Rise of Evil OoC

[HellFireSouLess]

Approved Durppie.

Edited September 27, 2014 by HellFireSouLess

[Melomancer]

I'l finally post tomorrow evening. Last day of my exams.

[HellFireSouLess]

Nice good luck on your exams

[Thaelasan]

You know, I've been asked that question for years. Just how do you do it, Thael? How do you have the time to sit down and write out these monoliths? What goes through your head?

So, regardless of if it makes me seem pretentious or not, for future reference, I'll write it out here. For those of you who wish to learn and strive to be able to do what I do - or perhaps even far better - I'll give you a bit of advice. This is pretty much the same process I use when I'm writing my manga and my other comic works. I've used this method for years.

The first step is probably the most important - the setting. Your setting could be anything, from a tavern, to a futuristic bunker, to a present-day mall. However, pay attention to where everything is placed, not just scenery. What time of day is it? Are people walking around? What do they believe? What do they think about the main characters? In a lot of cases, mob characters (in this case, NPCs) can provide a beneficial or detrimental effect upon your overall story. Don't make them all the same type of person either. Treat them like actual characters. Give them accents based on their regions. Do what I do and give them a small - if humorous - backstory of some sort. Bring them back sometimes to make the story more realistic. If you noticed, I used Anthony in two of my posts.

Why is the setting so important in the end? Because the setting defines the story. Even Shakespeare knew that. He'd set up plays in multiple areas and then hire actors and design costumes based on the era. That's how movies and plays are so realistic.

You can spend about two or three paragraphs just talking about what your characters see in the background. Bring it to life, through their eyes. Make US see the world they see. Make us breath in the air, whether it's smog or clean oxygen. Make us smell the flowers or burning wasteland. Make us hear the sounds of birds or dying soldiers. Make us understand how this has affected their overall disposition. Give them an actual reason to fight or stay behind.

The second is something we all have a problem with - the characters. Hell, even I have an issue sometimes deciding how I should actually write them out or change them. You don't want the cookie-cutter characters who everyone knows but then you don't want to (and sometimes I give up on caring about this little gem) make the "Gary-Stu/Mary-Sue" characters. Yes. I mean that. I honestly gave up caring about how people saw my characters, whether OP or not. If you don't want to roleplay with me just because you think my guy is "absolutely, intolerably overpowered" then I don't want to talk to you either. There's no point. Even if your guy is a god, people should be able to trust that you won't make them suddenly destroy the world. But that doesn't mean I pride myself on making overpowered characters. Let's consider Gareth and Ezrea for instance as an example.

Gareth's size already gives him an advantage over most people who face him. Then, you factor in his swordplay and his demon arm and he sounds pretty strong. However, his personality prevents him from "going overboard." He tries his best to protect those around him but he's very naive. He doesn't think about the bigger picture, just what applies to him and those he loves.

Ezrea, however, with her small stature, could have easily been another weak woman but decided to start punching people until they respected her. She spent years training to fight both people and demons along with Allan - Rei - and a few others. As such, she adores using her fists rather than swords or guns. They never failed her. Her ring takes full advantage of this by letting her gain more power with each punch. She took a fairly weak and dependent demon arm and learned how to use it to its full extent.

I also once had a character I was VERY proud of. Zakku and some others will remember him well. He was very recent. His name was Alan Leonards. He was a happily married researcher during an apocalypse similar to this one but he didn't take it as well as Gareth. Though he was optimistic, he was also a lot like Charles in that he worried heavily about the bad outcomes just as much as the good. But did that stop him? No. He had a wife to protect who fought alongside him. His buddy (another favorite of mine) Randall was a country man with a strong accent and a zero-tolerance for nonsense.

But those are just some examples of mine. A good way to double check is to go back and reread some of your old characters. Remember what they could and couldn't do.

Anyway, moving on. The next important step is music. Yes, a strange choice, but it's actually quite important. I use youtube for a lot of what I listen to while I do my text walls. It may not work for some but I actually do a lot better when half my brain is listening to something that invokes the emotions I'm trying to convey. Have you ever listened to a song when you were feeling pleased or depressed and felt better or worse? Humans are HEAVILY impacted by tones and sounds that define how they feel. I'm even listening to something uplifting and motivating right now while writing this. For those who are curious, it's also (admittedly) Gareth's new theme song.

So when I say I gave a character a new theme, that's what I mean. I give ALL my characters theme music so that I can listen to it when writing as them. Also, for a bit of added humor, believably or not,

Originally, when writing Ezrea, I imagined a really rough and tumble warrior girl with no sense of kindness. But as I developed her, I actually began basing her more on "tsundere" anime characters that I enjoyed (even though I hate the tsundere trope in general). As it went on, I considered her past and her daily choices. Neutual and I have talked about this off and on as to exactly what sort of clothes she ACTUALLY wants to wear versus what she wears in front of people. Ezrea, though no one will probably ever see them, has MANY stuffed animals in her room, some punched in the face when she was furious. She also keeps a book similar to a diary full of entries which depicts her training regimens. The book is REALLY BRIGHTLY COLORED.

So that led me to defining her and Gareth's past and romance. I have MANY mini-comic ideas of adorable scenes between the two of them which helps me further define and write their backstories as well as how they speak and move around. I also have different songs for them based on if they are battling someone or not. You don't have to go that far but it may actually help you.

Oh, and I forgot to mention - do you really think I write these text walls all at once? Well, you're half right. Sometimes, I absolutely do. I'll sit there for about 2-3 hours, drinking coffee, and listening to these themes while I write out what they do and don't do. Normally, I have just woken up and have a clear mind.

HOWEVER, when I CANNOT write it all at once, I'm prone to playing a few games and then returning to it an hour later, editing some of the fragments. That's why a lot of my writing may actually seem a bit delayed or referring to something two posts ago - because I talk to everyone at once. I wait until you all have posted and are locked, waiting on me, so I don't accidentally post too quickly and someone was going to stop something I was planning on making a character do. I hope you know what I mean. That's the worst part. Then I have to go back and quickly edit a whole sentence, paragraph, or set of paragraphs just to fix the problem. I am VERY devoted to my prose.

Also, one other thing I'm prone to do is write speeches and poems. I'll spend the night listening to my character's themes sometimes and thinking about what they could have talked or wrote about days before. Zakku can tell you about the poem I once made Ansgar Willhelm write about half a year ago.

