Fantasy Flight of the Phoenix - Winged Human RP (Always Open)

[BittyBobcat]

• Premise
• Rules
• Lore
• Setting
• Groups
• (Optional read) Flame's Wing Guide

• 
  In this world, all humans are born with wings. Phoenix wings—the product of a gene that only differentiates its carriers from others once activated—grant near-immortality to their wearers and are the rarest form of these. Parts of phoenix wings such as feathers or scales can be used to power spells of extreme strength (most notably spells that extend lifespan). For this, they are hunted.
  
  Our story will follow multiple small groups that are made up of phoenixes and anyone affiliated with them as they travel through Aerynthia, a fantasy setting with tech somewhat similar to what our world had in the 1800s (though this doesn't wholly define it as magic and the resources available in their setting have changed the way a lot of their technology developed; for example, guns do exist, but swords, crossbows, and other similar weapons are often more popular).
  
  The plot will be almost entirely character driven. All characters will be divvied up into small groups of around 3-7 (although, it's entirely fine to break that range) according to wherever the owner of each character wants to put them (one roleplayer is allowed to have characters in multiple groups), and these groups may change members at any time as long as it makes sense within the narrative (meaning that if a character is in one place and a group is in an entirely different one, then that character would not be able to join that group at that time). Post-rate and themes may differ between groups (although weekly posting will be considered the baseline) according to what the roleplayers in them want to do. Everybody in the rp will be welcome to join in worldbuilding.
  
  Characters would not be required to be phoenixes, but the main idea of this rp will be phoenixes, how they navigate the world, and the people affiliated with them (meaning both allies and hunters). There is no set character limit, but you will need to keep them at a number that you can handle posting for. All participants will need a Discord because that is where the OOC server will be.
  
  This RP is run by me, ScatheAriiasqDrayceon , and Tapfic . If you have any questions, problems, or anything else you'd like to DM us about, then feel free to. We're planning on keeping this RP open for a while, even once it actually starts up, so don't feel any pressure to get your characters done quickly. Character sheets must be approved before they are entered into the RP.
  
  Note: If this seems familiar, then that may be because it is. This is a reboot within the same setting, although we've changed up how we'll be running the RP itself from the first time.
  
  
• 
  Rules
  1. Follow RPnation rules
  2. No 18+ content
  3. Be civil to everyone (meaning respect people's pronouns, don't bully people, and don't do other such things that common sense keeps most non-jerks from doing)
  4. General RP guidelines (no being overpowered, no Mary Sues, etc)
  5. Have a Discord because there's gonna be an OOC Discord (people will be invited once they've gotten their characters accepted)
  6. Semi-literate (meaning your posts should be understandable, and generally are expected to be around 2-3 paragraphs, though some breaking from that range is fine)
  7. Keep up with the post rate of your group. If you need to delay a post or take a hiatus, then make sure your group knows.
  8. Always label your posts IC with the name of the group your character is currently a part of in bolded letters at the top
  9. No BBcoding aside from regular formatting (ex: bold, italics, tabs using the basic BBcode commands for it, text-alignment, etc) because heavily-coded posts tend to be hard to read and/or break on mobile
  10. If you've read this far, then you're are legally cool beans (note the beans). Say so in your character sheet
  
  "Can I make this?" Guidelines
  New groups? Yes
  Kingdoms? Yes, but you should have at least a vague idea of relations with other kingdoms
  NPCs and minor characters? Yes
  New major characters once I've joined the rp? Yes, but you will need to have your CS approved just like the first time
  Creatures, plants, and other organisms? Yes, but you should at least have a vague idea of its effect on the ecosystem it lives in
  Technology (including magic items)? Generally yes, if it's particularly world-changing then ask one of the GMs
  Human-like species (ex: aliens)? No
  Any lore that conflicts with other established lore? No, unless you and the person who made that lore are able to come up with a compromise together
  Anything else you're unsure about? Ask one of the GMs (me, ScatheAriiasqDrayceon , or Tapfic )
  
  
• 
  ~Phoenixes~
  In order to be a proper phoenix, a person requires two things. It is only when both conditions are met that a person begins to display any physical signs of being a phoenix.
  
