RuneScape Forum Archive | Trails from Heaven and Hell

Inferi

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The world is changing, and for the better. The advent of crystallis technology propelled mankind ahead, far beyond where anyone had thought it would bring them. It advanced everything: transportation, power, communications, ease of life. It was cleaner and safer than the fuel-burning engines and generators that had come before, and it was more cost-effective as well. Whole towns could be brought power with the effort it had taken to power a single home, and cities with nearly the same. Travel accelerated dramatically with the development of airships, and commerce flowed even easier now than it ever had due to the constant and quick communication and transportation made available.

Yet not all advancements would ever be good for man, as with new power came new weapons, and with new weapons came war. Although those that developed the technology were sworn never to raise it against another, there were others who had other ideas. The rising tensions, brought about by a constant development of weaponry, finally came to a head nearly ten years after crystallis technology was first introduced, and it tumbled into the conflict that many predicted would be the end of all things.

It was much less than that, however, for the new technology made war work in a much different way than it had been. The ones who had initiated the conflict, the country of Verania, brought their army, which had until then been the most feared force on the continent, to the doorstep of Nalis, their neighbor to the south. Nalis had perhaps a quarter of the landmass as well as a quarter of the fighting force, and their initial defense was almost nonexistent. In three weeks, nearly the entire upper half of the country was occupied, and those on both sides were convinced it would be an easy victory.

Yet Nalis, while lacking in manpower, made up for it in knowledge of crystalis tech. Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

22-Apr-2018 02:43:42

Inferi

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Their advancements had been the furthest along of everyone, and they proved it when they deployed the only defense that they had remaining: the newly developed airships that they had been scrambling to finish.

With weapons that could move many times faster than a foot soldier, or even a tank, Nalis quickly cut off all supply lines to Verania’s army and moved in to retake the cities that had been captured in the initial assault. With communications not yet able to be carried personally and the centers relied upon for them targeted first, Verania’s army descended into a state of chaos, unable to accurately predict or react to what their opponents would do.

After three months, the war had concluded, with Nalis the victor.

The immediate ramifications of the war were obvious, but the long-term effects still send ripples through the continent to this day. New weaponry developed from this technology prove more and more deadly as time goes on, and since everybody knows how easily a tide can turn when such devices are involved conflicts have thus far been avoided. It is not something that can last forever, though, and those that watch the horizon are always worried what might come over it.

-----

“

Come on, hurry up! This isn’t some ‘do it when you want’ job, we’re on a clock here!

”

The voice echoing around the open dock at the Organis airport came from a tall and well-built man standing about halfway between the entrance and where the ship was currently docked. Several people ran about, some carrying equipment into and out of the ship while others tinkered with parts through open panels or from within the ship’s innards. This activity had been going on for a while at this point, and little by little the various parts of the ship were being made ready for launch. Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

22-Apr-2018 02:44:15

Inferi

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The ship itself looked like a piece of junk, and in many respects it was. An old cruiser-class from during the War, the vessel looked like it had been knocked out of the sky several times already. Dents and blast marks peppered the hull, and there were so many patches and repairs it was difficult to tell where the original hull actually was anymore. The only thing that looked even remotely new from the outside were the dual engines, one held under each wing. They were relatively new models, the only parts that looked like they weren’t about to fall apart.

The name emblazoned on the size of the vessel was “Amber Rose”, although if one looked closely they would be able to see what looked like a scratched-out number that had been painted underneath it.

As the servicing crews began to finish their tasks, a young woman, about twenty, entered the dock and approached the man calling orders. She carried a rather large rectangular shield on her left arm and a spiked mace on her left hip, and wore a suit of metallic armor that looked almost as old as the ship.

Without turning around, he said, “

Were you able to get anything specific, about either issue?

”

“

The ship went down somewhere near the border. Someone radioed in and got the Army to send a rescue team, but that’s about all that’s known right now. As for the job, all they’ll give me is that they got a warning that an attack was imminent about half an hour ago, and they’ve gotten nothing since. The outpost is Theosian, and on independent soil. Apparently the outpost has someone important residing, and they want them protected over everything else.

” Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

22-Apr-2018 02:44:30

Inferi

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The young woman’s voice was serious and matter-of-fact, but not quite in a military sense. It almost sounded like she was trying to talk a bit less formally, but couldn’t manage to do so.

The man sighed. “

Alright.

” he said, eyes on the ship in front of him. “

If they’re attacking a Theosian outpost, they’ve got no official backing from any nation, so you’re clear to fight however you see fit. If they didn’t tell you who they want protected, we can assume you’ll know. It’s also likely that person will be the target, so just remember that they’re the priority. If we don’t know who or what we’re dealing with, expect something you can’t handle and plan accordingly. You’ll leave as soon as everyone is here, or in ten minutes; whichever comes first. Tellis and Avon are already inside, and if everyone else isn’t here they should be soon.

” Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

22-Apr-2018 02:45:39

Inferi

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So, this is my probably unnecessary redo of A Path Through the Skies. It takes place in the same world and on the same timeline, so names and places and tech and whatnot are the same. In this one, however, you're all part of a mercenary group named "Braveheart", so I'll go ahead and get to making a short description of them.

-Braveheart Mercenary Group-
A mercenary group that has existed for the last two years, they are reasonably sized. Led by a man named Aerin Baric, who is a soldier that served on the front lines in the War and is also coincidentally the man in the intro, they don't have a huge reputation yet. A lot of the members are engineering or mechanical staff of some kind, and the actual field team that has been put together is in the minority of the members. They aren't unskilled, but neither are they (you) anything incredibly special. Like most newer mercenary groups, they will take most jobs that come their way, although Aerin is adamant about not taking anything that harms civilians.

