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A very silly and light-hearted alien-invasion-type RPG, involving epic adventures, psychic powers, and plenty of fuzzy pickles for everyone! (Okay, just kidding on the last one.) You are all in for a treat!
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The Story
All has been well and happy in the world so far. People have gone about their daily lives with hardly a care in the world, practically oblivious to whatever evils may have befallen this world in the past. Cities and towns have thrived. Nature has coexisted harmoniously with the civilised life. The world has had its quirks and its pests, sure, but nothing has ever posed a significant threat. It was exactly the kind of world the universe hoped for.
One night, many people all over the world looked up to the sky. There they saw the most spectacular sight: an aurora of rainbow-coloured lights softly dancing among the stars. Like any other aurora, it was confirmed by meteorologists to have been caused by an electrical disturbance, but nobody could pinpoint the source. Oh well, for now everyone just admired the beauty of these lights--they went on all night, all the way until the sunrise. And when the sun set that following day, the aurora appeared again. All night, every night.
After the aurora started appearing, though, strange things started to happen. Some wild animals went berserk and started attacking people (this went for zoo animals as well). Some plants in certain parks and gardens became mobile. Some appliances, machines, and everyday objects gained a mind of their own, though a very primitive and robotic mind it seemed. In addition, every day a few people went missing. Nobody knew how--they seemed to just vanish overnight.
But perhaps the most fascinating effect of the "Aurora Mysteria", as the news called it, was that a special power awakened in some people--psychic powers, or PSI for short. PSI was not limited to abilities like telepathy and psychokinesis, but also included the power to heal people, control the elements, and even cause disease in some rare cases. For the longest time, PSI was merely a myth--nobody in the real world knew how to use it. According to legend, whenever people in the world became able to use PSI, it meant that something important was about to overcome the world, an apocalypse of sorts. Therefore, it was to no surprise that these past few days have seen occultists spreading rumours about the end of the world, the "Rainbow Omen".
Starting on the second night of the aurora, people noticed that every evening just after sunset, a faint beam of light shot up from somewhere in the rainforest in the country of Quetzal. (This rainforest has no name, since it's the only one in the world. If you like you can call it the Quetzal Rainforest, or just the rainforest.) But no one dared check it out, and those who tried never emerged from the rainforest. After all, there have always been warnings about entering the rainforest, especially at night. There have also been legends of a temple inside the rainforest, but nobody has ever found it, not even the people who explored during the daytime and came out alive. It is said that only those with a special power can find and enter that temple.
On the third night of the Aurora Mysteria, some people spotted UFO's flying through the sky, heading for Quetzal it seemed. On the fourth night, they could see the UFO's hanging around near the beam, accompanied by some flashes of light. At around 10PM, the flashes disappeared and the UFO's started pulling out. But then something even stranger happened. All at once, every screen-bearing electronic device in the world turned on, and a picture of a strange person appeared on the screens. ...Or was it a person? With a metallic body, tendril-like arms, a blank face with a single slit for an eye, and an official-looking triangular logo on its chest, who could tell what the heck it was? Whatever it was, it had a message for its onlookers, spoken in a monotonous, metallic voice:
"DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE US. An evil power has awakened in your rainforest, one that is impossible to defeat. We are trying to..."
The image faded into static mid-sentence, and the normal functions of all those electronic devices resumed. The most obvious reaction the weird metal-person-thingy's brief message got out of people was confusion. Authority figures everywhere were unsure whether to consider this a threat or a lowly prank. As for the weird-metal-person thingy--thingies, rather, they did say "us"--those in charge simply called them "Starmen" because of their alien-like appearance. No seriously, they didn't know what else to call them.
The following day bore some shocking news: Eagleland president Sam Ford joined the ranks of those who had mysteriously vanished. When that happened, it caused quite a stir among the public, even in other countries of the world. People began to wonder if the Starmen were somehow connected to these disappearings, and if so, what business they had on Earth. For now, the government hustled to keep the situation under control, but even they knew that something had to be done about this. ...Only they weren't quite sure what.
No UFO's or Starmen appeared on the fifth night, although the Aurora Mysteria continued its increasingly ominous undulations in the sky. And as with the previous nights, the number of people gone missing increased as well. But the day after that night, something else interesting happened. Several people all over the world woke up that morning only to find themselves greeted by their favourite animal. But this was no ordinary animal. For some weird reason, those "chosen ones" could understand what that animal said. It told them briefly about the threat of the Rainbow Omen and the appearance of the Starmen, but then it told them to come to a place called Saturn Valley, where they would meet an inventor who supposedly knew a lot about what was going on. What sort of quest awaits these so-called chosen ones? What exactly are they chosen for anyway? This RPG hopes to answer such questions...
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The RPG and Your Role
You are one of the chosen ones. You, like everyone else, had been going about your daily life until the Aurora Mysteria began appearing. Perhaps you have gained the ability to use PSI as a result, or perhaps you have some other special skills instead. Perhaps you know someone who has mysteriously vanished, or perhaps you are one of those lucky people who still have their families and friend circles intact. Although this RPG is based off the Earthbound/Mother series of video games and takes place in its world (in case you haven't figured that out already), you know nothing about what has happened to the world in the past, the plots of those three games. Some characters and enemies from those games will make appearances in this RPG though, so if you're new to the series, this is a great way to find out about them!
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About PSI and other skills
PSI is a category of special powers certain people have. These powers are magic-oriented, involving elemental "spells", healing powers, psychic shields, etc. Typically when someone learns PSI, they start off using the techniques at a very basic level. That technique then becomes stronger with experience and practice. What follows is a list of the most common PSI techniques. Typically the offense-oriented techniques have the word "PK" before them, implying a psychokinetic control over some sort of element or force. Support and healing techniques typically lack this prefix.
PK Fire: This technique offers control over fire. Typically this technique covers quite a large area, so it can hit multiple targets at once. Most usages of PK Fire involve the user firing flames from their hands. These may fly directly at the target(s), hit a certain spot and then spread... Every person uses this technique a bit differently, and the same is true with all the other techniques.
PK Freeze: This technique offers control over ice. Using moisture in the air (that's my speculation), the user can do a variety of things: encase the target in ice, create icicles that can fly to a target, freeze water, etc. PK Freeze normally hits only one target at a time, and tends to do a little more damage than PK Fire (ignoring individual enemy weaknesses of course). The strength and scope of the freezing increases with experience.
PK Thunder: Offers control over thunder. NOT simply electricity--this technique is the most powerful of all the elemental ones, and always involves firing a thunderbolt. However, the user has poor control over targeting with this technique--you can never tell where the thunderbolt will land. It usually doesn't land on the user or their allies though, unless they're not paying attention or something. At the more advanced stages, this technique can fire multiple thunderbolts at once.
PK Wind: A semi-elemental technique; no enemies have any specific strengths or weaknesses against it. This technique manipulates the wind, creating gusts and even small tornadoes at the more advanced stages. While not as powerful as the other techniques, it can often disorient enemies or blow them away, and is the most accurate of all the techniques.
PK Ground: Another semi-elemental technique. This technique is more powerful than PK Thunder, but can only affect things on the ground (nothing airborne). The most basic form of this technique has cracks appearing in the ground or rocks jutting out of it; more powerful versions can cause earthquakes, which often hit allies as well as enemies.
