[Level 0 - Ashes To Ashes, Dust To Dust]
Day - 0
Eima
''Awaken.''
The echo of a single voice resounded in her mind, almost as if she'd been summoned from the darkest, dankest void. The girl batted her eyelashes while she woke, squinting her eyes to simply survey her surroundings.
Darkness.
Everything around her was licked in darkness, no light pierced overhead, no clouds in the sky, no leads to go by, everything was just blackness.
'Where is the sun? Where am I? Am I alone?' Questions continued to pile on her mind.
For some reason, breathing itself became tedious for her. She felt around in the dark and came to the conclusion that she was lying on her backside, trapped inside a rectangular box of some kind. It was fashioned of some kind of stone, but with the darkness she couldn't confirm anything. To her it felt as if the box stretched out endlessly.
From the very core of her body panic rises, she flailed, kicked and smashed, only to meet the confining grasp of rock on her arms and legs. Pain in her limbs shot through her. Her body began to burn, sweat dripping from every pore on her back, with every breath she took she felt more and more as if she was suffocating slowly.
''Let me out! Let me out!''
But nobody came. The only thing that responded was her own voice echoing back into her mind. 'Let me out! Let me out! LET ME OUT!'
She could only barely suppress the urge to scream by biting hard into her own thumb. The pain brought some sort clarity in her muddled mind. The girl concluded that she had to act fast, or else panic would take over once again. Bracing her feet against the top of the box, she pushed upward as hard as she could.
The stone ceiling started to shift beneath the pressure and hopeful thought filled the girl's head, whilst she tried to shift the slab of stone away. Sand started spilling from the opening, submerging her face. In shock she banged her head against stone, her brain nearly jumped out of her skull. The girl coughed and squinted her eyes in reflex, but sand managed to slip in. Her eyes stung, burned and itched. The girl tried to plug the hole she made but found resistance in her body as the panic sets in once more.
She screamed while sand entered mouth, the fear of death was the only thing on her mind as the taste of dry sand assaulted her brain. She started to resign, she found herself in a situation she couldn't escape from after all. For some reason these thoughts and questions are disliked by her own way of perception.
'Why?'
Then the stone slab was forced away, the steady stream of sand that was burying her was no more. The stale air was gone, replaced by the smell of earth and.. Sand. She saw numerous people around her, five.. Seven.. No, twelve in total including herself. The girl coughed and spat the sand out of her lungs, subtly eyeing the people around her.
Most of them were dressed in large hooded robes that only revealed the shape of their bodies, two of them had something strapped to their backs. They expressed a mixture of concern and relief on their faces. It was only now that the girl noticed the dark sky above her, it was painted with stars as far as vision allowed her to see, somehow she knew that something like this was very uncommon.
A crimson crescent moon hung above; illuminating everything in a dim reddish glow. A single glance at it made her mouth drop in awe.
One of the people jumped down from their elevated position and reached out a hand to the girl, she clasped it and let the person tug her upright. While she was in motion, she noted that she had weird markings on her wrists.
'A Tattoo,' The term sounded very unfamiliar in her mind.
She was greeted with a smile by the adolescent that pulled her to her feet. He had short, combed back hair that was bleached blond on the sides, leaving the middle with a dull brown. His chin decorated with a tuft of brown mane.
''Are you all right?'' He said, a tinge of worry spread across his face.
The girl paused, she faced the youth and she felt the urge to gouge the boy's eyes out, almost as if she knew who he was. Just like snow in the summer, it was gone in a flask. Leaving her with a confused and fearful expression on her features.
''Hey..'' The youth gave her a shake.
Suppressing the emotion she felt, she answered. ''I'm okay, despite the sand dessert.''
A chuckle escaped his lips. ''Oh. I get it, cause were in the desert. Heh, Puns..'' He glanced around at the others that surrounded them. ''Well.. Then let's get you out of this sand coffin,'' Deftly, he hoisted himself upwards and pulled the girl out of the coffin with the help of several other.
She thanked them and they returned in kind with modesty. There were so many questions swirling in her mind, 'Where were we? Who were these people? Why am I here?'
She started with the most logical one. ''Where are we?''
The boy's smile faded, and the other garbed people turned grim. ''We're in Grimgar.. But to be more specific, we're several miles out of the city of Azanaar.''
