Eternity: Written in the Stars
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Eternity: Written in the Stars was a tournament put together by Tenshi Kain on short notice in late 2008 to fill the slot left empty by the aborted Eternity: Crusade scheduled for that winter.
The tournament's Overstory focused on the Eternals Nicolai and Gina Leamonde and their race against Tersis and Diego Valthias to solve the mystery of a "lost" tournament from long ago.
To test the revisions to the gameplay system, Eternity: Bikini Quest, a week-long non-serious test tournament was held prior to the start of Written in the Stars.
Contents |
Overstory
The story of Written in the Stars, while based in EMC and steeped in its own histories, stood well on its own, making it accessible to players not well educated in past tournament lore. An introduction written by Tenshi Kain kicked the Overstory into gear.
Overview
Much of what the Eternals know of the Multiverse is owed, at the fundamental level, to the writings of Millon M'Tai. Following the completion of his vast works on the past and present of the Continuous lived a young scholar of the Eternals, Thautra, later called the Ancress, and an avid student of M'Tai, who set out to explore a different question; Thautra spent her life studying not the past, but the future. Thautra was a master philologist, and during her time as an Eternal student invented a runic language for the Eternals that she called Stelliscript, which she also used as a secondary method to record her findings. She journeyed to thriving worlds and advanced civilizations, to see the full extent of progress across the Multiverse - to worlds freshly born or barely touched by mortal hands, to witness the inception and course of unhindered terrestrial life - and to dead and doomed worlds, compiling information about the ends and endtimes of many different realities. She also studied myriad methods of divination, looking for links and demarcations between millions of prophecies across times and dimensions. Her ultimate end in this impossibly long quest was to discern more of what was then called in the writings of M'Tai "the Twilight Hour" - the supposed decline and death of the Continuous.
Her pursuit of that end lasted many years. According to the last message Thautra sent to the High Council, she had recorded accounts of whole worlds and universes from beginning to end, the methods of prophecy she found most accurate...and, according to her, "alarming insights" into the Twilight Hour. Yet for all the intrigue that weary, haunted final message stirred, Thautra never returned to the Eternal City. Squads dispatched to look for her at her last known locations never found any trace of her, or clues to where she may have gone. Her fate remains unknown, and her final work had been thought lost to time for countless eons.
There yet persist stories of Thautra herself in Eternal society. Some who knew her before her journey say that she was not entirely motivated by a thirst for knowledge - that, more than anything, she feared the endtimes spoken of in the writings of Millon M'Tai. That her interest in the eschatology of these universes was a symptom of a deeper, existential terror that consumed her, those long years she spent alone in the Multiverse. That she spent too much of her life looking to the end of it.
That what she found on her journeys into the darkest hours of the Continuous drove her mad.
And now, just after the events of Eternity Wayward Dawn, her path has been uncovered.
Nicolai, the Delta, and Gina Leamonde, Muse of History, have discovered evidence of a "lost tournament" - a tournament Thautra herself may have hosted - and with it, the existence of Stelliscript writing in the night skies, tracing a path through multiple worlds, multiple dimensions, to an unknown destination. They believe following this path will resolve the age-old mystery of the disappearance of one of the Eternals' greatest scholars. But this is beyond the Eternals' ability to accomplish alone. Only by fully retracing the path of that lost tournament- by fighting, by allying, by strategizing, by actively competing to win- will the stellar messages reveal themselves. Now Nicolai and Gina have called upon you to reenact that tournament, stabilize these worlds through your efforts, and help put the questions of Thautra's final days to rest.
But Nicolai and Gina are not the only hunters on the trail. Worlds away, a Vagrant Eternal, a veteran of the Fourth Void War, is contacted by a young woman who knows of the Eternals' quest, who seeks his aid in gathering the same fighters from across the Multiverse. She claims to have seen the Stelliscript for herself. She claims to know the true extent of its power - and that this is not simply following a path that was paved long ago. That we are not following the footsteps of the past, but marching toward the same dark future that Thautra the Ancress vanished into.
A possible past, and a possible future; a blurred line between discovery and prophecy; and across six worlds, a path will open through the night skies.
Only those gathered know where it leads.
Are we retracing what has already transpired - or fulfilling what is written in the stars?1
Other Features
AST
The Written in the Stars production included an AST with music chosen by the hosts for various parts of the story or characters as well as tracks chosen by the players for their own sponsored characters.
