[Kelmora, Institute of the Mystic] Magical School, Heroish, Mystery... Thing

[Aethyrium]

Welcome friends!

Kelmora, Institute of the Mystic is a modern-esque magical story-guided sandbox that will be placed in the Extreme section. It is a game that draws inspiration from, specifically, Skyrim and the College of Winterhold quest line - though that has been blended with many other sources to create something much different. It is a game set, primarily, in a borderland of the world we know called the Weird, where the truth of much of mankind's mythology is rooted... and so much more is happening. You see Earth, as we know it, is the prime plane, a location of enormous power within the grand cosmology of this universe and other beings from other worlds would love nothing more than to take up residence. It is left to the sorcerers to defend earth from everything else in the Weird.

With graduation looming just ahead the time to start planning your future was upon you. Applications had been sent out, and the season of admissions was upon you. Letters from institutes of academia were sent out to you, replying to your inquiries. Some rejections, some acceptances. And one letter from a place that you didn't even apply to. One day you're given your mail and there is a letter from the University of Oxford.

A letter that says you have been accepted into this legendary institution.

Your preliminary research suggests that it is genuine, and reveals even more details. Your tuition has been paid, your living arrangements secured. It's an opportunity that you simply can not refuse. So a few months later you graduate high school, have the last summer with your childhood friends and family. Then you set off to your future. And when you arrive in Oxfordshire, at the campus of the University, you are greeted by a woman who can't be much older than you. Then came some introductions to other new students she seemed to be guiding as well. And that's about where the normal part of your life ended forever.

Your guide, Lindsey Ayers, introduced you to the Weird. A whole world that you, your peers, and the rest of the world had no idea existed. A secret world, a behind the scenes world, a fantastical world. It was hard to swallow at first, but eventually the evidence presented to you was impossible to ignore. Lindsey told you that you were one of the lucky few - everyone in the group, really. Only about 1 in a 1,000 humans have what it takes to be sorcerers. She explains that your acceptance into Oxford is an elaborate facade, one built to maintain your cover for the rest of the world. In truth you have been accepted to a far more grand academy of knowledge, Kelmora, Institute of the Mystic. And it is here that your true future will be built, and control of your incredible powers will be learned - for the safety of yourself, and everyone around you.

Now you find yourself part of this secret world facing the immeasurable task of mastering your magic. You are a member of Squad 69, led by your guide, Lindsey. And if all of that wasn't crazy enough, when orientation was over for everyone else you found yourself and your squad before Headmaster Ivan Zakada who revealed that each of you was specifically chosen to be part of Lindsey's squad to help her with a very special mission. Ivan suspects corruption within Kelmora, and without knowing how deep it goes or how far it reaches, he has had to use unorthodox methods to root it out. To that end Squad 69 has been tasked with that investigation.

[Aethyrium]

• Godmodding of any kind will be quickly and mercilessly squashed by creatures more powerful than you.
• Posts need to contain enough content to respond to, and should ideally always move the scene forward in some way.
• If you have issues that you cannot resolve, be them with a player, or a in game situation, see me.
• Question about the lore? Want to add something? Got an idea that might fit, but isn't mentioned? See me.
• Be respectful of other players, but also their time. Writing has some degree of investment, make sure you can invest in it.
• Character sheets should be submitted to me via a PM for approval - feel free to share your ideas here though!
• The characters in this game are part of a squad, which gives the an innate connection to one another. Don't be a wallflower, bite a hook and see where it takes you.
• Players are limited to one character. Though there is some notion that more advanced characters will be allowed a future date as secondary characters.
• There is no co-GM, but I would love one. If you are particularly inspired and available, please reach out to me privately so we can discuss what that might look like.
• If you leave the game, I reserve the right to use characters as needed to service the overall plot of the game - abandoned characters will be converted into non-player characters.
• This idea does not have room for everyone. While I do not have a target number of players, the more characters I accept the more selective I am going to be to ensure that every new addition is adding something truly unique. That is, this game is not first come first serve, I will be approving characters that I feel add something to the game and fit within the scope of the story I want to tell and help develop.

