The Book of Unification

The Book of Unification (Plotsys ID: -1)
Summary
Within the pages of a long lost tome lies a test created by Shiori, a past incarnation of Mizuki who has thus far been shown to pursue inscrutable goals and capricious whims that have nearly killed the present Mizuki many times over. The test presents itself as a 'trial of humanity' -- an opportunity for people to prove the worth of the Human Spirit. A whole world full of souls hangs in the balance, or so it would seem. Whether or not these are truly people, or their world any more than the stuff of fairy tales remains to be seen. One thing is certain though: Mizuki is going to see this through, alongside anyone willing to follow her through the pages. All but a dream within a dream, a narrative bound in The Book of Unification.
Base Info
TP Scale:	Major
TP Runner(s):	183
Attached Theme:	Transience-1
Other Contacts:
Target Audience:	Any willing participants.
Genre & Tone:	Investigative Adventure with Some Dark/Surreal Elements

Events So Far

[11/1/2015]

Mizuki first encounters The Book of Unification.

[11/19/2015]

Mizuki invites Arthur Lowell to meet Omelas' Wardens. (Log: 'The Collapse')

(12/4/2015) - (12/5/2015)

The guardians of the world have been contacted. Omelas now awaits its birth, or rebirth as it were. (Log: 'The Fourth One')

[12/6/2015]

Mizuki has a brief talk with Riva about some of the events to come. (Log: River of Reverie)

(12/19/2015)

The world of Omelas is born, and subsequently, many of its machinations are explained in detail by the Masked Woman and her young companion. (Note: This log is a very informative read for those seeking to become involved in the TP, though most relevant information is placed toward the end of the log, after the crazy code extension. You will know it when you see it. The log itself is listed as 'Resurrection and Rebirth'.)

Note: Main scenario events have dates encased in parenthesis (). Non-critical, 'side' events and events not represented by scenes have dates contained in brackets [].

Logs

Title	Date	Scene Summary
The Collapse	November 19th, 2015	Arthur gets a first glimpse at The Collapse, the bridge world between Omelas and The Quiet World.
The Fourth One	December 4th, 2015	An initial examination of The Book of Unification.
River of Reverie	December 6th, 2015	Mizuki invites Riva over for a spot of conversation.
Resurrection and Rebirth	December 19th, 2015	Wherein a group of unionites deliberately create, then subsequently walk into, Omelas.
Eridine	January 3rd, 2016	An initial exploration of the nearest city in Omelas.

Cutscenes

Title	Date	Scene Summary
No logs submitted yet.

The Theme in Which the TP Takes Place

To pre-empt any misunderstanding on the matter, this plot does not technically take place within the theme to which Mizuki belongs (Transcience-1), but instead a theme that was created solely for this TP (Permanence-1). The themelisting for this setting is as follows:

Come here, child, and let me share with you the story of this world. The world where I lived.

I know today you see bleak hills whose tawny ryes stand frozen in place, but once upon a time, they moved with an unseen force - a breeze - that felt the sweetest kiss on a warm day. Yes, there was once a world blessed by God where the waters you know to be stagnant ran in grand rivers that split whole nations in twain, and glorious winged beasts soared across the skies. It was a world of plenty where food could grow from the ground without the aid of magic and machine. Truly, you might have called it paradise.

Alas, in the span of a mere decade it's as though all that had never existed. Peoples' lips seem to have locked into scowls just as the sweet wisp of nature's breath has woven her own mouth shut. Nothing moves nowadays. Those statues you see laying about in the ruins of houses and scattered around parks were once things called 'dogs' and 'cats' -- pets that gave joy to children and affection to their human masters. They've gone the way of the seasons, though, and they move no more. As much as we may lay our palms upon their heads, they can do nothing to greet us. True, there can be no greater proof that God has forsaken us. Ah, you say 'why'? Well, heaven knows why -- but the Varsal says it's because humanity has done some awful wrong it may never right.

