The Forge | A L C R Y S T

Winter has frosted Alcryst like the cold blush of a corpse, hardening every surface with frigid ice searing through the depths of its heart. The plants are lethargic and slow, the sky is desaturated and dull, and the wind is a violent gale ripping apart flesh and soil alike.

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The Forge

Mar 9, 2013 14:00:18 GMT -6 Word Count:

Post by Brady on Mar 9, 2013 14:00:18 GMT -6

The Forge

In the lethal world of Alcryst, proper equipment can be the difference between life and death. What is a warrior without a blade? What fool dares face the wilderness without protection? Used to both impress and intimidate, weapons, horseshoes, and armor play pivotal roles in survival and status.

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[PTab=Information]

In addition to purchasing their own weapons and armor, humans may also order horseshoes for their tamed horses, which act offensively. Tamed horses who later return to the wild continue to own their horseshoes unless their roleplayer chooses otherwise. Throughout this thread, the term "weapons" includes horseshoes in its definition.
Weapons and armor each have applicable "values" that determine their level of offense or defense. Armor is ranked with "defense values" ranging from 1 to 15, advancing their protective efficiency with each tier. Weapons and horseshoes utilize "damage values" ranging from 1 to 20 to describe their offensive power. As values increase, so does rarity and cost, lending significant prestige and advantage to those wielding higher values.
Armor's defense values are further categorized as "physical" and "magical." Physical armor material provides coverage, like a diamond breastplate or dragonscale helmet, though it does not need to be bulky--it could be made of leather, silk, or even an unexpected high-fantasy element like swirling wind. It will prevent piercing, such as a slice or stab, but is still vulnerable to blunt-force trauma causing bruises, broken bones, internal bleeding, and concussions. Conversely, magical armor material acts as a force field that cushions blows by neutralizing the shock but can be sliced through by a sharp blade. Magical armor can be found in any form, from a gem in a bracelet to a thread pattern sewn into a collar. One way to visualize the protection of magical armor material is relating it to water: were you to slap a wide board against water, it will be largely resisted, but throw a pointed spear and it will smoothly slip through the surface tension. Armor can be made from a single type of material or both combined.
Armor that is made from both physical and magical material can be created from any combination between them so long as the total does not exceed 15. For example, if the overall armor has a defense value of 8, it may be made from a magical value of 2 and a physical value of 6, or perhaps each material is equalized to contribute a value of 4. The chosen balance between the two materials will determine your armor's purpose. For it to be truly impenetrable, the physical value must be maxed at 15, leaving complete vulnerability to the kinetic force of every blow. As another example, magical armor material with the defense value of 6 may slow down a mace enough to result in a fracture instead of a shattered bone, but will not negate the injury entirely the way armor made of defense value 15 magic material would. In contrast, if the armor's material was split evenly between physical and magical, then it will shield a fair amount of every strike but will never be fully impervious against any type of attack. Base your armor material distribution on your character's fighting style, strengths, and weaknesses.
Wild horses acquire their armor through Heliorne, with items titled "Heliorne Defense Values." If a wild horse is later captured, they can retain their Heliorne armor. Tamed horses acquire their armor from a blacksmith, with items titled "Blacksmith Defense Values." Owners can upgrade, alter, remove, and add to their horse's armor through a standard blacksmith, even if the original equine armor was made from Heliorne. If a tamed horse is later freed, they can retain their blacksmith-made armor.
Damage values and their related defense values are matched evenly against each other. For example, a damage value 5 arrow would be largely ineffective, against defense value 5 armor made entirely of physical material, though not entirely nullified. The same damage value 5 arrow would largely bypass defense value 5 armor made entirely of magical material, for their values match but the material is inferior to the type of weapon being used. However, the farther the gap between the two values, the more superior the higher value becomes; armor with a defense value of 4 will be practically useless against a damage value 10 weapon and vice versa. Likewise, the higher the defense value, the less important the difference between magical and physical material becomes against significantly lower damage values.