All of the weapons and tech that they have has to be procured by the members themselves, as there is no communal armory. As they are mercenaries, and therefore civilians by law, their equipment is restricted to civilian-issue, or whatever they can find on the underground markets. The latter practice is not encouraged by Aerin, though.

Their ship is an old model that Aerin managed to acquire a few years back. While it runs fine due to an incredible amount of work being put into it, it looks like junk and is outclassed by nearly anything more recent. Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

22-Apr-2018 02:56:37

Inferi

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Again, character creation basics.

1.) Humans only. That means only full-blooded humans. No other races exist on the continent, at least not other sentient races that can coexist properly with humanity.

2.) All modern weapons and technology are crystallis tech. Older weaponry exists as well, of course, and the knowledge and accessibility of it is much greater than weaponized crystallis tech, which is mostly reserved for military use.

3.) You're a mercenary, so I'd expect a background that makes it seem reasonable. For details on what's acceptable, see point 4.

4.) Just ask me about stuff. Please.

~Bio Format (If you want to make one)~

Name:
Age:
Gender:

Appearance:

Skills:

Weaponry/Armor/Notable Accessories:

History:

Other: (Yeah, like anyone uses this) Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

22-Apr-2018 02:58:02

Inferi

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And now, the reused information that everyone already probably knows about.

~Crystallis Technology~

First discovered by a group of researchers that were looking for methods to safeguard humanity from the negative effects of their current power production, the theory behind crystallis technology is very simple. Certain crystalline structures, when placed in a device that can draw the energy that they appeared to generate naturally, could provide a near-limitless amount of usage for everyone.

The newest technology on the continent, crystallis technology can be repurposed to almost anything. The only limitations are the matrix, which is a device of varying size that takes the various crystals and draws energy from them, and the crystals themselves, which can provide a near-infinite supply of energy to the matrix but can only output as much as the size and composition will allow. This means that, typically, a matrix that produces a great deal of energy, such as one that runs power to homes in a city, will be large so as to accommodate either the large number or large size of the crystals that power it. Similarly, devices designed for combat will be small, so as to fit inside a firearm or be carried by an individual.

Crystallis technology can also offer users a different means of attack, namely by translating the crystalline power into something more magical. The types of power offered to anyone that properly utilizes such a matrix are numerous, although the strength of such things are greatly limited by the matrix’s capacity and what is placed in it. For example, someone that has crystals focused solely on the production of fire will find their capacity for destruction much larger than someone who has a more varied matrix. By the same token, those with varied matrices will find themselves able to pursue many more avenues of attack, but their strength will be limited in each. Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

22-Apr-2018 02:58:39

Inferi

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~Countries~
Nalis - The smallest country on the continent, Nalis is located on the southeast corner of the continent. They share borders with Verania and Lonara, borders that have, since the first crystallis war, been tensely guarded even though there have been no hostilities since. Boasting a smaller-than-average army, the mastery of crystallis technology makes up for the deficit in troop strength. Much more so than everywhere else, Nalis is extremely reliant on crystallis tech for nearly everything. The country is a monarchy, currently ruled by a queen.

Verania - The largest country on the continent, taking up nearly a third of the landmass, although quite a few of its borders are recently annexed city-states. Currently in a tense border dispute with Lonara, armies from each side stationed nearby in preparation for the attack from the other side. Still boasts the largest army on the continent, although their advancement with crystallis technology is still trailing Nalis. While Verania has a royal family, the country is jointly ruled by them and a Chancellor. Below them are the old wave, the noble houses, and the new wave, the parliament of the citizenry. In reality, the parliament has greater control over the general law and policies of the central government while the noble houses have greater control over their ancestral domains.

Lorana - A country in the northeast of the continent. Traditionally neutral, the Cold War that they have found themselves in with Verania since the end of the first crystallis war has prompted much greater military and technological expansion than has been around before now. They are loosely allied with Nalis, although both sides know that it is more due to the aggression of Verania than anything else. Lorana is a Republic, with a single elected president at the head and elected representatives holding the power in government. Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

22-Apr-2018 02:58:51

Inferi

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Theosis - The country run and maintained by the Church. It is completely neutral, not getting involved in affairs of the other countries. However, it is respected by all of them, and acts as mediator in many different situations. Theosis is situated in the northwest, in a valley in the middle of a mountain range, making travel to it difficult, although recent airship development has made it much more accessible to the common man. Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

22-Apr-2018 02:58:59

Inferi

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~Factions~
National and/or Private Military - Although not a true faction in the sense that they have full independence, the military of all nations in general bears mention due to their semi-autonomous structure and various divisions that make them up. Although the military in each country is structured a bit differently, they’re all similar in the general command structure and that, while they answer directly to the head of each country, the commanders within are mostly autonomous in their ability to act decisively.

Verosian Church - Even in the age of technology, the Church is still a force to be reckoned with. Although neutral in all matters regarding border disputes and cross-country feuds, the Church is present within the borders of all countries and maintains a presence in nearly all areas of import. While most of the clergy is made up of non-combatants, the Church also has what can amount to its own army. Although it has not marched in centuries, it is rumored that all soldiers in it are highly trained and can rival or exceed any of the other armies on the continent if matched against them. The hierarchical structure has a council of eleven at the head, and from there it trickles down through traditional clergy ranks.

Guild - The Guild is another neutral party, one that was established to do a single thing: promote and preserve the well-being of the average citizen. To this end, members will take on various jobs for the citizenry - being compensated for it, of course, although some member eschew even that - like hunting down monsters on the roads or escorting someone from one city to another. The Guild has a home in each city, and it is to those that one would go should they have a request. There is no real command structure, although higher-ranked members - determined by several different aspects and guidelines - typically have a greater say in the Guild’s affairs. Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

22-Apr-2018 02:59:12

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Trails from Heaven and Hell