This sort of thing adds even more realism to your "wall" and your characters' backstories as the story goes on. For me, they're also quite enjoyable to write in general.

Then, there's what I also do which some cannot (and I understand this). I sketch my characters (and other people's, admittedly) quite often. That Gareth and Ezrea picture was my first well-done, digital work, based on a traditional sketch. On a side-note, if you wish for me to sketch a character of yours that you use often, send me a descriptive sheet. If I like them, I normally do it. But I digress - that's how I make sure I know what I'm writing about.

Then, there's yet another thing you should pay attention to that's just as important as the rest of the things - CHARACTER CLOTHING. Do they wear the same thing all the time? Probably not. That'd be weird. In war, perhaps, when it's hard to get a change of clothes. Zakku does this VERY well because he makes his characters have involved lives, which I respect. I believe Dragonhatchling has done this many times before as well. But a character's clothes both in battle and at home are important to mention.

Gareth, on the warfront, wears what I showed. But at home, he used to not even wear a shirt until Ezrea forced him to do it. Ezrea, however, wears men's underwear and loose t-shirts (BUT NO ONE WILL EVER SEE THIS, PERIOD. She actually goes out of her way to change clothes if she hears a knock on the door).

Some people (coughKurokishicough) have asked me to draw Hope or at least a map of it for future reference. Unfortunately, I honestly haven't been able to find the motivation to do it because I'm already working on three different, personal art projects regarding two anime series and an original work. Admittedly, when I'm not working on those, I'm playing games with my buddies. But drawing maps is harder than you think, especially when you're as obsessive as I am about perfection. I hate having lines out of place. Posting that picture earlier was hard for me but I knew I needed to get it over with. I have spent about 3 hours drawing one map by hand in pencil before of just a simple, fantasy continent for one of my comics, complete with labels and rivers and mountains. They're not easy. A map of Hope would take longer because of the sheer complexity of its design.

If it helps you, imagine Hope as a circular shape with a bottleneck. There's a barrier currently around the entire city which wards away demons and demon attacks. On the outskirts of the city are Ezrea's arena and Charles' cathedral, as well as the lava pits across the road. Then, you reach the city wall.

Once you pass the makeshift wall, you get into the City Minor, which is full of homes and shelters, as well as the in-home businesses. All around the ring are homes, with Gareth and Ezrea's home/strategy-tent being on the far right.

Then, you pass the wall to enter the City Major. One important thing to mention is the flag in the center next to the generator where Gareth placed it upon first founding Hope. There are two generators, one being in the center of the city, another being constructed behind Charles' Cathedral because a new area of land has been found there. A third is being planned in the area where Gareth killed that Omega (if you've been paying attention!). There are forges, businesses, and the Grand Auditorium here, where speeches are made.

Of course, there are defenses as well for the city but those won't be covered until absolutely necessary. A lot of it is just patrols.

However, on the subject of generators (something Charles is absolutely craving to learn about), they're actually pretty complex but also relatively simple - like Demon arms.

Basically, before Zulf's metal properties were discovered, generators were spires built of iron and steel, constructed to aim at the sky. Then, using demon essences and electricity, it was discovered that demon essences can be amplified to cover a city for indefinite periods of time. The strength of the essence determines how strong the barrier is and the rank of demons it can ward away.

However, Zulf's metal shattered the theory that the barriers could only be as strong as the bodies of the demons used. His metal amplified the electrical currents as well as the essences in such as way as to extend the radius of the barrier AND its strength. Even Omegas don't approach Hope. Major cities have sent Gareth payment in exchange for some of Zulf's metal.

As such, Zulf is hailed as a sort of local hero. Good job, Neutual!

But, I digress. I've gone off on a tangent again but I hope this helps anyone who wants to write text walls as well. They're not easy but they can really make your characters... live, in a way. Bring them to life and give them actual personalities and desires. If you haven't noticed, I HAVE spent three paragraphs before just talking about how Gareth was staring at the lava pits and considering life. Maybe more. I didn't really count.

If you want an example of writing for a long time about the most simple things, look up the infamous coffee story in 1984. During one point, the protagonist Winston spends, I believe, 3 pages staring at a cup of coffee and considering the futility of his existence under the Big Brother regime. That simple, bland cup of coffee represented his joyless life where it was one of the only things worth drinking and it tasted like mud. It was a beautifully written symbolism but many students who read the book in my class during that year didn't like the book as I had. They said it was boring and long-winded. (shrugs). That was their opinion.

But it shows that even famous authors use text walls to really emphasize a point.

 

------

 

Also, I leave you with this, if I haven't before. This is a list of the current themes of my characters based on situation.

Gareth (Casual or pleased): Walk of Life

Gareth (Being Gareth): I'm Alright

Gareth (Speech or motivated):

Gareth (Anger):

Gareth (Battle): (Currently) Ascension

Ezrea (Normal or pleased): Everyday, Happy Day.

Ezrea (Pissed or battle):

Ezrea (Speech or alternate battle theme):

Ezrea (Saddened or crying):

Charles (Casual): Celtic Music (No Title)

Charles (Utterly Mind-blown. Normally with Zulf.):

Charles (Confused):

Charles (Speech):

Theme of Hope (not yet used in a text wall):

Lord of Domination (not yet seen):

Lord of Conviction (not yet seen):

 

I may add more to these later as I find new themes or better ones. HOWEVER, you may use these at your leisure. I recommend Rain in the Garden, the Celtic Music, Me and You, Walk of Life, Viking King, Ascension, and Black Passage Remix.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Thaelasan

[HellFireSouLess]

Thael will have command over my character for his text wall tomorrow

[Clown_of_God]

Username:‏ zakku_uchiha

Character Name:‏ Erik [\Classified/]

Personality: Erik is generally a friendly person, helping others when they need it and having a friendly, roundabout nature. However, Erik also a very serious side and won't think twice on what needs to be done.

Age: ‏ [\Classified/]

Gender: Male

Appearance:‏ Erik

History: [\Classified/]

Demon Arm:‏ [\Classified/]

Other:‏‏ N/A

Guild: None

 

Username:‏ zakku_uchiha

Character Name:‏ Tina Knight (adopted the last name)

Personality: Tina has a serious 'get the job done' attitude and comes off as an intimidating person at first. Yet, she's actually a very kind and caring person and has a weakness for small, cute things.