Even the lowest level weapon or armor is potent against characters that have neither. Damage/defense value 1 will negate offenses/defenses caused by the items "functional" and "contribution specialty" in the Underground. For example, an arrow will pierce through skin made of gems as if it were regular flesh and sharp horns will not even dent armor.
Horseshoes carry devastating weight and honed edges to bring far worse injury behind their blows. They may also be required to participate in certain contents depending on a stable's rules. Horseshoes increase the equine's maximum speed stat by 10 integers. This does not award actual stats but rather stretches the total capacity possible for a horse's speed stat. If the horseshoes are later removed by posting in Invocation, the maximum returns to its default amount and any excess stats are placed as "stat upgrade" items in the account's inventory.
Though horseshoes are the primary weapon intended specifically for horses, they may also equip additional damage values for other purposes, such as an offensive horn mounted on their forehead. Unlike a horn made from "functional," a horn made from a damage value carries the same power as any weapon. Equine weapons require creativity to incorporate, as they may not wield straightforward swords and staffs as humans do, and come from the same raw damage value that horseshoes and humanoid weapons are forged from.
Weapons, horseshoes, and armor have no limitation on their appearance. Armor could be made of water or spiderwebs, weapons could be made of pure light, and horseshoes could be made of condensed stardust. Weapons could be the stereotypical forms of earth, like an axe or trident, or a brand-new concept created by the imagination of a blacksmith or their customer. With the intensity of Alcryst's high-fantasy reality, any aspect seemingly illogical can be explained by the surrealism of its world.
Damage and defense values may also apply to the same technical piece. For example, a gauntlet may protect your human's arm defensively while incorporating offensive studs in its knuckles. Though the piece is joined, the values are still independent. Its combination is in presentation alone. Without an added defense value, the studded gauntlet may look the same but its glove component would offer no protection.
Originality is protected on Alcryst. While most weapons, horseshoes, and armor will be replicated in part or in whole by many characters because they are traditional concepts that no particular member can claim they invented, such as a bow and arrow set, others will involve more unique ideas that took extensive effort and brainstorming to conceive. The more unexpected, fresh, and one-of-a-kind a new offensive/defensive item is designed, the more it is naturally patented by the site.
Appearance and structure can affect combat. Even if their values are equal, a water shield will have advantage against a fire lance and a longsword with extensive reach will have advantage against a short dagger. Stats also play a large factor in a fight's outcome: endurance and strength are needed to wield a heavy weapon like a greatsword; agility and speed are needed to wield a graceful weapon like a throwing knife; a fancy weapon does little if your combat stat is extremely outmatched or your opponent can dodge every attack. Battles are influenced by stats, potions, energy abilities, companions, sensory powers, allies, features from the functional or contribution specialty items, experience, writing effort, and strategy--but properly designed and wielded weapons/armor will always have considerable impact on the outcome.
Fighting on Alcryst does not require exact realism to comparable earthen requirements. If an earthen weapon, such as a sickle, requires specific techniques for effective combat on Earth, you do not need to feel self-conscious if you are ignorant of those techniques or pressure yourself to learn all of its subtleties. Even if a weapon could not be used in a certain manner due to the restrictions of Earth, roleplaying is meant to be creative and enjoyable and should not require expert knowledge in order to write your character fighting with an unfamiliar weapon. After all, Alcryst is not a perfect replica of Earth's physics.
Weapons, horseshoes, and armor are as much for show as they are for violence. They may deter potential assailants with their mere presence and are an exceptional status symbol in Alcrystan society, displaying both wealth and seniority. They can also be used for beauty and decoration or to boast the most imagination in concept.
