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ICA magical world born of despair
An outlet for confused identity
Neutered by fears of rejection
Insanity defining the world itself
Kept as a dollhouse for incomplete toys
Puppets struggling against choice
Looked at through ignorant eyes
Some things refuse to be forgottenWhat's This?This is Remembrance, also called ANKL sometimes. Remembrance is a character driven story set in a vast world built to feel as real as possible, oftentimes more real than reality. It is driven by pain and sadness, such that moments of triumph and joy shine all the brighter. Reflecting my own experiences and struggles with mental illness and abuse, Remembrance aims to create meaning out of suffering, and hopefully tell an interesting story along the way. It is not for the faint of heart, but I like to think it's more than just a black hole with a thousand knives at the center. Even if a darker tone isn't to your taste, I'd still encourage you to give the RP a closer look, I like to think it's a lot more optimistic than it appears at a glance.
Among the main goals of the RP is for the characters to grow beyond characters, becoming fully fleshed out people whose decisions may surprise even their own creators. Rather than being avatars of their player, they are distinct, with their own histories, personalities, and lives. This allows for the character-driven narrative to flourish, placing characters into interesting situations within the world and allowing them to respond and grow in response to adversity.
SettingThe world of Remembrance is a cruel place where religion and politics reign over a largely unsuspecting populous always on the verge of destruction. Monsters roam freely, threatening to tear entire cities limb from limb. Men are widely enslaved, forced to serve society in dangerous roles. And war threatens to cut life short all across the globe. It is a far from pretty world, and yet for many it remains a happy one. Perhaps those people are just blinded by dogma, or perhaps there truly is something worth living for in this goddessforsaken world. Whatever the case, people live here, and they fight to keep living. Though it may not be a wonderful world, to the people living in this RP, it's the only one they have.
Technologically, the world sits somewhere in the 80s-00s range, depending on the exact area. Things are fairly similar to reality, save for one marked distinction: No wings. Although a potentially powerful technology, the ability to fly through means more complex than a hot air balloon has remained elusive for centuries. Yet this elusive technology is on the brink of discovery. Airships have recently taken flight, and with the barrier finally shattered, it likely won't be long before aerospace technology makes its final leap into the modern day.
Geographically, the world is split into three continents, with the majority of the RP taking place on the middle one. Specifically, the stories told center on the small, seemingly insignificant country of Katria. Once the seat of a mighty empire that spanned the entire continent and beyond, now embroiled in an endless war to take back its former glory. Although this would seem a fruitless endeavor, mandatory military service and a wealth of holy weapons have allowed the imperial remnant to remain a thorn in the world's side for generations.
To Katria's north lies Neridus. A small country itself until very recently, Neridus has rapidly expanded into an empire in its own right, spreading through the might of technology and cultural innovation. By effectively assimilating conquered lands, it has managed to grow to its current size seemingly unhindered. However, despite clear advantages in technology, logistics, and size, Neridus has been halted in its southern advance by Katria, which has taken far more resources to conquer than anticipated.
Southward is Tyran, a collection of smaller states once ruled by the empire. Katria seeks to reconquer these lands, but Tyran takes a stance of quality over quantity when it comes to holy weapon meisters, which has allowed it to outlast its former master, continually growing in influence as Katria slowly shrivels.
To the west is Lanica, a small mercantile country that once housed the trade capital of the world, and now serves as a capital of crime. Destroyed during the imperial collapse, Lanica would have been easy pickings for Katria at any point in history, were it still worth conquering. Due to its strategic location and regularly experiences with uprisings and coups, Lanica is a common target for puppetry by larger countries. The powerful few live in luxury, supported by foreign benefactors or criminal empires, while the rest languish in a state often worse than mere poverty, desperately hoping for a way out. Things do seem to be looking up for Lanica, however. A successful rebellion has recently instituted the first free government since the country's founding. Whether or not this fledgling rebirth can last remains to be seen.
Holy Weapons and ReligionA key component of the world of Remembrance are the mystical tools known as holy weapons. Integrally tied into society, warfare, and religion, they are a rope that binds the setting together. In other words, this is the power system. I'll run through exactly how you make a holy weapon for your PC during the section on character creation, but for now I'll be focusing on outlining the way holy weapons work in and of themselves. And that means I need to talk about religion.
