Posted February 1, 2018 (edited) ~ Air · de · Frisson ~ (* a song of thrill *) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Where will music take you? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A millennia ago, there were beings hailed as gods and goddesses. Taking the form of eternally young girls and boys, these beings summoned forward the power of the arts to bless their worshippers. With their blessing, music, literature, fashion, and many other art forms flourished, unleashing a golden era of creativity upon the world. But, as all good tales end, it was not meant to last. The world inevitably ran out of space to house the surge of creativity, and as the universe became more and more crowded, artists and gods alike had to fight to be recognized. Once graceful melodies became little more than screams for attention, all subtlety lost in favor of pure shock value. Paintings grew incessantly bolder with no regard to form, and art deteriorated to a process of endlessly churning out bigger and better pieces. Eventually, the noise within the world grew to a deafening level, and with one last crescendo, everything was wiped out. The canvas was cleared, and the stage was set. Not willing to accept defeat so easily, the few humans that had survived the initial explosion began to rebuild. Keeping the memory of the "Dissonant Coda" within their heads, they rejected any and all forms of noise. Buildings were rebuilt with minimalism in mind and clothing was reduced to its most basic, practical forms. Monochrome landscapes reigned, and the creation process was strictly regulated for every form of art -- save one. Music. In the decades following the Dissonant Coda, there was initially no need for music. People regarded it as a thing of the past, a superfluous creation they simply didn't need or want. Yet as the world had changed, so too did the lifeforms inhabiting it. Hostile creatures began to emerge, seemingly out of nowhere. Their bodies were pure, shapeless chaos, appearing as a mess of jagged black lines interspersed with flashes of incongruous color. Wherever these creatures went, death and destruction followed. Worse, the people that they touched became "infected," slowly transforming into replicas of the disastrous creatures themselves. The only thing that seemed to stop them was sound -- people tried clunky rhythms at first, but as they grew more adept, so did their songs. As music slowly flooded back into the world, there were rumors that the goddesses of old had returned in the form of virtuosos. The music that these virtuosos produced was so powerful that it gained physical form, and unlike average musicians, their music could actually harm the monsters invading their world instead of simply deterring them. Over time, the virtuosos began to adopt identities of their own as they fought, earning a great deal of recognition. Strangely enough, the power of the virtuosos -- or Arias, as they came to be known, -- seemed to increase according to the amount of adoration they earned. But not everyone was happy with this new development. There were many who believed the Arias were simply monsters in human bodies sent to deceive them, pointing out the similarities between the Arias' attacks and the waves that the monsters emitted. Perhaps it was because of this, or perhaps their power had a limit, but whatever the reason, Arias always disappeared after their battles. The masks covering their faces made it impossible to distinguish their features, and the only fact witnesses could confirm was that the majority of them were female. Whenever the last monster was defeated, a bright flash of white would always engulf the area, and afterwards the Aria would be nowhere to be seen. A vocal minority would persistently attempt to seek them out, but for the most part, the regular populace accepted their mysterious saviors. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to Air de Frisson! AdF is a high-tech dystopian magical girl RP, as strange as that may sound. It's currently a WIP, but if you want to offer input or express interest, you can join the discord server here! Sheets and more to come later, enjoy the story preview for now! Fair warning, I am somewhat busy, so updates may be slow. I may accept a co-moderator, so PM me or send me a message on discord if you're interested. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edited February 23, 2018 by Spectrolithium Share this post Link to post
Posted February 2, 2018 (edited) The World ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the years following the Dissonant Coda, humanity turned their minds to technology instead of art. The resulting technological boom made such wonders as levitation possible, as well as enabling hyperefficient farming and climate-controlled domes. However, most advances are heavily regulated, restricting the potential for innovation and war. Religion is not widespread, although a few people still remember the gods and goddesses of old and praise the Arias as reincarnations. Most people have adopted an obedient, unquestioning mindset and fear change. Schools still exist, however they only teach the bare minimum and specialize their students early to ensure that they do not learn more than they have to. A majority of people work as miners or as other low-knowledge labor-intensive occupations. Very few people die of starvation or exposure, but at the same time very few people have the time or money to enjoy luxuries. The whole world has