Age: ‏ 17

Gender: Female

Appearance:‏ Tina

History: (Will be explained in depth in the RP with further details of why she is a half demon)

Demon Arm:‏ Ukaku; A wing-like object that protrudes from her back and is able to solidify, crystallize, and shoot out shard-like projectiles.

Other:‏‏ Tina is a fabricated half-demon

Guild: None

Edited October 3, 2014 by zakku_uchiha

[Dragonhatchling]

I second Thael's post I do a lot of the same things when my walls show up (and I have time...) except I write it out completely in the time I'm sitting there, or otherwise I'll probably forget about it while being so busy.

 

And yep Thael, I do describe clothes a lot when something changes, or just overall appearance or what actually is going on in a fight. Some people get mad at that... the way I see it is, if you're fighting someone you really gotta know what they got and how they do their "thing". Otherwise? Well, where's the fun? Plus, how you gonna fight properly? *thwacks someone* Yep. No. Not exactly fighting... I like making it enjoyable and detailed

 

And Melo... somewhere around her- oh! There you are!! Melo, go ahead and take your time I'm in college where i'm supposed to do work. A few days out of our posting stories and we may be a tad lost (I am- haven't had much time to come post anyways with modding and then life being thrown thrown, yes, at me *hates*) but we can work through it

If anything... I'm kinda famous for posting massive Thael-sized walls when people have writer's block or nobody knows what's going on.... or I don't know what's going on and just write... because that's what I do... I just write. Rarely thought goes into it consciously at that point until I finish, then I go and edit

[KuroKishi]

I wish I had the time to post walls of text. *Sigh*

 

I usually spend most of time playing my head off, or answering small topics with short replies. School, though not impactful in the moment, will probably absolutely demolish me once I get into college. For now... I am handling it quite well, but with what I've been getting told lately, I'm starting to read up on things left and right and memorizing them to the best extent of the ability.

 

I quite often lose the mood to RP, or just don't want to write an entire wall because I'm busy/I don't feel up to it. I HAVE done walls bigger than this, but those were only for practice, and... well... considering it took me around five hours until I was semi-comfortable with the thing (with the next one hour spent on correcting small mistakes, fixing forms which I didn't find particularly fitting or just changing parts of it altogether for better sense and impact), I'm really not up to doing that just yet.

 

However, I'd certainly want to do it. The things I write take me up anywhere from 20 minutes to around... an hour or so. 89 words per minute if I write as fast as possible, but there's gramatical errors, correct spelling, then the meanings of the words, the sense of the whole thing and the flow of the post... it takes a good chunk of time, that's for sure.

 

Well, that doesn't mean I won't make use of the time if I have it. Exams are on right now (which is the main reason why I don't post on a couple of RP's since... a couple days and I cannot write something too long), but afterwards, I'm pretty sure I can get something longer in.

Edited October 2, 2014 by KuroKishi

[Thaelasan]

On a sidenote, Kuro, I like the gif you have in your signature.

Also, for those interested, my current, personal theme is

And I love the compliments. People both here and on Skype are just throwing them at me and it makes me happy. It's why I stay on this forum - because the mature, intelligent, and glorious roleplayers still thrive here and have a happy, little community.

I wouldn't do text walls (at least, I don't think I would) if they weren't getting read and enjoyed by SOMEONE.

On a side note, I'm pretty sure I still haven't reached the limit of Tohka-themed gifs and avatar. I think we can go more Tohka.

I may have to get rid of my SAO gif.. :I

Edited October 2, 2014 by Thaelasan

[Dragonhatchling]

Thael, Kevin Macleod is an awesome person. Love most of his stuff

and do continue

 

I enjoy reading well-written text walls even if some of my stuff when I write it isn't that well written. Personally I think they add flavour to the rp that shorter posts sometimes can't manage

[Thaelasan]

A lot of people think they add unnecessary complexity and an irritating distraction because they take time to read depending on the individual. I mean, writing them isn't easy either. But it's enjoyable when they're finished and good enough to read and reread.

Almost all of the ones I've made in this topic I have had the urge to re read. Also, if I haven't said it before (I think I have) I can no longer see anything but anime in regards to this topic. Ezrea is tsundere, adorable Valkyrie while Gareth is a simple, but down-to-earth giant. I've described them this way many times because it's exact.

To be honest, I create Ezrea's actions and lines based on Asuna and Tohka because they were well-written female fighters with a soft-spot for the man they love. Gareth I developed without references besides a few personal ones and maybe a bit of Kirito for the dual wielding? I have no idea.

Basing them off anime characters feels strange to me, since most of my characters have been based on literary characters and ones I've used in my own art. I believe this is perhaps the first time I've done it but I don't regret it. It actually makes the imagined scenes that I use to depict each situation much more vivid and animated.

Also, as a sidenote, playing anime battle themes such as

and others from SAO - not to mention the glorious soundtracks from Date a Live and Black Bullet - ACTUALLY makes it even easier, since they were made to bring characters to life even more than simple animation. I respect it, as an artist, immensely.

But this doesn't mean I don't use any literary allusion, nor do I intend to smother everyone here in my anime insanity more than necessary. Sure, if you like a series and think I like it or want to know more about ones you think I've seen, you can always ask - but I'm not going to make a huge deal out of it most of the time. There's no need.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm too old for this sort of thing and then I begin to consider the fact that if I cared about that I wouldn't enjoy life as much. Besides, my gifs make me happy when I look at them - not to mention my avatar. It's like they're cheering me on when I'm writing text walls. Yes, you can have that mental image.

Adorable, isn't it?

My entire existence is devoted to imagining life with more color than what is portrayed. When I draw, I love to draw fantasy and epic scenes depicting a struggle between two individuals in love against the world. Those are my favorite stories and I believe always will be. It just seems right to me. I also have a hard time drawing or depicting scenes of utter hopelessness or sadness when it comes to my characters. I'm empathetic to an extreme - sometimes to my detriment or benefit depending on situation - so seeing characters (even drawn) in bad situations or depressing ones makes me feel the same.

