BakemonoShiki [Interest Check]

[Leki]

--★-- Bakemono Shiki --★--

--------------------------------------		Introduction
Important-Links --★--Interest Check--★-- --★--Information--★-- --★--OoC Thread--★--		Hello and thanks for taking the time to look at Bakemono Shiki. To summarize the information below, this GRP is about a group of characters who have the ability to make a contract with powerful creatures from another world. The characters (Occultists) are employed by the government to fight another group of shady creatures that come out at night. And in exchange are provided with accommodation, food, and a small allowance. I’ll also be allowing people to play the powerful creatures if that’s more your thing. While there’s some dark themes in this roleplay, I’m hoping for it to be pretty light-hearted and slice-of-lifey. With the focus being more on the relationship between an Occultist and their Shiki, rather than the fighting monster part. Most of you will probably recognize I’ve stolen a fair bit from various animes; including but not limited to SMT:Persona, and the FATE series. But knowing the series won’t be very useful since I’ll be taking certain liberties..... and I don’t have a thorough understanding of the concepts I’ve stolen in a canon way myself xD

Dark Hour

The Dark Hour is a paranormal event that occurs every night between 11:59PM and 12:00AM, effectively serving as the 25th hour of each day. It lasts for exactly one hour, and is a highly dangerous time when the sky and moon both turn blood red, and dark shady creatures; known as Shadows, creep out of the darkness and begin to hungrily prowl the streets in search of human victims to prey upon. Additionally electricity ceases to work during the Dark Hour rendering all electronic appliances useless. The general public however are completely oblivious to the Dark Hours existence though, as regular people are unable to perceive or even notice it’s occurrence. Instead normal humans become unconscious, and magically encased in a black wooden coffin which acts as a protective shell against the Shadows. The coffins aren’t very durable, but are quite effective at concealing the humans presence. Most Shadows thankfully aren’t very intelligent and will seldom investigate a coffin unless it is broken or left ajar. Humans who are devoured or killed during the Dark Hour are erased from existence. Every indication that they existed will gradually be erased, and within a day or two even their closest friends and family will completely forget that they ever existed. Only Shiki and people will high levels of spiritual energy; known as Prana are able to remain impervious to the knock-out effects of the Dark Hour.

Character Types Prana: Not a character type, but an essential piece of information that concerns the three character types. Prana is a potent source of magical energy that is constantly discharged from the soul of a humang being; and as such is something that all humans are born with. Unfortunately Prana is something that’s completely useless to mankind, and to make matters worse it's a highly sought after source of energy and power for both Shadows and Shiki. Occultist: An Occultist is a young man or woman who’s Prana levels multiply exponentially on their 18th birthday. Because of the excessive amounts of Prana being released, the individual unsurprisingly becomes a prime target for Shadows during the Dark Hour. Occultists are hence made an offer by a secret branch of the government; they can either agree to work as an agent of the government, forming a bond with a Shiki and fighting to eliminate the Shadows, or spend the entirety of their life in protected imprisonment. Shiki: Inherently powerful creatures who have been summoned to earth from one of the other three worlds; Charon, Errure, or Veskra. While a Shiki would be able to decimate dozens if not hundreds of Shadows with their capabilities, wild Shiki are often malnourished and under-powered, starved of Prana which serves as an essential source of energy for their strength and power. By forming a bond with a Occultist who’ll feed them Prana, Shiki are able to exert their full strength. Shiki aren't always new to Earth though and have been recorded throughout mankinds history in the form of various anomalies and abberations. Many have been sealed away by powerful spiritualists, but others roam the wild freely. All Shiki have the capability to become invisible to regular humans. Shadow: Monstrous abominations that roam the city during the dark hour. They’re generally not very intelligent, but are highly dangerous due to their savage nature. Conventional human weaponry isn’t very effective against them and even the weakest shadows are able to overpower a fully grown adult man with ease. They primarily feast on human flesh, but some are known to feed on the thoughts and emotions of humans too. Shadows come in three tiers; Category 1 - Small, reckless, and can be dispatched with effort by humans. Category 2 - Roughly human sized, and immune to conventional human weapons Category 3 - Intelligent, and on par with Shiki. Highly dangerous.

