair down to his shoulders. Wears a black undershirt, black pants, and a heavy black coat with silver trimming (3 black items? Goth much?) Has no real limbs, automail arms and legs. These are a dull grey now, and he covers his hands with gloves and his feet with (guess the color, go on, guess!) black boots. Personality: He never acts exactly how he feels, having complicated emotions about people. He naturally distrusts everyone even if he knows that he can trust them. He always seems unsure of how to act if it means cooperating, but he also has a deep sense of loyalty that never lets him do the wrong thing. Weapons: His two trusty pistols that are holstered inside his coat, hidden from view. Bio: The typical child who didn't know what was right or what was wrong. As a child during the Ishbal conflict, before the massacre, he snuck food to injured soldiers. One time, he was caught by extremely volatile guards. They were planning on killing him slowly and cut off his arms and legs for the torture, making sure he lived till the end. Luckily, a superior officer found them and ordered the two away. He personally delivered Michael back to his home, and he would never forget that Alchemist's name, Marco. Tim Marco. His family escaped the slaughter, and found a mechanic willing to perform the operation on a small boy. That's how he gained his new arms. He couldn't feel pain, and practiced on reaction time and accuracy when he was given a gun at age seventeen. During the ordeal with the humonculi, Michael grew close to a local Ishbalin girl named Reycha. He plans on proposing if they survive the war. But even before that he wants to help save Isis, because he feels slightly responsible. They've contacted each other several times over the past year, but with no end to the disease in sight. Original: YES! Character #2 Name: Jason Age: 27 Side: Broken Alchemists Alchemist Name: Inequivelance Description: Light skin, green eyes, and brown hair. Not thin, but not close to overweight either. Wears a black (again?) cloak with the hood up to cover his face. Has a deep purple loose cloth mask and jumpsuit. The mask is pulled up over his nose, like all the other Broken Alchemists. Personality: Demented would sum it up pretty well. He lost his ideas of good and evil a long time ago, and follows orders to the letter. He is loyal to the Chimera Master only. He would kill mindlessly, if he could kill at all. Weapon: Uh, nothing. He uses whatever he transmutes, usually a knife. Bio: Was one of the twenty or so people lost in a flood of red water that was held to a mountain by the Full Metal Alchemist. The prolonged exposure to the substance gave him, and the others, certain aspects of the philosopher's stone. Jason was able to ignore alchemy's first law of equivelant exchange. He can now take anything and transmute it into anything. His favorite thing to do is transmute pebbles into knives, a very clear show of his power. Chimera Master plans on using him to transmute a huge amount of red water so that they can create philosopher's stones. Jason knows, through the grapevine, that a mercenary is searching for one of the Broken Alchemists. Which one, he doesn't know. None of the Broken know who each other are, possible a deadly mistake. Original: No. Well, if you have any more questions, just PM me. I promise that I'll start an Underground thread first thing this time. It's good to see everyone back. I'm gonna have to put the original cast in my sig!

Ishbalin War Second Chapter Broken Alchemy It had all hapened that time the Elrics came to the town. They just had to meddle in people's affairs, all to get what they wanted. They caused the flood of red water, that flood that had nearly killed us all. It's funny, how red water is used to create a philosopher's stone. After that 'accident' we were able to use alchemy, and not just use it, but bypass it. Alchemic laws didn't always apply to us. Sure, we still had to follow certain laws, but each of us could ignore using just one. I didn't have to worry about equivelant exchange, for example. We were Broken Alchemists, but we were also scattered, until he found us. Our leader, who now calls himself the Chimera Master. He's been taking us on something like adventures ever since, but whenever anyone found out what we could do, special agents were sent in to try and abduct us. We were outcasts, but outcasts with power. Now, we would show the whole world what we could do. The Chimera Master was able to copy Tim Marco's notes before the first branch burned to the ground when the Elrics returned to Central. We found out how to create a philosopher's stone, and were determined to finish our transformations. We would make the stone, hundreds of them, no matter the cost, just to become human stones ourselves. Then we would sell what was left to either the State or the Ishbalins. This war had come at the perfect time, and unless either side bid for us, they would bid for the stone. All we had to watch out for was the Full Metal Alchemist and the tin can he called a brother. But there could be others. Not that they could take our work from us. No one could fight the Broken Alchemists, and win. Well, I hope that this spread some light on the situation. Basically, in BA, we'll play as either Broken Alchemists or hunters searching for the Broken Alchemists. A little note though, I don't want more hunters than BAs because that would be unfair to them. Sorta. If anyone wants to keep playing their character from Blood of the State, you'll have to sign them up again. Each person can have a maximum of three characters being played by them, if you can handle it of course. I've made some modifications to the Sign Up sheet from Chapter 1 just for this occassion. I hope that this installment is as sucessful as the last one. Please join if you're interested, because the above story only introduces the backstory. The rest of the tale is yet to be shown. Sign Up Sheet: Name: (Okay, this story isn't set in Japan, so no Japanese names. I made the mistake of not mentioning that last time.0 Age: (Something within reason! Also, act your age. Older people are probably smarter but slower.) Side: (State, Ishbal, Broken, Mercenary, other) Job: (Soldier, Alchemist, things like that. Mercenaries and Broken don't need to bother with this.) Alchemist Name: (Only State and Broken. Has to be relevant to their powers. Broken Alchemist's names will reflect what law they bypass, like God Hand [doesn't need to touch to transmute]) Description/Pic: (Either one will do. Description has to be decently descriptive.) Personality: (Specifically, how they act and think: alone, within small groups, in crowds.) Weapon(s): (If you haven't watched the show, then you don't know what the weapons are like, PM for help here. Maximum of three. Alchemy is not a weapon.) Bio: (Make it as long or as short as you want because I'm the only person who has to read it. It has to do somewhat with how you got involved with the Broken Alchemists.) Original: (Yes or no. Just tells me if you were involved in Blood of the State or not.) I know what some people are thinking. What, no gender option? Well, that's part of a twist. Most names pretty much tell you if the character is a guy or gal in the first place, so looking back there's no real need for a gender category. Like last time, I want to make sure that at least someone else is interested in this. So I'll post my own sign up after someone else at least posts here. Please join. If you're an original member, you remember all the pretty cool things about the first installment and I hope you join this one too.

