Welcome to Gaia! ::


Fashionable Shopper

5,850 Points
  • Dressed Up 200
  • Full closet 200
  • Signature Look 250
The Story

Oppression. It came on slow, unexpected, like the frog who finds itself in a pot of bowling water. By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late to jump free. Magic, a long fading source of power in the world, was being snuffed out entirely by those who felt technology was the future. Those who still followed the old ways were seen as uncivilized and border-line barbaric. The old gods were cast aside to make way for the new, one God who would bring everyone to salvation through faith. Those unwilling to turn away from their heathen ways and give up the practice of magic were hunted down by the Church and their fearsome Inquisitori who were equipped with the means and the will to erradicate the old ways.

The people of Ossero found themselves pitted against one another for fear of what the Crown would do, neighbor turning on neighbor, friend turning on friend, brother turning on brother, until no one was sure who could be trusted. So, no one was trusted. Whole towns were destroyed, villages razed to the ground and people of all creed, age and gender were lead like cattle to the slaughter, culled from society for the 'greater good'. Just when it seemed as though all was lost and magic would fade into infamy a battle cry rang out across the darkness. Not all in Ossero were willing to stand by while a mad man murdered their wives, their children, their families. They cried out for freedom, for retribution, for blood.

Knowing that separately they stood little chance against a colossal empire, they fled the cities under cover of darkness and gathered in the wilds of Ossero. They built homes, communities, schools for their children and hospitals for their wounded. Life became primative but they no longer feared their homes would be raided, that their loved ones would be dragged off into the night never to be seen or heard from again.

There were still some who were not simply content with this new way of life. They wanted to strike back at the empire, to see a mighty giant come crashing down beneath the hands of a few. They began to build an army, training men and women to fight for a brighter future. They gathered weapons and supplies, ships old and new, and began attacking imperial vessels with vigor -- merchant ships, transport ships, pleasure cruises, none were safe from rebel pillages. Though they did not kill their was a festering resentment towards those who lived under Imperialistic rule. They were seen as cowardly and in the eyes of some just as guilty as the emperor for the blood that was spilled.

They've become something of a nuasiance for the emperor who in essence gave them the name they now use with pride. They were causing a rift, he claimed, in the hearts of the Ossero people. They were dangerous, these rifters, and must be taken care of quickly and without hesitation. Rifters, he claimed, were nothing but a fly in the ointment. They would be hunted down and taken before the crown for judgment and execution.


Current Events


Aradelia Desmarius, princess of Ossero has runaway from home with a very valuable piece of information. Her intent -- bring it to the leader of the Rifters and help bring an end to the killing. In an attempt to escape the pursuit of Imperial soldiers, Ara attempts to climb the wall of a very steep ravine. Just as it becomes certain she is going to fall prey to the height she is rescued by Zeia, a girl who joined the rebel cause under the guise of a boy named Zach. Zeia convinces Ara to return to the nearby rebel encampment with him and she does so reluctantly and without giving up her identity.

Early the next morning the Grand Inquisitor, who's been sent by the Emperor to regain both his wayward child and the things she has stolen, comes across the rebel camp and makes his presence known to both the rebels and Ara. Frighten, Ara attempts to flee only to have Imperials hot on her heels. A mysterious pilot named Noah pulls both Ara and Zeia from the fray. Noah, however, has ulterior motives that have yet to be revealed to our young heroes though one thing is for certain -- he knows Ara's real identity.

Meanwhile the Grand Inquisitor has taken the unsuspecting and unfortunate Alo and companion Rizahk captive for purposes of interrogation even though the small company of rebel soldiers had just returned to camp after a three day scouting of the surrounding area. They have no clue what is going on but are going to find out soon enough as James (the Grand Inquisitor) has every intention of dragging some sort of information out of them.

Upon their arrival in the capital city, Alo manages to escape confinement though Rizahk is not so fortunate. Alo finds a hiding place in the clock store of Vincent where he, Kiki and Gypsy were oohing and aahing over some new merchandise the young man had gotten in earlier that day. Tension is rising as two city guards, clearly on the hunt for Alo draw closer and closer to their little piece of the world.

