Code: PIRULUK

Hi all! ^o^/ Hel8627 here, and welcome to FafnirChan, the one-and-only message board for the Fafnir Collective!! Some of you may know us as hackers and terrorists, but that makes me sad QAQ We're just a group of fun people who like to have fun doing what we love! So, aaaaaaaaaaaaaanyway, recently this thing called the "Yggdrasil Journals" popped up, and it's apparently going to be full of stories and stuff soon OwO I know some of you out there love to critique other stories and stuff, so this part of the messageboard is for just that! Feel free to tell everyone what you think about the stories in the Journals ^w^ Have fun! Well then, 'til the day the world freezes over, Hel8627, signing out ~ <3

The world of Vyker, much like any other world, has a myriad of tales, from a myriad of people. Most go untold, but some are passed down, by word of mouth or by writing, and eventually make their way here. The Yggdrasil Journals. A collection of these tales, some exciting, some sad, all compelling. Come now; let us take a walk down these pages, and immerse ourselves in these well-worn tales...

Hi all, and welcome to the first world in the Worlds Apart Project. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, look here. This thread will contain information regarding the World itself, as well as serve as a thread for general discussion and questions. I'm not going to include the "appendix/encyclopaedia" components yet, until I see how the reception for this is. If there's interest for it, I'll include it in the next world, or put up a new thread. For the fiction thread, click here For the Critique thread, click here World Name: Vyker World Genre: Cyberpunk Background: In the future, humanity has been united under the governance of an international governing body known as the Valhalla Triumvirate. Created with the purpose of uniting mankind's efforts towards a common future, the Triumvirate is composed of 3 bodies: the Affluent, the Academic and the Elect. The Triumvirate has 15 members at all times, 5 from each body. The Affluent are the 5 wealthiest individuals in the world. The Academic are the 5 most respected intellectuals of the age. The Elect are a group of 5 representatives, selected from a pool of nominees by popular vote. All decisions regarding the entirety of the human race must be approved by the Triumvirate; for approval, unanimous consent of the leader of each body must be present. The Triumvirate is constructed based on the fact that good governance requires three key factors: influence, rationality and popular support. The Affluent provide the influence - financial backing. The Academic provide reason and rationality. The Elect provide the face of the Triumvirate through which public approval is accrued. However, given that unanimous consent is required for a decision to be passed, naturally such a decision would be impossible for 3 different parties with differing agendas. Resultantly, bribes and blackmail form a significant part of the negotiation process. Thus, hackers are in high demand in this world; the hackers are employed to steal secrets and destroy data, serving as the agents of the Triumvirate members' illicit means of negotiation and coercion. This is possible through Yggdrasil, the global network that connects all electronic platforms and serves as a global network with near-unlimited processing capacity. All the secrets and files of each faction are stored on a different branch of the Yggdrasil, each segment protected by a different dynamic security net. Of course, given the extent of Yggdrasil's influence and importance, any kind of hacking is expressly prohibited; any individual proven to be a hacker will be executed, regardless of their employer. Despite that, there are the few that still choose to be hackers, some for the money, others for the thrill of the game. All are extremely talented, and all live on the edge of danger, constantly flirting with discovery and inevitable death. "Races": Human - Just an ordinary human, nothing special. Has the widest range of variance for capabilities. In some ways the weakest "race", but also has the most potential. Able to perform all kinds of hacking, some may choose to specialise. MenAug - A cyborg whose brain, but not body, has been augmented by cybernetics. Capable of higher processing speeds, higher memory capacity, and higher levels of logical reasoning. However, tends to be weak at lateral thinking, that is, unorthodox or even illogical trains of thought. Excels at Batter hacking, but lacks the creativity and unorthodoxy required for Construct hacking. Average at other types of hacks. PhysAug - A cyborg who has had limbs or organs