♥⊱ н є ɑ ʀ т lines ↝ A Modern Fantasy [O/A]

Wanna join us~

NO! x:	33.3%	[ 1 ]
Yeah, 'cause I think it's neat~	66.7%	[ 2 ]
Total Votes:			[ 3 ]

[Miss Miryam]

Original RP By //: Miss Miryam
Banner Made By //: Miss Miryam
The Intended Genre //: Urban Fantasy
Theme Song //: "Heartlines" ~ Florence + The Machine
Status //: Open and accepting~

Story // Rules // Setting I II III IV // Characters // Links Etc // Announcements

[Miss Miryam]

Our world used to be such a wondrous place. There were pixies and dragons, trolls and unicorns. Animals spoke, and so did plants, and everyone knew at least a little bit of magic. It wasn't perfect, of course - nothing ever has been, or ever will be - but it was exciting, mystical, full of the wonder and adventure that now is condemned to children's books, video games, and big-budget blockbusters. That was the world of humanity in its infancy.

The human race grew stronger, flourished in this world of magic and wonder. And perhaps we flourished too much. Everywhere we went, we became so numerous that we began to push out all of those magical beings that had added such excitement to our world. And when all the pixies and dragons and magical creatures had been pushed out of the way, we began to shed all of the abilities those beings had taught us. We forgot how to talk to nature. We forgot all about magic. And over time the memories of that whole way life were all but destroyed.

We need that magical world. We - humanity - we were were born in it, raised in it. It's what we were supposed to become. And then, by our own faults, we found ourselves left behind to suffer a mundane existence. And perhaps that's why we are so enraptured by those video games and fairy tales - because, if only for an hour or three, they bring us back to those roots, that desperate need for magic that every person, whether they admit it or not, feels some time in their life.

But to say that humanity has lost every last drop of magic and wonder would be a lie. There are those of us who still know of magic. A witch here, a sorcerer there. Even a faeries, if you know where to look. If you can find them. The Federation of Mysteries and Magic rules over those of us who aren't Mundanes, and they run a tight shift. It's for our own good, of course. If the Mundanes found out about us now, in this age of "science and reason," we might be persecuted, or exploited, or experimented on. In this world, being too different is dangerous, and the Federation keeps us safe from that.

Of course, other humans aren't the only things they keep us safe from. The Faeries inhabit their own realm now. The Other Lands exist parallel to Earth, and are inextricably tied to our world - the world that Faeries once called home. They are broken into eight kingdoms, with their own complexities and struggles. And their struggles can affect us. Their powers, if turned upon humanity, would be devastating and undefeatable. And so the Federation walks a thin line, working in diplomacy with The Other Lands, and keeping us in line here. All that stands between humanity and its destruction by the Faeries is the upholding of The Laws that govern the interaction between us. And we would not fair well if we were to be the first to break our agreements.

So, that's how we've lived for hundreds of years. And we've done pretty well, all things considered. But now it feels like a storm might be brewing. News from The Other Lands indicate that the Kingdoms are fighting, and the Federation isn't sure they won't keep us out of their fight. Here on Earth, there is a small but growing movement among the magical community to bring the reality of magic to light amongst the Mundanes. Tensions are high all around, and something big might just happen soon...


THIS ISSUE OF DROPLETS, THE FED'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Public Service Announcement: Census time is near! Remember to send in your notice cards, or RSVP for Evaluation! Notice cards are due by March 31. Evaluations begin February 1.
Major Headlines: Unrest in The Other Lands: There seems to be unrest among the kingdoms of The Other Lands. The Great Pages, however, tell us that this is a Faerie matter, and we'd best stay out of it. January's Spell of the Month: Drive away the winter blues with this simple and easy warmth talisman!



YOUR LOCAL NEWS ON CHANNEL 7

Date: January 21, 2014
Local Weather Report: Chilly, with sparse clouds.
Major Headlines: The Broncos are going to the Superbowl!
Community Events: TBA

Here shall be a brief update of what's happening in the thread, when there is anything~

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Oh, the river, oh, the river, it's running free.
And, oh, what joy, oh, what joy it brings to me.
But I know it'll have to drown me
before I can breathe easy.

[Miss Miryam]

• Don't do things that you're not allowed to do on Gaia.
  
• Be nice to each other. Work out any problems like adults. Act like decent human beings. Thanks~
  
• I would really like it if you participated in the OOC thread~
  
• I intend this to be a long-term RP. If we make it to a year of activity, I will consider my life a success.
  
