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Topics - Umbra of Chaos

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1
Areas / Abraxas
« on: January 30, 2020, 08:44:20 PM »
Abraxas

“If part of the system fails, it must be replaced, and the prayer-glutted gods did nothing to save us.”

Abraxas is the land of fallen and dead gods. In a time of insurrection, when the district faced destruction, its people called out but did not receive salvation. Amidst the chaos a silver haired tyrant rebelled and struck down their masters. Now it is a place of towering idols rooted in the still twitching corpses of their rotting deities. Demiurges walk its lands, the new kings who cracked open the bones of their lords and feasted on the marrow.

Their major commodities are idols. Personal, false gods that channel faith in order to create artificial miracles. Why pray to those distant divinities? Your belief is powerful enough to sate them. Why not use it for yourself? While incomparable to the grand totems that exist within the district, they are nonetheless powerful. Families can safeguard their homes even from supernatural plagues, communities can ensure plentiful harvests, personal ones even provide good luck to individuals. However, the district has also diversified into weaponized idols. They channel the faith of the fanatical into supernatural displays as astonishing as magic, and anyone can learn to use it even if they lack natural talent. All that Abraxas asks is a small tithe of the faith that runs through your totem, and through these tithes they form a great network of faith and power.



Profane and Heretical:

The gods of old have been shattered, and a new land has been constructed atop their still warm bodies. Faith has been torn open and restructured into the profits of power and the energy of belief. There is no free faith here, and ambitious spirits who have attempted to perform miracles free of charge soon find themselves enslaved. The very relationship between man and god has been twisted. Those unaware of that fact find that the faith they receive comes with interest and expected returns with egregious punishments.

Ancient and New:

Abraxas is a place of dissonance. Temples have been converted into business centers, and the new architecture leans towards a brutalist technique more fond of efficient space and blocky concrete. However, the most noticeable factors are the great bodies that make up the largest structures. These corpses have had nearly every last dreg of power wrung from their bodies. Most are hollow skeletons with modern architecture built into them. Elevators lead up the spine of a mountain deity while the earth around a fertility goddess bones serves as an industrial farm with wondrous productivity. The most wealthy inhabitants are split between these glorious temples, new structures, and repurposes gods.

Dead but Not Forgotten:

Certain in their victory, the demiurges believe Abraxas absolute. But there are still remnants and echoes. They cannot be called the true gods, not even a ghost, but there is still power there. Curses of hatred, final blessings, and wishes that were not allowed to be born. Those powerful in the mystic arts can find what remains if they are clever, and if they are careful enough they may remain uncaught by the Abraxian guard as well. But the fingerprints left by the divine are not always helpful...



The Baleful Silver

The district chief and its glorious king. His bones are polished moonsilver, his fur coats were torn from the wild gods’ flesh and still writhe, and his body is still stained in their multicolored ichor. Laughing exultantly, he holds court in an observatory carved from the carcass of the moon goddess who he slayed. The whole of her body was reconstructed to form a citadel of alien beauty. It looks as if it was carved from the moon’s face, and even gravity’s hold is less strained there. Even in the light of day, the stars and moon can clearly be seen from this place. However, he only answers petitions in the night.

He is known to receive citizens and foreigners alike within his halls. Silver does not discriminate. So long as the deal is good, he is willing to offer his assistance. But those that fail to uphold the end of their bargain earn a fair reward as well. The gods may have been fools, but their curses are nothing to scoff at either. Still, more than a few have walked home happy with their lives. He did not get to where he was by only being cruel, after all.

As a foe he is a terrible foe to face. At night, he feels almost unassailable. His bones burn with power that makes his strength and agility nothing less than Fantastic, and his bones are sturdier still at Heroic. Worse than that is the divine blood that still drips from him. Long since immune, he still laughs as he flicks the ichor onto his foes. They carry with them all the curses and condemnations of the murdered gods. While never permanent--these echoes have long since lost that stability--they are undeniably strong. Those weak in spirit or body find themselves transformed entirely into monsters or misshapen creatures with a drop. More powerful foes can have a sense taken from them for a time. Others have even noted their physicality waning with these dreadful maladies. For others, it is a vile poison that causes the flesh to burn, or petrify, or slough off. None of these alone are fatal. These remnants are also only strong enough to inflict one malady at a time upon hapless foes. However, they are certainly dangerous. Worst of all is the authority that he wields himself, the protean strength of the moon overflows in his body. He calls forth lunar tides, silver waters that can break the bones of beings with similar durability or sweep them off their feet. In combat he wields a scimitar made of starlight, and his bones bend as if they were barely there at all. But what else could one expect when confronting him in the heart of his power?

But in the day or outside of his observatory, the story is different. The blood no longer drips, the furs no longer writhe, and his shining bones seem dull. If one looks closely enough, they could even see a phantom of human skin that clings to this corpse. His curses have no strength to muster in this state, and his body is no longer quite as limber either. Even the power of the moon he so carelessly wields wanes now. But perhaps he has merely exchanged that frightening strength for a more certain one. In his hands is a halberd nearly rusted through. Yet it cuts, cuts through steel, and magic, and divine flesh alike. The laughing king is replaced by a warrior of unrelenting discipline. Only a truly masterful fighter could approach him and not feel their imminent death in every step they take. But it is true that he is undeniably lesser than the nigh immortal monster that rules the observatory’s night.

