Story Topic

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

No one is quite sure why the world ended, but it did.  And now a new one has been born.  Built upon the remnants of the Lost Age, a new civilization has gotten a foothold to write a new history.  Eleven city-states compete for power while small villages struggle for survival in a harsh world, but the ones who will truly shape the world in this Current Age are the Spheremorphs.

Their power is derived from the Formspheres and Morphing Grids, relics from an age gone by, that give their users a variety of abilities.  Abilities that are needed in this vicious world, who's many wilds and ruins are plagued by the presence of abominable monsters.

The cities, from the grandest of the city-states to the lowliest wandering town, rely on them to keep their citizens safe from attack.  But for every Spheremorph Defender, there are two Freelances, those who seek to increase their power by finding new spheres and killing monsters for the valuable materials needed to improve those they already have.  It is an often romanticized lifestyle, but it is not for the faint of heart.

Survival is the name of the game, but some seek to upset the order of things.  In the square of each of the city-states a sign has gone up:

A CONTEST OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

WHO WOULD CALL HIMSELF THE MOST POWERFUL?  PROVE YOUR SKILL AND FIGHT TO WIN A PRIZE FIT FOR THE MIGHTIEST KING.  ONLY THE GREATEST WILL EARN WHAT IS GIVEN.

"A tournament?  For Spheremorphs?  Ridiculous!  They're too valuable to risk on such foolishness!"  Or so the common wisdom was, but this...this was the grandest of opportunities.  What prize could it be?  Fit for a king?  But there are no kings!  Not yet.

Visions of glory dance through the minds of many men, but for some this is much more.  For some this is life.  Only time will tell what is to happen.  One Sphere may be all it takes to win, but there's no telling what could happen.

Nexus - A 17th Shard RPG

Welcome to Nexus!  If you're reading this it means you probably have some interest in joining this RP (or you're just getting rid of that blasted yellow icon ), so thanks!

Nexus is, at its core, an adventure RP, but it is also part crossover through the magic system and monsters.  We'll get to that in a bit.

The world of Nexus is mostly wilderness of varying sorts, crawling with all sorts of monsters.  You take the role of a Spheremorph, one of a group of powerful magic users, to take them on, whether as a Defender or Freelancer.  But there is room for all sorts of fantastic adventures to take place.  What you do is up to you!

Please take the time to read these first posts so you know what's going on.  If you have questions, feel free to PM me or ask about it in the Discussion Topic.  That is also where you'll post applications.  Also be sure to check the Data Topic for various sorts of character created information.

Edited May 23, 2011 by Silus - Shard of Flame

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

World:

1: Lake City

A massive castle sits on a rock in the middle of a lake.  Five of the enormous city's complement of twenty Spheremorphs patrol the walls at all times, wary for attack by flying or amphibious monsters.  Two more watch the docks, guarding the transportation livelihood of their home.  They are the best, the Defenders of the largest and most influential city-state in the world.  Its position as the center of the world's river system gives it massive influence.

It is ruled by Governor Francis Alvatori, the newest governor of Lake City, having only come to power within the past few months.  How he intends to run things has yet to be determined, but the unknown fate of his predecessor does not bode well for his citizens.

2: Desert's Edge

Nestled at the head of the Mother River, bordering the Machine Desert, the city of Desert's Edge rates as Lake City's greatest rival in both size and power, with a total of seventeen Spheremorphs dedicated to its defense.  Being at the head of river gives it power to match Lake City's.

The Patriarch Council is its very stable ruling body, with Gerret Desmond as the current chairman.  The chairman heads the council, but can be overruled by the rest of the council.  Each member represents a section of the population.  A recent political shift has placed Heather Desmond, daughter of the chairman, as the first female member of the council.

3: Bridge Town

Not the biggest of the city-states, with only ten Spheremorphs, but it is considered the most peaceful.  It's location on both sides of the river make it a very difficult place to siege.  And its position in between the Western Nothing and the Vast Plain make it calmer than most when it comes to monsters.  Though the citizens live in fear of the denizens of Her Savage Maw, which lies just downriver.

It's real power comes from being the largest agricultural city.  Massive farms in the Western Nothing move the vast majority of their goods across their bridge on their way to the other major market cities.  Seven of Bridge Town's ten Spheremorphs patrol the farms, wary of bandits and the few monsters in the area, in order to protect this critical resource.

Political power is divided between the agricultural landowners, who vote on major changes in the city.  A good system, since the landowners, who mostly started as farmers themselves, know how to keep things running smoothly, but have little experience when it comes to military or diplomatic goings on.  They hire specialists to do these tasks for them.

4: Crook of the Plains

This city, lying at the far northern edge of the Vast Plain, just across the river from the West Plain, is the center for the largest of the crime rings of the world.  The gang bosses have their headquarters here, with their influence having presence in almost every other city-state to some extent.

The legitimate trade of the city lies in scavenging tech from the Machine Desert to the north.  Supplying more components than any other city, even Desert's Edge, who's trade is balanced between tech trade and river trade.

The city itself is run by the Spheremorphs, fifteen in all, who collect fees from the gang bosses for protection from the monsters.

Most of the city is taken up by slums where anarchy runs rampant.  Every man sleeps with his coin in his pockets and his hand on his knife, or else he runs the risk of being robbed.  While technically one of the most powerful cities, it is given little respect due to its nature as a sleazy, crime ridden, very smelly place.

5: Riverheart

The only thing keeping this city from being a superpower on the level of Lake City and Desert's Edge is that it's a small place.  It has fourteen Spheremorphs, each one held by the youngest child of each of the city's noble families.  These families have been rooted in Riverheart's political scene since its founding.

The economy is held up by the craftsmen, who make the finest river boats in the world.  They trade some tech with Desert's Edge, and use these components to create ships capable of traveling upriver on their own power, a valuable tool.

The craftsmen's guild, with their control of the city's economy, now lies in a tense stalemate with the noble families, a cold war for control of the city.  A loss for the nobles will most likely result in their collapse, their only real power coming from their control of the Spheremorphs.  This edge is being undercut by the craftsmen, who are looking for Freelance Spheremorphs to counter the nobility, but they don't exactly come cheap.

6: Eastgate

Considered the most removed of the city-states, having little contact with other cities apart from Desert's Edge and Spiral Falls, it is one of the smallest cities, with only a half dozen Spheremorphs.  Though it's number are few, its people, specifically its Spheremorphs, are tough from its proximity to two monster rich areas: the Spiral Chasm and the Twilight Forest.  It is also Bridge Town's biggest agricultural rival, being so close to the Eastern Nothing and its rich farming land.

Its culture is very tribal, with Goro Solz as the reigning Chief, which creates much city loyalty among the populace.  This combined with the city's remote location makes it beyond the reach of the Crook's gangs.