PK Aura: A non-elemental technique. A lot of you might know this technique as telekinesis, because it basically allows the user to directly manipulate objects with their aura. At the most basic level, the strength of PK Aura is the same as the user's physical strength, maybe a little stronger in some cases. So it cannot be used to lift cars or shrink things. It can bend spoons and other metal things, though, in case you were wondering.
PK Flash: Another non-elemental technique, basically involving flashes of light. The most common effect of this is temporarily blinding a foe, but it can cause paralysis or even instant defeat. The instant defeat thing happens only in very rare cases though, and the chances become higher at the more advanced stages. Can also be used to light areas up, so it borders on the offensive versus non-offensive style of PSI.
*Note: All the PK techniques require an incantation when used against a living enemy. (You can usually get away with either whispering one or just saying it mentally when using it for non-battle purposes. The incantation basically provides the focus needed for battle-grade PSI.) This incantation is merely calling the name of the technique. The non-offensive techniques can be used without an incantation... and believe me, you'd sound silly saying one for those purposes.
Lifeup: A very interesting technique, Lifeup restores energy to someone who is feeling tired or weak. No, it is not the magic version of caffeine--it cannot make someone really hyper, unless the user deliberately overdoes it. There are even legends of people who have used Lifeup on themselves as a surrogate food source, though not everyone who uses this goes to that extreme. More advanced versions of this restore more energy, and allows use on multiple people at once.
Healing: Cures wounds and injuries and various ailments a person may have. The most basic version of Healing instantly eliminates minor sicknesses like colds, cures poisoning, makes sunburns disappear, and mitigates pain. It also has been known to have calming effects. More advanced versions of this can cure paralysis and more lethal illnesses and poisons, fix injuries, and revive someone who is unconscious. It cannot be used to revive the dead or restore youth, though.
Shield: This technique sets up an aural barrier around someone, reducing the damage done to them. At the most basic level, PSI and ranged elemental moves (like fire and water) can pass right through the shield, but more advanced versions can take care of that. Other more advanced shields can be set up around multiple people at once.
Paralysis: This technique causes a person's body to become numb, rendering them incapable of moving for a short amount of time. It tends not to work on some stronger enemies, though. Stronger versions of this technique involve petrification and a prolonged period of numbness. The most advanced form is rumoured to encase someone in diamond-like crystals!
Hypnosis: This technique is kind of the opposite of Lifeup in that it makes people feel drowsy; it basically causes the target to sleep. It works pretty well on most people, but some enemies are resistant to it. While asleep, an enemy is easier to hit, but attacking it can cause it to wake up. More advanced versions of this can promote good dreams or cause nightmares.
Brainshock: Another interesting technique, which basically causes confusion. It works best on those with evil intentions; the enemy becomes addled and may even attack itself. On regular people, it can do things like wipe a person's short-term memory, or cause them to twitch or walk funny for a few seconds. More advanced versions of this can control someone's actions temporarily or even plant thoughts into people's heads.
Hex: This technique is pretty well-feared, for it causes people to not feel so good. At the most basic level, Hex can only give people mild, easily cureable conditions like nausea, fever, or a cold. It can also kill small pests like ants and sometimes mice. More advanced versions of this can cause more serious illnesses, poisoning, or even death or agony at the most advanced stage.
**Note: There are more PSI techniques besides these, but they are too advanced for our characters' use and therefore are not listed here.
Of course, PSI is not for everyone. For some people it just isn't their thing. But fortunately, using PSI is not the only way to survive in a most unfortunate battle with an enemy. Some people have special skills they can use. These special skills come in one of two forms: they can be a general talent or area of knowledge someone might have, or they can be a set of gadgets or other useful items. Usually these are based off a character's nature or occupation. Perhaps there can be someone with hacking skills, who specialises in inserting viruses into enemies. Or maybe someone who enchants plants for various purposes. Maybe a pharmacist that makes drugs. Or an artist that makes their pictures come to life. ...Well, to put this another way, here are a few examples of skills used by canon characters of the Earthbound series:
- Jeff is the son of a brilliant inventor, and therefore has the ability to fix broken things. Some of these things can be turned into weapons or other useful gadgets, such as a slime generator and a counter-PSI unit. He can also spy on enemies to figure out their weaknesses.
- Duster is a thief, so he uses a set of "thief tools" to his advantage. These include smoke bombs, Wall Staples that provide a makeshift ladder, a pendulum that can put people to sleep, a Siren Beetle for causing distractions, etc.
- Flint, being the big and strong cowboy he is, usesly mostly physical attacks in battle. These "brute force" techniques have him swinging his weapon around to hit all enemies, raising his offense or defense, etc.
- Paula can use PSI, but another little skill she has comes from her spirituality. She can say prayers which have random effects, from healing to reviving the unconscious to making people cry, usually affecting everyone nearby.
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About Enemies
The Aurora Mysteria has caused petty evil happenings all over the world. Things that were once friendly and/or immobile are turning against people! Yikes! I'll be introducing specific enemies as the RPG progresses, but for now I might as well give a brief overview, just so you know what kind of things to expect. Enemies typically fall into one of the following categories:
Animals - Some wild animals have gone even more wild! Instead of being timid around people like they typically are, they attack people for no reason. Tame animals (like pets) seem to be immune to this evil influence, but there have been reports of zoo animals breaking out of their enclosures and attacking people as well.
Plants - Plants are normally immobile, but thanks to the Aurora Mysteria, some plants now move around, and not in a friendly way either.
Appliances - It's kind of a rare occurrence, but attacks from things like toasters and fire hydrants and even cars have been reported lately. This doesn't usually happen inside homes; the object is more commonly from an abandoned area.
Robots - Robotic creatures have occasionally appeared lately. These robots tend to be relatively simple, and are most commonly found in Sunrise (see country descriptions below).
Monsters and alien-like creatures - Not a lot of these have appeared yet, though miniature UFO's that shoot laser beams are relatively common. Mutated animals are occasionally seen as well.
Ghosts - The world isn't free of supernatural entities either! Ghosts can possess many objects and can take practically any form, but they're stuck with that form once they choose it.
Other objects - There have been toys coming to life, piles of goo stalking people, phones and alarms ringing on their own, and even people being attacked by their own shadows, in rare cases! What is this world coming to?!?
In some unfortunate cases, enemies (particularly the stronger ones) can use PSI. But fortunately, there have been no reports of enemies using really powerful PSI techniques, mostly the basic stuff listed above. And if this section still doesn't seem to explain much, you can always browse around Wikibound, the Earthbound Wiki, for enemy examples, specifically the lists of enemies from Earthbound and Mother 3. Only a few of these will actually appear in the RPG though, and I will be creating lots of new ones.