Ullmina, Demiurge of Comfort

Spoiler for Hiden:

Many in the district know her as the one who guides spirituality within the district. While the gods are dead, it does not mean the people have nothing to believe in. Furthermore, she specializes in the art of absolution and spiritual comfort. By bonding with an individual, she can take on the darkness within their souls. In return, they come to understand the depths of their sin. Even a man born without a shred of emotion can come to understand her feelings through this method.  Repentant criminals throw themselves at her feet, begging for the bliss of absolution. This wondrous purity has left Ullmina with an army of fanatics, those who her light has brought salvation to. While not as powerful as the Abraxian Guard, they make up a frightening cult who are the foremost in idol research and weapons development. Their faith is like a hammer. Fire and brimstone can rain down on their enemies like artillery fire, but they are rendered largely immobile because of their idol and their need for spotters.

Little of this is relevant to Ullmina, former priestess of the fell god. Those who know of her history remember a cruel and unforgiving woman, and it is impossible to reconcile her with the kind saint who pursues the worst cases to offer forgiveness. It is hard to tell if her motives are purely benign, especially since even disregarding her cult her acts only seem to have made her grow in strength. Her physical characteristics are Incredible, but she wields power that has been kept secret from most. The feelings of the twisted souls she bonds with do not disappear. Imprinted onto her being is the howling madness of an ocean of sinners, and when threatened she is more than willing to call forth this legion. For most supernaturals, their only threat comes in sheer fanaticism and numbers as they rarely exceed Exceptional stats. The true danger comes from Ullmina herself and the broken god she had forgiven a lifetime ago. Wielding its power she is akin to a divine spellcaster, unleashing magic in the Very High range with reckless abandon to smite her enemies. Buildings crumble into salt, hordes of insects devour flesh harder than stone, vengeful lightning shatters the scales of dragons. Knowing these characteristics, The Baneful Silver raised her to ruler of the day. In his weakness she governs the land. However, she seems less concerned with conflict and more with unrelenting forgiveness. She still manages the everyday business well enough. Despite her kindness, Ullmina has never shown the ability to heal.



The Abraxian Guard:

Local to the district, these forces are entirely defensive in nature. They are the police and military bound up into one, and they are a fearful sight to behold. Masked in silver, they ride legendary beasts throughout the district wielding quicksilver rifles. They patrol in pairs of two or three, and exclusive idols are used to provide communications through prayer across the district. Even a beast that could shatter walls, withstand bullets, and lunge at enemies swifter than a bird of prey would find itself completely overwhelmed. However, their numbers are few. They are only called when it is necessary. The idols of the district’s communities are usually enough to provide a defense. However, they cannot pursue their foes. Their control over the beasts is artificially caused by idols. If they were to leave the district’s radius, the beasts would revert into mere monsters and surely tear them apart as well.

Idol Guardians:

Generally in the Incredible range, these creatures are gestated by communities within the district as protectors and helpers. They wield elemental powers, usually to calm the raging elements, but also help with farming and construction. Some also show the power to heal, and idols of health are common in hospitals to accelerate healing and deal with surgeries.  Particularly faithful individuals use them as guardian angels, using their personal idols to call forth their defender. Old enough ones can become stronger and theoretically generate personalities, but this is a rare and suppressed phenomenon.



Notable Areas

Residential Temples:

The old places of worship have been repurposed to house families and communities. Idols are commonplace to the point where one can’t pass a street without at least seeing a few. Not all are powerful enough to create Guardians, but it wouldn’t be strange to see one or two after walking around long enough. The weather is almost always temperate unless it needs to rain. The people live in peace, and those born today do not remember the times when men made offerings of blood to beg for prosperity.

Unless widespread damage is caused, not much should be expected besides Guardian Idols. At worst any normal conflict will be resolved by the Abraxian Guard.

Fortune’s Idol:

A tower that stretches into the sky, this casino was created by a god of luck. Now he has been cut to pieces. Each chunk of his body was hammered into an idol that now facilitates the many games within. While there are traditional games to play, there is also betting on numerous gladiatorial sports and more esoteric sport. Demiurges and sorcerers play games of adventure at the towers heights, partaking of a repository of memories. They live an adventure stored within bargaining with their own soul’s power. Those who do the best partake of their fellows’ bets.

The internal staff usually solve the problems of the casino. The idols can inflict powerful curses on those who cheat within the games themselves. Outright violence is usually handled by the patrons. Generally, they are more of a threat the higher up one goes. Many individuals from throughout the Nexus do enjoy its services, after all. It could quickly grow far more dangerous than even the worst a residential response can offer.

Crumbling Ruin:

Largely undefended, the fully drained corpses of many gods are littered on the district’s outskirts. Few were powerful enough to create demiurges, and there simply were not enough lesser gods to fuel a new pseudo-pantheon of humans. Those who failed to acquire enough divine power to ascend burnt out in this place amongst the corpses. Any power left here is largely symbolic, although there may be enough life left to draw out a few secrets. Still, there are monsters and other creatures that may have holed up here. Within the hollowed out skeletons of deities and amidst what remains of would-be demiurges, there are always scavengers.