But that isn't the way things have to stay, no. The Watchtower tells you that, one day, they'll make a machine that'll spark the heart of the world to life again so that we can go on without all things holy. Oh, and the monsters -- the monsters say that it'll all be alright if we just become like them. Monsters were beings born to live in a world like this, so if we can all become monsters, sure we'd all be fine.

Don't like those answers, though, do you? Well, there is one more choice: the Virtues. You'll hear the missionaries spreading tales far and wide about Levacine, the idol of Succor, or Sonucine of sweet Justice. Yes, there are seven virtues, child; seven hearts that we used to keep close in the old world. Justice, Succor, Wisdom, Ambition, Curiosity, Novelty, and Courage... all the human things God most loved. The archbishop and all his voices say that if we just keep those ideas in, if we just have faith, one day everything'll go back to normal. And wouldn't that be nice? One day, God decides that he was wrong, and that we deserve the blessing of time's flow again. Yes, wouldn't that just be grand?

Though I suppose I won't live to see that day; no, even if I'm not getting any older, I'm not getting any younger either. One day the desperation of this place'll take me, but there's still you, child. It may not be the fairest thing, but you'll have to bear the torch for us. Carry it with you until you reach the brazier of the sun where you can light it for all us again. Carry it with you until you can hear the churning of the waves against the shore and the gingerly sound of wind chimes tinkling in the Spring. Live on until you can see the blossoms blooming again, and the turn of this neverending Autumn to Winter at last...

Live for me. Live, and bring hope back to this empty world.

I'm counting on you, child.

A less narrative, more straightforward themelisting can be found in 'Omelas', a subsection of Mizuki's virtual room 'The Quiet World'. You can usually access this room by typing +join Mizuki on the MUSH and navigating to the room from the starting area.

Aspects of In-Theme Personalization

The Virtues

The founding principles upon which the world of Omelas was initially conceived, and which visitors to the world may draw from to empower themselves. TP participants are encouraged to choose a Virtue OOCly to represent their character -- this will help shape their interactions with the world and provide direction for their individual character development through the course of things. The virtues available are:

JUSTICE, referred to within the theme as SONUCINE, pertains chiefly to one's sense of right and wrong. It is the simplest of the seven virtues to use for martial ends and its most commonly seen application is standard-fare, RPG 'bolt magic'. Given this, people who prioritize this aspect are often the ones capable of the strongest AoE magic spells, or in more direct combat, the greatest strength-enhancing abilities. Players who OOCly select justice as their moral aspect will have an edge in confrontations against ill-intentioned enemies and may have more sway in discussion with people who venerate the same/associated moral aspect(s).

SUCCOR, referred to within the theme as LEVACINE, is the virtue of kindness, generosity, and relief. It typically incarnates as healing magic, and those who prioritize this moral aspect tend to become the world's most renowned healers, counselors, or even clergy. Those who venerate this aspect over all else may be given opportunities to save the lives of those who would otherwise surely die, or to help ease the more abstract, psychological wounds of certain NPCs. Their native talents will also be enhanced when they are attempting to heal or defend someone directly.

WISDOM, referred to within the theme as HELIOCINE, is the virtue of intellect. It is venerated by scholars, teachers, philosophers, and many others, and it is often closely associated with the virtues of Curiosity and Novelty. Extremely adept followers of this aspect tend to be able to use the broadest range of abilities such that they will have a slight advantage in all situations to make up for their lack of raw strength. In RP, this will typically be represented with more opportunities to learn about the setting: NPCs will be more forthcoming with lore or scientific information in the presence of prioritizing PCs which may eventually be helpful to the larger group. Additionally, where there are riddles posed to the group at the end of a scene, additional hints will be given to those who defer to Wisdom.