• We all have lives and do things and stuff. But I'd like you to post at least two or three times a week.
  
• Unless you've given me notice of some sort, I will kick you out if you are inactive for more than a week. It's not fair to the other players, after all.
  
• I'm sure you all know the drill about applying. Send your profile to me in a PM titled with the name of your character.
  
• I give absolutely no poops about how many characters you make. Make whoever you need to have fun with this RP and keep it going. Just keep in mind that you might do best to make those character you'll rarely use NPCs, and that you still have to PM me any and all profiles before using the character, a la the above rule.
  
• I've always disliked those, "You have to have a real/anime/art picture for your character," requirements. Real image, anime, art, written description - it doesn't matter to me. Use whatever works best for you. Your creativity is more important to me than your ability to search out a specific kind of image. :3
  
• I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to posting, too. I don't believe in that literate/semi-literate/whatever you kids call it these days stuff. All I ask is that your posts are understandable, and give other players enough to respond to.
  
• Have fun~

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Just keep following the heartlines on your hand.
Keep it up, I know you can.
Just keep following the heartlines on your hand.
'Cause I am.

[Miss Miryam]

Chapter I: The Literal, Physical Location


Welcome to Denver, the capital city of Colorado. It's a city, with lots of streets, lots shops, and lots houses. There's a few colleges/universities in there somewhere. There's a number of museums, and a large performing arts center. There's a football stadium. And there's countless other things that cities tend to have. Because, you know. It's a city. Not just a city - it's a large city, standing guard on the edge of the western states. The mountains lie to the west, the plains to the east, and the locals tend to joke about the weather.

Denver is also home to The North American Branch of the Federation's Headquarters, hidden from the Mundies under the exciting disguise of a small subdivision of houses. Not many of those who work for the Federation actually live there, of course. Almost all of the houses are houses on the outside, and offices and the likes on the insides. But in one beautiful, three-story house lives a sweet old woman named Elanore, and her husband, High Council Member Reginald Alfred Johnson. He runs the show from his first floor office, practices magic in his basement laboratory, and houses himself and any important visitors on the second floor, while the third floor is always home to two or three misfits of a magical nature. (Elanore tends to take in children from runaway homes or foster care that clearly belong to the magical community and teaches them to become a part of it, rather than being hunted down by the Federation when they accidentally break some Law they didn't even know about.)

In their spare time, the Johnsons run a cafe in the city. Unmarked, hidden among a collection of nondescript mundy stores, and only frequented by those with connections to the magical world, it's a common meeting ground for magical humans and Earth-bound fae alike. The food is good, hand-made fare (you have got to try Ellie's mac'n'cheese), and you can even get a nice homemade grog if you know what to ask for. The tables are of all shapes and sizes, and there's a television in the corner. There's a couple of bookshelves on one wall of the take a book, leave a book nature, and another of board games for those who need a break. There's even a fireplace in the corner with a few large, comfy chairs, in case you need a place to brood. You're expected to clean up after yourself, and to take any fights outside - after all, The Cafe is technically Neutral Ground under Federal Law. If you need a place to stay, a warm meal, and a bit of companionship, Alfred and Elanore will always find a way to take care of you there.

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Odyssy on odyssy, and land over land,
creeping and crawling like the sea over sand.
Still I follow heartlines on your hand.

[Miss Miryam]

Chapter II: The Magical World of Magic


The Federation of Mysteris and Magic
Affentionately called The Fed or The FMM this is the magical community's governing body. The High Council makes the Laws and deals with global matters. It is made up of one member from each of the seven Global Branches, who work out the details and are, esentially, the local government for each region of the world. (Each Branch has a Minor Council, made up of one representative from each nation in the region.) The Knights are the law enforcement agencies of the FMM, and are known on the streets as Reapers, thanks to their uniform black trench coats and ability to use deadly force (always in some form of mundy weapon, of course) if they see fit.

Every three years the FMM conducts The Census, which accounts for every known member of the magical community. The Census also conducts Evaluations - the process by which the FMM judges magical abilities, how much control you have over them, and your knowledge of The Law - which are mandatory until age 25, and compulsory thereafter. An Evaluation is the only way to gain the title of Wizard or Mage (Witch being the title given to your average community member).

The Laws
While there are a great number of minor laws, the Big 7 are the most important, and the most commonly known:

1. You will not kill with magic.
2. You will not alter the past.
3. You will not enthrall another.
4. You will not change another's form.
5. You will not steal another's magic.
6. You will not disturb the dead.
7. You will not expose yourself to the unknowing.

