Incarna: Not Another Isekai [Original] [All Welcome]

[AndyZ]

For those not familiar with Isekai, it's a sub-genre of story where people (usually from modern-day Earth) are magically brought to a fantasy world to aid in its problems.  Even if you're not familiar with anime, Narnia certainly qualifies, but no previous information is necessary.  This story is original even if Isekai itself is a well-worn trope.

In this story, the fantasy realm of Inai is under attack by Shadows and Darkness, creatures who hope to drain Inai of all magic and leave it mundane and helpless.  To aid in the threat, heroes have been magically sought from the realm of Earth, which was itself magically ravaged thousands of years before.  As such, it is hoped that those of Earth might appreciate having some degree of the ability to enact vengeance.

Rather than summon the physical bodies of those of Earth (something beyond even the power of the archwizards), they invoke the magical ritual of Incarna: manifesting a female body with various abilities.  The body of the person on Earth need not be female, but their gender identity should be such that they can adapt to a female body and she/her pronouns.  (Trans women are welcome, as are those who would need a chance to adjust but who would welcome their new body soon enough.)

(I want to stress that I'm talking about characters here.  I don't care what your L-tag says or what your gender might be as a player.  Everyone is welcome, and if you really want to play but cannot handle a female body, talk to me.)

Every Incarna is summoned with a Class Item, either a handheld object or a piece of jewelry that grants abilities.  This is often either a weapon or some kind or something that grants access to magic.  No two are identical, but a rapier is different from a longsword, for example.  Every Incarna innately knows how to use their Class Item.

I have a very basic system concept wherein I'll pretty much be using rolls behind the scenes to tell you how well you did for anything complex.

Now, I have a few ideas for the world of Inai, but the plan here is for the world to be created communally with an understanding both of what people want and for their lines and veils.  The basic plan is that anything cultural will be only if everyone is okay with it, and anything sexual will happen in private but only requires that the people not okay with it not be in that scene.

For example, if one person doesn't want the world to have slavery, it doesn't matter if everyone else does want it.  However, if only one person wants futanari/intersex characters, they will exist but won't go after anyone who isn't sexually attracted to them.

Incarna will join the world with equipment and armor (unless you the player want something to have gone wrong and show up naked) and be given a letter of credit from the crown for various inns, taverns, stores, and so on.  When invasions come, characters will likely be broken into small groups if we have enough players.

Those are the basic rules and I'll be putting down the more advanced rules in the next post.  I set this up as the basic to give people a sense of everything before getting into the nitty gritty.

The short version is that you'll be asked to pick whether you have magic and what kind of armor you might wear, and I have a few basic things like Wounds and Fatigue as a single digit number to keep track of how hurt and exhausted a character might be.  If you know nothing about system and want things put in plain language, I can absolutely do so.

More advanced and detailed rules are in the next post.

[AndyZ]

If there are rules here you want bent, talk to me.

Earth characters

It is generally assumed that you'll be from Earth in the year 2024.  You'll have a firm understanding of 2024 mores and culture (like that nobles and commoners should really be equal) but you will not be able to build advanced technology yourself.  If you're dead set on having some sort of chemist, talk to me and I'll probably remove some other features to adjust the power level accordingly.

Somehow, your character read or heart about Inai.  Maybe they read a book, or found a website, or just heard a person with weird ears, who they thought was homeless, ranting on the bus.  Your character also consented in some way to be chosen as an Incarna, whether wanting it with all their heart, clicking the "Okay" button on the website, or even just saying "Yeah, sure" aloud and sarcastically.

If your character will want to be sent back at first before being talked into staying, but you the player want them to stay, talk to me beforehand and make this clear.

Incarna

As mentioned, every Incarna should be in a female body on Inai, regardless of what body they have on Earth.  The IC reason for this is that the last time this spell was used, they conjured a male who seduced various Queens, set various Queendoms against each other in a bid for his love, and caused civil war.

The OOC reason is simple: I'm only attracted to female characters and this is an E game, so I expect at least some level of smut.  Again, don't care what you are as a player or what your L-tag says.

