Blayze

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Just to let you guys know, Alastor becoming Quidditch captain has been approved by Lionheart. I didn't just do it on a spur-of-the-moment thing, I thought it would be pointless creating an NPC to be the captain. Also, I thought that Al's friend Dean is the son of Seamus Finnigan, named after his childhood best friend. I had the idea that Seamus' wife was a Muggle who left him after she found out that he was a wizard. If anyone knows any canon that this is not following, please let me know. Anyways, bring on the extra-curricular activities! [/FONT]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Alastor began following the rest of the Gryffindors out of the Great Hall, when a hand clasped on his shoulder. He jumped a little, and turned around to see Professor Longbottom's round face smiling at him. [B]"Sorry, Alastor," [/B]he said, [B]"I couldn't quite catch you from the staff table. I need to talk to you quickly." [/B]Alastor nodded and turned to his friends. [B]"Go on up to the common room. I'll meet you there." [/B]His friends nodded, waving to Professor Longbottom, with the exception of Elias, who didn't like associating himself with his father inside school grounds. He always worried it would lead to the issue of favouritism in Herbology classes. [B]"Alastor," [/B]said Neville, holding a small, folded square of parchment in his hands, [B]"It's been decided that you are to be Gryffindor's Quidditch captain this year. Everyone was really impressed with your performance last year, and you really deserve this new position." [/B]He handed over the square of parchment, which Alastor opened, revealing a gold-and-red glittering badge, which he immediately pulled out and pinned onto the front of his robes. [B]"Thank you, sir," [/B]said Alastor with a smile, [B]"I'll try to do us proud." "I'm sure you'll manage," [/B]replied the Professor with a grin, [B]"Now go on up to the common room. I believe the password is "Sirius." Not sure if it's after the star or the man." [/B]Al smiled and rushed out of the Great Hall, leaping up the stairs two at a time to get to the common room. He yelled: [B]"Sirius!" [/B]at the Fat Lady, who rolled her eyes and swung forward to let him in. He was greeted by a rush of his friends, both sixth-years and otherwise. [B]"Guess what?" [/B]he asked Elias, a former Beater on the Quidditch team, [B]"I'm Quidditch Captain!" [/B]He flashed his badge at his best friend, whose jaw dropped. [B]"Bloody hell," [/B]he said, reaching out to stroke the badge reverently, [B]"Dad could have said something about this over summer. I kept asking him who was gonna be captain and he wouldn't let on." "I guess he wanted it to be a surprise," [/B]said Al, [B]"And he knew you'd tell me if he told you." "True." [/B]The boys moved through the throng of students in the common room, nodding to and greeting various people as they went, until they found the stairs up to the boy's dorm. [B]"Bed already?" [/B]asked Dean, [B]"But it's early!" "Think about last year," [/B]said Al, [B]"When we stayed up the entire first night and then started our OWL classes the next day? And you fell asleep in Charms? And Professor Crowe charmed your ears to twitch the whole day? This year we've got to start our NEWTs tomorrow. I need to get some sleep. If you want to get your ears charmed again then be my guest." "Remember there's a Duelling Club demonstration on the Quidditch pitch tomorrow at some point. Apparently Corvidae and Conroy have something they want to show us all," [/B]said Dean. [B]"I reckon we can trounce the Talons this year. Unless Corvidae has something up his sleeve for them. Which, knowing him, he probably has. Evil bastard," [/B]grumbled Elias. [B]"Alright, I need to go to bed," [/B]said Alastor, [B]"If you're staying down here, I'll see you in the morning." [/B]Just as he turned to go up the stairs, someone spun him round and thrust a piece of parchment into his hands, before running off before Al could see his face. Probably some first-year lackey someone had gotten to do the work for them. He looked down at the parchment in his hand. [U][B]Quidditch try-out List [/B][/U][B]"Oh, God," [/B]he groaned, [B]"I have to do the try-outs this year. I guess I'll have to do them one evening this week if we're going to get practice in before our first game." "Good luck with that, mate," [/B]said Dean, clapping him on the shoulder and walking into the mass of Gryffindors. Al rolled his eyes and trudged up the stairs to his dorm, his home for the next year... [/FONT]

[B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]"Fifty Galleons says we win the House Cup this year, my feathered friend." [/FONT][/B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][SIZE=2]"[B]You're on. This year McGonagall is including performances in the Duelling Club as part of the House Cup. And we both know between myself and Emily, your scaley backsides don't stand a chance against the Talons[/B]" [B]"Ah, yes, but I wouldn't count out Hufflepuff this year," [/B]a slightly gruff voice interjected, [B]"I feel the Badgers may have a renewed chance in the Duelling Club." "Well, anything would be an improvement on last year's abysmal performance, Jacobim," [/B]replied Alexander, [B]"Where were you placed again?" "Ah, those who come last are not always failures, my friend," [/B]replied Crowe, [B]"We've merely been saving ourselves up for this year." [/B]He leaned out past Corvidae and gave a sly wink to Professor Conroy, [B]"I suppose you're riding on last year's triumph still, Zeta?" "Why wouldn't I be?" [/B]she replied with a smile. [B]"Of course, of course. The Great Hall looks particularly inviting this year, I must say. The new students should be right at home. I do hope we have a fresh new batch of Hufflepuffs this year." "Whatever we get, they won't be enough to help your Quidditch team, Jacobim," [/B]said Corvidae with a grin, [B]"I can't say you've ever been much of a challenge." "Sticks and stones, Alexander, sticks and stones. I must see if Minerva needs any help over there," [/B]he said, gesturing to the now-elderly Headmistress walking up to the staff table, [B]"I'd take your places now if I was you. The students will be here shortly." --- "Hope they've got something good for dinner," [/B]grumbled Elias as he hopped off the horseless carriage that had carried them up to the school's front gates, [B]"I'm starving." "Elias, you ate fifteen Cauldron Cakes on the train. How can you still be hungry?" [/B]asked Alastor in disbelief. [B]"I'm a growing lad," [/B]he said, somewhat sarcastically, walking up to the grand front doors, passing by some very nervous-looking first years, [B]"I need all the food I can get." "And not a bit less, I suppose," [/B]whispered Dean with a smile. Alastor laughed, and realised that, even with the copious amounts of sugary wizarding snacks he had gorged himself on on the train, he was also feeling hungry. As he walked through the colossal wooden doors, he spotted Chris Crouch, a fellow sixth-year, a Slytherin, but a friendly one, and nodded to her. She smiled back, and filed in with him into the Hall. He also caught the eye of Galatea Mehtevas, the Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He moved over to her. [B]"Been practicing over summer?" [/B]he whispered to her. She nodded and replied: [B]"Yeah. I really hope we've got a decent captain this year, I have to get past the try-outs." [/B]Al nodded, smiled and then moved away. He'd never really thought about getting through try-outs again, he'd just naturally assumed he would get on the team. But now Danny Wood had left Hogwarts, he wasn't so sure. He shook his head to get rid of the doubts, and sat down at the Gryffindor table between Elias and Dean, and saw Galatea take a seat opposite, next to a guy Al was sure he recognised...Alfred...Alan...Albert....something along those lines. He turned his head to look up at the staff table. Elias' dad, Professor Longbottom, the boys' Herbology teacher and Head of House, smiled at Al as he caught his eye. Professors Crowe, Conroy and Corvidae sat looking down on their respective House Tables. The ceiling was showing a deep purple night sky outside, speckled with stars. [B]"Attention!" [/B]cried the Sorting Hat, and everyone fell silent as the new first-years filed into the Hall. [B]"This should be fun," [/B]whispered Elias. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Sorry I've been absent for a while, guys, I've just been recovering slowly but surely from the operation I had on Friday. However, I'm back now, I've made a post (which isn't very good, admittedly) and I'm once again ready for action. Also, Alastor is a Chaser for Gryffindor's Quidditch team. I'm looking forward to the first match of the year - should be fairly interesting. [/FONT]

