Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Topics - Kingnoname1

Pages: [1] 2
1
Introductions, birthdays, and departures. / Goodbye
« on: July 21, 2019, 01:50:17 AM »
Regardless of all the lies and mod drama recently this was always coming. Honestly being de-modded was quite the injection of excitement, I thought maybe if I stopped being the crutch for character approvals another might be forced to take my place and I could get some of my characters approved without having to do it myself. Maybe that form of creativity would have kept me from getting tired of all of this but honestly, I can no longer convince myself it is worth the effort.

A few months ago I decided to start scaling down my activity here, I stopped signing up to new threads and planned to finish the ones which were already going off. As time passed however and the reality of how few people are truly active on this site, and even those who are often don't post anything of substance anymore and became more clear that it isn't even worth that effort anymore. I feel like I have given this site a lot more than it has returned in enjoyment and therefore the only rational course of action is to leave.

I am sorry for people I am in a thread with, particularly Mike who only came back after I kept badgering him for ASTC threads but we never even managed to finish one. I give all my characters freely over to whoever would like them, perhaps the threads can be finished in a way even if I'm not there to control them. For threads, I am running DM me on discord, if we have DM'ed before you will have to add me as a friend and if not you will have to badger someone who has, and I'll give you guys enough information to finish the thread off.

Perhaps we will see each other again in different sites, rp'ing different franchisees but until then I wish everybody, yes even you, all the best and hope you take care.

Lots of love.

King.

2
AMA Section / AMA/AMCA
« on: April 24, 2019, 01:10:00 AM »
Yea I've been putting off doing one of these for ages but after a while, I thought there isn't any real issue if no one responds I'll just take it all out on you guys in character approvals. As it says in the title any questions for me or my characters are fair game but I don't promise to answer any of the more personal ones truthfully.

3
The Vale Region / Adventure in the Wilderness [Closed]
« on: April 07, 2019, 03:14:13 AM »
It was the last period before lunch but already Calen had lost focus, instead he trusted his memory to pick everything up for later digestion. More and more lately Calen had been becoming distracted in moments of quiet and even now he was subconsciously sketching in his notebook despite the teachers loud and boisterous voice echoing off the walls. The gaunt boy tried to ignore the growing issue but the analytical side of his mind refused to obey and quickly came up with a probable solution. For the first time since fleeing his family, Calen had settled into a routine, he was getting comfortable and as such, it was getting harder and harder to keep his darker thoughts at bay. How monstrous his family was, how he betrayed them by effectively leading their enemies straight to them, how they turned on him and tortured him for weeks, how even now if he could take it all back he would do so in a heartbeat. He would hunt down the innocents alongside his family if only he could be with them again. It was a hard concept for Calen to rationalise along with the other aspects of himself, he didn't consider himself bad or evil despite the persona he put on but here surrounded by more friends than he ever had before he still felt crippling agony of loneliness. Looking down at his notebook Calen found his family neatly sketched out, only their faces missing. It wouldn't take much more work to finish the drawing but he decided against it, dwelling on the past couldn't help him here. Sighing loudly Calen threw his entire notebook into the bin, he didn't need it, not with his memory and maybe the symbolic nature of the gesture would be enough to shake himself out of his downswing. It wasn't.

'And to help you hammer these lessons into your thick skulls your next assignment you will be a group one. Pairs will be selected...no you can't choose your partner... As I was saying pairs will be selected and tasked with tracking another pair. The objective is to follow the pair you've been assigned without being noticed, lose the pair assigned to follow you and after a day in the wild capture your target and bring them home obviously avoiding capture yourself. Full combat is authorised, minor injuries should be expected but so to is control so serious injuries could result in lost marks on both parties. On to the marking rubric itself, teams will be scored off how well they live off the terrain, no equipment beyond weapons and a limited supply of dust can be brought, how your fights go with the opposing pairs as well as finally how quickly you can bring your targets back to base after the three days.

It's not impossible to imagine you will encounter pairs which you weren't assigned and weren't assigned to you, please minimise contact as any assistance or conflict would damage the integrity of the task. Beyond that, the task will begin in two hours so feel free to ask any questions, and while you all are trying to come up with some at least half intelligent ones I'll read out the teams;...and lucky last Akeldama Blood-Heart and Calen Shrike.'
The teacher read out in an antagonistic but mostly bored tone. It took the mention of his name to shock Calen out of his reprieve so luckily he didn't have any questions. He had only interacted with Akel once before in the four-person free for all, she had put up a hard fight but he didn't know anything about her personally.

It wasn't hard for Calen to pick Akel out of the crowd; white hair, large headphones as well as curves Calen thought to himself dryly as he gracefully dodged his way around the milling students to get closer to Akel. 'How do you do Miss Blood-Heart? It appears we have been partnered up for this assignment. I believe that we should do some degree of planning but then again some things are more fun to jump straight into. I don't use dust however so you are more than welcome to fill up on my share.' Calen remarked as he got closer to Akel, circling the girl and clearly evaluating her. When his eyes finally lifted from her body to her eyes they were cold and still distracted as if he was looking past Akel rather than at her.

4
The Vale Region / Hunt across the Savannah
« on: January 04, 2019, 01:33:10 AM »
As the team makes their way to their destination in a durable but hardly flashy four-wheel drive a briefing plays through their scrolls. It is read by reasonably well known Mistrali Huntsman, Sam Copper, who has more or less been given charge over the extended operation to find the Dustsmith. Sam has been trailing the Dustsmith for years now and has a considerable well of experience for the matter. He stays on the line for any questions.

++++++++++++’We think we have the Dustsmith penned in an area of several thousands of square miles. It’s smaller than was it could have been but it’s still a lot of ground to cover and it will need to be done subtly. The area you will be operating in is full of thick rolling savannah grasslands, hardy trees hardier people. They don’t like outsiders who haven’t proven themselves but that rage is somewhat justified, it’s hard to defend against Grimm in these areas so they keep their communities small hoping to slip unnoticed by the roving packs. When that fails, as it often does, they can only rely on each other. Semi-nomadic these groups slowly make their way around the savannah eking out a living and meeting up with them would be a good start. It might be worth keeping your true goals hidden, for now, pretend to be from one of the other groups instead. As well as the whole issues with outsiders I mentioned before this is a time-sensitive mission and although it may be difficult to ignore pleas for help we should try to treat the disease, not the symptoms.