replaced by cybernetics. Higher physical capabilities than normal humans, and can go days without rest. However, once the energy supply is depleted, it must be recharged either through electric or solar power before an electronic component can function again. For this reason, tends to be a bad idea to get cybernetic replacements for vital organs. Excels at Stealth hacking due to massive stamina. Relatively proficient at Batter hacking. Incapable of Construct hacking due to inconsistent material composition of body. Mod - a genetically modified human. Basically an enhanced human. Does everything a human can do, but better. However, Mods tend to be mentally or emotionally unstable, making them very hit-or-miss. If they freak out while hacking, it would instantly cause the hack to fail due to the break in concentration, while leaving a clear trail for the authorities to track. AI - An AI module that has attained self-awareness. Excels at all forms of hacking, but can only interact with the physical world through the takeover or proxy units, such as androids or computer terminals. Only race susceptible to reprogramming and EMPs. Due to the nature of an AI hack, if an AI hack fails, the controlling AI will be deleted along with the hack. Hack types: Batter hacking: brute force. Using an innumerable number of codes and generated passwords to bombard the system, working off the process of probability and elimination. Has the potential to be the fastest method, based on the mental processing speed of the hacker and his ability to handle multiple variables simultaneously. Stealth hacking: Using numerous negligible probes and small programs to find a way around the defences by identifying loopholes and vulnerabilities. Stealth hacking is much harder to identify and trace than other forms of hacking, but require extraordinary amounts of time and patience; many hacks require several hours of constant probing, making this method unfeasible for those lacking in both physical and mental stamina. Construct hacking: a relatively new form of hacking, it entails using programmes to reconstruct Yggdrasil within the user's mind as a VR interface. Using various translation protocols, the system reconstructs the user's consciousness as data within the network. While in the network, all the hacker's intentions and ideas can be materialised as objects in the VR system. When using this method of hacking, the hacker experiences security protocols and other viruses as physical obstacle, and his intuitive method of countering the obstacle would be translated into a string of code to address the obstacle. For instance, the user would perceive a firewall code as a literal wall of fire, and could materialise a gust of wind to blow the fire apart. The system would translate the intent of this action into a string of code which opens a small hole in the firewall. Construct hacking is by far the most powerful form of hacking, but it is also one of the most risky for various reasons: First, it requires the user to have a creative mind; only by thinking of unique solutions can the system bypass the obstacle in unorthodox ways. Second, once inside the Construct and within a designated area of Yggdrasil - such as the branches used by the Triumvirate - it is impossible to exit the construct until returning to the main network. Third, if one's consciousness experiences death within the Construct, there is a high likelihood of the hacker becoming brain-dead. Political Factions: The Valhalla Triumvirate - Governing body, makes all decisions regarding the world of Vykal, tripartisan system. The Academic - The 5 greatest intellectuals in Vyker. Live solely for the pursuit of knowledge and the creation of new technology. Shares a close, but wary, business relationship with the Affluent, who often seek to purchase rights to new discoveries. Key Members: Dr. Vor Brooks - 62 years old. A genius, holds phDs in 11 different fields including astrophysics, theoretical mathematics, chemical engineering and music. Created the Yggdrasil network. Had a wife who was kidnapped and killed by Ragnarok. Has a daughter, Fey, but her whereabouts are currently unknown after she ran away at the age of 14. A Workaholic. Leader of the Academic. Prof. Kvasir Aksyonov - Male, 43 years old. phD in quantum physics and mechanical engineering. Pioneer in the field of assisted flight. Invented the personal jetpack and the gravitational train. Lt. General Tyr Aksyonov - Male, 38 years old. Younger brother of Kvasir Aksyonov. First man to successfully weaponise the miniature black hole. Has a phD in Quantum Physics and Psychology. Prof. Ran Ho Feng - Female, 42 years old. phD in linguistics and