Crystal Ambition

Crystal Ambitions is set in a world where magic crystals were discovered at the dawn of the 20th century, causing a world conflict that spanned several decades...decades later the mysteries of the crystals continue to be slowly unravelled. Inspirations: Final Fantasy, Mai-Otome, SDs

CA Powers

Setting

http://cid-9388289b9b9ed3fe.office.live.com/self.aspx/Public/fagmap.jpg Unfinished map, Kefka is topright.

General Overview

The world is a vibrant place, though shadowed by the looming tensions between powers that continue to exploit the magical abilities of the Crystals. Kefkan culture remains dominant, the centre of learning, power and cultural output, the two leading lights of the Continent are the Selda Constitutional Imperium and the Zhrina Corporate Republic.

Broadly, Kefkans are welcoming, progressive, secular and human dominant. Perhaps unfairly, the human affinity for magic has gifted them considerable power, much to the chagrin of traditionally powerful races.

Crystal based technoloical magic has shifted the world to a futuristic era of flying cities, automation and profound social progress. This all belies a undercurrent of political tension and greed, as dictator Kings, corrupt democracies square off against reluctant autocrats and free societies across the world.

History

• 1908: The First Crystal is discovered after it impacts from space.
• 1918: The Second Crystal is discovered, others soon follow around the world
• 1925: Aspects are discovered, the magical properties of the crystals are harnessed.
• 1927: The Grande War begins over the crystals, now that their true power is known.
• 1944: Nation of Ifriti destroyed.
• 1945: The Grande War ends.
• 1945: The Concord of National Powers is established
• 1950: The Bahamut Aspect International Academy is established
• 1970: The Borgova Island Incident
• 2015: Present day.

Grande War

The Grande War was a series of conflicts, that merged into a singular period of continual warfare. The vast economic, scientific and military power of Crystals proved to be a catalyst for the greed of many.

Coincident with the ability to implant the Crystals into humans exacerbated the destructive forces of the conflict. When the artificial continent of Gestalh appeared, the conflict spiralled out of control into a series of skirmishes, all out wars and proxy conflicts.

Most nations were touched by the war, either invaded, invaders or neutral profiteers.

The wars ended with the Ifriti Protocol, after the massacre of 12 million people during which a series of bezerk Aspects were unleashed upon the nation of Ifriti, eliminating several of it's major cities and turning the nation into a dangerous wasteland of mists and ruined cities. The massive singular loss of life in the space of a few days convinced the major parties to seek an agreement to end the war and regulate the use of Aspects.

The Infriti Protocol

Restoration of peace and a commission for the recognition of sovereign borders.

The continent of Gestalh shall be restricted to purely scientific missions and the natives administrated under a joint Concord force to ensure their prosperity and native culture remains intact.

All Aspects must be certified at the Bahamut Academy to ensure genetic compatibility with the Crystals.

Paradigm

Magical/magitech near future.

The Crystals

Crystals are dense clusters of exotic matter, usually in the region of 10 to fifteen meters tall. They emit a form of localised emission known as a mana field, in which physical laws can be bent in a myriad of ways, is it by all accounts, magic.

Crystals often have a primary Aspect and a secondary Aspect.

Black Crystals

Black Crystals display the most raw magical power, providing powerful personal magics.

Primary Aspect: Personal Magic, Artillery Knight Discipline

Secondary Aspect: Materia Production

Red Crystals

Red Crystals have shown a bias towards the melding of magic and technology. Red Crystals seem infused with circuitry, each facet reflecting a complex digital pattern.

Primary Aspect: Personal Weaponry, Avatar Knight Discipline

Secondary Aspect: Technomagical Devices

Blue Crystals

Blue Crystals are a path into the magical world, through which magical and magitech summons can be 'requested. Blue Crystals are known for ghostly mirages in their crystal facets.

Primary Aspect: Summoning, Esper Knight Discipline

Secondary Aspect: Draft Crap?/more wealth

Green Crystals

Green Crystals are the most dangerous of all, the mutagenic effects of Crystals is most potent in Green.