As I was saying there is a large Grimm presence in the area, nothing that should trouble you guys too much but it is always worth being on the lookout for. But more importantly, of course, is the Dustsmith themselves, a confrontation is not unlikely but they are unlikely to be alone, fanatics they have recruited or constructs they have made are going to be dangerous to go up against and you are authorised for lethal force, I’ll deal with any fallout. It is also possible that the Dustsmith has gifted weapons to these tribes in return for favours, it’s imperative that these weapons are destroyed as quickly as possible, if they fall into the wrong hands there is no telling what damage they could do. I know it may seem unfair to strip these people of their weapons but they are far more likely to make them a target for far more organised threats than the Grimm.’+++++++++++++


The large but consistent hills are eaten up quickly by the four-wheel drive ensuring a relatively smooth ride. Early in the morning, the heat hadn’t picked up too much but it would become very oppressive and little relief was in sight with not a single cloud in the sky. There didn’t look like there was any life on the planes but the occasional rustle in bushes and pairs of red eyes glowing from the trees warned of the danger that lay just beneath the surface. To emphasise this not far in the distance a thick smoke cloud started rising, wrong time of day for a bonfire and even then the thick black smoke wouldn’t come from any kind of wood.

The smoke was drifting from somewhere within the search area and although it’s unlikely for the Dustsmith to remain behind even if they where there at all there still might be clues or something to make the teams disguise more convincing. Further in the distance more plumes of smoke came into view, as it became increasing clear that the situation was worse than expect and was rapidly getting worse.

5
The Vale Region / At the mountains Summit
« on: January 03, 2019, 05:20:33 AM »
As the team flies to their destination a briefing plays through their scrolls. It is read by reasonably well known Mistrali Huntsman, Sam Copper, who has more or less been given charge over the extended operation to find the Dustsmith. Sam has been trailing the Dustsmith for years now and has a considerable well of experience for the matter. He stays on the line for any questions.

++++++++++++’Over the past three days four Faunus members of the Falcon Haven community have died under mysterious circumstances. Falcon Haven, like many dust mines, has a long negative history in regards to Human-Faunus relations and as such in a of impartiality the towns ruling council has asked for Hunters to help them deal with the situation. With no full Hunters available as they are busy chasing the Dustsmith of securing towns against more immediate threats. There is a fear that even if the attacks are not race related, which they do appear to be, the White Fang, who are becoming more and more active in the region since the Dustsmith’s arrival, might use this situation to rally more to their banner. As such it is of critical import that this situation is resolved as quickly as possible, Falcon Haven is simply too critical a base to let it fall into disarray when it is needed most.

The dangers facing you are likely to be considerable. The despair these murders has caused as well as the bad memories they cause to resurface has attracted a great number of Grimm to the mountain. As it stands few if any land-based Grimm have made a serious attempt to gain entry to Falcon Haven but it’s aerial guns have been firing two days straight to keep the Nevermores, Griffins and Lancers at bay. This is why you won’t be able to land in Falcon Haven itself and must make your way up through the mining shafts. The wildlife isn’t going to be a threat but there is always the possibility of freeholders taking advantage of some of the mostly tapped veins far from the repercussions of Falcon Haven. And past all this is the possible murderer, to make their attacks now just as the Dustsmith is handing out weapons seems too much to be a coincidence so even if they aren’t trained fighters they shouldn’t be approached lightly. If they exist that is. The medical staff and policing force of Falcon Haven should serve as powerful allies regardless and they can shore up any investigative flaws you have.’+++++++++++++


The Bullhead had been flying close to the ground for the last ten minutes as she made her final approach to Falcon Haven. It was a bumpy ride as the pilot had to navigate the rocky outcrops and temperate forests of their environment, Atlesian by her uniform but she didn’t look like any specialist the collected Huntsmen-and-Huntresses-in-Training had seen before and she didn’t offer a name. The reason for this extra danger was clear to anyone looking out the windows, a black shapeless swarm hang heavy around Falcon Haven, Nevermores but too far away to see in any detail,  and the wreckages of airships all around them who had flow too high into the Grimm flock.

Regardless the team made good time and quickly reached the mining shaft they were entering from, around fifty meters above the ground and the Bullhead hovered close enough to make it an easy jump. Up ahead was mostly darkness and a steep climb, miners hadn’t gone this low since the airbase had been constructed which meant the lights although still in place had most of their wiring damage by the mountains various native inhabitants. The flickering lights would probably end up being more of a nuisance than benefit as it stopped peoples eyes adjusting to the dark.

6
Plot Zone / Lets put together some threads.
« on: December 30, 2018, 08:31:44 AM »
I know everyone is probably feeling a bit slow from the post-Christmas glut but I thought it might be fun to put together some threads if people are looking for something to do over the break/in general.

OK so I’m going to try this large plot thing again, it didn’t work great last time but I like to think I’ve learnt a few things since then. The general idea is that a large area between the Kingdoms of Vacuo and Vale has become destabilised by a reckless arms dealer resulting in both an increased Grimm presence and the resurfacing of old local grudges as well as obviously the all the problems the weapons and their creator is making. This sandbox means there is going to be a series of interlinked problems for people to solve and how said problems are solved and who remains standing after will impact how the area recovers ...or doesn’t I guess. The idea is to have investigations as well as good old-fashioned Grimm slaying so hopefully, there will be something to pique everyone’s interest. Regardless, what follows below is a private broadcast sent to those who are interested in participate, I know how wonderfully coincidental.

+++++++++++++++++++‘For the first time in recent memory, the rogue agent known only as the Dustsmith has left Mistral and has been reported wandering the wilderness between Vale and Vacuo leaving chaos and devastation in their wake. Phenomenally powerful weapons are finding themselves into several pairs of hands, few good and none earned without causing some pretty catastrophic shifts in the local political sphere. With such change comes fear and with fear comes the Grimm who only exacerbate this instability. Not officially under the purview of either Vacuo or Vale, Hunters and Huntresses are the only hope for those caught in this wave of chaos and several have already been dispatched, none have been heard of again.
 