I will be playing Lindsey Ayers - this character may be swapped to male, game needs being observed - as my character, and thusly she will be more advanced than the other characters presented here. This is to allow me a chance to play the game without needing a special NPC to run the whole thing and dividing my attention. There is potential room for a second or third year student in the Squad - if you are especially interested in this and feel you have an extremely compelling idea, please reach out to me. Otherwise plan on playing a recently-enlightened sorcerer.

Your Wand
The first step in mastering your sorcererous origins is calling your wand. These mystic implements are not nearly as simple as folklore and myth have made them out to be. These objects are deeply personal, and no two are identical. They represent a glimpse into their owners soul, because they are made of a shard of their owners soul. In their most basic form a wand is usually between 9 and 14 inches long and made of a wood-appearing substance - though there are many incredible variations on this; longer, shorter, made of other materials, interesting designs or features, adorned with objects, or just about anything else. Students use a wand as a focus for their magic, using it as a conduit to channel their energies and create their effects - but as sorcerers grow more advanced they stop needing to rely on it.

Wands are not inanimate objects, but living things. Each is unique and has its own personality - usually reflective of a part of you, even if that part is deeply buried and hidden where you'd rather others didn't get to see it. All wands thus have a name, and learning this name is called Awakening. By calling your wands name you are able to transform it into its true form - usually some kind of weapon, but not exclusively so. In this form the wand gains more power and can tap into its own unique abilities. Sorcerers use these true form weapons to do advanced battle, and face down against the many enemies of the Weird. But learning a wands name is a difficult thing to do, because it requires not only understanding the wand but yourself - and controlling its true form is quite a bit more difficult.

Much more rarely, far more powerful, and exponentially more difficultly a sorcerer can tap into their Wands final form, called Ascension. This manifests the deepest, truest, purest form of the Wands power.

Mechanics
There are three type of powers in this game: Spells, Techniques, and Incantations. Additionally all characters have a Power score; objects - most commonly Wands - have their own Power score. Enhancements represent all other things your character might get during the game.

Spells, are the most common magic known, and Kelmora begins teaching students spells in year 1. They are specific effects that relate to one of the magic categories: Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Illusion, and Restoration. Spells are ranked in complexity and power on a scale of 1 to 5 (Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, Master). Spells have three speeds: Quick, Normal, and Channeled. All sorcerers have a prime category in which they are naturally more gifted - prime categories can reach level 6. Characters are likely to learn many spells during game play, they are the common form of progression.

• Select your Prime category, it is level 2. You know one rank 2 spell from this category, and all rank 1 spells. Your spells from this category have double power.
• Select two other categories, they are level 1. You know one rank 1 spell from each.
• Quick spells can be cast once per post, in addition to a normal action in that post.
• Normal spells are the normal action of a post and should be the core part of it.
• Channeled spells are very demanding and take an entire post in which no other action can be taken, and count as the normal action of a second post.

Base Alteration Spells

Ntu Oyi (1, Normal) - Cover yourself in a frosty armor that absorbs a small amount of damage, and explodes when broken dealing a small amount of cold damage to the breaker if they are in melee.
Agha M'oto (1, Normal) - Wrap yourself in a mystical barrier that helps deflect attacks, slightly reducing their damage or allowing you to avoid them more easily.
Nwuo Uzo (1, Normal) - Make an object begin to shed light.
Mkpochi Anwansi (2, Normal) - Seal a gateway with magic, increasing the difficulty substantially to break it open or otherwise subvert the lock.
Wepu Anwansi (2, Normal) - Dispel magic that has been imbued into something.
Nkume Akpukpo (3, Normal) - For a moderate duration you reduce all non-elemental damage you take by half. Mundane damage becomes negligible for the duration.

Base Conjuration Spells

Aku Wayo (1, Normal) - Create a large cloud of fog that obscures vision in a large area.
Jidere Osisi (1, Normal) - Cause a tangle of growth to burst forward and constrict anything in the area, restraining them and slowing movement.
Obere Nri (1, Normal) - Conjure a small fruit that can sustain a person for an entire day.
Kporo Ihe Ojoo (2, Normal) - Summon a Demon from the Weird. This demon is hostile to all creatures, except for you so long as you maintain concentration on this spell. The demon will attack the nearest non-demon to the best of its ability. If you abandon concentration, the demon will turn on you.
Nzohie (2, Quick) - You briefly vanish and appear in a nearby location that you can see, up to a small distance away.
Ike Ume (3, Normal) - Summon an Elemental from the Weird. This living embodiment of an element is a force to be reckoned with that is friendly to you and obeys your commands so long as it lives. It can be dismissed at will.

