Discuss The Almagest Expedition: Backstage

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][quote name='Shy][size=1']I didn't mean to leave anyone's characters out of the RPG by making this story (I have some ideas about Alexander, actually..) but with Alecia and Alexander in particular it seems so out of place for them to go on a wild adventure across the globe. [/size][/quote]That doesn't really bother me. I'd rather have more fun working with a new character instead of trying to force one into a role that doesn't fit them at all. Darren and I will create new characters and maintain rights to how Alecia and Alexander show up, if they do that is.

As for helping out with creating the new world, other than some of the stuff that's already been mentioned here, I see it happening in the posts. I don't have any ideas just yet, but until the official sign up goes up, I'm not sure where to go since I will be dealing with an entirely new character after all.

Oh and yes this is me saying, I'm interested in being a part of the sequel. =P[/FONT][/COLOR]

[DeLarge]

[SIZE=1]I'm looking to create a new character for this, as Gavin is taking creative control over the character of Dawlish, and I've had a couple of thoughts.

Firstly, would Anova be building an army (in secret, obviously), and would they have access to Magitechnology? My idea was to create a character that was head of his own personal company who specialise in the creation of Magitechnology weapons and transport for the military, but obviously I would go down a different route if Anova didn't have it's own army. I thought it would be kind of interesting to give Dawlish a rival and competitor - doing a similar thing for Anova instead of Czenovia, but a little more light-hearted than Dawlish.

Secondly, do you have any more information or ideas about Cole Dreadnaught, who owns and maintains Villette Mines? What are his loyalties and such? Seems that such a man would be a powerful ally to have in this situation...

I'd like to help out with ideas for Anova, as I was planning my character to be an Achard this time rather than an Almagest.
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[Shy]

[quote name='DeLarge'][SIZE=1]Firstly, would Anova be building an army (in secret, obviously), and would they have access to Magitechnology? My idea was to create a character that was head of his own personal company who specialise in the creation of Magitechnology weapons and transport for the military, but obviously I would go down a different route if Anova didn't have it's own army. I thought it would be kind of interesting to give Dawlish a rival and competitor - doing a similar thing for Anova instead of Czenovia, but a little more light-hearted than Dawlish.[/size][/quote][size=1]Anova has a standing army, but it's very small compared to that of Czenovia's. Generally speaking Czenovia has sole access to a far superior range of Magitechnology than any other nation, which is why they have been dominant in the region for so many years. More common devices (such as airships) are everywhere, but most of the medical and genetic technology simply isn't available outside of Czenovia's borders.

I think Dawlish, should he decide to become an arms dealer, will find no shortage of customers around the world. The Almagest's Magitech company has been scaling back the manufacturing of weapons since the revolution, leaving a huge gap for rival businesses to try and establish themselves. More to the point, I imagine many of the alchemist scientists working for Magitech would be all too willing to find other employment if the price were right.[/size]
[quote name='DeLarge][size=1']Secondly, do you have any more information or ideas about Cole Dreadnaught, who owns and maintains Villette Mines? What are his loyalties and such? Seems that such a man would be a powerful ally to have in this situation...[/SIZE][/quote][size=1]Nearly every child in Anova knows the exploits of Cole Dreadnaught. He is a soldier-of-fortune and businessman whose famous memoirs have become popular reading among Anovan youth. Although he is loyal to Anova, Cole's political leanings are neutral, and he has lived much of his life outside of Anova's borders.

There is quite a bit of controversy that an Anovan is now owner of the Villette Mines, since only a generation ago the Mine War was fought between Czenovia and Anova. Partially as coincedence, and partially as political convenience, Cole is set to marry Beatriste Elyse Almagest, the daughter of Leonhart Almagest. It is hoped this marriage will be the first step towards a more unified New Globe, but whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen.

Talk to me over PM or IM about any ideas for Cole. I'm more than receptive towards them.

-Shy[/size]

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Also in regard to Anova, I do have a couple of requests.

First, if you create Anovan characters, try where possible to give them a French name - or at least one that bears some similarity to French words/names. This is certainly not a requirement, because many different people live in Anova... but I think of it this way - Czenovia seems to be more a combination of British and Eastern European, whereas Anova is definitely based around French design. This includes architecture and fashion too.