Although approaching and dealing with the Dustsmith is far beyond the capacity of even most fully trained huntsmen and huntresses there are still hundreds of people in danger and the professionals are going to need help to protect everyone. As such those in training have been sent out to deal with minor, comparatively, issues or even searching for the Dustsmith while more experienced forces deal with the insanities’ core.

The first stage will be to reestablish strong centralised defensive positions around the major towns in the area. Many are struggling greatly with the recent flood of refugees, diminished supplies and general negativity which constantly draws Grimm in higher and higher numbers making them unreliable bases at best. Once outposts in the region have been established more control will be able to be asserted crippling the Dustsmith’s ability to move unmolested and likewise reduce his weapon trade.’++++++++++++++++++++


But yea if people are interested in taking part of these threads please sound off below.



7
WiP Characters / Arian Starling, Haven student. Currently on pause.
« on: November 21, 2018, 07:01:07 AM »
CHARACTER

Name: Arian ‘Rain’ Starling

Age: 17

Species and Gender: Male spider faunus

Symbol:  A stylised spider made from interlocking and twisting lines.

Occupation: First year student at Haven

Appearance: Arian is a slight young man, little over 5’8/175cm and full of wiry muscle which makes him weigh a little over 170lbs/77kg. Although it should be mentioned that if standing on his spider legs and straightening them out as much as possible Arian can add another half a foot on his height but more on those later. Arian frequently dyes his hair and wears contacts which change his eye colour even going so far to tint his skin, when quizzed he says it’s a political statement of individuality but in reality, it is about creating disposable identities. Naturally Arian is quite tanned, with black hair and brown eyes but is more commonly seen around Haven with his skin whitened, donning an unnaturally bright shade of red for hair and solid gold contacts which cover everything; pupil, iris and sclera. Although like most things about Arian they can change on the hour.

As mentioned above Arian’s Faunus trait is much more noticeable than most, having four spider limbs emergings from his mid-lower back. Impossible to realistically hide even with baggy clothing Arian doesn’t bother hiding these 8’/2.5m columns of black liquorice even though they bring no shortage of strife. Covered in thick hair they are brilliant at gripping despite the complete lack of fingers meaning that Arian can stand on the ground walls or even the roof but said fingers are valuable and it makes them useless for most unmodified weapons. Unfortunately, they also mean Arian has to sleep on his stomach like an uncultured heathen.

Arian is never still for long, rotating between his human legs and spider legs he takes massive advantage of being able to run around while lying down and his reach, and thieving skills, which means anything that catches Arian’s eye will end up with him regardless of protests. This also means Arian rarely uses chairs, both because he basically is carrying around his own but most are uncomfortable to get his spider legs through. Like most of his physical attributes, Arian regularly changes how he talks, from different accent to different tonation as well as different word choices. He is very good at this, too good for his own well being as Arian has a bad habit of mimicking other’s accents while talking to them without noticing which most people find insulting.

Well as for clothes Arian does actually have a defined style even which follows into his school uniform and combat gear. No style! Kidding. As well as the obvious cutting additional leg holes in his shirt Arian also tends to wear clothing a little too big, to make it easier to hide his ‘acquisitions’ as well as strip the piece off if he ever gets grabbed. As for colours, Arian prefers dull silvers, making his uniform’s trim look even brighter and stand out against the black even more as well as a series of long silver chains. His combat gear contains a light silver breastplate with his symbol over the front. Coils of metal then spill out over the tight leathers which cover Arian’s arms and legs like silk. In casual wear, Arian prefers navy with silver trim hoodies and jeans but will easily dress up or down depending on what the situation demands.

As for the specifics around Arian’s spider legs they are rather simple. Like most spiders there is a ridge of cartilage running through which the otherwise very human matrix of muscle and ligaments attaches to. When Arian was growing he had to shed the exoskeleton around his legs but now he is mostly fully grown it isn’t an issue he has to deal with anymore.

History: As far as Arian knows both his parents were human, although both born from human/Faunus pairings, which made their spider limbed bundle of not-so-joy a slight issue. Suspecting infidelity Arian and his mother, Eirian, quickly found themselves cast out from those they thought were their friends, given enough lien to keep quiet and quickly forgotten about. As you might expect that made the relationship Arian had with Eirian rather strained from the beginning. The lien didn’t last long and when Eirian returned she her old family pretended to not even recognize her. Her pride hasn’t let her return since. This resulted in Arian being settled with both responsibilities of providing for them both and of ruining Eirian's life.

Being a young child, a Faunus and without any family connections to provide him with the means to earn on honest living Arian quickly turned to theft to keep both him and Eirian alive. Despite having a natural talent for the craft the shopkeepers in Mistral were well practised in denying thieves like Arian and he was just as often caught and beaten than escaping cleanly. The police were rarely if ever involved as the shopkeepers were often operating semi-illegally and believed themselves capable of driving thieves away by reputation. But Arian had nothing to lose, and a few broken bones was a small price to pay for Eirian’s respect.

Street rats are a vital resource for criminal gangs, providing both fresh blood and scapegoats for their operations and street rats as talented and desperate Arian was the proverbial jackpot. It didn’t take long for him and Eirian to be scouted by such a gang, the Starlight Boys. His mother didn’t want Arian to join, by this time she had retrained herself and was making a decent living for themselves as a dressmaker but Arian wouldn’t listen. Even in his youth Arian could see Eirian’s dissatisfaction with their circumstances and was willing to do anything to remedy that. And he did. So as other children were finishing up their basic education and entering combat schools Arian was running protection rackets, trafficking in drugs and weapons as well as more mundane theft. He was good at this and he loved it.

All this time Eirian did what she could to help, clothes with over a dozen hidden pockets almost impossible to find with even the most thorough search as well as disguises but also tried to find a way out of the life of crime she felt she had condemned her son to. Encouraging Arian to work alongside her was as difficult as you might expect but an extra pair of hands never went unwanted and there was always other street kids eager to make a coin. Just as Arian was moving up the ranks of the gang so was Eirian’s dressmaking business taking off quickly becoming a well known businesses as such as because of Eirian and Arian’s business savy as much as their product. Unfortunately the real money in clothing making on Remnant was outfitting Hunters and Huntresses and that took years of training and a huge amount of specialised gear but Eirian didn’t have years as every week Arian was progressing higher and higher in the gang and had some close calls with the police already.