2
Areas / District of Pillars
« on: January 30, 2020, 08:38:11 PM »
The District of Pillars

“Its holy pillars number 42. These are the fingers of the Judges, the fingers that will raise us to A’aru.”

Nestled in the Nexus’ southeast territories, the District of Pillars is an artificial desert. The climate abruptly shifts as you near it. Temperate weather changes into blistering heat and terrible dryness. It is more akin to a piece of reality that has been stitched into the Nexus’ fabric, and the effect is even strange by the cities standards. It hosts massive pyramids, communities built into cliff sides, stone homes that stand resolute against ruinous sandstorms, and its eponymous pillars.

However, it does have one other feature. The most powerful forces within the district are its guilds, craftsmen and artists who create objects flush with life energy. Some of these can even exhibit powerful supernatural effects, but these are rare occurrences. Still, their more common relics are of interest to many supernatural beings. Some have learned to draw power from them, enhancing their natural abilities. Others such as vampires can draw sustenance from the undiluted life force that no blood can compare to. The only guild with military applications is the Guild of the Shell, the masters of unlife and the body. They are in charge of their people’s funerary customs. When the soul sheds the body, the remains are animated to labor until it crumbles to dust. For the most part these are identical in strength, dexterity, and toughness. The only difference is that they are mindless.



42 Pillars:

The holiest of relics, each of these obelisks stand at about 200 meters. They are seemingly plain and carved from limestone; however, they surge with vital energy. For miles around the pillars are desolate wastes devoid of all life. Beings without supernatural vitality soon find themselves stripped of life. Only the special rites of the guilds and the patrolling undead may move freely in their presence. Upon each pillar inscribed in universal language one of the laws which govern the district, and in each obelisk’s presence the authority of its patron deity is made manifest. Those who trespass against the holy law in their presence suffer grievous maladies resistant even to supernatural healing or terrible curses that even potent magecraft will find difficult to purify.

The Sons of Apep:

While the Guild of the Shell commands the undead constructs, it is only this secret and unofficial group that maintains its true military force. The Sons of Apep have cast their mortality and decay farther away from themselves, using rituals to sacrifice others to be consumed by inevitable chaos and destruction. They are masters of terrible chimera born from sacrilegious pits, and their master maintains an uneasy position as the chief authority amongst the guilds.

First Coils:

The starting members of the Sons have yet to construct their first familiar and are newly blooded. Still, their resilience is at an Incredible baseline. Furthermore, they rarely become hungry or tired. Despite these advantages, they are still mostly fodder and usually accompany the undead forces of the guildes.

Second Coils:

These growing cultists have created their first chimera, the bones enfleshed by a terrible power. Their resilience also grows an additional rank to Fantastic, and they suffer no maladies from ignoring conventional mortal needs. Sustenance and air are unnecessary while heat is only concerning if so cold or burning that their bodies melt. Their familiars have an Incredible baseline. They generally grow no larger than bigger dog breeds, but they make up for it with natural abilities. The creatures spit venom, bleed scorpions, and their natural weapons are as deadly as any mystical weapon. These are the Sons’ professional soldiers.

Third Coils:

There are barely a handful of these experts. They spend most of their time immersed in their research, attended by chimeras no smaller than an adult bear with Fantastic stats. The chimeras are more unique than their younger brethren. Some leave wounds that only mystic powers can recover, and even those encounter greater difficulty than usual. Others patrol a spiritual plane of existence, using this distance to stalk their prey and explosively manifest in a pounce. Some can even rip the supernatural energy from their foes. The adepts themselves have achieved Heroic durability. Their body structure is uniform, with even their eyes as strong as their hardest bones. The blades that do manage to pierce their skin find that even with the worst wound barely a drop of blood will escape them; their bodies are frighteningly stable. They also recover quickly, healing deadly wounds in hours. They cannot regrow limbs, but they pair their bodies with many improvements. Through their rituals many have achieved Incredible in their other two stats. They have also attained mystic talents of High potency. Their curses are potent and can easily cause destruction from long range with materials that resonate with the target. However, all their magic functions off of sacrifice and exacts a cost that is rather noticeable for those researching the phenomena.

The Fourth Coil:

There is only one Fourth Coil. His skin has been tanned from long days under the sun but hangs loosely upon his skull. He is bald and his eyes are rather droopy, rarely focusing on any target. The man looks ancient. However, his body is muscled and strong. When he shifts from his characteristic slouch he stands at nearly seven feet. When he fits, he sheds the false skin over his head and lets the black serpent that blooms from his neck free.

His strength and agility are Fantastic while his durability is Legendary.

The Fourth Coil’s durability is incomparable to his students. When his flesh is cut, burning sandstorms spill out onto the battlefield before the wound quickly closes. Minor wounds and scrapes heal in seconds while dangerous wounds take only minutes. The only organ worth striking for is his brain, the seat of his mind. The Fourth Coil had already cut out and entombed the others.

