Post by Mel on Oct 17, 2011 17:35:24 GMT 10
Background
"Animorphs" is a best-selling book series written by K.A.Applegate. There are 54 books in the series, as well as several spin-offs and prequals known as "megamorphs", "Alternamorphs", and various other titles that tell the background and story of other characters or incidences that contribute to the overall story of the Animorphs series. A TV show was also made from this series, however the maker's budget could not cope with the on-going process - remembering that it was made in 1998, and therefore the special effects back then were not as advanced and less time-consuming as they are now.
The 54-book series tells a story of 5 teenagers who come across a construction site one evening. They witness the crash-landing of an alien known as Elfangor. He told them their planet was secretly under invasion by other aliens called "Yeerks" that want to enslave the human race. As his last dying act, Elfangor gives the five teenagers the power to morph into any animal they touch and acquire the DNA of. And so those five teenagers witness Elfangor's death by the leader of the Yeerk army, and flee. It was a night that changed their lives and how they saw the world, as they began to fight against the invasion, little by little, and try to save as many people as they can while also attempting to live relatively normal lives.
The theme of the books is: "We can't tell you who we are, or where we live, because the Yeerks are everywhere". These are five teenagers hiding who they are as their world is secretly invaded, using only their own determination and the power to morph as their only weapons against this enslaving army.
RPG Plot
This text-base role-playing game was build on the idea of the Animorphs series, but is not defined by it. This is AU (Alternative Universe), therefore most of the places, characters, and plot are of our own creation. We have taken the world of the story and made it our own with this RPG site.
You do not need to read the books to play this RPG, which is one of our main goals with this site. Anyone can play regardless of either being a hardcore fan or someone who didn't even know that "Animorphs" existed until now.
The plot of this RPG is very different to the books, however based on the series it may be. A huge reason for this is because, as mentioned, we want anyone to be able to play without feeling lost due to lack of knowledge regarding the series. The only things that this RPG will have in common with the book series is the world it's based on. Not the country, not the characters, and not even the main aspects of events that occurred. But the threatening danger, the ability to morph, and the attempts to live normally in a world enslaved - all that is in there.
You are a high school student who has recently been recruited by a fellow student or classmate - either by circumstance or personal selection, such as being a friend of such a character. You will be given the power to morph and trained to use it so he/she can join the right against the Yeerks. You will be told to be careful at all times, to only use this power under instruction, with extreme need. However, you are a teenager and you have a life to live as well.
The power to morph is an amazing thing. Have you ever dreamed of spreading your wings and flying? Of being a dog able to hear and smell everything? Or a strong grizzly bear able to break things you could never even dent as a human? The possibilities are endless, and sometimes it's easy to forget there is a war taking place all around you - a real danger that threatens you, those you care about, and your entire planet.
You will start out as an ordinary teenager, unaware of what is going on. Then you will end up in a situation in which to be informed or witness what is going on (this is pre-planned). You will be recruited and taught the basics. If you are new to the existence of the Animorphs series, then you will be able to learn along with your character, understanding what and who you're up against, how to morph and what it involves, how to fight, and what to do to keep yourself safe as well as the secret of what you and your team really are.
Because if the Yeerks ever learned that they were up against a few morphing humans, and who those humans are...it's all over.
Setting + Attending School
In the interest of giving you more possibilities in regards to the creation of your character, as well as further based them on yourself, we have not set this RPG in a specific country or area. We have created our own country and towns for this purpose. This gives us a lot more freedom not just with our characters but the RPG itself. Such as, while the country is primarily English-speaking, that doesn't mean you're restricted to being American, British, Australian, New Zealander, and so on.
This also makes the morphing better as well, in the sense that certain countries have certain animals - with this fictional country we can have any animal we need, rather than be limited to what a country such as America or otherwise may have.
So the "where" is this made-up country, left unnamed. We have several states and in scale comparison to other countries it's very average in size and population. In lifestyle and other general aspects, it would closely compared to America, as that is where the books are set.
As for the "when", we would say modern times, but not a specific year or time. Basically it's set in a year range of around 2010 - 2014. We use days and timezones to keep track of the current moment. Such as "Monday, afternoon". This is important because it would be very confusing if one member was at the mall in the morning while another was sneaking around at night, at the same time. The days are important for two reasons:
The first is if plans are made to go on a mission, but not that day - you'll need to know when it is and how much time you have to prepare. For example: if it's Tuesday and the mission is set for Friday, you have two days to find the morph you need, practice it, formulate an excuse to your parents if needed, and so on.
The second reason is school. Yes, even with an alien invasion you're fighting against to save your planet, you must still fit into everyday life and be as normal as you can. This is not just for safety reasons (so the Yeerks don't find out the truth about you), but for you as well, so your character can still be who he/she is as a person, student, or friend. Days are important because if it's Saturday, you're free for the day to hang out at the mall or just generally have a lot more freedom.
However, on Monday - Friday, the morning is spent at school. On this RPG, it would be less fun if for 5 of the 7 days (which each go for several real days or even a week +), you're stuck in school - no matter how school itself is important. We've made it that in our fictional country and town, school starts around 6-7AM and finishes in the afternoon. That means you have to get up early, get ready for school, ride the bus/walk/be dropped off, then follow the events that occur (such as I will post when bells ring for class, lunch, and home). Once it's afternoon, that's when you can head home, to the mall, or other places - you're free for the rest of the day.
Another note about school is that you also have until Friday to do homework, which you'll be graded on and informed of on Monday. If you fail to do this, you must find the time during the weekend, or risk detention and being grounded by your parents. The homework must actually be done, though it will mostly consist of a single paragraph and it's not difficult, just an added aspect of the "trying to live a normal life while secretly fighting an alien invasion". You can work with your friends as well, and make up things. Just be careful to at least pass or else it may raise trouble for you later.
Time Key
Early morning - time prior to school starting (getting up, breakfast, heading to school etc)
Morning - school in process (if weekend: free time)
Afternoon - school finishes. Free time
Early night - sunset. Dinner
Late night - Getting ready for bed. Or in most cases, sneaking out to go on missions etc
Notes: After school you may need to drop your bag off at home first, before you go anywhere for free time, unless it's been pre-arranged - if only to let your parents know so they don't worry. This does not apply to everyone, though it will in most cases.