[B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]"Well, I guess I'll see you, Dad," [/FONT][/B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Al mumbled to his father as he hopped up onto the scarlet train. His father's eyes flicked up momentarily from his shoes to his son's face, and, not looking into Al's eyes, he said: [B]"Have a good year." [/B]Al sighed and turned his back on Platform 9 and 3/4, moving into the deep recesses of the Hogwarts Express. This was the Robards family tradition, it would seem, a mumbled goodbye from father and son, and then little to no contact for the next year. Al had gotten used to it by now, though. He sidled along the packed corridors of the train, trying to find his usual cabin, which would, hopefully, contain Elias Longbottom, his best friend. Sure enough, as he slid the door of the cabin open, he was greeted by a round-faced boy, a little taller than himself, with a thick crop of dark hair and hazel-brown eyes, already dressed in his Gryffindor robes. [B]"We were wondering when you'd turn up, Al," [/B]he said, gesturing to the rest of the people in the cabin, all Gryffindors, all Al's closest friends. [B]"Your dad still being as miserable as always, Al?" [/B]asked a ruddy-faced Irish boy. [B]"Never changes. The last couple of days have been absolute hell. What about your parents, Dean? They doing much better?" "Well, me mam finally found out which boarding school me dad was sending me to, and now she's trying to get even more money out of the divorce. Parents, eh?" "Can't live with 'em," [/B]replied Al. [B]"Alright, can we stop whining, now, guys?" [/B]asked Elias, [B]"The witch with the trolley should be coming round any minute now." [/B]Sure enough, as soon as he had mentioned her, the plump little witch knocked on the door of the cabin, pushing her trolley full of snacks. Al looked at Elias in slight disbelief. [B]"How do you do that every time? Can you smell her or something?" [/B]he said as he yanked the door open. After filling their pockets with various unhealthy wizarding treats, they relaxed into the soft cushions of the seats and began to talk idly amongst themselves. [B]"Did you see Corvidae on the platform? I never see that guy smile, but that woman made him. It's unnatural." "Who do you think she is?" [/B]asked Dean. [B]"I heard she's the new History of Magic professor," [/B]replied Elias. [B]"Does that mean Binns finally got too old?" [/B]said Dean hopefully. [B]"I guess so. Not really my problem any more, though," [/B]Al said quietly. [B]"You've given up History of Magic, I take it?" [/B]asked Elias, [B]"What subjects are you taking now, then?" "Charms, Potions, DADA, Transfiguration and Herbology. Got all the OWLs I needed to be an Auror, so I'm all set. What about you guys?" "Same as you, but you knew that already," [/B]said Elias, [B]"What about you, Dean?" "Charms, Herbology, DADA, Astronomy and Muggle Studies. I got a Poor in Potions and an Acceptable in Transfig, so I was never going to be an Auror." "Well, at least you'll have most of the same lessons as us," [/B]said Elias, and Dean seemed to brighten up at this. The Hogwarts Express moved from the bustling streets of London to the sprawling country hills... [/FONT]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]I like the look of this one, James, it's got a good feel to it. I like the episodes-seasons format that you've been planning, it's a nice alternative to rigid chapters (which can go on forever if you don't look after them carefully). My main concerns are the same as Sandy's, really. I think that if a player decides to drop out, another player should enter with their own original character - it's a difficult thing to pick up a character (especially a popular one) and do them justice. I'm also concerned about the male characters - I never play female characters, not out of sexism or anything, but simply because I don't think I could do a female character justice in the way I present her. So would the only male characters be villains? Or would there be some kind of management-style character on the side of the Ladies? I suppose you could even have television execs, although if you are planning on playing this out to be like a TV show, you probably wouldn't want to show all that kind of "behind-the-scenes" stuff. I'm also a fan of this idea because I'm English, and as such I have knowledge of London - making it easier to write about it! (Also, did the description of the basic story remind anyone of a little thing called "Fox Force Five"?) [/FONT]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]I just cobbled this together from anything I could take from the Harry Potter Lexicon combined with the idea that a student needs to have 3 lessons of each subject a week (this is a guess, I don't know if it's true or not), the fact that sixth-years get free time, and trying to avoid double-booking with Sandy's timetable. Any sixth-years can feel free to use it as well. [B]Monday[/B] Free time DADA -lunch- Potions Free time -evenings = Duelling Club [B]Tuesday[/B] Herbology Potions -lunch- Free time Charms [B]Wednesday[/B] Potions DADA -lunch- Free Time Transfiguration [B]Thursday[/B] DADA Transfiguration -lunch- Herbology Free Time [B]Friday[/B] Transfiguration Free Time -lunch- Herbology Free Time [B]Saturday[/B] Quidditch Practice I thought Quidditch practice would be best on Saturday mornings - as matches approach I suppose there could be some during the week. I also took a guess and said that Duelling Club would be on a Monday evening. Hope this is alright! [/FONT]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Hi there, [B]Son03[/B], and welcome to OtakuBoards. I'm going to have to close this thread, because if you look carefully, you will see that the last time anyone posted in this thread was 5 years ago. This means that the majority of the members involved at that time would not be involved any more - some of them may not even be on the 'Boards any more. When choosing an RP to participate in, it's usually a good idea to stick to the first page and a half in the Adventure Inn, rather than searching for an RP by topic. If you really want to participate in a Sonic RP, then by all means read the [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=44318"][B]Adventure Square Basics Sticky [/B][/URL](click on the bold text to go there), and then create your own! Also, in reading the Basics sticky, you will also find out that we do not tolerate double-posting here at OtakuBoards. If you have something extra to add to your post, then hit the "Edit" button in the bottom right corner and edit your post accordingly. If you have any other questions regarding OtakuBoards rules, then please don't hesitate to contact myself or one of the other Arena Moderators by means of a PM. Until then, enjoy these wonderful Boards Otaku! [B]Thread Closed[/B] [/FONT]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Sandy, can you [I]really [/I]mention Binns [I]and [/I]being interesting in the same sentence? Although I do agree with your sentiment that this game needs to start soon - feels like we've all been getting a little bogged down in the sheer number of teachers we are using. Just out of interest, Lionheart, how were you planning on keeping this from descending into chaos? I mean, with this number of characters doing all these different things, it could get pretty hectic pretty quickly. Maybe we should all come up with timetables like Kitty and Will did? Could bring some order to proceedings. Also, depending on when this starts, I may not be able to post for a couple of days - I'm going into hospital for surgery on Friday and it's likely the anesthetic will knock me out of it for a few days. So if that happens then someone can play my characters until I can post. Just thought I'd let you all know. EDIT: Haha, the idea of a house-elf teacher is hilarious. Every time they misrepresented Muggles in any way they'd be running down to the kitchens to slam their heads in the ovens! [/FONT]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Ooh, politics at Hogwarts. I'm not really sure a slightly lopsided mix of genders is a problem - I mean Hogwarts is all for equal rights and the like, why not have more women than men teaching there? I like Emily, and she seems like a far better History of Magic teacher than Binns (to be honest, as much as I love studying History at college, History of Magic seems like a dull subject anyway - maybe that's all down to Binns). Young people make better teachers anyway. Seems like it would make more sense for Darren to change one of his characters to a male. That's just my opinion, though. In the end I guess it's all up to Lionheart. [/FONT]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]I can imagine it now..."Hufflepuff r n00bz" scrawled all over one of Professor Corvidae's desks... If there is a lack of people signing up to be teachers then I'd be quite happy to create one or two if you need me to. Can't have Gavin running the faculty all by his lonesome now, can we? :p Also, Sandy, knowing the name of the Ancient Runes teacher? Let alone her [I]first [/I]name? Don't you think that's a bit...desperate fanboy...ish? Heh...sinister Hufflepuff... EDIT: I've created a Charms teacher and Head of Hufflepuff for your enjoyment - if someone better takes the spot then that's fine by me, I just thought I'd throw him in the mix. [B]Name:[/B] Jacobim Crowe [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Age:[/B] 54 [B]Staff Position:[/B] Charms Teacher [B]House:[/B] Head of Hufflepuff [B]Wand:[/B] Jacobim carries a unique type of wand - it is made from Redcedar, a very rare type of tree which is saturated with magical energies, measuring in at 12 inches, with a heart of Thestral scales. It was made especially for him by Gregorovitch, the European wandmaker. [B]Appearance:[/B] Jacobim is a tall and imposing figure, but there are definite signs of age on his face. His once jet-black hair is now streaked with grey, especially around his temples, and is pushed back, slicked over his head rather than hanging down as he used to have it as a younger man. His face has a number of wrinkles, particularly smile lines around the eyes and mouth. A scruffy growth of stubble usually coats his chin, but never anything more. His eyes are deep brown, so dark, in fact, that they are almost black. He stands at an impressive 6' 2", with broad shoulders and an even broader chest. His physique could, at one time, only have been described as "muscular," but age has taken hold and he has begun to grow slightly flabbier around the gut, no matter how hard he works out. His cloak is long and black, with yellow edging to show his loyalty to his own house. [B]Personality: [/B]Jacobim, or "Jake" to his friends, "Professor Crowe" to his students, is one of those laid-back, friendly types of teacher, who adapts his methods of teaching depending on the class. If a class is rowdy, he will clamp down on behaviour, but if a class is well-behaved, he will relax a little, and let them get on with their work in their own time. He has immense loyalty to his former house, and is overwhelmed to be the new Head of Hufflepuff, knowing that Pomona Sprout, his predecessor, was one of the finest Heads the house had ever seen. However, with hard work and patience he aims to do Professor Sprout proud. As such, he gets on well with Zeta Conroy, the Head of Slytherin, but not so well with Alexander Corvidae. [B]Biography: [/B] Dear Minerva, It seems a long time ago now that I was a student at the fine establishment that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and my years have served me well. My career in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, as you know, gave me an excellent insight into the Ministry during the Second War, and I was glad to pass on that information to the Order while Voldemort was at the peak of his power. I only wish I had managed to serve the Order better during the Battle, but that was a long time ago now. My time at Hogwarts was some of the happiest of my life. I know that many former students say this, but in my case, it is the absolute truth. You know of the situation with my father, of course, that he was tried and sentenced as a Death Eater during Voldemort's first rise to power, leaving my mother alone to raise me and my brother Lucas. Of course, it was tough on her, and I only wish I could have done more to help. My life lit up the moment I received that coveted letter from Hogwarts, and of course I accepted. Everything that happened to me at Hogwarts, from the Sorting Hat putting me into Hufflepuff, to receiving my NEWT results that hot summer day, was magical. Not just in the obvious sense, either, in the personal, emotional sense as well. Looking back now, I think that my choice of career was entirely wrong for me. I was successful enough during my time as Head of Magical Law Enforcement, of course, but I always felt that I would be better suited doing something else, something meaningful. Like teaching, of course. So the offer of the teaching post after Filius retired was a welcome break from the life of a Magical Law Enforcer (it sounds so much more romantic and adventurous when you say it like that!). My four years teaching Charms has given me feelings and experiences I have never known before. You know, one girl in my NEWT class came up to me the other day and hugged me, just for helping her pass her OWL with an O grade. It was an incredible feeling. Obviously, Pomona's retirement was a great loss to the Herbology Department (I am excited to meet her replacement, Neville Longbottom, though - a friend of Harry Potter who stood beside him at the Battle? It would be an honour to finally meet him), and a great loss to Hufflepuff House. She was truly one of the finest Heads of House Hufflepuff has ever seen. Basically, I would be honoured to become the new Head of Hufflepuff House. It would be a delight to take all these students under my wing, and I feel I could do the House proud. I only hope I can live up to the legacy that Professor Sprout left. Best Wishes, Jacobim Crowe PS Sorry for the roundabout style of this letter - I am rather excited about this new position you have offered, and as you know I tend to write a little too much when excited. [B]Notes:[/B] -Jacobim used to be a Keeper in the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, and still follows the sport avidly, even offering to help out the team captain in practices. He turns out to watch every game, regardless of whether Hufflepuff are playing or not. -He helps out as much as he can with the Duelling Club as well, although most of the responsibility goes to Professor Conroy. He lends a helping hand from time to time, occasionally standing in for demonstrations. -His Patronus is a badger, displaying the house pride which he shows at all times. -He was at Hogwarts at the same time as Harry's dad, Sirius, Lupin etc. (I don't know exactly when they were at Hogwarts so I just did an approximate age which would be right for them) [/FONT]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Ah, you caught me. Yes, I did take a sizable chunk of my inspiration from the fine work of Mr Pullman, but, in theory, the storyline should be totally different from the books. I mean, Adam's situation does mirror Will's in a number of ways, but I am not trying to recreate His Dark Materials in any way, I am trying to create an original story inspired by this series. As for the storyline, that is mostly up to the players involved. They can take this in directions I never would have planned on, and make it so that surprises lie around every corner. As for themes, obviously the theme of religion is fairly major in both stories, but mine won't be dealing with any kind of "Authority" type figure, we are focusing on those who worship this particular religion. They could be right about what they believe, they could be wrong - I think the ambiguity is a good point. The other major theme we are looking at here is isolation, how Adam is just a kid who wants to go home, but he is caught in circumstances beyond his wildest imaginings, which leave him trapped and alone in this world which he doesn't understand. While he may be on this epic quest, it is also a very personal thing, lots of character-building stuff, for all the characters, not just Adam. In terms of weapons, I was thinking similar sorts of equipment to Pullman's books - that is to say automatic weapons are out (other than gatling guns, I suppose, but even they would only be accessible by the Military), and most focus is on rifles, revolvers, and close-combat weaponry such as swords, spears, knives and the like. Bows and crossbows are also common, especially among the Rushkans and the Witches. Regarding your wanderings about traveling between worlds, it is unlikely at the moment (although I have it planned to be a fairly major plot point later on). The scientists don't even know if it is possible (Adam obviously does, but until he can provide proof then it's a moot point), so creating any way of traveling between worlds looks to be a long way off. But you never know, maybe later in the RP? I also think a Saracen character would be interesting - would definitely cause some problems with travel (what with The Theocracy being at war with them and all), but it would make a very interesting group dynamic, especially if there was someone else in the group who believed in the monotheistic religion. Thanks very much for your interest, and I hope I've managed to answer your questions satisfactorily. Heh, theocrazy... [/FONT]

