Collared:A tale of Symbiosis (Small group, VAN through NC)

Started by Xearts, September 28, 2009, 05:27:01 AM

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Xearts

The Beginning

Two centuries ago the world was one in which all was controlled, known, calculable. Everyone in the world was human. All different colors, races, cultures and creeds, it's true, but human. Now, it is not so. Two hundred years ago, a blight fell upon this world. Actually, two, though it happened like one. Two children were born at almost the same second, halfway across the world from each other. One, a beautiful baby girl, was born with a strange loop of gilded leather, for all intents and purposes a collar, but with no snaps, seals, or fasteners. The other was male, but it was anything but beautiful. Born with the eyes of a serpent, the fangs of a wolf, and claws on hands and feet, the child was a sign of fear instantly. This was known in hours across the world. What we didn't know was a third child, born halfway between the two, was also tied to the other's wretched fate. This boy was born with the ability to see other's auras, the energy discharged by every living being.


The wretched continuation

How was it that the beings found each other, and bound forever their three races together? Well, that takes some work to tell. The Bestial, as he came to be known, was extradited from society. He grew up mostly alone, learning from the animals he so resembled. Then he outgrew them as well. He developed powers, strange abilities. He controlled energies to create blasts out of thin air, he ran over thousands of miles in seconds, and strength that could lift tanks with one hand. He grew and changed, his bestial form growing faster than that of the human. Feared and reviled, and arrogant in his abilities to the point that he refused to be anything less than a king, at twelve he set out to find somewhere he could rule.

Across the world, the girl was growing up very differently. Spoiled, pampered, she grew up fabulously wealthy and such. But, no matter how much jewelry she acquired, she never discarded the collar that had come out with her. Though only she ever saw them, runes glowed at her fingertips whenever she touched the smooth leather. She could read them as well, "This is yours. The one who will wear it, too, will be yours.". So she kept it. As she grew up, she too developed abilities. Only, hers were more...passive. She went to sleep one night, wishing she could go to a lovely little country with sweeping hills, and woke up there. Her best friend broke her leg. Kneeling by her side, the girl wished she could take away her pain. Golden light issued from her hands and healed her friend. Someone threw a rock at her, (this was after the healing thing, when people were getting really skittish around her) and a shield of golden light appeared before her, deflected the projectile, and disappeared again. So, as she grew, so did people's fear of her, until she, too, was cast out. Akin to her Bestial counterpart, she too wished to rule, and went out to find her kingdom. Again, she was twelve.

The boy with visions was much luckier. He lived in a small area at the base of a tall mountain, surrounded by trees, and instead of being reviled, the boy was hailed as a visionary, and raised happy, if a little quick tempered. One day, he felt a tug on his heart, and looked into the distance. He saw an aura, hundreds of miles away, that he had never seen the like of before. It called to him. It appeared, lingered, then disappeared and reappeared closer to him. He looked in the opposite direction, and saw another aura, the exact opposite of the first. However, he was not pushed away. This being, moving at a similar speed but at a much steadier pace towards him, was not, he thought, directly evil. But the first aura dragged him towards it, and he had to follow. So, he informed the elders of the village of what he had seen, and that he needed to go to the strange golden aura. The Elders, though sad to see him go, gave him a joyous farewell and gave him suplies to tide him over until he found his caller. "It shouldn't be long," he replied. "It's coming in generally this direction much faster than I can travel, so if I move slowly and steadily towards it, we'll meet very soon." So he set out, and, just as he predicted, the two met (the girl coincidentally slipping back into the world early at just the right time) in a town not a hundred miles from the boy's villiage.


The collision


And so, the boy met the girl. Upon seeing each other, they knew they were in love. That night, they slept together, and the girl convinced the boy to put on the collar. It snapped closed, and opened to no one. Instantly, two things happened. Firstly, the two felt themselves become linked together in a way much deeper and profound even then their love. They were linked so tightly together that they could speak to each other in their minds, and each knew the other's every thought if they didn't purposefully hide it from the other. And secondly, the boy was filled with massive power, comparable to the Bestial's. Identical in every way, in fact, except that the boy gained the ability to fly instead of the Bestial's land-swallowing speeds. And so the stage was set, and the boy, now the Collared, learning his powers, told the girl, now the Collar-Bearer, of the aura he had seen, and, in fact, could still see. They decided together that they must investigate this third party, and, since the girl was tired of teleportation, the two flew, the 'Bearer comfortably and easily held in her Collared's arms, to meet the third in this wretched trio.