Most places in the world follow some form of the Katrian religion. This religion is centered on ten virtues, the first eight of which are assigned in pairs to four goddesses, with the last two typically being assigned to the church or some other collective entity. These virtues are also further tied into ten matching elements, which fuel the powers of holy weapons. These element-virtue-goddess associations serve as the backbone for both the crafting of weapons and the understanding of religion. Many of the unusual effects of each element only make sense through the lens of the associated virtue, so I'll be combining these explanations for clarity.
Water - Luck
Chance, Patience, Chaos, Balance
Water is a jack-of-all-trades element with both offensive and defensive potential. Water’s indirect nature and low raw power enforce its virtue of Luck, asking the wielder to trust to the whims of fate and adapt to the situation around them. Its powers can be virtually anything, from simplistic to esoteric. Water asks the user to take the roundabout route and rewards them with unpredictable and often-underestimated strength; anything is possible if you leave it to Luck.
Force - Hope
Pushing, Future, Foresight, Relentless
The counterpart to Water, Force is a straightforward element that does one thing, and does it well. Force, much like true Hope, does not stop, inexorably reaching on toward the future regardless of all attempts to get in its way. Its strength is such that it can reach into the future itself at times, allowing the user to surmount obstacles before they present themselves. Force cannot be redirected or deterred, pushing aside everything in its path as it holds resolutely to its indomitable Hope.
Allia
Allia is portrayed as a teenage girl with pinkish skin and long, sky blue hair. Her large pink eyes complete her rather outlandish look. Though such colors can occur naturally, they are uncommon and stand in stark contrast to the more subdued designs of her sisters. Due to her chaotic nature, her design has varied greatly over the years, and even these basic features are sometimes inconsistent. Modern portrayals of Allia are as varied as her older ones, making it impossible to pin down any true form for the chaotic goddess.
Much like her inconsistent portrayals, the true Allia is indeed an entity of chaos and unpredictability. In many ways she is an embodiment of creativity and artistry, complete with the emotional instability that comes with it. She can be extremely amoral in her pursuits, caring little to not at all about what others think of her, so long as she can achieve whatever whimsical goal she has her eyes set on.
Frost - Reason
Precise, Fragile, Words, Understanding
Frost is a precise element and almost as difficult to stop as Force - if, and only if, it is applied correctly. Let your Reason slip, act rashly, and it will shatter uselessly. Frost weapons universally require careful thought to use - sometimes literally, as it is not unknown for them to affect the mind, or allow it to affect reality directly. A razor sharp weapon belongs to those who can maintain their Reason in an unreasonable world.
Spirit - Ego
Confident, Unyielding, Tenacious, Emotion
Just as the existence of one’s Spirit is undeniable, weapons of this element create effects that cannot fail. An immovable Spirit weapon is simply that: nobody and nothing can move it until it so desires. As the element of Ego and by extension the soul, Spirit weapons sometimes have strange and esoteric effects, but they all share a commonality: their powers are absolute effects, much like the immutability of those few special things that define a person. Act in tandem with one’s true Ego while keeping it in check, and nothing may move you from where you stand.
Nerys
Nerys is portrayed as an older teen or young adult, commonly with her height somewhat exaggerated to be much greater than that of her sisters. She is given short brown hair and purple eyes. She is regularly given a more subdued build, especially compared to Katrina, with an emphasis placed on her long limbs and sharp facial features much more than her sexual appeal (though she is by no means made to be unattractive). She is regularly shown wearing a green, cloak-like dress that hangs loosely over itself to create many deep folds. This is felt to have a very mystical feel, and magical fantasy characters are often portrayed in a similar outfit. As with the other goddesses, attempts to modernize Nerys’s design are common, and hers are often the most popular. The portrayal of her as a glasses-wearing young woman with bright red hair is close to surpassing the more traditional design in popularity.
Nerys is always a consistent and logical person, often to a fault. She is very stubborn and awful at listening to the external advice, making her very set in her ways. Unless the circumstances around her change, she is unlikely to change her approach. While one might expect her to have a robotic lack of emotions, she is actually the most emotionally mature of her siblings, and her ability to understand herself and control her emotions is part of what allows her to be so logical.
