March of the Wicked King (OOC/Signups)

[Xicrog]

What it is: An urban fantasy RP about therianothropes (werecreatures)

What it's about: Two warring factions of said therianothropes: the tentatively named Kekkai, who worship the Mother Earth and want to wipe humans of the face of the planet because they see humans as a plague, and the Warders, who are trying to stop that from happening.

Who you can play as, Kekkai side: Wolf Tribe, Snake Tribe, Bat Tribe, Ape Tribe, Fox Tribe, and Lion Tribe.

Who you can play as, Warders side: Dog Tribe, Weasel Tribe, Cat Tribe, and Belyasha Tribe (which are like domestic foxes, if you will.)

Who you can play as, both sides: Hyena Tribe

What the mechanics are: All I've figured out as of now is that the therianothropes have three forms: human, anthropomorphic animal, and giant animal.

An ancient conflict with no end in sight...
For hundreds of years, two factions of shapeshifters have fought for the fate of humankind. The Kekkai, who wish to return the world to a primordial state and heal their goddess, the Mother, from the ravages of human pollution and cities. And the Warders, who wish to stop this from happening and save humanity from certain genocide. Though the Kekkai were once the dominant force, the Warders have emerged victorious in many recent conflicts due to the intervention of Prodigals, former Kekkai who have defected to the Warder's cause.

But the scales may soon be tipped...
For deep within the pristine wilderness of Nicolet National Forest, Wisconsin, the Predator King, once the most powerful shapeshifter alive, stirs from his long sleep. Should the favored son of the Mother awake, he will without a doubt cause the end of humanity. Now, therianothropes from around the world travel to the United States- to either kill or seal away the Predator King once more, or to assure his revival. Either way, both want to make certain it will be their final battle.

Note that the therianothropy is a genetically inherited characteristic. For simplicity's sake, let's say for now it's a recessive gene.

Kekkai

Wolf Tribe: The most numerous of all tribes, Kekkai or otherwise. Charismatic and powerful, they lead the Kekkai and are in conflict with the Lion Tribe for this reason. Most live in rural areas, keeping away from large cities (or small ones, for that matter.) A group of Wolf Tribe members is called a pack. The Wolf Tribe has a long-standing feud with the Dog Tribe.

Snake Tribe: The individualistic Snake Tribe are the only therianothropes who do not travel in groups of any kind. Typically associated with poisonings, murders, and political assassinations, they have a inborn hatred of the Weasel Tribe and take any chance to kill them. Many have Indian or Asian heritage. They are happiest when behind the scenes, and do not take well to being at the center of attention.

Bat Tribe: The secretive and occasionally misunderstood Bat Tribe is most likely the source for vampire stories among humans. Though some are descended from vampire bat stock and do drink blood, most are related to fruit bats and are relatively harmless. Mistreated by most Kekkai, especially the Lion Tribe, they have the highest rate of defection among all the tribes. A group of Bat Tribe members is called a cauldron.

Ape Tribe: The most at home among humans; the adaptive and clever Ape Tribe often act as information gatherers for the Kekkai. The Ape Tribe is unique among therianothropes in only having two forms- a human form and a giant ape form. It goes without saying this doesn't make them any less dangerous. A group of Ape Tribe members is called a troupe.

Fox Tribe: Notorious tricksters and mischief-makers; the Fox Tribe is made more for speed and dexterity rather than strength. Though usually the most offensive of all Kekkai tribes, their pranks may occasionally lead to fatal results for humans. The Fox Tribe has more than a slight dislike for their domestic cousins, the Belyasha, who were created from their genes to fight for the Warders. A group of Fox Tribe members is called (appropriately) a sneak.

Lion Tribe: The would-be leaders of the Kekkai, the Lion Tribe is instead delegated to doing the Wolf Tribe's dirty work- primarily dispatching humans who are known for harming the earth and Warders. It goes without saying some are slightly bitter about this. Most Lions despise the Cat Tribe, seeing them as a perversion of themselves. A group of Lion Tribe members is called a pride.

