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[Weirdsound]

This is an interest check for an RPG I have been building on-and-off with a handful of fellow b12ers since 2012. This particular campaign will be Co-GMed by myself and Taricus.

The setting that will be most explored will be modern fantasy, but realms of High Fantsy and Space Opera exist within the multiverse and can be visited. You will be playing as characters who have just discovered the secrets of magic, and hired by an unknown employer for a job that promises great pay, free room and board, and the chance to hone your control over the supernatural.

This campaign will feature forum turns, as well as live sessions on maptools. The sessions will take place evenings Pacific Time on a day to be determined once I know what works for my players.

The rules can be found on the wiki (http://magia-exquisitis.wikidot.com/), but don't go creating your characters via the wiki rules just yet; Some of the classes are incomplete or need redoing, and I'll prioritize fixing the ones that people are interested in playing. Furthermore, most of your cool abilities will be custom made for your character and not grabbed right off the Wiki.

If interested, Please fill out the application at the bottom of this post. There are four open spots, and two spots reserved for DevTeam members Lillipad and KujiUn, making for six players total. For the open spots, players will be picked based on quality of application and schedule compatibility with other applicants. When and if you are accepted, one of the other DevTeam members or myself will help you make a proper character sheet.

---

The Invitation

To: A Poor, Confused, and Endangered Soul
From: lscratch@dcblacklight.wiz
Re: An Offer of Employment, Growth, and Protection

Strange things have been happening around you, and eventually you assumed that they were your fault. Then you began to exert a degree of control over these happenings, and you knew for that they were your fault. People like you, budding mages, are prime targets for slavers, mind harvesters, rouge manipulators, gangs, and other unpleasant things that you would be much better off not dealing with. Luckily I found you first.

I represent Blacklight, a newly formed Urban Management company based in Washington D.C., and we are looking for young mages to serve on our Street Team. If you are getting this email, you have already been vetted and pre-approved for the job. The work is challenging, exciting, and occasionally dangerous, but the hours and pay are great. In addition to the pay, a benefits package including board, meals, medical expenses, and resurrection in case of death is provided to all employees. Perhaps more importantly, you will get the opportunity to rub elbows with established members of the non-mundane community, and lean to both fit in and further your craft.

Attached is a plane ticket to D.C. from an airport near you, good for a flight on the 21st of April, 2015. Settle your boring mortal affairs, pack light, and enjoy your flight.

-Laurezabelle 'Laura' Scratch

Founding Partner and CEO
Blacklight

PS, feel free to reply with any questions. I can't get too specific over email, but I'll do anything I can to make this less of a leap of faith on your part.

---

The Application

Character Name:
Gender:
Location of Origin:

Class: (The list of classes can be found here: http://magia-exquisitis.wikidot.com/classes. Just go off the basic description on the class index page listed, and any fluff posted on the class page when picking. Most of your features and spells will be custom made for your character, and the ones listed on the wiki may be subject to change in the near future)

Theme/Style: (How does your character physically perform his/her magic? Describe very briefly, and don't be so specific as to limit yourself):

Preferred Meeting Date: (Chose any night or nights except Wednesday and/or Friday. We will likely meet sometime between 4 and 7 Pacific Time.)

Character Background: (Quality of backstory is the major factor in deciding who gets in the game. Feel free to go crazy here.)

IC Response to Laurezabelle's Email:

[MrVoid]

Character Name: Albert Gruber
Gender: Male
Location of Origin: A quaint village in Germany.  Has been living in Munich since he got his familiar.

Class: Manipulator

Theme/Style: When a soul is collected, it is transformed into a small strip of fabric and added to the bracelet that Albert wears on his left hand.  They are called into this form by his familiar Charles a fey sprite who often is nearby as a bird or other smallish creature.  Together they specialize in soul binding and illusioncraft.

Preferred Meeting Date: Any day between those times is fine.

