Transformation Theater

[Draykin]

I say go for your underwater setting, as I think it's pretty cool and deserves to be finally used.

[Virmir]

You can never go wrong with Atlantis.  I will probably mess up your attempts at edginess, though, he he he.

[Shifting Sands]

Since it seems pretty clear that the underwater setting is winning out, that's the one that we'll go with. I'll just briefly mention the special race that I've made for it, in case it draws one of you in.

The vorzh are a race of humanoids that were likely the ancestors of the modern merfolk before they came closer to the surface of the oceans. They are tribal, shamanistic, and crave fights and blood for the spirits and elements that they worship. Their appearance is based off of a variety of animals that we know of around the abyssal layer in the oceans. You could theoretically justify any species that's known, but the ones that tend to make the most sense as anthropomorphic being are sharks, eels, angler fish, and vampire squid (which is definitely the hardest to apply, but a friend of mine planted the idea in my head and I've got a good image of them now).

I already kinda expounded on what the aquatic setting is, but I'll give it another once over. The surface has been scorched and ruined by loads of different monsters, and those that couldn't take shelter in massive tunnel systems that belonged to Earthern ancestors (dwarves, some elementals, so on) had to find another refuge. The ocean was the only other place, because the sky belonged to the wyverns and dragons that were responsible for the destruction in the first place. Magic and technology had to be used in varying amounts to bring as many surface dwellers down as possible. Surface dwellers had to make a large effort to adapt and create just the smallest of underwater villages, looking more like ruins than actual constructions. The vorzh and merfolk already present under the water were more than willing to divy up some space for the new races, and even helped them get their feet on the ground, so to speak. There's a lot of ocean out there, after all. Having more indebted peoples can help out massively in the future.

I don't think there's much to say beyond that for the whole setting, but if there are any more questions, I'll certainly do my best with them. I'll wait until everyone has their character started until I assign stats and all that.

[Virmir]

So, are there like bubble cities and stuff, or do we all need diving gear?

[Stormkit]

Originally summoned into the body of an otter in an underwater lair, Mikskandialthasnkchtl was bound to serve as a servant and magical focus to the magician who lived there. Eventually however, the magician died of 'mysterious circumstances' and this binding released Mikskan-etc to return to the plane from which it was from. However this left behind the otter it had been summoned into which was now forever alterred by its stint as a host. 'Mike' the otter now has a greater self awareness than he used to, though is not really all that intelligent on a whole. Being an otter, he isn't terribly strong, but he *is* agile, especially in the water. In fact one of the side effects of his being a host is that he can now breathe water as effectively as air. If he could talk he'd be able to talk underwater too. Not being able to talk of course makes his only method of charisma being otterly adorable, which he is. Magic wise, he is unpredictable. He has strong defense against certain kinds of magic (usually assault types) but being an ex channel, is actually more vulnerable to others (like ones that use him as a focus). Talent wise he is similar, being occasionally able to create magical effects or to interact with spells, but that is unpredictable.

[Shifting Sands]

"Bubbles" or diving gear things that make you breathe underwater will be provided, unless you can already breathe underwater! And yes, the character is fine, Kit. I'll wait until everyone has their characters up before assigning the stats.

[Virmir]

PEOPLE POST CHARACTERS SO THIS CAN START

[PrincessHotcakes]

Deprived of home, familiar surroundings, and beef, Yilin the enchanter is a foul tempered little man who more than anything thinks that everything that goes wrong is somebody else's fault.  Usually the fault of someone within easy shouting distance.  Dark haired and gray eyed, the human possesses many, many insecurities about himself, especially his short height which is just over 5 ft.  Prone to insulting those around him at a moment's notice, he used to incur the wrath of those larger and more physically fit than him in one-sided curbstomps.  Now though, with age and experience he usually attempts to compensate with his nearly twenty years of training in magical enchantments.  His favorite ones tend to be ice related, making him one of the few ice magic wielders around who is incredibly impatient and hot tempered.  He does not form friendships easily, if at all, usually viewing those around him as incompetent gibbering morons who will screw things up more than they already are if left to their own devices.