computer engineering. At age 13, created a universal programming language which served as the foundation for Yggdrasil. Setsuyami Saga - Female, 29 years old. At age 16, wrote the novel "Better Halves", about a woman who fell in love with her alternate personality. Unanimously acclaimed as the greatest writer of the age. "Better Halves" went on to sell over 7 billion copies - more than 90 per cent of the global population. Fluent in 52 languages. Has a Master's in literature, and is often looked down upon as the only member of the Academic without a phD. The Affluent - The 5 richest individuals. A diverse group with both philanthropists and misers. Work for the sake of profit and gain. Key Members: Freyja Milczarek - Female, 48 years old. The richest individual in Vyker. Major shareholder in 26% of all major businesses in Vyker. Made her initial fortune by marketing and selling consumer electronics, then branched out into weapons production, cyber security and banking. Leader of the Affluent. Iounn Argyros - Female, 26 years old. Newest and youngest member of the Affluent. 3rd richest individual in Vyker, and the 2nd richest woman. Holds a monopoly on all cosmetic, hygiene and healthcare products. A ruthless businesswoman known for her somewhat questionable negotiation tactics and immense professionalism. Also a major leader in the prostitution trade, owning 63% of all brothels in Vyker. Over the years, she has gradually improved the living and working conditions of prostitutes working under her, to the point where it is now seen as a respectable trade. Delling Marinos - Male, 34 years old. 2nd richest individual in Vyker. News/media mogul. A major shareholder in all media corporations, and sole owner of "Vyker Today" - the widest-read newspaper in Vyker - and Dawn Studios, the largest and most influential television studio in the world. Known for his creativity and daring when it comes to marketing and advertisement. Mani Moresby - Male, 52 years old. 4th richest individual in Vyker. Real Estate King. Legally owns the moon. Known for making snap decisions and having amazing business intuition. Thruer Song - Female, 38 years old. 5th richest individual, 3rd richest woman. Owns most banks and credit unions. Has known, but unproven connections with the black market and various loan shark rackets. Known for having an intimidating presence and a tenacious character. The Elect - 5 elected representatives, all chosen by popular vote. Each manipulative in his or her own way, but all charismatic and capable of winning the hearts of others. Key Members: Baldr Fynn - Male, 32 years old. Formerly a world-class actor and heartthrob. Known for an incredibly charming personality and a friendly disposition. Has numerous fanclubs with innumerable members. When his name was raised as a candidate for the Elect, there were cheers, and he was elected with unanimous consent. He works towards policies which benefit the population as a whole or minimise the effects of income inequity. Leader of the Elect. Eostre Engel - Female, 28 years old. Former model and singer. Lauded as "the most beautiful woman in the world". Eschews cosmetics, but acknowledges their appeal. She pursues policies which encourage the formation of a family unit, such as subsidies for childcare or welfare support for impoverished families with children. Freyr Derosiers - Female, 24 years old. Youngest member of the Elect. Former prostitute. Known for her childlike innocence and gentle demeanor, despite her past. Was born in a brothel. People were initially opposed to someone of such unsavoury background holding a place in the Elect, but through her earnestness and likeable personality, she eventually garnered enough votes to be elected. She once went four days without sleep, food or shelter on a busy street, speaking to people and asking them to vote for her. She was unconscious for a week following that, but her approval ratings jumped by almost nine hundred per cent. She tries to implement policies which advocate gender equality. Kazuo Vali - Male, 37 years old. Formerly a criminal gang leader, who left the underground world after his wife was shot dead in a fight. Put himself up for election thrice, after failing the first two times. Got no votes in his first attempt. Through community service and impassioned speeches about his dreams, he finally won the hearts and votes of the population, getting barely enough votes to take up position as one of the elite. He is very self-conscious about his image, but he is known for being gentle and kind. He pursues policies which aid the lower income groups and the less fortunate. He is also very dedicated to maintaining peace on the