Also, There is no "thread conclusion limit". If your character is out on a mission that lasts overnight and through to the next morning, that's fine RP-wise. Just be really careful with those if you didn't give your parents a "sleepover" etc excuse beforehand! Also, it is possible to stay up all night as well (as in no mission, just can't sleep etc), but prepare to face the consequences the next day! No characters start out having their own phone, as it is a RP privilege that needs to be earned.
Morphing
There is much more to morphing than simply changing your form into that of an animal. Once you have the power to morph (which you don't automatically have), you will also receive a bit of training on how it works and such, but here's a more detail explanation.
The power to morph is the ability to change your entire shape into that of a creature whose DNA you have acquired. To get their DNA, you need to touch that creature and concentrate, thinking about the creature and what it can do. You will feel a weird sensation and the animal will go into a trance. I (admin) will inform you if this occurs, and therefore if you have been successful in acquiring the DNA of the creature.
Once you have the DNA, you can morph into this animal at any time, as many times as you need. It is a part of you forever. The only exception is if your character is allergic to this DNA, which will be explained in a moment. How do you morph? The same way as you do when acquiring: concentrate. You need to focus and think about the animal and it will trigger the process of changing your form. This doesn't hurt, however you may feel and hear your bones crunching and changing shape, your insides moving, feathers or fur sprouting all over your body. It's not a pleasant moment, nor does it look very good either.
Note: In the book series only tight-fitting clothing such as spandex and leotard can be worn when morphing or else clothes and shoes shred or fall off. However, for the ease of RP'ing, we have decided that (much like the TV show), to not abide to this fact as it will raise complications and delays. So you can morph in almost any clothes, but if you're wearing a really huge jacket or something similar, it may be torn by larger morphs or shed when morphing something smaller. This may also happen with large boots or slip-on shoes. Just be very selective about what you wear - T-shirt and jeans are the best option.
You've acquired a DNA and morphed into the animal. If only it was the simple. Your own mind and awareness is there inside that creature, however the morph also comes with the instincts and capabilities of that being. A dog morph will bring the amazing ability of scents and sounds, which may give you the strong urge to mark your territory (if male dog), or chase smells and objects A mouse has panicky instincts and is always worried about danger. Tigers are powerful and predators. And so on.
There is a section on site to help with this. The list includes all available morphs so far, to tell you things you need to know for morphing - such as a rating of how easy it will be to control, advantages of that animal (claws, gracefulness, etc), as well as weaknesses.
And of everything, there is one most important part about morphing: You cannot be in a morph for over 2 hours or you will be stuck as that creature, forever. On site, since we go by timezone (morning/afternoon etc) this is harder to keep track of, so we will make sure to keep you informed of how your time is going. If you become stuck (as one of the book characters did), you will then be living you life out as that animal, still able to join the fight though it may be limited and your participation in a normal life will no longer be required. Circumstances may occur to give you the power to morph again on day, however you will never be human again. This is a very important rule, so make sure you don't ignore any morph-time warnings either given by a character, made known to you by a clock, or just a general OOC reminder from an admin such as myself.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you cannot go from one morph to another. If you morph from your human self into a cat, you must then morph back to human before you can morph into something else. When the 2 hour time limit is close, you need to de-morph quickly or risk being trapped. To make it even more dangerous, you also have to make sure no one sees you (other than fellow Animorphs, of course). This is not just for the safety of your identity, but also because the Yeerks do not realize they're fighting "mere" humans - they think it's their enemies the Andalites (the alien race Elfangor is from), in which the power to morph was invented by.
While morphing may be fun, you will need to be able to approach and touch the creature you want the DNA from (easy for the likes of tigers and snakes, right?), learn to control the instincts and desires of the animal, as well as figure out how to use it's abilities such as flying or fighting. On top of that, you need to remain aware of the fading time limit and find a safe place to de-morph without being seen or caught. It may seem like a lot to focus on at once, especially when you're starting out, but you'll have other Animorphs with you and your character won't be entirely alone during the learning process.
Also, any injuries you obtained before morphing or de-morphing will be healed through the process of the morph.
Aliens
Below is a list of beings that are not of our planet in which you may encounter in this RPG. You will learn these through playing, but here is a complete list for ease of reference and detailed descriptions to help you RP your reactions and so on.
Andalite - An advanced race of warriors that are the sworn enemies of the Yeerks. A very long time ago, an andalite felt sorry for the Yeerks and gave them technology that enabled them space-travel. The two aliens seemed to be allies at first, and then the Yeerks stole technology and caused a rebellion. Since then, a war happened, and as Yeerks go from planet to planet to enslave them, it is ongoing and the andalites are fighting to stop them.
Helping the Yeerks also brought about their law to never share technology of the secrets of their race with other species. A law that was broken by Prince Elfangor by giving morphing technology to humans - one of the most dangerous abilities ever given to another being. If the Yeerks ever got their hands on the morphing cube, the universe wouldn't stand a chance.
Living light-years from Earth, their assistance has not reached us yet. Prince Elfangor was a warrior who had fought and was injured, travelling to Earth to warn the humans as he had once spent some time on the planet and was fond of it. His dying act gave the morphing cube to two humans, as well as giving them the power to morph. They hid, and witnessed the death of Elfangor at the hands of the Yeerks who had followed him to Earth. By which time they had already begun invading, so they had backup.
Andalites look like a blue centaur with a long blade-tipped tail so deadly and fast that you don't even see it move. They have no mouth and instead communicate with thought-speak (explained further far below). They have two eyes similar to humans, but with additional two stalks with eyes on their head as well, which enables them to look behind them. Another similar comparison is that while we have five fingers, they have six.
Yeerk - Slug-like creatures that slither into the ear of an animal and take control of their brains. These creatures are weak and small, however it is through infesting hosts that they become dangerous. Anyone who has a Yeerk in their brain and is under their control is known as a "controller". The host can still try to fight back, regaining the ability to move their hand slightly or their expression, but otherwise once the Yeerk has them...their control is gone. The Yeerk can read their every thought, see their every memory, and it's what enables them to play the part of the person. The hardest part about this invasion is also the fact that you can never tell who's a controller and who's not. The Yeerks can play the part of the creature flawlessly. And it can be anyone. Your parents, your best friend, your teachers...anyone.
