[Other FULL] The Elements [T] [OOC]

YellowGardevoir · May 10, 2015

The Elements

GM'd by YellowGardevoir and mickeydog515

Prologue:
Many eons ago, matter and energy lay strewn about the blackness without order. However, in this infinite darkness there was light, solitary and unknowable. Arch-eon, the primordial god, existed. He saw the latent potential in the void and began to shape it with his will. His first act of creation was the Elder Gods. Five separate beings, they had dominion over energy and light. For an unknowable amount of time these gods dwelt with Arch-eon, and gave order to the void. And so Arch-eon wished that there be things in the void. Things made of matter. With the assistance of the Elder Gods, Arch-eon created the Major Gods.Six of these there were, each with dominion over an element. These Major Gods went with Arch-eon to a certain place in the void. He spoke unto them, saying, in the language that existed before words, "This is the place where I would create a world." And so it was that the gods joined their separate powers and formed a magnificent world. As the powers of the Major Gods merged together, a new power was formed. These Fusion Gods were the spiritual children of the Major Gods, though all were given life with the spark of Arch-Eon. To each of the Fusion Gods was given a shared dominion from each of their parents, each with a unique result from each pairing.

There was great rejoicing among the Gods, for they saw that they had created something beautiful. But even among the Gods there was a flaw. The god of Darkness, M'Rak, felt that he could obtain greater power by eliminating one of his fellow gods. He prepared in secret strengthening his abilities beyond all of his brethren. But he desired more. He launched a surprise attack against his counterpart, Lucinda. The peaceful embodiment of light, M'Rak knew she was the weakest of the gods, and lacked the drive to control others that M'Rak possessed. He attacked Lucinda when she was alone, hoping to overpower her quickly enough to avoid detection by the other gods. But this was not a fight he could win.

Lucinda sent out a distress call the moment he attacked her. He had anticipated this, but what he had not prepared for was the strength of her defense. Her shield of light thwarted his efforts for longer than he had foreseen. The other gods, hearing the call from Lucinda, rushed to her side. They found her curled behind a shield of light, with M'Rak hammering away at her with pulses of darkness. The other gods detained M'Rak, swiftly if not easily. He was brought before Arch-Eon, who passed swift and immediate judgement. Eternal banishment.

M'Rak was outraged. "Am I not the strongest of your children?" he asked, using the language that existed before language. "Did I not magnify my gifts more than any other? Why then are you banishing me?"

"Because my greatest desire is for peace and life," responded Arch-Eon.

M'Rak was furious. He swore revenge as he left, vowing that he would eliminate all the gods, and take their power. The gods payed him little heed.

With a void in the governing elements, Archeon summoned Lucinda before him. He took her essence and, with it, formed a twin for her. Luna, the new goddess of Darkness, was nigh on identical to her sister, and the world entered an era of peace. But somewhere, M'Rak remains, and it is only a matter of time before he takes his revenge...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many ages passed, and life appeared on the planet the gods had created. They were fascinated with its many forms, but they were most interested in a particular species. Man. The race of men was weak physically, outmatched by every other predator who competed for the large game that was humanity's main food source. But the race of men had two distinct advantages. One was the endurance of their bodies. Much energy was bestowed upon the race of men, and this energy they used to great affect. They could pursue prey for much larger distances and for much longer periods of time than any other predator, and their nomadic lifestyle was aided by their upright stance. They other great advantage they had was their mind. Human creativity and imagination was limitless, and they created tools, weapons, art, music, and more. And, from the depths of the human mind came their greatest strength of all: the ability to manipulate Aether, the divine power of Arch-Eon. Though they lacked direct powers of creation, strong-minded and powerfully-willed humans could manipulate the elements like the Elder and Major Gods and their children, though to lesser extents.

These Aether users were initially rare, a result of chance, but their innate strengths made them desirable partners and their strengths were passed down in their children. Occasionally a random person shows an affinity for this manipulation of energy, but for the most part only those who are descended from the original few have the capability.

Over time, the race of Men discovered ways to boost their Aether wielding potential. Aether flows through everything, and, like water over the landscape, it wears paths where it flows easiest. These pathways exist in individuals as well, and provide the source of Aether to manipulate. Using this pathway theory, humanity developed many different stances to increase the flow. Many different beliefs arose, each claiming that their style was the best. Groups of like-minded individuals came together and codified their beliefs, forming schools to teach their practices.

These schools exhibited a general animosity and, at times, fierce rivalry with one another. They held many competitions between the strongest members, each attempting to secure itself as the most powerful Style. War was common in those days.

Ages passed. The race of men grew weary of war. Cities began to sign peace treaties with one another, hoping to reduce the fighting between schools. They created a worldwide competition, with each school placing their strongest mages into teams. These teams traveled to each school, and fought against a group of mages picked by the respective school. Each school could only be challenged once by any one school, and the victors earned points toward the competition. The winning school was made officiator of the World Congress, and received additional delegates. This made the competition a major event in world politics, and a focus point of every school.
You:
You are a mage of any school, and a member of that school's Offense Team. You are proficient in your chosen magics, though the amount of time you have been a member is up to you. Each school has a selection process, which will be discussed under the Locations section. The event begins with a tournament, and the members of each school's Offense Team participate. Your characters will take place in the tournament, and in the events following. If you have any questions, let one of us know!
Rules:

Basic Pokecommunity and Roleplay Rules apply, and can be found here. Failure to comply to these will result in the removal from the RP.
Powerplaying and Godmodding have the potential to be greatly misused, especially in this RP. If you want to do something, ask! We're nice guys.
Joint posts are fine, but ensure the person you're jointing with knows about it…
Combat results should be determined in the OOC thread before combat. Discuss the most likely results based on each other's character. If necessary, one of the GMs will randomly determine the victor. This is also a general option if neither party wishes to debate on a victor.
This RP will be done in chapter format. A goal will be given at the beginning of each chapter, and each character should attempt to fulfil the objective. If a chapter is taking too long, GMs retain the right to manipulate events so that the story progresses.
Romance and violence are allowed, but let's keep it PG-13. This is rated T, after all.
When in doubt, ask! Once again, this RP is being GMed by YellowGardevoir and mickeydog515.

