Through the Barrier: A Fantasy RP

[Wingshadow]

Hello everyone!

I am a seasoned RPer returning to indulge in more exciting and thought-provoking adventures! I once had a RP partner several years back who graciously allowed me to show him the wonderful land of Gensokyo, the setting of a series of bullet hell and fighting games called "Touhou". It is a place separated from the Outside World by a powerful barrier, which only a few rare individuals (through either luck, misfortune, or exceptional skill) can pass through. The lore takes a lot of inspiration from both western and Japanese mythology, with youkai, spirits, gods, goddesses, magicians, and shrine maidens playing their part in the overall story. With a large cast and a wide range of locations from a gothic-style castle complete with a vampire mistress to wide fields of sunflowers and enchanted bamboo forests, to even heaven itself, there is something or someone that anyone with an interest in a fantasy setting and interesting characters could enjoy.

My RP partner has a lot of leeway in terms of how he chooses to join in on the action. He could start out as a villager in the Human Village, a settlement inside Gensokyo. Or, he could start out as an ordinary human who somehow manages to slip into the parallel world (the exact way that he does this can vary a lot). I prefer male lead characters for this role, but personality and abilities I leave up to my partner to decide. I would prefer it if he started out relatively normal (might have some small powers at first, such as an innate ability to percieve barriers) and built up his abilities/power while in Gensokyo.

I prefer to RP in third person, with at least two or three paragraphs per post to allow for sufficient amounts of detail. I find it easier when I spend the time necessary to flesh out a scene and think out interesting dialogue, and longer posts help me do that. I do not require my partner to match my length, and feel free to write as little as a single paragraph. It will be easier for me to reply with more, though ^_^

I am used to playing as a wide cast of female characters (there are a few male characters in Touhou, which I do not mind filling in for as well). Here is a list of a few of my favorites, which my partner's character could potentially meet:

Reimu Hakurei

Remu is the shrine maiden in charge of safegaurding the barrier between worlds, famous for her incredible power and skill in resolving "incidents". Her somewhat sharp personality and lack of drive hold her back somewhat, especially when her irritation gets the better of her. More often than not, she resorts to violence first and asks questions later, leading her to have a reputation of being somewhat harsh. She still cares about her her friends, though, and will go to great lengths to help them even though she does not often show it.

Yuyuko Saigyouji

Yuyuko, the laid-back mistress of the Netherworld spends her days with her half-ghost friend and gardener Youmu. She has a cheerful and pleasant personality, despite being a ghost herself and possessing the dreadful ability to end the life of any living being. She is known for her immense appetite and somewhat absent-minded behavior. Rarely venturing out of her estate, she often sends Youmu out on errands in her stead while overseeing the spirits in the afterlife.

Patchouli Knowledge

Patchouli is one of the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and a close friend of the manson's resident vampire Remila Scarlet. Patchouli as a magician spends almost all of her time indoors in her grand library, either studying tomes or writing her own. While possessing immense magical power and skill, she is hampered somewhat by her asthma and overall lack of physical endurance. She views uninvited guests with suspicion at best, and might even attempt to incinerate them with her signature Giga Flare if they offend her.

Nitori Kawashiro

Nitori is a kappa from Youkai Mountain who likes humans. She, like many kappa, is skilled in creating various tools and machines, from optical camouflage to extending arms and jetpacks. She is rather shy and reclusive, rarely venturing beyond the base of the mountain. Since kappa in general find it hard to coordinate with others of their kind, she is often either working alone in her lab or patrolling the outskirts of the mountain range to warn humans of the dangerous youkai that live there.

Yuuka Kazami

Yuuka is a powerful youkai who lives in the Garden of the Sun. She loves flowers and travels from place to place throughout the year to view various kinds with the passing seasons. Behind her feminine demeanor, however, lurks a passionate and competitive personality. Many youkai seer clear of her entirely, not wanting to engage with her and potentially meet a brutal end.

Yukari Yakumo

Yukari is the mysterious boundary youkai and one of the self-appointed guardians of Gensokyo. Hiding behind a fickle facade, Yukari is in actuality highly intelligent and in some cases outright manipulative in order to accomplish her goals. She can create and pass through barriers at will (sometimes even using them to take naps as she sees fit), often passing through between Gensokyo and the Outside World at a whim. She was the one who formulated the Spellcard Rules on Gensokyo as a way of resolving disputes between the inhabitants. While she may come across as inherently selfish, she cares a lot about Gensokyo and those who inhabit it, both human and youkai alike, and often covertly supports Reimu and others.

What I have in mind, is that my partner's character will simply meet and get to know some of the characters in Gensokyo, while resolving personal struggles between them. There might also be an Incident that arises to give them an external threat to confront. Please PM me for more details or interest. Thank you!

- Wingshadow

[GideonWept]

It all sounds so fascinating to me. I love everything, literally everything you wrote there and I have a great character in mind. I have no idea what the game is about, but from what you've said it sounds pretty kickass, holy shnikes.
I have a fondness for any one of them you want to use.

I'm going to post my character and see if it can get into the lore, and maybe we can get something going.
I can see the beautiful imagry of the cherry blossom trees and bamboo huts, STRANGE individuals.

This is Gideon Willow,



He's 21, and majorly frustrated. Having been born a demigod by Zues (That mangy muttmaker) with part of the spirit of rebellion in him, has been generally peaceful except for a few minor incidents out in the hillsides. Normally he wears his breathing apperatus, enabling him to ingest all sorts of vapors all day long. The vapor trailing through the air as he bulkily moves around, pacing throughout the city all the day. The clinking of his short sword and hatchet can be heard as he walks, and he looks dark as a bird like he belongs with Hades? (Is that a good introduction to the character?)

Can I be accepted please?

[GideonWept]

I mixed up my lore so bad there, for some reason my brain jumped to olympus. I'd much rather be in a vampire scenery, clock towers, old theaters, death and defiance. I'd post but only if it's worth it.

[Wingshadow]

Dear Gideon,

Thank you for showing interest in my RP idea! I see that you are new to these forums (although you are not new to writing) so allow me to first welcome you to Elliquiy. I hope you will enjoy your time here and that you will grow as a writer through your experiances.

Concerning the RP idea, however, let me first say that I love creative characters and interesting settings. The land of Gensokyo combines elements of different cultures and myths (both Eastern and Western), including some elements of science fiction, so if you really want to use a character with a more fantastical background, such as ties to the Olympian gods, then I think that is an interesting idea.

We can discuss the specifics via PM's if you like, because the request thread is not really where we are supposed to have such discussions. At least here at Elliquiy, the RP request threads are more like postings for people to look through, not really forums for discussion. I really do appreciate your enthusiasm, however, and I look forward to talking it over with you and giving your character the opportunity to explore Gensokyo soon.