Fantasy [OOC & Lore] For This World We Love: Defending a VR MMO

[spacepirate]

- Link to the Recruitment Thread

Welcome & Premise
If you're here from the Recruitment Thread, then I welcome you once again! This RP takes place in the virtual reality game of Andaros Online, a VR MMO created in the very near future. As of right now, the entirety of this RP will take place within the game world.

All of the our characters are going to be players who were good enough at Andaros Online through events, accolades, and more that they ranked within the Top 100 players at the time the game and company, SebraSoft Ltd., were purchased by new owners. Once considered the best VR MMO of all time with real-time seamless translation between players across the world and regular solo and guild-friendly events, all of these plus the Dynamic Skill System meant that Andaros once had upwards of 5 million players worldwide. While many players left the VR world in droves, most of the other products on the market share a very similar situation, so there aren't many other places for the players to go.

Notably, many people within the Andaros community and even in real life were frustrated with the new "Pay2Win" and "sponsored content" angle that the new shareholders were taking SebraSoft Ltd., and many people even tried to buy shares of their own, only to find that the companies that had acquired the game and all of its assets were holdings corporations with almost no information available to the public. Some long-time employees and game developers spoke out against the new direction the company was going, only to be terminated. Whoever was in control of the new Andaros Online, and their agenda, was currently shrouded in mystery to both player and developer.

It had been 2 months since the ownership change, and Andaros is almost unrecognizable: entire dungeons are now showrooms for sponsored content, lore-friendly markets are now overrun with premium paid items, and players with very little technical skill have risen to top rankings due to the "rare" items they were able to purchase. Finally, it was time to take action- ZenRikka, who was once ranked #3 worldwide prior to Andaros' ownership change, sent an invite to the previous top 100 players to join her new guild, the Worldenders, with the sole purpose of winning the game's server-wide events the old fashioned way and proving to players that they don't need to purchase any of the sham equipment or heed the rule of sponsored accounts. They thrive for several months, garnering a large following, before a series of dev balancing patches and an alliance of sponsored guilds wiped them clean off the map in a Guild War event, demolishing their base and spawn camping them until all of the players' skills were back to zero.

Stuck with level 1 skills and equipment they might not even have the level cap to wield, many of these players became so disillusioned and angry with the devs' complacency in turning Andaros Online into a walking billboard or cheap cash grab that they turned off the game forever. Their following was equally as frustrated. However, even with the Worldenders guild dissolved and ZenRikka herself nowhere in sight, not all the players are ready to give up just yet... so they gather whoever is still game, and decide to mount a second resistance-- if they won't fight for Andaros, who will?

Rules & Expectations

Since you represent the best of the best in Andaros Online, I expect all of you have worked with guilds before. We follow many of the same principles!

1. Respect your fellow guild mates, even when disagreeing. Name calling, personal attacks, and targeted comments with the intent to harass or belittle other players will not be tolerated.
2. Follow and adhere to the laws of Andaros Online (and RP Nation) and make sure to follow community guidelines.
3. When submitting characters, skills, and plot ideas, please keep in mind that GM suggestions and edits are made with the overall RP and experience as the focus. If some of your ideas are not immediately accepted, don’t feel discouraged, as we can still discuss and see how we can make them work.

Player expectations:

• RP will be literate to semi-literate, in the 3rd person style.
• Character images should be in a drawn/digital style, no photos
• Post lengths may vary, but expect 3-5 paragraphs on average
• Players are encouraged to be as creative as they would like with character classes and skills. With the Dynamic Skill System, the game was designed for as much freedom and combination potential as possible. The one caveat is that admins/devs manually run patches to 'balance' new skills as to ensure that players
• Frequency is once a week per player, on average. Plan on waiting for the majority of players to post before continuing to post, so we can minimize people falling behind.
• For combat situations, the GM will be controlling enemies and mobs for the players to fight. If a player has enemies or NPCs they would like to introduce and RP as, let spacepirate know.
• For player vs. player combat, settle results and actions between players. GM can assist as a ‘referee’ if needed.
• Continually update your Character Sheet as your character obtains new equipment, replaces skills, etc.
• Be nice to new players, and have fun! Ask questions if you need clarification.

Game Info & Lore

Andaros Online

VR MMOs were created in the late 2030s and quickly became popular for their safety protocols such as emergency off switches and epilepsy-accessible game modes. The equipment itself is a helmet-and-goggles set that allow the user to "sleep" in real life while their consciousness controls an avatar in the game world. This proprietary technology was called the "DreamHelm", and is run by a separate company from the game developers. It connects to PCs, though this requires extensive hardware modules and the latest graphics cards. By the year 2040, the technology had been mass produced enough to where many households had access to DreamHelms.

Andaros Online was marketed as a completely free MMO experience, though the company SebraSoft seemed to have access to powerful servers and resources to pay all of their developers. It was mostly praised for its Dynamic Skill System, which procedurally generated player skills based on actions and specific criteria in the game. Devs would later balance these skills through patches.

There was no central story to Andaros Online, but the world was composed of seven islands called "stages" that revolve around a central "moon" like entity called Andaros, which was apparently where all of the Skills came from. Each of these seven stages had NPCs, missions, and unique settings for players to explore and discover. The primary competitive edge of Andaros Online came in the form of server wide Events, which were time sensitive and were always PvP in some form: whether that was crafting the best equipment, playing an in universe "game show" of mob trivia, or an all out combat free-for-all, this was undeniably the most popular part of the game, especially with the absence of premium content.

After the game was purchased, each of the stages became populated by sponsored accounts and content, with many players logging in as paid employees to run in-game equivalents of shops, facilities, and more. Additionally, since level caps could be bypassed with real-life currency, players of all skill levels can now be found wandering all across the seven stages.

