The Reforged Saga - Prologue: Great Expectations [M]

[Imperial1917]

Higher than normal proficiency in using Kill is acceptable, provided that it works with what I have said.

[King of Swords]

I'll write up a CS.

[Imperial1917]

I'll write up a CS.

Good to hear.

[Megilwen]

Spoiler: Name: Jade Koller 

Year: 4

Origin: Yuushin

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Declared Class: Shaper

Appearance: Jade is a petite girl, standing at about 5'1'' and weighing about 105lbs. She has long blond hair that falls to just below her shoulders that she just allows to fall around her face and a bit over the right side of her face. She has sad blue-grey eyes, full pink lips, and sparking white teeth, if she chooses to smile. She's physically fit, but has a plethora of scars on her body. Jade has scars on her hands the left hand only up to her wrist, the right hand all the way up her her elbow. Her right leg was scared as well and the right side of her face had slight scars as well, which he'd keep hidden behind her hair.

Wargear:
*Leather armor
*Long bladed knife - Mostly used for a tool when enchanting or for defense, is not skilled enough to be able to put up a decent defense or to attack much more past haphazardly stabbing.

Creations: None

Allegiance: Knowledge is power and can lead to the solving of any problem.

Personality: Jade is quiet and typically withdrawn from her fellow students. She's also highly intelligent and quick to pick up on new magic, especially now that she's in a setting appropriate for learning spells instead of learning from her mom who wasn't knowledgeable in how to appropriately teach magic. Jade was still friendly and willing to help her fellow students, if they could work up the courage to ask as long as she able to keep her scars hidden around them.

Skills and Talents:
*Battle Magic - Jade focused slightly on battle magic and knows the following spells at varying levels, with Firebolt being her strongest. Firebolt, Burning Spray,
*Enchanting - Specializes in Enchanting wands with Battle magic. Being from Yuushin, Jade has always been around the crystals and has felt an affinity for the material and so when getting to the Academy she took to Enchanting like a duck to water.
*Shaping Control - Jade has always had an affinity for fire ever since the accident and so focused on Fire Creation Control

Banes:
*Enchanting Limits - Can only enchant crystals and spells with the magic that she knows
*Scars - Jade hates her scars and keeps them hidden underneath her clothes and her hair. She's hates the sympathetic stares, just as much as she's afraid of letting someone too close in case they were to see the scars. Jade doesn't want to feel that level of disappointment again, of feeling betrayed when someone she thought cared saw the scars and left.
*Withdrawn - Related to her scars and her past, Jade finds comfort in her studies, but at the nearly complete withdrawal from all social interaction, if at all possible.

Biography:
Born in Yuushin, Jade was the daughter of a crystal miner and a mage. Her mother had gone to the academy to learn magic in order to help the town with the mining process. She focused solely on the firebolt spell as such explosive power could be used to help clear rocks quicker in the mines.

Growing up Jade's play toys were crystals that her father had brought back from the mines. The lights catching in the facets were always something that fascinated her. As she grew older, her mother told her stories of the academy, of the Shapers, and that's all Jade wanted to do when she was old enough. So much that she begged her mother to show her the firebolt spell. At first, her mother was reluctant saying that Jade could learn all that when she attended the academy at 12.

After much wheedling and whining, Jade finally convinced her mother to start teaching her arguing that it would give her a head start and help her to become a shaper. Her mom started her out small. Just on the theory, but that wasn't enough for Jade. At first she couldn't get it to work and it took 2 years learning the theory during the day and attempting to make the spell work in secret. At 10, she finally made the spell work, but it was a disaster. The bolt was explosive knocking her back into the wall and unconscious while setting the table on fire. She barely made it out of the house alive.

Over the next two years Jade was withdrawn. Hiding in the house, refusing to hang out with her old childhood friends and when she did went out she'd make sure her body was covered hiding the scars. She grew out her hair, so that it could hide the ones on her face or she would wear a veil over her face to cover them. Due to her scars, her parents didn't think Jade wanted to attend the academy. She been so excited to go before the accident and she'd never reminded them of their promise to let her go at 12. It was two more years before she finally decided she was ready.

At the acadmey, Jade continued in her emotional and social withdrawal. Being the silent one, many student left her alone and those who didn't found it difficult to draw her into conversation but not impossible. In the academy, she combined her studies into the two things with which she was familiar, the crystals that her father mined and the battle magic that was her mothers. Though she studied it more loosely and not so focused as her mom. In her fourth year, she was excited to hear about the Shaper trials and signed up immediately despite knowing that meant working with a team.

Spoiler: RP Sample: 

Jade sat at her family's kitchen table. She was so close to getting the spell to work. She could just feel it. Trying again to cast the spell, she finally managed to succeed. Though not how she thought it was going to go. The spell was powerful, much more than she'd expected and she shot backwards hitting her head against the wall behind her, efficiently knocking her out. She woke up minutes later, her head aching and throbbing to someone screaming her name.