When an Incarna's body is destroyed, it dissipates in a burst of sparkling mana, and the spirit returns to Earth to find that no time at all has passed.  Unless that person has explicitly stated that they do not desire to return to Inai, they'll be summoned into a new Incarna after twenty-four Earth hours, which could be a variable amount of time on Inai.

Incarna are not supposed to be able to become pregnant (or cause a pregnancy in the case of that historical male), but flaws in the spell can happen if that's really something that someone wants to happen.

Incarna are phenomenally beautiful and charismatic.  Even the chronically shy have people at their beck and call, waiting patiently for the shy Incarna to explain their every desire.  (This is E.  If you really want to play someone unattractive, I guess you can, and they'd be menacing and intimidating to a similar effect.)  Hair for female Incarna only grows on the scalp and eyebrows, and they only get scarred if the player wants them to.

If someone really wants a non-female Incarna, it'll probably be handled that something in the spell went wrong and steps are taken to ensure the character doesn't seduce various queens like the last one did.  Your character really won't have much in the way of sexual opportunity beyond other PCs.

Class Items

Every Incarna comes hand in hand with a unique Class Item.  Two different people might have a rapier and a longsword, but no two people will have exactly the same classification.

A Class Item can be dissipated into sparkling mana and resummoned back into its proper form, and any sentient being from Inai who sees one will instantly recognize the wielder as an Incarna.  Depending on the item, even nonsentient being like birds and horses may recognize the wielder as a friend and ally.

If the Class Item is a weapon, it can be a melee or reach weapon (Eastern or unusual weapons are certainly allowed), thrown (in which case it dissipates and reforms after being thrown), or projectile (where the ammunition forms and dissipates).  Non-automatic firearms are allowed but are encouraged to be primitive, like a musket or a flintlock pistol.

If the Class Item is not a weapon, it most likely bestows some specific ability, most likely magical ability.  Wands, staves, tomes, orbs, crystals, rings, crowns, scepters, and so on are all feasible.

If you want something that doesn't fit into any category, talk to me about it, but I'll mostly allow it.  I've seen Final Fantasy characters with all kinds of ridiculous things.

Wounds

An Incarna's body can take a certain number of Wounds before dissipating (and remember that death isn't permanent).  This number will generally be between 3 and 6.  Magical healing can remove Wounds, as can a good night's rest.

Fatigue

Like Wounds, Fatigue is a number to represent when a character has overtaxed their stamina.  Having 1 Fatigue means you're a little winded.  Having 3 Fatigue means you're exhausted.

Fatigue is removed by resting and recuperating for a half an hour or so.

Dice

I'll be rolling 2d6 behind the scenes when I'm not sure how well you did.  Don't worry too much about this but I'll explain the plans for those who are curious.

The plan is, a roll of 2-4 is an outright failure and you've got big problems coming your way.  A roll of 5-7 is a mixed success where you probably more or less manage what you intended but are facing problems.  Maybe I'll give you a choice between outcomes.  On an 8+, you manage without a problem.

Fatigue is subtracted directly from the roll, but added after the roll has already been made, and thus not counted in a roll that gives Fatigue.  There are no bonuses because, if something was already seriously in the character's favor, I wouldn't bother rolling.

Magic

Characters can be Warriors, Thematic Mages, or Universal Mages.

A Warrior has no initial access to magic and can take five wounds before dissipating.

A Thematic Mage can take four wounds before dissipating but gets access to a single category of magic.  A Light Wizard might have the ability to heal and illuminate a room but their spells only damage the undead.  If you want this route, pitch me the kind of theme and limitations you want your mage to have.

A Universal Mage has no thematic limit on the type of magic they can use but can only take three wounds before dissipating.

Magic has various options but is more apt to cost Fatigue or even Wounds, depending on how the roll goes.  Want to clear a room of goblins with a Fireball?  That'll cost you Fatigue even on a good roll.  (The Fatigue does not subtract from that specific roll.)  On a middling roll, a spell may be successful with side effects, such as a healing spell damaging the caster by siphoning life energy instead of a pure cure.

