PLEASE READ: Roleplay Information

[Ninian]

[INTRODUCTION]

This Roleplay is based off the popular series Final Fantasy VII, however you do not need to know anything about the game to join. It is not going to be exactly like the game-- will take place in an important era in the game's history, however this is an alternate universe. Since Before Crisis, and the period surrounding the game, has a lot going on in regards to story, I will do my best to condense the feel of it into this plot.

[PLOT]

The Shin-Ra Electric Power Company had won the war with Wutai, removing Materia--orbs that allowed the user to cast magic--from their small country. Though there were some pockets of resistance within the nation of Wutai, Shin-Ra was off to bigger and better things. Their goal was to spread their Mako Reactors--basically a nuclear reactor for power--across the planet, as well as monopolize the world's Materia. Because of this, Shin-Ra finds itself the dominant economic, military and political power in the world.

However, There are those who remain dedicated to the destruction of Shin-Ra, chief among them being the newly emerged insurgent movement known as "AVALANCHE". AVALANCHE is an eco-terrorist organization that seeks to topple Shin-Ra, whom they know to be slowly killing the Planet with their manufacture of Mako Energy. This group is ruthless, and will stop at nothing to tear down this organization.

[FACTIONS]

SHIN-RA: The Shin-Ra Electric Power Company also known as Shin-Ra Inc. is a company that is primarily a power company, supplying Mako energy to the world and making electricity efficient and easily available. However, Shin-Ra also operates in genetic engineering, space exploration, and has a strong military power including the elite group SOLDIER. This military power, combined with their monopoly of Mako energy, effectively gives Shin-Ra a measure of control over the world populace.

Starting its own private army, using Mako energy to power the elite SOLDIER class and funding an undercover corps called the Turks, Shin-Ra ruled with an iron fist. They even began performing human experiments to create supersoldiers. When the people of Wutai disagreed with setting up Mako Reactors, Shin-Ra sent in their army to overwhelm them and force their influence.

Shin-Ra constructed the metropolis Midgar, which housed the Shin-Ra Headquarters for all their actions as well as eight large Mako Reactors. It ultimately has control over the city and lives of its people, although the company introduced a figure-head mayor. It obtained control of much of the world's information and broadcasting services, and created a propaganda news service called "Shin-Ra News". The main purpose of this propaganda machine was to declare those considered disloyal to Shin-Ra dead and to considerably distort events to Shin-Ra's favor.

AVALANCHE: Always in all capital letters, is the name of the eco-terrorist insurgent group who oppose the actions of the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company. They seek to save The Planet from the misuse of Mako energy. Members of AVALANCHE believe that Shin-Ra's actions are harmful to the Planet, and that continued harvest of Mako energy will eventually destroy the world. They are believers in the Lifestream; that all life on the Planet is derived from the Mako rivers beneath the Planet. By sucking the Lifestream out, the Planet is slowly being eaten away until eventually the world will be barren and incapable of sustaining life. To this end, they believe that Shin-Ra must be stopped by force.

[SHIN-RA CLASSES]

EXECUTIVE: Reserved for canon characters only. These individuals head the different Shin-Ra departments. Requires permission an an audition to play. The departments are: Arms Development, led by Scarlet, Science, led by Professor Hojo, Urban Development, led by Reeve Tuesti, Public Safety Maintenance led by Heidegger, and Space Exploration, headed up by Palmer.

MANAGER: Higher-ranked Shin-Ra staff member.

PERSONNEL: A typical staff member of the Shin-Ra corporation.

INFANTRYMEN: The enlisted men of the Shin-Ra military. They're not an elite fighting force like SOLDIER, and they're usually found wearing the dark blue uniforms with mako helms. The company leaders however, are found wearing red with a slightly different outfit. Their weapons of choice are generally guns.

SCIENTIST: Led by Professor Hojo, these individuals help perform twisted experiments to better the Shin-Ra military.

SOLDIER: Always in all caps. Led by Lazard Deusericus. This department deals with Shin-Ra's elite branch of warriors, SOLDIER and their battle strategies. SOLDIER operatives are divided into three classes, depending upon skill and success in the field--SOLDIER 3rd Class, SOLDIER 2nd Class, and SOLDIER 1st class.

SOLDIER 1ST CLASS: High-ranking soldiers clad in purple combat fatigues, and the body armor covers their chest, head and arms. Their weapon is of their choice but they have a 'Sword of Doom' technique, similar to Braver, and normally have the Materia Silence.