Primary Aspect: Genetic Enchancement, Monster Knight Discipline

Secondary Aspect: +Beasts

Aspect Soldier

Aspect soldiers are capable of directly using magic and this is most prominently manifested in their Avatar. Avatar's are manifestations of will that result as magitech armour and weaponry. The creation requires dedicated meditation and training, most militaries will direct their Aspect Soldiers to manifest specific armour and weaponry, in order to maintain a unified and disciplined cadre of Aspect Soldiers. The Zhinra Corporate Republic Aspects for example maintain futuristic black and gold power armour, with large oversized gauss rifle weaponry.

Aspect Soldiers are the pinnacle of Crystalium technology, most materia are worn as bracelets, or embedded into weaponry or armour, Aspect Soldiers have a core of Crystalium directly implanted into their body, usually the forehead directly connecting to the brain, or in some cases, an eye socket.

Aspect Soldiers are subject to international treaty and limits. In order to train a candidate for the process, they must first attend the Bahamut Aspect Certification Academy.

Disciplines

All aspect warriors gain aspect to several powers simply by being infused. All are stronger, faster, and more resilient than normal people, all can heal faster, and all have innate ability to conjure and control material. However, devoting time to refining their different abilities gives Aspects access to potent applications of their power.

Artillery Knight: Are those who develop their Aspect with personal magic, focusing on developing battlefield spells to support their allies and ravage their enemies. While not devoted to personal combat, they are capable with swords and other close combat weaponry, as befits their extensive magical abilities.

Avatar Knights: This term refers to those Aspects who focus their Avatars into personal armour. They also hone their physical augmentations, strengthening and fortifying themselves to superhuman degrees. Many develop build-in weapons and other systems into their constructs, and greater Knights increase the Avatar’s size to become giant war machines. Many of them are supernaturally strong, capable of bounding across battlefields or dodging bullets.

Esper Knight: These practicioners devote themselves to the magical aspects of their Aspect, training their minds to summon entities. Most project their Avatar outward as a seperate entity, forming it into fantastic creatures or vehicles that they conjure to fight for them.

Monster Knight: The darkest of the types, these Knights focus on modifying their body, shapeshifting, genetic mutations and controlling monsterous creatures.

Bahamut Academy

The Bahamut International Aspect Academy is the instructive body and certification authority for Aspects.

Bahamut instruction begins at highschool age, 12 and is completed as a series of modules, there is a central curiculem which is then supplemented by national classes restricted to Aspects of a particular nation and possibly it's allies.

There are three broad stages, initial psych evaluation in which students are instructed in developing the mental stamina required, this lasts from 12-14 and ends with a psychological evaluation.

Upon successful certification Aspects progress to the next two year long stage, which is primarily national in nature, Aspectee's are instructed in a variety of combat, covert and other military skills, a intensive two year period also includes preliminary instruction of Aspect combat techniques.

The Final stage, at age 16 is the implantation of the Aspect Crystal and final certification. Aspects are then assigned to their respective nations to undergo a typical 18 month programme of training.

Geography

GEO

Kefka

The Continent of Kefka is a large landmass, recently glaciated it is a land of valleys, mountains and vast grassland plains. To the east, the desert mountains rise, separating the lands of the east from those of the west by anything but vehicles. Most of the major old civilizations call Kefka home and some newer powers are born from colonial powers that reside here.

Gestahl

South of Kefka, Gestahl is a collection of large floating artificial landmass, above a series of islands and long expansive lagoon and reef systems.

Gestahl's appearance was one of the catalysts of the grand war. A vast new land of clearly artificial construction, it was a dazzling gem in the sky, that spoke directly to the greed in men's hearts.

Jecht

The distant land of Jecht is viewed with some mystery, even in modern times. Discovered by Kefkan Explorers around four hundred years ago, this southwestern continent has had limited colonization along the northern and northeastern coasts. The continent is primarily savannah, breaking off into temperate rainforests at the north and into a harsh spot of badlands in the southwest. Dangerous wildlife teems in its reaches, made all the more dangerous by untapped quantities of Crystalium resting amid its grasses.

