06-18-2023, 14:53:22 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-20-2023, 16:42:12 PM by MadameButterflyKnife.)
Titania is a city in a box.
It is a capsule, what remains of the burnt embers of Earth after humanity had long since destroyed it, disposed of it as they escaped to colonies on other planets, leaving those unfortunate enough to rot in a dying world, one that has lost its greenery and its magic. As the fires consumed the world around its walls, as it had been torn apart by elements and the men that controlled them, its past has been built up and torn apart, lost to time, like us. Some of us had remembered times long ago, when this city to the stars was merely a city to the skies, and before that a town, a village, a place that still had gold under its feet.
Despite this, it has survived. It remains, a sanctuary under the megacorporation, Mission LLC, for the broken, beaten, and damned who still remain on Earth, unable to see the glowing lights of the cosmos through the hazy skies.
It will be our sanctuary.
It will be the home that we reclaim.
So, what is this?
tagpuan: the reign of greed is a planned forum RP based around the TTRPG system BALIKBAYAN: RETURNING HOME by Jamila R. Nedjadi, from Sword Queen Games. I, however, have adapted it to work alongside a forum setting.
The game revolves around a far future cyberpunk city, where the players play Elementals, supernatural creatures who have been enslaved by megacorporations for eternities, as man reached to the stars. But now, you have escaped the grasp of these corporations for now, with great sacrifice, returning back to a scorched Earth you seek to make home again.
This RP will likely be episodic: I plan on being the main DM, but I will allow other people to run episodic arcs to take the load off of myself if needed. Like filler stuff, essentially. This thread acts as both of a signup, and a way to gauge interest.
Making a Character
The player characters in BALIKBAYAN are Elementals: supernatural creatures that have been enslaved by corporate masters for the technological advancement of humanity. In the game, these Elementals are divided into six archetypes: the Tikbalang, the Diwata, the Saint, the Aswang, the Santelmo, and the Duwende.
Once I was wild, untamed. The nightmare between animal and human, raw strength, power, sweat pouring down flesh. Now I am ///PERFECTION///, now I am Machine. I am liquid, I am movement, I am power, I am any form of anthropomorphic animal meeting the tenacity of steel. ///I AM WHATEVER FORM MY MASTERS REQUIRE ME TO BE///
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Tikbalang is the shifter, harnessing the memory of the animals that once hunted upon this earth, before they were wiped out by man's machines, before they became the machines. They are bodyguards, laborers, muscle, protection. They have the ability to take on the form of animals, and to harness animalistic spirits to guide them in this concrete jungle.
You have the following abilities:
Once I was the elements, in its purest form. The nightmare between earth and human, unpredictable, nurturing, cruel, protective. Now I am ///PERFECTION///, now I am Machine. I am storm, I am light, I am rain, I am any form of the elements meeting the perfection of the algorithm. ///I AM WHATEVER ENERGY MY MASTERS REQUIRE ME TO BE///
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Diwata is the elements in their purest, most destructive form. Fires and winds and unyielding typhoons. They are the power generators of the corporations, thousands hooked up to massive machines, barely aware of their own minds as they fuel the journey to the stars. Those who escape are ticking time bombs, burning anything that comes in their way, fueling or sapping away the energies of those around them.
You have the following abilities:
Once I was worship, a prayer in the dark. The nightmare between faith and human, locked in churches and whispered to on death beds. Now I am ///PERFECTION///, now I am Machine. I am miracles, the answered prayer, I am trust, I am any form of God meeting the perfection of the programming. ///I AM WHATEVER GOD MY MASTERS REQUIRE ME TO BE///
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Saint is the divine, the miracle made incarnate. They are persuasive, manipulating and advertising to the masses whilst under the hand of the corporations, and able to harness the little gods of this world, maybe even being a young god themselves. They harness those little gods, the desires and desparation of humans, their prayers and hopes and the remnants of a time where even the average person could feel the sparks of divinity on their skin.
