Fantasy Noah's Ark | Lore

[Nano]

GMnano

CO-GMlebirb

lore and dictionary

noah’s ark

"I am dead because I lack desire; I lack desire because I think I possess; I think I possess because I do not try to give; In trying to give, you see that you have nothing; Seeing that you have nothing, you try to give of yourself; Trying to give of yourself, you see that you are nothing; Seeing that you are nothing, you desire to become; In desiring to become, you begin to live." (Rene Daumal)

“To them, we are monsters disguised as humans.”

overview

the storyi

Birth, Life, and Death. That is the cycle that this world’s laws act upon which not even humanity can overwrite. Or can they?

Frantically, while scribbling away to find some sort of purpose, people grasp at the pages which have long run out. Drawing their last breath, their final chapter is written into oblivion, and what’s left behind is only a cesspool of regrets. That is, until a strong will towards life heeds death’s invitation to the next hidden chapter.

Some simply wake up and move on with their mundane lives; others find that the world is no longer quite so ordinary—you being part of the latter. Is it a new power stirring within you? Is it something seemingly paranormal hanging about in the air? Whatever the case, you all find yourselves drawn to “Noah’s Ark” in the end, or perhaps it’s the other way around.

You have questions. Noah’s Ark has the answers. “Elegies,” they call people such as yourself. You are one of the select few who return from the brink of death, wielding your strongest regret in the form of a special ability. However, this phenomenon isn’t always a gift: those who fall prey to their regrets become lifeless, hollow abominations. And Noah’s Ark is tasked with two missions. The first is to keep these “failed” Elegies from the eyes of mankind, and the second is to find the source of their powers itself.

genesis city

the settingi

Situated in the east coast of the USA, Genesis City is a bustling city in an alternate New York. Though the streets are lined with tall buildings and apartment complexes, it isn’t impossible to find houses as you move further from the crowded heart of the city. Additionally, the geography of the surrounding area is diverse, with beaches just a 30 minute train ride away to the east and mountain trails approximately an hour away by car to the north-west.

noah’s ark

welcome to the cafei

To the common person, Noah’s Ark is a unique cafe that continues to rise in popularity. With good drinks and food, an array of colorful staff, and animals free for petting, the cafe can be anything from a place of relaxation to entertainment. However, the cafe’s fame can be most attributed to a particular rumor: an order of “Stella’s secret rose latte” is a special signal requesting the cafe’s side services of being a detective agency of sorts. Of course, said service isn’t free of charge, but whether it be finding a lost pet to something more paranormal, their success is guaranteed!

Beneath all the rumors, Noah’s Ark is, in truth, an organization of Elegies—individuals who are gifted with supernatural abilities. As a result of being hunted down by the government as potential threats to public peace and safety, the manager, Stella Kleist, forged a mutual benefit contract with the government and founded the cafe as their base of operations. Elegies under her custody are to be left alone in exchange for assisting in situations that ordinary units would not be able to handle. Of course, they are to keep their existence a strict secret lest the contract be rendered null-and-void. Should they break their vow, even Stella can’t protect them from the hands of the government.

Members (Animals):

Dogs

Chase - M - Samoyed - The cafe’s largest furry friend as well as the most energetic of the bunch. He likes to bounce about, which sometimes inconveniences the customers, and anyone who feeds him treats is instantly his best friend.

Nari - F - Terrier Mix - Tiny and clumsy, but still very much loveable. However, when poked too many times, she tends to sulk after barking at the offender a few times. More feisty than Chase.

Cats

Felix - M - American Shorthair - Genesis City’s day patrol officer (unofficial). Though he isn’t the sharpest pencil in the box, he’s surprisingly affectionate with humans and likes to think of himself as a helpful hand or a hero.

Sophie - F - Norweigian Forest Cat - Due to being popular for her fluffy fur, Sophie is a spoiled cat who assumes that being treated like a queen who’s loved by all is a given. When let out of the cafe to wander, she tends to visit the college dorms located nearby.

Rabbits

Julius - M - Netherland Dwarf - Due to his tiny size, most customers tend to handle him with extreme care. In spite of this, he’s a small rabbit with a big attitude who does what he wants when he wants. When grumpy, he sits with his butt towards the person he’s angry at.

Bitna - F - Jersey Wooly - Likes to sleep a lot. Even when being handled, she tends to continue sleeping. However, she’ll wake up instantly at the smell of food.

Birds

Lulu - F - Congo African Grey - The parrot, Lulu, is one of Noah’s Ark’s most famous members for her polite manner of greeting the customers who enter the playpen with “Welcome” and “Have a nice day.” She’s usually perched by the doorway separating the eating area from the animal room but will fly over when called.