Aside from the coastal nations along the upper beaches, there are several tribal entities that dwell in this region, often living simple, nomadic lifestyles, amid the ruins of ancient human civilizations. Not all of these stone ziggurats are abandoned, though; the Rixoi people survived the past turmoils to maintain a stable civilization. These dusky-skinned humans cover the eastern portions of the savannah regions. Mining crystalium from nearby sites and developing their own unique uses of material technology. Though insular and somewhat reclusive, they are aware of the other nations and loosely participate in the global theatre from their pyramid-shaped cities.

Races

Every PC nation must be humanity majority, 51% or more. Non-humans grant no bonus's or negatives, for instance, moogle usually wear power suits in order to function as well as human soldiers.

Humans

You're human. Shut up.

Vitare

These beautiful, winged individuals are the primary residents of the floating landmasses of Isla, where they once built a great empire upon these flying rocks. Their empire is long gone, collapsed due to its insular nature and vicious infighting, but they still maintain several cities on the flying continent of Ascend and on other smaller sky islands. Most of these cities are shared with humans; either descendants of former slaves (who often now rule the ancient settlements) or recent immigrants looking to live in the clouds.

Vitare are light-boned humanoids with slender limbs and long, talon-like fingers. They have human faces and features, though their ‘hair’ is actually crests of feathers, which merge with their wings. While capable of flight on their own, they’re only about as fast as a bird. With modern crystal technology, they sheathe them in crystal-lined fins that allow them to hover and fly at considerable speeds.

Mitare

An offshoot of Vitare, these feathery beings look nearly identical to their airborne cousins, except that they have wings of only a foot long. Therefore, they cannot fly under their own power, and have been traditionally ignored by their airborne cousins. The advent of crystal technology allows them to use wing-sheathes, much like their other cousins, but these are expensive and are mostly used for military and exploration purposes.

Mitare are known for training chocobos, and often can be seen herding the creatures along the plains of their homelands to new grazing pastures. Many Mitare are trained riders, and breed all colours and types of the bird. The most prized are the flight-capable black chocobo, which allow them to circumvent their vestigal wings without resorting to expensive crystal-pinons.

Djinnae

The physical features of a Djinnae are unknown to most, due to their cultural dress. Every member wears some form of full-body cloak or robe, along with gloved hands and a mask or hood of some kind. Their clothes are often decorated with multiple knick-knacks and are sewn together with seemingly-random fabrics. They’re shorter than most people, and their limbs seem longer than normal for humans. Beneath their robes, they resemble human-sized monkeys, covered in brown hair, but with human faces and hands, and no tail.

Djinnae are keen-minded and have a love for technology and exploration. Many are scavengers or merchants, finding deposits of crystals or lost treasures and selling them in cities. They also work as craftsmen, producing various goods for sale to others. They’re quite communal, and many richer ones have the company of the Marione, their own creations. They’re particularly fond of crystals, and many great alchemists or magicians are Djinnae.

Marione

Created by the Djinnae as servants, these beings look like fleshy marionettes, complete with segmented joints and near-featureless faces. Their mouths are barely slits in their face, and they seem to have no eyes (though they see fine, as their ocular organs can see through the skin around their face). Designed as labourers and bodyguards, these beings are extremely quick and dexterous, capable of great precision. They also learn quickly, picking up tasks by rote.

Marione are not entirely sentient when first created, most quickly develop sentience. Upon discovering this, Djinnae treat them as servants and employees rather than slaves, paying them for their work. Many are used as crafters and haulers, or to guard their masters; most have remained as such. They are loyal and straightforward, but very quick to learn and adapt. The Djinnae have given the Marione the process used to create them, allowing them to ‘birth’ new members of the species.

Gargoyles

These stony-skinned creatures are the natural product of crystal buildup, stone animated by material growth and given life. No two gargoyles are alike, but most are animalistic forms, hybrids of seemingly-random creatures. Most are incredibly strong and resilient, though they’re often a bit lumbering (this is not always the case). They have no uniform size; some are truly gigantic.