  The first is a rare genetic mutation that may be inherited or may spontaneously occur during conception like most mutations. The phoenix mutation is not limited to bird-based wings. Anyone could have the phoenix gene and no one (themselves included) would be any the wiser. However, pre-activation phoenixes tend to have no secondary abilities related to their wings (regular secondary abilities explained under "Wings"), and—if they do have them—then they will lose them upon activation in exchange for their new abilities.
  
  The second is an "activation" in which the base of a phoenix's wings is set on fire or otherwise exposed to extreme heat. This process isn't well known outside of hunter circles and active phoenixes, though the physical changes that result from it are. Once activated, a phoenix's wings will become shiny, have a minor glow, and turn any combination of red, yellow, and/or orange.
  
  Activated phoenixes also gain access to their associated abilities. Though most individuals have secondary abilities often relating to fire or healing, the only ability all phoenixes share is rebirth. If a phoenix is killed, then they will revive within a day and revert back to the state they were in when they were activated with their memories intact. This usually leaves them weak and tired for around a week afterward, but it this can go on for a month or longer depending on how much energy it took to reverse their death. There are only two ways to permanently kill a phoenix. The first is to kill them enough times in quick succession for their magic stores to be drained and therefore for them to have no magic left to regenerate themselves. The second is to destroy a specific group of cells that is usually found at the base of their wings called their "core". Their core is not often visibly distinguishable from the rest of the body, so a person trying to permanently execute a phoenix will likely have the best chance of doing so by removing and destroying their wings entirely. This has lead to many legends stating that the removal of wings allows phoenixes to die permanently rather than the core.
  
  Parts of phoenix wings (feathers, scales, wing dust, etc) can be used to power strong spells (most notably ones for immortality/life extension) due to the large amount of magical energy within them. However, phoenixes cannot use these components for themselves. This is because these magical energies are already harnessed to them for the purposes of sustaining their life-force and/or powering their secondary abilities. Even an unrelated phoenix trying to use a phoenix-based component cannot, because the component is naturally predisposed to sustaining the life-force/powering the secondary abilities of phoenixes.
  
  Note: Please do not go overboard with secondary phoenix abilities. They already have rebirth, so they likely won't be underpowered.
  
  ~Wings~
  Secondary abilities are not limited to phoenixes. Wings come in all shapes and sizes, and oftentimes come with abilities secondary to flight. A person with dragon-based wings might be able to breathe fire, for example. Some bird-based wings may come with air current manipulation. These abilities may be similar to spellcasting, but—while they technically may be powered by magical energy—they are not considered spells. They're just something that some people can innately do. Not everyone has secondary abilities, but they're fairly common (it's about a 50/50 split).
  
  Some wings also come with secondary physical traits, such as claws, patches of feathers, or sharper teeth. These traits are almost always somewhat minor, and never alter a person to the point that they are unrecognizable as human. For example, a person with dragon-based wings may have sharper teeth, but they won't have an entire dragon head. A person with bird-based wings might have eyes similar to an owl's, but they won't have a beak.
  
  Wings are genetically inheritable. Excepting odd mutations, a child will have wings of a similar type to their parents. Two people, one with falcon-based and one with hummingbird-based wings, may have a child with seagull-based wings, or various other types of bird, but they will likely not have a child with insect-based wings.
  
  ~Magic~
  Magic as we imagine it is far less defined than the magic of Aerynthia. What we may think of as magical—dragons, flying manta rays, etc—are just their everyday. When they use the word "magic", they are referring to a magic as an energy and the broad field of science that focuses on it, its sources, and how to harness it. Magic has many subfields, such as alchemy (the conversion or purification of various materials in order to gather or use magic, often used in medicine), enchantment (permanent spells, usually placed upon items or locations), and divination (an inexact science that seeks out predictions of the future, usually only finds the most likely events). Like many fields of science in our world, magic overlaps with other sciences. An alchemist needs have just as much knowledge of chemistry as a physicist needs of mathematics.
  
  Like most fields of science, magic has laws. The only one you will likely need to know for this rp is that magical energy follows the law of conservation of energy. Magical energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted into a different form. This is why most spells and other magical processes must be powered by components (such as jackelope horns, amethysts, phoenix feathers, etc). Some animals and items (such as gemstones and jackelopes) naturally gather these magical energies, making them optimal sources for magical energy. Spells that take larger amounts of energy require either more components or more focused/pure components (meaning they have more magical energy).
  
