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[_DivideByZero_]

Spoiler: Count me in. (click to show/hide)

Name: Marcus Celer
Gender: Male
Appearance: Marcus is very pale-skinned with pitch-black, unkempt hair and blue, almost sparkling eyes. Most glaringly, however, a series of grotesque cut scars covers most of his face and neck's left side. To hide (or sometimes pronounce) the scars and raise the contrast further, he usually powders his face matte-white and draws complex, whimsical patterns on it in black (and sometimes small accents of other colours), different every day. Despite of this, he generally dresses very colourfully and flamboyantly to leave an impression.
Axiom: There are no greater virtues than hope, kindness and joy; after all, bringing light to this world is our purpose. Bear the torch and let burning hope guide yourself, kind words guide others and mirthful joy bring you all together.
Bio: Though Marcus was born in a small village to a leading wealthy and talented family and destined for greatness, that was quickly stripped away when he was orphaned and badly injured at a very young age in a magical mishap. His inheritance was taken to pay for the collateral damage and he was sent to the Fountain of Life Orphanage in Inberlin, a much harder life. Though the orphanage's schooling focused on morality more than magic, he did get a basic education, but he was also relentlessly bullied for his scarred appearance. A few years forward, he confronted the bullies in a new persona of sorts. Rather than be shot down by the insults, he'd embrace them and jest about himself. He started painting his face and singing about the hypocrisy of the world, yet he never raised a fist and did his best to make others laugh with him rather than feel insulted by the ridicule. As the years passed, he didn't quite outgrow this clownish persona. He did get more cynical over time, as people do, but he'd never forget the teachings of the orphanage. Today, he steps into the Flowering Hall with a smile.

---

Prowess:
--Prior Learning--
Wavecraft: 0
Tempestry: 0
Spiritseeing: 1
Harmony: 1
Ignition: 1
Artifice: 1

--Potential--
Wavecraft: 2
Tempestry: 0
Spiritseeing: 2
Harmony: 3
Ignition: 2
Artifice: 1

Scholarliness: -2
Reaction: Marcus confronts social crises head-on, but prefers a more cautious and pragmatic approach to more practical matters.

I like the backstory you've come up with. Strictly speaking, wealth and money aren't especially relevant when it comes to Inberlin. Inberlin is a 'rich' city so to speak, in that a fixed, physical amount of goods isn't really valuable. You can make most goods yourself, build a house out of the rock, create furniture, food, simple devices, etc. It's the high-tech spiritgear stuff that's difficult to make.

That being said, the people who need help the most are those who aren't properly trained. Parents dying, hard times, unpopularity, incompatibility with other people's ideals, etc are all reasons why a person might end up with a lack of training and need assistance. So the orphanage backstory works quite well IMO.

Spoiler: IDKWTF I'm Doing But Does This World Sound Postapocalyptic To Anyone Else? (click to show/hide)

Name: Greek or Latin roots are common
Gender: Prefers she/her pronouns.
Appearance: You get to submit a custom uniform, which will be provided to you should you be admitted. If your character has any unusual physiology such as extra arms, wings, odd proportions, etc, they go here as well.
Axiom: If You Don't Know What It Does, Poke It With A Stivk.
Bio: From a village of "ferals" that by no means should be called by that name, that inhabits a distant "Station" in the radio forest.  They claim to be able to communicate with the radio forest directly, through some bizarre means, and their immediate environment certainly shows symbiosis - though how this was accomplished is anyone's guess.  Or at least, that's the story she's telling.

---

Prowess: You have 20 points to assign levels. By default you are level 0. Level 1 costs 1 point, Level 2 costs 3 points, and Level 3 costs 6 points. Up to 4 of your entries can be level 0.
Prior Learning dictates how much experience you have, Potential means how much prior affinity you have (which will translate into prior learning). Ultimately the distinction is aesthetic; it reflects whether or not you want to play as a newbie or a veteran.
--Prior Learning--
Wavecraft: An elemental magic. Using energy harvested from the ground by a wavegear (such as a staff or rod), you can cast premade spells or encode your own commands into matter; a staff serves as an antenna, used to focus magic signals into a tight beam.
Tempestry: An elemental magic. Using the natural locii within the human nervous system, practitioners can order the penumbral mist itself to act as an antenna, amplifying gains at the cost of slowly rendering your nervous system useless until healed.
Spiritseer: A spiritual magic. The human brain contains a small number of magically active particles, but in the presence of an increased number, the brain learns to interpret and read the patterns sent by the spirits of the air. Spirit magic is used to listen to and measure spirits.
Harmony: A spiritual magic. The act of harmonizing the mind to a signal requires knowledge of the brain's inner workings, able to insert hidden cues into music and voice. Harmonic magic involves creating compositions, a fixed set of cues which individuals recite and train to perform subconsciously in addition to their normal action.
Ignition: A sub-magic. To ignite the mist is to start a chain reaction that propagates itself. Technically speaking, a spirit is a type of ignition. In its simplest form, an ignition can quickly drain all the mana from a place, emitting a violent burst of heat, but the energy can be used for long-lasting charms and curses as well.
Artifice: A sub-magic. Technically the culmination of using helper-spirits, precise manipulation, and engineering knowledge. Artifice is the tool used to create bodies and wavegears, instruments complex beyond compare.