A full set of armor is sold in 5 parts corresponding to which region of human or equine body it protects: head and neck, arms/forelegs, legs/hindlegs, body, and shield (humans only). There is no designated shape: armor protecting your head is not restricted to helmets; a head and body piece could merge together aesthetically into a single entity despite having separate values; a limb piece could cover only 1 of the legs instead of them all; and a body piece could entail 20 different parts across the torso and count as a single item due to which area they cover. Each of the 5 armor pieces are purchased separately and have their own independent defense values, applicable only to the areas they protect. A character might have a head piece of defense value 10 and a body piece of defense value 2 and no limb pieces at all, depending on what they desire and what they can afford. They may also consist of differing magical and physical armor materials.
Horseshoes are considered 1 unit, sharing their purchased damage value across all legs. They may bear the same or varying appearances. They may cover any part of the hoof and are not restricted to the bottoms alone.
If a single weapon has multiple forms, such as a sword whose blade splits to become a trident from the same hilt, each offensive form must have their own damage value. However, if they have a harmless form, such as a ring that turns into a talon where the ring is not used as a weapon and only the talon is, then it does not need a separate purchase.
Weapons with identical projectiles fired from a harmless source, such as a standard bow and arrow set, have limitless projectiles and require a single purchased damage value for the entire unit. If the projectile and its source are separate types of offense, like a bow with blades on its tips, then their damage values must be purchased independently. If the projectiles themselves are not identical, such as a crossbow that shoots both bolts and explosive darts, they also require separate values. If ever uncertain what requires its own purchase, post in Inquisitions to consult with staff.
You can add magical powers to weapons, horseshoes, and armor through enchantments. They are not for appearance but rather for utility. Every weapon, horseshoe set, and armor piece can equip 1 new enchantment per every 4 damage/defense values. Therefore, weapons/horseshoes with the max damage value can have 4 total enchantments and an armor piece with the max defense value can have 3 total enchantments. Enchantments are not premade. They are negotiated between the roleplayer and administration to find a magical augmentation that is reasonable. For example, an armor piece that can lethally electrocute any character that it contacts is too powerful. Instead, the armor piece might electrocute 1 character per post whose bared skin comes in contact with the armor, causing surface burns and brief paralysis. As with weapon/horseshoe/armor appearances, the site naturally patents the originality of enchantments and the more unprecedented its concept, the more thoroughly it is protected. Some alchemical potions can negate the effect of enchantments.
Characters are not automatically privy to which offensive/defensive items another participant has equipped, regardless of their roleplayer's knowledge. They may only detect what is reasonably visible IC. Hidden or camouflaged weapons, for example, cannot be magically noticed through intuition but must rather have a valid explanation for their observation. Characters do have a general sense for the power of an offensive/defensive item; they cannot gauge the exact level or any specifics, but there is a sixth sense that can detect if an item is particularly powerful, such as a damage value 11 weapon.
Every human account automatically receives 1 free weapon displayed in their mini-profile above their avatar image as seen here, called their "membergroup icon." The more occupations a human has, the higher the damage value of their free, default weapon. An unemployed human will start with a damage value 1 club, whereas a human with 1 occupation will acquire a damage value 2 spear. As there are 14 official occupations available, this means the maximum damage value for the free membergroup weapons is 15. These weapons are premade and cannot be traded, sold, gifted, altered, upgraded, or dismantled. Accounts retain all lower weapons when they increase their occupation amount, so a human with 4 occupations will have 5 free weapons total, but they will lose their higher weapons if their occupation amount decreases. Only a human's highest free weapon will automatically show as their membergroup icon but all of their currently owned free weapons will be manually added under the "items" tab in their mini-profile.
In addition to free weapons earned through a human's occupation amount, staff members also receive 1 free, custom weapon as the membergroup icon for their OOC account. They can give this weapon to any of their human characters, which will be added to that character's "items" tab. Their weapon damage value will decrease if demoted, increase if promoted, and be removed entirely if they are no longer staff, requiring the ex-staff member to purchase a raw damage value if they wish to keep the item IC. To learn more information, read our staff application.