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The World As It Is Today
Today's society is modernized, with industry and electronics and wireless media and all that other stuff. It is the year 2012, one might say. Now, this RPG doesn't exactly take place in the real world as we know it. Instead it takes place in a sort of whimsical alternate Earth. The world has several countries, each of which seems to be a parody of a region of the real world (for example, "Eagleland" is a parody of the US). Here is a list of all the countries of the world, as least those known to people anyway:
Eagleland - The largest country in the world, and the one with the most diverse culture. People from other countries have been welcome here as immigrants for years. It's a very welcoming place indeed, and many people consider it the most hip and happening country in the world. The country runs on capitalism and burgers (as well as the best pizza in the world), but so far that doesn't really seem to be a bad thing. The only evils this country has seen, and this goes for the rest of the world too, has been in the form of petty street gangs and the occasional spontaneous crimes.
The capital of Eagleland is the city of Fourside, known for its many skyscrapers and terrible traffic congestion. For the last six years, Sam Ford, or "Sanford" as some people call him, has served as president, until he went missing that is. Fourside also has a museum that supposedly contains relics from the "Old World". But this place is closed to the public, and is under tight security. Oddly enough, there have been a couple of incidents where a thief had stolen something from the museum, but soon afterward another thief stole that thing from the first thief and turned it in to the police. That's karma for ya, mate.
But Fourside is by no means the only city in Eagleland. Feel free to create your own towns and cities here. But here's one caveat to those of you previously familiar with Earthbound: All other old-world towns, like Onett and Threed, no longer exist. They were destroyed at the end of the old world. It remains a mystery, then, how Fourside survived...
Winters - The northernmost country in the world, famous for having lots of snow in the winter. But the weather during the rest of the year is quite pleasant, especially with its mild summers. Winters has some beautiful architecture in its towns, and quite a few castles as well. (Some of its inhabitants have petitioned to change the country's name to "Castles", but without success.) There are four distinct landmarks in Winters as well. One is Lake Tess, where a plethora of strange monsters make their home in the icy waters. They are rumoured to be the children of one giant monster, Tessie, who inhabited the lake in ancient times. Then there's Stonehenge, a strange arrangement of giant stones that occultists tend to flock to. Apparently a great power was once awakened at the centre of the rocky circle.
The third main landmark of Winters is the Imperial Castle, the largest and most ornately-decorated castle in the country. Bright purple in colour and with perfectly constructed turrets, it looks like something right out of a faery tale. But more importantly, this is where the king or queen of Winters lives. The country is currently ruled by King Ferdinand, who loves roasted duck and hosting grand events, such as hunts, feasts, comedy shows, animal races, and fencing and archery tournaments. Winters is also home to the most prestigious school in the world, Reynard University, whose mascot is the proud yet tricky red fox. Many references are made to this school's extensive history, which may be more extensive than people think...
Summers - If there's a Winters, there has to be a Summers as well, right? Summers is known as "the great vacation spot of the world". It has a very long shoreline lined with quaint, rustic-looking buildings which are very well kept. This place is famous for its palm trees and its beautiful weather--it never snows, and the winters are rainy while the summers are warm and dry. The very long beach of Summers offers views of astonishingly spectacular sunsets. This makes it a great place for dates, both the romantic kind and the kind that grows on palm trees.
A closer look at Summers reveals that it is divided into two semi-distinct halves. The northern half is home to many restaurants, bars, and clubs, a great place for a party. The Barefoot Club is especially famous because people dance in their bare feet on the sand. The southern half, by contrast, is more quiet and serene. Loud music is outlawed in this half of the island. Southern Summers is home to many luxurious hotels and resorts, and is a popular vacationing place for workers. A famous landmark here is the Twin Palms Elderly Centre, where a lot of rich (and some non-rich) old people live after they retire. In the very southern tip is the Port of Toto, where many cruise lines depart. Oh, and the eastern coast of Summers is home to a thriving gay community as well, commonly called the Rainbow Isle. People living here are known to be very friendly, but a bit strange.
Dalaam - A country far to the east of Eagleland. This is a very mountainous region, so the people living there have to adapt to the high elevation. But that is also part of the beauty of this country: because it is at sugh high elevation, the clouds are very close above people's heads, and in some cases below their feet. The culture of Dalaam is very spiritual. Many people hang prayer flags outside their homes, and this is the best place in the world to study meditation and the martial arts. The afternoon sun shines on the shimmering steeples of Dalaam's temples, and even more spectacularly on the golden crowns on the towers of the royal palace.
Of course, Dalaam is not without its quirks--in fact this country has quite a few. This country is currently ruled by an unnamed shah and his son, Prince Rama. Though breathtakingly handsome, Rama isn't exactly the most sane person on the planet. He's an alcoholic, for one thing, and enjoys hitting on women while drunk. He even has his own harem inside and outside the palace--not of women, but of llamas. Lots of llamas. This has caused the country to be jokingly called "Dallama" and the prince to be called "Rama-Lama-Ding-Dong". And apparently because of this crazy ruler, a colony of flying pink elephants has recently occupied the clouds surrounding the mountains. Indeed, this crazy prince is rumoured to have some hidden powers...
Scaraba - A country to the southeast of Eagleland. It has a hot, arid climate, especially in the northern region. Much of this part of the country is desert, with the occasional sandstorm blowing over the towns. Towns are typically built in places with lots of ground water, or along the coast. Many of the buildings here are made of stone, and pyramids are a common sight here. Some of the pyramids are very ancient-looking with a few stones chipped or even missing; others look to be newly built.
One thing Scaraba is known for is its large outdoor marketplaces. These are good places to buy rare and exotic goods and watch street performers, but beware: the marketplaces are loosely regulated, and if you're not careful you might end up not getting what you were looking for. Another important landmark, perhaps the most major one in Scaraba, is the Great Pyramid located in the northeastern corner of the country. A great statue of a sphinx rests in front of it, and the inside of the pyramid is frequently used as a gathering place or festival venue. There are other levels below this landing, but entry is strictly prohibited due to legends of a curse...
The southern part of this country, separated from the north by the River of Denial, contains mostly marshland and grassland. It has a much nicer climate and is very popular with farmers and nature-lovers.
Sunrise - A relatively small country north of Dalaam, known quite obviously for its beautiful sunrises. That is why the big city on the east coast of Sunrise has very strict smog regulations. This city has no official name, but many people like to call it "Robot City" because of it being on the cutting edge of new technology, especially with respect to robot technology. Robot pets are more common here than animal pets, and there are robots that clean floors and brew coffee as well! Artificial intelligence is both primitive and expensive, so robot servants are typically only owned by the rich. Anyone seeking a technological patent will do good to look here first. Oh, and the headquarters of Nintendo are also located in Robot City.
The valleys southwest of Robot City contain stunning scenery and beautifully decorated gardens. This place houses the town of Sakura, which is famous for having lots of blossoming cherry trees in the spring. It also houses numerous theatres featuring practically every kind of live show, both classical and modern, imaginable. If you're looking for rock concerts and movie theatres, go to Robot City instead. And finally, in the centre of Sunrise is the beautiful yet ominous Mt. Itoi. Nobody has ever seen the top of this mountain, because it extends all the way into the clouds. Nobody dares climb it, due to its barren and slippery slopes, scary caves, and the rumoured presence of blood-thirsty monsters.