The language is "Anovanique" (French).

If you want to make a Achard character I will be able to help by establishing a basic family tree to start from (as Olivier Achard is currently the patriarch of the family - I have a couple of gaps to fill in).

Other than that it's all quite open. The sign ups will contain a description of what you need to know about Anova, which anyone can build upon.[/font]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Shy'][size=1]I think Dawlish, should he decide to become an arms dealer, will find no shortage of customers around the world. The Almagest's Magitech company has been scaling back the manufacturing of weapons since the revolution, leaving a huge gap for rival businesses to try and establish themselves. More to the point, I imagine many of the alchemist scientists working for Magitech would be all too willing to find other employment if the price were right.[/size][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]While I don't think "arms dealer" would be the best (or most flattering) way to describe Dawlish's operations this is certainly a valid point. Any entity which can provide Dawlish with sufficient payment for his services will have access to the world's finest magitechnology regardless of their political standing with Czenovia, and I'm sure Anova having been playing second-fiddle to the former kingdom will be one of his premier customers in attempting to bridge the technological gap between the two nations even in peaceful times.

One of the big things I think about Dawlish's company is that while people might be outwardly hostile to the company and view them in a negative light, they are regarded as the most advanced weapons manufacturer out there which forces government hands into partnership with him out of fear a rival might gain some kind of military advantage.

Also in addition to taking the weaponsmiths from Magitech after it closed that segment of the company, Dawlish is known to recruit employees based on their talent rather than their ethical standard leading to rumours of human testing and other morally ambiguous actions on his company's behalf. So yeah Dawlish's company doesn't have the same family friendly exterior that Magitech had but there's no question of his large market share and the extreme sophistication of his weapons systems.

Hopefully the industrial espionage will make a good sub-plot.[/SIZE]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='James][font=franklin gothic medium']If you want to make a Achard character I will be able to help by establishing a basic family tree to start from (as Olivier Achard is currently the patriarch of the family - I have a couple of gaps to fill in).[/font][/quote]That would be greatly appreciated. I know Beth and I are kind of holding back a bit on creating new characters until we know what's available. So seeing what gaps there are for creating a Achard character would be very handy.

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]My thinking is that just after the Czenovian revolution, there might have been an election in Anova, leading to a new Prime Minister.

This new PM might wish to advance Anova's military capabilities, now that there is no real threat from Czenovia. In fact, I suspect that Anova and Czenovia might turn their attention to overseas threats more than anything.

So there's a lot of potential here.

Anova is still not a big industrial country though. I imagine that it would still import most of its Magitechnology from Czenovia.

And Czenovia would probably want to encourage this, because I imagine its own domestic market is pretty saturated.

Anova is principally still a service economy, with textiles (clothing, tapestries), sculpture, jewellery and other "fine arts" making up their principle goods production. This includes the mining and refinement of Anovan silver.

[b]Edit:[/b] Also I should mention that Anova's "bread and butter" economy is farming/fishing. The country is full of sweeping grassy plains, which produce some of the world's highest quality meats, fruit and vegetables.

Anovan art tends to be quite sought-after and Anovan fashion is always at the cutting-edge. Many of the richest people in the New Globe wear the latest Anovan designer outfits.

Don't know if that will help anyone who wants more detail.

Interestingly, Anovan silver has many unique and magical properties. I imagine some companies may want to try to buy some of that silver for other applications (silver-coated ammunition, or silver machine parts in weapons, perhaps?) :catgirl:

[b]Rach:[/b] Sounds good. There should be plenty of spots open I think. There are really only a few pre-existing Achards for me to mention. :catgirl:[/font]

[Shy]

[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]Anova is still not a big industrial country though. I imagine that it would still import most of its Magitechnology from Czenovia.

And Czenovia would probably want to encourage this, because I imagine its own domestic market is pretty saturated.

Anova is principally still a service economy, with textiles (clothing, tapestries), sculpture, jewellery and other "fine arts" making up their principle goods production. This includes the mining and refinement of Anovan silver.

Don't know if that will help anyone who wants more detail.

Interestingly, Anovan silver has many unique and magical properties. I imagine some companies may want to try to buy some of that silver for other applications (silver-coated ammunition, or silver machine parts in weapons, perhaps?) :catgirl:[/font][/QUOTE][size=1]This all sounds good. I'll include these new details in the sign-up. If we could get a better understanding of what business the Achards are in, I would really appreciate that as well.