"JADE! JADE!" It sounded like her father's voice, but she couldn't tell.

She opened her to yell out for him only to start coughing. Blinking her eyes, she squinted around. What she'd thought was just blurry vision from hitting her head was actually smoke. The house was burning around her, apparently the Firebolt spell had caught on something.

"JADE! JADE!"

"Here..." She said coughing while getting up and stumbling toward the door covering her face with one arm. The little wood frame of the cabin creaked as the wood grew weaker. It wouldn't stand up much longer. As she got nearer to the door she saw that it was already blocked she wouldn't be able to go out that way. Jade started to panic. How was she going to get out of the house. There wasn't a backdoor. Suddenly the sound of shattering glass drew her attention.

"JADE THE WINDOW! GO OUT A WINDOW!"

The window was more clear than the door, but she'd still have to get past some burning pieces to get there. Adrenaline rushing, Jade took a running leap to jump over some burning debris that had fallen from the ceiling and could feel a burning sensation as the flames licked at her legs. There was pain, but in the moment it was minor compared to her need to get free. In front of the window were burning curtains and in order to get out she'd have to pull them down. She couldn't see anything that she could use and as part of the ceiling fell in behind her she knew she didn't have much time left. Reaching up with her bare hands, she pulled the fabric away, biting hard at her lip as a burning shot through her hands and one arm as the fabric fell onto her arm. Beating it off, she jumped up to catch hold of the window in order to pull herself out, she could feel the glass biting into her palms as her dad helped to pull her through. Outside, safe from the fire, she was able to feel all the pain that her body had been ignoring before and she passed out from the pain.

~*~

In her dorm at the Academy, Jade woke up her scars throbbing in pain. She'd had the dream again, about the night of the fire. With a sigh, she stood from her small bunk and shuffled over to her cabinet grabbing the salve that she kept to soothe her scars. They still bothered her eight years later. Noticing the light coming up outside, she decided to just go ahead and get ready. There was supposed to be some kind of meeting for those wishing to further their studies as Shapers. This was what she'd been working for since she came to the academy. This was her lives purpose.

[Minkasha]

Working on a CS myself.

Few questions if you'll be kind enough to answer, they would definitely help with character creation :

1. So there are no actual guns, just the sharper biological weapons?

2. What level of technology are the conveniences? This I wasn't sure about because I'm assuming Shapers didn't make everything (things like entertainment or hygiene, medical etc)

3. Are there any open prejudices among the population that isn't Shaper related? (Race or something else?)

4. How many ethnic minorities exist after the shattering? Can we call them as we want? (I'm assuming an African wouldn't be called an African in this project)

5. How does this society deal with the disabled and handicapped?

6. Socially speaking, how do women and men relate to ea ch other? Equal footing or is there an advantage or place of power one has over the other?

7. What is the currency they use?

8. What type of criminal system do they use and what methods or punishment or rehabilitation do they use?

9. Are there any addictive drugs, natural or otherwise that people can get addicted to? If so, what are the social opinions of these drugs and how frequently abused are they?

[Megilwen]

Are there a name for the crystals?

[Imperial1917]

@Minkasha
Before I answer your questions, I would like to note that the game was very expansive, but also very focused on the Shapers. Certain matters were covered while others had very little depth. This is, of course, part of RPing in a set universe: you see the lackings and a GM will usually fill them in. So some of these answers are from the universe and will make perfect sense while others are things that I have to adjust for, as they are absent or otherwise only hinted at.

Factors that may be included in discussions include:
1. Differences between Shapers/non-Shapers (AKA outsiders)/creations
2. Location factors
3. Before/after the Shattering, during the era of the Shaper Council/Thorin's Council, respectively

1. There are no guns, no. This is strictly fantasy in that sense. Ranged weapons in the game were limited to javelins, thorn batons, wands, crystals, and magic (spells). Of course, you can throw other things if it suits your character, though you probably won't be creating bows anytime soon.

There was a small faction in the first game (actually, they are relatively important) that may have used bows (twigs to cast other twigs), as they did have a ballista. The ballista isn't named as such and is only described as it belonged to a non-Shaper faction. The technology of the ballista itself was not recognizable to Shapers, as such things were simply not made or used by them.

2. Hygiene: Soap is common. Shaper facilities are generally kept clean, especially the laboratories, in order to avoid accidents during experiments or the spread of Shaping-related problems. Outsiders live in a very feudal-era hygiene world. Serviles may be used to clean public venues though. Establishments like shops may have to pay the Shapers for servile labor. Bear in mind that this game is starting in a swampland, so the hygiene level won't be outrageously high.