Simple noncombat dramatic effects like lighting up a room with light magic, cleaning off clothes, or holding a ball of flame in the ball of your hand do not require rolls, but flying or changing the weather would.

Armor

Your character will either have Robes, Light Armor, or Heavy Armor.

Robes: Most likely a mage of some kind, your character is gifted with Knowledge.  They'll have more inherent information about various affairs than the others.

Light Armor: Most likely leather or hide, maybe a thin shirt of chain.  Your character is better at stealthing than most, not worn down by heavy armor.

Heavy Armor: This is usually for warriors, like plate mail or heavy chain mail.  Your character can withstand one extra Wound before dissipating.

You are free to say that your character categorizes into one of these three but doesn't actually wear them.  A Barbarian who counts as wearing Heavy Armor but fights naked?  I'll allow it.  Mystic bracers that provide armor bonuses?  Sure.

Combat

Very few monsters will be able to withstand more than a single successful attack.  I will most likely ask you how you want to destroy a creature.  Shadows are three-dimensional beings of pure darkness that disperse into oily muck when slain.  Nightmares can be all sorts of icky things.

Advancement

I have plans for characters to get stronger as time goes on, but no plans for this yet.  Most likely I'll be giving warriors various special moves that use Fatigue and mages various other options.  Suggestions are welcome here.

Describing Inai

As mentioned, I plan to have the players help set up and collaborate with the world-building.  Do you want elves?  Catgirls? 

Some of the thoughts I've had are things I'll share, but if people don't like them, I'll be happy to remove them.

As I imagine the world, it's a Matriarchy with light misandry.  Women are expected to make the first move in a relationship with the belief that they understand men better than men understand women.  In chess in Inai, the King can move all over the board but it's the Queen that has to be captured to win the game.  Again, this can easily be removed if it makes anyone uncomfortable; just let me know.

The other strange thing is that, no matter where the characters go, they never meet any children.  It's the darndest thing.  It's almost as though AndyZ doesn't want any children in the world and can't be bothered to come up with a reason.  Maybe they're all in a giant orphanage being protected somewhere.

Relationships and Smut Level

This being Elliquiy, I expect that everyone is going to want to get their smut on.  This is absolutely NOT required, however.  If you want to play an Asexual character, you have that right and won't be pushed into anything sexual.

What I expect is that everyone (other than aforementioned Asexuals) can give me some understanding of an NPC they'd like to try to romance.  Let me know preferred gender (futanari/intersex included) and if you want a particular species like elf or catgirl.  I can't fill the world with dozens of detailed NPCs but I can try to make sure people have some options, including each other if they choose.

To this end, let me know the level of smut you're hoping for.

Posting and groups

In my experience, what kills forum games the fastest is when all the characters are in one place and everyone is expected to post.  When you have to wait for several people, it's the slowest ones who take the longest, while faster players can rack out several posts.

As such, Incarna are encouraged in world not to congregate together in large groups because their grouping up makes an ambush all the more likely.  Missions against monsters will be handled by sending Incarna out in small groups.  You're free to meet each other and plan but try not to get together with several people at once.

This is a guideline and a judgment call.  Each of your characters will meet the Queen individually soon after arrival and then sent into the city to check things out, where I'll keep narrating further.

If someone stops posting and goes inactive for at least an RL week without any word, I'll step in to free up the other characters.  The character in question may need to be dissipated depending on the events of the scene; let me know if you have an issue with this and I'll ensure it's done another way.