The raw materials wasn’t difficult to get her hands on Eirian spoke to Arian about making better gear for the gang and although he was dismissive they gang themselves were a lot more receptive. Not only would they be less likely to be hurt there was definitely a status attached to having hunter level equipment. The first shipment went well, and Eirian managed to make enough for a few of the gang members as well as a few Huntresses she knew through her dressmaking business. Everyone was very happy with the final product and Eirian’s dress making business continued to boom until she was far outearning Arian and his criminal activities.

It was hard to leave the Starlight Boys behind, despite being criminals there was a bond that bound them together which continues to this day but Arian wasn’t so trapped in his antics to pass up an opportunity to go legitimate, an opportunity that many of his fellows would and had killed for. As Eirian’s reputation grew she no longer had to steal the materials to make her wares and she could make normal deals and as more Hunters and Huntresses sort her out, on top of Arian assisting full time things looked like they could only go up. Unfortunately it is never that way in reality.

All the natural skill and experience in the world maybe be comparable to genuine training on individual works but as production increased each piece could only be given so much care. At the beginning the reports of faulty equipment was easily 

Personality: Like quicksilver Arian is a mercurial force, always quick to change but not always to find the path of least resistance. Rather simply he has spent so long wearing masks

Aura and Semblance: Sample Text

Combat Behavior:  Sample Text

WEAPON

Name: Sample Text

Primary Form: Sample Text

Secondary Form: Sample Text

Tertiary Form: Sample Text

Dust Functions: Sample Text

History: Sample Text

8
Approved Characters / Dustsmith
« on: August 14, 2018, 09:52:41 AM »
CHARACTER

Name: Unknown. Title: The Dustsmith

Age: Unknown

Species and Gender: Unknown

Symbol:  A large hammer striking an even larger crystal formation of dust, crudely drawn like like it was etched into stone by a hammer and chisel.

Occupation: ‘Dustsmith’ or Craftsman extoridinare, Mercenary.

Appearance: A mountainous form, getting close to nine feet tall encased in a golden set of armour of the finest make blocks any attempt to view the Dustsmith’s true form. Mostly animated by their semblance and ‘mundane’ robotics the Dustsmith’s armoured form shines a brilliant gold caped with rich reds and purples it exudes unmatched royalty and power. That is, of course, the point but what is designed into the armour is even more striking than the colour palette, animal motifs, hundreds of them. Some large, the front half of a wolf and lion make up the shoulder plates as well as an open dragon maw dominate the chest plate. However, for every massive design, there are dozens only noticeable under close inspection. Including flocks of tiny birds under the Dustsmith’s cloak and thin snakes which flow down the arms.

Never seen outside their armour details about body posture or what not are completely unknown but the Dustsmith regularly stands so still that others think them a statue, a mistake the Dustsmith encourages crafting golems which look identical to him. The only physical characteristic the Dustsmith shares publicly are their voice, a strangely androgynous and soft timbre which when combined with the Dustsmith’s tendency of referring to themselves in the third person means even making conclusions about their gender almost impossible. Despite the heavy armour the Dustsmith coats themselves in it never seems to hamper their manoeuvrability resulting in far more limber movements than one would expect from a fully armoured knight. This continues all the way to manual dexterity, meaning that the Dustsmith is capable of intricate movements like origami even with armoured gauntlets.

History: The stories surrounding the Dustsmith are some of the oldest in Mistral if not all of Remnant. For as long as humans and Faunus wandered Anima a figure calling themselves the Dustsmith followed, offering their crafts against the encroaching Grimm or other tribes. As the name suggests, Dustsmith, these works often took the form of dust powered machinery and weapons. Incredibly primitive by today's standard but at the time they were the bleeding edge of weapons technology providing massive advantages to those with the Dustsmith’s favour. And the Dustsmith was clear on how to gain their favour, trade. Offers for the Dustsmith’s latest creations kept increasing resulting in them become one of the richest individuals on the continent. With that money, the Dustsmith trained apprentices as well as bought dust and metals in even higher quantities than before. But money like any form of success draws jealousy and as the Dustsmith never seemed to care what their weapons were used for many, quite rightfully, started to see them as a disruptive force. And so one night the original Dustsmith was killed in their sleep along with most of their apprentices and all their projects were destroyed.

Although the rich grieved at the loss of such powerful weapons the common man rejoiced to hope that the Dustsmith’s death would result in a new era of peace. And they were right in a way only helped by the Dustsmith returning. Clad in heavy robes and a mask of incredible likeness to the original Dustsmith this new craftsman took up their master’s work, name and ruined workshop. This new Dustsmith had learned an important lesson from their fallen master, a responsibility of a sort and they began caring more about what their weapons were used for. And so the new Dustsmith vanished as quickly as they appeared, appearing occasionally at major markets or the courts of local warlords to offer their wares only to those would unify the land rather than divide it. Staying on the move meant protection from their fellow humans even if it exposed them more to the Grimm it also made it harder to train apprentices. As such it came to pass that only one could be comfortably fed and taught the thousands of lessons it took to become a Dustsmith in such conditions.

Such the title passed down from master to apprentice, from Dustsmith to Dustsmith unbroken until the modern day. Many Mistrali believe the core code resulting in Atlas’s battle droid technology came from the Dustsmith as well as transforming weapons and dozens of dust variations over the centuries. Those centuries have done a lot to whitewash the Dustsmith’s actions, Mistral, particularly leading up to the greyed war hero-worshipped the Dustsmith. Seeing them as the perfect pure craftsman, making beautiful and terrible works simply for the act of creation. An aspiration that the art-focused nation rallied behind and remains a majority position to this day.

Keeping secrets are much harder in modern times than before the formation of kingdoms and all major factions have a vested interest in keeping an eye on such enigmatic figures like the Dustsmiths. Around ten years ago the Dustsmith took the physical form they keep to this day, leading analysts to assume that this is when the apprentice took over from their master. A reasonable assumption considering at the same time the Dustsmith’s dealing took a more abstract outlook. The preceding Dustsmith had been as predictable as their kind got, limiting their sales to huntsmen and huntresses as well as the occasional Atlas Specialist or military officer. There was even talk about making the Dustsmith an official position within Mistral, returning to a state not unlike the original although hopefully less disruptive. Specifics of what caused negotiations to break down are unclear but it seems the current Dustsmith is nothing like their master.