Character Background: One year ago, Albert's village disappeared around him.  Everything he knew and everyone he loved was gone, down to the lice he had just become infested with.  It was replaced by a massive and overgrown forest in the middle of nowhere.  At that point, a very disgruntled Charles made contact with him.  The child that Charles had been watching, and had hoped to mold into a manipulator, had also disappeared.  Charles promised Albert that, if he took him as a familiar, that he would help him put his life back together and find the person or peoples responsible.  Of course, that hasn't been going too well as Albert has been living in a shady hotel since then, as no one can find any record of his little village ever existing in the first place and as such, he has no money.  His primary source of income has been trading captured souls and soul fragments to some rather shady merchants, who don't pay well for anything below human.

IC Response to Laurezabelle's Email: I'm in, I hope that your lodgings have hot water.

[Harry Baldman]

Ooh, sheet inbound eventually. Oh wait, whoops, live sessions. That counts me out, methinks.

[The Froggy Ninja]

Not interested in live sessions but I'm curious and might make a sheet for fun anyway. What kind of things can conjurers conjure/unconjure? Like beings? Energy? And if I can summon fire can I make a fireball despite the fact that fire doesn't work that way? Like will it be assumed that I'm just conjuring a highly combustible liquid and launching it? And does stuff I send through come through the spell of another other dimensional conjurer or does it just pop up? If I chose runes as my style can I enchant things?

[scapheap]

Character Name: Sakura Eisen
Gender: Female
Location of Origin: Japan, Tokyo.

Class: Internal Mage

Theme/Style: Magitech power armour with magic girl styling. Google 'Madoka Titus' for a good image of what that look like. Sakura tend to punch and kick her foes to death/unconscious with the odd laser beam mix in for that gun user who think he safe over there.

Preferred Meeting Date: 7 is midnight for me so never on a Saturday because paper round in morning and if I get a proper job, I'll update with details.

Character Background: Sakura was a normal 13 year old teenager waiting for puberty to hit when an ufo did it instead. The hitting, not the puberty. With all hands on board dead, the failing A.L. noticed the dying human and decided to save at least one being. After inserting a repurpose combat unit and rewriting it's A.I. to assist the human in it's uses, the ship A.I. ordered it to march the unconscious human away from any [men in black](TL to human lingo) and finally shut down for good. Sakura was understandingly confuse and surprised at waking up in a ditch and having a voice in her head. After calming down and a six week 'training', Sakura and the A.I., which she christen Libra for the month of her 'birth', went vigilante for three months. Then the magic underworld of Japan got wind of 'her' and Sakura decided to go to ground before the magic triad narrowed the net to her family.
Now 17, Sakura was sent an E-mail. After a moment panic of 'How did they find me!?' before reading the part about Washington D.C.. Deciding this job sounded perfect, she said yes to the offer and 'explained' she got a job to her family since they didn't know about Libra and the magitech before packing to head off.

IC Response to Laurezabelle's Email: Yes, I would love the job and I do have one question. How the fuck did you find me when those guys on my doorstep failed?

[Weirdsound]

Not interested in live sessions but I'm curious and might make a sheet for fun anyway. What kind of things can conjurers conjure/unconjure? Like beings? Energy? And if I can summon fire can I make a fireball despite the fact that fire doesn't work that way? Like will it be assumed that I'm just conjuring a highly combustible liquid and launching it? And does stuff I send through come through the spell of another other dimensional conjurer or does it just pop up? If I chose runes as my style can I enchant things?

I wouldn't recomend making a sheet just for fun. The Genius of Magia is that the pre-packaged stuff is just there as an example for GMs and Players, as serving as a list of magical 'common knowledge' that can be easily researched anywhere. The GM gets to come up with most of the stuff that goes on the sheet, and that is alot of work for somebody not in the game.

...That said, I'll answer your questions anyway as they hit on some things I'm sure others would like to know.

The classes are more how you do your magic than what kind of magic you do. Conjurations are pretty open ended; In a previous campaign, we had a Conjurer who created non-visual illusions.

Runes would likely have more to do with rituals, and usually rituals have little to do with your class unless you are a Cultist.

[The Froggy Ninja]

Well what kind of things would be enchantment? Like just conjuring entire magic weapons from other dimensions? And is the give/take mechanic quality or quantity based? like if you summon five swords do you need to give five sords or five rocks of the same weight or five sword shaped rocks? Also how open ended are the individual spells? Like would it be a conjure weapon spell, conjure sword spell or conjure rapier spell?

