[Other FULL] Powder Keg: Gunpowder Part II

Hell on Earth. That's how the south of Jeimas has often been described. A poverty stricken desert overrun by crime and dependent on morally questionable bounty hunters because of underqualified and overworked law enforcement. While the north is and always has been a temperate, prosperous land, the south has long been seen as a blight. Now it's even worse.

Two months have passed and the deaths of Borya Bogden, Sister Tess, Felix Grffin, The Night Wolf and Veralice have left the balance of tower between the most dangerous criminal factions destabilised and have prompted other criminals to rise up in an attempt to seize those positions or spurred others into action.

"Undead" Lachlan Buzzard has all but seized control of Ironhaven, the largest city in the south and now criminals run rampant within its walls. Anima and his holy order have risen to the ranks of the Big Bads and more and more people are flocking to his twisted religion as the situation in the south declines further and further. Aaron Fletcher has greatly increased his activity causing a regression in how goods are transported with many choosing to return to horseback convoys as he is known to only target trains. Unfortunately, this has also lead to the suspending of plans to link the independent rail system within the Grand Chasm to the greater Jeiman system. This is all in addition to the large numbers of smaller gangs who are all fighting to cement their positions or seize greater control in the power vacuum created by the Big Bad deaths. The Dead Priest Gang, Sangre Clan and the Dodgy Gang are but a handful of examples of deadly smaller gangs who have been seen on the move.

What is most disturbing for southern Jeimans however, is the activity of the most notable Big Bads. Self-proclaimed revolutionary, and the most wanted man in Jeiman history, has formed an alliance with Jessica Wilcox and Bonnie Cassidy, two other dangerous Big Bads while the man known only as Demon has been conspicuously absent from recent events with many suspecting this is the calm before the storm before he wipes out another settlement.

With tensions this high, now would be the opportune time for the Jeiman government to increase peacekeeper presence in the south, however in a striking move all peacekeepers have been recalled to key locations such as South Bridge and Earnest, some of the southernmost cities in the north.

The south of Jeimas is in a period of change and tensions are higher than ever. History is being made and only time will tell what will be left when the gears of progress are done turning.​

Jeimas

Jeimas is a small, isolated, island continent in the eastern hemisphere of the planet. Originally a land populated by numerous distinct native tribes, hundreds of years ago it was colonised by travellers who arrived from the larger continent in the west and would eventually develop to be its own independent nation at the forefront of both technology and magic.

The majority of Jeimas, about the top two thirds, has a temperature ranging from temperate to alpine and is dominated by open green fields. This is considered north Jeimas and is dotted by wealthy, prosperous cities with low crime rates and booming economies thanks to abundant food, large numbers of raw materials transported in from the south and access to quality education, magical or otherwise.

The lower third of Jeimas, the south, is covered by a vast arid desert and temperatures here are extremely high. Although there is an abundance of ores and minerals here, the people in the south are for the most part extremely poor as companies in the north such as Walthum Industries control most of the southern mines and the land is ill suited to farming all but the sturdiest produce. The south has a catastrophically high crime rate that local law enforcement cannot keep up with and as such bounty hunting has become a prominent profession there.


The Barren Lands: The enormous desert covering the south of Jeimas. There is limited access to water here and the landscape is largely very flat and covered in brown and orange sand and rocky plateaus. Those who live in the barren lands are primarily farmers and miners.

The Great Chasm: The Great Chasm is an enormous crater located deep into the Barren Lands. Nobody is sure exactly how such a large crater came to be but since its discovery several small settlements have sprung into life within the Chasm due to it's rich mineral deposits and easily defensible location. Most towns inside the Chasm are only hours away from each other by horseback.

Spider's Hollow: Spider's Hollow is a small but rather central town located in the Great Chasm. It is notable only for it's popular tavern and for the bounty-hunting agency located there. Most of the breadwinners from Spider's Hollow earn their income trading with the many travellers who pass through or by working in other nearby towns such as the mining town Gilded Brook.

Gilded Brook: A town slightly larger than the nearby Spider's Hollow that is populated primarily by miners and their families. The town got its name when prospectors discovered gold by panning the nearby river, something that lead to the discovery of rich gold deposits nearby. Gilded Brook is frequently targeted by bandits raiding the stores of gold. An attack orchestrated by Aaron Fletcher lead to the destruction of its railway which as of yet has not been repaired with merchants now primarily using horse convoys to transport their goods.