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[PTab=Process]

To create weapons, horseshoes, and armor, blacksmiths must first purchase pickaxes from a merchant in the Galleria. There are multiple tiers of pickaxes, the higher damage/defense values requiring more expensive tools. Once purchased and equipped, blacksmiths can mine raw values from the Empyrean Mines following its procedures. Enchantments can be acquired through quests and require a siphon purchased from a merchant in Galleria. More information and actual instructions for each step can be read in the linked threads.
Items are added to your account's "inventory," located as a pop-up link under the "items" tab in your mini-profile. Your inventory acts as storage for inactive items, which have no current effect and can still be easily traded, sold, or gifted, as they remain in their whole and untouched form.
When you are prepared to activate an item, such as equipping a blacksmith's pickaxe so they can begin mining, post in Invocation and staff will move the selected item(s) to your "applied items" list, a secondary section under your mini-profile's "items" tab. Your applied items have a current effect and are usable IC. If you have multiple of the same item, they will still appear only once in your inventory or applied items list, instead showing their quantity when you hover your cursor over them. Items present in your applied items list can still be traded, sold, or gifted, but they require you to first post in Invocation to move them back into your inventory.
Once the raw values are mined, the next phase is to design and create the actual weapon, horseshoe set, or piece of armor by depicting it through art. The medium may be traditional or digital and range anywhere from pixels to realistic. It is required to provide 1 image of the item from the side view in a rectangular composition without a background. Items with multiple forms and horseshoes that have different appearances in a single set must be represented through a GIF so each version can be seen; it does not need seamless animation, it can instead act as a slow slideshow if desired. If experiencing difficulty creating a transparent GIF, you may use a solid background matching the same color as the applied item list's background color. Regardless of its original size, the image will be resized to 155 pixels wide and placed under the "items" tab of the customer's mini-profile. Please reference the images used in the free weapons tab of this thread for an idea on the general size and composition. Additional images are optional and may be utilized however preferred, such as in your Traces tracker. To summarize, when a customer purchases a weapon/horseshoe set/piece of armor and equips it through Invocation, the raw damage/defense value is added to their applied items list and the mandatory image of the item is added to an allotted section in the "items" tab.
Blacksmiths can offer premade image designs for clients to browse and/or they may simply list the raw values in stock for clients to purchase for custom orders. Blacksmiths may create their own image for the required art, utilize adopts if the artist's rules permit, hire another artist, or have the customer provide it through whatever method they prefer.
An item's information will appear if you hover your cursor over its image in the mini-profile. Weapons, horseshoes, armor pieces, and enchantments must be given a relatively short name so that they may be referred to individually in these descriptions. The name might be an actual name, like Thor's hammer "Mjölnir," a classic title such as "Bloodgusher," or it might simply identify the item by a unique aspect, such as "Silver Spear" if you do not have another item that is similar. You may later change an item or enchantment's name by posting in Invocation.
As space is limited in an item's information hover container, the descriptions and regulations of any applied enchantments are kept in Armory. If an item has at least 1 enchantment, its wielder receives an Armory thread titled as their full name with all details of the enchantment(s). The item's information hover container then directs the reader to click on the wielder's Armory link present in their mini-profile to learn more. Armory threads include an image of each enchanted item at the top of its respective tab. By default, staff will use the mandatory image made for the wielder's mini-profile. If you would like to use a different picture, you must inform staff. Top pictures may be later changed by posting in Invocation.
If the raw value is in the account's applied items list and their "items" tab displays its mandatory image, the weapon/horseshoe set/armor piece is considered owned and equippable by the character. However, to actually use it while roleplaying and have it physically present in an IC thread, you must follow these steps:

In the posting page, there are fields located beneath the subject line. One field says "Armor: None" and another says "Weapons: None." Horseshoes would be entered into the weapons field. Hover your cursor over these fields and they will reveal a box that initially says "none" over the word "edit."
Click on "edit" and a container with 10 empty textboxes will appear. To officially equip your weapon, horseshoe set, and/or armor piece in that particular thread specifically, enter its given name. If equipping multiple items, enter each name into 1 field in alphabetical order with a comma between each name.
Click "OK" and then hover your cursor over the weapon or armor field again. This time, the names you entered will be available as an option in the generated list. Select the names and they will now appear in your mini-profile for only that thread. Every thread can have a different combination of items.
The fields will display "none" by default when posting in a new thread, which leaves them invisible in your mini-profile. If you select an entry, it will remain in each post thereafter unless intentionally edited. The code can remember up to 10 entries, allowing you to quickly choose from your history, though they can always be altered or replaced if needed.
This section accommodates characters who own several offensive/defensive items but do not wish to bring them into every thread or cannot feasibly carry them all at one time. By blatantly declaring which items a character is carrying, it prevents roleplayers from choosing their equipment based on how a thread develops. For example, the character may begin the thread without carrying a weapon and then conveniently pull out a sword if a fight begins.
You must read the Stealing and Battling guide to understand potential theft and how items must be stored IC. Homeless humans must carry all offensive/defensive items in every thread, as they do not have a residence for storage. They may only carry what is realistically feasible based on logical size and weight.
If you do not select any weapons, horseshoes, or armor pieces in your 1st post in a new thread, then you cannot add them later in the interaction without a realistic explanation. For example, if you are roleplaying in your personal estate, you could potentially add a weapon later in your interaction by retrieving a weapon you had stored in your residence.

