There is no sky. No light. No sound. You have awakened to naught but a formless void, all...
War\Zone: An Original Strategy Quest
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1 - Integration
There is no sky. No light. No sound. You have awakened to naught but a formless void, all consuming in its darkness.
You twist and turn about in the darkness, hoping to find something, anything on which to orient yourself. Your efforts all prove for naught. You are, for the moment at least, completely alone.
Your breathing slowly quickens as you glance around, trying to remember how you got here. There was an offer made to you. You cannot remember what, but there was something asked in exchange. Unbidden, your arms fly to your head, although you cannot see them. Why can't you remember?
There, amongst the darkness, a light burst into existence! An incandescent red sphere, light-years away and yet close enough to touch. As you reach out towards it, three more stars flash into your vision. Green, blue, and purple orbs now drift in the void. However, each is far away from the others, lonely and isolated. Your observations are interrupted by a voice in the darkness.
The four lights brighten briefly as gaseous tendrils of color burst forth from their surfaces. A solar prominence repeated across all four suns.
The tendrils have now drifted away from the stars of their birth. Just when it seems that they will fade into oblivion, you are nearly blinded by a dozen bursts of light. At the terminus of the tendrils now sit new stars, similarly colored to their progenitors.
From every star, more tendrils have stretched out into the darkness. As soon as a new point of light is born, more appear. Your eyes are soon blinded by the sheer number exploding into existence. When the light finally fades, a tear falls from your eye at the majesty of the sight before you.
Where there were once four stars, there is now a multitude beyond counting, each slightly different in hue from its brothers. Four great constellations blanket the entire space in a multitudinous spectrum of light. Taking your attention from the spectacle as a whole, you focus on each constellation in turn, and the shapes clearly drawn by the tendrils connecting their components.
The red constellation has taken the shape of a broad sword pointing above your head, its point crowned by a brilliant starburst. As you focus on it, images come to your mind unbidden. Knights in full plate; uniform lines of men and horses; banners and heraldry waving in the wind. From there, the images become more fantastic; men throwing forth bolts of lightning from their hands, great beasts flying in the sky, and even an olden sailing ship floating amongst the clouds.
The green constellation is an immense gear, with lines of geometric circuitry tracing their way through its center. The images here are far more familiar to you. Factories belch smoke into the air as lines of tanks and planes issue forth from their interiors. A great row of ships sail the sea, their immaculate white paint glistening in the sunlight. A glittering cityscape covered in neon colors as metal men wander its streets.
The azure constellation presents you the image of a planet, circled by immense rings. A solitary light drifts across the rings, orbiting the rest of the world. You can see the darkness of space, lit by the glittering of thousands of flickering beams of light. A green and blue world, its surface covered by explosions of unimaginable scale. A solitary spaceship, the light of a star tracing incandescent patterns on its golden sails. One final star, surrounded by an immense halo of rock and metal and light.
The last constellation is more confusing. The purple stars have arranged themselves into the shape of a Mobius Strip, forever turning back inwards on itself. You can see a city made entirely of plants, green leaves waving gently in the breeze. There, in the sky, a man with a cape flies over an art deco metropolis. You sight men in black suits and mirrored sunglasses, and finally a town teeming with creatures straight out of a horror film.
To which possibility do you reach?
[] The Ruby Constellation – Reach for a Noble Past
[] The Emerald Constellation – Reach for a Familiar Present
[] The Sapphire Constellation – Reach for a Shining Tomorrow
[] The Amethyst Constellation – Reach for the Wondrous and Strange
You twist and turn about in the darkness, hoping to find something, anything on which to orient yourself. Your efforts all prove for naught. You are, for the moment at least, completely alone.
Your breathing slowly quickens as you glance around, trying to remember how you got here. There was an offer made to you. You cannot remember what, but there was something asked in exchange. Unbidden, your arms fly to your head, although you cannot see them. Why can't you remember?
There, amongst the darkness, a light burst into existence! An incandescent red sphere, light-years away and yet close enough to touch. As you reach out towards it, three more stars flash into your vision. Green, blue, and purple orbs now drift in the void. However, each is far away from the others, lonely and isolated. Your observations are interrupted by a voice in the darkness.
"In the beginning, there was possibility."
The four lights brighten briefly as gaseous tendrils of color burst forth from their surfaces. A solar prominence repeated across all four suns.
