Welcome to Gaia! ::

1. Introduction

2. The World

3. The Roleplay

4. Character Creation

~~~~~

Its shine was magnificent, and its color an icy blue. Words could not describe the beauty of it in the eyes of man. A temptress just waiting to be used, the crystal waited silently among the ice, which only enhanced the beautiful light it emitted by reflecting it in hundreds of different directions. The entire cave was a home to it’s brilliance, and the entire world was its domain.

What was it, and how could it be used? These were the questions asked by Aiden Dendrell, the prince of the ever growing empire. Thousands of years have passed since the questions were first written within his journal. Thousands of years have passed as man sought after the answers to them.

One had been answered, though not the most important of the two. Man had found a use for the power of that great crystal. It’s intended use? It was doubtful. Its power was aiding mankind though, rather than destroying it as the most pessimistic of researchers first thought.

The crystal had been used to build a great empire, and advance technology at an alarming rate. With the crystal in the hands of good people, this would be a constant thing. It truly seemed that paradise on earth had been found. Technology, for once, was being used for nothing but good. It was an amazing thing, what the world had become.

It infuriated weapon scientists, but there was no need for such people. Nations willingly gave themselves to the Dendrell empire seeking the gifts offered by the crystal. No one opposed them, and no one was a threat to the great empire.

But the idea emerged that, perhaps, copies of the crystal could be made. The power it would offer was amazing! Engines powered by crystals that bore no harm to the atmosphere, and it was already proven by the man-made continent now hovering in the sky that it could give off an infinite amount of power for flying vessels. So many possibilities - Airships, vehicles, and even useless toys like hover-boards would be entirely possible if they succeeded!

Such a thing proved only partially possible. They could not replicate the crystal in its entirety, but they could make something with the same type of power. IT was nowhere near infinite though, and it became problematic when airships began crashing down to the ground, wiping out entire towns with their explosion. There was no way to gauge the power remaining due to the incontrollable energy output, and it became a bit of a pot luck situation. The empire, for the safety of the people, began developing limiters for the faux crystals. This, along with a great deal of testing, allowed the development of an energy gauge. The energy was available to all, and it was safe to use now.

But eventually, there would be a need for weapons. The death – or rather slaying – of the Dendrell family would mark this grave day in history. Space crafts were developed using the crystal’s power, and with the new King Manfred Lazereth at the throne of the empire, a search began for another crystal. It seemed that someone in the higher ups had finally came up with the answer to the first question posed by Aiden. And based on this theory, there should be a crystal wherever advanced life was capable of existing. It was only a theory, but based on the revelations uncovered, it was a very sound one.

“May the heavens be damned for gifting man with this power.” That line, now immortalized, was the guiding hand behind the first resistance formed on the newly colonized planet of Xion. After a large scale war, two crystals now belonged to the empire, which both found their way back to the home planet of the humans – Tharos.

As the quest for more planets with a crystal to seize began, resistances were formed on both Xion and Tharos. The empire was now at constant war with the many different resistance forces attempting to seize the throne. Even scientists loyal to the empire defected to resistance forces. Trying to keep the people happy and weed out traitors was becoming an increasingly impossible task. It seemed that almost every colony of Xion was fighting back, and the wars on Tharos were becoming increasingly destructive.

All the while Manfred sat comfortably on his own continent, surrounded by only those with the utmost loyalty to serve him. He had been forced to make a barrier to keep airships off of his own continent, but was still slightly concerned about the people fighting below. If they killed each other, he’d have no soldiers to fight other than the ones already serving the military.

“These damn moral people will be this empire’s downfall… There is no reason for us not to take these crystals! Tharos’ power will be beyond infinite! They care nothing for their home… They shall be destroyed by the determination and loyalty of those who do care.”

Those were the words of Manfred. He seemed to honestly believe that he was doing the empire good. Some agreed, and others, the rebels, strongly opposed. Everything became a question of where one stood. Seizing power for the good of your own people by force was accepted by some, and others believed that they should have simply continued the peace that the Dendrell dynasty had created. Power or peace – One could not have both.

What side do you stand on?


~~~~~

I am giving you the option of choosing sides, but it will be more of a hindrance if you choose to side with the empire. Besides, think of your morals, man! They were fine before… x_x

The Roleplay


The rebellion is growing rapidly. Wars on both Xion and Tharos are gaining in casualties. The battles on Xion are growing rather one sided, with the rebellion conquering. As researchers still attempt to figure out what the King knows about these crystals, the soldiers kill each other in the masses.

Sky pilots are beginning to emerge using the airships. These people are rather neutral forces, sometimes acting as mercenaries, and other times simply roaming around. Some act as militia for the rebellion as well. Others are more like pirates, stealing from both sides.

As a narrator, I will be taking the position of a head researcher on the side, making occasional journal entries to give players clues. This won’t start until a bit further into the RP, but I want you guys to keep making guesses and thinking about where I’m going with the entries. PM me if you have ideas, and if someone gets it sooner than I release it in character, the RP may take an entirely different path than I originally intended. But that’s fine – In fact, I hope it does. I’m interested to see what could happen.

There will be several occasions where there will be NPC battles. There has to be to keep this RP realistic.

Enjoy!

