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 Principal 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. In their second year, Coral Otome are assigned to a Pearl Otome and expected to act as a 'room attendent': at minimum a Coral has to keep her "onee-sama's" room tidy and manage her laundry, but is generally expected to obey directions and commands. In return, the Pearl has to provide instruction, advice, protection and even financial support. If a room attendant transgresses the rules, or comes into conflict with other students or members of the faculty, then their elder must intercede on their behalf. For the most part this relationship persists even after graduation, and forms part of the 'beneath the surface' aspect of international relations.

The nature of this bond differs between people. For some, the arrangement is almost a professional one. For others, it is a substitute for a lost mother. Sometimes these relationships are intimate. It would be whitewashing to say that they were never abusive. As a general rule they are close bonds built upon mutual respect (and at least a little adoration). In principle this kind of socialisation is a part of teaching responsibility to peers and dependents.

As mentioned, Coral Otome are the junior half at Galleria Academy. For the most part, these first three years are about building the foundation of a strong Otome and bringing out the latent abilities in students. In their first year, Corals are still adjusting to the Z-type nanomachines, and will typically reject GEMs: the exception are the 'entry level' Coral GEMs which, in addition to not being particularly taxing are designed to help acclimatise the body to Robe usage. Coral Robes are not capable of flight, have limited electronic and offensive capabilities, but relatively exaggerated defensive abilities. Like Pearl Otome, a Coral's Element is a staff. There are no known Coral Robe variants. Though even the strongest Coral could not possibly defeat a Pearl, let alone a Meister, their strength is nothing to dismiss.

Pearl Otome, in comparison, are about polishing the skills gained as Corals. The difference between a Pearl GEM and a Meister GEM in terms of raw power is not as great as the difference between a Coral and a Pearl. Though Pearl GEMs do not have the same extreme variation that Meister GEMs do, they have more or less the same basic capabilities: as such, the underlying theme behind the education of Pearls is not so much 'learning to be an Otome' but rather 'becoming a Meister Otome'. The distinction is fine, but important. Pearls are trusted to protect and mediate on behalf of their Corals, and so in order to graduate they must cultivate responsibility, leadership and wisdom. Though the emphasis is not taken away from traditional instruction, it is the chaos of normal school life which is, in its own way, most instructive. The top three Pearls of the year form the Trias, essentially a student council which liaises with the faculty on behalf of the students, and which liaises with the students on behalf of the faculty. The Trias maintain a great deal of authority within the school, and for the most part disciplinary issues are rarely escalated to the staff.

The Galleria Academy campus itself is built on, in and around a component of the interstellar colony ship Eltreum, which first brought humans to Arl so many generations ago. The campus has extraterritorial status and is, on its own, essentially a military superpower. Though staunchly neutral, Galleria possesses the only system on Arl capable of authorising a GEM without a normal Contract. It is this system that allows the student body and the faculty staff to use their Robes without a Master: most prominent among these masterless Otome are the Five Columns. The Five Columns are exceptional Meisters that serve as Galleria's limbs should any situation call for force - it is unknown for the Principal to not be one of the Columns. All faculty members and Pearls in their final year are able to authorise their own activations at will in any location. First and second year Pearls are able to authorise on Galleria grounds, while Coral Otome need the authorisation of staff or certain Pearls.

Geography

Through the vast, distributed lens of the Extrasolar Obersvation Agency's primary telescope, the planet Arl looked depressingly ordinary - but depressingly ordinary made it a suitable target for colonisation. Its differences seemed insubstantial. The thicker air and preponderance of shallower seas wouldn't pose particular issues for human settlement. The somewhat different chemical composition of the atmosphere could be adapted to with minimal self modification. When the Eltreum arrived on Arl, it discovered a natural environment more spectacular and beautiful than even Earth in its prime. The thicker air scattered more light: over the sand the noon sky was gold cream, tinting to jade over rainforests and pale turquoise over seas. The high floating clouds glowed like coals in the reflected light of the setting sun; refracted sunlight around the horizon and the nearby nebulae made the night a carnival. An unspoiled world to be treasured.

Aurellia

The Aurellian continent was the site of first landfall and the cradle of Arlian civilisation. A relatively hot, dry part of the world in the south, dominated by a number of spectacular deserts where the sand flows like molten silver hued in red and gold. Though very beautiful to look at, it is difficult land in which to make a home, and the oases around which settlements have grown into nations were not sufficient to support the needs of a diverse colonisation effort. Most of the population of the continent is concentrated in glitzy, cosmopolitan cities relying heavily on technological intervention. The continent is largely dominated by three distinct desert regions, the Empty Quarter, which is Arl's largest desert, the Sayhad and the Lut, which is the second largest concentration of salt in the world.

Wind

The Emirate of the Valley of the Wind is the original settlement on Arl. Its great age, and the fact that a component of the Eltreum is within its territory, has meant that Wind has played a significant role in many notable episode of history: the most notable being its involvement in ending the Seven Days of Fire and employing the first Otome. The Valley of the Wind for which the Emirate is named is an anomalous geographical feature: an incredibly lush region located in the midst of the Empty Quarter. Surrounded on both sides by the tallest mountains in the region, the Valley is favoured by a regular cool breeze which makes it remarkably liveable given its location: the average recorded temperature in the Emirate is some fifteen degrees below the rest of the UAE