Before I delve into the universe or characters for this, I would like to identify Icaelus's "Dark Fates" RP as the primary inspiration for this. For those who might not remember, Dark Fates was a demon-hunting RP, with quite a creative lore behind it. I do not intend to copy, match, or outperform that impressive mythos, and in the event that Ica himself reads this, I would like to thank him for providing such a great experience, and note that he can think of this as a "tribute," if that helps at all.
*ahem* Anyway, onto the RP that I'm actually starting up here.
The World of EnjarSpoiler (click to show/hide):
The year was 969. The world of Enjar was alight with the wonders of magic, fused with the machinations of man. Known collectively as "Manatech," these machines provided founts of sweet water to parched deserts, gave soothing warmth in the shadows of arctic peaks, and delivered man into the skies on wings of metal, transcending the ground they had once been firmly rooted to. Manatech's functional process was relatively simple: draw in Mana - the breath of the world itself - from the surrounding environment, utilize it as an energy source for the machine's assigned tasks, and return that Mana to the world in the form of the gases it expels. With Manatech lighting the way, and gifted mages studying the supply of Mana tirelessly, humanity's ambition turned from gaining territory on the land, to establishing dominion on a deeper, more enticing plane: Enjar's core, the foundational source of mana. It was a time of peace, in a way, since the world's nations were united in their ambition to tame the very heart of the world...
...but what they found in the depths was more violent and Hellish than any war humans would have created.
A wise archmage once said that everything that exists has a polar opposite. Be it a form of life, a machine, or even an idea, there is always a Yang to the Yin. As the ambitious humans discovered that day, the same is true for Mana itself. Lurking within the foulest pits of the deep, a disturbing energy known only as "Antimana" had created unseen horrors and abominations, contained only by the many layers of Mana-infused rock between them and the surface. As we dug through the deepest of those layers, the terrors within burst forth, assailing the Manatech diggers with a ferocity matched only by the most chilling of nightmares. Faint as it was, the light of the surface called out to them in the darkness, beckoning them to madly scramble for their freedom...and so they did. Bursting forth from the Grand Tunnel, they poured out into Enjar, slaughtering and pillaging all that they came across. No creature of the surface - human or otherwise - had ever attacked with the savagery they displayed: bleeding their victims to death in the most painful ways, holding parents in captive audience as their children were slowly devoured, and countless other sadistic torments of the heart were the norm for them. Unable to comprehend how any natural creature could be so intentionally cruel, we gave them the only name we could justify:
Demons.
Of course, mankind was quick to rally a defense. Believing that - as Antimana's opposite - Mana would prove a sufficient counter against the Demons, the development of Manatech shifted to the realm of weapons and barriers. For a time, our machines worked...but in a manner akin to natural animals, our foes adapted to protect themselves. They fused natural minerals to their bodies as armor, used various expulsions of Antimana to cancel our Mana out, and made a habit of learning the weak points in our Manatech defenses. They even developed sentience, and elevated those possessing it to a high status of leadership. The turning point came when they learned how to convert Mana into Antimana, which they used to terrifying effect against us. Autonomous Manatech drones turned on their creators, Mana barriers became Antimana cages to trap the Demons' victims, and the few survivors of their attacks had their Mana "corrupted," twisting them into vile beings much akin to the Demons that once preyed on them. This last development was certainly the worst of them all, as friends and family could become the enemy with a simple infusion of demonic genes, often administered by drinking their blood, or - in the case of the women - rape.
It was here, in mankind's darkest hour, that a faint ray of hope appeared...the corruption-immune Hunters. With their unique negation of corruption's effects, and their unusual powers granted by failed corrupting attempts, the Hunters became the dagger that pierced the Demons' tight stance, driving them back to the darker portions of the surface. While our enemy retreated, we rebuilt whatever civilization we could, and now stand on constant guard against them. Our barriers are reinforced to be all but invincible against Antimana conversion, and the number of Hunters grows ever larger. Our enemy will certainly spring upon us once more, but when they do...we shall be ready.
