Clockwork Heart - U4G

[Bardic]

All tales begin in the void, and many end there. Most start with a birth, a creation, a new life and a new story to tell. This one, however, is old. The oldest. And its hero has already been born. His word has already been spoken. To see memories most clearly, though, sometimes... one must visit them anew.


All beings begin with three parts. First, the words. VERBUM. Second, the image. IMAGO. And third, the pieces. MATERIA.
Verbum is the spirit of a being, its existence summed up in words. Simple things are orders, instructions, automatons born to follow a task set to them. The highest beings are words, sentences, abstract concepts, without task and granted the ability to choose their own interpretation of their words. A being of the words 'Seek to vanquish those weaker' is simple. A being of the word 'Understand' is far, far more complex.
Imago is the form of a being, its appearance and physicality. There is no distinction between complex and simple here. A being's form is affected by its Verbum but ultimately shaped by its Imago. A being formed from the Imago of an animal, a bird for instance, would appear as a bird with certain attributes changed by its Verbum- a being with Bird Imago and 'Protect' Verbum would appear as an armored, powerful bird of prey; one with a Humanoid Imago and 'Illuminate your surroundings' would be a shining humanoid figure.
Materia are the parts of a being, its own improvements upon its form. Any object can become Materia as long as it is chosen by a being. Beings lack Materia at creation, and can choose objects they find during their existence to become their Materia. Materia can take the place of existing parts of a being's anatomy, and almost all beings 'augment' themselves with Materia in some way. Materia can function as anything the user desires, provided they resemble that their crafter wishes them to function as or are around the same size. A marble can take the place of an eye, or a glove of a hand, for example.


All of reality is home to beings more manifold in size, shape, desire and composition then one can imagine. Once made, they find themselves transported from the Void and into the world most fitting for them or in the most need. And now...
...
A story begins. A word, spoken, becomes a Verbum, and something is born. The word is 'Begin.'
An image wavers out of sight. A form, nearly complete, becomes an Imago-
But it remains out of reach, for the moment, hazy and ill-defined.
What is the image?

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I HAVE FANART NOW WOOO (even though it's because I won a contest. Well, I won a contest, or Clockwork Heart did, and thus this awesome fanart.
http://i719.photobucket.com/albums/w...kworkheart.png
Begin, Metal Child

[ch00_bakka]

>A wooden trunk, with many small appendages beneath it.

[Roselalonde]

> The human brain.

[Tam Lin]

a small globe of the world. On top of it is a ballerina, carved of ivory, spinning as the globe does.

[littlebeasti]

>A thick disc, out of the center of which protrudes a rod which ends in a three-taloned claw, grasping a large orb.

[OldManRupee]

A castle made of glass.

[Ruki]

A picture of a picture of cheese.

[The One Guy]

> A picture of ceiling cat.

...What?

[Whimbrel]

A desk-lamp.

[Graven_Image]

A metal child.

I think that fits most with the word "Begin."

[Yako]

A leather-bound, currently blank diary.

[Fuade]

A bench

[Ixcalibur]

>

[Bardic]

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Thanks for all the ideas, guys! I decided to go with one of the more banal ones (well, in comparison to things like miniscule ivory ballerinas atop globes) but I promise, all will be used at some time, no matter how strange. And yes, this adventure has a LOT of 'you define how the setting/character appears' stuff. There's going to be a plot here... promise! :P

>A metal child.
Many forms flicker past, images blurring together, some simple, some strange. Lamps and books and castles made of glass, and none seem to fit, flitting off towards other words drifting in the void. At long last, one clicks into place. A metal form, humanoid, small and weak and childlike in its appearance. Something beginning.



You are Begin. Your heart has been stolen. Before you, a world is opening to let you in. What is the world?

[Prof. Luigi]

Oz
A land filled with iron, leather, and steam.

[littlebeasti]

> The second in a series of nine spheres, each inside each other
or
> The plane of Fire, in a set of elemental planes which can be travelled between
or
> A massive ring torus, through which runs a thin rod with spokes connecting it to the inside of the torus

[ch00_bakka]

>The inside of an infinite mansion, with no outside.
or
>A tree, the size of a planet. People and animals live in the leaves and twigs, and the trunk is home to legendary beasts.
or how about
>A featureless hollow sphere, with all of the people living on the inside.

[Yako]

> A city made of rusty brass and iron, built around a wide and dark river. The sky is clouded grey from reckless use of steam- and coal-powered machines.

[Bardic]

> A city made of rusty brass and iron, built around a wide and dark river. The sky is clouded grey from reckless use of steam- and coal-powered machines.


The gates of a world open wide, showing black fog and soot concealing a darkened sky. Buildings rise around you, pavement is at once beneath your feet, and-
Begin.



You are Begin. You have lost something, or something was taken, but you cannot remember what it was. There is a crack running through your chest on the left side, and within you feel an unpleasant hollowness. Buildings of iron and brass, colored black with ages of soot, bloom around you, their spires reaching towards the clouded heavens. The street is devoid of beings of any kind. What do you do?

[Prof. Luigi]

Enter building by walking through the wall effortlessly.

[The One Guy]

> A land full of fog and ruins. No one knows where the ruins came from; no one knows where the ruins end.
or
> A space with no gravity, spherical buildings connected and held in place an intricate web of pipes litter the space as far as the eye can see.
or
> A gel like substance with parallel cylindrical holes of infinite length. Gravity slowly rotates with the curvature of the cylinders. Buildings "float" on the gel, and vehicles either "float" on the gel or travel through it from cylinder to cylinder.

Edit: ninja'd, ninja'd, NINJA'D!

[ch00_bakka]

Enter building by walking through the wall like the kool-aid man!

No wait that's stupid.

>Look for someone who can teach you about your world. (Verbum=Know/Understand/Teach)

[Roselalonde]

> Inspect micro-organisms.

[Gimeurcookie]

> Walk around till you see a living thing.

[HalcyonicStitcher]

>Visit the abandoned toy store in search of more of your kind.