The First Day "Tutorial" [MIX] (READ FIRST)

THE FOLLOWING RP IS A TUTORIAL. IT IS A MANDATORY READ AND WILL TEACH YOU SOME OF THE BASICS OF POSTING, THE PREMISE OF THE STORY, AND THE BASICS OF THE RPG SYSTEM!!!

Well this is interesting. It's kinda funny, thinking a little back into the the last moment I remember so clearly...All around me were flames and smoke-- all I wanted to do was save my friend...but...did I...? No... I didn't. I don't even know if she made it out alive. I'm hoping so though. Very much so.

I don't know what exactly to call this, but when I first woke up after that incident, it didn't take long for me to realize what was going on. Maybe I'm just too quick to accept it, but it doesn't take rocket science to piece together the clues. Everywhere around me was white during the time I was awake, and I was floating around in this empty White Space. I thought about it during that time and went with it: I was definitely dead. But if this was some kind of afterlife, you'd think it'd have been a little more hospitable. In this place, I also found several other people who seemed to be in the same predicament: everyone had died, from their own little worlds or time, the ultimate story was the same. I don't know what I was expecting; the thought of dying wasn't something I kept in mind all the time. In fact, I often thought death was the last thing we, as humans, should think about if we ever wanted to get things done.

Well, I wouldn't say human. Not anymore at least...?

The strangest part of it wasn't the White Space, but what had happened to my body!
Now I'm damn sure I wasn't covered from head to toe in reddish, soft fur and didn't have a wagging fluffy tail coming out of my rear...Either that or I must've never noticed in the 19 years of my little lifetime (but obviously, the former). It took me a while to get used to it...well, I wouldn't say get used to it. More like I crawled into a random space in the vast emptiness and kinda curled up into a ball, rocking myself back to sanity. I had turned into some kind of Wolf-Fox-whatever hybrid for reasons unknown, and that's probably going to bug me forever (perhaps literally if this is the afterlife). I also noticed I got this strange diamond shaped tattoo on the upper part of both my arms...? I don't know what it's for or what it means, but it's like some kind of marking you'd find in an RPG.

After an unknown amount of time and wandering, I lost consciousness and woke up facedown in the dirt. I can't say I quite like the taste of dirt, but it was good to know I finally had terra firma to stand on. Like everything else, it wasn't the most pleasant experience. 

I took time to figure out where I was now, immediately noticing the sky above me...it looked a lot like the sky of the real world, with hues of blue and wisps of creamy white clouds floating overhead, occasionally passing by the blindingly bright sun. 

I looked around, a little more, surveying the area. The first thing I noticed was that the dry and barren lands I stood on extended out some distance, but faded out the further it went, as if there was a fog surrounding the area. Judging from what I believed was North, there was also a range of short mountains blocking one side of the area with an opening going in between like a small valley pass. It was hard to see what was on the other side of the mountains from where I was standing, but the mountains themselves were not too tall: something like a couple hundred feet up at most.

Looking for answers, I set forth through the passage, and in a manner of minutes I began to clear through the mountains blocking my view into a large, empty basin like area surrounded by a ring of the similar mountains, each mountain almost cascading into each other. This circular clearing however was completely devoid of mountains in the center. Instead, there was a massive crystalline flower blooming out of the center of the basin, almost resembling a lotus flower. The center of the flower had a bud that was almost like a round building...I could swear, it looked like someone was living in it. A pathway leading from the short valley pass led straight to the flower, going straight over the open basin. Branching off from the path into another direction off to the side of the basin, there was also another crystalline structure: a massive shimmering doorway closed off with crystalline chains that glittered from far away. It'd say that's pretty ominous, if you asked me. But nonetheless, I figured it'd be easier to approach the larger structure first, as it was the one thing that had my interest the most. 

After about a couple minutes of walking, I approached the front of the flower and into a small underpass, which lead to a single doorway. The entire door, like the flower, was also made out of this unknown crystal, though there was an odd symbol covering the entire door that resembled the one on my arms. To both sides of the door were torches, though these torches were lit with an eerie violet flame. 

I reached out to knock on the door, but suddenly I felt a sharp pain in both of my arms, causing me to pull back out of reflex. 

What was that...?


I looked to see where the pain had come from and immediately noticed the pulsing flashes coming from the symbols on both my arms, then suddenly felt a sharp pain in my head accompanied by a painfully sharp noise that pierced my sensitive new ears-- 

Then, I blacked out once more.

When I had finally come too, I felt something soft touching my arms and holding them up... then the same soft thing had touched my face, perhaps even slapping it-- It was a little difficult to tell since I was just barely waking up.

The image became a little clearer as I began to sit up, and before me was an open door, and a short, white furred girl that apparently came out of the door. She was dressed in a long one-piece dress with armwear draping down the same length. Physically, she didn't appear to be older than 12; she was short and cute looking -- child like, but she, like me, was also a furred-animal-hybrid thing. Her hair was a little past shoulder length, with streaks of black going down her shoulders, and she notably sported a pair of ruby red eyes. 

Perhaps she wasn't like me and everyone else...something was different. 
She then spoke to me in kind of an bit of a distant and slightly inhuman tone that felt a tad cold...

You, who bears the mark of retrial... *She takes a small pause and eyes you over*

I should welcome you to this land, but there are important things to be said and done before you can understand what your place is in this world.

I'm a little surprised by this greeting of hers. I kinda expected someone a little more childish, but she's surprisingly mature for her looks...then again, it could be like a lot of anime and games where looks are always deceiving...