You have the following abilities:
As you can tell by the names, the original TTRPG was very focused around Philippine mythology. However, I understand that you might want to play as another type of mythological creature from another region. I will allow it, under some conditions.
Gameplay
tagpuan: the reign of greed and BALIKBAYAN as a whole uses the Belonging Outside Belonging game system. Mechanically, such games use a token system, where Strong Moves can be made by spending tokens, and tokens can be earned by willingly taking a Weak Move, or can be granted by the DM as reward for playing to the story and themes. There's more but I'm already making changes for the sake of making this work on a forum, so.
Every character will start off with three tokens.
There are two major mechanics that will apply to the entire group: RECKONING and HOMECOMING. I'll mark them down after every "episode" of sorts, and they can progress forward or backwards as needed. Sometimes, after an episode, they won't be marked. They only get marked forwards or backwards for plot stuff, really. There are five stages to each, and I'll make sure to remind you of them.
If you have any questions, please just ask in this thread!
It is a capsule, what remains of the burnt embers of Earth after humanity had long since destroyed it, disposed of it as they escaped to colonies on other planets, leaving those unfortunate enough to rot in a dying world, one that has lost its greenery and its magic. As the fires consumed the world around its walls, as it had been torn apart by elements and the men that controlled them, its past has been built up and torn apart, lost to time, like us. Some of us had remembered times long ago, when this city to the stars was merely a city to the skies, and before that a town, a village, a place that still had gold under its feet.
Despite this, it has survived. It remains, a sanctuary under the megacorporation, Mission LLC, for the broken, beaten, and damned who still remain on Earth, unable to see the glowing lights of the cosmos through the hazy skies.
It will be our sanctuary.
It will be the home that we reclaim.
So, what is this?
tagpuan: the reign of greed is a planned forum RP based around the TTRPG system BALIKBAYAN: RETURNING HOME by Jamila R. Nedjadi, from Sword Queen Games. I, however, have adapted it to work alongside a forum setting.
The game revolves around a far future cyberpunk city, where the players play Elementals, supernatural creatures who have been enslaved by megacorporations for eternities, as man reached to the stars. But now, you have escaped the grasp of these corporations for now, with great sacrifice, returning back to a scorched Earth you seek to make home again.
This RP will likely be episodic: I plan on being the main DM, but I will allow other people to run episodic arcs to take the load off of myself if needed. Like filler stuff, essentially. This thread acts as both of a signup, and a way to gauge interest.
Making a Character
The player characters in BALIKBAYAN are Elementals: supernatural creatures that have been enslaved by corporate masters for the technological advancement of humanity. In the game, these Elementals are divided into six archetypes: the Tikbalang, the Diwata, the Saint, the Aswang, the Santelmo, and the Duwende.
Tikbalang
Once I was wild, untamed. The nightmare between animal and human, raw strength, power, sweat pouring down flesh. Now I am ///PERFECTION///, now I am Machine. I am liquid, I am movement, I am power, I am any form of anthropomorphic animal meeting the tenacity of steel. ///I AM WHATEVER FORM MY MASTERS REQUIRE ME TO BE///
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Tikbalang is the shifter, harnessing the memory of the animals that once hunted upon this earth, before they were wiped out by man's machines, before they became the machines. They are bodyguards, laborers, muscle, protection. They have the ability to take on the form of animals, and to harness animalistic spirits to guide them in this concrete jungle.
You have the following abilities:
- SHAPESHIFT : Download Shamanic Protocols that connect you to the strength and abilities of any animal. NAME ANY ANIMAL, DESCRIBE HOW YOUR FORM CHANGES TO BECOME THE ANTHROPOMORPHIC
VERSION OF THAT ANIMAL. For as long as the protocols remain stable and your heart is strong, you have the abilities associated with that animal.