Claude - M - Barn Owl - Part of Noah’s Ark but kept secret from customers and not allowed in the cafe for legal reasons. He’s the cafe’s resident security patrol during the nighttime and likes to shittalk Alex Fayefield during his free time.

Fish

There are a few tanks located in both the eatery and playpen with a colorful array of fish.

elegy

not allergyi

Elegies are those who harness the power of their greatest regret or desire in the form of “Last Words.” Although collectively regarded as a threat by the government, many Elegies have feeble control over their powers while some do not even notice that they possess powers at all, making stronger Elegies all the more rare. As a result, the government has allowed Noah’s Ark to keep custody of the Elegies fortunate enough to find their way to the undercover organization. However, those with particularly destructive or dangerous powers or malicious intentions are taken by the government regardless of circumstances. Even Noah’s Ark has no power to intervene.

Incidentally, no Elegy has ever been found to exhibit more than one ability, though the government is still on the lookout for such individuals regardless. It is assumed that those Elegies—if they exist—will likely be given the same treatment as an Elegy with dangerous powers regardless of the strength of their combined powers.

Due to their manner of coming back from the brink of death as an entity whose abilities go beyond the scope of mankind, the government no longer recognizes Elegies as human.

last words

powersi

Also plainly known as an ability, gift, or whatever whatsits people may fancy, Last Words refer to the supernatural powers that have been granted to Elegies. Only those with a strong will towards life who have met premature ends seem to be capable of hosting these abilities, making suicides a nonfactor in the birth of Elegies. As a result of the power essentially latching onto the person’s regrets or desires, a person’s Last Words is related to their strongest thoughts at the time of their death in some way and form and further shaped by the circumstances of their death and the individual’s personality.

Last Words are also classified into a total of five types:

1.

Class D abilities lie within the scope of natural human ability, and the holder usually just becomes suddenly skilled at a particular subject, field, or action (e.g. becoming a human calculator). As a result, most Class D ability holders go undetected by the government, fellow Elegies, and themselves. (Examples: human calculator, speedster [~28mph range], pain nullification)

2.

Class C refers to Last Words which cannot inflict harm or cause significant physical or mental changes as a direct result of the ability itself. Though it varies on a case-by-case basis, most are considered to be relatively harmless, though still fairly useful as a “utility” class. Many of these include so-called psychic abilities such as telepathy and teleportation. (Examples: apport, telepathy, foresight)

3.

Class B claims the broadest spectrum of ability types in their group. In general, Class B refers to any Last Words which enhance or alter the body of the Elegy. This includes but is not limited to superior physical strength (above Class D standard), channeling animal characteristics, a shell that protects the user, and self-regeneration. (Examples: superhuman strength, animal characteristics, self-regeneration)

4.

Class A are projection-type (external vs Class B’s internal augments) abilities with a focus on or a high potential of being used offensively. As such, they are the class type which the government keeps the closest eye on. Their affective domain can be either mental or physical, though the latter is the more common of this class. (Examples: telekinesis, pyrokinesis, creative constructs)

5.

Class X pertains to more or less any Last Words that do not comfortably fit into any of the other class types due to strange mechanics. They are typically abilities whose type do not occur frequently enough to justify creating a new class label for them. (Examples: healing, “Noah's Ark,” “Gorgeous Hanging Strings”)

Classes are primarily sorted by type rather than the potency of the class itself. An ability from any of the classes has the potential to require quarantine by order of the government. Additionally, some abilities may require periodic reports to be sent to the government due to just barely making the cut.

Last Words are all assigned identification codes by the government, starting with their class letter. (Note: as they are not terribly significant, they won’t really be mentioned throughout the rp)

Unfortunately, as much as the Last Words may prove to be a convenient tool, the power is not without a price. As their literal lifeline, the Last Words is the very thing tethering the soul back to the body and keeping the Elegy alive. However, like other general skills, if the Last Words is not used semi-regularly, it slowly grows more unstable, loosening its hold on the human soul. In the case where an Elegy refuses to use their powers for a long period of time (several months to several years depending on the individual), they’ll gradually grow weaker until they completely wither away and die.

regrets

corruptedi

Regrets, also known as Corrupted Regrets, are those who’ve died and resurrected with their newfound power only to be consumed by their unstable Last Words. It is suspected that it is a result of the Regret’s will being too weak to properly host the ability, therefore loosening the stitches binding the soul to the body and warping their Last Words. This phenomenon then causes the recently deceased’s unbound regrets to run rampant. The situation then devolves into that cluster of powerful emotions fusing with the Last Word’s power, giving it the ability to influence the physical world.