"And from that sea of potential, life was born a thousand times over."
The tendrils have now drifted away from the stars of their birth. Just when it seems that they will fade into oblivion, you are nearly blinded by a dozen bursts of light. At the terminus of the tendrils now sit new stars, similarly colored to their progenitors.
"For every potentiality, there exist common denominators: tenacity and courage, drive and ambition, innovation and adventure. It is these qualities, and many others, which have ensured that such potentialities blossom into new worlds; new futures."
From every star, more tendrils have stretched out into the darkness. As soon as a new point of light is born, more appear. Your eyes are soon blinded by the sheer number exploding into existence. When the light finally fades, a tear falls from your eye at the majesty of the sight before you.
Where there were once four stars, there is now a multitude beyond counting, each slightly different in hue from its brothers. Four great constellations blanket the entire space in a multitudinous spectrum of light. Taking your attention from the spectacle as a whole, you focus on each constellation in turn, and the shapes clearly drawn by the tendrils connecting their components.
The red constellation has taken the shape of a broad sword pointing above your head, its point crowned by a brilliant starburst. As you focus on it, images come to your mind unbidden. Knights in full plate; uniform lines of men and horses; banners and heraldry waving in the wind. From there, the images become more fantastic; men throwing forth bolts of lightning from their hands, great beasts flying in the sky, and even an olden sailing ship floating amongst the clouds.
The green constellation is an immense gear, with lines of geometric circuitry tracing their way through its center. The images here are far more familiar to you. Factories belch smoke into the air as lines of tanks and planes issue forth from their interiors. A great row of ships sail the sea, their immaculate white paint glistening in the sunlight. A glittering cityscape covered in neon colors as metal men wander its streets.
The azure constellation presents you the image of a planet, circled by immense rings. A solitary light drifts across the rings, orbiting the rest of the world. You can see the darkness of space, lit by the glittering of thousands of flickering beams of light. A green and blue world, its surface covered by explosions of unimaginable scale. A solitary spaceship, the light of a star tracing incandescent patterns on its golden sails. One final star, surrounded by an immense halo of rock and metal and light.
The last constellation is more confusing. The purple stars have arranged themselves into the shape of a Mobius Strip, forever turning back inwards on itself. You can see a city made entirely of plants, green leaves waving gently in the breeze. There, in the sky, a man with a cape flies over an art deco metropolis. You sight men in black suits and mirrored sunglasses, and finally a town teeming with creatures straight out of a horror film.
"For every existence, there are exemplars: champions and civilizations which display the finest qualities of both their existence and indeed, of all life. It is these chosen few who will vie for invaluable treasures placed before you. Choose wisely, for each path before you offers its own rewards; and its own perils."
=\\//=
=\\//=
To which possibility do you reach?
[] The Ruby Constellation – Reach for a Noble Past
[] The Emerald Constellation – Reach for a Familiar Present
[] The Sapphire Constellation – Reach for a Shining Tomorrow
[] The Amethyst Constellation – Reach for the Wondrous and Strange
=\\//=
So, this is an original brain bug which I'll be working on alongside my Muv-Luv quest. Please ask any questions you may have and I'll do my best to answer them. As for what to expect, this is intended to be a grand strategy quest, wherein players will war alongside their army for control of a patchwork world. While not using the ckii system, that's a pretty good reference point for how this will operate. That, and a healthy dose of Fate/Stay Night as inspiration.
Also, apologies if the formatting looks a little weird on mobile browsers.
Also, apologies if the formatting looks a little weird on mobile browsers.
NuclearConsensus
Herald of the Thorned One
- Location
- the Philippines
[X] The Ruby Constellation – Reach for a Noble Past
tankdrop24
Tread First into Hell
- Location
- The Center of the Universe: Toronto, Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[x] The Sapphire Constellation – Reach for a Shining Tomorrow
- Location
- nz
[x] The Ruby Constellation – Reach for a Noble Past
Kanata.EXE
Programmer
- Location
- Indonesia
[X] The Sapphire Constellation – Reach for a Shining Tomorrow
[X] The Amethyst Constellation – Reach for the Wondrous and Strange
Terran Imperium
[French]
- Location
- Southern France
[X] The Sapphire Constellation – Reach for a Shining Tomorrow
Sci-Fi quest? Sci-Fi quest.