The Seven Stages

Stage 1: Kingdom of Chartreuse

Level Cap: None
All new players will spawn in the Kingdom of Chartreuse, where they can experience a fantasy life filled with knights, monsters, magic, and more! Chartreuse, the only city on this stage, once had all kinds of beginner equipment, and many players set up shop in the city as well, since it was familiar and home base for most of the casual players. Class trainers of all the starter classes can be found here, such as: Mage, Fighter, Rogue, Tamer, Crafter, Bard, Archer, Cleric, Knight, and more. While there are not many difficult mobs in this stage, there are rumors of powerful Earth-Hewn Golems, ancient monsters that drop rare crafting materials.

After the purchase, Stage One is now completely transformed as the city became the center for real-life trade and sposorships. Currently, the auction hall and crafter's markets are shut down, since the superstore brand "EZ Buy" has made the kingdom their headquarters, selling everything from crossbows, eye of newt, and toilet paper.

Stage 2: Azure Ruinfolds

Level Cap: 15
For most new players, the Azure Ruinfolds is their first taste of a hazardous environment. The Ruinfolds are a series of underwater dungeons, with all NPC cities living on large freighters on the surface of the stage's waters. Unique water-based classes and racial morphs can be found on this stage, and special equipment or skills are required to stay underwater for long periods of time. For those who reject the diving mechanics, naval combat proves the easiest way to level up, though they might lose out on rare Merfolk and Abyssal mobs that spawn underneath the waves.

Since the purchase, the Ruinfolds have become a popular location for all sorts of automobile and vehicle manufacturers, who operate floating showrooms. Currently, the largest of these showrooms is a naval fleet owned by Catamaran, a luxury car brand.

Stage 3: Amaranth Dragonhold


Level Cap: 25
The mighty Dragonhold is a favorite for many players, who want to fight and even ride dragons! While there aren't any NPC settlements, friendly merchants and class trainers wander in hunting bands, inviting players to pursue dragons alongside them. For those who crave combat, the Dragonhold's natural 'arena' made of stone is the perfect place for some PvP action. There are many fiery and draconic spawns here such as flying dragons, wyverns, Wyrms, and more.

It has become a popular spot for real-life firearms manufacturers to sell their wares, even if the guns do less damage in game than they would in real life. Defense company Mattersfield has the largest influence on this stage, having taken over the Dragonhold 'arena' as a shooting range and showroom for its many employees.

Stage 4: Flaxen Spiritwoods


Level Cap: 40
Seemingly peaceful on the surface, the Spiritwoods are filled with powerful mobs such as will-o-wisps, kitsunes, and more that are sure to cause even the most seasoned players trouble with their abnormal status effects. The village at the base of the waterfall is where you can find most NPCs, who teach special classes such as: Shinobi, Threadweaver, Origamist, and more. In the old days, this was a favorite spot of many players to build guild halls and homes.

Today, the Spiritwoods is turned into a fashion show, with the apparel brand Erloch having a large property in the center of the Spiritwoods.

Stage 5: Phlox Enginefort

Level Cap: 50

With its mechanical cities and steampunk-inspired airships, the Enginefort is a stark contrast to the more fantasy-based stages. Magic is relatively rare among the NPCs and mobs of Stage 5, yet different types of firearms and ammunition are common, so classes like marksman, mechanist, iron warrior, and more all have their trainers based here. In addition to life in the smog lane, the Enginefort allows opportunities for entreprenurial players to set up production facilities, as well as advanced crafting systems. In today's world of Andaros, the Enginefort is still the mechanical Mecca it always was, with the addition of aerial billboards and all the latest technology brands advocating their real-life products.

Particularly influential in Stage 6 is the tech conglomerate Cela de Raio, whose engineers are working on creating a working smartphone in the world of Andaros, where instant communication and even expedited item delivery and transport are all virtual realities.

Stage 6: Ivorine Zephyrdom

Level Cap: 75

As the penultimate level, the Zephyrdom is not for the faint of heart-- all players will constantly deal with the Atmospheric Sickness debuff, which slows their movement speed and even disables the natural regeneration of health or energy. Not many NPCs live in the sky-floating palaces of the Zephyrdom, and its great white structures are populated with the most terrifying and dangerous form of energy-based life, such as mobs from the Angel class that consistently evolve with each battle or Deity-class dungeons that are cursed with the powers of all Andaros.

While few players set up bases here due to the inherent danger, even fewer brands have the mettle to turn this stage into a successful marketplace. Of course, there's healthcare giant MeliStar, who reportedly hired talented players to set up a base for them right in the middle of the largest ruin in Zephyrdom. While their products do not have much functional value in Andaros, they are speaking with developers about implementing new sicknesses and afflictions that can only be healed using their unique prescription items.

Stage 7: The Pitch

Level Cap: 100

For players who max out their level to 100, their reward is the completely dark world of the Pitch, officially stage 7 of Andaros. Unlike other games with darkness mechanics, the Pitch is truly and completely dark-- even if players bring light or fire from other stages or powered by their own skills, the everlasting night is so complete and thick that it envelops players like a status effect of its own. Additionally, mobs in the Pitch have the uncanny ability to disappear at will, to the point where not even skilled players can claim to know exactly what the monsters look like here. The only point of interest with any visibility is the Pyramid, which has never been opened and explored. As previous rank #3 global player xX_ThundrLord_Xx once claimed: "This level is a piece of cake, just play with your eyes closed."

