When Stars Collide (A Suikoden RP.) |Literate to Adv.| [O/A]

[xelliexell]

Greetings, Stars of Destiny.

My name is Leknaat, and I will now explain why you have been summoned here. Although you come from many different lands, it is imperative that you exist here, now. I understand that the wounds of the war are still fresh on the land, but this matter is too dire to delay.

I have given you an enchanted Blinking Mirror Shard upon your arrival to our fort. Please use it to teleport between here and whatever land you wish. Although, be warned - if you are being actively pursued or in battle, it will not work. If you have any further questions, please ask Viki.

I will reveal more to you when you gather more of your fellows. For now, please take the time to grow accustomed to your new surroundings.

This RP has been put on indefinite hiatus due to lack of interest/players.

[xelliexell]

As you may have already guessed, this is a Suikoden-based RP. It takes place one year after the end of Suikoden II, in the wake of the Dunan Unification War. This RP is unique in that it can involve every character from every game.

Even if a character is not from Suikoden II, it can be assumed that they were summoned here (by Leknaat's bidding, with aid enlisted by Viki.) The True Gate Rune and the Blinking Rune's powers combined to cross time and space, to pull characters from the following games into the story: Suikoden I, Suikoden III, Suikoden IV, Suikoden V, and Suikoden Tactics.

Since the events of Suikoden I only happened three years prior to Suikoden II, you may choose to not have your Suikoden I character pulled through time if you'd like. (They'd just be about 5-6 years older or so.)

The Headquarters (home "castle" ) in this realm is a single column - a tower that was once a fortress. As more people are gathered, just as in the games, it will become bigger and better. To start, it is in the "fixer upper" phase.

Personal Note: Although this may seem to be a "serious" style RP, I would be sad if there weren't any shenanigans or comedy at all around the base. The Suikoden series is filled with eccentric and humorous characters as well as serious ones, so a mixture is encouraged!

General Guidelines When Choosing/Making a Character:

The Timeline

Suikoden IV (takes place 143 years before Suikoden V and 150 years before Suikoden) → Suikoden V (takes place 6 years before Suikoden) → Suikoden (takes place 3 years before Suikoden II) → Suikoden II (takes place 15 years before Suikoden III) → Suikoden III.

Island Liberation War
Years 302 to 307 (3 years)

Sun Rune War
Years 447 to 449 (2 years)

Toran Liberation War
Years 453 to 457 (3 years)

Dunan Unification War
The Year 460 (1 year)

Second Fire Bringer War
The Year 475 (1 year)

* Do I have to play a Star of Destiny?

Nope! As long as the character is canon, and has a reason to hang around the Headquarters, then you can play them.

* Do I always have to hang around the Headquarters? Some of the characters have jobs, or are students.

Again, nope! You don't have to always RP at the Headquarters (it's just that - a Headquarters.) That's why I gave every character a Blinking Mirror Shard, so they could easily teleport to and fro.

Here is our Profile thread.

[xelliexell]

Rules

General Rules

1. Follow all of Gaia's Terms of Service.

2. This RP is literate to adv. literate. Please pay mind to your spelling and grammar. Every post should be at least two paragraphs of approximately three to five sentences, with an average of three to five paragraphs per post.

3. Do not God mode. A general definition of God Modding can be found here.

4. Keep it at a PG-13 rating or milder, as per the Gaia Terms of Service.

Courtesy Rules

5. Try to post at least once a week. If you can't post for a while, please let us know in the OoC.

6. You can play as many characters as you want, but they must be canon characters from the Suikoden games. This shouldn't be difficult, since there are about 300-400 of them between all the games. However, don't play more characters than you can reasonably handle. I would recommend starting out with no more than three.

7. When applying for a character, PM me with their profile (code below) with the Subject Line "Spicy Hot Taco."

8. It is highly recommended that you utilize the OoC chat. It is there where you will get to know your fellow players, as well as figure out scenes to play between characters.