The Mark of Retrial? Is that what this thing on my arms is...? N-never mind that, what's going on? Is this suppose to be heaven or something...? I'm really confused. I thought I'd see some pearly white gates or something, and maybe an endless paradise of video games-- I dunno! 

Who are you anyways?

I am known as Trace Aleine. I don't really know who I am. All I really know is I've been spending a lot of time inside this place by myself, and it's been lonely. I never realized how lonely it's been until lately...

This world... I was told that it's known as the Melding World. It's...a very special place. Maybe you can call it heaven, though I don't really know what heaven is suppose to be. It's the first time I've ever really been given a chance to leave this structure. 

You've been brought here for a reason though, and I was told to explain it to you. You've been brought here because you were a special soul: one of many who had an unfinished business, struggle, or some kind of important struggle you've yet to face. You're one of many to be picked and brought here, but the first of all.

This world was made for me and you, but we've been promised...a chance to make a world, and perhaps to you, a chance to make a world that's even better than any other. One where we can all coexist and work together in ultimate peace...perhaps for a reason to smile as well.

Who is telling you all of this? Where are you getting all of this from? Most importantly, who picked us to be here? What is your role in all of this?

I kinda shook my head at this, not really understanding what she meant by being able to make a new world...It's kind of crazy -- Worlds are not made by two or ten people. Especially not in a single lifetime. I had so many questions, but to believe something like this would be the afterlife...?

*She makes a bit of a pained face that also hints a tad of sadness, but she continues anyways*

I...don't really know. I guess you could say it came to my in my mind...? Someone told me this in my head...A lot of it, in fact. I'm not like you, I know that.

Maybe it's not your ideal state to be here...but, you and everyone else has the potential to make this world great. This is, indeed, a paradise of it's own. One that can be shaped and bent by your will, and grown with your own paws. 

I do know that part of my responsibility is to guide you. I guess you could call me a...Cicerone. I'm suppose to guide you about here and explain what you're suppose to do, how things work, what they are, et cetera. 

One of your biggest duties, in this world, is to build up a society and create a town together: one that you may all exist in harmony and perhaps expand upon this world in. This is your chance to make a better world.

There is a problem, however, with this world that will not make your duty easy. I figure, I should tell you this before you ask me anymore.

Let's call this all a game. 

*She leads you out into the clearing and the path, then points up into the sky off into a starry portion that's reddish in color, a very odd looking place in the sky*

This world is plagued by embodiments of negative emotion and sentiments...monsters known as The Upset. They threaten to consume this world in an endless flood and are a cancer to the land. The heart of all of them, Pathos Cardia, lies beyond the sky there, past the Heaven's Gate-- in Aetheraeus Sol, the Land of the Vast.


*Looking closer, you see a strange symbol in that area, an X shape with a spiral in it, that glows in through the darker sky. From here, it's clearly visible and distinguishable from everything else, as if someone projected an image onto a screen.*


But in order to make it there, you must construct a vessel to survive the torrents of hazards that guard the gate, and then finally break the seal with a special talisman --The Ephemeral Talisman. 
This talisman is constructed by assembling 8 pieces found in the hidden sky sanctuaries. You can get to these sanctuaries by building up your vessel and flying to them once they show themselves.


It's a ... big game, actually, but I'll summarize it for you.

Quote :

1. Obtain materials and build up a town; create a society to build up and create this new world. 
2. Using your new town, together, create a vessel that will allow you to traverse the skies and visit the 8 Sky Sanctuaries as they appear.
3. Collect the 8 pieces of the Ephemeral Talisman and assemble it.
4. Build up your vessel so that it may breech the Heaven's Gate and reach Aetheraeus Sol.
5. Destroy Pathos Cardia.

You've been given a chance to make a new world...would you not take it and defend this world with your soul? It's all you have left in this life.

I've got nothing else in this world...? Well, I guess she's right... I'm dead and all, so there really is nothing left... I hate feeling useless though, and I wouldn't want to let her down -- perhaps this world is all she has too. It's...a sad feeling, being told there's nothing really else, but there really is no way to sugar coat the truth. 


That's...a lot to take in. I don't know about you, but I don't know how I'll be capable of building a society by myself -- moreover how I'll obtain these materials! 


I mean, I'm not a god or anything, so I don't understand how I'm suppose to pull any of this off!  

It's simple. This world is shaped by your skill and your imagination. Well, most of it.
You're also not going to be the only one. Do you remember seeing any other souls while you were floating around in nothingness? Those souls will be with you in your mission.

But you must remember that this is your new home. That is your reason for defending this world the most. If Pathos Cardia is not destroyed, then this special land will be consumed by all the Upsets and your existence in time, most importantly, will be forfeit. 

You will disappear eternally once this world is consumed.

I gulped at the possibility of ceasing to exist... the prospect of a new world may not have been super enticing, but to disappear forever, not even to pass on to another life and rest in peace, seemed like a torture in itself. But I couldn't help missing my friends and my past life. Everything seemed so much simpler back there, but this made things even more complicated.


But maybe it's not all bad...? It seems like I'm doing something useful, and this girl... she's counting on me and everyone else. If this world is all we've got, I can't let go of it, not when there's a lot I could do and problems I could solve. Maybe the original world isn't all that great...? Being told we can make something even better... maybe with less problems... it's like being given a clean slate.


...Then what do I have to do?

The Basics of Zone Creation

---

*She takes your paw and guides you over to the crystalline gate all the way to the side of the empty basin, then directs your attention to a few of the notable features about this gate...*


This gate here...it's your key to creating this world and obtaining everything you need to build up your society and your vessel.