been unified under one government possessing over 80% of the resources in the world. Within the sphere of the government, the environment is so radically different that the average populace cannot even comprehend it. For all intents and purposes, the government may as well be its own nation, as all government positions are inherited and barred from "outsiders." Outside of climate-regulated cities, the world resembles an endless wasteland of gray and brown, a fact that is only moderately negated with the addition of paved roadways within towns. Actual grass is a rare sight outside of the governmental sphere and all residential buildings follow the same minimalistic formula set forth by officials. All households are required to own a television which is their main source of information and entertainment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monsters ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few years after the Dissonant Coda, the first sighting of a monster resembling black scribbles was reported, although it was quickly dismissed. It wasn't until later, when they began making their way past the barriers of the city, that they were finally noticed. Unbeknownst to the general populace, the monsters had been multiplying in the barren wilderness for years until they were strong enough to break past the defenses of the cities, attracted by the humans living within. As the inhabitants of the towns did not possess weapons, the monsters quickly devastated many of the cities before music was found to stop them. By the time word traveled to the government, the emergence of Arias had already provided a solution, so military action was never tested against them. Whether or not the monsters have physical form is still under debate, as everyone who has touched them, including Arias, has transformed into one of them. Edited February 3, 2018 by Spectrolithium Share this post Link to post
Posted February 2, 2018 (edited) Arias ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Although the term Aria is usually used as something of a catch-all, there are also males capable of transformation who are called Conductors. If one wishes to be exceedingly proper, the term Virtuoso may also be used to refer to Arias and Conductors in general. In rare cases, there have been reports of females taking on Conductor characteristics and males taking on Aria characteristics. The power of the Arias originates from a geometric mark that they possess upon birth which activates after their first significant interaction with music, or after being unlocked by another Aria. Ordinarily, the mark appears as a faint patch of lighter skin, but when transformed, it becomes an inky black. The mark will also glow white when other Arias are nearby, regardless of whether or not they are activated or transformed. Watching marks is a common practice amongst Arias for both scouting and confirmation purposes, as activated Arias will gain a horizontal bar across their mark, visible both in their transformed and untransformed state. When transformed, Arias gain enhanced physical capabilities and increased regeneration. They also gain a distinctive outfit and mask, often in monochrome but occasionally with a few colored accents. Every Aria has a unique color signature, usually indicated by the color of their eyes and blood while transformed. It is extremely difficult to kill a transformed Aria, however the transformation only lasts a certain amount of time before the Aria begins to deteriorate. This is signaled by their blood turning black and the gradual spread of their marks over the rest of their skin. Past a certain point, the Aria will also experience weakness, but thus far, no Aria has ever let their deterioration progress to its full state. As a result, the consequences of doing so are currently unknown. Remaining untransformed for a while will reverse the deterioration, however the enlarged mark will remain and reveal the Aria as an easy target if not covered. Untransformed and deteriorated Arias are significantly easier to cripple or kill due to their lessened regeneration. The powers of an Aria will not fade with time or age, although physical conditions may slowly worsen. Arias appear to age at a slightly slower rate than regular humans, although the relatively recent emergence of Arias makes observation difficult. It has been theorized that they momentarily stop aging while transformed, though the validity of this theory remains unknown. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weapons ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Arias utilize instruments to produce waves of energy, the shape and strength of which depends on the user. Instruments can be summoned at any time as long as the user is transformed, but they will only produce waves when the user wills it. Wave shape usually corresponds to the instrument -- smoother sounds make smoother waves, while sharp sounds make sharper waves. Every Aria can produce energy waves in white and one other color which is unique to them. Stronger Arias have brighter and larger waves. Energy waves will usually expand outward in an area attack, however they may be directed to take other paths as the Aria wishes. The most experienced and popular Arias make use of this to create cinematic battles that are both beautiful and effective. Team coordination is key, as waves can only last so long before their strength fades. Waves will not harm other transformed Arias, but they can be used to attack virtually anything else, including untransformed Arias. Edited February 6, 2018 by Spectrolithium Share this post Link to post