9. Be respectful to everyone. We're all just here to have fun, so don't be a troll.

Character Rules/Runes

10. Stay in character. Viki is not a bloodthirsty psychopath, and Viktor is not a timid little mouse. It is all right if your character's actions deviate from their actions in the game (ie: Viki develops a crush on Luc, and/or Viktor adopts Ace as a drinking buddy), just try to keep their general personality in mind. It's also okay for the character you play to evolve in a new and interesting direction -- you don't have to stick to canon rigidly, just don't deviate so much that the original character is completely lost.

11. I used to have a big section detailing what you could and could not equip as runes, but I'll just ask everyone to use common sense. Kinnison is not going to have a Cyclone Rune (he's not that good with magic, for one), and every single character doesn't have to be loaded up with 3 runes. I just ask that people use fair judgment in regard to which character they are choosing to play. Even if your character doesn't have the most powerful runes, I promise that they will still be useful in the grand scheme of things. Thanks!

* All information concerning various runes in each of the Suikoden games can be found here. (They are organized alphabetically in the upper left-hand side of the page, in a colored box.)

* If you are confused by what runes your character should have, PM me and I'll be happy to help!

[xelliexell]

Character profile/skeleton:

[imgleft]Picture URL goes here.[/imgleft] [align=center]
[size=18]Character name goes here.[/size]
[b]Game Appearance:[/b] (The games they appeared in go here.)
[b]Star:[/b] (Character's Star of Destiny goes here.)
[b]Origin:[/b] (Character's hometown goes here, if known.)
[b]Runes:[/b] Rune/s go here.

[b]Bio/Sample:[/b] Write a short bio or RP sample here.

[b]Recruitment:[/b] If your character requires another character to commit to a "recruitment quest" before they join the party, that goes here. Examples of recruitment quests are "Fetch me a particular book....," "I will only go with someone who is a certain age....," "I will only come with you if you beat me,..." (This isn't mandatory - if you'd like to introduce your character by walking up to the home base and meeting everyone, that is also fine.)

[/align]

Everything you need to know about every character and every rune can be found at this link.

If you still have specific questions about the characters that you're applying for, just PM them to me.

Good things to put at the top/side of each RP post:
Current location.
Other characters who are around.
Whether your current RP is open or closed [Open means that anyone can jump in, closed means that the current scene is only between you and a set number of other characters. Closed RPs are useful for scenes that are pre-determined between two or more players in the OoC thread.]

[xelliexell]

Characters who are taken:

DemonicHeart's characters
Anne
Ayame - Not Yet Recruited
Emily - Not Yet Recruited

KingD16's characters
Riou

Little Ladii Luck's characters
Sonya Schulen

powermitch's characters
Kinnison
Zweig - Not Yet Recruited
Snowe Vingerhut

xelliexell's characters
Caesar Silverberg - Not Yet Recruited
Leknaat
Schtolteheim Reinbach III
Stallion
Viki

[xelliexell]

Maps

A link of the entire world map can be found here.

Warning: The file is HUGE. It may take a while for your browser to load it.

If you need a refresher on what games took place where, there's a quick rundown here. Suikoden V took place in the Falena Queendom, and Suikoden Tactics took place in the Island Nations.

Headquarters Map (This will change as more people are recruited.)


(Outside: Overhead view)


(Tower Interior)

Story Points

#1 -- Your character arrives at the "castle" that Leknaat mysteriously summoned you to. In truth, it is a ruined fortress, the majority having been crumbled and eroded by time. Only a single tower remains standing in functionality. It has four floors and a flat rooftop, though there are still many leaks and unstable areas in its foundation. It is located on the large island south of Black Dragon Island. Specifically, the "fort" is located in the southwestern corner of the island.

You were also given an enchanted Blinking Mirror Shard, which you can use to teleport between the castle and anywhere in the world.

The current mood of the HQ: Desolate.

[xelliexell]

Okay, I guess this is the part where I say we're officially open now? ^^;

I'm still working out some kinks with the layout and info here, but I think there's enough out to get started. If anyone sees anything wrong or has any questions, please ask me!

[xelliexell]

Reserved.

