searching [OOC] The Æther Project

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Blitz Boom @Props Valroa @Kujamih

You know I am quite touched that you all are so engaged in keeping this going, or at least wanting to continue in the same universe.

Speaking of jumping forward 20 years to when the project prepares to land... I'm on board with that, I'll need to write up how the main characters and overall culture of the project has shifted, it will take me a few days to work that out, but I'm intrigued by the possibilities.

Which brings me to another point, that of Aurum/Nexus. We'll have to figure out what happened to her with respect to herself and the project. Consul Write is adamant that she receive NO special treatment beyond what is necessary to keep her race a secret. If he has his way, she'll grow up presenting herself as an especially gifted unicorn. No one other than those that know now will know that she is an alicorn.

But what ends up happening will depend on how she is brought up. Aurum for instance is opposed to being anything more than a unicorn, and will seek to make the enchantment that hides her wings permanent if not dissuaded. Nexus is the hollow shell of a pony who lives only to serve, is very impressionable, and willing to do anything asked of her by someone she respects. One decision is whether efforts will be made to suppress one in favor of the other, or if they will be encouraged to cohabitate, or even fully merge together, becoming Aurum Nexus (The combination of Aurum Arcana and Arcane Nexus, being the full names of the two personalities). Her friendships growing up will depend greatly on these personality decisions.

 

The final and most important decision is this, which world are we landing in?

In my cannon there are two end results to the Crisis. There is the world where Discord is not defeated by Illiad, instead being defeated by Twilight and co at the 25 year mark according to the events of Five Score Divided by Four, where civilization is reduced to the few remaining bastions plus the group of Equestrians turned human turned pony. Then there is the world where Discord was defeated by Illiad, and Illiad became an alicorn. This is the world explored by https://mlpforums.com/topic/180332-deep-science-1x1-with-blitz-boom/#comments and is a bit more hospitable. Much of the world has recovered from the Crisis and cities are already being rebuilt. This selection minimizes the interactions with the world of Five Score if you are unfamiliar with it.

 

[Props Valroa 25,973]

@Illiad Easle @Blitz Boom

My characters when I had them first join in this RP were honestly nothing more than a brain fart I thought up on a whim. I'm glad I was given a chance to fully flesh them and give them a lifespan in an RP that far exceeded any of my expectations.

I believe that Spiral would opt to see the two personalities merge together into one - as a way to remove any imbalances in her personalities. Though if Spiral were inclined to lean either way, she'd opt against Nexus's impressionable aspect. I'll have you know that Spiral, while being an Equestrian - absolutely detests the idea of monarchy and alicorn worship. Even in her previous life, she was a devious scheming mare who wanted to see them eliminated, if only for the change it'd bring. I think that Spectra's arc, going from a prideful fool filled with hubris - to something of an old soul who has moved, while not feeling any shame in what she did - as it is why she exists, that hubris.

I don't know anything about Five Score Divided By Four, but I am happy to learn about it. We could potentially make up our own world, a third take. My impression was that the Project would eventually escape to another dimension after Discord was defeated and start anew with a blank slate - with the Project serving as something akin to Noah's Ark, in a dimension where there are no civilizations, from the start, but eventually the characters go on to find other civilizations that are not Equine in nature.

I like the idea of them ending up on a habitable, living world, but one with unfamiliar wildlife and creatures. Something akin to an alien world though survivable. The ponies, being guests from another world have to make do with getting used to this unfamiliar environment. 

Here's an image of what I think what one of the landscapes could look like in this new world.



My proposal is this - we roleplay the part where they end up in the other world, so we get to experience it within the story, and then we skip ahead a while and see how the characters are doing after.

By the way, what did you think of my characters? How did I do in playing them?
 

[Evil Pink One 12,953]

....why not both?.... Can't decide? Do both.

[Evil Pink One 12,953]

Itd be fun if light returns though.... Underpowered and what not.

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@Illiad Easle @Props Valroa @Kujamih

If we're talking ages, current ages of mine are..

Briar, 25. So he'd be 45, though age doesn't show on him, the same it does others. Evergrown are not immortal, but they do not age, and if they are not killed in some way, or succumb to disease, tends to instead just eventually decide to return to the earth. They do so by burying themselves at the roots of their sacred trees, and let their bodies nourish it, while their consciousness are absorbed, along with their energy. It's a painless process, akin to simply sleeping in.

The decision to return, can come at age 20, 50, 120- It is different for each, but they do know when they believe it is their time, and most do not stay, for longer than 60-70 years. At least that is how it were, but the first generation of survivors, may well end up having to last for longer, before their work is done, and they can rest. Also because there is yet a tree, until the magical, chaos and nature-infused seed is planted.

Blitz is currently 13, so that would put her at 33 when the time have come. Spry and in her best age, with some modifications done, during to various lab accidents. Had to happen sooner or later that she'd end up blowing something off, as in their family, it's frankly unusual to be in pristine condition, at age 30.

Brittle is 16, and so would be 36. Or dead. I am not sure how long drones are meant to live? If they do not have the general lifespan of ponies, Briar would likely keep a memento of hers close, and keep her memory close in his heart. He may have presented himself as her ward most of the time, but she would be more akin to a daughter, and as time passed, he would openly refer to her as that.