On the other side of the capital the Aeolian has docked in dire need of supplies and a little extra cash in the form of passengers. With the captain off negotiating a transport deal, Zephyra and Corwyn are left to make sure the supplies are bought and delivered to the ship by sundown. In the midst of their shopping Zeph spies a rather nice set of pain brushes and after a little haggling (mostly some demanding on Corwyn's part) they managed to get their hands on the brushes for a mere seven coins. Coins they'd find right under there nose again a few moments later when the Infamous Dark Angel Captain Azenzixx presented them.

Fashionable Shopper

5,850 Points
  • Dressed Up 200
  • Full closet 200
  • Signature Look 250
The Setting

The nation of Ossero is comprised of three major cities and a smattering of towns and villages scattered betwixt them. These, in turn, are surrounded by a wild, rough landscape comprised of thick forests, rocky mountains and rolling hills that stretch for miles. Travel by land, while not impossible, takes a ridiculously long time and can be incredibly dangerous depending on what neck of the woods (quite literally) you find yourself in. The man method of transport is done via airships of varying sizes -- small two man crafts, freighters, transport ships, pleasure cruises, warships, you name it and its likely seen time in the air. Owner ship of personal crafts even among the high ranking nobility is rare and more often than not passage is bought by common and rich alike. Those of a more adventerous nature take to the open road and travel by horse or on very rare occasion cog powered automobiles -- hardly practical as they have a tendancy to brake down on the flatest of terrain and would leave a inexperienced stranded and food for the wolves.

The industrial epic center of Ossero is located in the heart of their capital city Ironguard. It is home to a plethora of engineers, scientists and inventors all vying to make that next best thing. There has always been talk of secret underground locations that house and operate government funded experiments but no one knows for sure. The World Fair is held in Ironguard every spring and draws inventors from all over to fight for their fifteen minutes of fame. Few make it big, most make it as far as the junk pile but it is certainly a good time to be had by all and a major source of revenue for the city itself.

It's crown jewel, however, is the royal palace itself and home of the current Emperor Leopald Fitzgerald. It was from here that he rules with an iron fist, fitting considering the name of the city itself. The palace is a sight to behold, an architectual wonder that baffles the mind and excites the senses. It is also nearly impenitrable and heavily guarded twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. Air traffic over the palace and surrounding grounds is strictly forbidden and access to the palace itself is extremely rare.

Located a few hundred miles east is the paradise city of Eden whose main source of income is its tourism. It's beauty is thing of inspiration -- written of in poems and tales of love, painted in portraits and dreamed about by silly young girls with little else to do. Aside from the many extravagant casinos, theatres, opulent gardens, grand hotels and opera houses the heart of the city boasts crystal clear canals. Down these canals ornate gondolas and slightly larger boats travel no matter what time of day. Unlike the capital city with its trained guard patroling the streets, Crime here is a bit higher due to the mere nature of the place. Underground casinos boasting less than savory ways of gambling are not uncommon in the lower, seedier half of the city. The local authorities have been paid to turn a blind eye more often than not. For the most part Eden is a safe as any of the greater cities so long as you stay in your own neck of the woods.

Lastly the city of Whitefall, a place of academic pursuits and those seeking to find a purpose for their lives. More of a university than a city, Whitefall is one of the largest educational facilities in Ossero. Admittance into the University of Science is difficult to ascertain and only the brighest are granted access to those coveted halls. On the other side of the city the Academy of Magic stands vacant, no longer affording students of a more natural approach the quality education it once did. It is but a shell of its former glory, the building falling prey to vandalism and theft all in the name of the Emperor. The surrounding city tends to be home to those of the more scholarly persuasion, professor teaching at the university and their families, medical professionals doing their residency and scientest who hadn't any desire to go anywhere else. Several larger towns are located between these major metropolisis and serve as places of trade, travel and commerce.