SOLDIER 2ND CLASS: Higher ranking soldiers clad in red combat fatigues with body armor covering their chest, head and arms. Their weapon is generally a lance-like sword, but it depends on the wielder. Generally they don't have Materia, but what they do have is a special physical attack similar to Braver called Sword of Doom.

SOLDIER 3RD CLASS: Lower ranking soldiers clad in blue combat fatigues, who also don the same armor as the higher ranks. Their weapon is generally a sickle. They're usually equipped with the Bolt and Ice Materia.

TURKS: The Investigative Division of General Affairs Department, also known as the Turks. This department is headed up by Veld. Officially speaking, the purpose of the Turks was to seek out potential SOLDIER recruits, but in reality, the Turks are highly skilled special agents used by Shin-Ra for gathering intelligence, providing additional security, and protecting the company's secrets no matter what the cost. Their outfit is their trademark black pants suit and tie. Membership in the Turks is somewhat exclusive, and requires permission to play. There are only canon Turks, however there are adoptable skeletons. Not all of the adoptable will be up at first, so be patient. If you wish to be a non-canon Turk, you'll be a recruit.

EXPERIMENT: Their genetics have been altered with Mako or other forms of mutation. Commonly they're injected with low doses of stagnated Mako, G-substance, or Jenova cells to bring about the common regenerative properties. They can be escaped DEEPGROUND members.

METAMORPHOSE: Experiments such as Vincent Valentine or Azul the Cerulean that have the ability to shift into various creatures. However, their ability to hold their form is limited, with a high possibility of going insane. The most common creature that one can shift into is a Guard Hound, while more a more powerful creature would be a Behemoth. If you wish to be a metamorphose, please research the FFVII bestiary and come up with something reasonable. Requires permission to play.

[AVALANCHE CLASSES]

AVALANCHE LEADER: Reserved for the canon characters Elfe, Shears and Fuhito. They lead the organization.

AVALANCHE MEMBER: These are the troops that go face to face with Shin-Ra. They're not an elite fighting force like RAVEN, and they're usually found wearing brown uniforms with a brown hat/hood and blue-tinted goggles. The leaders of these soldiers however are clad in red with a brown hat/hood and yellow-tinted goggles. Their weapons of choice are generally guns.

RAVEN: The Ravens are a squad of genetically engineered super soldiers created under the supervision of the AVALANCHE leader Fuhito. Fuhito created this group using data he had gathered on SOLDIER. This organizations main purpose was to serve directly under Fuhito as his enforcers to further complete his plan of "purging the planet". These soldiers are capable of advance fighting skills and are able to heal from fatal wounds at a generally fast rate. A consequence of these new found abilities is that those within the group have lost most of their humanity.

[OTHER CLASSES]

MERCENARY: Free-lance fighter, they often take up jobs from different factions, though they don't necessarily have to work for anyone. Generally speaking, a mercenary is not allied in any way.

THIEF: One who's specialty is getting out of sticky situations. They also enjoy stealing...

CIVILIAN: One who isn't aligned with any faction and has little to no fighting experience.

WUTAI SOLDIER: Wutai soldiers wear Samurai-like uniforms of green and orange, the color of which dictate rank, and wield varieties of halberds with gun attachments. Another notable Wutai weapon is the over-sized Shuriken.

[RACES]

HUMAN: This should be pretty self-explanatory.

COSMO: They are the Nanaki-like (Red XIII) race born to Cosmo Canyon and are very intelligent. They can live for hundreds of years. Their appearance resembles a mixture between a Lion and a Wolf. They wear feathers in their mane, and have a red flame on their tale. Their appearance is non-negotiable, I refuse to have sparkle dogs in my roleplay.

Males will be a shade of reddish-orange with a red flame, with feathers/horns as decoration/indication of their status. Males will have a tribal tattoo to indicate their heritage. Females will have no mane, no feathers, and will be colored a light tan. The flame on their tales is also red. There is only a handful of Cosmo left.

CETRA: The Cetra look identical to regular humans, but are deeply spiritual in nature. The only Cetra left is Aerith.

[MATERIA]

Materia is crystallized Mako. Metaphysically, Materia calls upon the wisdom of the Lifestream in order to manipulate nature itself. This manifests as the phenomenon of magic for most Materia, although other Materia pieces enhance the user's abilities. Unless one is descended from the Cetra, Materia is the only way normal humans can use magic.

Materia is able to occur naturally at "Mako Springs," places where the Lifestream leaks through the surface of The Planet and condenses, such as on Mt. Nibel. However, this is a rare occurrence, taking centuries for the Mako to crystallize into Materia, and most Materia in use is artificially produced. Natural Materia is relatively stronger than artificial Materia, and may take on different properties.

