Asphodel (RPG)

***Asphodel*** is a text-based roleplay designed by Captain Whitehawk that takes place in a fictional universe going by the same name. It's a fantasy roleplay with some spiritual and vaguely steampunk elements, coupled with mechanics and themes from other literature.

The roleplay began in its first iteration on August 6th, 2017. It was redone in 2018 and began again on December 7th. It's presently hosted on an RPing forum called Creativity Center.

## Crash Course: History

Following the birth of the Elysians and Sheolfolk, these races and their respective deities lived in relative isolation broken only by the wars they waged on each other. After each war, the sides retreated to rest, recuperate, and repopulate. But no matter their numbers, in power they were equally matched and thereby unable to defeat each other. While their children fought in their honor, Elodi and Ahriman kept to their respective havens, the floating Elysium and underground Sheol. Too powerful to manifest near each other without ensuing great damage to the earth and nearby peoples, the gods stayed separate.

But it came to pass that during a great war, Elodi's Archangels and Ahriman's Generals had come too close and were now slaughtering each other. Seeking to save their most beloved followers, the gods descended to the battlefield to stop them. Both of their powers at work as they sought to save their children and conclude the fight, their essences intertwined and amidst the blood, gore, sweat, and suffering, the Homini came into being over corpses and began life in an event known as **the Bloodbirth**.

The gods regrouped their people and parted from each other, leaving the unintended creation behind. This swarm of people, lost and leaderless, fled from the destruction and chaos, taking to a nearby forests to hide and house themselves. They called themselves the Homini, and their first leader, a woman to later be idolized by the name of Nita, began their era of relative peace and prosperity. On the surface of the earth (thereby called the Surface) they built their cities, communes, and towns, meaning to keep to themselves and stay away from the obvious destruction and death that Elysians and Sheolfolk brought.

Time passed. The Elysians and Sheolfolk healed and prospered. Below Elodi's crown and above Ahriman's private hell, on the Surface the Homini lived, loved, and died. With only a hundred years to live, they built and learned and grew, seeking to support themselves and ensure their own success. A few curious Elysians, hearing of their technological progress, came down from Elysia's Isles to see what they had made for themselves. There they discovered more than their basic wheels, nails, optical lenses, and time-keeping machines. Down on the godless Surface they had invented plumbing, the printing press, the steam engine, and others. Stunned, the Elysians flew back to Elysium with what they had seen. A few stayed behind, not meaning to be distracted ...

The power of Bonds was discovered by a pair that'd fallen in love and, once Bonded, refused to be separated. It was played off as a casual friendship, but when the Sheolfolk heard of the Elysians meddling in the previously untouched Homini and came for war, the Elysian half of the Bonded pair, an Archangel of Justice, went to battle. When a mortal wound failed to kill, the life-saving power of Bonding was inadvertently discovered. The time-stopping yell that followed would have been fairly standard for the Justice sect -- had it not come from the Archangel's partner instead. In the course of a few hours the news was spread: the true power lie in Bonds, and every available Elysian and Sheolfolk needed one *now*.

Within the course of several years, the Homini were rapidly farmed for potential Bonds, either forcibly put into one using a blood ritual or kept hostage at guarded cities, only allowed fuller rights when Bonded. With their partners in tow the Elysians and Sheolfolk were at it again, trying to leverage the lines of war with the blood of the Bonded. Pairs were examined, documented, tested for strength and control, trained to share power and fight together. Unwilling to be reared for Bonding, whole communities of Homini fought back to escape and fled far away, building walled cities and shackling the skies with barbed wire, keeping archers at the walls to shoot down any approaching Elysian or Sheolfolk in search of unBonded Homini.

Tall white cities grew from the hands of the Homini, Elysians fluttering overhead. The camps guarded by Sheolfolk were spoke of only in whisper. Only the free communities felt any kind of true independence.

A year ago, in the year 7220, the volcano beneath Sheol erupted and filled the lower tunnels with ash, poisonous gas, and lava, forcing its inhabitants to take to the higher Underdark or to the free air of the Surface.

At the same time, there was a scream so loud it was heard by all, and Elysium fell from the open sky, larger stretches of island slowing to hover a few miles above the Surface, the rest crash landing into the earth. The smoke cleared and the people of Asphodel gained enough sense to take stock of their situation, only to discover -- Elodi and Ahriman had disappeared.

By definition the Elysians were entrusted with duty: they were meant to conquer the Sheolfolk and take domination over the earth, spreading Elodi's virtue. The Sheolfolk were born with a single task: slaughter the Elysians and prove Ahriman's greater powers.