Four Worlds

Earth: This roleplay will take place in a world we all know and love… Planet Earth. Or more specifically Revius City; a fictional location which blends elements from both Japanese and Western cultures. At a glance the world is practically identical to our own; socially, technologically, etc. In fact it’s probably best to just assume it’s your typical modern day anime setting with the exception of the characters speaking English. The twist to this setting is obviously the dark hour…which is explained above.    Charon: The ascended world of Charon is home to a conclave of angelic beings, crafty sages, and the magical creations and experiments that serve them. While many Charonians may look human in appearance, the inhabitants of Charon are known to live hundreds if not thousands of years, thanks to the augmentation of their bodies through spiritual rituals and magical devices that not only prolong their life, but also enhances their powers. The inhabitants of Charon live in castles, temples, and spires that are built on floating islands, as the entirety of Charon’s surface became submerged many millennia ago. Errure: The shamanistic world of Errure is a plentiful world of lush green forestry and bountiful harvest. The world is home to a diverse range of beast-kin who come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; ranging from your typical kemonomimi right up to highly intelligent bipedal beasts such as minotaurs, kobolds, werewolfs, and other furry-folk. Despite being technologically handicapped in comparison to the other worlds; Eruns have maintained a close relationship with the natural world that has developed their physical prowess, and heightened their instinctive senses. Erurre is also home to a pantheon of natural deities that include dragons, spirits, and other naturally occurring phenomena. Veskra: The demonic world of Veskra is an opportunistic netherworld where the rights and freedoms of an individual can be easily taken away or granted through the display of brutish might. The world is home to various demonic entities who are constantly scheming and brawling against one another; seeking to command, control, and prosper at the expense of all others. Murder, debauchery and enslavement are a common sight in the scorched wastelands of Veskra, and for many signing up to be a part of a prominent demon’s legion is the only path to survival. Veskran’s are barbaric and deceitful by their very nature and the world represent a society that operates on the ideology of survival of the fittest.

Sigils & Shiki Strength

On the eighteenth birthday an Occultist’s discharge of Prana exponentially increases, and the excessive amount of Prana escaping their body is known to crystallize into a scarlet red sigil that appears somewhere on their body (generally on the back of their hand). Although sigils vary in shape and size, but all Sigils have five parts when they manifest for the first time. Creating Bonds Sigils are primarily used to form a spiritual bond with a Shiki of the Occultists choosing. The number of Sigils spent on a Shiki will greatly influence the strength and power of the designated Shiki. However all Occultists are sternly warned by the government organization TENMA to always keep at least one Sigil at any given time. One Sigil corresponds to One Shiki Level. Occultists should be cautious when allocating Sigils as they are non-refundable. The following roughly corresponds with what a Shiki is capable of taking on; ֍ Level One: A handful of thugs. ֍ Level Two: A small gathering of gangsters. ֍ Level Three: An entire criminal syndicate. ֍ Level Four: A small military base of trained soldiers. ֍ Level Five: A sizeable military base with various armaments. ֍ Level Six: An entire country’s military might. ֍ Level Seven: A coalition of countries. ֍ Level Eight: A Shiki of equal or higher strength. ֍ Level Nine: Creator or Destroyer of Worlds. Positive Relationships Occultists are able to obtain additional Sigils by developing a positive relationship with a Shiki they are bonded with. A maximum of three Sigils can be obtained per Shiki through this method, and these can be distributed in any way the Occultist wants. An Occultist however can never have more than five Sigils at any given time. The ranks in a relationship are progressional, and both players, along with all GM’s must agree that the prerequisites have been sufficiently met. ֍ Trust (+1): The Shiki trusts their Occultist, and feel a strong sense of trust towards them. ֍ Kindred (+1): The Shiki care deeply for the Occultist as if they were family or something more. ֍ Fated (+1): The Shiki are intimately attached to their Occultist and value their life above all else. Maintenance & Commands The bond between an Occultist and their Shiki must be reaffirmed at least once every day. Reaffirmation must be conducted through physical contact, with both parties consenting to the continuation of the bond. If an affirmation is not made, the flow of Prana will be temporarily stopped and the Shiki will be returned to a Prana-starved state. The bond however has not been severed, and the flow of Prana will recommence as usual once contact has been made. Occultists are known to use this as a way to keep their Shiki compliant and well-behaved. Due to the special relationship between an Occultist and a Shiki, an Occultist is able to command their Shiki into compliance through verbal instruction. Shiki can attempt to resist or contradict the command, but doing so will cause intense pain and the Shiki will ultimately be forced into compliance. For an Command to occur, the Occultist must have the intent to Command their Shiki, and the command must be heard directly by the Shiki. A Command however has no effect if the bond has not been maintained. And Occultists are cautioned against issuing Commands unless necessary, as it often results in a strong sense of animosity developing from the Shiki.