Sci-Fi quest? Sci-Fi quest.
Sort of. This is the first part of the faction selection, with each constellation having multiple (and more specific) choices within. Think of these four less as individual factions or hard and fast genres and more as general themes. Some possibilities in Ruby can have hard science just as some under Emerald or Sapphire can have more fantastical elements.
Always good to see a returning face. Welcome back. Although, given the amount of time that has passed I thought it better to start fresh.
Ah, the Space Core. Never gets old.
That said, going to close the vote sometime tomorrow. Currently it stands at:
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2 - Sapphire
[X] The Sapphire Constellation - Reach for a shining tomorrow
Soon, you are visibly drifting towards the center of the constellation, its rings slowly growing massive in your vision. Still, you are accelerating. The stars come flowing by at speeds seemingly unimaginable, a torrent of cerulean raindrops in your vision.
Then, as quickly as your journey began, it ends. You find yourself floating in the center of the constellation. You can still make out the other three, but only as faint pinpricks in the distance. From your place within the constellation, there are four distinct amalgamations of stars in your vision. While you glance around, you hear the voice in the darkness return.
Your vision spins for a moment as you twist about, orienting yourself towards one of the four star clusters. These stars are gathered almost completely into one densely packed sphere, blinding in its intensity. A few stars circle the central mass in concentric circles, like planets orbiting their sun.
Gazing upon the cluster for a few more moments produces images in your mind's eye, just as before. You can see a single spaceship, colored a bright white, trailing behind a gossamer sail. A man standing alone upon a desolate moon, flag in hand. You see a trio of gleaming bronze darts flying over a city floating amongst an endless sea of clouds. A massive cylinder, three great mirrors stretching from its end as metal giants duel inside.
The second cluster is dominated by a great circle, with a many pointed star on the interior. A massive compass in the night sky. Focusing upon it shows you visions of lone starships setting course towards unknown worlds. Men in fantastic armor fighting amongst themselves while others in suits revel on the horizon. Domed cities upon alien worlds, twin suns shining brightly in the sky. Graceful starships landing upon dusty fields while traders haggle over prices under their shade.
Turned about again to gaze upon the third cluster, you can see a crown made of stars. It is the most beautiful sight yet, and you have to restrain yourself from simply reaching towards it out of reflex. Underneath the crown lies a sword crossed over some kind of cylinder. Perhaps a scroll?
Focusing upon the crown shows you immense formations of starships, two enormous walls filling the space between them with incandescent death. An immense assembly room, its thousand chairs empty save for one man gazing upon old-fashioned parchment. Seven bloody standards, all crossed over an empty throne. Ten thousand stars, all interconnected by highways of gleaming light.
The final cluster is the most obvious, and yet the most ambiguous. It is in the shape of a galaxy, spiral arms clearly defined against the bright center and empty voids. It is glistening with light, at once serene and violent. On fire at the same time it shines like a diamond.
It is here that the true scale of some of these images hits you. The first is a planet, covered entirely in unending skyscrapers. It lies cracked in half like an eggshell while white leviathans fight amongst its moons. You see a star encircled by an immense ring of rock and metal and light. Obelisks the size of worlds drift slowly amongst the stars, caring not for the time of their journey, only the inevitability of their arrival. A black hole encapsulated by thirteen concentric rings, matter and light bending to the will of the universe while the rings remain still.
To which future do you reach?
[] The Star - Reach for youthful dynamism.
[] The Compass - Reach for adventure and discovery.
[] The Crown - Reach for empire and industry.
[] The Galaxy - Reach for knowledge and majesty.
[] Return (Can only pick once, choose another constellation)
Here we go. As usual, ask for any clarifications needed.
=\\//=
Reaching out, you grasp towards the sapphire constellation. For the briefest of moments, you float stilly in that position, single hand stretching towards the heavens. Then, you feel it. It starts as a gentle tugging, the faintest of pulls towards the mass of azure stars.
Soon, you are visibly drifting towards the center of the constellation, its rings slowly growing massive in your vision. Still, you are accelerating. The stars come flowing by at speeds seemingly unimaginable, a torrent of cerulean raindrops in your vision.
Then, as quickly as your journey began, it ends. You find yourself floating in the center of the constellation. You can still make out the other three, but only as faint pinpricks in the distance. From your place within the constellation, there are four distinct amalgamations of stars in your vision. While you glance around, you hear the voice in the darkness return.