The HuntersSpoiler (click to show/hide):
No one knows quite how or why, but some humans were immune to the corrupting designs of the Demons. Many were force-fed a sample of demonic blood by the same hand which bled it, but suffered no corruptive transformation. Instead, they developed strange powers from it, the powers in question varying between each of them, but all of which gave them a special edge over the Demons. These people were quickly recruited into a special forces unit, which became known simply as the "Hunters." As their name implies, Hunters are specialized for the task of tracking and killing their devilish marks, using weapons linked to their unique Mana signature for just that purpose. As the number of Hunters grew, the demonic onslaught was slowly yet steadily pushed back, and humanity has established a number of safe havens in the world. Mana is no longer as abundant as it once was, so it is generally reserved for town barriers, which now carry a number of potent defenses against the Demons' attempts to convert them to Antimana.
You are one such Hunter. You took the test of ingesting Demon blood, and passed it with no ill effects. With your newfound power accompanying your weapon(s) of choice, you have proven your mettle against a number of small-time Demon nests, and now, you have been deemed fit for a larger task. The castle of Airsledge has not sent word of its status in over 3 months. Reconnaissance parties have been sent to determine why, but none have returned. With the well-supported suspicion of demonic involvement, you have been assigned to investigate the castle's fate, alongside a fellow experienced Hunter by the name of Alex Spade. Your objectives are simple: acquire any and all evidence as to what happened at Airsledge, eliminate whatever Demons you encounter, and return to file a report on your findings. Should you locate any survivors, ensuring their safety - while not explicitly required - will improve how the higher-ups think of you, and gaining their favor is no easy task. Best of luck on your mission.
As noted not too long ago, the player's goal here is to decipher the reason behind Airsledge castle's loss of communications, rescue any survivors found, and of course, kill Demons. The combat system will be causality-based, meaning that things will be a bit more free-form without any arbitrary stat numbers, but the tactics and logic behind how you fight will be of great importance. For example, if you can hear an enemy sneaking up behind you and do nothing to stop it, it will most certainly take the open cheap shot. Be warned: some of the Demons you encounter will be intelligent, and will coordinate with others for team-oriented attacks, make tactical decisions based on what weapon you're using, or make other quick-witted decisions.
PowersAs mentioned before, Hunters gain unusual powers if they survive drinking the cup of Demon blood upon initiation, and your character is no exception. These powers can be anything from infusing a weapon with the elements (such as fire or electricity), to gliding through the air for limited periods, to briefly immobilizing an enemy by glaring at them...really, the sky's the limit. That said, there are certain god-mod-level abilities (such as certain death for every enemy in the area) that aren't allowed on your character, for the sake of balancing. While I could provide you with a list of powers to choose from, I'd rather see what you come up with on your own, and if it needs nerfed, we can discuss that in private messages.
NOTE: In addition to these unique powers, all Hunters exhibit a notable increase in physical abilities. Specifically, they become twice as strong, agile, and durable as they were prior to initiation. These traits improve their ability to fight Demons, as they have the strength and response times necessary to keep up with their superhuman foes.
Character Sheet-Name:
-Gender: (Male or Female. Herms and futas are out of the question.)
-Age: (18 or older, please. While most Demons will prefer to kill a Hunter, some do enjoy a...different kind of hunt. Also, if you find a survivor of the opposite sex, attempting a romance is definitely feasible.
)
-Appearance: (Provide a picture or describe with text.)
-Bio: (Optional, but recommended.)
-Primary Weapon: (Since Manatech is no longer used for weapons, you can choose anything that fits a medieval-era setting. This means swords, crossbows, and other weapons of that age are available, but AK-47s, lightsabers, and gizmos like that are not allowed.)