Important Notes

This roleplay is scheduled to launch on the 26th of February; meaning we've got a fair bit of time before we start.
12~18: Character Conception and Ideas.
19~25: Finalizing Character Sheets, Starting the IC.

Additionally there's a few things I should note down as well....
֍ Activity: Looking explictly for players who'll be able to post at least 4+ times a week. If you know you'll be busy for 4+ days, then please keep everyone updated with a quick note in the OOC.
֍ Images: Character reference images must be drawn in an artistic/anime style. I will not be accepting photorgraphs, or digitally rendered images in order to keep appearances somewhat consistent. (Examples as shown above)
֍ Gender & Sexuality: Male or Female character only; meaning no gender ambiguity. Characters can be either heterosexual or bisexual. But I'll be turning homosexual characters away this time around.
֍ Secondary Characters: Each player will initially be limited to one character per person. However the opportunity to have a secondary may be offered over the three weeks (and after) to those who can demonstrate a high level of activity.

[Leki]

Current Focus Topic
Currently Collecting Interest and Answering Questions about the Roleplay.
Would also help if people stated whether they're interested in an Occultist or Shiki role.

     Q&A
Q: How long has the Dark Hour existed for?
A: As far as people know, the Dark Hour has always existed, but it's only in the last 10 years that it's been known by a government agency. Small pockets of various spiritual organizations have been aware of it for centuries though.
Q: Occulist vs Spiritual Mediums?
A: Please note that an Occultist refers specifically to high-prana, contracting with Shiki characters. A monk who has gone through intensive training, or a priest blessed by a god is not an Occultist, but may still be active during the Dark Hour.
Q: How will we be starting?
A: The roleplay will start on the evening of a New Moon. The Occultists will be brought together, and tasked with finding themselves a Shiki in and around Revius City. In order to assist with Occultists finding their ideal Shiki, the government agency (TENMA) will be burning Prana-Incense... at the local shrine. All unbound Shiki are in a state of starvation, and Prana is a essential source of energy for them... so think of it as a delicious aroma wafting over when you're on an empty stomach.
Q: How does an Occultist and Shiki form a Bond?
A: The Occultist must have enough Sigils, and both the Shiki and Occultist must consent to the bond. How they affirm their bond is entirely up to each individual. Whether it be a simple handshake, a verbal agreement, or a quick romp in the bushes. Once the bond is agreed upon the Sigils will disappear. The Ingesting requirement will take effect after 24 hours.
Q: How much does an Occultist (Character) now?
A: Pretty much all the information here would have been provided to them at some point prior to the start of the roleplay. Whether they remember or not is up to each individual player to decide.

Human Character Sheet

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[img height=300][/img]
[u]Name:[/u]
[u]Player:[/u] [url=][/url]
[u]Age:[/u]
[u]Height:[/u]
[u]Hair Color:[/u]
[u]Eye Color:[/u]
[u]World:[/u] // Choose from: World: Earth (Occultist) | Charon | Errure | Veskra
[u]Sexuality:[/u]

[b]Personality[/b]
[u](Keyword 1):[/u] //Pick a primary trait for your character’s personality and elaborate.
[u](Keyword 2):[/u] //Pick a secondary trait that describes your character. (This should build off your first trait).

