Halo: Extinction

[Sabby]

The Flood is not some stupid parasite. It has a center. A mind. And it has spoken to us, laughing. We are not the first. It has done this before, elsewhere...

Ancient Forerunner Log

Millions of years ago, a parasite took a grip on the universe. It was known as, "The Flood". Each enemy that fell joined its ranks, and the infection spread. It was unstoppable. All the space faring races that fought were consumed, and those that ran were only delaying their fates. Every 16 hours, another planet would be taken.

The Forerunners had been the ones to unknowingly unleash this terror. They were the most advanced race in the universe, and they had prepared for an outbreak such as this. It was an absolute last resort, and so a thousand other plans were tried, and all failed. Billions of men and women fell before only one option remained.

The last of the Forerunners, possibly the last intelligent beings left in the universe, retreated to The Ark. It was here they would hide, and from here, they activated the 7 Halo's.

Great waves of energy coursed through the galaxy, destroying any creature with sufficient intelligence and body mass to sustain the parasite. How this was done, we do not know. How the Forerunners survived in the Ark, we do not know.

But the universe was picked clean. There were no hosts left. the parasite starved to death.

Emerging from the Ark, the Forerunners began to rebuild.

They had survived a genocide that had continued long before their time. The universe had fallen to the parasite many times before. With the Halo's, they had managed to break the cycle.

Now, it is the year 2525. Humans have advanced and colonized the universe. Known as the UNSC, they have become locked in a devastating war with The Covenant, a ring of fanatical alien races who have been led to believe the humans extinction is the will of their Gods, the Ancient Forerunners.

Little do they know, the humans are the Forerunners descendants, "The Children of the Ark" when their war brings them to accidentally unlock a pocket of hibernating Flood, the Covenant cast down their leaders and form an alliance with the UNSC. Led by The Prohpets lies, they had wrongfully burned the humans worlds, killing countless innocents.

Now the war is over, and an even more deadly foe must be faced. The Forerunners had barely managed to save themselves before. Could it be stopped again? Or will The Covenant and the UNSC fall, as countless empires have in the past.

Take up the Plasma Sword and fight for Sangheili pride as an Elite.

Become the unstoppable power of a Spartan super soldier.

Put on the boots of a simple human Marine

be the Captain of a massive UNSC vessel or Covenant ship and take part in big scale space battles against the infected ships of The Flood.

Drop in and defend your worlds on foot, collaborating with past enemies to push this parasite into extinction.

Whether by air, space, on foot or in vehicles, by the technology of Human and Alien weaponry, you have a chance. You can break the cycle, and stop the Flood once and for all.


Completely Freeform, and alternate take on the Halo storyline. Partly based on real Halo Back story.

[Jefepato]

I think I should read up a little more on the Halo backstory, but I'm in.

[Sabby]

If you'd like, I could post the basics. Though I'm not a pure Halo nerd, so things like dates and stuff I wouldn't have...

Anyway, welcome aboard :) have any idea how your going to play? Character?

::NOTE::: Alternate Take on Halo. Back story may be altered in places.

[Jefepato]

Not entirely sure.  I might play one of the Covenant races if I can find a suitable list/images somewhere.  If not one of them, probably a Spartan -- they might not be a match for Gordon Freeman, but they're still undeniably badass.

[Sabby]

Gordon Freeman is an incredibly skilled human being. No match for the power of a Spartan.

[Jefepato]

Lies.  Look, I have proof:

http://img117.imageshack.us/my.php?image=freemanik7.jpg

Clearly, the war just would've been too easy if the SPARTAN project had fielded theoretical physicists instead of super-soldiers.

[Sabby]

Oh for the love of gawd! XD photoshoppers...

The Spartans were a complicated project. Couples who were in for check ups had their DNA scanned, and certain combinations of genes were found that would support the project. Secretly, the couples were altered so that they would bear a child who would be incredibly responsive to the training and alteration of a Spartan that they had in mind at the time.