Last is currently 24, and as such would be 44. Age would not have made her less intimidating of a presence, and after all this time, she would still carry the sword she got from Light, as it would be both strong, and a memento of someone she keeps up, as a symbol of self-sacrifice, for the greater good. Quite frankly, it will really mess with her head, if Light comes back. xD

As for what world to go for... Well, if we go with the war-torn one, there'd be more restrictions on where to go, as the are will be only a few places to go, until ground is won. That could well work though, and give them a completely fresh world to carve a path into. It would however, also be a point where we needed to see what bastions were left, and then what condition they were in.

If we go for the one we have referenced, Illiad, there will be some established to go with, with some minor towns and such around, that will have spread after the spawn got cut off. Though probably not a lot, and there'd be explorers/scavengers/thieves all over, trying to find and reclaim stuff to either sell, help in rebuilding, or see for the first time. Some would likely also seek artifacts of power. It'd be a thing with bastions of civilisation too, but also with a need for expanding, reclaiming, and rebuilding, into a world where the newest generations, know nothing of the vast, populated world that came before.

I'm game for either really. I can wiggle things around, to fit the narrative. Though if we do go with the second world, I will be using Null and Void too, albeit they'll not be glued together. If the first, I would still use Void. I have ze plans, you see. Mehehehe.

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Props Valroa @Kujamih @Blitz Boom

11 hours ago, Props Valroa said:

My characters when I had them first join in this RP were honestly nothing more than a brain fart I thought up on a whim. I'm glad I was given a chance to fully flesh them and give them a lifespan in an RP that far exceeded any of my expectations.

I'm glad to hear that! One of my primary goals in doing RPs has been to develop characters and worlds through exploration. Putting characters in situations that they wouldn't normally be in or that their creator hadn't considered helps to really flesh them out, whether their experiences are cannon or not.

11 hours ago, Props Valroa said:

I believe that Spiral would opt to see the two personalities merge together into one - as a way to remove any imbalances in her personalities. Though if Spiral were inclined to lean either way, she'd opt against Nexus's impressionable aspect. I'll have you know that Spiral, while being an Equestrian - absolutely detests the idea of monarchy and alicorn worship. Even in her previous life, she was a devious scheming mare who wanted to see them eliminated, if only for the change it'd bring. I think that Spectra's arc, going from a prideful fool filled with hubris - to something of an old soul who has moved, while not feeling any shame in what she did - as it is why she exists, that hubris.

That's fair, and the outcome that I was mostly hoping for with regards to the alicorn filly. Essentially Aurum is in control with Nexus existing within her like a voice (Or in an example Blitz will get, like how Null and Nine interact.) I imagine that there would be situations where Nexus might take control, Nexus was created as a defense for Aurum's trauma after all, but as she grows those moments would become less frequent.

11 hours ago, Props Valroa said:

I don't know anything about Five Score Divided By Four, but I am happy to learn about it.

Background information then:

I don't take the whole story of Five Score at face value (As it was written back during season 3 and only anticipated 5 seasons) but the main plot points remain. In the universe that the Project comes from, about two years after the Summer War the gates of Tartarus are opened, letting forth an army of those who have been tormented to the point of not knowing themselves anymore, they are referred to as the spawn of Tartarus. At first everyone is working to stop them and push them back to the gates, but Celestia is downed by some of them and Discord, who had previously been helping her, turns on her and takes control of the Spawn. Within 6 hours all of the leadership in Equestria is defeated by Discord, who instead of killing them sends them to the human world to be reborn as humans, with a curse that after 25 years they'll remember who they were and transform back. He sends about 4 million Equestrians to earth in total over the next few days with the same curse. The rest are either killed by the spawn, join him, or flee to the remaining bastions of civilization.

He then goes on to destroy all the other civilizations on Equis save for the bastions strong enough to repel him.

25 years later the ponies on earth become ponies again, and manage to find a way back to Equestria (Using the portal that they have in Equestria Girls) and defeat Discord, banishing him for 100 million years. With their use of the portal they have connections to the human world and use that to help rebuild society in Equis.

The important note is that all of the ponies coming back from Earth are in the same state that they were when they left, plus 25 years of experience. So if they were 8 when they left, they'll have the body of an 8 year old again, but the mind of a 33 year old. Everyone who stayed in Equis will have aged normally. 

Most of that isn't important to any RP we do, as that information will not be available to anyone on the Project.

11 hours ago, Props Valroa said:

My impression was that the Project would eventually escape to another dimension after Discord was defeated and start anew with a blank slate - with the Project serving as something akin to Noah's Ark, in a dimension where there are no civilizations, from the start, but eventually the characters go on to find other civilizations that are not Equine in nature.

Actually, the Project has been hopping dimensions every time it cycles, that's why not everyone on board is in agreement as to how long it's been or the state of the world prior to the Crisis. Not everyone came from a world that had a Troy. However, they are always on a version of Equis in order to keep things at least somewhat sane. I'm personally not a fan of going to a whole new world, mostly as I don't want to have to build a whole new world.

12 hours ago, Props Valroa said:

By the way, what did you think of my characters? How did I do in playing them?

I think your characters were very good, and you did a good job of them.

 

12 hours ago, Kujamih said:

...why not both?.... Can't decide? Do both.