[b]Human Background[/b]
[u]Social Status[/u] //Roughly a paragraph to explain what your characters life was like before they turned 18. Are there any significant people friends/family that contributed to their life.

[u]Personal Aspirations[/u] //What sort of goals or aspirations did your character have before their 18th birthday? Did they have a career in mind? Did they want to accomplish anything?

[u]Shadows & Shiki[/u] //What is your character’s attitude towards Shadows and Shiki? Are they actively engaged with the task of an Occultist? Or do they have some reservations?

[u]Other Points of Interest:[/u]
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Shiki Character Sheet

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[img height=300][/img]
[u]Name:[/u]
[u]Player:[/u] [url=][/url]
[u]Age:[/u]
[u]Height:[/u]
[u]Hair Color:[/u]
[u]Eye Color:[/u]
[u]World:[/u] // Choose from: World: Earth (Occultist) | Charon | Errure | Veskra
[u]Sexuality:[/u]

[b]Personality[/b]
[u](Keyword 1):[/u] //Pick a primary trait for your character’s personality and elaborate.
[u](Keyword 2):[/u] //Pick a secondary trait that describes your character. (This should build off your first trait).

[b]Shiki Background[/b]
[u]History[/u] //How long has it been since your character arrived on Earth? How did they arrive? Were they summoned by human rituals, stepped through a portal, or just woke up one day with no idea? What were the first things they saw, along with how they’ve been interacting with humans since their arrival.

[u]Perception of Humanity[/u] //How does your character perceive humanity? What do they think of Occultist?

[u](Default Power)[/u] //A level 0 ability, that your character has by default. Doesn’t have to be combat oriented.

[u](Additional Power)[/u] //Your character can unlock one new power/ability up until level 4. So any additional powers your character may have. You can leave these slots blank as well until they become relevant.

[u](Additional Power)[/u]

[u](Additional Power)[/u]

[u](Additional Power)[/u]

[u]Other Points of Interest:[/u]
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[Avalon29]

Woo!

Happy to see the game and you back Leki. I'll be taking a Shiki role to bring back Haru.

Question to start things off for you Leki, what are you imagining the baseline for shiki to be, that's is to say what kind of things is a shiki capable of with a single sigil and the default relationship?

[SweetSerenade]

Welcome, Avalon! Nice to see you again! I am excited for all the potential stories that can unfold. :3

[Sephora]

Consider me interested.  :3  Maybe I'll bring back Xiang. 

[Alistair Leonhart]

I already mentioned my interest back in the co-GM thread, just wanted to mention I'd prefer to play an Occultist (though I wouldn't mind playing a Shiki either, both would be fun, leaning towards Occultist). I'll be here from March 13th on!

[SweetSerenade]

I'm crafting up an Occultist, might use a familiar play by for her, but will be changing things around a bit. Seeing which concept I have I want to do most. xD

Still, nice to see so many familiar faces. :3

[Leki]

Wow, I look away for a few moments and there's already quite a few people here xD
First off, welcome everyone~
As stated above twice, I'll be using the next week to collect interest, and also offer clarification on all things related to the Group Roleplay (GRP). Questions really help since it not only puts us all on the same page, but it will probably help me consider aspects of the roleplay I haven't properly considered. Questions and Answers will be summarized above in the second post. Along with any marked expressions of interest.

@Shiki Powers
When I ran something similar to this the last time.... I realized my attempts to restrict powers wasn't really getting me anywhere. What was and wasn't allowed was apparently a pretty grey-area for a lot of people. And those who wanted to circumvent the limitations did so anyway through crafty excuses. So with that considered... I've decided to leave it pretty open this time around. As a rough guide though....