AMBITION, referred to within the theme as METACINE, is the virtue of wherewithal, zeal, and perseverance in a psychological context. Those who prioritize this aspect tend to be seen as headstrong, boisterous, fiery, or simply emotional, but also extremely loyal and successful. Those with incredible focus in the area of ambition are able to impress their will upon others more easily, sometimes through direct mental suggestion or more passively through a sort of innate charisma. Those who choose this aspect will be generally more successful in verbal exchanges of consequence, especially those involving cynical characters and others whom Justice would not apply to. They may also be endowed with greater endurance during critical fights.

CURIOSITY, referred to within the theme as CASUCINE, is the virtue that seeks Novelty. It is less focused than Wisdom in that it does not seek information for a purpose so much as it constitutes experience for the simple joy of knowing. Those who fixate on this virtue tend to be seen as young hearts well into the twilight of their lives; flexible, open-minded, and warm are traits that apply to them continually. Those elites who subscribe to this virtue over all others will have the opportunity to find otherwise hidden chambers in ruins, to locate lost relics they might adopt as +advantages, and to uncover more information that may be used by themselves and other Elites in RP. This virtue may even uncover extra riddles or lost locations, either of which would justify 'bonus' scenes that clarify more esoteric elements of the theme.

NOVELTY, referred to within the theme as INSOLICINE, is the virtue of newness, creation, epiphany, and innocence. Children are said to have 'eyes glazed by the spirit of Insolicine' whilst revered painters, musicians, writers, and even architects are said to have an abundance of the virtue within themselves. Those notably close to the virtue tend to have exceptional talent in some artistic pursuit or to be unusually inventive in their field; say, Einstein would have been close to Novelty within the area of Physics. Some rare subjects are able to use novelty instead to create entirely new things out of thin air through their will alone. In RP Novelty has more unpredictable effects, but in general characters who select this aspect will have chances to explore and discover new places as in Curiosity, to come up with plans that other players will follow, or even to help create new concepts and inventions that will solve the most confounding issues of the setting.

COURAGE, referred to within the theme as FORTICINE, is not only the ability to be without fear, but also to stay true to all of the virtues in times of strife. Many knights are jointly dedicated to the aspects of Sonucine and Forticine, and while many adherents of this aspect are seen as stoic or unfeeling, they are nevertheless as loyal as those who hold fast to Ambition in their friendships and disciplined enough that they make phenomenal warriors. Spells conjured in this aspect tend to heal or bolster the defenses of themselves and their allies. In RP, those who select Courage will often be given opportunities to save the lives of plot-relevant NPCs as in Succor, to 'take point' in exploration scenes, or to land the first blow in consequential battles.

Other Aspects of In-Theme Personalization

All first time participants in the TP are welcomed to contribute one significant plot element to the world in which the TP takes place. This contribution can incarnate as almost anything within the bounds of reason so long as it makes an effort to conform to what one can observe of the plot's tone and to fit the details set out in the theme description. These contributions can, for example, be NPCs that reflect some aspect of your character's personality, locations reminiscent of those dear to your character, or even small-scale organization on a specific mission within the setting. One may not, however, contribute large-scale factions or new Virtues to the setting as these are predetermined. Sorry.

Additionally, one may elect to have a short, 3-5 scene miniature story that branches off of the main plot. These are intended to add another dimension to one's personal connection with the setting/TP as well as to provide more opportunities for character development. The completion of a personal story would instigate some significant, large-scale change in the main setting that is somehow related to the development your character achieves.

Opting-In to Any Aspects of Personalization

In order to opt-in to the first two facets of the TP, please send the 'Mizuki' charbit an @mail detailing the following: your desired virtue, and some information regarding what you wish for your contribution to be. The latter can be anything from several paragraphs of discourse to a simple bulleted list, so the detail and complexity you wish to incorporate is entirely up to you. Please bear in mind, though, that your contribution may be rejected if it conflicts with the tone or details of the setting.