streets and ceasing the operations of criminal groups Ullr Richardson - Male, 42 years old. Famous stage magician. At the peak of his life, the most popular performer in the world, with tickets to his performances being regularly sold out. At 39 years old, left the stage to put himself up for election to government. Won the hearts of the crowd by using his dramatic flair and blunt honesty to his advantage. Campaigns for free love and human rights. R@GNAROK/Ragnarok - A terrorist group, seeking to bring about the collapse of the Valhalla Triumvirate and usher in an age of anarchy. Motivated by the belief that every human has the right to make his on decisions about his or her living environment, rather than entrusting it into the hands of the elite. Further believes that the elite should not be granted power, as they are blind to the sufferings of the common man. The measures employed by them include hacking into Yggdrasil to undermine key infrastructure, leaking classified information to the public to create unrest, and extralegal activities, such as assassinations and kidnappings. Key Members: Loki - A masked individual. No one knows who he is, or even if he is actually a person, but he serves as the face of Ragnarok, acting as a mouthpiece for the group. Some believe he is their leader. The Fenrir Corporation - An organisation of mercenary hackers who will hack anything for the right price, operating under the front of a small-time network security company. Employment is by invitation only, and they do, in fact, do security work. They perform extra-legal activities only if their client is introduced to them by a previous client, for security purposes. Heimdallr Merien - Male, 29 years old. The owner of the Fenrir Corporation. He makes the final decision on which jobs to take and which to refuse. A talented young hacker who has years of experience prying apart Yggdrasil. His net worth (including money obtained illegally) puts him in the top 100 of the world's richest. The Fafnir Collective - A group of hobby hackers, who hack for the fun and the challenge. They have no physical base of operations, but instead meet on an anonymous message board run on servers isolated from the Yggdrasil network, protected by ridiculous levels of security. Hel Kang (Net handle Hel8627) - Female. Age 23. MenAug. The owner of the Fafnir Collective's message board, and creator of the Collective. Currently studying a postgraduate course in psychology, but she is a genius hacker who managed to crash Yggdrasil for an hour when she was 16. Lives on-campus in Vyker Joint College. Valkyrie - A global joint police/military force. Maintains order within Vyker and monitors the actions of Ragnarok. Mostly autonomous, but will follow the directives of the Valhalla Triumvirate. BRYNHILDR - Assigned Female. Age 2. AI. BRYNHILDR is the AI which serves as the intelligence network of the Valkyrie. She has access to all information provided to Valkyrie for the purpose of law enforcement and has the task of organising and analysing this information. Over the years, she has become increasingly self-aware, to the point where she is now capable of hesitating before following orders. As a result, there is discussion about either wiping or replacing her. Skuld Regina - Female, Age 38. Leader of the Valkyrie. Joined the Valkyrie at the minimum age of 18, both her parents were members of the force. Expert in cyber counter-terrorism and well-versed in multiple forms of close combat, including Kali and Krav Maga. Best shooter on the force. Has a strong sense of justice and morality, and is a bit of a loner due to her intense personality. BRYNHILDR is one of the few close friends she has, and she trusts the AI more than any other human. Vyker: Vyker is a world of concrete and metal, with close to no greenery on it. It is characterised by a large emphasis on technological progress and interconnectivity, with the whole planet being a single city. Gravitational trains allow for quick travel between regions, with top speeds of Mach 5, while the invention of affordable aircars makes traffic congestion slightly less of an issue. The most identifiable aspect of Vyker is Yggdrasil. This gargantuan information network links everything on Vyker to everything else, allowing for fast exchange of information and a great evolution of the way we communicate. Located in Geneva is the Triumvirate Seat, a large spire where the Valhalla Triumvirate meets and debates. Any two of the three factions may call a Triumvirate meeting, at which attendance is mandatory for members of the Triumvirate. Places which had once been countries were now simply regions, parts of the larger city: Vyker.