Medical: As was noted in the OP, medical aid comes in the form of either alchemy, provided either by Shapers or outsiders, or Healing Craft, provided by Shapers. Things like Germ Theory existed on a certain level, as Shapers were well aware of the threat of small organisms, but advanced technology that involves any kind of electricity is non-existent unless it is otherwise powered by crystals, which are used pretty exclusively by Shapers.

Entertainment: Shapers are generally consumed in their work, meaning that other entertainment doesn't hold their attention. Shaping is dangerous and not used for entertainment, interesting though it may be. However, some fyora are kept as pets. While servile labor helped free many outsiders to pursue their own interests, the Shapers never took the time to write down what they got up to. Things like games weren't Shapers' interest. However, there are always the carnal houses in Issei.

If you have any other specific "conveniences" categories I would be willing to answer them.

3. In a word, no. Pre-Shattering, there were people of different shades, but no obvious conflict. Post-Shattering may involve some rivalries between settlements (particularly Assence and Tarin), but most keep a lid on their prejudices under the watchful eye and none-too-tender mercies of the Council.

4. Yes and no. There aren't real minorities as ethnic differences might exist, but ethnic divisions between them do not. There is a great deal of ethnic mixing due to close proximity in the swamp, meaning that most of the settlements are ethnically homogenous in their diversity, so to speak. The main divisions that exist outside of the Shaper-outsider-creation paradigm are between settlements, as with Assence and Tarin. There are minor cultural differences between tribal traditions in the settlements, but nothing major.

5. A high degree of freedom from resource scarcity means that most outsider settlements will take care of the disabled and handicapped for the remainder of their lives. Shapers, on the other hand, will preserve the physically handicapped to retain their power and wisdom while mentally handicapped Shapers may be killed in order to ensure that their powers don't run amok.

It should be noted that physically disabled and handicapped are rare for both outsiders and Shapers. Alchemy and Healing Craft means that most physical ailments can be fixed and any illnesses that cannot are almost universally fatal. For Shapers, their craft usually means that any accidents in a lab are usually fatal.

6. Legally and socially, men and women are equal both for Shapers and outsiders and even creations (which pretty much just means serviles with respect to this matter). The only gendered division is that Guardians are usually male and Agents are usually female, though the Shapers will hardly bat an eye at a reversal of the two. In a sense, Shapers have their heads up in the clouds contemplating their experiments too much to care about gender issues and outsiders causing issues about gender or otherwise, is annoying and annoying a Shaper usually results in death.

7. Shapers use coins for currency. Though there is a premium on gold and silver and the like, coins are pretty much made from any metal with equal value regardless of what they are made of. Of course, the Shapers make sure that they are not made counterfit, though they don't pay much attention to money matters.

8. If you want to know what laws Shapers are specifically held to, check the OP. Other laws, to which both Shapers and outsiders are held, are pretty standard: don't kill, don't steal, etc. Laws are enforced by the Shapers, either through human guards or creation patrols, but almost universally by force. Agents usually concern themselves with direct violations of Shaper Laws and privileges (specifically the prohibition on outsiders Shaping), but may also serve as secret police against those who break more mundane laws. Punishments themselves usually include one of four things: a fine, imprisonment (in a cell or stockade), lashing, or death.

9. There will be an addictive substance of sorts revealed later on, but for now alcohol is the main drug, usually coming in the form of ale, beer, etc. Of course, once I get some of the other substances (mainly herbs) up on the list, players are free to have their characters smoke them and see what happens.

@Megilwen
To which crystals are you referring? The weapon crystals?

[Minkasha]

Thank you for answering my questions, but alas I have more!

1. Will the project take time over (in story) years? (Meaning, will we see characters age and mature?)

2. If there is little ethnic diversity and the characters mentioned are white (yes?) does that mean everyone is for the most part, white?

[Megilwen]

Yes the weapon crystals that are harvested in Yuushin.

[Imperial1917]

Thank you for answering my questions, but alas I have more!

1. Will the project take time over (in story) years? (Meaning, will we see characters age and mature?)

2. If there is little ethnic diversity and the characters mentioned are white (yes?) does that mean everyone is for the most part, white?

1. Possibly, but unlikely. The adventure part of this RP was designed to be part survival, which means that most of it will be done day by day, with week timeskips at the most. However, that isn't to say that larger timeskips are not possible. I can think of a number of ways in which there can be longer time lapses, though those will probably be used between Acts.

2. Perhaps it was poorly explained, though admittedly this one is a bit far for this RP. Basically, most people will be a decent shade of tan to begin with. The color of a character's skin is more reflective of their vocation than their ethnic background. Lighter skins means more time indoors while darker skin means more time outdoors, that sort of thing. Ethnic physical structure will be mixed, meaning that players can make their characters' physical builds to their preference.

@Megilwen
There are crystals which are thrown and wands which cast specific effects. They have no special names.