I'm putting some details about Dawlish's new business, Icarus, with the sign-up preview as well. This business will be playing a very prominent role in the new story, as will some other organizations I've yet to post...

-Shy[/size]

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Okay so, I will do a post here (or a PM, Shy, whichever you prefer) that includes all of the fundamental details for Anova.

Then you guys can build on that in any way you like, with characters/companies/locales/etc...

I will try to do that all this week for you.

Edit: The stuff on [b]Icarus[/b] and [b]House of Grimoire[/b] looks great so far! [/font]

[DeLarge]

[SIZE=1]Would it be at all possible for someone to give me a brief summary of what happened in the previous installment? I've got a few ideas for my character and I want to make sure they're not too close to the plot of the original.[/SIZE]

[Shy]

[quote name='DeLarge'][SIZE=1]Would it be at all possible for someone to give me a brief summary of what happened in the previous installment? I've got a few ideas for my character and I want to make sure they're not too close to the plot of the original.[/SIZE][/QUOTE][size=1]I will include a condensed summary in a prologue post within the sign-up, but here is the gist of it...
[list][*]Leonhart Almagest is kidnapped by a radical group of Czenovian revolutionaries known as the Underdogs. They were tired of the class system which had divided the nation for years, and hoped to overthrow the Dynast monarchy.
[*]During an Underdog attack on Magitech's factories, Leonhart's daughter Macey Ellen had rescued Gadget, one of the company's human 'test subjects.'
[*]The Dynast king passes due to ill health, passing on the monarchy to his eldest son, Primas Generous. Princess Augustine, who had been secretly conspiring with the Underdogs, is outraged and orders a full-scale invasion to the nation's capitol.
[*]Other members of the Almagest clan are targeted by the Underdogs. Leonhart's niece Nellie is murdered, his son Fauntleroy is shot, and his sister Catherine is kidnapped as well.
[*]Using Catherine and Leonhart's technical knowledge, the Underdogs have uncovered and reactivated an ancient doomsday cannon discovered decades ago by Leonhart and his brother Daedalus.
[*]Victoria Ann Almagest, Leonhart's granddaughter, discovers the Underdogs' base of operations, and Gadget learns that his parents were behind the revolution. Princess Augustine is murdered by her twin brother August, and he is executed before her ties to the Underdogs can be revealed.
[*]Leonhart's brother Daedalus assumes command of the Dynast airship fleet, and sacrifices himself in battle against the Underdogs to prevent the canon from firing upon High Czenoble. Gadget is seemingly killed in the chaos.
[*]Ultimately a truce is formed among both sides, and a new constitutional monarchy is formed.[/list]

I hope that helps. I'm cutting out a lot of the highlights, but this is a basic overview. Just ask if you have specific questions.

-Shy[/size]

[DeLarge]

[quote name='Shy][SIZE=1']I hope that helps. I'm cutting out a lot of the highlights, but this is a basic overview. Just ask if you have specific questions.[/SIZE][/quote]

[SIZE=1]That's a great help, thanks very much. I'm going to start working on my character, and finish it off once James has posted the Achard family tree. so I can fit him in somewhere in the family.
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[Shy]

[size=1]A couple more bits were added about Anova, most notably The Island Citadel and the Church of the Phoenix. My hope is that the church will play a large role in the story, so I would like to see at least one person sign-up as a character affiliated with the organization. Otherwise it's just going to be a lot of NPCs floating around, and that's no fun... hrm.

I have mentioned before that Czenovia (and Anova) are largely Atheist, but organized religion and certain ceremonies are still practiced in both countries. It is not uncommon to see priests and priestesses officiate a wedding ceremony or a funeral, even if those directly involved were never a member of the church. Of the two, I would say that Anova is much more spiritual than Czenovia.

Expect Chronicles detailing the Almagests, Anova, the Achards, the Church of the Phoenix, and more once we get the ball rolling.

Also in regards to the Achard family tree: James and I have discussed it and it appears that it's going to be incredibly bare at first. There will only be a few prominent NPCs within the family, and it will be up to players to fill out the rest. So if you are interested in creating an Achard I wouldn't worry if your character will fit or not.