He casts no shadow, having sundered it from his soul to use as a servant. This nameless shadow is a terrifying spy, having almost no presence and being capable of moving at Legendary speeds as it scampers through the darkness. Only creatures with frightening visual senses or spiritual insight would have the chance to notice it. His heart, spirit, and essence composes his weapon, a khopesh that burns with vital energies and terrible will. Its blade would scar even Heroic flesh, and is never far from his hand. It is especially heinous against spirits and undead, setting them alight with horrific fires that cause intense pain and awful scarring. His mouth is filled with deadly venom that can prove fatal even against opponents that have supernatural constitution.

He practices magic in the Very High range. He can bring a myriad of curses on other areas, turning water to blood and overrunning their homes with pests. By expending personal objects or pieces of an enemy’s body, he can strike them down with a precise magical attack from afar. He also has constructive powers, having developed rituals that can reconstitute bodies, allow spirits to manifest freely, and binding ghosts along with demons to his will. His greatest ritual is that which ties into his name, the soul pillar upholding his soul. Through his name his Third Coils can resurrect him even if he should perish, his spirit as unstoppable as his body.

None living have seen the Fourth Coil’s chimera. It is a monstrous black serpent with all Heroic attributes that could swallow a bus whole, and along its coils spring an entire menagerie. Lioness heads reach out to tear into flesh, crocodile maws spring forth to crush foes, paws and talons emerge from its scales to rend its foes, even the ferocious jaws of a hippopotamus are seen and can smash its enemies to dust. Rather than eyes and a nose, an enlarged human face sits upon the top of its head in absolute silence. Its eyes are shut and features unworried even in the midst of battle. When wounded, the creature’s blood gives birth to the chimeras created by the Second Coils, monstrosities birthed in an instant from its corruption. Its presence ripples through spiritual planes, allowing it to phase through mundane physical matter and force spirits into tangible existences. It strangely has no venom despite its fangs, but instead it vomits forth further horrors. Unsatisfied by mundane tribute, the spirits within its belly are imprisoned and degrade into a toxic slurry. Its poison spills out, a spiritual malady that causes the body to rot. Ghostly and skeletal hands emerge from the rot, intent on dragging others to their deaths. The chimera is the most terrifying thing that district has ever seen… and nothing can truly control it.

It is true that he can give it orders as if it was a familiar, and it may even obey them. However, the beast is insatiable. If he sends it to attack a rival it may never return, intent of feasting upon the living until it is full. It can never be satisfied. Even his most powerful rituals would find it difficult to subdue the beast, and the ensuing conflict devastated the district but once before. It is kept subdued on a diet of relics created by the guilds, and so they work with their hated enemies for the sake of mutual survival. And, if the worst were to come, it would prove a devastating weapon to be sure.

The Fourth Coil’s greatest secret is that the beast is not beast. It is fully aware, and only an ocean of curses keeps its mind dull. When it first escaped, it tore open its own scales and formed a chimera army birthed from its own blood. It perhaps hoped to destroy them all. It is an existential threat by every meaning of the word for the District of Pillars. Even he is not so arrogant as to pursue an enemy if it would mean the beast slipping loose. For the truly ambitious, it would be possible to court such a horrific monsters… but how long the arrangement would last is left to chance.



Notable Areas

The Great Pyramids:

Three massive structures serve as the nexus of most guild activity in the district. The markets are filled with relics whose value is great enough that money is rarely offered in exchange. Usually it is bargained for other magical artifacts, rare materials, or oaths bound by magic. The streets are patrolled by the undead servants from the Guild of the Shell. Some Coils of the Sons of Apep also watch over the area just in case.

As the major economic heart of the district, direct violence is unbelievably risky even from the more powerful beings in the Nexus. The sheer amount of bodies and magical power that would be levelled against an invader would be staggering.

Titan Bones:

There are numerous sites of massive creatures who perished in the desert years ago. The Guilds harvest them for relics, but the Sons of Apep and Guild of the Shell take special interest in the specimens. It is rumored that they are attempting to reanimate the creatures, and some even speculate that the Fourth Coil’s chimera was constructed using parts from these creatures.

While somewhat protected, it isn’t uncommon for thieves to take bones or carvings from the areas. Normally there are only researchers there who would not be able to muster significant defense; however, there are occasionally greater Coils and Shell members who provide a threat.


3
Cross Effects / Antags
« on: September 02, 2018, 12:24:59 AM »
Name: Othinus

Race: Human

Age: ???

Height: 5’8

Weight: Average for her height.

Appearance:



Physical Attributes

Strength: Fantastic

Agility: Fantastic

Durability: Fantastic

Magic Ability - Extremely High (Ymir is Divine): Othinus has mantled Odin through various mystic rituals, and it has granted her incredible magical powers as a result. This includes runes, the manipulation of fate, battle songs which aid her allies or strike down her foes, and grand feats of legend mimicking the god himself.   

Runes: With one hand alone Othinus can inscribe runes to inflict devastating effects upon her enemies. A single symbol can unleash a firestorm that could turn a building to molten ruin, shatter streets with restless earth, create momentary but immensely powerful barriers, imbue weapons with this same destructive force, and even create manifestations of death which can strike down any being of Amazing or below Durability upon contact. More constructive uses may instantly grow fields, cleanse rivers and rejuvenate the soil of the land, and provide a regenerative effect to close minor wounds and reduce the severity of major ones, curing even the worst of damage if enough magic is applied. If left unbothered Othinus can continue to weave runes together or overlap those of a similar type. This allows her to release the magic all at once to set loose a barrage of spells or a sustained variant. However, she cannot carry runes around with her or move about with them. They are incredibly complex mystical formulae stabilized and empowered by her in the moment it takes her fingers to shape them, and tossing them about it is impossible.