Warders

Dog Tribe: The Dog Tribe is the most numerous of the Warders, and their unofficial leaders. A diverse bunch, the duties for Dog Tribe members are divided up according to their Get, or lineage. In other words, Dog Tribe members who have terrier blood usually end up doing scouting, herding group does planning and strategizing, and so on and so forth. A group of Dog Tribe members is called a cabal.

Weasel Tribe: The Weasel Tribe is the most connected to their feral side, compared to the other Warders. Almost all Weasel Tribe members have an unnatural resistance to toxins of all kinds. Yes, even things like alcohol, which makes it impossibly difficult for them to get drunk. They despise the Snake Tribe, and it is rumored they joined the Warders just for the purpose of making the Snake Tribe angry. Weasel Tribe members travel in groups of three called trinities.

Cat Tribe: The initial reaction upon seeing a Cat Tribe member is horror- all Cats have some sort of mutation such as bobbed or nonexistant tails, ear mutations, fur mutations, no fur at all, unnaturally thin or thick bones, and so on and so forth. Cat Tribe members don't see this as a curse, rather percieving it as a sign of their separation from the wild. A group of Cats is called a clowder.

Belyasha Tribe: The newest of all the Tribes, created from the Fox Tribe by a human. They resemble foxes in their animal forms, but have black, grey, white, and silver patches on their fur, bright blue eyes, possible tail mutations, and floppier ears. They are incredibly few in number, and Belyasha cubs are protected fiercely, keeping close contact with other Warders at all times. A group of Belyashas is called a skulk.

Prodigials

Few in number, the Prodigals are Kekkai who have defected to the Warders. Tribes who are most known for doing this are, in order, the Bat Tribe, the Lion Tribe, the Fox Tribe, and in some isolated cases, the Wolf Tribe. Prodigials are not respected quite as much as a natural-born Warder would be, but are still welcomed. There is only one Tribe (with fifty percent membership Warders and fifty percent Kekkai) officially considered to be Prodigals. They are...

Hyena Tribe: Perhaps even more misunderstood than the Bat Tribe, the Hyena Tribe is not well-accepted wherever they go. It is of note that the Hyena Tribe is strictly matriarchial, and most leadership and warrior positions are reserved for women. A group of Hyenas is called a clan.

Aaand, of course there's always good ol' plain humans to play if you want 'em.

I'm reserving a skulk (i.e. group) of Belyasha, who are Simeon Bashkir, Sacha, Ektarina Zhaleika, and Fenya Otsuzumi.


More information to follow.

[fatalattraction]

what all do u want for an ooc....

[Xicrog]

Well, here's the template...sorry for lack of actual bios...

Cardinal Traits: (Sum up the key points of your character's personality in three or four phrases)

Abilities: (Special, unique things your character can do...assuming you have a therian character.)

Special Tech: (For Libras only, this is highly advanced weaponry like ray guns, mecha, etc. Over-the-top? Yes. Fun? Very yes.)

Personality in a nutshell: A bit more in-depth than the Cardinal Traits, this is a brief assesment of the character's personality.

Background: A brief history of the character. Their past, their present, and their hopes for the future.

Weapons: Normal, non-sci-fi stuff. Note that no therian is allowed to use anything more advanced than a shotgun, rifle, or handgun.

For humans, you can be a member of Operation: Equalizer. I'll edit in some info later about them, but for now, operatives of Operation: Equalizer are called Libras. They're out to study and observe therians, and generally make sure that humankind's being looked out for when the Warders are being too bloodthirsty to do so. To even the gap between therian and human, they use highly advanced technology. Not all of them distinguish between the factions, however...

Please, please, PLEASE don't use chatspeak, though.

[Xicrog]

Some culture stuff for the Belyasha. For the record, I’m letting the people who are playing their characters make up the history and such for their own organization, though you’ll have to get approval from me or Tas first. To give an example to go by, here’s my write-up for the Belyasha...

The youngest of all the therian Tribes, the Belyasha- assuming their records are correct- have an unusual origin story. They were created in a genetic experiment from a pre-existing Tribe, the Fox Tribe, by what may have been the first known operative of Operation: Equalizer. According to them, the overseer of this experiment, Fyodor Belyaev, was given instructions on how to create them from an avatar of the God of a Thousand Names, a being they call the Divine Inspiration. Consequentially, they stand out amongst the Warder Tribes in their belief of a holy trinity- The God of a Thousand Names, the Divine Inspiration, and their creator, the Earthly Father.