Aight, so... with 10 people indicating interest, let's hope this project takes off. I will be posting up the first group of threads in a bit, hopefully Hukuna can get them organised into a subforum fast.

No one says you have to be good to write it's all in good fun anyway. So, 10 people are interested... Hmmm... Not sure if it's enough to make this project a success, thwprldt's comforting that a lot of the respondents are regulars here. also, I had a really cool idea regarding this Worlds Apart concept, but I realised it would have been really hard to implement given that the idea is to keep creating new worlds :/ basically the idea was to have the worlds be constantly evolving; I.e. there qould be major changes which occur over time. E.g. Nation A declares war on Nation F, which would be cool to direct the flow of stories and provide constantly changing stimuli to writers. However, like I said, hard to implement, so OH WELL :/

That's all? I'm not sure this project could be sustained in the long term with only 8 interested participants...

@Hukuna, since this is kind of a large-scale project that requires major community consent, could I ask you to temporarily sticky this interest thread? So that it doesn't get flooded beneath RP threads.

Hey, so seeing Murdoc's aTfaT got me thinking about an idea. Similar to how Murdoc's idea was to give prompts for the community to write stories, I intend to do something similar by creating a catalyst for the writing of others. Of course, this will be be strictly non-competitive, and will simply be an opportunity for people to practice their writing skills and for the community to grow closer as a whole through the miracle of fiction. So, my idea: Every once in a while (maybe like 2-3 months or so), I will post up a world. Yes. A developed world, complete with its own mythos, history and conflicts. The idea is to write stories based on the world proposed. Anything, from short stories to poems to multi-chapter epics are welcome. Naturally, the entire community would be welcome to post critique, both positive and critical, about the stories posted. As for how the worlds will be developed, while each world of the project is being explored, the community as a whole can simultaneously work to develop the next world, by brainstorming genres, setting, factions, etc. until a world's skeleton is constructed. I will then flesh out the result and post up the world as the prompt for the next rotation. I will be creating several threads for each world, one for discussion and critique, one for posting stories and anecdotes in the context of the world, and one as a sort of encyclopedia for the mythos of the world, which will be targeted at those writers who would like to practice writing in an academic and/or factual style. The first world I propose would most likely be an extension of the cyberpunk world I had posted on this forum earlier; some of you might remember it. You can read about it at http://www.pokemonreborn.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8474 So, I would like to ask the community, would there be interest in participating in this project? If I can get enough interested parties, I could even hopefully arm-wring a mod into creating a subsection just for this project, to keep it more organised. This project is intended to be a long-running project, and I would require the support of the community to keep it going. With that in mind... Any takers?

Are there any other submissions...? 2 is kind of... Sad.

Yetis with weapons are an awesome idea. Who needs Armoured bears when you can have Armoured Abominable Snowmen Also I'd be interested in helping you flesh out the world, but I won't be RPing, as you know.

Words that caught my eye "Gruul" and "artificer" But it's probably just coincidence.

Is it just me, or do I spot a couple mtg references in there?

Some quick critique for Supernovae: First things first, you probably want to work on your grammar. It's not as bad as some fanfics I've had the displeasure of reading, but it could use some work. For one, you have a tendency to use "there" as opposed to "their" As for the plot, I like it. As a writer, I like stories with nice twists. However, perhaps you could adjust the monologue of the general prior to the reveal to subtly hint at his loyalties, without giving it away. For example, instead of stating he could not help but tear up, you could instead describe him wiping a tear from his eye, which is an action that is easier to fake. That said, your use of dialogue to elucidate the characters' emotions is rather well done, keep it up. I hope to see more of your work ^^

Thanks I still believe I have a ton of things to improve on though. For one, I think I could have done a lot better on characterisation if I put in the effort. Also, I'm hoping to see more stories >< It's no fun if I'm the only participant, and I love reading other writing styles

Submitted. That took longer than expected.

