Devil Survivor: A modern apocalyptic fantasy, oh my~

Started by Solstice, March 30, 2012, 10:11:49 PM

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Solstice

Synopsis
The modern world comes crashing to a stop when a freak solar storm wipes out the majority of the power grid and wireless communication worldwide. At the same time, supernatural creatures--collectively known as demons, but ranging from fairies to magical beasts to angels--begin appearing across the world. Immune to conventional weapons and hostile to humans, their presence makes any attempt to restore the damaged infrastructure virtually impossible. However, some humans acquire the ability to summon and control demons--and doing so may be the only way to survive in this new world, and uncover the truth behind the cataclysm.

Peaceful days are over--
Let's Survive






Introduction

Welcome! As you may have noticed, this game is inspired by, and to some extent based on, the Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor series of video games, though familiarity with them is not required to participate.

In this game, players will take on the role of someone caught in the middle of this catastrophe who finds themselves suddenly given the ability to control demons. The game begins on what will be called day zero--the day the world as they know it comes to an end, before the fall of civilization and the advent of demon summoners.

Said summoning and controlling is done through the aptly named Demon Summoning Program, which will be received shortly after events commence. An amalgamation of mystical and technological concepts, the Program's origins are as mysterious as those of the catastrophe itself.

As the player-characters will soon become aware, they're not the only ones who received that Program, and the presence of demons is only becoming more pronounced over time. As time goes on, resources will begin to run scarce, and more questions will arise.

The key to the world's salvation may well be buried within the secret of its destruction--but first, you'll have to survive...





Setting

The game is set in modern-day Tokyo. Why Tokyo, you may ask? Largely a nod to the series' continuity. You do not need to be intimately familiar with that city's layout (I'm certainly not) or Japanese culture. (Not that Japanese culture itself is liable to hold up too well when the apocalypse strikes.)

We will be using western naming conventions for this game: First-name Last-name (Given-name Family-name). Eastern names are generally encouraged, but it's also quite reasonable for a character whose family moved to the country to have a name more fitting with their culture of origin.

Day zero is a Sunday in the early summer. We can nail down an exact date if people would like.





Characters

There are very few actual requirements for characters. Every character needs to have a cell phone, PDA, or similar portable wireless electronic device capable of running applications, and they need to have it with them on the day of the event. It doesn't necessarily need to be theirs, but they do need to have it on their person.

The recommended age bracket for charcters is somewhere between 16 and 28 years old. This is not a requirement.

We do request that you keep your character's abilities reasonable. Most people are not elite military veterans (as an aside, Japan has a Self-Defense Force, not a full-blown army), nor are most ultra-prepared survival nuts. Some might be--just don't go overboard. While you're free to know martial arts or have some form of weapon proficiency (though again, do note that Japan has some pretty strict gun control laws), be aware that they'll be minimally effective against demons and summoners who have demons present to defend them prove surprisingly resilient to such things.

Characters do not have any supernatural abilities or objectively verifiable 'magical' encounters. Being an occult enthusiast, however, is absolutely acceptable.

Please use the format below, or a similar one, to post character applications! And feel free to ask any questions you may have about a character concept or the game in general.

[b]Name:[/b] Character's, of course.
[b]Gender:[/b] Same.
[b]Age:[/b] Same!

[b]Biography:[/b] It doesn't need excruciating detail; just a few paragraphs generally touching upon who your character is. Are they a foreigner, do they have family, that kind of thing.

[b]Occupation:[/b] What do you do? Student, unemployed, full-time work?

[b]What Do You Have In Your Pockets?:[/b] Mm, not... literally. What is your character carrying with them on an ordinary (or not so ordinary?) Sunday?

[b]Appearance:[/b] Images work, as do text. As does both!

[b]Other:[/b] Anything relevant! Do they have hobbies? Are they a whiz with computers? Volunteer at the local animal shelter? Whatever you'd like to have on paper (so to speak) that isn't covered elsewhere.






Q&A

Q) Do I need to be familiar with the Devil Survivor games, or Shin Megami Tensei metaverse?
A) Certainly not! It would help provide context, but the game itself is fully 'alternate universe' to any existing SMT canon. If you have any questions about concepts in the game, feel free to ask myself, TheHangedMan, or any of the players who are familiar with it.