Currently, Belyasha are highly endangered, with about 200 existing in the United States, approximately 670 in Russia, 160 in Japan, primarily in places formerly occupied by the Russian army such as the Kuril Islands, and scattered populations elsewhere. Almost all Belyasha are of Russian heritage. Full-blooded Belyasha are encouraged to…well, to reproduce if given half the chance. There are some unpleasant rumors that the Belyasha keep records of people who are carriers for this purpose…

With Kekkai Tribes enthusiastically hunting them down, they are rarely able to stay in the same place for long. Children are considered to be an immense blessing, and they are raised in secrecy and solitude aside from fellow Warders. Typical genetic traits of the Belyasha- grey to white hair and bright blue eyes- are a dead giveaway to their true nature, and considering how few Belyasha there are, few parents of full-blooded Belyasha want to risk the possibility of a Kekkai going to their school or living near them or anything to that effect.

On the other hand, many Belyasha, Sacha among them, are left with no parents except for the unfortunate carrier of the gene, and have no idea of their heritage. In these situations, the local Dogs are usually able to find them first…

For future reference, all Belyasha undergo a coming-of-age ritual where their part in the Tribe. In said dream one of the aspects of the Belyasha's holy trinity, the Divine Inspiration, appears before them and shows them what their goal in life is to be. And here they are:

Shadow Inspired: Those who dreamt of moonless nights and darkness...The closest thing the Belyasha have to warriors. Far from the fierce fighters one envisions when thinking of werebeasts, Shadow Inspired prefer do battle from where their name would imply, acting more as silent assassins than berserkers. Consequentially, most of their special abilities are geared towards stealth and ranged combat. Half of Belyasha take this Inspiration.

Sample abilities: Generate Shade, Weballergy, Deep Pockets, Crow-Hop, Walk in Shadows, Legerdemain, Sureshot, Run Like Blazes

Tone Inspired: Those who dreamt of songs of hope and a coming dawn...The historians, priests, morale-boosters and artists for the Belyasha. They feel a closer connection to the God of a Thousand Names more-so than any others in their tribe, even in a tribe known for being especially devout. Many of their abilities give them supernatural power over the spoken word. This is the second most common Inspiration, with approximately forty percent of Belyasha claiming it.

Sample abilities: Bay of the Hellhound, Deciphering Babel, Rhapsody of Fire, Voice of Man, Telepathy, Irrefutable Proof, War Frenzy

Infernal Inspired: Those who dreamt of the purifying fires of Purgatory and brilliant sunsets...The leaders, judges, and visionaries. Fierce, extroverted, and passionate individuals. Abilities are geared towards helping skulkmates, offense, and some psychological-warfare-type-stuff. This is, unsurprisingly, the least common of all Inspirations, with only ten percent of Belyasha taking it.

Sample abilities: Strength in Numbers, Blind Justice, Firewalk, The Beast Within, Harrowing Presence, Raised Threshold

[Taslin]

Okay, more stuff~! ;D Information on the Cat Tribe this time. Be warned, though, Tas knows absolutely no French, so some parts of this may use atrocious grammar. If anyone can tell me how to fix it, it would be much appreciated.

The Cat Tribe: Culture and the Organisme de Evrard[/i][/u]

The Cats are descendants of the Kekkai's Lion Tribe, but have adapted to life in human cities so much that have become their own people and have little left in common with their cousins. Most Cats are of Western European descent (although some hail from parts of Southeast Asia as well), and are scattered throughout the world, though most of them live in the United States.

Like most of their Warder allies, they did not appear as they are known today until around the mid 17th century, during Europe's Industrial Revolution. The Cats credit their genesis to one individual in particular, a roguish therian folk-hero by the name of Everard Yap; hailing from Britain but dwelling in France for most of his life, he is, according to the Cats, the direct inspiration for the more modern versions of the fairytale Puss in Boots. Unlike the Belyasha's Trinity, however, Everard has no special religious significance for the Cat Tribe. In fact, the Cat Tribe is singular in that they do not have a unifying religious belief, but rather are brought together through their common ancestry and cultural heritage.