"Mother, why do people suffer?" "Because suffering makes us stronger." ------------------------------------- I lean back in my throne, feeling the exhaustion of war along my back. Four nights without sleep, three consecutive tours of inspection, and two hundred and eighty six soldiers executed for the crime of desertion. Tired as I am, I wear a resolute expression, and ensure that my body does not display any signs of my weariness. When the monarch falters, the country falters. I cannot falter. That is my duty to my people. ------------------------------------- "Priestess; what do you mean?" "It is as I have told: Your daughter is destined to be the savior of your kingdom. As long as she rules, your land will prosper." "This is wonderful news!" ------------------------------------- "Your majesty. The army is running low on supplies and equipment, and our nation's coffers will soon be unable to finance the war effort. I implore you, please, seek peace!" "If we need more money, we can simply take it from the citizens. The war must not end. Increase taxes to thirty-four percent." "Your Majesty! I beg you, please-" "Silence! I am your queen. Know your place." The sacrifice is necessary. This war is necessary. The neighbouring countries are hungry, hungry for our deposits of valuable metals, hungry for our fertile soil. If our assault relents, if we give them time to build up their armies, we stand no chance. This sacrifice is necessary. -------------------------------------- "Your majesty, I must say, Claire is a genius. I have never seen a child with her natural gift for stratagems and charisma." "I see. That is wonderful news, tutor." "Yes, of course, your majesty. But..." "Yes?" "Whenever I mention her capacity for leadership and governance, she vehemently denies it. And her denial is far more than simple modesty. To be honest, it perturbs me." -------------------------------------- "Your Majesty, demonstrations have begun to spring up in the southern parts of the country. They wish for you to end the war, lift the heavy taxes, and seek peace with our neighbours." "That is not possible." "But, your Majesty..." "Once the war ends, our nation is finished! Why can no one else understand that? Fools! I can't have my attention diverted now!" I close my eyes and exhale. What I am to do next is beyond cruel, but it must be done, for the sake of the future. "Which city had the largest concentration of protests?" "Lyzir, three hundred leagues south of the capital, your Majesty." Bile rises up my throat as I deliver my next order. "Take a battalion there. Raze it to the ground." "You Majesty!" "That is my imperial decree. Execute it." I turn around and exit the throne room, heading for my chambers. There, I throw up. I collapse to the floor, cursing our neighbours, cursing myself, cursing my weakness. Then, I rise. I wipe my mouth. I wipe my eyes. I view myself in the mirror and ensure I am standing upright and dominant, then I return to the throne room. This is my resolution. ----------------------------------- "Where's Claire?" "We apologise, your Majesty. She snuck out of the palace." "Again? Where exactly does she go...?" "Your Majesty! We've found her!" "Ah. Where was she?" "She was playing with some other children in the farms on the outskirts of the capital." "... Does she not understand that she is royalty...?" ----------------------------------- "Your Majesty! The Greisen Republic is approaching our lands from the West!" West. Damn. I thought the desert out beyond that border would have deterred anyone from attacking there. Evidently, it was one of my countless errors in judgement. "What forces do we have stationed there?" "Only two battalions of soldiers, no more!" "And the enemy?" "A full army, numbering at least forty thousand." This was no battle. This would be a suicide charge. I vocalise my thoughts, both to better develop them, and to ensure my weakness does not stop me from following through. "The problem with having a large army, my dear advisor..." I pick up an apple from the bowl next to my throne and take a bite, hoping the sweet taste will in some way alleviate the cruelty of what I am about to say. "...is that you need to feed them. Send a runner to the two battalions. Have one battalion delay the enemy with traps for as long as possible. Have the other battalion retreat from the front lines. Burn down all villages and poison all water sources along the retreat route. Sow the land with salt or poison. Turn the Western front into a barren land." The look of disgust and horror on my advisor's face clearly telegraphs how he feels about my order. But I say nothing. Let him think what he wants. Let him despise me. This was the outcome I accepted from the beginning. ---------------------------------- "Claire, you must take your royal duties seriously if you are one day to rule this land." "What if I don't?" "What do you mean?" "What I mean, mother, is what if I don't want to be a queen? What if I don't want to rule? I never asked to be noble! I never asked to be a ruler!" "Do not think that your youth allows you to be immature." "..." "What you want is irrelevant. We are born into this land as royalty. Why this is so, no one can know. But as long as we are royalty, we have a responsibility. A responsibility to the people. They look to us for guidance, and we are obliged to grant that guidance." "..." ---------------------------------- "Your Majesty, we have captured