SU:

Name:
Age:
School:
Element(s) (Allowed one Combination and one additional Element [3 Elements total.] List in order of proficiency. Only one of the Force Triad, and having Light and Dark excludes you from having a third):
Fighting Style (Weapons, "Signature" Attacks):
Appearance (Pictures Allowed):
Personality (At least one paragraph):
History (At least two paragraphs):

Accepted Characters:
We have room for 12 characters, including mickeydog and myself. Please note that only two RP'rs can be from any one School. This is to promote diversity among characters.

Shen Mozetomei from the School of the Elusive Path as controlled by mickeydog515
Renee Shostoni from the School of Unbound Thought as controlled by mickeydog515
Jade Hornbeam from the School of the People's Magic as controlled by YellowGardevoir
Atka Ataciara from the School of the Brittle Edge as controlled by YellowGardevoir
Trevor Redquill from the School of the Focused Mind as controlled by Godzil
Gujen Krao from the School of Inevitable Perfection as controlled by Bardothren
Sennis Nikasura from the School of Artistic Combat as controlled by Bardothren
Aralon from the School of Dragon's Might as controlled by pichuwickham
Kaede Yagami from the School of the Restrained Fist as controlled by catbus176
RESERVED-HIDDEN WAY: Classical Insect
Angelos "Angel" Kai Marlowe from the School of the Hidden Way as controlled by Kikpanther
RESERVED-PEOPLE'S MAGIC: Zatanna

Magic:
All magic results from an ability called Aetherforming. Aether is an invisible material that saturates the entire universe, and can be manipulated if one possesses the ability. Most humans posses this ability, which uses their will, imagination, emotions, and personal energy to shape the Aether into usable forms. It can become a potent skill if mastered, allowing mages to create weapons, structures, and even constructs out of the Aether around them. Each element uses this differently, and a specialization is typically denoted by replacing the word Aether with the name of the element being shaped (i.e. aquaforming)

Basic Elements

Spoiler:

There are six basic elements. They are:

Fire

Spoiler:

Fire mages are adept at harnessing the raw power of flames and using them to burn down any obstacle in their way. The way this is achieved is through the creation and control of fire, although the forms it can take vary greatly between the wielder. Even the most novice fire mage can throw fireballs or create streams of hot flames. A more experienced fire mage can even use fire as a means of defence, creating walls of flame to repel attacks or honing their flames to take the shape of weapons. A very small group of fire mages has even developed a method of healing through their spiritual fire.The appearance and uses of the fire depends solely on the mage. Some learn to control it's destructive tendencies, while others burn and raze all in their path.
Air

Spoiler:

Mages that control the powers of air are often as temperamental as the element they wield. The gentle, soothing breezes that accompany a calm and relaxed mage give no hint to the true destructive power they can unleash. An air mage can whip perfectly still air into a frenzy at a moment's notice. The wind produced by air magic doesn't only blow things around, however. They can manipulate the air into blades of wind that can cut with near impunity. The wind of a very experienced air mage can produce gusts so sharp they can cut a well-tempered blade as easily as if it was made of clay. Whatever you do, you don't want to make a air mage angry. The sheer force of an air mage's wrath is enough lift an entire building and pulverize it into rubble.
Water

Spoiler:

Water magic is often misunderstood as the weakest form of magic. Often associated with healing and defensive spells, most assume water mages would hardly put up a good fight. The true power of water however, is something to truly be feared. In the hands of a skilled mage, water magic will wash away any threat and leave nothing but soggy remains in it's wake. Summoning large waves and shooting blasts of water are but a few of the skills in a water mage's repertoire. Of all magics, water is the most adaptive, and will search out any weakness, any gap in a defence, no matter how small, and exploit it. A few twisted practitioners of water magic have even developed a method to create water that is sharp enough to cut flesh and tear opponents apart. Beware the adaptability of water mages. You never know what they'll do.
Ice

Spoiler:

The cold look in the eyes of an ice mage give a clear indication that they will offer no quarter in a fight. Originally thought to be a very specialized type of water magic, Ice mages have since proven that their magic bears little to no resemblance to their liquid state cousins. They are masters of shaping their magic, often creating blades and shards of ice to attack an opponent. The magical ice created by these mages is nowhere near as brittle as natural ice, and it takes extremely high heat to melt it. Ice mages are also adept at creating walls of solid ice to defend against attacks. Many ice mages can easily create traps for enemies, or even freeze the moisture in the air to create sharp, minute blades of ice to attack opponents from anywhere.
Earth

Spoiler:

One lesson to be taken from the ground that we tread on is its ability to both take abuse and give back, tenfold. This is the lesson embodied by earth mages. They use the rock solid earth as both an unbreakable shield and an unstoppable weapon. Their power source is all around them, and they are not afraid to use it to its fullest. Aside from crafting weapons and shields out of the rock beneath our feet, earth mages are able to shake the very ground their foe is standing on. The strongest earth mages are even able to tear the ground itself apart, trapping foes in inescapable fissures before finally sealing both the ground and their fate. If there is one constant in the world of magic, it is the durability of an earth mage. If you plan to fight one, expect a long fight. Earth mages never go down easily.
Lightning

Spoiler:

Lightning mages are the most energetic and impatient of the mages. Preferring speed over defence, a lightning mage is by far the hardest to see coming, nevermind hitting. They strike fast, attacking opponents with high voltage bolts of lightning. In a fight, a lightning mage can often be found playfully darting around the battlefield, throwing out lightning bolts all the while. More serious and skilled mages, however, will take out all their enemies in one stroke with a brilliant flash of power. Even on the clearest days, a skilled lightning wielder can summon forth a tremendous bolt from above. Never cross an angered Lightning mage, for he will not hesitate to unleash his wrath and indignation upon even the slightest provocation.

Combination Elements

Spoiler:

These are the results of combining Elementally charged Aether. They often create unique spells that neither of their Basic Element parents can replicate. It should be noted that the elements in opposition (Fire+Ice, Air+Earth,Lightning+Water) strongly oppose each other, and do not mix well. Attempts at combining these Elements are extremely unstable, and the practice is greatly discouraged to avoid catastrophe.