The rite of passage into adulthood for their people is to spend a night alone outside the city and survive.  Many Freelance Spheremorphs come here to prepare for trips into the nearby dungeons.

7: Spiral Falls

While Eastgate may be considered the most removed of the city-states, the most closed off of the cities is actually Spiral Falls.  A small, hardy town on the very edge of the deadly Spiral Chasm, they live in state of both respect and fear for the nearby dungeon.  It has eight Spheremorphs, a middling number among the great cities, who are constantly working to keep the watery demons in their sewers, that connect into the Spiral Chasm dungeon, out of their city.

The city is officially run by the fidgety Mayor, who changes often, but is currently a man by the name of Rupert Mells.  The mayor, regardless of who it is, tends to develop a variety of small twitches from the stressful nature of their job, always relying on their cabinet of aides.  This cabinet is very consistent, and able to control the mayor with relative ease, making them the real power in Spiral Falls.

8: Suspension Point

If Bridge Town is the safest place to live, then Suspension point is probably the most dangerous.  Caught between the Bloody Coast and the Ascendant Quarry, both home to dangerous monsters, with only the river to either side to protect them, it is seen as a deathtrap by other cities.  The reality is slightly different.  While fear of these deadly places is prevalent in this the smallest city, its disproportionate amount of Spheremorphs, a whole dozen, sets the minds of the citizenry at ease for the most part.

This town, as the only city on the coast, provides the world with the majority of its fish.  It also has a good trade of boats, but not quite up to the Riverheart standard, not having the direct access to Desert's Edge's tech.

The city is entirely democratic, holding a weekly assembly for votes on city matters.  Politics are kept to a minimum, but the system can be slow at times.

9: Frozen Foothills

This city lies on the edge of the Crags of Dichotomy, on the Icy Banks, and as a result has icy weather all year round.  Furs are a common sight in this area, skinned from monsters, to ward against the cold.  This city is medium sized with eleven Spheremorphs.

It possesses a monopoly in a valuable resource, food refrigeration.  They have the secrets to keeping food cold, derived from tech found in the Crags, and sell this technology far and wide.  But no one can figure out exactly how it works, thus allowing the city to retain its beneficial position.  They have a decent trade going with Eastgate and their farms on the edge of  the Eastern Nothing.

This city's politics are based around yearly elections for officials serving in different capacities such as treasurer, guard captain, chief judge and various diplomats, but has no major executive officials, relying on the elected council to make joint legislative and executive decisions.

10: Keller City

11: Koler City

The folklore goes that a pair twins, Keller and Koler, founded a city to the north of the Ascendant Quarry.  Then, one brother, jealous of the other and frustrated with how the city was run, left to form his own city just across the plain.  This second town was supposedly inferior to the other and a nigh copy of the first.  Both Keller and Koler City claim to be the first city.

This led to a rivalry that has grown to define both cities.  Both consider themselves the best of the two and the citizens of the other as backwards and idiotic despite how similar the two are.  The Twin Plain which separates the two cities was named in their honor.

Both cities are highly trade oriented, with just about every kind of good or tech in the world travelling through this area at one point or another.  The merchant class are also the political leaders, and it is them who perpetuate the competition between the two, seeing it as good for business.

They are both just above average in terms of size and power, with thirteen Spheremorphs apiece.  Which means that if these two were to align themselves they would be the most powerful faction in the world, but their biases make that circumstance very unlikely.

Ocean Falls

To the north lie massive cliffs stretching for hundreds of miles to the east and west.  These cliffs hold back an ocean, if not for them the entirety of the civilized world would be at the bottom of the ocean.  The ocean spills over the tops of these cliffs as enormous waterfalls, spilling into the Ocean Falls River East and West, who's water funnels into the rivers that provide the livelihood of most of the world.

Lower Sea

The oceans spreads out to the south, east and west, bordering the world like the Ocean Falls to the north.  Filled with monstrous beasts who devour even the biggest ships, it keeps mankind within its place.  The rivers of the world end here.

Fortress Lake

The body of water at the center of the civilized lands is the home of Lake City.  It is also the home to many water dwelling monsters, none on the scale of those in the Lower Sea, but some come close.  It is travelable, but most prefer to take the rivers that run around and out of it.

Eastern Nothing

Western Nothing

Wide plains extend to the east and west of the world, beyond the Machine Desert to the west and the Crags of Dichotomy to the east.  Monsters roam them, some of size enough to wipe out a travelling caravan without so much as noticing, making travel through them risky business indeed.  The combination of these, the Ocean Falls and the Lower Sea have kept mankind very localized, focusing on their own struggles rather than on expanding outward.  Perhaps the is for the best, with all the troubles that the world sees fit to inflict on them.

Machine Desert

The vast desert to the northwest are filled with the ruins of advanced technologies leftover from the Lost Age.  Sand, machine and electricity monsters prowl the landscape.  Several small villages have made their homes here by taming the enormous walking machines and building atop their backs.  These scavengers barter with traders from the Crook and Desert's Edge for their tech, which goes to various places across the world.

Electric Oasis

Innocuous at first sight, this body of water at the heart of the Machine Desert is the bane of many a foolhardy adventurer.  An idyllic lake with plants aplenty is in reality a deadly trap with many electricity and water oriented monsters.  If you do manage to fight your way to the water's edge for a drink, the electrified water will kill you as soon as your lips touch it.  A large metallic monolith sticks out from the water, its surface darker than the other metals.  Most suppose it to be the source of the electrical charge of the oasis, but some think it to have an even darker purpose.

The Crags of Dichotomy

To the southeast lies a range of mountains.  These are both fiery volcanoes and frozen peaks, assorted at random and often rubbing up against each other.  Home to monsters of both fire and ice, traversing it is a deadly challenge for any Spheremorph, let alone a normal person.  No one knows how something like this can exist, but it does, defying all reason and logic and earning its name.  At least two dungeons are rumored to exist within it.

Fiery Shores

Icy Banks

The foothills from the Crags run to the water's edge.  With fire to the Lower Sea and ice to the river to the north.  The northern area is where the denizens of Frozen Foothills make their home.

Twilight Forest

A woodland stretching from the head of the Mother River to the edge of the Spiral Chasm, the Twilight Forest is like any forest, except for the Pillars.  The Pillars are cylinders of light and shadow that extend from the ground up into the sky, some only thirty feet wide, others extending for miles.  These are home to monsters of light and darkness, with the rest of the forest hosting plant monsters and other woodland beasts.

Tower of the Fallen

People call this the entrance to either the underworld, heaven, or both, whether any of it is true remains to be seen, as no one who has gone inside has ever come out.  It can be seen as most likely containing monsters of light and darkness like the forests around it, if the winged monsters that fly around the outside of it are any indication.

Spiral Chasm

Several rivers flow to this place, a whirling of rivers in a descending spiral ending in a dark abyss.  In this abyss is contained a sewer-like dungeon filled with watery and undead monsters fit to scar even the most robust of Spheremorphs.  The only way out is through the sewers of the nearby city of Spiral Falls.  Of course, none of it matters if you don't survive the river ride there.