They have one weakness. In order to survive, a Yeerk needs the nutrients of energy known as "Kandrona Rays", which is from the sun of their homeworld. This means every 3 days they must travel to secret underground locations/taverns where there are cages (not with bars, but beams of energy that can be fatal if run through), for containing their hosts while the Yeerks swim in a gross-coloured sludge-like pool under the machine that generates the kandrona rays. These are referred to as "Yeerk Pools".
Destroying the kandrona rays will be the top priority of a lot of your missions, because the Yeerks cannot survive without it. This is also how controllers become what are called "free controllers", which is someone who has been freed of the Yeerk because, due to lack of the kandrona rays or another reason, the Yeerk has died or is no longer in control. A way to achieve this is also by tying the controller up for 3 days until the Yeerk dies. But if these were higher-ranking Yeerks with well-known or important hosts, the other Yeerks will likely hunt them down to perform a re-infestation.
There are two types of controllers: voluntary and involuntary. The latter is self-explanatory, however believe it or not, some beings have either formed an agreement with the Yeerks in exchange for being hosts, or have established that there are greater advantages to being under the control of a Yeerk than have the control themselves. Mostly this relates to certain other aliens the Yeerks have brought with them, but some humans have joined them willingly as well. Parents are commonly trying to strike deals such as "you can have me if you leave my child alone" or some are stupid and agree with what is going on. These are easy to spot in Yeerk Pools because while the involuntary are in cages, the voluntary have their own section where they can chill out and watch TV until it's time to reunited with their Yeerk.
Hork-Bajir - Once a free and peaceful race, the andalites failed to save them from the Yeerks who enslaved their entire planet and turned these creatures into fearsome killing-machines. With blades all over their heads, necks, arms, legs, back and so on, these creatures are not one you want to battle with as they can do some very serious damage. With hawk-like faces, their comparisons to the birds end there, as they walk on two legs and have no feathers or wings. They typically stand at eight to ten feet tall.
Taxxon - Imagine the worst situation involving how you may die and then read on and realize it's tame compared to facing one of these. A Taxxon is a centipede-like being with lots of arms and legs. Their front torsos are upright and on top is a head with rows of eyes and teeth, as well as a long tongue. Overall, in a battle they're not really a challenge if you have anything with claws and strength. They're several feet tall and basically giant worms. They splat and explode rather horrifically (smell included) if thrown or attacked with claws or teeth.
Their danger rests in their uncontrollable, never satisfied hunger for flesh. If you are injured even a tiny bit, these Taxxons will overrule the Yeerk in their head (as nothing can stop this hunger) and devour - ripping and eating any flesh they can...alive or not. The Yeerks don't even bother trying to control them when an incident like that occurs as they will even eat their own kind!, It's not possible to stop it. Besides, as voluntary hosts, the Taxxons know that with the Yeerks in their brains their chances of feeding is higher.
Luckily, you'll rarely come across these creatures on Earth, however one or two are around from time to time. If your missions expand to space - be warned. Morphing one of these creatures is only recommended in the most DESPERATE of situations. A Yeerk cannot control the hunger, and so it would be nearly impossible for you to do the same by morphing one.
Ellimist - Not really a creature, but still worth mentioning. These beings are all-powerful, all-knowing and can do many things such as stopping time, transporting across light years, and too many things to list. Not a great deal is known about them. However compared to gods and masters of fate they may be, these beings have laws about interfering with other species. Able to vanish entire galaxies with a blink of an eye, you may be thankful for this fact.
However, in a dire war-deciding moment where the humans may be set to lose everything, you might find time stopping and a choice being offered. They don't interfere, and yet if you pay close attention, they may offer just the tiniest bit of help or information that could change the situation you and your team may be trapped in.
Chee - Androids who have lived on Earth for a very long time, though are originally from another planet. Their appearance is a two-legged metallic wolf, therefore have a strong affection for dogs as they remind the chee of home. Quite indestructible and able to create a hologram of a human or otherwise around themselves - you would think the chee could stop the Yeerks with ease. There's one catch: the chee are programmed for non-violence. A great ally for secrecy, information-gathering, and spying, the cheer are very useful even if they cannot join your side in battle.
There are many more aliens worth the mention, however are not important at this stage in the RPG and therefore will be added when later required.
Team Leaders
Facts involving leadership that are important to be aware of:
Canon Characters
As an AU RPG, the characters are of our own creation and imagination, however there are a few canon characters in it, as per required. They are as follows:
Visser Three - Explained above.
Principal Chapman - The principal of your high school. Unlike the books, he does not have a wife or daughter in this RPG and therefore has no deal with the Yeerks for their safety. He is merely a high-ranking controller you need to be very careful around during school hours and otherwise. If he sees you in human form during a mission, he will know exactly who your character is and where he/she lives.
Ax - Prince Elfangor's younger brother. He's a warrior cadet who crash-landed on Earth not long after his brother had, due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time during a space battle between the Andalites and Visser Three + Yeerk army. He has discreetly acquired DNA from multiple humans (included Alice and Colin) to create his own unique human DNA.
He is able to morph into his human form to blend in when required, but all Animorphs must keep an eye on him because as Andalites don't have mouths, Ax has found the existence of taste and eating to be amazing. As well as speaking with a mouth. Therefore, he will eat anything with total lack of knowledge of manners or proper preparations (it can be really gross, like when he dips meat into a cup of coke or shoves popcorn into his mouth rapidly), as well as trying out sounds. He is adapting and can often control himself, but he is an alien and human things still confuse or amaze him - supervision is highly recommended in public. He is young too, just like your character.
If asked about by other non-Animorph humans or introduced, his name is "Max". Even so, "Ax" is the nicknamed used among the Animorphs (as his Andalite name, like all of them, are very long). Having Ax around when morphing is a huge advantage as Andalites have the ability to keep track of time, right down to the last second.
Erek - One of the chee who attends high school with the hologram of a teenager. This is the chee you will mostly see and communicate with, just like in the books.
Allergy to a DNA
As mentioned further above, sometimes you can become allergic to a certain DNA, just like a human may be allergic to peanuts or certain medications. However, the effect is very different. Being allergic to a DNA means any time you become stressed, upset, scared, excited - or any other strong emotion, you will begin to morph a random section of your body (such as back or arm) into that animal. In intense situations with extreme emotions, you will feel sick in the stomach and morph the entire creature rapidly, then de-morph...over and over, until you calm down.
It can take up to 2 weeks before the DNA will be rejected from your system, in the form of "burping" the animal in which you are allergic to. It can happen at any moment, and while all that is bad enough - you can't control the morphing or the process, which is life-or-death/infestation when the war is involved.