[center][U][B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][SIZE=3]New World Underground[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/U] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]After some thinking and a lot of ideas floating around, I have decided to [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]create a new RP, named "New World." There is a lot of information which is [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]going to be posted here, so prepare yourself. I thought it best to post this [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Underground thread with all the information you will need now, and I will [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]begin the Recruitment thread in a few days' time. [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]I have had ideas for the various countries in the world, and their people, but [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]this is where you come in. I really think some of the ideas need fleshing out [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]a lot more, and I would welcome any suggestions, ideas and help you may [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]have to offer. I have big plans for this story, and I hope it will be a new OB [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]epic.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]So without further ado...[/FONT] [U][B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][SIZE=3]NEW WORLD[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/U] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]New World is the story of a 17-year-old boy named Adam Jacobs, who [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]becomes trapped in a world not his own, a strange land with different people, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]different customs and different lives to those he is used to. All he wants is [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]to go home, but the tyrannical power of The Theocracy will not let him find [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]his way back in peace.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]He begins an epic journey, across ice-covered mountains, industrial cities [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]and mighty oceans, from peaceful tribes to soldiers on the brink of all-out [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]war. He will gain new friends, and create great enemies on the way, but will [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]he ever get home?[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]---[/FONT] [B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]THE WORLD[/FONT][/B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The world is divided into a number of significant countries, but they are all [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]ruled over by the same superpower, The Theocracy (more on this later). The [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]world is similar to our own, but at the same time, very very different - their [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]fuel sources would be considered outdated and inferior to our own: the use [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]of steam is relied on heavily, and only the most important vehicles are [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]powered by use of oil. Many cities would look much like [U][URL="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/london_800.jpg"][B]this[/B][/URL][/U], the skies filled [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]with [U][URL="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/study_800.jpg"][B]airships[/B][/URL][/U], the primary mode of long-distance transport.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The central country to The Theocracy is [B]Britannia[/B], the capital city of which is [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Londinium[/B], which in turn contains the global headquarters of [B]The Theocracy[/B], [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]in a building named [B]The Citadel[/B], a building which no-one is ever seen [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]entering or leaving. At the top of the central spire resides the [B]Supreme [/B][/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Magistrate of the Divine Theocracy[/B] (to give him his full title), a mysterious [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]man who has very rarely been seen by the public. Britannia is a large centre [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]for industry - there are hundreds of factories and mines across the country, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]and the skies are constantly filled with an influx of airships.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Over the [B]Channel[/B] from Britannia is the continent of [B]Europa[/B], which contains [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]countries from the beautiful [B]Francia[/B] all the way through to the bitter cold of [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Rushka[/B], and everything in between, including [B]Norwei[/B], [B]Italia[/B], [B]Pola[/B] and [B]Espan[/B] [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode](Norway, Italy, Poland and Spain respectively). The north of Europa is very [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]mountainous, and the [B]Alpen Range[/B] is situated in the North of Francia, home [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]to many "[B]Wanderers[/B]," a gypsy-like people who travel across the world.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Across the mighty [B]Atlantica[/B] lie the [B]Columbian Territories[/B], what we would [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]know as America. Discovered in 1492 by Chris Columbus, the entire vast [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]country was named after this great explorer. The Territories are home to the [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]largest airship production lines in the world, and also to the majority of [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]airship pilots. The capital is [B]Columbus[/B], on the [B]East Coast[/B], and all of the [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]world's trading is done here, in the biggest market in the world. The [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Northern Territories[/B] are much colder, and like the North of Europa, very [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]mountainous, although these mountains are (as far as anyone knows) [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]uninhabited, aside from the occasional traveller. [B]The Southern Territories[/B], [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]while much warmer, are rife with violent organised crime, and thus they are [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]very rarely visited by anyone who lives in the North. The Theocracy has a [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]very strong presence here, especially in the Mid-parts of the country. [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]South of Europa is [B]Africa[/B], a largely unknown continent which is seldom [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]ventured to. Not many people, other than a handful of scientists, even know [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]anything about it. It is said to be a mystical land full of dark sorcerers.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Australasia[/B] has yet to be discovered, and as yet there is no sign of it being [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]found any time soon.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The [B]Asiatic Territories[/B] lie to the East, and are home to the [B]Saracens[/B], a race of [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]legendarily fierce warriors, and a huge enemy of The Theocracy. There is [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]currently a [B]Holy War[/B] raging in the East, between the monotheistic Theocracy [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]and the Saracens, who believe it is the human being's right to worship as [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]they see fit, not to be forced into a regime of worshipping a God they don't [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]even believe in. The Saracens worship many Gods, and this is seen as being [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]sinful by The Theocracy.[/FONT] [B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]PEOPLE OF THE WORLD[/FONT][/B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The best word to describe the Wanderers would have to be gypsies. They [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]have a form of tribal system to their civilisation, travelling in large convoys [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]of up to five entire families. They never stay in the same place too long, and [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]they leave no trace of being somewhere when they leave. They are outcasts [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]from society, hunted by The Theocracy for believing in other Gods, and thus [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]have been forced to move from central Europa into the frozen mountain [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]ranges of the north. Legend tells of a great Wanderer city in a deep, hidden [/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]valley in the Alpen Range, but no proof has ever been given for this.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The [B]Airship Pilots[/B] of the Columbian Territories are among the wealthiest men in [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]the world, but the majority of their money ends up back in the pockets of [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The Theocracy, through means of taxes. However, most are friendly to The [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Theocracy, knowing that if they turn against them, their privileges will be [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]revoked. But there are a few who smuggle Wanderers and other forbidden [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]travellers across borders on their airships, to try and help those who are [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]against The Theocracy. These Pilots are known as "[B]rogues[/B]," and are being [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]clamped down on by The Theocracy. Most Pilots are known as "[B]sky [/B][/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]cowboys[/B]," often dressing like the cowboys of old, ten-gallon hats, leather [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]duster jackets and the like.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The [B]Traders[/B] are widely known as merchants and thieves. They will often [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]steal a person's possessions and then sell them back to them at an inflated [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]price. They even have [B]pirates[/B] who work for them, comandeering vessels [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]across the Atlantica and selling them on for scrap or whatever else they can [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]be used for. These are people with no scruples whatsoever, and are not to be [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]trusted under any circumstances.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Living in the north of the Columbian territories are a race whose very [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]existence is denied by The Theocracy, the [B]Witches[/B]. Nobody quite knows [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]their history, not even the Witches themselves, but they can live for hundreds [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]of years without their age showing. Most Witches are over 300 years old, but [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]have the appearance of 19-20 year old humans. They can be male or female, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]but the males are known as [B]Shamans[/B] rather than Witches. They are usually [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]incredibly attractive by human standards, and have access to incredible [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]magic. This magic allows them to fly without the use of such ridiculous[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]objects as broomsticks, and do countless other things, the full extent of [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]which is known by no-one. They are led by a [B]Council of Elders[/B], who have a [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]strict policy on not interfering in the lives of mortals. If any Witch or Shaman [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]meddles in human affairs then they are banished. Their home city is nestled [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]between two of the mightiest mountains in the Northern Territories, and is [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]known as [B]Euryptia[/B]. When in battle, they rely on their magic, as well as [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]enchanted weapons, such as bows and long knives.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]As well as the humans, there are other creatures who live in this world, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]sentient creatures who are definitely not human. The [B]Bears[/B] and the [B]Wolves[/B] [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]are almost all sentient, capable of human speech and able to wrap their [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]brains around human concepts like war and theft. Currently the Bears, led by [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]the mighty [B]Konig[/B], and the Wolves, led by the devious [B]Jaeger[/B], are locked in a [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]seemingly endless Cold War, a war where no outright violence ever occurs, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]but a war in which both sides sustain casualties.[/FONT] [B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]EUROPA[/FONT][/B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The people of Europa are incredibly varied. The [B]Italians[/B] are, for the most [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]part, peaceful and not prone to violence. They do not have an army, but The [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Theocracy's [B]Secret Police Service[/B] is based in Italia's capital, [B]Roma[/B]. They are[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]more interested in art and architecture to worry about battle, and thus Italia [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]is home to some of the most beautiful buildings and works of art in the [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]whole world.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Francians[/B] are a cunning and sneaky race. They are also interested in art and [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]architecture, but not to the extent that the Italians are. Where the Francians [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]really come into their own is food. They make the most exquisite food in the [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]world, and many members of The Theocracy have their food imported from [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Francia by the Traders, just to sample their divine delicacies. They have a [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]fair-sized army, but are more interested in Covert Operations than in full-[/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]scale military incursions.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The [B]Rushkans[/B], however, are born for war. They have a huge army, which, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]while vicious, is poorly equipped. Most soldiers only have a crossbow and a [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]sword, and very little armour. Only the more important soldiers have access [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]to vehicles and rifles and the like.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Norwei is a country run mostly by Wanderers. It is one of the few places [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]where Wanderers and other people live in harmony, and is, by many, jokingly [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]known as "[B]The Promised Land[/B]."[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Espan is a country which is a well-travelled trade route. Many spices and [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]cloths come to Espan from Italia and Francia, even going so far as the Asiatic [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Territories, and from Espan they are transported to the Columbian Territories.[/FONT] [B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]THE THEOCRACY[/FONT][/B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]A theocracy is a government ruled either by divine guidance, or by subject to [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]religious institutions and leaders. The Theocracy that rules over the world is [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]an example of the second, a government ruled by the Supreme Magistrate, [/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]and one which has a web of influence stretching right across the world.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]The Divine Theocracy Of The Lord[/B], to give the government its full title, is [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]based in what we would know as Christianity, a monotheistic, or One God [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]religion, who believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and humanity's [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]saviour, who sacrificed himself for the good of the people. They believe this [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]and anyone with other beliefs will be prosecuted. This includes the [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Wanderers, outcast to the Alpen Range of Northern Europa, and the Saracens, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]who are currently locked in a vicious and bloody struggle in the East.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]There are a number of different [B]Divisions[/B] of The Theocracy, each with a [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Division Head[/B], or [B]Minister[/B], and a [B]Division Headquarters[/B] located somewhere [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]in Britannia. The Divisions are as follows:[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Propaganda Division:[/B] deals with the media side of The Theocracy, putting out [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]smear campaigns against those who believe in other religions, as well as [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]positive campaigns supporting the work of the Supreme Magistrate. [B]The [/B][/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Minister for Propaganda[/B] is one [B]Joseph Langeres[/B], a small, weasly man, whose [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]watery blue eyes are hidden behind a pair of thick, round glasses. He is, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]however, a devious mind and an excellent spin-doctor.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Military Division:[/B] deals with any and all military threats against The [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Theocracy. Divided into three sections: the [B]Divine Army of the Theocracy[/B], [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]the [B]Glorious Aeronautical Squadron[/B] and the [B]Theocratic Navy[/B], covering land, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]air and sea. The military is extremely well-equipped, each and every soldier [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]being armed with a rifle and a sword, along with full body armour. The Army [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]also has access to oil-powered tanks and jeeps, the Navy with large, [/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]powerful zeppelins and the Navy with vast steam-powered battleships. The [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Minister for the Military[/B] is [B]General Vladimir Poulensky[/B], a Rushkan by birth, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]and incredibly warlike. A huge, broad-chested, muscular man with a large [/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]moustache and snow-tanned skin.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Papal Division:[/B] designed to serve the Supreme Magistrate's every whim and [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]desire, and co-ordinates all religious activity in the world. This includes the[/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Papal Army[/B], the Supreme Magistrate's very own elite fighting force. The [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Minister of the Papal Division[/B] is [B]Archbishop Roland Travers[/B], a sinister-[/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]looking man who is never seen without a heavy black cloak over his [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Theocracy-issue pinstripe suit.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Law Enforcement Division:[/B] polices the streets of the world with a strict [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]regime. Also includes the Italian Secret Police service. The [B]Minister for Law [/B][/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Enforcement[/B] is [B]Giovanni Robisia[/B], an Ox-like Italian with a penchant for [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]sadism and torture. He commands the Secret Police with full jurisdiction.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Trading Division:[/B] organises trade routes with the rest of the world. A [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Division of traders, this is likely to be a very devious, treacherous place to [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]work, where a lot of back-stabbing takes place. The [B]Minister of Trading[/B] is [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Alexander Robards[/B], a Columbian by birth, who used to be a trader himelf. He [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]is wiry and lean, with dark hair and skin, and an incredibly devious edge, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]which combines with great skill to make a very dangerous individual.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Covert Division:[/B] a very secretive Division, they carry out covert missions by [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]direct order of the Supreme Magistrate. Very little is known about this [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Division, or its Minister, known only as "[B]Mr Smith[/B]," which is almost definitely [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]a pseudonym.[/FONT] [B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]TRADE[/FONT][/B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Trade is an incredibly important part of the economy. The most important [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]items for trade include [B]metal[/B] (mostly steel and aluminium, these are most [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]useful for building things), [B]cloth[/B] (mostly silk), and [B]spices[/B]. These are taken [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]across the oceans in large, steam-powered vessels which resemble [URL="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/Chinese_Junk_Hong_Kong_Harbor.jpg"][B][U]Chinese [/U][/B][/URL][/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][URL="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/Chinese_Junk_Hong_Kong_Harbor.jpg"][B][U]junks[/U][/B][/URL].[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]There is also a large[B] black-market trade[/B] in [B]tobacco[/B] and [B]liquor[/B], both of which [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]are outlawed by The Theocracy. Most traders are more than happy to take [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]part in a little black-market trading, as long as it gets them more money.[/FONT] [B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]FAMILIARS[/FONT][/B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]This is the most important and immediately obvious difference between our [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]world and this new world - the existence of "[B]Familiars[/B]." A Familiar is an [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]animal form which will attach itself to a human at birth, but only become [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]truly noticable at the age of four. This animal will belong to the human [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]forever, and will only disappear when the human dies.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]A Familiar shares a special psychic and emotional link with its human [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]counterpart, one so strong that even being further than a few feet away from [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]each other for a few minutes will cause immense physical and emotional [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]pain, often to the point where the human will break down and weep. No-one[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]truly knows the meaning behind this bond, although many scientists are [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]struggling to discover some truth behind it, but tampering with this link is [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]seen as a sinful taboo by The Theocracy.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]A Familiar's animal form will represent the human it attaches itself to. For [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]instance, a particularly cunning person might have a fox as their Familiar [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode](this is the reason there are so many fox-shaped Familiars in Francia), or a [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]playful person may have a cat as their Familiar. [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Due to their psychic link, Familiars can talk to their human counterpart, as [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]well as other Familiars, but not with humans other than their counterparts.[/FONT] [B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]SCIENCE[/FONT][/B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]Science[/B] is a subject which is totally outlawed by The Theocracy. Anyone who [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]chooses to study this taboo topic is often immediately arrested by the Law [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Enforcement Division, and these people are never seen again. This is the [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]reason why there are many scientists hidden within the ranks of the [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Wanderers, trying to escape their fate and put some meaning behind the [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]spectacular things the world can create.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The most common area of science is [B]Metaphysical Science[/B], a combination of [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]science and a branch of philosophy which is concerned with explaining the [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]ultimate nature of [B]reality[/B], [B]being[/B] and [B]the world[/B]. These scientists are [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]attempting to explain many of the natural wonders of the world, most[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]significantly the presence of animal Familiars, through any scientific means [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]at their disposal. This is why they are so hated by The Theocracy. If even a [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]single scientist came up with proof of why the human race exists, then [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]everything The Theocracy is based on will crumble, leaving the government [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]in ruins.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]This is the reason The Theocracy are hunting [B]Adam Jacobs[/B] with such ferocity. [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]He is living proof that there are other worlds than the one The Theocracy [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]exist in, and if a scientist got hold of him and used him as proof, The [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Theocracy is done for.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]---[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]I know this is a lot of information to take in in one go, but try and slog your [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]way through it, and leave me your thoughts, comments, suggestions, ideas, [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]criticisms, and anything else you may feel is relevant. What I would be [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]looking for in terms of characters is a group (a "party," if you are thinking in [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Final Fantasy terms) who will travel with Adam on his journey. Obviously, he [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]will not meet all of them at once, so the characters can each have their own [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]story going until Adam meets them. This will allow everyone involved to [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]post at all times, not just after Adam meets them, which could take a long [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]time.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The minimum I need is 6 characters including myself (I should point out that [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]I will be playing Adam - probably should have mentioned that before now), [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]characters which fit into the following categories:[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]1 other child (preferably female)[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]1 Airship Pilot (obviously they would have to be a rogue to get involved)[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]1 Wanderer[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]1 Witch/Shaman[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]1 other creature - a talking bear or wolf[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]This is the minimum I will need, but others would be encouraged. Some [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]members of The Theocracy would also be welcome, but not necessary.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Some help in terms of graphics would be nice as well. By this I mean some [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]kind of title graphic, maybe some banners and avatars that players could use [/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]as well. But again, this would be welcome but not necessary.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Thank you for your time, I hope you enjoyed reading all this information, and [/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]I look forward to your comments![/FONT] [/center]

