Ford Otome

To be an Otome is be violent. Very violent.

A game based upon the Mai Otome anime and manga. System currently in prototype stage courtesy of Shrike.

Note that the only biology and physiology texts allowed in this game are those published before 2006.

Introduction

On the distant world of Arl, the ultimate weapon is not a gun or a bomb or any machine.

The ultimate weapon is a woman.

Z-type HiME nanotechnology - noocytes able to rewrite the quantum metric and materialise photons as solid matter. Its true origins are shrouded in myth. Perhaps it is a component of some awful interstellar weapon. Perhaps it is the blood of God. In any case, its exact makeup and even its exact capabilities are beyond the ability of modern science to determine. What is known that when these miraculous nanomachines colonise an appropriate host, the host takes on equally miraculous abilities. Able to freely manipulate the metric altering properties of Z-type dust, the host is seemingly able to violate the laws of conservation and manifest matter and energy seemingly from thin air.

'Appropriate host' here means 'female'. By some quirk, these nanomachines are allergic to prostate-specific antigen, a glycoprotein found only in males ACCORDING TO THE SCIENCE OF THE YEAR 2006 and present in male ejaculate. The introduction of PSA into a woman's body will inoculate a woman against the Z-type dust; as such, a further requirement of wielding this ultimate power is virginity. At the very least there is an impression that these abilities are tied to a woman's virtue. It is perhaps for this reason that women hosting this nanotechnology are called 'Otome'.

The real power of any given country is tied up in its Otome. Their individual destinies drive the prestige of nations, their people and their leaders. In Zipang there is a saying: one sword keeps another in the sheath. The awesome power of Otome is enough to bring down civilisation, and the presence of Otome in the service of various superpowers keeps the world in balance and at peace ... even if that balance is uneasy and that peace false.

Otome

One part idol, one part officer of state, one part intercontinental independent cruising anti-landmass strategic superweapon. Possessing supranormal abilities than cannot be replicated by even the most advanced cybernetic technology, Otome represent the true military power of any given nation. Though not invincible, using conventional military forces to defeat a full realised Otome, a Meister, is typically a waste of resources. It is the skill of individual Meister Otome that determine who Arl's superpowers are; those nations without Otome are strictly speaking at the mercy of the nations that do employ them.

There are several aspects to any given Otome. The first is the Otome herself. It is not enough to be injected with the Z-type dust, though this is the vital technological aspect. Unlike a machine, or even a cyborg, the power of an Otome is built from her skills as a person. Popular media has created an image of the Otome as the soft-spoken, elegant maid that happens to possess power than can literally change the shape of countries, but this is just an image created by vapid celebrity culture. While it is true that etiquette is an aspect of an Otome's training, the reality is that this is just a small aspect. Typically selected in their early teens on the basis of intellectual and athletic brilliance, an Otome is extensively educated in languages, world politics, the hard and soft sciences, international law, history, military tactics and strategy etc, while being trained for physical combat. Even those women who do not subsequently go on to serve as Meister Otome will typically possess the skills to eventually excel in any given position in the public or private sector.

The second is, as mentioned, the Z-type nanomachines. Taking hold after a few days and fully developed after one year, even in a dormant state the dust provides numerous advantages. The average first year Coral Otome, usually only fourteen years old, can finish a 100m sprint in 8 seconds, jump a 3m bar from a standing start and curl the kind of weight that a strong man might bench press. Exceptional Otome have been known to be able to fight evenly with high end combat cyborgs without activating their nanomachines.

The nanomachines themselves are managed and regulated by the Generable Enigmatic Matrix, or GEM. Set in a special piercing of the ear and resembling a precious stone, the GEM is an infinitely fuzzy hypercomputer which interprets the commands and subconscious of the Otome and manifests them through the Z-type nanomachines. The GEM also forms the basis of the Contract system, where the activation of an Otome's powers lies in the hands of another (usually the leader of a nation, or some other important officer of state). For every Meister GEM, there exists a twin containing the activation permissions for the Z-type dust linked to a particular GEM. The owner of this GEM is called a Master, and the Contract cannot be broken without extremely specialised technology and expertise. Otherwise, only death can revoke a Contract. Additionally, an Otome and Master are linked, with Masters experiencing sympathetic pain if their Otome is injured, and if one dies then so does the other.

On activation, an Otome is able to materialise higher-order matter from photons, creating their Robe and, if they wish, their Element. A 'Robe' is a battle uniform incorporating suites of e-war, defensive, offensive and propulsive technology, and is emblematic of the Otome generally. While Coral and Pearl Otome -students - make use of largely identical Robes, Meister GEMs are all essentially unique - passed down from Otome to Otome and incorporating subconscious design changes recorded by the GEM. Typically all Robes incorporate a varying number of prehensile ribbons or coat tails that can act as additional limbs or as cutting tools, and all Robes feature distinctive ring-like protrusions around the wrists and ankles as part of the propulsion system. Otherwise the appearance of a Meister Robe is incredibly varied (and infinitely merchandisable). An 'Element' is a higher-order matter weapon unique to each GEM, and essentially unique between each Meister Otome. There is seemingly no limit to the forms an Element can take - swords, spears, axes, staves, energy cannons, tennis rackets. Almost anything. An Otome typically only has a single Element, though it is not uncommon for Elements to be able to change size or shape. For most Otome, their Element is their ultimate weapon.

A Meister Otome has fully realised her metric altering powers and cannot be matched by even the most powerful cyborgs. Meister Otome can reach orbit under their own power, throw an aircraft carrier, flatten a mountain range, catch lasers, shift individuals out of the spacetime continuum, duplicate themselves and more besides. They carry the dreams of nations. Their power and grace and at times idiosyncratic personalities have made them beloved of people the world over. In return for shouldering the burden of safeguarding the peace of the world, of having to face off against mentors, sisters, even former girlfriends, an Otome is made famous and adored. But even this can be hollow consolation: adoration can become obsession, and simple attempts to live life can create scandals. More than one Otome has tried pursuing an intimate relationship with a man and found that once adoring fans have become raving lunatics.

The responsibility inherent in being a Meister Otome is immense, the pressure can be grinding and at times it can be lonely and thankless. More than anything else, an Otome must be prepared for these hardships. It is for that purpose that Galleria Academy exists.

Galleria Academy

The world's top school, dedicated to the education of Otome as well as being the absolute authority on the technology behind their creation. Though located in the territory of the of the Valley of the Wind, itself a member of the United Aurelian Emirates, Galleria Academy is not attached to any nation and politically neutral, and has been since its founding. In addition to her duties as the head of the faculty, the sitting Principle must also manage the politics inherent in providing nations of the world with their Meisters, as well as being something of a mediator on the world stage. However, Galleria's first and foremost role is the raising of Otome.

A six year course open to girls at least aged thirteen, Galleria Academy provides largely unrivaled academic instruction in everything from pure maths to pure ethics, combined with an 'athletic department' that wouldn't be unusual as part of special forces training. The student body is split into a junior half - the Coral Otome - and a senior half - the Pearl Otome - with three years in each half. This split is part of an elder-sister/younger-sister mentoring dynamic which is almost iconic of Otome itself.