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The Rift and Youma Information [Archived]

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The Space Cauldron

Captain

PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:13 pm


This thread is obsolete and has been archived! Instead, the information was transferred to the Negaverse Information Thread instead! If you were linked to this thread by one of our information or resource threads, please let us know so we can update them with the proper link! Thank you!



About the Youma


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Though the citizens of Destiny City are more familiar with the weapon-wielding officers of the Negaverse, there is far more to be feared from the Dark Kingdom than the corrupted humans, senshi, and guardian cats that serve them. More than ninety-five percent of the Dark Kingdom's servants are not Lieutenants or Captains, but youma. Youma can range from animalistic and wild to highly intelligent and sophisticated. While all youma are created from human starseeds, they observe their own hierarchy of power.

Youma are separated into three groups: feral, humanoid, and Greater youma.

Feral youma come in every imaginable shape and size, and make up a majority of the youma population. There are eel-like youma the size of houses, bug youma the size of ladybugs, and youma that look like nothing that currently exists on earth. These youma are used largely for scouting and gruntwork. While some of them can be incredibly strong, feral youma do not have the intelligence to carry out complex tasks.

A normal human, when corrupted, becomes a feral youma. For this reason, Humanoid and Greater youma tend to have little regard for the life of the average human. They are generally viewed as fodder, with the exception of those who are chosen for personal youma. Feral youma chosen as personal youma have less intelligence than a humanoid youma, but typically have stronger (but less sophisticated) physical abilities.

Humanoid youma are the ones most commonly seen Screwing s**t Up around Destiny City. Humanoid youma can range from near-human to well above genius level in intelligence, and can have a wide variety of special abilities (see: youma from the series, such as the Doom and Gloom girls). These abilities are physical and strength/agility based. Neither Negaverse agents or their youma will be allowed to have advanced magical attacks such as elemental magic. Humanoid youma are the ones most commonly used as personal youma for Negaverse agents. Their unique abilities and increased intelligence make them more suitable for service, both in combat and outside of it. Their value is in their intelligence.

If a Lieutenant, Captain, or General consumes too much energy (or a Regular, Super, or Eternal Senshi is corrupted into a youma), they become a Humanoid youma.

Greater youma are ancient. They are living servants from a time when the Dark Kingdom first rose against the White Moon, and in those days were used primarily as weapons to carry out large scale attacks. Greater youma were created from only the starseeds of Negaverse agents, often given willingly in service to the Negaverse. It was at one time considered an honor to die for such a cause, amongst the more devoted of Beryl's servants. Greater Youma require a great deal of energy to create, and their creation requires the guidance of an experienced General-King/Queen, or Queen Beryl herself.

If a General-Queen or General-King (or a Prince or Princess) consume energy or is corrupted beyond what they can handle, they immediately become a Greater Youma. Every General-King or Queen has the potential to do this if they absorb enough energy. It is the Hail Mary pass of the Negaverse. However, the Greater Youma transformation is almost always permanent. This ability should be considered a self-destruct button and it should be assumed that if your character becomes a Greater Youma, they will remain one. Meaning they will be mindlessly enslaved to Metallia's will.

Youma are in many ways a symbol of the incredible loss of life that contributed to building the Dark Kingdom's considerable army. Or, as the Negaverse is more likely to see it, a symbol of the devotion of their predecessors. So far, Destiny City has seen only one Greater Youma; the Black Phoenix. Though defeated by the senshi in the Blood Hill battle, this youma lives on as the youma half of General-Queen Tanzanite.


Youma Society


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The Hierarchy

Youma follow a chain of command similar to that followed by the Negaverse agents:

Feral Youma → Humanoid Youma → Greater Youma

Personal youma follow the same chain of command as their masters. (Ex: A General could tell a Captains youma to leave them, and the youma would be obligated to do so.) Welcome to military life, kids. A personal youma should be treated with the same respect that would be granted to the officer bonded to it.

Formerly, all youma reported directly to Queen Beryl. After Tanzanite's promotion to General Queen, however, the youma have begun to defer to her judgment due to her connection with them. This bridging of this gap between agents and youma has also led to the rediscovery of The Rift.

The Rift

For an introduction to the Rift, please read GM posts in this thread.

It should come as no surprise that the Negaspace most agents know is only the tip of the iceberg. Beryl's throne room and the cathedral-like rooms surrounding it are only the upper reaches of the city's largest citadel. Buried in the Earth below is a sprawling labyrinth of petrified buildings, a lost city that once housed the people of Earth at the very beginning of Beryl's rebellion. The door to it is a living construct, which is capable of choosing who it will or will not open for.