''Grimgar? Azanaar?'' The girl repeated incredulously.
The youth didn't grace her with further explanation. ''So what's your name, Skyscraper?''
'Skyscraper?' Only then did she realize that she towered at least a head over the other boy. That remark however made her feel like she wanted punch his teeth in, but why?
''It's..'' Her name, was blur. She felt that she could recall it, but everything surrounding her name, surrounding her identity, friends, family, associates and experiences were blank. ''I think.. It's Eima, Eima Yakasha,'' The words roll off of her tongue with a shudder.
''You too, huh,'' He mumbled, his eyebrows crooked. ''I'm Aitarou Innunaki. Oh and happy birthday.''
Eima felt a queer rage bubbling inside her stomach after hearing the name Innunaki. The girl felt like punching herself for flooding her with all these unfamiliar feelings and sensations. How was she supposed to act on them?
''Happy Birthday?''
Aitarou smirked, ''All of us, well except Spaelorr and Asterisk,'' He gestured at the older man and woman, who were the only ones with.. Swords strapped to their backs. ''All of us were sleeping inside these coffins until they found us. So I decided that since no one knew anything about themselves other than their names, that this would be our collective birthday.''
Every time she saw him smirk, the urge to hurt Aitarou grew twice fold. She turned her attention on to his words however.
Eima eyed her robed companions. ''So all of you know nothing of yourselves?''
All them confirmed Aitarou's story in one way or another, which ticked off the ''Skyscraper'' even further. ''What are we supposed to do now..?''
''We can present you all with an option for survival.'' The elder man, Spaelorr announced firmly.
Everyone turned to him, bickering and gossiping rowdily among themselves, trying to make their own plans or draw their own conclusions. Eima stood next to Aitarou when the woman, Asterisk, stepped in front of the crowd with plentiful swagger.
'Bleh..' Eima thought.
Asterisk brushed her long locks behind her ears. ''We can give you a starting income, a job and even a place to stay if you wish to make use of that.''
The woman's voice rends the air. ''Only if you'll join Azanaar's Borderland Reserve Force, Black Desert.''
''And if we refuse?'' Eima heard herself call out. Murmurs of distress resound within the crowd of people.
''Well, Little Miss Mountain. Consider your lives forfeit, either by my hand. Or..'' She extends her arms with a Cheshire smile, gesturing dark desert behind her.
''You always can join the others, you know the unlucky ones,'' Asterisk unsheathed her sword pointing at another crater just past the one Eima rose from.
The faces of people in the crowd went dark, gasps of dismay and terror were numerous among their robed forms. Yet, Eima remained skeptical, it was as if she was quite used to being intimidated by people, whoever she was before she certainly led quite a life.
Testing the woman's mettle she stepped out of the crowd in order to check the spot for herself. Aitarou jogged towards her urging her to not look, but Eima wasn't in the mood for his pleas, whimpers and bullshit and brushed him off.
In the crater she met corpses.. Human corpses thrown atop of another as if it were nothing but mere human waste..
Some of them were recently deceased, others were already decomposing and their stench was quickly taking to the skies. Bugs littered it, consuming flesh for sustenance. The sight of it caused Eima to drop to her knees and hurl. Tears and bile stained her face, she simply asked.
''Why?!''
Asterisk beamed brighter than the sun. ''Happy birthday, Little Miss Mountain. Now, what shall it be?''
Notes
Hello and most of all, welcome to my first (and most likely last) SYOC.
First off, I'll do everything in my writing ability to make this entire journey of a story as enjoyable as possible. That said, I'm quite a slow writer, then there is also the fact that this story also ranks pretty low in my priority list. So there might be times where this story remains stagnant for a long period of time. But I'll never abandon one, it eats away at me after all.
So in this zero chapter I introduced one of the main cast members, Little Miss Mountain, Eima (she's not THE main character, just one of them) along with several key characters in the story. As the story progresses I'll unveil more and more of Black Desert's Reserve force and how they differ from the canon's Crimson Moon's Reserve Force. For the people unfamiliar to Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, I really recommend either reading the original novel or to watch the anime variant.
The story will at best reference events and characters that had a role in the canon story line but it won't ever cross into canon.
