What is Arcadia Unleashed?
Arcadia Unleashed (AU for short) is the second season of The Last Arcadia, meaning we are a continuation of the story and events that happened in Season 1. If you would like to learn more about The Last Arcadia, you can visit this site, reading up on plot progression and history is highly recommended.
Arcadia Unleashed is a game style roleplay, where roleplayers take part in a story driven plot that takes their character through a wild ride of hard choices and tough situations. Both you and your character will participate in this game, there are many in and out of character aspects to the game. You will face many butterfly effect choices in game that will steer the plot into various directions. Arcadia Unleashed has many different arcs it can take as far as how the plot goes and ends, and you the roleplayer decide the fate of everything. Don't worry though, you won't go through this alone. Arcadia Unleashed has distinct rounds in the game, and each new round you will be assigned to a team that you are to go through these choices / situations with.
How do I improve my chances to be accepted into Season 2?
Because of the nature of how the roleplay works, we do have a set number of how many can be accepted (so that the roleplay is still manageable). If you would like to improve your chances showing your interest is the best way to show the Gamemasters you really want a spot. How can you do that? Join us on the Discord and come chat with other potential players / staff. Being active on the Discord is the best way to show us you're able to be active and that you are interested. Another way is your application, we look for unique, diverse characters that have a thorough biography and clearly have time and depth put into the character. Above all we want interesting characters that offer different perspectives and personalities for the player roster. It will not be posted how many are being accepted into Season 2, sorry!
What is a history of what happened in Season 1?
Please click here for a very in depth summary of Season 1 with images to compliment the history.
Backstory of Season 1
Long ago there was a Queen named Athena, she ruled five elements, what we know as Spirit Groups. She ruledArcadia, a land of the Gods.. Gods that hold the elements that created and balance life as we know it. Over time Athena grew corrupt, it's speculated power made her spiral downwards, she wanted more power even though she was the most powerful entity. It was never enough for her. It is said around this time Athena did terrible things to Arcadians, things we have yet to learn. Athena opted to come to Earth, bringing her torment to a new world. Here she and unknown others created The Golden City; a mystic city on Earth that was hidden by a protective aura. The only way inside the city was if a God brought you in, only they could pass the through the protective aura. Athena made contact with mortals and offered them to come into her city, but the catch? Entering the city would mean entering into a game, a game Athena advertised that should you win, you will be granted access to a world named Arcadia, free of sickness, free of aging, a divine world. Mortals blindly entered the city and eventually into Athena's Gate, a portal that would take them to the game, and eventually Arcadia if they won.
But Athena never let anyone win. She sent mortals into her game, an impossible game to win. She made them go through challenges they were never meant to win; and they didn't. She watched mortals squirm and suffer for her own entertainment (which made her feel powerful, what she craved). Back in Arcadia there was a growing hatred and worry for Athena from other Gods. The triplets, Ammon, Salem and Thorne, keepers of the Energy element banded against Athena. They knew she needed to be stopped, she was too dangerous. They killed her, unknowingly in front of Athena's daughter; Thea. Thea, so grief stricken and angry lashed out against the triplets. As the new Arcadian Queen she took away their wings, branded them with collars of shame (upside down golden wings) and exiled them to Earth. Thea was too blinded by her love for her mother Athena to see the justice in what the triplets had done, all she saw was treason. At this time Thea created Guardians of each Spirit Group, to guard The Golden City where she laid her mother to rest. Never did Thea want anyone to ever enter the city again, and so her Guardians were there to ensure nothing happened. She also did not want the portal in Athena's Gate to be accessed, the idea of mortals ever getting to Arcadia made Thea sick.. but did she did not possess the power to destroy the gate.
A long while passed and eventually Thea's Guardians grew curious and bored of their eventful lives in The Golden City. They entered into Athena's Gate and when they came out.. just like Queen Athena, they too were corrupt. Athena's corruption was so strong even while dead, it was enough to poison the Guardians. They returned as Dark Beasts, and when Thea found out she punished them. She locked them away in the city, all their power, everything was sealed in a place called Tartarus within The Golden City while she tried to devise a way to turn back their corruption.