Note: Don't worry too much, as this is HIGHLY rare, however it can happen and therefore information is required. An admin will let you know upon acquiring if this happens. To further decrease your chances of it happening, remember that absorbing DNA while being terrified of the creature (such as having a phobia of it, or in dire circumstances to save a life from it due to the occurrence of a trance when acquiring), can have ill-effects as well and possibly result in an allergy to the DNA.
Thought-Speak
Andalites, because they have no mouths, have other ways of communicating - thought-speak. They project their thoughts to another, which is heard in their minds. This is either done privately or broadcast. Private means they focus on who hears it, and broadcast is aloud for all around can hear.
This also applies to morphing. Whenever you're in a morph, you can communicate through thought-speak as well. It may take a little practice (as if you think something to yourself, you may accidentally let the other Animorphs know too), but is very useful and always used.
RP-wise, as you know, speech marks are " " or ' ' based on personal preference - you also need to be able to recognize thought-speak. So, just like in the books, we use the < > marks. See the examples below.
Speaking: "How did you do in that test yesterday? I think I failed it!"
Thought-speak: <I think we should be extra careful. The controller look like he's keeping an eye out for something strange.>
Avatars
Members must find an avatar for their character upon joining or having their character application approved. This is important because your character will LITERALLY be morphing into an animal! With the aide of a program, your character will be able to transform into your main morph (explained further below), which can be viewed in a certain section. Your character can only actually morph into an animal he or she has already acquired. Below are the requirements to having your character visually morphed:
- 100 posts - main morph only
- 200 posts - another morph of your choice
Every 100 posts is rewarded with another visualized morph of your choice, though this is optional. If you don't have enough morphs at the time, it can simply be used when you're ready or would like to use it.
At 1, 000 posts every new morph you acquire will then be visually morphed, though a few exceptions may apply. This is also optional, so let us know if you would rather not have this occur.
Avatar requirements: The visual morph can only be awarded if you have an appropriate avatar, and that means it MUST meet the requirements below:
[Age] Your character must look his/her age. Generally you will join as a 13 - 16 year old teenager, therefore a 13 year old can't have the appearance of someone who looks 18. You need to make sure they at least reasonably look their age, no matter what.
[Angle] The picture needs to be of the character's shoulders up (this can be cropped into such by myself, so don't worry too much about that though it is important to at least have their shoulders in view) and the face must be facing the front. A close-up profile, I believe is the official term for such images. This is required for the morph to be applied properly.
[Visibility] Try to make sure the picture isn't blurred or the person is wearing glasses, or there is anything else obscuring their face.
The image is to be submitted for approval first, not simply added to your profile. The original picture is to be at least 200 pixels in width and 300 pixels in height. Any smaller and it cannot be approved.
Signature
At 80 posts you can create a personal banner for your character, which must be submitted for approval to the admin (myself) before you can add it to your actual signature. The only requirements are that it cannot be animated, must relate to your character or the general RPG in some way, and cannot exceed the size of 350 pixels in width and 150 pixels in height.
Stats and How to Acquire Morphs
As part of your profile, you'll also be able to see which morphs you have acquired so far. You have read above on how to acquire morphs by touch and concentration, however you may be wondering how to actually do this RP-wise. You cannot simply post that an animal as appeared or you've found one - you need to literally do that.
Alice lives on a large property a little out of town, where she has access to several basic farm animals she can introduce you to. However, her mother (similar to book character Cassie), is a Vet who specializes in wild animals. Alice's mother owns and runs the main zoo in town where Alice can sneak access to from time to time. Colin has a few animals at home as pets, so there are those as well.
But what if you want something else? Maybe you'd like to have more options and explore to find something else that can be useful? Then you can look around your house, go to parks, and perhaps even go for a walk in the woodlands where you're likely come across a larger variety of creatures, though they'll be wild and it may be harder to find a way to acquire. If you'd like another morph and are having trouble or are unsure how to get another, Alice would be the best person to ask. If you ask Colin, he'd likely just tell you to ask her as well.
When you first join the site and have your character approved, you will go through training and be given your first animal to morph. This is 100% random, based on a roll of a die. There are six categories and six animal possibilities in each category. Once you have this first morph, you will need to practice it and when you've reached 20 posts, you will be assisted by Alice to receive what is known as a "battle morph". This is a large, powerful animal you'll use to fight with the most frequently. When you receive this morph, you must then acquire the DNA of one more animal. Because once you have the DNA of 3 animals, you can pick one of them to be your "main morph". This is either a favourite or most-used/useful morph you have.
Once picked, I will be able to create the visual morph of your character into that animal, as mentioned in detail above. As I said, you need 100 posts to see the morph of another animal of your choice (main or not), however you can change your main morph any time you like. This is just a profile thing, to show a little more of your character's personality based on which morph he/she likes the most or uses the most in a large variety of situations. This is also the morph they're likely to use for fun as well, rather than just for missions or training.
Your battle and main morph could also be the same, though it is unlikely as battle morphs are generally large and suspicious, however main morph can be any one of the animals you have acquired.
Recommendations
Due to the graphics on site, it is recommended that you have broadband internet as well as a computer with good graphics control. None of this is required, but it would make things a bit quicker and more visually-appealing on various occasions.
Also, this is a text-based RPG. If you're new to this, we can give you a few tips and practice. If you have any questions, feedback or suggestions, feel free to let us know.
On a final note, "post count" only refers to RP'ing. If you post, but not role-play, then it will not be registered as an actual post in terms of tally count.
"Animorphs" is a best-selling book series written by K.A.Applegate. There are 54 books in the series, as well as several spin-offs and prequals known as "megamorphs", "Alternamorphs", and various other titles that tell the background and story of other characters or incidences that contribute to the overall story of the Animorphs series. A TV show was also made from this series, however the maker's budget could not cope with the on-going process - remembering that it was made in 1998, and therefore the special effects back then were not as advanced and less time-consuming as they are now.
The 54-book series tells a story of 5 teenagers who come across a construction site one evening. They witness the crash-landing of an alien known as Elfangor. He told them their planet was secretly under invasion by other aliens called "Yeerks" that want to enslave the human race. As his last dying act, Elfangor gives the five teenagers the power to morph into any animal they touch and acquire the DNA of. And so those five teenagers witness Elfangor's death by the leader of the Yeerk army, and flee. It was a night that changed their lives and how they saw the world, as they began to fight against the invasion, little by little, and try to save as many people as they can while also attempting to live relatively normal lives.