Q) I can has sexytime?
A) The intent is not for this to be a major point in the game; that being said, anything both parties consent to OOCly is fair game (IC consent ultimately being optional and at the discretion of the players). While people are free to boink like bunnies, it is probably not going to be a huge part of the game.

Q) What board will this be in?
A) We will most likely be using the Extreme Small Groups board. I know, I know, the EX tag is a bit scary. While I'm no fan of gorn, there's going to be a large amount of death (of NPCs, mind; PCs will hopefully have a better life expectancy) as things progress. The truth is, your average civilian doesn't stand a chance against a demon, and the end result isn't likely to be pretty. The unpleasant details will likely be glossed over in narrative, but we'd like to stay on the safe side. I am amenable to suggestions regarding other boards players think the game would be better suited for.


Feel free to ask any other questions in this topic!
Apoloies & Absences - Updated 11/16/2014 - Around and available? Hopefully?

Solstice

Other Information

This entire post is basically unnecessary! It's here to explain some concepts to people unfamiliar with the series. By no means is it required reading. More stuff may be added as it becomes relevant.


1. What Are Demons?
The term "demons" has different associations in this setting (and the SMT multiverse in general) than in most others. In short, a 'demon' is any supernatural entity. Their exact nature varies from one iteration of the series to the next (and for this game, will be revealed as the plot develops), but certain themes appear consistently.

Demons are given their form at least in part by humanity's belief. All 'pixies' lok about the same (a one-foot-tall woman with dragonfly wings and a playful personality) because the aggregate of human beliefs, over time, have caused them to take that form. Their power is much more loosely tied to the perceived extent of their power or influence.

As an extreme example, within the SMT multiverse, the Judeo-Christian God would, in fact, but classified as a 'demon'--a phenomenally powerful one, true, one which could not possibly be controlled, replicated, or dominated, but technically a 'demon'. Many deities from other belief systems, some modern and some ancient, also appear as demons.

Certain demons are unique. Osiris is one such example--one could summon a hundred ogres, but there is only one Osiris, and his memories are preserved even if he is destroyed and later recreated. Generally speaking, if an entity is deified or a mythological interpretation of an actual human, they will be unique in this fashion. This is not always the case, and for the most part is not something that you'll need to worry about.

All demons are generally aware of beliefs and legends about them. Whether or not these events ever took place is unclear, but they are qutie 'real' to the demons. Using the example of Osiris, as far as he was concerned he really was murdered by his brother, brought back to life, and so on.
Apoloies & Absences - Updated 11/16/2014 - Around and available? Hopefully?

TheHangedOne

Greetings and salutations from the humble co-gm here. ;)
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

Miyu

mmm I an certainly in. Do you want anime pictures or real life pictures?

Miyu

Name: Miko Kirusuma
Gender: Female
Age: Eighteen

Biography: She was born in a hotel in the outskirts of Tokyo City. Her parents being the owners of the hotel always gave her a hard time with work and ethics on how to treat a guest hoping she would take care of the family business after they were gone. However she is a wildcat she loves to just go out and have fun with her friends even if that means going over her parents ruling. Miko it's a true fan of the occult and horror stories often times reading a lot of novels and books about occult.

One day she was asked to go out with her friends to the city, at first she said no but after a lot of convincing from her friends she managed to get dressed and go out with them. At first everything was great however she had no idea what was going to happen soon and the effects that day would have on her life.

Occupation: Works full time at the hotel her parents have

What Do You Have In Your Pockets?: Cellphone, A couple of dollars, keys.

Appearance:

Other: She knows a lot about occult, she is also a very good cook.

Ember Star

Will we have a choice between Atma, Persona and Devil Summoner as classes? Also I have a link to the wiki which has the complete Megami Tensei demons and their abilities if you enter it.
"One thing you who had secure or happy childhoods should understand about those of us who did not, we who control our feelings, who avoid conflicts at all costs or seem to seek them, who are hypersensitive, self-critical, compulsive, workaholic, and above all survivors, we're not that way from perversity. And we cannot just relax and let it go. We've learned to cope in ways you never had to." ~Author, Piers Anthony

Solstice

I have no strong feelings either way about pictures (real vs. anime-style), though the latter would probably hit the 'feel' a bit more. It is ultimately up to individual discretion.