Eventually the triplets found The Golden City and entered. They freed the Dark Beasts and this is when The Scorch happened. A domino effect of unleashing the corrupt beasts. But this did not stop the triplets or Dark Beasts, who all banded together to return to Arcadia to avenge what Thea had done to them all. They picked mortals to enter the city and play the game. Only mortals could play the game, finishing the trials and unlocking Athena's Gate. This was their only key back to Arcadia. They promised mortals divine powers and refuge within Arcadia, and so mortals joined the game. These games are known as The Failed Games... For Thea was able to stop the games, destroying The Golden City, killing all the players while they were midway through the game. She killed Ammon to teach the brothers a lesson and she petrified the Dark Beasts to stone, hiding their souls within Athena's Gate to ensure the brothers could not bring the Dark Beasts back. All this power caused Earth to shift again, and once unbearably hot days turned to a frozen tundra. Fire to ice.
This did not stop Thorne and Salem though.
Season 1 Game History
Once Thea returned to Arcadia, Thorne and Salem rose up once more and gathered mortals again. They brought them into The Golden City, despite it being destroyed, Athena's Gate still stood. Players woke up unaware of where they were or how they got there. The twins emerged from smoke and explained to the players they were chosen for a game, a game that would lead them to a sacred land called Arcadia... a land free of the suffering they currently endured.. A land full of life. They were also promised the power of a God; Spirit Groups.
Everyone decided to enter the game. The first round was The Half-Lit Forest, and the round consisted of gathering relics relating to Queen Athena, while being led by a spirit named Lyssa. Unknowingly to the players and twins, they were gathering relics that were apart of a prophecy of Athena's resurrection. During this round, Salem was swept off by corruption that threatened to kill the players and thought to be dead after that. Players went through multiple puzzles, mostly visual. At the end of the round, it was discovered that Lyssa was a minion of Athena, leading players to collect relics that would bring Athena back.. and so the Queen rose, and she offered to bring players to Arcadia and make them divine if they turned against Thorne. Luckily for Thorne, players sided with him and put Athena to rest again.
Round 2 consisted of The Lost Island, a floating Island that had been destroyed by Thea. Thea got wind of the twins reviving the games again and came to put it to an end. During this round the players were toyed with by Thea, they did not know it was her tormenting them though.. They endured physical and psychological tests.. until it was finally revealed the unknown being was Thea. She offered them a choice, return to Earth and accept their fate.. or die.. She would not allow them entry into Arcadia. They all refused to return, and just as Thea was about to kill the players Thorne appeared to protect the players and fought Thea. The fight was intense and the result caused The Lost Island to break apart, sending everyone falling to their death.
Round 3 started with players falling to their death, only to be cloaked in white energy and brought safely to the ground. It was Salem, he was alive and saved the players. After a small reunion he sent players off with gauntlets (optional) and told them to gather power throughout the round in their gauntlets -- that they would be important. Round 3 was played in Spirit Group teams, and the teams ventured into their patron Dark Beasts land, where their souls had been hidden. They went through many challenges to capture the souls, and eventually did. The final part of this round included The Golden City, where players were faced with hard tests and had to ignite leylines in The Golden City via their powers, which unlocked the final version of Athena's Gate, unlocking Arcadia. After this, players had the choice to bring back their patron Dark Beast with the power in their gauntlets and souls. 75% of each Spirit Group needed to agree to revive their patron Beast, and because of that only Aqua and Ignis were freed. The game was done.
In the Epilogue, players entered into Arcadia.. where they were met with Thorne, with his wings back and no more wearing a golden collar. Thorne invited a handful of players to join him in Arcadia, based on in game choices some characters were denied entry, as Thorne did not see them as suitable followers. That was when the harsh reality hit, the true enemy had always been Thorne. After that, Thea entered the mix and fought Thorne, where we find out through a cut that Thorne now bleeds black; he is corrupt. Amidst this, Salem entered the portal and saw that Thorne was about to kill Thea and the players that denied Thorne. Salem portaled himself straight in front of Thea and the players, taking Thorne's blow in their place. Ultimately sacrificing himself so they could live.