Of course, since the purchase, Andaros' generous sponsors at PuddingPark and Pudding Studios, one of the largest entertainment and experience companies in the world, created a 'safe zone' in the Pitch right near the pyramid, where players can experience a five-star hospitality treatment right from the comfort of their VR headset.

The Dynamic Skill System

At the core of Andaros Online's gameplay is the dynamic skill system. The skill system has the following caveats:

1. Players can obtain a maximum of 7 skills at any one time. Learning new skills will allow a notification window to appear, and the player can choose to reject or accept it. Only one of these notifications can exist at any one time; ignoring this notification will prevent the player from learning any new skills.
2. Skills cannot be transferred or traded to other players. The only caveat is that learned skills can be Etched into pieces of equipment, though this process is long and difficult, with it needing to be player-crafted, and requiring rare materials.
3. Skills also have levels from 1-100, and these level up merely by playing the game while having them equipped. However, they have caps at 25, 50, and 75 that require procedurally generated missions in order to clear. At these caps, the skills may become more proficient.
4. While skills cannot be combined, under rare circumstances, levelling two skills up to lvl 100 will trigger a notification that allows you to accept a new skill in place of giving those two skills up.

The Dynamic Skill System is heavily patented, and is reputably the only thing that even the new owners of SebraSoft do not fully understand or have access to. Despite all of the changes the game world has gone though, the DSS seems largely unchanged. The DSS allows unique gameplay and for players to customize their characters however they like.

Other Character information (Levels, Classes, Equipment, Guilds)

Levels: In the world of Andaros Online, levels for players and skills range from 1 to 100, with 1 being the lowest and 100 being the highest. In terms of our RP, no one is expected to make any damage calculations or math pertaining to the story. Instead, think of levels as markers to see how the players have progressed in the plot! Characters can gain Lvl EXP for themselves and their skills by creating items, finishing missions, discovering locations, slaying monsters, and more!

Classes: For the most part, a character's classes do not affect their skills. At most, they can enable the acquisition of a skill by acting as a prerequisite. Players are free to change classes as many times as they would like, they just need to find the in-world unique NPC and pay the training cost in order to do so. After acquiring a class, players may find that their skills change the Titlecard by their class depending on their actions, but the exact mechanics of this remain unconfirmed. Classes do, however, actively limit the equipment type that a player may use.

Equipment: Equipment comes in six main types: Weapon, Head, Body, Hands, Shoes, and Accessories. There are no known ways to increase the amount of equipment a player can wear at one time. Equipment can affect stats and some may even be crafted or found with rare Skills of their own, though these are typically level capped to some degree. Generally, equipment can be purchased in-fgame, crafted by players, or dropped by powerful boss monsters.

Guilds: The key to both cooperative and competitive play are Guilds. Almost any player can create a guild if they have enough in-game coins, and the benefits of having a guild mean that your character is now available to view on the global rankings board. Some solo players create their own 1-person guilds just to appear on the rankings and participate in server-wide events. Guilds require a base of operations and at least one active member in order to stay valid. If the guild leader or founder leaves, ownership usually passes onto the next player unless the guild has been disbanded.

Character Sheet

Spoiler: Template

[B]VR Helm Registration[/B] Registered Name: Age: Gender: Country of Origin: About/Bio: [B]Andaros Information[/B] Player Name: Player Level: Levels range from 1-100. As players gain skill exp, a portion of this transfers to their level, and does not go does as new skills are acquired or replaced. Only in-game deaths can lower player skills and level, though they are not reset to level 1 immediately. Class: Class does not prevent players from acquiring new skills, and is primarily limiting the equipment they can use. However, some skills may require the player to have a specific class in order to learn skills. Avatar Description: In-Game History: This is where you can list a player's feats, accomplishments, and their previous ranking from 1-100 prior to Andaros' purchase. Current Skills: [LIST] [*][Skill 1], level, flavor text [*][Skill 2], level, flavor text [*][Skill 3], level, flavor text [*][Skill 4], level, flavor text [*][Skill 5], level, flavor text [*][Skill 6], level, flavor text [*][Skill 7], level, flavor text [/LIST] Equipment Slots: Equipment can each hold one skill/ability apiece. Depending on how powerful the equipment may be, there may be a level cap. [LIST] [*]Primary Weapon: [*]Secondary Weapon: [*]Head: [*]Body: [*]Hands: [*]Shoes: [*]Accessory: [*]Accessory: [*]Accessory: [/LIST] Current Inventory: During the last event, the entire guild had their guild building destroyed, so any furniture or facility items were lost. Players may have had personal residences and private inventories that could have survived the event, though in the case they built these facilities anywhere other than Stage 1, they will need to grind for a bit before getting those items back. Other Notable Info:

Spoiler: Sample Character Sheet

VR Helm Registration
Registered Name: Nadjia Porziņģis
Age: 22
Gender: F
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
About/Bio: While most who play Andaros Online relish in the anonymity of the platform, ZenRikka, real name Nadjia, found community and belonging by posting streams dedicated to her competitive climb to the top of the global rankings, where she topped out at rank #3, leading her own guild at the time called the Silent Knights. ZenRikka was open about her journey into VR gaming being an escape from reality: after breaking her ankle, she was unable to pursue professional football, a lifelong goal of the hardworking athelete. With a mind just as fast and reflexive as ever but a body that had sustained a terrible injury, she grew restless and depressed until finding the world of Andaros Online, quickly using her fancy footwork and hard-earned game senses to become a PvP and combat fanatic.