Although many huntsman and huntresses are still sold weapons by the Dustsmith so are mercenaries and more worryingly bandits and even the White Fang are ending up having far too many of such weapons for it to only be looting. The figures legendary status means Mistral is incapable of massively shifting their public position on the Dustsmith without a loss of face, although the other kingdoms aren’t so trapped and independent hunters are constantly looking for clues. To buy from or to arrest depending on the individual. Although it is definitely a change compared to the previous Dustsmith there has been disruptive Dustsmith’s before but what has made this new figure so difficult to deal with is the deals they are making. No longer satisfied with lien or raw materials the Dustsmith has begun demanding rarer and rarer materials, often involving illegal actions. Adding further uneasy whenever a new Dustsmith weapon appears in the hands of an apparent upstanding member of society, it speaks to there quality that it hasn’t seemed to reduced demand much. Perfectly legal weaponsmiths capable of creating technological marvels are rare and expensive but those aren’t impossible obstacles for Huntsman and huntresses to overcome but there is always something more with the Dustsmith’s creations. Centuries of crafting weapons for defenders of humanity, and the occasional criminal, is passed down to every Dustsmith granting them supreme insight to what fighters need almost impossible to garner otherwise. That and their semblance.

Although the new Dustsmith did eventually decline Mistrals offer of a partnership they have been seen in other groups since. Criminal syndicates mostly but even seeing the Dustsmith out in the world has become more common. Dustsmiths of yore spent significant time travelling discreetly, forming relationships with smugglers and buyers out of the public eye. Fame was a dangerous thing, doubly so when what made you famous was the weapons you forged but that doesn't seem to be something the new Dustsmith worries about. Perhaps their size makes it difficult to travel as others once did but more likely it is because this new Dustsmith believes in the myth.
 
Personality: Although it would be incorrect to conflate the hero-worship of huntsman and huntresses to that of the Dustsmith, it is of a similar fervour however it is for very different reasons. The Dustsmith is seen to be Mistral, they were there at the beginning and are credited with so many inventions it is hard to imagine modern life without them. Now imagine training your entire life to be that person. To be specially selected and trained in secret by a literal myth while carrying your life out as normal. A God complex is putting the condition lightly.

The Dustsmith believes creation is what makes us truly alive, it separates us from animals and even more from forces of destruction like Grimm. As such the value of someone is their ability to create, regardless of how terrible that creation is. And the Dustsmith has a wide definition of creation, their own works are widely agreed upon as such but the Dustsmith takes creation beyond physical objects, another person would call it more simply change. Just as the Dustsmith still marvels at how his works change from rough raw materials into some of the finest weapons and armour on the planet they equally watch in enraptured delight at how revolutionaries change people from downtrodden vagrants to warriors. How criminals turn law-abiding citizens into themselves or strong people into broken husks.

As an individual, the Dustsmith is surprisingly warm and open-hearted despite his rapidly deteriorating reputation. Often bringing swarms of origami creatures to life to entertain children or doing repairs in outflung towns. This not only makes it even harder for Mistral to crackdown on the Dustsmith's increasingly criminal dealings, but it also gives him dozens of places to lie low all over Anima when others come looking. Kindness and good fortune change people just as much as strife and pain and it all feeds back into the Dustsmith's god complex. These offers of kindness do not always come without significant cost however and many people have found themselves in jail trying to pay back the golden soul of mistral.

Aura and Semblance: The Dustsmith's aura takes a bright Gold glow when in use or when their weapons are activated making it very obvious what weapons are theirs although he like all Dustsmiths has no maker's mark. The Dustsmith has a truly massive aura capacity however due to how their semblance works the Dustsmith actually has little to draw upon if he would ever come involved in a fight. Mechanically this means the Dustsmith's aura never goes above 50%.

The Dustsmith's semblance is animation. Works wrought by the Dustsmith can be invested with a portion of the Dustsmith's own aura during construction, reducing their maximum until said aura is released, only possible by the object’s destruction, and then the work becomes 'alive'. How long it can stay alive depends on the amount of aura invested and can be replenished when exhausted by the Dustsmith or any other aura user. Said animation can lay dormant in works until set triggers are activated or purposeful activation by the Dustsmith themselves or any person with aura wielding the weapon. This aura invested is noticeable by those with even basic aura training but cannot be exploited by the Dustsmith when the work is coated in another's aura.

The strength and durability of these new creations are all dependant on how well crafted they are, if one would peel back the Dustsmith's armour plating they would find muscle fibres carved in masterful detail and these come alive which give the animal motifs their strength, even thin creatures like snakes can snag an unwary or exhausted foe let alone the damage the maws of wolves, lions and even dragons which are so common in the Dustsmith's work could do. The durability is in direct relation to the materials used in the motifs construction, even through aura and when they would otherwise break they fold back into their host weapon and go inert until recharged. Recharging is an intensive process which must be initiated by the wielder and takes a few hours and leaves whoever did the recharging aura slightly drained however it will return as normal unlike in the original creation.

These motifs also may be empowered by dust in the form of powerful elemental attacks or simply augmenting their not quite natural abilities. Like their aura, this supply will need to be recharged when expended but the Dustsmith has a very fixed view on what their creations should be doing as such can only take the whatever dust they were initially filled with. Adding explosive materials to your weapons and armour has obvious safety issues and the Dustsmith rarely adds in any safeguards like the foam used in some Atlas technology finding it 'icky' to work with instead making his customers aware that if they damage their works, they might not even have to chase them down.

On to the limitations of the animations once activated. They aren’t exactly alive like a true animal but they respond to the desires of those whose aura coats them, if none do then they default to the Dustsmith’s combat protocols centred around keeping their wielder alive but also only fighting lethally in the most desperate of situations. This means that the wielder only needs to think for their weapon’s creatures to activate but that also means they wouldn’t activate if the wielder is stunned or otherwise overwhelmed. Only the animal part present can actually impact the wielder, for example, if a hawks head is added but no wings it can never generate lift, but the animals don’t need to exactly mirror their real-world counterparts, a shark could have three rows of teeth already descended or a lion could have hollow teeth like a viper. 