OOC: Tsk tsk tsk. No replies in quite awhile I see. Well, that tells me something. I enjoyed this RP, and thank everyone that joined along the way. This will be my last post in Blood of the State, and THE last post at all. The next day, the entire group gathered under the statue of the gold Ishbala. After capturing a humonculi, they all felt like half the battle was over for them. "So, we've got one of the bastards. Now they just have to lead us to the rest of them." Celia said happily, slapping the statue. Kyoske, Damon and Michael looked grim though. "Yeah. You can go do that. But even with no humonculi, the military's still going to try and take Ishbal. The whole thing's gotten out of hand." Kyoske replied. Tai looked stunned. "But, they don't have any reason to kill these people! We just have to show the State that the Ishbalins aren't their enemy. If we could just," "No." Damon cut him off. "Higher ups don't care about who they're killing. They see the Ishbalins as a threat, and won't rest until that threat is gone. And the humonculi made it clear that we are a threat every time they fought us." "I see." Isis said solemnly. "Then what do you suggest as our new plan? Since we can't just deal with the humonculi, then what will we do? Wait for the military to find us here?" Itsu and Michael, who were Ishbalin, had the sternest looks on their faces. Itsu put her hand on Isis's shoulder to get him to settle down. It was Michael who replied. "We don't wait. We prepare for war, however we can." He stepped forward and extended his hand to Isis. They shook hands, and even though there was silence, the loss could be felt in the air. "Thank you, Isis, Itsu, for everything you did for us. We can never repay you." "You can try, but it'll probably take a few generations." Itsu said. They laughed a little uncomfortably. Kyoske approached Tai and said, "Maybe you're not such a military dog after. Just get rid of that badge and we could be friends, in time." "Doubt it. This badge is here to stay, so we'll never be friends. Let's just settle for allies." Tai said. They grinned. Then he turned to Celia, "I really meant it when I said I was sorry for destroying your town. I don't know how to make up for it." "Well, it wasn't just your fault. Everyone here did something. It's just that, you were a State Alchemist, and, it can get complicated out there some times. People get judged easily." She almost had a tear forming on her eye. Damon spoke out above everyone else, "I wasn't really there when this whole thing really started, but I think this has been a fun ride while I was on. So, kiddies, this is probably the end, ain't it? We can't stay here for the whole war." "You're right. Let's go our seperate ways." Kyoske said. He turned to each of them in turn. They were such a rag tag group, but somehow they had managed to get along. They were all good fighters when it came to it, and out of all the possible things he could've done during the time they had met, he couldn't think of one. "Well, this is it. If nothing else, with our little struggles together we've given the mighty State a cut, and it'll be dripping it's blood for a while now. Let's not give them time to lick their wounds." Everyone smiled, turned away, and muttered, "Goodbye." Isis and Itsu, the mercenaries, headed northwest. Tai was heading east, to the nearest military base. Celia began moving back south to her home town, where the whole thing had started. Kyoske, Damon, and Michael went their seperate ways in the city, preparing to leave to find recruits for the war. As he thought about it, Michael realized that what Kyoske said was right. A cut bleeds, and soon every drop would count. They were lucky, they had already drawn first blood, the blood of the State. OOC: And so it ends. I hope that you loyal Role Players will rejoin with new characters in the second Chapter of the Ishbalin War, Full Metal Alchemist: Broken Alchemy. It was fun. This RPG is officially . . . [B][U]CLOSED[/U][/B]