[B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Name: [/FONT][/B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Alastor Gryffin Robards (named after one of the most famous Aurors ever to have lived, Alastor Moody) [B]Gender: [/B]Male [B]Age: [/B]16 (17 in a November) [B]Year: [/B]Sixth [B]House: [/B]Gryffindor [B]Wand: [/B]Maple, 11 and a half inches, with a single unicorn hair as the heart [B]Familiar: [/B]A young barn owl which answers to the name Albus, named after Hogwarts' most famous Headmaster [B]Appearance: [/B]Alastor is a notoriously handsome young man, standing just under 6 foot tall, with a muscular physique and a strong jawline. His light-brown hair falls loosely over his brow and into his crystal-blue eyes. An accident in the Duelling Club in his second year left him with a thin scar running from the hairline just above his left temple to his eyebrow, one which even the Matron couldn't entirely heal. Like many young wizards, Alastor is more comfortable wearing Muggle clothes than the adults, so whenever he is not required to wear his school robes, he tends to be seen wearing some combination of jeans, a button-down shirt (usually plain, sometimes with thin stripes), and a pair of (often brightly-coloured) trainers on his feet. He has a black jacket which he wears over the shirt when it is cold in winter, or when he is travelling. [B] Personality: [/B]Alastor, or "Al" to his friends, is laid-back, but still studious and hard-working. He is very rarely seen to be stressed, and he is angry even less often. However, he is outgoing, friendly and good-natured, and more than willing to lend his helping hand to anyone who requires it. He also has a devious edge, which is the side of him not seen by teachers. He will often sneak out of his dormitory late at night, simply to explore the wonders that Hogwarts castle has to behold, and he has been caught by the caretaker more than once for this as well. But Alastor is funny and well-liked by his fellow students, as well as being an excellent student. He usually has his homework in on time, and always gets good grades. A good all-rounder, many of his teachers would say. [B]Biography: [/B]Alastor was born to Gawain Robards, Head of the Auror Office, and his wife Kaitlin, not too long after the second fall of Lord Voldemort, when the magical world was still licking its wounds. Gawain urged his wife to keep their son indoors, safe away from harm, but she, being an Auror herself, refused to do simply as her husband had told her, leaving Alastor with the Muggle childminder while she went out on the hunt for the Death Eaters who had evaded capture until now. However, tragedy struck when Kaitlin was murdered in cold blood by Travers, a survivor of the Second Battle of Hogwarts, who was captured and sent to Azkaban for life immediately after. Gawain never truly recovered from this, feeling that it was his fault for not looking after his wife and child properly. He raised Alastor as best he could, but he was never the same again. A number of months after his 11th birthday, Alastor received the much-coveted letter from Hogwarts, accepting him into the ranks of students who attended. Of course, he accepted, and on the 1st September he left home for Hogwarts. Immediately sorted into Gryffindor, the house which his entire family had been in for a number of centuries (and which his middle name was taken from), Alastor quickly began to gain new friends, joining the Quidditch team in the position of Seeker, and the Duelling Club, hoping to garner some form of respect from his father. His time at Hogwarts was relatively quiet, the same, however, could not be said for his home life. He was constantly unhappy at home, watching his father destroy himself through drink and despair, and he spent every holiday he could away from home. During summers he spent most of his time at the home of his good friend, Elias Longbottom, son of Hogwarts' Herbology professor, Neville Longbottom, only venturing home to find out if his father was alright. He passed his OWLs with flying colours in his fifth year, and is currently all set to do his NEWTs, choosing subjects that would help him follow in his father's footsteps, and become an Auror, hoping that, on some level, this would help to make his father whole again. [B]Classes: [/B]Defence Against The Dark Arts Transfiguration Potions Charms Herbology (As a sixth year, Al only has to take five classes, giving him a number of free lessons - which are unfortunately usually spent studying hard for his NEWTs) He is also a part of the Gryffindor Quidditch team (although he is considering giving up on this because of the amount of work he is being forced to do this year), and the Duelling Club, of which he is a top member. -I changed my character a little, because I wasn't totally happy with the way he turned out last time. Hope this looks good. Also, my advice would be to open up an Underground thread to deal with questions like those posed by Gavin and Sandy, as well as to post the names and subjects of the members of staff, just to give people a quick reference. [/FONT]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Money is not really all that important any more. All the food and drink that The Hub have on supply is shared out evenly amongst all the inhabitants. Really the humans have realised that in this time of crisis they need to join together against apparently insurmountable odds, just to survive, so there is no need for them to squabble over money and the like. The Scavengers travel out into the desert to find things like motor parts to keep the limited heating, gas and electric systems of The Hub operational, and if they ever need food or drink from outside sources, they will trade in these objects. But there will be more about Traders within the story later. Yes, Russia does have its own oil wells and refineries, but oil itself has become a rarity in the world as a whole. However, some does still exist, some stockpiles from years ago, most of which The Hub has taken in for its own use. So vehicles and such can still happen, but their use is rationed heavily, until the Scientists at The Hub can work out any way of fuelling them without the use of oil. As for the weapons situation, weapons are not the problem. There were hundreds of different types of arms stored within The Hub, so there is no shortage of the weapons themselves. The problem is the ammunition. Ammo is in short supply, and mostly belongs to the Traders (again, I will mention these again soon enough), so unless you want to deal with them unnecessarily, then you might want to make use of close-quarters weapons. Blades, knives, axes, spears, staffs, any kind of weapon you fancy, someone in The Hub is bound to have one. It's just a case of separating them from it. Hope this answers your questions. [/FONT]