So when I see a series where they focus less on tragedy and realism and more on fantasy and hope, I'm definitely into it almost immediately. You can make the character as overpowered as you want (which I actually desire) as long as, in the end, he remembers that life is just as important as the battle is when it comes down to it. That's what I tried to convey with Gareth.

You see, with Gareth, the whole point was to try and see the apocalypse from a different, more optimistic angle. I brought to my mind images of an apocalypse and the aftermath. People have died. The world is going to hell. In fact, most people don't want to live anymore, and those that do are struggling to maintain even a fragment of hope.

So, naturally, from that scene, I wanted to symbolically create "Hope" in this situation, both metaphorically and realistically. In this sort of post-apocalyptic situation, people are prone to create hopeless or broken characters because, realistically, that's what you end up with. I wanted to break from that norm and give people a more optimistic approach overall to human survival. Why should we despair as long as we're alive? Why should we be depressed when we can still fight and live on? When we have people to protect, whether family or not, why should we not smile?

Enter Gareth. He's a man raised in a household where his parents normally weren't around. He was big for his size. He was insulted a lot when he was younger by shorter people but never fought against them but once or twice. His sister became more like a mother to him. As such, he was raised to see the brighter side of things rather than the dim. As such, when Allia died, the table could have turned either way.

But did Gareth break, as most would have? No. He realized that he could still carry on her legacy and gave up on mourning. He stood up, took the weapons he was given, and wanted to forge a new existence - a safe one, for those like himself who still believed humanity had a fighting chance.

But then, I realized that I wanted Gareth to have something to keep his head out of the clouds. Enter Ezrea, the independent, sassy, but loving warrior who found Gareth's immunity to her taunts and insults to be interesting. So, through her, you have the method by which to show the other half of things and yet still show Hope, in itself.

So, then I considered the social nature of Hope. The most important thing, I began to realize, was religion. But there are a lot of people in Hope and no one would worship the same thing, right? However, in the end, to keep it so most people could understand it, I created Father Charles. But Charles, like Gareth, had had a turning point in his life where he decided being depressed and broken didn't do anything but make you waste away. So he became a preacher to share his faith with those who were losing their own.

Then, I wanted to divide responsibilities. What would Gareth actually do? He wouldn't want to lead. He doesn't like feeling like he's forcing people to do anything but at the same time if there isn't a leader, a town can't prosper. So, Gareth was made the military leader and figurehead and was given a council so he wasn't the true leader.

Then, Ezrea needed something of her own to give to Hope. I didn't want her to be a weak woman. That's not Ezrea, and I don't like playing those characters anyway - because more often than not, they're uninteresting and slightly sexist. Most women aren't like that, at least not completely, and so I wanted to make her have a job of her own.

So, I made her a tactical genius, gave her that control, and it made sense since Gareth was always out in the field. Through this, she could keep on eye on him while at the same time having the control she craved over the battlefield (though she still likes to punch things.)

Then I got extremely lucky thanks to Neutual. Neutual provided Zulf, the kind of pet you wouldn't expect who manages to show Gareth's friendly nature and reveal a bit more about the overall condition of the city. Not only did Neutual's character give me the idea for the mutual friendship between sentient demons and humans but it also showed Gareth's kindness and made him a bit more naive than I could have hoped - which was the point. Gareth's one fault is how naive he is. He's not oblivious - he just refuses to believe that everything is inherently bad or evil. In a way, I suppose, you could relate him to Carrot from the Discworld series. I didn't think about that but it makes sense if you know who I'm talking about.

So then you have the citizens. When I make a city - which is one of my favorite parts - I consider every type of person, from the fool to the genius, the jock to the jerk, the fabulous to the frugal. But what kind of people would have blindly followed some tall, casual, naive man all the way out into deadly territory just on the chance they could make a city? At first, I had no idea. But then the answer was simple.

Families. Survivors. The people that the major cities didn't want. People who were barely making it by and would have otherwise been cast out for population control - even if they were still able to give something to the community. In a post-apocalyptic scenario, especially in containment, there's the problem of population control due to supply and demand. Sooner or later, there are too many people. Unfortunately, this leads to laws and regulations that border on unethical. If you've ever seen Logan's Run or something similar, you have the idea.

So Hope now also provides ...Hope, to those who would have had none. People with children too young to work who were on the verge of being taken away. The elderly and disabled. Young men who came with their families. Young women who came with theirs. People who wanted a second chance that the major cities wouldn't give.

If you've noticed, I've portrayed a lot of people in the cities as elitist or uncaring. The caravan leader was a good example. They're people who are thriving off of this chaos by taking advantage of supply and demand. Though this isn't frowned upon, it's certainly not acceptable behavior either - which makes people leaving them to go to Hope make more sense.

Thus, I had to make Hope have a method of growth. Neutual, yet again, provided the answer in the form of Zulf's metal, which went from being a basic thing all demons had to the godsend of organic material. By using generators, irrigation, and cooperation, Hope prospered in a bleak wasteland, led by Gareth, Ezrea, and Charles as the three most well-known figureheads.

Now, it came down to Charles again. This man has to deal with Gareth and Ezrea on a daily basis, make sermons, and (I realized later on) would also have to take care of the social and personal issues of people who had requests. Even in utopias, there are people with complaints. It's human nature. Charles, with his overzealous vocabulary, borderline madness, and research tendencies, ended up becoming both comic relief and another source of realism. Playing him is a joy.

I say all this to say this - this is the process. Like I've said before, when creating ANYTHING, you should begin with an idea and work from there. This process took me two days to finalize, mainly because Neutual joined the next day. Some people can take longer, others shorter, but in the end, the idea can be amazing.

If you're having problems brainstorming, use what I use - books, movies, or (as of now) anime. Listen to music and consider multitudes of things. Look at an RP topic from multiple angles. Break the norm. Don't just make the character everyone else makes - make yours original and yet still realistic.

Because those are the ones who become the most well-known, aren't they? The ones, even in real life, who stand out but still manage to follow basic customs. Those are the fun people (like myself, I like to think) who you want to be around and enjoy. The people who say "You know what, this can be better if" and then they try it.

Sometimes, the normal way is boring. That's why I hate the websites that say this or that makes you overpowered, broken, or bland. Thank you sir. I didn't know you were considered the expert on how people should make their characters. Please, make a character for me so I can play them because obviously you're the master of character development if you made these rules.