Umm, because Illiad can't both be defeated and not at the same time? It is a binary schism where the outcomes are mutually exclusive. If there isn't a strong preference I would prefer to explore the world where Illiad did not defeat Discord, as I haven't had a chance to really explore the bastions of civilization yet and the outcome where Illiad defeats Discord is meant to be exceedingly rare.

12 hours ago, Kujamih said:

Itd be fun if light returns though.... Underpowered and what not.

I have no issues with that. Do you want him to have been picked up in a cycle? Or to be a survivor still on the ground?

 

6 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

I am not sure how long drones are meant to live?

Personally I argue that since changelings are mostly magical in composition, so long as they are well fed and cared for they can live to about twice the normal lifespan of ponies. So being on the Project will make it easy for Brittle to stay alive, though the complications surrounding how she got to be the way that she is may reduce that lifespan.

6 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

If the first, I would still use Void. I have ze plans, you see. Mehehehe.

I am interested in hearing how Void survived this long, especially if Null did not.

 

Alright then, some more information:

With regards to the Bastions, they are Archback Mountain, Blackwater Quarry, and Mt. Himallama, plus the Æther. 

Archback Mountain is a hollowed mountain that served as the home of the Equis Global Council and the Children of the Moon. It neighbors the free zebra city of Mohotma and a settlement of the Fastar thestral clan in the Shimmerwood forest. It was protected by a deal that its leader made with Discord before the Crisis. When Equestria fell everyone gathered inside the mountain and sealed themselves off from the outside world.

Blackwater Quarry is situated between Equestria and the Crystal Empire, and welcomed any who could make it there during the Crisis. It was viciously attacked by Discord's legion for the large supply of powerful artifacts stored there, one of which produced an impenetrable barrier that stopped the attacks, but also kept everyone inside stuck there. They had enough land to grow food and host a small changeling hive to boost morale.

Mt. Himallama survived due to a combination of llama and alpaca fur being naturally resistant to magic, as well as the treacherous terrain to get there. The cold also served to dissuade the spawn from attacking, in addition to being on another continent. It is the most populated bastion, though it is made up primarily of deer, reindeer, zebra, llama, and alpaca. Very few ponies were able to make the journey. They also have two changeling queens, Nirvana and Mariposa, to boost morale.

Most of the land between Troy and Equestria is considered a dead zone due to Troy's use of Anti-magic weapons during the final stages of the Crisis in order to try and fight back the spawn after Equestria was overrun. It bought them the time necessary to launch the Æther, but not enough to save as many as could have fit at the time.

 

In regards to characters on the Æther:

Consul Play Write would be re-elected a few more times before stepping down (elections every two years) giving Spiral the opportunity to be elected Consul for a time if she so desired it. Despite the strain he aged flawlessly, always appearing to be the pinnacle of health for his age.

Dell Conegher (The deer scientist) will be just over 70 and will have retired from research, serving now only to mentor new researchers from the rising generation.

Silver Easle will be 52 years old, still working closely with Blitz if Blitz would allow it.

Plein Easle will be 27 years old, her relationship with her mother mostly repaired with Blitz's help, she still avoids the research sector instead volunteering for scouting missions and proving to be an apt cartographer.

Wildebeast will have died at ~80 years old just a few years before the project lands.

Pom would entertain with her dog Bisquik for a few years until Bisquik died of old age. Pom would continue to entertain with some of Bisquik's offspring, and would continue to be a close friend of Plein.

 

Let me know who else you all care about knowing how they've changed over the years.

[Evil Pink One 12,953]

40 minutes ago, Illiad Easle said:

Umm, because Illiad can't both be defeated and not at the same time? It is a binary schism where the outcomes are mutually exclusive. If there isn't a strong preference I would prefer to explore the world where Illiad did not defeat Discord, as I haven't had a chance to really explore the bastions of civilization yet and the outcome where Illiad defeats Discord is meant to

Everyones limit is their imagination mah friend... Both is possible.

41 minutes ago, Illiad Easle said:

have no issues with that. Do you want him to have been picked up in a cycle? Or to be a survivor still on the ground?

The fox and Light escaped the limbo and ended up going back in this reality..... The sword of last stand is still a part of light... I was actually planning to mess around by talking to last stand through the sword etc. @Blitz Boom

[Props Valroa 25,973]

@Blitz Boom @Illiad Easle @Kujamih

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I'm glad to hear that! One of my primary goals in doing RPs has been to develop characters and worlds through exploration. Putting characters in situations that they wouldn't normally be in or that their creator hadn't considered helps to really flesh them out, whether their experiences are cannon or not.

Was a welcome change in pace for me. I had been looking for something new to do at the time and I found what I wanted. At the time I joined this RP - was around the time I was discontinuing Cali as a character, permanently. I used that character for many years previously and was looking to embrace something new - and so I did. Cali as a character is someone who isn't going to be returning in any future RPs. 

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That's fair, and the outcome that I was mostly hoping for with regards to the alicorn filly. Essentially Aurum is in control with Nexus existing within her like a voice (Or in an example Blitz will get, like how Null and Nine interact.) I imagine that there would be situations where Nexus might take control, Nexus was created as a defense for Aurum's trauma after all, but as she grows those moments would become less frequent.

This makes sense. Aurum Arcana will end up being her name, then. In the 20 years that have passed, I imagine Spiral would have been some sort of mentor figure with her. Not exactly a parental figure but something close to it. Spiral won't be responsible for raising the filly, but she will be there to help guide her into adulthood. Influencing her to even further reject Equestrian Culture and ways. 