*To the left of this door, there was a pedestal with a strange diagram on it, almost like a web with numbers going 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, and so forth. Only the innermost web was highlighted though...Additionally, there was a similar pedestal on the opposite side with a large round slot that had 8 grooves in it*

This left pedestal here is akin to a map. You select which part you want to go to and then, you must imagine the destination. This gate is called the Crystallis Gate, and you can use it to enter the different parts of the world known as Melding Zones. In these melding zones, you can obtain Materials for your crafting.  

When creating an zone, you expend a portion of your imaginative capacity (Known as IMG). Additionally, you must select a certain amount of Keywords when making this zone.

*She directs you to a tablet on the front face of the pedestal with several words on it*
These Keywords are what determine what you may gather from the area you create. You're free to create all kinds of areas, but you will be unable to gather materials that are not included in the material's list of the keyword given. So even if you make a zone made of pure gold, the strange forces of this world will not allow you to collect the material without consequence. I doubt you'd want to find out what the consequences are. There aren't a lot of words for you to use yet, but as you build up and gather more, the list will become more expansive. 

It is also important you establish a key distinguishing feature of that area so that it may be unique. Each area must have at least 3 keywords and a describing feature that makes it.

You can view what keywords are available at each stage of the game by viewing the database (scroll to the right to find the keywords list). Additionally, you may find all sorts of information on this database. 

*She conjures a glowing panel and floats it over to you to see*

I take a couple moments to look through the strange panel she hands me and look at all the information that I can potentially find here...Interesting. Perhaps a lot of questions I may have later on may be answered by looking at this database.


I see... so I just select an area on this little device on the pedestal and then press the center to activate this gate, I'm assuming? 

What else is there?

Basics of Thread Creation



When using creating a new area, you must you must create a thread in the "Melding Zones" Forum labled in this format:

Area number - Name of Zone - Zone type (Is it a jungle? A gallery? A lake? A robotics zone? A volcano?) 

(The floor type and can be entered in the description instead of the title)

For example,

1-1 - Rebirth's Waterfall - Forest Canyon

The RP type of all Melding Zones is (MIX), which allows RP's to move at a fast pace when battling and allows game progress to be made faster. This also allows you to switch to more literate and longer RP's when entering an zone when the time is appropriate for you to make more meaningful story progresses with your character. (For more info on RP types, see below)

For non battle RP's relating to interaction in town, follow this instead wrote:

When using creating a new thread in Town Life RP's, you must you must create a thread in the "Town Life" Forum labled in this format:

Thread Title - RP Type

What are RP types you may ask?

a. (PAR) Sometimes known as literate RP or semi-lit; this is where you write paragraph like posts in a story fashion to roleplay.
(Example: Reiko knew the outcome of all this: If she was too make any progress and learn about this world she was in, perhaps saving her own skin in the process, she would have to venture through the Crystallis Gate and gather materials to build up a town for herself and the other denizens that may enter this world. "I'm ready to do this!", she cried out in an eager shout of determination. )

b. (LIN) This is for Script/Skit like RPs, commonly seen in chat RP's and are usually done in short posts.
(Example: Reiko: I'd love to talk about how difficult it is to write out literate Roleplays, but I've got a a standard to stick too. *She is then suddenly hit in the head with a coconut by the white haired loli* Ow!)

c. (MIX) This is for mixed RPs, which combine the two above or use any other kinds of methods together. These style of RPs are VERY useful for making game progress, and are highly recommended, as it allows people to RP in their comfortable style and keep a fast pace. An example of this would be this entire RP.

All RPs run on a Dice-Command system, meaning that you will have to base all battles explicitly on stats and have to roll the dice (which we'll talk about in a bit) to have a legitimate battle.

Um...what? What do you mean by forum...? Oh wait, this is some of that meta stuff that happens in every tutorial. Oh, okay, I understand.

I nod a bit cluelessly.


Okay, so let me give this a try then, if that's the case... 

*Creates a thread called the following before turning the dial*

1-1 - Rebirth's Waterfall
and adds to the description "A rocky hill path leading to a small lake. " 
Then, picks the keywords Woody, Stone, Aquatic to use for this area.

...and then I just press the 1-1 node on the panel....hit the center button...and... 


Suddenly, I hear a loud noise that sounds like the cracking of glass, then I hear chains shattering. I look over at the gate and watch the doors slowly break open with the chains as a blinding light shines through and I cover my eyes.


W-what the hell?! Did I do it right? Aaa--ahh!! It's so bright!

You did fine. Just close your eyes and count to three...

*She blurs out in the blinding light, becoming nothing but a silhouette and then disappearing*

What the-?! YOU LITTLE --

Suddenly, everything went white as the light consumed everything I was aware of around me. I had this feeling as if...as if I was being thrown through space at an incomprehensibly high speed! If I wasn't so accustomed to going on roller coasters all the time, I would probably be sick to the stomach from moving so fast!


Then I landed face first into...dirt and grass? This was kinda strange -- It seemed as if I did transport to another area. I thought about how this was possible, but spat out the dirt in my mouth bothering me. That definitely wasn't the most graceful ways to enter a zone, I bet. 


I would've loved to question more about how it all worked, but I figured it's not easy to explain. It's all magic of some sort, most likely, something I didn't believe in back in my world.

I finally decided to get to my feet and take a look around me, and I was in a bit of a pleasant shock! It looks like she meant everything she said about making this world with my imagination; every little detail I imagined.