I mean, damn. How pretentious do you have to be to think that if a character is this or that, they're just... not likeable? And why aren't they? What happened to make you hate them? Because they can do things you can't? Because they break the norm, for a moment, and try to do what others cannot? But what about when they lead people despite that? When they actually do their best to protect those around them using those abilities? What about when other people, like them, are also as powerful as them?

Zakku made a roleplay a while back where we played as Gods. People joined that. People read it. People loved it. We were GODS. I think that says enough. But did we make them bland, boring, non creative characters who blew up planets and survived everything without a scratch? No. They got beat up. They almost died. They got broken. They questioned existence. Hell, my guy almost lost his mind twice even though he was the most optimistic of the group.

No matter how strong a character is, if you play them as people and not as weapons, then they can still be loveable. A good example of this is This glorious manga known as Rain. I highly recommend it. The main character is absolutely broken but he's such a good, playful, epic character that you enjoy reading about him - at least, I do.

But that doesn't mean you should go out of your way to create just absurdly broken characters and say "Thael said it was ok." Because I will say I didn't. Because I didn't. I said if you play them as actual people AS WELL AS overpowered, then you can actually pull it off. People who just pull out a gun and godmod are still not ok, sodesu ne?

I digress. The moral of the story is: Be creative. Be spontaneous. Be unpredictable. If you want good examples, read a lot of Neutual's posts and topics. He/she is a madman/woman... in a good way.

If you make a character for a topic but want an opinion before posting it, please, by all means, send it my way. I would love to read it and give you advice. I'm not going to critique it to hell. I'll give you a fair opinion and maybe help you make it better. It would be my pleasure.

For those who actually took the time to read this (and my other text walls of note), arigato gozaimaisu. For those who didn't because of time or something but wanted to, daijobu. For those who just didn't because it was too long or boring, doustei? If you tell me, I may be able to make it better.

And for those of you who don't understand Japanese, gomenasai. I'm trying to learn it in my free time as well as Latin, French, Spanish, and even more English. Languages are a fun way to add even more realism to your posts by having characters from other countries. It adds (pun pun puuuun) diversity to your posts in general.

If you have any questions or such concerning anything at all post wise, I'll be happy to help. I may not be a mod (and I'm really not sure if I want that responsibility anyway. Dragonhatchling makes it sound insane) but that doesn't mean I don't want to help people. :I

[Melomancer]

I made a post. Sorry that it's extremely short and pretty bad, haven't written anything remotely RP related in almost two weeks and I sorta had writers block.

[KuroKishi]

Doustei? It's doushite, 'tteba!

[Dragonhatchling]

....I should be studying... let's see what I can do for that writer's block however Melo

 

*doesn't make promises*

[Thaelasan]

Doushite? Doesn't sound like that when they say it, desu ne?

 

Anyway, for future reference, I'll be posting words of the demon tongue here. Keep in mind that these are syllable-like sounds that are close to English. Each one can have a universal meaning. Most demon names are made of three or four. There will also be phrases here that show how they go together. In demon names, each syllable is divided by an apostrophe when spoken in their original forms. Most demons "Humanized" their names by removing those.

Also, apostrophes in demon tongue mean of or for. It's hard to differentiate between past, present, or future tense. Most demons only refer to the present anyway and found humanity's desire to regret or hope quite odd.

Currently, there is no contradiction contraction, like but. This is because demons do not contradict themselves - their tongue is powerful. A spoken demon word is not to be taken back or gone against. It has been said and if a Lord has said it, it has even more influence.

On the topic of Demon honorifics - oh yes indeed - if you haven't noticed, most Lords are referred to as -'Kahl, meaning of Lord, which then can become Lord of. However, they are the only ones where their essence comes before their actual title, because a Lord is their Aspect first - their status after. In most cases, honorifics come before the name unless they are demeaning, such as Bik, which can be said after a demon's name to mean Of Fools/Foolish Mind.

I would also like to make the rule here (to make it easier for people) that when you type in demon tongue, you put a hyphen in between each word. In reality, they would be speaking without pauses, only adding inflection for the apostrophes that mean for or of.

Demon Orators are a dying species. Though Alphas normally leave their young, humanoid Betas are known to pass down legends by word of mouth or through teachings by other means. As such, they have things akin to our teachers for their young. It is through them that old legends and myths are recorded.

However, Demon Orators are exalted and are a level below a Lord. In fact, it's said that even Lords desire to hear the words of an Orator when it comes time for him to Speak, or Dae, or Kahn, Praise.

The art of Praising is a sacred art among the Dae-Mahn. A Praise usually consists of lyrical prose of 18-22 lines and emphasizes power and strength as well as mental power. Hearing Praises is said to be something that all should experience. The most powerful of the Dae-Mahn are known as Kahn-Mahn - Praise Beings. They are exalted and treated with the utmost respect as the guardians of Demon religion.

As such, one thing of note is the demons' reactions upon meeting Father Charles. Since he gave sermons which seemed to hold the same vehemence and awe as Praises, they began to believe he was the human version of the Kahn-Mahn. Because of this, many (including Zulf, as mentioned before) demons are known to refer to him as Fathered One or other honorifics.

Praising for Demons is normally done within an open area. Demons who wish to take part seat themselves in a traditional manner according to their species. To leave during a Praise is sacrilege and punishable by Execution - even in this modern era of the demons. Charles had to stop quite a few incidents when people got up to leave during his sermons - much to the confusion of the demons involved. If they did not respect the words of one who spoke of a God, what sort of people were they when it came to their beliefs?

Also, when dealing with Lords, it's important to remember that those who Kahn will make praises in their Lord's honor. However, no Kahn-Mahn has ever - in recorded demon legends - changed or altered an existing Praise. It's said to be impossible for anyone to do. Praises are strict and firm texts that must be observed with sanctity. In fact, to say Kahn in a casual way is absolutely appalling and is a social faux pas among demons. It is not formally punished but it isn't a good way to make friends, basically.

One rule is followed without question and without being spoken - You cannot change a Praise.

 

Gel ton tar, ve hek mon tor: Your preceding (before) servants, open door of new age; Behold your servants, door of the new era.

Ah - Continue; Persist.

Ak - Easy; Simple.

An - Gift; Blessing.

Ar - Flame; Searing.

Ash - True Flame; Inferno.