Vapor (Air+Fire)

Spoiler:

The manipulation of the gaseous forms of various materials, Vapor magic combines the variety of Wind with the power of Fire. The easiest way to get a material into its gaseous state? Heating it. The easiest way to heat something? Fire. The combination also allows the combinations of techniques, even including techniques as powerful as a tornado of flame. A more advanced mage may even fill a room with flammable gas before igniting it, causing an immense explosion.
Pressure (Air+Water)

Spoiler:

The combined force of Wind and Water holds great power. Together, they allow greater control over their partner, and the force of a typhoon powered by both can be catastrophic. They can also achieve great defensive strength by slowing and knocking away attacks. The two can also create great areas of massive pressure, forcing opponents to their knees.
Storm (Air+Lightning)

Spoiler:

Wind and Lightning is a match made in heaven. When the two come together, they make the perfect storm, where strong winds slice and tear foes apart while deadly lightning rains down from above. The wind of mages that practice storm magic can can be spun in a cyclonic vortex at draws foes into the Eye of the Storm before unleashing a flurry of Lightning strikes for a grand finish. When the sky turns dark and thunder echoes in the clouds above, pray it is merely nature, and not a storm mage preparing to attack.
Snow (Air+Ice)

Spoiler:

Those who attempt to brave a midsummer gale are fools. Those who attempt to brave a mid-winter's storm, are never seen again. This is a common phase among the people of the frozen north, the people who know the true might of snow. Combining the relentless wind with the chilling ice, snow magic is a near unstoppable force. This aspect is clearly embodied in snow magic two most potent skills. The avalanche is an unstoppable force of driving snow that breaks all in it's path yet subsidies to harmless snow at a moment's notice. While the blizzards whipped up my snow mages have the power to blast foes away with frigid gusts or even flay their skin with deadly ice shards, nearly invisible in the flurry of white.
Plasm (Water+Ice)

Spoiler:

Water and Ice mages both manipulate the same material, with Ice controlling the solid form and Water controlling its liquid form. A mage adept with both elements can manipulate both aspect freely, covering their opponents in water before turning it to ice, trapping them. They can also unleash freezing torrents on their foes, slowing and freezing them in icy water.
Nature (Water+Earth)

Spoiler:

Grown in the tough earth and nurtured by the pure water, nature is truly a force to fear. Masters of both earth and water are able to summon forth the minions of nature to do his bidding. they can summon roots to ensnare and strangle unwary foes. They can also create walls of thorns, repelling a headlong assault with ease, before firing the thorns on the walls to cause further damage. Those that truly embrace nature's blessings will find grace and power in it's form, teaching stances and blows that crush those that stand in their way. Earth and Water are the major shapers of the world, and a Nature mage can cause terrible events like a tsunami in order to destroy their foes.
Energy (Fire+Lightning)

Spoiler:

Energy, Being a combination of fire and lightning, is one of the most destructive and difficult to control of all other elements. Starting out, most people who attempt to use this magic accidentally create monstrous explosions of raw power and could very likely end up killing themselves in the process. An experienced user, having survived the initial chaos of energy magic, are able to unleash tightly focused beams or spheres of raw energy that are easily capable of destroying an entire army in a single blast. The strongest spells of this element have often had their power equated to that of a supernova, the final, chaotic explosion of a dying star, due to the mass amount of destruction and ruin left in their wake.
Poison (Fire+Water)

Spoiler:

Often thought of as nature's darker side, poison magic is a direct result of mixing the nurturing water that nature thrives off of with the corrupting power of fire magic. Practitioners must be skilled in the creation of poisons and in alchemy, as they won't always be able to find a source of poison to manipulate. If they do however, be it in liquid acid form or a boiling gas, they will be able to use it to devastating effect, as not all of their concoctions simply poison. sleeping gas and sticky acid are not unfamiliar to these mages. This skill can also create healing remedies and balms, which contain the cleansing aspects of both elements as well. They can create and manipulate poisonous Aether, but that requires a massive amount of energy and is generally used as a last resort.
Lava (Earth+Fire)

Spoiler:

Mixing the volatile nature nature of fire and raw power of earth, lava magic is a prime example of the sheer power of nature's fury. Controlling rock in it's liquid state, being able to burn hotter and longer then any water can hope to extinguish. Lava mages can summon lava straight from the ground beneath our feet to both surprise and overwhelm foes in one move. They are also able to freely control the state of rock, melting what appears to be solid terrain before it solidifies to trap those caught inside. Fire doesn't phase these mages, for their molten earth burns even hotter. Beware the fury of the earth, for it knows no mercy.
Metal (Earth+Lightning)

Spoiler:

Few things are stronger than well tempered steel. This is the primary weapon of masters of both Earth, to gather the materials, and Lightning to galvanize it to hardened perfection. Those who wield this element are able to both find the ore quickly and then turn it on their foes. they can raise both razor sharp spikes and iron shields from the ground in order to maintain an impressive offense and defence simultaneously. Those with a high affinity for lightning magic can also wield the power of magnetism, allowing them to strip their foes of any metal armament and turn it against them, their blades floating by their side. when backed into a corner, they will coat themselves in a highly resistant armor to protect themselves.
Sound (Ice+Lightning)

Spoiler:

This strange combination of lightning and ice magic was discovered by accident one day by a musician who, like many musicians at the time, used lightning to amplify the sound of the music. He found that by coating the strings in ice, the sound was not only amplified further but also gave it destructive and magical qualities. This became the sound magic known today. In the hands of a well versed mage the sound he produces can break glass and stone with ease, and can even paralyze foes with it's cataphonic power. In the hands of a musician, however, the magic can take on any form the user wishes, even to the point where certain songs can even summon forth spiritual flames and gusts and move the earth and water. Any other element summoned by these songs is nowhere near as powerful as their original counterparts, but still deadly all the same.
Crystal (Ice+Earth)

Spoiler:

Water and Earth both form similar crystalline structures when in their solid state. Mages that can master both Ice and Earth will have control over not only the objects that are in this state but are able to control the structures of the objects itself. By rearranging the structure, a mage of crystal magic can can harden normally brittle substances in a flash, and can even mold a block into just about any shape they desire. They can also store charged Aether inside the gems, which has a multitude of applications.