The Ascendant Quarry

A rocky place, with monsters.  At least that's what you see before you look up.  The majority of the quarry's stone floats high above the ground, some going miles high.  A dungeon is supposed to exist on the stones above the clouds, but you have to get past the monstrous flying and rock monsters first.  And the air is supposed to be very thin there.

Most of the world gets its stone from the ground portion of the quarry, where the least dangerous monsters are.  But the most valuable materials like gold and precious gems are found above the ground, making it a possibly lucrative endeavor for the treasure hunter who doesn't mind the risk of falling to their death at any moment.  The monsters take great pleasure in doing that.

Her Savage Maw

If it wasn't for this place, most wouldn't believe that there even was a world before the Current Age, but it is here and it haunts the ghost stories of every campfire and the nightmares of every child.  Most adults fear to go anywhere near here.

It used to be a place for harvesting hydro-electric power, based where the river of Bridge Town runs into the sea.  Now the metal walls are a sickly orange of rust, streaked with swaths of blood yards wide.  The bridge that runs across the river is hung with metal chains.  Hung from these chains are skeletons, dozens of them, bleached white from the sun, tangled together around the rusted chains that stretch down to the water.

The only thing that remains untouched by time are the wheels, ever turning as the river flows.  Not a spot of rust or fleck of blood.  Looking at these you wouldn't think that anything had changed, but it has.

Stories talk of blood soaked, ferocious beasts and ghastly, amphibious predators, but no one has the nerve to go validate them.

The Tower of the Fallen may have a reputation for killing off those who venture inside, but the ocean, and this, her savage maw, are what strike fear into the hearts of men.

Bloody Coast

Running from Her Savage Maw to Suspension Point is a swath of beach.  It is from here that most of the stories of the monsters inside Her Savage Maw come from.  As it is stalked by ferocious, blood soaked beasts and ghastly, amphibious predators.  The beach is streaked with blood, some fresh, some ancient, from those who have dared to try and cross it.  Except for below the tide line, where the ocean claims even the memory of those foolish mortals who think to challenge her hungry children.

Calm Beach

Perhaps the only place free from monsters anywhere outside the cities, but the proximity of Her Savage Maw discourages most from coming here.  Small villages sometimes pop up here, but dissolve fairly quickly for different reasons.

Vast Plain

The largest open area short of the Nothing, it is also home to some of the more vicious monsters, who often travel in packs.  But it is also the safest area to travel provided you're a Spheremorph or employ one.  Rumors of hidden dungeons just beneath the ground can be found in every tavern in the world.  Real or not, no one is likely to spend enough time to find out with some of the monsters around here.

North Plain

East Plain

South Plain

West Plain

Twin Plain

The plains surrounding Fortress Lake are like the Vast Plain, only more tame.  These are the only wildlands that humans have any actual control over and have the only marked roads.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

Magic:

The magic of this world derives from Formspheres and Morphing Grids, which are installed onto a base called a Spheremount.  The exact origins of these are unknown, but have existed since the beginning of the Current Age and are thought to be leftover from the Lost Age.

Spheremount: While grids and spheres can be found in the wilds, mounts cannot.  For centuries their mechanics were unknown, but recently new Spheremounts have begun to surface, lacking the power and efficiency of the originals but making due for a world starving for warriors to stand against the seemingly endless tide of monsters.

Made of a metal resilient to most weapons and magic, it is a circular device typically worn between the shoulder blades, attached to the user's clothes, but can be worn in other places.  They're seven inches in diameter and, strangely, they have to be attached to clothing to function.

A Spheremount is powered by a small, steady power drain from the user.  Not noticeable over a few minutes, but starts to be draining over a few hours.  Spending longer than an hour in a Form can make the user irritable, more than six hours is risking passing out from the strain.  This makes walking around in a Form at all times unfeasible.

Formsphere: Spheres composed of a crystal substance about an inch in diameter, the magics within, when channeled through a Morphing Grid and Spheremount, transform the user into an alternate form.  These forms give the user a set of abilities, a weapon or weapons, physical, magical and technological boosts, and transforms their clothing to match the abilities of the sphere.

These spheres are where the RP's crossover mechanic kicks in.  While you are encouraged to create your own spheres, you're also encouraged to borrow from other places.  Meaning, yes, you can have a Mistborn sphere.  However, there are limits to this, covered in the Rules section.

Finding the right item will allow you to evolve your sphere.  This transforms the sphere into an entirely new one who's abilities are a speciation of its former form.  For example, a Warrior sphere can become a Flame Knight, who trades some of his swordsmanship skills for fire magic.  A sphere can go through four evolutions if you so choose, but the process is more about creating a sophisticated fighter rather than a stronger one.  Evolution paths that are straight up power boosts do not work under this framework.  If you wish to increase a Form's effectiveness without changing its abilities you need to find a specific item.  The idea behind this system is not about finding the most powerful Form and sticking with that, but about finding an effective combination of Forms to cover a wide variety of situations.  Versatility is a Spheremorphs true strength.

Different spheres can often evolve into the same forms.  For example, a Warrior can evolve into a Flame Knight can evolve into a Fire Elemental, and a Black Mage can evolve into a Fire Mage can evolve into a Fire Elemental.

Morphing Grids: These are what you mount your Formspheres into, and what allows you to transition between them.  This is the only part of magic that is easily reproduced, with different grids available in specific shops in most cities.  These have magics woven into them, altering how you use them by providing different abilities both actively and passively on your part across all the forms you use.  Each comes with a number of slots for spheres and paths connecting them, determining what form transitions you can make at any particular time.  While changing Forms in a fight is a simple process because of them, changing Grids requires removing the Spheremount, which a simple process but requires more time than you're likely to have with monsters coming for you.

Transitioning between spheres is simple, and, depending on the abilities of your Grid, can take between ten and thirty seconds.

The Morphing process is triggered by a mental command and requires the user to remain stationary, or at least not be moving, e.g., you can't run and morph but you can morph if, say, your character is falling off a cliff and needs to shift into a flying Form, they just need to stay still.  (It may be possible to change this is you find the right upgrades. ) This does come with some outward indication.  When you're using a Form its respective Sphere on your Grid glows; when you Morph it glows brighter and then the light travels down the path being used, causing it to glow even after the change is done (which is part of the requirements for using a Special Form), to the new Formsphere.  This is accompanied by a bright light coming off of you which lasts while the transformation is taking place.  When the light fades you're in your new Form.

