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Oni2:Slaves of War/Story: Difference between revisions
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Mai might be gaining sharper senses. This could be demonstrated in a room where she has to fight in the dark, by showing the footsteps of the enemies as puddles of light, and maybe silhouetting them a little as they attack to show the sounds they are making. | Mai might be gaining sharper senses. This could be demonstrated in a room where she has to fight in the dark, by showing the footsteps of the enemies as puddles of light, and maybe silhouetting them a little as they attack to show the sounds they are making. | ||
==Imago | ==Imago transformations== | ||
Muro’s transformation cutscene in Oni really dropped the ball. We can do much better than that. For one thing, if transformations are irreversible, we need to make a big deal of them. A dedicated cutscene with selected music. Mai’s transformation could take place when she is finally hit by something too strong to survive as-is, and her Chrysalis takes over. Inspired by [https://youtu.be/s3OmgeYRV4I?t=707 this moment] from the ED of the unrelated animé “Touma Kishinden Oni”, let’s say that she’s hit by a napalm bomb, and in the middle of the firestorm, she transforms while in agony, wreathed by flames like a phoenix. That’s how you do a badass transformation. | Muro’s transformation cutscene in Oni really dropped the ball. We can do much better than that. For one thing, if transformations are irreversible, we need to make a big deal of them. A dedicated cutscene with selected music. Mai’s transformation could take place when she is finally hit by something too strong to survive as-is, and her Chrysalis takes over. Inspired by [https://youtu.be/s3OmgeYRV4I?t=707 this moment] from the ED of the unrelated animé “Touma Kishinden Oni”, let’s say that she’s hit by a napalm bomb, and in the middle of the firestorm, she transforms while in agony, wreathed by flames like a phoenix. That’s how you do a badass transformation. | ||
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Who might have made the Daodan (see below for speculation on a natural Daodan)? Is the Wilderness indicative of their biosphere? What might they look like? Could they be evolved from another path of life — say, saurian, avian, or cetacean? Even if such an alien is bigger than us, it could still be a child; our normal assumptions are unfounded when dealing with alien life. We don’t know how they reason, or if they comprehend emotions like ours. | Who might have made the Daodan (see below for speculation on a natural Daodan)? Is the Wilderness indicative of their biosphere? What might they look like? Could they be evolved from another path of life — say, saurian, avian, or cetacean? Even if such an alien is bigger than us, it could still be a child; our normal assumptions are unfounded when dealing with alien life. We don’t know how they reason, or if they comprehend emotions like ours. | ||
Are the Daomen living in Earth’s own future? Perhaps Mai thinks | Are the Daomen living in Earth’s own future? Perhaps a Daoman mentally takes Mai to the future of the Earth (or their own world) if the Daodan is allowed to continue to have its way with life, speeding up its evolutionary arms race: we see a world that was beautiful but is dying and still. Mai sadly realizes that the Daodan is a threat, not a hope. | ||
Or perhaps Mai thinks they're from the future, only to be laughed at by the Daomen for thinking that something could come from a future that doesn’t exist yet. They might be a dead evolutionary offshoot from Earth’s past. That being said, either direction implies that the present can interact with the future (even if we’re the “future”), which is scientifically problematic. Some important things to research before deciding on a time period: Which organisms would exist in both our time and theirs? Which would be totally alien? Which pre-modern atmosphere would they have existed in? What was the climate of the continental arrangement (land or sea)? | |||
The main obstacle to a theoretical pre-human civilization is not the absence of archaeological evidence (Pangea was in existence at the P-Tr period discussed below, and later continental upheaval would probably deeply bury everything) but rather the fact that, if you go back far enough that archaeological evidence would be unlikely, we see only fossils of simpler life forms that showed no evidence of large brains. However, ocean life is often boneless and leaves more potential for surprises. Also, we know almost nothing about what’s buried on the ocean floor. Finally, it seems that no ocean floor is older than 170 [[wikt:Ma|Ma]] due to plate tectonics. | The main obstacle to a theoretical pre-human civilization is not the absence of archaeological evidence (Pangea was in existence at the P-Tr period discussed below, and later continental upheaval would probably deeply bury everything) but rather the fact that, if you go back far enough that archaeological evidence would be unlikely, we see only fossils of simpler life forms that showed no evidence of large brains. However, ocean life is often boneless and leaves more potential for surprises. Also, we know almost nothing about what’s buried on the ocean floor. Finally, it seems that no ocean floor is older than 170 [[wikt:Ma|Ma]] due to plate tectonics. | ||
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The Daomen (or Dao''man'', if there's a sole survivor) may have to use an assistant in our world, someone “possessed” by the Chrysalis or something similar, in order to accomplish his will. Perhaps a child, because they are easier to control and to alter with the Daodan. I’m picturing a dark-haired girl, but not sure whether her personality should be easy-going or perhaps impetuous and foul-tempered. She should be young enough that she can be revealed as [[Oni2:Slaves_of_War/Impressions#Muro.27s_downfall|Muro’s daughter]] by some Fury. | The Daomen (or Dao''man'', if there's a sole survivor) may have to use an assistant in our world, someone “possessed” by the Chrysalis or something similar, in order to accomplish his will. Perhaps a child, because they are easier to control and to alter with the Daodan. I’m picturing a dark-haired girl, but not sure whether her personality should be easy-going or perhaps impetuous and foul-tempered. She should be young enough that she can be revealed as [[Oni2:Slaves_of_War/Impressions#Muro.27s_downfall|Muro’s daughter]] by some Fury. | ||