Only a few gargoyles are sentient, but those that are tend to be predatory and domineering. They often lead hordes of gargoyles to attack nearby villages, and take the crystal sources as their own.

Sergia

These hulking, hairy figures live in forested and swampy regions, forming tribes and fighting territory wars. Standing seven to nine feet in height, they’re notable by their obscured faces and fur-like coats of hair. Fiercely secretive and territorial, they often keep to themselves and resist attempts to colonize their forests. Still, some become mercenaries and travel (notable exiles).

Ferran

These Jecht natives are most known for their unique diet – in addition to human food, these humans can feed on certain metals. This is not a natural evolution, but rather a byproduct of prolonged exposure to Materia. A Ferran who comes into contact with iron, copper, or gold finds the metal bonding to his skin, slowly absorbed into his flesh like ice melting. This process is involuntary, painful, and extremely intoxicating, making it every difficult to stop when it has begun. It can also be addicting; Ferrans have a semi-deserved reputation amongst colonists as thieves and bandits.

Ferrans resemble dark-skinned humans, much like most of the natives of Jecht. However, the marks of their diet are present in blotches and protrusions of metal in their bodies, skin transformed into a strange, living alloy. The texture and colouration depends on the absorbed metal, and is a mixture of hybrid tissue and actual metal. Ferrans do not age unless utterly deprived of metal from birth; if killed, soft tissue quickly rots and hybrid flesh coalesces into true metal, leaving their skeleton and growths behind. Many Ferrans also have traces of Materia in them (almost always black, but occasionally red or green); rare members develop natural Crystalium cores in the center of their torsos, granting them innate (and untrained) magical power. Many develop strange transformations resembling natural magitech, granting them strange and useful abilities. Ferran’s need for other food and water is much less than most humans, and is eventually eliminated altogether.

Ferrans originate from the central and southern mountains of Jecht, but have migrated north into the jungles or into the deserts. They tend to eschew company of other humans, mistrusting them and causing conflicts due to their hunger for metal and tempting appeal to greedy men.

Moogles

Standing at about thee feet tall (without ears), Moogles are furry, rabbit-like humanoids with long ears and tiny vestigial bat-wings. Their fur ranges from white to dark grey, with rare members having colorations such as red. Despite their stubby limbs, they can be quite nimble.

Moogles are originally native to Kefka’s western grasslands, but have spread through the continent and to others. Curious and perpetually wide-eyed, many travel if they can, take up in other nations. They are nearly universally loved by most civilized races, and many nations sport Moogle populations.

Chocobos

These chicken-like birds wander the Kefkan plains in great herds, feeding on grass and other plants. Large enough to carry two riders comfortably, these intelligent animals are often used as mounts by sentient races. Most are flightless, though a few varieties are capable of sustained flight. Chocobos are strong and nimble, and can carry heavy loads with surprising stamina. They can be easily trained for domestic or war-time uses.

Two natural breeds of Chocobos exist: Yellow Chocobos are the most common. Black Chocobos live near hilly or mountainous areas, and have functional wings that are strong enough to carry riders – these have been exported to Gestahl by the Vitare, and are also cultivated by the flightless Mitare. In addition to these, exposure to crystalium can lead to different-coloured breeds, with unique and often magical traits. Control and cultivation of such traits is an immensely prized science.

Making a Nation

Nations are created using 750 nation points.

A nation can support only only as much population as it has support for. Population provides 40 wealth.

Each nation starts with 30,000 wealth worth of military and 2x stockpile of materia.

Regions

Regions are areas of similar geography, in which sites are housed. They are also affected by regional & Site modifiers which customise regions and sites.

Wild Countryside

Untouched land, a national park or just yet to be developed wilderness.

5 points

Beasts

Countryside

A mix of land uses exist in countryside, from parkland, farms and forests

10 points

Supports 5 Population,

provides 50 wealth

Developed Countryside

Developed countryside is almost entirely unnatural and covered in mechanized farmland.