Also even if you're character gets accepted for a main role or a minor one I might not actually introduce them immediately. I intend to build towards that slowly. So even if you're character is not mentioned in the first chapter or the second, he/she/they will make an appearance sooner or later.
Beside that there is also the fact that all OC's will experience a similar fate, just like Eima. They will have no memories of their history before Grimgar and act just how they did before Grimgar, but without knowing why they have a preference to act a certain way.
By the way, I won't hold your characters hostage if you chose to not review during the duration of the SYOC. But, it would be nice if you could mention if or what you liked or disliked from a chapter. It fosters motivation within me after all.
Finally, there might be a slight chance that I may like your character but already have another one planned to take one of the classes your character wanted applied for. You might receive a PM from me informing you of that change. If you wish to state your preference for the second class, please do so. It would be a waste to not include a character only because most people sent in too many Warriors, Mages or Ronins.
Try to keep an eye out in for eventual edits either here or in the ''Lucky Bastards'' section, until the first chapter is released.
The OC form is on my profile, copy and paste it to your liking. And finally, I wish you the very best of creating pleasure.
I'll hungrily await your ideas and characters,
- Gin-Ex-Machina
P.S: It isn't first come first serve here, at best I'll take about 2 weeks to a month to completely decide which characters are going to be part of the main cast.
Rules
1. Mary Sue/Gary Stu's are very forbidden in here. If you have the gall to make your character that 'perfect', I suggest you continue do that in an other SYOC.
2. Character applications through reviews are frowned upon and therefore not allowed, PM only. Just add your character's name in the subject along with SYOC in brackets and I should be able to find it easily.
3. All character applications must follow the form, (More information is certainly nice, but keep it in order please).
4. Please don't send in characters that already participated in an SYOC story. It becomes more fun for everyone, if the characters are unique and fresh and not the same cardboard cut-out over and over.
5. If I were to accept your character, I get to decide what becomes of them during the duration of the story (Suggestions are always appreciated though). I know everyone want their character to live, but some (most) must die. It's the nature of this particular series.
6. It's not so much a rule, but.. Characters that are not accepted might see their spotlight as background character or as replacement for a deceased member of the main group. Maybe you're lucky and your character might fall into this, if he/she does I'll let the creator know through PM. For that reason character submission will always remain open for these spots during whatever point in the story, depending on how strong the cast is one may immediately be introduced in their specialization instead of their base class.
7. Be descriptive, I don't want to see one-liners in the personality section or the history section. If you do this, be sure to expect that I won't put much effort in your application as well.
8. There can only be two people with same core class in the same party, no one would want a party full of squishy mages. That would end in a Total-Party Kill sooner or later (But they must have different specializations in the end, in order to prevent repetition regarding their abilities).
9. The world is set in medieval-like times, keep that in mind while designing attire for the character please.
10. Original and interesting characters have an advantage, keep that in mind. However, I try to have open mind as much as possible.
11. Max. 3 OC's per user. (I'm human too you all, I love to read all the wonderful ideas you have. But I'm still human)
12. Add the phrase, ''Gems are truly outrageous'' somewhere within the application. It showcases that you didn't just skim through the rules-section. I will dismiss your submission if you do not add this.
Class Descriptions
Warrior Class
Grimgar's bread and butter class. When the people think of the Reserve Forces, Warriors jump into the minds of everyone. Armed to the teeth with steel armor and heavy weaponry, these men and women of might are the corner stone of each and every party. They make for excellent tanks and damage dealers, but their biggest trade off stems from their greatest asset, their armor. Too cumbersome to move agilely, too much in danger when shit hits the fan. Traditionally these Warriors wield bastard swords, greatswords or axes in battle. One of the basics, but definitely not unneeded.
Everyone is warrior at heart somewhere.
''A true warrior's glory resides in battle.'' - The Berserker Swifthart, Warrior Guildmistress.
Known Specializations
Knight
A specialization that focuses on defending allies with a strong offense.
Paladin
A specialization that combines the healing prowess of a priest along with a warrior's vigor.
Berserker
A specialization that depends entirely on strength and power in exchange for your defenses.