[xelliexell]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***__***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Location: The Roof.
Around: No one, at the moment.
RP Status: Open.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***__***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He ran his fingers over the rough texture of the stone wall, frowning. Although he didn't know the first thing about masonry, he wondered if such a structure could even stay standing for much longer. Dark eyes leveled toward the horizon, squinting at the ocean in the distance. Even the beach was inhospitable, comprising of jagged cliffs and large rocks. Somehow, the elf imagined that he would be living a life of luxury after the last war - sipping mead on a sandy beach in some nameless tropical paradise. Instead, thanks to the oh-so-wise keeper of the True Gate Rune and her ditzy partner-in-crime, he was stuck here. Bemused, he wondered if he could run fast enough to walk on water, hoping that such a feat could lead him away from this dreary locale.

Quick steps took him into the interior of the tower, and his eyes flickered to the lone mage who was with him. A half-sigh, half-grumble escaped him as he watched her look into her giant mirror, seeming to not have a care in the world. He wanted to snap at her - to remind her of the lousy situation they were both in - but it was simply not worth the effort. Knowing Viki, she probably wouldn't "get it," anyway. For all her powers of teleportation, the girl had a few screws loose upstairs.

The thought of being stuck here with someone like her was yet more depressing. With a dismissive flick of his hand, he bolted up all four flights of stairs, leaving a swirl of wind in his wake. His form was a blue blur that streaked across the poorly lit interior, emerging onto the rooftop in seconds. Walking to the crumbling parapet, he slumped forward, dangling his arms over what was left of the fortification. With another haggard sigh, he watched a few pebbles crumble off his resting spot, falling four stories to the dry, dead earth. "Ugh, even the grass in this place is depressing... If you can even call it that." Another droll complaint was already teetering on his lips as he looked to the ground. There were patches of brown grass amidst the dusty dirt, with a few weeds sticking up here and there. Certainly, a farmer could till the land into something useful, but Stallion was no farmer, either.

There were visions of grazing cattle in his mind - and the feasts that such creatures would make. He also envisioned a warm bed, with breakfast waiting for him in the morning. That was what waited for him at his last residence - a stark contrast to his current surroundings. With the way things were, he'd be lucky to find some hay to lay on and a fish or two for his daily meal.

[powermitch]

==================================
Location : The Courtyard
With : No one at the moment
RP Status : Open
==================================

A literal eyeblink was the duration of the trip, and Kinnison experienced a momentary disorientation as he went from a perch twenty-five feet from the ground to the ground itself, a rough man-made settlement in considerable disrepair that he did not recognize. He sat there for a moment in dumbfounded disbelief, wondering to himself whether he had simply dozed off in the tree; he had been tracking that deer for a time and Shiro was himself sleeping not too far away. Surely it was possible that this was all an unintentional dream, his focused mind bypassing daydreaming altogether into a full-on blackout slumber.

Kinnison shook his head a few times and stood on shaky legs, testing his balance and the solidity of the ground itself in this strange new place. All seemed as it should be and he dismissed his dream theory out of hand; no point in encouraging paranoid fantasies when the current situation demands more than enough attention. He was in a strange land, in an unknown and seemingly uninhabited structure.

Kinnison raised his head and inhaled; he could smell the salty trace of the sea. Underfoot, weeds struggled through the cobbled stone and formed a spotty pattern of dark green to contrast against the light brown of the earth and the slate gray of the weather-beaten stonework. He took a breath again and tried to taste any signs of life: the scent of man, any signature of cooking food, even any sign of possibly domesticated animal life. He detected nothing, a stark shift from where he been only moments earlier. He slung his bow across his back and furrowed his brow as he took a moment to ponder what next to do.

[xelliexell]

A spectral vision wavered before him, translucent against the gray, cloudy skies. White robes billowed around a feminine form, dark hair spilling from beneath a white hood. Her eyes closed, she spoke, her words echoing on the dry air. "Greetings, Stars of Destiny.