Special Forms: The rarest of the Formspheres are the Special Forms.  You'll be lucky to see two in your lifetime.  Maybe one, but that'll most likely be in a fight, which you probably won't survive.  Special Forms are unique to the person holding them, and while they can be improved they cannot be evolved.  They can reflect different aspects of their personality, background, skills or preferred Forms.  They are devastating forms, greatly improving all the capabilities of the user, and come with a pair of telepathically controlled "nodes".  These are semi-independent combat drones that support you in battle by using a variety of techniques on you and your opponent.  These can be parts of an enormous machine, full-fledged copies of yourself, or any number of different types.  They come in as many variants as the people who wield them, despite being very few.

They are activated by transitioning between every form, and using every transition path, on your Morphing Grid within a short time, usually a few minutes or longer depending on the number of spheres on the Grid.  This encourages the use of small Grids, but is counteracted by the fact that a Special Form's power increases with the number of Forms transitioned through prior to activating it.

Baseline: This is the Form that you walk around in, the form that you take when not using your grid.  These are usually powerless, but can be augmented in a number of ways.  The abilities bestowed by your Grid spread to your Baseline as well but vanish once the Grid is changed.  Rare items can affect you Baseline, either by making one of your full Forms your baseline or by integrating abilities from your spheres into your baseline.  These items are extremely rare and dangerous to acquire.

When transitioning from your Baseline to a Form after a period of more than two hours the transformation is instantaneous.

Monsters:

The landscape crawls with monsters of all shapes and sizes.  Most are deadly to normal folk, but as a Spheremorph you will be able to take on most beasties you encounter.

Monsters are the second crossover aspect of Nexus.  Encounters with monsters are generally for you to engineer unless stated otherwise.  Location will determine some things such as elemental aspects of the monsters.  They take on the form and abilities of monsters from some fictional reference.  For instance, Heartless from Kingdom Hearts are rather common in the Shadow Pillars of the Twilight Forest.

However, most monsters are variations or combinations of such enemies, e.g., lava demons, which are common foes in  the Crags of Dichotomy.  But don't let this restrict you, monster types are extremely variable, resulting in many enemies that are completely unique.

Monsters come in ten levels:

Pest - A mere annoyance to any halfway competent Spheremorph, only threatening in large groups.  Large bugs or rodents fall into this category.

Fodder - You'll find these in groups, usually along with a larger monster.  This category contains augmented pest level monsters, e.g., flaming bats, and larger monsters like reptiles and birds.

Minor - These tend to come in trios or quartets, often on their own, but are just as likely to come with a more powerful creature.  Augmented fodder monsters are at this level, along with most trickster creatures such as money stealing monkeys or energy draining parasites.

Inferior - Mook level monsters, a pair of these is even with an encounter with a normal level monster.  Reduced capability normals fall here, such as lesser zombies, and predator animals like wolves.

Normal - Non Spheremorph human characters fall into this category.  Monsters at this level are a reasonable threat to a lone Spheremorph.  Augmented inferiors, such as hellhounds and average capability zombies, are this.

Threat - A hard fight for the average Spheremorph, but a only a moderate one for a pair or a highly powerful Spheremorph.  Vampires, demons, minor golems and other meta-human creatures fall here.  These carry a whole sphere.  This level is where other, rarer items start to appear, e.g., sphere evolutions devices, Morphing Grids and new Formspheres.

Monstrous - A confrontation with one of these is a death sentence for the lone, average Spheremorph and a rough fight for two or three.  Golems, giants and other large beasts fall here along with powered threat level monsters such as beastly vampires and winged demons.  You have a good chance of getting an item or two from these, but it may not be worth the trouble.

Boss - Unique beasts that usually reside at the heart of a dungeon.  A party of four or five Spheremorphs can take one of these, but with difficulty.  Items are guaranteed for beating one of these.

Epic - Only the most hardened of teams stand a chance against these.  They make their homes in the most dangerous branches of the deadliest dungeons and hidden lairs deep in monster infested territory.  Many rewards await those who can kill one.

Legendary - Mythic beasts and nigh on god-like entities fall here.  Treasures and power abound for the diligent team to fell one of these.  But collateral damage is a certainty.

Summons:

Some Forms have the ability to perform Summons.  These techniques introduce a new entity into an area.  Depending on the technique used in the summoning these can last for different amounts of time and may or may not persist beyond leaving the Form that summoned them.  A Summoner will usually come with one or two Summonable entities, but others can be obtained by collecting items or through special encounters.  Variations on the Summoning ability exist, such as the Gold Misting power, that don't use normal summons.

Summons are the third crossover aspect of Nexus.

Dungeons:

Scattered across the landscape are dungeons, monster filled deathtraps with treasure to plunder and a boss creature to defeat.  Most are hidden in dangerous places crawling with monsters, but dedicated adventurers will find them worth their time.

Known Dungeon Locations:

Her Savage Maw

Tower of the Fallen

Crags of Dichotomy

Machine Desert

The Ascendant Quarry

Spiral Chasm

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

Application:

Please post your application in the Discussion Topic, out of character posts in the Story Topic will be ignored.

Username: (I would put Silus - Shard of Flame here)

Contact: (if you can be relied on to check your PMs, put that here, otherwise put some way that you can be contacted such as an AIM name or email address)

Character Name: (The diversity of Forms keeps the naming culture of the world very diverse, so don't worry about a name fitting in)

Age: (Spheremorphs will live longer than the average human, but only by about a decade or two, so don't get crazy, there's no immortality here)

Gender: (Male or Female, simple enough)

Hometown: (can be one of the city-states, but can also be one of the wild towns, these tend to move around a lot so feel free to place these as you want)

Marital Status: (Single, Married, Divorced, Widowed, It's Complicated, whatever, and make a note of who exactly your character is in a relationship with if they are in one)

Appearance: (A paragraph describing how they look; should include hair color and style, eye color and physical build; this describes your baseline, so keep in mind what that is and that your Spheremount needs to be attached to your clothes)

Personality: (Mannerisms, general outlook on life and humanity, attitudes toward morality and authority, relationships with the different city-states[if applicable], and any long terms goals they have)

History: (Your character's life up to this point, should include their obtaining of the Spheremorph equipment; if your character has amnesia you should still know what their life is like up to that point and put it here; if there are details that I should know that you don't want to spoil the other players on, PM them to me)

Initial Grid: (This is the Morphing Grid that your character starts out with; things that need to go in this description are the name of the grid, how many spheres go on it and what sort of relationships they have [e.g., one sphere in the middle of a circle of other spheres], and any special characteristics or abilities attached to it; there is a limit to what kind of Grid you can have, Grids in the Data Topic will be listed with a rating from 1 to 5, which determines their cost; you have 5 points, and while you have to spend at least on a Grid, you can also spend them on other pieces of Spheretech to upgrade your character)