--Potential--
Wavecraft: See above
Tempestry: See above
Spiritseeing: See above
Harmony: See above
Ignition: See above
Artifice: See above

Scholarliness: 5
Reaction:
"Confrontational", Curious, and still kind of Cautious, with a significant helping of flustered.

Okay, I really don't know what I'm doing with this setting.

Cool start. Post-apocalyptic science fiction might be an apt way to describe it, but not really in a straightforward sort of way. Ever watched Shinsekai Yori?

Do you have any details in mind about this 'symbiosis?' We could have a PM conversation about it.

[Qassius]

So long as you fit within the setting's physics and parameters you are free to create societies and social orders. The main thing I would steer clear of is the named cities themselves; you can be associated with them but you may want to avoid having a monumental role in the city's history (a minor role is fine). Best solution would be to create another prosperous city that made contact with Inberlin some time ago. This is if you want the Calatorum to be more influential.

I was thinking of the Calatorum being more of a sect/minor political entity on the outskirts of Inberlin that just eventually became absorbed over time. Not too important in the grand scheme of things- but you could see them around (presumably among the many ideologies/religions vying for the attention of the people.)

[TheBiggerFish]

Cool start. Post-apocalyptic science fiction might be an apt way to describe it, but not really in a straightforward sort of way. Ever watched Shinsekai Yori?

Do you have any details in mind about this 'symbiosis?' We could have a PM conversation about it.

I wasn't even sure you'd approve of the concept, but now that we're past that, I do have some ideas.

[_DivideByZero_]

Cool start. Post-apocalyptic science fiction might be an apt way to describe it, but not really in a straightforward sort of way. Ever watched Shinsekai Yori?

Do you have any details in mind about this 'symbiosis?' We could have a PM conversation about it.

I wasn't even sure you'd approve of the concept, but now that we're past that, I do have some ideas.

'Poke it with a stick' is a sort of open-ended axiom, which is alright but it seems like you might lack direction at times. It doesn't seem to let you answer moral dilemmas for example.

[TheBiggerFish]

Cool start. Post-apocalyptic science fiction might be an apt way to describe it, but not really in a straightforward sort of way. Ever watched Shinsekai Yori?

Do you have any details in mind about this 'symbiosis?' We could have a PM conversation about it.

I wasn't even sure you'd approve of the concept, but now that we're past that, I do have some ideas.

'Poke it with a stick' is a sort of open-ended axiom, which is alright but it seems like you might lack direction at times. It doesn't seem to let you answer moral dilemmas for example.

...yes?  I'm not sure what you mean by this.

[_DivideByZero_]

Cool start. Post-apocalyptic science fiction might be an apt way to describe it, but not really in a straightforward sort of way. Ever watched Shinsekai Yori?

Do you have any details in mind about this 'symbiosis?' We could have a PM conversation about it.

I wasn't even sure you'd approve of the concept, but now that we're past that, I do have some ideas.

'Poke it with a stick' is a sort of open-ended axiom, which is alright but it seems like you might lack direction at times. It doesn't seem to let you answer moral dilemmas for example.

...yes?  I'm not sure what you mean by this.

Your 'axiom' refers to what your character's 'end goal' was meant to be. I suppose it's different for a society that doesn't craft its children using magic. I feel that an 'end goal' that doesn't quite have a definite end goal in mind (making people happy, making oneself powerful, etc) might end up stumbling later on. It's more advice than mandatory.

[IcyTea31]

The axiom is the 'how' and 'why' of your character's life, most likely one taught by their parents or other authorities. You could compare it to the religious dogma or philosophical ideals of real life.

For example, Protestant Christianity's axiom would be (in my opinion and heavily oversimplified, I'm no theologist) "Believe in your messiah and live to the ideals of faith, hope and love, and you shall be rewarded with eternal happiness after your death."

Meanwhile, Theravada Buddhism's axiom would be (with the same disclaimer) "Life is suffering and matter is transient, so you should renounce the material and meditate to become enlightened and break free of the suffering."

Though the two religions have seemingly similar end goals (Heaven and Nirvana, respectively), the 'hows' and 'whys' are very different.

There are so many different worldviews and lifestyles in our world, there's no reason to believe a fantasy world would be any different, especially when in this world children are literally made and their brains wired for specific things.

[_DivideByZero_]

There are so many different worldviews and lifestyles in our world, there's no reason to believe a fantasy world would be any different, especially when in this world children are literally made and their brains wired for specific things.

Exactly. Imagine how to make sure an AI does what they are created to do, and imagine something similar being applied to people, albeit more loosely (since personal freedom is valued in many societies). You design your offspring with an axiom and hope they follow it, though it is not always the case that they follow it to the letter.

In a true population of 'ferals,' the 'axiom' is more akin to an idea, a philosophy, or a religion. It's not necessarily programmed from birth, but it is usually a system that children are raised in. Not always though. I'm mainly just trying to stir up discussion since we have plenty of time before we start.

[TheBiggerFish]

How advanced is the radio forest, technologically?