Quetzal - Located due west of Scaraba, but completely the opposite of Scaraba climate-wise. Okay, it can still get pretty warm here, but much of the land area of Quetzal is rainforest. The weather stays warm and humid all year, but lots of refreshing breezes blow through. This is a popular place to live for those who hate cold weather. It does rain a lot, but most of that rain is concentrated in the rainforest. This area is also called the "fruit basket of the world" because of the large variety of produce produced here. (Produce produced? How redundant.) As for the rainforest itself... You better enter with a compass, for it's very easy to get lost in there. Especially if you get distracted by all the monkeys and colourful birds in there!
But the rainforest has more mystery to it than one might think. First, it is home to two indigenous peoples: the flower-headed Bromelia and the mushroom-headed Amanita, both small rabbit-like critters that inhabit the treetops (in the Bromelia's case) or the forest floor (in the Amanita's case). Not much is known about their culture, except that the two races quarrel a lot. Also mysterious is the country's main landmark: the Chupichupyoi Temple, located deep within the rainforest, so deep that no one knows its exact location. (People who cannot pronounce its name simply call it the Chupi-Chupi Temple.) Nor have there ever been any reports of people who have visited it. Apparently all visitors have either vanished or died. Folk stories about this temple are frequently heard echoing through the rainforest.
One final landmark of Quetzal is in the civilised portion of the country. This place houses the Rio Theatre, a huge concert venue where bands from all over the world dream of performing at someday. The area nearby is a popular place to go shopping without worrying about insanely high prices.
* * *
Oh yeah, speaking of the Rio Theatre and other performance venues, here's a list of three bands that exist in the world. These are by no means the only ones that exist; they'll just be the most important ones in this RPG. For now I'm just listing them for the heck of it, so feel free to skip over it if you like. Just in case there are any music fans out there...
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RPG Do's and Don'ts
Don't sign up as more than one character. I want to limit the number of main characters without limiting the number of people who can join.
Do give your character a pet if you like, but don't have them travel around with you (unless you list it as your favourite animal that is). A world infested by aliens is not safe for animals. In Earthbound terms, no Boneys allowed. Likewise, don't sign up as a non-human character. We don't want this RPG more complicated than it already is.
Do use the Discussion Thread (once it's up) to ask questions and talk about the RPG in general.
If you're familiar with any of the Earthbound series games, don't introduce any characters from them without asking me first, and don't include them in your character's history. Unless it's a weak enemy or one of the bands listed above. Oh and while we're at it, don't sign up as a canon character. I want originality here.
Do express any ideas you have regarding this RPG, either in the Discussion Thread or by VM/PM.
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Signup Form
All right, any of you still interested? Any of you wanna join, even? It's simple! All you have to do is fill out this form here...
Name: This part is self-explanatory.
Age: Again, self-explanatory. Just keep in mind all of us are human. Anything between 8 and 88 is fine.
Gender: Sorry, no its allowed, no ifs, ands, or buts.
Appearance: Describe what your character looks like, including face and hair details, body type, clothing, and accessories. Unusual hair colours are fine, as long as it's a single colour (unless it's dyed). And finally, remember that your character does not wear a laundry list.
Personality: The most important field in this RPG. Describe your character's demeanour, how he or she acts around other people, their quirks and interests... you get the point. But be sure to include their hobbies and interests! And remember, I love detail and quirks! As long as you don't write a long and boring essay. This isn't high school. Oh, and remember that your character does not act skimpy or like a laundry list.
History: Your character may come from any of the countries listed above. This is the place to describe your character's family and background, and the role he or she plays in the world. Remember that your character knows nothing about Saturn Valley or any alternate worlds that have existed before. Be sure to include their reactions to the Aurora Mysteria-induced events as well. Perhaps they had memorable encounters with certain enemies. Perhaps they even know someone who has gone missing. And how did they discover their PSI or other special skills? Be creative here. Oh, and don't include the favourite animal encounter yet--that will happen in your first post in the RPG.
Questionnaire: Besides completing the above fields, you must also answer the following questions for your character. Believe me, these answers will be important in certain parts of the RPG.
- Favourite food: Keep this answer simple--i.e. don't list a complex five-course meal. It must be only one dish. It can even be a dessert or a snack if that's your character's thing.
- Favourite thing: This can be anything, tangible or intangible, as long as it makes your character's heart sing.
- Favourite animal: No dragons or other mythical creatures, please.
*Note: In some people, the above three favourites can overlap (that is, the responses to the above are the same).
- Which musical instrument best represents your character? Not necessarily the one they play. If you don't know what to put, I can probably give you suggestions.
- Is your character PSI-capable? If you answer no, you'll have much more freedom and variety as far as other skills go.
PSI: If your character is PSI-capable, you may pick two PSI techniques that your character can use at the beginning of the RPG (or three for a special case below), and that your character suddenly learned how to use when the Aurora Mysteria first appeared. These techniques MUST be from the above list (you can pick either offensive or non-offensive ones). If you want, you may also describe how they use the techniques, because PSI works slightly differently for every user.
Skills: Or perhaps you'd like to start off with some sort of special skill instead. This may be a general skill or talent, or a set of items. Either way, be careful not to make the skills god-moddingly powerful. PSI-capable characters may choose to learn their PSI later, starting off with a special skill instead. Skills used by PSI-capable characters are weaker than those of non-PSI users, typically consisting of a single gadget or a somewhat useful talent. Characters who don't have a special skill like this can start off with an extra PSI technique (three total) instead.
A very silly and light-hearted alien-invasion-type RPG, involving epic adventures, psychic powers, and plenty of fuzzy pickles for everyone! (Okay, just kidding on the last one.) You are all in for a treat!
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The Story
All has been well and happy in the world so far. People have gone about their daily lives with hardly a care in the world, practically oblivious to whatever evils may have befallen this world in the past. Cities and towns have thrived. Nature has coexisted harmoniously with the civilised life. The world has had its quirks and its pests, sure, but nothing has ever posed a significant threat. It was exactly the kind of world the universe hoped for.
One night, many people all over the world looked up to the sky. There they saw the most spectacular sight: an aurora of rainbow-coloured lights softly dancing among the stars. Like any other aurora, it was confirmed by meteorologists to have been caused by an electrical disturbance, but nobody could pinpoint the source. Oh well, for now everyone just admired the beauty of these lights--they went on all night, all the way until the sunrise. And when the sun set that following day, the aurora appeared again. All night, every night.
After the aurora started appearing, though, strange things started to happen. Some wild animals went berserk and started attacking people (this went for zoo animals as well). Some plants in certain parks and gardens became mobile. Some appliances, machines, and everyday objects gained a mind of their own, though a very primitive and robotic mind it seemed. In addition, every day a few people went missing. Nobody knew how--they seemed to just vanish overnight.
But perhaps the most fascinating effect of the "Aurora Mysteria", as the news called it, was that a special power awakened in some people--psychic powers, or PSI for short. PSI was not limited to abilities like telepathy and psychokinesis, but also included the power to heal people, control the elements, and even cause disease in some rare cases. For the longest time, PSI was merely a myth--nobody in the real world knew how to use it. According to legend, whenever people in the world became able to use PSI, it meant that something important was about to overcome the world, an apocalypse of sorts. Therefore, it was to no surprise that these past few days have seen occultists spreading rumours about the end of the world, the "Rainbow Omen".