Out of the area I landed in, was a long and open pathway surrounded by trees on both sides. The trees extended almost endlessly into the distance, all closely stuck together and impossible to get through. At the end of the  pathway, there was a large stone hill with several boulders stacked in a way, such that they resemble steps. At the top of the steps, I could hear with my heightened senses that there was indeed a pool of water, a pond of sorts that was fed into by a waterfall coming from the large cliff further above. 


It's so curious how all of this is possible, but...then again, we aren't in the beforelife anymore. So I guess a lot of rules can be broken, huh?


I heard a breaking noise behind me soon after I finished looking and looked behind to notice that a door shaped screen was opening up behind me... perhaps this is how I get in and out of this zone?


I went to take a closer look but then felt a tap on my back and whipped back around in reflex.


GUH- What the-!?! Who--?!

Don't be so startled. I said I was going to walk you through this, right?

Even if I'm not here, I'll still be able to watch and communicate telepathically with you at all times as necessary. I can give you information on the things you may encounter while you're out here as well, in addition to watching your status.

...Or perhaps watch you take a bath.

Well, I guess that could be usefu- WAIT, WHAT?! 

Needless to say, I'm flustered. Either this little girl is a pervert or doesn't understand the idea of privacy...Probably the former. 


.////.


Err--I'm not gonna question how you can do that...but please don't watch me take baths...that's...

I'm rather fond of bathing, so I don't understand why you'd be so opposed to something like that. The concept of bathing is...well...interesting. But...

It looks like should be able to gather quite a bit of materials from here. You should keep in mind that creating these areas isn't free. As I said, you expend a portion of your IMG points to create these zones.

For zones with 3 words, the cost is 25. 
For zones with 4 words, the cost is 35 (and the level of Upsets is increased)
For zones with 5 words, the cost is 50 (and the level of the Upsets is also increased)

You should note though, that some keywords may also increase the IMG cost or the level of Upsets in an area. 


We'll talk about Upsets though later. You should be aware that you're not alone when gathering in these areas, but we'll worry about that when we get there.

All the materials from the keywords you picked are present...perhaps it's time to start gathering.

This girl really has been spending a lot of time locked in that flower...It's almost kind of sad. But she mentioned Upsets...? 
I start scratching my head when I notice something else: A number on my wrist glowing a neon blue...it says 0 for some reason. I didn't hesitate to ask her.


I'm actually kinda curious about this number on my wrist...? What is it? I don't remember this being here. Also, what are these Upset things anyways? Are they....monsters? 

The possibility of running into monsters kinda made it hard for my to swallow. Monsters...? I've never thought I'd ever run into such a thing. At most, big bears like the ones you'd find up in the forests of Colorado. I always carried a Glock around with me back up there in case something happened. My aim isn't bad, but...is it possible I could die...? Again...?

That's the Encounter Counter (EC). 

The Encounter Counter shows you how much nearby Upsets are attracted to your location at the very moment. When entering an area with a new party, your Encounter Counter will always begin at 0. Once your encounter counter reaches 12, you will have been fully detected by monsters in the vicinity and are going to be attacked within a few seconds, meaning a battle will engage and you cannot avoid it.

Your encounter counter will  increase if you gather.
Whenever you or anyone gathers and it doesn't result in an encounter, the EC will always increase by 1.



YOU MUST REMEMBER THE ENCOUNTER COUNTER'S NUMBER WHEN IT CHANGES.

Failure to do so could lead to an ambush or terrible repercussions.

And to answer your question in short, Upsets are indeed monsters. They come in all shapes and sizes and only get more deadly and deadly as you go on.
As a tip, when you are posting, try to keep count by occasionally adding the EC's number to the bottom of your post. This will save your party a lot of trouble, especially if someone forgets where it's at.

Also, whenever the counter increases, be sure to state the number. You must know where it is at when it moves! Include it with your post when it happens!

I guess I'll remind you the EC is at 0. For now.

That's very....reassuring.

So, I can gather stuff, yeah? But is there a catch to getting these materials?

The Basics of Gathering

I don't quite know what you mean by "catch"...
Though there are rules if that's what you want to know.

The first thing to know is that even if you don't have tools, you can always gather some materials, such as Stones, Plants, and Wood. However, this is usually very inefficient. You can gather more materials by creating tools for use.

Whenever you gather materials, you consume stamina and gain an amount of materials based on the grade of the tool. The grade of using bare paws is always 0, and you will always gather a minimum of 10. The higher your grade of tool is compared to the minimum grade of the material you're gathering (for basic materials, it is 0), the more materials you can gather multiplicatively. So if your tool grade exceeds the minimum by 5, you will gather 5 times as much material per gather attempt. 

Basic materials, however, start at 10, and increase in increments of 5 (10 + Grade Difference x 5 )

Also, the amount of stamina consumed when gathering materials differs between Basic and Advanced materials.
Here's a simple chart to give you an idea...

Material Type (Stamina Usage)	Grade is 0 Above	Grade is 1 Above	Grade is 2 Above
Basic (25 Stamina)	10	15	20
Advanced (20 Stamina)	5	10	15

Some examples of basic materials are Stone, Water, Plant, Metal, and Wood.
Advanced materials include Titanium, Mithrite, Manawood, Fire Flowers, and more.

Whenever you gather, subtract it from your stamina accordingly. 
Whenever your stamina is changing, indicate the end result in your post!
You can put it at the bottom like this:

STAM: 75/100

(You can also edit your stamina bar from the character sheet page under the player menu, if you want a visual reference, though this is visible on all other threads  you're on).
You can continue to gather so long as you have stamina remaining. If you do not have stamina, you will be forced to leave the floor. 
Also, after each gather, you will have to wait at least 5 posts (not including those from your party members gather attempts) to gather again. This lets you catch your breath for your next round.