Level 1: Regular Human
Level 2: High Capable Fighter
Level 4: Gang Decimator
Level 5: One Man Army
Level 7: Godzilla Threat
Level 9: Pretty much God

I'm considering reducing the Sigil Levels to +1 per Sigil since it seems pretty broken at the moment, but I'm not sure what I can replace the deducted 3 levels with. Social Links? (jk) xD

@Occultists and Shiki
Alistair and SweetSerenade note for Occultist, Avalon for Shiki.
Let me know if you decide to stick to Xiang Sephora, and I'll write you down as an Occultist too

@Alistair Absence
Yeah, seems like the timing is pretty inconvenient for you, but you're more than welcome to start working on a character before you need to leave. And we'd be more than happy to have you jump in as a late joiner once you're able to come back. Should probably make a mental note to maintain a summary of events so that you're not forced to read through several pages. xD

[Rynn]

Definitely interested! Three weeks is a bit of a wait, but I'd love to join in when things start up. Probably as a female Shiki? Not sure yet. 

[Leki]

It'd be a pleasure to have you on board Rynn~
It's always nice seeing old familiar faces return, but fresh new blood is always welcome xD

[akirakaneda]

It somehow reminds me to Ga Rei. I'm definitely interested to be an occultist

[SweetSerenade]

If needed, Leki, I can hold off on making my Occultist till later - and throw together a Shiki. I have a few youkai characters floating around I can easily modify. Probably even shoot for playing a male. I don't mind waiting to get my Female Occultist, just so we have a more even spread for the game? (On human/Shiki balance)

[Leki]

Glad to have your interest Akira~
Though.... wow, someone who knows what Ga-Rei is xD
I suppose there's some similarities... but then again it's not exactly a unique concept.

@SweetSerenade
Personally I'd prefer the bulk of the Occultists get introduced at the start.
I mean Shiki being unlocked as we progress isn't too hard to work out, but Occultists are a bit harder to manage.
Definitely don't need more males though, 4/7 people who have expressed interest in here will probably be playing a male, and I've invited two more guys... so we've got a sausage fest as things are already xD

[SweetSerenade]

Alright Leki! Thought I'd offer it :3 I'll stick to my female Occultist than, and start fine-tuning the ideas I have for her. I want to have a more cemented idea of what I am doing, I have a few percolating and building and I'll finalize soon enough. Considering how active my writing thoughts are, right now, it shouldn't be too hard.xD

[Amarlo]

I'm interested, but before I make a character I'd like to assess potential pairing interests. I play female hetero characters that aren't poly or usually very promiscuous. I could honestly play a shiki or an occultist, and can play slender to bbws. If interested, feel free to pm me. ^^

[Alistair Leonhart]

I don't mind working on my character early, when provided with the sheet to fill. I'd be playing as a male occultist, straight, probably will hammer out the details when I get the sheet, concept being likely something I'm more accustomed to like a student (makes total sense with the Persona inspiration) though maybe some ideas that could work out would take me from that comfort zone to try something new.

[SweetSerenade]

I think it's preferable if we don't have people specifically make characters for each other, it tends to cause people to pair up and take off from the rest of the group. <3 Just make characters that interest you and just see where things go.

[Amarlo]

I think it's preferable if we don't have people specifically make characters for each other, it tends to cause people to pair up and take off from the rest of the group. <3 Just make characters that interest you and just see where things go.

Except, if I've read correctly, we require a bond between an occultist and a shiki. So pairing up is kind of needed.

And are you a GM of this game? o.o

[SweetSerenade]

Except, if I've read correctly, we require a bond between an occultist and a shiki. So pairing up is kind of needed.

And are you a GM of this game? o.o

I'm co-gm in this game, and I believe leki has plans for how the Shiki and Occultist pair up will happen in game. It's just more organic if players don't specifically make characters for each other.

[Amarlo]

Oh, okay. I'm definitely interested in what his plans are for that before I decide to join the game. ^^

[akirakaneda]

Uhmm I was wondering is it possible to apply for a shiki and an occultist?

[SweetSerenade]

Uhmm I was wondering is it possible to apply for a shiki and an occultist?

