Strange Aeons ≡ Winners p.344! Drops p.353!

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[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

GUILD | INFO | QUESTS

The world has changed. When the earth split open during the Silencing, the unnatural fog of the Veil that spilled forth brought with it Echoes, nightmares and legends made real, monsters no ordinary weapons could kill. The military forces of the world, caught unprepared, were slaughtered. Nations and governments crumbled, law and order were abandoned, panicked survivors fled the encroaching wall of fog, and grand and humble cities alike were left to rot.

But the people have changed, too. The Espers, transformed humans capable of fighting Echoes, are all that stand between the monsters and the annihilation of the last stronghold of humanity in Southern California, if not the entire world.

As rumors of greater and more terrible threats grow, the Esper who saved Viewpoint City from destruction opens the doors of a new kind of school.


Veritas Nos Liberabit.

The truth will set us free.

Welcome to Encephalon Academy.


INTRO | NEWS | RULES | SETTING | STAGES | BATTLES | REMNANTS | OWNERS | LINKS | CREDITS | RESERVED

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"The truth is something that must be searched for, and grasped."

Announcements12345678901112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343

≡ 1/23/2012: Almost a year and a half after its original incarnation, Strange Aeons is now open! Thank you to everyone who stuck with us, through the first and/or second IT! A Chinese New Year/Okami event is up on p.2, and will run until Feb. 23rd.
≡ 2/23/2012: And our CNY event is closed! Congratulations to AriyaLauna, Corsair Vitari, Cerrikins, iStoleYurVamps, and Roadkill! Stay tuned for the RP FS results....
≡ 2/29/2012: Congratulations to Trira, the winner of our RP FS! Also, check out our new Wishing Coins, an in-shop currency that can be redeemed for various prizes~ Head to page 160 for all the details, and thanks to all the participants!
≡ 4/2/2012: Congratulations to the winners of our spring civilian event! We'll be winding down for a bit, with our next event projected for May or June.
≡ 7/23/2012: Congratulations to the winners of our Pokemon event! Be on the lookout for a small event in August or September, a minishop for Remnants, and more background on the professors.


















"Even if it hurts -- even if you don't think you want to know -- seek out the truth."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"It is not enough to know how to play the game."

General Rules12345678901112131415161718192026272829303132333

≡ Please check back. Rules may be changed or updated as necessary.
≡ Don’t steal. Don’t take the art, graphics, writing, or concepts in this shop for anything else, on or off Gaia, and don’t use art if you aren’t the owner.
≡ Listen to the staff. We have the final word on shop matters; please respect our decisions.
≡ Be respectful. We want this to be a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. Please consider and respect the feelings of others when you post.
≡ Be friendly. Be welcoming and open, to newbies and regulars alike.
≡ Be graceful. Yes, we hope that everyone who wants an Esper will get one, but don’t beg, whine, or complain for one.
≡ Be self-sufficient. We don't require approval of personality or history to RP, but this means that those are your responsibility; if nobody wants to RP with your character, the mods will not force them to.
≡ Avoid l33t/chatspeak. Or else I'll start lecturing on syntax and morphology.
≡ Do not drag issues with other players into the main thread. Nobody likes a dramafest. Settle it through PMs or (if it's a shop thing) contact lostandtold for moderation.
≡ Ask official/setting-related questions in the main or questions thread. Please don't PM staff about anything besides problems, without their permission.
≡ Don’t be a jerk. Our catchall rule.




Owner Rules12345678901112131415161718192026272829303132333343

≡ 3 characters per player, Esper or civilian. The character-development focus of this shop means that three is the limit. This may be revised in the future for active RPers.
≡ Never resell art. For rehoming, please PM lostandtold to work something out.
≡ Espers cannot be co-owned. There are too many issues with co-owning.
≡ Complete cosplays cannot be quested. Only gijinkas with original designs can be quested. So a Pikachu gijinka would be allowed, but an Ash cosplay would not. The only complete cosplays in this shop will be very rare premades given out through events. Gijinkas and cosplays do not need to follow their source canon -- in fact, we encourage originality.
≡ You may gift slots/art from non-writing events (flaffles, games, etc).. Please let us know that you're gifting the slot/art, and you should contact the receiver on your own to have them send us all details.
≡ These are not RP-required. However, growth is dependent on RP and character development; without it, an Esper will be stuck at their current stage.
≡ Anyone blacklisted in this shop, or who so requests it, will have pets either rehomed or killed/made inactive ICly. Semi/full customs and characters that have been RPed will never be rehomed, but both killed and inactive Espers will have their Psyches made available for use again by a new Esper.
≡ Refunds will only be available for premades. As semi/full-customs will never be rehomed, and were made to the customer's specifications, they cannot be refunded.




"You have to play better than everyone else."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"This is humanity's last stand."