Fate Binder: From others and her own quests Othinus has learned the ways in which one might manipulate and divert the lesser streams and tributaries of Fate. A minor ability of this allows her to win any game of chance. If she flips a coin it will land however she wishes it to, the cards she draws are the ones she desires, the dice always turn up as she wills, and other such things.

More extended rituals requires greater preparation but reward her with far more influence. Othinus can align events to work in her favor, information on things or people that she wishes to find making its way to her with ease. She can expand her own capacity to see the fates of others to look beyond mere instances. These visions are vague and difficult to understand even for her but they can tell her much about the goals and actions of others. She can also curse others with extraordinary bad luck for a short period of time. Any gamble or luck based action they take is certain to fail unless they are blessed with absurd amounts of natural luck; the world seems to conspire to harm them as buildings collapse over their heads, the ground crumbles under their feet, vehicles crash into them, and animals attack them whenever they sense the victim. In the case of especially unfortunate victims it can trigger any diseases or illnesses that they have, crippling them with strokes or relapses of cancer.

Warrior Hymns: Othinus sings songs with nine major verses. They come in sets of three, with the first being little more than a minor cantrip while the following two exponentially increasing the hymn’s power each time. By the final one Othinus’ words stretch across entire battlefields, bolstering her allies or hobbling her foes.

She can drive her allies into a berserking rage and direct them. In this state a normal man could wrestle a bear to the ground and dash its skull open upon the rocks. Other songs can make their weapons strong enough to smash or slice apart blocks of steel or soften her opponent’s until they strike like foam toys. She can make her allies inexhaustible or drown her opponents in lassitude. Just as Othinus’ can drive some to battle rage she can overcome others with a meek spirit that refuses to put up a fight. If her singing is interrupted the effect is lost entirely.

Mythic Replication: Othinus’ magic has allowed her certain abilities and feats that belong to the original god himself. While they may not all be as powerful they are certainly impactful.

Carcass of Ymir: By using the bodies of others Othinus can construct other realms. A truly powerful opponent could serve as plentiful materials for expanding them and forming structures of great power. Meanwhile an average humans or some beasts would barely serve to make a patch of earth or a wall fragment. The details of the realm she has created is included under Valhalla.

Allfather: Patriarch, creator, and father of many, Othinus is capable of using her powers to exalt another being so that they may mantle a god or greater mythological being. This requires a great amount of power necessitating a corresponding area of authority in her realm. Furthermore, the individual in question needs to have an internal compatibility that would allow them to access the power. Even with her abilities to sift through Fate’s threads Othinus has yet to find more than a handful of candidates in her world. She may threaten stripping one of their powers as a tool to control them, but their rarity makes it a difficult thing to do regardless for her.

Mead of Poetry: Containing an impossible degree of creative talent, Othinus is unsurpassed in any and all art forms. This actually requires little more than imbibing any amount of alcohol. However, there is a second facet to this. She may share this creative power with another with something as little as a kiss. This creative fervor cures things such as writer’s block, grants an unending amount of inspiration, and sparks the imagination as never before. However, due to it being influenced by her most artists who accept this boon usually become obsessed with Othinus herself.

Shapechange: Fluid in form, Othinus can take the form of nearly any animal with a bit of effort. While her stats do not change the other forms of her magic are sealed.

Lord of Ravens: Othinus’ affinity with these birds is second to none. Any raven that she sets her eyes upon immediately becomes her familiar. She may look through their eyes to spy upon others, retrieve reagents for her, and can even cast her spells through them at a far reduced potency of Medium.

Mimir’s Wisdom: By sacrificing her eye Othinus attained the power to view the fates of others. She can learn any mortal’s life story with a casual glance and even immortals are not exempt from this. If supported with Fate Binding it allows her to view even the most distant pasts, and allowed Othinus to look back to the dawn of Creation itself. It also grants a degree of certainty regarding the future. While it requires magical reinforcement to go beyond this, it allows her brief flashes of what will come to pass in combat. The length varies slightly but this precognition allows her to be aware of any immediate threats and surprises.

Sovereign of Magic: Every expression of sorcery that Othinus performs is an extension of a mystic authority emulating Odin’s own divinity. It is not so easy to nullify as any rudimentary spell. Any attempt to do so invokes a clash of wills with her, a forceful struggle of magic that can catch one by surprise if they do not suspect it. If they fail to defeat her the force of her power can send the other mage flying back and open up wounds across their body. This is also dependent on the power of the spell in question. Furthermore, even if she fails Othinus can catch glimpses of her opponents form and most definitely a taste of their magic in order to find them again. However it is not without flaw. This clash is intensely distracting, and is only suitable in one on one combat with another mage as her focus on her physical surroundings will be greatly diminished. She can choose to forego the clash but that allows the spell to be canceled out normally.