Starting on the second night of the aurora, people noticed that every evening just after sunset, a faint beam of light shot up from somewhere in the rainforest in the country of Quetzal. (This rainforest has no name, since it's the only one in the world. If you like you can call it the Quetzal Rainforest, or just the rainforest.) But no one dared check it out, and those who tried never emerged from the rainforest. After all, there have always been warnings about entering the rainforest, especially at night. There have also been legends of a temple inside the rainforest, but nobody has ever found it, not even the people who explored during the daytime and came out alive. It is said that only those with a special power can find and enter that temple.
On the third night of the Aurora Mysteria, some people spotted UFO's flying through the sky, heading for Quetzal it seemed. On the fourth night, they could see the UFO's hanging around near the beam, accompanied by some flashes of light. At around 10PM, the flashes disappeared and the UFO's started pulling out. But then something even stranger happened. All at once, every screen-bearing electronic device in the world turned on, and a picture of a strange person appeared on the screens. ...Or was it a person? With a metallic body, tendril-like arms, a blank face with a single slit for an eye, and an official-looking triangular logo on its chest, who could tell what the heck it was? Whatever it was, it had a message for its onlookers, spoken in a monotonous, metallic voice:
"DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE US. An evil power has awakened in your rainforest, one that is impossible to defeat. We are trying to..."
The image faded into static mid-sentence, and the normal functions of all those electronic devices resumed. The most obvious reaction the weird metal-person-thingy's brief message got out of people was confusion. Authority figures everywhere were unsure whether to consider this a threat or a lowly prank. As for the weird-metal-person thingy--thingies, rather, they did say "us"--those in charge simply called them "Starmen" because of their alien-like appearance. No seriously, they didn't know what else to call them.
The following day bore some shocking news: Eagleland president Sam Ford joined the ranks of those who had mysteriously vanished. When that happened, it caused quite a stir among the public, even in other countries of the world. People began to wonder if the Starmen were somehow connected to these disappearings, and if so, what business they had on Earth. For now, the government hustled to keep the situation under control, but even they knew that something had to be done about this. ...Only they weren't quite sure what.
No UFO's or Starmen appeared on the fifth night, although the Aurora Mysteria continued its increasingly ominous undulations in the sky. And as with the previous nights, the number of people gone missing increased as well. But the day after that night, something else interesting happened. Several people all over the world woke up that morning only to find themselves greeted by their favourite animal. But this was no ordinary animal. For some weird reason, those "chosen ones" could understand what that animal said. It told them briefly about the threat of the Rainbow Omen and the appearance of the Starmen, but then it told them to come to a place called Saturn Valley, where they would meet an inventor who supposedly knew a lot about what was going on. What sort of quest awaits these so-called chosen ones? What exactly are they chosen for anyway? This RPG hopes to answer such questions...
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The RPG and Your Role
You are one of the chosen ones. You, like everyone else, had been going about your daily life until the Aurora Mysteria began appearing. Perhaps you have gained the ability to use PSI as a result, or perhaps you have some other special skills instead. Perhaps you know someone who has mysteriously vanished, or perhaps you are one of those lucky people who still have their families and friend circles intact. Although this RPG is based off the Earthbound/Mother series of video games and takes place in its world (in case you haven't figured that out already), you know nothing about what has happened to the world in the past, the plots of those three games. Some characters and enemies from those games will make appearances in this RPG though, so if you're new to the series, this is a great way to find out about them!
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About PSI and other skills
PSI is a category of special powers certain people have. These powers are magic-oriented, involving elemental "spells", healing powers, psychic shields, etc. Typically when someone learns PSI, they start off using the techniques at a very basic level. That technique then becomes stronger with experience and practice. What follows is a list of the most common PSI techniques. Typically the offense-oriented techniques have the word "PK" before them, implying a psychokinetic control over some sort of element or force. Support and healing techniques typically lack this prefix.
PK Fire: This technique offers control over fire. Typically this technique covers quite a large area, so it can hit multiple targets at once. Most usages of PK Fire involve the user firing flames from their hands. These may fly directly at the target(s), hit a certain spot and then spread... Every person uses this technique a bit differently, and the same is true with all the other techniques.
PK Freeze: This technique offers control over ice. Using moisture in the air (that's my speculation), the user can do a variety of things: encase the target in ice, create icicles that can fly to a target, freeze water, etc. PK Freeze normally hits only one target at a time, and tends to do a little more damage than PK Fire (ignoring individual enemy weaknesses of course). The strength and scope of the freezing increases with experience.
PK Thunder: Offers control over thunder. NOT simply electricity--this technique is the most powerful of all the elemental ones, and always involves firing a thunderbolt. However, the user has poor control over targeting with this technique--you can never tell where the thunderbolt will land. It usually doesn't land on the user or their allies though, unless they're not paying attention or something. At the more advanced stages, this technique can fire multiple thunderbolts at once.
PK Wind: A semi-elemental technique; no enemies have any specific strengths or weaknesses against it. This technique manipulates the wind, creating gusts and even small tornadoes at the more advanced stages. While not as powerful as the other techniques, it can often disorient enemies or blow them away, and is the most accurate of all the techniques.
PK Ground: Another semi-elemental technique. This technique is more powerful than PK Thunder, but can only affect things on the ground (nothing airborne). The most basic form of this technique has cracks appearing in the ground or rocks jutting out of it; more powerful versions can cause earthquakes, which often hit allies as well as enemies.
PK Aura: A non-elemental technique. A lot of you might know this technique as telekinesis, because it basically allows the user to directly manipulate objects with their aura. At the most basic level, the strength of PK Aura is the same as the user's physical strength, maybe a little stronger in some cases. So it cannot be used to lift cars or shrink things. It can bend spoons and other metal things, though, in case you were wondering.
PK Flash: Another non-elemental technique, basically involving flashes of light. The most common effect of this is temporarily blinding a foe, but it can cause paralysis or even instant defeat. The instant defeat thing happens only in very rare cases though, and the chances become higher at the more advanced stages. Can also be used to light areas up, so it borders on the offensive versus non-offensive style of PSI.
*Note: All the PK techniques require an incantation when used against a living enemy. (You can usually get away with either whispering one or just saying it mentally when using it for non-battle purposes. The incantation basically provides the focus needed for battle-grade PSI.) This incantation is merely calling the name of the technique. The non-offensive techniques can be used without an incantation... and believe me, you'd sound silly saying one for those purposes.
Lifeup: A very interesting technique, Lifeup restores energy to someone who is feeling tired or weak. No, it is not the magic version of caffeine--it cannot make someone really hyper, unless the user deliberately overdoes it. There are even legends of people who have used Lifeup on themselves as a surrogate food source, though not everyone who uses this goes to that extreme. More advanced versions of this restore more energy, and allows use on multiple people at once.
Healing: Cures wounds and injuries and various ailments a person may have. The most basic version of Healing instantly eliminates minor sicknesses like colds, cures poisoning, makes sunburns disappear, and mitigates pain. It also has been known to have calming effects. More advanced versions of this can cure paralysis and more lethal illnesses and poisons, fix injuries, and revive someone who is unconscious. It cannot be used to revive the dead or restore youth, though.