Ironhaven: Located several days away from Sinking Road, the entrance to the Great Chasm, Ironhaven is one of only two true cities in the south of Jeimas and is the only city in the Barren Lands to be considered particularly large. Characterised by its enormous stone walls, in the past Ironhaven was noted to be the only place with much government presence as was a hotspot for merchants and traders as well as the best place in the south to learn magic. In recent months, Ironhaven has all but totally fallen under the control of Lachlan Buzzard and is an extremely dangerous location. Locals who are not prepared to defend themselves, their families or their homes have been advised to flee.

Larkin: Larkin is the largest town in the Great Chasm and the closest to Sinking Road. Merchants and tradesman from the smaller towns in the Chasm flock to Larkin to conduct business. Recently Larkin has begun to slowly expand outward and has become quite overcrowded as a result of the destruction of Wrench and those fleeing from Ironhaven.

Wrench: Formerly a small mining town in the Great Chasm, Wrench was destroyed by the now deceased Veralice and was in the process of being rebuilt when the Big Bad once again obliterated the town shortly before her death. Now the town itself has been abandoned as only a few heavily damaged buildings remain. The mines nearby remain active and limited on-site accommodation has been set up during the past two months but the families of minors are now forced to reside in Larkin.

Silverston: Silverston is a small city located several days ride out of the Great Chasm to its west where it sits between the Chasm and the coast. It is predominately a city based around mining for various ores, in particular silver and gold. After the deaths of Borya Bogden and Felix Griffin, Silverston has been living in fear of the rapidly growing Holy Order of Guardium who reside in lands nearby.

Fairbell: Located only a few hours out of Spider's Hollow, Fairbell is a small and highly religious town that in the past was known for the small but beautiful church located there. The church was destroyed in a conflict and a replacement is now getting close to completion. Religious residents of other Chasm towns often visit Fairbell.

Orhurst: Situated far to the north of the Great Chasm, well outside of the Barren Lands, is the city of Orhurst – the capital of Jeimas. This city is enormous with many well-maintained cobble streets and is the home of many government buildings, businesses and houses – although only the richest live in the large inner city houses. Most residents live on the outskirts of the city with farms and plantations being the furthest out properties. Orhurst is home to the greatest educational facilities in the world including Skyrith Academy, a school and university dedicated to not only educating people, but also producing great sorcerers.​

Gameplay

Gunpowder is a bit different to most RPs as it is both sandbox in nature and plot heavy. You will have a lot of freedom and be able to pursue your characters personal stories throughout the entirety of the Barren Lands (Ironhaven and below) but there is an overall plot that will be going on through the RP that I may pull you into or execute around the actions of your characters. In addition, it is preferred that we maintain active communication with each other and that you discuss your plans with me so I can alter the way the plot flows in accordance with what you want to do.

Much like in Part I, there are mechanics to consider in relation to your character's spells. This primarily takes the form of a level system that determines the number of spells available to your character, the number of elements those spells can belong to and the rough power level of the spell. There have been a few small changes to the system however. Unlike before where a certain number of pre-made spells were required, all spells are now custom to your liking. The exception to this is returning characters who must possess the same spells and level as they had at the end of Part I. Returning characters should be ranked at level 3 or 4. I will determine when characters can level up, but you are not required to play a magic character.

Initiate: 5 spells (Non-elemental/one element)
Novitiate: 8 spells (Non-elemental/one element)
Moderate: 12 spells (Non-elemental/two elements)
Accomplished: 15 spells (Non-elemental/two elements)
Veteran: 20 spells (Non-elemental/three elements)
Superior: 24 spells (Non-elemental/four elements)
Master: 27 spells (Non-elemental/five elements)

Non-elemental magic is easily accessible to all, while most people gravitate more to certain elements than others. The typical elements are Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Electricity but on occasion mages will develop magic of a non-typical element such as sound, darkness or gravity.

All mages possess innate magical ability, but to cast any kind of magic, a spellcaster must be in close proximity to their personal spellbook. There are exceptions to this rule, but these are very rare. A spellbook is talisman in the form of a small book that automatically records the spells you have access to. The further away from your book you are the weaker your spells will become until after about 5-10m depending on the person you will be unable to cast spells entirely. For this reason criminal mages have their books burned upon being captured. Replacements are very hard to come by.​

Sign-Up Sheet

Name:
Age: 16+
Gender:
Alignment: Outlaw or Bounty Hunter

Personality:
Appearance:
Background: Doesn't need to be a novel. Returning characters should include a brief summary of major events they were involved in during Part I.

