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tabularasa_ooc2021-01-15 08:47 pm
tabularasa_mods) wrote in tabularasa_ooc2021-01-15 08:47 pm
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January Imprints & Updates
January Imprints & UpdatesHello, everyone! We have quite an update prepared for you, so this will be a bit of a long post. Please read through everything, as it has information that will be affecting the game’s setting and character interaction in some major ways. But first…
Species Naming Poll, Part 1
Thank you to everyone who participated in the first round of the species naming poll! We’ll be splitting the result announcement into two updates, as there are some creatures that we think need another round of voting - we had some great submissions for names that weren’t initial options, and we want to give them a chance to properly be in the running. We have, however, come to a conclusive result for others:
- The bluurg-chocobo hybrids will be known as bluurgobos.
- The smeargle-moomba hybrids will be known as brushboys.
- The chicken-nug hybrids will be known as chickpeewoos.
- The piranha plant-stubby hybrids will be known as piranha stubbies.
- The zumyu-geth hybrids will be known as fluffy mimics.
- The Uwasa-cactuar hybrids will be known as cacteddies.
tabularasa_memes once we have every result finalized. For now, you can expect another poll soon for the remaining species! Event: Connecting Lines, Connecting Lives
The event mingle is now live! It heavily features some of the concepts and updates that are detailed below; we hope you enjoy it, and feel free to ask us any questions should they arise.
New Imprints
4 new imprints have been added to the game’s setting, including 3 concepts. This information will be copied to the Locations and Bestiary pages shortly.
There have also been updates to several species based on new imprints.
If you have any questions for the mods about the newly added imprints, you can leave a comment in the thread below.
New Concept: Mana
Mana is a mysterious force that is naturally created both by the World itself and by the living things that inhabit it. It is a catalyst with limitless potential; it can be utilized in countless ways with elongated exposure and trained focus, but its main purpose is to connect. All living things in the World have the potential to utilize mana.
Mana is everywhere in small, untraceable amounts, but it can most easily be observed in condensed ley line deposits - cracks and fissures in the ground of varying sizes, filled with a milky blue-white essence that glimmers with a pearlescent sheen. Ley lines can be found throughout the World, but are more focused around locations that are associated with life and spirituality. Ley lines also run underground, reaching as far below as the Heart of the World.
Though mana appears to be in a tangible form when observed from above-ground ley lines, it has the consistency of mist and will not displace when touched. There is currently no way to extract mana from its deposits - upturning the earth that ley lines have settled into will do nothing but reveal that they branch into an incredibly expansive network of tributaries, extending throughout the world and into the void.
New Concept: Ley Line Communication
Using the traces of mana in their bodies, people can turn their thoughts into messages that have the ability to pass through the world’s network of ley lines to communicate over long distances. The process of sending a message feels very natural, takes little effort, and requires no prior knowledge or experience with mana or similar concepts.
At present, messages cannot be sent with focus to specific individuals, and all participants must be close to a ley line deposit to send and receive messages. All attempts at communication are filtered into the same channel and will be shared with anyone close enough to a ley line to hear it. Messages initially sound like soft whispers as they travel through the network, but can be heard with increasing clarity when deliberately focused on. Messages traveling through ley lines can also be tuned out completely if the listener is passively unwilling to listen for them.
OOCly, ley line posts can be made on the main community (
tabularasa_rp), along with in-person action logs as usual. For the sake of organization and clarity, we ask that ley line posts are tagged with the newly-created *ley line tag.New Concept: Evolution
All creatures native to the World have a natural, instinctual connection to mana that is stronger than that of people. This connection is deep enough to affect their genetic code, not only granting them abilities that are unique to each species, but also linking certain species together under certain conditions. When these conditions are met, they are able to undergo a physiological change known as “evolution”, in which a creature can grow stronger and change form from one species to another.
Currently, people are unable to experience evolution. If a creature is capable of evolution, it will be listed in their bestiary entry.
Brushboys
About three foot in length, these furry creatures run around on all fours but often choose to stand on their hind legs when resting or watching those around them. They are most commonly found in Mt Silver, particularly in the Market areas, but seem to like being around buildings and structures in general. Although they do not speak, they are able to understand both written and spoken language and are highly intelligent.
They have very large paws, and while not inclined to bite unless threatened they also possess sharp teeth and strong jaws. Their most notable feature, however, is their long tail that secretes a colored paint from its brush-like tip. This is used not only to mark territory, but also to create graffiti and artwork over any surface they deem suitable. As each individual has a different color paint, groups of them may come together to create large and colorful murals. When there are changes to locations within the world, it's also common to see the brushboys traveling around to update all of the signs with new names and directions.
While they are quite shy and prone to hiding when seen, they are gentle and friendly creatures. If approached politely, they will communicate with people through pictograms and simple words drawn with their tails. Fellow art-lovers will have an easy time befriending them and may even find the brushboys going out of their way to be helpful. If someone is rude or mistreats them, however, they will refuse to communicate with that person and avoid them instead. Individuals that gain a negative reputation among the brushboys may even find their homes marked with a black X, signaling other creatures to steer clear.
Chickpeewoos & Bluurgobos
Chickpeewoos may evolve into bluurgobos once they have learned to control their running skills and honed them to a certain threshold.