Sprawling across much of the Osseran empire are the Wilds. They are made up of three major areas -- the Wilds themselves which is heavily forested and populated by dangerous beasts few live to tell about. The olains which are a rugged landscape of short grasses, small but sparse outcroppings of trees and large boulders, and very little notable vegetation. And lastly the rugged mountain range that cuts across Ossero like an ugly scar across the surface of the earth dividing the nation in half and treacherous even for skilled pilots flying overhead.

Fashionable Shopper

5,850 Points
  • Dressed Up 200
  • Full closet 200
  • Signature Look 250
The Rules

1. Of course always follow the Gaia TOS guidelines.
2. I love romance, violence, plot twists, etc but keep it relatively clean. There are other servers to use for smut.
3. This is a literate game. Do NOT, I repeat, do not post on there with text speak. It's an extra keystroke to use the shift key and capitalize. It doesn't kill a person to type out 'you' instead of 'u' or a 'to' instead of '2'. Also I ask that you can post roughly 100 words minimum for your posts. The more, the better!
4. No god moding. I can't stress enough how quickly this will get you on my bad side. God moding means no playing another persons character, no forcing hits, not instant deaths, no perfect characters, no god-like chars that can't get hurt or are invincible. It ruins play for everyone else.
5. You can post before I officially accept you but always know there is a chance I may ask you to tweak something about your character.
6. There is no 'you have to post this many times a week' nonsense but please, if you get involved in an active storyline within the board, don't disappear without warning. Please, please, please tell us or be around to post. It is the only time that I will allow another person to just flat out kill a character ( if the absence goes on long enough ).
7. If you've joined and haven't posted at all and haven't emailed me with a reason your char will be moved to an the 'inactive' list. After a month of inactivity it will be removed completely from the board. You can re-apply.
8. Have fun people! This is a game after all.

Fashionable Shopper

5,850 Points
  • Dressed Up 200
  • Full closet 200
  • Signature Look 250
Please copy the form below and use it to PM me your characters.


[img]300x300 in size please. If you need help resizing, just let me know![/img]
[b]Gaia User Name;[/b]
[b]Character Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]History/Background:[/b]

Fashionable Shopper

5,850 Points
  • Dressed Up 200
  • Full closet 200
  • Signature Look 250
Current Cast

All character profiles can now be found here:
PROFILES

Fashionable Shopper

5,850 Points
  • Dressed Up 200
  • Full closet 200
  • Signature Look 250
Reserved, Just In Case


Our OOC Thread

Fashionable Shopper

5,850 Points
  • Dressed Up 200
  • Full closet 200
  • Signature Look 250
Dirt crumbled away beneath her fingers as she searched desperately for a suitable handhold. The panic she felt was threatening to overwhelm her but she managed to push onward, digging her fingers into the side of the steep ravine and grasping whats she could. Her fingers curled around a gnarled root and she pulled herself up a little higher. Below she could hear the sounds of men in armor clambering to try and reach her before she got too high. They're heavy iron plating was part of the reason she had chosen her current escape route. It was nearly impossible for her, lithe as she was, to make it up the slippery dirt wall let alone grown men in iron.

A rock gave way beneath her foot, tumbling down to the ground below. At some point she cried out in fear but the root she had found held fast and she was able to regain her footing. With her breathing erratic now, escaping in uneven intervals of coughing heaves, she found another solid hand hold and pulled herself higher still. Shouts from below demanded that she come down before she fell and broke her neck but she ignored them all. Some where ordered to find another way up and around but the deep ravine ran for miles on either side and it only got steeper as it went along.

Reaching up for yet another hand hold she found one but put far too much trust it in. As she let more weight bear down on the large rock embedded into the side of the ravine it broke free. She felt herself slipping, her feet scrambling to find their previous foot holds while she all but hung from the root which was now threatening to rip from the earth and send her plummeting to her death -- or worse.