What Was123456789011121314151617181920262728293031323333435363

This was once a world like ours. History was forgotten; truth was lost in myth. For over a thousand years, magic was relegated to legend, no more than an amusing diversion born of an overactive imagination. Humans relied on their wits and their technology, learning not to fear the shadows in their bedrooms or the high, lonely places of the world, conquering and shaping their surroundings with the power of their indomitable wills.

Then, something changed.

Near Tokyo, Japan, the ground suddenly cracked open, and a thick, impenetrable mist began to seep out. Within hours, so quickly that people had almost no time to react, this wall of fog, unaffected by wind and moving as if it were alive, reached populated areas -- and humanity found itself under attack. Strange monsters, which seemed to have crawled out of horror stories or ancient legends, emerged from the fog and slaughtered everyone who resisted.

Within a month, the chasms began opening up on the eastern coast of China, and from there, they spread to the rest of the world. Six months in, nearly a third of the entire world’s population had been consumed by the fog, making it the deadliest incident in history. Militaries and governments fell apart in the face of a threat they didn't know how to fight, and the survivors were left on their own. The end of the world as everyone had known it was called the Silencing, surrounded by conspiracy theories, and murmurs of a Judgment Day that had come without salvation.

Something else, however, had also changed.


What Is123456789011121314151617181920262728293031323333435363

Before the chasms and the Veil could reach Viewpoint City, a woman named Dinah arrived. She called herself an Esper, and claimed she could teach them to fight against the fog of the Veil, to kill the monsters known as Echoes. As the first four Latents she awakened changed in mind and body, becoming Espers themselves, they were able to tap into powers that had once existed only in myths and fairytales. Desperate refugees poured into the city, seeking shelter and a beacon of hope -- but this flood soon became a trickle, before it stopped entirely. Communication with the rest of the world was lost.

But when the Veil finally came, Viewpoint City was ready. The Espers fought back, using defenses and weapons forged with technology and strengthened with magic, driving back the first wave of Echoes. The Veil retreated, beyond the farmland outside the city walls, to celebrations and fanfare from the civilians within. Whenever the fog returned, pouring over the fields and the walls of the city, the Espers beat it back, and gradually, life within the city walls returned as close to normal as it would ever get.



What Will Be123456789011121314151617181920262728293031323333

Days passed, then years. As the tenth anniversary of the Silencing approached, rumors began growing of new Echoes, and of cities that had survived in faraway lands. Then, a new Esper approached Dinah -- one who had awakened spontaneously to her powers, without Dinah's help. She was the first of many.

Sensing change in the air, Dinah began focusing on training these new Espers, culminating in the founding of an entirely new kind of school. After a 'test' year with a small group of newly-awakened Espers, Encephalon Academy has opened its doors to the public. Now any Esper may enroll in order to learn how to control their new powers, in exchange for fighting to defend the city.

Despite the promise of a cohesive force of Espers specially trained to fight Echoes, a lingering fear has begun to gnaw at the back of people's minds -- the fear that there is something terrible, something even worse than the Silencing, approaching.

The darkest days have yet to come.


For a guide to world info and getting started in the shop, look here.size]




"So meet death on your feet, not your knees."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"To become an Esper is to become both less and more human."


[Previews here soon!]

Stage 0/Alternate: Civilians123456789011121314151617181920262728293031323334353637383940

Civilian art is obtainable either for a Latent, an ordinary human with no powers, or as alternate art for Students and up, showing them out of uniform.





Stage 1: Students1234567890111213141516171819202627282930313

When a Latent human awakens the power of their Psyche, they change, gaining supernatural features and becoming Espers. A recently-awakened Esper who is powerful enough can apply to study at Encephalon Academy, to master and become accustomed to their new abilities in exchange for fighting to protect the city. Upon acceptance, they choose a class to train as, and a Focus -- a tool to channel their Psyche. At this stage, the Focus is plain and not particularly powerful, and Students are not likely to be very skilled with it.





Stage 2: Agents123456789011121314151617181920262728293031323

A graduate of Encephalon Academy, who's learned to use their Focus more skillfully and to channel their Psyche into powerful attacks. Agents are cleared to go on missions and fight the monsters during the Veiling, though they always go in teams of two or more. They wear protective amulets and armor in the field to protect themselves, and spar to stay sharp. Their Focuses become more complex and unique, and may gain magical effects -- and at this stage, they can now use their supernatural powers effectively in combat.





Stage 3: Experts12345678901112131415161718192026272829303132

LOCKED. A unique-lines stage that will be released for player characters through a metaplot event when there are enough eligible Agents.


Stage 4: ???123456789011121314151617181920262728293031323334

What's this...?

For more information on classes and character progression, please go here.
For more information on character growth, please go here.