The kids were born, and at a young age, they were stolen and replaced with clones that would soon die of natural deceases. There were roughly 100 children, and they were told honestly what had been done, and they had undergone intense training, education and tactics. As early teens, they were all incredible covert operatives, working perfectly as a team.

The next phases came, and as the years went by, the Spartans were altered, the standard faster/stronger/better in every way cliche. Many of them couldn't take the augmentation, and became mentally and/or physically handicapped. By the time their Mjolnir armor was being tested, only 33 remained.

When the wars broke out, Covenant shielding technology was adapted and improved upon, and added to the Spartans armor. Cortana, a very unique and advanced AI, was infused with John 117, the Master Chief. She could inhabit a gel layer in his armor, which acted as an enhanced extension of his own mind.

She quickened his senses even more, and now, he can spike his abilities to the point where he will act before he even realizes he was considering acting. His reflexes were so enhanced at one point, he deflected a missile with his arm, and he done it so fast he didn't realize he was about to do it.

Thats the history of the Spartans for you :)

[Jefepato]

Hm, very nice.

The Elites don't seem as cool as I'd hoped, and they appear to be the only Covie race that makes a likely PC for this sort of game.  I think I'll go with a Spartan.

*runs off to Wikipedia*

[Sabby]

Elites have a lot of interesting options. I love the mentality of them. Now, if you wanted to be a Grunt... hehe.

"Little people first!"

[Jefepato]

It seems like most of the non-Elite Covenant races, at least the ones that actually fight (i.e. not the ruling class, whatever they were called), have mentalities that would make them implausible as PCs.

Especially Grunts, but also Brutes, etc.

[Sabby]

Hmmm... the Prophets your thinking of, but they get booted. So I'm assuming the Jiralhannae (Brutes) get booted along with them. Grunts, Elites and Hunters (or Unngoy, Sangheili and Lekgolo if you wanna be technical) join up with the humans, thats for sure.

Another non-combat race is the Engineers. Floated, gas filled jelly fish things that repair machinery. So not right for a PC.

Hmmm... I wonder if the Sentinels could be incorporated somehow. Bipedal robots would kick ass.

[HairyHeretic]

Sounds fun, but I've never played HALO, or read any of the comics / novels, so not sure how well I could stick to the canon.

[Jefepato]

I've barely played Halo, hairy.  It shouldn't be too hard to get the hang of it if you skim Wikipedia a little.

[Sabby]

Never had a game with you HH :) if you do join up, Halo is a great plot line, and as Jef said, its not too hard to get into.

[HairyHeretic]

Generic military sci fi I can do quite easily. I'd just want to get a feel for the background of HALO before committing to play. Aside from wikipedia, any good links?

[Sabby]

Hmmm... never needed a reference myself, but I do remember a really helpful site.

*scrounges around for link*

http://halostory.bungie.org/story/resources.html

[psouth119]

i would love to join this role play. i love halo, i've played all 3 halo games and read the books. Im in as a badass spartan

[Sabby]

Hmmm... reading the books is a definite plus :) but I've had you in my Heroines games, and I know your role playing can be a little too jumpy. So I'm a little weary on letting you in...

[psouth119]

have you guys started the role play yet

[Sabby]

No. So far, we have Jefe in, HairyHeretic seems interested, but not official, and a new member Question Mark shouldn't be too opposed to playing.

[LordAnubis]

Sounds intresting.  At the risk of joining a mass on one side I'd want to be a spartan as well.  I like the Elite and their cloaking armor, just found spartan's to be more my speed.

Granted I also say that because whenevr I played co-op I always reposessed vehicles for my parner and it just looked cooler to see the spartan jumping onto the back of a charging Ghost and de-setting the covent warrior on it.

[Sabby]

If Halo 3 Co-Op mode taught us anything, its that Elites can kick ass too :)

Seeing as how every man and his dog are guna be a Spartan, looks like I'll decide on something else. I'll have a main character, and control the NPC's. I'll share the NPC control though, so feel free to bring in your own and control NPC's where appropriate.