Mage Class
Wisdom and knowledge, the very resources a Mage consumes everyday. Mages are user of the arcane arts, using predefined spells to create a specific magical effect. An aria needs to be chanted with a level-headed mind in order to produce magic. As such Mages require utmost concentration and protection in order to preform well. Generally Mages conduct their magic through staves or rods, but there are certain Mages who choose to wield bows as a self-defense measure when they are out Mana. The Mages are able to cast spells in five different categories, Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth and Shadow (illusions). A Mage trainee learns a variety of basic spells till the time of specialization arises. The Mage's biggest weakness lies in their dependency on a calm mind, their frail bodies and their own Mana pools, since without magic they are without use.
A true Mage is an eternal scholar.
''The meaning of life you ask? Why, to gather all knowledge there is, of course.'' - The Sage Herodin, Mage Guildmaster
Known Specializations
Sage
A specialization that focuses on the combined usage of offensive magic along with it's healing variant.
(Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth or General) Elementalist
The only specialization that adds even further specialization possibilities, be a lord of a single element and wield the rest below averagely or wield all of them averagely.
Thaumaturge
A specialization that draws it's strength from illusions and incapacitating enemies through disorientation magic and debuffing spells.
Priest Class
No party is ever complete or safe without the aid of a Priest by their side. The second of the two mandatory classes in every party, the Priest is what saves the parties time and again. Aided by healing and supportive magic, they're able to support the team at a medium distance. Traditionally Priests wield maces, staves or rods in combat, while they might never be in the front-line of combat, they have some combat skills to their disposal if things go south. The priest's obvious weakness is their dependency on others, to do their share of fighting for them. Something to note is that Priests have the lowest Class mortality rate in all of Grimgar, making it relatively safe Class for worrywarts.
You can't have a party without a Priest, but no one can be a Priest without a party.
''Cometh, my child. Let me heal your wounds and comfort your sorrows.'' - The Saint Zachariah, Priest Guildmaster.
Known Specializations
Battle Cleric
Weaker in combat than it's elder brother, the Paladin. Stronger in healing than it's younger sister, the Priest.
Saint
Capable of performing the strongest and most efficient healing magic in all of Grimgar. These Saints didn't earn their name for nothing.
Paladin
A specialization that combines the healing prowess of a Priest along with a Warrior's vigor.
Thief Class
Master of utility, stealth and dishonorable combat. Thieves hold indispensable value to parties that value discreetness, reconnaissance and unfair advantages. Armed with knives, shortswords or sickles they venture toward their enemy's back to slay or disable them. No class is able to provide so many extra advantages by simply having them near you. Though they take vows to never steal from their Reserve Force, Guild and Class colleague's, some might break their vows for their own gain. They preform averagely in one-on-one combat, many Thieves prefer not to do so due to having not enough protection other than the knife in their hands. Their greatest weakness lies in facing multiple opponents at once, if a thief can't escape, it would be their undoing.
The best enemy is a crippled one.
''Honor? Status? Power? Thieves are thieves, nothing changes our nature.'' - The Gambler Faker, Thief Guildmaster.
Known Specializations
Assassin
Sacrificing some their previous expertise, they gain only more killing strength and utility in return.
Gambler
A Thief who prays to Lady Luck for aid, they might even ace an miracle in return for their determination.
Scout
Now armed with a short-bow, these fleet-footed runners can unveil territories and save lives with that information.
Hunter Class
Cunning, self-reliant, perceptive and wise, these are the traits of an excellent Hunter. Hunters are the backbone of any ranged offensive maneuver, skilled with the bow they're able to fell any foe without even letting it come near them. While Hunters mostly prefer staying away from direct combat, they do carry knives or shortswords on them if the situation does arise. They function as great trackers and have good to great knowledge regarding herbs and are greatly loved by the animal kingdom, while being skilled in raising them. Hunters provide a wide variety of non-combat utility, and some even have the skill to spot enemy traps ahead of time. But despite being able to hold their own in close combat, a hunter should never be left there for too long.
You wish to survive? Bring your Hunter.
''I'm sorry, sir. The only thing we teach here is the art of living in a world that wants us dead.'' - The Beastlord Ynia, Hunter Guildmistress.
Known Specializations
Sniper
Hunters who forgo their close combat style entirely, in favor of a long-distance relationship with the enemy in order to aid the group.
Crossbowman
Embracing their close combat heritage, these Hunters actively seek the the thrill of being both in close range and mid range.
Beastlord
The herald of beasts, capable of taming even the wildest of wolves and lions to aid them for a variety of purposes.