Weaponry: Roughly equivalent to weapons available in the mid-late 19th century.
Spell List:​

Participants

I most likely will not be accepting SUs from people who were not part of the RP at the conclusion of Part I and as such this RP is listed as closed. That being said, I am open to the introduction of new characters from returning participants and I'm not totally dead against new blood if they can provide me a particularly interesting character and have proven themselves to be reliable posters.

gimmepie as Alex Rose and Elias Stork
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ANIMA
Name: Anima (?Life?), the Bringer of the Ascension and Prophet of the Final Years. Servant of Gaudium(?Joy?), God of the Ascension and Celestial Transformation, Creator of Paradise and Lord of Higher Existence, the Saviour of all Wandering Souls.
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Alignment: Outlaw
Personality: ?KILL THEM ALL, GOD WILL RECOGNISE HIS OWN.?
- Arnaud Amalric, Cathar Crusade (1209?1229)

Jos? is often brooding, deep in thought. Jos? believes himself as righteous and justified. Some people with small vocabularies might call him 'Mad', others with big vocabulary call him 'Insane.' He turns ecstatic when he sees the chance to kill. His mind is numbed to the effects of the trauma that accompany murder. He enjoys the sound of screaming, and the smell of blood.

Jos? was indoctrinated at a young age, his mindset has been psychotic ever since. He genuinely believes that after death, there sits an existance far greater. That existance is what he calls the Astral Plane, sending people there is an honour bestowed upon him by Gaudium. Gaudium is the keeper of the Astral Planes. He believes killing people will save them by sending them to the astral plane and believes this is his benign service. His voice is dull and his emotions are rarely changing, his motions are monotonous, except when he is killing. He refuses to kill himself or be killed as he believes he has not yet successfully helped everyone ascertain enterance to the astral planes.

Jos? refers to himself as Anima, that what he is referred to when he had his first contact with Gaudium, due to the lack of facilities. His behaviour has never been culled. Some people believe that what he sees are just hallucinations. In the rare occasion that he permits his victims to a few more moments alive. Those moments are spent in agony, as he has taken to enjoying torturing those unworthy just yet to die. And those who ridicule him, they are the first to experience the unworthiness of their lives.

Over the course of his life, the Prophet has had many crises of faith and these only strengthen his resolve. Some might consider these overcompensations but if anyone spoke those words to him, he would have them executed. Anima still uses death as a pragmatic way of removing someone, even if it does reward them. The true reward is given by Gaudium, to let someone exist in his light. Sinners are left out in the darker edges of his realm.

Anima?s world view is that of Darkness and Depravity, that all souls are on a journey from the darker pre-life hell, through to this hell, and then the few who worship Gaudium will live in paradise for all eternity, basking in his eternal light and ease.



Background: Anima massacred as many as he could on his own, but then as time went on he became inextricably linked to one Native Jeiman called Redeeming Shadow, the rightful heir to her tribe. She, however fled the tribe after being ostracised and was converted to Anima?s religion.

When Anima was captured. Shadow formed a band of bandits to break him out. When successful they formed The Holy Order of Ascension when Anima exposed them all to his Truthful Eye, except from Elliott, a man under their protection from Waltham Corporation and simultaneously their pawn for his powerful but wild magic.

Most recently, Anima toppled a local crime lord, Felix Griffin, during a battle with numerous sides and combatants, leaving him victorious with a workforce to do their bidding and a platform for which to launch from. With Shayne Jacobs forever on their tail.

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Rory Ryder West
19 | Male | Outlaw​

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Age: 24
Gender: Male
Alignment: Bounty Hunter

Personality: If one had wanted to find a single word to describe Alex, the first one that would come to the minds of most would be apathy. He had no hobbies, he had no real friends and distanced himself from people who tried to get close and he had no interest in anything but his job. He lived only for the thrill of the hunt. Ever since he helped hunt food as a kid on his family farm, pursuing his prey has been when he feels truly alive.

So much is Alex's entire life tied to tracking down a target and capturing and killing them, that only a very thin line separated him from becoming an outlaw and becoming a bounty hunter. He's not devoid of morality, he doesn't believe in killing unnecessarily - like taking the life of an innocent. He chose to become a bounty hunter because he could enjoy a fulfilling life without violating those basic principals. He doesn't think about it, but he's not really sure what way he'd have gone if being a hunter hadn't been an option.

