~~Oz Discussion Topic~~

The Nations of Oz

Yuleia: The Queendom to Oz's east. They are the ones responsible for the ritual that brought the various characters from other worlds (dubbed "Outlanders" by the people of Oz) to this world, driven by a desperate queen whose realm is under siege from both the various abominations running amok, and the militaristic Ephesian neighbors to the north. Despite a sizeable military, it is a largely benevolent nation that prides itself in its magical knowledge and prowess. However, the people are also religious, and disrupting the natural cycle of life is seen as especially blasphemous. Necromancy, as a result, has been feared and persecuted for as long as known history can say. Fortunately, there have been zero incidents of necromancy among it's borders for several decades...

Ephesus: An empire occupying much of Oz's north. According to legend, the Ephesian lands were a barren wasteland, where the lakes were dry and no grass had the capacity to sprout, until one day, the Divine Serpent was born, and blessed the land with life. The soil grew fertile, the land was cracked so rivers may form and flow, man was given wisdom, and an impregnable wall was created to protect the land from the malicious horrors that would taint and exploit it. What would be known as Ephesus was born. Though the Serpent's physical body eventually perished with age, its spirit continues to grant its blessings to those it finds worthy, and guide Ephesus's leaders to carry out it's will.

...And by the Divine Serpent's will, the empire must purge the world outside of it's walls. For what purpose is perhaps known only to the Holy Emperor, but driven by zealotry and reverence to the Serpent, it's military obeys...

Oscela: Within the immense forest to Oz's south lies Dana, realm of the elves. These long-lived people pride in their attunement to the natural order of the world, and every seven years of their life, were known to embark in pilgrimages to Yggdrasil, the world tree, for ceremony and prayer. However, they are also known as an isolationist community; their population largely concentrated in their capital city deep in the forest, and -- save for very few bright-eyed youngsters with wanderlust -- rarely communicating with their Yuleian or Zelphan neighbors even for trade. They are ruled by a great Elder, although rumors persist that he plans to finally retire and pass the throne to either of his twin son and daughter.

About two decades ago, however, a magical barrier suddenly appeared around the capital city, reaching far above the skies, impossible to pass or even gaze through. Nobody knows why; not even the citizens and soldiers caught outside of the city, now unable to return home...

Zelpha: Hello hello! Come one, come all, to the world famous Zelpha, a nation of Islands to the southeast of Oz, owned by the [Emppypleaseadddetails] family! Commerce, entertainment, technological advancements, gambling dens, and relative safety from abominations compared to the mainland, we invite any and all tourists to come momentarily forget their troubles, lighten their purses, and enjoy all the attractions on offer! From carnivals to casinos, fun for the whole family guaranteed! Just be careful to watch your pocket, impose spending limits, and read the fine print between the lines of every contract you sign, because the businesses here like to try to suck as much money from you as possible. BUUUT if you're here for business, then--

*BOOM*

Oh, don't mind that. Probably just those *gutter-born* from the south kicking up filth and stinking up the peace again. Not to worry, Zelpha's security is perfectly secure: A protective alliance from Yuleia, our privately contracted militia company, and our state-of-the-art robotics have got the peace covered! Come on over! Tell your friends!

The Badlands: This land once belonged to a mighty kingdom of beastkin, until civil strife among the royal and continued abomination attacks caused it's collapse. Now, only ruins remain of this kingdom. Eastern Oz, now unofficially known as the Badlands, is a land with no laws, populated by abominations, drifters, criminals, and various clans, guilds, and other assemblages battling to gain territorial influence in hopes of carving out a new empire to call their own. Though a few scattered non-violent communities exist, one must always expect chaos at a moment's notice.

One particular clan with troubling rumors behind them seems to be building influence lately...

[reserved post]

It's a full remake/reboot. The main conflict and setting are left familiar, but there will be changes to certain places and characters to keep it fresh.

The "main" abominations will still be around, and if anybody feels they want to control an antagonist, feel free to say sk.

Just a random scenario to establish the relation between main characters andtheir cards.

Luigi is a main character, so he starts as himself and not a card. For some reason however, he has Reverse Flash on him as a card. Having no idea who or what Reverse Flash is, Luigi summons him.

1.Can Reverse Flash just leave to do his own thing or he has to stay near Luigi?

2.If Reverse Flash can leave, when he's defeated, does his card go back to Luigi or does it just falls in front of whom defeated him?

3.Can Reverse Flash attack or kill Luigi?

It was probably already discussed but what happens to the card characters if the character holding them gets carded?

Do all of the card characters revert to cards or do they remain themselves?

'ey emppy, watcha thinkin bout?

Here's an idea I'm cooking and would like opinions on: the Wordsmith's Sword [working title please come up with something for me]. The Outlanders' presence in the temple at the base of Yggdrasil activates a previously undiscovered room, upon which is a magic sword in a pedestal seemingly left behind by the Wordsmiths of old, which princess Lana of Yuleia takes for herself.

Idea 1: The sword gives Lana new abilities related to the Outlanders she's forged a close connection with: to either fuse with one of them to gain their abilities with some kind of power increase, or to take a form based on their appearance and gain some of their power in this form at will (like Double Soul from Mega Man Battle Network, or a Kirby copy ability). And whichever method picked, what kind of drawbacks or limitations should be imposed? Should what each fusion/doublesoul do and look like be part of the characters' sheets? From the start (RIP Mally), or when they're unlocked? Would the subject Outlander be conscious if it's a full fusion?

Idea 2: There are additional passageways that lead deeper into the temple, and the "keys" to unlocking them are scattered throughout Oz, which would serve as the Outlander's primary objective after defeating the evil empire and fighting the various monsters that may or may not even be possible to track down on their own. Since they belonged to long-destroyed civilization, some of these keys would belong to nation leaders (thus giving more reason for the Outlanders to visit them), others would've been locked away or even dropped somewhere. The deepest chamber holds the answer to solving the world's problems.

The fusion part sounds good to me, assuming it's a consensual thing. I definitely think that if a character is removed from battle though, they should at least be able to mentally speak to the sword's holder. This would create a drawback where if someone with a very different moral compass to Lana, it could influence her psyche.

I like the idea of more artifacts being hidden, if some characters end up with no incentive for exploring, Lana can eventually give them one.