Bar - Wood; Stable. (As in firm. This can refer to anything solid, really, except rocks.)

Ban - Rock; Stone.

Bas - Iron; Steel.

Baz - Precious Mineral; Gold.

Bel - Ring; Sound.

Ben - Hollow; Empty.

Bet - Madness; Insanity.

Bik - Idiot; Fool.

Bil - Current; Occurring. (This is also used to mean Are or Is, such as You Are or He Is. To do this, simply put it like this: Bil'(subject))

Bis - Dog; Canine.

Bluh - Gibberish; Oddity.

Dab - Rub; Apply.

Dae - Speak; Lecture. (Normally only used when referring to Demon Orators - Dae-Mahn.)

Dar - There; That.

Das - This; Here.

De - Work; Process.

Deus - God; Powerful Being. (Also used as an honorific in extreme cases. Alphas may refer to Omegas in this matter (if they even possess that intelligence.) It's also used for a followers of a Lord to refer to their Leader.)

Dim - Unlit; Extinguished.

Din - Sound; Ruckus.

Dit - Rude; Arrogant. (Can be used as a dis-honorific or insult by adding it to the end of a name.)

Drah - Fierce; Mighty.

Du - Cat; Feline.

Dun - Finish; Complete. (This is a fusion of Un and De, meaning Separation from Work.)

Egh - Source; Birth.

Eh - Bring; Usher.

Ek - Don't know; Ignorant.

El - Know; Understand.

En - Learn; Teach. (This is basically the word for Enlightenment, whether the recipient or the giver. Sage demons - though rare - normally have this as an honorific. A teacher is called a Eh'En, one who Brings Learning.)

Ex - Inside; Within.

Fim - Gratitude; Thankfulness.

Fiq - Large; Gifted.

Fon - Sound; Chorus.

Gak - Bad; Unwanted.

Gan - Evil; Cruel.

Gel - Behold; Witness.

Gol - Overthrow; Coup.

Gul - Weapon; Force.

Han - Attack; Charge.

Hek - New; Change.

Jin - Stupor; Wild.

Kahl - Lord; Vassal.

Kahn - Praise; Rejoice.

Kor - Good; Better. (Kor'kor)

Kur - Atonement; Redemption.

Kuz - Pure; Untainted.

Lor - Ruler; Master.

Mahn - Being; Creature.

Meh - Flight/Flying; Soar.

Mon - Age; Era.

Nan - For What; Reason. (This one can be a bit tricky. Like most demon words, it means both a question and the answer to that question. If it is used at the beginning of the statement, it is the response. If it used at the end, it turns the sentence into a universal question. For why, see Nen.)

Nen - Why; Why not. (This one is just as hard as Nan. Demons hardly ever use this word because asking why something is the way it is is normally unnecessary. Most demons just understand that the world is how it is and live with it. As such, this word has become a way of telling jokes among demons. It's up to you how you use it but most demons wouldn't.)

Non - How; By What Process. (Yet again, complex. This can be applied as both how are you and how is this done. If it is used at the beginning of a sentence, it is also like Nan - it becomes a response to a how.)

Oa - Red hue; Red.

Ob - Blue hue; Blue.

Od - Yellow hue; Yellow.

Oe - Brown hue; Brown.

Og - Clear hue; Clear. (Can be used instead of Wah when dealing with color but not when dealing with descriptions of texture rather than color.)

Ol - Grey hue; Foggy. (Though not a color, this is used to refer to smog or thick smoke - which is in abundance in the demon world. It's actually a very good thing to hear - for demons - because it means that there is a good source of heat or fire nearby. Oa'Ol, Red Fog, refers to the Fog of War, and is feared.)

(Here, I note that colors besides those above are normally referred to by a fusion of two of the above words, like our RGB color system - yet with yellow. As the demon world doesn't have many colors besides red, black, brown, and grey, they don't really need that many words to refer to them. )

Rei - Soul; Spirit.

Sar - Him; Her. (There is no real differential of gender among demons. Some "humanized" demons may now use "Sae" for feminine or female.)

Saz - Death; Murder.

Sil - Self; I. (Sir'sil is used to mix Self and Them to make Us or We.)

Sir - Them; Those.

Tar - Servant; Follower.

Ter - Flowing; Moving.

Ton - Yours; Belonging to you. (Directed at someone else)

Tov - You; Your person. (Directed at someone else.)

Tul - Land/Earth; Ground.

Uhd - Liquid; River.

Un - Not-of; Separate from. (Used as a prefix.)

Ve - Door; Passage.

Ven - Rage; Aggression.

Vol - Will; Determination.

Wah - Clear; Clean.

Woh - Misery; Depression.

Woo - Love; Pleasure.

Yan - Flower; Beauty.

Yin - Shadow; Black.

Yan - Light; White.

Yu - Of; Essence.

Yun - Not of; Unrelated. (Used in a name or suffix. Normally replaced by an apostrophe to save time unless the meaning must be emphasized. It can also be used when referring to followers of a certain lord by calling them Mahn-yu-(Lord's Aspect))

Zul - Proud; Strong.

 

(( I WILL ADD MORE WORDS. ))

 

-----

 

These are Praises written that do not go with the Holy Ballad. These are normally standalone. Still, most demons should not try to recite them.

 

Kahn'Kahn-Mahn.

 

Listen to the words of

the Speaker. Hear his cries.

From darkness and ignorance,

his words attempt to rise.

Our words are words of might,

not of simple, foolish make.

Where a Speaker tries to give,

those of Praise will ever take.

Give of self but never more,

and never achieve this gift.

Give of soul and of heart,

then with power you shall lift.

We know not of age or time,

they are walls for others.

Our stories freely move and flow,

and carry through our brothers.

Though entropy works against,

the small words of those below,

it tries in vain to break our text,

the words that all will know.

 

There is no god within the sky,

who can challenge what we speak.

They can perhaps crush the words

of the frightened and the meek.

But are words of strength and will,

are tougher than the strongest make.

Though they may try and try,

our words immortal shall not break.

Defy the words of those of Praise,

and fall into darkness and despair.

Follow with utmost, pure devotion,

and no blessing would compare.

We do not lead sheep to death,

we lead rulers to their throne.

The words we give to the world,

are stronger than ourselves alone.

They do not lie for gain or worth,

they tell only truth to those who hear.