Re: Ember. Summoning will take place exclusively through use of the Demon Summoning Program. Part of the setting. :x

So no, no Personas, no Atmas, etc.
Apoloies & Absences - Updated 11/16/2014 - Around and available? Hopefully?

Ember Star

Okie dokie. Devil Summoner is my my preferred style anyway. But I have three characters, one of each class from my last Megami Tensei group. Is it okay if I go ahead and include my demon in my profile?
"One thing you who had secure or happy childhoods should understand about those of us who did not, we who control our feelings, who avoid conflicts at all costs or seem to seek them, who are hypersensitive, self-critical, compulsive, workaholic, and above all survivors, we're not that way from perversity. And we cannot just relax and let it go. We've learned to cope in ways you never had to." ~Author, Piers Anthony

TheHangedOne

As far as demons go, we're thinking that everyone should start off with a single demon of the weakest sorts; give me a little time, and I will have a list up of demons that can be picked from.

Initially, everyone will have a very low tier demon. However, over time, characters will gain access to more powerful demons, and even being able to store and use multiple demons at the same time. Their may even be a way to "power up" a weaker demon, but for now, that's going to remain a mystery!  8-)

What did you have in mind, Ember?
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

Saric

Color me interested. I'll get to work on a character and have one for you soon.
"I believe in dragons, good men, and other fantasy creatures." - Slovotsky's Law #42

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”― Neil Gaiman, Coraline

“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.” - Terry Pratchett (Rest in Peace, Master Storyteller)

Solstice

As an aside: Latooni Subota and Kineas both have spots reserved for them should they want them, as they both expressed interest in the, er, interest check thread (and this is actually Latooni's idea--THM and I are just the ones who took up the job of GMing it).
Apoloies & Absences - Updated 11/16/2014 - Around and available? Hopefully?

Miyu


TheHangedOne

#12
Do note, that if you really, truly want a demon not on this list, we may be willing to discuss details with you. And do remember that just because you start off with Weakly McNambyPants, doesn't mean you won't have a certified badass or three later on.

If you don't know what you want, either me or Solstice can give you a random one!

Keep in mind that in terms of a demon's power, they are being based off of the Devil Survivor 2 ones.

So, without further ado, the list:
List of Acceptable Beginning Demons (Currently nothing here)


I'm sorry about that Miyu, your character looks awesome. I'm just running around like  a headless chicken, trying to do five things at once. Apologies.
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

Miyu

:P I know I run a game also so i know what your going through I was just messing around

Solstice

Will I was going to say something to Miyu, but THM beat me to it!

Also, he touched on it, but, be advised: we are not really going to be... obsessive, about the relative powers of people's demons. And if you don't really have a favorite, or care, or whatnot, that's fine; a short, "My character would like to summon a demon(s) who do ___" is fine, too.
Apoloies & Absences - Updated 11/16/2014 - Around and available? Hopefully?

Thorn14

Is there a good place we can see how these demons look/act?

TheHangedOne

A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

Thorn14

Great.

Will we be roleplaying our demons and their personality or will that be up to the GMs?

Solstice

Bah, I totally had some stuff typed up and then THM preempted me. >=O

Just as an aside, that list there is by no means a list of "what you can and can't use. While this RP is based off a video game, we're not going to be trying to replicate its restrictions, limitations, and system.

We're probably going to play fast-and-loose with relative powers for the sake of accommodating players and narrative awesomeness.




And now Thorn preempts me, why must I type so slowly!

Roleplaying your demons will primarily be left up to you. GMs may give pointers on personality, but for the most part you're free to do that as you see fit.

There are certain exceptions, but they are not relevant at present.
Apoloies & Absences - Updated 11/16/2014 - Around and available? Hopefully?

Thorn14

#19
Hrm, alright. I admit it would provide some unpredictability but I suppose that makes sense.

I'll think this through a bit more, Thanks so far :)

Also, will the game be as depressing as the first game? I didn't play it but I hear its a real gut puncher.