  Harnessing magical energy is difficult, often requiring complex runes, rituals, and other processes to be completed properly. The education on these subjects, combined with the cost of components, makes the study of magic very difficult and expensive. It is for this reason that most accomplished mages are wealthy. The common person may know how to cast a few spells, but most are simple, small, and only help with housework or cure a mild ailment.
  
  
• 
  ~Aerynthia~
  Yellowed pages of an old parchment scroll lays before your hands, well-worn and crinkled. Ink blots its surface in rich black and fine strokes, outlining the visage of towering peaks swimming in thick, puffy clouds. A flurry of scarab-winged isopods dart through trees that vanish under the white blanket while dragons sun their scales atop the snowy peaks of mountains, the scaled beasts barely noticing the peryton gliding through the white mist.
  
  Even with their playful abandon, none dare dip below the clouds. Mothers warn their fledgling fawns when they get too close with a birdlike trumpet, herding the distracted young back toward the great trees, for those that fall below the mist never seem to reappear.
  
  This is Aerynthia, a world of clouds and stone. Here, almost all known life has been gifted with flight—an essential ability when nearly all of the world drops off into a mysterious and deadly abyss. The only landmasses are mountains, particularly tall trees, and the occasional floating kingdom.
  
  ~The Floating Kingdoms~
  The parchment ink swirls, repainting itself into the gentle curves of a manta, an imposing city perched on its back. Riddled with stairs, hanging gardens, and even homes, the central pillar holds nearly half of the city alone, massive rope-bridges spanning the gaps between the support structures that keep the artificial plateaus in place. The whole structure is honeycombed with buildings; hanging off of structures, perched on top, and even stacked atop one another.
  
  The only place in the whole city that isn't a crowded with the buzzing of all different kinds of wings is the castle at the peak of the pillar. Gilded in shining, vibrant metals in the echo of a flame, the entire structure oozes nobility, even laced with expensively-cut stone along the edges of the keep's roof.
  
  Bridges span the gaps between the manta's kingdom, and the many floating islands that orbit it. Vibrant purple crystals float alongside each bundle of rock and dirt like stars, humming the same tune as the one set into the head of the manta. It is for these crystals that the Kingdom of Amethyst is named.
  
  Floating kingdoms such as this are numerous and diverse as their inhabitants, but they tend to take on a couple specific characteristics. They are mobile, and through their mobile nature they often become trading hubs for merchants with airships or immobile settlements.
  
  Inhabitants of the floating kingdoms—often referred to as drifters—are usually from a variety of backgrounds. Due to the fact that these kingdoms operate as trading centers, many different people mingle upon them, resulting in their diverse populations. They become melting pots of culture and knowledge. While drifters aren't without their various prejudices and stereotypes, their laws tend to be more tolerant of various religions and doctrines (whether this is because it brings in more business or because they are exposed to more of them, no one is quite sure).
  
  ~The Grounded Kingdoms~
  The parchment sheds the ink once more, but only that of the Kingdom of Amethyst as it reveals the mountains that were previously covered by the manta and its inhabitants. It flourishes with trees, rice paddies, goat pastures, and barley fields. Various holes dot the surface; entrances into the rocky place many call home. Most of the entrances are accompanied by a small, balcony-like structure to serve as takeoff and landing pad, and some decorated with a sturdy rope-bridge for transporting items too heavy to fly with. From here you can't see it, but the inside of the mountain is hollowed out. Mining operations expand inside, creating various tunnels and caverns that follow veins of ore. Grand bridges and towers are carved skillfully from the rock that it seems as if the stone itself grew to accommodate the people within. A solid panel of quartz gives the mountain a flat top and allows diluted sunlight to beam in from above.
  
  This is the world of a dweller—a common derogatory term for the inhabitants of the grounded kingdoms. In the mountains, the majority of people spend their life—quite literally—beneath a rock. Much as the expression suggests, dwellers don't get much news beyond their kingdom. Their access to the skies beyond is limited to what's within flying distance and accented by the occasional visit by an airship or floating kingdom. Their life isn't as varied as the drifters, but they are mostly self-supporting, and provide many raw materials that the floating kingdoms couldn't live without.
  