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Background information then:

I don't take the whole story of Five Score at face value (As it was written back during season 3 and only anticipated 5 seasons) but the main plot points remain. In the universe that the Project comes from, about two years after the Summer War the gates of Tartarus are opened, letting forth an army of those who have been tormented to the point of not knowing themselves anymore, they are referred to as the spawn of Tartarus. At first everyone is working to stop them and push them back to the gates, but Celestia is downed by some of them and Discord, who had previously been helping her, turns on her and takes control of the Spawn. Within 6 hours all of the leadership in Equestria is defeated by Discord, who instead of killing them sends them to the human world to be reborn as humans, with a curse that after 25 years they'll remember who they were and transform back. He sends about 4 million Equestrians to earth in total over the next few days with the same curse. The rest are either killed by the spawn, join him, or flee to the remaining bastions of civilization.

He then goes on to destroy all the other civilizations on Equis save for the bastions strong enough to repel him.

25 years later the ponies on earth become ponies again, and manage to find a way back to Equestria (Using the portal that they have in Equestria Girls) and defeat Discord, banishing him for 100 million years. With their use of the portal they have connections to the human world and use that to help rebuild society in Equis.

The important note is that all of the ponies coming back from Earth are in the same state that they were when they left, plus 25 years of experience. So if they were 8 when they left, they'll have the body of an 8 year old again, but the mind of a 33 year old. Everyone who stayed in Equis will have aged normally. 

Most of that isn't important to any RP we do, as that information will not be available to anyone on the Project.

This makes sense, and I find to be extremely interesting. For further background on my characters, I will list below.
 

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Actually, the Project has been hopping dimensions every time it cycles, that's why not everyone on board is in agreement as to how long it's been or the state of the world prior to the Crisis. Not everyone came from a world that had a Troy. However, they are always on a version of Equis in order to keep things at least somewhat sane. I'm personally not a fan of going to a whole new world, mostly as I don't want to have to build a whole new world.

This makes sense to me. I would like to know more about Troy's culture and history, if you are able to get us up to speed on that. You'll see why I'd like to have this information on hand a bit further down in my reply. 

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I think your characters were very good, and you did a good job of them.

I will give you a full run down on my thought process behind these characters, and what has happened to them in the last 20 years - roughly speaking.

Merlot Cloud is currently 23 years of age, so in 20 years she will be 43 years of age. Merlot Cloud was originally a half Trojan and half Equestrian. With a Trojan father and an Equestrian mother. I know we had spoke of her character in depth around a year ago when we brought her into the RP but since then I have came up with different conclusions for her backstory and personality as a whole. Merlot Cloud was among the Trojans who boarded the project before Maud and Spiral did. I imagine that she pursued a career involving piloting aircraft - eventually coming up with the skills to also repair them as well due to the necessity of it all.

Merlot and her family were separated after the Spawn invaded her town of Tassletown. Tassletown was a town that was formerly owned by Trojans but was captured by Equestria in a war sometime ago, perhaps a few hundred years before the events of the RP. When news of the Spawn invasion came, she opted to flee her home. Her family and her were separated due to the chaos of this. Due to Tassletown's location between Equestria and Troy, the town itself resides in the deadzone where the battles took place. Merlot fled to Troy, and was among those onboard who launched the project.

Her personality is mainly concerned with herself and her role in what she does, she doesn't particular pander towards any cultural ideals other than advancing her own agenda which is to make the most out of her role in life as possible. This can be characterized by a relentless work ethic, and having very little hobbies outside of the work she does - which usually leaves her tired, and too drained to do anything else. In 20 years, I suspect that she evolved to become some sort of aerial commander, and had several near death experiences in the past 20 years that lead her to be rather jaded.

Trixie was 29 years of age, and so will be 49 in 20 years. This Trixie was more or less the same Trixie that you see in the show, but in her universe, which is the same as Spiral's (in which there was no Troy) she managed to keep the Alicorn Amulet for herself and used it's power to bring back Spiral from the dead inside of her mind - resulting in Spiral completely taking over her mind. Trixie spent a year or so being a mind controlled puppet of which her own consciousness was forced to take a back seat and bear witness to everything Spiral did. Spiral (as Trixie) ended up taking a library guard role from what I remember earlier in the RP, which is something Trixie ended up keeping after the two were separated. 

Trixie has never forgave Spiral for what she did to her and opted to sever all ties she had with Spiral. Trixie ended up taking up a stage performer role for 14 years before she transferred away from it, into becoming interested in away missions on the surface again. She'd cross paths with Maud on this, and the two would rekindle something of a friendship. There was an accident in which Trixie was severely injured (either through battle or mishap) that resulted in her being in a coma. She has been in a coma for 6 years and hasn't woken up yet. She has not seen where the project ended up in, and the nature of her coma may be something connected to her soul being messed up with by Spiral and her physical body would be too damaged to really recover beyond being put on life support.

The only solution for Trixie's predicament is finding a suitable body for her to be put into. At which point, Trixie will wake up and want to change her name to something else and start a new life. The Trixie in this RP's life is filled with tragedy and failure. She wants to escape from it and become someone different.

