SniperBus
Queen of Snails
The Crystalline Blood
- The World Map
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This is the most complete map of the world today, and shows none of the uncharted regions of oceans. To this date, there is no knowledge if there are other landmasses and bodies of water than these.
(Countries: No man's land, uninhabited, Benkharf, Osen, Shijuhan Dynasty, Daelyn, Xne, Vulstendunn, Brelentia, Arstol, and Ardenfall)
Thanks to @XxBouncy BunnyxX for doing the borders for me.
Yes, my five key is still broken.
Credit to the watermark, bottom right. Great job on this.
Sorry for butchering it.
- Osen
-
Osen, in its entirety.
(Better get used to hearing that word..)
The magic in this universe is called Osen, named after the first great one, Ose.
All Osen follows these rules:
All Osen returns to the environment.
The largest source of Osen in the world is the release of an organism from 'the cycle'.
The process is more commonly known as death.
All Osen crystallizes and expands when stilled.
Osen is in every sentient being, despite its intelligence. Osen is in the air your characters breathe and the water they drink, but only in trace amounts.
Osen is toxic. Exposure to it will decay you, and afterwards, your soul.
First Osen takes the legs, then the arms, and finally works its way up the body to the head- where it destroys one's mind. Eventually, when the soul and body are rotting and fetid, one's heart stops- this is considered the only natural cause of death.
Osen exposure.
There is only one way to avoid this subtle poison:
Don't. Become. Its slave.
Osen is vesseled in the soul, an unusual organ that cannot be touched physically, but decays like all other organs. However, much like a muscle, anyone can build up their soul to hold more Osen, more securely.
Some people are born with little Osen, and their life is blessed. They live longer, they are stronger, but their brains.. small and undeveloped, like their souls. While Osen eventually ruins your mind, the presence of it running through veins stimulates the brain, causing it to perform at much higher levels.
Those born with great swathes of Osen at their disposal develop thicker skin at birth, so much thicker that their veins are invisible beneath their many layers of flesh. Those tainted will have a much easier time learning and developing skills throughout their early life, but will fail physically compared to other children of the same age.
It's hard to tell who has Osen and who doesn't, after all, being a prodigy is more common than being blighted with Osen. Parents can only hope and pray their child isn't one of those things.
No one can tell for sure until the poison shows itself for the first time.
After all, when your child explodes into flame, it's an excellent hint.
The fire burns away the thick skin developed since birth, but otherwise doesn't harm the tainted one in any way. For the first time, anyone can look at their veins. Massive, wide, and pumping thick black blood.
While an Osem, a user of Osen, trains their soul to hold more Osen, it will decay.
Luckily; there are three ways to heal a broken soul fully.
Slaying anyone more powerful than yourself, then binding their soul to yours using an insidious rite. Souls may be accumulated and stored for use in this later, but the weaker it is than yours, the less useful it becomes.
Resetting your life with the ancient rite of reincarnation, a gamble even for the most risky of people.
Or, should you wish it, sacrifice yourself and hope for divine intervention from the Great Ones while protecting their interests.
The soul grows in strength like a muscle, that much is true, but why?
As the soul empties itself of Osen, it thirsts for more, drawing it in from the food one eats or drinks, or even from the environment or souls of slain foes. When it is even partially filled, the returning Osen from the bloodstream fills into the soul, forcing it to be over-capacity. Rather than exploding, the soul expands through a painful process where it shreds the muscles nearest to it in the physical realm to expand its own size. This generally only happens once an Osem is done using Osen just after battle or for such other occurence, resulting in them needing to rest shortly after battle for a small amount of time before continuing.
- Soulprints
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A dark rp about magic, slaughtering, careless genocide, and lack of animal rights, now with customization!
*pops confetti cracker
Soulprints are the effect a soul puts out onto the Osen in its body. A soulprint is unique to the Osem, and is determined by how a soul attempts to 'claim' the Osen running through its system. This same print is visible when using Osen, and it appears every-time an Osem exerts him/herself through Osen, without fail. However, this print also belongs to the soul in the same way the soul thinks the Osen belongs to it. Because of this, the soulprint will always hold value to the owner of the soul in some way.
Basically, a soulprint will show up on the Osem's skin or in the air around them as they use Osen, changing in appearance as the level of exertion increases.
Ex: A bright red spot appears on the palm of the right hand, then slowly turns the entire arm red as Osen use increases to maximum potential.
Ex2: A wisp of smoke in the air, but at "full exertion", a billowing smokestorm surrounding the Osem appears.