But with the disappearance of their makers, both Sheolfolk and Elysians have dramatically decreased in power and vitality. Their bodies have developed a generic form of von Willebrand disease, their marrow is thin and their bodies weak; both sides are unfit for the great wars of yesteryears. The droves of Archangels and Generals have disappeared; without their gods to support them, each sect is capable of producing only one leader at a time, a person endowed with the great powers of their sect but frailer than they were ever meant to be.

Each month that passes, Sheolfolk and Elysians alike grow weaker, their numbers dwindling as death takes their cursed bodies. The victory of a god would bring life and healing to the deity's followers, so it is told. Weak but desperate, each side seeks to fulfill their ancient responsibility.

## Important Concepts

### ***Character Limits***

* No more than two Generals and/or Archangels per player, unless there's an opening and no one else wants it, at which point a player may take on a third.

### ***The Classic "Special Powers" Trope Used in this RP***

Homini have no inherent special abilities. Sheolfolk and Elysians did at one point, a few biological abilities such as pressurized lungs for flight, more efficient body heat management, cold resistance (Elysians), thicker, heat resistant skin and competent night vision (Sheolfolk), and hasty physical regeneration, disease resistance, increased vitality, and immortality (both) but with the fall of their gods they have lost everything but the immortality. So people reminiscing about "back in my day" have reason to be upset.

There was a point in the past where the Archangels would band together to combine their powers, but how it was done is knowledge lost in the Sundering. Ancient Elysians might know, however. Theoretically, the Generals can achieve similar power by banding together, but that would require cooperation -- something very difficult, seeing as how Vice sects have been isolated since the beginning.

* **Primary Abilities:** The trademark abilities of a Vice/Virtue. Control can be earned through sufficient practice, but an Archangel/General will not struggle with their powers as much as a new follower of Vice/Virtue. Power also scales with how firmly a follower is invested in their Vice/Virtue. Someone only weakly invested will be able to do very little; a person selling themself to it will find much more power in exchange.
* **Presence Effects:** Passive abilities that are seen at their strongest and most effective in an Archangel or General, who are emanating their Presence Effects constantly. They are virtually uncontrollable and operate while a follower of a Vice or Virtue is conscious (so no funny stuff while sleeping or blacked out).

### ***Not Quite Catholicism: Vices and Virtues***

* In order for a person to gain the powers associated with a Vice or Virtue, they have to dedicate themselves to becoming more and more like their Vice/Virtue of choice.
	+ At first, actions will cut it and repeated behavior that falls in line with a specific Vice or Virtue will further them into it, so long as that's where they're trying to go.
		- For example, being Charitable when you're really trying to be Diligent doesn't get you anywhere.
	+ But as a character is getting to the point of true power, actions are not as important as mindset, thoughts, and priorities.
		- e.g. if a character is starting to exemplify Lust in their personality and desires, they're capacity to use their abilities is stronger, more controlled and fluid.

* As a Sheolfolk pursues a Vice, they gain more abilities that align with their Vice of choice; it's the same with Elysians and Virtues.
* Statistically and culturally speaking, each race generally sticks to its side when it comes to what alignment to take.
	+ However, **where there are RPers there are exceptions.**
	+ So a Sheolfolk could pursue a Virtue, an Elysian could pursue a Vice, and a Homini could go either way.

* There is a biological edge to moral stances in this RP: Sheolfolk are naturally pulled towards Vices and would struggle more to be Virtuous; likewise with Elysians, they would struggle to hold a Vice.
* Since they contain facets of both Elodi and Ahriman, the Homini are morally neutral and can do whatever they want, except because they're not really pulled either way, they've got to try harder. (Go big or go *home,* Homini.)
* Being of a Vice or Virtue is more than just having power; it also has to do with one's alignment, or which god they follow, since their powers are being drawn from a specific deity. Good and evil function more or less as sinkholes here in Asphodel; whether you knew about the gods originally, mucking spiritually in their arenas puts you in their respective courts.

