No need to justify,
No need to explain,
We are as we are,
Such is becoming.
Inscription on the Grand Cornerstone
No need to explain,
We are as we are,
Such is becoming.
Inscription on the Grand Cornerstone
Empyrean is a shattered world. Nearly one thousand years ago, Grand Cornerstone, the root of the world, was destroyed in a terrible cataclysm. Some say it was war between Eidolons. Others believe it was unrest amongst the spirits of Anima. Others still imagine that the Aether crept in through some tear in the fabric of reality, and began to devour everything.
The mist of Aether spread over the whole world, unraveling and consuming reality, until only an endless desert of blank, white infinity remained in its wake. Now, only a few tiny islands of existence remain in a sea of oblivion. These last few remaining realms are the final bastions of civilization and life. They too will soon fall, unless something is done to repair the ravages done to Grand Cornerstone.
Mystic Empyrean is a unique tabletop RPG where not only do people play as the characters, they can also do the world building, or rebuilding. I will try to make the RP as like the game as possible while keeping the open sandbox feel of a forum RP.
Now, for the technical stuff.
P.S. Everything that's bold is taken directly from the corebook.
Eidolon
The Eidolons are the children of Anima, the inheritors of the world, and its protectors and servants as well. These immortal forces of nature are pure life energy give n form and will, and live only according to their own goals and ideals.
The heart of an Eidolon is the core of his being. A stone of crystallized Anima just a little larger than a closed fist, the heart sustains the Eidolon, such that he needs neither food nor air nor sleep. An Eidolon’s entire body is a construct of Anima that flows out from his heart, and the heart is capable of rebuilding the body. Thus, Eidolons can survive any physical wound or injury, so long as their hearts remain intact.
Eidolons also have a powerful and innate connection to the world around them. Only Eidolons are able to rebuild Grand Cornerstone by returning its lost shards. Only Eidolons are able to see and speak to the Great Spirits of the world. Only Eidolons have the power to reshape the lands according to their wills.
Within Empyrean, these beings are regarded with respect, both among their own kind and among the other races of the world. Even the weakest and youngest of their kind are capable and powerful beyond measure, and their requests and wills are not to be taken lightly or denied outright.
An Eidolon’s heart is formed by certain traits, called Persona Traits, that grant him powers linked to his desires and deeds. An Eidolon who possesses deep curiosity is able to open a third eye and see many mysteries. One who is filled with envy can repaint his flesh to look however he desires. One with a cold, solitary heart can create ice and chill with a touch or a breath. As he lives on and acquires more traits, an Eidolon will acquire more and more power and change his face many times. Only by experiencing the breadth of emotion and deed – the highest goods and darkest evils, the purest ideals and most decadent pleasures – can an Eidolon unlock his full potential and become what he must be in order
to rebuild the world.
An innate desire to restore the world rests within all Eidolons. Perhaps it is put there by the spirits of Anima, or perhaps it is a simple extension of their personal connections to the world. No matter what the case, every Eidolon wishes to see Empyrean restored to its full glory. While all Eidolons share in this desire, there are many differing views on how it must be done. Eidolons mark the lands they unlock with a tinge of their own personalities, and thus, each rebuilds the world according to his own image of a perfect Empyrean. This great power is easily coveted, and there is much dissent among the Eidolons over whose right it is to rebuild Grand Cornerstone and reshape the world.
Most Eidolons are born as Nascent, the tribal races that inhabit Empyrean, though this is not always the case. Some are formed by the Great Spirits in order to execute their bidding. Others are born directly from the land, and instinctively know the will of Grand Cornerstone in their hearts.
We will play as beginner Eidolons, former normal people who suddenly become, practically, living gods. As living tabula rasa, or blank slates, our actions will define our character and they would develop character traits, these traits would be the source of our powers. But the world is not filled with Eidolons alone.
Nascent
The Nascent are basically mortals. Sentient beings who live and build civilization of the Realm. There are hundreds if not thousands of Nascent per Eidolon in the Realm. While not all Eidolons were former Nascent, a majority are. Unlike the Eidolons, whose actions and decisions shape their appearance and capabilities, it is their birth and homeland that determines their appearance and capabilities. The Nascent are divided into tribes (basically races in a fantasy sense), one tribe might be able to live underwater, another might be cyborgs, and even another tribe might be like ghosts. While Nascent like their mediocrity, the Eidolon do not, whatever path they choose will be driven to be the best in their chosen path. Those Nascent who are not content with their lives, their selves, their world and/or their mediocrity are capable in becoming Eidolons.
Cornerstone
A Cornerstone is a fragment of the Grand Cornerstone. In it is a piece of existence waiting to be release. An Eidolon who find and use a Cornerstone might release a Realm of his own influence, a Paradigm of knowledge and technology to become universal to the world, or a Conceit of secret that gives the Eidolon a special power unique to him until his death. Nascent who end up using a Cornerstone might become an Eidolon.
Realm
The world of Empyrean is loosely divided into areas called Realms. Each of these realms has a distinct climate, culture, natural life, and features. They are filled with natural wonders, places of power, and mysteries to be discovered by the curious explorer.
The Realms of Empyrean are more than just geographic areas, however. They are each like tiny worlds, with their own conventions and
possibilities. One realm might possess space-age technology, and its citizens will live among the stars rather than on the earth. Another might be a blistering desert that stretches infinitely on, no matter how far one walks towards the horizon.
Yet another could be haunted by aberrant monsters and unspeakable horrors caged up within it long ago. Natural laws and potentialities such as magic, length of days, and eve n chemistry and physics draw their boundaries at the edges of the realms, and can work completely different in disparate realms.
Each realm possesses a different balance of Anima, and this balance determines the look of the creatures there – especially the Nascent, as we ll as what the weather, terrain, and natural wildlife in the area are.