(If you are solo, you do not need to make these 5 posts. The post requirement is to encourage interaction).

IMPORTANT: You (and your party) also consume 10 stamina when you begin to fight or 5 if you avoid a fight. If you have no stamina in this event, you will AUTOMATICALLY LOSE the fight. So be careful about using up the last of your strength to gather.

I see... and judging based on how things are, I can find a lot of this information, like the stamina available for gathering in the databse? Meta-referencing aside...

I should probably bookmark the database so I can reference it often...It looks like it'll be really important.


I should also be able to find crafting recipes here and skill information...
If I want to craft something that's not here, I should probably put it in my posts and bold it in case a moderator needs to see the custom recipe.


Also, if I preform an action, like gathering, I should make sure to bold that action so moderators can see it.


...what am I talking about?


I guess I'll get to work then.

I walk over to one of the trees and take a rock to start smashing off some of the wood on the trees... I gather 5 Pieces of wood. Right after, I feel like I ran a marathon -- jeez, gathering wood should NOT be this tiring!

What the hell...? *huff huff* I'm... so worn out already... I need to catch my breath...


Stamina: 79/104

Not bad. You seem to catch on quick, yes? Now all you have to do is wait 5 posts before you can gather again. 

Your stamina will not recover while you are in a melding zone, so you must return to your town when you have finished with the area in order to recover stamina. Additionally, you can bring prepackaged meals into melding zones (I like to call them, Boxed Lunches) and you can consume them for statistical benefits and stamina recovery. 

However... you're not going to be purely safe to gather... You see, you are prone to being detected by Upsets while gathering. 


Basics of Die Rolling and the Encounter System

This game is played using a variety of dices. In order to roll dice:
1. You must reply to a thread using the "Add Reply" Button at the bottom of each page. Using quick reply will not let you roll dice. Here, you can select the appropriate die for each situation
2. Whenever you want to roll, scroll down underneath the text field and you should see an option that says "Roll Die". You can expand this and choose the proper dice for each action (the number field lets you make multiple rolls). 

Whenever you gather, you must roll the dice labeled "Encounter", or whichever dice you must roll for encounters based on your selected traits. If the result comes up as a 1, you will be forced to make a decision. 

You must make another post choose one of the following options:
Confront
You will face whatever enemy is ahead of you.
When you do, roll the "Enemy Groups" die.

Whatever number you roll on this die is the number of the enemy group in the database for your area's Word Value Level.

So under the database's enemy groups list , you can fight any group labled 1-___ (i.e. 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4), since this area's Word Value Level is 1.
Escape
If you do not have the trait "Ungraceful", you can run before the battle begins. 

In this case, you would roll the die labeled "ESCAPE". If you escape, you avoid the battle at the cost of 5 Stamina. However, it is important When you avoid battles, you lose half of your last gather, if you did any gathering. Be careful when deciding to avoid or not.

Oh...? Well damn... that's rather annoying...

I guess I'll have to see what happens and hope for the best--

The member 'Reiko Yuikeida' has done the following action : Roll Die

'Encounter' :

Crap! I don't even have my gun on me--! How am I going to fight them?!

I start to panic a bit hoping I can find something from my pockets to help me out of this situation -- perhaps to little avail.

The member 'Reiko Yuikeida' has done the following action : Roll Die

'Enemy Groups' : 1

BATTLE BASICS

Stay calm. You can't fight this these if you're panicked. You must remember what I'm about to tell you in order to take on these foes.

I'll give you this since you'll need something to fight these!

*She tosses you a strange looking pistol -- It's built a lot like a flintlock but it has a white wood structure and the metal is embossed with swirling wing patterns*

To original posters; Always tell people that a battle is starting by doing something like this:

BATTLE ENGAGED!

Then tell people what the monster is and its stats (HP, Attack Power, Speed), along with any special info.

Visit the "Bestiary" page in the databse to find these statistics. (You can also view the Enemy Groups List and copy the information from the notes, if it has been added)

Also, the person who engaged the battle must tell the party members their turn order in the same post!

Party Formation: Leaders and Followers
Usually, when you enter an area with a party, you decide who will be the leader of the party (you can pick multiple, but there are downsides to doing this). The maximum amount of people you can have in a party is 4, with the exception of Sanctuary Raids.

As you progress, you will unlock Gems, which will give you bonuses to either whoever's in the Leader position (if you're a follower) or to all followers (if you're a leader). If you have more than one leader, you will have to pick one follower or the other to gain bonuses from and no longer share your gem bonus to all other party members, so remember that.

If you do not declare a leader when entering an area, the leader will default to the first person who enters. 

For this tutorial, I will let you be leader so you can benefit from my Gem: <Abstractus>
(MAG + 5, HP + 50 to Leader)

Determining Turn order

Turn order is important because it tells you who goes first, second, third, and so forth.
This is decided on the basis of Priority. The higher your Priority, the higher in the list you are to make a move. The fastest character or enemy in the battle gets to move first. As a general rule of thumb, the average monster's priority is 0.

If a monster has the same priority as you for some reason, you will still be able to move before its. If another player shares the same priority, whoever entered the area with the party first gets to go first.

Keep in mind that priority is affected by whatever weapon you're using. The penalties or bonuses are dependent on weapon type.

When showing turn order, make a numbered list. Also, note who is a leader if you've selected one. 