[B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]1. Do you think you're funny? [/FONT][/B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Sometimes I am. Sometimes I listen to myself and think "what the hell was that? What am I talking about?," but a lot of the time I think I'm a total riot. [B]2. Do others think you're funny? [/B]I think they do when inebriated. The rest of the time I'd say not. [B]3. What kind of jokes do you tell? Dirty or clean jokes? [/B]Oh, I like to mix it up. I can go from being so clean everyone thinks I'm totally straight-edge, to being so dirty I can offend everyone in the room with a single foul comment. So, as you can imagine, I have a great time at parties. [B]4. Tell everyone your favourite joke: [/B]Alright, I have a couple of examples. Firstly: Why did the scarecrow win a Nobel Prize? [B]Because he was outstanding in his field. [/B](see if you can get that one) I may have to follow Mike's lead on the dirty example - I can really offend a lot of people quite quickly. [/FONT]

[center][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B][SIZE=3][IMG]http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/LeftBelow.jpg[/IMG] [/SIZE][/B][/FONT][center][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B][U][SIZE=3] Left Below[/SIZE][/U][/B][/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] Night had thrown a dark shroud over the vast, indifferent landscape, the tiniest pinpricks of stars glittering in the sky, even these now almost obscured by thick, black clouds of smog. The sand skittered in the harsh wind, the tiny grains hurling themselves into the eyes and onto the skin of travellers who dared to cross the barren wilderness.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] One figure stood in the face of these unbearable conditions, and felt the cold wind bite at their eyelids, the only part of them that remained exposed. The rest of their body was cloaked in thick khaki trousers, a matching jacket and black boots, their head covered by a ragged headscarf, the colour all but faded from it. The boots struggled against the wind and the sand, trying desperately to get to shelter before midnight came, and they emerged.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] The figure clutched in its hands a long plastic tube, and on its back there was a long pole, almost a staff, made of dull black metal. It seemed that these were the only two objects this person was carrying, as if they had nothing else in the universe.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] They travelled on, through the night and across the seemingly endless plains of sand and dust, coming at last to a shallow valley, sparsely populated with a few wiry shrubs which poked out of the sand and cracks in the rock of the valley walls. This seemed to be the only kind of vegetation anywhere, but they had no time to stop and stare, they merely carried on, moving as quickly as they could. Atop the rocks, shadowy creatures stirred, moving to the edge and looking down on the traveller. Snarls jumped from one creature to another, and soon enough they were moving down the rock face, human enough in their silhouettes and their movement, but terrifyingly inhuman in the noises they made as they did so.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] The figure looked up at the walls, and saw the creatures scaling down the rocks, clouds of dust billowing up at their feet as they did. The traveller began to run, kicking up their own clouds of sand as they did. They sprinted through the valley, trying desperately to escape the creatures coming after them.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] The creatures moved like the shadows, and cut the traveller off, jumping down to the valley floor in front of them. The figure stopped, looked around and saw the creatures on all sides of him. They looked human enough, two arms, two legs, but they were shorter, slightly squatter, but more muscular. They were all dressed similarly, in dirty brown rags that barely qualified for clothes, spattered in a dried reddish-brown substance. Their faces, though, were terrifying mockeries of those which God blessed humanity with. The foreheads were wrinkled, pushed further down than normal, casting deep shadows over slitted yellow eyes with snake-like pupils. Tattoos covered the faces, moving from the eyes outwards, right down the chin and onto the neck, then past their necklines. Their mouths were thin, their teeth wickedly pointed, as if used for tearing flesh, and small forked tongues repeatedly flicked out and ran over the teeth and lips.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B] "Hu...man..."[/B] growled one that stood in front of the figure, clearly struggling to get English words out through the teeth and the bizarrely-shaped tongue, [B]"You are...hu...man."[/B][/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B] "Human..."[/B] the whisper spread through the crowds that were now gathering, lining the walls of the valley and swarming atop the cliffs. Sharp sticks, spears and axes lay in the hands of each and every one of these creatures, male and female, old and young.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B] "Yes,"[/B] the figure replied, the voice slight and feminine, but muffled by the headscarf, [B]"I am human. But I don't mean to cause trouble with you. Please just let me pass and I will not venture here again."[/B][/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B] "Hu...man do not tres...pass here,"[/B] the leader spat, [B]"We kill...hu...man."[/B][/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B] "You can try,"[/B] the human said, grabbing the staff on her back and whipping it out of it's restraints, spinning it into a comfortable grip and waiting for the creatures to come closer. She knew, deep down, that she really had no chance of beating this many of them, but she needed to try. What she had in her hand was more important than any of this.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B] "Attack!" [/B]boomed the leader, one English word he was apparently familiar with, and the creatures began to charge the young woman, who whirled the staff in her hands, and smashed the length of it into the first creature that came near, slamming him to the ground with ease. She forced it backwards, and it crunched into the chest of another, knocking him back into a rank of creatures, knocking them all to the floor. They kept coming, and she kept fighting them off, using all the skill she had gained from her years of fighting to keep herself alive. But soon enough her arms were growing tired, and the fight was beginning to take its toll. One of the creatures managed to drive the tip of a spear into her abdomen, a splatter of her own blood slapping onto her boots, but she pulled the point out and continued, blood now pumping steadily out of the wound.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] Eventually, though, the battle became too much. The creatures overpowered her five to one, and she stood no real chance against numbers that great. She was stabbed, sliced open and beaten down to the ground, her blood staining the sand crimson. The creatures, their clothes spattered with fresh blood and their blood lust sated for now, moved away slowly, leaving the body lying, torn, bloodied and bruised, the last hope for her kind clutched in her cold fingers...[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] ---[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] In the year 2034, humankind had ravaged the planet Earth. Every drop of oil had been sucked from the ground, every last tree had been cut down to make furniture and paper products, houses and garden decking, every river was poisoned by the chemicals that pumped from the factories and power plants, and the skies were blackened by smog.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] The fight of the early 21st Century people to combat global warming had proved futile, and it came, with devastating effect. The ice-caps melted totally, the sea levels rose dramatically, flooding entire countries, wiping them off the face of the planet. Some countries became barren Arctic wastelands, others became dry deserts. Yet mankind was still growing, and soon enough overpopulation became as much of an issue as the destruction of the planet.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] In the early 2040s, a solution was created by the United Government of Earth, made up of leaders from almost every country in the world, those that were left anyway. A new way of terraforming planets had been quickly and effectively created, along with a much quicker method of travelling to distant galaxies. This combination allowed the Government to create Project Exodus, in which the entire human race was transported off the Earth and into the distant galaxies, where planets would be terraformed, and made totally inhabitable. By 2047, the ships had taken off, and all power plants were powered down. The Earth was literally turned off. [/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] But the hundreds of ships from all different continents took off, passing through the atmosphere and reaching into the furthest corners of the galaxies. Humankind would live on, far amongst the stars.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] But this is not the story of those who travelled to far-off worlds in search of a new life. This is not the story of those who participated in Project Exodus.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] This is the story of those who were Left Below.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] Many people did not qualify for boarding the vast ships that took people off the dead world that was Mother Earth. Criminals, many disabled people, and a number of uneducated men and women were left below, along with a number of volunteers, doctors, priests, and more, who chose to spend their life trying to ease the suffering of those who did not qualify.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] But there was another problem.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] Somewhere in the West, most probably where the Americas used to be, something happened which none of Earth's scientists had predicted. Due to the large amount and variety of chemicals in the smog that now filled Earth's atmosphere, those who breathed it in, especially in areas of high pollution like the Americas, were beginning to change. The chemicals were beginning to mutate their DNA, turning them into something that was not quite human. They became shorter, squatter, but stronger, more physically capable than most humans, able to run faster, jump higher and sustain more physical injury than a normal human being. Their facial features also changed, becoming far more fearsome to look at. This transformation seemed so drastic that those scientists left on Earth, the doctors and geneticists, began to believe that it was the next stage in human evolution, and began to call them "Morlocks," after the creatures described in H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine".[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] But these Morlocks showed far more violent tendencies than was normal, they were far more aggressive, and killed for next to no reason. In a single move, they wiped out all humans that remained in the Americas, and used makeshift boats to travel across the Atlantic to Europe, where people were largely unaffected by the chemicals. It was here that they began to systematically wipe out the remaining members of the human race, moving through Britain and into Europe.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] The last remaining survivors of the race fled to Russia, which had been transformed by the climate change into a vast desert, devoid of life save for one tiny epicentre of activity.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] A deserted power plant on the outskirts of what used to be Moscow became the headquarters for the human race, where all survivors attempted to travel to. The plant became known as "New Moscow" to some, but was most commonly known as "The Hub," the centre of all human activity, and the only safe place left in Europe.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] This is where the story takes place.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] ---[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] Alright, now I realise that this is a hell of a lot of information to take in all at once, and for that I apologise. But I am planning this to be a very in-depth RP, a sci-fi adventure of epic proportions. But I cannot make this work without your help.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] For this RP, you will be playing the third-generation descendants of those who were originally Left Below. This means that, for the most part, you are not criminals or convicts, but simply those unfortunate enough to have these people as your ancestors. The human race is tough, as we all know, and even with the limited supplies left at their disposal, those who remained of the population of Earth survived, and bred, keeping the Human Empire alive on it's planet of origin.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] The plot as a whole will be about survival, but there are certain elements of the story which will be introduced at various intervals, such as:[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] who was the woman fighting the Morlocks at the beginning?[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] what was she carrying that was so important?[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] what are the exact details of the origin of the Morlocks?[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] and just how did the human race manage to survive in such inhospitable conditions for so long?[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] Here is what I want from you as a sign-up. As many people have done in the past, I am looking for a short story (short meaning around 1000 words) concerning your character. They could be a Scavenger, hunting around the wilderness for anything that could prolong the existence of the human race, a Scientist, dedicated to using a mixture of new and old science to put the objects the Scavengers find into use; you could be an Engineer, trying desperately to keep The Hub up and running, or you could just be a human refugee, struggling to find a safe place to live. That choice is up to you, just give plenty of detail about your character, their looks, their personality, a little about their history - I plan for most of the character's histories to be revealed in the RP itself.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] If there are any further questions, please direct them to the Underground thread, which can be found here. I will try to answer them as best I can. I shall be posting an extract for my character once I have received a few responses to this thread, but other than myself I will only be accepting a relatively small cast, around five or six depending on the quality and quantity of sign-ups I get.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] Until then, have fun![/FONT] [/center][/center]