In order to opt-in to the third facet, please send an @mail separate from the previous detailing: your preferred narrative tone, how many people you wish to regularly involve in your story scenes, and what development you wish for your character to achieve through completing the story.

You can opt-in to any one of these facets separately from the others, but it is again strongly recommended that you select a Virtue to associate your character with before doing anything else.

Factions

Pending.

The Holy Varsal

Pending.

The Watchtower

Pending.

The Consortium of Hands

Pending.

Characters

Core NPCs

CHLOE BELROSE: A young girl recently taken into the protective care of Hestia Mansfield. Though presently suffering from a bout of crippling amnesia that left her with little else beyond a name to go on, she seems just as determined as he does to meet with God. Though she isn't entirely sure of the 'why', she is absolutely convinced that such a meeting would be the catalyst that would allow her to recover her memories, making her just as determined if not moreso than the others in her company to accomplish her mission. She lacks any combative capability, but her close ties to the moral aspects of Wisdom and Curiosity give her a unique ability to see visions or to hear voices of the past when they might be helpful in a given location or situation. (PL: N/A)

HESTIA MANSFIELD: The bishop and theocratic advisor assigned to the principality of Eridine. He is a soft-spoken and sometimes reclusive man, but nevertheless one who seems to care deeply for his missionary's well-being and the well-being of the citizens in his care. This warm attitude has made him rather popular with the masses, meaning that he oft has the aid of the local militia to count on in addition to his own powers. When he must stand on his own, though, he does so with a not entirely modest mixture of traditional, stationary casting spells in various moral aspects, chiefly in the aspect of Courage (buffing). When he must, he can engage in direct combat with a combination of mace and shield. (PL: 27; associated soldiers can be up to PL 19 en masse.)

E. JUNO FORSCYTHE: A brown-haired, quiet man with a serious demeanor and a prosthetic right arm. Though clearly well-intentioned, he can still be a bit shady, especially since he believes the Heaven's Legion are out to execute him. In combat he wields a flintlock in his left hand whilst he 'borrows' the magical abilities of adversaries with the opposite, effectively absorbing attacks with his arm and sending back watered down iterations of these moves afterward. Curiously, his right hand is also capable of inciting various, small-scale chemical reactions on the fly, such as making water from oxygen via forced bonding and breaking. This allows him to shoot powerful torrents of water, streams of fire, lithified 'cannonballs', et cetera from his palm in the middle of fights. He has no chief virtue. (PL: 32. Borrowing of others' abilities is subject to consent.)

SHIORI: Colloquially known as 'Nega-Mizuki', Shiori in the context of this TP is an iteration of Mizuki who distanced herself from her friends, choosing instead to pursue her goal of assimilating all worlds with her own dream realm. She is callous, presumptuous, and guarded to a fault, though there may still be some way of getting through to her... if anyone is willing to try. If her abilities differ at all from the normal Mizuki's, they are as-of-yet unknown.

EMILY: A young girl with platinum-blond hair who has a particular affinity for artistry. She has a terribly sporadic memory that can cause her drawings to fluctuate in quality from what might be considered 'professional' to something more 'preschool' in nature, leaving a great many sketches forgotten and half-finished. Likewise, she sometimes speaks with a smattering of polysyllabic phrases far in excess of what a girl her age could be expected to know before forgetting them all entirely and becoming rather tongue-tied. For all intents and purposes she is the Masked Woman's aide.

MASKED WOMAN: A very relaxed (if somewhat crass) woman who serves as a guide for those wishing to explore Omelas. She seems to possess a bevy of information regarding the natural world - about the machinations of its magic, the Virtues, and God - but she seems to know less about the politics, cultures, and settlements actually extant on the world's surface. To some she may be a bit enigmatic, but to those who have already discerned her true identity, she's actually quite lax. It's clear that she views her 'occupation' with not-so-mild degrees of disdain.

Noncore and Minor NPCs

Pending.

The Essences

Pending.