The Bestial, at the same moment, was nonchalantly destroying the Collared's home village. The symbiosis (as they chose to call themselves. In other words, two beings living symbiotically together.) came into view just as he skewered the final Elder's head on a large spike. The three, seeing each other for the first time, merely nodded and turned to the mountain. They raced up the mountainside, each trying to get to the top first. They reached the summit at the same time, that is, the Bestial's foot passed the edge of the flat tundra at the top at the same time the Collared flew over it. The symbiosis landed on the opposite side of the flat area, and the 'Bearer slipped from her warrior's arms. The three stood looking at each other for a long time. Then they nodded, and a flash of light lit the world. This flash, not an attack, but an agreement between the three, reshaped the world. New continents sprang up as the old sank or broke up. Then the Symbiosis and the Bestial went in opposite directions. From that day on, they took names suiting their abilities. The Collar Queen and her Collared King, and the Bestial Emperor. From that day forward, one in every million children born each year are bestial or a Collar-Bearer, and every five in a million are born an Unawakened Collared, or an Uncollared, as most refer to them. All three are very much still alive, and every Collar-Bearer had an innate connection to their Queen, as do the Bestials to the Emperor. The War goes on to see who may rule the world, while the humans rebuild. A single government has risen up, based in capitalism, and the vast majority of humanity live in great industrial cities, with every moment of their day controlled by big brother. Humans rule, though for how much longer, I cannot say.So, as the world continues in its onward march, Bestials are hunted as "Tainted", the Symbioses are reviled and hated, and a secret war rages under the surface.so..


What are you?

So, in essence, this is a free form group game, in which you can choose to be a Collar-bearer, Collared (Either Uncollared or Collared), a Bestial (Essentially a battle-style furry), or a human. If you are interested, reply or PM me.
O/Os

Emotions blind us. Passions corrupt us. Adoration brings only pain. But I wouldn't trade a moment of my pain, corruption, and blindness for all the peace and tranquility in the world. After all, how boring does that sound?

Xearts

Alright, to make sure everyone knows (because I know how hard it is to pull facts from the story.) here are the races.

Human: Pretty obvious, these are normal people. NO POWERS! I would be overjoyed to have a whole bunch of normies (not the term for them), and am happy to allow martial arts in normal people. Seriously, I love skilled warriors. But no energy blasts, no magic, no flying. If it defies the laws of physics, leave it to the other races. Humans, however, rule the world. They are populous. The Collared can pretend they're fully human and eke out a normal life. The -Bearers usually icy demeanor tends to estrange them and leave them in mental institutions rather quickly. The Bestials are obviously not human, and so are referred to as "The Tainted" and hunted. Oh yeah, humans rule the world.

Collar-Bearers: Beings of limited physical ability. They make up for this by being nearly immortal (Note: nearly. If they get their heads chopped off, they're just as dead as anyone.) and magical abilities that almost never have attack capabilities. The ability to warp from place to place, shields of bright, colorful light, and the ability to heal others wounds. Also, these beings are born with a collar, with no seals or fasteners and of differing styles depending on the 'Bearer. This collar, when placed upon a human of matching natural energy, the 'bearer and the now Collared are bound together permanently. The Collar-Bearer tends to be the dominant force in the relationship, as the collar gives control over the Collared. Thus, a Collar-Bearer's bid in life is to seek out his/her Collared, collar them, and command them to do battle against the Bestials. A note, 'Bearers don't fight normally. If they get in a fight, something has gone SNAFU, if you'll excuse the military jargon. So, probably not many attack abilities here.

Collared: The Collared are humans born with the ability to see people's auras. This is, of course, not their claim to fame (or infamy, in this case). However, it is necessary to their futures. Their ability is related to the special aura, or energy wavelength, they exude, which is exactly the same as a Collar-Bearer. Not, that is, that there is only one Collared to a 'Bearer, energetically speaking. However, the two can only come together if their auras are the same. When they do, the 'Bearer collars the Unawakened Collared (It's a collar, you can imagine your own way of it getting on a neck.) and they are bound together forever. While this gives the 'Bearer a warrior to boss around, it gives the Collared powers. Depending on the partnership, the powers and strength of the powers differ. Since very few 'Bearers actually tell their Collared beforehand, and since this usually makes him/her subservient to the Collar-Bearer, they tend to be genuinely pissed off a lot.