Other Abilities:

Divine Body: While her soul remains the same, Othinus has acquired a body that can only be described as divine through sorcerous means. It is the source of her unnatural physicality and provides her a a charisma that is nearly physical. Physically speaking she is terribly beautiful, and even if one’s preferences do not bend towards her they can appreciate her as one would a flawless work of art. When she speaks even her whispers rattle the bones, and her raging voice can wipe away the thoughts of the unprepared.

Equipment:

Nameless Spear: A weapon that has no sense of self or ownership, Othinus has taken it for a time due to lacking any other alternative. It is without a doubt an extraordinary tool. Even if Othinus lacked Fantastic agility it would allow her to move at such a level, and the spear always strikes perfectly. Wielding it allows Othinus to easily outdo master fighters, block potent strikes while ignoring the force behind it, and attack with great force as if she had Fantastic strength no matter her actual strength.

Valhalla: The realm she has created from the corpses of her foes, Valhalla serves as a major foundation of her strength. Within this land all of Othinus’ physical stats are raised by one. She may also actualize one rune at a time with a thought, letting loose attacks with only a split second warning of the symbol flaring into existence. These are tied to the arrays at her throne, and they can be destroyed and deny Othinus her enhanced powers. As with the Halls she can recreate these but it requires time.

The Halls of the Einherjar is currently the only existing structure of power within the vast city other than Othinus’ throne. Here are the current warriors that Othinus has chosen from the dead and offered to serve in Valhalla. Their stats range from Amazing to Incredible, and they are all constantly training in order to become greater warriors. It is not an ideal setup as acquiring these souls requires discretion and the truly great have bound their services up to others, but it is acceptable. This is at least partly due to the powerful armaments they possess as well. The einherjar can be slain but within Valhalla true death does not exist, for Othinus made it so. So long as the runes within their halls remain intact they will return although it can take several minutes. Damage to the runes will halt this along with other functions, and while she can restore them it would take at least an hour to do so.

Unlike the einherjar, those who enter Valhalla but are not part of it do not return to life within its boundaries. However, death does not come for them either. Instead they are simply banished from its boundaries and return to the Nexus. Only Othinus, sustainer of the powers that inhabit the realm, is vulnerable for she is the one who empowers the law.

In a few minutes Odin can construct a gate to or out ot Valhalla as may any of her exalted beings. Her einherjar are bound to the realm by Fate’s design and cannot leave. Anyone wielding the Nameless Spear can also enter it similarly to her.

Origin: The gods are mighty indeed, but they are limited because of their origins. Those who stand from on high believe they see all and are blinded by that arrogance. To reach beyond them and grasp firmly the sky beyond the sky, to grip perfection itself… such a thing requires a more grounded perspective. Someone who has dragged themselves up higher and higher beyond petty deities and their minor conflicts. Only someone such as that would have the ambition, the perspective, the insight to do what others will not. Sometimes, the hand of Fate must be forced. And one day it will be severed.

Weakness: The Nameless Spear can be stolen or lost, allowing individuals access into Valhalla on their own terms along with its physical benefits. Furthermore, Othinus does not place great value upon the spear itself. If someone appropriately pathetic with a great enough will were to impress her, it’s highly likely she would just toss it at them and retrieve the weapon once they died.

Othinus is bound by both Fate and duty. Until the promised time she cannot leave her throne room to take arms within Valhalla and while there supplies part of the power that supports the realm from collapsing in on itself. Valhalla doesn't require a constant flow of energy but eventually its internal stores will run out and it will begin to fall apart which necessitates her place on the throne. While she can see any location from there direct intervention is impossible unless her sanctum has been reached or the end has come. She can leave Valhalla entirely to manipulate events on the material plane on a lesser scale than her full fledged status as the conquering god; however, even this comes with drawbacks. While she can retaliate against violence shown towards her, Othinus cannot outright attack others unless they have shown that they mean harm to her. This also means she cannot simply outright execute those who have harmed her if they show that they no longer wish to do battle. This does get more complicated in regards to representational entities such as police chiefs who can give her cause to consider an entire district her enemy.

Likes: Valhalla, ravens, most modern foods.

Dislikes: Fate, wolves, most canines really, failing a clash of wills.





4
Cross Effects / In Character Game Thread (Depricated)
« on: April 04, 2018, 07:07:02 AM »
Azira

The Nexus was a ruthless den of monsters and villains. Supernatural beings roamed alongside mundane citizens, at night entire areas turned into hunting grounds, and violence could erupt for strange and normal reasons alike. Truly, the only thing that mattered in this place was power, power and the tools that would allow you to achieve it. Surely these were mighty things, large amounts of human resources, great relics, ancient conduits of power through which one could channel their power. That would be ideal. But sometimes things just don't turn out quite like they do at home, and one has to make do.

These thoughts and many more went through Azira's head as she gazed upon her newest minions, the fell creatures which would serve as the soldiers in her great army. Certainly they were... lacking in some respects, but it wasn't all bad. That was mostly all she could to try and reason with the situation as a troupe of the goblin-like creatures danced around her.



"Hyaaaah! Mastah, mastah, mastah!" Her eyes literally smoldering with power, Azira tried to not make too much of a scene as she made her way through an alley. It wasn't as if they were completely useless but there had to be other options! What sort of cruel twist of fate would give her these lesser beasts as her first minions? Well, they weren't entirely bad. Her power flowed into them easily, and they were simple enough to be incapable of anything but adoring her.