Those who follow shall know glory.

Those who dishonor shall know fear.

 

-----

 

More on Praises:

A Praise, as stated above, is written in a certain fashion. But Praises do not simply Praise the target of their ...praise, they also praise the words themselves for being the story. As such, they respect both the story and the hero. It is the strength of the person who says the Praise that determines its value.

Praises have a LARGE amount of magical force in them. Depending on the Praise, it can be destructive, creative, persuasive, or cause transformations and revelations. Speakers are those who cannot read full Praises yet or never will. They can read fragments of Praises - which still have tremendous power - but never the whole Praise itself.

Praises are written and dictated in a certain fashion that must be rigorously followed. They are normally written on tablets before being Spoken. As such, they are similar to testaments or commandments. Some Speakers who use the Praises for magical purposes will wander the world with copies of the Praises written on paper - which makes them weaker but still able to be used.

I would actually love to see someone roleplay a demon character who uses Praises, especially if they made the demon language rhyme and make sense. It would be difficult but rewarding.

Just saying.

 

-----

 

 

For future reference so that you don't have to go searching, I'll put the praises from the Holy Ballad of Domination here as I write them:

 

 

 

Hear ye, praise he, blessed king of war,

his crown christened by blood and gore.

 

Kahn'Ven:

 

From north they came, in armor black,

their helms all scarred, blades to attack.

Hooves stamping across the burning plains,

arrows fell from the sky like deadly rains.

Within a month, they claimed right to rule,

yet benevolence poured from the cruel.

They who had came brought forth their king,

the one about whom all legends sing.

In crown of gold with hair of white,

he raised his hands to the starry night,

proclaimed his kingdom and his land,

and placed the lord's ring upon his hand.

Soon to follow came the new law,

which governed all which the king saw.

Those who abide live lives as lords,

while those who rebel die by their swords.

But the true fear was he bearing the axe,

hell borne from the fire and molten cracks.

The executioner, he soon became,

though no one knew of his true name.

With him at his side, the king rose high.

Rejoice! Those who praise him never die.

 

Hear ye, praise he, great king of all,

standing firm above as a holy wall.

 

Kahn'Gol:

 

But then came famine, a time so dark,

when death comes to make his mark.

To survive was hard. The king knew well,

and helped save many before they fell.

After that dark time, one stood tall,

and, pointing at the king, began to call,

that he was the source of their disaster,

the warring man who had become their master.

So from his speech, rebellion was led,

those who joined them soon fell dead.

Our glorious king did not stand,

for any rebellious, cruel brigands.

He killed them with mercy, swift and clean.

Respectful became those who then had seen,

the swinging axe of that fearful beast,

to whom impure lives meant least.

Then came a second rebellion as the first,

but its end was surely the worst.

The leader, betrayed, fell as he fled,

and beneath the axe he lost his head.

With his death came great peace again,

and wounds caused to the land could mend.

 

Hear ye, praise he, calm king of thought,

who can bring order when others cannot.

 

Hear ye, praise he, blessed king of war,

his crown christened by blood and gore.

 

Hear ye, praise he, blessed king of war,

his crown christened by blood and gore.

 

Kahn'Saz:

 

With ancient power, he rose his hand,

and claimed his control upon the land.

Rebellion he smote, crime he fought,

he would heal the wounds the dark had wrought.

Yet, in the shadows, beneath his eyes,

two others worked evil in disguise.

One always at his side, chaos he sang,

the other hidden, shrouding bloody fang.

Anarchy rose mighty against the heir,

wishing it was not him seated there.

Execution's axe was swift and sure,

by end of night blood ran pure.

But with Convinction gone into night,

the king's grand kingdom lost its light.

 

Hear ye, praise he, poor king of loss,

who should not have had to pay the cost.

 

Kahn'Vol:

 

But outside the kingdom, nestled soft,

Creation was high and borne aloft.

Beloved Revelation, peace of mind,

together as one they lived in kind.

From them bore Transformation,

their kindly and peaceful, loving son.

But Anarchy's rage was not sated,

even in death he was unabated.

For he rose anew to strike fear across,

the land that his kind had almost lost.

The kindness of the trio was never known,

the kingdom would end before it was grown.

Aggression rose with Conviction. Two as one,

working together to unmake what good had done.

 

Hear ye, praise he, sad king of fate,

who realized his misfortune all too late.

 

Hear ye, praise he, blessing king of war,

his crown christened by blood and gore.

 

Hear ye, praise he, blessed king of war,

his crown christened by blood and gore.

 

Kahn'En:

 

The dark cathedral beckoned forth,

the spires upon all turning north.

As corruption spread and tainted minds,

they left their wills and hopes behind.

The king, upon his shattered throne,

found himself close to all alone.

His once blessed kingdom was turned,

and the lands around, scarred and burned.

The Executioner, loyal at his side,

whose axe only pure havoc cried,

swore he'd find the source of shade,

and cull it with his heavy blade.

His king, worn with worry and pain,

grabbed his blade where it had lain.

"Together, then, we shall seek the root,

and by might shall make its power moot."

So from the tower rode the pair,

to find the evil in its blackened lair.

Across the lands that once were green,

now fire was all the two had seen.

Their journey long and harsh by far,

they found the jagged, bloody scar.

 

Hear ye, praise he, fallen king of grace,

who should not have entered that wretched place.

 

Kahn'Hek:

 

They entered the halls with anger high,

to seek just where the cruelty lie.

Finally, they found, in the crater's core,

a crystal large, shining, black evermore.

The king, now certain this was the foe,

raised his blade for a mighty blow.

Down it came, upon the crystal's face,

but no mark was made in its place.

Unabashed, he continued, striking strong,

his Executioner joining right along.

But the crystal held firm against the strikes,

whether by axe or sword, or both alike.

The king's blade fell after time unknown.

His arms sore, eyes staring at the stone.

It seemed to taunt him with its gaze.

The king's anger then set ablaze.

Enraged, he took his servant's axe,

to strike the thing with great attacks.

But at first blow, he was stunned to find,

a mark there, fresh, was left behind.

Blood poured fluid from the mark,

left by the swing of that heavy arc.

 

Hear ye, praise he, angry king of pain,

this new darkness became his bane.