Forms: (You can have up to five forms at the beginning, but remember that improving all of them will reduce your effectiveness over time as you'll have to split your items between them; I'm giving you a lot of leeway when it comes to power here for the purpose of crafting dynamic characters, but don't abuse it, and no Special Forms to start, you have to earn those; you can have some evolved spheres to start, but that depends on how many Forms you have and it cuts into the evolution count of the Formsphere; if you have five spheres, then they all have to be Basic, four and you can have one be evolved once, three and you can evolve two, two and you can have three evolutions between them, one and it can be fully evolved)

(NOTE: The following part of the application is to be repeated for each of your characters Forms, so just keep that in mind when designing the character)

Form Name: (A Form may be based on a specific character, but remember that the Form is about the power set associated with it and will be named for that, e.g., a Form based on Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer would be either a Slayer or Vampire Slayer sphere, not a Buffy sphere; or a Power Ranger sphere based on the Red Ranger would still be a Power Ranger sphere unless you evolve it to something more specific)

Form Source: (This only applies to crossover based Forms, put here where this Form is based off of, whether it be a game, a book, whatever, I need to know what it is so that I can make sure you're doing it right, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt if I don't know the work, but I'll do a background check [i.e., googling it] if I have to)

Form Description: (Describe the appearance and weapons, given by the Form here; note that the appearance of the Form can differ from person to person; ; also give a basic description of how this From would be played, what sort of style it favors or type of mission its best suited for; when designing an original Form [meaning one that isn't in the RP yet], create a "basic appearance" outlining what commonalities of appearance there are between variations of this Form and one specific for your character, this also applies to styles or abilities; if variations are non-specific [e.g., what color uniform a Power Ranger wears], list commonalities, if they are specific [e.g., different Misting types], list them; if using an already created Form, you just need this and the name, just fill this with your specific appearance and variation [if applicable])

Form Abilities: (What can the Form do?  List abilities and boosts given by this Form here, mark passive abilities/boosts with an arrow ^; describe abilities if necessary; NOTE that you do not have to say what ability your character is using IC, just don't get too far off of what you list here or else you stray into god-modding territory)

Form Weaknesses: (Nothing is perfect, and weaknesses make for a more interesting Form, Brandon says that what a magic system can do is often less interesting than what it can't do)

Form Speciation: (If this form is an evolution of another, show the progression here, note that a sphere can only go through four evolutions total; if the Form is the first Form, put "Basic Form" here; if this Form has multiple Forms that can evolve into it, list all progressions)

Roleplay Sample: (An example of your writing, or more specifically RPing, skills, this can be a portrayal of an event from your character's past or something completely different, but try to use this as an introduction for your complete character)

Application(blank):

[u]Username[/u]:
[u]Contact[/u]:
[u]Character Name[/u]:
[u]Age[/u]:
[u]Gender[/u]:
[u]Hometown[/u]:
[u]Marital Status[/u]:
[u]Appearance[/u]:
[u]Personality[/u]:
[u]History[/u]:
[u]Initial Grid[/u]:
[u]Forms[/u]:
[u]Form Name[/u]:
[u]Form Source[/u]:
[u]Form Description[/u]:
[u]Form Abilities[/u]:
[u]Form Weaknesses[/u]:
[u]Form Speciation[/u]:
[u]Roleplay Sample[/u]:

Character Approval:

After filling out your character's form and posting it in the Discussion Topic, your application will be looked over and either be approved or disapproved.  If your application is disapproved you will be told how to fix it so that it will be approved.  If these changes are made you can reapply and will most likely be approved unless there are further problems.  The only thing that will keep you from being approved is your own refusal to comply with the established rules.

Rules:

If you're going to read any part of this post, read this one.

-All 17th Shard rules need to be kept.

-Read the entirety of this post before posting in either topic.

-Keep all out of character talk to the Discussion Topic.

-No god-moding.  That's when you make your character do something that wouldn't normally be possible to do.  You don't have unlimited reserves of power, dodge every attack and kill the stronger monsters with ease.

-No spamming or flaming.  EVER.

-No auto hitting against other PCs.  Meaning that you can't say that an attack hits like:

John hits Joseph in the face.

Instead it would be much better to write it something like this:

John throws a punch at Joseph.

This lets Joseph choose whether or not to take the hit and how to retaliate.  This makes for a more balanced approach to combat.

-Don't control other players' characters without their permission.

-Respect the staff and your fellow players.

-Just because you know something doesn't mean your characters know it, e.g., you read that another character is off doing something you don't want them to, so you have your character race over to stop them.

-Do not maim, kill or seriously injure another person's character without their permission.

-Do not add in additional crossover elements beyond Forms and monsters.  These are here for the setting and have justification (which you might find out if you are diligent enough), so don't go messing with it.

-A firm grasp of proper grammar, spelling and punctuation are a must.

-For harsh language use this as a rule: if it's been used in one of Brandon's books, you can use it here, but don't go overboard.

-The first one to introduce a Form gets to define it, if you get there second and don't like how it's set up, deal with it, if it made through the approval process it stays.

-Forms with SUPAHPOWUHZ won't be allowed.  This includes gods or anything resembling them, those who can summon up creatures larger than a house, and Superman.  Rule of thumb: if the character can level a city singlehandedly, don't even ask.  Some exceptions may be made for Special Forms, but these will be given out entirely at the discretion of the staff.

-The word of the host (that would be me, Silus) and the mods is law.

-DON'T WHINE.

-And finally, have fun!

Punishments:

Sometimes the rules get broken, that's okay, we deal with it and move on.  But there are consequences for the things you do, and this is where we tell you what those are.  The application of these can be adjusted by the host to better fit the situation, but this is generally how things will go.

1st Offence: A warning from me.

2nd Offence: Your character will be injured or have their powers crippled.

3rd Offence: Character death, you start over.

4th Offence: Suspension from the RP

5th Offence: Banishment

Rule breaking posts will be ignored and deleted by a moderator.

If you see someone break the rules, please PM me, don't post about it.

Failure to submit to a punishment will result in banning, no questions asked.

Rewards:

And where there is punishment, there is also reward.  Those who show themselves to be exemplary RPers or just willing to lend a hand, e.g., informing new players, leading the plot in new and interesting directions (within reason, of course), will be given special privileges by the host.

These are much more malleable in how they work than punishments since what qualifies for a reward is extremely variable.

Possible rewards may be:

-Special Forms

-Unique Weapons and Items

-Plot Info/Clues

-An Invitation To Join The Nexus Staff

That last one may show up early on, depending on how swamped I am by this and life in general.  So consider yourself warned, Dudley Do Right.

Edited October 21, 2011 by Silus - Shard of Flame

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

Non Player Characters:

Entries for notable NPCs will be made here upon their introduction.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

Non Player Characters:

Reserved for more NPCs.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

STORY STARTS HERE

Machine Desert - Jay'El

You are shaken awake by rough hands, panicked breathing sounds in your ear, followed by distant screaming.  "Warrior, you must get up!  We will die if you do not help us!"