Dapper Dabbler

User Image
Ғɑɼιɑɼcн, Ȥєιɑ Ȥɑcнɑɼץ
Soldier


It was difficult to say just what led Zeia to the woods that day, one of the few her company had on the ground while they refueled and restocked. Most of her reaching this destination was her just wandering, wanting to get away from all the other battle-hardened men on the ship and get some fresh, ground-level air. She sighed, fixing her coat and pushing her hands into her pockets, blowing the hair from her face. It was getting long. She'd have to fix that. Some other time. Many of the men by now had longer hair. Other's kept it short and clean. Zeia's would always be somewhere in between that. Yeah, she missed the hair that fell to her waist, but that hair gave her nothing but a life in a primitive little village, looking like she needed to be taken care of. She didn't. She took care of herself, always had. No one would replace her father. Especially not any of those clucking women. Feh.

She was drawn out of her angry reverie at the sound of a woman's scream. Brown eyes scanned the area, looking for the source. It wasn't safe to wander the woods unprepared. Plus there was a ravine nearby that would probably kill a person if they chose to trip and fall down it. She started forward, gaining speed as she weaved through the trees, breaking out into the open, edging on the ravine. She brought her hood up and took a few steps forward and leaned over, catching sight of the girl hanging off the side. The people on the other side of the chasm led Zeia to believe that the girl had somehow found a way to climb up the side. But why? It was suicidal.

"Are you crazy?" she muttered, trotting over. She dropped to her stomach and caught the girl's wrist, holding fast, reaching out with the other. "I got you, come on; give me your other hand," she said, frowning just a little with her bewilderment. Save the girl first, ask questions later.




Fashionable Shopper

5,850 Points
  • Dressed Up 200
  • Full closet 200
  • Signature Look 250
Was this the end? Had all her efforts up to this point simply been a lesson in futility? She squeezed her eyes shut as the root she clung to slipped a little more. If she didn't die here then she feared what the future might hold. Perhaps it was better if she just let go and ended it on her terms rather than dragging it out. Just when she had garnered up enough nerve to just let go she felt a hand wrap around her wrist.

Her eyes flew open and her head shot upwards. Her first thought was that one of those fools had managed to get to the top of the ridge some other way. When she saw that it wasn't a soldier but a young man she felt a new sense of hope rising from somewhere deep inside. Maybe this wasn't the end! The shouting below got louder as the men gathered realized the other was present.

She reached up with her free hand, having to stretch her fingers to even get herself close to the strangers. When she finally did catch hold of that hand, however, she held on for dear life. Her feet sought purchase in the wall again and finally managed to dig into the soft earth so she could help him as he pulled her to safety. Once she was over the edge and back on solid ground she scrambled back a few feet to ensure that she didn't go tumbling back over. "Thank you so much," she said breathlessly.

Dapper Dabbler

User Image
Ғɑɼιɑɼcн, Ȥєιɑ Ȥɑcнɑɼץ
Soldier


Zeia grunted a bit, taking the extra weight. She paid the crowd no heed as she wiggled back to her feet and helped the girl up over the ledge, and let her go scrambling back away from it. Zeia just stood, brushing the dirt off her uniform before turning to look her over, then back over the crowd with a little frown, stepping back and out of sight. "Most people go around the ravine," she said simply, frowning at her. "You must be pretty desperate to risk killing yourself to get across it. Are you alright?" And also, are you sane? she added in her head. No one she ever knew had ever tried to climb the ravine. Her boots crunched loose dirt and pebbles as she moved back, leaning against a tree and taking in its shade. She examined her hands before brushing them together to get some of the excess dirt off, crossing her feet at the ankles.




Fashionable Shopper

5,850 Points
  • Dressed Up 200
  • Full closet 200
  • Signature Look 250
Sometimes desperation lacked room for sane thoughts. Now that she was no longer in mortal danger, however, she felt the adrenaline ebbing away and exhaustion rising up to take its place. If she could have she would have simply sat on the ground for hours. She was smart enough to know that wasn't the smartest idea. The men had gathered below simply on the off chance that she fell -- now they would all be looking for an alternate way across.