For example, in this battle, the turn order is as follows:

1. Ghastball - 1
2. Ghastball - 1
3. Reiko (Leader) - 0
4. Trace - 0
5. Chaser - 0

Since you are not first, you would have to let the monsters attack first.

Monster's Turns
Every monster has a targeting rule that determines their behavior. When listing an enemy, make sure you display their targeting rule so others know how to determine who will be attacked. 
The most common targeting rules are RANDOM and HIGHEST THREAT.

About THREAT wrote:

THREAT is a system that determines how threatened a monster feels about your presence. Your base THREAT is determined by the sum of all your attack values (Minimum, Base, and Maximum) times your Attack Speed (The amount of attacks you can make per round). If you don't want to calculate this value, you can just reference the DATABASE under the THREAT column. 

If an enemy has this rule, perhaps it is wise to mention your base threats in the turn order as well. 

If your threat is the highest, you will be the one targeted by enemies with the HIGHEST THREAT targeting rule. 

HOWEVER -- If someone casts a spell or uses a technique that does flat damage (it's not affected by a regular combo roll), the damage done by that spell/technique becomes your new threat value.  Before a monster attacks, be sure to check the damage done by each person who used a technique or spell that does flat damage (they should list the damage that would be dealt before they end their post). 

There are other ways to change your threat, but that's more for later.

On the turn a monster moves, if the monster has a targeting rule of RANDOM, the person before that monster must roll the appropriate "Target Party of X" die to determine who will be attacked.
Whatever number this is, that person will take damage from the enemy's attack!
If the enemy targets an ally who is unconscious (0 HP), then the enemy will attack the next person over (So if a monster targets member 3, but 3 is unconscious, it will target Member 4. If it was a party of 3, it would target number 1 instead)

Whenever you enter an area and you've made an official party, make a note of it as soon as you've teamed up. I should have mentioned this earlier, but you'd do best to remember that, as I am confident you're capable of doing so.

In this case, our party is:

1: Reiko Yuikeida [THREAT - 33]
2: Trace Aleine [THREAT - 5]

The next person to post must show the HP of the hit party member after they've taken damage. The HP lost is equal to the attack monster's attack, minus any defenses that member has.

Anyways, since you're not first, I'll list all the info for you:

Chaser: 25/25
7 Atk
RAND

Ghast Ball: 30/30
5 Atk
THREAT

Ghast Ball: 30/30
5 Atk
THREAT


Reiko has a THREAT of 33, while Trace has a Threat of 5. Therefore, she will be targeted by the Ghast Balls! 

Th-that's a lot to take in! 

I stand shaking in a bit of fear and uncertainty -- I see strange shadowy monsters standing before me and Trace. These monsters all look like they're made out of darkness and smoke. One of them was a strange ball on two bulky legs -- the other two were floating, smoking orbs. Both of these monsters had gigantic sharp-toothed mouths...


Before I can get the chance to take aim, the two floating ones fly at me and slam into me, intimidated by my weapon! I swear, I could hear a cracking noise as they ram into my chest and ribs -- ACK! Its so painful--! Am I going to die again?! What's going to happen if I do...?


Reiko
HP: 13/23

What do I do?! Wha-what do I do?! They're so fast! 

I take my gun and try to line up a shot...

How to Fight

Before you take an action, always show how much HP you have, Your DAMAGE VALUES (in terms of MIN/BASE/MAX), and your MP (Magic Points, which are used for techniques or spells). Your HP is 5 x Mastery Level + (4 x Vitality) + 10, in addition to any modifiers (this can be found on the database calculated for you). Also, Show how much HP the monster after the last person attacked it.The only thing you really need is basic math skills. Simple things, like adding, subtracting, and division (you're free to use a calculator, if you must).

When you attack, post a description of how you're attacking or something like that (this is for RP purposes) and specifically state which enemy you are attacking!
Then, make sure you roll the dice of your BALANCE. This is a value determined by your weapon. Your gun has a balance of +1, so you would roll the dice called the "Attack Dice (+1)" or whatever your balance happens to be. BALANCE determines how likely you are to hit Minimum, Base, or Maximum damage.

• If your roll is 5 or less, you will hit MINIMUM damage (but if you roll a natural 1, that is, a 1 without modifiers, you will miss). Minimum damage is equal to 1/2 your base damage.
  
• If your roll is 6 or higher, but less than 15, you will hit BASE DAMAGE (That is, your normal damage).
  
• If your roll is 15 or higher, you will hit MAXIMUM DAMAGE, which is 150% of your base damage. 
  
• If your roll is a natural 20 (20 without modifiers), then you will land a critical, which does TWICE your maximum damage PLUS your maximum damage again. (2 x Max + Max)
  

• If you have an extended critical range, criticals outside of 20 deal (2 x Base + Max) damage.

You may make as many attacks as your AS (Attack Speed) allows, and you'll gain more AS as you progress. Using all of your normal attacks in this manner is called a COMBO.

When the next person after your attack posts, they have to take the number of hits you landed and add the damage according to your rolls, then subtract it from the monsters HP. 


For example, if you rolled a 4 and a 15 while your damage is 5/10/15 (Min/Base/Max), then you will do 5 + 15 damage for a total of 20 damage. 

At first, it's very complicated and much to take in, but once you've practiced it and gone through the works, I'm sure you'll have an easy time working through it. It's quite simple, though, past the technical terms.