Shield: This technique sets up an aural barrier around someone, reducing the damage done to them. At the most basic level, PSI and ranged elemental moves (like fire and water) can pass right through the shield, but more advanced versions can take care of that. Other more advanced shields can be set up around multiple people at once.
Paralysis: This technique causes a person's body to become numb, rendering them incapable of moving for a short amount of time. It tends not to work on some stronger enemies, though. Stronger versions of this technique involve petrification and a prolonged period of numbness. The most advanced form is rumoured to encase someone in diamond-like crystals!
Hypnosis: This technique is kind of the opposite of Lifeup in that it makes people feel drowsy; it basically causes the target to sleep. It works pretty well on most people, but some enemies are resistant to it. While asleep, an enemy is easier to hit, but attacking it can cause it to wake up. More advanced versions of this can promote good dreams or cause nightmares.
Brainshock: Another interesting technique, which basically causes confusion. It works best on those with evil intentions; the enemy becomes addled and may even attack itself. On regular people, it can do things like wipe a person's short-term memory, or cause them to twitch or walk funny for a few seconds. More advanced versions of this can control someone's actions temporarily or even plant thoughts into people's heads.
Hex: This technique is pretty well-feared, for it causes people to not feel so good. At the most basic level, Hex can only give people mild, easily cureable conditions like nausea, fever, or a cold. It can also kill small pests like ants and sometimes mice. More advanced versions of this can cause more serious illnesses, poisoning, or even death or agony at the most advanced stage.
**Note: There are more PSI techniques besides these, but they are too advanced for our characters' use and therefore are not listed here.
Of course, PSI is not for everyone. For some people it just isn't their thing. But fortunately, using PSI is not the only way to survive in a most unfortunate battle with an enemy. Some people have special skills they can use. These special skills come in one of two forms: they can be a general talent or area of knowledge someone might have, or they can be a set of gadgets or other useful items. Usually these are based off a character's nature or occupation. Perhaps there can be someone with hacking skills, who specialises in inserting viruses into enemies. Or maybe someone who enchants plants for various purposes. Maybe a pharmacist that makes drugs. Or an artist that makes their pictures come to life. ...Well, to put this another way, here are a few examples of skills used by canon characters of the Earthbound series:
- Jeff is the son of a brilliant inventor, and therefore has the ability to fix broken things. Some of these things can be turned into weapons or other useful gadgets, such as a slime generator and a counter-PSI unit. He can also spy on enemies to figure out their weaknesses.
- Duster is a thief, so he uses a set of "thief tools" to his advantage. These include smoke bombs, Wall Staples that provide a makeshift ladder, a pendulum that can put people to sleep, a Siren Beetle for causing distractions, etc.
- Flint, being the big and strong cowboy he is, usesly mostly physical attacks in battle. These "brute force" techniques have him swinging his weapon around to hit all enemies, raising his offense or defense, etc.
- Paula can use PSI, but another little skill she has comes from her spirituality. She can say prayers which have random effects, from healing to reviving the unconscious to making people cry, usually affecting everyone nearby.
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About Enemies
The Aurora Mysteria has caused petty evil happenings all over the world. Things that were once friendly and/or immobile are turning against people! Yikes! I'll be introducing specific enemies as the RPG progresses, but for now I might as well give a brief overview, just so you know what kind of things to expect. Enemies typically fall into one of the following categories:
Animals - Some wild animals have gone even more wild! Instead of being timid around people like they typically are, they attack people for no reason. Tame animals (like pets) seem to be immune to this evil influence, but there have been reports of zoo animals breaking out of their enclosures and attacking people as well.
Plants - Plants are normally immobile, but thanks to the Aurora Mysteria, some plants now move around, and not in a friendly way either.
Appliances - It's kind of a rare occurrence, but attacks from things like toasters and fire hydrants and even cars have been reported lately. This doesn't usually happen inside homes; the object is more commonly from an abandoned area.
Robots - Robotic creatures have occasionally appeared lately. These robots tend to be relatively simple, and are most commonly found in Sunrise (see country descriptions below).
Monsters and alien-like creatures - Not a lot of these have appeared yet, though miniature UFO's that shoot laser beams are relatively common. Mutated animals are occasionally seen as well.
Ghosts - The world isn't free of supernatural entities either! Ghosts can possess many objects and can take practically any form, but they're stuck with that form once they choose it.
Other objects - There have been toys coming to life, piles of goo stalking people, phones and alarms ringing on their own, and even people being attacked by their own shadows, in rare cases! What is this world coming to?!?
In some unfortunate cases, enemies (particularly the stronger ones) can use PSI. But fortunately, there have been no reports of enemies using really powerful PSI techniques, mostly the basic stuff listed above. And if this section still doesn't seem to explain much, you can always browse around Wikibound, the Earthbound Wiki, for enemy examples, specifically the lists of enemies from Earthbound and Mother 3. Only a few of these will actually appear in the RPG though, and I will be creating lots of new ones.
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The World As It Is Today
Today's society is modernized, with industry and electronics and wireless media and all that other stuff. It is the year 2012, one might say. Now, this RPG doesn't exactly take place in the real world as we know it. Instead it takes place in a sort of whimsical alternate Earth. The world has several countries, each of which seems to be a parody of a region of the real world (for example, "Eagleland" is a parody of the US). Here is a list of all the countries of the world, as least those known to people anyway:
Eagleland - The largest country in the world, and the one with the most diverse culture. People from other countries have been welcome here as immigrants for years. It's a very welcoming place indeed, and many people consider it the most hip and happening country in the world. The country runs on capitalism and burgers (as well as the best pizza in the world), but so far that doesn't really seem to be a bad thing. The only evils this country has seen, and this goes for the rest of the world too, has been in the form of petty street gangs and the occasional spontaneous crimes.
The capital of Eagleland is the city of Fourside, known for its many skyscrapers and terrible traffic congestion. For the last six years, Sam Ford, or "Sanford" as some people call him, has served as president, until he went missing that is. Fourside also has a museum that supposedly contains relics from the "Old World". But this place is closed to the public, and is under tight security. Oddly enough, there have been a couple of incidents where a thief had stolen something from the museum, but soon afterward another thief stole that thing from the first thief and turned it in to the police. That's karma for ya, mate.
But Fourside is by no means the only city in Eagleland. Feel free to create your own towns and cities here. But here's one caveat to those of you previously familiar with Earthbound: All other old-world towns, like Onett and Threed, no longer exist. They were destroyed at the end of the old world. It remains a mystery, then, how Fourside survived...
Winters - The northernmost country in the world, famous for having lots of snow in the winter. But the weather during the rest of the year is quite pleasant, especially with its mild summers. Winters has some beautiful architecture in its towns, and quite a few castles as well. (Some of its inhabitants have petitioned to change the country's name to "Castles", but without success.) There are four distinct landmarks in Winters as well. One is Lake Tess, where a plethora of strange monsters make their home in the icy waters. They are rumoured to be the children of one giant monster, Tessie, who inhabited the lake in ancient times. Then there's Stonehenge, a strange arrangement of giant stones that occultists tend to flock to. Apparently a great power was once awakened at the centre of the rocky circle.