Unlike an Elegy who is still alive and hence bound by the limits of their body and mind, a Regret’s very nature is the corrupted Last Words itself, allowing them to utilize their power with ease and greater power. Their original physical bodies have also been shed, making them impossible to kill through ordinary means, further differentiating them from Elegies who may succumb to wounds much like a normal human. On the other hand, only an Elegy can vanquish a Regret by breaking its tether. That is, each Regret possesses a weak point, typically the area which sustained the most damage during the moment of their death as a human. This weak spot is the focal point of where the Regret’s corrupted Last Words and emotions are bound together. Only Elegies, beings close to Regrets due to having experienced death, or other Regrets are capable of interacting with a Regret's tether.

Given that the original soul has already long departed, a Regret is fueled only by their instinct to seek out life and the source of their regrets. As if to reflect their soulless state, a Regret’s appearance is a mere shadow vaguely reminiscent of their body of origin: bloodless, lacking eyes, and their skin grows transparent in certain areas, revealing the bones underneath. However, non-Elegies appear to see Regrets as their original, human shapes. Manager theorizes that only “people who have died once” can see their true forms.

Incidentally, a Regret’s resemblance to its original body (in the eyes of ordinary humans) and their inability to show up in video feeds or mirrors often lead to people mistaking them for ghosts.

babel

governmenti

An organization directly under the government responsible for the management of Elegies. Headed by Cree Patterson, Babel handles both stray Elegy and Regret reports, while also keeping a close eye on Noah’s Ark. An agent from Babel by the name of Karen acts as a messenger between Babel and Noah’s Ark. All evaluations of Last Words and mission reports are also handled by Karen to ensure that they’re filed accurately.

Not much is known about how they operate, but it is apparent that they bear a great prejudice against Elegies and only tolerate them due to requiring their Last Words to exterminate Regrets.

inhibitor

suppression devicei

An anti-Elegy device developed by Babel’s R&D division in order to suppress Last Words for short periods of time.

Unfortunately, inhibitors cannot yet be used to aid in missions concerning Regrets and the like as they are expensive to manufacture. Current technology has also been unable to produce a large-scale version of the standard inhibitor, meaning that the Elegy must be wearing the inhibitor in order for it to suppress their Last Words.

Members of Noah’s Ark generally do not wear inhibitors save for special cases. The most common reasons for wearing inhibitors are when taking flights or entering high security government buildings, during which bracelets will be enforced for public safety reasons.

memory washing

cleaningi

Inevitably, humans may occasionally see too much or become unintentionally involved in Regret or Elegy-related cases. Babel’s memory manipulating device takes advantage of the human mind’s tendency to warp memories or make assumptions when seeing something it cannot understand. By planting a suggestion in the person’s mind, they effectively block the unwanted memories and cause the person’s mind to make up their own memories to fill in the gaps.

For incidents that require deeper cleaning, Babel has a certain Elegy in their midst with the ability to read and manipulate memories. Not much is known about them aside from their serial number X-002.

code by Nano

 

[Nano]

NPC SHEETS​

➤ BASIC INFORMATION
NAME: Stella Kleist
AGE: n/a
GENDER: Female
HAIR COLOR: Sandy Blonde
EYE COLOR: Green
HEIGHT: 5’5” (165cm)
AFFILIATION: Noah’s Ark
PRIMARY LOCATION: Noah’s Ark Café
DEBUT: Chapter 1: Flicker


➤ LAST WORDS
NOAH’S ARK: When inquired about her Last Words, Stella’s words remain purposefully vague and elusive, making the true nature of her powers and their origins unknown. Based on general observation, her Last Words allows her to convey her thoughts and intentions to animals, and any animals exposed to her Last Words for extended periods of time appear to gradually grow more intelligent to a certain extent.


➤ DETAILS
The manager of Noah’s Ark. Firm but easygoing, Stella is a friendly face capable of accepting people from all walks of life. Even when dealing with the newest of members, she considers all Elegies under her protection as family and is fiercely protective of them. As such, she can frequently be seen arguing with Babel’s agents whenever their demands or withholding of information grows to be too overbearing or unreasonable. However, as open as she is with those she considers her allies, any questions concerning how she became an Elegy or her connection with Babel causes her to clam up and immediately switch subjects.