Spiral Spell is 33 years of age, and like you all know, she had spent her life pursuing advanced magics rather than forming personal relationships. The "Spell" family was a line of advanced unicorn mages that stemmed back to Equestria's original founding, and may potentially be of Starswirl's bloodline. After 20 years, she will be 53 years of age. Being brought back by Trixie gave her a second chance at life and wasn't something that she would be willing let go of. 

Taking the opposite approach to Trixie, Spiral would embrace who she was in the past as a way to justify her long lifespan. Living 33 years before her original death, before 20 more years in a new body that she had recovered. Spiral's body, the one that was given to her has a brown color to it. She has a dull yellow and white mane with yellow eyes. The cutie mark on her body is the same one as she had in her original life - that being of a white tower with a star shining on top of it, with a spiraling trail leading up the way. This symbolizes not only isolation, but also achievement that can be used to inspire others. The body that she received was that of a 19 year old mare, with the mind of a 35 year old mare (mental age) within it. Despite mentally being 53, Spiral is physically 39 years of age and so has aged much better than Trixie or Maud have.

Spiral would remember the experiences she had in retrieving Aurum from the Empress's palace, and would take something of an administration role under that of Consul Wright - and because of her universe not having Troy, she would become utterly fascinated by Troy and would become an Equestrian who would convert to Trojan culture as a way to advance her own agenda, becoming a successful Consul member. Spiral would be characterized by raw ambition for unity of those aboard the project and would seek to promote Trojan culture as a way to achieve that unity, basically becoming very molded by Play Wright, becoming his successor.

Maud Pie was 25 years of age originally. The Maud in this RP comes from the same universe that the Project came from. So, her sister Pinkie Pie would have had the fate that you say here. Maud believes her family to be long dead because she fled before the Spawn could reach the Rock Farm. From what I remember I had written, Maud had fled underground through some systems of caves and basically scavenged what she could - finding other refugees and like minded ponies who were fleeing and in hiding from the Spawn. Trixie was among them, and that is how they met. Though it's important to note, that Spiral was in control of Trixie's mind up until the moment they were separated. 

Maud Pie's personality was consumed by a savage desire for revenge underneath a cold and militaristic exterior. She absolutely hates Discord, the Spawn, and any who pose a threat to Equestrians. Initially, she had a rather negative view of Play Wright - but came to work with him and understand his views on leadership. Maud Pie in the past 20 years, would have only evolved to become even more cold and collected, some even calling her a "Living Computer" thanks to her personality, as a way to deal with the trauma of her family dying and having to directly fight the Spawn at every avenue when she was doing ground missions. While Maud would have held a leadership for the Equestrians for quite some time (on the level of 12 years or so), she would have stepped down and wanted to do more ground missions, if only to have more violent encounters with the spawn, secretly, so that she may have satisfaction of ending lives. Her personal trauma and pain is extremely deep, and tightly woven under a harsh and impenetrable exterior.

 

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In regards to characters on the Æther:

Consul Play Write would be re-elected a few more times before stepping down (elections every two years) giving Spiral the opportunity to be elected Consul for a time if she so desired it. Despite the strain he aged flawlessly, always appearing to be the pinnacle of health for his age.

Dell Conegher (The deer scientist) will be just over 70 and will have retired from research, serving now only to mentor new researchers from the rising generation.

Silver Easle will be 52 years old, still working closely with Blitz if Blitz would allow it.

Plein Easle will be 27 years old, her relationship with her mother mostly repaired with Blitz's help, she still avoids the research sector instead volunteering for scouting missions and proving to be an apt cartographer.

Wildebeast will have died at ~80 years old just a few years before the project lands.

Pom would entertain with her dog Bisquik for a few years until Bisquik died of old age. Pom would continue to entertain with some of Bisquik's offspring, and would continue to be a close friend of Plein.

 

Let me know who else you all care about knowing how they've changed over the years.

I imagine that Spiral and Trixie would have kept up contact with Conegher, as I recall them being involved with each other at one point in the RP. Spiral would probably evolve to become very close with Play Write, even to the point of personal loyalty and friendship. 

 

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@Illiad Easle @Props Valroa @Kujamih

On 2023-05-09 at 8:34 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Personally I argue that since changelings are mostly magical in composition, so long as they are well fed and cared for they can live to about twice the normal lifespan of ponies. So being on the Project will make it easy for Brittle to stay alive, though the complications surrounding how she got to be the way that she is may reduce that lifespan.

I'll have her alive then, and we'll see what happens from there. If the RP goes on long enough for her to turn 180, we'll have a chat then.

On 2023-05-09 at 8:34 PM, Illiad Easle said:

I am interested in hearing how Void survived this long, especially if Null did not.

Just follow the logical conclusion. In a world where they hadn't gotten frozen, gone to Troy, and she had found both help and love, Null's self-loathing and pain would continue to fester. The war would just make it worse, with so much death and destruction everywhere, that it would end up being near unbearable to her. She'd only be able to keep going, because Void wouldn't be in safety.

The situation and place she'd end up is not the important part. What is is that one of two things would happen: The first were that she would see an opening to get her into one of the safe zones, but there were encroaching enemies, that would make it hard, if not impossible. She'd tell Void to run as fast as she could towards safety, and then, when the enemies got closer, tell her that she loved her, and jump off, to distract the enemies. She'd die the way she preferred: Defending her sister, and giving her a chance at life.