Flame - Faith
Belief, Fervor, Uplifting, Vast
Flame is a well-balanced element capable of both strong defenses and powerful offenses. Tied to Faith, it grows beyond the individual meister, often acting without the need for conscious direction or persisting after the user has left. It can set a heart aflame as easily as it can a battlefield, with some weapons empowering the minds and bodies of those affected. Flame abilities spread to wide scales with ease due to the unique properties of the element, much like the ideas they might represent. The strength of your mind, body, and heart can all be lifted beyond their limits as long as you have Faith in the greater purpose surrounding you.
Radiance - Love
Care, Trust, Pain, Healing
A powerful supportive element, Radiance is most known for its ability to heal damage more easily than anything else. The virtue of Love is inextricably entwined with the care and consideration we give to others - and the pain we might inflict upon them, or they on us, because of it. Alongside healing and creating protective barriers, Radiance weapons may manipulate pain directly, protecting the user and others by crippling foes. Love takes many forms; depending on which, it can provide you the sweetest relief, cause the most excruciating agony. . . or both.
Kartia
Kartia is portrayed as a dark-skinned mid-twenties-ish woman with very pronounced curves and chest. She is given long golden hair that falls in the shape of a gentle wave down to her ankles and eyes of matching color. Most often she is clothed in a golden robe composed of loosely connected ribbons that does little to conceal her body. Some more modern Katrian interpretations like to dress her in the uniform of a military general. Although the rest of the world trends more towards showing her as a simple, devout woman who forgoes extravagant clothing. There was even a very popular work of fiction which cast her being incarnated as a beleaguered schoolteacher, emphasizing her passion for uplifting others.
In reality, Kartia is a guilt-ridden woman driven by the unforgivable sins of her past life to spend eternity atoning. She cares deeply about the bonds of friendship, and her loyalty to those she cares about is unmatched.
Thunder - Power
Strength, Sexuality, Naiveté, Uncontrollable
Thunder is an element that overwhelms. It is raw, unadulterated Power, and it demonstrates this in often-spectacular form. Thunder weapons tend to be incredibly strong, and equally difficult to control. “Restraint” is simply not in the vocabulary of this element. Alongside obliterating foes with bolts of lightning or crushing them with bursts of physical strength, Power exists in other forms as well; a Thunder weapon can exert influence in the form of mental effects, manipulating the ideas of allure and desire as they apply to the target. Give it a will, and Power will enforce it upon the world for you.
Shadow - Fear
Weakness, Constant, Hierarchy, Control
Running counter to Thunder, Shadow is a subtle, defensive element. Like the social structures that surround and bind all of us, Shadow weapons are constant, exerting an inexorable influence on their targets. As Fear given form, Shadow weapons enforce hierarchies: weakening foes, ensuring they fear your strength, or creating them directly. Many Cipher weapons are Shadow, targeting the minds and senses of the user’s victims. Understand it properly, and Fear will keep you safe from others and yourself.
Layla
Layla is traditionally portrayed in the nude. Shown either as a young girl that represents the simplistic, childlike nature of her existence, or as a young adult woman used as a symbol of sexuality. Both portrayals are shown to be deathly pale, with straight, shoulder-length black hair, and yellow eyes, the whites of which have switched color to black.
The childlike version of Layla is usually shown to be outwardly frightful, yet with immense power that she lashes out with to protect herself. Meanwhile the adult form is given an aggressive and unforgiving personality. These are often combined into a single idea, with the younger Layla outright transforming into her older form when threatened. This has led to the common media trope of mysterious young girls being powerful women in disguise.
Modernizations of Layla’s younger form don’t often try to change much, most often just lengthening her hair to be more like Katrina’s, allowing her more sensitive parts to be better concealed. Her older form, on the other hand, has begun to be shown wearing a variety of outfits. Most of them are rather fetishistic, ranging from a skintight leotard and high heeled boots to an overly complex black dress adorned with lace and flowers. Some, however, attempt to redesign her with baggy, masculine clothes in protest of the Church's sexist policies.