Grief stricken, at a loss to comprehend what just happened, Thorne in a fit of rage shot out dark energy that pushed everyone (other than those that chose to follow him) back through the gate to Earth, back into The Golden City.
End of Season 1.
What happens during the timeskip?
Following the events of Season 1, Arcadia Unleashed carries on after a six year timeskip.
Those that fought and failed the games were thrown back to Earth. Upon their arrival through Athena's Gate they were met by a grim sight; the gate was shattered into dozens of pieces. Oozing from the area was corruption that circled and threatened the former players. They were forced out of the city, and just like that they were locked out. There was no way to re-enter without a God bringing them in.
Some of the former players were defeated, while others refused to accept defeat. After the stunt Thorne pulled they were adamant to avenge what he did to Earth, Salem and mostly importantly; them. Over the years they put all efforts into expeditions and attempts to follow any lead on finding Thea and ways to try to restore Earth through their powers. Tredging through dangerous parts of Earth and pushing their powers to their absolute limits.
None of their efforts paid off.
Word of demi-gods spread like wildfire to survivors on Earth, some were more accepting of them than others. The former players were given the name The Flightless (a name that reflected on their failures in the game and now on Earth) by bitter mortals. Many mortals were not accepting of The Flightless, but it didn't stop them from trying to save a dying world. Every year Earth grew colder, snowier and harsher. The Flightless knew this and so they never gave up. But they began to notice something... their powers were no longer as stronger as they used to be. Every day it felt like their energy was diminishing..
Two years into the timeskip the protective aura around The Golden City cracked and succumbed. The power that held the force up was weakened by Earth's decay to the point it could no longer hold. Mortals entered the city, only to find it free of any previous threats. There were many disputes and rage over who would be able to stay inside the city. At first it was a free-for-all, but that quickly turned dangerous and bloody. So four Alliances were created, all with different beliefs and expectations (The Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western). The Northern Alliance was founded by Titan (Theon's father), The Southern Alliance was founded by Freya, The Eastern Alliance was founded by Legacy and The Western Alliance was founded by Gemini. They each claimed an area of the city and allowed entry into their Alliances for anyone that wanted sanctuary. The city provided much needed shelter from the climate and conditions of the wilderness. For two years everything worked well. (Please see The Alliances page for further information)
Until tensions began to rise between the Northern and Southern Alliance, leading to a deadly war at the beginning of year four of the timeskip. The Alliances could not see eye to eye and both leaders wanted to set an example of each other, and so they did. Both Titan and Freya died in the battle. Theon took over in his father's place for the Northern Alliance and Seraphine took what she wanted in the Southern Alliance. From there on it created tensions between all the Alliances, each leader wary of the other.
Year five of the timeskip the sun rose for the very last time. The Death Moon appear during this year, which only worsened Earth's conditions. Catastrophic events followed, earthquakes, fierce blizzards, black rain and winds that threatened to tear everything to the ground. Earth was shattering. This created worsened tensions between Alliances who have been at each others throats ever since for lessening supplies and food.
Five and a half years into the timeskip a portal opened in the center of the city, and out came unlikely surprises compliments of Thorne himself. Rejects of Arcadia were dumped onto Earth, which sparked hope in some. The portal was a sign there could still be a connection between Arcadia and Earth. Word spread like wildfire of what happened, and eventually the information found its way to The Flightless. Immediately they began their six month journey back to The Golden City.
The plot of Season 2 starts off following this six year backstory and the arrival of The Flightless to The Golden City. Characters are divided but one thing will unite them; a revolution. A final stand, it's time for mortals to make their own destiny, not the fate the Gods threw at them. But they can't do it alone, and will come to find unlikely allies that help them along the way...
What is it like in The Golden City?