-Shy[/size] :whoops:

[Darren]

What about an academy for Anova?

Shy, I've already expressed my interest in the RP to you, but I'm wondering where my character would go to school? I don't expect it to be as prestigious as CHAOS, but there should be one...

[STRIKE]Want me to come up with it? I'm not very creative, but I can try.[/STRIKE]

I tried... And I failed.

[Shy]

[quote name='Darren']What about an academy for Anova?[/QUOTE][size=1]Yes, I encourage someone to come up with one. I believe in you, Darren.

-Shy[/size]

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Yeah I'd like to see an academy within Anova. The sign-up is really filling out now.

As Shy said, I've kept the Achard NPCs fairly limited in number. So there will be heaps of room for everyone to really create the characters they like.

I'm also loving some of the other organizations on there... the Church of the Pheonix sounds somewhat ominous to me (maybe it's the fact that like the Vatican, it's considered almost an independent country). Or maybe it's the fact that the Citadel has its own private security force...

I suspect that will be most interesting when the RPG starts. ~_^

I know we don't want to add [i]too[/i] much weight to this, but will there be any basic descriptions of what the Church's beliefs are? That will help me to decide whether or not my characters will be followers of the church (or at least, how orthodox they will be).[/font]

[Shy]

[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]I know we don't want to add [i]too[/i] much weight to this, but will there be any basic descriptions of what the Church's beliefs are? That will help me to decide whether or not my characters will be followers of the church (or at least, how orthodox they will be).[/font][/QUOTE][size=1]Yeah. From the base description they sound a little imposing, but I'll be touching on some of their general beliefs within my posts (and most likely, a Chronicle.)

The Church of the Phoenix is monotheistic, and followers believe that the Phoenix Goddess guides all living beings in an endless cycle of death and rebirth. Followers are taught to live sparingly, and maintain an enormous respect for nature and public service. Since most alchemy is fueled by the combustion of precious stones and gems, which generates a large amount of pollution, followers have an unfavorable view of magitechnology.

The elected head of the church, Sief Davos Frost, maintains a large fleet of 'clean' steam-powered zeppelins which the church uses as their primary form of transportation. Charities affiliated with the church work tirelessly throughout the Old Globe, and the Citadel Guard was instrumental in rescue and recovery efforts following the Czenovian Revolution.

Sief Davos Frost is extremely active in international politics, and is known to regularly speak out against Czenovia and Anova in her public statements. Every three years a private election is held within the church to crown a Sief, and Frost is nearing the completion of her historic [i]tenth[/i] term.

If someone is interested in creating a character affiliated with the church, whether they be a priest/priestess or just a devout follower, let me know. Nothing is set in stone, though; if someone has an idea for the organization please feel free to run it by me.

-Shy[/size]

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Oh, that sounds good. That's a really great starting point.

I imagine them not being happy with Anova's increasing use of magitechnology (and the use of magical silver as part of magitechnology in recent times). That could put the Achard family at odds with the church in some respects, given that the family is largely responsible for the silver trade in Anova. On the other hand, I guess utilising silver in machinery mostly involves melting it down and then reforming it, so I don't know how they'd view that. Interesting, nonetheless.
[/font]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]One thing I'd like to expand upon Josh from the Chronicles is the idea that Icarus is equally connected with Czenovia as it is with Anova, and many other nations as well based on it's multinational structure. While it may not be well regarded in Czenovia for effectively reducing the effective power the nation holds over it's rivals it still holds very considerable public and private contracts, though due to the existence of MinkWorks would not hold a monopoly as it does in other nations.[/SIZE]

[Mr. Blonde]

[quote name='Shy'][size=1]
If someone is interested in creating a character affiliated with the church, whether they be a priest/priestess or just a devout follower, let me know. Nothing is set in stone, though; if someone has an idea for the organization please feel free to run it by me.

-Shy[/size][/QUOTE]

I'm in. I'd like a little more detail on the church but I'm thinking of creating a character along the lines of a bishop, but a corrupt character. He pledges his undying allegiance to Sief Davos Frost, but he is much too devious to be as loyal as he claims. He's always plotting and scheming in the shadows waiting for his chance to grab hold of the reigns of the church and turn it into his vision.