To change an existing item's appearance, return to a blacksmith and order a new image. If you are providing the image yourself, you need only use a blacksmith to reforge the item IC using whatever services they provide. You can also return to a blacksmith to add, edit, or remove an enchantment or dismantle an item to return its raw value to your inventory.
To upgrade the damage/defense value of an existing item, return to a blacksmith and purchase a new raw value to replace your current one. Values cannot stack. The appearance stays intact and the same image can be used. The item's previous value is reverted to its raw form and moved back into the customer's inventory unless otherwise requested.
To add another form to an existing item, such as augmenting a bō staff by attaching a new spearhead, return to a blacksmith and purchase an additional damage/defense value and an updated image.
Blacksmiths may use their own stock. Therefore, if a blacksmith mines a raw damage/defense value or acquires an enchantment, they are permitted to design and equip the weapon/horseshoe set/piece of armor without further payment. You may not show favoritism to your other characters by offering them free or heavily discounted merchandise unless there is a valid IC reason, such as a fair business agreement with mutual advantages or another appropriate arrangement. Essentially, you may not treat your other characters any differently than you would treat a character you do not own.

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Smithies are the individual shops run by human characters in the Forge. Each one receives its own sub-board in the Forge's main board.
Follow the procedures in Caravan to build your smithy and thus become a blacksmith.
Blacksmiths must read the Stealing and Battling guide to understand occupational inventory.
Every smithy board includes a "records" sub-sub-board where all of its completed transaction threads are locked and transferred as receipts. If their shop is ever archived, its receipt threads will be moved to the main Forge records and labeled with the ex-blacksmith character's name for customers to easily access. By clicking on the label, it will sort the threads to only show threads sharing the same label, allowing customers to quickly search through the blacksmith's previous records.
Blacksmiths may set up their shop and services at their discretion, including but not limited to: loyalty programs, discounts, sales, customer contracts, catalogs, specialties, consultations, designing options, recommended artists, whether transactions should occur IC or OOC, acceptable forms of compensation, any possible payment plans, policies regarding updating, dismantling, returning, and exchanging, purchasing forms, rules for IC behavior, and prices.
Ownership of a single smithy may be split between multiple blacksmiths if each partner signs a contract through a lawyer to be added to their Certification threads. Co-owners must qualify for business ownership as detailed in the Caravan. All partners must contribute to the costs and receive a share of the profits in some form, as decided by the participants. Other terms may be negotiated, such as activity requirements, exit clauses, probationary periods, expiration dates if the ownership is temporary, percentages of each character's ownership, responsibility distributions, and other stipulations. Staff must be informed which of the partners should be granted moderator abilities over the smithy, if not all of them; moderator abilities can be bestowed on a smithy-wide basis or only on specific sub-sub-boards. Terms may be redeclared at any point through an updated lawyer contract and new owners may be later added or previous owners removed. Split ownership can be as balanced as partners or as disproportional as a boss and employee.
When a transaction thread is completed, post in Invocation for the distribution of items and compensation. If there are multiple blacksmiths involved, you must explain how profits should be divided following your contract's terms.
You may advertise your services in the "adbox" in the left-hand sidetable beside the cbox, the IC Newsletter, the homepage footer's classifieds, through character interaction via standard roleplaying, and in the field "promotion" in your account under edit profile > personal.
You must log your records in Scrolls, as described in the Faewin Lawbook, which is mandatory to read. Alcryst's Scrolls site was coded from scratch by Brynora and hosted by her realistic SIM, Elite Equestrian.

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[PTab=Free Weapons]

Unemployed Damage Value: 1 A basic club of rough wood wrapped with twine at its handle.	Occupations: 1 Damage Value: 2 A simple wooden spear tipped in metal, decorated with a red ribbon.
Occupations: 2 Damage Value: 3 A metal trident with a green leather grip and a dangling fang. Its prongs turn red with bloodlust, changing shade if a battle begins.	Occupations: 3 Damage Value: 4 A glossy mace made of solidified moonlight. Its white-blue surface is always cool to the touch and a royal blue banner embroidered with gold adds further embellishment.
Occupations: 4 Damage Value: 5 A mithril ranseur with an inverted cross-hilt, designed to anchor into any target and hold steadfast against withdrawal attempts. Vines crawl actively around its pole, allowing the wielder to entangle objects that come in contact with the weapon.	Occupations: 5 Damage Value: 6 A twisted double-headed battle axe, its coiled hand grooves lead to a vicious cusp. Its silvered blades appear like wings; if its purple ribbon is unraveled by its wielder, the axe-head can be sent as a flying dragon for a single swoop before returning.