The alternative is that she managed to get in too, and eventually, the trauma were too great, and she'd go through with killing herself. Might be that she did not in our thread, but this world where the wars went on and on, are a fair bit darker, with more things that can weigh on her mind.

In either case, Void would be alone, inconsolable, and feeling lost. At least at first. She'd come to begin do her part in keeping things done, to stay sane. She'd talk to others, find comfort in the presence of those around her, and easing her heart, with tales of her and her sisters travels. She'd learn to move on, and without Null's constant aggression and over-protectiveness, she would have an easier time mingling, and finding acceptance. In the original concept of the two, Null might be the rock that Void's depending on, but she is also the weight that keeps her from finding her own life. Null's too stuck in the past, and all the bad things they have seen, for her to move on, and she's dragging Void with her.

Void's still useful, and knows her way around a forge, as well as being large and strong, which can help with manual labor. Her anti-magic effect would need to be considered, but it could be used in beneficial ways, by a resourceful mind.

On 2023-05-09 at 8:34 PM, Illiad Easle said:

In regards to characters on the Æther:

Consul Play Write would be re-elected a few more times before stepping down (elections every two years) giving Spiral the opportunity to be elected Consul for a time if she so desired it. Despite the strain he aged flawlessly, always appearing to be the pinnacle of health for his age.

Dell Conegher (The deer scientist) will be just over 70 and will have retired from research, serving now only to mentor new researchers from the rising generation.

Silver Easle will be 52 years old, still working closely with Blitz if Blitz would allow it.

Plein Easle will be 27 years old, her relationship with her mother mostly repaired with Blitz's help, she still avoids the research sector instead volunteering for scouting missions and proving to be an apt cartographer.

Wildebeast will have died at ~80 years old just a few years before the project lands.

Pom would entertain with her dog Bisquik for a few years until Bisquik died of old age. Pom would continue to entertain with some of Bisquik's offspring, and would continue to be a close friend of Plein.

With these things in mind, i can give some words at to how my chars would react on things.

Briar would likely have considered Wildebeast a friend for many years at the time of his death, and would have come to try and learn much from him. He'd be there either as Wildebeast died, or at least make sure to be there before his body were disposed off, to sing a prayer in his native tongue, over his body. Whatever lessons he'd learned, he'd make use of, in teaching coming generations of Evergrown, and he'd pray to his memory, on the day of his death, every year. He'd also mourn that his friend did not manage to wander the world again, before his passing.

Blitz would remain in employment with Silver, and likely be posed to joining her in whatever research facility they'd make, after landfall. Age would have taken care of Blitz's over-energized behavior to an extend, though she'd still be an eternal optimist, wanting to make things that made things better. She wouldn't turn her back on that, unless she began to get the impression that Silver, or the facility they'd work in, would be working to make weapons for future war. She will not be part of that.

Blitz would also be happy to befriend Plein, and try to share some oft he things that makes her happy in life. Song, explosives, and a fifth-gear electrostatic wave modulator. Typical mare things, you know.

Anyway, looking forward to when you sort out what sorts world we'd be looking at after. The war-torn one, only recently starting to get better, or one 20 years in the making, waiting to be explored.

(edit) I forgot about Aurum!

So, Briar would as long as she'd want it, act as a parental figure of sorts, making sure that she were taken well care off, and given the attention and care that she needed, much the same as Last and Spiral did. Even after twenty years passing, he'd be more than happy yo speak with her, and provide guidance, or an ear to listen to her, if ever she needed it. He'd openly invite her to come visit them too, once he had found a good place to plant the seed, that would mark the beginning of a chance for his kind. Be advised, that he will be asking locals for a good place, once they land. Someplace where others do not live, so they do not cause unfortunate mutations when the tree wakes up.

Last would have encouraged Aurum to learn coexistence with Nexus, as she could not make herself say that one part should more or less eat the other. It wouldn't sit right with her. She'd also be up t the idea that Aurum would grow up as seeming like nothing more, than an exceptional unicorn, though also telling her that once they got out there, if she wanted to show her true colors at any point, that she had her support. She'd also offer that if ever she did go there, or needed fighters, to call for her, and she'd come with her order, to her side. She'd have asked Blitz to make something, that'd make it so that she could at the very least signal Last, in case she were needed there.

She wouldn't want Aurum to live a life as a leader, or some glorious symbol of a bygone era. But at the same time, she'd understand that things might change, or she would be left with little choice, and as such, found it best to let her know that she wouldn't be alone, if it ever came to that.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Blitz Boom

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Props Valroa @Kujamih @Blitz Boom

Sorry for the delay, and this is only a partial response now, but I had an idea: What if we started one cycle before the project completes its journey? That way we could have a brief stint in that other world that @Props Valroa had in mind, as well as getting used to the characters after they've changed before going into what remains of Equestria. What do you all think? Does that appeal to you?

[Props Valroa 25,973]

@Illiad Easle

That would be interesting, yes! What sort of timeframe are we talking still, 20 years still? 

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Props Valroa

20 years minus like a month.

If you have something in mind for a short excursion that a team could go on, then that would be great as you did suggest the new world. But if you don't that's also fine, we can just flesh out the characters on the ship.

[Props Valroa 25,973]

@Illiad Easle

I like the idea of them exploring a surreal-looking forest, of sorts in an alien world or environment. What did you think of the details I said about my characters?