5
The Police

The police are, obviously, a very powerful and faction within the government of Nexus City. As the ones in charge of keeping the peace and protecting the general populace from supernatural threats, they have a great deal of say with how the government is run. They have a close relationship with the Cherion corporation, and the two often work hand in hand with each other. The police provide protection and legitimacy to their company, and they provide cutting edge biotechnology and medicine to the force.

While they call themselves the police, it would be more proper to describe them as a small army, capable of rapidly responding to dangerous threats with precise and calculated strike teams. There are several smaller subdivisions within the force as a whole, and working with/for them can prove greatly beneficial for the involved persons. However, the flip side of this applies as well, and one would be wise to watch their back if they got on their bad side.

There are four main distinct entities within the organization as a whole, with some overlap.

The first of these are the ones most similar to a traditional police force, and are fittingly called the Police. They are at the bottom rung of the chain of command. They're mostly made up of normal humans or some rather weak mages or supernatural beings, and spend most of their time patrolling the vast labyrinthine streets of the Nexus. Their ranks are open to most people, and all go through a one year long mandatory training regimen, where they build up their body's muscles, learn how to shoot, various basic tactics in the case of a firefight, and finally the myriad of rules and regulations they must follow as part of this organization. If one was prt of the military in their life prior to joining the force, they would be able to test out of parts of this training. They'll mostly be made up of people with human or exceptional stats without any additional powers beyond basic magic abilities, at most.

Above them are the Enforcers. These are the people who are sent in to quell riots, fight most monsters, and to garrison at high value locations, such as a police station or a hospital. They all go through extensive training, and are highly experienced in urban warfare. Only extremely exceptional individuals are recruited directly into the enforcers, and the majority of them are people from the Police who showed exceptional promise and were offered promotions from there. They're all at least straight exceptional and expertly skilled, and many of them are quite a bit above that, being capable of some form of magic, regeneration, being stronger than humanly possible, etcetera. Most of the higher ranked members are battle-hardened Enforcers.

And then finally, there are the Elites. They're technically a part of the enforcers, however they're de-facto independent, and are given great leeway in how they operate and run their section. They're the strongest of the strong, and are all extremely dangerous opponents on their own, let alone in a group, which is usually how they operate. Each elite is completely unique, with an extremely powerful or useful ability and are most often extremely strong physically as well, although this is by no means a defining feature. There are many powerful mages within their group as well. Elites are deployed to the most dangerous of situations and to protect the most vital places in the Nexus. Their might is a driving factor why these places are only targeted by big name gangs and utter fools.

Finally, there's the administrative side and specialists. These are the people whose talents lie in things other than fighting and going out into the field. Experts, utility mages, and even the lowly secretary. All of them and more can be found in this group.

However, for all their might, the Nexus is large, and they simply can't maintain the required manpower to police the entire thing and maintain order. They're constantly being overworked, and often lose good men to the violence of the city. They tend to protect some parts of the city better than others, favoring neighborhoods filled with people who pay their taxes, particularly wealthy neighborhoods. In some parts of the city, they have barely any presence at all and there is almost no public order.

Mercenaries and Vigilantes

Alongside their official permanent workforce, the Police also put up bounties for more dangerous criminals. The rewards can be significant, but one has to register as a vigilante in order to claim the prize. The Police hold no responsibility for Vigilantes who die on the job.





Named Elites

Name: Police Chief Jacob J Armstrong

Race: Human

Height: 250 cm

Weight: 355 kg

Appearance:

Physical Attributes

Strength: Legendary.

Agility: Fantastic

Constitution:Legendary

Other Abilities:

Supernatural Resistance: Jacob is resistant to all sorts of supernaturally powered attacks, and passively reduces damaged received by him by half. This, paired with his already monstrous strength speed and durability, makes him extremely difficult to damage, let alone defeat him.

Martial Arts: He also is extremely skilled in hand to hand combat, to the point of mastery.

FlightJacob has the power of flight. Pretty self explanatory.





Name: Chief Intelligence Elite, Alvis

Race: Human

Affiliation: Nexus Police, Nexus Enforcers, Nexus Elites

Age: 7 (356)

Height: 4’ 3

Weight: 53 lbs.

Appearance:


Physical Attributes

Strength: Human

Agility: Human

Constitution: Human

Magic Ability: Extremely High - Alvis’ magic is mostly focused to enhance his natural capabilities as a telepath. All of these abilities require physical contact with the victim’s head to utilize them but they allow for much more freedom to look into the thoughts of others and even enter their mindscape. Within it and with the aid of mana he is able to alter and influence it himself in order to create an illusory world within someone’s mind where he retains total control. He is also capable of going through memories, creating new memories, and even removing them from someone’s mind. He can practically give them amnesia or go all the way and simply crush their mind and leave them as a vegetable. This all requires time to do, which is why most of his subjects are kept restrained in case of any incidents.