You sit up, adrenaline shooting through you, making you ready to fight.  Your outer clothing, including your Spheremount, lies in a pile by your bed where you left it.  The teepee you're in is made of thick skins, making it difficult to see out apart from where light and wind spill in from the entrance, thrown open by your visitor.  He is a large man with skin calloused from the hard work and harder winds that make up his life, but his eyes are filled with a primal fear.  You recognize him as a local, father of several children and holder of a place in the Chieftain's Circle of this machineback village.  He pulls on your sleeve, urging you to get up.

What could frighten him so?  Surely the village's store of blasters would be able to take on the occasional monster to get up here.  Right?

The Slums, Crook of the Plains - Eerongal

You have been up since dawn, and it is now about mid morning.  Your patrol of the grimy alleys has been fruitless so far.  Most criminals are most likely sleeping off the drinking and whoring of last night right now.  A glance down a side alley catches your eye.  A group of men stand over a shivering lump on the ground.  You can hear a whimper.  Looks like a mugging.  But there are five men standing down there, and you can see the glint of what seems to be a sword or two.  You can hear a voice.

"Ya little bug, thinkin ya cud skimp on yer payment to the boss."  A rapid clicking echoes down the alley.  "I got two bullets in this gun, a six shooter.  That gives ya, how much of a chance, Doc?"

Another voice, less gruff, speaks up, "One in three."

"A one in three chance of gettin a bullet in the brainpan."

The whimpering gets louder.  "Please, please don't.  I-I'm sorry, okay!  I'll get him the money!"

"Ah ah ah, ya ahreddy messed up, so you gotta play with us.  So, you a bettin man?"

[Eerongal]

STORY STARTS HERE

The Slums, Crook of the Plains - Eerongal

You have been up since dawn, and it is now about mid morning.  Your patrol of the grimy alleys has been fruitless so far.  Most criminals are most likely sleeping off the drinking and whoring of last night right now.  A glance down a side alley catches your eye.  A group of men stand over a shivering lump on the ground.  You can hear a whimper.  Looks like a mugging.  But there are five men standing down there, and you can see the glint of what seems to be a sword or two.  You can hear a voice.

"Ya little bug, thinkin ya cud skimp on yer payment to the boss."  A rapid clicking echoes down the alley.  "I got two bullets in this gun, a six shooter.  That gives ya, how much of a chance, Doc?"

Another voice, less gruff, speaks up, "One in three."

"A one in three chance of gettin a bullet in the brainpan."

The whimpering gets louder.  "Please, please don't.  I-I'm sorry, okay!  I'll get him the money!"

"Ah ah ah, ya ahreddy messed up, so you gotta play with us.  So, you a bettin man?"

Unclasping the buckle around the shaft of my stout hammer, i quickly snatch it in hand. As silently as possible, i skulk my way down the dark, dank alley. Just out of view of the assailants, crouching behind a pile of garbage and boxes, i pause to listen to the exchange, hoping to catch word of who the aforementioned "Boss" is.

While staring intently at the exchange, a twinge of movement catches the corner of my eye. Quickly glancing askance, i come face to face with the bleary-eyed look of an alley cat surprised from its slumber. Clutching my hammer to my chest and freezing perfectly still, i stare into the piercing gaze of the cat as it draws back its ears in a threatening manner. Mouthing a silent curse to myself, i stare breathlessly at the creature and hope for it to leave the alley quietly or fall back asleep, and allowing me to retain my cover.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

The Slums, Crook of the Plains - Eerongal

Crossing paths with black cats has always been an ill omen.  And they've always been contrary creatures.  The cat bolts up and over your cover and down the alley, drawing the attention of the thugs.

"Wud wuz dat?" says one of the larger goons, carrying a stout broadsword.

"Just a cat, Bruise."  This is the one the leader called "Doc", he has no visible weapons.

"Huh, never seen a cat bolt like that unless they get spooked," says the leader with the revolver, "Bruise, check out those boxes.  Make sure we're not bein watched."

The big man nods.  He stomps over to your hiding place, making a cursory inspection.  He doesn't seem to notice you and might just be close enough to get in a surprise hit on.  But there are still four other guys and twenty, maybe fifteen feet between you and them.

[Cuaiir]

STORY STARTS HERE

Machine Desert - Jay'El

You are shaken awake by rough hands, panicked breathing sounds in your ear, followed by distant screaming.  "Warrior, you must get up!  We will die if you do not help us!"

You sit up, adrenaline shooting through you, making you ready to fight.  Your outer clothing, including your Spheremount, lies in a pile by your bed where you left it.  The teepee you're in is made of thick skins, making it difficult to see out apart from where light and wind spill in from the entrance, thrown open by your visitor.  He is a large man with skin calloused from the hard work and harder winds that make up his life, but his eyes are filled with a primal fear.  You recognize him as a local, father of several children and holder of a place in the Chieftain's Circle of this machineback village.  He pulls on your sleeve, urging you to get up.

What could frighten him so?  Surely the village's store of blasters would be able to take on the occasional monster to get up here.  Right?

  I roll out of bed, grabbing my clothes and putting them on as I do. My shirt feels tight after the freedom of sleep, but it focuses me, prepping me for battle.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

Machine Desert - Jay'El

A group rushes past you, some bumping you out of the way in their hurry.  Parents herding lollygagging children away from the danger, the older children helping.  They know what could happen, but their siblings don't.

You can see the man from your tent standing some distance away, his glances toward you constant.  As you rush up to him you can see another man with a large headdress made up of bits and pieces of destroyed machines.  You can see many Droid parts and what looks like a geth eye on his forehead.  He is a tall, solid man, his already dark skin almost black from the sun, marked by many scars, including a prominent cut running from his ear to his jaw, slightly disfiguring his lips where the cut goes through them.  His teeth are set between barks of orders to the row of blaster wielding men and women hunkered behind a large metal barrier set up next to the edge.  He is the chieftain of this small village, you know he is wary of your presence, his distrust of Spheremorphs not hard to identify.  But a flicker of relief flashes through his eyes as he sees your approach.

"Spheremorph, it is good that you are here.  The beast is getting more aggressive.  I doubt our little line can hold much longer.  Wait, here it comes again!"  He turns attention forward again.  "Charge your guns!  Let those without chargers lay down suppressing fire and find a reliable aim before shooting!"

A roar can be heard, a metallic screech that seems to tear through your ears like an enormous engine.  A streak of grey swoops up beyond the edge, rustling the cloth tents around you and the banners hanging from the hodge podge of metals that are the walls here with its passing.  Your guide holds onto his headscarf, but the chieftain remains unshaken, his headdress tinkling in the wind.

The shape looks like a plane, never seen outside of shells dug out of the sand.  A number of shapes plunge away from it, spewing flame behind them.

"A missile drop!  Prepare for impact!"

The explosion is deafening, but thankfully not close.  The shots stopped short, smashing into the kinetic barrier dome extending over the majority of the village.  It seems to be eezo powered, but you can't be sure, it was only visible for a moment.