If the size of the buildings was not enough to indicate that it was once significant, the symbol of Earth is etched here and there. Once upon a time, the decrepit, sunken city had been Earth's shining capital. Now, it lies in ruins miles below the surface. There are Greater Youma inside of The Rift, but they are in deep hibernation and cannot be awakened without massive amounts of energy. However, agents might be able to see them from afar.

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Agents may not teleport directly into or out of the Rift.

As a security measure, all agents must pass through the Hall of Shadows, a long hallway leading from Beryl's cathedral down into the Rift. This is a long, narrow hallway. Within the walls, dark guardians monitor who goes in and out of the Rift. Those who are not welcome quickly find themselves pulled in.

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Senshi require an escort to pass through the hall; no exceptions. Because of their sordid past with senshi, the inhabitants of the Rift have little love for even corrupted senshi.



Youma and You


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Personal Youma

Your youma bond is permanent. Once a Captain bonds with a youma, they are a team. You cannot choose to replace your youma unless it permanently dies via being dusted by a royal senshi's tiara or crystal attacks. A personal youma dusted by a regular senshi will regenerate in a few days. A personal youma dusted by a royal senshi's tiara is dead. Deadders. Deadsies. Deadkabob.

This is not a fun experience. You generally do not want this to happen. It involves a lot of pain and is just generally unpleasant. Think drug withdrawal... from supermeth.

A Humanoid youma at Captain level has sub-human intelligence. It can follow complex commands, but it cannot actually converse with an officer or senshi. Its unique ability is useful, but minor. (Example: Arm at this stage had minor regenerative properties, but at a very high energy cost).

A General's youma is as intelligent as an average human. It can carry out conversations or give orders in a General's place. Its unique ability is upgraded and can be considered fairly useful in combat.

A General-King or General-Queen's youma is a force to be reckoned with. These youma, while not Greater Youma, are usually more cunning and perceptive than the average human. Their abilities are more advanced and easier to use. The Doom and Gloom Girls are a good reference for the power level of a stage four youma. However, unlike Beryl, most General-Kings/Queens have only one personal youma. (Ex: As a GQ, Tanz's youma parts are highly vulnerable to magic, but are able to regenerate at the cost of absorbed energy. This is a power unique to the phoenix-type youma.)

Finding Your Youma

Before the Rift was opened, personal youma were chosen somewhat at random. Now, agents venture into the depths of the Rift and seek out the youma that fits them best. This happens differently for every officer. Some seek out particular abilities in hopes that they will grow into something useful, others simply wait until they find one that resonates with them. The process of finding and bonding a youma to your will is emerging as a rite of passage for new officers.

However, this journey does not come without risks.

Not all youma respond well to an agent trying to bond with them. This essentially destroys what little free will a youma has. Personal youma are extensions of their masters, but they do not truly have free will. Once bonded, they can bicker and argue, and the stronger ones might even resist, but an officer is capable of exerting his or her will over them in the end. Humanoid youma are more difficult to bond to than feral youma, though agents may choose either to bond with. Bonding with a feral youma, however, is usually looked upon with some distaste. An officer might have to fight and subdue their chosen youma before it will cooperate.

It can be assumed that some officers have tried to subdue youma more powerful than them, and died in the process. Be smart, don't pick the manticore youma who wields four battle axes and spits molten lead.

(His name is Puffin, and he does not give mustache rides).


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The Youma Bond


The bond between a youma and an agent is completely unique to each individual. Just as real humans can have abusive or loving friendships, so can Negaverse agents have a similar variation in experiences. While the Doom and Gloom Girls, Beryl's personal youma, wanted nothing more than to please their Queen, your youma might really think you need to be taken down a peg or two. Typically, the stronger a youma, the more powerful an agent is needed to command them. On rare occasion a weaker agent may bond a more powerful youma, but the result is much like Ash and his Charizard.

Never enough badges.

However, all bonds share one trait; they are strong. The longer a human and youma stay bonded, the stronger their relationship. Which means the stronger the consequences when the bonded youma dies.

While your youma does have a unique personality, it is not a secondary character. In order to keep things fair and balanced, youma cannot be RPed independently of their Negas.

Youma F.A.Q


How do I summon my youma?

Summoning a youma is fairly easy, but costs either time or energy. An agent can feel their connection to their youma at all times, but it must be activated in order to summon the youma. This can either be done by focusing thoughts on the youma, which effectively calls out to it in the Rift. The can take some time, depending on rank. While Generals can summon their youma with as little as a minute of concentration, new Captains might take as many as four or five.