The Golden City becomes the main sanctuary amidst the chaos. The city is divided into four locations and each alliance inhabits one. The center of the city where Athena's Gate once stood is common area and belong to nobody. The outskirts of the city (dangerous areas) and the sewers are home to outsiders and small communities that often despise the alliances. Outsiders are often referred to as Hostiles and those that inhabit the sewers are called Sewer Rats. The Alliances tend to only take care of their own and damn those that are not with them, outsiders often view them as privileged and uppity. Those in the Alliances vary on how they see outsiders. Alliances trade resources with each other and once a month they allow outsiders to come into the city and trade / sell goods.
What happens to the season 1 characters?
For those that returned to Earth, this is widely up to the individual roleplayer. The main plot of S1 characters on Earth is chasing leads / theories on how to save Earth, but you are not forced to follow that plot. You can do whatever you want with your character during the timeskip. Come the start of S2, The Flightless (S1 survivors) return to The Golden City for the revolution.
For those that chose to go to Arcadia... Your characters have become much stronger, should you choose they now have the power of flight (they have wings!), like a true demi-god. Thorne has harnessed your characters power, he has shown them what true power looks like. He expects full obedience from your characters though, in order for your character to obtain the power they wanted going to Arcadia, they must follow his rules (should they not, he will take the power he gave them and banish them to Earth). Thorne has forbidden any kits from being born into Arcadia, as he doesn't want mortals in his land. Anyone who disobeyed him will have their kits thrown back to Earth through one of his portals. Day to day life in Arcadia is what your character makes of it, although Thorne does expect them to keep their strengths up. He tells them there is a day that will come where it will be needed. Besides that, so long as the character is obeying rules, your characters have free range of Arcadia.
Can season 1 character be entered into season 2?
Concerning Season 1 character involvement in Season 2, they will be used as NPC's. You can opt to enter your character to be used for plot purposes. We cannot gurantee that we will use your character but there will be parts in Season 2 involving them. We will not hurt them or give them dialogue without discussing that with you first, but they will have to follow the plot we lay out for the Season 1'ers.
Please reach out to "Row" on Discord if you would like your S1 character to be a S2 NPC. Deadline is July 1st 2020.
Would characters that were not in Season 1 know about everything that happened?
Yes! They would know everything, from the tales The Flightless would have told. You can opt to have your character not know (for whatever reason), or perhaps not believe the The Flightless? You can take it in whatever direction you want. We do suggest having them know about it, whether they believe it all or not would be up to you. It would be a lot easier for you to adjust into S2 if your character knows about the Gods, what they have done, and what happened in the game.
How do I join?
Check out our join page, it contains all the information regarding joining.
What are Spirit Groups?
Spirit Groups are a group your character is assigned to upon being accepted. Spirit Groups serve a purpose of assigning which power your character will get. Unfortunately you don't get to pick your Spirit Group. To be assigned a Spirit Group you will fill out a questionnaire that will determined your characters personality and based on that (and your character application), we will assign you a Spirit Group. When applying, you will get the choice to select 1 Spirit Group you do not want to be in.
What are runes?
Runes are 'branded' onto your character once they receive their powers. They rest on the forehead much like a tattoo. These runes display which Spirit Group they have been placed into and characters draw from their rune to use their powers. Each rune is placed on the forehead so as to draw power from the 'third eye', click here to see examples. Runes only appear when a character is using their power.
Can my character die?
Your character will only die if activity requirements are not met. However, in game depending on if you pick high risk choices your character can face serious harm or death. You will not be forced into options that lead to death, only if you take the risk.
How do teams work?
Teams are assigned by staff. What we look for is to pair up characters that would theoretically be interesting to see work together. Teams consist of different Spirit Groups within the team, which is apart of the challenge to see how different Spirit Groups come together as one in harmony (or chaos?). Bare in mind teams are subject to change at any time. Building teams is not perfect, some turn out more/less active than others and sometimes shuffling is needed to create active and fun teams. Teams change every round. You are also put into a team chat in the official Arcadia Unleashed discord, where all team chatting occurs.