"A sage and his friend were walking by a pool. The water was cool and green and deep, and in its shade the goldfish shone like fragments of the sun. The sage watched them for a long time. At last he smiled and said, 'They are happy.'
'You are not a goldfish,' said his friend, 'so how do you know they are happy?'
The sage said, 'You are not I. So how do you know that I do not know they are happy?'"
-- "Happy Goldfish," Animalia
Breath, life, and soul were once known as "anima" in Latin. Our word "animal" comes from this. There are always people who live in harmony with Animalia, kingdom of the animals. Many have been saints and sages that live on in legend still.
When they began to appear, many thought it a blessing and a gift. Seemingly ordinary humans began to develop powers associated with natural forces; healers, growers, those who could speak with the animals and those who could bring rain in the midst of a drought. They were named Animalia after the animal kingdom that many of them were so close to. And for a time, they lived in peace, and humanity thrived, becoming an equalized utopia of science and nature.
But with every life, there must at some point, come death.
Slowly, cautiously, signs started appearing all over the world. Some of the Animalia grew tired of giving and receiving nothing in return. They began to use their powers to take what they thought was owed to them. Healers started to use their powers to hurt instead of help. Those who grew things instead turned their wrath and took life away from others. Animal speakers told the fierce hunters of the forest and sea to tear apart the normal humans, and anyone with elemental control wreaked havoc in any way they could.
The humans looked upon all Animalia and deemed them as work of the devil, sent here to destroy them. They, in turn, were vengeful and even a little afraid of these people they knew nothing about. They fought back with machines and science, coming to despise the natural and embrace a new age of technology.
And... In the end... They were divided.
The remaining good Animalia fled to safe-havens of their own make in the mountains, forests, rivers, and sky. They feared the humans and their destructive ways, as it was getting harder and harder to maintain what little good, green earth there was left. They also hated those who used their powers to destroy what they had worked so hard to create. The hated how they dared to claim themselves Animalia. Many of them seek their Holy Land, a sanctuary that lied at the foot of a set of haunted mountains in a forest that didn't seem to exist.
The bad Animalia seek the Holy Land as well, but to take it for themselves and become powerful enough to stop the fighting and claim absolute power. They want nothing but revenge on the humans that treated them as demons, and they view the good Animalia as weak for not taking advantage of the humans. They secretly fear that the good Animalia will reach the Holy Land first and gain enough power to push them back.
The humans now live in their own synthetic world, wanting nothing but to exterminate any and all Animalia from the face of the planet. So many years wrapped up in their own illusions and devices, some of them have forgotten their own war, and some believe that they succeeded in taking out the Animalia years ago. Bigger cities live in false security, but outposts all over are slowly expanding, choking the planet of it's life in their need to expand and their wish to take over.
And so it stands. Three threads, all tied to the same spool.
Will life or death prevail?
I'm back. 
If you're having trouble wrapping your head around all this, think of it sort of like a tree-hugging version of X-men. You've got your good mutants, your bad mutants, and your humans. It's just that all your mutants are eco-friendly (or have the capacity to be, at least.) Here's some good stuff to remember when you play the game:
• HERE'S THE BIG ONE: If you want to join, leave a reply saying that you'll be joining (for the sake of keeping this baby on the front page so people will see it), and then PM me your template. If you think your template will be too big to PM, you're welcome to send it to me in sections. (like the first half in one PM, and then the monster bio in the second half. Don't worry about spamming my inbox--This is the good kind of spam. :3). If you need to work on it over time or can't finish it all in one sitting, you can either PM it to me as you go or work on it in a Notepad (or Word) program on your computer or something until you've got it done. When I accept it, you can post it to the thread (preferably as an edit to the post where you said you wanted to play) or you could just keep it confidential and surprise people if you want. If you only post your template to the thread, you will be laughed at unless you've got a damn good reason to be doing so.
• Seriously. I can say no to people. I felt bad about it last time, but now I'm gonna seriously crack down. I want to see literacy, good concepts, and a healthy amount of content. You don't have to go writing your own novel, just enough to give me a fairly good idea of what's up with your character.
• The usual rules apply. God-modding, power-playing, spotlight-hogging, character-ignoring, and most other like terms with hyphens shouldn't happen here. You're all good, responsible players here, so play nice!
• Your characters, regardless of side, power, occupation, health, age, gender, ect, will probably start out in or near the forest, just for the sake of plot. The forest contains all manner of things your character may need, so feel free to use your imagination.