[Evil Pink One 12,953]

7 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

@Props Valroa

20 years minus like a month.

If you have something in mind for a short excursion that a team could go on, then that would be great as you did suggest the new world. But if you don't that's also fine, we can just flesh out the characters on the ship.

This made my brain think hard.... I mean.... 20 years minus a month.....does it make a difference though?

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@Illiad Easle @Props Valroa @Kujamih

Sounds like a plan to me. Would give us time to do the *And this is what they have been doing the past twenty years* part too, before we even get back to the actual Equestria. Whichever version of it you'll end up deciding on.

Will this be a new thread started, and this is now considered closed, or are we doing a time skip in this one?

SO we take a stint into a forest on an alien world. Away from the normal stuff... So I have a minor suggestion, if I might? What if that is where we find Light? The Empress could still be used later, if you need a big villain for the main thread, in the future world, but they might well had gotten disconnected, and hurled into different spots, during their struggle. Time and space, causing eventually The Empress to be elsewhere, and Light stuck in this world, with no way to get home. He might have been there twenty years, or a week, or somewhere in between. So a side mission in that forest, will be to get him out of there, once they realize that he is there.

He could've fired off a signal flare of sorts, or they'd find something that were undeniably his, that would let them know that he were there... There's plenty of options, but we could combine things, to tie things up nicely, yes?

As for The Empress, I would strongly suggest keeping her, and eventually have her cross into Equestria of the future. It's not only a plot point, but also something that might well be important, for Aurum's story.

Just some suggestions anyway. Thoughts?

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Props Valroa @Kujamih @Blitz Boom

I'm not opposed to them finding a drained Light here, and I do have a villain prepared for the next arc after the forest, one of you have met him already.

I'm glad that you liked the Empress, I wish I had done more with her in that arc, maybe she will show up again later, but who knows?

On 2023-05-15 at 6:27 AM, Kujamih said:

I mean.... 20 years minus a month.....does it make a difference though?

It gives us a chance to see what the characters are like before the next arc begins. Like a trial run, that way you have time to change them or switch for a different character before we get back to Equestria.

On 2023-05-14 at 10:55 PM, Props Valroa said:

What did you think of the details I said about my characters?

I think it's a bit extreme for Trixie to have a soul transfer, Spiral was only able to accomplish it because Fury stepped in. But having Trixie change her name after waking up from the coma is fine. Other than that I think they're well thought out.

While Spiral would be unlikely to be Play Write's immediate successor, she could be elected later on. I was actually thinking of having her be the Consul at this point in the story, when it is about to return to Equestria, so that Fury can speak to her when they arrive. If that's alright with you?

 

Now, I should have the time step ready in the next few days, there is one last bit of info to give you all as to what happened in the 20 years:

Many of the creatures on the project, after its 25 years in the sky, had reached a point where they had spent more time in the Æther than on land. Some had even been born there. As these creatures reached the age where they could start participating in the decisions of the Project, they found themselves unattached to the nations that they were originally from, or that their parents were from, so they formed a new faction: the Æthers. A fusion of Equestrian, Trojan, and other cultures present on the Project, forming a group that, while they didn't agree on everything, all strived for the betterment of the whole Project. This faction accounts for most of the <30 demographic of the project, though given not everyone got on at the same time there are many in that demographic still loyal to their home nation.

 

For the next arc, I think it would be interesting if everyone had a character inside this demographic, that is to say, a younger character that has grown up on the Project, to compliment their older characters. That is of course up to you guys if you want to add new characters or not, I just think it would make for a good spread of topics.

[Props Valroa 25,973]

@Illiad Easle @Blitz Boom

Quote

I think it's a bit extreme for Trixie to have a soul transfer, Spiral was only able to accomplish it because Fury stepped in. But having Trixie change her name after waking up from the coma is fine. Other than that I think they're well thought out.

While Spiral would be unlikely to be Play Write's immediate successor, she could be elected later on. I was actually thinking of having her be the Consul at this point in the story, when it is about to return to Equestria, so that Fury can speak to her when they arrive. If that's alright with you?

Yes, this is fine. Spiral being the Consul of the project is something we can go with, in the current timeframe. She will not be someone who leaves the Project, because of her high position. She'll be where it is safe and secure. You are going to need to give me some context and ideas for what it's like for her as a Consul, and we'll go with that.

As for Trixie, that would be possible to go with. I'll probably just use Spiral as my main older character, if that makes sense? Since she's the Consul. Trixie won't have much focus from me, but if she does get featured - her name will be Bluemoon. What I have stated for Trixie is more or less what I imagine my fate for her is - I don't have an interest in renewing her as a character in this RP. Bluemoon can be mentioned from time to time but I don't imagine she'll be active. 

I may end up using Maud on "Away" missions, so to speak. She'll be 45. In good physical condition for her age, so she'll be good for interacting in situations that do not take place on the project. 
 

Quote

Now, I should have the time step ready in the next few days, there is one last bit of info to give you all as to what happened in the 20 years:

Many of the creatures on the project, after its 25 years in the sky, had reached a point where they had spent more time in the Æther than on land. Some had even been born there. As these creatures reached the age where they could start participating in the decisions of the Project, they found themselves unattached to the nations that they were originally from, or that their parents were from, so they formed a new faction: the Æthers. A fusion of Equestrian, Trojan, and other cultures present on the Project, forming a group that, while they didn't agree on everything, all strived for the betterment of the whole Project. This faction accounts for most of the <30 demographic of the project, though given not everyone got on at the same time there are many in that demographic still loyal to their home nation.