"For as long as life has existed, it has gazed into the heavens with wonder. The sky above captivates us, beckoning with the promise of limitless possibility. Life will forever remain fascinated with reaching the stars above; an undimming desire, perhaps, to escape the island world where it was born. It is these civilizations, with the drive and tenacity to leave their homes for the heavens, which you have chosen."
Your vision spins for a moment as you twist about, orienting yourself towards one of the four star clusters. These stars are gathered almost completely into one densely packed sphere, blinding in its intensity. A few stars circle the central mass in concentric circles, like planets orbiting their sun.
Gazing upon the cluster for a few more moments produces images in your mind's eye, just as before. You can see a single spaceship, colored a bright white, trailing behind a gossamer sail. A man standing alone upon a desolate moon, flag in hand. You see a trio of gleaming bronze darts flying over a city floating amongst an endless sea of clouds. A massive cylinder, three great mirrors stretching from its end as metal giants duel inside.
"Those first steps outside of the cradle of their mother worlds are often the most difficult. Indeed, many civilizations grow to master the planets of their home star, only to find their souls inextricably bound to its gravity. Whether by magical fate or by the cruel ministrations of physics."
The second cluster is dominated by a great circle, with a many pointed star on the interior. A massive compass in the night sky. Focusing upon it shows you visions of lone starships setting course towards unknown worlds. Men in fantastic armor fighting amongst themselves while others in suits revel on the horizon. Domed cities upon alien worlds, twin suns shining brightly in the sky. Graceful starships landing upon dusty fields while traders haggle over prices under their shade.
"Departing the home star represents the greatest journey into the unknown. These steps are not without struggle, but the majesty of the entire universe awaits those with the tenacity and courage to make the journey."
Turned about again to gaze upon the third cluster, you can see a crown made of stars. It is the most beautiful sight yet, and you have to restrain yourself from simply reaching towards it out of reflex. Underneath the crown lies a sword crossed over some kind of cylinder. Perhaps a scroll?
Focusing upon the crown shows you immense formations of starships, two enormous walls filling the space between them with incandescent death. An immense assembly room, its thousand chairs empty save for one man gazing upon old-fashioned parchment. Seven bloody standards, all crossed over an empty throne. Ten thousand stars, all interconnected by highways of gleaming light.
"Exploration eventually gives way to expansion. Expansion leads to consolidation and, eventually, empire. As life moves throughout the galaxies and matures, so to do their ambitions grow. Whether through diplomacy or through violence, the fates of the stars slowly intertwine."
The final cluster is the most obvious, and yet the most ambiguous. It is in the shape of a galaxy, spiral arms clearly defined against the bright center and empty voids. It is glistening with light, at once serene and violent. On fire at the same time it shines like a diamond.
It is here that the true scale of some of these images hits you. The first is a planet, covered entirely in unending skyscrapers. It lies cracked in half like an eggshell while white leviathans fight amongst its moons. You see a star encircled by an immense ring of rock and metal and light. Obelisks the size of worlds drift slowly amongst the stars, caring not for the time of their journey, only the inevitability of their arrival. A black hole encapsulated by thirteen concentric rings, matter and light bending to the will of the universe while the rings remain still.
"The exploration of the unknown offers infinite possibilities to those civilizations which actively pursue them. The manner in which the fruits of that exploration are used however, offers far greater insight into the possibility you seek. Now, you must choose which of these existences to pursue. You may still return along the path from whence you came, but only once."
=\\//=
=\\//=
To which future do you reach?
[] The Star - Reach for youthful dynamism.
[] The Compass - Reach for adventure and discovery.
[] The Crown - Reach for empire and industry.
[] The Galaxy - Reach for knowledge and majesty.
[] Return (Can only pick once, choose another constellation)
=\\//=
Here we go. As usual, ask for any clarifications needed.
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tankdrop24
Tread First into Hell
- Location
- The Center of the Universe: Toronto, Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[x] The Star - Reach for youthful dynamism
- Location
- nz
[x] The Compass - Reach for adventure and discovery. (Early Interstellar)
Kanata.EXE
Programmer
- Location
- Indonesia
[X] The Star - Reach for youthful dynamism. (interplanetary)