I'm sure that you must wonder why you were summoned here. I understand that the wounds of the war are still fresh on the land, but this matter is too dire to delay. I have given you an enchanted Blinking Mirror Shard upon your arrival to our fort. Please use it to teleport between here and whatever land you wish. Although, be warned - if you are being actively pursued or in battle, it will not work. If you have any further questions, please ask Viki." Her face, usually unmarred by expression, showed a slight flicker of pain as she spoke.

"I will reveal more to you when you gather more of your fellows. For now, please take the time to grow accustomed to your new surroundings." Before he could ask even a single question, her form was already fading, dissipating into the ether. All that was left in her wake was the lone tower, and the small crop of blue hair that could be seen from its roof.

*=*=*=*=

Location: Before Kinnison (but gone by the end of the post.)
With: Kinnison.
RP Status: Open.

[powermitch]

==================================
Location : Courtyard
With : No one at the moment
RP Status : Open
==================================

Kinnison blinked a few more times, his mind taking him back to another time not too long before when a similar woman was involved in his life. That tumultuous period, had its echoes caught up with him even in this distant place? He had tried returning to nature after the Dunan Unification War, resettling with Shiro into a scouting capacity to see to the land's security. The work was satisfying in that he was among the trees and animals in whom he held more favor than most people, but he was beginning to feel pangs of isolation, a sensation wholly new to him as the degree to which others were involved in his daily life increased drastically during and after the war.

He was seeking food not only for himself but for a small band of trackers he had been advising on behalf of the Republic, who were now on their own, it occurred to him. Kinnison was only worried for a moment; Shiro could provide food for them as well, if not better, than he could; the only added benefit to Kinnison's presence was in instruction capacity.

But Leknaat...he remembered Leknaat, at least hearing of her. A mysterious sorcerer with unknown control over magicks that intimidated him to say the least. As a hunter Kinnison did not rely upon magic for anything, interacting with it only as humans who bore runes came into his life. The concept of magic in his mind was inextricably bound with that of war, the kind of destruction that is told in stories to scare the young but never truly happened in the lifetime of the teller.

Kinnison, however, had lived through a war, one in which he participated out of anger for the devastation caused to his beloved Ryube Forest by the invading army of Highland, and out of love for that which he would protect with his life: the natural world. That came to be joined in time by his companions, wonderful champions of life, justice, and honor who stood by his side as they faced soldiers and monsters alike, pushing back all forces who sought to threaten what Kinnison and his allies, his friends, sought to defend.

And now she had reappeared. Leknaat, bringing ominous tidings, a gift of dubious portent, and mention of another companion from the war, Viki. Was she here as well, perhaps? Kinnison's mood took an upswing with the possibility of an old friend to find in this strange land, hopefully nearby.

Kinnison's instinct was to find a good vantage point and take stock of his surroundings before beginning his search for Viki in earnest. The tower was unquestionably the highest nearby point, and the glimmer of color at its top stood out sharply against the bland desolation pervading the visible area.

Without further delay, Kinnison walked towards the tower to find a way to its top.

[xelliexell]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***__***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Location: Tower - First Floor.
Around: Kinnison
RP Status: Open.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***__***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She poked at that familiar, grandstanding mirror, large green eyes blinking as she examined it. In truth, there wasn't much else for her to do, considering the circumstances. "Huh, I wonder...?" Resting a hand to her cheek, she sighed, the gears in her mind still turning. It seemed that her thoughts were to no avail as she continued her inspection, wondering if her Rune was broken. I thought it would work better than this. But with just me and Stallion, I guess... Maybe it's broken? She examined the rune that was engraved on her hand, tilting her head to further demonstrate her internal inquiry.

A movement stirred the reflection in the mirror, causing Viki to spin toward the entrance to the tower, long hair swaying with the movement. "Huh?? Oh! Kinnison!! You're here!" her exclamation was a cheerful one, the confusion falling from her face in lieu of an upbeat greeting. A beaming smile graced her features, suddenly feeling reassured of her Blinking Rune's functionality.

"What are you doing here? Oh, wait, I know! You were summoned by Leknaat, right? She said she needed my help with something, and before I knew it, I was here. Isn't that something?" She was a stark contrast to the dismal elf that paced the rooftops, opting to stay light-hearted in the face of adversity. After all, Viki had seen her fair share of castles being built from the ground up, so she had faith that this one would be a place of beauty in no time.

