dapperghost
Ectoplasmic Gentleman
UPDATE: If you have a suggestion or idea for the roleplay, type it up in our EtherPad document! Link: PiratePad: tpoal
Why does Nature choose to trust humans with free will? Curiosity, dexterity, creativity... We can do anything we want with this power. Build bridges. Save lives. Bring smiles to people who never knew they could. Wonderful, right?
And yet, in this world governed by laws of protection and justice, we cower in fear, for free will is not simply a gift. If you choose to make it so, it can become a curse. A curse darker, deadlier and much more destructive than the very force of Nature that created it...
***
The world that I am about to describe to you requires an open mind; it's not what you might expect from something labelled fantasy. You won't find any triumphant dragon slayers, no wondrous wand-waving wizards. After all, not even a fairy tale can be perfect, and this world is far, far from it...
***
[sETTING]: This story takes place in an alternative vision of the present day world. Magic is present, but not in the typically described way; rather than a resource to channel and exploit, magic in this world is simply an uncontrollable omni-present force that is responsible for all of the universe's peculiar happenings.
In this world, the planet Earth itself is unique. The layout of the continents would be unfamiliar to anybody in the 'real' universe, and so will the nations and empires that govern it. Because humans in this world harness a unique power [see below], technology is seen by many as unnecessary and remains undeveloped; crackly radios and steam engines are civilisation's latest advancements.
Our story falls on the capital city of one of the world's leading powers, a medium-sized nation situated on the coast of a large continent in the northern hemisphere.
***
[sHAPESHIFTING]: The 'unique power' mentioned above refers to human beings' exclusive ability to shapeshift. This ability is granted to a person by their 'soul'.
Every human is born with a soul, a spiritual identity gifted by Nature. The soul is responsible for the sense of right and wrong, relational emotions; it's a human being's conscience and moral guide.
All souls have what is referred to as a 'shape' - put simply, a spirit animal. This is the basis for the shapeshifting ability. If somebody possesses a soul with the 'shape' of a lion, they also possess the ability to shapeshift into a lion at any time and place they so please. Someone with an owl-shaped soul may shapeshift into an owl, and so on.
One important aspect of the shapeshifting ability is that it is not exclusive to the body - it changes not just flesh and bones, but a human's entire image. This means that clothes, bags (and everything inside) and cosmetics shift with the body. However, an object that is simply being held or balanced on the body will not shift (e.g. if someone were holding a pencil, the pencil would not shift).
***
[THE BLACK MARKET]: Ah, the black market. I warned you, didn't I? That this world is not perfect. Not what you would expect from a fantasy land. That's right - this world has a black market. A black market for souls.
The industry has been running for longer than historians have bothered to record. People who know how can rip out the soul of another human, draining them not only of their morality and emotions, but also of their ability to shapeshift. The attacker, on the other hand, gains the ability to transform into the animal shape of the stolen soul. It's this that makes souls so valuable, so desirable. They can be a weapon, a tool, a mask.
However, souls are difficult to handle. They're not material objects, and thus cannot be carried or contained easily. For a long time, selling souls was a long, difficult process that few were willing to engage in. The market struggled and dwindled for years. But then totems were invented.
Totems are strange objects. They're small carvings, about the size of an apple, made from inkwillow wood. Nobody has quite worked out why the inkwillow is so unique, but a couple of decades ago humans discovered a rather special property of its wood; the power to be imbued with a soul.
Any totem can be a vessel for any soul. It's a fantastic way to cart around unused souls, display them, sell them, auction them. Totems make the purchase and sale of souls an easy process, no more complicated than making a trip to a particularly expensive corner shop.
The black market has grown huge since the invention of totems, but the citizens of Earth have become more wary. It's not uncommon for the poor to resort to the illegal profession of a 'reaper' for an easy path out of debt. It's not uncommon to wake up one morning and realise that something isn't quite right with a loved one. The world is dangerous, and the world wants your soul. Make sure that you're awake to protect it.
Why does Nature choose to trust humans with free will? Curiosity, dexterity, creativity... We can do anything we want with this power. Build bridges. Save lives. Bring smiles to people who never knew they could. Wonderful, right?
And yet, in this world governed by laws of protection and justice, we cower in fear, for free will is not simply a gift. If you choose to make it so, it can become a curse. A curse darker, deadlier and much more destructive than the very force of Nature that created it...
***
The world that I am about to describe to you requires an open mind; it's not what you might expect from something labelled fantasy. You won't find any triumphant dragon slayers, no wondrous wand-waving wizards. After all, not even a fairy tale can be perfect, and this world is far, far from it...
***
[sETTING]: This story takes place in an alternative vision of the present day world. Magic is present, but not in the typically described way; rather than a resource to channel and exploit, magic in this world is simply an uncontrollable omni-present force that is responsible for all of the universe's peculiar happenings.
In this world, the planet Earth itself is unique. The layout of the continents would be unfamiliar to anybody in the 'real' universe, and so will the nations and empires that govern it. Because humans in this world harness a unique power [see below], technology is seen by many as unnecessary and remains undeveloped; crackly radios and steam engines are civilisation's latest advancements.
Our story falls on the capital city of one of the world's leading powers, a medium-sized nation situated on the coast of a large continent in the northern hemisphere.
***
[sHAPESHIFTING]: The 'unique power' mentioned above refers to human beings' exclusive ability to shapeshift. This ability is granted to a person by their 'soul'.
Every human is born with a soul, a spiritual identity gifted by Nature. The soul is responsible for the sense of right and wrong, relational emotions; it's a human being's conscience and moral guide.
All souls have what is referred to as a 'shape' - put simply, a spirit animal. This is the basis for the shapeshifting ability. If somebody possesses a soul with the 'shape' of a lion, they also possess the ability to shapeshift into a lion at any time and place they so please. Someone with an owl-shaped soul may shapeshift into an owl, and so on.
One important aspect of the shapeshifting ability is that it is not exclusive to the body - it changes not just flesh and bones, but a human's entire image. This means that clothes, bags (and everything inside) and cosmetics shift with the body. However, an object that is simply being held or balanced on the body will not shift (e.g. if someone were holding a pencil, the pencil would not shift).
***
[THE BLACK MARKET]: Ah, the black market. I warned you, didn't I? That this world is not perfect. Not what you would expect from a fantasy land. That's right - this world has a black market. A black market for souls.
The industry has been running for longer than historians have bothered to record. People who know how can rip out the soul of another human, draining them not only of their morality and emotions, but also of their ability to shapeshift. The attacker, on the other hand, gains the ability to transform into the animal shape of the stolen soul. It's this that makes souls so valuable, so desirable. They can be a weapon, a tool, a mask.
However, souls are difficult to handle. They're not material objects, and thus cannot be carried or contained easily. For a long time, selling souls was a long, difficult process that few were willing to engage in. The market struggled and dwindled for years. But then totems were invented.
Totems are strange objects. They're small carvings, about the size of an apple, made from inkwillow wood. Nobody has quite worked out why the inkwillow is so unique, but a couple of decades ago humans discovered a rather special property of its wood; the power to be imbued with a soul.
Any totem can be a vessel for any soul. It's a fantastic way to cart around unused souls, display them, sell them, auction them. Totems make the purchase and sale of souls an easy process, no more complicated than making a trip to a particularly expensive corner shop.
The black market has grown huge since the invention of totems, but the citizens of Earth have become more wary. It's not uncommon for the poor to resort to the illegal profession of a 'reaper' for an easy path out of debt. It's not uncommon to wake up one morning and realise that something isn't quite right with a loved one. The world is dangerous, and the world wants your soul. Make sure that you're awake to protect it.
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