Andaros Information
Player Name: ZenRikka
Player Level: 100
Class:

• Lich Templar: The culmination of any Knight or Warrior who has chosen to pursue the way of death and darkness, Lich Templars grow stronger with the amount of Souls they have taken. It is said that one thousand Souls must be harvested before this class becomes available. Boasting tremendous vitality and strength, Lich Templars are not attuned to magical or ranged weaponry, but can wield any heavy melee and armors with ease. Cursed equipment will have no negative effects on this class. Additionally, this class does not benefit from Healing spells, and can only regain Health from slaying enemies. It is rumored that even though they do not wield magic of their own, Lich Templars host untold Necromantic energy. In order to maintain their power, Lich Templars must also periodically consume Souls or risk having their dark powers turned upon them. Souls can only be acquired from defeating players in PvP matches, including but not limited to: Open Dungeons, Server Events, and Duel Invites.
  • Usable Equipment Tags: [Heavy Armor], [Cursed], [Two-Handed Melee], [One-Handed Melee], [Light Shield], [Heavy Shield]
  • Ascends from: Warrior -> Knight -> Necroknight

Avatar Description:

• ZenRikka's official character race is [Undead] after Ascending to the Lich class. As such, healing spells will not work on her and instead only harm her, but her avatar does not emanate body heat, making her ideal for facing enemies with heat or life detecting abilities. Other than that, she appears mostly as a human female with silver hair, red eyes, and crimson-and-black armor.

In-Game History:

• Anyone who has played Andaros Online for more than a year knows the name ZenRikka-- not only is she one of the top-ranked players of all time, she's likely challenged you to a duel! While the idea of any player fighting such an accomplished star seemed ridiculous, she often promised to not use her powerful equipment, or even any of her skills! Indeed, ZenRikka seemed to relish winning duels using only the most basic weaponry, often foregoing Etched Equipment in favor of that which had simple stats and a elegant or sleek appearance. These 'no-skill fights' proved to be popular amongst players both old and new, and even if opponents played dirty and broke their agreement by using skills, it was said ZenRikka never broke form, even when it would cause her to lose. This love of PvP and combat is perhaps only natural that she would be the first player to discover the Ascended Class Lich Templar after defeating 1000 opponents straight in PvP without dying once. When Andaros was purchased, ZenRikka was furious-- especially since there were even fewer players to duel against after a few months. With a heavy heart, the once-third-ranked player in the world send out a message to the past 100 who were just like her: let's form a guild and take back our home!

Current Skills:

• [Shout of the Damned] - [Lvl. 100] By channeling harvested Souls, Lich Templars can unleash a terrifying cry that will stun entities with crowd control resistance. For each consecutive use of this skill, Soul cost increases.
• [Hellbound Bond] - [Lvl. 100] By channeling harvested Souls, Lich Templars can create a Hellbound Bond with one target. When one member of an active Hellbound Bond is defeated, the other will fall as well.
• [Deconstruct] - [Lvl. 100] Upon defeating a summoned, reanimated, or constructed opponent, gain 100% of the components used to create the entity.
• [Reflective Parry] - [Lvl. 100] For any damage that is blocked or parried, return an instance of damage to the attacker. This skill gets stronger when used in successtion.
• [Immovable Object] - [Lvl. 100] [Passive] When wearing at least four pieces of Heavy Armor, the user cannot be staggered, knocked back, or knocked prone.
• [Ashes to Ashes] - [Lvl. 100] [Passive] Upon dealing damage, if that damage would be fatal to the target, immediately incinerate their remains, preventing instant revival or for any components to be harvested.
• [Focused Fire] - [Lvl. 100] [Passive] When in combat with a single opponent, deal more damage to that opponent if the opponent has more health than the user.

Equipment Slots:

• Primary Weapon: [Death Scion's Cursed Claymore] - [Two-Handed Sword] [ Cursed] [Lvl Cap: 100] A rare boss drop from the Death Scion, one of the Lords of the Pitch. It is said that any opponent slain by the Death Scion's hand will be forced to roam the endless night. In the hands of a true warrior, even a weapon of pure evil can be controlled and wieded for any cause.
• Secondary Weapon: N/A
• Head: [Unrighteous Helm] - [Head] [Cursed] For every cursed piece of equipment the wearer wears, gain one instance of Unrighteous. Unrighteous allows the wearer to instantly revive to half-health when receiving fatal damage. However, each cursed piece of equipment's negative effects are twice as potent.
• Body: [Knight of Blood and Thorns] - [Body] Event exclusive reward from "A Garden Soiree" limited event. A knight's garden is her castle, and her armor is her key. For every instance of consecutive damage taken, reflect a portion of that damage back at the attacker.
• Hands: [Semper Veritas] - [Hands] [Cursed] Truth comes to those who seek it. All incoming damage is reduced. However, the wearer can no longer receive the benefits of healing effects.
• Shoes: [Depths of Desire] - [Shoes] [Cursed] Increases resistance to pressure and water-based damage. For every instance of terrain damage, gain a stacking healing bonus. However, critical damage taken is increased.
• Accessory: [Scarlett Dragon Heartstring] - [Accessory] [Cursed] The still-beating heartstring of a Scarlett Dragon, fashioned to work as a piece of jewelry or keepsake. Grants regular immunity to fire damage and terrain effects. However, damage taken from dragons is increased by the same amount.
• Accessory: [Skyward Bangle] - [Accessory] An ancient bangle from the civilization that would become the Ivorine Zephyrdom. For every instance of healing the wearer would have received, instead gain an attack bonus.
• Accessory: [A Poem on Death] - [Accessory] [Cursed] "And let this requiem be read to her heirs, for a world without sorrow is a sky without heirs." For every opponent defeated, gain a stacking damage bonus, but movement speed is halved for every instance.

Current Inventory:

• None (all deployed during guild events)

Other Notable Info:

• After the Worldenders' defeat in the last Guild War event, ZenRikka has not been seen online. It is assumed she quit.