The theme of the books is: "We can't tell you who we are, or where we live, because the Yeerks are everywhere". These are five teenagers hiding who they are as their world is secretly invaded, using only their own determination and the power to morph as their only weapons against this enslaving army.
RPG Plot
This text-base role-playing game was build on the idea of the Animorphs series, but is not defined by it. This is AU (Alternative Universe), therefore most of the places, characters, and plot are of our own creation. We have taken the world of the story and made it our own with this RPG site.
You do not need to read the books to play this RPG, which is one of our main goals with this site. Anyone can play regardless of either being a hardcore fan or someone who didn't even know that "Animorphs" existed until now.
The plot of this RPG is very different to the books, however based on the series it may be. A huge reason for this is because, as mentioned, we want anyone to be able to play without feeling lost due to lack of knowledge regarding the series. The only things that this RPG will have in common with the book series is the world it's based on. Not the country, not the characters, and not even the main aspects of events that occurred. But the threatening danger, the ability to morph, and the attempts to live normally in a world enslaved - all that is in there.
You are a high school student who has recently been recruited by a fellow student or classmate - either by circumstance or personal selection, such as being a friend of such a character. You will be given the power to morph and trained to use it so he/she can join the right against the Yeerks. You will be told to be careful at all times, to only use this power under instruction, with extreme need. However, you are a teenager and you have a life to live as well.
The power to morph is an amazing thing. Have you ever dreamed of spreading your wings and flying? Of being a dog able to hear and smell everything? Or a strong grizzly bear able to break things you could never even dent as a human? The possibilities are endless, and sometimes it's easy to forget there is a war taking place all around you - a real danger that threatens you, those you care about, and your entire planet.
You will start out as an ordinary teenager, unaware of what is going on. Then you will end up in a situation in which to be informed or witness what is going on (this is pre-planned). You will be recruited and taught the basics. If you are new to the existence of the Animorphs series, then you will be able to learn along with your character, understanding what and who you're up against, how to morph and what it involves, how to fight, and what to do to keep yourself safe as well as the secret of what you and your team really are.
Because if the Yeerks ever learned that they were up against a few morphing humans, and who those humans are...it's all over.
Setting + Attending School
In the interest of giving you more possibilities in regards to the creation of your character, as well as further based them on yourself, we have not set this RPG in a specific country or area. We have created our own country and towns for this purpose. This gives us a lot more freedom not just with our characters but the RPG itself. Such as, while the country is primarily English-speaking, that doesn't mean you're restricted to being American, British, Australian, New Zealander, and so on.
This also makes the morphing better as well, in the sense that certain countries have certain animals - with this fictional country we can have any animal we need, rather than be limited to what a country such as America or otherwise may have.
So the "where" is this made-up country, left unnamed. We have several states and in scale comparison to other countries it's very average in size and population. In lifestyle and other general aspects, it would closely compared to America, as that is where the books are set.
As for the "when", we would say modern times, but not a specific year or time. Basically it's set in a year range of around 2010 - 2014. We use days and timezones to keep track of the current moment. Such as "Monday, afternoon". This is important because it would be very confusing if one member was at the mall in the morning while another was sneaking around at night, at the same time. The days are important for two reasons:
The first is if plans are made to go on a mission, but not that day - you'll need to know when it is and how much time you have to prepare. For example: if it's Tuesday and the mission is set for Friday, you have two days to find the morph you need, practice it, formulate an excuse to your parents if needed, and so on.
The second reason is school. Yes, even with an alien invasion you're fighting against to save your planet, you must still fit into everyday life and be as normal as you can. This is not just for safety reasons (so the Yeerks don't find out the truth about you), but for you as well, so your character can still be who he/she is as a person, student, or friend. Days are important because if it's Saturday, you're free for the day to hang out at the mall or just generally have a lot more freedom.
However, on Monday - Friday, the morning is spent at school. On this RPG, it would be less fun if for 5 of the 7 days (which each go for several real days or even a week +), you're stuck in school - no matter how school itself is important. We've made it that in our fictional country and town, school starts around 6-7AM and finishes in the afternoon. That means you have to get up early, get ready for school, ride the bus/walk/be dropped off, then follow the events that occur (such as I will post when bells ring for class, lunch, and home). Once it's afternoon, that's when you can head home, to the mall, or other places - you're free for the rest of the day.
Another note about school is that you also have until Friday to do homework, which you'll be graded on and informed of on Monday. If you fail to do this, you must find the time during the weekend, or risk detention and being grounded by your parents. The homework must actually be done, though it will mostly consist of a single paragraph and it's not difficult, just an added aspect of the "trying to live a normal life while secretly fighting an alien invasion". You can work with your friends as well, and make up things. Just be careful to at least pass or else it may raise trouble for you later.
Time Key
Early morning - time prior to school starting (getting up, breakfast, heading to school etc)
Morning - school in process (if weekend: free time)
Afternoon - school finishes. Free time
Early night - sunset. Dinner
Late night - Getting ready for bed. Or in most cases, sneaking out to go on missions etc
Notes: After school you may need to drop your bag off at home first, before you go anywhere for free time, unless it's been pre-arranged - if only to let your parents know so they don't worry. This does not apply to everyone, though it will in most cases.
Also, There is no "thread conclusion limit". If your character is out on a mission that lasts overnight and through to the next morning, that's fine RP-wise. Just be really careful with those if you didn't give your parents a "sleepover" etc excuse beforehand! Also, it is possible to stay up all night as well (as in no mission, just can't sleep etc), but prepare to face the consequences the next day! No characters start out having their own phone, as it is a RP privilege that needs to be earned.
Morphing
There is much more to morphing than simply changing your form into that of an animal. Once you have the power to morph (which you don't automatically have), you will also receive a bit of training on how it works and such, but here's a more detail explanation.
The power to morph is the ability to change your entire shape into that of a creature whose DNA you have acquired. To get their DNA, you need to touch that creature and concentrate, thinking about the creature and what it can do. You will feel a weird sensation and the animal will go into a trance. I (admin) will inform you if this occurs, and therefore if you have been successful in acquiring the DNA of the creature.