- The Disciplines of Osen
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As a soul translates the power of Osen into wonderous arts through learning a discipline, it becomes better at translating its power, growing intertwined with the disciplines until mastery is acheived.
However, the more disciplines a soul learns, the slower it is at translating each one, and the slower it grows.
All disciplines are named after the Great One that created it.
All use of Osen requires a flow of it through the bloodstream of the Osem. Having a sword summoned from Osen, for example, will constantly require a flow through the bloodstream.
Ose: All magic originated here, and this is the primal form of it. Dark and reserved, this magic leeches and writhes with a pale intensity to steal, desecrate, and kill. The disillusioned non-Osem refer to all magic as "Ose-osen", even the intricate healing rites.
Gao: The discipline of self improvement, focused only on augmenting the body while using as little Osen as possible. Using this art, it is easy for an Osem to change the makeup of any parts of their body to make them become whatever they need. However, the must keep in mind that if they lose their more human features, it will become extremely difficult to return back- unless they have blueprints for their own body. Best only to use if very "intimate" with your body, or a genius in your own right.
Dem: The discipline of improving anything against Osen while using as little Osen as possible. With this art, an Osem can make traps activated when Osen is used, that can then, say, disrupt a teleportation before it's finished. Alternatively, use of this magic allows Osem to see disturbances caused by Osen while they (the disturbances) are in motion, letting Osem stop them pre-emptively. Keep in mind that stopping another person's magic requires you to use more Osen than they are, or, to use a more complex form of the same art.
Ondra: Manipulation and control are the backbone of this discipline. Using it, you can command lesser beings to do your way. This is easiest on things without a brain, like stone.
Sol: This is an art of knitting together the living, as to prevent death. Careful use of it results in healing, reckless use of it results in the death of all around.
Xne: A discipline of transforming Osen into an object of will, be it a sword made of fire or a fire made of swords. The more complicated, the more Osen is required. However, using this discipline requires the Osen in your body having an easy, direct path to the outside.
Vokyl: Designed in spite against Ose, Vokyl designed his discipline as attacks of blinding light, and pure blue lightning. These attacks cost little to no Osen, but are extremely effective at destroying heavily armored, or wet, foes.
Vordunn: Inspired directly by the disciplines of Ose and Vokyl, the combination of light and dark makes swirling, hazy barriers that are nearly impenetrable.
Keleik: The only Osen discipline accepted by the general populace, Keleik is known as the 'founder of civilized civilization' due to his transportation magic, that makes teleportation of non-living matter extremely easy. Living matter must be killed, then sent through a static portal, in order to be teleported. When using Keleik, Osem must make the start of the teleportation as an immovable portal that takes any shape. Objects that go through it maintain momentum, however. The destination can be anywhere within view, but if the portal is pressed up against something, the object going through the portal would react with it as it is normally. For example, if I put up a portal on the ground then put the destination up against a wall, if I dropped a rock through, it would go through the start, smack against the wall, then skitter off into the distance.
Mej: The only Great One to tap into power from anywhere other than their soul. This mystical art can only be learned directly from Mej himself, and calls upon the power of the world to destroy the foes before you. *
*cannot start with
Now, don't get me wrong, you can blend any combination of these disciplines, they aren't set apart things. Be free!
ex: A bright flash of light using Vokyl that blinds enemies, but heals any allies that see the light using Sol.
Also, Keleik portals are one way. Thought I should get that out there.
- Catalysts
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This topic is pretty simple.
Without a catalyst, an Osem’s abilities are weak. Lacking. The amount of Osen flowing through an Osem compared to the results they receive is terrible, a measly 20% efficiency from when it pumps through the soul, to when the energy is translated into power through the discipline of choice. Using catalysts, however, can raise efficiency to an infinitely high number- the best catalyst ever made could make any person, even with trace amounts of Osen, become able to cast the most intricate of arts.
Not that you would ever get your hands on a legendary catalyst of the Great Ones, but anyone can dream.
- Sites of Osen
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When a person born with a 'working' soul dies, their Osen stills, crystallizing in place, making a large pillar or other crystalline structure where they once stood. Left at the site is their soul, permanently bound to Ose itself. The person may now only move within their realm of influence, which gets weaker as it spans farther out from the epicenter of their death. However, those with exceptional power find themselves able to make mountains and shape the environment however they wish where they once stood.
Because of this, massive glistening pillars surrounded by outlandish natural structures are not uncommon.