Dark Knight Class
Rumored to be the strongest class Grimgar has to offer. Dark knights are known for their high damage output despite jumping in out of the enemy's attack range. Their high damage and relatively safe engaging and disengaging potential makes them a popular pick among various Reserve Forces. The biggest drawback of this class is that its growth is dependent on a exterior factor, namely Vices. These vices are mandatory to be collected for every Dark Knight in order to grow and learn new techniques. A traditional Dark Knight wields Longswords in battle, but there have been many spotted with axes, scimitars even bastard blades. They have a demonic companion which they can call upon if needed, this companion is tied to the Dark Knight's vices and needs them to grow stronger. Sadly, in the field the demon tend to put their own of wants and needs above its user's..
In the face of death everything is equal.
''You cannot prevent death, you can only stall it.'' - The Death Knight Vaancer, Dark Knight Guildmaster.
Known Specializations
Death Knight
With loads of Dark Knight vices accumulated, Death Knights gain untold powers over the darkness, their darkness reached a point of power so vast it can induce death itself.
Hellion
A Dark Knight that took on a similar path of the Deathless King, with their demons in tow they cause mayhem on their foes.
Blackguard
Similar to the Assassin, the shadows are their mantle. But direct combat are more their forté, with twin blades of the dark, they dance the dance of death.
Monk Class
Runner up to the rumored strongest class in Grimgar, and one of the two exclusive classes Azanaar has in their city walls. A monk's damage output simply outstanding with enough experience low level skills can become outright unstoppable. A monk mainly fights in close range with high evasive skill in order to balance out their outright lacking defenses. These fighters wear no steel, and practically stride naked in combat, the only thing that classifies as defense for them is evasion. Being limber and agile is a must since a single stab wound might mean death on battle. Next to their outstanding close combat skill, they also make use of their own life force to heal, bolster their bodies or to attack from a fixed range. Traditionally they wield either gauntlets, staves, claws or handknives in battle.
But often times, their hands and feet are the only things they need in order to fight.
''I'm not too big on teaching, I think broken bones teach much better lessons.'' - The Weaponmeister Asterisk, Monk Guildmistress.
Known Specialization
Grandmaster
A specialization that fosters the martial prowess of a Monk and brings it to unseen heights.
Weaponmeister
Once the master of bare-fisted combat, now the jack-of-all-weapons but naught a true master.
Oracle
A specialization that allows a monk to delve way further into their selves and unlock the true meaning of their Qi.
Fencer Class
A rather rare Class in Grimgar. Little is about the Fencer's way of combat other than what is being passed around by the fencer's allies. Even among other guilds the Fencer guild is extremely secretive about its arts and skills. It is rumored that wasting even a single word of the inner working of skills may cause the Guild to take measures of life-threatening magnitude against a member. Fencers are blade dancers who employ wide variety of offensive, defensive and supportive techniques to enhance their fighting potential and target enemy weaknesses. It is said the most experienced fencers never lost a one-on-one duel. Fencers traditionally go into battle with a rapier, estoc, cutlass or a longsword. Their weaknesses lie in the fact that their weapon types just can't do well in prolonged combat against other types, they are also useless without their weaponry in hand.
Never face a fencer alone..
''The way to win? Make your foes grovel.'' - The Mageslayer Hedera, Fencer Guildmistress.
Known Specializations
Sword Dancer
Dual wielding masters of the sword who are unrivaled in single combat, these experienced Fencers are able to win almost every duel.
Hexblade
Studying the way of magic bring opens new potential for the Fencers and imbues new weaknesses on the enemy.
Mageslayer
Armed with a ''Devourer'', known as a sword that drinks magic. These swashbucklers are the only thing that can stop magic entirely.
Evoker Class
There will be a time in one's life where they would struggle to call help, but find none of it. An Evoker won't ever face that problem. Surrounded by spirits and summoned beasts of the legends and myths of old. These strongly specialized mages won't ever fight their battles alone as they can call upon a wellspring of allies which suit the situation at hand. These allies do need quite some preparation to be summoned, blood is needed as an sacrifice. Therefore Evokers always carry some kind of knive on their person. Evokers remain quite uncommon in Grimgar, once plentiful at the beginning of the war with Deathless king but now reduced to few. They need their allies to guard their bodies as they prepare and initiate the summoning rituals.