[center][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B][U][SIZE=3][IMG]http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/LeftBelow.jpg[/IMG] The Hub - Left Below Underground[/SIZE][/U][/B] Here is the place to post any questions, queries or ideas you may have concerning this RP. Please feel free to put any ideas you might have forward, I am always glad to hear them, and I want this to be everyone's RP, not just my own. I will also be using this thread to log any important events that may have occurred during the course of the RP, as well as important information about upcoming plot twists, character background and other similar information. [B] IMPORTANT EVENTS:[/B] - A young woman is slaughtered in the desert by the Morlocks, an unfamiliar object clutched in her hand More will be added to this original post, so keep an eye out for it.[/FONT] [/center]

[center][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]My palms began to sweat and I clutched my weapons even tighter because of it. If any one of us pulled the trigger, even by accident, we'd all be dead, and I didn't know about anyone else here, but I hadn't planned on that when I got up this morning. [B]"Everybody in the house drop your weapons!"[/B] came a booming voice from outside. The cops had arrived. [B]"Drop your weapons or we will be forced to open fire!"[/B] No-one wavered. [B]"You have ten seconds!"[/B] Still no-one moved an inch, everyone's eyes flicking between each of our individual targets. A few moments later, four small objects crashed through what was left of the front of the house, landing on the floor between the four of us. We all looked down to them, and immediately leapt away from them, before they could start spewing their fumes into the house. It wasn't long before tear gas began to fill up the room. I pulled my tie off and clamped it over my mouth with one hand, running for the fridge. I wrenched the appliance open and grabbed a bottle of milk, then kicked the back door down and ran out into the garden. A billowing cloud of tear gas followed me, and I hurled myself over the fence into the next garden to JP's. I hit the ground hard, the impact driving all the air out of my body, and I gasped as I pulled the cap off the milk and poured the entire contents of the bottle into my eyes. I'd learned this trick a few years ago - as tear gas was a basic acid, once it got into your eyes it started to irritate them, so you needed to neutralise the acid with something alkali, the most common substance in most houses being milk. So I'd be attracting cats until I managed to shower, but the burning sting in my eyes was gone. I got shakily to my feet, hoping that everyone in the house had got out alright (even Annie and Joe - it would be a shame to lose two legendary assassins to the cops), and began to run, across gardens, to the city centre. --- I hauled myself through the broken window into my apartment. I wasn't planning on staying here long, just long enough to grab a few things, maybe change my clothes. I started into the bedroom, when suddenly something clicked in my head. The bodies were gone. I stood, looking at the doorway, where the bodies of the four cops I had killed this morning were lying before I'd cleared out. There was nothing left, not even any bloodstains soaked into the floor. Someone had come and cleaned up, and that made no sense. If someone was trying to frame me for murder, why wouldn't they leave plain evidence in my apartment that I'd killed four people? I stepped over to the doorway, and looked down. There was nothing there, even the smell was gone. I knlet down to check the floor, and still nothing. I raised an eyebrow, but there was nothing I could really do right now. I got to my feet and went to the bedroom. The ensuite bathroom still had the shaving light on from where I had left the apartment this morning. I stepped in and ran the cold tap, splashing my face with the icy water that gushed out, trying to wash the dried milk, blood and sweat off my skin. I washed my hands extensively as well, the blood on my digits now congealing and becoming sticky. Then I stripped off my jacket and shirt, my tie left in JP's back garden, and dabbed a little antiseptic from the medicine cabinet behind my mirror onto the various wounds that I had incurred during the day. I winced a little as the liquid burned on the scar tissue that was already forming. I stepped back into the bedroom, and stripped off my trousers, leaving them in a pile with my jacket and shirt in the corner of the room. I didn't exactly have time to do laundry right now. I opened my wardrobe, and pulled out a pair of black combat trouser, with multiple pockets, a black t-shirt and a black jacket, with a high collar, and again, with multiple pockets. Soft-soled black boots were my footwear of choice, good for stealth purposes, but also tough and sturdy for heavy use. A few minutes later, I stepped out of my bedroom, fully dressed and equipped for what I was preparing to do. I grabbed a black rucksack from a hook on the wall, and put a few things inside, including my laptop computer, my digital video camera, and some extra ammo for both my handguns, which I reloaded here and now, then zipped it shut and swung it on my back. I opened a cupboard in my living room and pulled out a plain black leather suitcase. Dialling the combination, I flicked the catches open and lifted the lid, placing it on the kitchen counter. It was full of piles of paper money, wrapped up in bundles and placed neatly in the suitcase. I needed the money for my next stop. It was time to pay DW a visit. --- Urgh, a fairly short and not particularly brilliant chapter to mark the beginning of the end. Probably about two or three more chapters to go and The Director's saga will be over. For now... [/FONT][/center]

[center][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]"Just get out now, Phil,"[/B] said JP, his breaths coming heavy and fast, [B]"Get out or I swear to God that I will blow your brains out."[/B] [B]"JP,"[/B] I said, holding my hands out in the universal gesture of peace, [B]"You know as well as I do that I didn't kill Kuja. It was five years ago, back when we were still partners. You think I'd do something like that without letting you in on it? You know everything we did back then we did together." "I never knew the names of the people you were dealing with. I just did the driving, I never actually took part. Who knows what you could have done while I was waiting for you?" "JP, I swear to you that I didn't kill Kuja. Someone is trying to set me up. I don't know how and I don't know why, but I aim to find out. If you don't trust me enough to believe me, fine. But let me go and I'll deal with this myself. You don't have to be involved."[/B] I saw JP waver, his grip on the weapon faltering. He was a driver, not a shooter, and he'd never been much good with guns. In a straight gunfight, I could beat him if it came to it. But I didn't want to hurt him, he was my oldest friend. [B]"Please, just put the gun down and I'll go,"[/B] I pleaded, and, slowly but surely he lowered the weapon, placing it on the coffee table. [B]"Just go. You can explain this whole thing to me when you're done,"[/B] he said, resting back on the futon, never making eye contact with me. [B]"Thanks, JP,"[/B] I said, rushing to the door. As my hand grabbed the door handle, there was a rumbling coming from outside. The vibrations travelled swiftly through the ground, into the door and from there into my hand, and as I looked up I saw a pair of bright lights, rapidly growing. [B]"Holy shi-"[/B] I didn't have time to finish the expletive as an SUV ploughed into the front of JP's house, demolishing half the front wall, smashing plaster into dust, tearing pipes from their housings and spraying warm water across the living room. The window exploded inwards as the vehicle hit, and I was thrown across the room like a ragdoll, slamming hard into the kitchen counter and rolling across, landing on my back in the kitchenette, lying stunned in a mess of broken glass and china. A rivulet of blood ran from my hairline, mingling with the plaster dust that had landed on my face and making a disgusting, salty paste. I slowly got to my feet, every muscle in my back screaming for me to stop. I ignored the protests of my own body, and looked to the scene of devastation. JP had rolled backwards off the futon and was using it a shield from the debris that was just now settling across the room. The doors of the SUV popped open, and two people stepped out into the wreckage that was previously JP's living room. I recognised their rugged figures as soon as they stepped out. It was The Riot. Annie, armed with twin Desert Eagles, and Joe, his own weapons of choice being two huge assault rifles, both of them infamous in the criminal underworld, as being both ruthless and ferocious. It had to be bad if The Riot was after me. No words uttered, the pair of them levelled their weapons, and unleashed hell. Bullets tore into JP's kitchen, and I only just managed to duck as they fired, leaving the rounds to slam into JP's glass cabinets, smashing them into oblivion. Broken glass showered down on me, a few tiny beads piercing my skin and drawing tiny drops of blood to the surface, where they trickled down my neck. [B]"Trying to play a little hide and seek, are we, little boy?"[/B] came a slightly manic voice from above me. I looked up and saw the insane face of Joe looking down on me from his place atop the counter, both his rifles aimed at me. [B]"I guess you found me, asshole,"[/B] I retorted, whipping my revolver out of the shoulder holster and firing a round into his left foot through the surface, all quick as a flash. A splatter of blood flew into the air, some of it returning to land on the counter, more of it splashing across my face. Joe fell backwards off the counter, clutching his foot, trying to stem the flow of blood, and thus dropping both his weapons. I leapt to my feet, the immediate threat of Joe's bullets taken care of for the moment, and raised my revolver, aiming directly at Annie's head. She never faltered for a second, even though I could easily have blown her head off with a single shot. [B]"So tell me, Annie,"[/B] I said calmly, [B]"What are you doing in this neck of the woods? You don't normally get many high-profile contractors out here in the sticks." [/B] [B]"You hurt Joe,"[/B] she said, her voice so icy and emotionless that it sent shivers down my spine, [B]"That was a mistake."[/B] [B]"Oh now, Annie,"[/B] I said with a mock laugh, which sounded fairly weak once it came out, [B]"You're avoiding the question. Who sent you?"[/B] [B]"I'd look out behind you,"[/B] she said, still cold and indifferent. I spun round for a moment, and saw Joe, aiming one of his rifles at me, his other hand clutching his wounded foot. [B] "That...that fucking hurt, jackass,"[/B] he said, apparently amazed that a bullet in the foot might cause pain. [B]"Put your gun down,"[/B] said JP, now revealing himself from his hiding place behind the futon, his revolver now aimed at Joe. In a flicker, I reached into my (now rather tattered) jacket and pulled out my H&K, aiming it at Joe. Annie moved one of her Desert Eagles to aim at JP. Fucking brilliant. The last thing I was expecting when I woke up this morning was a Mexican standoff, especially not at my best friend's house. I heard sirens in the distance. This day was getting worse and worse... --- Hope I represented The Riot in a decent way - I looked at your description of them in the story and worked off that. I wasn't quite sure if the "Joe as a maniac and Annie as a cold fish" idea was entirely right. And Mike, you flatter me. You are definitely a far better option for writing The Hit than me. I have trouble writing consistently well for that long. [/FONT][/center]