"Another pass like that and the shield is down," the chieftain's voice is low, directed at you, "Spheremorph, don't you have anything that can help us?"

[Cuaiir]

Machine Desert - Jay'El

A group rushes past you, some bumping you out of the way in their hurry.  Parents herding lollygagging children away from the danger, the older children helping.  They know what could happen, but their siblings don't.

You can see the man from your tent standing some distance away, his glances toward you constant.  As you rush up to him you can see another man with a large headdress made up of bits and pieces of destroyed machines.  You can see many Droid parts and what looks like a geth eye on his forehead.  He is a tall, solid man, his already dark skin almost black from the sun, marked by many scars, including a prominent cut running from his ear to his jaw, slightly disfiguring his lips where the cut goes through them.  His teeth are set between barks of orders to the row of blaster wielding men and women hunkered behind a large metal barrier set up next to the edge.  He is the chieftain of this small village, you know he is wary of your presence, his distrust of Spheremorphs not hard to identify.  But a flicker of relief flashes through his eyes as he sees your approach.

"Spheremorph, it is good that you are here.  The beast is getting more aggressive.  I doubt our little line can hold much longer.  Wait, here it comes again!"  He turns attention forward again.  "Charge your guns!  Let those without chargers lay down suppressing fire and find a reliable aim before shooting!"

A roar can be heard, a metallic screech that seems to tear through your ears like an enormous engine.  A streak of grey swoops up beyond the edge, rustling the cloth tents around you and the banners hanging from the hodge podge of metals that are the walls here with its passing.  Your guide holds onto his headscarf, but the chieftain remains unshaken, his headdress tinkling in the wind.

The shape looks like a plane, never seen outside of shells dug out of the sand.  A number of shapes plunge away from it, spewing flame behind them.

"A missile drop!  Prepare for impact!"

The explosion is deafening, but thankfully not close.  The shots stopped short, smashing into the kinetic barrier dome extending over the majority of the village.  It seems to be eezo powered, but you can't be sure, it was only visible for a moment.

"Another pass like that and the shield is down," the chieftain's voice is low, directed at you, "Spheremorph, don't you have anything that can help us?"

  Oh, I think. Threat-sized, maybe. And it

[Eerongal]

The Slums, Crook of the Plains - Eerongal

Crossing paths with black cats has always been an ill omen.  And they've always been contrary creatures.  The cat bolts up and over your cover and down the alley, drawing the attention of the thugs.

"Wud wuz dat?" says one of the larger goons, carrying a stout broadsword.

"Just a cat, Bruise."  This is the one the leader called "Doc", he has no visible weapons.

"Huh, never seen a cat bolt like that unless they get spooked," says the leader with the revolver, "Bruise, check out those boxes.   Make sure we're not bein watched."

The big man nods.  He stomps over to your hiding place, making a cursory inspection.  He doesn't seem to notice you and might just be close enough to get in a surprise hit on.  But there are still four other guys and twenty, maybe fifteen feet between you and them.

Shifting into my tactician form, and thanking my luck that i hadn't had the need to shift all tonight so far, i wait for this "bruise" to turn his back. As soon as he does so, i swiftly snatch at his collar and attempt to pull him back with one hand, and bring up my hammer quickly towards the side of his head, intending to broadside him and hopefully knocking him out and pulling him back into the shadows.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

Machine Desert - Jay'El

  Oh, I think. Threat-sized, maybe. And it

[Cuaiir]

Machine Desert - Jay'El

"A few laser cannons, but nothing extreme.  But I don't think that's all.  It seems mechanical, but it isn't what it appears to be.  Something about it is...off.  Its movements are erratic, unpredictable, not like any machine I've ever seen.  And that scream, it may sound like engines, but it's more than that.  I can't put my finger on it, but I feel like it's waiting.  Something bad will happen if it brings down that shield, I can tell."

A shriek in the air signals the return of the beastly jet.  There can only be moments before it strikes again, likely to bring down the shield.

  With the shift into my Engineer form complete, I send out my Combat Drone for extra firepower and draw my heavy pistol. I check how much health I have stored in my torc: about forty minutes of double-rate healing, or eight minutes of quadruple-rate, which I

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

Machine Desert - Jay'El

The shrieking engine is deafening, seeming to come from all directions at once, but the monster remains out of sight.  The blaster wielding men are obviously frightened.  They're farmers, scavengers, not soldiers.  Even the chieftain looks worried.

You here a shout, "It's coming back!"

The streamlined shape zooms over and the shape of dropping missiles in unmistakable.  You lean out from cover and shoot at the projectiles, but your shots are deflected off of the kinetic barrier.  It looks to be a two way shield.

"Brace yourselves!"

The missiles hit.  The barrier's glow fades from a purple to an orange, signalling that it's almost out.

"What are you doing?!" roars the chieftain, "You've got an omni-tool and you're using a pistol to shoot down the missiles?!  You'll never hit anything like that!  Don't you have a hacking power?"

[Eerongal]

The Slums, Crook of the Plains - Eerongal

The flash of light from your transformation attracts Bruise's attention.  He turns his head just as you leap out of the shadows.  He shouts as you knock him unconscious.  One down, four to go.

The other man with a sword jumps forward, your Tactician's eye tells you his technique is sloppy.  But the leader pulls his revolver, providing attacks from two angles.  And who knows what kind of weapons the other two have?

In a sort of leaping stumble, as best as i can manage while dragging this now-unconcious oaf i have by the scruff of the neck, i take as much ground as possible towards the group in the largest leap i can muster. After that, i shove this over-bearing lout as best i can towards the man with the revolver, hoping to provide an adequate momentary distraction. Bringing the heavy head of my hammer around in a large, sweeping arc, i attempt to ride the momentum towards the man with the sword who leapt forward, and broadside him with a sturdy blow from my weapon. Warily, i eye the two unknowns in the battle, hoping they will draw sooner, rather than later, so i can plan accordingly.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

The Slums, Crook of the Plains - Eerongal

The unconscious Bruise bowls over the man with the revolver, sprawling them on the ground.  The gun skitters away.  Your momentum pulls your move towards the man with the sword off a little, you ram into him with your shoulder instead of your sword, knocking him into the alley wall.

You see one of the others scrambling away from the fight, the one the leader referred to as Doc.  The other dives for the the gun.

[Cuaiir]

Machine Desert - Jay'El

The shrieking engine is deafening, seeming to come from all directions at once, but the monster remains out of sight.  The blaster wielding men are obviously frightened.  They're farmers, scavengers, not soldiers.  Even the chieftain looks worried.

You here a shout, "It's coming back!"

The streamlined shape zooms over and the shape of dropping missiles in unmistakable.  You lean out from cover and shoot at the projectiles, but your shots are deflected off of the kinetic barrier.  It looks to be a two way shield.