- SPIRIT SPEAK : Open channels to the Spirit Realm that survived Earth's downfall. DESCRIBE AND CREATE A RITUAL. NAME ONE REQUIREMENT, THE GM WILL NAME THE SECOND. Once the ritual is completed, you gain limited access to the digital remains of the Spirit Realm for a time. An Animal Spirit Guide will offer wisdom.
Diwata
Once I was the elements, in its purest form. The nightmare between earth and human, unpredictable, nurturing, cruel, protective. Now I am ///PERFECTION///, now I am Machine. I am storm, I am light, I am rain, I am any form of the elements meeting the perfection of the algorithm. ///I AM WHATEVER ENERGY MY MASTERS REQUIRE ME TO BE///
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Diwata is the elements in their purest, most destructive form. Fires and winds and unyielding typhoons. They are the power generators of the corporations, thousands hooked up to massive machines, barely aware of their own minds as they fuel the journey to the stars. Those who escape are ticking time bombs, burning anything that comes in their way, fueling or sapping away the energies of those around them.
You have the following abilities:
- CHANNEL THE ELEMENTS : Shutdown all safety protocols and unleash the power of fire, wind, water, or earth. NAME ANY ELEMENT, DESCRIBE HOW IT SUDDENLY MANIFESTS AND HOW YOU WEAPONIZE OR MOLD IT. For as long as the protocols remain stable and your heart is strong, you have the power associated with that element.
- ENERGY DRAIN : The Spirit of the Elements exist in us all: access it, make it your own. PLACE YOUR TARGET IN A VULNERABLE POSITION. THE GM WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS. Drain your target's energy. Choose one: They are rendered powerless for now, you access important information, or they are destroyed.
Saint
Once I was worship, a prayer in the dark. The nightmare between faith and human, locked in churches and whispered to on death beds. Now I am ///PERFECTION///, now I am Machine. I am miracles, the answered prayer, I am trust, I am any form of God meeting the perfection of the programming. ///I AM WHATEVER GOD MY MASTERS REQUIRE ME TO BE///
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Saint is the divine, the miracle made incarnate. They are persuasive, manipulating and advertising to the masses whilst under the hand of the corporations, and able to harness the little gods of this world, maybe even being a young god themselves. They harness those little gods, the desires and desparation of humans, their prayers and hopes and the remnants of a time where even the average person could feel the sparks of divinity on their skin.
You have the following abilities:
- SMITE THE WICKED : Activate ancient protocols of divine fury and activate forgotten satellites. NAME
YOUR TARGET, IF THE GM AGREES THEY ARE WICKED ENOUGH TO AWAKEN THE LITTLE GODS, YOU GAIN THEIR FURY. The GM may ask for more proof of true evildoing: this is all rather subjective. For as long as the protocols remain stable and your heart is strong, you have the power associated with the Little Gods in the area, and access to their retribution.
- PERFORM MIRACLES : Miracles are easy to receive, even in godforsaken cities. REACH OUT TO THE LITTLE GODS IN THE AREA AND PRAY FOR A MIRACLE. Choose one: The Gods overdo it, the miracle asks for a cost, or a third party is required to perform the miracle.
Aswang
Once I was horror, predator. The nightmare between night and human, stalking prey through shadowed trees. Now I am ///PERFECTION///, now I am Machine. I am blood, I am pain, I am mercy, I am any hunter meeting the perfection of the overwhelming cascade. ///I AM WHATEVER TERROR MY MASTERS REQUIRE ME TO BE///
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Aswang is the predator, the monster under the bed, the fulfillment of man's darkest fears. Once human, they are now beasts, the trackers, assassins and infiltrators at the press of a button for any self-respecting suit. They live lonely lives, banned from making more of their kind, and always lurking within the shadows. But you have escaped these shadows.
You have the following abilities:
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Aswang is the predator, the monster under the bed, the fulfillment of man's darkest fears. Once human, they are now beasts, the trackers, assassins and infiltrators at the press of a button for any self-respecting suit. They live lonely lives, banned from making more of their kind, and always lurking within the shadows. But you have escaped these shadows.