You will need to pick Shiki or Occultist, players are only allowed one character at game start. After activity for a 3 week period the Gms will selectively allow secondary characters

[Leki]

Activity.... it always happens while I'm asleep xD

@Player Preferences
SweetSerenade is definitely right in saying that I don't want people tailor making characters for one another.
But I also also think it might be a good idea to talk certain types/traits of characters over with others.
I mean, it'd really suck if Amarlo made a BBW, and only one male was into it...
All guys will be heterosexual to some extent, (and vice versa) so sexuality shouldn't be an issue though.

@Character Preferences
Unfortunately I personally can't say I'm all that interested in girls who are bony or BBW.
I'm fine with them socially, but sexually it's not a kink I'm into. Doesn't mean I'll completely write them off, but the writer and character would need to make up for the lost ground through other aspects to catch my interest.
With that said though, I don't expect all girls to be curvaceous goddesses. In fact I personally prefer small-medium sized breasts over the large blobs of boobs that most guys seem to want. xD

In terms of personality though, I'd prefer characters who have distinct personalities.
I don't want a roleplay filled with nice guys always willing to help, and nice girls who are a shy and smart.
I'd personally suggest people pick a character trait and take it all the way. So a smart girl isn't just smart, but someone who has associated elements to that archetype like secretly being quite slovenly, looking down at others, wanting to take control, etc. This'll be reflected and encouraged more in the character sheet phase which I'll start up in a few days... maybe a bit before schedule.

@Pair Up
As I mentioned above, I'm okay with people confirming each other's interests to make things flow better.
But I don't want people making characters specifically for one another, since that leads to all sorts of problems.
For example if I make a character specifically to fit with SweetSerenade, and they end up dropping out due to personal reasons.... my character's stuffed.

Occultist-Shiki pairings will obviously be a thing, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee a sexual relationship.
Both [Shiki x Shiki] and [Occultist x Occultist]'s are possible relational pairings.
And it's even possible for a Shiki to be bonded to one Occultist, while being in a relationship with another Occultist.
For example a Male Occultist and Male Shiki might make an amazing fighting duo, but their love interests could be a different girls... or even the same girl. Albeit, the saliva exchange between them would probably be nail clippings or something xD

@Akirakaneda (Secondary Characters)
Secondary characters are a bit tough for me, since I've been disappointed by people far too many times.
The current plan is for me to open up secondary positions  in the final week before we start up 19~25th.
And I'll be offering people secondaries based on how active they've been here in the discussions between now and then.
Secondary characters will continue to be offered after that period too though.

[Amarlo]

Good to know. :)

Hm. Then I'm not quite sure what I want to play, in all honesty. I suppose I more so want to find someone interested in pairing up to see which side of the coin they'd like to take so it could narrow it down for me. xD

Out of curiosity, which will be the more battly of the pair? Will both or either of them have special powers? Do you have any examples of what those abilities might be like in better detail?

[Leki]

Personally think it might be a bit too early to determine who'd be interested in who.
I mean we haven't even got the characters up yet, so there's not really anything to go by.
From the looks of things, I'll be playing Shiki (probably two), but I'll be keeping their pairups open and flexible for the roleplay.

Occultists don't really have any powers besides being an energy source for the Shiki, so battles will predominantly be Shiki oriented. Though I'll probably spring an enemy on the Occultist pretty frequently too. Occultists can have additional powers ontop of the Prana aspect, but it'd need to be reflected in their upbringing (Meaning No "I woke up one day and was super strong" scenario's). But even then it'd be stunning abilities at best.

I tried to regulate what sort of powers people were allowed to have the last time I ran something similar to this... but it didn't end all that well.
So this time I'm going to be a fair bit more relaxed on what's allowed and what isn't. Shiki can add more powers to their roster as they grow in levels. But I'd probably limit it to 3~4. In regards to powers, I provided this previously in regards to a Shiki's strength.

Level 1: Regular Human
Level 2: High Capable Fighter
Level 4: Gang Decimator
Level 5: One Man Army
Level 7: Godzilla Threat
Level 9: Pretty much God

For an idea on powers; I'll link the previous game. (Though power modifiers are obviously different).
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=262079.0