Though not worshiped, Everard is nevertheless considered a paragon in the eyes of the Tribe, and the goal of every Cat is to emulate him. However, due to his many legendary virtues and talents, it is impossible to be like him in every way. Therefore, when Cat teenagers transform for the first time, they are examined and pronounced to possess a certain aspect of the hero: henceforth they are part of the Organisme de Evrard, or Everard's Body. The mutation they exhibit determines their aspect (named for a part of the body), and this title hereafter determines their place in Cat society.

Bras de Evrard--Everard's Arms: These are the Cats who exhibit the mutation of thicker bone-structure. They are the strongest members of the Cat Tribe, the offensive melee fighters.

Jambe de Evrard--Everard's Legs: The more delicate Cats with thinner, fragile bone structure belong to this aspect. Swift and deadly with each stroke, they may not possess the raw power of the Arms, but they excel as the assassins and myrmidons of the Cat world. They are considered one of the most beloved of Everard, due to his famous boots, and are second to only the Voices and the Paws in the Tribal Hierarchy.

Huche de Evrard--Everard's Chest: The Cats with naturally shorter limbs are known as the Chest. While they, too, are physically strong, they excel more at protection of their fellows in the clowder and much less with dealing blows on their own. While sometimes sneered at for being slow-witted, they are tenacious and possess more enduring loyalty than any other Cat.

Oreille de Evrard--Everard's Ears: The Cats with curling ears are said to be more in tune with the energies of the world than their brethren, and so have access to more of the supernatural powers that were theirs as members of the Lion Tribe. While some of the traditional offensive magics are definitely used, Ears also specialize in the manipulation of strings and yarns to entangle enemies, an ability apparently unique to them.

Queue de Evrard--Everard's Tail: Though they are technically named for his tail, many of the Cats jokingly refer to these members (as a pun on the word queue) as the Lines--meaning that they're always waiting around for them to act. The Tails (those, obviously, with Tail mutations) are the healers and mediators of the Cat Tribe, and quite often their calming influence is the only reason anything gets done.

Patte de Evrard--Everard's Paws: The highest members of Cat society, the Polydactylic Paws are the rogues and thieves of the Cat Tribe. They are very few in number, but as the members most closely following the path of Everard, they wield a great deal of influence in Cat politics. Those even rarer individuals possessing a 'thumb' excel at opening doors even in animal form, making them impeccable at breaking-and-entering. Paws have a reputation for having incredible luck.

Voix de Evrard--Everard's Voice: Those Cat members with fur mutations are named not for Everard's coat, but for his voice, because of their striking mannerisms and a penchant for the dramatic. Most beloved of all the aspects save for the Paws, the Voices are the artisans and performers of Cat society, and they are taught story-telling and songwriting as life skills. They are also responsible for keeping the lore of their tribe alive, but a lot of the younger Voices are willful and hard to control.

~*~
Special aspect abilities will be added as soon as I figure them out.

[Xicrog]

Talents, Abilities, Traits, and Libra Tech

Everyone in this RP gets a special set of talents specific to that character. Therians get 10 points to start out with, and humans have 12. Each talent corresponds to a certain skill level.

One-pointers are common, mundane things or stuff that’s not exceptionally useful in combat. For example, my character Simeon has the talent Voice of Man. This allows him to speak even in his animal form.

Two-pointers are slightly more useful things. Sacha has a talent called Run Like Blazes that allows him to use the speed of his fox-forms in his human form (i.e. he can run around twenty-six miles per hour without tiring as easily as a normal human would.)

Three-pointers are where the talents start to get a lot more powerful. Fenya has a talent called Claws of the Moon-Metal that transmogrifies her own claws into silver, which is poisonous to therians and one of the few things that can easily harm them. The only thing that stops this from being a four-pointer is the fact that after a short period of time (two posts) the silver starts to seep into her bloodstream and poison her from the inside…

Four-pointers are deadly, nigh-earth-shattering abilities. Ektarina has a talent called Firewalk that engulfs her in a preternaturally-generated fire, doing no harm to her. The same cannot be said for anyone (or anything) around her.