For the next arc, I think it would be interesting if everyone had a character inside this demographic, that is to say, a younger character that has grown up on the Project, to compliment their older characters. That is of course up to you guys if you want to add new characters or not, I just think it would make for a good spread of topics.

This is a fascinating idea, though, I do not have any exact ideas for new characters within that age range at the moment. I do have something I wish to propose to you that I have had in my mind for a bit of a "compromise" with a new character idea I would wish to propose. This character may be villainous, so keep that in mind.

I'll list out a few ideas for her here, some of it may apply, some of it may not, I'd just like you to take a look at it.


So this is the best representation I have of this character at the moment. It's not my own reference but I needed something to show what the character would look like, at least close to it. The design and drawing is not my own, of course, but I like the name "Carnelian". She was someone Hazard Time used on the forums many years ago (he has since left the forums years ago and Carnelian has been unused anywhere from what I can tell for even longer), though my character named Carnelian will look somewhat similar, her backstory and ideals are something quite different.
 

Spoiler

Carnelian is obsessed with immortality. Though, really, she's just found a method using machinery that re-news her blood stream to keep her appearance more youthful than her age is (52 years of age, we can say). Her personality is rather...unsavory, but somewhat sociable. She does not like interacting with those who aren't Crystal ponies, as she feels Crystal Ponies are the superior type of pony. Perhaps she was picked up from a different world prior to the one we are visiting in the RP, so she is new to the project.

She's a very grotesque character, possibly having had others killed in the past so she can continue her experiments. I can think of ideas for a backstory, though we could perhaps leave it somewhat vague. She won't be forthcoming about her personal details to others.

I imagine that she could have tried something to sabotage people's work on the ship in secret, trying to gain knowledge of how she can improve herself so she can live as long as possible. She wouldn't be dead weight, though, I imagine she has knowledge about various types of machinery that those on the project don't know of (Using alchemy to purify blood to enhance lifespan and reduce illness), which is something she probably stole from someone else (after killing them, prior to her being in the RP).

I can imagine that she would start off in the RP being in a jail cell, and the authorities want to find some kind of use for her? Carnelian, because she has no magic or abilities (no horn) other than her knowledge, will however pose less of a threat than other villains or characters.

Just need some ideas on this. Perhaps one of you play a younger Crystal Pony, as a way to get Carnelian to be more "Sociable", so to speak. Just a simple suggestion.

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Kujamih

Correction: White left with Empress Arcana / Avarice, not the Kitsune. The Kitsune didn't leave the palace.

Up to you whether he spent the time in the void with the Empress or not, but she wouldn't be responsive there.

Also, I'm thinking of having some time dilation take place there, so Light wasn't in the void for 20 years, maybe time doesn't technically pass in the void? So Light wouldn't be much older than when he left, and will have been in this new world for about a month before the Project arrives.

 

[Evil Pink One 12,953]

1 hour ago, Illiad Easle said:

@Kujamih

Correction: White left with Empress Arcana / Avarice, not the Kitsune. The Kitsune didn't leave the palace.

Up to you whether he spent the time in the void with the Empress or not, but she wouldn't be responsive there.

Also, I'm thinking of having some time dilation take place there, so Light wasn't in the void for 20 years, maybe time doesn't technically pass in the void? So Light wouldn't be much older than when he left, and will have been in this new world for about a month before the Project arrives.

 

Oh yeah...i mixed up the kitsune lore of light with @Blitz Boom. To this one XD. Why wouldn't she be responsive though?

I'ma correct it now.

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Kujamih

45 minutes ago, Kujamih said:

Why wouldn't she be responsive though?

Because she hates you.

Also she's not going to be in this world that we're exploring before the final return to Equestria. If she comes back at all it will be in the final Equestria.

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

There. Sorry for the delay in stuff. Just got home, from visiting family. I hope the gigantic post will suffice as a proper excuse, and word of what have happened to my main chars, over the years.

[Evil Pink One 12,953]

On 2023-05-20 at 2:00 AM, Illiad Easle said:

@Kujamih

Because she hates you.

Also she's not going to be in this world that we're exploring before the final return to Equestria. If she comes back at all it will be in the final Equestria.

@Illiad Easle

Oh yeah... I asked she comes with me and made a pendant out of her... Is that cannon... Do i still get to wear her?

Edited May 23, 2023 by Kujamih

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Kujamih

On 2023-05-23 at 4:36 PM, Kujamih said:

Oh yeah... I asked she comes with me and made a pendant out of her.

What? When did this happen?

On 2023-05-23 at 4:36 PM, Kujamih said:

Is that cannon... Do i still get to wear her?

....

no.

Cool picture though.

[Evil Pink One 12,953]

5 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

@Kujamih

What? When did this happen?

....

no.

Cool picture though.

Its at the occ thread where i take her with me to the grave etc i think.

[Props Valroa 25,973]

@Illiad Easle @Blitz Boom @Kujamih

I have some plans for this. While things may get a bit weird, I don't have any direct hostility in mind towards your characters in the setting I have created. By the way, can you tell me more about Plein and Power? Your other characters here, Blitz Boom? Just a basic overview so I understand them.