The second alternative is to expend a burst of energy, similar to teleporting. This acts like a flare, drawing the youma immediately, but at the same energy cost as though the agent had teleported. This means that summoning a youma mid-battle is generally considered very unwise for a Captain, and should be used only when absolutely necessary.

How long can I have my youma out?

Like a Pokemon, it is best to put your Squirtle back in his Pokeball when he's not needed. Youma draw their power from the Rift, and the longer they are away from it, the weaker they become. Tanzanite's inability to stay human for long, for example, is a consequence of being away from The Rift for too long without any connection to its power. So while your youma can last a couple of days on Earth, they begin to feel fatigue after a while. The exact time is based on their power. A Captain's youma might start feeling effects after only two hours, while a General-Kings youma might last an entire day before it must return.

What happens if my youma is temporarily dusted?

You probably aren't too happy. Or maybe you are! It all depends on your relationship with your youma. If you hate him and he hates you, well maybe the mouthy b*****d deserved it. However, if you are playing devoted partner, then you're probably kind of pissed at whatever senshi dusted your pal.

What happens if my youma permanently dies?

This sucks.

This really sucks.

Again, think heroin withdrawal, but much worse. Perhaps 50% of becoming a Cullen-style vampire. This is a part of you, and when it permanently dies, it leaves that part of you empty. It is like a large wound in your starseed that requires time to (very painfully) heal. This process cannot be sped up or dulled down. Shoot up all the morphine you want, you just won't be able to move while you're in agony.

As previously stated, this sucks.

On the bright side, whenever your bones stop feeling like they're full of needles and you're not trying to pull your skin off because it's burning, you can bond a new youma! So enjoy your trip down into the Rift, where all of those youma are kind of pissed that you let Ralphie shoot his eye out.


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Youmaglia


What are Youmaglia? What do they do?

Youmaglia are a very small, feral-type youma. These youma somewhat resemble crystalline carapace-laden house centipedes. They were first discovered by corrupting a starseed outside of the body, exceeding the chaos energy threshold, and then shattering the starseed into a youma. While not yet confirmed, it appears these youmaglia remain small due to lack of mass provided by the host for transformation. It has not yet been discovered if there are further iterations of these youma or uses for their unique abilities.

The name 'youmaglia' references neuroglia. Glial cells are named for their properties as the 'glue' of the nervous system. They offer protection and maintenance for the nervous system, and have some cursory effects on neurotransmission. Essentially, one cannot have a functioning nervous system without glial cells to surround, insulate, nourish, and protect neurons. And how does this relate to youmaglia? While youmaglia do not interfere with the abilities of neuroglia, they enforce a somewhat similar effect. Due to their house centipede resemblance, youmaglia house a surfeit of extremely long legs that are spread through the gyri (folds) of the brain. From there, they emit their own pervasive brand of chaos energy that will jar and reroute thoughts of the host. They become the ‘glue’ that binds the host to the Negaverse.

Ultimately, youmaglia are insectoid tools perfect for subduing subversive officers.

Effects of youmaglia are as follows:

• Initially, characters may find it more difficult to think ill of Metallia or the Negaverse. Considering means of assisting the enemy feels difficult as well. Players can write this out as a sudden hitch in the thought, a muddling that interferes with their thought process, or any number of ways.
• Characters may experience bolstered motivation to carry out Metallia’s whims, such as their energy draining quota. They may also feel an increased desire to attack any noted Order-aligned auric energies that cross their path.
• Conversely, this youma living in their brain requires energy to maintain its output, and will drain the energy of the officer to remain functioning. The creature continues to drain the host even after powering down, which in turn may motivate the character to spend more time powered.
• It is possible to starve out the youma, though it runs the risk of placing the character into a coma for a period of time.
• These youma can be administered as punishment for disobeying Negaverse creed or jeopardizing operations. It’s a more effective alternative to physically abusing, confining, or outright killing an officer (although these threats still hold precedent).
• Officers possessing this youmaglia are markedly more sensitive to Senshi and Knight magics. This is not an effect that can be circumvented - they are as weak to magic as an Ascended is to physical harm.