For something truly earth-shattering, Tas and I might make an exception and go above the possible four pointer. We’d recommend you avoid having talent over five points, but if you feel that it’s absolutely irreplaceable you may keep it, albeit at a five or six point cost. Alternatively, we can help you to balance out that talent.

Libras get a similar system, albeit with more points allocatable. Each Libra tech they have is a certain number of points to their total. Non-combat tech such as a cybernetic implant that mildly enhances their eyesight would be one point. Mecha or giant death rays would be four points.

Also of note are traits. These are biological or inborn advantages of your character. Ektarina, for example, has the three-pointer trait Purebred. Her family has consistently bred only with other Belyasha, and thus she has a higher standing in tribal society and friends in high places. Be sure to take into consideration things like this. Furthermore, extensive combat training for a younger character, having a parent around to explain Therian lore, exceptionally rich relatives, being in a position of leadership in Therian society, hacking skills, etc.

Well, no one’s perfect. So what about your character’s weaknesses? These subtract points from your allocated total. Just like normal traits and talents, these can add on anywhere from one to four points by severity, or even higher if you come up with something truly debilitating.

Sacha has the one-point weakness Raised by Humans. Though it might not be considered so terrible for other Tribes which have a higher percentage of therians born to carriers or one human parent, the more formal, ritualistic Belyasha find it difficult to put up with his ignorance towards Tribal customs, combined with his already-present lack of tactfulness.

Simeon has the two-pointer Runt of the Litter. He’s rather small, not terribly fit, and not well-suited for combat. However, his caste is not intended for battle either way, which reduces an ordinarily three-pointer for the warrior-like Wolf, Dog, Shadow-Inspired Belyasha, or Lion to a two-pointer.

Three-pointers are where things start getting severe. Hollow or frail bones in a non-Cat or Bat Tribe character, an appallingly unattractive person, a therian especially allergic to silver, and so on and so forth.

Four-pointers are crippling weaknesses. A schizophrenic or otherwise severely disabled person, someone who cannot shift out of their beast forms or into it, and such would all be considered four-pointers.

Remember, these are just ideas and we don’t have a complete list. Feel free to propose some of your own in a character write-up and if the GM’s (Tas and I) have any contentions we’ll bring it up with you.

Please note that the Cat Tribe’s Tribal defect does NOT count towards bonus points. It’s treated as a normal Tribal disability, which I will now cover.

The third and final aspects to consider are abilities and disabilities. These are set in stone based on Tribe and Caste for Therians, and presumably the same for Libras (though we’ll let you guys be the judge on that.) They’re basically freebies- they don’t count towards your point total. I’ll give the examples for my Belyasha below…

Tribal Ability- Dream of Divine Inspiration: Amongst all the Warders, the Belyasha are arguably the most religious, and their God-in-Three-Forms has rewarded them for this. Though the Divine Inspiration prefers her children to be independent, she realizes that their numbers are few and sometimes a bit of intervention is needed.

Tribal Disability- Taint of the Scientist’s Hand: …but even more-so than any other Warder Tribe, feral creatures and Kekkai Tribes seem to instinctively realize that something is horribly wrong about the Belyasha. The odd hair and eye colors are obvious indicators for Kekkai, but even more reliable is the feeling of disease one gets from being near them.

Caste Ability (Shadow Inspired) – Walk in the Shadows: When the Divine Inspiration visited the Shadow Inspired on his eve of initiation; she showed them the art of remaining unseen, of sneaking about in the blackest of nights…

As such, the Shadow Inspired can make himself simply blend in with the shadows, allowing for near-invisibility in poor lighting.

Caste Ability (Tone Inspired) – Silver Tongue: On the eve of the Tone Inspired’s initiation, he was shown the intricacies of spoken language, how the subtlest inflections and seemingly insignificant word choices can affect the emotions of others.