The only other commonly known Law is Neutral Ground - areas where you are immune from arrest or harm of any kind. (Like claiming sanctuary in a church, or something like that.)

The Other Lands
The vast majority of this world knows nothing about The Other Lands, the magical community included. It's commonly known that there are eight kingdoms, which are usually ruled by monarchs of some sort. Each kingdom does have a single human representative - whom the Fae give the title of Great Page - that deals on their behalf on Earth.

With the exception of the Great Pages, the ruling Fae, and two or three members of The High Council, no one really knows how to travel between Earth and The Other Lands. In fact, other than the occasionally exiled Fae (since being exiled to the mundane world, to be controlled by our Laws, seems to be an occasional punishment over there), the Great Pages are the only ones who ever do any traveling. And they aren't about to tell anyone how it's done.



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And I've see it in the flights of birds,
I've seen it in you,
in the entrails of the animals,
the blood running through.

[Miss Miryam]

Chapter III: The Actual Magic


While we don't know terribly much about how it works, we do know that magic seems to be heavily influenced by the mind. This is why belief is so important, why wizards tend to collect books of spells, why the items used in magic always seem to have some sort of intellectual or emotional significance to them. Just like our actions in life, magic can be quite powerful when fueled by our knowledge, and unruly when fueled by our emotions.

They say that knowledge is power - and in the case of magic, that is literally true. Minding, of course, that lists of spells aren't always the important knowledge. The better you know something - person, item, process, whatever - the greater your ability to affect or control it.

For the most part, magic and technology tend to get along just fine. After all, magic is pretty much just energy. Easily manipulated energy with funny properties, yes. But energy nonetheless. And, just like a power surge can kill your electronics, too much magic around technology can - you guessed it - kill your electronics. But everything's okay in the right amounts.

Types of Magic
Magic is performed through a Focus - something that you channel your magic through, to help you condense and focus your magic towards your specific goal. (Get it? Focus?) The absolute most common focus is the spoken word - usually in some sort of gibberish or language foreign to the user (since you wouldn't want to accidentally cast a spell while speaking casually in your native language). Physical foci - wands, staffs, jewelry, daggers, et cetera - are also very common, and the two types certainly aren't mutually exclusive.

Potions and talismans work kind of like a television remote: you can program (brew/craft/build) them to do certain things, but you need batteries (magic) to actually make them work.

Circles can be made of just about anything. Given a little bit of a magic as a push, it will create a sort of barrier that stuff just can't seem to get through. Of course, a circle is only as strong as its caster, for as long as magic is fed into it...

Names are very powerful. Not nicknames or the name your parents gave you that you really hate because you get teased for it. Your true name - the name you call yourself, the name that means the most to you, as you say it - is just as much a part of your existence as your hands or your thoughts. But it's also your Achilles' Heel: if someone knows your True Name, and can say it properly, they can hold sway over you (given that they're more powerful than you, of course).

Faith magic is a protective magic that has some sort of negative effect on something that is doing you harm. Yes, it can come from your religious faith - but also from your utmost faith in a certain truth, or in your closest friend, or even in magic itself. It always has a very distinctive blue-white glow.

Mortal vs Faerie Magic
A Fae's magic is inherent (as in, they're born with it); a Mortal's is acquired (as in, they have to learn it). That has a number of consequences, the most important one being how magic effects one's actual being: a Fae's magic, being inherent, is something they cannot live without. They would, quite literally, die without their magic. A Mortal would just be disappointed and move on as a regular old human being.

As a general rule, while a Mortal's magic has to be performed through some sort of focus, such as the words of a spell, or a physical item, a Fae's does not. Of course, that isn't to say that Fae can't do magic in the way that morals do it. They most certainly can. Spells and potions and talismans are used by Fae frequently.



❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
But in order to get to the heart,
I think sometimes you have to cut through.
But you can't...

[Miss Miryam]

Chapter IV: So, who's what?


Mortals
Mundanes - or mundies - are those who neither know about, nor believe in magic.

Mortals who do know (and perform) magic are typically just called Witches. This comes from The FMM's rank-and-title system, which classifies people as Withes (common magic users), Wizards (more advanced, and typically older [35+], magic users), and Mages (extraordinarily powerful magic users, of whom there are very few in the world). There are no gender-specific titles, in case you were wondering. Of course, there's technical guidelines set by the FMM for the titles, but I won't bore you with those details. But it should be noted that these titles apply to all members of the magical community on Earth, be they moral or Fae.