Path of the Bard
Written in the Stars revived the Path of the Bard, an element of the tournament separate from the gameplay or story side. Path of the Bard involved writing poems or songs based on keyword prompts. No direct tie-in to the overstory was required as Path of the Bard was intended to be a fun poetic option; players could opt to not participate without penalty.
Tablet of Stars
Among the exposition and dialog the hosts put together for Written in the Stars, a series of quasi-poetry character sketch pieces (dubbed "starposts") emerged. The format caught on and many players wrote their own starposts for the characters they were sponsoring. Mith compiled them into a single forum thread, based on the Tablet of Stars from the Suikoden video game series, for easy reference.
Awards Ceremony
Carrying on a tradition begun in Rurouni Taikai II: Shards of Sorrow, the Afterparty featured an Awards Ceremony wherein the participants voted on a series of awards to be handed out to their fellow contestants in several categories. The categories were very specific, honoring achievements in both writing and gameplay.
The Stargazer’s award for Best Overall Story -- Jade Curtiss as played by Luna
The Tiny Giant’s award for Best Dramatic Performance -- Suzaku Kururugi as played by Puel
The Sungrazer’s award for Best Comedic Performance -- Max as played by Darth Howie
The Red Dwarf’s award for Best Chivalric Performance -- Georg Prime as played by Mith
Vire Would be Proud award for Best Villainous Performance -- Kefka Palazzo as played by Kellios
Gina’s Skrill Sacrifice award for Best Dramatic Scene -- Suzaku and Suzaku, written by Puel
Diego’s Cocktail Napkin Flowchart award for Best Comedic Scene -- Vayu's Anise-duction in Round 3, written by Helmar and Veers
Nicolai’s Determination award for Best Heroic Scene -- Georg Can Take It, Round 4, written by Mith and Puel
Sath's Blademaster award for Best One-On-One Duel -- Cecil Harvey vs. Kefka Palazzo, Round 3, written by Kellios and JSG
One Cluster@$&# After Another award for Best Melee Duel -- Tied between the Battle with General Sath at the Wrath Gate (Round 5) and Throwdown with Mr. Sinister and the Nasty Boyz (Round 2)
Nicolai's Punch of Comradeship award for Best Rivalry -- Anakin Skywalker and Starkiller, played by Onyx and Plasmos
The Bond Forged In The Sky award for Best Alliance or Friendship -- Anakin Skywalker and Starkiller, played by Onyx and Plasmos
The Stargarita award for Best Interaction with Overstory Characters -- Jade Curtiss (and Guy Cecil), played by Luna
Tersis' Gold Star award for Sponsor Who Overcame All Odds -- Thrall, as played by Moogle
Fiorella's Fashionable Assist award for Best Support -- Anakin Skywalker as played by Onyx
The Stellar Path award for Best SHINE Standard -- Jade Curtiss as played by Luna
The Hidden Path award for Best SHINE Harbinger -- Gale as played by Helmar
The Indomitable Path award for Best SHINE Impulse -- Georg Prime as played by Mith
The Nebulous Path award for Best SHINE Newtype -- Kefka Palazzo as played by Kellios
The Extrasolar Path award for Best SHINE Enabler -- The Boss as played by Dareon
The Brightest Constellation award for Best Introduction -- Three-way tie between Luna's Jade Curtiss, Mith's Georg Prime, and JSG's Cecil Harvey
The Binary Star award for Best Assist -- Guy Cecil, companion of Jade Curtiss, chosen by Luna
The Written In The Stars award for Best Path of the Bard -- Mith
The Celestial Canvas award for Best Signature Image -- Veers, for his signature of Anise Tatlin
Rounds
Written in the Stars consisted of five 48-hour rounds and a 24-hour omake as well as a 24-hour final round followed by an afterparty which did not officially finish the story.
Locations
1) Midgar – Final Fantasy VII
2) The Axis of Time – X-Men: The Animated Series
3) Another World (Terra Tower) – Chrono Cross
-) Omake! - Southern Sun – Space Mutiny
4) Tokyo Settlement – Code Geass
5) The Dragonblight – World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
6) Ruins of the Eternal City - Eternal Canon alternate Iteration
-) Afterparty - Sungrazer Bar and Grill – Eternal Canon location
Host Cast
Written in the Stars featured four main characters who begun working as two opposing two-man teams, but as important facts were discovered as the plot progressed, they eventually joined forces to solve the mystery they had uncovered.