As such, the Tone Inspired has powers of persuasion only the most exceptional of humans would have. Though they cannot, say, convert a Kekkai to their side unless said Kekkai already had considerable doubts about their own kind,

Caste Ability (Infernal Inspired) – Fire-Touched: The Infernal Inspired dreamt of an inferno around them, a fire that did not burn them. The Divine Inspiration gave them a blessing and a curse that night, turning their blood into flames…or in less poetic terms, their blood is acidic. Any creature that bites them is going to be in a world of hurt…

Caste Disability (Infernal Inspired) – Fire-Touched: …but they have to maintain that acidity on a day-to-day basis.

As such, special diets are a prerequisite, and that means carefully managing how many bases are consumed and balancing that out with high-acidity food and drink. Coffee and sodas are a common favorite among young Belyasha.

Caste Disability (Tone Inspired) – Cleric’s Honor: The fanatics among fanatics, Tone Inspired are expected to hold closely to the Many-Named Gods tenants with great fervor.

As such, a Tone Inspired cannot witness an act going against the orders of the Many-Named God or turn down an offer from a righteous Warder or Prodigal in need. This has been known to lead to some odd situations…

Caste Disability (Shadow Inspired) – Creature of the Night: Bright lights and the Shadow Inspired do not work well together. Shadow Inspired have sensitive eyes, and being out in the sun for even mere minutes (without sunblock or similar things) can cause them to start getting sunburnt. Though such modern conveniences like sunglasses can help, these Belyasha still prefer to stick to their natural element.

[Xicrog]

Forms of the Therians

Human: The base form of Therians, whether the Kekkai want to think so or not. The average (awakened, mind you) Therian is stronger, faster, and has sharper senses than the average human or unawake Therian, but not by a much. On the bright side, they aren’t as susceptible to silver in this form, though odds are you won’t see any Therians wearing silver jewelry.

The lovely Taslin has drawn a picture of her Cat Tribe character Melisande. Note that her Tribal Mutation carries over into human form.
taslin-jewelofglacia.deviantart.com/art/Melisande-Character-Sketch-70848875

Anthro: The form that comes to mind when one thinks of were-beasts. A mix of human and animal; covered in fur or scales, usually with claws and/or tail if those are present in their species. Their face often has traces of a snout, and vestigial whiskers and/or fangs. Bites, however, aren’t going to do much more damage than a human’s (unless by a Snake, as they possess poisonous fangs in anthro, though the venom is not as powerful as it would be in beast form.) Bats are capable of gliding, but not flight in this form, as their wingspan is not great enough to facilitate flight or changes in altitude. A preferred battle-form by many, as a weapon is still usable and it is considerably stronger than the human form. Unfortunately, Therians are at their most susceptible to silver in this form. In this form, the Therian gains about a foot in height and a considerable amount of weight in muscle mass.

And now Melisande in anthro.

taslin-jewelofglacia.deviantart.com/art/Melisande-Anthro-70947540

Dire Beast: A monstrous form of the Therian’s patron animal, twice the size of a normal specimen. It has the most raw power and speed of all the forms, but younger or more hot-tempered Therians tend to avoid it because one must suppress the animal’s instincts. Also, speech is impossible in this form.

A picture of Melisande's beast form is forthcoming.

[zylaa]

Permission to begin C&Ping character information from the other thread? Feel free to utilize your own powers of ArbitraryDictatorAdmin on this post.

Name: Stella
Gender: Female
Tribe: Weasel
Specific form: Long-tailed weasel (dark brown w/ white underbelly, turns all white in winter)
Age: 22
Personality: Quiet, sarcastic and snide when she does talk, and that's mainly to the other two members of her trinity. Takes sadistic delight in watching humans or other tribes get drunk, especially when they challenge her to a drinking contest.
Division: Thunder/Lightning weasel (which would be a great name for a rock band).
Motives: Sadism, out to get the Snake tribe.

Name: Dydri
Gender: Female
Specific Form: Least Weasel
Age: 18
Tribe: Hail
Personality: Happy-go-lucky, easily amused, lack of common sense.
Motives: It's the Right Thing To Do.

Gender: Male
Rain Weasel
Personality: Suave with glasses ( ). Doesn't show emotion much. Sarcastic somewhat, but not nearly to the degree of Stella. Enjoys poking fun at Dydri.
Motives: Likes the humans, raised with humans b/c both parents were recessive carriers of the gene.
Country: England