Non-Combining Elements

Spoiler:

There are five Elements that cannot be fused into Combination Elements. They are:

Light

Spoiler:

The ancient lore of gods and the creation of the world has long been forgotten by most people of the world. The one group to keep this alive is a small group of Light Sages, known as the Order of Lumen. This order of light has kept the old beliefs alive through many millennia and has always strived to maintain the lessons of old from dieing off. All of this is reflected in their magic, which preaches it's use to heal the body and mend the soul of ailments. On the battlefield, however it shows a much more potent side. In the hands of a master, the gentle caressing light that heals wounds now sears the flesh. These devout believers also receive divine shields of solid light, forming an almost impenetrable defense. But their tricks don't stop there, as the harsh light can also be used to blind or stun those that oppose their holy patron. Although the order abhors the idea of killing, those that it deems "beyond salvation" will be meet with a swift and utter end by the divine judgement of their patron.
Darkness

Spoiler:

Many people often associate darkness with evilness, pain, and all-around amorality. And they wouldn't be incorrect. M'Rak, the renegade god of darkness, exemplifies all of these traits. Those that embrace his form of darkness magic use it to manipulate shadows, summon spirits, and mess with opponents minds, solely for their own, often amoral, intentions. What many people don't understand is that there is another, more peaceful side to darkness magic. Luna, the current god of darkness, exemplifies all that is good in the night. Those that embrace her, have a deep connection to the moon and it's power over the night, as well the ability to use darkness and shadows as a shield rather than a sword. Whichever side they wield, you should always be on your toes when confronted by a practitioner of darkness magic.

And the three Elements in the Force Triad:

Kinetic

Spoiler:

As one of the Force Triad, it allows the wielder control over one of the 3 major forces that govern how the universe works. The kinetic force is all about movement, it is the force that can not only get an object moving and keep it in motion, but stop it as well. Mages that control this element are able to increase or decrease the speed of objects at will, allowing normally harmless projectiles to suddenly fly at bone shattering speed, and stop even the strongest of punches with ease. The true power of this magic is it's ability to increase the speed of its wielder, granting them faster movement and stronger punches, as velocity ultimately relates to power. Experienced mages are able to move their hands so fast, they distort the very aether around them, causing massive blasts of kinetic force to be fired.
Psychic

Spoiler:

Of the triad of forces, the psychic force, or force of will, is the one created to maintain balance in the universe. It is only through sheer willpower that things can both be caused and prevented. This willpower empowers mages that practice this form of magic. It is not uncommon for users of this type of magic to communicate thoughts telepathically over a decent distance, and lift objects with their mind alone. Lifting a sentient being is tougher than an inanimate object, as the target's mind can resist the command for motion as well as the mage's mind can command it. This often results in a battle of willpower, where the winner can choose the outcome of the battle. Stronger minds are even able to create illusion to trick their opponents, or go so far as to take control of their minds entirely, at the cost of their own ability to concentrate should the command fail.
Gravity

Spoiler:

The force of gravity is the force that ties everything together. Mages that practice this type of magic are able to increase and decrease the amount of gravity in an area by simply redirecting the force in the direction they choose. this can be used to pin foes to the ground, allow the user something close to the ability of flight, or even the redirecting of attacks with a simple flick of the wrist. Extremely skilled mages have been known to even rip holes in the fabric of aether, causing everything in the area to be sucked into the jaws of a devastating black hole, anything caught inside is in a prison of gravity and will be crushed at the user's command with no hope of escape.

Schools:

Spoiler:

School of Dragon's Might
Focuses on powerful stances and meeting foes head-on. Disciples of this school view running away as a dishonorable act. Benefits Earth, Fire, and Ice mages who wish the fastest path to power. This school resides in Drakken Keep.
School of the Restrained Fist
Flexible and lithe, with flowing stances that benefit finesse over brute force. Uses opponents' strengths against them while seeking to benefit themselves. Level-headed and thoughtful on one side, it can be selfish and manipulative on the other. Benefits Air, Water, and Ice mages that wish to take the most tactical approach to their gifts.This school resides in Eastmont.
School of the Elusive Path
Focuses on beating opponents into submission before they have the chance to move, and by avoiding their opponents' attempts to attack. Views standing and taking your opponents' blows to be a good way of getting yourself get killed. Benefits Air, Water, and Lightning mages who wish to destroy their opponents before they know they exist. This school resides in Lavorgo.
School of Inevitable Perfection
Focuses on precise forms and exact motions. A defensive style that has a limited number of stances but uses each to its fullest potential. The unstoppable force and the unbreakable wall. Benefits Earth, Ice, and Water mages who wish the inevitable victory. This school resides in Bassa.
School of the People's Magic
Complicated, perfect forms? Unchanging tactics? Freeform stylists believe in none of this. Freeform stylists believe in dedication towards the individual's talents and strengths. In the opinion of the Freeform Style, memorized forms would undermine creativity and detract from the potential of the user. This style can benefit any element, but favors Air, Water, and Fire. This school resides in Aldhaven.
School of the Brittle Edge
The polar opposite of Freeform style, Rigid Stylists memorize an endless number of forms and techniques in order to combat their opponents. Though Deliberate Stylists do much the same, Rigid Stylists utilize small techniques to immense effect. It is an offensive style, though their repertoire has more than enough tricks to go on the defensive. Favors Earth, Ice, and Lightning mages who prefer exactness to strength. This school resides in Jancigny.
School of the Focused Mind
The power to control Aether comes from the mind. The stronger the mind, the more Aether that mind can manipulate. That is the goal of the Meditative Style. By strengthening the mind Meditative Stylists can possess much greater power than practitioners of other disciplines. Their biggest flaw is that they lack the powerful stances and techniques of the other schools, which grant power without devotion. But in a straight match between the power of their techniques, a Meditative Stylist will almost always be victorious. Favors Water, Air, and Lightning mages. This school resides in Maylūs.
School of Unbound Thought
There is great strength in the force of human will. During combat, practitioners of Rage Style enter a mindless state where their only thought is the completion of their goal. They pay no heed to the inevitable results of their actions, only that they are completed as quickly as possible. Benefits Earth, Lightning, and Fire mages who wish to forget themselves in their quest for victory. This school resides in Tassa.
School of Artistic Combat
Combat isn't always about strength, speed, or cunning. The reason the fights are held in arenas is to give people a show, argue the practitioners of the Expressive Style. The goal of a master of the Expressive style is not only to win the fight, but to look good doing it. All mages of this school got their beginnings in some art form. Be it dancing, music, or sculpting, each one of them is attempting to now bring their talents to the worldwide stage, and in the deadliest way possible. Mages of this school are often Water, Earth, or Ice mages, but it isn't uncommon to find all forms of magic present in this school. This school resides in Skymouth.
School of the Hidden Way
"Life isn't fair, so why should we play by the rules?" this is a commonly heard phrase among those that practice the Manipulative Style. Starting off a hideaway for those running from the law, it quickly grew into a haven from the law to thieves, assassins, and tricksters alike. Never take a practitioner of this style for face value, they always have scheme up their sleeves. Be it illusions, smokescreens, or ambush, they will do whatever is necessary to win. they are a secretive and selective school, and their members trust each other about as much as could be expected from a band of backstabbers and traitors. Although they have received multiple warnings and threats from the powers that be to follow the rules, they never do, and often get away with it. The school benefits mages that are as ruthless as they are planning, thus Fire, Air, and Water mages easily can find a home here, where winning is everything, no matter the cost. This school resides in Zizak.