10 points

Supports 10 Population

Marine

Devoid of land, marine environments are plentiful in natural resources, such as fish and provide considerable benefits

15 Points

Supports 12 Population

provides 25 Wealth

Woodland

Large expanses of trees, ranging from temperature forests to tropical jungles

10 points

Provides 50 wealth

Beasts

Mountain

Even in the modern age, the world's mountains are harsh, tall and difficult to navigate, though full of mining opportunities.

5 points

Wastes

Deserts, tundra, swamps, ice fields

1 point

Sites

Sites are areas of human activity, either constructions or areas of habitation. They are placed in Regions.

Fortifications

Fortifications take the place of tank ditches, bunkers, mines and other fortified positions. They are useful for delaying the enemy while you respond to attacks.

10 points

Must be seized and captured before the associated Zone can be conquered.

Siege Defences

Much more substantial than Fortifications, these include large scale weapon systems, which can offensively devastate attacking armies within range.

35 Points

Must be seized and captured before the associated Zone can be conquered.

Military Base

Large fortified staging areas, barracks, vehicle pools and command centres.

25 points

Requires 1 Population, 10 Wealth

Must be seized and captured/Destroyed before the associated Zone can be conquered.

Maintains 50 wealth/month of units free of charge, so long as they remain in the Zone.

Military Aeroport

Large fortified staging areas, Docking Towers, landing strips, Repair yards and command centres.

15 Points

Requires: 10 Wealth

Provides Military Airships

Provides 250,000CP of transport

Handles Aircraft up to 50 Deckage and airships up to 100

Military Naval Port

Large fortified staging areas, Docks, hardened berths, submarine pens, repair dry docks and command centres

15 Points

Requires: 10 Wealth

Provides Military Naval Ships

Provides 250,000CP of transport

Maglev Hub

Provides Facilities for transporting Military units on civilian or military maglev networks.

10 Points

Requires: 25 Wealth

Provides 500,000CP of Transport

Town

10 points

Provides 2 Population

Produces 100 wealth

Metropolis

Much larger than Towns, Metropoli are centers of finance and industry.

50 points

Provides 10 Population

Produces 500 Wealth

Production sites for all Mechanized units.

Mega-Metropolis

Huge sprawling or towering centres of humanity, Mega-Metropolis are bustling centres of international importance and power.

150 Points

Provides 25 Population

Produces 1500 Wealth

-1 Population Support for Zone

Production sites for all Mechanized units.

Arcology

Large self contained cities, easily defended, self-sustaining regardless of zone, even Materia Blight Fields.

100 Points

Provides 10 Population

Produces 750 Wealth

Requires no Population Support

Production sites for all Mechanized units.

Hydroponic Tower

Large skyscraper sized greenhouses which provide food regardless of outside conditions.

10 Points

Supports 10 Population

Requires 150 Wealth

Habitation

apartment blocks, suburbs, etc.

5 points

Provides 10 population

Biological Weapons Facility

This is where animals(or people) are exposed to crystalium and mutated into weapons of war. Usually expansive sites with tight security

10 points

Requires 50 Wealth, -1 Population to Zone.

Provides 10 Beast Points Or 10 Genetic Points

Mineral Extraction Facility

Deep pit mines, or open excavation, such sites extract natural resources from the Earth

10 Points

Provides 275 Wealth

Science Station

Science Stations are used to study the crystals and the effect they have on various geology and physics. They may provide insight into the nature of the Crystalium.

10 Points

May Provide Clues or special devices for heroes

Crystalium

Black Crystalium

50 points

Each Crystal provides 425 Materia, 15% more Materia Production

Red Crystalium

50 points

Each Crystal provides 425 Materia, Halves Technomagical Units materia Requirements

Blue Crystalium

50 points

Each Crystal provides 425 Materia, 15% More Wealth Production

Green Crystalium

50 points

Each Crystal provides 425 Materia, Halves Beast and Genetic Engineering Requirements

Military

Military