Saric

Name: Steven "Caine" Michaelson
Gender: Male
Age: 24

Biography: A full blown geek from America, Steven is involved with multiple 'geeky' interests from computer games to the SCA to, the reason for this trip, anime. An only child he only really sees his parents or extended family at major holiday get-togethers and usually finds some out of the way place to sit and watch from. Despite his reserved manner with his family he does love them though he reserves his enthusiasm for other venues. Most of his vacation hours and time off is spent at the twice-yearly 'Wars' for the SCA or at various conventions, this trip is the result of a plan by the anime club at his local public library, of which he is a member. When not interacting with his family he goes by the name 'Caine', that being the name of his SCA alternative personality and more of who he thinks of himself as then the name of his birth.

Occupation: Software Engineer (on vacation)

What Do You Have In Your Pockets?: Wallet(containing some cash and credit cards), travel tissue pack, The Traveler's Guide to Tokyo pamphlet and city map, keys to a rental car, a small backpack, laptop computer, cell phone, two water bottles, suntan lotion, a book(library rental), pens, pencil, a packet of lined paper, a pocket knife, a deck of cards, and a 16'' Kukri is worn in a sheath on his back but under his shirt where is is easily accessible but not visible.

Appearance: 6'4'' Dark hair, gray eyes, and fair skin. Between his height, and the muscle he's put on his arms, he doesn't appear badly out of shape but he's got a definite 'paunch' developing from too many hours spent in a chair in front of a computer screen.

Other: As full man-at-arms in the SCA he trains with weapons that were out of date before his home nation was founded and, since all SCA members are encouraged to learn a 'period' skill, is a fair hand at Blacksmithing but in all honesty he's a computer geek. Able to program in 5 different computer languages, experienced in multiple video games, possessing a large anime collection and generally tech savvy but not exactly in peak physical shape. He is also a big reader, devouring books by the pound, which combined with his computer based life gives him a truly ridiculous spread of information ranging from the odd to the pointless, to the interesting, to the actually valuable. Finally in his childhood he spend time in the Boy Scouts in a troop of what could only be described as 'pyromaniacs'. He therefore knows a little about camping and the woods and a lot about fires and how to make them.

Starting Demon: Barghest (also listed as 'Hairy Jack')
"I believe in dragons, good men, and other fantasy creatures." - Slovotsky's Law #42

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”― Neil Gaiman, Coraline

“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.” - Terry Pratchett (Rest in Peace, Master Storyteller)

Ember Star

Unicorn, Bicorn, and Titania owere my demons before. So I kinda want to use one of them again if that's possible. If not then I'll pick one of the weaker demons hope to upgrade one of them later.
"One thing you who had secure or happy childhoods should understand about those of us who did not, we who control our feelings, who avoid conflicts at all costs or seem to seek them, who are hypersensitive, self-critical, compulsive, workaholic, and above all survivors, we're not that way from perversity. And we cannot just relax and let it go. We've learned to cope in ways you never had to." ~Author, Piers Anthony

TheHangedOne

Quote from: Ember Star on March 31, 2012, 01:39:29 AM
Unicorn, Bicorn, and Titania owere my demons before. So I kinda want to use one of them again if that's possible. If not then I'll pick one of the weaker demons hope to upgrade one of them later.
If it's okay with Solstice, you may start with Unicorn, but only that one.  You may, however, acquire the other two through play.  :-)

Saric: Your character looks good.
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

Saric

"I believe in dragons, good men, and other fantasy creatures." - Slovotsky's Law #42

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”― Neil Gaiman, Coraline

“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.” - Terry Pratchett (Rest in Peace, Master Storyteller)

Ember Star

Quote from: TheHangedMan on March 31, 2012, 01:51:08 AM
If it's okay with Solstice, you may start with Unicorn, but only that one.  You may, however, acquire the other two through play.
So I can (with time) eventually have all three!? That's awesome! In my other MT rp you could only have one demon per character and you weren't allowed to change. Thanks! I shall modify one of my old characters and have her posted tomorrow.
"One thing you who had secure or happy childhoods should understand about those of us who did not, we who control our feelings, who avoid conflicts at all costs or seem to seek them, who are hypersensitive, self-critical, compulsive, workaholic, and above all survivors, we're not that way from perversity. And we cannot just relax and let it go. We've learned to cope in ways you never had to." ~Author, Piers Anthony