The least common variation of mortal is the Sorcerer. While clearly human, they exhibit one very Fae-like quality: their magic is inherent and instinctively performed. Indeed, it's commonly believed that each Bloodline was, very long ago, given their magic by a Fae, or born of a Fae, or something along those lines. Of course, they're very rare; there's only eight Bloodlines known in all of recorded history, and one is commonly known to have died out in the early 20th century. They do tend to be a bit demonized by the rest of the magical community, since it's well known that a sorcerer can steal your magic, leaving you incapable of using magic ever again. But they tend to keep to themselves anyway, so it's not too much of a safety concern.

Faeries
People tend to call any generic magical being a Faerie (usually shortened to Fae). But it's just an umbrella term, and in a way really means "a being that isn't mortal." There are countless types of beings that fall under the Faerie category. Here's a quick overview of the most commonly known ones:

• The Sidhe are some of the most powerful Fae, and also the most human-looking. They're taller than most humans, and tend to glow - literally - with power. They've been described as having unearthly beauty, and come with eyes, hair, and skin in all colours of the rainbow, and then some.
  
• Dragons are probably the most famous Fae of all. They come in a great number of varieties, with a great number of differing traits, but they all seem to like collecting things.
  
• Unicorns and Pegasi aren't just pretty, they're completely sentient beings, usually keepers of knowledge of some sort, and they tend to dislike being ridden. And throw out that pretty white idea. They come in a great variety of colours.
  
• Merpeople may have the basic head-torso-limbs of a human, but they certainly don't have the same kind of skin that we do; their skin, head to tail, is made of hundreds of thousands of tiny scales. They're a bit more like human-shaped fish, with their tails and webbed fingers, and have particularly large eyes. Sure, they have melodious voices, but they're also ravenous carnivores. And they don't just live in oceans, either. Any natural body of water seems to do them just fine.
  
• Vampires. They live off of blood, and can die of starvation. They're weakened by sunlight, but don't burst into flames. If you're hunting one, garlic and wooden stakes won't do you any good, but an item of some sort of power that you can stab them in the heart with can. Because they're technically considered to be dead under Federal Law, turning someone is hard to get past The Fed, regardless of consent.
  
• Werewolves - more officially, Lycanthropes - are your average human being that becomes a gigantic humanoid wolf-monsters that tend to tear things to shreds during the full moon. They can be made or born, and generally have no control over what they do in their wolf-forms. If you see someone using a talisman or spell to become a wolf (always, it seems, as a larger-than-natural wolf with very human eyes), they're just using some neat magic, and are not considered to be werewolves.
  
• Brownies are mischievous little house sprites that tend to do their work while you're asleep. They'll clean your house and find your lost things, or hide your socks and keys and knock over everything smaller than a frying pan - depending on how happy you keep them.


Everyone In Between
Changeling refers to both the Fae and mortal whose places were switched in infancy, so that the fae was raised as a human and the human as a Fae. This is a pretty rare thing nowadays, since the stealing of children is forbidden by Law. But, still, you might run into one some time in your life.

Halflings, on the other hand, happen when mortals and Fae breed. They exist in a sort of intermediate state - usually with mostly human looks and weak, Fae-like abilities - until they make a choice of which to become. The Choice has to be sincere and deeply desired by the Halfling to take place, and it doesn't always happen consciously. Those who become mortals tend to become particularly skilled at magic, and those who become Fae become whatever their Fae parent was.



❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
This fantasy, this fallacy, this tumbling stone,
echoes of a city that's long overgrown.
Your heart is the only place that I call home.

[Miss Miryam]

Here's a quick cheat sheet to all of our characters and their players. If you're looking for their detailed profiles, you're gonna have to go to the profile thread~

*[NPC] denotes NPC status of a character. (Obvious note is obvious.)

The North American Branch of the FMM

High Council Member: Mage Reginald Alfred Johnson - [NPC]

The ultimate power in this part of the world, what he says goes. Luckily, he's a pretty nice guy.

Secretary: [OPEN]

The Secretary deals with communications between the FMM and the community, files complaints, and schedules meetings. Among other things.

Treasurer: [OPEN]

The Treasure takes care of the "house" in HQ that is filled with treasure and money. And the Branch's mundane bank accounts.