[powermitch]

==================================
Location : Seaside cliff south of the Tower Ruins
With : no one at the moment
RP Status : Open
==================================

South of the Tower Ruins lay cliffs which fall dramatically to crashing waves below. Around are shoals and other natural aspects which make it an ideal location for a seaside fortification. Without any warning or even awareness that there is/was a fort there, however, a ship would run into trouble on approach.

So it went with the small vessel that carried Snowe Vingerhut to its shores that day. Adrift both in his life and his role in the Island Nations, who still bore the torch of resentment bordering on hatred for his role in the Island Liberation War, Snowe took what few possessions he had and bade a fond farewell to those who would miss him before heading off for lands unknown.

After several weeks at sea with unpredictable weather bordering on the infuriating for those who have some ability to see patterns in its mood, Snowe was running out of fresh water and had little idea of his bearings, several cloudy days and nights masking the very stars from his sight. The waves beat against his small craft and shadows beneath them seemed to grin with unthinkably long smiles filled with what Snowe never wanted to discover first-hand. Without any means of guiding his craft and quickly expending what little resources he had to continue his voyage, Snowe stopped attempting to use any practical means of navigation and gave himself over to feelings, to the instincts that had failed him on so many personal fronts before.

He felt compelled to travel in a direction that was northeast of his position, though he could not explain why if ever asked. He adjusted and a wind came along, a stronger one than he had felt in days. His little boat was sent along its path and Snowe was left wondering if he was heading to his destruction, be it slowly through dehydration or the quick snapping jaws of a beast.

Amidst that pondering, land came into view, the first Snowe had seen in more days that he could remember offhand. His overjoyed zeal continued for several hundred feet as he neared its mass, noticing tall cliffs forming the coastline along the visible edge, until his ship hit the shoals that reefed the island naturally. At that speed with no attempt at slowing or turning away, the front of the hull splintered with a horrible sound and the sudden impact nearly tossed Snowe into the waiting waters. The ship took on water quickly and it didn't take long for Snowe to declare the boat a lost cause and remove the small components that he kept onboard for just such an occasion. After a little speedy construction he had a raft. complete with rudder and sail, which he placed carefully upon the water before taking what little remained of the food and water and headed for the nearest beach.

With only a small bit of wood and a slightly larger length of mast emerging from the surf behind him, Snowe headed to the cliffs before him in the hopes that some manner of civilization, hopefully of favorable disposition, lay at their top. Exhausted and soaked to the bone, his self-made raft battered upon the sand and barely holding together, Snowe dragged his body to its feet and looked around. No monsters in sight, a good sign. There were remnants of an old pulley system on the cliffside, but one that was in vast disrepair. It didn't look like he could use it for an elevator, but it might be useful in assisting his efforts to scale the cliff by hand. What was this place, with the signs of advanced settlement, but only those with wear suggesting decades of disuse?

Snowe's eyes narrowed with newfound determination as he removed his shirt, wrung out the saltwater soaking it through, and replaced it on his pale but well-muscled upper body before pushing the sleeves past his elbows and taking a step towards the wall of rock before him.

[xelliexell]

That same phantom appeared before the newcomer, flickering within his perception with extraordinary subtlety. Much as before, she welcomed him in her mysterious tone, vague foreshadowing spilling from a ghostly voice. Even with her appearance, it seemed she had but one foot in this reality - a projection from afar.

Her sleeves drooped as she lifted a graceful arm to point, indicating the direction of the tower. Sweeping movements pulled her arm to her side again, and she dipped her head in a position resembling reverence. Yet, for the more perceptive of souls, it could rather be interpreted as sadness.

After delivering her information, Leknaat faded as quickly as she had come. Still, Snowe had a direction to guide him now, and a definite assurance that he was not, in fact, here by mere accident.

*=*=*=*=

Location: Before Snowe (but gone by the end of the post.)
With: Snowe.
RP Status: Open.