one of the rebel leaders!" "Bring him before me." A pair of soldiers drag in a man, bound in chains, dressed in tattered leather. His skin shows festering wounds, inflicted by whipping, and his hair is matted with blood. He looks at me, and I recognise him. Blanc. The man whom Claire wished to marry some day, the farmer's son who had managed to steal her heart. He looks me in the eye and spits at me. Though my face remains impassive, seeing this man - who used to always have a smile on his face, who constantly filled the gardens with Claire's delighted laughter - look at me with such malice, tears my heart to pieces. I pick up the pieces and put them back together, hardening my heart, strengthening it, encasing my soul in a vessel of stone. I am a monarch before I am a mother. That is my resolution. I force myself to stare coldly at Blanc. "Execute him. Publicly. A hanging in the town square, for the crime of treason." The two soldiers step forward and pick him up, dragging him by the arms toward the doors of the throne room. Blanc finally spits out his last words. "Villainous Witch! The people are suffering because of you! This war is pointless! Cruel Tyrant, your end is fast approaching!" "Amend the charge. The crime is now treason and slander against a monarch." The doors swing open, and the sight of Blanc slowly disappears from my field of vision. I address the remaining people in the throne room. "The rest of you, leave. I have to think." Slowly, the remaining vassals file out of the room. Once the door slams shut behind the last noble, I sit down in my throne. My lovely, lonely throne. I rest my head in my hands. And I mourn. My end is fast approaching? Let it make haste then. I have been awaiting it for far too long. ----------------------------------- Dear Mother, I'm sorry. That's what I'm going to start off with. Because I am. I'm sorry that I'm so selfish. I'm sorry that I'm doing this without saying goodbye first. I'm sorry I couldn't become the great ruler you always wanted me to be. I know what you'll say. I'm being childish; I'm being a coward. You'll tell me that being a monarch is the responsibility of royalty. And I think you're right. I just don't want to have to bear this responsibility. Perhaps I am a coward. Please understand. Just the mere thought of being a ruler is enough to make me want to throw up. I'm not ready for it, and I don't want to be. Lead a nation? Me? How could I? I'm not a leader. I never was, and never will be. From now on, I will be travelling the lands with Blanc, living as a nomad. Please don't come and chase me down. This is what I want to do, selfish as it is. I doubt we'll ever see each other again, and if we do, I expect the reunion will not be a happy one. But even if I may be doing this now, I will always be your daughter, and you will always be my mother, and I will always love you. With love and apologies, Claire Henteria ----------------------------------- The throne room is empty. We have won the war, but our land has been scarred beyond recognition by it. My vassals and people have abandoned me, uniting under the banner of the rebellion. For the first time in more than a decade, I allow myself to smile. The doors to the throne room burst open, and the leader of the rebellion strides in to face me, sword in hand. She removes her helmet and tosses it aside, revealing the familiar and yet unfamiliar face of my daughter Claire. I smile again. She has grown into a fine woman. I reach for the sword by my side and draw it, beckoning to her. With a wild rage, she launches herself at me, striking downwards with her blade. I deflect her strike, and avoid her follow-through. Together, we dance, mother and daughter, across the throne room, metal striking metal. As we move, I notice Claire become calmer, her movements less wild, her strikes more precise. Finally, her state of mind becomes totally calm. She readies a stab at my chest, and I do not move to avoid or block it. As cold steel pierces through my body, I feel her breath. I feel many things. I feel pain, of course. Unimaginable pain. I feel regret. I feel sorrow. And... I feel pride. My legs give way, and Claire catches me in her arms before I hit the ground. Though I can feel my life slipping away, I look into Claire's eyes, wet with tears, and smile. "I'm so proud of you." Claire blinks away her tears and looks at me, her gaze a mix of grief and anger. "Why, mother? Why did you have to make people suffer?" Though I can feel the cold creeping up my feet, I struggle to maintain consciousness and give her an answer. "Because suffering makes us stronger." The anger in Claire's eyes slowly disappears, leaving only tears and sorrow. "What... what will happen now? When you're gone... who will be ruler?" "You." I gasp for air as I deliver my curt answer. "But... I'm not a leader! I never have been! You know that!" The coldness is spreading to my chest. I don't have long. But Claire needs to know this. I force myself to speak, force myself to keep death at bay just a little longer. "What... are you talking about? You... led this rebellion... You are a leader... You are a ruler... My lovely child." Then it becomes too hard to speak. It becomes too hard to keep my eyes open. I feel my body slacken, and I hear Claire let out a sob, as death comes to take me away. All my life, I lived as a monarch, not a mother. However, I am glad to die, not as a monarch... ...but as a... ...Mother