### ***Bonding***

* A Bond is the mutual, blood-born tie between an Elysian/Sheolfolk to a Homini.
	+ Upon Bonding, the Homini takes on weaker versions of their Bonded partners abilities that they can use whether or not their partner is there. Their abilities grow stronger the closer their relationship is with their partner, and the physically closer they are. A Homini, however, cannot outstrip their partner in power. Their bodies stop aging and regenerate faster.
	+ In return, the Elysian or Sheolfolk has increased vitality and resistance to negative powers, quickened physical regeneration (to a little faster than irl physical regeneration, so now they won't die if harmed), and an incapacity to die so long as their partner is still alive. Their abilities weaken, as they are being shared with their Bonded partner.
* Bonding is essential to the success of the Elysians or Sheolfolk for several important reasons:
	1. The Elysians and Sheolfolk were created equal in power, just like Elodi and Ahriman. They cannot defeat each other on their own.
	2. With the loss of their gods, the Elysians and Sheolfolk are very physically weak. Even minor injuries are potentially fatal.
	3. A Bond strengthens both people involved.
	4. A Bond can stall an Elysian or Sheolfolk's death with the life of their partner.

* One notable downside to having a Bond is that, for whoever is pursuing a Vice or Virtue, they can't gain true power unless their Bonded partner is also pursuing it. Achievement of power in this way requires two people, not just one.

### ***Destiny***

* Without the action of the god's followers, the gods cannot win their war against each other, and the world of Asphodel is left in its abandoned state without a higher spiritual force to influence it. This is not necessarily a bad thing for the planet itself (beyond weakened earth, weakened animals, less vitality all around), but the Elysians and Sheolfolk obviously have a higher stake in it, seeing as how their gods were also the source of their immortality and power and it's slowly killing them to be without them.
* The longer the Elysians and Sheolfolk go without their gods, the weaker their powers and they as a race become.
* In a sense, **Elodi and Ahrihman are destined to be defended or killed.** There is no way around this. Who is killed, and by who, is player decided.

### ***The Hemoglobin Spectrum***

An easy way for everyone to understand where they fall in terms of their goodness or evil is to look at their blood color. In all races, their blood color alters as they pursue a Vice/Virtue.

Virtuous Hemoglobin SpectrumUnaffiliated Blood ColorVice Hemoglobin Spectrum
## The Players (Second Iteration)

*Players and their characters are listed in order of acceptance.*

* **Ghoulerie** as Sathariel, Zuriel, Beelzebub, Belial, Luka, and Malleville.
* **Fix-It** as Molech and Skelly.
* **Captain Whitehawk** as Jehudiel, Belgael, Ahsa Bakir, Nereida Dorean, Ariel, Morgan, Z, and Lucianus.
* **Omni** as Elimi, Mammon, and Ancelle IV de Hastance.
* **WritingBookworm** as Calista Lovelock, Asmodeus, and Delilah Ashwell.
* **Comrade Squid** as Lucifer, Behemoth, Petra Kappel, Idriel, and Oberiel.
* **Sal** as Sariel and Annalise Fortuna.
* **Lady Senbonzakura** as Florizel, Aquila Ueno, and Imperiel.
* **Athena Lionheart** as Asutiel.
* **~Dylan Battle~** as Sanctus "Sansa" Hellsing, Lady Love, Sunona, and Azalon (Azazel), Amery Vinkielle, and Lilith Santanus.
* **Adrian** as Leviathan (Levi, or Diatar Rapta Coma), Namrael, Shayel Chaikin, and Bhadrael Gulikan.
* **Michael Deathflame** as Katya Faun.
* **Zenmetsu** as Yvel, Dei, Ena, and Yang.
* **Acheron** as Emmanuel, Alucard, Scheherazade, and Raziel.
* **The\_Broker** as Dr. Isoc Gate and Dr. Bria.

## The Players (First Iteration)

*Players and their characters are listed in order of acceptance.*

* **Captain Whitehawk** as Belgael, Matthew Hollis, Nerieda Dorean, Jehudiel, Scipio Puck, and Ahsa.
* **WritingBookworm** as Evangel, Asmodeus, Calista Lovelock, and Delilah Ashwell.
* **Athena Lionheart** as Asutiel, Faidael, and Odelle Galanis.
* **OrganicEvil** as Elimi and Levi.
* **Katt\_Nexus** as Artos Polemistis, Phoenix Polemistis, Lucifer, Yaafis bar Yaasif, Cryos Drumond, Jace Shtern, and Ezekiel bar Adriel
* **Salphirix** as Sariel and Annalise Fortuna.
* **Corgi800** as Mauriel.
* **Acheron** as Talavernel and Ashallayn’ Darkmyr Tallyn.
* **Michael Deathflame** as Katya Faun.
* **Hyphenstein** as Mammon (Vulpes Inculta), Conrad B. Curse, Alphonse Landa, Council Member Bohemond III.
* **Wishie** as Nyhriel,
* **Ghoul** as Sathariel, Zuriel, Beelzebub, and Belial.
* **Fix-It** as Molech.