The young man's comments reminded her of his presence and she turned to look at him and for the first time. She now now debating if he was truly friend or simply a foe in disguise. Anything was possible these days and trust was something sparsely given. "I needed to get to the other side... quickly," she said quietly. "I couldn't risk getting lost trying to find a different route. I didn't realize how steep it was." She was certain this person thought she was mad but that mattered little to Ara. Her mission far surpassed the opinions of one person.

"I appreciate your help," she finished before attempting to climb to her feet. Still suffering from mild shock, her legs shuddered beneath her slight weight. "I know you didn't have to offer it."

Dapper Dabbler

User Image
Ғɑɼιɑɼcн, Ȥєιɑ Ȥɑcнɑɼץ
Soldier


Zeia's eyebrows raised just slightly, listening. Didn't realize how.. whatever. She gave a little snort and pushed off the tree again, eyeing the men across the way. "Whatever. Thank me when your legs stop acting like they're made of pudding. Those idiots after you?" She jerked her head back toward the ravine, holding a hand out to help her to her feet. If so, she probably shouldn't stick around long. Though if they all tried to climb the ravine like this girl did, well. It would probably be a while. After all, they had to get down first.

"Come on, I know a place they won't look." Yeah, sure, it probably wasn't the smartest idea. But hey, if this crazy stranger tried to kill her, Zeia was more than prepared. She kept her weapons handy even when on the ground. Could never be too careful. She didn't see any immediate threat in helping this girl, though, and so while she would still be alert, she'd at least make sure she made it out alright. This was the sort of thing she joined the force for. Helping the people who needed.




Fashionable Shopper

5,850 Points
  • Dressed Up 200
  • Full closet 200
  • Signature Look 250
Her gaze flitted to the other side of the ravine where several of the men had already disappeared -- undoubtedly in search of an alternate route. Wasn't it obvious? "Yes, you could say that," she replied, still uncertain how much trust she could place in the stranger. She took the offered help, grateful that her legs didn't fail her again and make her appear more of a fool than she already had. "It's nothing serious, just a misunderstanding. I'm sure they'll get bored and find someone else to bother soon enough." She added nonchalantly. She didn't want to arouse any more suspicion than she already had.

She was contemplating her next course of action when the young man informed her he had a safe place where she could lay low for a bit. She hated thinking of it as hiding because that implied fear -- she wasn't afraid of the Imperials she just couldn't risk getting caught by them. There was a difference.

"I've already caused you enough trouble, I don't want to add to it," she replied. A shout below caught her attention and she looked down to see one of the men pointing and several others running in the direction indicated. Her stomach twisted -- they must have found another way up. Her gaze shot back to the boy. "Is it close?"

Dapper Dabbler

User Image
Ғɑɼιɑɼcн, Ȥєιɑ Ȥɑcнɑɼץ
Soldier


"Oh yes, I'm sure they will. But it's best to keep out of sight till they do." She was still curious, naturally, but who was she to pry? For goodness sake, she was dressed up like a man. She was in no place to judge. She helped the girl up and stepped back with a shrug, glancing over the ravine. "Well, I don't feel like being bothered by these people. And your trouble is more inviting than theirs." She looked her over again, then took another step back, already turning back for the woods.

When she asked if it was close, however, Zeia gave a little smirk. "It's not far," she said vaguely, and turned fully, disappearing between the trees. She didn't know this area terribly well, but she knew for certain that any Imperials wouldn't go digging around her company's encampment and not get threatened by everyone there. She could only assume they couldn't afford that kind of violence. This company wasn't large, but it had more people than the ones chasing this stranger.

"You don't mind being around a bunch of soldiers, do you?" she tossed over her shoulder at the girl, weaving between the trees. She hoped not; it was where she'd be safest until the Imperials left them alone.




Quick Reply

Submit
Manage Your Items
Other Stuff
Get GCash
Offers
Get Items
More Items
Where Everyone Hangs Out
Other Community Areas
Virtual Spaces
Fun Stuff
Gaia's Games
Mini-Games
Play with GCash
Play with Platinum