The size of Materia varies--some are about the size of a marble, while others are just smaller than a tennis ball.

Materia can normally only be used when slotted into a weapon or a piece of armor. Once slotted into an equipment piece the wearer is able to call upon the Materia's powers. Using Materia has both pros and cons. Depending on the type and strength of the Materia equipped, some stats may be hindered or enhanced. It is also possible to fuse two Materia together to create a new, stronger Materia.

There are five basic Materia types, distinguished by color. Red is summon, green is magic, yellow is command(like steal), blue is support, and purple is independent(grants unique abilities like cover).

Summon Materia are very rare, but can call a magical being into existence to launch a powerful attack at a foe. You may not own a summon Materia without permission.

[SYNAPTIC NET DIVE]

The Synaptic Net Dive, often shortened to SND, is where a person's consciousness enters the Worldwide Network via a virtual reality. This process is the only known way to communicate with sentient beings that reside there.

To perform an SND, the "diver" requires the use of a special helmet that is connected to the network that will transport their consciousness there. While the diver's body remains in the real world, his or her mind retrieves information by negotiating with data on the subconscious planes of the sentient life forms on the network.

[MAJOR CITIES]

MIDGAR: The capital city and power base of the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company.

A large circular structure supported above the ground by eight reactors and a central pillar. On top of the structure lies the city proper, divided into eight sectors, while underneath it on the ground lies a large slum; created by the city's unfortunate and downtrodden. Midgar was the most technologically advanced location ever constructed on the Planet.

Governed as a police state, the city is home to some of the richest and most powerful men and women on the planet, who run most of the city's affairs from the central Shin-Ra Building which dominates the cityscape. Among these people are the Shin-Ra executives, the de facto world leader, President Shin-Ra, and the figurehead city leader, Mayor Domino.

Construction of the city began in 1976, to provide residence for the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company's growing investment and employment base, and at present still remains unfinished.

Thanks to its eight Mako Reactors, the city's massive power-demands were easily met, but at a cost to the surrounding countryside, which has become a barren wasteland due to the city sapping the surrounding Mako energy. Due to this, the city and its reactors are a prime target for terrorism/rebel groups like AVALANCHE who seek to restore the planet to its former state and stop Shin-Ra from sapping its life energy.

JUNON: A major city and military installation. It used to be a peaceful fishing village before Shin-Ra Electric Power Company built the new city right beside it. The city's elevated airfield was built directly above the old village, blocking out the sun and polluting the surrounding seas. As a result, the once-thriving fishing industry has died out, but the economically deprived village soldiers on, dominated by its larger neighbor.

The new city of Junon became the secondary headquarters for the Shin-Ra Corporation and the central office for the Vice President, Rufus Shinra. Junon is heavily defended by retractable artillery batteries and its sizable Shin-Ra garrison, as well as being the initial home of Shin-Ra's major defense project, the Sister Ray, a large long-range cannon powered by Huge Materia. As well as being Shin-Ra's primary airbase, Junon is also a major port, having a submarine dock in the Junon Underwater Reactor and being one of the ports of call for the cargo ship. There is also a helicopter that can carry you to different parts of the city.

WUTAI: The name refers to the nation occupying the western-most continent on The Planet, although the name is also primarily used to refer to the nations' only known major settlement, Wutai Village. The countries' people are also referred to as Wutai.

Once a proud, powerful and independent nation state known for its peoples' honor and mystique, after the Wutai War against the Shinra Electric Power Company it fell to serving as a simple tourist attraction and resort, no longer serving as a global power. However some individual pockets of rebellion still seek to regain the countries' old glory and numerous rebel factions sometimes use Wutai as a base of operations.

The nations' guardian deity is Leviathan and as such the god's likeness appears throughout the nations' architecture through banners, flags, and statue representations.

As mentioned previously the nation of Wutai occupies the western-most continent on The Planet. While comparable in size to the other continents the majority of Wutai's landmass is occupied by mountainous terrain and forests. The only way to access the continent via the ocean is via a beach head along the southern tip, the rest of the landmass is skirted by cliffs. The town of Wutai is located to the north of the continent at a forest and river junction at the foot of the Da Chao Mountain.

The nation is traditionally ruled by a monarchy, whose leader resides in a large pagoda overlooking the village.

The Wutai people, much like the culture and settlement, are based primarily off of Japan and China. They have the characteristics, appearance and somewhat stereotypical personality traits of real-world East Asia. It is notable that some of Wutai people have neither Japanese nor Chinese names, but Russian.