The Dream and the Prayer Episode 1: The Plague in the Harbour

BACK STORY
During your everyday life, things are becoming more interesting as everything changes around you and your friends, but now, there were some strange activities. Thunder rolling in the clear sky, shady figures seen off the corner of your eyes before they just vanished off of existence before you could have a chance of glance at them. Plus, there was a frequent sightings of ravens migrating into Japan, a weird flight pattern overall. What is very strand was the very frequent sightings of a girl praying off to the side while unnoticed by the public. Before you can second guess, there was a massive shadow that can cloak a city in darkness and block the sun. No one seems to notice, but you alone seem to noticed a colossal monster that transcends recognition on legends. It means something somehow, but what is it? Perhaps an impending destruction a girl was meant to be for? Nothing was very clear until investigated. "Minatumi Harbour." the girl whispered...a clue to all this is in that town.


ANALYSIS
Character Count: 998
Sentence Count: 10

It turns out possible that you can meet the 10-sentences requirement while being under the maximum 1000 characters in length. Not very fulfilling for a veteran like most of the staff, but it is considered easier to work with for newer members.

Originally, the challenge and purpose of this was to be more user friendly for newer members in matters of veteran-starter (and staff-member) relationship as the story is outfitted to be both easier to catch on to what is going on and be challenging to aid in developing the character that both veterans and starters would enjoy having.


CHALLENGES
They are there to keep us on our toes and get used to constant changes as different people comes into our home to put their meddle to the test in matters of storytelling and role-playing. Usually the mainstream challenges are indiscriminate, making veterans and professionals able to complete them easily and make others' effort seem for not. Within Platinum Hearts, the challenges are not as mainstreamed as the others, they are instead discriminant between Starters and Veterans (Elites being exclusive and made to be difficult for anyone, so expect not to get it the first time.) Each challenge is marked by {Round}, {Thread}, {Heroic} and {Elite}.

{Round} = The challenge only lasts until Momma U has posted.
{Thread} = The challenge only lasts until the thread is completed.
{Heroic} = The challenges lasts throughout the episode as it is party-wide and based on the story.
{Elite} = Exclusively, they last throughout the episode and are very difficult, but more rewarding than others.

Veterans can type up a long post, but for challenges, they should be able to put their skills to use in attempt to push their imagination to a new level. Starters are usually mediocre with their post lengths, so the challenges will involve pushing their imagination in developing their characters and their skills in role-playing. All the same, the challenges will yield rewards for successes and yield no rewards for failing. But be mindful that Tier Raising is impossible to be rewarded by challenges because it will defeat the purpose of developing a character in the first place. Importantly, the challenges will be determined success or failure based on the user alone, so having someone else do your challenge will not count to your challenges, you have to do it yourself initially (meaning you can still get help, but you have to put commendable efforts into your attempt while you are at it.)

Veteran Primary Requirement: 300+ Post Count
Veteran Exclusive Requirement: Been in Untold Stories 1 or 2
Veteran Excused Requirement: Recognized by [THEFROST] as a Veteran.
Most Common Challenge: Short and Sweet

Starter Primary Requirement: Under 299 Post Count
Starter Exclusive Requirement: Recently Started in Platinum Hearts
Starter Excused Requirement: Recognized by Staff as Inexperienced.
Most Common Challenge: Start from the Top, but with More Feelings.


SAMPLE CHALLENGES
Veteran
{Round} Short and Sweet: Like a Shinigami Captain, you are powerful in your own rights, but like the Shinigami Captain, you have to know how to suppress your Zanpakutō's size so you will not cause problems. --- 2100 Character Used Limit --- 500 Yen and Minor Regeneration for 2 Rounds (Each post by friends will restore your character's health by 5%, 25% per Round Maximum)
{Thread} Protect the Weak: Like a teacher protects the students, it is your turn to protect the Starters. --- All Starters Must Survive a Mini-Boss Battle --- 1,000 Yen and 2 Iramasha Gem: Revival (Applying this gem will restore a dying character back to life with full recovery.)