Nicolai
Gina Leamonde
Tersis
Diego Valthias
Sponsor Cast
In Written in the Stars, the sponsored characters (including sidekicks were approached by two parties; Nicolai and Gina and, seperately, Tersis and Diego. Both requested the character's help for different but related ends and offered different but related rewards. Nicolai and Gina offered a chance to change something in the sponsor's past while Tersis and Diego offered the power of foresight and the ability to alter the future. Players could choose the order and timing of the invitations as well as which one their character accepted.
Written in the Stars allowed participants to sponsor defined characters from any published fiction. Though the tournament did not require a minimum power level as defined by the Red Standard, at least some combat ability was encouraged. While the Divinity Ban was not invoked by name, it was implemented by principle of fair play. Personal assists were allowed provided they did not disrupt the balance of power.
When signing up for the tournament, in addition to their gameplay system "type," players had to choose a real star constellation to attribute to their character.
| Final Round | Sponsor | Character | P. Assist | Constellation | SHINE Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Luna | Jade Curtiss (Tales of the Abyss’’) | Guy Cecil | Orion, the Hunter | Standard |
| Finalist | Mith | Georg Prime (Suikoden V) | --- | Ursa Major, the Great Bear | Impulse |
| Finalist | Moogle | Thrall (Warcraft universe) | --- | Aquila, the Eagle | Newtype |
| Semifinals | Kellios | Kefka Palazzo (Final Fantasy VI) | --- | Scorpius, the Scorpion | Newtype |
| Semifinals | Helmar | Gale (SMT: Digital Devil Saga) | --- | Vulpecula, the Fox | Harbinger |
| Semifinals | Procyon | Lucario (Lucario and the Mystery of Mew) | --- | Monoceros, the Unicorn | Impulse |
| Semifinals | Luminitrium | Sho Minamimoto (The World Ends With You) | --- | Leo, the Lion | Impulse |
| Semifinals | Puel | Suzaku Kururugi (Code Geass) | Lloyd Asplund | Sagittarius, the Archer | Standard |
| Semifinals | Zero | Neku Sakuraba (The World Ends With You) | --- | Gemini, the Twins | Harbinger |
| Semifinals | Lionheart | Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil) | --- | Taurus, the Bull | Standard |
| Semifinals | Plasmos | Starkiller (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed) | --- | Cancer, the Crab | Newtype |
| Round Four | JSG | Cecil Harvey (Final Fantasy IV) | --- | Scutum, the Shield | Standard |
| Round Four | Dry | Oerstad (Live A Live) | --- | Crux, the Cross | Standard |
| Round Four | Crusader | Bright Noa (Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam) | --- | Centaurus, the Centaur | Newtype |
| Round Three | AsylumXKP | Gaulf Baldesion (Final Fantasy V) | Skulleater | Chamaeleon, the Lizard | Standard |
| Round Three | Cray Wolfen | Takaya Aiba (Tekkaman Blade) | Pegas | Draco, the Dragon | Impulse |
| Round Three | Coin | John Hancock (Hancock) | --- | Triangulum, the Triangle | Newtype |
| Round Two | Magus | Midnighter (The Authority) | --- | Aries, the Ram | Impulse |
| Round Two | SoulShard | Saber (Fate:Stay/Night) | --- | Cepheus, the King | Impulse |
| Round Two | Veers | Anise Tatlin (Tales of the Abyss) | --- | Virgo, the Virgin | Harbinger |
| Round Two | Thirdtwin | Yousuke Otoha (KARAS) | Yurine | Corvus, the Crow | Impulse |
| Round One | Peptuck | Frank Castle (The Punisher) | --- | Libra, the Scales | Standard |
| Round One | Izlude | Fargo (Chrono Cross) | Polly | Aquarius, the Water Bearer | Impulse |
| Round One | Kyo | Sieg Wahrheit (Chaos Legion) | --- | Canis Major, the Great Dog | Newtype |
| Round One | Switchblade | Fire (Justice League International) | Ice | Phoenix, the Firebird | Newtype |
| Round One | LordLocke | Luigi (Super Mario Galaxy) | --- | Andromeda, the Chained Maiden | Harbinger |
| Round One | Royston | Minato Arisato (Persona 3) | --- | Horologium, the Clock | Newtype |
| --- | Onyx | Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars Episode III) | --- | Hercules, the Hero | Enabler |
| --- | Dareon | The Boss (Metal Gear Solid 3) | The Sorrow | Ophiuchus, the Snake Handler | Enabler |