Combat Behavior:  The Dustsmith is a passable fighter individually, an even match to an average huntsman on a good day the Dustsmith does have a lot of advantages which come into play while fighting. Most obviously is their strength and size, augmented by his semblance boosted armour and weapons make the Dustsmith a brute force hammer with few matches. And unfortunately for their enemies, there is a brain under all that muscle, always planning and calculating all the while trying to engage his opponents or allies in philosophical discussion. As mentioned above the Dustsmith’s dexterity is also not hindered by their armour through his semblance but their weapon is still large making gaps in their defence inevitable. Luckily for their opponents, the Dustsmith fights mostly to subdue, never killing their opponents and will go out of their way to ensure their survival, including crafting new limbs for their assailants seeing death as destruction and as such antithetical to all of the Dustsmith's beliefs. This goes doubly true if the Dustsmith ever has to fight against someone using one of their weapons, almost preferring death to destroy one of their own creations they would make an unbreakable shield once the wielders aura started to drop low.

However, a crippling weakness remains the Dustsmith’s aura level, which means although the Dustsmith is capable of putting out crushing attacks they can not endure the same in return. Ironic perhaps considering their size but it means a hunter, or even a well-coordinated student team, only needs to get a few good hits to bring the Dustsmith down. To offset this weakness the Dustsmith does travel with a series of ‘body doubles,’ great golden golems of exactly the same size and appearance wielding the same great hammer/heavy machine gun that the Dustsmith does. Someone as prone to fancy as the Dustsmith could never be expected to create the exact same suit of armour multiple times so there are minor differences between them but not enough to signify the original but enough to slowly cross out possibilities.

WEAPON

Name: Blades of Heaven

Primary Form: A gorgeous halberd, the head forged from a gold/titanium alloy to combine beauty and strength and the haft is spotless white marble. All together this makes the weapon incredibly heavy but considering the Dustsmith’s equally incredible strength that simply provides more weight to their already bone-crushing blows. The animal motifs incorporated into the design include a shark head making up the butt of the polearm, bear claw making up the hook, a viper’s fang making up the spearhead and a praying mantis’s claw making up the axe blade. 10’ in total length the Blades of Heaven is unwieldy in close confined areas but the sheer destructive power is almost unmatched.

Secondary Form: An impressive but gratuitous transform involves the Blades of Heaven blossoming like a flower form halberd into a heavy battle rifle. The staff shortens but not by much and becomes the barrel resulting in phenomenal accuracy and power behind each shot but drastically reducing the rate of fire. This makes the weapon much more effective against larger Grimm than human/Faunus targets. The animal motifs remain but the shark mouth is being used as the barrel and the bear and mantis claw are greatly shortened to make room for the additional moving parts of a rifle. Only the viper fang remains truly effective, able to snake around the wielder to inject poison or adrenaline depending on the situation.

Dust Functions: The blades and but of the weapon have tiny veins running throughout allowing for the flow of dust to empower their strikes. A plentiful supply and flair for the dramatic results in massive dust creations, ice walls, earth pillars, whirlwinds, thunderstorms, magma flows or all of the above. Although not specifically dust the viper fang can inject a wide array of poisons including slow acting and quick acting non-lethal neurotoxins as well as adrenaline to keep the Dustsmith and their allies in the fight. The battle rifle variant can both fire dust infused rounds as well as spew raw dust creating an impromptu but nevertheless devastating flame/ice/electric/ect thrower

History: For such a beautiful weapon the Blades of Heaven has a very bland history. Crafted by the Dustsmith when they were young the weapon has been and continues to tinker with and it has been with them ever since. Honestly, the Dustsmith would let the weapon pass on to someone else by now but hasn’t met anyone with the desire, ability to wield and ability to pay to take it off them.

ARMOUR

Name: Paragon Plate

Primary Form: The Dustsmith’s golden armour is by far the most well known visual signifier and for good reason, it’s a phenomenal piece of their art in terms of both attack and defence. Heavy metal plating forged from a hybrid mixture of carbon microfibers and titanium alloys leave the suit heavy but surprisingly flexible and impervious to damage to the point the Dustsmith would be more worried about the resulting shockwave rupturing his organs from any blow which could actually dent the armour than the well being of said armour in the first place. A dragon more dominates the chest plate but various hook talons can also fold out to provide light attacks. Shoulders forming a lion and wolf are matched with hundreds if not thousands of tiny insect carvings capable of swarming with such intensity they could bring Grimm to their knees. The wing motifs can not even start to generate enough lift to move the Dustsmith and a purely a flight of fancy. The birds themselves can fly, however, acting as rather conspicuous scouts as well as evidence those searching for the Dustsmith are on the right path.

Dust Functions: Like the Blades of Heaven the Paragon Plate can utilise almost every kind of dust, most through the dragon head which can emerge two meters spraying great gouts of flame or whatever the Dustsmith requires. The insect swarms can also carry a significant amount of dust between all of them providing the closest thing the Dustsmith has to a subtle weapon. The various claws and fangs all have the same tiny veins as the halberd making the crushing embrace of the Dustsmith an almost assured defeat.

History: Like the halberd the Paragon Plate has no real history of its own. Although it should be made clear that the Dustsmith isn’t looking for someone to take this off their hands yet, only a handful in the world could even properly use it and armour isn’t popular among hunters and the like anyway.

9
Everywhere Else / Among a thicket of berries(RASB Initation)
« on: May 10, 2018, 06:08:46 AM »
There was a depressive air over the air ship Team RASB was flying in, laded heavy with supplies but still racing through the sky with desperate speed. The idea the Shiru would attack again so quickly after being pushed back Shade was one of those possibilities that everyone tried to forget about to the point when it inevitably happened no one was ready for it. Hunters sent out to reinforce major settlements and Shade Academy was almost entirely emptied to provide support. Minor settlements had their citizens fleeing for safety and entire tribes of formally nomadic peoples came seeking shelter. Not that any of the preparation seemed to help as within a week Shiru had struck again, an entire town swallowed by the monster and then the sands raging around it prevented extraction teams checking for survivors.

