The Awakening

Because this is a small, plot-light game, there is no official plot to open the story. Therefore, we're going to go ahead and begin with a soft open on Friday.

What this means is that on Friday, you may begin introducing your characters. They can be just going about their lives; they may notice Essence of Thyme for the first time; etc. Other characters will join as they are ready, so please don't feel like you're in a rush.

While it isn't mandatory, it would be easiest for everyone if you introduced your character, including their very basic past background and a few details about their present day lives, before beginning play. If this is the first post on your character's journal, it will be an easy reference/refresher for anyone playing with you.

In order to avoid having 100 characters with the same name, please reply here in the following format:

First Name Last Name: Past Life Name

There may be multiples, of course, but please do check to make sure there aren't more than, say, three Davids before you choose your name. It will save a lot of confusion!

There is a coffee shop in the Village called Essence of Thyme.

It's a total eco-hipster kind of place, with big comfy couches, lots of books and games, tons of beautiful exposed wood, and fair trade coffee. (You should try their vegan brownies!) It is warm and welcoming and just...always feels good to visit.

Your characters can't explain it, but they felt drawn here.

The first time you come to Essence of Thyme, you receive a flyer advertising a journal system--much like a subReddit forum where their customers can chat with each other. It isn't until you become aware of your past life that you realize three important facts:

1. Only reincarnates seem to be drawn to this coffee shop. Most other people just pass it by unless they are deliberately drawn in by a reincarnate.

2. Only reincarnates have journals in the forum.

3. Not everyone who has a journal is aware they are a reincarnate yet.

The owner of Essence of Thyme is mysterious. No one has ever seen them and no one can seem to figure out who they are--not even the people who work there. (You may, by the way, have characters work at Essence of Thyme. Simply reply here for a shift as a barista.)

Essence of Thyme will serve as a centralized hangout and an excuse to make two characters meet. New York is a big city, after all, but reincarnates are drawn here like nowhere else on earth.

1. There is no character cap. Take as many as you feel like you can reasonably play.

2. There is no posting requirement. This is a very relaxed sandbox game. Please try to keep active, but if you can't, no one will ding you for it.

3. This is considered a short-term game. We'll play as long as everyone is having fun. If it winds down, it winds down.

4. There is very little mod supervision. Just remember the golden rule. However, there will be two mod characters you can reach out to if you need a deus ex machina.

5. Imagine the game as if it were a web forum or a livejournal. Any post with "Private" in the cut-tag or subject line is something your characters cannot read or respond to. The same goes with cut-tags or subject lines marked with another character's name. Public posts are readable by everyone.

6. If you have a rp log, please mark clearly where it takes place, who it is between, and if there are any warnings or triggers, including a rating warning if necessary.

7. You may start an rp thread with anyone at any time; however, it is polite to ask someone if they'd like to thread before starting a thread with their name in the subject line. You may also post "Open" threads. In this case, it is first come, first served. If you want to join another thread already in progress, you must ask permission--don't just jump in.

8. There will sometimes be "Open to All" threads. This means that it is a free-for-all. Think of it like a party, with multiple things happening at once.

9. If you need to post out of character, simply add OOC to the subject line. Or, if you need to make an out of character comment, add something like (OOC: here is my comment.)

10. You do not need to come up with a character sheet. However, it helps a great deal if your very first post in a journal is an OOC post describing who your character used to be and who they are in their current incarnation.

11. Your character may look like their previous incarnation if you wish. They also may look completely different. They must, however, look human. However, upon awakening, reasonable physical traits from a previous life (scars, tattoos...sure, even wings if you find a way to incorporate them into your modern NYC life) may appear at your discretion.

12. If your character had an item (such as Captain America's shield or Iron Man's suit of armor) that is important to them, they may regain it by reaching out to one of the two mod characters. Please be aware that the mod character my require a quid pro quo to get it. This is the only way to obtain past life items.

13. Mod characters can also bring people from a past life and force a reincarnation into a new body. This could be an interesting way for you to bring loved ones and new characters into the game. Again, the mod character may require a quid pro quo, and the character brought into the world this way may struggle with disorientation, identity, and existential crap. (Annngst.) Mod characters can also banish characters (including NPCs) into other universes as needed.

14. You generate your own plot. Your character is only as engaged as you make them. If your character does something that will affect a lot of people (like...shut down a subway line or send Brooklyn into a blackout), please post OOC to let people know so they can respond. There will be mod-run disasters happening now and again. Details will be posted in OOC when the time comes.

Any questions? Ask them here.

Please claim your characters here! A few things to remember:

1.Multiple versions of the same character are allowed.

2. Multiple universes within the same canon are allowed.(ie: worlds with Neria Surana as the Warden dying in the sacrifice; worlds with Neria Surana as the Warden surviving; worlds with Elissa Cousland, etc.)

3. You may take characters from previous games.

( Claimed Characters )