Sites of Osen can be used as a place to restore your own Osen, should the one presiding there be charitable enough to share. Some of the most powerful Great Ones left behind entire cathedrals made of pure Osen crystal in their wake. You need only seek them out.
All Great Ones are deities.
The wise treat them as such.
- The Countries
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Now in alphabetical order! You have to pay extra for color, tho.
Ardenfall; A dark, barren wasteland at the edges of the known world. Just north of it is the Great Fissure, which is hundreds of miles wide and appears to wrap around the top of the known world like a crown. The people in Ardenfall have wanted to cross for years, but no one, not even the most powerful Osem user, has been able to make a way across- after all, how do you make a bridge across a hole you can't see the end or bottom of? Their nation is based off of curiosity and discovery, and while entirely reliant on food trade to feed their people, the biggest technological breakthroughs in the world have almost all come from there.
Opinion on Osen: Indifferent, with strict regulations.
Arstol: has been at war with Ose for five decades, now, and is willing to try anything to get an advantage over their long-time enemy. The war started due to agressive expansion by Ose, and the blockade of the military ports of Arstol. Arstol responded in force, recruiting those with Osen as a better 'mobile artillery' for the army. For when massive cannons aren't enough, try cannons with teleporting cannon balls that explode into a massive poisonous chain lightning attack. Should sort the enemies straight out. Arstol's coast would be perfect for trading vessels or colonization of the unknown planet, however, when any ships go towards the deep waters they are swallowed by massive creatures in the ocean, and the ship is destroyed in what can only be described as a divine act, or the crew gets raving mad about how they'll 'run off the edge of the world' and then overthrow the ship. However, these people have an extremely exotic fish industry, and it is said that if you eat there, you'll never be healthy again.
Opinion on Osen: Extremely hostile towards those who use it, unless they are in the army, then they are revered as heroes by the general population.
Benkharf; Due to an assassination of the under-aged heir of the nation, Benkharf has been left led by the widow of their Khanate, their army is in dis-array, and they have lost massive amounts of land, very quickly, to the Shijuhan. To counteract this, there are rumors of a super-weapon belonging to Mej himself, of them raising an army of sand-worms to eat their enemies, of them making their slaves focus on finding kerosene and gold to trade for peace between the nations.
But what good are rumors?
No one knows the true motives of the army, but in her grief-stricken state, no one would be surprised if Benkharf was lost to time.
Opinion on Osen: Those who use it are a threat, but make great slaves.
Brelentia; These fierce men and women of the north boast the best armies in the world, but have never been in a war. They see Osen as impure and unnatural, and as such, anyone seen showing the traits of Osen poisoning are immediately slaughtered, their bodies burned, and their ashes thrown into the massive volcano located in the center of the country.
Opinion on Osen: Strictly prohibited, with no chance of that ban being lifted.
Daelyn; At war with only the Shijuhan Dynasty, and is extremely close partners with the Vulstendunn. It is said that if a Daelyn went to any house in Vulstendunn, they would be welcomed with open arms, and treated like family. The Daelyn act like a buffer for Vulstendunn, and are one of few reasons the Shijuhan have not declared war on Vulstendunn. Discretely, however, the Vulst send constant supply trains to Daelyn, wishing for world peace.
Opinion on Osen: It is a blessed thing, and should be embraced with open arms. The Daelyn firmly believe all people belong the way they were born, however, over 88% of their country were formerly Shijuhan lands, and the prejudice against those with Osen in the past, and the genocide of them, resulted in the already-rare Osem being even less of an occurrence.
No man's land; No country in the world holds information about this mysterious place, but there are many Osen scholars in the world that took pilgrimage through this place. Most of them live in the supposedly uninhabited lands, under rocks, or on top of mountains- secluded, with nothing but their madness to accompany them. No man without Osem capabilities has ever survived walking over the clearly defined border, where the ground raises or lowers to become a 10 foot high cliff, no matter where it is. As if they were the walls of an ancient civilization..
Opinion on Osen: N/A
Shijuhan Dynasty; This nation treats all of its people like trash, and the people of other nations like polished trash. The leaders of this country have no regards for the loss of life, which is obvious in their brutal warrior culture. The Shijuhan Dynasty is currently at war with all nations, except for the Vulstendunn. The Shijuhan are famous for their genocides of any and all Osem except those with very special traits.
Opinion on Osen: It is only truthfully useful for exploiting the world, making weapons insanely quickly, and destroying others in combat.