Posted February 2, 2018 (edited) Conductors ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like Arias, Conductors possess a mark upon birth, however activated Conductors will gain a vertical bar across their marks rather than a horizontal bar. Checking an Aria's mark upon activation is the quickest way to confirm whether or not they are a Conductor, although a power test is also occasionally used. Conductors differ from Arias in power, occupying more of a support role than a combat one. As their name implies, they tend to act as coordinators and can link together multiple Arias for more efficient battles. Linked Arias gain a slight boost to strength and can communicate telepathically through the Conductor as well as return to the Conductor's location when they detransform. The majority of Conductors possess greater stamina than their Aria counterparts and can remain transformed for longer periods of time without suffering repercussions. Unlike the offensive waves of the Arias, their waves can be formed into shields and come in shades of black tinted with the Conductor's signature color. Conductors cannot summon instruments, relying entirely upon their voices to produce waves. In emergency situations, Conductors can use their waves to attack, however they are weaker and slower than those of the Arias. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Teams ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A common practice among Arias is to form teams centered around a single Conductor, complete with a base and regular meetings. This is done because of the rarity of Conductors, who are outnumbered 1:10 compared to Arias, and their necessity in battle. Teams can be formed without Conductors, but those that do so are usually less organized and effective. Likewise, a team can include more than one Conductor, but unless the team is very large, there usually isn't any need for more than one conductor for every five Arias. Edited February 6, 2018 by Spectrolithium Share this post Link to post
Posted February 6, 2018 (edited) The Aria Agency ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To facilitate the creation of teams, the Arias have something of an underground agency that seeks out new members. The agency is led by the most powerful Arias currently in operation and has various regional headquarters responsible for recording Arias and broadcasting them on television in order to increase their popularity. Most of the time, the responsibility of recording Arias falls to the Conductor of a team, thus, Conductors are required to take courses in video production either in school or at the agency. Very popular or fortunate Conductors may instead take a weaker Aria or Conductor as an apprentice and relegate the task of filming battles to them, though such arrangements are usually temporary. In order to prevent new Arias from injuring themselves or revealing their identities, the agency periodically sends out scouts to retrieve potential Arias and activate their powers in a controlled environment. Almost all of the Arias currently in action were activated in this fashion and taught about their powers in an agency base. Aside from the mandatory training sessions taught by the older members, Arias may also take other educational courses, such as the ones offered to Conductors. After a period of training, Arias are typically assigned teams based on combat synergy, though some personality characteristics are also taken into account. Teams undergo a few tests, then experience further training until they are ready to debut. New teams are given broadcasting priority at their regional base for a week, afterward which they will have to compete for popularity. Officials at the agency attempt to act in an unbiased manner in order to benefit everyone, however rumors of favoritism are not uncommon, especially in the broadcasting division. Unpopular teams may either move into a different division of the agency or appeal to become part of the stealth division, depending on their effectiveness. Either way, they are not scorned so long as they can find another way to be useful. In fact, an Aria may become even more respected at another position, as the agency is constantly in need of more bases and staff to fill those bases. The stealth division in particular is held in high esteem, somewhat out of necessity, as they are responsible for protecting Arias performing difficult missions unsuited for popular Arias. Such internal divisions usually derive their power from a mix of custom tech and natural Aria powers, as relying purely on their base power levels would render them too weak to be effective. All disbanded teams and Arias who wish to retire have a false death broadcast in order to avoid suspicions of absence. Family members are not allowed to know of Arias, even if the Aria is retired, and receive false information of the Aria's death several weeks in advance. In other words, once an Aria is activated, they can no longer fully return to their previous life. Those who fail to follow the regulations are severely punished. Edited February 6, 2018 by Spectrolithium Share this post Link to post
Posted February 6, 2018 (edited) Plot ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edited February 6, 2018 by Spectrolithium Share this post Link to post
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