Starter
{Round} Start from the Top, but with More Feelings: When Yoda told you to be mindful of things, listen to him if you want to complete this challenge. --- Include All Posts Before You --- 250 Yen and 1 Assistance Caller (Call in a friend to help you regardless of where they are as they will teleport to you.)
{Thread} Things Kept Getting Better and Better: Things can get complicated for your character, so it is a good time to find someone you can rely on. --- Learn a Veteran's Character Name while In Character --- 2,000 Yen

{Heroic}
There is a brawny hollow that has been hanging around the town, picking off children from their mother and take their soul. It is time to find that hollow and free the children from their nightmare. --- Find and Defeat Mini-Boss: Brawny Hollow --- 10,000 Yen and Recognized Assist: Orihime Inoue (A Recognized Assist is a NPC counterpart from a playable character that can be summoned for a special ability not accessible by you or your friends; Orihime can use her abilities to decimate a lesser monster like a Bleached Hollow or a Demon Maggot or to shield the party from all attacks for the next round.)

{Elite}
Osaka is going to face an all-out assault by a large Arrancar assault force. They will be needing all the help that will be given to them. Protecting them from the assault will earn their favor. --- Stop Arrancar Assault and Defeat Epic Boss: Commander Mendez --- 100,000 Yen, Weapon of Choice for Each, City Recognition: Osaka (With this recognition, Osaka will stand up for you and your friends in event that politics are against you and your friends, lessening the chance of unprovoked attacks by City Peacekeepers.)

Final Note: Once completed or failed, you cannot repeat them and it will change when the duration is done. But do not fret, there are a lot of ways to obtain something that would be given in challenges. It is not a requirement, it is something to throw into the mix as the story progresses.


PARADIGMS
Paradigms are a fancy way of saying "roles." Like in Final Fantasy XIII, you can give your character a role that can make you better at some things, but costs you on other things. Know that each role has more immersive meaning to each one, so do not think you can be a bomber and act like and be treated as a leader. Good note: You can choose to change your Paradigm at anytime, even in battle, but your character has to call it out in character and on the downside, you cannot change paradigms twice in a single round, so you cannot just become a leader to revive Hoshiko, then become a bomber and lolkaboom the enemies in a single post. Literally; no one is that flexible at all unless they are a glitchy game character that can hit a target 1000 miles away with a baseball bat and rubber band back to Vault 101.

Agent ------ Strong Attack / Weak Block ----- Special Ability: Preemptive Strike (Be first to strike)

Bomber ---- Strong Attack / Weak Block ----- Special Ability: Splash Damage (1 strike hits all enemies)

Deceiver -- Weak Attack / Weak Block ------- Special Ability: Lure (Incite Group Critical Maneuver only once until an enemy is defeated)

Fighter ---- Moderate Attack and Block ------ Special Ability: Multi-Strike (1 strike = 3 strikes)

Healer ----- Weak Attack and Block ----------- Special Ability: Curing (Each healing removes 1 condition)

Leader ----- Moderate Attack and Block ------ Special Ability: Revive (Revive one person without cost only once per battle)

Patriot ---- Weak Attack and Block ------------ Special Ability: Rally (Allows party to ignore attacks only once per battle)

Keeper ---- Weak Attack and Block ------------ Special Ability: Summon (Allows the person to summon any monster that is previously defeated as a battle assistant, utilizing their special ability for battles; people excluded.)

Tank ------- Strong Block / Weak Attack ----- Special Ability: Intercept (Redirect attack to self)


SIGN UP
All you ever need is a character, an application and a role chosen for yourself. New or not, all are welcomed.

Character Name: (The name of your chosen story character)
Application Link: (Raw URL address to your character's app.)
Basic Paradigms: (like Leader, Caretaker, Assault and so on.)

(Example)
Character Name: Hoshiko Minatumi
Application Link: https://www.platinumhearts.net/t4702-hoshiko-minatumi-the-star-child-of-minatumi-harbour-approved-5-5
Basic Paradigms: Caretaker (Someone who supposedly treats the group with motherly care and support.)

Sign Up Period ends on March 4th, 2012 and the first set of Challenges will be made after Momma U made the first thread for the series.

Character Name: Carter Zenaki
Application Link: https://www.platinumhearts.net/t5336-carter-zenaki-intro-bio-approved-3-3?highlight=Carter+Zenaki
Basic Paradigms: agent

Character Name: Pierre De la Rose
App: https://www.platinumhearts.net/t5233-pierre-de-la-rose
Paradigm: Bomber!