➤ BASIC INFORMATION
NAME: Karen?
AGE: Thirty-Five (35)
GENDER: Female
HAIR COLOR: Black
EYE COLOR: Grey
HEIGHT: 5’7” (170cm)
AFFILIATION: Babel
PRIMARY LOCATION: Babel HQ
DEBUT: Chapter 1: Flicker


➤ DETAILS
Since the retirement of her predecessor seven years ago, Karen was assigned to the post as Babel’s primary courier and point of contact with Noah’s Ark. All important documents for Babel are ferried to and from Noah’s Ark by her, and she is also responsible for verifying all reports on Babel-commissioned missions and the Last Words of newly discovered Elegies. Aside from whatever conversations are required due to her job, her words are scarce, and even casual interactions are fairly cut-and-dry. That is, though she does not appear to be as averse towards the existence of Elegies as opposed to many of her coworkers, she also does not express a particular level of care for them either.

The name Karen is not her true name but rather an alias that was forced on her seven years ago by a certain employee of the café. Her real name remains undisclosed to Noah’s Ark as per Babel’s regulations.

➤ BASIC INFORMATION
NAME: Glenn Launay
AGE: Twenty-Eight (28)
GENDER: Male
HAIR COLOR: Blonde
EYE COLOR: Gold
HEIGHT: 6’1” (186cm)
AFFILIATION: Noah’s Ark
PRIMARY LOCATION: The Boathouse, Seagull Point Beach
DEBUT: Chapter 2: One Swallow Doesn’t Make a Summer


➤ LAST WORDS
Repeat After Me: So long as he can perceive the movements with his eyes, Glenn’s Last Words allows him to perfectly copy any action. However, the moment he blinks, his power automatically becomes inactive and resets any actions memorized prior to his blink. As a result, consistent practice is still required to become truly skilled at the specific action/s he has copied. Furthermore, any observed action becomes invalid if it surpasses what he is physically capable of. This not only includes the Last Words of others such as throwing fireballs but also action movies that make use of CG in order to complete otherwise impossible movements. Being capable of copying an action also does not automatically make him privy of how to best utilize it.

Over ten years of abusing his Last Words, careful observation, cardiovascular training, and various other practices have shaped him into a skilled MMA fighter. As a side effect of the mechanics behind his Last Words, he has also become adept at not blinking for extended periods of time.


➤ DETAILS
As a Noah's Ark member for ten years and counting, Glenn Launay is one of the few surviving Elegies who has been onboard with the organization since its establishment. However, in spite of his wealth of experience, few in Noah's Ark find themselves capable of vouching for him as a reliable senior. Easygoing and at times even a downright loafer, the disparity between his skill and his work ethic—or rather his lack thereof—leaves many shaking their heads in his wake. His shamelessness and ability to laugh even in the face of danger is often just as difficult to stomach, and his tendency to toss a fresh junior at a Regret instead of dealing with it himself has garnered a rather impressive lineup of grudges. Yet, during rare displays of seriousness, he is shown to be responsible where it counts. At the very least, he is highly perceptive and doesn’t make it a habit to force others to do things that he doesn't think they're capable of.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, according to Glenn himself), newer recruits will typically fail to recognize the blond. After seven years of working part time at the café, he resigned as a waiter and a corporate slave to set up his own bistro by the beach. Due to primarily dealing with missions occurring near his current station, the only opportunities to spot his face are by dropping by The Boathouse or during one of his occasional visits to the Noah's Ark Café.

➤ BASIC INFORMATION
ID: X-002
AGE: ???
GENDER: Female
HAIR COLOR: Grey
EYE COLOR: Grey
HEIGHT: 5’2” (155cm)
AFFILIATION: Babel
PRIMARY LOCATION: Babel HQ
DEBUT: TBA


➤ LAST WORDS
Memory Delve: By touching foreheads with her target, X-002 is capable of reading into and manipulating the memories of others. Within seconds, any memories that Babel requires her to erase can be extracted skillfully while stimulating the human mind to fabricate any holes that the missing memories may have left behind. However, by removing the memories from her target, she is also required to accept those memories as her own. As a result, she is host to a chaotic mess of memories and has become incapable of differentiating between which belong to others versus her own. Whether it be the face of her biological parents or even her name, they have all been long lost in her sea of stolen memories.


➤ DETAILS
Name: Unknown.
History: Unknown.

Dehumanized to the point of thinking of herself as nothing but a tool, X-002 is doll-like both in appearance and personality. Her undying loyalty towards Babel as well as her damaged memory cause her to be incapable of making decisions for herself to the point where she refuses to even move if her primary caretaker does not instruct her to. As a result, her presence tends to make people feel uncomfortable, especially upon learning of the effects of her Last Words.