Sign Up/Discussion Pokemon: The Journey of the Spiritsingers (Signups/discussion)

The basic premise:

In a fantastic Pokeworld far from the one we know, it is believed that all life comes from the spirits of the elements. Those that can communicate with the spirits and manipulate the elements are known as spiritsingers.

The art of spiritsinging is passed from father to son, mother to daughter, master to apprentice. In addition to learning to sing hundreds of sacred songs, a good spiritsinger will have a unique instrument, known as a Spiritual Instrument. While spiritsingers can play more than one instrument, they will be more adept at their Spiritual Instrument. Likewise, there are some spiritsingers that do well just at singing (their Spiritual instrument is considered to be The Voice), and on rare occasions, a spiritsinger can have more than one Spiritual Instrument.

Once a spiritsinger apprentice awakens their Spiritual Instrument, the final test they must take before being recognized as a full spiritsinger is to journey along the Elemental Trail, eventually earning the right to commune with the Grand Rainbow Spirit, Arceus.

You play a spiritsinger apprentice who has earned the right to walk the Elemental Trail on the day you came of age. Can you and your fellow Spiritsingers reach the end of the Elemental Trail, and gain the power of Arceus?

Sign up here with the following info:

Character's name (pick something that sounds fantasy-ish)
Character's age (anywhere from 12 to 14 years old is fine)
Character's physical appearance (what they basically look like--keep in mind this is a fantasy world, so jeans and T-shirts would be very out of place)
Character's personality/history (what's your character like, and what led them to become a spiritsinger?)
Character's innate element (explained below)
Character's Spiritual Instrument (explained below)
Character's current inventory (what is your character currently carrying?--typical RPG gear suited for their abilities will be fine--you have a thousand sole (the currency of the world) saved up for the journey--and you can earn more as you travel and battle monsters)
Character's current Pokémon (up to 3 non-Legendaries are fine)

 

How Spiritsinging Magic Works

Magic in this world is defined as summoning a spirit (Pokémon can be manifestations of a spirit) to fight on your behalf, or asking the spirits to channel their power (usually by naming the spell, but playing/singing the spell or saying a short incantation are also common.)

The standard 18 type type chart is boiled down to 11 elements:

--Earth (Rock/Ground/Steel)
--Nature (Grass; some Bug)
--Fire (Fire/Fighting)
--Wind (Flying, some Bug)
--Water (Water)
--Ice (Ice)
--Thunder (Electric)
--Cosmic (some Dark, some Fairy, some Psychic, some Pokémon that evolve via Moon Stone. Noble Shadow elemental Pokémon are considered Cosmos too)
--Light (Dragon, Psychic, and Fairy)
--Void (Normal; no elemental)
--Shadow (some Dark, Poison, Ghost. Shadow elemental magic is forbidden for law abiding spiritsingers, although there are Shadow Pokémon that fight for noble causes)

As Spiritsingers, your duties are best described as part cleric, part shaman, and part bard, with a dash of mage--your main job is to lead the people in their relationship with the spirits--healing the sick, teaching the people through tales and songs of the spirits, playing sacred music for all occasions, honoring the fallen, and cleansing evil, just to name a few things.

 

Spiritual Instruments Explained

Every spiritsinger has at least one Spiritual Instrument--an instrument they are particularly good at, and are attuned enough to commune with the spirits with it. It is possible for a spiritsinger to simply sing and not play an instrument (it is said that these spiritsingers have The Voice as their Spiritual instrument.) A spiritsinger can also play more than one instrument, but it is somewhat rare to have more than one Spiritual Instrument.

The known Spiritual Instruments are:

The Voice (nee singing)
The Lute (Mandolins are also included under The Lute)
The Harp
The Fiddle
The Flute (in addition to sideblown flutes, tin whistles and panpipes are included under The Flute)
The Drum
The Horn (what would be considered a euphonium/small tuba in the modern world--trumpets and what we know as horns exist, but in their traditional roles--heralding and hunting)
The Bells (what we know as tambourines are also included under The Bells)

 

@NyxieRina

Your Pokémon partner(s) doesn't have to match your innate element--you can awaken other elements of magic thanks to your bond with your partners.

@SAF

This adventure is set in a fantasy Paldea--but it's not quite the same Paldea from SV!

 

@SAF @NyxieRina

I can probably create a spiritsinger character myself to serve as a guide and dispense worldbuilding and assistance (plus show you both how spiritsinging works)

Cinnabar Island is known as Crimson Island in this world.

You guys are not so much starting in a town as a place outside of town--a rock called Spiritsinger's Rock

Your characters are both Accepted!

 

@SAF

The closest town or city from Spiritsinger's Rock is a village named Tearoc (Silver Rock)

 

@SAF @NyxieRina

Here's a (quick) profile of your guide on your adventure, Lexi Springweaver:

Character's name: Lexi (short for Alexia) Springweaver

Character's age: 13

Character's physical appearance: Stands about 5'2" (or 1.58 m), wavy red-brown hair, green eyes, and usually wears the typical striped robe of a spiritsinger--a color, a metallic color, and maybe white. In Lexi's case, her robe is red and gold.

Character's personality/history: Lexi comes from a long line of spiritsingers--both her parents spiritsing, and many relatives on both sides currently spiritsing or once spiritsang. So it was no surprise that she too awakened as a spiritsinger. After completing her own journey down the Elemental Trail, she divided her time between spiritsinging duties at home, and guiding other apprentices down the trail--and you guys are the latest apprentices she has guided. She knows where every rest house is, what is and isn't safe, and what to expect on the trials along the way. If someone does stump her with a question she doesn't know the answer to, she will move heaven and earth to find an answer.

Character's innate element: Fire (but can also channel Thunder and Nature thanks to her bonds with her Pokémon, and Thunder is related to Fire)

Character's Spiritual Instrument: The Flute

Character's current inventory: Bow, sword (as a backup if archery is not possible), camp gear, supplies, 1000 sole, her flute (technically a tin whistle), She can also sing and play mandolin well--her mother's Spiritual Instrument is The Voice, and her father's Spiritual Instrument is The Lute (he plays lute in his duties, but taught Lexi the mandolin because she liked the sound)

Character's current Pokémon: Tora the Pikachu (female), Mint the Sprigatito (female)

 

@SAF

Noble Shadow Elemental Pokémon are considered Cosmic--since they are using their darkness for a noble cause.

@NyxieRina

I should have the thread up tomorrow.

 

@SAF @NyxieRina

Here's an idea of what Lexi's hair (basically) looks like:

Spoiler: Lexi's basic color and style

 

@SAF

Trombones don't exist in this world as Spiritual Instruments--they ARE used during sacred services, though.