A final twist that I've been considering is that it turns out that the Daomen are already here, on Earth, in the present. The phase veil is a mere spatial translocation, and the Daomen were an oceanic race that lived millions of years ago and died out. The survivors (or lone survivor), perhaps having been placed in stasis when their civilization failed, are now working to make Earth more habitable for their ecosystem, and are using humans like Muro's daughter to spread the Wilderness. It's necessary to maintain the ruse that they are from another time so that the WCG doesn't go searching for them in the oceans before they're ready to make their move. Mai only figures this out at the last moment, as they begin to traverse the phase veil from the bottom of the ocean to land.... | |||
==Daodan== | |||
One purpose of the Daodan could be to free its creators from evolutionary forces, allowing them to ascend to a higher consciousness than the animals. Or it could just be a cure-all. It could be accidental. During the P-Tr event mentioned above, “there is evidence of increased ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth causing the mutation of plant spores” according to Wikipedia. Also, a [[wp:Gamma-ray_burst#Hypothetical_effects_on_Earth_in_the_past|gamma ray burst]] would cause accelerated mutations. Of course there is no need to suppose a special reason for mutations since they happen constantly. Also, what if the radiation came from technology developed by the Daomen? | |||
If the Daodan was created deliberately, perhaps new life is moving into the Earth, and the Daodan is their xenoforming technology; or maybe the Daodan is how they will prevent humans from being wiped out by their alien biosphere like the American Indians were by the Europeans (and possibly the Neanderthals by humans). | |||
Will animals get smarter from the Daodan and start using tools? | |||
In real life, when people have their needs taken care of, they seem to often become kinder and “higher-minded” (Cf. Maslow). If the Chrysalis removes most of the need for sustenance and survival instincts, shouldn’t it make the host a more enlightened being? So why do Mai and Mukade become “super predators”? | |||
One interesting path to take is to sort of glorify the Daodan Chrysalis as the “alpha and omega” of technological advancement. Whatever enemies are introduced with improved technology — whether cyborgs, advanced SLDs, nanobots, Iron Demons with anti-symbiote measures, partial symbiotes assisted with technology, or competing symbiotes based on other organisms — the Daodan always comes out ahead in the end, perhaps even to a degree that becomes frightening. Cf. Pain vs. Naruto: “I didn’t know it would be this powerful” (and that’s coming from a godlike being!). The only challenge there is to maintain suspense in a story where the Daodan always eventually wins. | |||
Is the Imago stage really the final stage? Maybe it’s the pupa stage between caterpillar and butterfly. The shield could be the protection while the organism develops. Maybe it’s a transformation gone awry, and it shortly leads to the organism’s death. | |||
Is the Daodan part of the biome inside humans? Is it a highly-evolved biome from the future? Its purpose in this case would simply be to protect its host. If the Daodan has control of the biome, not just human cells, then it could use these cells to fight nanotechnology. | |||
My intention for the end of the story is to have the Daodan forcibly removed from Earth. It’s natural that scientists would want to keep vials of it for study. Perhaps even that is banned, and the vials are ordered destroyed. However, one vial slips out of its box and lands in the ocean (are they flying over the sea?). It settles at the bottom of the ocean, where a curious octopus approaches it and begins to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LII1EoTDwCQ unscrew it]…. | |||
==Enemies== | |||
Logically some of Mai’s enemies should be Daodan-powered. This is an opportunity to send Mai to different locales to fight super-powered baddies. Perhaps reference local legends, i.e. [[wp:Gajasurasamhara|Gajasurasamhara]], [[wp:Kankalamurti|Kankalamurti]], [http://www.old-picture.com/indians/Nayenezgani.htm Nayenezgani] (who fought the ''anaye'', alien gods — perhaps the symbiotes are modern ''anaye''!) and [[wp:C%C3%BAchulainn|Cuchullainn]] as inspiration for these foes. | |||
==Language== | |||
“Oni” has meanings outside of Japanese. It means “they” in Russian and related languages. it means “sorrow” and “ships”, among other possibilities in Hebrew, and “yiddeoni” is a communicating spirit or wizard (literally “knowing one”) in Hebrew. | |||
==Name candidates== | |||
[[wp:Axis_mundi|Axis Mundi]] — for an enemy base? | |||
==Characterization== | |||
===General Notes=== | |||
How does a character’s belief system influence their actions? Remember to include symbolic actions or habits to show their personality. Different people will have different levels of deference and confidence, as shown by gestures, ownership of surroundings, posture, eye contact and physical contact, and speed of movement. Quirks can also add personality, such as eating at odd times (“I have to keep my blood sugar up!”). Sometimes an unusual possession can help add personality to a character. | |||
===Motivation=== | |||
What makes someone be loyal to a bad organization? | |||
* Their identity is caught up in it; they defend the org. because they don’t know what they’d be without it; maybe they’ve been born into it. | |||
* They’re cynical and just doing it for money or nice equipment. | |||
* The org. formerly had good goal and they’re hoping it gets back to that. | |||
* They're focused on one good aspect of the org. or how it aligns with their personal agenda, blinding their self to its bad aspects. | |||
* Deceit by leaders — it would be good to have one enemy who stands out from the others, who is sincere but misled, who suddenly takes a stand against his former allies at a crucial point in the story. | |||
[[Category:Oni 2]] | [[Category:Oni 2]] | ||