Uninhabited; Only true, proven, Osem can survive here. It takes insane wits and skill to survive not only assaults from other of your own kind soon to turn into crystals, but also to survive against the highly mutated, disgusting, creatures and plants here.
Opinion on Osen: N/A
Ose; Currently engaged in war with Arstol, this country is comprised of an aristocracy, where poor workers and those born with Osen toil away so the aristocrats can house private armies, vie for the monarchy, and wage 'glory-filled' war. Due to several idiotic aristocratic provinces five decades ago, Ose is locked into war because the people of Arstol finally clamor about the unrest caused by Ose in recent history. The aristocratic clans suffer from each-other as much as they suffer from Arstol. It’s a miracle the country still stands.
Opinion on Osen: Osen-users? You mean.. 'equals'? Yeaaaaah, 'equality'. Woo.
Vulstendunn; Considered to be the best negotiators alive, the Vulstendunn are simultaneously allied with, and trade partners with, all existing countries in the known world. Truthfully, this is just due to clever use of poison and Osen, but who's the wiser, right? A note-able difference between this country and others is that it's the only one to have a language other than common tongue, meaning that only two known languages exist. The people of Vulstendunn are very discrete, and prefer their business meetings that way, too.
Opinion on Osen: With intricate, clever use, it is permitted. But the moment it becomes a problem, you are forcibly 'removed' from the country. Permanently.
Xne; Home to what is believed to be the site of Osen for Xne, the protection from him in his realm has long since been lifted- as he transcended and became a Great One thousands of years ago. Legends say Xne once spanned the entire known world, but quickly fell apart due to misunderstandings between the people. Xne grew tired of administrating over his people, and in the Great Massacre of 00000 C.E, slaughtered the entire population of his island before transcending as a Great One. Due to the many factions vying for control of his Site of Osen, the most pure, large available source of catalyst in the world, the nation has been in constant war since its conception.
The fools never bothered to remember that when transcending to become a Great One, your site of Osen explodes.
Opinion on Osen: Largely welcome, with no rules or regulations in place. However, the nation is torn simultaneously by rebellion, war against two nations, and anarchy from the uncontrolled use of Osen.
- "Plot"
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A thing so corrupt, everything it touches turns to dust. When it snaps its fingers, death follows, obedient like a dog. Death sits near it at all times, bound to him like leather on a book's spine. It could walk onto a farm, and a blight would spread through it instantly, killing and withering all the crops. They say under its clothes it has no skin, no bones, just an ethereal emptiness that will kill whoever lays eyes on it. They say under its gloves are the hands of demons, under its mask and hood the face of a beast. Rumor has it so much blood has splayed across its one cloak that the blood can no longer be washed out, and has stained the cloak red permanantly.
But what good are rumors?
Only two things can be certain: no one knows where it came from, and no one knows what it will destroy next.
It was never a question of if it can do it; there is no fortress, no bastion, no clever stronghold in the world that can hold it back. It will prevail, desolating everything under its touch. Anything it sets its mind to will be accomplished.
We call it Xne.
The spirit of the apocalypse.
People pray to the old gods for protection, but there is none forthcoming. Many people sharpen their weapons, sitting on their porch, awaiting death. Others practice the use of their Osen, aspiring to attempt smiting their impending doom.
But there is no escape, not from Xne.
The only wise ones are those who run.
Of course, you’re in no shape to take on Xne.
Look at you! You have drab clothes, and even fewer abilities than you have wits.
What do you mean, you want to know where you fit in?
Well, surely you don't want the world to stay the way it is, do you?
- "Rules"
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1. Foulmouthing? Don't care.
2. No godmodding, metagaming, autohits, etc.
3. Don't bother refraining from attacking your fellow roleplayer (in character, mind you), just make sure the fight is overseen by a GM and the result of the fight is agreed on by everyone involved.
4. If pissing contests from ooc carry into ic, or from ic to ooc, I'll slay you both.
6. My five key is broken, don't make fun of me about it.
7. Follow site rules, silly noob.
8. Ask questions as you see fit. Ye, it's a rule. Deal with it.
9. Compliment someone, irl or otherwise, once a day. Have a shred of humanity. :>
999. GM @SniperBusis immune to all rules, except rule 4 and the site rules, and do reserve the right to break them as they see fit to deliver sweet, justly, justice.
Lastly, pm me telling me you read these. If you cannot pm, don't bring attention to the matter, just tag me in the OOC and say, "SMITTYWERBENMANJENSEN"
no slide
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