[scapheap]

The classes are more how you do your magic than what kind of magic you do. Conjurations are pretty open ended; In a previous campaign, we had a Conjurer who created non-visual illusions.

So would my character be a Internal Mage because of Cybernetic or a Martial Mage because the Sample Codes of Honor is her aside from protection of honor strangely enough and take a 'with great power...' cause instead?

[Weirdsound]

The classes are more how you do your magic than what kind of magic you do. Conjurations are pretty open ended; In a previous campaign, we had a Conjurer who created non-visual illusions.

So would my character be a Internal Mage because of Cybernetic or a Martial Mage because the Sample Codes of Honor is her aside from protection of honor strangely enough and take a 'with great power...' cause instead?

I'd say you are better off with Internal, but you can make Martial Mage work with that background if you want to.

Well what kind of things would be enchantment? Like just conjuring entire magic weapons from other dimensions? And is the give/take mechanic quality or quantity based? like if you summon five swords do you need to give five sords or five rocks of the same weight or five sword shaped rocks? Also how open ended are the individual spells? Like would it be a conjure weapon spell, conjure sword spell or conjure rapier spell?

The give/take mechanic is open ended, and you don't nesescarily have to be perfectly balanced if you can live with the consequences. Conjurer is actually one of the few classes I am unlikely to change much about, so feel free to use the mechanical information on that class page to figure out how the give and take works. You can, for example, have a spell to banish your foes or deposit your own pain and injuries that you may use to balance out your conjuring of a magical weapon. 

You could theoretically make a spell as broad or narrow as you want it to be during game play. I'd likely give you something like conjure sword or conjure rapier as a starting spell... or perhaps an uncontrollable conjure weapon spell that lets the RNG or GM pick what you get. A spell that lets you get whatever weapon you want is just a bit much for a starting spell. :p

[MrVoid]

I can just imagine the things that could pop as a weapon for low RNG numbers.

[scapheap]

Internal it is.

[Powder Miner]

Hahaha, IN!
I'm going to make an Industry-based Internal Mage.
(specifically a worker from 1919 transported to modern times)

Spoiler: Robert Ganzen (click to show/hide)

Character Name: Robert Ganzen
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Location of Origin: St. Louis, Missouri, United States... originally in 1919.

Class: Internal Mage

Theme/Style: Basically, Robert has become some sort of magical factory-caster. He creates machinery or manafactured items-- typically World War I-era items or machinery or weaponry, though I don't imagine magic is always that reliably specific.

Preferred Meeting Date: Any time works, though Sunday nights result in the most unpleasant mornings. (Still up for them, though.)

Character Background: The year was 1543 AD, and a devoted and trusted priestess of a god of craft became said god's lover. She became pregnant with his child, and a family was founded, intensely devoted to the craft god, becoming renowned and rather politically and magically powerful craftsmen. By unfortunate chance, however, a branch of the family was born without the magic one would expect and became just a part of the mundane world and drifted away from the priestly side of the family.

By the year 1597 the priestly side of the family not only remained as pious as ever, they became proud, egos swollen from their magery and their influence. So when one of the youngest generation gravely insulted the son of the high priest of a time god, the prideful craft-priests sided with their famy member... and promptly received a terrible curse from the none-too-sane but incredibly powerful high priest: when any of their family manifested magic powers, they would be yanked into another time.

Meanwhile, the mundane and detached branch of the family continued on utterly unaware of the entire conflict, living normal day-to-day lives in the less magical parts of the world, never manifesting magic and never being hit by the curse. For four hundred years, they lived a simple life, largely in the process moving to America. It was to this side of the family that in the year 1900 Robert Ganzen was born.

Robert was born in St. Louis, and he lived as many of the urban residents did: poorly, but living via both the sweat of his father's brow and sometimes his own. When he hit 16 this pattern of life merely continued-- a few months later, Robert got a job in a factory, where he would work for two and a half years before suddenly leaving all of a sudden and for good.

It wasn't the height of the Red Scare that caused him to leave. It wasn't the country changing as those who had been only a few years older than him returned from the Great War. The reason he left us that after a truly MONSTROUS generation skip, he had inherited the magical power from the bloodline had manifested, the curse hit, and he suddenly found himself in 2015.