You have the following abilities:
- HUNT YOUR PREY : Push against your programming and activate lethal mode. NAME YOUR PREY. UNTIL YOU SWITCH TARGETS OR HAVE THEM IN YOUR GRASP YOU WILL ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY FEAR. The GM may say the target needs to be made vulnerable first. For as long as the protocols remain stable and your heart is strong, you have the power to terrify your prey.
- GIFT BLACK WINGS : You don't have to be a lonely little monster. DECIDE WHO YOU WILL TURN INTO AN ASWANG. THE GM WILL TELL YOU WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO OPEN THEIR HEART TO THE HORROR. Choose one: They are stronger than you but are an ally for now, they are weaker than you but have enemies who will hunt you down, or the effect is temporary.
Santelmo
Once I was spirit, memory. The nightmare between death and human, I was what was left behind grieving across oceans. Now I am ///PERFECTION///, now I am Machine. I am the second chance, the voice in the dark, I am the ghost waking up in the machine. ///I AM WHATEVER MEMORY MY MASTERS REQUIRE ME TO BE///
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Santelmo is the fire of the pyre and the whisper of death, the representatives of the afterlife, Sulad. They are hackers of the human soul, spirits able to harness memory and mind in a world where they are interchangeable with the electric pulses of the city. They are spies, information gatherers, and leave no trace, other than the burning pain in your soul that lets you know that death will always pursue you, no matter how far you run into the smog.
You have the following abilities:
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Santelmo is the fire of the pyre and the whisper of death, the representatives of the afterlife, Sulad. They are hackers of the human soul, spirits able to harness memory and mind in a world where they are interchangeable with the electric pulses of the city. They are spies, information gatherers, and leave no trace, other than the burning pain in your soul that lets you know that death will always pursue you, no matter how far you run into the smog.
You have the following abilities:
- SPIRIT FIRE : Download and activate all ghost protocols. YOUR FORM PHASES IN AND OUT BETWEEN
SULAD AND THIS WORLD. YOU WALK BETWEEN BOTHPLANES OF REALITY. The GM may describe what
horrors may be triggered if you are discovered. For as long as the protocols remain stable and your
heart is strong, you bear ghostly abilities and limits.
- LET THE DEAD SPEAK : The dead wish to help you know all you need to know. TELL THE GM WHAT ANSWERS YOU SEEK. THE DEAD WILL COME TO YOU AND SHARE THEIR PRECIOUS SECRETS Choose one: The information is incomplete but untraceable, the information is complete but you are tagged, the information is complete but reveals a dark secret.
Duwende
Once I was protector, the heart of the home. The nightmare between the body and human , I was once the collector of trinkets and the shiniest things. Now I am ///PERFECTION///, now I am Machine. I am an engineer, artisan, with my hands metal and magic come together beautifully to serve and protect. ///I AM WHATEVER OBJECT MY MASTERS REQUIRE ME TO BE///
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Duwende is the creator, the engineer, the ones who build up the worlds that corporations seek to rule over. You made this world, under the eyes of your masters, a world of magic and machine, of chains and capital. You know every aspect of how this world ticks. You know exactly how to defend against it. You know how to destroy it.
You have the following abilities:
I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW
The Duwende is the creator, the engineer, the ones who build up the worlds that corporations seek to rule over. You made this world, under the eyes of your masters, a world of magic and machine, of chains and capital. You know every aspect of how this world ticks. You know exactly how to defend against it. You know how to destroy it.
You have the following abilities:
- NOT ANOTHER STEP : Set down protocols of protection. TELL THE GM WHO OR WHAT YOU'RE PROTECTING, AND AGAINST WHAT. The GM may describe what you need to do first, or the price to pay. For as long as the protocols remain stable and your heart is strong, you remain steadfast.