Bestial: The Bestial are born obviously deformed, with a mostly human body with pieces of their form estranged and animal-like. Bestials are the opposite form of magical evolution in the human race to the Collar-Bearers and Collared. They develop mystical abilities, identical to the Collared's abilities except for a slightly, well, bestial tweak. Razor fur and super strength, bleeding your enemy dry with innumerable cuts? "Yes, please!" say the flapping snouts. er...sorry.
O/Os

Emotions blind us. Passions corrupt us. Adoration brings only pain. But I wouldn't trade a moment of my pain, corruption, and blindness for all the peace and tranquility in the world. After all, how boring does that sound?

mkkdreams

*runs in and raises hand*

I'm interested... where do I sign up?

*looks around wondering if this is like the DMV, where numbers and numerous forms are required*

Xearts

"Right here, Miss" A bespectacled man in brown robes appears along with a large desk. On the desk are several pieces of parchment and a quill pen in a stopper of ink. "If you would." The old man gestures towards the parchment, which each bears a form for the description of a humanoid being.

Name:
Nickname:
Age:
Gender:
Orientation:
Race:
Appearance:
Personality:
Powers/Skills:
Collar Design:(Only for 'Bearers.)

"Feel free to add anything else you think of in the extra space, of course."
O/Os

Emotions blind us. Passions corrupt us. Adoration brings only pain. But I wouldn't trade a moment of my pain, corruption, and blindness for all the peace and tranquility in the world. After all, how boring does that sound?

Raveled

Interested.  Will have to work on something.  My immediate instinct is to grab a bestial because, well... >:)  But I think a normie would have greater RP opportunites.

Q: What is the world like outside the cities?  Is it still habitable, shattered wasteland, somewhere in between?  How does trade between the cities work?  Caravans, air travel, et cetera?
O|O A|A Ideas

"Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All the people in the whole world. I mean everybody. No matter how boring or dull they are on the outside, inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, stupid, wonderful worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe." Neil Gaiman

Xearts

The world exists in a similar fashion to what it is now, but all mountains are now islands, Deserts swampland, the lowest ground now mighty mountains. In other words, whatever the first one to say something is in character, is canon. Airships and super-science aren't much farther along than they are now, so I doubt there are many just floating around. The cities were created in an effort to solidize the human race. The vast majority of people are taught that to tread the world without approval of the Government is to instantly become Bestial food, or the plaything of a Collar-Bearer.
O/Os

Emotions blind us. Passions corrupt us. Adoration brings only pain. But I wouldn't trade a moment of my pain, corruption, and blindness for all the peace and tranquility in the world. After all, how boring does that sound?


Xearts

I'm glad. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. Otherwise, please fill out the application at the Registrar's desk.  ;)
O/Os

Emotions blind us. Passions corrupt us. Adoration brings only pain. But I wouldn't trade a moment of my pain, corruption, and blindness for all the peace and tranquility in the world. After all, how boring does that sound?

Doomsday

I actually read the whole OP and it looks very interesting, reads like a folktale. Stating my interest, I'll work on a character sheet later.

Doomsday

Do the Bearers have direct control over the collared? Can the collared live as regular humans before they're taken by the Bearers? Are the collared usually collared willingly or is it more unwilling on their part?

Xearts

Yes, Bearers do in fact have direct control over their Collared. It is next to impossible for a Collared to disobey their Bearer when the Bearer gives an actual order. Bearers are born with their collars. Collared are those that receive the collars around their necks. Uncollared, as I refer to those that have the potential to be Collared, but have yet to be, live among normal humans for their entire life until collaring as a rule. All rules have exceptions, though. It's not that the Collared are unwilling, but it is more often that the Bearer seduces the Uncollared and uses sex as an excuse to slip a random collar on their neck. Unfortunately, it seems difficult in most worlds to convince someone to put on your collar through anything but sex. ;) So, it's more like they feel tricked.
O/Os

Emotions blind us. Passions corrupt us. Adoration brings only pain. But I wouldn't trade a moment of my pain, corruption, and blindness for all the peace and tranquility in the world. After all, how boring does that sound?