Plot Overview
1. October 2041: Andaros Online is purchased by shareholding companies that change the core philosphy of gameplay.
2. December 2041: The player ZenRikka founded the Worldenders Guild with some members of the top 100, and they gain widespread popularity for dominating in-game events.
3. April 2042: The Worldenders are wiped out in a server event that causes over half of their members to quit in frustration.

Edit Log:
- Will be edited with a sample CS soon

 

[spacepirate]

[Placeholder for Character Roster]

 

[Nellancholy]

VR Helm Registration

Registered Name: Mona Tsai

Age: 29

Gender: Trans woman

Country of Origin: United States

About/Bio:
There was a name (several names, really), that the woman now known as Mona Tsai used to be known by. Known for their experience and decently popular reputation as a streamer playing several of the popular competitive shooters of the era. You know, like Zero Hour: Besieged, Pinnacle of Fables, Cross-Counter: International Strife, and Tremor Victors. Eventually, their popularity and skill led to them being scouted for an esports team that was newly-formed by a Mattersfield subsidiary, gunning for the Zero Hour championship. Life suddenly got a whole lot faster, and an ignominious loss in the semi-finals of their second season with the Mattersfield team led to Tsai retiring, the first member of their team to do so. They subsequently announced (to their personal followers) the fact that they would openly be a woman from then on.

This announcement, unfortunately, was met with a caustic response from many, and at least for now, Mona has withdrawn from the public eye, though she still has her supporters. Beginning a new line of work, she currently works as a journalist for Voxel, a pop culture/gaming website, and has spent quite some time playing Andaros, as a source of content and her own amusement.




Andaros Information

Player Name: Heartpiercer (but you can call her Dr. H)

Player Level: 1 (so sad)

Class: Mad Scientist ([Herbalist] -> [Physician] -> [Mad Scientist])
An evolution of the healing classes that precede it, the Mad Scientist class is characterized by its strategic use of medical and chemical resources to control the battlefield, buffing allies and debilitating enemies. It is considered a mid-range crafting class, specialized in gathering materials for the aforementioned medical consumables and crafting them in the field where other crafting classes might need specialized facilities to do so (or not at all). Most notable among its abilities are the capability to temporarily remodel allies within reach with double edged effects that give strong benefits in return for commensurate penalties. It is also proficient in the use of covert weapons as backup.
Equipment tags include (but may not be limited to): [Cloth Armor] [Tech Armor] [Chemistry Set] [One-handed Concealed Melee] [Two-handed Melee] [One-handed Ranged] [Explosive]

Avatar Description:


Noted for her incongruous appearance, Heartpiercer's avatar takes on the form of a scientist with a decidedly...exotic outfit under her coat. This contrasts with the tactical gear it is often festooned with when she prepares for a serious situation, such as tactical webbing for additional explosives, a selection of big guns, and a heavy shield.

In-Game History:
With her schedule newly vacated, Mona was ready to throw herself into the role of Heartpiercer while experiencing Andaros. She was never the fastest, most accurate shooter at the tiptop of the competitive level, but she always held the right angles, supported the team, made sure to get the refrag. At first, she decided to embody that role with the Herbalist, a gathering and healing-focused class. It didn't take long for the full range of options to dawn on her, however, and she gravitated to adopting capabilities resembling her previous interests. She liked the idea of playing as a team, but felt unnerved at the idea that it was theoretically possible for someone to lose most of what they had and get knocked down back to level 1 if they ran afoul of someone in the wrong situations.

As such, she focused on supporting other players through PvE content, assisting new players or parties in need of support, as well as participating in low-stakes PvP matches where no one's pride or material would be hurt...too much. In that way, she gradually developed a reputation for being a team player (if rather soft), and occasionally worked with members of the original iteration of the Worldenders as well, though she never committed to it or any other guild. ("Would hate to miss my obligations if I get into another game.")

The other thing she's known for (not entirely positively) is her habit of trying to roleplay as a sultry doctor/scientist like in those ecchi anime, alternating between a flirtatious, mischievous persona and more regular speech.

On the fateful day, she was one of the several unaffiliated players who chose to assist the Worldenders due to her objection at their unfair treatment, and of course ended up knocked down several pegs just like them.

Now her aims include getting back to her prior level of influence, so that she can continue to help others and generally have a good time as before.

Current Skills:
[Firearm Proficiency] [level 1] Grants the user the ability to equip and operate firearms regardless of class. At higher levels, improves aspects like recoil control, reload speed, attack rate, and movement speed while equipped with firearms.

[Deconstruct] [level 1] Upon defeating a summoned, reanimated, or constructed opponent, 10% chance to gain a component used to create the entity.

[Entry Frag] [level 1] Upon triggering an item with the [Explosive] tag, gain increased movement speed and accuracy with firearms for a short time. At this level, it only functions the first time it would be triggered in a combat.

[Center Axis Relock] [level 1] Reduces penalties to accuracy when using a [One-handed Ranged] weapon in melee range of an opponent. At higher levels, improves melee damage, attack rate, and accuracy while using a [One-handed Ranged] weapon under any circumstance.

[Calming Fragrance] [level 1] Reduces the duration and potency of harmful status effects on nearby allies by a small amount. At high levels, completely nullifies harmful status effects that directly target allies in arm's reach. (Does not exempt them from effects in the environment that could cause complications, so their vision would still be obscured by poison gas, but they would not take damage over time from it.)

[Gas Grenade] [level 1] Can convert any [Consumable] item into a throwable [Explosive] item that spreads its effects over a small range. At higher levels, it can spare certain targets in the area of effect as well as increase the range and potency even further from the base item.