Other Abilities:

Telepath: Alvis was born with the natural ability to listen into the thoughts of the people around him. He honed this ability over time to look farther and farther within people until he was capable of ferreting out the deeper thoughts of other people without being noticed. He was prodigal for his age and eventually learned how to influence other people by sending his own thoughts and emotions to them masqueraded as their own. While he is certainly skilled a strong enough mind or will can force him out and people experienced with telepathy will be able to recognize his foreign influence and dismiss it.

Foci: The nature of magic is slightly different where Alvis comes from. He utilizes internal foci which are places within his body that he concentrates on to gather mana to perform his spells. He has a total of four which means that he is taking in four times more mana and has four times more the capacity of the average magus. With all of this surplus of mystical energy he is also capable of doing a rough transfusion to other magi who require it. Much is lost in the unwieldy process but it is possible.





Name: Safiria

Race: Vampire

Age: approximately 5000 years

Height: 6’ 3

Weight: 160 lbs.

Appearance:

Physical Attributes

Strength: Fantastic

Agility: Fantastic

Constitution: Fantastic

Magic Ability: Medium - Safiria is relatively skilled in the art of illusions. She mostly uses them to hide her home from others and to give herself the features of the living. The vampire has also learned a few spells in order to compensate for the weaknesses that plague her race. During the day she can wrap herself in a cloak of darkness that even keeps the sun itself at bay and allows her to ignore the usual pain of its light. Fire will break apart any part of the darkness it touches and it must be reapplied.

Other Abilities:

Draining: Safiria has gone beyond the need for her kind to drink blood. All blood does is provide them an easy way to take in lifeforce which vampires need. She simply skips the middle man and can directly siphon lifeforce from her opponents with physical contact.

The Cold: A psychic ability that Safiria has had all her life. It allows her to intensify emotions within an entity whether they be positive or negative. This is accompanied by the person feeling a freezing cold which was the basis of the name. Those with enough willpower can resist the more overt attempts but it is much more difficult if she’s already using a powerful emotion you’re feeling right then.

Regeneration: Safiria can expend her stolen lifeforce in order to make her body reform and come together. As long as she has enough spare lifeforce she can theoretically recover from anything as long as enough of her body is intact. Wounds caused by fire and sunlight cannot be recovered as easily and take time to heal. Minor wounds heal basically instantly, and limbs within seconds. Even cutting off her head wouldn’t be enough to instantly defeat her, although it would require a significant expenditure of blood.





Name: Jack Perkins

Race: Human

Height: average

Weight: average

Appearance:

Physical Attributes

Strength: Amazing

Agility: Amazing

Constitution: Amazing

Magic Ability: Extremely High

Jack has extremely limited magic, but at the same time, it’s also an extremely powerful and versatile tool that he can use to deadly effect. He has the power to create and manipulate rain and water, and is capable of easily compressing it into a high pressure blast of water that can pierce even metal or diamonds, create equally high pressure shields, or create solid weapons that hit as hard as any strong and durable metal weapon, among other things.

Other Abilities:

Acrobatic:Jack is extremely acrobatic and is skilled enough to use it to dodge in combat.

Equipment: Jack carries a cane around, but it isn’t special or particularly useful in battle.





Name: Police Combat Golem Mk 7, also known as Melissa

Race: Magical Construct

Height: 5’11

Weight: Heavy as fuck

Appearance:

Physical Attributes

Strength: Fantastic

Agility: Incredible

Constitution: Fantastic

Other Abilities:

Inorganic Life Form Melissa, as a magically constructed golem, does not react to pain as a normal human or other animal would. She is designed to be able to feel it, as to allow her to know where she’s damaged or if she’s in danger, but at the same time to be able to fight to the end without suffering any of the ill effects from it. It doesn’t scare her, nor distract her or could her mind. To her, it’s just part of who she is.

Furthermore, as an intelligent magically constructed golem, she is intelligent enough to understand orders and to perform her job perfectly, but is incomplete in many other ways. She views justice in an extremely black and white way and is inexperienced with normal human day to day interactions, as they were deemed unnecessary to program into her. She is theoretically capable of learning, but sees no need to attempt to do so.

Finally, she is capable of surviving injuries that would cripple or otherwise kill a normal living being. Even if she’s destroyed, she can always be rebuilt, perhaps even stronger, so long as her creator lives. As such, he is well protected by the police at all times. However, this is not to say she is expendable. As an extremely advanced and powerful golem, building her requires at minimum nine months in ideal conditions, and potentially far longer. She is also expensive to maintain, materials and mana wise. As such, only two of her exist at this time. (Each of them have a different name and superficially look different, but otherwise they’re essentially the same model.

Equipment: Melissa can be equipped with basically any kind of police or military gear one can imagine and use it well.
Note:There are other, similar golems as well. Feel free to make some up to suit your needs and propose them!

(More to be added later)


6
Fights that won't happen IC can happen here. Feel free to explode as many things as you want as you show off your powerlevels.

7
Secret Garden / The League of Extraordinary Gentleman
« on: June 24, 2014, 11:57:00 PM »
This is a fanclub dedicated to the dapper beings that make the world a better place by association.










8
Real World Topics / Debate Everything
« on: May 22, 2014, 07:08:32 PM »
Morality, philosophy, or god, I don't really care what you argue about. Just keep it civil and stop cluttering all the other threads.

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