I'm seeing the church as sort of the Vatican's doppleganger in a way. Since they look down on alchemy and the breaking down of precious stones they attire would probably we quite simple and plain, not lavish like the Pope for instance.

I'm thinking sort of a Shaolin Monk simplicity, yet an underlining flair: long white, priest like coats and round 'john lennon' type sunglasses. Maybe they even walk with with their arms crossed, hands in their sleeves like monks do, in single order, almost like clones of each other. Even my character's clothing could point to his misdeads and underhanded ways. Possibly his wardrobe isn't the drab outfit wore by the rest of his peers, but perhaps a more stylish, escentric version designed by Edith Grimoire.

I'll obviously have to put more thought into this but this is just what I'm thinking at the moment.

[Darren]

[quote name='Shy'][size=1]Yes, I encourage someone to come up with one. I believe in you, Darren.

-Shy[/size][/QUOTE]
Okay, I tried... I didn't really have a lot to add to it, so I just followed the model of CHAOS.
[SIZE="1"][LIST]
[*]Lumière Academy: Located in the southwestern district of Le Monde, Lumière Academy (LA) is one of the oldest schools in the New Globe. LA was established initially as a foster home for orphans of the The Purge of 220 by Madame Angelique Laroche. However, throughout the years as she began teaching the children art and history, it slowly transformed into a prestigious academy. Because of its old roots, LA's curriculum is centralized around the arts and is often credited as "The Light of Anova," as it ushered in the massive artistic movement of Anova.
[/LIST][/SIZE]

[Shy]

[quote name='Mr. Blonde']I'm in. I'd like a little more detail on the church but I'm thinking of creating a character along the lines of a bishop, but a corrupt character. He pledges his undying allegiance to Sief Davos Frost, but he is much too devious to be as loyal as he claims. He's always plotting and scheming in the shadows waiting for his chance to grab hold of the reigns of the church and turn it into his vision.

I'm seeing the church as sort of the Vatican's doppleganger in a way. Since they look down on alchemy and the breaking down of precious stones they attire would probably we quite simple and plain, not lavish like the Pope for instance.[/QUOTE][size=1]Thanks for expressing your interest in the RPG Mr. Blonde. :whoops:

Your character sounds fine, but keep in mind that the Church is a large organization and has all types working towards its' goals. Having a corrupt church official is perfectly in-line with what I hope to establish about the organization, but I just don't want to portray the Church of the Phoenix as one-note or EVIL. Hopefully we'll see various types of characters affiliated with the church once we have sign-ups started. I'm really eager for players to flesh out the church more than anything...

Your stuff about the simple wardrobe sounds great; I would just add that Edith Grimoire will be unavailable (at least at first) to design any clothing. She will be featured within the story, and the explanation as to why she has become so reclusive will no doubt he explained as we progress.

-Shy

[b]Edit:[/b] Wonderful stuff Darren! I'll add that bit right now.[/size]

[Mr. Blonde]

[quote name='Shy'][size=1] Having a corrupt church official is perfectly in-line with what I hope to establish about the organization, but I just don't want to portray the Church of the Phoenix as one-note or EVIL. Hopefully we'll see various types of characters affiliated with the church once we have sign-ups started.
-Shy[/size][/QUOTE]

This is what I was hoping to establish. Not the corruption of the church, but the corruption of this individual within the system, a character that wishes to use the church's power for personal gain.

I'll keep the stuff about Edith Grimoire in mind, and won't feature her.

[Nathan]

[FONT="Arial"]This definitely looks promising. I'm interested in joining it. However, other than to indicate that I'd like to work with the Special Security Force's or rather create a character that is associated with that, I don't have much else to offer. I only just got through all the information in this thread. And that doesn't include the previous chapter if I were to go find it and read it.

Anyway, I'm going to go ahead and start working on what I have in mind and I assume that when sign ups are finally being accepted, a new thread will go up in the Auditions part of OtakuBoards. [/FONT]

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Darren, I'm loving the academy you've created - sounds great and fits in perfectly! Good job.

Just to keep you up to date, I'm currently working on a world map. It's rather painstaking, but I'm happy with it so far - it should be pretty impressive once it's finally done!

Also Shy I'm fiddling around with the logo still. Should have something finalized during the weekend.[/font]