Since the story focuses heavily on the Flood, that could open some possibilities. We know they have Worker Forms, Combat Forms, Ranger Forms, Carrier Forms and Commander Forms, but those can vary A LOT! The Combat Forms we've seen have have been based off Human and Elite corpses, but with sufficient mass, The Flood can mutate their hosts.

Basically, throw a heap of bodies in a pile and make a big, twisted, hulking behemoth. So, we should have some fun with some different Flood forms :)

toying with the idea of a Host World. We know the Flood has one... but is it a planet where they centre they're operations? Or is it an actual Flood...

[Archangel]

SPARTANs are for suckers !!!!  ;D j/k

I'm a big HALO fan, and would probably be interested in playing in such a game, but I would want to play an ODST Marine, the best of the best...

[Sabby]

Ah! A Helljumper! one of the hardest damned soldiers in the whole UNSC. You'd be dropping in to the fight from orbit, running the risk of burning up in your pod.

[Archangel]

Helljumpers don't die... They go to hell and regroup...

Sign me up !!!

[Sabby]

Honestly, I did not expect any posts in this. At all. Surprised to see some interest :)

So we have Jefe, Archangel, Lord Anubis and hopefully HH. Still need to PM Question Mark.

[HairyHeretic]

See, my problem is that I'm reading the posts here, and half the jargon is going straight over my head. I have a rough idea what you're talking about, but don't have a clue about the specifics. I'm going to hold off on committing to this til I've had a chance to actually read up on the background.

[Sabby]

Thats fair man :)

[psouth119]

so am i allowed in this or not???

[Sabby]

As I said, I'm in a bit of a situation here... you have the background advantage the others don't (except Jef I think) but...

Ok, I'll give you one chance. Your in man :) but I suggest this time over, you read through your posts before you actually post them. If they don't sound right, touch them up a bit. I really hope you like the game.

[psouth119]

thank you so much and i will try my hardest not to mess up

and over the past few days i've been writing a halo fan fic would you like to see it?

[Sabby]

Sure :) pm it to me.

[Archangel]

I know a bit about the world of HALO as well, so for any of you who aren't sure about something or have questions, feel free to ask !!!

[Sabby]

Well, it shouldn't be long now. I've always wanted to explore this scenario :) its hinted at a lot, but never really upon. Since theres no way to rp the Forerunners... best to just recreate it.

[Question Mark]

Hmm, I could probably squeeze in there.  I know everything and anything there is to know about Halo (see my title, Shameless Fanboi alright), and have written a short novels worth of fan fiction.  You can find that here (http://halosn.bungie.org/fanfic/?author=The_Meep).  The better stuff is towards the bottom.  I had only started seriously writing, so the first few, well, suck.  And yes, my name is The Meep...

ANYWAYS, for my character in Halo.  Definately an Elite.  I love Elites.  Their mentality, their speech, their combat style.  Their POV has to be my best to write from.

A question, though.  Um, where are these SPARTANs coming from?  There aren't any SPARTANs, well, left.  Most got snuffed out on Reach, and the survivors are locked inside of a Dyson Sphere contained within a meter wide Slipspace bubble in the center of a nuclear/planetary firestorm.  Unless you're talking about the SPARTAN-III's; there's still 300 or so of them chilling out somewhere after the Covenant started laying siege to Earth.  Just that S-III's are like twelve and thirteen years old, so that might make for awkward RPing.

~I~

[Sabby]

oh, man... right now I'm kicking myself for not reading Ghosts of Onyx.

I already took the liberty of setting everything up in a Flood Genocide. Might as well add in the Spartans.

And I agree, the Sangheili rule.

[psouth119]

so when we gonna start ??? ??? ???   