Locations:
This section will be added to as locations are visited. To start off, a brief description of the cities that contain the schools are given initially.

Spoiler:

Map:
Cities are denoted by the first letter of their name capitalized.

Spoiler:

Aldhaven (People's Magic)

Spoiler:

Drakken Keep (Dragon's Might)

Spoiler:

Eastmont (Restrained Fist)

Spoiler:

Skymouth (Artistic Combat)

Spoiler:

Rivermouth

Spoiler:

Lavorgo (Elusive Path)

Spoiler:

Zizak (Hidden Way)

Spoiler:

Maylūs (Focused Mind)

Spoiler:

Bassa (Inevitable Perfection)

Spoiler:

Jancigny (Brittle Edge)

Spoiler:

Tassa (Unbound Thought)

Spoiler:

Technology:
Think Renaissance-level. But with magic. Horses are the primary means of travel outside of magic, and many magiengineers are looking for an alternative that can be used by the masses. Charged Aether can be stored in gemstones and metal substances, with purer materials achieving better results. Magitech is a growing field of research and development, and new discoveries are made every day. Basically, if there's any question, ask.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are now taking Reservations and SUs. If reserving, please include what School you plan on being a part of, as only two people can be part of any one School. This is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Let's have a great time, everyone!

Special thanks to The Last Sentinel who ~~we blatantly stole from~~ graciously gave the template for this post.

mickeydog515 · May 11, 2015

Hello all, my name is mickeydog515, and I'm one of the GMs of this RP along with YellowGardevoir.
This is admittedly my first ever RP, so I will probably get things wrong here and there, or make a few mistakes. If I do end up screwing something up, feel free to let me know, and I'll correct it as soon as possible.

The story that is the bases for this RP is one that originally started as a novel me and Gard were co-writing together, him doing most of the story work, while I came up with and wrote information pages most of the mechanics that govern our world that we created, like locations, magic, combat rules, ect. That being said, The elements of magic that are available in our world are entirely of my creation, so if you have any questions pertaining to any of the magics, their origin, or what kind of abilities someone could wield with them feel free to ask, i'd be more then happy to fill you in. The schools on the other hand, are Gard's creations so please throw those questions at him.

I hope this becomes a successful RP and I can't wait to see where you guys will take this story, but please remember, it's my first time so go easy on me, ok?

Name: Shen Mozetomei
Age: 18
School: School of the Elusive Path
Element(s): Storm (Primary), Lightning (Secondary), Wind (Tertiary), Earth (Quaternary)
Fighting Style (Weapons, "Signature" Attacks): Shen carries a spear in his right hand and lightning in his left. He often uses his spear as a lightning rod, drawing electricity into it before smashing it into his foes. He's light on his feet and prefers to dodge attacks rather then put up a defense. While not having the physical strength of some other mages, he possesses an exceptional connection to Aether, and can easily convert this into massive amounts of lightning. While he was studying Lightning magic he found that tuning charges between objects can cause them to attract or repel each other. He perfected this technique, after finding that a touch of earth magic can amplify the pull, and uses to retrieve thrown projectiles from a distance, or help throw them. He is unable to move other people's weapons however, due to his limited practice in earth magic. He is also an accomplished archer, having picked it up readily at a young age. While Shen thinks of archery as more of a fun pastime, rather then a useful means of combat, he still uses the tactics learned from practice to make his deadly bolts of lightning all the more accurate. On rare occasions, however, he is more than capable of pulling out a small, folding compound bow to let loose a storm of electrified arrows down on unsuspecting foes.
Appearance (Pictures Allowed):

Spoiler:

Shen is of medium height and is very skinny. He generally wears light clothes of subdued colors, and his hair's always a bit of a wreck, unless he cuts it very short. Which he has been known to do.
Personality (At least one paragraph):
Shen is intelligent and highly curious about the world around him. This curiosity can occasionally get the best of him, and he can become obsessive if truly fascinated. This questioning mentality also leaves him slightly gullible, as he doesn't often see that not everyone is willing to divulge all information completely truthfully. He is cautious and always tries to have an optimal course of action, though if this plan fails or if it is criticized too harshly he can overreact, becoming obstinate and difficult. Shen is generally friendly and fiercely loyal to his friends, but can have difficulty making them. Not everyone understands his inquisitive ways, but those who share his passions are often carried along by his enthusiasm. Although outgoing and open towards friends and family, Shen is extremely nervous and awkward when interacting with those he's unfamiliar with. While extremely interested in new information, he also gets very uncomfortable in unfamiliar areas or in trying new things and is easily flustered when something is imposed on him unexpectedly. He will stick to a very organized and predictable pattern, both in life and battle, and will often push away new ideas unless he has a prior interest in them. He is also very anxious and antsy, and has a very hard time standing still. Usually he is found toying with something in his fingers, like his shirt or any other trinket he takes a liking to. This is amplified if he is put in an unfamiliar situation or with talking to a new person unless he can find a common connection with them. His preferred way for removing anxiety and nervousness is escaping to the one place he knows perfectly, his mind. He often gets lost deep in thought, thinking about something that's on his mind, planning what he will do during the day, or simply daydreaming. Because of this he also has the tendency to lose focus of the world around him and miss information or events going on until someone draws his attention. His social anxiety also leads to a general dislike for attention for fear he will look like a fool to others. If the attention is from a person he trusts or is praise he will accept it greedily and may instantly believe what the person says or start to boast and brag about it, whether or not he realizes it.
History (At least two paragraphs):
Shen was found abandoned by an oasis near the School of the Elusive Path. He was raised by the Grandmaster of the school, a stocky, no-nonsense man. Whatever his personality, the Grandmaster was kind and generous to him, and was the only father figure Shen had growing up. When it was discovered that Shen had talent with magic, the Grandmaster taught him in his personal style of Storm magic, which Shen picked up easily. His spear and bow were made for him by a magitech smith in the school, who imbibed them with Shen's personal Aether signature. Not only does this make them much easier to channel Aether through, they are also tied to his will, allowing him to summon them to his side, though only from within a distance of about six feet.