• The human's technology level is futuristic, but not too futuristic. Flying cars are a no. Hoverbikes are a yes. Laser guns are a no unless you've got government clearance. Small hologram projectors are good to go.
• This is a largely character-driven plot. You want romance? I'm good with romance (just keep it safe for the kiddies). You want to introduce an evil villain to further the plot? Go for it. You want to switch sides? Be my guest, just prepare for the consequences.
• If you've got any questions, concerns, complaints, or inquiries, either PM me or ask it right on the thread. I don't bite, I swear. ~♥
Name: (self-explanatory)
Gender: (also self-explanatory)
Age: (preferably 10 and older)
Side: (This is either the good Animalia, the bad Animalia, or the humans. Mind you, this may change over time--you could decide that being a good guy sucks and you want to be evil, or that you should atone for your destructive ways and lend a helping hand, or you could even be a human that becomes an Animalia by plot-twist--this is just the side you'll start out on.)
Positive Power: (If you want to be a human, just ignore this. All Animalia have a nature-based power that can either be used for good, or for evil. Use your imagination in creating your power. I'm allowing you to stretch your powers as far as your creative range--within reason, of course--will allow, but you only get one... So choose wisely.)
Negative Power: (This is what could happen when you take your positive power and use it for baaad. So, for example, if you have control over water, you could, in theory, make a tsunami or flood stuff.)
Appearance: (you know how this works)
Items: (this would be a weapon or items that are important to your character, if you've got any. Humans would probably have a few more than others, since they're very technologically savvy.)
Personality: (keep your side in mind when writing this. If you're an Animalia, you're probably eco-friendly and rather in-tune with nature (yeah, even the bad ones). Humans are probably more logical. These are only suggestions, however, so feel free to go wild.)
Bio: (you don't have to make it a novel, but make it at least two good, solid paragraphs. More is always loved.)
Other: (Does your character speak two dead languages? Does he or she have an allergic reaction to milk? An insane fear of heights? Is colorblind in their right eye? Random stuff like that should go here.)
Now... I'm going to sleep for six hours. I'll be back soon, loves, so send me those character templates!
'You are not a goldfish,' said his friend, 'so how do you know they are happy?'
The sage said, 'You are not I. So how do you know that I do not know they are happy?'"
-- "Happy Goldfish," Animalia
Breath, life, and soul were once known as "anima" in Latin. Our word "animal" comes from this. There are always people who live in harmony with Animalia, kingdom of the animals. Many have been saints and sages that live on in legend still.
When they began to appear, many thought it a blessing and a gift. Seemingly ordinary humans began to develop powers associated with natural forces; healers, growers, those who could speak with the animals and those who could bring rain in the midst of a drought. They were named Animalia after the animal kingdom that many of them were so close to. And for a time, they lived in peace, and humanity thrived, becoming an equalized utopia of science and nature.
But with every life, there must at some point, come death.
Slowly, cautiously, signs started appearing all over the world. Some of the Animalia grew tired of giving and receiving nothing in return. They began to use their powers to take what they thought was owed to them. Healers started to use their powers to hurt instead of help. Those who grew things instead turned their wrath and took life away from others. Animal speakers told the fierce hunters of the forest and sea to tear apart the normal humans, and anyone with elemental control wreaked havoc in any way they could.
The humans looked upon all Animalia and deemed them as work of the devil, sent here to destroy them. They, in turn, were vengeful and even a little afraid of these people they knew nothing about. They fought back with machines and science, coming to despise the natural and embrace a new age of technology.
And... In the end... They were divided.
The remaining good Animalia fled to safe-havens of their own make in the mountains, forests, rivers, and sky. They feared the humans and their destructive ways, as it was getting harder and harder to maintain what little good, green earth there was left. They also hated those who used their powers to destroy what they had worked so hard to create. The hated how they dared to claim themselves Animalia. Many of them seek their Holy Land, a sanctuary that lied at the foot of a set of haunted mountains in a forest that didn't seem to exist.
The bad Animalia seek the Holy Land as well, but to take it for themselves and become powerful enough to stop the fighting and claim absolute power. They want nothing but revenge on the humans that treated them as demons, and they view the good Animalia as weak for not taking advantage of the humans. They secretly fear that the good Animalia will reach the Holy Land first and gain enough power to push them back.