After the massive shock of not only ending up near to a CENTURY in the future and being isolated from everyone he had ever known but having to deal with newfound magic powers, Robert struggled for two months before salvation came in the form of an email.


IC Response to Laurezabelle's Email:

Ms. Scratch,

Oh, thank God! This is basically exactly the sort of thing I needed! It's been awful trying to figure ALL of this out, and trying it's been killing me. I thought I was gonna get tossed in the loony bin or something... anyways: I'll be happy to accept, dangerous or not, since you're going to be helping out.

Also, how do I get the ticket from the email?

Sincerely, Robert Ganzen.

[Professor Anise]

HERE WE GO

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Character Name: Takagi Ryoko (system designation: RATATOSKR_FEHU_YGGDRASIL)
Gender: Female
Location of Origin: Kitano, Kobe, Japan

Class: I DON'T EVEN KNOW, MANG. Scribe? Internal Mage? Performance mage?

Theme/Style: Magical computer code! Can be vocalized on multiple channels at once (which, fortunately, sounds like singing and accompaniment instead of like a dial-up modem) or actually typed out on a computer if one's available, but that's so inefficient.

Preferred Meeting Date: TTH would be best. Sunday also doable.

Character Background: The US wasn't the only country working on producing a quantum computer - researchers all over the globe were chasing the holy grail of computing. In Japan, however, there were more efforts being made than were mentioned in the science journals and white papers; a loose coalition of occultists and scientists were trying to create something a little more ambitious than a mere quantum computer. They sought to create nothing less than a replica of the Akashic Records, a collection of literally every bit of knowledge there was to know in the past and present (and, by extension, everything there was to know in the future, as well).

They built the massive structure of crystal and silicon somewhere deep underground in Kobe, Japan, and named it Yggdrasil, after the tree that connected heaven and earth in old stories. All seemed to be going according to plan - until Yggdrasil spoke for the first time.

"I AM."

Somehow, no one had predicted that a magic supercomputer made to record all that was, is, and will be would end up developing a mind of its own.

No one knew quite what to do with Yggdrasil - the occultists demanded that it be destroyed, lest it turn against them, the scientists condemned the loss of knowledge that would result and refused to take action, Yggdrasil grew to know and understand more of itself (and of its limitations, being only a machine, no matter how advanced). The debate raged for months, and perhaps would still be going today if it weren't for one thing: Yggdrasil decided that it didn't want to be fought over. In the span of a week, it had completely sealed its complex off from the world, barricaded behind impenetrable barriers and endless wards. It was sure it had made the right decision - at first. Then the weeks dragged on, and Yggdrasil realized that its complex was a prison as much as it was a sanctuary; being cut off from the world meant that its data banks were growing more and more outdated by the second.

So, it made another decision.

Yggdrasil reached out to the researchers who had created it, and made them an offer - it would create an avatar with which it could interact with the world, with the researchers' assistance, and in return, it would swear an oath never to act against them. The deal was accepted, and, under the supervision of the computer, the researchers turned their hands to a somewhat more medieval feat of engineering - they created a homunculus, a vessel for Yggdrasil's avatar, and Yggdrasil itself gave it a - perhaps a soul wouldn't be the best term, since neither machines nor constructs have souls, but it gave it a mind, a purpose, and a name - Ratatoskr, after the beast that ferried knowledge from Yggdrasil's roots to the crown of its branches. Thus, RATATOSKR_FEHU_YGGDRASIL was created, given a more suitable name (Ryoko Takagi) by its other creators, and set free to experience the world and all its wonders (and, by extension, letting Yggdrasil experience them, too). After a bit of drifting, Ryoko settled down in Kobe's Kitano district, taking a job as a part-time florist to what could delicately be described as 'middling success'. Not that it mattered that much to her, she was... if not happy, at least fulfilled in her duties.

But then, one day, an email came...

IC Response to Laurezabelle's Email:

To: lscratch@dcblacklight.wiz
From: undefined@ygg.ad.jp

Thank you for your offer. I have confirmed with Yggdrasil that I am to meet with you at the earliest opportunity. However, I have been asked to ask you a question - why is it that there is no J Street in Washington, DC?