  Dwellers, of course, aren't limited to mountains. Many of the grounded kingdoms take residence in Aerynthia's forests, creating worlds of treehouses and rope-bridges. Though they aren't physically living under a rock, they are in a very similar situation to the mountain-based kingdoms. Dwellers tend to have extremely localized cultures. Many are famous for specialization (one might even say perfection) of various skills, such as farming, crystal growing, blacksmithing, etc. It's hard to make any generalizations of grounded kingdoms aside from their extreme differences, as their isolation breeds the various specificities that make them stand apart.
  
  
• 
  This is a list of currently existing groups within the rp that will be kept up-to-date as possible. Groups that are accepting new people will be marked in bold. If you would like to make your own group, then that's perfectly allowed, just follow the instructions on the character sheet template. Keep in mind that these groups will likely change over time and one roleplayer can have characters in multiple groups.
  
  Sparkly Idiots (Gray, Lan, Plat, Arii, Edelie - BittyBobcat Tapfic ScatheAriiasqDrayceon unstablepuddle ): Group that is meeting due to a fire in the Kingdom of Amethyst's popular shopping spot, Diamond Plaza, activating phoenixes. Expected to have many recently activated phoenixes. Presumably will leave the kingdom on Gray's airship, but anyone is allowed to split off if they'd like to
  
  AFAB/All Farmers Are Bastards (Plume, Jet, Lucy, Tabitha, Colby, Phedre - BittyBobcat ScatheAriiasqDrayceon Tapfic explosiveKitten unstablepuddle pythonorm ): Group that is meeting during a large breakout from a phoenix farm. Members will likely be phoenixes that were stuck in the farm. Likely will leave by stealing an airship, but people are allowed to split off if they'd like.
  Note: Conditions on phoenix farms may vary (though they're usually really bad), but the specific one that these characters are escaping from are pretty fucking bad. As in they-literally-have-collars-that-have-a-switch-on-them-to-kill-their-wearers-so-they'll-regen-and-get-phoenix-components-faster-than-if-they-were-just-left-to-regrow-naturally bad.
  
  
• 
  Note: You are not required to follow this
  
  Alright, look. Wings are stupid and make a grand total of 80% sense. But for the sake of whichever poor soul is jumping into this with no idea what they're doing, I'll give you what I got (which isn't much, but at least it's something). Feel free to ignore me, however.
  Sidenote, here's a bit that's easy to skim and might help.
  
  Wing Compendium: Standard Wing Shapes by Blue-Hearts on DeviantArt
  
  Avian wings:
  On principle, avian wings are built more for stamina than bat wings of the same dimensions, as the stiff structure of the feathers keeps the weight off the wrists and fingers.
  
  These wings are also subject to change, as they are simply categories that can, will, and should bleed into each other. Jet, for example, is an ocean glider in size, but his wings are shaped more for diving, as he is a migratory diving bird.
  
  Ocean glider:
  Gulls, Albatross, other seabirds.
  
  Wings built for gliding along strong ocean winds are the longest of the feathered wings. They're made to fly long distances without stopping, and conserve the most stamina.
  
  However, they're unwieldy; not built for either speed or maneuverability, as long as they are. Landings are clumsy and often ungraceful compared to their relatives, and a full wing beat rarely goes further than 45 degrees from the starting point.
  
  -High stamina, low speed, low agility.
  -Larger wings are able to perform standing takeoffs with no running or jumping required
  -Likely waterproofed
  -Fly semi-low
  
  Thermal glider:
  Hawks, most eagles, vultures.
  
  Wings built for more active flying than seabirds, thermal glider wings are often categorized by the five slotted feathers in the primaries of their wings. Those slots are to control their rise and fall on the warm thermal currents they're often found riding.
  
  Thermal glider wings are an all-around wing, generally, though it depends on the wings' dimensions, as longer or shorter wings influence their flight patterns quite a lot.
  
  -Medium all around. Subject to change.
  -Slotted primaries offer a greater degree of control through air currents.
  -Fly high.
  
  High speed:
  Swifts, swallows, falcons.
  
  Short, narrow wings with thin feathers and a sloped shape. These wings are built for speed and just about nothing else. They're small, and aerodynamic, but because of how fast they have to flap, the wings burn energy like a forest fire does wood. These birds can race cars and win.
  