Please forget the double post rule here, this is important. In one of my latest posts I included a small mountain village and apparently new characters that would normally entirely change the course of an RP. Do NOT post anything relating to this small town or the people in it. This is a precursor to the second chapter of the Full Metal Alchemist Ishbalin war series. Chapter 2 is called Full Metal Alchemist: Broken Alchemy. This RP will go up shortly after Blood of the State ends, which should be in either a couple weeks or a couple days, depending on the post rate. I've asked digix to help me with several details, but the basic idea is set. Loyal posters (?), er, Role Players, your character does not have to end at Blood of the State. Everyone's character in Blood of the State will be featured in Broken Alcehmy, but I hope that new members will join in as well. The basic story for Broken Alchemy is that a small band of travellers (yes, the travellers will all know each other) are trying to create a philosopher's stone and will sell it to the highest bidder. But they each carry a secret. They were all exposed to radical amounts of red water (used to make the stone) and can each bypass certain laws of alchemy. Basically, if you choose to play as one of the travellers, you will be able to use an entirely different blend of alchemy than everyone else. Of course, the Blood of the State storyline will still be continuing on with Tai, Celia, Kyoske, Damon, Isis, Itsu, and Michael figuring out how they'll fight in the war. I'm sorry to say it, but for progress's sake, if no conclusion is met before June 30, then Blood of the State will officially close, but will still continue in its second chapter. I hope this makes sense.

OOC: Good to have you back Aura Star. I hope you've caught up. Tai and Michael had taken care of Lust as Isis and Celia were fighting Gluttony and Greed. Now the group had a hostage, of sorts. Michael had disoriented the humonculi with some well placed rounds that sent her spinning to the ground. Then Tai had moved in and transmuted a unique casing around her, with the unbreakable alchemic circle in it. Becuase Lust couldn't use alchemy to counter the effect, she was helpless. "No way! This is totally awesome! What are supposed to do with it?" Damon asked brushing himself off. He and Kyoske had a little run in with the others as they had tried to escape. "No idea, but this sure will be some story, won't it?" Tai boasted. Lust was giving him dirty looks through the glass prison and he was suddenly grasping his automail arm again. It seemed to be a slight problem. "Watch yourself. That arm could save your life, so don't be upset about having it." Michael said, walking into the hut with a bottle of wine. A few people smiled and eagerly took the glasses being handed out. "Just because it's not natural doesn't mean it's not real, remember that." Tai nodded, smiled, and drained the glass offered to him. He spent the rest of the celebration walking among his new found allies. "Some crowd," he said to himself, "Two mercenaries who got me fired, a girl that wants me dead, two seemingly normal people defending the Ishbalins, and an Ishbalin missing his arms and legs telling me how to deal with mine." He turned his attention instead to trying to apologize to Celia, hoping that she would forgive him. Miles away, in a small mountain town, new events were turning that would have them all rethinking how they lived. New soldiers for the coming war were arriving, and they carried the secret that would decide the winner. After all, who would remember the insigificant inhabitants of a forgotten village? OOC: Details on this new event at the Underground Thread. Do not begin posting about this event.

As Tai and Celia came were walking back to their huts they noticed Michael just lying in the sand. They went over to him and stared, wondering if they should say something. "Nice arm." he said, still laying down, but now he was smiling with his eyes closed. "Just wait 'till you have the full set. It'll be worth the trouble." Tai rubbed his new metallic arm. "I don't plan on this happening anymore. We have to kill those humonculi. But how? You can't kill something that's not human." Celia sat down on a nearby crate in the shade. "Yeah. The dog does have a little point. We can't kill nonhumans." "Bingo. I may not know too much about alchemy, but I do know that you can't perform it on humans. Humonculi are only artificial humans. That's why Scar's always best at fighting them. He only breaks things." Michael said standing up. He brushed himself off and started walking away. "Hold on there. Do you mean that we could transmute them?" Tai asked. "Only if they stand still long enough. Gluttony won't be too much of a problem, or Wrath or Lust. Sloth definitely wouldn't be too hard to get. But, make sure that you turn them into something useful." Isis came running up to them, panting. "Humonculi, on the outskirts. Be ready." "Don't worry," Tai said. "We are."