They say there used to be millions of humans. Isn't that amazing? It's hard to imagine, I know, but it's true! Humans lived all around the world in huge cities that would make Frusca look like a pimple. I know I'll never get to see it, but mark my words, Jerol, I'm going to create a future where humans can live all over the world again. Even if I have to give up my humanity to do it...What is this?This is a story about people with extraordinary powers rising to meet extraordinary circumstances.
Who are you?You are a dracotine, a child of great power. While you were yet unborn, your mother was exposed to massive amounts of elemental energy from the breath of a dragon. Because of this, you were born with pointed ears and teeth, as well as the curse to transform into a dragon, the enemy of humanity, when your emotions run hot. Orphaned from birth and feared by ordinary humans, you wouldn't have lasted long if not for the military. They gave you a purpose, an education, and even a family. For as long as you can remember, you've been trained as a dutiful dog of the military, aiming to become the ultimate weapon to counter the dragons. Through the use of limiters installed in your hands, feet, and chest, they were able to tame and refine your power, allowing you to use it without transforming and wreaking havoc. You're a formidable force, for certain, but you're also young and inexperienced. Luckily, you aren't alone, and you can rely on your fellow dracotines to support you. Assuming you can pass all of your exams, that is.
The WorldThe general setting is an Earth-like near-future fantasy world in the throes of an apocalypse. While characters would be surprised to see modern technology in use, they wouldn't find it strange or magical in nature. A lack of supplies, industry, and expertise make it difficult to construct or repair technology, with what little there is being used to furnish the military and stave off death for another few weeks.
The Dragon Empire
Little is known of the dragons and their origins, the earliest writings on them begin by telling of how they destroyed all previous record of their existence, crippling humanity's greatest stores of knowledge in the process. To the dragons, humanity is a blight upon the world, an entire species full of sin and atrocity that must be purged. They will stop at nothing to eradicate humans from the planet, and no attempt at reason has ever been met with anything but hostility. And with most of the world already under the Empire's control, it won't be long before they realize that dream.
The denizens of the Empire are massive winged reptiles capable of exhaling powerful blasts of elemental energy. Though the exact nature of a dragon's breath varies depending on their clan, all create roiling waves of raw energy capable of easily leveling entire buildings in one go. While large-scale weapons like missiles can be used to defeat dragons easily, their tough scales mean that swords and spears are only effective when targeting weak points, making them extremely difficult for humans to kill without the use of highly limited advanced technologies. Even a single dragon acting alone could easily raze an entire village.
Some dragons are capable of transforming into a human disguise in order to infiltrate and sabotage. They bear the same pointed ears and teeth as dracotines, making them easy to detect with proper precautions in play, but mistakes happen from time to time, and destruction always ensues.
Frusca
Frusca is the capital city of a nameless kingdom that colloquilly shares it name out of convenience. Frusca has a population of around fifty-thousand, with several villages ranging from three-hundred to two-thousand in size under its protection. Frusca is situated against the Farsee Ocean, allowing most defensive resources to be focused to the east. Over the years, this focus has turned the eastern wall into a huge fortification, and earned the city the nickname "The Last Bastion."
The king is a hereditary position of military leadership implemented sixty-two years ago as a compromise between military and civilian rule. While the king leads the military and has ultimate authority over civilian matters, no other military position has direct input on matters of state, and a civilian council retains many powers--including the power to choose which heir will succeed the throne.
Due to the ravages of war, it has been almost two centuries since communication between cities has been a simple task, and Frusca has not heard from another for almost a hundred-fifty years. The government maintains that there are other human civilizations still alive out there, but most understand this to be wishful thinking. Because of this, most Fruscans do not think of themselves as such. They are not Fruscans, they're just humans.
The Elineit
A large warship that once patrolled the seas before the war with the dragons, the Elineit is one of the keys to Frusca's longevity. Permanently moored in Frusca's once-bustling port, it serves as castle keep to the fortress-city and the base of all military operations. Around fifteen-hundred men and women live aboard, making up about a third of the military's total force.