[center][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]A few hours later, I knocked on the front door of one of my best friends. There was no reply for a long time, until finally the handle turned and the door creaked open, revealing a tousle-haired individual in a worn dressing gown, rubbing his eyes with the back of a fist. [B]"Who is it?"[/B] he asked, not looking up from his coffee, steaming away in a Transformers mug. [B]"It's me, JP, let me in,"[/B] I said urgently, pushing past him to get into his house. It was a modest affair, with hard wood floors and minimal soft furnishings, but there were posters for sci-fi shows plastered across his walls. [B] "Jesus, Phil,"[/B] he croaked, [B]"It's too early for this."[/B] [B] "JP, it's past ten. Maybe it wouldn't be too early if you weren't such a lazy bastard,"[/B] I replied, pouring myself a cup of coffee from the half-full jug on the worktop. [B]"It might be past ten, but I got in at three this morning. I barely got in in time to TiVo the Transformers marathon that was showing. And now you show up and barge your way into my house? I'm your friend, but there's only so much I can handle, mate."[/B] [B] "Look, JP, I got harassed by some cops this morning. They came to my ****ing apartment, man, you know they mean business when they do that. There must be something big going down." "So what'd you do?" "What do you mean?" "What did you do to the cops?" "I shot them." "Jesus Christ, Phil! When are you gonna start controlling your temper? You kill any?" "All four of 'em,"[/B] I said, now beginning to panic. I'd got lost in the haze of the firefight this morning, and I'd just done enough to land myself in the electric chair. [B]"****, you don't do yourself any favours, do you? Alright, so you've killed four cops, and now you're on the run. So the first thing you do is come to my house? For God's sake, Phil, I thought you had more sense than that." "Look, JP, I panicked." "Panicked? Panicking for most people is dropping an open bottle of red wine on the new shag carpet and trying to clean it up before your wife comes home. Panicking does not qualify as an excuse for offing four cops! You're getting yourself into some serious ****, here." "Alright, alright, I ****** up. Now I'm trying to sort this out. Would you please calm down? Just take a deep breath and sit down."[/B] JP did as I asked, flopping down onto the cream-coloured futon that sat opposite the widescreen TV. He ran his hands through his hair and rested his head back. [B]"Sorry, Phil, I'm just really not a morning person." "I would know, having spent three years of my life living in the same house as you." "Christ, university was a long time ago. Lot's changed since then." "I know, man. We did some pretty messed up stuff back then, huh?" "Not as messed up as you're doing right now,"[/B] he replied, and we both started laughing. We'd been through a lot togther, me and JP, but we were still as close as we used to be when we went to university together, back in England. [B]"Ok,"[/B] I said, serious once more, [B]"JP, I know I've asked a lot of you recently, but I swear I will repay you one of these days. I just need one more favour." "Which is?"[/B] JP sighed. [B]"I need you to scout around. Ask a few innocuous questions to your boss, see if he's heard anything that could implicate me in something serious. DW's a pretty stand-up guy, right?" "No way. He's in it for the money, and the money only. Don't trust him with anything." "Well, he may not be trustworthy, but he's knowledgable. See if he knows anything." "Ok, I'll try,"[/B] said JP, [B]"But I don't have to be in work until this afternoon. I got a few hours to kill."[/B] He grabbed the remote and switched the TV on. [B]"Oh God, JP, not Transformers, please!"[/B] I pleaded. [B]"My house, my rules."[/B] He activated his TiVo box and played the episodes of Transformers he had recorded the previous night. But, instead of cartoon robots appearing on screen, a different, much more ominous scene appeared. A slightly fuzzy video was now showing on the screen, a white room with large windows taking up the shot. The camera panned round, showing a white sofa, white floorboards and a white rug. Everything in the room was white. [B]"What the hell?"[/B] exclaimed JP, [B]"This isn't my Transformers marathon!" [/B] The camera turned, slowly but surely, to reveal a young-looking man lying spread-eagled on the floor, quite obviously dead. His arms and legs were splayed so his body almost made a five-pointed star, his eyes rolled back into their sockets, leaving only the whites showing, and a tiny trickle of blood running down his chin, pooling on the floorboards under his head, sticking in his long, silver hair. The neck had been sliced open, and there were crimson splatters across the body and the floorboards to show the spray patterns of the blood. The knife that had done this, a long Bowie knife with a black rag wrapped around the handle, was lodged deep in the centre of his chest. Blood was still pouring out onto the floor. [B]"Holy ****,"[/B] I said, my jaw dropping slightly, [B]"That's Kuja."[/B] Kuja was the stuff of gangland legend - a metal man for the mob, at one point one of James' most trusted lieutenants. However, it was common knowledge to most criminals in the city that he was a backstabber, working for the police as well. It eventually transpired that he was double-crossing both sides, and a city-wide manhunt went down, with the police and the mob both hunting for him, the police wanting to arrest him, the mob wanting to do much worse. He was found in his apartment, dead, with the killer gone, leaving no evidence of who had done the deed. That was over five years ago now, and still no-one had discovered who the perpetrator was. [B]"Is this...is this who actually killed Kuja?"[/B] asked JP, slightly nervous as we both watched intently. The camera continued to turn, and slowly a face came into view. It was one that we both instantly recognised. It was my face. [B]"Get the **** out of my house!"[/B] yelled JP, drawing a revolver from behind the futon and aiming it at me. My gaze flicked rapidly from the video on the screen to my old flatmate brandishing a powerful handgun at me. This was bad... --- Alright, I do realise a couple of things. One, this is a fairly lengthy "chapter;" Two, that it is positively littered with bad language, for which I apologise, but there are some high tensions at JP's house. I hope you like this "chapter," it took a couple of fairly extensive rewrites over the course of the day, but I finally managed to get it down to how I like it. I used the basic character of JP from "The Hit," and added a bit of backstory between his character and mine. [/FONT][/center]

[center][B][U][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Lights, Camera, Action![/FONT][/U][/B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Smoke poured from the muzzle of the silenced H&K MK23 handgun, wafting into billowing clouds of white as it dissipated. A crimson stain spread into a strangely beautiful butterfly on the white silk dress as the fabric absorbed the blood that was gushing from the bullet-wound in the victim's chest.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]She looked at me, her crystal blue eyes filling with tears, as if to ask me "why?" I had no answer for her, other than the money that would soon be transferred into my Cayman Islands account. A hand, delicately manicured, clutched at her chest, trying to put pressure on the wound, a last, desperate attempt to stem the flow of blood and save her own life. A futile attempt. She dropped to her knees, and I got to my feet before her, looking down upon her with no emotion showing. As I raised the weapon, she pleaded with me to stop, to let her live, offering me her body, offering me money, offering me anything that she had to offer. Silently I aimed the pistol and fired two shots directly into her head, right between the eyes, so close the bullets would be touching each other. Blood splattered across the perfect white shag carpet of the hotel suite, and her body fell slowly to the ground.[/FONT] [B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]PAUSE[/FONT][/B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Hitting the freeze-frame button on the remote, I looked at my work. It was art, pure and simple, the way the blood had splashed across the walls and was now soaking into the deep-pile carpet, it was a thing of beauty.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]I moved closer to the screen, and watched myself, frozen in time, staring down at her gracefully mutilated body, suspended a few inches off the ground. And I smiled. I was a fantastic artist.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]As I moved to press the pause button again to unfreeze the shot and watch the rest of the work of art unfold, a noise came at my apartment door. Sighing, I shut off the video and called out:[/FONT] [B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]"Who is it?"[/FONT][/B] [B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]"This is the Police. Come out with your hands up and no-one will be hurt!"[/FONT][/B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]"I don't know what I've done, officer,"[/B] I replied, feigning ignorance, [B]"And don't you need a warrant to arrest me?"[/B][/FONT] [B][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]"You know exactly what you've done. You are Phil Jackman, also known as "The Director," and you are single-handedly responsible for the murders of seventeen people in the past two months. Now open this door."[/FONT][/B] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]"One moment, officer,"[/B] I said, reaching over to the video camera stored by the side of the door, and flicking a switch so the recording light was on. I smiled and reached into the drawer below the camera, withdrawing a large, customised Ruger Super Redhawk revolver from it. With the other hand, I pulled the H&K handgun from my shoulder holster.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]"Why don't you come in, officer? The door's unlocked!"[/B] I shouted, moving into position directly opposite the front door, behind the sofa, giving myself some cover. I watched as the doorknob turned slowly, and the door opened a crack.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]"Hands in the air, Jackman!"[/B] shouted the commanding officer through the door.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]"As always,"[/B] I smiled, raising the two weapons and levelling them at the door.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]It happened in an instant.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The door burst open, and two armed officers in their beige trenchcoats exploded into the room. I pulled both triggers, and bullets slammed into them, knocking them to the floor, blood spraying across the walls. There were two more uniformed officers behind them, armed with submachine guns, who leapt over the cadavers of their superiors, and their muzzles blazed into life. With a swift kick, I knocked the sofa over and dropped behind it, their bullets narrowly shredding past me and ripping the stuffing out of the sofa cushions. Shreds of padding drifted slowly to the floor like snowflakes. The bullets stopped.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]I hopped onto my feet, remaining in a crouched position, and leapt at the window opposite. In the air, I swivelled my body round, crashing through the glass shoulders-first, and unloaded both my weapons at the uniforms. I watched them drop, one spurting a geyser-like fountain of blood from a neck wound, the other with the crimson fluid pumping out of his left eye. I rolled backwards onto the fire escape, quickly grabbed my jacket from inside the window, and leapt down to street level, my Converse trainers slapping against the concrete. Swinging the black suit jacket on over the now slightly-bloodstained white shirt and straightening my tie, I began a slow jog down the street.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]I needed a new apartment.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] ---[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] I hope this is the kind of thing you were looking for, Mike, I didn't have anyone else's responses to work off. Obviously, this is a new character, based on myself, an assassin known as "The Director" due to his rather bizarre fetish of videotaping his "work" and watching it back at a later date*.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] I was planning this to be a continuing series of "chapters," which would reveal the character's background, history etc.[/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] [I][SIZE=1]*I'd just like to point out that even though this character is based on myself, I don't kill people and video it. I do have a video camera which I use fairly regularly, though.[/SIZE][/I][/FONT] [/center]

[center][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]The cast for Immortal is now as follows: [/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Algar Daneth Adras-Mikhal/Adam Smith - Blayze [/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Rassilon Mont?da D?yanoi/ James C. Fisher - Jokopoko [/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Mallious I'Danten Mou't/ Eric Fletcher - Starwind [/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Lorerys Cojoure D'elere/ Lo Chi Yangshou - Neuvoxraiha Quadraxis Charl Sychon-Iviel/ Stephen Frusciante - Engel [/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] The Adventure Square thread will be up soon. Congratulations![/FONT] [/center]