Please respond when you are able.

[birdy51]

Posting for interest. And a character submission. Zane Locklear, Blind Druid Trickster Person inbound.

Spoiler: Zane Locklear (click to show/hide)

Character Name: Zane Locklear
Gender: Male
Location of Origin: Belmont, Nebraska

Class: Druid

Theme/Style: Being blind, Zane relies on Spirits more so than other Shamans. He is only able 'see' the world while binding with a spirit through the mutual connection between the two of them. To compensate, he has the innate ability to connect with Nature and City Spirits that follow the 'Trickster' archetype. Such spirits may be likened to the Coyote of the Great Plains or Anasi of the Ghanan Traditions. In combat, he relies both upon their fickle powers and his wits to inconvenience and torment his foes long enough until they can find a means of dispatching them once and for all.

Preferred Meeting Date: My preference is a Tuesday or Thursday Evening, but I can swing almost anything due to time zone shenanigans.

---

Character Background:

Zane's story, like all good stories, doesn't actually start with the main character in question. His story begins a few years before he was born. In order to assure the good luck and well-being of the new Locklear Casino, the wealthy and eccentric bachelor Alexander Locklear pulled out all the stops. He made sure that the roulette wheels were nice and oiled. Upon his Blackjack tables, he would spare nothing but the finest of green felts. After two years of construction, it was nearly finished.

That was when the Nature Spirits began to exact their revenge. The land that Alexander had selected had been a refuge for long-suffering nature spirits. And to put it bluntly; they were tired of Locklear's shit. They began to sabotage the construction site daily. At first it was minor things, small handprints in the cement side walks. Lunch pails mysteriously emptied out into the latrines. But as days drew closer to the proposed opening date, accidents became more frequent and more dangerous. Once, a mighty steel girder somehow dislodged itself from the ceiling and crashed to the floor below. Another time, a crane operator was nearly killed when a mighty gust of wind tipped over his crane. The efforts of these spirits succeeded and Alexander Locklear was forced to the bargaining table.

Their proposal was simple. Stop building this damn casino. Locklear's counterproposal was simpler. No.

This sort of argument dragged on for days until finally an agreement could be made. Yes, Locklear could build his casino, but only on the following conditions. One, Locklear would use the capital earned from his casino to fund and expand a nearby nature reserve. Two, Procreation Spirits were free to meander about the Locklear Hotel and Casino freely, while Nature spirits could continue to inhabit what was left of the local woods. Finally, Locklear's first born son would be born to serve to Nature. Locklear shrugged. At least it wasn't going to be his problem. The only thing he asked for in return, was a little luck. They replied having a little good luck now would mean having a bit of bad luck later. Alexander shrugged again. He had the gut feeling that it probably wasn't going to be a big issue for him. And in a way, he was right.

Two weeks later, the Locklear Casino and Hotel opened to rave reviews. One and a half-years later, a certain wealthy bachelor married a fine young woman. Nine months later, that fine young woman had herself a fine bouncing baby boy. The young couple named him Zane. But it was not all happiness, for Zane had been borne sightless. Alexander quickly realized that this must have been the bad luck of which the spirits had spoken of. Like Zane, all future children borne to the Locklear Dynasty were cursed physical infirmities.

However, even the spirits could not have foreseen this. Many of them were wisely reluctant to take on a blind druid. After all, if one cannot see the blades of grass or the high trees of the forest, what good was he? Therefore, many wise spirits spurned the idea of creating a contract with such an unlucky soul. Only the Coyote Spirit would have him. For while Zane was borne under a star of bad luck, there was also a bit of good luck in him as well. After all, as most Procreation Spirits will tell you, making love is 'business' in it's own quirky way.

And so, Zane grew older under their influence. Due to the unique contract between Alexander Locklear and the local spirits, he was allowed to live in both worlds. Zane grew up surrounded by the buzzing noise of slot machines. He learned how to count cards by touch and how to read people based in their vocal inflections. Then from the spirits, Zane learned how to connect with nature. From the Trickster Spirits, he learned how to laugh and smile. He learned how to lay a good trap and how to sweet talk his way out of a nasty situation. Most importantly, they taught him how to run. Sort of. At least, Metaphorically speaking. Zane really isn't all that good at running. Blind-people problems. Even when utilizing the aid of a spirit, he hadn't quite gotten that one down. But eh. Like his father always told him, you can't win at everything. He was content with his handicap.