:o :o :o

[Sabby]

Ok, we have all the characters we need, I have some ideas coming along... yep, the light is green people. While you wait for an opening post, bug me with rough ideas for your characters :)

I'll be playing a Sangheili (Elite)

[Question Mark]

And, uh, here's my character.  Ya...



Name: Der' Vishumii (special reference, kudos if you find it)

Age: 48 (roughly equal to 25 in Human years)

Species: Sangheili, more commonly known as Elites.

Background: Trained to be a warrior from birth, Der 'Vishumii has excelled in the Covenant where others have failed.  Leader of a Rebel Lance (ten Grunts, five Jackals, two Elites, and a patridge in a pear tree), 'Vishumii has attained the envious Major Veteran rank (red armor) through the deaths of over two dozen Humans, as well as prowess in other wartime fields.  He has fought on Reach, Prosperity, and the First Invasion of Earth, to name a few.  'Vishumii was a devout follower of the Arbiter, and, with most of the Elites, splintered from the Covenant upon learning of the true nature of Halo.

Appearance
Height - Just over eight feet, average for an Elite.
Face - Normal Elite face, though with slightly shorter mandibles.  He has cermonial scars on the right side of his face.
Build - Lean.
Skin - Slightly darker than normal for an Elite.  A shade of black.
Eyes - Black (Haven't encountered an Elite with anything but black eyes)

Personality: Extremely loyal, 'Vishumii will try to protect his soldiers at all costs.  Unlike normal Grunts, those in 'Vishumii's Lance are willing to go into battle and never run, mainly because of his kind and guardian like demeanor.  After learning the truth about Halo, as well as the very real danger of the Flood, 'Vishumii defected to the Humans alongside the Arbiter, never really understanding why they were being exterminated in the first place.  He gives respect to those who deserve it, and death to those who don't.

Strengths:
- Strong leader.
- Accurate with a plasma rifle or plasma pistol
- Goo strategist.

Weaknesses:
- Not very accurate with grenades.  Actually, not accurate at all.
- Specialized in plasma rifles/pistols, so he very much sucks with other weaponry.

Armour: Red, with the purple stripes of the Covenant Splinter Army on his shoulders.

Anything else: Carries a Plasma Rifle and Plasma Pistol, as well as a shield similar to the young the Jackals have, but designed for Elites.


Hope you like him.

~?~

[Sabby]

Works fine :) it kind of puzzles me how such a highly trained Elite can't lob a good grenade, but meh.


Name: Tolomee Merukeah (named after the two characters of my first E roleplay, Ptolomy and Merekida)


Age: 86.


Species: A Sangheili (Elite)


Background: Almost all young Sangheili are thrust into the armor of a soldier at a young age. Tolomee was no exception. His basics were covered perfectly, but as training continued, it was clear his skills would be better used in covert/recon. He had never strived for anything incredible in rank. While the black armored stealth teams (You'll noticed I don't have a lot of the picky little details. Question Mark is clearly the new Halo nerd of E ^_^) were highly trained and far above the front line soldiers, he had never ascended the inner ranks very far. He was devout and faithful, and he was content to serve in their glory, the rank unimportant to him.

Of course, The Covenant Schism had been quite a blow to him. His mind in turmoil, he had assisted many Elites with escaping the Brutes genocide, using his covert skills to advantage parties in any way, whether it was sabotage or ambushes. He had to be resourceful, and many Elites owe a debt to him for the tactics that no doubt preserved many lives. He kept very focused, for once they had escaped and had eventually joined with the Arbiter, it was a long, slow time of self reflection for him.

Many of them had believed, had blindly lapped at the lies of The Prophets. But now, with Truth dead on the Ark, killed by the Arbiter himself, many feel as though they can go on, as if Truths blood has somehow washed much of the sin from their hands.

Tolomee has sworn loyalty to whatever may come of the Alliance between his people and the Humans. Now that the Flood has become a very real threat, he sees assisting the humans as his final atonement.