Once you have the DNA, you can morph into this animal at any time, as many times as you need. It is a part of you forever. The only exception is if your character is allergic to this DNA, which will be explained in a moment. How do you morph? The same way as you do when acquiring: concentrate. You need to focus and think about the animal and it will trigger the process of changing your form. This doesn't hurt, however you may feel and hear your bones crunching and changing shape, your insides moving, feathers or fur sprouting all over your body. It's not a pleasant moment, nor does it look very good either.
Note: In the book series only tight-fitting clothing such as spandex and leotard can be worn when morphing or else clothes and shoes shred or fall off. However, for the ease of RP'ing, we have decided that (much like the TV show), to not abide to this fact as it will raise complications and delays. So you can morph in almost any clothes, but if you're wearing a really huge jacket or something similar, it may be torn by larger morphs or shed when morphing something smaller. This may also happen with large boots or slip-on shoes. Just be very selective about what you wear - T-shirt and jeans are the best option.
You've acquired a DNA and morphed into the animal. If only it was the simple. Your own mind and awareness is there inside that creature, however the morph also comes with the instincts and capabilities of that being. A dog morph will bring the amazing ability of scents and sounds, which may give you the strong urge to mark your territory (if male dog), or chase smells and objects A mouse has panicky instincts and is always worried about danger. Tigers are powerful and predators. And so on.
There is a section on site to help with this. The list includes all available morphs so far, to tell you things you need to know for morphing - such as a rating of how easy it will be to control, advantages of that animal (claws, gracefulness, etc), as well as weaknesses.
And of everything, there is one most important part about morphing: You cannot be in a morph for over 2 hours or you will be stuck as that creature, forever. On site, since we go by timezone (morning/afternoon etc) this is harder to keep track of, so we will make sure to keep you informed of how your time is going. If you become stuck (as one of the book characters did), you will then be living you life out as that animal, still able to join the fight though it may be limited and your participation in a normal life will no longer be required. Circumstances may occur to give you the power to morph again on day, however you will never be human again. This is a very important rule, so make sure you don't ignore any morph-time warnings either given by a character, made known to you by a clock, or just a general OOC reminder from an admin such as myself.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you cannot go from one morph to another. If you morph from your human self into a cat, you must then morph back to human before you can morph into something else. When the 2 hour time limit is close, you need to de-morph quickly or risk being trapped. To make it even more dangerous, you also have to make sure no one sees you (other than fellow Animorphs, of course). This is not just for the safety of your identity, but also because the Yeerks do not realize they're fighting "mere" humans - they think it's their enemies the Andalites (the alien race Elfangor is from), in which the power to morph was invented by.
While morphing may be fun, you will need to be able to approach and touch the creature you want the DNA from (easy for the likes of tigers and snakes, right?), learn to control the instincts and desires of the animal, as well as figure out how to use it's abilities such as flying or fighting. On top of that, you need to remain aware of the fading time limit and find a safe place to de-morph without being seen or caught. It may seem like a lot to focus on at once, especially when you're starting out, but you'll have other Animorphs with you and your character won't be entirely alone during the learning process.
Also, any injuries you obtained before morphing or de-morphing will be healed through the process of the morph.
Aliens
Below is a list of beings that are not of our planet in which you may encounter in this RPG. You will learn these through playing, but here is a complete list for ease of reference and detailed descriptions to help you RP your reactions and so on.
Andalite - An advanced race of warriors that are the sworn enemies of the Yeerks. A very long time ago, an andalite felt sorry for the Yeerks and gave them technology that enabled them space-travel. The two aliens seemed to be allies at first, and then the Yeerks stole technology and caused a rebellion. Since then, a war happened, and as Yeerks go from planet to planet to enslave them, it is ongoing and the andalites are fighting to stop them.
Helping the Yeerks also brought about their law to never share technology of the secrets of their race with other species. A law that was broken by Prince Elfangor by giving morphing technology to humans - one of the most dangerous abilities ever given to another being. If the Yeerks ever got their hands on the morphing cube, the universe wouldn't stand a chance.
Living light-years from Earth, their assistance has not reached us yet. Prince Elfangor was a warrior who had fought and was injured, travelling to Earth to warn the humans as he had once spent some time on the planet and was fond of it. His dying act gave the morphing cube to two humans, as well as giving them the power to morph. They hid, and witnessed the death of Elfangor at the hands of the Yeerks who had followed him to Earth. By which time they had already begun invading, so they had backup.
Andalites look like a blue centaur with a long blade-tipped tail so deadly and fast that you don't even see it move. They have no mouth and instead communicate with thought-speak (explained further far below). They have two eyes similar to humans, but with additional two stalks with eyes on their head as well, which enables them to look behind them. Another similar comparison is that while we have five fingers, they have six.
Yeerk - Slug-like creatures that slither into the ear of an animal and take control of their brains. These creatures are weak and small, however it is through infesting hosts that they become dangerous. Anyone who has a Yeerk in their brain and is under their control is known as a "controller". The host can still try to fight back, regaining the ability to move their hand slightly or their expression, but otherwise once the Yeerk has them...their control is gone. The Yeerk can read their every thought, see their every memory, and it's what enables them to play the part of the person. The hardest part about this invasion is also the fact that you can never tell who's a controller and who's not. The Yeerks can play the part of the creature flawlessly. And it can be anyone. Your parents, your best friend, your teachers...anyone.
They have one weakness. In order to survive, a Yeerk needs the nutrients of energy known as "Kandrona Rays", which is from the sun of their homeworld. This means every 3 days they must travel to secret underground locations/taverns where there are cages (not with bars, but beams of energy that can be fatal if run through), for containing their hosts while the Yeerks swim in a gross-coloured sludge-like pool under the machine that generates the kandrona rays. These are referred to as "Yeerk Pools".
Destroying the kandrona rays will be the top priority of a lot of your missions, because the Yeerks cannot survive without it. This is also how controllers become what are called "free controllers", which is someone who has been freed of the Yeerk because, due to lack of the kandrona rays or another reason, the Yeerk has died or is no longer in control. A way to achieve this is also by tying the controller up for 3 days until the Yeerk dies. But if these were higher-ranking Yeerks with well-known or important hosts, the other Yeerks will likely hunt them down to perform a re-infestation.