The third main landmark of Winters is the Imperial Castle, the largest and most ornately-decorated castle in the country. Bright purple in colour and with perfectly constructed turrets, it looks like something right out of a faery tale. But more importantly, this is where the king or queen of Winters lives. The country is currently ruled by King Ferdinand, who loves roasted duck and hosting grand events, such as hunts, feasts, comedy shows, animal races, and fencing and archery tournaments. Winters is also home to the most prestigious school in the world, Reynard University, whose mascot is the proud yet tricky red fox. Many references are made to this school's extensive history, which may be more extensive than people think...
Summers - If there's a Winters, there has to be a Summers as well, right? Summers is known as "the great vacation spot of the world". It has a very long shoreline lined with quaint, rustic-looking buildings which are very well kept. This place is famous for its palm trees and its beautiful weather--it never snows, and the winters are rainy while the summers are warm and dry. The very long beach of Summers offers views of astonishingly spectacular sunsets. This makes it a great place for dates, both the romantic kind and the kind that grows on palm trees.
A closer look at Summers reveals that it is divided into two semi-distinct halves. The northern half is home to many restaurants, bars, and clubs, a great place for a party. The Barefoot Club is especially famous because people dance in their bare feet on the sand. The southern half, by contrast, is more quiet and serene. Loud music is outlawed in this half of the island. Southern Summers is home to many luxurious hotels and resorts, and is a popular vacationing place for workers. A famous landmark here is the Twin Palms Elderly Centre, where a lot of rich (and some non-rich) old people live after they retire. In the very southern tip is the Port of Toto, where many cruise lines depart. Oh, and the eastern coast of Summers is home to a thriving gay community as well, commonly called the Rainbow Isle. People living here are known to be very friendly, but a bit strange.
Dalaam - A country far to the east of Eagleland. This is a very mountainous region, so the people living there have to adapt to the high elevation. But that is also part of the beauty of this country: because it is at sugh high elevation, the clouds are very close above people's heads, and in some cases below their feet. The culture of Dalaam is very spiritual. Many people hang prayer flags outside their homes, and this is the best place in the world to study meditation and the martial arts. The afternoon sun shines on the shimmering steeples of Dalaam's temples, and even more spectacularly on the golden crowns on the towers of the royal palace.
Of course, Dalaam is not without its quirks--in fact this country has quite a few. This country is currently ruled by an unnamed shah and his son, Prince Rama. Though breathtakingly handsome, Rama isn't exactly the most sane person on the planet. He's an alcoholic, for one thing, and enjoys hitting on women while drunk. He even has his own harem inside and outside the palace--not of women, but of llamas. Lots of llamas. This has caused the country to be jokingly called "Dallama" and the prince to be called "Rama-Lama-Ding-Dong". And apparently because of this crazy ruler, a colony of flying pink elephants has recently occupied the clouds surrounding the mountains. Indeed, this crazy prince is rumoured to have some hidden powers...
Scaraba - A country to the southeast of Eagleland. It has a hot, arid climate, especially in the northern region. Much of this part of the country is desert, with the occasional sandstorm blowing over the towns. Towns are typically built in places with lots of ground water, or along the coast. Many of the buildings here are made of stone, and pyramids are a common sight here. Some of the pyramids are very ancient-looking with a few stones chipped or even missing; others look to be newly built.
One thing Scaraba is known for is its large outdoor marketplaces. These are good places to buy rare and exotic goods and watch street performers, but beware: the marketplaces are loosely regulated, and if you're not careful you might end up not getting what you were looking for. Another important landmark, perhaps the most major one in Scaraba, is the Great Pyramid located in the northeastern corner of the country. A great statue of a sphinx rests in front of it, and the inside of the pyramid is frequently used as a gathering place or festival venue. There are other levels below this landing, but entry is strictly prohibited due to legends of a curse...
The southern part of this country, separated from the north by the River of Denial, contains mostly marshland and grassland. It has a much nicer climate and is very popular with farmers and nature-lovers.
Sunrise - A relatively small country north of Dalaam, known quite obviously for its beautiful sunrises. That is why the big city on the east coast of Sunrise has very strict smog regulations. This city has no official name, but many people like to call it "Robot City" because of it being on the cutting edge of new technology, especially with respect to robot technology. Robot pets are more common here than animal pets, and there are robots that clean floors and brew coffee as well! Artificial intelligence is both primitive and expensive, so robot servants are typically only owned by the rich. Anyone seeking a technological patent will do good to look here first. Oh, and the headquarters of Nintendo are also located in Robot City.
The valleys southwest of Robot City contain stunning scenery and beautifully decorated gardens. This place houses the town of Sakura, which is famous for having lots of blossoming cherry trees in the spring. It also houses numerous theatres featuring practically every kind of live show, both classical and modern, imaginable. If you're looking for rock concerts and movie theatres, go to Robot City instead. And finally, in the centre of Sunrise is the beautiful yet ominous Mt. Itoi. Nobody has ever seen the top of this mountain, because it extends all the way into the clouds. Nobody dares climb it, due to its barren and slippery slopes, scary caves, and the rumoured presence of blood-thirsty monsters.
Quetzal - Located due west of Scaraba, but completely the opposite of Scaraba climate-wise. Okay, it can still get pretty warm here, but much of the land area of Quetzal is rainforest. The weather stays warm and humid all year, but lots of refreshing breezes blow through. This is a popular place to live for those who hate cold weather. It does rain a lot, but most of that rain is concentrated in the rainforest. This area is also called the "fruit basket of the world" because of the large variety of produce produced here. (Produce produced? How redundant.) As for the rainforest itself... You better enter with a compass, for it's very easy to get lost in there. Especially if you get distracted by all the monkeys and colourful birds in there!
But the rainforest has more mystery to it than one might think. First, it is home to two indigenous peoples: the flower-headed Bromelia and the mushroom-headed Amanita, both small rabbit-like critters that inhabit the treetops (in the Bromelia's case) or the forest floor (in the Amanita's case). Not much is known about their culture, except that the two races quarrel a lot. Also mysterious is the country's main landmark: the Chupichupyoi Temple, located deep within the rainforest, so deep that no one knows its exact location. (People who cannot pronounce its name simply call it the Chupi-Chupi Temple.) Nor have there ever been any reports of people who have visited it. Apparently all visitors have either vanished or died. Folk stories about this temple are frequently heard echoing through the rainforest.
One final landmark of Quetzal is in the civilised portion of the country. This place houses the Rio Theatre, a huge concert venue where bands from all over the world dream of performing at someday. The area nearby is a popular place to go shopping without worrying about insanely high prices.
* * *
Oh yeah, speaking of the Rio Theatre and other performance venues, here's a list of three bands that exist in the world. These are by no means the only ones that exist; they'll just be the most important ones in this RPG. For now I'm just listing them for the heck of it, so feel free to skip over it if you like. Just in case there are any music fans out there...