"That is neither good nor bad. It merely is."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"We are fighting an enemy that cannot be reasoned, bargained, or pleaded with. If they catch you, they will kill you."

Training Battles12345678901112131415161718192026272829303132

As you might have guessed, fighting Echoes is a big part of being an Esper at Encephalon Academy. But almost everyone admitted to the Academy has little or no combat experience -- much less in a fight to the death against monsters that have ripped human militaries to shreds. They start small in training battles, beginning with fights against projections of Echoes, then moving up to sparring against other Espers. The magical nature of the Ataraxia, their training area, means that no lasting damage and no lethal blows are ever dealt.


Veiling Battles12345678901112131415161718192026272829303132

Once they graduate, though, the danger will become very real indeed. A newly-graduated Agent will get to choose whether they specialize in a single class, or double-class. They'll also choose two Techniques, which are especially powerful attacks or spells.

Now they can participate in Veiling Battles (system still in beta), fighting any Echoes that accompany the Veil into Viewpoint. This is necessary to protect the civilians and push back the Veil to allow normal life to resume, but it's a dangerous job. Although the teleportation spell in their shield will normally transport them back to the Academy if they're badly hurt, there have been instances where an Agent was killed in a single blow, and there have already been casualties among the Class Zero graduates.





"Courage is knowing that, and going out there anyhow."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"They don't get sick, they don't shed, and they aren't dangerous."

Remnants1234567890111213141516171819202627282930313233343536

Sometimes, when the Veil rolls around, it seeps into certain objects, giving them a strange aura. When these items stay in the presence of an Esper, they eventually absorb enough residual energy to change form, though their growth is rather unpredictable. Some have two stages, but others have three; some change into different versions of the same object, but others give rise to ghostly or solid living beings. It’s hard to say what any one Remnant will do.


Growth123456789011121314151617181920262728293031323334353637

Remnants are Strange Aeons' minipets -- items touched by the fog that then begin to change shape, becoming gradually more supernatural. Some might just change form; others might manifest small, spirits. Anything from a plushie to a newspaper can be turned into a Remnant. While the majority of Remnants given away will be premade and fairly common, some Remnants are unique, or somehow limited in number/availability (usually seasonal/event-only). This will be noted in the Catalogue.

Remnants will be given away in anything from quick in-thread dice games to CYOAs and advertising, and especially for participating in events. While they are not clickable, they do grow!

When a Remnant with multiple variants is won, I will roll dice in a special thread to determine their growth, because there are often color variants, as well as three different types of Remnants -- Whole, Bright, and Broken. Whole Remnants are the most normal-looking, and the most common. Bright Remnants tend to be especially cutesy and bright, and Broken Remnants are darker and twisted. Bright and Broken Remnants are much rarer, and more likely to be humanoid spirits, too. Each individual Remnant will have one, two, or all three types as potential results, along with other kinds of variants. Growth times will range from a few days to a week or more, depending on the Remnant in question.





"Still, I have to wonder where they come from."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"This isn't one person's story."

Civilians123456789011121314151617181920262728293031323334353

Students1234567890111213141516171819202627282930313233343536

Agents123456789011121314151617181920262728293031323334353637

NPCs12345678901112131415161718192026272829303132333435363738









"We're all in this together."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"This isn't a war to see who's right."

Link to us1234567890111213141516171819202627282930313233343

Want to affiliate? Please make sure you have a 200x40 banner (or something close), and post your code in-thread or PM it to the mule. Please have us already added. Occasionally, inactive shops will be pruned.


[url=http://tinyurl.com/6ouh8jc][img]http://i40.tinypic.com/358bdix.png[/img][/url]




Links Out123456789011121314151617181920262728293031323334353









"It's a war to see who's left."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"Nobody can fight this war alone."

Staff1234567890111213141516171819202627282930313233343536373

lostandtold: Owner, manager, artist, and resident threadbunny.
melona-pan: Artist, colorist, all around awesome person.


Credits123456789011121314151617181920262728293031323334353637383940

Quotes: HP Lovecraft, Sucker Punch.
Fonts: Creator Campotype SMCP
Media: This shop draws inspiration from many different sources -- Puella Magi Madoka Magica, various creepypasta, the Silent Hill series, and especially Personas 3 and 4 -- but is not based on any one franchise.











"We are strongest when we stand together."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"Then, the shadows began to gather."

























"First little furtive ones under the table...."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"If you should seek to eradicate darkness, take care."

























"It may take refuge inside your heart."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"For, if you gaze into the abyss..."

























"...the abyss gazes also into you."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"Courage is only the mastery of one's fears and vices."

























"But from it come all other virtues."

[Veritas Nos Liberabit]

"You are afraid. Don't be. You think you aren't strong enough? You are."

























"You have all the weapons you need. Now fight."