  Falcon wings are a little different, as they don't flap as fast as the smaller birds, but I'm grouping them together.
  
  -F a s t
  -High energy use
  -Maneuverability depends on wing-shape and tailfeathers.
  
  High maneuverability:
  Passerine birds, (some)owls, hunting fowl.
  
  Short, blunt wings built for forests, tight turns, and short flights. These wings are most often found on smaller birds who are most often seen as prey animals.
  
  Due to these wings' small size, they fit easily between trees and rocks, making them perfect for darting through narrow gaps.
  
  -High energy use, but excellent maneuverability.
  -Aren't built to stay in the air for long.
  -Speed is debatable.
  
  Membranous wings:
  Fingered:
  Bats, the typically thought of dragon.
  
  Maneuverable and flexible, these wings consume a lot of energy, but pull their weight with how adaptable they are.
  
  Short/broad (membrane has to make it down past the legs, somehow): High stamina. Short wing fingers, long wing arm to reduce stamina consumption.
  
  Long/thin: High speed. Long wing fingers, short arm. Built for speed and sharp aerial maneuvers.
  
  
  Unfingered:
  Pterosaurs.
  
  Think ocean glider. But. Leathery. That's all I can say about this; pterosaur flight isn't really all that known, so I'm pulling from my knowledge of how wings work. As far as I can tell, they're like plane wings.
  
  Insect wings:
  
  Okay. From here, these wings are delicate, and they can't fly very high. I'm sorry. That's just bugs.
  
  Scarabs:
  First off, why, second off, these wings are made to get something heavy and inflexible off the ground. They're low stamina and low speed for the most part, but they have an excellent carry load. They're flat and inflexible, however, not built for strong winds.
  
  Dragonflies:
  Hummingbird++. These guys are fast, they can change directions on a dime, and can hover. Four wings means four platforms to use as something to create force. But they're also flat, just like scarab wings, and can only rotate 360 degrees about a single axis. They're subject to wind.
  
  
  Moths/butterflies:
  Imagine taking a sail, attaching it to your back, and using those as wings. That's what butterflies are. They can travel long distances because they have massive wings, but gods help them, because they're the wind's bitch.
  
  Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and... ants????? I guess????):
  These shouldn't be able to fly, but they do because they create a mini tornado under their wings and use that to do things. Y'know that altitude limit I put up top? Take that and halve it. That's Hymenoptera in a nutshell.
  
  
  Tails:
  It's like a boat rudder. But in the air. Uneven rudders are unusable, and thin ones are useless. Long ones hinder unless they have a fan keeping them upright, and I am getting real tired of typing, so just send me shit if you want a tail.
  
  If you have any wing questions, feel free to DM ScatheAriiasqDrayceon ; they have no life and like to talk about wings. (Their words, not mine)
  
  

If you're looking for more information, make sure to scroll up to the top of this post and click the tabs! There's a lot of important information in the other tabs.

Once you've read everything, then you're clear to make a CS!
Link to CS Thread: Fantasy - Flight of the Phoenix Character Thread
IC: Fantasy - Flight of The Phoenix

 

[Skryeb]

Hello! This sounds super interesting!

 

[explosiveKitten]

I love flying things!

 

[explosiveKitten]

Sorry for the double post but do I just make a character sheet, oorrrrr…?

 

[BittyBobcat]

Sorry for the double post but do I just make a character sheet, oorrrrr…?

Oh, yeah, once you've read all the interest check stuff (aside from that one optional read tab cause it's optional), then you're clear to straight character creation. I probably should've mentioned that lol. The link to the CS thread is at the bottom of the first post.

 

[AbyssFlower]

I'm interested

 

[BittyBobcat]

Bump

 

[BittyBobcat]

Bump

 

[BittyBobcat]

Bump

 

[BittyBobcat]

Bump

 

[BittyBobcat]

Bump (rp starts tomorrow)

 

[BittyBobcat]

The rp has started, but there's still time to hop in on the first arcs! Feel free to submit character sheets and/or PM me or one of the other GMs if you're interested!

 

[BittyBobcat]

Still time to join before the first arc really kicks off if anyone’s interested

 

[BittyBobcat]

Bump ^

 

[pythonorm]

interested

 

[ScatheAriiasqDrayceon]

interested

Cs is up top; feel free to fill it out