[Draykin]

Silent are the predators that stalk the depths, striking suddenly from above or below. From the skies, the flying terror beasts will scoop up their prey from the waters, while below, unknown horrors lurk, who extend their reach when they feel the urge to feed. That is the believe of the Krait Vorzh, that the world is ruled by predation. Too swim too high is surely death, and to swim too low might be worse. Attor is no different from his kind. The young Vorzh is of average size, which is to say his serpentine tail is nearly 4/5 of his total body length. Sea Krait Vorzh greatly resemble the merfolk, keeping true to their aquatic brethren in lacking legs and having that lone fin at the end of their tail. Long and agile, the Sea Krait Vorzh cannot hunt as other Vorzh do. They rely on ambush and hunting packs to sustain themselves, and in most cases if avoided can simply be outrun. However, ambush works well when one venomous bite is enough to cease all attempts of escape. Sea Krait Vorzh also tend to be more ready to seek out aid from other races, as sometimes even their own numbers are not enough to keep them alive.

Attor is a young, male Sea Krait Vorzh. He sports a blue-and-black ringed coloration, with a pale underbelly. He is small in stature, being only some ten feet in length, and is more likely to try to avoid a fight unless absolutely necessary. There's nothing really too particular that sets him aside from other Vorzh of his kind, save for that his left fang is oddly like a precision needle compared to the other. Attor seeks companions so that he may survive, his last hunting party having been killed by aggressive Vorzh of larger species, and surely, alone, he will die.

Strength: A bit below average. Krait Vorzh do not rely on brute strength to overwhelm their prey, and this is very much reflected in their physiology.

Agility: Surprisingly, being able to twist and contort your body in a variety of ways tends to make you a tad difficult to hit. Scales also help to soften the blow when you are.

Magic: While magic is a part of Sea Krait Vorzh culture, mostly only those of the shaman-istic variety tend to practice enough to be any good at it.

Resistance: Living without magic as a part of your everyday life, it's understandable that you have very little resistance to the arcane.

Charisma: Being of the more sociable Vorzh means that you're better at talking to others than your average Vorzh! Unfortunately, that's compared to the average Vorzh.

Intelligence: It takes some brain to set an ambush. Some. Being part reptile, plus Vorzh, means that although you may be smart for a Vorzh.... Which means you're of average intelligence.

[Shifting Sands]

So I won't spend tons of time to explain and justify all the stats that I pick out here. If you guys want to argue them, you're free to do so, but these are how they stand right now!

Virmir
STR -2
AGI -2
MAG +3
RES +1
CHA 0
INT +1

Mike (yeah no I ain't spelling that whole name)
STR -3
AGI +2
MAG 0
RES +4 (AoE), -4 (Targeted)
CHA +1
INT -1

Yilin
STR -2
AGI -2
MAG +3
RES +2
CHA -2
INT +2

Attor
STR -1
AGI +3
MAG -2
RES -1
CHA +1
INT +1

I'd like some confirmation on everybody's part before I go ahead, but by the weekend I'll probably be starting this up in earnest. To begin with, I'll set up the beginning scene, and then everyone will have a chance to chip in with something so I know everyone's all ready and participating. From there, things will probably proceed in a manner where I give input and then you all give yours. Might vary at some other points, but we'll see what you all think.

[Virmir]

I should probably be better than some crummy ice mage, but apart from that, seems reasonable!

[Stormkit]

Don't worry. *I* don't even bother spelling that whole name out more than the once either. Demon names are supposed to be impossible to pronounce after all!

Not that it matters though because Mike the otter is separate from Miksastuff the demon. This includes having a different name as a result. Incidentally, I think his intelligence should probably be at -2 and if you're worried about keeping an overall score balance you can pop the targeted resistance up to -3 or something. Those stats are all something that's going to change soon enough anyway.

[PrincessHotcakes]

Wow we are all physically pathetic weaklings XD

[Draykin]

I expected to be the worst stat-wise. I was so wrong.

[Stormkit]

My character was literally an otter. You thought you could beat that? ;p
In any case, Medik deliberately made us all add up to +1. You just can't tell because Mike apparently has an invisible +2 thing going on.