Yeah...My tentative theory for this axiom's origins is a population, in the distant past, composed almost entirely of engineers.  Science doesn't give you you much to work with in terms of a terminal valueset.

[randomgenericusername]

I think I'm going to have to drop out of this since I just can't come up with a good character bio. Maybe add me to the waitlist if there's one and I'll try to make one in the future if you need players.

[_DivideByZero_]

How advanced is the radio forest, technologically?

Yeah...My tentative theory for this axiom's origins is a population, in the distant past, composed almost entirely of engineers.  Science doesn't give you you much to work with in terms of a terminal valueset.

The radio-forest is self-replicating technology. Not quite nanotech, but it grows antennas, rectennas, and microcomputers. The surface of its trees is often coated in a fine layer of dust made from the penumbral mist, which hardens to form the outer layers. Deep inside, they're hollow, but breaking one open causes noisy signals to leak out into the environment and raise the noise threshold in the surroundings dramatically. Left undisturbed, radio trees transmit long-distance signals in tight beams which no-one yet knows how to decode, although the academies are making an effort to understand where the signals are directed and why the trees seem to waste so much energy doing it.

Typically speaking, radio-life doesn't grow outward like biotic life does. The radio forest itself is constantly changing and regrowing as old trees die off and new types of trees and grasses appear, with the occasional macroscopic lifeform that's made of metal and eats silicon. Radio trees prefer to grow on top of leaky sources of magical energy, and they don't normally spread to areas where energy is scarce, even if they could theoretically subsist.

Radio-life and biotic life sometimes have a symbiotic relationship. The radio trees can convert magical energy into light using glowing bulbs, allowing plants to subsist. The plants, in turn, grow over and strangle the parasitic grasses that grow around a radio tree's base, which drain the same magical energy that the tree depends on. Human cities are also powered by that same energy, so building a city typically speaking means deforestation.

[TricMagic]

Right. Still trying to get a laptop, but here's a history bullit point,

• One of the Architect's Children decides to take their research to field testing.
• Sets up on a seasonal Magic spot near it's low phase.
• First Treeents are created to Help organic life.
• Communication with Spirits begins. A contract is hammered out.
• The First Fairies are born.
• Research into the Radio Forest is applied. The Fairies serve as the contact between the Spirits and Radio Life.
• Low Phase reaches its peak, the village is built into the forest.
• The construction of the first magical conduit is finished.
• The Radio and Organic Life grow in Harmony. Pixies are born to act as the Radio Lights caretakers.
• The new continent is discovered. My character is born.
• Harmony is going well. Schools are constructed from the Forests. My character trains to use their natural contracts with the Spirits.
• Story begins.

Essentially, newborn are born with empty circuits. These Circuits serve as vessels for newborn elementsl spirits. The newborn eventually forms contracts with the Major Elemental Spirits, and new spirits are born from the Contractor's energy. This limit's the Contractor in magical energy, but allows the use of Spirit/Element Magic.

As this is a fairly old contract, most kinks have been worked out. Though this does limit Spirit Magic severely, since only simple and newborn spirits can be used in Artificeing new gear. Thankfully, this isn't a major problem, since they contain their own magic spirits to use in such, and new ones are born over time to replace those used.

Of course, running out of or running low on those has an extremely negative impact on the body.

[_DivideByZero_]

Right. Still trying to get a laptop, but here's a history bullit point,

• One of the Architect's Children decides to take their research to field testing.
• Sets up on a seasonal Magic spot near it's low phase.
• First Treeents are created to Help organic life.
• Communication with Spirits begins. A contract is hammered out.
• The First Fairies are born.
• Research into the Radio Forest is applied. The Fairies serve as the contact between the Spirits and Radio Life.
• Low Phase reaches its peak, the village is built into the forest.
• The construction of the first magical conduit is finished.
• The Radio and Organic Life grow in Harmony. Pixies are born to act as the Radio Lights caretakers.
• The new continent is discovered. My character is born.
• Harmony is going well. Schools are constructed from the Forests. My character trains to use their natural contracts with the Spirits.
• Story begins.

Essentially, newborn are born with empty circuits. These Circuits serve as vessels for newborn elementsl spirits. The newborn eventually forms contracts with the Major Elemental Spirits, and new spirits are born from the Contractor's energy. This limit's the Contractor in magical energy, but allows the use of Spirit/Element Magic.

By "seasonal magic spot." Do you mean a fault line? Architects have been known to drill those and intentionally rupture them. However it is less of a "set up" and more of a "organize an expedition into the underworld and find a fault close to the surface, then set up a large amount of explosives" sort of deal.


Also most nouns in this setting aren't really meant to be capitalized every time. Things like radio forest, architects, academies, etc, I usually capitalize the first time I introduce the term to indicate that it's special, but within the setting they're pretty commonplace.

[TricMagic]

Well, it's more like it's shifting, so the radio forest is starting to die in that spot.

And the Magical Conduit is a booster, designed to amplify the lower signal. So the forest grows with it.

[Kpkdktswnw2018]

Hello.
How "human" the character have to be? By that I mean how close to human biology one has to stay?