Head Knight: Mage Dante Bellona - Arevo

Ever wanted to carry a weapon, wear a black trench coat, and boss around other people with weapons and black trench coats? This person is livin' your dream.

Diplomats: 1. [OPEN] 2. [OPEN] 3. [OPEN]

These diplomats from other Branches and the Mundane community stick around to make sure everyone's best interest is considered.


Knights

Always traveling in pairs, they get a neat black trench coat and can carry any mundy weapon of their choosing. Also, they're officers of the Law and have responsibilities and stuff.
[You will be paired with whoever you get, depending on who applies. Unless ya'll work together to make a pair. That's okay, too~]

Pair 1: Knight Rémmy Bernard - Teqnologyque; Knight Beau Anderson - -CloudNvy_
Pair 2:


Elanore's Misfits

There's three bedrooms around the common room on the third floor of Mrs. Johnson's home, and these are the little misfits who occupy them. (Unfortunately for them, there's only one bathroom up there...)

1. Sorceress Eidel Frayda Reina Baumann - Miss Miryam
2. Witch Christopher Adam Thomas - Bearaka
3. Izu Cruz - Koori_Rose


Witches

Your average member of the magical community~

[OPEN]


Wizards

Your alittlemorethanaverage member of the magical community~

Wizard Elanore Muriel Johnson - [NPC]
[OPEN]


Sorcerers

As rare as they are powerful, you probably shouldn't mess with these guys...

Elijah Michael Uhtricson - An Endless Waltz
Avery Risk - X Fate Amore X


Halflings

Being a halfling is tough, since you don't really belong anywhere. But you'll make it through.

Rand Kotrm Kalhai - Arcwolf1001
[OPEN]


Faeries

Whether you were born and raised on Earth, or exiled here from The Other Lands, you're here to stay, and you have to follow our rules.

Gale Thaddeus Ibarra - - Lord_Francois -
[OPEN]



Want to be something that isn't listed here? You should PM me, and we'll see if we can work something out. There's a reason why I put what I put.

Edit 1/27/14: We are no longer accepting sorcerers. Not everyone can be a super rare member of the community. D:

And for those of you brave enough to get through all that and still want to join, here's your profile code~

Mage Example McShowsyastuff the Example Shower
As played by No One This Is An Example

Age: Reasonably aged 17 - 125
Appearance: Looks kinda like an image or words or something.
A Brief History: Exie was born to be an example to others, and has always lived up to that dream.
Abilities: Example has the ability to magically show people how things are done. Also, he's very neat and tidy.
Anything Else: Example's colour of choice is DimGray, and he's okay with you using that if you don't wanna pick one out yourself.


[color=COLOUR OF YOUR CHOICE HERE][size=16][b][color=DarkBlue]TITLE (Witch, Wizard, Knight, Etc.)[/color][/b] [b][color=SteelBlue]FULL NAME[/color][/b] the [b][color=CadetBlue]RACE (Human, Halfling? If Fae, put what you are specifically.)[/color][/b][/size]
[size=10]As played by [b][color=darkblue]YOUR USERNAME HERE[/color][/b][/size]

[b]Age:[/b] How old are you? Please be reasonable. 17-85 for mortals, up to 125 for halflings or fae. :3
[b]Appearance:[/b] Put whatever makes you happiest, so long as everyone else can get the general idea of what you look like.
[b]A Brief History:[/b] And by "brief" I mean "no more than two or three paragraphs." I want a basic overview, not your entire autobiography.
[b]Abilities:[/b] Just a quick list of what you can do, magic or mundane.
[b]Anything Else:[/b] Got anything else to say?[/color]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
What a thing to do...
What a thing to choose...

[Miss Miryam]

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A banner for your signature, or whatever.


[url=http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/barton-town/lines-an-urban-fantasy-o-a/t.90037317/][img]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab201/MissMiryam/Heartlines/a7dbc049-399a-4912-a42d-eaa73155f0eb.png[/img][/url]

Banner Resources: Font ~ Brushes ~ Background


❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
But know, in some way, I'm there with you,
up against the wall on a Wednesday afternoon.

[Miss Miryam]

I decided to put this post here to keep you updated on the thread's non-roleplaying progress. (Also because, at the time this was posted, the thread really needed a bump.)




• Morning, Jan 23, 2014: We're officially open for business! Come to me with your applications~
  

[Miss Miryam]

[Miss Miryam]

[Miss Miryam]

[Miss Miryam]

[Miss Miryam]