"Brace yourselves!"

The missiles hit.  The barrier's glow fades from a purple to an orange, signalling that it's almost out.

"What are you doing?!" roars the chieftain, "You've got an omni-tool and you're using a pistol to shoot down the missiles?!  You'll never hit anything like that!  Don't you have a hacking power?"

  Gods of the Wild Magic save me from intelligent Droid-heads. I hate it when they

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

Machine Desert - Jay'El

The chieftain goes back to ignoring you, visibly working his jaw in frustration.  He continues to bark out orders.  "Reinforce the northern row!  Get some snipers out here!"

That blasted screech gets louder, it's coming back.  It swoops along the northern edge of the village, laying down laser fire in the gap between the barrier and the ground.  Several screams of pain sound through the desert air as men fall.  Your AI Hacking ability launches, and sparking electricity emanates from the plane along with an animal roar.  It's course falters.  It turns, looking to make a kamikaze run at the barrier.

"What in the-"

You fire your Cryo Blast, which phases through the barrier and catches the monster on the wing, a layer of ice forming over its cannons on that side.

A strange sound echoes from the machine.  It's components shift, turning and rearranging the plane into an enormous, monstrous feline.

"It's a transformer!  Brace yourselves!"

The beast falls, limbs outstretched, onto the barrier.  An audible, electrical crack ripples outward.  The barrier falters and falls.  The monster drops into the middle of the village, roaring its fury.  It twitches in places, sparks flying outward.  Your hack is still processing, another shot may override it completely but you have to wait for it to charge.

Screams echo from everywhere, the civilians terrified.

"Turn your fire inward!  Do everything you can to take it down!"

Volley after volley of blaster fire strikes the beast, but this form seems even more resilient than before.  It paces about, analyzing its targets.  It favors the iced limb as it paces.

You can beat this, the trick is keeping it from hurting anyone.

[Cuaiir]

Machine Desert - Jay'El

The chieftain goes back to ignoring you, visibly working his jaw in frustration.  He continues to bark out orders.  "Reinforce the northern row!  Get some snipers out here!"

That blasted screech gets louder, it's coming back.  It swoops along the northern edge of the village, laying down laser fire in the gap between the barrier and the ground.  Several screams of pain sound through the desert air as men fall.  Your AI Hacking ability launches, and sparking electricity emanates from the plane along with an animal roar.  It's course falters.  It turns, looking to make a kamikaze run at the barrier.

"What in the-"

You fire your Cryo Blast, which phases through the barrier and catches the monster on the wing, a layer of ice forming over its cannons on that side.

A strange sound echoes from the machine.  It's components shift, turning and rearranging the plane into an enormous, monstrous feline.

"It's a transformer!  Brace yourselves!"

The beast falls, limbs outstretched, onto the barrier.  An audible, electrical crack ripples outward.  The barrier falters and falls.  The monster drops into the middle of the village, roaring its fury.  It twitches in places, sparks flying outward.  Your hack is still processing, another shot may override it completely but you have to wait for it to charge.

Screams echo from everywhere, the civilians terrified.

"Turn your fire inward!  Do everything you can to take it down!"

Volley after volley of blaster fire strikes the beast, but this form seems even more resilient than before.  It paces about, analyzing its targets.  It favors the iced limb as it paces.

You can beat this, the trick is keeping it from hurting anyone.

Well. That didn

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

The monster doesn't notice you as you fire at its leg.  Unfortunately, your SMG is only moderately more effective than a blaster, leaving burnt out gashes in the armor but not going deep enough to get at the mechanisms underneath.  At least you can tell it doesn't have shields.

Its attention turns toward you, an analysis determining that you are the greatest threat in the area.  The beast roars and charges, but it falters, multiple electric shocks striking it in the head.  Your combat drone whistles through the air, luring the beast away from you.

You fire your Incinerate ability, homing in on the transformer's frozen leg.  The hit lands, stripping away the outer armor.  You can see the working electronics underneath.

A scream echoes from the one of the houses.  A little girl has wandered away from her family and into the center of the village where the battle is raging.  She isn't old enough to see  the danger she's in.  You can see a pair of men about to dash after her but your combat drone is heading in that direction, with the monster hot on its trail.

[Cuaiir]

  I switch to pistol and fire at the weakened leg, hoping to take it down. I unload a whole thermal clip, and eject the used one. Once the new thermal clip is loaded, I check the recharge time left on my Hack and Cryo Burst abilities, hoping I can use them again soon. I reprogram my Combat Drone to draw enemies towards me, and take aim at the beast

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

An omni tool is a remarkable tool for multitasking, especially one as powerful as an Engineer's.  Your Cryo Burst is ready again, but the Hack still has a few seconds left, seconds you don't have.

Your pistol is of a good quality, not as good as a Soldier's, but when you've only got two guns, it pays to have them be decent.  You empty the clip trying to bring down the transformer's stripped leg.  About half of your shots hit their marks.  Most of the damage is superficial, but you manage to land a few solid hits to its knee.  It stumbles and slows, but it's still fast.  Too fast.

You tap furiously at your omni tool, reprogramming your drone.  You have two options, hit the return to origin command, which will bring the beast back in your direction but will give enough time to save the child or type out a more complex route to keep you both safe but may take longer than you have.  You only have an instant to decide.

Market, Crook of the Plains - Ambrosius

"Shock stick, good quality, decent condition," the greasy merchant sniffs at the taser stick, "Definitely not hygienic.  What you pick this outta dung pile?"  Not like he has any room to talk about hygiene with his, well, everything stained in unidentifiable gunk.  But that's just how this place is.  Most markets make an effort to seem wholesome and legitimate, but this is the Crook.  Everyone here has a good portion of bad intentions and know it, why try to look like they don't?  "I'll give you a gold fiver for it."

You could buy yourself a week's worth of food with that, if you wanted to starve yourself, that is.

[Cuaiir]

An omni tool is a remarkable tool for multitasking, especially one as powerful as an Engineer's.  Your Cryo Burst is ready again, but the Hack still has a few seconds left, seconds you don't have.

Your pistol is of a good quality, not as good as a Soldier's, but when you've only got two guns, it pays to have them be decent.  You empty the clip trying to bring down the transformer's stripped leg.  About half of your shots hit their marks.  Most of the damage is superficial, but you manage to land a few solid hits to its knee.  It stumbles and slows, but it's still fast.  Too fast.

You tap furiously at your omni tool, reprogramming your drone.  You have two options, hit the return to origin command, which will bring the beast back in your direction but will give enough time to save the child or type out a more complex route to keep you both safe but may take longer than you have.  You only have an instant to decide.

  I execute the return-to-origin command on my Drone, and then quickly launch another Cryo Burst at an uninjured leg, hoping to cripple the beast further. I check the Hack again, along with Incinerate. Backing up slowly, I line up more pistol shots with the beast