[Amputate] [level 1] When launching a melee attack against an immobilized enemy, the user can nullify the use of one piece of equipment or body part on the victim, though they do not actually lose what was targeted. At this level, it can only nullify one target item for around 30 seconds and cannot amputate another item during that time. At higher levels, it can target more items simultaneously, and at max level it can be applied at range.

---

(Currently equipped) Equipment Slots:

Primary Weapon: Skorpion Machine Pistol [One-handed Ranged Firearm]. A standard machine pistol. Easy to aim, maybe hard to control once you squeeze the trigger. Fast rate of fire, reloads fast but often.

Secondary Weapon: Ballistic Shield [Shield]. A standard shield that covers roughly half of the user's body to mitigate damage or even nullify weak hits. One-handed weapons can be used alongside it, and it can be mounted on the user's back when both hands are needed free. While worn in that way, it protects from behind instead.

Head: Big Pink Bow [Cute]. It's cute!

Body: Mad Scientist's Coat [Tech Armor]. Greatly increases the storage capacity, crafting time and efficiency, and deployment speed of consumable items. It also looks cool when you swoosh it around.

Hands: Healing Hands [Cloth Armor]. Improves the effectiveness of healing consumables and other healing actions used on adjacent allies.

Shoes: Kitten Heels [Cloth (?) Armor]. Can be set to emit either a clicking heel or chiming bell noise in lieu of the normal footstep sound. Won from a PvP event sponsored by Kirsten Lobotomite, a brand in competition with Erlong early in the transition period.

Accessory: Shock Nova Shield [Tech Armor]. A worn energy shield that when turned on, mitigates damage from ranged attacks. More effective against physical rather than energy attacks. Each attack deflected reduces its power reserve, and once depleted it explodes in a nova covering a few meters that does electric damage and has a chance to paralyse, before recharging over a few minutes.

Accessory: Hardened PPE [Tech Armor]. Sharply cuts damage from all single target poison/disease effects, and completely nullifies the effects of AOE poison/disease effects on the wearer.

Accessory: Tinted Sunglasses [Accessory]. Looks cool. One of the few items that falls on the "tactical" side of Heartpiercer's incongrous aesthetic.

---

Current Inventory:
Before recent events, Heartpiercer had a base in the Amaranth Dragonhold with the aesthetic of a combined lab/modern military armory/teahouse. It's as contrasting as her avatar.
Notable items stashed there include:

Havoc Energy Rifle: [Two-handed Ranged Firearm] A heavy two-handed laser rifle with a spool up time and nasty DPS at full speed.
Vectis Prime: [Two-handed Ranged Firearm] A marksman rifle with a comparatively high fire rate and low upfront damage, but fires lacerating rounds that inflict and stack the bleeding status effect with each landed shot.
Mastiff Shotgun: [Two-handed Ranged Firearm] A pump-action shotgun that fires incendiary rounds that explode in a cone.
Thurible: [Chemistry Set] When placed inside and ignited, consumable items deliver their effects in an area around the user gradually, even if they would usually be instantaneous.
Blitz Shield: [Shield] A variant of the ballistic shield that can fire a flash on a minute-long cooldown that leaves nearby enemies blinded for a few seconds, with a lingering disorientation effect.
Neon White Scoopy: A promotional variant of a real-world moped that seats two, bearing emblems of a popular kids' mascot. Surprisingly fast and agile, able to wallride for a few seconds at max speed.
Remodeling Saw [Two-Handed Melee]: A large buzzsaw. On hit, the user has the option of applying the Mad Scientist's passive ability to the victim, debilitating one stat at the expense of mandatorily buffing another.
Techno Puppet: A pet in the form of a hovering, ball-shaped drone that can have technological weapons mounted on it. Another feature of the Mad Scientist, but Heartpiercer has not specced into its use.
Tea Set: [Cute] Spawns tea and cakes on fine china for screenshot/emoting purposes.
Cake Fork: [One-handed Concealed Melee] Has sparkly effects when it stabs something, and heals the user a tiny amount per hit. Seems to usually be used by a class that would use this item to greater effect.

 

[Aesir]

VR Helm Registration

Registered Name: Lethea Mesperado
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Country of Origin: Canada

About/Bio:
When it comes to internet anonymity, details on Executorial, renowned for their technical prowess in the player-versus-player aspects of Andaros, are markedly scarce. They seldom speak of their real-world life and prefer to state that it has no particular bearing on them. The truth is that they simply believe that the reality is mundane to the point of being disappointing - and that the air of mystery helps their reputation, and henceforth adds to the pressure that they can put opponents under. In the real world, they're merely a college student, studying for their tech degree at a local community college.

That's... Really all there is to it, and they're often disappointed that they don't have anything more exciting than Andaros itself to be talking about. Not that they'd rather have a more exciting life, since that usually means a lot more trouble, and a lot less time for gaming.