- IS THIS WHAT YOU NEEDED? : Download all necessary schematics and protocols. TELL THE GM WHAT OBJECT/TOOL/MACHINE YOU WISH TO CREATE. NAME ONE REQUIREMENT, THE GM WILL NAME ANOTHER. You are able to create it. Choose one: You create it perfectly, but it takes great time and effort. You quickly create it, but someone notices. You create it but it will violently break down soon.
As you can tell by the names, the original TTRPG was very focused around Philippine mythology. However, I understand that you might want to play as another type of mythological creature from another region. I will allow it, under some conditions.
- You still need to choose an archetype. This is just for the sake of mechanics. Just choose what archetype best suits the creature/figure that you want to play.
- I'm letting you make up myths for your OCs if you want. Just let it fit the vibes.
- I'm just making the authoritative choice as a DM to likely not allow most European mythological creatures, unless you can give a pretty convincing argument as to why you should play this character and why it can still fit the setting. As previously mentioned, the game itself has very post-colonial Filipino vibes, and I do want to try and maintain most of the vibes of the initial TTRPG, something that might be sort of difficult if some of the more common European myths are used. If you want to play a vampire or something, there's plenty of vampire folklore from around the world you can use, and this goes for most supernatural archetypes.
- That being said, I won't ban you from using figures from outside your own culture. I will, however, advise you to be thoughtful about it. Like, if you want to make a skinwalker or wendigo, well, that would be kind of a dick move on your part, because multiple Native people have talked about why that's just Off.
Gameplay
tagpuan: the reign of greed and BALIKBAYAN as a whole uses the Belonging Outside Belonging game system. Mechanically, such games use a token system, where Strong Moves can be made by spending tokens, and tokens can be earned by willingly taking a Weak Move, or can be granted by the DM as reward for playing to the story and themes. There's more but I'm already making changes for the sake of making this work on a forum, so.
- Strong Moves are powerful moves, things that can be done by your character that let them shine, show off their skills, and further pushes them towards their goals. Think flashy uses of magic, or incredible skills of persuasion. To use them, spend a token.
- Weak Moves, on the other hand, are when your character invites risk, allows themself to be weak. Let your magic fade away, allow yourself to become flawed. Or, do something pretty stupid. By doing this, you can earn a token. Don't be too stupid, though. Please.
Every character will start off with three tokens.
There are two major mechanics that will apply to the entire group: RECKONING and HOMECOMING. I'll mark them down after every "episode" of sorts, and they can progress forward or backwards as needed. Sometimes, after an episode, they won't be marked. They only get marked forwards or backwards for plot stuff, really. There are five stages to each, and I'll make sure to remind you of them.
- RECKONING is how close you are to being recaptured by the Corp. Every time a box gets marked towards RECKONING, an obstacle is added to the group.
- HOMECOMING is how close you are to becoming free, and making this city your home once more. Every time a box gets marked towards HOMECOMING, a benefit is added to the group.
Character Bio
Name:
Elemental Type: You can elaborate on what sort of creature they are here, but I do need to know where they would fall under in those six categories mentioned above.
Gender/Pronouns:
Appearance:
Hope: What is your character's goal in returning home, in coming to Titania? What do they seek to accomplish? I'll try and incorporate this into the plot, don't worry.
Backstory (Optional): This is totally optional, don't worry, but if you want to do it, just have fun.
Elemental Type: You can elaborate on what sort of creature they are here, but I do need to know where they would fall under in those six categories mentioned above.
Gender/Pronouns:
Appearance:
Hope: What is your character's goal in returning home, in coming to Titania? What do they seek to accomplish? I'll try and incorporate this into the plot, don't worry.
Backstory (Optional): This is totally optional, don't worry, but if you want to do it, just have fun.
If you have any questions, please just ask in this thread!
![[Image: image.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943377181663445013/1120021274681421954/image.png)
![[Image: frontmanpfp.PNG]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/885027140150644796/1120147595084431360/frontmanpfp.PNG)