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A small aquatic dragon with bright orange scales, wing-like fins and long whiskers. These fish-like creatures are fast in the water and can leap to extreme heights with the aid of their fins, reaching the tops of high waterfalls with ease. Though unable to properly fly, they can "hop" on dry land by bouncing on their sides and will frequently travel onto land to pursue their prey. They can be found in nearly any body of water.
These creatures are naturally drawn to underwater ley lines, where they will gorge themselves on large quantities of mana until their scales shine a pale blue. Once these dragons have had their fill, they will rise to the surface and expel all of their energy as large, violent blasts of white lightning directed at anything that moves. It is advisable to steer clear of areas that have had recent blue dragon sightings.
Machines
Creatures that are made primarily of metal are known as machines. Their most notable trait is their strong pack mentality and telepathic communication. A lone machine doesn't amount to much, but a group of machines may link their minds together with others of their species to share information and form strategies. Decisions among machines are usually made for the benefit of the majority over individuals within their packs.
People may also be classified as machines. Machine people within 100 yards of each other may link their minds together, allowing them to share information in the form of language, images and emotions. All participants must be willing and within range of at least one other person in the mindlink to maintain it.
Machine people who are able to befriend other machines species may also be granted access to that species' hivemind network. The reliability and usefulness of these networks may vary, and access can be revoked if they lose the collective trust of that species.
Piranha Stubbies
Small metal creatures shaped like a tin can, with a round and spotted head. They can often be found shuffling around in civilized areas and ruins, forming small traveling groups that wander aimlessly about. Occasionally a large number of them will gather together and form a "tribe", though they lack the intelligence to do much more than infest a place and perform disorganized patrols. They are most commonly seen in Messiah and washed up along Takoba Beach.
Despite their small size and limited movement, piranha stubbies are highly territorial and aggressive when provoked. They attack invaders by swinging their arms or biting with their bodies and plants, and may attempt to hold a person down to chomp on them in larger groups. They’re harmless as long as you stay out of their way, however, and generally do not go looking for fights. Around other machines species they are surprisingly docile, though they will still attack if they feel threatened.
Because they tend to gather in tribes, the piranha stubby network has wide coverage around the entire Takoba Beach area. It's possible to send messages from the base of Mount Silver to as far as Messiah and the WSJ thanks to the many piranha stubby communities that are scattered around the area.
Fluffy Mimics
Standing at about 8' tall, this creature has a striking appearance with large curved horns, brightly glowing eyes and a thick coat of black fur covering its body. Beneath the furry exterior, however, this quadrupedal beast is made entirely of metal, from its rows of razor-sharp teeth down to its three-toed feet.
These creatures are extremely dangerous and will prey on smaller creatures without mercy. They usually travel in small packs of two or three creatures and display a high degree of intelligence when it comes to hunting, though in all other regards they have roughly the intelligence of a very smart dog. However, they tend to not attack other machines unless provoked and may even form alliances with other machines, acting as guardians and messengers in exchange for food.
The mimic network is spotty due to their nomadic nature and the small size of their packs, but information may be shared quickly between any locations thanks to the general speed and mobility of these creatures. It is advised to give them several treats in exchange for their services so that they can share the rewards with their pack. Otherwise, they may become aggressive or refuse to cooperate in the future.
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This humble-looking creature prefers to shamble around the underground, navigating through the subway tunnels by the light of the lanterns they carry, lit by a single, never-extinguishing wisp of flame. No more than 3 feet tall, their bodies are covered with a reddish-orange fur robe that extends into a hood that rests over their heads. These hoods have pointed ears that function as a part of their body, and are quite sensitive to sounds. They have tails that act as an extension of the fur robe, fluffily bisecting into a fishtail-like shape.
Their violent nature makes these creatures difficult to befriend, but they respond positively to like minded individuals - those who can best them in a knife fight or show off equal displays of violence will be able to earn their respect.
Though they tend to travel alone, the machine network these creatures use reaches all across the tunnels of Mementos, allowing information to spread rapidly and consistently throughout the underground.
Spirits
As powerful as they are capricious, spirits are ethereal beings that are uniquely affected by the flow of influence within the world. Their abilities vary between both species and individuals, but can often be described by a single element, concept or purpose. Spirits thrive in the spotlight, growing in strength when acknowledged and praised by people, but this also applies in the reverse - when they are ignored or shunned, they will lose strength and become weak.
Spirits may grow and gain more powers when given attention, but the type of attention matters. Because they are so intrinsically tied to the influence of people, spirits are defined by how people choose to perceive them. A spirit's alignment may change over time, but will always fall into one of two categories.
Pure spirits are spirits that have gained their strength from praise, respect, and other sincere forms of positive attention. They are typically helpful and kind entities, compelled to offer their assistance to anyone in need.
Corrupt spirits are spirits that have gained their strength from scorn, disgust, and other forms of negative attention. They are often pranksters that thrive on the misfortune of people, though in more extreme cases they may resort to violence and other malicious acts to build more powerful emotions like fear and hate.
People may also be classified as spirits. Spirit people may feed off the influence of any non-spirit in the form of prayers or offerings, granting them spiritual power. Spirits may also forgo sleeping and eating as long as they constantly remain in the presence of other people; however, if they are alone for extended periods they will feel weak and tired.
Spirit people may expend some of their spiritual power to grant a temporary blessing or curse to any non-spirit of their choosing. People blessed by pure spirits will be "lucky" for the rest of the day and will find that the world bends to their wants more easily. People cursed by corrupt spirits will be "unlucky" for the rest of the day instead.