Good job^^ This is much neater now, congrats. Anyway, I still am unable to participate, but here's wishing you good luck^^

Oooooh interesting!!!!! I would totes join if I had the time, too bad I don't >< Okay several things to take note: -There are a LOT of things going on at one time. Gets quite confusing. I feel that the daisy cutter virus in particular is not particularly necessary and somewhat superfluous: If you can get the farmers to become depressed and stop their work, you can achieve the same effect. Even assuming technology has advanced to the point where agriculture is fully automated, the machines require maintenance and oversight, which are human and thus easily removable. -If you lose all your memories when you get flung back, how do you know who your partner is? How do you know you're supposed partner up? More to the point, it is likely you will spend a ridiculous amount of time freaking out about your situation and about the fact that you can't interact with other people, which may cause characters to disregard the directive they are issued. -As an add-on to the previous point, what form of memory loss are we talking about here? If we're talking about the loss of experiences and memories, then the characters might end up forgetting how to use their psycho-kinetic abilities, and you can't just handwave away the core knowledge of concepts required to utilise such powers. Furthermore, the explanation for memory loss is kind of asspull-ish and has a couple of holes. For one, Does the virus vanish from their psyche once they return to their bodies? How? If it doesn't, then wouldn't the resurgence of memories - and hence lines of emotional attachment - just cause the now-present virus to spread to their families anyway? TL;DR: It's an interesting idea, but it seems like you tried to cram in a multitude of ideas to make this extremely epic. While it is indeed an adventure of epic proportions, the clusterfest of concepts and events results in a very messy setup. You may want to trim some of the superfluous chaff and instead further expound upon the core concepts of the plot, i.e. the LSV, the details of the metaphysical technology used to propel the psyche back into the past, the mechanics which allow immaterial thoughts (The Characters) to materialise and impact the past and the origin and purpose of the rifts, i.e. why are they "one-way", so to speak, and how are they formed; Are they dimensional rifts or temporal-spatial in nature? If the enemy was planning an invasion using a method as subtle as the LSV, why would they pick such a noticable fom of delivery? For what purpose is Earth being invaded?

So apparently I'm here too ._. Hullo Luves!

Is it just me or does this nation have the most regulars

ACOLYTE POKEMON ARE INSIGNIFICANT. jk. I initially wanted to let all players just randomly give pokemon to their nameless enemies, but I'm not sure if Hukuna's doing the same. good job keeping this alive BTW hukuna. you have my utmost respect

Now, I'm not too experienced with worldbuilding; most of the world that I used for Aftermath was taken completely from the original games, such as geographical relations and environmental differences. That said, I guess I'll mention what I did to create the world for that Cyberpunk idea of mine that I posted. When creating a new world, especially one with a myriad of human or nonhuman races, I like to create and flesh out the races first. Once I have decided which races should be in the story, as well as decided upon the unique characteristics of each race, I construct a biome which fits the race's cultural profile. For example, if I want to give a race the ability to read thoughts, I would place them in a serene, tranquil location and develop a society which was founded on pacifism and tolerance. This method has both benefits and detriments: the benefit is that it's less likely for you to end up with races ill-suited for their habitats, and it's less likely that a race will have a societal structure inconsistent with their abilities. The detriment is that this somewhat restricts my world building, as I am forced to construct the world based on the characters rather than the other way round. For me, this is not a severe issue as I aim to capture the reader's interest through cultural interaction and by creating characters and situations which are unique or unexpected. However, this method is not advisable for any who prefer to focus on the realism and detail of the geographical terrain, or anyone who places the emphasis of their world building on the physical aspects of the new world. That's all for now, will post again if I deem you worthy of my presence. Jk will post again if I have anything to add.

No need to be green, being mod is a giant pain in the larger intestinal tract.