Call upon your legion.
''All of us desire help at least once in of our lives.'' - The Druid Üruz, Evoker Guildmaster
Known Specializations
Summoner
Messengers to creatures of strength, can call upon legions or on the truly strong.
Druid
They pay the price of summoning, no longer in blood, but with their own body as a vessel for their summon's might.
Warden Class
A protector. What does it mean, some say that Warriors earn that title, but many say that it belongs to the Warden. The Warden could be seen as the Warrior's older more defensive twin. Clad in armor from head to toe, Wardens are the true wall of defense in all situations, where a Warrior would fall Wardens would stay strong. They wield as long and wide as themselves, and the truly great Wardens stride into battle with only a spear in hand, letting their bodies do the protecting. From the day one swears to be a Warden, they have a duty to save their allies and innocents above themselves. One could say that Wardens are the last heroes of old. Their major setback is the same thing that protects them, their code of honor, armor and shield. Too cumbersome to move in, too proud to let it go.
Wardens are heroes we need, but don't deserve.
''My only purpose is to defend life as we know it.'' - The Guardian Eddarth, Warden Guildmaster
Known Specializations
Guardian
Sworn Wardens who pledged to defend a single cause with their lives, their bodies and shields are as strong a fortress.
Drakengard
Taking in the their new patron, Ladon the Firebrand. These wardens gain defenses as strong as a dragon's.
Ronin Class
Nomadic in nature and wanders by heart, the Ronin combines their high mobility and speed (compared to Warriors and Wardens) with curved blades that eat away armor. They wear less armor in combat than the Warrior or Warden but significantly more than a Fencer or an Monk. A Ronin's damage output is also more inferior to Monks and Fencers. However a Ronin only wields curved blades known as a Wakizashi and a Shirasaya, that hold greater cutting and slicing potential than all other blades in Grimgar. They train vigorously until they are capable enough to wield a Katana, a magical blade that commands the spirit of wind. They are also the only known class beside Monks who can manipulate Qi. A Ronin lives with their blade till death, and they see their weapon as a valuable life partner. Azanaar holds Grimgar's last known Samurai, who knows the secret of forging a Katana.
Being a Ronin is facing and endless journey with your lover always by your side.
''Always seek a greater challenge, a greater purpose.'' - The Samurai Kenpachi, Ronin Guildmaster.
Known Specialization
Samurai
The true path of a Ronin, with a true-forged Katana in hand they wander the world seeking a true challenge to wetten their blades with blood.
Gadgeteer Class
Technology, Science. A term that recently came to life thanks the founder of the Gadgeteers Class, Barnabas Blayne. Not only did his work improve explosives as a whole, but they also created a whole new type of projectile weapon code named ''Persuader''. These Persuaders need to be loaded with metal pellets and can be shot from a medium sized distance. While still in it's prototype phase, it has shown tremendous armor piercing potential along with great stopping power. Gageteers engage in battle with these arms in hand, while very effective. They take a long time to prepare. Next to that they use explosive traps to thin the enemy numbers and coordinate their precious Persuader Ammunition wisely from the backlines. With no armor to protect themselves they depend fully on their allies to keep their foes away.
Let that savage creativity loose.
''Tinker, tinker, tinker~ Till you can't even pinker~'' - The Artificer Barnabas, Gadgeteer Guildmaster
Known Specialization
Artificer
An experienced Gadgeteer that found love in explosions, death and mayhem. Their improved traps and arms will leave their enemies sundered and dismembered.
The Lucky Bastards
1. Eima Yakasha - Female - [Gin-Ex-Machina]
2. Ushio Tachibana - Male - [DimensionBlade 1.2]
3. Loren Poulos - Male - [GRX3m0m]
4. Rui Hitsuga - Female - [SecondLast]
5. Amaya Isuke - Female - [ModernUtopia]
6. Lysen Uto - Male - [Variable Z]
7. Takashi Ozawa - Male - [Quake Shatterfist]
8. Hope Hakazei - Male - [TheBunnyMasterMind]
With this we've reached a full party. Let me remind you that anyone else is still able to send in characters for either minor roles or as replacements for deceased members. Yes, even the creator of said deceased character may make a new one in order to fill the void.
Thank you all for participating, I wish you the best of reading pleasure.