The youma maintains one peculiar advantage over other youma that peruse Destiny City - it lives within the body of the host. As a result, this youma enjoys an environment permeated with chaos energy much like the Rift. The youma can survive for extended periods outside of the Rift, provided that it receives an adequate energy supply from its host. The amount of energy required to maintain the youma depends on the rank of the officer as well as the stubbornness of the host - a particularly aloof and resistant individual will require a great deal of energy to subdue, especially if the character is a lieutenant, as the youma has little natural chaos influx to assist with the brainwashing process. This becomes a less energy-demanding task at captain, given that more chaos energy is readily available within the host. And at general, the drain of the creature is basically unnoticeable, as most of the job is taken over by chaos energy.

Additionally, if one receives this youmaglia at lieutenant stage and ranks up, there’s a marked decrease in the amount of energy required to brainwash the individual, as the youmagia has already spent a great deal of time augmenting the person’s brain waves. As each rank is achieved, the host can be reassessed for eligibility to remove the youmaglia and reinstate natural thinking and belief systems. Doing so will refute the weakness to Knight and Senshi magic, but may run the risk of readmitting the same devious thinking that warranted the use of a youma in the first place.

The purpose of youmaglia are to enable players to play their Negaverse characters in a different fashion without having to augment the character's core principles. They are intended to manipulate character thoughts or personality in a way that the owner wishes - the youmaglia's consistency or methods are left up to the player.

Who can use or know about youmaglia?

Currently, use of youmaglia is restricted to General-Sovereigns and SpecOps branch members of Captain's rank or higher. This information is carefully restricted due to the potential backlash from more straightforward officers who might frown on the practice. Knowledge concerning youmaglia is often hidden from the host - the implanting event enacts great trauma on the mind that often leaves the host entirely unaware of what transpired. There is a possibility for the host to remember fragmented feelings or flashes of recollection, but any attempts at further remembrance is promptly quashed by the youmaglia.

How are youmaglia administered? How are characters picked for receiving them?

Youmaglia can be introduced to the brain any number of ways, be it subcutaneously, through the ear canal, squeezed through a tear duct, up the nose... Any number of ways are viable so long as the youmaglia can reach the brain. The most common method used is through a vein, given the youmaglia is able to pass through the blood-brain barrier. They are pliable enough to reduce to fairly insignificant, lengthy sizes, which allows them to be administered through hypodermic needles.

They are most often administered in Negaspace where the procedure cannot be interrupted, but they can be administered anywhere. This does not preclude administering one within Destiny City.

Youmaglia are issued primarily to characters who rebel against orders outright or exhibit troubles in adjusting to Negaverse life. If the character struggles with empathy toward his enemies, a youmaglia may be issued to eliminate that empathy. If a character finds her orders abhorrent, adding a youmaglia will offer more compliance for those same orders. And if the character exhibits interest in purification, then there comes an urgent need to right their mindset with youmaglia. Any proposals concerning the use of youmaglia must be sent to the mule, alongside reasoning for executing this action. The use of these creatures can be undone in a variety of ways, but it's important to establish a good basis for why your character needs one of these brain centipedes in their life.

If I give my character a youmaglia, will that make them half-youma?

Not at all! Youmaglia function on a parasite/host basis, more than the symbiosis aspect of half-youma. No merge occurs when the youma is administered to the host, and both youma and officer remain individual from each other.

Are there outward signs that someone is infested with youmaglia?

Since the youma does not interfere with any bodily function, no. They might look exhausted, but that’s the extent of their outward effects.

Can corrupted senshi receive youmaglia? What about characters outside the Negaverse?

Corrupted senshi can receive these youma! As for anyone else, PM to find out!

What if my character purifies?

Youmaglia are designed to combat earnest attempts at purification, but if one still manages to purify, then the youmaglia will be dusted in the process.

Okay, I’m done with my youmaglia. How do I get rid of it?

The options come down to dusting them via magical attacks against the host, or having them removed by a Negaverse officer. Youmaglia do hamper the effectiveness of an officer, so there is precedent to remove them - all that remains is proving that the officer can be effective among their ranks without it.

Youmaglia have variable endurance when it comes to magical attacks - sometimes one attack by an eternal senshi is enough to dust one, while others can take several hits over the course of months before they finally give out. The perseverance of the youmaglia is left up to the player!

What if I have other questions about youmaglia?

PM the mule or post in the MQ&A and we will get back to you as soon as possible!
PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:17 pm


Please include the following when getting a youma approved for RP upon reaching Captain stage:

[b]Type[/b]:

[b]Name[/b]:

[b]Appearance[/b]:

[b]Ability[/b]: This should be physical based. No shooting lightning or magical fire. Extra-thick armor, super speed, shooting spines, etc.


The Space Cauldron

Captain

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