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Andaros Information

Player Name: Executorial

Player Level: 1 (for now)

Class:

• [Arcanum Deadeye]: It is said that those who push beyond the zenith of mastery will find themselves in harmony with the world, and in tune with the elements that build it. For those who make this trek, they shall find themselves imbued and changed. Not for the faint-hearted, this combination of mage and sharpshooter features makes for a particularly devastating match against even the toughest of opponents. They retain their firearm proficiencies and movement capabilities whilst gaining attack-imbued effects that would ordinarily belong to spellcasters of the ritualist type, who specialize in inflicting debuffs and crippling opponents. A particular specialty of this class combination is the ability to build up status effects with incredible speed, owing to the fast rate of fire or devastating critical damage that defines high-level firearms. Hence, the debuffs they inflict can cascade into their most severe form at an accelerated pace. While mostly middling in stats on their lonesome, this class reaches the fullest extent of its truly ludicrous damage and DoT potential with the aid of others.
  • Ascends from: ([Marksman] - [Sniper] - [Freeshooter] with [Elemental Savant] proficiency)
  • Usable equipment tags: [Firearm (Light)] [Firearm (Heavy)] [Artillery] [Elemental] [Cloth Armor] [Light Armor] [Medium Armor] [Light Melee] [Concealed Melee]

Avatar Description:



(Ice form on the left, fire form on the right)

Executorial's avatar is quite peculiar. For one, their racial choice was the Elemental, strange and magical beings constructed entirely from magic, which become wholly sapient as they gain power and knowledge. Hence, they do not have any human features to speak of, save for a bipedal form with strangely thin limbs and luminous slits for eyes. They emanate a strong elemental presence (based in the primal force that makes them up), making them strongly detectable to magic - this has the trade-off of granting some inherent immunities to certain types of damage, depending on the elemental.

• As an elemental's form is defined by the element they embody, this has caused a strange interaction with one of their skills (Origination Divergence) which allows them to alternate elemental affinities, a change that is inflected in the avatar. One is dark like soot, bearing a coat with sunset hues within, whereas the other is reminiscent of the sky on a snowy day.

---

In-Game History:

Starting from essentially nothing, the rise of Executorial was quick and unprecedented - they were, for the most part, a player who'd come out of nowhere and risen to greatness. In truth, they'd played the game for many years - most of it was spent experimenting with the dynamic skill system and refining their technique - before beginning to delve into the domain of PvP, and quickly found that it brought them a thrill like nothing else.

So up they went. For a very long time, they remained a solo player in their own guild, rising up the leaderboard to eventually claim #8 on the charts, just a few places behind the founder of the Worldenders. Even before joining the Worldenders, Executorial was a mysterious player who'd earned something of a following, despite not being a content creator of any kind - builds and character setups similar to the genre of theirs; utilizing heavy debuffs or other extremely technical points, had even gained the community nickname of 'Exec-Likes'.

While not a particularly shy player, it would seem as if they were not the greatest at making friends; though they rarely turned down a duel invite - regardless of the stakes. For them, the thrill of competition was far more important than the notion of punishing the other party. However, they were known for occasionally acting as a bit of a vigilante in the mid-to-high level areas, sniping those who camped other players. Additionally, in-game auctions for rare items also seemed to fascinate this devoted PvPer, who loved participating and bidding, even if they often didn't have the raw resources to get much of what they liked.

Though they might not always be found online, Executorial's presence in Andaros-related forums is remarkable. In fact, they often appear in discussions pertaining to important game or PvP balance, and have authored several guides on how to improve one's PvP ability. While extremely technical and difficult for the average player to understand, those guides are considered mandatory reading for any who wants to compete at the endgame level in Andaros. Strangely enough, they are not class-specific, and even those who have nothing in common with the author's own build can glean useful information from them... If they manage to translate it into something tangible, anyways.

When Andaros was bought out, the landscape ruined and the balance in shambles, Executorial was rightfully angered - and quickly joined the Worldenders upon being invited by another player. They were increasingly sick of facing opponents who clearly had no real modicum of skill but only an excess of cash, and strove to change that through what they did best - winning a lot of matches. However, even the best player can only do so much, and when the Worldenders came crashing down, so too did they fall.

But they didn't lose any of their abilities or knowledge, and as far as Executorial was concerned... The ball was in their court, and it was their turn to serve it back.

...Though, things might be a little troublesome, given how the reset has impacted their skills, skills they'd honed for years... Nevertheless, they'll work something out. That is, if they can get back up to the level cap when they've made so many enemies.

---

Current Skills:

• [Cyclical Paradox] [Level 1] [Unique] We End as We Begin. When an enemy takes fire-elemental damage from this character, they also suffer the frozen status. When an enemy takes cold-elemental damage from this character, they also suffer the burning status.
  
  
• [Origination Divergence] [Level 1] The Exceptional are not One, but Many. Character gains a permanent Elemental Affinity, and all weapon and skill-based attacks are automatically imbued with the associated element. [LOCKED: At higher levels, the character gains an additional elemental affinity and can alternate between the two at will, altering stats depending on the form taken.]
  
  
• [Temporal Trigger] [Level 1] Time waits for none but You. Up to 1 effect fired by this character can be delayed, costing all casting resources as normal, but have delayed activation until the character chooses to cast the ability.
  
  
• [Candescent Snowfall] [Level 1] Burn to ashes, and such shall be the black snow that falls. Attacks from this character that deal status effects build up the status effect more quickly.
  
  
• [Withering Frost] [Level 1] In the long winter, no flame survives the endless night. When cold-status effects dealt by this character escalate into the frozen status, the afflicted enemy receives x% additional damage from all sources.
  
  
• [Rewinding Rounds] [Level 1] ...There is a causal loop imprisoned within your trigger. Every shot fired by a [Firearm] class weapon has a percentile chance of flying back after reaching the maximum distance, dealing additional damage on the 'rewind'.
  
  
• [Radiant Provenance] [Level 1] Blind all with your light, so that you may outshine the sun. When taking damage, increase movement speed and the reload speed of [Firearm] class weapons. At certain health thresholds, this buff is amplified.