It was so boring on this ship on days such as this. There was nothing to do but follow Captain Vollo's orders, which normally had something to do with cleaning or preparing for something. Even still, Adam couldn't possibly deny that he didn't enjoy it.

Everything - the freedom, the sleek and beautiful ship, the sometimes hilarious conversations with the crew - was an experience welcomed with open arms by Adam. He could have never hoped for such freedom anywhere else, and there was nowhere else where he would be of importance. Fulfilling? No, that wasn't the word for it... But he'd been searching for that word for two years now, and had yet to find it. Perhaps there wasn't one.

That was fine with him, though. Introspective thoughts weren't really his thing, and he was more concerned with what their next "Job" would be. As he thought, he approached the cockpit and gazed out the window at the clouds as they passed by at a rate that seemed so slow in comparison to the vast and empty sky. For the first time in a long while, Adam couldn't spot even a single airship other than their own. They were completely free...

But what was freedom? This thought often raced through his mind, only to be discarded. Freedom was indescribable, and for the last two years, he had had it. They soared through the sky like a bird, landing only when they had something to gain from it. They were free from the troubles of society, free from the disasters of the wars. They would live freely until the day they died. There was no other way to live, and he was sure that the captain felt the same way. His only ties were to his ship and to his crew, both of which he allowed almost total freedom. His only orders were for the good of everyone, and if there were no one to do them, then no one would have the same experience as they did.

Lately though, Adam had began thinking that his freedom would only last so long. The crystal which powered the ships would eventually fade and die, when they would have to buy a new one. The problem remained that there were no longer any crystals available for purchase because of the empire. He couldn't help but wonder how they would continue once that happened. But he was sure the captain would think of something. For now, it was best just to enjoy things the way they were... Free.

It did not take long for people to realize that someone was slacking off. Adam had finished his own duties, but it was commonplace to help others out at that point. IN that regard, when he was first approached by Sid (The captain's first mate), he could only assume that he was in some form of trouble.

"The captain would like to speak with you," he said. Yeah, he was in trouble.

Having no real choice other than to follow him, he let out a dismal groan filled with dread at what he'd have to sit through. Luckily though, there was another that would be joining him. He couldn't remember his name off the top of his head, but Adam recognized him as one of the best gunmen of the crew. Odd that both the fastest of them and the most dexterous of them were being called to the captain at the same time...

The door to the captain's quarters loomed ever closer. Preparing himself for the worst as Sid pushed it open, he began to make his way through the steel door.

Insanity! Robbing an imperial vessel held no promise of good fortune, in no plausible way. The likelihood of they ability to escape was minuscule, even if they did manage to get the shipment. In all actuality, commandeering the ship itself would likely prover to be easier, as they could use the entire crew...

However, he did not interject. Vollo was more experienced and wiser than he, and it was not his place to speak against him. Of that, Adam was fully aware. Not for fear of Vollo, but respect. Despite his selfish and careless attitude, he at least had respect for those that were kind to him. With a nod of agreement in accordance with their coming departure, he left his quarters alongside the almost annoyingly silent gunner.

What was his name? He almost felt bad not knowing, and also a bit clueless. He was, after all, a very well respected person among the crew. Was it Terry? No... That wasn't it.

"Perry!" Adam unintentionally said aloud. He turned to him with in inquisitive look, awaiting for a follow-up to the outburst of his name. Adam had none, so in a quick recovery, he merely wished him good luck.

Three hours would pass quickly. Certain that he would be captured or killed, Adam would attempt to make the best of it. Joining in on a card game, he quickly became oblivious to the rapidly setting sun. One word still ran through his mind - Insanity.

Despite that, Adam was always up for adventure. He may be nervous now, but when the time came it would likely be the same as in the past - The thrill would be more than enough to make up for his nerves.

The time had come. Sid had gathered them all in the pit of the ship and went to set t he ship into autopilot. Adam couldn't say he wasn't nervous, and even through Perry's silence fear was showing. Even Vollo seemed unsettled, and that was a rare thing.

As Vollo prepared the line, Adam couldn't help but wish he had his hover-board. The thrill of sliding down a line attaching two moving vessels at extraordinary speeds was exhilarating, making his adrenalin begin to pump just thinking about it. But the fact of the matter was, stealth was more important on this heist. The board would be a hindrance, so he would leave it on the ship. That was the best course of action.

As the captain made his way down the line, only his gloves to lessen the burn, Adam began to dread the task. Perry ceased this with a genuinely good idea - Grabbing both ends of this gun holster, he slid down the line using that. Adam followed his example, though the significant difference lied in the difference of the size of weapons - Perry's rifle versus Adam's pistol.

It was a bit more difficult, but a thrilling ride none the less - Gravity pulled him down, and the movement pushed him off to one side, so pressure was added to the fact that he was surrounded by nothing but air with the fact that he was actually being pushed away from the only thing securing him. Some called him a thrill seeker, but Adam thoroughly enjoyed stunts like this. The only way it could have been better was if he were having to find the perfect balance on his hover-board.

Landing securely on the ship all too soon, Adam walked to where Vollo was cutting the hole. Sid would come next, sliding down as Vollo had done. They were all here now. It was time to begin.