Recently though, Alex has begun to question the way he lives his life. He's become aware of the blood on his hands in a way that he never was before. He still finds nothing more fulfilling than chasing down and gunning down his target but now he's questioning the way he lives. He feels lost.

Appearance: Alex is tall and thin, being just over six feet tall and sporting a lean, athletic build and his features are sharp and angular. His skin is naturally pale, especially given the environment he lives in, although closer inspection would reveal that he actually has been tanned by the desert sun. Under his clothes Alex now sports a number of scars, many of them gained over the events of the past few months. His hair is straight and black and reasonably long. It reaches midway down his neck and he has a long fringe that in the centre reaches to just below his eyes, which are small and brown.

For attire Alex aims for function over form. He dresses primarily in shades of grey, varying from light to dark, and black although he'll occasionally include a splash of white. His clothes are generally trousers and a simple shirt, both made out of thin fabric. He is frequently seen donning a long, heftier coat. He wears a brown leather belt around his waist that holds both his guns as well as leather pouches for his spellbook and ammo.

Background: Alex grew up on a farm outside of Fairbell, but he had no love for the farmer's life. His parents operated under the assumption that he'd take over the farm one day, but Alex had other ideas. He was bored, there was nothing that h felt gave his life meaning except for those times when he and his father hunted for their meat. At those times he found fulfilment... but even that was starting to run thin by the time he was older. So Alex, as soon as he could, left home to become a bounty hunter. That way he could chase much more exciting prey. His parents were the opposite of thrilled but he didn't care.

Life as a bounty hunter was more or less what Alex expected. It was far more fulfilling than his old life on the farm. Sometimes it was even challenging. He got himself set up as a member of Janet's agency and started renting a room at an associate of hers' house. He was rarely home long though, always he was out hunting. He rarely had the chance to go after particularly high bounties though.

Then Rex Flinders happened. Flinders had a huge bounty and after a lesser outlaw working with him slipped Alex's grasp and released several prisoners affiliated with his gang, Alex set his eyes on the Flinders Gang. He tracked down the outlaws base and invaded, gunning down anyone who stood in his way until he came across Flinders himself. That went less well. Flinders easily defeated him, even after reinforcements arrived in the form of Jeb, Sophia, Marzia and Alice. Even two bounty hunters and two outlaws together couldn't defeat Rex. But Alice did. The child was possessed by an entity called Verelys and at that moment it awakened and Veralice was born. She destroyed Flinders with ease leaving the injured Alex and Jeb to claim the bounty.

The next while Alex spent training and practising while Veralice rampaged across Jeimas. Then, he deduced where she was going and set off after her, once again meeting Jeb. The two of them confronted Veralice even as the Night Wolf, another Big Bad also did. During that fight Jeb and the Night Wolf lost their lives but Alex narrowly escaped death and killed Veralice. His suffering was far from over though. He watched as she reverted back to being an ordinary child as she dies and since then his dreams have been haunted by the memory of him killing the little girl.

Weapons: Alex is skilled with firearms and will usually default to his guns before turning to offensive magic, instead preferring to use his spells to augment his shooting for the most part. He makes use of two different firearms: a sawed-off Lupara shotgun and a simple six-shooter revolver. In the past he favoured the more destructive shotgun as his primary weapon but now gravitates more to the handgun.

Spells:

Elemental Burst - Fire: A small fireball is produced.
Blink: Disappears and reappears nearby so long as they can see their target location. Alex's variant creates a small flash of red light.
Elemental Shield - Fire: Creates a barrier made of flames. More effective at blocking physical attacks or spells than projectiles.
Fire Bomb: A larger variant of the Fire Elemental Burst with a greater blast radius.
Detect Magic: Can be used to discover spells active in an area.
Multiply: Creates multiple illusory copies of himself or an object. They cast shadows but otherwise cannot interact with the world around them.
Reload: A highly specific version of summoning that works with high accuracy but very limited range. It moves bullets on Alex's person or that he is touching to the chambers of his weapons.
Burning Blink: An enhanced version of the Blink spell that creates a small flash of flame on disappearance and a slightly larger one on reappearance.
Minor Cloning: Alex creates two temporary duplicates of himself. Unlike Multiplications, these can physically interact with the world.
Detonate: A time delayed spell that causes an object Alex has touched to combust and explode. The longer he maintains contact with the item the longer before it explodes and the bigger the explosion.​

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