Despite that all the realms are connected, they may not necessarily share technologies or cultures, for reasons listed above. Just because one Nascent race can move at the speed of light and live among the stars does not mean that they can accomplish these same feats beyond the borders of their realm. However, unlocking paradigms from Old Empyrean can spread the potential of technologies beyond these borders.
The Balance
The elemental nature of Anima divides it into seven major classes. Each of the elements of Anima governs different ideas, aspects of living, actions, technologies, and more. Every thing, person, place, or idea in Empyrean is aligned with Anima in different degrees. These alignments form the foundation of natural order, called the Balance.
Eidolons, being creatures of pure Anima themselves, each have their own Personal Balance, while most animals, Nascent, and realms share a collective World Balance.
Since Anima governs ideas and actions, the World Balance (and the Personal Balance for Eidolons) determines the potential for different activities, sciences, and outcomes. In realms saturated with fire, destruction and rage run deep. In those filled with light, science and knowledge thrive. Anima permeates everything in Empyrean, even down to the minds and bodies of its inhabitants. Nascent from a realm saturated with Stone will have tougher skins and stockier builds, and may even have rocks or jewels set into their bodies. Those who live in Air-saturated realms might develop wings and learn to fly, and have fragile, hollow bones like birds.
Persona Traits
Eidolons wear their souls as a skin, and the desires and morals within their hearts manifest outwardly in the form of Persona Traits. These
traits grant the Eidolon great power, but when they grow too great, they may choke his heart, and grant that power only at a heavy price. Traits begin as telltale signs, gradually growing into complete features that mark the Eidolon unmistakably with the light or darkness that resides within his heart.
Despite their changing nature, Eidolons are recognizable. They seem to retain the same facial features and the same force of personality. Those
who know an Eidolon will recognize him, eve n after several years of not having seen him. No matter what his features, an Eidolon’s nature is clear – he will not be mistaken for a Nascent, animal, or Great Spirit.
Since the character has just recently became an Eidolon, they won't have any Persona Trait just yet. But because of the unique interaction of the original RPG, it is what the other players perception of a character that would influence what kind of Persona Trait he/she may develop. If the group thinks that a character is a coward, that character will develop a Persona Trait from that. Please know that knowing the personality trait of a character, like in real life, will take time, perhaps after some number of posts. You can't just say that so-and-so is cruel due to a single action alone.
Becoming
Eidolons are not static creatures. Their outward appearances reflect the virtues and vices of their hearts, and they change constantly as they develop new powers and personalities. The process of changing appearances and powers is called Becoming.
The first Becoming is often a violent and strange occurrence – it is the one when a Nascent realizes his potential and is transformed from a being bound by Anima into a creature able to master and control it. The Eidolon may look quite similar to or quite different from the Nascent he was born from. He still retains all of his memories and morals from being a Nascent – in fact, it is the strength of these convictio ns that likely sparked the transformation in the first place.
As Eidolons grow, they develop more and more traits, and continue to change. These changes are much more gradual than the change from Nascent to Eidolon, though they may at times surprise or shock. Usually, when an Eidolon develops a trait, he finds it useful or empowering, rather than repulsive. After all, his choices of word and deed are what brought the trait on, and each persona trait accentuates the potential for the personality that it grows from.
Many Eidolons are careful of what they say, do, and think, for they know that it will determine what they ultimately become. Others follow only their wills, determined to become whatever their natures dictate.
Heritage Site
These are special places in Empyrean. Each offers a different function and possibility. Most of them are lost in the mists of Aether. Some are still in operation, such as the headquarters of the Eidolon factions. The greatest of these sites is the Grand Cornerstone Shrine, where the Grand Cornerstone once stands over the world that it sustained.
Aether
The Aether spreads out over all of the lands of Empyrean that fall outside the glow of Grand Cornerstone. As it is reassembled, the light and power of Grand Cornerstone pushes the Aether further back, restoring lands, cultures, and mysteries that were lost to time and age. Still, the mist grows, pushing forward against the boundaries of the world even as Eidolons work to restore Grand Cornerstone and destroy it forever.
At the edges of the world are areas called boundaries. These places where the world is coming loose – where the Anima gives way to the Aether –
are half-real ghost lands. Legends say that at the boundaries can be found the spirits of those departed, as well as terrible monsters of corrupted creation and nightmare. These dangerous places ring the edges of the world, and whatever dark forces are at work in them often prove a threat to local populations.
The Aether is not an empty place. It is populated by strange, alien creatures called Aetherlings. Some have called them the Eidolons of Aether, while others view them little more than animals. These beings display a curious intelligence, a disregard for the natural laws of physics, and a hatred towards all the beings composed of Anima. Just as Aether weakens Eidolons, however, the Aetherlings are unable to venture far past the boundaries of the world’s edge. They mostly hunt on the boundaries, destroying and corrupting what they can of the world.
Factions
During the time of the Old Empyrean, the Five Great Societies once held sway over the world, each dealing with certain aspects of life and culture of the Empyreans. When the Great Calamity struck and the Aether consume the world, these factions fell to fighting each other and became buried under the mist. If a Realm with a faction HQ is to be returned to the world, that faction can be joined and those members will gain special privileges.
Great Anima Spirits
There is a Great Spirit for each of the seven elements that the world, and everything in it, is made of. As of now, the Great Anima Spirits are trap in their homes hidden in the mist of the Aether. Like the factions, those that free the Realm where the Great Anima Spirit's home is located will be given a blessing from the Great Spirit. Unlike the factions, they would also influence the world by adding their element into the anima, unbalancing the world if their opposites are not freed as well.
This is considered to be in an adequate state but maybe subject to improvement. Anyone can join in and help in improving this RP.
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