Though it only has a small handful of missiles remaining, conserved for warding off large-scale attacks, the military has carefully maintained its anti-dragon batteries, allowing it to easily fend off small-scale raids before any meaningful harm can come to the city.
The Elineit is also where dracotines make their home, living in adopted homes with specially selected families. They go to a special school that begins teaching them to be soldiers from a young age. They're afforded a high level of comfort, but expectations are high as well. And no amount of comfort can hide the mistrust that humans feel towards them.
Limiters are advanced devices that restrict a dracotine's ability to transform, while at the same time allowing them to channel their elemental powers without transforming. They're humanity's ultimate accomplishment, an even greater scientific triumph than missiles. Until they're completed their basic training, dracotines are incapable of activating their own limiters and require an authorized superior to enable them. Upon graduating into the military, this restriction is removed, and dracotines are allowed to decide for themselves when it is appropriate to use their powers. To ensure the safety of those around them, each dracotine's limiter responds to a unique activation phrase that must be shouted loudly before activation.
Limiters take the form of retractable gauntlets and boots, as well as a circular core installed somewhere on the chest. Even when retracted, the gauntlets and boots leave metal plates on the back of the hands and tops of the feet. The core cannot be retracted for multiple reasons: It serves as an identifier, distinguishing dracotines from disguised dragons. It must be turned when the activation phrase is shouted in order to deploy the other components. And it is the main part of the limiter system that actually restrains a dracotine's power.
Depending on the exact nature of a dracotine's power, their limiter may be modified to better suit its capabilities, adding features to the gauntlets or boots, or adding weapons that deploy when the limiter is activated. Some dracotines take this unique nature a step further and request aesthetic or comfort modifications be made to their limiters. these requests are usually granted, within reason.
Importantly, limiters are not foolproof. While in their active state they merely regulate a dracotine's true power, rather than outright suppressing it. This means that if the limiter core is damaged or the dracotine undergoes a particularly high amount of stress, they may transform into a dragon and go on a rampage.
During character creation, you'll be allowed to select your character's element and classification, I will design a power and limiters for you based on that, as well as assigning a code phrase and rank. The closer to the top of the element and class lists your selections are, the more likely you are to get an actually good and fun power, and if you pick towards the bottom of both lists there's as high chance I'll decide that your character hasn't been able to graduate at all. This is
not an opportunity for you to outsmart the GM by finding a cool way to make use of a bad power, I've got a lot of experience with this style of game, I will make your power
actually bad. You should only select two options from the lower end of the list if you actively want to play a character that takes a backseat to the other players and are okay with potentially being sidelined or outright killed for drama purposes.
ElementsThere are seven or eight dragon clans, each wielding their own elemental breath. Similarly, dracotines infused with this power gain access to one of seven or eight elements, which then manifest into more specific powers through the use of their limiters. The reason there's an "or" is because it's unclear whether or not water and ice are distinct elements.
The elements are as follows:
- Fire - Granting powers related to heat or flame.
- Water - Granting powers related to fluids, usually water.
- Ice(?) - Granting powers related to water or cold. May not actually be a distinct clan.
- Earth - Granting powers related to the ground, dirt, or stone.
- Storm - Granting powers related to wind and lightning.
- Metal - Granting powers related to metal or sound (why these two concepts are so entwined is a subject of much debate).
- Light - Granting powers related to light and healing.
- Dark - Granting powers related to darkness and the mind.
The core elements of fire, water, ice, and earth are the most common, and fire in particular is believed by many to be the strongest element. Both dark and light are known to be especially volatile in their raw energy form, but dracotines with light or dark powers are often unusually weak.
ClassificationThough there are only a handful of dracotines, the government has still found it useful to split them into a few categories, depending on the way their powers manifest.