DCMC: The ever-popular true-to-the-music rock band. DCMC stands for "Desperado Crash Mambo Combo", in case you really want to know. Although they're based in Fourside, they like to tour all around the world, especially at the Rio Theatre in Quetzal. There's nothing radically crazy about them (they're not a metal band), but they are completely independent, never needing a record label or even a professional agent to keep them in the market. Unfortunately, Magic, their guitarist, went missing on the first night of the Aurora Mysteria. But they found a super-cool replacement: Violet, a pink-haired lady with surprisingly mad electric guitar skills. The DCMC's popularity received a sharp boost when she came along (and they're the only band that has performed since the aurora started, oddly enough). Other band members include band leader OJ (no, his last name is not Simpson), Baccio on the drums, Shimmy Zmizz on the keyboard, and Lucky on the bass. What a combo!
Candy & Andy: Exceedingly quirky and peppy and ostentatious, this dance duo from Winters really puts their hearts into their performances. They're not really a "band" as they don't play any instruments--all their music is electronic, so they do lots of song and dance instead, and are famous for dressing up in lots of silly costumes. Their songs are light and bubbly and are made with lots of love, bringing true meaning to the term "dance pop". (In terms of real-word music genres, they'd be closer to Eurodance.) Sometimes they hold concerts, but they more commonly perform at clubs, because their music makes people want to dance their cares away. Candy is famous for her squeaky, high-pitched voice and very cute style of dress. Andy is famous for his spiked mohawk and, outside of their performances, his motorcycle skills. They've been trying to gain some popularity in Eagleland, but without much success. They get a better audience in Sunrise and their hometown of Winters, and also on children's TV shows.
Rapstarr: To some people this group's members seem like a joke, sporting backwards red baseball caps and huge star-shaped sunglasses (hence their name). But these bad boys have the sickest rap and hip-hop music around, as least as far as most people are concerned. They are famous for their incredibly syncronised dance moves, while the leader, Mikestarr (all the members' names end in starr), raps and rhymes away, his lips always hidden for some odd reason. Everybody knows when a Rapstarr concert is going on, because their earth-shaking beats can be felt from miles away. They play at only the classiest and most high-scale venues, and their concert tickets often cost a fortune. But TV channels are littered with their music videos. This band rose to stardom in Eagleland, but are beginning to gain popularity in other countries as well, especially Summers.
Candy & Andy: Exceedingly quirky and peppy and ostentatious, this dance duo from Winters really puts their hearts into their performances. They're not really a "band" as they don't play any instruments--all their music is electronic, so they do lots of song and dance instead, and are famous for dressing up in lots of silly costumes. Their songs are light and bubbly and are made with lots of love, bringing true meaning to the term "dance pop". (In terms of real-word music genres, they'd be closer to Eurodance.) Sometimes they hold concerts, but they more commonly perform at clubs, because their music makes people want to dance their cares away. Candy is famous for her squeaky, high-pitched voice and very cute style of dress. Andy is famous for his spiked mohawk and, outside of their performances, his motorcycle skills. They've been trying to gain some popularity in Eagleland, but without much success. They get a better audience in Sunrise and their hometown of Winters, and also on children's TV shows.
Rapstarr: To some people this group's members seem like a joke, sporting backwards red baseball caps and huge star-shaped sunglasses (hence their name). But these bad boys have the sickest rap and hip-hop music around, as least as far as most people are concerned. They are famous for their incredibly syncronised dance moves, while the leader, Mikestarr (all the members' names end in starr), raps and rhymes away, his lips always hidden for some odd reason. Everybody knows when a Rapstarr concert is going on, because their earth-shaking beats can be felt from miles away. They play at only the classiest and most high-scale venues, and their concert tickets often cost a fortune. But TV channels are littered with their music videos. This band rose to stardom in Eagleland, but are beginning to gain popularity in other countries as well, especially Summers.
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RPG Do's and Don'ts
Don't sign up as more than one character. I want to limit the number of main characters without limiting the number of people who can join.
Do give your character a pet if you like, but don't have them travel around with you (unless you list it as your favourite animal that is). A world infested by aliens is not safe for animals. In Earthbound terms, no Boneys allowed. Likewise, don't sign up as a non-human character. We don't want this RPG more complicated than it already is.
Do use the Discussion Thread (once it's up) to ask questions and talk about the RPG in general.
If you're familiar with any of the Earthbound series games, don't introduce any characters from them without asking me first, and don't include them in your character's history. Unless it's a weak enemy or one of the bands listed above. Oh and while we're at it, don't sign up as a canon character. I want originality here.
Do express any ideas you have regarding this RPG, either in the Discussion Thread or by VM/PM.
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Signup Form
All right, any of you still interested? Any of you wanna join, even? It's simple! All you have to do is fill out this form here...
Name: This part is self-explanatory.
Age: Again, self-explanatory. Just keep in mind all of us are human. Anything between 8 and 88 is fine.
Gender: Sorry, no its allowed, no ifs, ands, or buts.
Appearance: Describe what your character looks like, including face and hair details, body type, clothing, and accessories. Unusual hair colours are fine, as long as it's a single colour (unless it's dyed). And finally, remember that your character does not wear a laundry list.
Personality: The most important field in this RPG. Describe your character's demeanour, how he or she acts around other people, their quirks and interests... you get the point. But be sure to include their hobbies and interests! And remember, I love detail and quirks! As long as you don't write a long and boring essay. This isn't high school. Oh, and remember that your character does not act skimpy or like a laundry list.
History: Your character may come from any of the countries listed above. This is the place to describe your character's family and background, and the role he or she plays in the world. Remember that your character knows nothing about Saturn Valley or any alternate worlds that have existed before. Be sure to include their reactions to the Aurora Mysteria-induced events as well. Perhaps they had memorable encounters with certain enemies. Perhaps they even know someone who has gone missing. And how did they discover their PSI or other special skills? Be creative here. Oh, and don't include the favourite animal encounter yet--that will happen in your first post in the RPG.
Questionnaire: Besides completing the above fields, you must also answer the following questions for your character. Believe me, these answers will be important in certain parts of the RPG.
- Favourite food: Keep this answer simple--i.e. don't list a complex five-course meal. It must be only one dish. It can even be a dessert or a snack if that's your character's thing.
- Favourite thing: This can be anything, tangible or intangible, as long as it makes your character's heart sing.
- Favourite animal: No dragons or other mythical creatures, please.
*Note: In some people, the above three favourites can overlap (that is, the responses to the above are the same).
- Which musical instrument best represents your character? Not necessarily the one they play. If you don't know what to put, I can probably give you suggestions.
- Is your character PSI-capable? If you answer no, you'll have much more freedom and variety as far as other skills go.
PSI: If your character is PSI-capable, you may pick two PSI techniques that your character can use at the beginning of the RPG (or three for a special case below), and that your character suddenly learned how to use when the Aurora Mysteria first appeared. These techniques MUST be from the above list (you can pick either offensive or non-offensive ones). If you want, you may also describe how they use the techniques, because PSI works slightly differently for every user.
Skills: Or perhaps you'd like to start off with some sort of special skill instead. This may be a general skill or talent, or a set of items. Either way, be careful not to make the skills god-moddingly powerful. PSI-capable characters may choose to learn their PSI later, starting off with a special skill instead. Skills used by PSI-capable characters are weaker than those of non-PSI users, typically consisting of a single gadget or a somewhat useful talent. Characters who don't have a special skill like this can start off with an extra PSI technique (three total) instead.
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