 

Hear ye, praise he, blessed king of war,

his crown christened by blood and gore.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Thaelasan

[Durppie]

Holy crap Thaelasan. You write any short stories?

 

School is going to be keeping me from doing too much; but nearly everyone's on the mountain seeing Vol'tar, right?

 

Your whole spiel on characterization is sort of making me think about Einhrelg. She's missing a certain life Zulfiqar and Ezrea's crew (and a bunch of others) have.

[Thaelasan]

Actually, to be honest, a lot of it is boredom. I've considered writing short stories... I suppose it would be a good source of revenue.

I appreciate the compliment. If you have questions about bettering your character, just try looking through their eyes. Think about their histories and their own beliefs. I mean, hell, the Lords represent demon aspects, so is yours a strict follower of a Lord or one who walks their own path?

In any case, I'll be posting another glorious text wall tomorrow to usher in the Lord of Conviction, tie up a few loose ends, and get everyone caught up. If you want me to play as your character during that time, send me a PM or write it here. I'll try my best to make them as you've conveyed to me.

 

For those of you who didn't see it or didn't click on it at the time, this should tell you a bit about the Lord of Conviction. This is also what he

[Marcus Pheonix]

Hooray I'm approved and I've read the latest page on the ic

 

Username: Marcus Pheonix

Character Name: Cadliel

Personality: Psychotic, childish and very curious. The term curiostity killed the cat would have the reverse reaction for Caliel, when his curiosity is piqued it’s generally on the lines of ‘how can I make this thing squirm, what will it do?’ Cadliel could be compared to children who enjoy taking a magnifying glass and burning ants to watch them hurry to safety, he would then pour gasoline down into their escape and light it just to watch the ants scurry out of their haven. He has cruel enjoyment of murder and experiences immense delight when he encounters blood, commonly tasting it and comparing it to others he has sampled, including his own. When not in this psychotic state his childish manner enhances, acting very similar to what a young child would actually do. But like young children, he has a very small temper and reverts to his more psychotic nature when in a tantrum.

Age: Around 200 or so, he’s considered fairly young amongst other demons.

Gender: Male

Appearance: In stark contrast to most other demons Cadliel has an appearance very similar to humans, the exceptions would be the second, semitransparent eyelids he possesses, similar to a lizards. Apart from that a more noticeable feature is his hair, which constantly shifts between black to blood red in varying patterns, his hair is also a common representation of his emotions, if he is agitated the colour change will be faster and in more ‘sharp’ patterns, when mellow it’s a gentle change like waves or a flowing river. Otherwise he looks like a young boy at around 13 years of age, albeit quite muscular. He is extremely pale and his eyes are red. He enjoys playing up the roll of a small child so that he can get sympathy from passers-by and get them near him, as such he wears typical child garb, a buttoned up plain blue shirt and brown shorts. He does not wear shoes and has a black newsboy cap to hide his hair.

History: Cadliel began demon life as a typical grunt, among those other demons that were considered weaker than the rest. He hated that, hated the fact that he had been grouped up with creatures that didn’t even have any minds. He hated that he looked like a human, those things that lived beyond the gate that he craved to get his hands on. He took out his hate on whatever creature came near him, and proudly accepted a higher ranking role among the demon horde when one of the larger demons chuckled at him when they walked past, only to end up with its head inside its throat. When the gates opened he refused to leave because he didn’t like how blue it was outside, it hurt his eyes. This resulted in several grunts carrying him outside of the gate. Since arriving Cadliel has blended in with the human population and enjoys killing multiple people from the shadows.

Demon Arm/Demon Power: He is capable of producing a sword from any section of his body, be it palm, finger, foot, elbow or forehead. He prefers to use the blades he produces in his feet as stilts but by extending them quickly he can springboard himself at high speeds Rank AA.

Other: He doesn’t mind killing demons or humans as long as he can have fun. He’s also stronger and more resilient than ordinary humans, physically he’d be about a strong as an adult man.

 

I have a question, whats the violence limit for this rp?

[Thaelasan]

That's a very specific question that worries me.

I suppose that anything that would be considered fine on a PG-13 show would be fine for the forum in general. Personally, as long as it's not overly excessive or unnecessarily brutal, I really don't care.

Oh, and lastly, if you wish to use demon names and demon words - PLEASE DO. I would love to see the language I'm making be used. Remember that most demon names consisted of three or four words in their language that represented them once they reached the age to be named. Their name means a lot and even humanized it should be spoken with pride and respect.

Edited October 4, 2014 by Thaelasan

[Marcus Pheonix]

Yeah Ill try and use the demon names, sorry I made my name before you released your little dictionary... damn I don't think killing a dog and then breaking the leg of the owner followed by stepping on it and chopping off the arms would fall under pg-13... guess I'm gonna have to rethink Cadliels introduction.

[Clown_of_God]

I'm just gonna remain silent... Mina didn't do anything wrong. XP

[Dragonhatchling]

I responded on a page Melo I think the same page you were last on... I don't remember the number....

 

Bottom of page 5 Melo

 

Sidenote: I won't be here today guys and probably not tomorrow because I'm going on a weekend trip and then have tons of homework to do.

Edited October 4, 2014 by Dragonhatchling

[Thaelasan]

I have now edited the demon language page again, adding in new information regarding Demon religion, religious figures, and honorifics. I also added in new words for color and information.

 

By the way, as a bit of a teaser... this is the theme of the as of yet unmentioned Lord of Confusion.

He gives new meaning to "some men just want to watch the world burn."

 

Edit: Now I'm just idly sitting here trying to find more Tohka gifs. :I

 

Edit Edit: Added more on Praises and added in the newest addition to the Praise family. Also found new Tohka gifs. Today was a good day.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Thaelasan

[Dragonhatchling]

Just so everyone knows.... DH has no idea what's going on with the Thael, Zakku, Neutral (and if I forgot anyone else- sorry) ark thing... She's been trying to keep up... but with her schedule and work she does here, that's kinda hard.... so if eventually she gets caught up in that and does something wrong- do tell her. She'll fix it. No questions asked.

[Marcus Pheonix]

You're not the only one DH, I tried but my god you can only read so much of a text wall before it overwhelms you. The benefit of portraying a psychopath is you can just go with the flow, and cause a few ripples in the tide when things get boring. So if Cad get's involved and I miss it let me know please.