There are two types of controllers: voluntary and involuntary. The latter is self-explanatory, however believe it or not, some beings have either formed an agreement with the Yeerks in exchange for being hosts, or have established that there are greater advantages to being under the control of a Yeerk than have the control themselves. Mostly this relates to certain other aliens the Yeerks have brought with them, but some humans have joined them willingly as well. Parents are commonly trying to strike deals such as "you can have me if you leave my child alone" or some are stupid and agree with what is going on. These are easy to spot in Yeerk Pools because while the involuntary are in cages, the voluntary have their own section where they can chill out and watch TV until it's time to reunited with their Yeerk.
Hork-Bajir - Once a free and peaceful race, the andalites failed to save them from the Yeerks who enslaved their entire planet and turned these creatures into fearsome killing-machines. With blades all over their heads, necks, arms, legs, back and so on, these creatures are not one you want to battle with as they can do some very serious damage. With hawk-like faces, their comparisons to the birds end there, as they walk on two legs and have no feathers or wings. They typically stand at eight to ten feet tall.
Taxxon - Imagine the worst situation involving how you may die and then read on and realize it's tame compared to facing one of these. A Taxxon is a centipede-like being with lots of arms and legs. Their front torsos are upright and on top is a head with rows of eyes and teeth, as well as a long tongue. Overall, in a battle they're not really a challenge if you have anything with claws and strength. They're several feet tall and basically giant worms. They splat and explode rather horrifically (smell included) if thrown or attacked with claws or teeth.
Their danger rests in their uncontrollable, never satisfied hunger for flesh. If you are injured even a tiny bit, these Taxxons will overrule the Yeerk in their head (as nothing can stop this hunger) and devour - ripping and eating any flesh they can...alive or not. The Yeerks don't even bother trying to control them when an incident like that occurs as they will even eat their own kind!, It's not possible to stop it. Besides, as voluntary hosts, the Taxxons know that with the Yeerks in their brains their chances of feeding is higher.
Luckily, you'll rarely come across these creatures on Earth, however one or two are around from time to time. If your missions expand to space - be warned. Morphing one of these creatures is only recommended in the most DESPERATE of situations. A Yeerk cannot control the hunger, and so it would be nearly impossible for you to do the same by morphing one.
Ellimist - Not really a creature, but still worth mentioning. These beings are all-powerful, all-knowing and can do many things such as stopping time, transporting across light years, and too many things to list. Not a great deal is known about them. However compared to gods and masters of fate they may be, these beings have laws about interfering with other species. Able to vanish entire galaxies with a blink of an eye, you may be thankful for this fact.
However, in a dire war-deciding moment where the humans may be set to lose everything, you might find time stopping and a choice being offered. They don't interfere, and yet if you pay close attention, they may offer just the tiniest bit of help or information that could change the situation you and your team may be trapped in.
Chee - Androids who have lived on Earth for a very long time, though are originally from another planet. Their appearance is a two-legged metallic wolf, therefore have a strong affection for dogs as they remind the chee of home. Quite indestructible and able to create a hologram of a human or otherwise around themselves - you would think the chee could stop the Yeerks with ease. There's one catch: the chee are programmed for non-violence. A great ally for secrecy, information-gathering, and spying, the cheer are very useful even if they cannot join your side in battle.
There are many more aliens worth the mention, however are not important at this stage in the RPG and therefore will be added when later required.
Team Leaders
Facts involving leadership that are important to be aware of:
- Andalite warrior leaders are known as "Prince". Andalites are very loyal to their leader and are under law to obey. An Andalite on Earth with a leader would also refer to them as "Prince", regardless of if such a leader is human or otherwise.
- Yeerks also have a large ranking of power. On their homeworld they have an Empire of Thirteen. Otherwise there are mostly Vissers, which are military commanders. The smaller the number, the higher their ranking. Such as Visser One is the highest leader under the Empire. Visser Three is your greatest enemy as he leads the invasion on Earth and is the only Yeerk to ever obtain an Andalite as his host body.
This means Visser Three also has the power to morph, with the DNA of a long list of deadly aliens from all over the universe. Yet, even he must blend in for the sake of secrecy, therefore only inside Yeerk Pools is he really a morphing danger. In other situations or places, he has a human form or his andalite form which he is seen as. Long-time enemy of Elfangor, Visser Three is even more motivated than the other Yeerks to destroy every last andalite, especially any member of Elfangor's family. Since he thinks the Animorphs (because, of course, weak humans can't morph or stand up to the mighty Yeerk empire), are andalites...this means you as well. - In this RPG, two humans witnessed the crash and death of Prince Elfangor. They also obtained the morphing cube, and a device known as the "Andalite Disk". These two teenagers live in this town, go to your school, are will be the ones to recruit and train your character to become an Animorph.
Alice and Colin are admin-controlled characters made to teach and instruct. They will be your leaders as well, as they plan missions and lead the fight against the Yeerks. They hope to form teams led by other members rather than just themselves for smaller missions and basic tasks that are just as important. At the beginning of the RPG these two are the only ones who can participate in the larger, more dangerous missions that they hope the other Animorphs will one day be able to help with as well.
Canon Characters
As an AU RPG, the characters are of our own creation and imagination, however there are a few canon characters in it, as per required. They are as follows:
Visser Three - Explained above.
Principal Chapman - The principal of your high school. Unlike the books, he does not have a wife or daughter in this RPG and therefore has no deal with the Yeerks for their safety. He is merely a high-ranking controller you need to be very careful around during school hours and otherwise. If he sees you in human form during a mission, he will know exactly who your character is and where he/she lives.
Ax - Prince Elfangor's younger brother. He's a warrior cadet who crash-landed on Earth not long after his brother had, due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time during a space battle between the Andalites and Visser Three + Yeerk army. He has discreetly acquired DNA from multiple humans (included Alice and Colin) to create his own unique human DNA.
He is able to morph into his human form to blend in when required, but all Animorphs must keep an eye on him because as Andalites don't have mouths, Ax has found the existence of taste and eating to be amazing. As well as speaking with a mouth. Therefore, he will eat anything with total lack of knowledge of manners or proper preparations (it can be really gross, like when he dips meat into a cup of coke or shoves popcorn into his mouth rapidly), as well as trying out sounds. He is adapting and can often control himself, but he is an alien and human things still confuse or amaze him - supervision is highly recommended in public. He is young too, just like your character.
If asked about by other non-Animorph humans or introduced, his name is "Max". Even so, "Ax" is the nicknamed used among the Animorphs (as his Andalite name, like all of them, are very long). Having Ax around when morphing is a huge advantage as Andalites have the ability to keep track of time, right down to the last second.