Lilith is an anxious and insecure person who views her own strength with immense paranoia. She is extremely emotional and prone to losing control of herself. Though her anxiety helps keep her from hurting others intentionally, it also often leads to her breaking down emotionally. Without careful guidance, she can easily fall into a terrible spiral of despair and self-loathing. Which with her immense power can be extremely dangerous not only to her, but to those around her.
Earth - Fortitude
Humanity, Bastion, Space, Blood
Earth is an eternal bastion in which all can take refuge. Representing Fortitude, weapons of this element give the user the strength to protect not only themselves, or individuals, but the groups of people that help define who they are. Earth powers may not be as inviolable as Spirit, but no Spirit weapon can match them for sheer scale; immense stone barriers and earthen armor will guard far more people than a single impenetrable shield. Earth is also the element of humanity itself, and sometimes manifests with powers that manipulate the very blood of who we are. Act with unity and Fortitude, and your defenses will never falter.
Time - Eternity
Memory, Past, Gravity, Perception
Time is the element of the past, never quite touching a person yet having inarguable effects on them all. Its powers rarely take the form of direct offenses, instead acting to augment and support the wielder’s abilities by manipulating the temporal flow. Time powers warp their namesake, speeding it up, slowing it down, or using gravity as a medium to do so. Eternity does not simply refer to literal time, either; Time weapons may allow one to reach into one’s memories, conjuring forth effects from their contents. The long reach of Eternity shall always affect you; ensure your remembrance and it might just be positive.
The most significant aspects of making a character for Remembrance are her personality and her holy weapon. These two aspects are entwined, as the Element of a character's holy weapon is determined by the Virtue they are most lacking in. As such, you should typically write a personality and determine an element before you begin working on your weapon.
Holy weapons typically have a single cohesive power, alongside any minor abilities (strength, heat resistance, etc) required to prevent the character from being harmed by her own weapon. If a weapon has a second distinct ability or a particularly powerful ability, then it will suffer the downside of lacking some of the protections it would normally come with. A third ability guarantees that the weapon will absolutely trash its owner when used. A weapon with more than three abilities cannot exist.
The shape of a holy weapon should reflect what it does in some way, and the more powerful the ability, the more directly the form it takes should demonstrate what that power is, and the less likely it is to be literally shaped like a weapon. Some unlucky folks are saddled with a weapon painfully integrated directly into their body. Holy weapons are primarily made out of metal and gem-like structures with colors representing their element.
For your first primary character, you'll be creating a Katrian either in the military as an officer or having left it after their mandatory service ended. Once you have clearly established that character with at least two complete scenes, you'll be allowed to submit a secondary character from anywhere in the world. This second character must have a different element from your primary and cannot have any direct connection to them. In both cases, please feel free to ask for character help in the Discord channel, the world is big and complicated and I am very far from getting all possible relevant information for making a character into this post.
If a character dies or is retired, you may replace them with a new character immediately. If this is your primary, then you may promote your secondary and make a new secondary instead of making a fresh primary. You may also switch the two entirely at the end of an Arc if you please. Primary characters will be incorporated into the current main plotline if possible, while secondary characters will be used to explore the world and participate in smaller scale subplots.
Name: [Should include a rank. I’m just poaching the ones the US Army uses for the sake of simplicity]
Age: [16-21 for Katrian mandatory service]
Appearance: [What your character looks like, anime color rules are in effect but natural colors are more common]
Personality: [A description of what type of person your character is]
Element: [Which element your character is attuned to, based on whichever of the virtues they are lacking the most]
Weapon: [A description of your character’s weapon, including its appearance and abilities. We’ll go over this together before finalizing to ensure it is balanced, so don’t worry about overdoing it on your first pass]
Lieutenant Colonel Monika Sydow - Goggy
Yava Yenthrid - Akira
Major Estela Lazarri - Twin
Second Lieutenant Mirka Kay - Wrench
First Lieutenant Aura Flamine - Sora
Lady Arturia Eberhardt of Folkvangr - Val
SecondariesLunete Ellsworth - Val
Immortal - Strat
Special Probationary Officer Sydia Lacus - Goggy
Second Lieutenant Sylvia Wright - Glass
Jessie Lynch Alice Farsign - Glass
Lieutenant Colonel Eilyth Hutton - Akira
Lady Astarte Falck - Goggy