[center][size=4][b][u][font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Immortal[/font][/u][/b][/size] [i] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]They are ancient and forever.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]They are like the Sun and the Moon.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]They are rage and fury and anger and wrath.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]They are like fire and ice.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]They howl at the centre of the universe.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]They watch the passage of time,[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]And they spit in the eye of Death.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]They are Immortal, and even when this planet and all its inhabitants have turned to dust, they will live to laugh at our race, scorning it for its impermanence.[/font][/i] [b][u][font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Arcadia[/font][/u][/b] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Once a wonderful and prosperous world, with orange-leaved trees and purple skies, snow-capped mountains and green fields as far as they eye could see, Arcadia was home to the Immortals, a powerful and wise race whose duty it was to watch over and protect the universe. They did so and peace ruled across the many galaxies.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]But they came out of nowhere. A furious and powerful race known only as The Tempest. They appeared in the universe from nowhere, and rained fire and destruction and death upon Arcadia. The Immortals fought back, but there were far too many Tempest ships in the sky.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The Immortals watched as their people perished, and made the final decision. A decision which would change the course of history forever.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]They unleashed the power of their ultimate weapon. A beam of pure white light shot from the heart of Arcadia, and hurled The Tempest into their own personal dimension, a hell, an eternal prison from which they would never escape.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]But this was a hollow victory. The energy needed to power this weapon was drawn from the very heart of the planet itself. As the weapon was unleashed, the planet began to collapse in on itself, crumbling, burning.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The only way off the planet was an emergency dimension shift, which would place a limited number of Immortals in another place in the universe, and any time period.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Six Immortals stepped into the shift gate. Six stepped out onto the planet Earth, 1862.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Every other Immortal in the universe perished. The six were the only remaining members of their race.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]They spread themselves across the Earth, each finding a home in a different part of the world, each beginning a new life, taking human form and starting to live as no Immortal had ever lived before.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]As a human.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Only now, in 2008, something is stirring, deep within the darkness. Something strange, something which is altering the very fabric of the universe itself.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]And the Immortals must come out of hiding to deal with the threat...[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]---[/font] [u][b][font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The Immortals[/font][/b][/u] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The Immortals, in their normal form, look very similar to humans, albeit with slightly thinner, more elongated limbs, and skin of a more golden hue. Their heads are more rounded, with large eyes (usually either red or green - blue is extremely uncommon, and brown is incredibly rare) and smaller noses and mouths.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]However, their life cycle is a massive difference to humans. Immortals can, theoretically, live forever, but no Immortal to this date ever has. An infant Immortal grows at a much faster rate than a human, reaching adulthood in a little under ten years. From then on, every seven years or so, they regenerate, becoming younger in appearance, in a process known widely as "Rejuvenation." The average Immortal goes through this process up to eighty times in their lifetime. Obviously, the older an Immortal is, the more times they go through Rejuvenation.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The Immortals were the first race to arrive in the universe, and they took it upon themselves to guard it from any threats, watching over the entire universe with their near-infinite wisdom and power. This choice gave the Immortals the reputation of being arrogant, but no-one ever faced them with this accusation, knowing the universe would be a far worse place without the Immortals to guard it.[/font] [b][u][font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The Tempest[/font][/u][/b] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The Tempest were a race that revealed themselves from the shadows of the far corners of the universe almost overnight. No-one saw the creatures themselves, only their ships, as black as the shadows they came from. They came like a storm, tearing planets apart on their way to Arcadia, where they issued the Immortals a final ultimatum - to hand over the weapon or be destroyed.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The Immortals refused, knowing that the weapon they held, in the hands of The Tempest, would destroy the universe itself. They fought the fleet that filled their skies, and used the weapon itself in a last-ditch attempt to rid the universe of The Tempest.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The Tempest were resigned to a fate worse than death. An eternity in their own personal Hell dimension, with no way of escaping.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]But the Immortals were destroyed as well.[/font] [b][u][font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The Six[/font][/u][/b] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Six Immortals stepped into a shift gate, and were transported to Earth in 1862. They used the last of the Arcadian technology they held to shift their own forms into those of human beings, and spread across the globe to blend in, and they began their human lives...[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]---[/font] [i][b] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]August 21, 2008[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]London[/font][/b][/i] [b][font=Lucida Sans Unicode]"And the bizarre weather pattern continues today, as we have hot sunshine in South London, and blizzards in the North. Scientists have yet to come up with an explanation for these strange atmospheric conditions, but we have been assured there will be one as soon as..."[/font][/b] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Adam clicked the TV off and looked through the window of his London flat. The weathergirl was right. To the North, there was a blanket of snow covering the ground, and thick black clouds in the sky. A few blocks South of this, though, the clouds cut off in a perfectly straight line, and the sun was beating down on the pavements. Something strange was definitely going on, and Adam wasn't sure what it was.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]He straightened his suit jacket and grabbed his coat. He was in for a long day...[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]---[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]You are the Immortals. The last survivors of an ancient civilisation, now refugees on an unfamiliar world in an unfamiliar time. Some have made the most of their lives as humans, taking partners and making themselves a career and a life. Others cannot seem to let go of the knowledge that they are superior to humans, wishing for a time when they can shine as Immortals.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]One Immortal died many years ago. Killed within the first few years of his living on Earth, with no way of ever returning. Now only five remain, attempting desperately to keep those around them safe.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]But in recent years this has become more and more difficult. Ambient temperatures have risen by a number of degrees, causing the polar ice-caps to melt, flooing large portions of Europe and America, as well as Russia. The world is slowly getting hotter, and is beginning to rip itself apart. Global leaders believe it is the work of global warming, carbon emissions and climate change. But there are five people who know differently.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]---[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]This is my newest RP, Immortal. You will be playing the role of one of the five remaining Immortals, refugees from the planet of Arcadia, who have ended up on Earth. The time is the mid 21st Century, and the Earth has become a much less hospitable place to live.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Only the Immortals knew what was really going on, but most of them decided to keep their noses out of trouble. Others decided to help, to try and save a second homeworld from destruction.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]It is your choice...[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Here is what you need to tell me about your character:[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Real Name:[/b] take a look at my character for an example[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Human Name: anything goes here[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Real Age:[/b] anything from 500 to 30,000 years (you are Immortal, remember)[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Apparent Age:[/b] what age do you appear to be?[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Gender:[/b] simple[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Marital Status:[/b] married, divorced, engaged, widowed, single? Your choice[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Occupation: [/b]what do you do with your life?[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Appearance:[/b] a picture or detailed description - but both will get you extra brownie points[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Personality:[/b] what are you like as a person?[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Location:[/b] where in the world are you situated? This can be absolutely anywhere in the world - we will all meet up eventually[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Immortal Artifacts:[/b] up to five objects you have retained from Arcadia - these can be anything you like, just give a nice detailed explanation[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Real Name:[/b] Algar Daneth Adras-Mikhal[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Human Name:[/b] Adam Smith[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Real Age:[/b] Far over 25,000 years[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Apparent Age:[/b] Late Twenties[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Gender:[/b] Male[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Marital Status:[/b] Single. He could never face finding someone he loved, just to watch them grow old and die without him appearing to age a day. He has never had a partner, sexual or otherwise, since he arrived on Earth. [/font][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Occupation:[/b] Government Researcher - Adam is part of a top-secret government organisation named Majestic, which carries out clandestine operations into the monitoring and combating of the alien life which occasionally ventures towards Earth, and is also charged with covering it up, hiding the truth away from the public. Adam is their top scientific researcher. [/font][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Appearance:[/b] Attached, except his suit is entirely black, including the trenchcoat but excluding the shirt and Converse on his feet, which are all white. [/font][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Personality:[/b] Adam has always, by everyone who knows him, been known as "quirky." He is funny and energetic, but behind the jokes and the laughter there has always been an element of sadness, of loneliness, which shows in his eyes. He is a scientific genius, with many people saying his intellect is almost...other-worldly. However, he is loyal, and sticks by those few people he truly cares about. [/font][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Location:[/b] London, England [/font][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Immortal Artifacts:[/b] There are just two things Adam still possess from his homeworld. The first is a single black glove, made of a strange fabric which seems to move of its own accord, and which, when worn, moulds itself to the shape and size of the wearer's hand.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]The second is a small pewter fob-watch, which he keeps on a chain around his neck. However, the mechanism has been stuck for a number of years now, and he cannot remember what is inside.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]That's the kind of thing I need from you. This RP, while partially about extra-terrestrial threats, is also about personal character growth. It is about the personal lives of each and every character involved. You can create your own surroundings, and it is likely that you won't even meet many of the other characters playing until we are fully into the meat of the game.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]To begin with, this RP is going to be a personal story from each of the characters, either about their personal lives, or their work, and those who are trying to protect the Earth will be involved in the fight against whatever threat comes up*.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]So please, put some thought and effort into your characters. I will be leaving this recruitment thread open until I have five players who I think are up to the challenge, no matter how long that takes. I want this RP to be perfect, and fun for everyone involved.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Please PM me if there are any questions, anything you are unsure about, let me know. I will be setting up an Underground thread soon, but before then just drop me a PM.[/font] [font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Happy creating![/font] [i][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][size=1]*Anyone who decides to be involved in protecting the Earth rather than in their own families could be associated with Adam, working for Majestic in a different country or something similar.[/size][/font][/i] [/center]

[center][b][u][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][size=2]Skyblade[/size][/font][/u][/b][/center] [center][b][/b][/center] [center][size=2][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Name:[/b] Skyblade[/font][/size][/center] [center][size=2][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Allegiance:[/b] Autobots[/font][/size][/center] [center][size=2][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Weaponry:[/b] A pair of small, fast-firing laser cannons (normally mounted under the wings of his vehicle form), as well as a missile pack mounted under his chest-plate (which is made up of the nosecone of his vehicle form). His wings flip over to the top sides of his arms, and he can use these as melee weapons (the "Skyblades" his name refers to).[/font][/size][/center] [center][size=2][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Alternate Mode:[/b] Cybertronian Jet[/font][/size][/center] [center][size=2][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Personality:[/b] Skyblade is, as his Alternate Mode suggests, a high-flyer. He is a determined and ambitious Autobot, and, while he is relatively low in rank and seniority, he is an extremely skilled and able fighter. However, he is also a free spirit, and takes great pleasure in doing what he does best, and that is flying. He never lets the heat of the moment get to him, and while never reckless, he is a ferocious young warrior.[/font][/size][/center] [center][size=2][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][b]Brief History:[/b] Skyblade has been part of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons as long as he can remember. He has always been a soldier in a war that has never truly been his own, but he fights to retain the honour of his people.[/font][/size][/center] [center][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][size=2]As a young Autobot, he was hand-picked by Optimus Prime as one of those Autobots who would never venture away from their homeworld of Cybertron, instead remaining on their planet and fighting off Decepticon attack on any of the main Autobot centres on Cybertron. Skyblade was a member of the first Aerial Autobots to be charged with defending the Autobot capital, Iacon, and here he remains, carrying out his orders to the letter.[/size][/font][/center] [center][font=Lucida Sans Unicode][size=2][Sorry for the delay, Will, and the Brief History is total crap - as you know I've been without internet for a while and the writer's block hasn't helped!][/size][/font][/center]