But Vacuoians are resourceful people, re-engineering their bull-heads to deal with monstrous storm within hours as such entire teams of hunters managed to make progress into the storm aiming to put down the Grimm once and for all. The storms ferocity combined with picking up stray dust particles created a powerful, disruptive electro-magnetic field and although the bull-heads remained on target they couldn't communicate out or in. At least that is what the visiting Atlas scientists said until only a few hours after the teams left communication was made just on the edge of the storm. Scrambled by all the interference it could still, to some degree, be understood. There were survivors but they needed help if that was going to remain the case. But from where? Almost every hunter in Vacuo answered the call to push into the desert storm and those who didn't were defending the remaining settlements along with Shades students.

An emergency council meeting was called, sending an untested team into the field was against every regulation the school enforced particularly one of this magnitude but there simply wasn't another option. Sending an air ship full of supplies without defenders was a waste and although some argued that untested first years weren't much better luckily cooler heads prevailed. Vacuo had asked for aid but the closest serious group of hunters was days away and with a situation where hours mattered luckily brasher minds prevailed. As such with the blessing of the Assistant Headmaster, Eliana had left with the hunters along with most teachers, RASB was sent out on their maiden voyage. Tears were shed and council members already regretted their decision but as they say Alea iacta est, the die is cast.



Ramalia lay sprawled out on the cargo hold of the air ship, already eating most of her way through one of the supply crates meant to feed dozens. Anything that wasn't mission critical from most electronics to all chairs outside the cockpit had been ripped out to make room for more supplies and more space to hopefully cram survivors. They had no idea how many sent out the distress message or how many would be there when they arrived, if the message got to Shade it could have reached further into the storm, so the council had filled the ship to the brim. A decision Ramalia was, as mentioned before, taking full advantage of, devouring meal after meal as she made small adjustments to her gear. The small outing in Atlas had shown her a few significant flaws in her designs more than her teachers prattling on every could and as with everything Ramalia was quick to adapt. Fine tuning dust delivery mechanisms, extending her cannon's barrel for faster more accurate firing as well as a thousand small things Ramalia continued her journey upwards.

The former scavenger wasn't that concerned about the mission ahead, she had her own more important one. The desert had chosen her to inform her people and she couldn't very well do that while dead and with that divine protection no Grimm, not even Shiru could stand in her way. Her companions she was less certain about, they of course weren't ‘Ashkhas which automatically made them weaklings. Their physical appearance didn't help in that regard with Ramalia towering over each of them. Unbidden her mind whispered that her strength wasn't what saved her from being cast out by the desert and it was undeniable that each had a spark of something special. Shaking her short blond hair Ramalia tried in vain to loosen those thoughts from her head instead prepared to carry RASB through what ever lay ahead.

10
Everywhere Else / Preparing for the Coming Storm, Team Three
« on: April 19, 2018, 10:00:56 AM »
The collected hunters and hunters in training are all sitting together in a massive hall, it’s comfortable enough despite how frigid it is outside and with several Atlas students not participating, or at least not participating now, walking around providing refreshments the place gave off a welcoming vibe despite its utilitarian design. As well as the hunters several scientists and teacher staff also walked between groups asking questions about their training exercises and how they overcame, or tried to overcome, these challenges. The walls were covered with screens showing some of the training sessions going on, battles with giant robots, grimm or other hunters each with their own rules on how to win. Paying close attention however it was clear, given by how many people were being taken out, that not every session was being played but most were none the wiser and cheered on these fights through the screens, talked to each other or prepared for their own encounter.



Team Three was one of the first groups called up to attempt one of these training sessions. brought in front of a some how even more sterile door. Looking like something out of a science fiction show, hexagonal and opening diagonally. Walking into the first room there was one person in Atlas uniform and an eagle on a post near one of the doors, there was four included the way which this impromptu team came in. 'Morning Hunters.' The man in Atlas Uniform called out as the group walked into view with no hint of humour. 'A hostile force has taken control of this science lab, taken the scientists as hostages and captured their equipment. Obviously the main objective is the hostages but anything you can prevent leaving this lab would help. Take care and remember stay sharp, they have had time to set up. Any questions?'

The eagle squawked but the man in Atlas Uniform ignored it, the bird seemed to be getting ready to fly off but where? All the doors where shut.

11
Everywhere Else / Preparing for the Coming Storm, Team Two
« on: April 19, 2018, 09:41:50 AM »
The collected hunters and hunters in training are all sitting together in a massive hall, it’s comfortable enough despite how frigid it is outside and with several Atlas students not participating, or at least not participating now, walking around providing refreshments the place gave off a welcoming vibe despite its utilitarian design. As well as the hunters several scientists and teacher staff also walked between groups asking questions about their training exercises and how they overcame, or tried to overcome, these challenges. The walls were covered with screens showing some of the training sessions going on, battles with giant robots, grimm or other hunters each with their own rules on how to win. Paying close attention however it was clear, given by how many people were being taken out, that not every session was being played but most were none the wiser and cheered on these fights through the screens, talked to each other or prepared for their own encounter.



It took a few hours for Ravya and Co to get called out. During this lull a few of the screens occasionally flicked back to a forested area, strangely serene compared to the other intense rushes of combat. As time went on however people began to point out strange movement among the trees, impossible glints and strange blurs got everyone talking. The Atlas teachers had been preparing for this for weeks, spending almost any waking moment hunting for new obstacles when not putting others in front of their students. But there was also all the scientists and engineers which were walking around, some who grinned slightly whenever the strange forest was shown.

Lead through the corridors the selected students quickly found themselves at the start of the strange forest. There wasn't any of the ordinary helpers around this test site instead there was a particularly well dressed woman with blond hair and piecing blue eyes. Beckoning the group forward she began to explain the constraint of the test. 'An unknown terrorist organisation has reprogrammed and stolen several robot prototypes and used them to prepare an ambush for an unsuspecting transport. It's cargo is incredibly valuable and must be delivered on time, there can be no delays. As such you all have been tasked to rid the forest of any threat. Any questions?' The Woman announced dramatically, she was clearly enjoying the bit of theater.

Behind her it was far easier to see the now clearly metalic glints between the trees. Whatever they were being tasked to deal with was already watching.