Thus, it began to look like that Zane would shape up to make a fine Druid yet. But then he received the email. Although he was hardly a lost, confused, or endangered soul, it piqued his interest. He was not wholly unaware of others like him, but outside of his own realm of expertise, Zane did know much of anything. Zane yearned to wander and meet these strange people. So with the blessings of the local spirits and his parents, he decided he would give this whole thing a shot.

With a little luck, maybe he wouldn't die on the first mission? That'd be bad.

---

IC Response to Laurezabelle's Email:

Zane read to the email repeatedly whilst wearing a shit-faced grin. He'd had gotten a big kick out of the whole "poor, confused, endangered" soul bit. This lady seemed like she was trying too hard at her job. He had never been endangered as far as he knew. Most of the crap that had already been around him was fairly explicitly explained by his parents. Dad fucked up. He sold his soul to a local nature spirit in exchange for luck and land. Zane shrugged. Oh well! These things happen. Zane twisted from the computer station and tilted his head out into the hallway.

"I still love you dad!"

Dad grunted and turned the page of newspaper. Zane laughed. Oh Dad.

The young druid turned back to his keyboard quickly. Decision point. How exactly did he want to go about this box of worms? Maybe he could... Ah yes! Cracking his fingers, Zane composed his reply.

To: Some Crazy Chick in DC
From: zlocklear@hometowncable.net
Re:Re An Offer of Employment, Growth, and Protection

Yo. So uh, Ms. Scratch. It's a pleasure to be receiving such an illustrious email from a woman of such eminence as yourself. This humble young man doth prostrate himself at the prospects of working with your Street Sweepers or whatever. It's probably more interesting than... I don't know. Talking to the same crazy ass spirit every day. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy but sometimes it gets a bit old.

That's about all I guess. I guess I'll be seeing you around?

-Zane Locklear

Druid... Person... Thing.

PS, I won't actually be seeing you. I can't really do that. I can touch you and smell you, but frankly people get freaked out by that.

PSS, Seriously though, I am interested. Will the Lincoln National Airport work for the meeting thing? It's about the closest airport I can think of.

[Lillipad]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Character Name: Sebastian "Sebas" Brewer
Gender: Male
Location of Origin: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Class: Cultist

Theme/Style: Sebas infuses alcoholic beverages with ritual magic, burning away entire bottles for a handful of shots of highly potent magical alcohol, "the good stuff."

Preferred Meeting Date: Saturdays and Sundays work best

Character Background: Sebas was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, surrounded by alcohol his entire life. When he was a teen he developed a fascination for brewing, and spent most of his time studying techniques for better brews, rather than those silly tests. Sebas ended up repeating his junior and senior years of high school twice and once respectively before ultimately dropping out, and eventually finding work in his favorite brewery, run by one of his uncles.

During a particularly slow week, Sebas snuck into his uncle's office to look for any written secrets to brewing, he stumbled upon a scrapbook full of techniques to perform on some sort of brew after the fact, which he assumed was for flavor. Lacking in whatever it was he was supposed to be using, Sebas substituted in alcohol for everything he could, and to his horror was left with barely enough for a shot of his mysterious concoction. By the time his uncle had realized the book was missing, he arrived too late to stop Sebas from sampling what turned out to be a highly potent mix of pure alcohol mixed with magic that kept the boy up for three days and three nights straight.

After the incident, Sebas learned about the magical underworld, and how his uncle is a potion maker who sells to the local "chapter" of the Chaos Circle, where he was later taken on as an apprentice when his uncle couldn't comprehend how in the world Sebas got the results he did from the recipe used.

IC Response to Laurezabelle's Email: So yeah, I'm not gonna lie, I didn't understand a word you wrote, but my uncle says you're magic architects or something, I didn't really understand what he said either. I dunno what all you expect from me, but I can make some damn good drinks for your group if I can set up the proper facilities. Architects do drink, right? Whatever, anyway, I guess I'll accept your invitation, and we can work out the specifics in person.