Losing a Battle



If your HP reaches 0, you will become UNCONSCIOUS and be unable to act unless you are revived with revival items or spells/abilities. When everyone in your party is at 0 HP, the battle is considered a Total Defeat and your party will be sent back to town.
If your party suffers a Total Defeat, everyone who was a part of the party will suffer a terrible debuff unless they can afford to pay with their IMG points.

This debuff is called Grave Shock, and incurs:
1/2 Gathering rate
1/2 HP
1/2 Overall Damage (damage you would deal would only deal half)
Defense becomes 0

To cure it, you must offer up 25 IMG points. If you are unable to do so, you will have to wait until the IMG cycle ends and your IMG recovers. There are some items that can also cure Grave Shock.

I..I'll try what I can! You're going down--! 

I line up my shot and fire at the Chaser, pulling my trigger in an attempt to bring it down! 
I also make a note: I can omit information such as MP (since I haven't used magic yet) or DEF (Since I don't think I have any defense yet).

Reiko: 
HP: 13/23
DMG 5/11/17

The member 'Reiko Yuikeida' has done the following action : Roll Die

'Attack Dice (+1)' : 16

The shot lands right in its face and deals 17 points of damage!

Chaser: 8/25
7 Atk
RAND

Ghast Ball: 30/30
5 Atk
THREAT

Ghast Ball: 30/30
5 Atk
THREAT

Yes...that's it. You're understanding the system! Perhaps next round, you could try to cast a spell?

I should explain the other things you can do in a battle. I will also demonstrate magic, which you can try for yourself...

Your Commands (Besides Attack)

Guarding
On your turn, you may choose to defend yourself instead of attacking. When you do this, your turn is skipped, but you talk half damage from a single hit until it is your turn again. If you are hit a single time while defending, you will leave the guard stance! Keep this in mind when facing multiple enemies!

When guarding, you draw power from your STEADFASTNESS skill. Getting hit in Guard stance can train this skill for you, allowing you to improve your guard or earn special abilities related to guarding.

Techniques
You will learn techniques as you advance through the game, but you can only hold a total of 6 Techniques at once. (You can swap out learned techs while you're in town).

Techniques are Special Attacks that can deal damage, buff, or debuff, along with many other different effects. They are governed by the GUL (Guile) Stat and most will scale in damage based on a combination of a weapon's primary stat in addition to GUL.

In the below example for magic, replace MAG for GUL if it applies!

Whenever you use a technique, state the damage it will calculate out for in your action post and subtract the HP from the monster as well! This saves other people the time of calculating the damage for you and speeds up the battle flow!

Magic
You may not be aware, but everyone who enters this plane is capable of casting Magic. You will always have the ability to cast magic as long as you are not Magic-Locked (a form of status effect) or have the MP to do so.

Every person is attuned with an elemental affinity. This affinity determines what elements you are weak against. If an enemy of your weakness element attacks you, you will become STAGGERED and take twice as much damage! If you are staggered, you can only make half the normal amount of attacks and can't use techniques, guard, and your attacks become minimum damage. Consequently, you can also only cast spells at half their possible level (as we will explain soon). Likewise, the same applies to your enemies as well. If you hit the weakness of an enemy, their damage will be cut in half!

If you choose to attack with magic, instead of showing your DMG scores in your post when you attack, you will do this:

HP: (You know what this is)
MAG: (Put your magic statistic here, found on the database next to strength)
MP: This is your capacity to cast spells or use techniques. Whenever you use either, it will consume a portion of your MP pools. MP will naturally recover at a rate of 1 point per round, but if you do not have enough to cast a spell or technique, you cannot use it.

Spell Crafting  - The Art of Casting Spells
Casting magic is based on the usage of Essences to combine and make spells. Everyone begins with an essence of their elemental sign (So you would have the Fire Essence, since you are attuned with the sign of fire).
In order to cast a spell, you must, in your post, specify which essences you will combine and state the spell name! (such as Fire, Fire Fire; Fire, Fire, Wind, etc.) The amount of essences you can combine is based on how far you've progressed with magic. Most combinations of magical essences will create a spells that can be found on the database under "Spellcraft".

At your level, you cannot combine essences because your capacity only allows you to wield one essence. Additionally, you cannot use elemental essences that you do not own yet. You can, however, cast Fire. This is the most basic form of fire magic.

The difference between using magic to attack and your paws/weapon, is that your damage is CONSTANT with magic and based on SPELL POWER (SP), which is derived from 1/2 your Magic (MAG) and your Mastery Level. However, Magic excels at dealing damage, more so than regular attacks. This comes with the price of being limited.

To use magic, simply concentrate and assemble the essences within your mind by imagining them. It will cast right after.

I will use magic in this round to demonstrate for you, so you can attempt it too.
Much like Techniques, you should state the damage you will do while specifying your target (if it applies) and subtract the HP in the same post!

Items

To use an item, simply say that you are using it. Make sure you BOLD AND/OR CHANGE THE COLOR OF THE NAME OF THE ITEM, SO MODERATORS CAN UPDATE THE DATABASE.

You may only use items that are consumable and for use in battle, such as potions.
Every character, except those that have the trait "Small Pockets" can use up to two battle items before they can't pull out anymore. You can increase this amount by equipping belt accessories.

Escape

In a similar manner to avoiding a battle, you can roll "Escape". Rolling a 1 will give you a success, allowing you to escape from battle. Note, that only the person who rolled the escape can leave the battle.
If everyone escapes, the last gather, if you did gather anything, will be cut in half. You do not get the full amount until the battle is finished.