Base Destruction Spells

Aka Aka (1, Normal) - Release a small wave of flame nearby that deals fire damage to anything in its path.
Iba Mba (1, Quick) - Cause a small explosion that deals fire damage to a target that just did damage to you.
Uzari Oyi (1, Normal) - Fire a ray of freezing energy that deals a small amount of frost damage and slows the target for a short time.
Igbapu Ndu (2, Normal) - You deconstruct part of the primal energy of a target and absorb it, dealing moderate magical damage and healing yourself for a small amount.
Elu Igwe (2, Normal) - Unleash a streaking line of pure lightning that deals moderate lightning damage to everything in its path.
Mebiri Ife (3, Normal) - A pulse of destructive energy rolls forward in a large area, dealing heavy magic damage to everything in the area.

Base Illusion Spells

Nwogharia Onwe Ya (1, Normal) - Quickly disguise yourself as someone else, changing your features for a short time.
Amara Ozo (1, Normal) - You compel another to feel as though they are your friend for a short time.
Hie Ura (1, Normal) - You cause a target to fall into a deep slumber.
Kwuo Okwu (2, Normal) - Implant a simple, reasonable, suggestion into a target.
Enweghi Anya (2, Normal) - You become invisible for a short time. Interaction with the visible world will reveal you.
Ebe Nchekwa (3, Normal) - You dig into a targets memory and change a few minutes of it, removing it, enhancing it, modifying it, or replacing it entirely.

Base Restoration Spells

Obere Ngwota (1, Normal) - You heal a small amount of damage, seal minor wounds.
Jiri Ikike (1, Quick) - Absorb half the damage of an elemental (fire, frost, lightning, acid, or thunder) effect that targets you.
Na-Eri Agha (1, Quick) - Absorb half the damage of a non-magical attack that targets you.
Ndu Oma (2, Quick) - Create a well of healing energy. A person can go to this well, and with your blessing, can use their action to bathe in the energy and heal a moderate amount of damage. The well is short lived, and can only heal a few targets.
Obere Iweghachi (2, Normal) - Remove diseases or other magically induced conditions from a target.
Zoputa Onwu (3, Normal) - Put a barrier around a target that will save them from death. This spell has limits, but generally will ensure a target doesn't pass away after a single attack.

Techniques, are a very elaborate form of magic that breaks the category rule of spells. Techniques are, in many ways, similar to spells except they are very personal. As sorcerers advance in their understanding of magic they begin to develop their own techniques. These abilities are usually far more powerful and reaching than spells, and their effects can vary considerably. Techniques are not taught at Kelmora until year 5. Characters will learn few techniques during the game play, they are the epic form of progression.

Incantations, are a human variation on techniques. There are 100 Incantations taught at Kelmora, most students will only learn 10 of them, and instruction on them begins in year 2. They are rated on a level of mastery, 1 to 3 with higher levels of mastery making them increasingly more powerful. Incantations are standardized Techniques that any sorcerer could preform. They lack the personal flare - and thus potential power - of Techniques, but are an incredibly useful part of a sorcerer's arsenal. Incantations have two forms - Long and Short. Long Incantations are the most powerful version of any given Incantation; it involves reciting a small verse and then calling the Incantation. Short Incantations skip reciting the verse and simply call the Incantation, resulting in the effect at a much lesser potential power. Characters will learn an Incantation shortly upon entering the game, and more during game play, they are the rare form of reward.

Power is a measure of a persons mystical presence. It is a GM tool primarily, but should serve as a guide for decisions that characters make when engaging others. Power starts at 2, but will steadily increase in game play, it is the uncommon form of progression.

Enhancements, are the legendary form of progression, and each character will likely only get two or three of these through the course of the game. They should exciting hallmark moments and new things for characters to enjoy and use.