Doomsday

Work in progress. Not sure what naming conventions I should use, just modern names? And I'm curious if there's anyone making a female bearer who would like to collar me :o

Name:
Nickname:
Age:
Gender: Male
Orientation: Straight
Race: Human (Uncollared)
Appearance:
Personality:
Powers/Skills:

Crovonovin

Count me in!  I've been looking for a game like this for quite awhile.  I have two separate ideas for characters.  If I may, I would probably play them brothers.  I'm taking a few liberties with the "beast" aspect, but I hope they're acceptable!

Name: Edmund Dakoit
Nickname: Hugin the Enlightened
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Orientation: Undecided
Race: Bestial (Raven)
Personality:

Unlike many of his kind--and particularly his unstable brother--Edmund possesses an extremely lucid demeanor.  There is little that breaks through the mental barriers he has built up around himself, least of all physical pain.  He is an exceedingly difficult individual to read, and his transmogrified face only makes it all the harder to discern his mood at any given moment.  The natural violent nature of the Bestial race seems completely absent in him, as though he has gone through great lengths to elevate himself beyond the limitations of his tainted blood.

Though he does not speak in a monotonous fashion--preferring to put great emphasis and passion into the little he does say--his pitch rarely rises past that of a forceful whisper.  His words can be every bit as frustrating to understand as the rest of him, often turning even the most simple of conversations into an elaborately cryptic puzzle.  Though many believe him to be some sort of saint amongst the bestial race, his brother does not hide his own opinion that Edmund is simply a different sort of crazy than the rest of them.

Powers:

Edmund has the aura of a pacifist, but is not above violence when the need arises.  It is a cold and calculating wrath, focused into surgical strikes and guerilla tactics where sheer brute strength might fail him.  His cruel talons are capable of shredding through kevlar with little effort, and his beak can be thrust with enough force to puncture steel.

Though his wings cannot be used for flight, they do allow him an extraordinary aptitude for jumping and limited gliding capabilities.  Their feathers are every bit as sharp as a steel knife, and can be forced to molt for use as ranged weapons.

Much like his Collared cousins, Edmund has a particular knack for reading the auras of other living beings.  Unlike his cousins this extends even to the lowest forms of life, from microbes to blades of grass.  What advantages this brings him are difficult to pin down, but seem to have contributed to his "Enlightened" state of being.





Name: Jasper Dakoit
Nickname: "Get back here you sonova bitch!"
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Orientation: Anything that moves.
Race: Bestial (Octopus)
Personality:

Jasper is in total contrast to his brother Edmund, but it would be a dangerous mistake to call him the fool.  He is spontaneous, crude, promiscuous, borderline sociopathic, a practicing kleptomaniac, and insulting to all five senses, but possesses the mind of a brilliant--if unorthodox--tactician.  If Edmund is the master of creating riddles, Jasper is the master at solving them.  His curiosity cannot be contained by morals or common sense; being secretive around him is akin to inviting him to probe every wrinkle of one's brain, among other less savoury parts of one's anatomy. 

Where his brother would be more than content to simply sit in a tree and meditate for days on end, he provides their little duo with some much needed direction.  He has a particular fondness for stealing things from high security areas, even if he has no particular need for the object in question.  On more than one occasion he has returned the very stolen item back to its original position, just to see if he could after the defenses have been put on their guard. 

Powers/Skills:

Jasper's most obvious advantage comes from his extraneous limbs, which can be used both to pick a lock and to crush a man's skull with equal ease.  Each sucker is lined with retractable teeth for wounding particularly troublesome opponents, or for extra grip on slippery surfaces. 

Like the species he takes after, he is also able to blend in with his surrounding environment.  Jasper has honed this technique to the point of becoming nearly invisible to the naked eye when motionless, even going to far as to mimic the texture of any nearby surfaces.  Even when moving he can be aggravatingly difficult to track, particularly in low light environments.

He is also quite obviously able to breathe underwater indefinitely, but also requires a good moistening often in order to keep from drying up in the sun.

Xearts

First of all, Doomsday_Jesus. In the world where every race and creed of human is packed into very small cities, a human can get away with being named anything from the Gaelic Ged, to the Ghetto Toprameneesha. (Shudders.) You're free to choose, and be creative.

Those look great, Shihong! The wider majority of Bestials are more human than other, while those seem more other than human, but it's fine for you to skim the, if you'll excuse the phrase, lunatic fringe! Of course there will be the unfortunates like Edmund and Jasper, we should keep most to a Humanoid-looking being. (Typically, the face of a Bestial is human, with whiskers or fangs and cat eyes. ;) ) I applaud your creativity, and you're definately in.