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Equipment Slots/Currently Equipped

• Primary Weapon: [Songless Equilibrium] [Firearm (Heavy)] [Elemental] - An elegant rifle crafted from world-tree wood, with an inlaid stock carved from dragon ivory and embellished with a plethora of comet shards. The scope is said to be made from the tears of fey, and will always allow one to sight their target, no matter how well they hide. A particularly expensive item with excellent stats that they bought from an auction once upon a time, now being put to use because they're locked out of using their usual weapon.
• Secondary Weapon: [Abyssal Refrain] [Firearm (Light)] - A glittering, crystal-wrought pistol with a strangely hollow barrel. Shots burrow into targets, and upon the same target receiving a certain number of shots, all shots detonate for an additional burst of damage and a binding effect.
• Head: [Eagle-Eye Diadem] [Head] [Light Armor] - Thin and inconspicuous, mounted with a crystal whose purpose is to produce a magically-projected scope for the weapons without one. Increases accuracy for all ranged weapons and helps to quickly negate visibility-negating penalties or effects.
• Body: [Firmament Mantle] [Body] [Cloth Armor] - A reward from the "Skypiercers" limited event. Cut from a piece of the blue sky, it shimmers and ripples to display the wearer's favored time of day. Increases movement speed, dodge chance, and offers a chance to transfer debuffs sustained to the nearest enemy instead.
• Hands: [Silversalt Veneer] [Hands] [Cloth Armor] - White like the daybreak or black like an endless night, as dichotomous as the sides of a coin. Periodically grants damage resistance and a boost to incoming healing, or an increase to critical chance.
• Shoes: [Tranquil Steeple] [Shoes] [Light Armor] - Makes the user's footsteps more quiet and light, helping to prevent the activation of trigger-based effects.
• Accessory: [Gilded Plume] [Accessory] - A lone brooch crafted from the feather of a bird that has never touched the ground. Guards the user against control-based effects, but goes into cooldown afterwards.
• Accessory: [Ampule of Dreams] [Accessory] - Filled with a perfume mixed by a secret enclave of faeries. Upon use, extends the duration of up to 3 random positive buffs on oneself, before entering a long cooldown.
• Accessory: [Icosahedral Magazine] [Accessory] - While equipped, each reload of a [Firearm] class weapon has a chance to load a random number of additional bullets, determined at the time of reloading. The same weapon cannot benefit from this effect again until the magazine has been completely emptied.

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Current Inventory:

• [Symmetric Fate] [Unique] [Firearm (Heavy)] [Elemental] [Level Cap: 100] - The finest weapon for the finest sharpshooter. Custom-crafted to their specific requirements out of the rarest materials available in the game, and painstakingly etched with a skill. Vaguely shaped like a sword swathed in elemental energies and mounted with an array of runic crystals, it can turn even the simplest bullets into a deadly shot. It resonates with the user, like an amplifier for an instrument - and takes on their elemental affinity, whilst bolstering the effects of such on itself.
  • Imbued Skill: Inescapable Gaze - When attacking an enemy at a distance greater than half of the maximum possible range of the weapon or skill, this weapon has an increased critical chance and damage. Normal lock-on distance is doubled.
• [Timeless Requiem] [Accessory] [Level Cap: 80] - A pocketwatch made from golden gears that have never stopped spinning. Reward from the "Errant Tessellation" world boss. When equipped, each skill usage has the chance to reset the cooldown of another skill currently on cooldown, with a short trigger limit.
• [Aces and Eights] [Accessory] [Level Cap: 70] - Five playing cards, with the two black aces and a pair of eights. The last card is conspicuously bloodstained. Once per long cooldown, the cards can be thrown into the air to bestow a temporary buff that drastically increases the triggering odds of any skill or effect based on chance.
• Spyglass: Just an ordinary telescope made from brass. Used for scouting or looking at something in very close detail.
• Crystal Deck: Playing cards that are faceted and clear like crystal, though they turn opaque in a frosted way when viewed from the 'back'. Capable of floating and arranging themselves at will in the air.
• Monocle: Just an ordinary eyeglass. Looks a bit strange on an elemental, though. How does it even stay on?
• Various health & stamina consumables, as well as assorted buff potions for a plethora of stats.
  
  Stashed at Residence:
  
  
• [Seraph's Pledge] [Firearm (Artillery)] [Elemental] - Though it appears to be a rifle, and can certainly be used as such, it is actually a launcher of sorts for fragmentary rounds. Extremely heavy recoil, projectiles gain a damage bonus as they travel further before hitting a target.
• [Luminous Spearhead] [Firearm (Heavy)] - A particularly light shotgun made out of... Well, pure light and marble. Looted from a hidden dungeon in the Ivorine Zephyrdom, occasionally used in certain fights for where close-quarters combat mandates switching out one's rifle.
• [Moonblade] [Light Melee] - The foil sings an enigmatic song and gleams brightly under the light of the moon. A rapier with extraordinarily fast attack speed, with the chance to steal a bit of the opponent's attack speed as a debuff with each hit, granting the stolen speed to itself.
• [Secret Wishes] [Concealed Melee] - Cast from a fallen star, this weapon deals massive damage on the first hit, with additional damage if striking from a stealth status. While not entirely suited for a sniper's use, it might have niche applications in duels.
• [Stormwind Cycle] [Mount] - A pitch-black motorcycle with stylized decorations that resemble gales of wind. Capable of extending glider wings for makeshift flight. They won this at an auction several years back. They're still not sure why they bought it.
• Almost all of the valuable boss drops they've accumulated over the years, along with a whole stock of limited and rarer consumables they haven't had the heart to use.
  
  Other Notable Info: Owns a permanent residence in the Ivorine Zephyrdom in the style of a marble manor, though it is currently inaccessible. Otherwise, they have smaller safehouses across the other stages, for notoriety is not always a great thing when one doesn't want to be on their toes constantly.