When your target touches the ranseur, its vines can quickly spiral up the point of contact and begin covering as much of the mass as possible. The target's movements are briefly hindered, though the vines can be broken after momentary effort.

The wielder can control if the vines begin to initially move but cannot control their actual movements. Once ordered to begin ensnaring a target, they spread rapidly.

Only 1 target may be entangled at a time. Each entanglement lasts for 1 post.

The axe dragon's purple ribbon remains stationary unless purposefully unraveled by the wielder. It immediately flies into the air and dives at your character's chosen target in a single post.

The dragon's path cannot be altered once it begins its dive; if the target moves drastically from their original location, your strike will likely miss.

This attack may use blunt force, slicing, or stabbing depending on the angle of their descent. If desired, the dragon can also retrieve objects light enough to be carried.

1 release aimed at 1 target per thread.

Occupations: 6
Damage Value: 7

An icy partisan capable of shooting shards upon command. There are additional blades fixed on its pole, allowing the sapphire-adorned weapon to cut from nearly any position.

Occupations: 7
Damage Value: 8

A gilded bardiche with elaborate detail worthy of its red-tinged resplendence. The pole can separate at its maroon band and launch its bottom point like a harpoon, connected with a thin wire to recall the projectile.

Ice shards can reach any unobstructed target present within the same thread. Though they are not lethal, they act like quills burrowing deep and hooking into the flesh for difficult removal. They will melt after 2 posts.

While embedded, ice shards cause the surrounding area to go numb and can potentially compromise motor control.

Up to 5 shards may be released per thread. They may aim at 1 target or at multiple targets and may be discharged at once or at separate times.

The harpoon propels forward when activated, capable of reaching any unobstructed target present within the same thread. There is not enough force to fully penetrate a living entity but it will sink several inches deep, causing serious injury and potentially mortal wounds depending on location.

It takes 2 posts to launch the harpoon: 1 post to release it and a 2nd post to retrieve it. Though the wire will recall itself automatically, it is a relatively slow process that leaves your character briefly disadvantaged.

Occupations: 8
Damage Value: 9

An ominous glaive with a sinister glow, almost miry in its dim haze. It is knotted in venomous creepers, their toxins harmless to the wielder but rotting all other organic material.

Occupations: 9
Damage Value: 10

A crystal voulge illuminated by dark magic beneath its faceted facade. It simmers with power liberated by slamming it down, erupting protrusions of cragged gem from dwellings underground.

The vines cannot reach outward nor spit their venom but rather slowly move around the weapon itself. Therefore, the weapon must contact the target for the vines to sink in.

The thorns are so sharp, they will pierce any bared organic material that they graze, from leaves to skin. Thicker protection, like bark or metallic clothing, will ward off the barbs.

If pricked by the glaive's thorns, the point of entry will immediately begin rotting; turning black, losing feeling, and gradually rescinding to cause an abscess. The effect does not spread far but it is dramatic and painful. Depending on location, the loss of feeling can be debilitating. If the victim is living, the decay will also chew into any underlying bone, leaving it weakened and agonizing.

When invoking crystals, you can choose where they will emerge and their general size. The gems are raw and unpolished, lacking organization or specific shape. You might utilize them as steps, an attack from below, or even a shield,.

1 crystal may be summoned per post.

Occupations: 10
Damage Value: 11

A celestial lance of deepest midnight that can summon a fog sparkling with galaxies. Stars travel up its pitch black blade. A brilliant orb of heavenly light rotates near its peak, ready to a universe at the wielder's beckoning.

Occupations: 11
Damage Value: 12

A bold hybrid made of mixed long and and short range. When whole, one end is weighted with a bird-shaped axehead and the other with lethal daggers that can be joined or separated. Lightning darts around the main pole, forming a secondary point charged with pulsing electricity. The razor-lipped raven can detach to fly overhead, summoning lightning bolts from the sky wherever it passes.

Entities trapped within the radius of your galaxy are entirely lost; the fog is opaque, the light is painfully bright, and the hundreds of dancing stars are blistering hot.

Upon activation, all characters within the same thread are completely blinded, including your own. However, you are left unharmed as the others are coated in severe burns. The injuries are not lethal but will fester if left untreated and are excruciating. Skin covered by armor remains unaffected but all else will be torched in substantial patches.

You may activate your galaxy power once per thread. The effect lasts 1 post. You may not specify an intended target, as it is a blanket event.