As long as we're on the subject, I think we should start off with one or two characters each, and, as the game builds, I'll allow additional characters to the really good RPers.
O/Os

Emotions blind us. Passions corrupt us. Adoration brings only pain. But I wouldn't trade a moment of my pain, corruption, and blindness for all the peace and tranquility in the world. After all, how boring does that sound?

Xanatos

I am leaning towards collared or collar bearer. Lets say I was either, would I be controlled by an NPC or would I control an NPC, or would it suffice to have a player fill either rule should any fit the bill?

Xearts

Since I can't exactly assign you an aura, it is entirely up to you to choose your partener. Make friends, trap and collar a hapless Uncollared, or get trapped and collared yourself. If it gets too bad I could, I suppose, set up a system. But for now, you're free to choose.
O/Os

Emotions blind us. Passions corrupt us. Adoration brings only pain. But I wouldn't trade a moment of my pain, corruption, and blindness for all the peace and tranquility in the world. After all, how boring does that sound?

Crovonovin

For the Collared/Collar-Bearer dynamic, I imagine it might be best if players falling into either of those two groups PMed one another ahead of time to set something up.  Just my two cents.

Xanatos

Oh yes I agree. I was just curious if xearts wanted NPC counter parts or was okay with player counter parts. I don't really have anyone in mind at the moment, so I would be open for PM's when I get my application up. For now, still not sure on which to choose, both would provide fun. Also being allowed to pursue an NPC might be fun as well...

xearts would you control the NPC counterpart or would the player? I could control my own with no problems, just not sure what you think.

Xearts

Well, you would unless it was necessary for you to have someone else control your partner. I can't really think of a reason for that to be, but you never know. If you want an NPC partner, that's fine, but I'll still need a barebones application for them, since you might want someone to play the character later on. And, of course, NPCs can't take part in a battle in direct form. In other words, you would have to be the Collared if you want to fight anyone else.
O/Os

Emotions blind us. Passions corrupt us. Adoration brings only pain. But I wouldn't trade a moment of my pain, corruption, and blindness for all the peace and tranquility in the world. After all, how boring does that sound?

Xanatos

Just curious why an NPC could not fight.

Either way, thats fine. I will create my character, leave myself open for PM's but if no one is interested, I will have an NPC fleshed out to control. Thanks xearts.

Not sure when I will have my app up. Hopefully not to long.

Xearts

NPC can't do battle for the same reason you can't send the store owner you meet in town into battle. Because he doesn't have a player. You may control the NPC, but you aren't the NPC. You don't really share their thoughts. Without a player, nothing can enter battle. They can make nice little distractions during the battle, but they aren't the battle itself.

I look forward to seeing your characters.
O/Os

Emotions blind us. Passions corrupt us. Adoration brings only pain. But I wouldn't trade a moment of my pain, corruption, and blindness for all the peace and tranquility in the world. After all, how boring does that sound?

Raveled

Here's my unCollared.  Not quite done yet.

Name Joseph "Joe" Patton
Age 25
Gender Male
Orientation Het
Race White (unCollared)
Appearance Joe is a tall, well-built white male in his mid-twenties, with a severe buzz cut and hard, blue eyes.  He normally dresses in gray and white camo gear hung around with belts and equipment webbing, topped with a forage cap.  His preferred weapon is a semi-automatic hunting rifle with a wooden stock, though he has a nickle-plated revolver as a sidearm.
Personality
Powers/Skills Joe is a trained soldier, and as such knowledgeable about a wide range of weapons and combat tactics.  His family's background and natural inclination lead him to become something of a mechanic, and so he also has knowledge of machinery.  Oh yeah, and he can see auras.
O|O A|A Ideas

"Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All the people in the whole world. I mean everybody. No matter how boring or dull they are on the outside, inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, stupid, wonderful worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe." Neil Gaiman

Doomsday

Name: Manius Walker
Nickname: "Manny"
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Orientation: Straight
Race: Human (Uncollared)
Appearance: x
Stands about 6'2", average build. Short-medium length, light brown hair, green eyes.
Personality: Manny is quiet, withdrawn, having only a few very close friends. He has always been a very observational person, and a very good listener. An aspiring poet, and author.
Powers/Skills: Outside of his ability to see auras, a secret he keeps to himself, Manny has no particular technical or physical prowess.

WhiteyChan