Erek - One of the chee who attends high school with the hologram of a teenager. This is the chee you will mostly see and communicate with, just like in the books.
Allergy to a DNA
As mentioned further above, sometimes you can become allergic to a certain DNA, just like a human may be allergic to peanuts or certain medications. However, the effect is very different. Being allergic to a DNA means any time you become stressed, upset, scared, excited - or any other strong emotion, you will begin to morph a random section of your body (such as back or arm) into that animal. In intense situations with extreme emotions, you will feel sick in the stomach and morph the entire creature rapidly, then de-morph...over and over, until you calm down.
It can take up to 2 weeks before the DNA will be rejected from your system, in the form of "burping" the animal in which you are allergic to. It can happen at any moment, and while all that is bad enough - you can't control the morphing or the process, which is life-or-death/infestation when the war is involved.
Note: Don't worry too much, as this is HIGHLY rare, however it can happen and therefore information is required. An admin will let you know upon acquiring if this happens. To further decrease your chances of it happening, remember that absorbing DNA while being terrified of the creature (such as having a phobia of it, or in dire circumstances to save a life from it due to the occurrence of a trance when acquiring), can have ill-effects as well and possibly result in an allergy to the DNA.
Thought-Speak
Andalites, because they have no mouths, have other ways of communicating - thought-speak. They project their thoughts to another, which is heard in their minds. This is either done privately or broadcast. Private means they focus on who hears it, and broadcast is aloud for all around can hear.
This also applies to morphing. Whenever you're in a morph, you can communicate through thought-speak as well. It may take a little practice (as if you think something to yourself, you may accidentally let the other Animorphs know too), but is very useful and always used.
RP-wise, as you know, speech marks are " " or ' ' based on personal preference - you also need to be able to recognize thought-speak. So, just like in the books, we use the < > marks. See the examples below.
Speaking: "How did you do in that test yesterday? I think I failed it!"
Thought-speak: <I think we should be extra careful. The controller look like he's keeping an eye out for something strange.>
Avatars
Members must find an avatar for their character upon joining or having their character application approved. This is important because your character will LITERALLY be morphing into an animal! With the aide of a program, your character will be able to transform into your main morph (explained further below), which can be viewed in a certain section. Your character can only actually morph into an animal he or she has already acquired. Below are the requirements to having your character visually morphed:
- 100 posts - main morph only
- 200 posts - another morph of your choice
Every 100 posts is rewarded with another visualized morph of your choice, though this is optional. If you don't have enough morphs at the time, it can simply be used when you're ready or would like to use it.
At 1, 000 posts every new morph you acquire will then be visually morphed, though a few exceptions may apply. This is also optional, so let us know if you would rather not have this occur.
Avatar requirements: The visual morph can only be awarded if you have an appropriate avatar, and that means it MUST meet the requirements below:
[Age] Your character must look his/her age. Generally you will join as a 13 - 16 year old teenager, therefore a 13 year old can't have the appearance of someone who looks 18. You need to make sure they at least reasonably look their age, no matter what.
[Angle] The picture needs to be of the character's shoulders up (this can be cropped into such by myself, so don't worry too much about that though it is important to at least have their shoulders in view) and the face must be facing the front. A close-up profile, I believe is the official term for such images. This is required for the morph to be applied properly.
[Visibility] Try to make sure the picture isn't blurred or the person is wearing glasses, or there is anything else obscuring their face.
The image is to be submitted for approval first, not simply added to your profile. The original picture is to be at least 200 pixels in width and 300 pixels in height. Any smaller and it cannot be approved.
Signature
At 80 posts you can create a personal banner for your character, which must be submitted for approval to the admin (myself) before you can add it to your actual signature. The only requirements are that it cannot be animated, must relate to your character or the general RPG in some way, and cannot exceed the size of 350 pixels in width and 150 pixels in height.
Stats and How to Acquire Morphs
As part of your profile, you'll also be able to see which morphs you have acquired so far. You have read above on how to acquire morphs by touch and concentration, however you may be wondering how to actually do this RP-wise. You cannot simply post that an animal as appeared or you've found one - you need to literally do that.
Alice lives on a large property a little out of town, where she has access to several basic farm animals she can introduce you to. However, her mother (similar to book character Cassie), is a Vet who specializes in wild animals. Alice's mother owns and runs the main zoo in town where Alice can sneak access to from time to time. Colin has a few animals at home as pets, so there are those as well.
But what if you want something else? Maybe you'd like to have more options and explore to find something else that can be useful? Then you can look around your house, go to parks, and perhaps even go for a walk in the woodlands where you're likely come across a larger variety of creatures, though they'll be wild and it may be harder to find a way to acquire. If you'd like another morph and are having trouble or are unsure how to get another, Alice would be the best person to ask. If you ask Colin, he'd likely just tell you to ask her as well.
When you first join the site and have your character approved, you will go through training and be given your first animal to morph. This is 100% random, based on a roll of a die. There are six categories and six animal possibilities in each category. Once you have this first morph, you will need to practice it and when you've reached 20 posts, you will be assisted by Alice to receive what is known as a "battle morph". This is a large, powerful animal you'll use to fight with the most frequently. When you receive this morph, you must then acquire the DNA of one more animal. Because once you have the DNA of 3 animals, you can pick one of them to be your "main morph". This is either a favourite or most-used/useful morph you have.
Once picked, I will be able to create the visual morph of your character into that animal, as mentioned in detail above. As I said, you need 100 posts to see the morph of another animal of your choice (main or not), however you can change your main morph any time you like. This is just a profile thing, to show a little more of your character's personality based on which morph he/she likes the most or uses the most in a large variety of situations. This is also the morph they're likely to use for fun as well, rather than just for missions or training.
Your battle and main morph could also be the same, though it is unlikely as battle morphs are generally large and suspicious, however main morph can be any one of the animals you have acquired.
Recommendations
Due to the graphics on site, it is recommended that you have broadband internet as well as a computer with good graphics control. None of this is required, but it would make things a bit quicker and more visually-appealing on various occasions.
Also, this is a text-based RPG. If you're new to this, we can give you a few tips and practice. If you have any questions, feedback or suggestions, feel free to let us know.
On a final note, "post count" only refers to RP'ing. If you post, but not role-play, then it will not be registered as an actual post in terms of tally count.