Swap Weapons or Dual-wield Combo

If you wield an offhand weapon, you may either attack as if it was an extra weapon to switch to (so attack as you normally would, using the statistics of that weapon) OR you can dual-wield combo, which will allow you to attack with both weapons for extra attack speed. Dual wielded weapons will always attack at half the speed of their actual rate (so if you have an attack speed of 4 with your offhand weapon, you will only get 2 bonus attacks). Additionally, dual wielded weapons suffer a -4 penalty to balance while attacking, so you would attack with that weapon using a die that is -4 less than normal (to a maximum of -5). There are ways to reduce this penalty, but you'll find those on your own.

Preform the combo as necessary, but specifically state that you are dual wield attacking if it is not something you always do.

Quote :

If you are dual wielding for normal attacks, state the damage of the offhand weapon like thus:

Reiko:
HP 13/23
DMG 5/11/17
DMG 5/11/17

-------------------------------

Let me help you take down one of the enemies! You're doing well!

HP: 2045/2045
SP: 600 + 500% Spell Damage
Def: 400
MP: 400/500

Space-Space-Space-Space-Fire - [Beacon Strike Eruptor]!

Suddenly, an orb of fire appears over one of the Ghastballs and consumes it, crushing it into a super compressed coin-like object for 45,000 DMG, and it puffs into a black smoke and disappears!


Chaser: 8/25
7 Atk
RAND

Ghast Ball: 0/30
5 Atk
THREAT

Ghast Ball: 30/30
5 Atk
THREAT

(Trace's THREAT becomes 45,000! She is the highest threat!, She also rolls the targeting dice, since the monster with RANDOM targeting is next.)

The member 'Trace Aleine' has done the following action : Roll Die

'Target Party of 2' : 2

Trace
HP: 2045/2045 (No damage!)
Def: 400

J...jeez! This little girl is is like iron tough to beat! She didn't even take a scratch from either enemy! I don't know if I should be scared of the monsters or her...! But...at least she's on my side, right?

You're...so strong! Err-- I'm gonna try to do that magic stuff too...! Let's see...

Reiko:
HP 13/23
SP: 5
MP: 2/7

I concentrate and hold my hands...er...paws forward and focus on the one I was attacking earlier.

Fire [Fire]!

Suddenly, a flame conjures right at the feet of the Chaser and burns it for 15 points of damage!

(Since my spell damage pales in comparison to hers, I don't have to mention the THREAT change)

Chaser: 0/25
7 Atk
RAND

Ghast Ball: 0/30
5 Atk
THREAT

Ghast Ball: 30/30
5 Atk
THREAT

You're almost there...! Try this and take out the last enemy!

HP: 2045/2045
GUL: 400
Def: 400
MP: 380/500

TECH:
Alacrity!

A pink light covers Reiko and she receives a base damage bonus of +100% and +1 Attack Speed for [20] rounds!

Whoa! This power...! ...I can do this! Ready, monster? I'll put you down right now!

Reiko:
HP: 13/23
DMG 11/22/33 x 2

With this sudden surge of strength, I fire both shots at it hoping it'll go down!

The member 'Reiko Yuikeida' has done the following action : Roll Die

'Attack Dice (+1)' : 19, 18

The final enemy takes both shots and puffs into smoke!

VICTORY

After battle Results
You've done well...I'd like to congratulate you on your first victory. *She bows to you*
Now that the battle is over, you have a chance to earn enemy drops...

Depending on what it says in the enemy groups list, you can roll for whichever monster you want to take a chance at earning the drop from.

In this battle, the Chaser has a chance to drop Dark Dew, an important crafting ingredient and a common resource.

On the drops list, it says that Chaser has a "Common" chance to drop this. You can roll the dice named "Monster Drop Common", and if it is a 1, you earned that drop!

Spirit Sterling

In the enemy groups list, you will also see a column named "SS Prize". SS stands for Spirit Steling, which you will earn from winning battles. Inside the Sanctum Florae, you can meet with one of my guardians who owns a small shop that can sell you all kinds of items.

Whenever you earn SS, it goes to a town stockpile of SS and is shared between all denizens.

It helps the moderators by saying, after you've won a battle, how much SS you've earned.

30 SS EARNED.

Attribute Points

Every player has a Mastery Level that increases based on how much AP You've earned. Whenever you complete a battle with a Word Value Level appropriate enemy group, you gain 1 AP that can be spent on any of your 6 attributes.
You are free, within your post, to state what you are assigning that point to, but be sure to bold it to emphasize so moderators can see. You can also message a moderator via Skype to have them distribute the point.

When you've advanced a Mastery Level (every 5 AP you earn), you will gain 2 CP (Crystallis Point) which you can spend on the Crystallis Hex. The Crystallis Hex is, in a way, a skill tree that you can use to specialize yourself in weapons of choice, learn techniques, or even gain Gems. (Consult moderators for help with the Crystallis Hex)

Anyways, we should be heading back. I have a little bit more I must teach you before I can let you continue...Roll for your drops and see what you get.

I can't believe I won that...! It's like one of those RPG's I used to always play! If I could play a fanfare right now, I totally would to celebrate! This has definitely caught my interest... it's as if I'm in a video game itself, but now I have so much more power...! Magic...? Techniques....? Monsters...? There's so much to take in, but surprisingly enough, I think I might like it!

+1 to Precision!

Alright...I'll see if I can find anything...

I scavenge the ground and look for anything that might've dropped....

The member 'Reiko Yuikeida' has done the following action : Roll Die

'Monster Drop Common' : 4

*Sigh* Well, it looks like I don't get anything this time...oh well...