Shen is the newest member of Elusive Path's Offense Team, and has yet to compete in the worldwide competition. He did not have a huge number of friends growing up, between his eccentricity and his powerful father. On the other hand, he was not bullied, and has several close friends in the school. He's eager to participate in the competition, and has a great desire to see the world.

YellowGardevoir · May 11, 2015

Welcome to The Elements! We've got a vaguely JRPG-esque RP, and I hope we all have a great time! To start things off, here's my character, Jade!

Jade Hornbeam

I may not be the best mage. Heck, I'm not even a very good person. But I know what I'm doing, alright? Just roll with it.

Age: 22
School: School of the People's Magic
Element(s): Psychic (Primary), No other specialty, has basic proficiency with the Basic Elements.
Fighting Style: Jade generally fights using psychic constructs, which are created and sustained with his mind. Generally in the form of a sword, he can also form barriers and other objects. These objects appear as purple-black ghosts of the object, and take a good deal of energy to sustain. He is an adept swordsman, but his magic skills are somewhat lacking. He is horrible at external Psychic magic, (mind reading, mind control, ect.), and lacks the meditative abilities that usually empower a Psychic mage. Because of this, he opts towards using his constructs and limited elemental magics to get close to a foe and eliminate them before they have time to overpower him magically.
Appearance:
Jade is tall, and of medium build, with brown hair and eyes. He doesn't consider himself as super attractive or super ugly, and he's fine with that. Tends to dress in a variety of clothes, a result of growing up in the diverse Aldhaven.
Personality: Jade is analytic and views himself as intelligent. He's blunt and honest, and can occasionally appear as uncaring. It's not that he doesn't care, he just has too much going on internally to worry about someone else's problems. Jade is sarcastic and abrasive, and if he doesn't like you, you'll know, whether by withering glares or him just telling you straight out. Outwardly calm, Jade has lots of internal anxieties, and worries about pretty much everything. Social anxiety is his greatest demon, and unless a connection is made quickly or for him, he'll almost never interact with anyone. Jade bores easily when disinterested, and is a bit lazy. He knows all of his negatives (he agonizes over them), but he's not the kind of person to embrace change.
History: Jade grew up in a middle-class Aldhaven family. The eldest of five children, his parent's time, money, and attention was often on someone else. At fifteen years old, he joined the School of the People's Magic, and began learning the arcane ways. He had always been drawn to the fighters that formed the legendary Offense Team, and that was his goal from day one at the school. His dreams were turned on their head when he discovered that he wasn't that good at magic. This made his odds of getting onto the team small, and, disheartened, he left the school for a time and traveled to other cities, hoping to find something he was good at.

While on his own, he discovered his proficiency with psychogenesis, that is, the ability to make objects with his mind. Returning to the school, he learned from the best swordsmen the School could offer, and quickly mastered the blade. With his new technique, he quickly rose in popularity and earned recognition from the school. One favorable tournament later, he was a member of the Offense Team. This will be his third competition. Neither of his previous competitions were victories, and the School has put major pressure on the Offense Team to do well. Jade just hopes he can fulfill his orders...

Alright, that's my SU! Let's make this a great RP!
Note: I will be adding a list of some basic abilities for each element, just to give some ideas. Will be done ASAP, but maybe not tonight.

Groc · May 12, 2015

Magic game! Would you kindly reserve me a spot? I'd like to go the School of the Focused Mind.

pichuwickham · May 12, 2015

I would like a spot in this.

Aralon
Around 20 | Male | School of Dragon's Might

Elements

Energy (Fire+Lightning) & Psychic

Fighting Style

Aralon is a reveler in power. Skilled in the art of the blade, he carries a short sword on his hip, though he prefers not to get close enough to use it. He was trained by the masters of Drakken Keep, and his style resembles that of European knights. He dislikes armor and shields, though he has basic proficiency with both. He trains constantly and is physically strong, but is not fleet of foot. He is skilled at pivoting and moving short distances quickly, but would lose to an experienced runner in a footrace.

Magically, Aralon is nothing if not powerful. The beams and blasts of Energy magic forces opponents to be on their toes, as the overwhelming force of Aralon's attacks can quickly defeat his enemies. However, while Aralon has access to large amounts of Aether, his magic burns through it at an extraordinary rate. Defensive foes, if they manage to survive the initial onslaught, will find a much less threatening, though no less aggressive, opponent.

As a last resort, Aralon has trained in Psychic magic. Though far from a master, his Psychic magic can overwhelm a weaker mind and prevent him from moving or channeling Aether. With only basic proficiency, the range of this mental attack is lacking, and he lacks the mental dueling power typical of Psychic mages.

Personality
Aralon is deeply scarred as a result of his tragic past, and lashes out because of it. Though intelligent and generally a rational person, he takes offense easily. A great hater of bullies, Aralon will defend those he views as in need, and has made a vow that no innocent lives will be destroyed if he can help it. Many have said that his personality would suit him better at the School of Unbound Thought, but Aralon dislikes the idea of loosing control of himself so completely. Secretly, he fears failure and defeat more than any other outcome, and would almost rather die than admit defeat. However, he has sworn to his lord that he would preserve his own life, but he will never surrender. Total defeat is the only way to stop him once he gets his mind on something.

History
Aralon's parents were farmers, eking out an existence on the vast western plains. They were not rich, but they were kind to Aralon, and his future seemed bright. He had shown skill with Fire magic, and his parents were optimistic about his chances of joining the School of Dragon's Might, which was relatively close by. However, his happy future was changed in one fateful night.

Aralon's father had grown behind on his tributes to the nearby lord. The lord sent his tax collector, a formidable Nature mage of extreme skill, and had him demand the money his father owed. When Aralon's father protested, saying that the harvest had been small and money scarce, the Nature mage executed Aralon's mother. When his father, in a rage, had tried to strike out at the tax collector, the mage morphed into a massive black bear. He struck Aralon's father dead with a single swipe from his massive paws.