Appearance: Come on... he's an elite... a pretty slim one, with Black armor, but theres not much else that differs >.>


Personality: Resourceful, efficient, and ruthless. He can be dark at times, and can seem reclusive, but he is an honorable Elite. He will work among a team well, and alone well, preferably alone, but hes not stupid enough to be alone when the mission at hand will benefit more from a team.

Strengths:
Quick, silent spy/assassin
A Master of duel wielding Plasma Swords
An excellent shot at long range.


Weakness':
Full frontal combat isn't exactly a strength.
Weaker Shielding
Still exhibits tendencies from before he learned the truth of the Halos. So... still has some blind prejudices that he needs to work out.

Anything else?
Carries a Carbine and Modified Beam Rifle, with selected grenades, two Plasma Swords and a robust, effective Cloak. While he does not carry one, he does favor acquired Shotgun like weapons for close quarters.

[Archangel]

Name: Lt William Hawker, ODST
Age: 36
Species: Human

Background: Hawker joined the Marines right out of high school and quickly moved up the ranks until he reach Sergeant. He was an ideal soldier, strong and fast, capable of quick thinking and decision making. He volunteered for the ODST and thanks to an excellent letter of recommendation from his CO was allowed to keep his rank. He has since served with distinction on several engagements with the enemy.

Appearance
Height – Six feet, two inches
Build – Big and muscular
Skin – Medium complexion
Eyes – Brown
Hair - Brown

Personality: William is an excellent squad leader and his men respect and would follow him through hell and back. He’s strong headed and stubborn at times when the higher ranks do not agree with his assessment of the situation. In the end he follows orders regardless of his opinion of the mission and the one leading it.

Strengths:
- Excellent leadership skills.
- Excellent marksmanship skills will all UNSC small arms.
- Good electronics and vehicle operation skills.
- Survivalist.

Weaknesses:
- Problems with authority
- Tends to act to quickly before considering the consequences for those actions.

Armour, Weapons and Equipment: All Standard for ODST.

[LordAnubis]

Name: CMC Duncan Caine


Age: 38


Species: Human


Background: Caine’s early training in the Spartan Program was hampered by his resistance to the limited supplies they were given for their tests.  More often than not he was disciplined by the commanders and then his team mates for sneaking some additional bit of equipment into the training exercises which was deemed cheating.  Eventually either he became better at hiding his additional equipment or they saw it as him overcoming opposition, but regardless it continued throughout his service, resulting in him hulling back any Covent equipment that was still functional after a battle.


Appearance: His armor is the standard MJOLNIR armor with a mottled green and brown, that on close inspection no one has really been able to decide what color it is, save effective when waking through a forested environment because it doesn’t look like a manufactured color.


Personality: Caine looks at any problem you face as a failure to prepare adequately.  He is known for carrying nonstandard equipment and possibly modifying equipment assigned to him.  Once in enemy territory his first actions usually involve stealing a vehicle or weapons, using their ammo first saving his for when he’d need it.  This got to the point where those in his squad began to refer to him as the repo man, a throw back to early earth where your property could be reposed if bills were not paid.

Strengths:
Familiarity with most known weapons
Nonstandard modifications to equipment
Innate understanding of mechanical devices (if he sits in a vehicle unless impossible he will drive it)


Weakness':
Does not handle restrictions well, and will cheat if possible
Due to his tendency to create easier paths, other Spartans are better at hand to hand combat
Occasionally his modifications don’t work out as intended, such as the scope that allowed him to peer through smoke, but peered through Covent bodies as well, making in impossible to see a target to hit them.(does not use anymore)


Anything else?
He favors his large bore Shotgun, giving more firepower but shortening the effective range and his assault rifle for his assigned weapons, though he’ll pick up anything save a plasma sword that he comes across.  Plasma swords only get picked up if he sees something in the immediate vicinity that needs to be cut, otherwise he can just place a grenade or ask a comrade to handle it.

[Sabby]

The game is up in Normal Small Games

[Question Mark]

* cough cough *

This thing turned on?