12
Everywhere Else / Preparing for the Coming Storm, Team One
« on: April 19, 2018, 01:52:59 AM »
The collected hunters and hunters in training are all sitting together in a massive hall, it’s comfortable enough despite how frigid it is outside and with several Atlas students not participating, or at least not participating now, walking around providing refreshments the place gave off a welcoming vibe despite its utilitarian design. As well as the hunters several scientists and teacher staff also walked between groups asking questions about their training exercises and how they overcame, or tried to overcome, these challenges. The walls were covered with screens showing some of the training sessions going on, battles with giant robots, grimm or other hunters each with their own rules on how to win. Paying close attention however it was clear, given by how many people were being taken out, that not every session was being played but most were none the wiser and cheered on these fights through the screens, talked to each other or prepared for their own encounter.



A loud bing marks from the announcement system precedes each combination and this time the announcer calls for Solaris Star and Lyssa Andromiko. A hush comes over the crowd, not only do many of the Atlas students recognise the name of an Atlas Specialist but this is also the first team of two to have been announced. A handful of the screens flicker on to the new stadium, it’s a barren concrete field, not dissimilar to the fighting arenas elsewhere in the world only this was massive, easily two hundred meters each side and probably closer to three. There was no obvious challenge on screen but that only made those watching on more excited. Guesses of what it could be; hunter was the most common guess, no one thought any captured Grimm or robot could stand up to an Atlas Specialist, particularly one with back up.

As Solaris and Lyssa made their way to the stadium the challenge was still nowhere to be seen, directed to wait in the middle of the stadium, it didn't take any special emphatic abilities to feel the anticipation coming off the helpers. Something big was about to happen.

(edited teams for reasons)

13
Plot Zone / Preparing for the Coming Storm(Site wide plot thread)
« on: April 17, 2018, 08:26:16 PM »
+++++++++++Message from Atlas Headmaster Amarant Lovis+++++++++++

Although initially sent to the headmaster the message was quickly spread through out their schools to gauge interest.(hint hint)

'In response to the growing threat posed by new Grimm breeds as well as non-state actors like the White Fang, Atlas Academy has decided to host a series of challenges designed to push the current crop of hunters and hunters-in-training to their limits as they will need to surpass even those to turn the tide against the growing darkness. The other Huntsman Academies of Beacon, Haven and Shade have all sent delegations as well as of course our own Atlas academy boosted by prototypes from out finest weapon manufacturers have all sent their best and brightest to attend. In your trials you will come across captured Grimm, your fellow hunters, some of the most deadly machinery on Remnant and even your own teachers. But just like in reality not every battle can end in victory as such you will be given different objectives to try to prepare you for these no win scenarios. Prizes and glory await each victory, best of luck to all those who attempt these trials. My your strength keep you and yours warm in the face of the coming cold'



OK so the main jist of this is that students/hunters from all schools can sign up either as individuals or as a team, not necessarily their actual team, and they will be put through a series of mostly combat based challenges. Although there will be direct combat fights the majority of them will have some sort of twist to balance or upset the balance of the fight.

There isn't likely going to be an upper limit and I'm more than happy to have people add multiple characters.

14
It had been a successful enough mission, a daring strike into to the untamed wilds between Vale and Vacuo to search one of the recently rediscovered abandoned Lexkvar Industry facilities. It had taken a day to get out here by Bullhead but with the transport in ruins thanks to a close call with a Nevermore it looked like team ASTC had to make their way back on foot, at least until they got connections on their scrolls. The team carried between themselves cameras and sample kits as well as much intact scientific equipment they could carry. It lead to slow movement through the shrubbery which only worsened as they got to the more temperate and therefore forested Valish half of the continent.

Although the slow pace was doing a number on the teams resolve it devastated their resources, even Teddy's pack was mostly empty of food and the group had to rely on scavenging the surrounding environment to survive. Luckily all the students had gone through wilderness survival courses and had a decent idea of what plants you could eat and how to track the wild life. None more so than Calen who had lived in the wilderness for several years, although he deflected all questions about his skills with is normal horrible jokes, but the gaunt boy definitely took advantage of this. 'Accidentally' feeding his team mates hallucinogenic plants simply to liven up the drab atmosphere which had settled over them. It did not succeed.

They had been walking for ten hours to day, for the fourth as the team stumbled upon a town. Hope blossomed in even the most jaded member as they first saw the buildings but as they got closer it quickly wilted. The town was in ruins, long abandoned both by man and grimm the town still remained evidence of some folly venture to expand Vale's boarders. Decaying articles of their former occupants littered the area; books, dolls, even electronics. The town itself was made up of four two story buildings, twice that single story buildings and a large antenna. Despite the bad vibes the town was giving off it was clearly going to be the best place to rest, probably the best place they will find until they get to an actually inhabited village. As such Setsuna called a halt, a quick scan of the area showed no grimm or other threats remained.

A strange mixture of relief and trepidation filled the as they obeyed, some annoyed how easily that action was becoming. Collecting all their gear in one of the two story buildings the team then started to discuss what they should do for the last few hours of the day and the night which will soon fall. Calen was not doing well, mentally or physically. His knees ached from injures old and new and his figure had impossibly grown even more gaunt. Calen's outright refusal to eat anything cooked by the others because very apparent as they grew low on supplies and although he initially played it off as some sort of gallant action even Calen became bored of the act. There had been a growing part of Calen who missed surviving in the wilds by himself, particularly when his team mates were talking, but that was quickly becoming irreverent. Missing his many urban luxuries made the gaunt boy even more irritable than normal, his black hair had grown chaotically and stubble roughed his face consider but that all paled to his suit. What was supposed to be a two, three at the most day mission, had already become a seven day marathon and the suit was not holding up well. Threads torn even losing a button had meant Calen was forced to spend easily an hour a day repairing one on his suits, he had a spare but refused to use it in case they chance upon civilised company.

That was what Calen was doing now, using his semblance to launch himself to the highest point of the town, the antenna, and started collecting the errant threads. The entire town was bathed in a beautiful orange glow from the setting sun.

15
Well this school exists and Ramalia would like some friends.

An absolute unit Ramalia offers immense long range fire power as well as a life time of hard won survivalist skills to safeguard her team through the treacherous sands of Vacuo.

(Not expecting this to fill up blisteringly fast but felt I should at least try to get the poor girl into a team.)

Pages: [1] 2