Aralon remembers little of the events that occurred afterward, but one thing remains certain. He destroyed everything. His farm, his parents' bodies, the tax collector. Everything was annihilated, and the fire spread to the surrounding plains, scorching a massive swath of the territory before mages from Dragon's Might were able to extinguish it. They found the boy, the sole survivor of the catastrophe, and brought him before the Dragon, who took him in on one condition. Aralon would be his secret weapon.

This will be the first competition of it's kind Aralon has competed in, but his masters are optimistic. With his strength, there might be none who could stand in his way...

Edit: Finished my SU. Sorry if it looked bad for a while, it closed midway through editing it and I wasn't in the mood to redo it.

YellowGardevoir · May 12, 2015

Godzil, pichuwickham, your reservations have been noted. Let's see some great SUs

Bardothren, I like your style. Elderly characters are a rarity in most RPs. I can tell Jade is gonna have a hard time defeating Gujen. Hope they never have to fight! Your SU is accepted.

catbus176 · May 12, 2015

I would like a spot in this please.
Name: Kaede Yagami

Age:21

Elements: Crystal(Ice,Earth) and Water

School: School of the Restrained Fist

Fighting Style: Kaede mainly fights with ice and earth, which he is masterful at, but if that doesn't work he will use his trump card which is to coat himself in diamond skin, making him invulnerable to most forms of damage and increasing his physical strength. Unfortunately it weakens his magical abilities, to avoid this Kaede carries around gems which he has imbued with some magical properties such as creating walls of crystal or ice, and making a crystal mirror that reflects most long range magic.

Personality: Kaede is hasty, self indulgent, cocky and kind of lazy. He will do anything to improve his self interest as long as it doesn't take too much time or effort. These are usually thought of as flaws but Kaede doesn't really mind/care. When he isn't doing something self indulgent he is napping and restoring energy for his next fight. Usually keeping to himself because napping is a one person activity, Kaede has few friends especially since his laziness and hastiness clash with most of the personality types of his classmates. He lags behind in classroom activities but when it comes to the battle field Kaede is unmatched where all of his stored up energy is unleashed.

History: From a young age, Kaede has been masterful at magic. His parents discovered him making ice and rock formations early in his life. As soon as he saw that, Kaede's father decided to train Kaede in the way of the restrained fist. Kaede's father is a world renowned tournament winner and Dean at the school of the restrained fist. Being taught the the art of patience from a young age, Kaede would often struggle under his fathers discipline and would constantly be afraid of not being able to measure up to his fathers greatness. The only person Kaede could be solaced by was his mother, who is hasty,lazy and nurturing(as they say opposites attract). Kaede's father was furious with him being lazy and hasty during their exercises and sent him away to the school of the Restrained fist. Although he clashed with the school because he does not agree with their teaching, Kaede still felt drawn to the Offense team because of his affinity for magic and the prospect of travelling to different countries and like minded people. Kaede soon became the offense teams best magician having an adept control of ice, earth and being a master of crystal magic so much so that he created a special technique he dubs, Diamond skin. Right now Kaede is resting until the tournament which he is eagerly awaiting.
Appearance

mickeydog515 · May 12, 2015

Pichuwickum, if your character likes to, and has the capability of causing explosions, you might want to consider combining fire and lightning into energy, as that is basically what it is, channeling large amounts of energy into beams, waves and explosions. Also mixing fire and lightning causes explosions often times anyways.

YellowGardevoir · May 13, 2015

Catbus176, your reservation has been noted.

Retro Bug · May 13, 2015

I would like to place a reservation, but first I have a comment to make.

I use a darker skin so my default text color is white, and your background color for CSS is white... that makes a white background + white text = I can't read your roleplay without quoting it. So, could you either take out the "background-color: #ffffff" or add a (black) color tag to your text?

I'd like a reservation for a character from the School of the Hidden Way.

YellowGardevoir · May 13, 2015

Added a black tag. Thanks for pointing this out, Classical Insect. Also, your reservation has been noted. Welcome to the group!

Kikpanther · May 13, 2015

Hey! I'd like to make a reservation also. This RP looks like just what I've been waiting for (and thankfully showing up beginning of summer).

I'm really torn between Elusive Path and Hidden Way. They both seem applicable for the idea of a character who prefers pounding away at their opponents with brute strength than anything really tactical. That and I very much see them very much against the idea of ever losing. It'd be great if you guys could provide some suggestions, but until then I think I'll go with Hidden Way since it seems like I could do a bit of both with them (though I don't think my character would be a big smokescreens user). I considered Dragon's Might but I don't think my character would be above cheating and that might be a problem for them. (Though it would help to know what exactly constitutes as cheating in this world).

Under the spoiler is the idea right now, but I might change proficiency and triad. (If not Gravity then Kenetic).

Spoiler:

YellowGardevoir · May 13, 2015

pichuwickham, your updated SU is accepted.

Kikpanther, your reservation has been noted. As for your character, I'm assuming you want a high-speed lockdown style mage? I think either School would work well, the bigger question is what you want your backstory to be. Hidden Way is a bit... hostile. They aren't the friendliest place to learn, but they would probably enhance your style. Elusive Path is much more forgiving, but that would probably be a speed over power route to take. Hope this helped.

EDIT: Cheating would be something like blackmailing to win a fight, or subterfuge tactics. Those are the kinds of things Dragon's Might looks down on.

Kikpanther · May 13, 2015

In that case I don't think I'll be going with Hidden Way.

I was definitely imagining a mage with devastating attack power. They would be more fast in the way that they can manipulate their air and ice to move quickly but they themselves aren't (I can imagine them preferring to fight in one spot with a mix of (mostly) long-range and (some) short-range attacks and then short-range defenses). Definitely a strategy of beating an opponent back and using enough power so they don't get a chance to come in for an attack (so not really specializing in/needing many short-range tactics) and overwhelming them with power (I guess if you want it as a kind of strategy, maybe think of something that's geared around quickly weakening opponents (just from battle damage or going for body parts they need (ex: fast opponent, go for the legs)). Most defensive moves would probably just be cleverly made offensive moves (like a vortex of wind/ice that would hurt an opponent if they tried to go through it or that you could use to make attacks).

To sum it up it'd be like an "offense is the best defense" kind of character. So just based on that I think changing it to Dragon's Might would be the better option (if anything I said can work for the RP that is).