Traits

• Alteration Adept - You begin with level 3 Alteration. You know all base Alteration spells. If Alteration is also your prime category, instead of doubling your Power for these spells you triple it.
• Chanter - Your Short Incantations suffer less power reduction.
• Conjuration Adept - You begin with level 3 Conjuration. You know all base Conjuration spells. If Conjuration is also your prime category, instead of doubling your Power for these spells you triple it.
• Connected - You begin knowing your Wand's name and being able to call its true form. You gain double experience toward Wand Ascension.
• Destruction Adept - You begin with level 3 Destruction. You know all base Destruction spells. If Destruction is also your prime category, instead of doubling your Power for these spells you triple it.
• Dual Prime - You begin with two prime magic categories.
• Expressive - You begin play with a Technique. You gain double experience toward Techniques.
• Focused - You do not need your Wand to cast spells. You gain double experience toward Incantation Mastery.
• Illusion Adept - You begin with level 3 Illusion. You know all base Illusion spells. If Illusion is also your prime category, instead of doubling your Power for these spells you triple it.
• Power Surger - You can cast Channeled spells at Normal speed.
• Powerful - Your base power is +4, and your Power gains are increased by 50%.
• Reborn - You were a sorcerer in a past life and your wand remembers. Your wand has +5 Power and its Power gains are increased by 50%.
• Restoration Adept - You begin with level 3 Restoration. You know all base Restoration spells. If Restoration is also your prime category, instead of doubling your Power for these spells you triple it.
• Well Spoken - Your Long Incantations are more powerful than normal.

While filling out your character sheet you do not need to fill out: Ascension Form Description, Awakened Technique, or Ascension Technique. We will work together on this when it becomes relevant. Additionally you do not need to fill out any Techniques unless you have taken the Expressive Trait - if you have, please reach out to me to work on that together.

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[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Alias | Nicknames:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Height:[/b]
[b]Weight:[/b]
[b]Ethnicity:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Sexuality:[/b]
[b]Face Claim:[/b]

[hr]
[b][size=11pt]Character Information[/size][/b]

[b]Briefly describe your early life before your introduction to the Weird.[/b]
[i][/i]

[b]How did you handle being introduced to the Weird initially? How are you handling it now?[/b]
[i][/i]

[b]How do you feel about being part of a team investigating this corruption within Kelmora? What do you think about this secret assignment?[/b]
[i][/i]

[b]What are your personal, social, and power goals?[/b]
[i][/i]

[b]How do others precieve you? What are you known for? How do you present yourself to the squad?[/b]
[i][/i]

[hr]
[b][size=11pt]The Weird Stuff[/size][/b]

[b]Wand Name:[/b] [i][/i]
[b]Wand Description:[/b] [i][/i]
[b]Wand Personality:[/b] [i][/i]
[b]True Form Description:[/b] [i][/i]
[b]Ascension Form Description:[/b] [i][/i]

[b]Awakened Technique - NAME:[/b] [i][/i]
[b]Ascension Technique - NAME:[/b] [i][/i]

[b]Trait:[/b] (Pick 1)

[b]Alteration:[/b] 0
[li][b]Spells Known:[/b] [i][/i][/li]
[b]Conjuration:[/b] 0
[li][b]Spells Known:[/b] [i][/i][/li]
[b]Destruction:[/b] 0
[li][b]Spells Known:[/b] [i][/i][/li]
[b]Illusion:[/b] 0
[li][b]Spells Known:[/b] [i][/i][/li]
[b]Restoration:[/b] 0
[li][b]Spells Known:[/b] [i][/i][/li]

[b]Incantations Known:[/b] [i][/i]

[b]Power:[/b] 2
[b]Wand Power:[/b] 5

[b][u]Techniques[/u][/b][list]
[li][b]Technique Name -[/b] [i]Description / Effect.[/i][/li]
[/list]


[Aethyrium]

For updates, questions, whatever.

[Aethyrium]

Recruiting all sorcerers.

[Amarlo]

I'm definitely intrigued. I also enjoy the number of their assigned squad.  For no particular reason what so ever.

[JessLowell12]

My interest is peeked and I'm totally eyeing restoration as a big theme for this character.