The humans now live in their own synthetic world, wanting nothing but to exterminate any and all Animalia from the face of the planet. So many years wrapped up in their own illusions and devices, some of them have forgotten their own war, and some believe that they succeeded in taking out the Animalia years ago. Bigger cities live in false security, but outposts all over are slowly expanding, choking the planet of it's life in their need to expand and their wish to take over.
And so it stands. Three threads, all tied to the same spool.
Will life or death prevail?
♦ BREAKDOWN ♦
[I'm sorry, did the goldfish story confuse you?]
[I'm sorry, did the goldfish story confuse you?]
If you're having trouble wrapping your head around all this, think of it sort of like a tree-hugging version of X-men. You've got your good mutants, your bad mutants, and your humans. It's just that all your mutants are eco-friendly (or have the capacity to be, at least.) Here's some good stuff to remember when you play the game:
• HERE'S THE BIG ONE: If you want to join, leave a reply saying that you'll be joining (for the sake of keeping this baby on the front page so people will see it), and then PM me your template. If you think your template will be too big to PM, you're welcome to send it to me in sections. (like the first half in one PM, and then the monster bio in the second half. Don't worry about spamming my inbox--This is the good kind of spam. :3). If you need to work on it over time or can't finish it all in one sitting, you can either PM it to me as you go or work on it in a Notepad (or Word) program on your computer or something until you've got it done. When I accept it, you can post it to the thread (preferably as an edit to the post where you said you wanted to play) or you could just keep it confidential and surprise people if you want. If you only post your template to the thread, you will be laughed at unless you've got a damn good reason to be doing so.
• Seriously. I can say no to people. I felt bad about it last time, but now I'm gonna seriously crack down. I want to see literacy, good concepts, and a healthy amount of content. You don't have to go writing your own novel, just enough to give me a fairly good idea of what's up with your character.
• The usual rules apply. God-modding, power-playing, spotlight-hogging, character-ignoring, and most other like terms with hyphens shouldn't happen here. You're all good, responsible players here, so play nice!
• Your characters, regardless of side, power, occupation, health, age, gender, ect, will probably start out in or near the forest, just for the sake of plot. The forest contains all manner of things your character may need, so feel free to use your imagination.
• The human's technology level is futuristic, but not too futuristic. Flying cars are a no. Hoverbikes are a yes. Laser guns are a no unless you've got government clearance. Small hologram projectors are good to go.
• This is a largely character-driven plot. You want romance? I'm good with romance (just keep it safe for the kiddies). You want to introduce an evil villain to further the plot? Go for it. You want to switch sides? Be my guest, just prepare for the consequences.
• If you've got any questions, concerns, complaints, or inquiries, either PM me or ask it right on the thread. I don't bite, I swear. ~♥
♥ TEMPLATE ♥
[The stuff in italics is just me explaining. Feel free to delete it.]
[The stuff in italics is just me explaining. Feel free to delete it.]
Gender: (also self-explanatory)
Age: (preferably 10 and older)
Side: (This is either the good Animalia, the bad Animalia, or the humans. Mind you, this may change over time--you could decide that being a good guy sucks and you want to be evil, or that you should atone for your destructive ways and lend a helping hand, or you could even be a human that becomes an Animalia by plot-twist--this is just the side you'll start out on.)
Positive Power: (If you want to be a human, just ignore this. All Animalia have a nature-based power that can either be used for good, or for evil. Use your imagination in creating your power. I'm allowing you to stretch your powers as far as your creative range--within reason, of course--will allow, but you only get one... So choose wisely.)
Negative Power: (This is what could happen when you take your positive power and use it for baaad. So, for example, if you have control over water, you could, in theory, make a tsunami or flood stuff.)
Appearance: (you know how this works)
Items: (this would be a weapon or items that are important to your character, if you've got any. Humans would probably have a few more than others, since they're very technologically savvy.)
Personality: (keep your side in mind when writing this. If you're an Animalia, you're probably eco-friendly and rather in-tune with nature (yeah, even the bad ones). Humans are probably more logical. These are only suggestions, however, so feel free to go wild.)
Bio: (you don't have to make it a novel, but make it at least two good, solid paragraphs. More is always loved.)
Other: (Does your character speak two dead languages? Does he or she have an allergic reaction to milk? An insane fear of heights? Is colorblind in their right eye? Random stuff like that should go here.)
Now... I'm going to sleep for six hours. I'll be back soon, loves, so send me those character templates!
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