-(optional) Secondary Weapon: (See Primary Weapon, though you can choose to put a shield here, or leave it blank. If left blank, I will assume the non-dominant hand is generally unoccupied.)
-Combat Specialty: (Use this to describe what combat situation or tactic your character shines in more than any other. For example, does your character do better in sustained combat, or is he/she more of a hit-and-run type? CAUTION: Making a character who cannot fight without a partner WILL get you killed. Characters focused entirely on supporting other combatants won't last long.)
-Weakness: (A perfect character is never that much fun, so use this to describe that one item or scenario they would avoid at any cost. This doesn't have to be specific to combat, as practically anything can be used against a combatant if available, and some of the most amusing quirks do come from less intense sources.
)
-Power: (This is where you define the special power you gained after passing the Demon blood-drinking initiation. As noted earlier, anything deemed "overpowered" won't straight-up bar you from entry, but will require a proper nerfing before your character sheet is deemed eligible. Any need for said nerf will be discussed in PMs.)
To illustrate what a finished Character Sheet may look like, here's a sample I produced for the player's fellow Hunter, Alex.
-Name: Alex Spade.
-Gender: Male.
-Age: 20.
-Appearance:
Alex is an average height at roughly 5 feet 6 inches, with a lean, muscular build. His eyes are an emerald green, with a full head of medium-length brown hair above them, often swept back so it doesn't obscure his vision. His skin tone is mostly your average Caucasian color, though with a very small bit of tan mixed in. Common clothing includes a black short-sleeve shirt, a green jacket, tan denim pants, and a pair of brown leather boots.
-Bio:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Unlike most Hunters, Alex did not test his immunity in an initiation ritual. Instead, he was force-fed some Demon blood during a raid when he was a child. Rumor has it that the Demons were experimenting at the time, seeing if corrupted human children would grow up any different than a normal human child. However, he turned out to be immune, so they instead decided to repeat the process...this time with his older brother, Greg.
Alex didn't like that. Not one bit.
In a moment of sheer desperation, Alex instinctively used his new powers: the ability to create and manipulate extreme cold temperatures at will. In this particular instance, he froze some of the water vapor in the air, creating a spike of ice, which he subsequently used to impale the demon approaching his brother. After passing out from the shock, Alex was taken to the Hunters' HQ by Greg, who pleaded with them to help him. They were both young at the time, and Greg knew nothing of how his brother got the presumed ice powers, or why he passed out soon after using them. Fast forward through them growing up, and now both Greg and Alex are masterful Hunters in their own right.
Alex's personality isn't quite as "upbeat" as his older brother's, but he still has some sense of empathy and compassion. Thankfully, the Demons have yet to acknowledge this, otherwise they'd quickly turn that compassion against him. In leadership roles, he can be a bit strict, but most can tell that he at least has good intentions for his comrades at heart.
-Primary Weapon: A poleaxe with a hammer on the opposite side from the blade, which can split and detach into both a hand axe and a hammer. In that split form, Alex refers to the two weapons as "Slash" and "Mash," respectively. Slash is held with his dominant hand.
-Secondary Weapon: When his poleaxe is split, his non-dominant hand wields the hammer, i.e., Mash.
-Combat Specialty: Alex excels at close-range combat against single targets, where his lighter armor and powerful melee weapons allow him to batter the enemy with a relentless barrage, only ending when they fall silent. If he can freeze his opponent, he can even shatter them with a single hammer strike.
-Weakness: Due to his powers being fueled by cold temperatures, Alex does all he can to avoid locations that are very hot and dry. In a place like a desert, any ice he does conjure up quickly melts, and if the heat goes to his head, he could potentially freeze his own sweat by accident.
-Power: Alex's unique power is the control of extreme cold. He can freeze moisture in the air around him to create a variety of weapons, though he generally conjures up blades of ice to use as projectile attacks. If he can touch an object directly, he can also freeze that, making it far more succeptible to blunt force.