This weapon can be used whole or it can transform into 3 separate objects: a simple dagger from its main silver pole, a solid lightning bolt usable as both a dagger and a source of electrocution, and an overhead avian drone.

The solid lightning bolt, whether it is equipped separately or used in its default form, will stun any living entity it touches. A stunned target will be unable to speak, have difficulty catching their breath, and experience limited movement for 1 post.

Wherever the raven flies, a trail of constant lightning bolts flash beneath it. The lightning bolts cause explosions if they reach the ground, deafening thunder following in their wake. If a living entity is struck, they immediately collapse and are unable to speak, move, or breathe for 1 post.

You may release your raven once per thread and they may fly for 1 post. All characters within the thread can be affected in a single post if realistically explained; for example, a character standing underneath a stone overhang would be blocked from your avian's attack and a character miles away take too long for your avian to reach. Furthermore, you are not exempt from the raven's storm and attacking any targets particularly close to your character risks your own harm.

Your solid lightning bolt does not have a frequency limit.

Occupations: 12
Damage Value: 13

A smoldering bill-guisarme, its blackened coating crackling over molten lava. Crowned by a skull and a halo of jagged spikes, its crevices can spew forth suffocating smoke and its torch can spray rampaging fire, ruthlessly engulfing with its scalding wrath.

Occupations: 13
Damage Value: 14

A ghostly scythe of hallowed bone carved from the grave of death itself. Its wielder may astral project as desired, soaring above to watch unhampered while controlling their body below. Touching the ground can herald the undead from their otherworld tombs, skeletons of the long forgotten rising to heed your call.

The black smoke chokes its victims, turning their breaths rasping and scorching their lungs. It is also opaque, blinding all within. It may fill the entire thread; your character's lungs are unscathed, though your vision is equally disrupted.

Fire can burst from the weapon's tip, pouring out like napalm and clinging where it lands. The flames will burn out after 1 post but are impossible to wash off in the meantime, charring whatever they feast upon. Body parts painted with this liquid inferno are critically damaged, requiring urgent attention as they are charred.

The weapon contains enough magic to attack up to 2 targets per thread. If attacking 2 characters, the weapon can produce a single blast each; if attacking 1 character total, the magic can be combined for a wider spray. You are not exempt from the brimstone and attacking any targets particularly close to your character risks your own harm if the fire splashes.

Your black smoke does not have a frequency limit.

Astral projection grants your character a 3rd party view overhead while retaining physical control of their body. You are disconnected from your nervous system; you cannot speak, feel, hear, taste, or otherwise sense anything in or around your physical body, consequentially nullifying your normal reflexes. Instead, you can deduce which actions to take based on your aerial perspective, limited to the role of a puppeteer. Your body has a heightened risk of injury without your ability to feel. Visual obstructions can cripple you because you cannot anticipate necessary motions. Fine motor control becomes weakened, relying on your distant observations which inevitably miss subtle cues or gestures outside your gaze.

To raise the undead, choose a creature contribution that permits NPC use and link it as an OOC note in your IC post. The skeleton of this creature will come to your aid. Your character cannot control the undead. Their presence is intended to assist you in any manner the creature feels is suitable and therefore may attack allies or inflict more damage than you intended.

You may astral project once per thread for any number of posts.

1 undead may be summoned per thread. They will remain until dismissed or your character leaves the thread.

Occupations: 14
Damage Value: 15

A draconic staff of unparalleled beauty, epitomizing wealth in its hypnotizing intricacy. Its collapsed wings are bladed and its ends clutch indestructible gems, granting a variety of fighting styles. Upon the wielder's instruction, the staff will take flight and maneuver itself as an independent weapon, extending its folded appendages to reveal structural claws and honed edges across its massive wingspan.

Once activated, the staff becomes an intelligent combatant. It is capable of gauging a fight like any human, making rapid decisions based on faux intuition and instinct. It will also heed any instructions audibly given by the wielder, such as an order to dodge or retreat. The staff is not sentient beyond battle; it does not have a personality or rational thought. The staff's skill matches your character's current stats.

Your staff can activate for 3 posts total per thread. These posts could be consecutive for a single event or they could be separate incidents if desired.

art by magpieonmars & minor editing by ruanly

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Post by Brady on Mar 9, 2013 14:00:18 GMT -6