Also to make a lengthy post longer: Does the gravity attribute let you redirect attacks (I'm thinking like if someone shot fire at you or something, not like a punch or kick) or could kinetic do it instead possibly?

YellowGardevoir · May 13, 2015

The "best" form of defense would be directly manipulating the attack based on it's individual element, but obviously that leads to problems if you are less skilled at manipulating the element than your opponent. Kinetic deals with motion, while gravity is more about directed force. I guess the major difference would be that a kinetic spell would deflect/change the direction of an attack, and works better with a specific "target" to manipulate, while gravity affects everything. The biggest issue with gravity is the amount of energy it takes and that you need a "focus Point" for the new source of gravitation. So gravity is more roundabout way but more easily applied way of doing it, if you're looking at it purely in terms of manipulating attacks. An alternative is Psychic magic, which can make barriers and force fields. The issue here is the concentration required to maintain them, in addition to the energy. I hope this helps, mickey isn't around and he's more the brains of the operation when it comes to mechanics xD.

And yeah, you can go for Dragon's Might if you want. We still have a free slot for them open.

Kikpanther · May 13, 2015

Yeah I'll be going with Dragon's Might instead of the other two.

Maybe when Mickey's around and they can give more in-depth explanations (or comparisons) then I can better choose. I don't want Psychic just because it doesn't fit the fighting style I imagine my character having and I don't think it fits the personality either. It's really between Gravity and Kinetic so if Mickey can give a more in-depth look (or if I think about it so long I choose myself) it'll be an easy pick and I can make whatever edits I have to.

Thanks for your help so far! ^_^

mickeydog515 · May 13, 2015

Hello, sorry I couldn't answer your questions sooner kik, I've been busy with family matters for most of the day today. As for the kind of magic your looking for, I would recommend that you switch Ice for Water if your going for a kinda control/lockdown battle style, as water and air combine to make pressure, which is a magic specifically focused on controlling flow. In the initial creation of the story this RP is based on, I came up with abilities for characters to use, and pressure mages had access to the ability to control the flow of not only water and air, but aether itself. This allowed them to direct spells around themselves as well as redirect spells. they could also use pressure to crush foes or hold them in place. Gravity is able to do this for physical objects, basically anything that can be affected by gravity normally, but some magics, namely air, fire and lightning will not be affected, and like Gard said, will require a lot of concentration and power. Kinetic, on the other hand, would similarly only provide the ability to direct or change the course of physical magics, like earth and ice, but only of to one side, not around you. Kinetic is also able to both speed up and slow down projectiles, but only linearly. Going for straight power, though at any cost, is more suited to magics like energy, lava, fire, lightning, and earth, and also happens to be the main belief of the School of Unbound Thought, so you may want to look at that school.

On the side note of Cheating, the most important rule we dictated in the story for the tournament was that in a tournament sanctioned arena, combatants may not make any attempt what-so-ever to kill each other, and any attempt to do so, successful or not, will result in a reversal of match results and personal punishments are put in place. Accidents, however, have occurred in the past...

YellowGardevoir · May 13, 2015

To go along with what mickey just said, I will be collecting the abilities we made (like the Aether manipulation of Pressure and the Psychic barriers) and putting them into the opening document. Many of our descriptions are limited and don't describe the full range of things you can do with the element. However, that won't be done until I get an extended period of free time. I'm aiming for tomorrow, but no promises :(

Retro Bug · May 13, 2015

While, we're on the subject of answering questions... I have a few.

When a mage has a combination such as Crystal, does this mean they can only use crystal-based attacks? Or can they still use the individual basic elements, in this case, ice and ground?

Also, since we're describing the history and that involves the Schools. Do you mind if we make up characters that are the head of that "school"? Or how does the school work? Is there a leader? Ranking system? I saw on one SU a Grandmaster of sorts, do all Schools have one?

p.s Yellow, your SU has the same problem as the original post. White text + white background, just to let you know.

Kikpanther · May 13, 2015

Ah, you're fine! You answered pretty quickly I think (or I just don't have a great sense of time o.o).

What you wrote down is really helpful but has gotten me stuck in choosing again. I think I'll switch Ice to Water, but I don't think I'll change the elements more than that. Main reason being I got really excited about having a character with Air and the second reason that I'm just not up to doing elements like Fire, Lightning, and Earth even though they are the better choices for a character like this. Still, wind can be pretty devastating on its own, so maybe I'll find a way to make up for it?

And Pressure sounds like what I was looking for, but if Pressure can hold opponents down then there probably isn't as much as a need for Gravity is there? Especially since that's what I planned on using it for. Kinetic might be a better option in that case, though I'm not sure about having a fast character (though the kinetic blasts would hurt to help). I could go with Psychic too but I think it'd only be used for shields than anything else.

On the note of cheating I said no to Hidden Way just because the idea for my character is very much someone who thinks true victory is victory through battle, though that doesn't necessarily mean following any specific guidelines. As long as you're fighting someone at their full strength. I didn't put the idea past them to target (see: break) the legs of someone who's very fast if it becomes problematic for them (or really any use of any body part that becomes an obstacle on their path to victory). I think purposefully trying to attack and break someone's arm might be considered cheating. They're also really against people who run from battle and would gladly attack someone while they were fleeing. If those don't count as cheating: Awesome. If they do, is it possible to have my character start off at Unbound Thought and then go to Hidden Way later? Or no?

And thanks again! (And sorry for all the questions. <_>)

Edit: Putting up a more detailed list of abilities would be awesome, Yellow! Can't wait to see that later. I was wondering what exactly what kind of combinations you could do with water or air (like making mist or creating a very humid battle field, but that might be better for Fire+Water?)

[Other FULL] The Elements [T] [OOC]

More options

YellowGardevoir

"Intend to? I already have."

mickeydog515

YellowGardevoir

"Intend to? I already have."

Groc

pichuwickham

YellowGardevoir

"Intend to? I already have."

catbus176

mickeydog515

YellowGardevoir

"Intend to? I already have."

Retro Bug

YellowGardevoir

"Intend to? I already have."

Kikpanther

Not a beginner that's for sure

YellowGardevoir

"Intend to? I already have."

Kikpanther

Not a beginner that's for sure

YellowGardevoir

"Intend to? I already have."

Kikpanther

Not a beginner that's for sure

mickeydog515

YellowGardevoir

"Intend to? I already have."

Retro Bug

Kikpanther

Not a beginner that's for sure