- Strikers are melee specialists with abilities that make them effective at fighting dragons head on. They make up the vast bulk of dracotine warriors.
- Rangers live up to their name, possessing abilities that encourage them to sit back and fight with projectile attacks. Many rangers do not actually possess offensive capabilities, but rather defensive ones which benefit them for keeping their distance, requiring them to make use of human weaponry to be effective.
- Conjurers possess powers that allow them to directly manifest their element into the world, ignoring common sense. This makes them extremely powerful, but the concentration required tends to leave them vulnerable. Though conjurers appear about as often as rangers, combat-capable conjurers are exceedingly rare due to the intense training required.
RankAs they are part of military operations, dracotines are given ranks. However, unlike military ranks, these are assigned purely on combat ability, ignoring all other criteria. Further, though equivalent to military ranks, a soldier of equivalent rank to a dracotine is considered a superior officer. Because of this, dracotine's authority is often disrespected, and it is extremely rare for them to be given actual consideration within the chain of command. As the players are among the first dracotines properly integrated, most of these ranks have only ever been held by First Elite Raeh.
Dracotine ranks are:
- Rank 0, an unofficial rank used by dracotines to refer to trainees and dropouts.
- Rank 1, granted to any dracotine cleared for combat. Dracotines yet to achieve rank 1 do not have authority to activate their own limiters and may only do so as part of training. Equivalent to a private or sailor.
- Rank 2, granted to those who have proven themselves capable warriors either in training or on the battlefield. Equivalent to a corporal or specialist.
- Rank 3, granted to seasoned fighters who have repeatedly proven themselves on the battlefield. Equivalent to a sergeant.
- Cadet, granted to dracotines who show particular promise and are placed in the cadet program alongside regular officers after their initial training.
- Warrior, graduate cadets ready to be fielded as elite soldiers. Equivalent to a sublieutenant. Coincides with the general term for dracotines on the battlefield to some confusion.
- Elite warrior, proven soldiers who are capable of killing dragons in a group of five or fewer. Equivalent to a lieutenant.
- Champion, an extremely powerful dracotine capable of fighting dragon one-on-one. Equivalent to a leader.
- Elite champion, a dracotine capable of equalling the power of a missile. Equivalent to a commander.
- First Elite, the title granted to Raeh Alettor, the first dracotine to serve the military. Her capabilities are unknown, but she is extremely powerful. Her rank is equivalent to a captain, and she is not considered subordinate to one.
You must join the
Defile Discord and be verified before I will review your sheet.
Name: [Random strings or sounds that more or less sound like names are encouraged but not required.]
Personality: [A short summary of the key points of your character's personality.]
Age: [17-20]
Appearance: [The basics of your character's appearance, covering things such as stature, build, hair and eye color, and their standard outfit (dracotines do not have an assigned uniform). Anime hair/eyes are allowed, but you are encouraged to stay realistic on any element not absolutely core to your aesthetic.]
Element: [Choose one of the eight available elements.]
Classification: [One of the three classifications.]
Power: [Do no fill this out, this is just a slot for you to paste whatever I assign you.]
Elite Warrior Vakari Delthera - Glass
Warrior Saif Asghar - Caellath
Warrior Meredith Maur - Chevaleresse
Warrior Amara Pharos - Akira
Rank 2 Janette Smith - Ctsun
Rank 2 Tyline Trout - Canadian Kitten
Rank 1 Kaymor Alst - Adwarf
Rank 1 Cordelia Campbell - Goggy
Rank 1 Liana Dioren - Twin
Rank 1 Dia Kovich - Blueturtle
Rank 1 Saviri Mulac - GreenKnight
Rank 1 Jordan Rosen - Lightbringer
Rank 1 Ren Voldaren - Sora
Rank 1 Elkar Yount - Stoirtap
Lamprys Hierat - Leonardo
Author
Topic: [OOC] Flames of Hope: The Fall of the Dragon Empire (Read 835 times)