[AndyZ]

So, for interested players, please copy the questions along with your answers:

Code Select Expand

[b]1.) Any ideas for your Class Item?[/b]
[b]2.) What will your character's sexual orientiation be?[/b]
[b]3.) How smutty do you want things to be?[/b]
[b]4.) Assuming you want smut, do you have a particular ideas for an NPC you want your character to have available?[/b]
[b]5.) Any requests on how you want Inai to be or not be?[/b]
[b]6.) Would you like a Discord channel?[/b]
[b]7.) Anything else you want me to know about you?[/b]


[FoxgirlJay]

1.) Any ideas for your Class Item? - I've got a pretty solid idea in mind for my character. Rather straight forward, hers would be a Katana.
2.) What will your character's sexual orientiation be? - Bisexual
3.) How smutty do you want things to be? - Big fan of smut, until it gets in the way of telling a story.
4.) Assuming you want smut, do you have a particular ideas for an NPC you want your character to have available? - Futa gals on the more dommy-side. A shy guy she could tease and toy with.
5.) Any requests on how you want Inai to be or not be? - I think it'd be interesting to go further with the idea of people from different cultures being granted great power and immediate reverence, suddenly being dropped in to this place. What result would that have on the culture on Inai? Maybe it results in a strange patchwork sort of setting? But so far as what that culture ends up being, I don't have any particularly strong wants or hard lines. Different fantasy race/cultures to interact with. For my part, I intend to play a foxgirl, the sort with only tails/ears as the animal features.
6.) Would you like a Discord channel? - yes
7.) Anything else you want me to know about you? Nothing off the top of my head.

[AndyZ]

1.) Any ideas for your Class Item? - I've got a pretty solid idea in mind for my character. Rather straight forward, hers would be a Katana.
2.) What will your character's sexual orientiation be? - Bisexual
3.) How smutty do you want things to be? - Big fan of smut, until it gets in the way of telling a story.
4.) Assuming you want smut, do you have a particular ideas for an NPC you want your character to have available? - Futa gals on the more dommy-side. A shy guy she could tease and toy with.
5.) Any requests on how you want Inai to be or not be? - I think it'd be interesting to go further with the idea of people from different cultures being granted great power and immediate reverence, suddenly being dropped in to this place. What result would that have on the culture on Inai? Maybe it results in a strange patchwork sort of setting? But so far as what that culture ends up being, I don't have any particularly strong wants or hard lines. Different fantasy race/cultures to interact with. For my part, I intend to play a foxgirl, the sort with only tails/ears as the animal features.
6.) Would you like a Discord channel? - yes
7.) Anything else you want me to know about you? Nothing off the top of my head.

I admit I hadn’t considered the idea of having Incarna having nonhuman features, but I’m for it to a degree.  Fox ears and tail are good by me.

Having too much power is definitely part of the setting.  Queens will step in if it gets outright abusive, but some of them can be seduced as well.  I will step in and talk to people if it causes severe player vs player conflict.

I’ve had good experience with having separate smut threads and mission threads where the actual mission is going on.

Welcome and good to see you.

[FoxgirlJay]

Having too much power is definitely part of the setting.  Queens will step in if it gets outright abusive, but some of them can be seduced as well.  I will step in and talk to people if it causes severe player vs player conflict.

Perhaps I should've been more specific about about what I meant with that. I probably should have used the word "Influence" in regards to what effect the Incarna would have. The power they have, and the reverence the common people would have for them would surely influence the culture of the world, based on the ideals and creature comforts the Incarna hold.

They won't (as you had stated) be inventing electricity or other advanced technology... But they could have influence on other parts of culture. Food, clothes, language, entertainment.

[AndyZ]

Perhaps I should've been more specific about about what I meant with that. I probably should have used the word "Influence" in regards to what effect the Incarna would have. The power they have, and the reverence the common people would have for them would surely influence the culture of the world, based on the ideals and creature comforts the Incarna hold.

They won't (as you had stated) be inventing electricity or other advanced technology... But they could have influence on other parts of culture. Food, clothes, language, entertainment.

I'm reminded of the anime "How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom."  It's on Hulu.  I can definitely make sure to work on such things to ensure they're included to at least some degree, though.  Admittedly I might have glossed over such matters if it wasn't implicitly suggested; I'm taking notes and planning now.

I figure characters will start with default attire that fits the style of the Queendom, but nothing stops them from changing their own attire, making requests for food, and other such things.  Maybe a potato light with copper wire if we have someone with the knowhow, but that would be more a gimmick when most common people have candles, torches, and lanterns.