Amplified

Everyone has their own strengths, weaknesses and other quirks of personality. They make up a large part of who you are, but in the end they aren't much of anything. But what if they were? What if the things that made you you were amplified?

That's exactly what happens to several ordinary people from Earth when they are ripped out of their own world and thrust into a world of magic where physical traits, emotions, and aspects of personality are amplified to the extreme - the good and the bad parts - until it becomes something totally different. A person with excellent hearing can hear the quietest whisper like it were thunder. A person with poor eyesight could become blind. An angry person will become consumed with hate at the slightest of reasons. A kind person will become unable to cause harm to another.

If adapting to these changes weren't enough, the world they are dropped into coming apart at the seams. Auren is a land reminiscent of medieval Europe at the turn of the thirteenth century, full of strife. Tensions have been mounting for decades, each side unwilling to back down even if they want is to be left alone. The murder of a leader. The slaughter of towns. The endless waves of armed missionaries. This is what these people from Earth arrive to. More, these people stranded from Earth may face a variety of receptions.

In the warm plains of the southeast lies Nahmaria, a country ostensibly ruled by a monarchy, but everyone know that the temple is the real power. The priests and priestesses of Nahma are truly what holds the country of small towns, villages and one large city together and defends against incursions from the west while trying to conquer and convert the north. It is said that should a man have only enough coin to pay either taxes to the monarch or a tithe to the temple, the temple will get it all and the first fruits of harvest too. Despite the power the Temple of Nahma holds, the clerical order is surprisingly open, frequently taking orphaned village children and the daughters of lords into their ranks and treating them all the same. When a group of strangely dressed and powerful people appear from nowhere, the Nahmans see this as a sign from their gods who had appeared the same way centuries ago.

To the rocky hills and lush valleys of the southwest is the country of Wicara run by generals. They have the strongest and fiercest fighters in all of Auren, their armies turned to the goal of destroying all magic users. The hatred of magic is held so strongly among the Wicarans that when a child manifests powers, the parents will usually kill the child within moments. A teen or an adult will usually commit suicide before they can be taken and publicly executed. The unlucky ones are not killed because their powers are useful, needed. These magic users are imprisoned and enslaved, forced to use their gifts (curses to them) in a variety of ways with only the hope of death when they are no longer useful. To them the arrivals to Earth are nothing more than more magic users to kill or perhaps use.

The cold, forested north is home to loosely collected bands of nomads brought together decades ago by a man who could foresee that if these nomadic clans did not band together they would die at the hands of the Wicarans or at the hands of the Nahmarians, ideological differences between the two notwithstanding both were a serious threat only held off by the high birthrate of magic users. That and the fact that on an individual basis, in the forest they grew up in, if a nomad does not want to be found he or she will no be though the hunter might find themselves short a head if they search too long. A short time ago this leader was assassinated, no one sure who by. His granddaughter now tries to hold the bands together. As for the Earthlings... they have enough problems on their hands and travellers from another world are one thing that they don't want to deal with. If they can find a way to use them, fine. Otherwise the nomads would prefer for them to get off of their lands.

The choices are there. Try to find a way home, stay and risk death or enslavement. Join a side and fight. Why it is even possible to get set up as a god. Auren is in chaos, will you be part of the problem or the solution?

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It has been awhile since I've run this but it's always been one of my favourites. Any type of character from any group is welcome though I do like a bit of balance. Other important things I should probably mention so people can see if they're interested is characters that come from Earth get three amplified traits: one power, one weakness and one other random thing. So someone who likes to play with fire could gain the power to use that element, their poor memory causes them to forget their identity every hour and the pet snake at home? That could give a person the ability to talk to snakes. Those with powers in Auren can have one or two powers that don't have to have anything to do with their powers. Onset of magic use for them can happen at any age usually between 5-10 or between 15-20 but that is just the most common incidences.

So anyone interested?

((I also hope it's fine I'm putting it in intermediate due to the fact that I'm new here.))

Sounds interesting. I'd be willing to sign up.

Sounds like a fun idea. I'd be willing to give it a go. :3

Also, the categories are based on post length and story complexity, not time here on the site, so you're fine posting it wherever you feel comfortable.

Come on Darkness! What happened?!