Plot and Setting

[Billy Mays]

The Plot

Welcome, to the Tarot Islands! This chain of tropic islands located in the Arcana Sea is well known worldwide for being a leader of science and technology, the birthplace of Pokemorphs, and for being a popular tourist spot. Though the current established settlements have only been here for a few centuries, the Tarot Islands' history goes back far longer than that with the indigenous Gijinka population that has lived here in tribes for millennia.

You might be thinking, "What is a Pokemorph, or a Gijinka?" Well, both are similar in that are a fusion of Human and Pokemon. However, a Gijinka appears to be more Human in appearance with Pokemon features that betray their nature, while a Pokemorph looks more like a Pokemon altered to be more Human. They're also different in that Gijinka are a natural species like Humans and have existed just as long (if not longer), while Pokemorphs were created by science less than a century ago. In this world of Pokemon, Humans not only live with Pokemon, but with Gijinkas and Pokemorphs, along with their rarer cousins the Elementals and Chimeras. They all (sans Humans) have the powers of a Pokemon, along with their natural fortitude that allows them to take a Fire Blast to the face without disintegrating.

This world is similar to the Pokemon world you may know. A similar technology level is present as well as the regions from the games (though they are not the focus of this RP). There are two key differences though: the first is of course the existence of Gijinkas and Pokemorphs, and the other is that the Pokeball was never invented. You see, in this world, Humans instead possess a special aura referred to as a 'commanding presence' that causes Pokemon to naturally be inclined to follow them. All life (at least all organic life) has an aura they give off, but only a Human's aura gives off its special presence to help them in pacifying and taming Pokemon. Thanks to this Human still tame Pokemon and use them for anything from work to friendly battles, but the lack of a Pokeball means owning many Pokemon at once or carrying large ones around can be difficult. Pokemon training isn't as convenient and simple as it is in the games, so trainers are a more specialized sort and not something that everyone partakes in.

A few hundred years ago, Humans first settled on the Tarot Islands and came across the local Gijinkas. This wasn't the first time humanity had come across Gijinkas before, but these ones hadn't interacted with Humans in who knows how long. A few years of tension and small conflicts led to an eventual treaty and many years of cooperation between the two groups. Though the Gijinkas never fully integrated into Human settlements and lost their identity, they adapted a lot of their culture and technology for their own use.

As the original settlers of the islands did so for a chance to claim new land for their own and have freedom from their previous governments, the Tarot Islands have always been supportive of creative freedom and enlightenment. This gave it a reputation, in time, for being a sort of inventor's haven and many brilliant minds migrated there. Many modern marvels of technology were built here, but none are as well known as the Pokemorphs. A project started nearly a century ago in a secret laboratory, their creation forever changed the world as we knew it. Pokemorphs were Humans who were mutated into their new form, but with their growing population and ability to reproduce they have formed an identity as their own species of around equal size of Gijinkas in the past few decades.

But not everyone has been happy with the integration of these other races into Human society. There are some people of the belief that Humans are a superior species that should be considered the masters of the world and everyone else, Pokemon and their humanoid kin alike. For those who know them, they are called The Destiny Manifesto. Their supporters are hidden among the ranks of Human society, from the lowly thug to the influential politician. Through the use of device of special devices called Aura Amplifiers, they strengthen the natural commanding presence of Humans to control Pokemon (and rumor has it the other races) against their will. Though some seek to use the commanding presence they believe proves humanity's right as the world's masters to start a revolution, some are just criminals who take advantage of the resources of the Manifesto for their own selfish gain.

The government isn't blind to the Manifesto's efforts however. The Tarot Islands are once again the host of the creation of a new species, but this time they are made of metal instead of flesh. Though robotics has existed for a while now it has never been able to achieve human levels of sentience and intelligence... until now. A new series of Androids have been built, with the intelligence of Humans but built with the purpose of being super soldiers immune to Aura Amplifiers, given they have no aura to manipulate in the first place.

So, what will side will you take? Will you be a one of the members of The Destiny Manifesto trying to put Humans on the top of the food chain, one of the people trying to stop them, or just a civilian trying to live your life? Not everything that goes on in the Tarot Islands is sunshine and rainbows, but few could say that life here is ever dull.

[Billy Mays]

The Islands

Coin Island
Though third in size, this is the economic and cultural heart of the Tarot Islands. Though an educated mind could tell you that the islands were the birthplace of Pokemorphs and have some of the best universities in the world, pretty much anyone could tell you that its one of the best places to go on a tropical vacation. And no where is this more evident in Sun City, with its popular resorts and casinos, to its scenic beaches, to its bustling downtown with skyscrapers in number rivaling Castelia City in Unova. Towering over the city is Mt. Emperor, a currently active volcano on a slow burn that thankfully pours all its lava out onto the opposite side of the island. For those who prefer a more quiet life on the island there's also Moon Village, which is located halfway up the mountain and serves as a pit stop for tourists climbing the mountain to see Mt. Emperor in its full glory.

Wand Island
The second largest of the islands, Wand Island is sparsely inhabited compared to Coin and Cup Islands, and thus all the untouched nature is the main draw to it. The largest settlement which is still only a small town is Port Priestess, which is where the ferries from the other cities will drop you off. Much of the island is still covered in jungle, and was the original home of the indigenous Gijinka population. Many of them are still found here, scattered throughout the island in small villages. Wand Island also features the tallest mountain in the island chain, Mt. Empress. Because its so tall that it stays covered in snow year round, its become a popular spot for locals who want to see some snow, since tourists rarely go to a tropical island to go skiing.

Cup Island
The largest island and also home to the capital of the Tarot Islands, King City. While Sun City is the economic and cultural capital, King City is the official and industry capital. It is a place of practically over beauty, with factories littering the Knight District while the Page District holds many hospitals, labs, and universities. One can tell the differences of Coin and Cup Island just by comparing Coin's beaches to the major beach of Cup Island, Fool's Landing. Needless to say, its not nearly as popular of a tourist spot as Coin Island. Cup Island also happens to be the flattest and most developed of the islands, and most of the island is covered in farmland that provides food for the rest of the island chain.

Sword Island
The smallest of the four islands, though still pretty big in its own regard. Sword Island, unlike the others, has no settlements on it and is officially uninhabited. The ferries don't travel there regularly, though its a popular visiting spot for trainers as its untouched nature makes it a paradise for wild Pokemon. Most of the island is just mountainous jungle, though it also has many beaches. There is a reef surrounding the island however, so boats passing by the island have to be careful not to go into water too shallow.

Other Islands
There are thousands of other islands in the island chain, but the majority of them are very small and relatively unimportant. A few islands stick out for one reason another, such as the Eevee infested Magician Isle, the towering rock spires of Tower Isle, the Hierophant Isle and its legends of being a place of enlightenment, or Hermit Isle and its strange history of being the place most shipwrecks end up.