CW FOR MENTIONS OF GUN VIOLENCE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER
- So in another setting where Capitalism Ruins Everything, a massive corporation called Zen Dynamics assumed control of a country called Denestvia, and a development during this ensuing mess led to something incredibly important: the rediscovery of magic. Between the advanced technology at the fingertips of the corporation and the magic that had been rediscovered, some folks decided trying to harness both things to punch through reality into some other dimension in an attempt to use said other dimension's properties to solve the country's energy crisis. - As it turns out, punching holes in the fabric of reality with only the vaguest idea of what you're doing is kind of a stupid idea, who would've guessed. Because of all of... well, this, creatures that came to be known as Nightmares started coming into the world. Created of darkness and magical energy, they were uniformly hostile and, unfortunately, resistant to conventional weaponry. Magic wasn't especially helpful, either, as its use tended to be clunky and difficult, and unsuited for anything like battle. - Attempts to stop these creatures were costly in both resources and lives, but eventually, a ray of hope shone on the world--a girl in a bright, fancy outfit had stepped forward to fight one of these Nightmares on her own, using a crystalline blade to cut it to ribbons. A girl who could use magic as easily as breathing, and to a greater extent than anyone had ever seen. Others began to awaken to similar powers, with seemingly no rhyme or reason as to who. The good news was there were now people who could consistently fight against these Nightmares. The bad news... these powers weren't especially picky about who they awakened in. They were powers born of strong hope, but that hope could be as selfish or selfless as anyone pleased. - Born to a chemist and a weapons designer, Lia is one of those that awakened to such powers. She had grown up in a... mostly ordinary household other than that, though as a teenager, she started using her powers in earnest. This eventually led her to working as a magical girl "mercenary" of sorts. - She eventually ended up on the payroll of a corporation that had some big ambitions and some questionable plans for how to attain those--plans that Lia was not meant to overhear. - So. You know. Of course she did. It was very much a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that hadn't mattered to her employers, who decided she needed to go. - Ultimately, this ended with Lia catching several bullets to the back and being left in a shallow grave. The only reason Lia didn't die is a combination of the magic running through her system desperately trying to keep her alive and it managing to do so just long enough for a nosy healer to save her life. - The healer in question, a young man who goes by "Reverie", spent a lot of energy to make sure she recovered. Once she had, the two of them became best friends, as well as frequent partners in dealing with Nightmares. - They get into various troubles and misadventures, largely by way of Lia not being able to leave well enough alone. - (These misadventures may have included tangling directly with the Zen Dynamics CEO and discovering the woman also had magical powers of her own.) - Lia's more proactive nature and approach to dealing with problems gradually leads to Reverie deciding to sideline himself less, revealing his abilities to be closer to biomancy than healing. - Ultimately, all of this culminates in taking on an extremely powerful Nightmare, one more humanoid in form, with the help of many of the other people in the city with magical abilities. Lia manages to achieve an upgraded form of her powers called Overdrive, enhancing her offensive ability to near ludicrous levels. - Not a lot changes after that, really. Nightmares still have to be fought off occasionally, and Lia and Reverie continue to keep an eye out for the next major threat.
Canon History
- So in another setting where Capitalism Ruins Everything, a massive corporation called Zen Dynamics assumed control of a country called Denestvia, and a development during this ensuing mess led to something incredibly important: the rediscovery of magic. Between the advanced technology at the fingertips of the corporation and the magic that had been rediscovered, some folks decided trying to harness both things to punch through reality into some other dimension in an attempt to use said other dimension's properties to solve the country's energy crisis.
- As it turns out, punching holes in the fabric of reality with only the vaguest idea of what you're doing is kind of a stupid idea, who would've guessed. Because of all of... well, this, creatures that came to be known as Nightmares started coming into the world. Created of darkness and magical energy, they were uniformly hostile and, unfortunately, resistant to conventional weaponry. Magic wasn't especially helpful, either, as its use tended to be clunky and difficult, and unsuited for anything like battle.
- Attempts to stop these creatures were costly in both resources and lives, but eventually, a ray of hope shone on the world--a girl in a bright, fancy outfit had stepped forward to fight one of these Nightmares on her own, using a crystalline blade to cut it to ribbons. A girl who could use magic as easily as breathing, and to a greater extent than anyone had ever seen. Others began to awaken to similar powers, with seemingly no rhyme or reason as to who. The good news was there were now people who could consistently fight against these Nightmares. The bad news... these powers weren't especially picky about who they awakened in. They were powers born of strong hope, but that hope could be as selfish or selfless as anyone pleased.
- Born to a chemist and a weapons designer, Lia is one of those that awakened to such powers. She had grown up in a... mostly ordinary household other than that, though as a teenager, she started using her powers in earnest. This eventually led her to working as a magical girl "mercenary" of sorts.
- She eventually ended up on the payroll of a corporation that had some big ambitions and some questionable plans for how to attain those--plans that Lia was not meant to overhear.
- So. You know. Of course she did. It was very much a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that hadn't mattered to her employers, who decided she needed to go.
- Ultimately, this ended with Lia catching several bullets to the back and being left in a shallow grave. The only reason Lia didn't die is a combination of the magic running through her system desperately trying to keep her alive and it managing to do so just long enough for a nosy healer to save her life.
- The healer in question, a young man who goes by "Reverie", spent a lot of energy to make sure she recovered. Once she had, the two of them became best friends, as well as frequent partners in dealing with Nightmares.
- They get into various troubles and misadventures, largely by way of Lia not being able to leave well enough alone.
- (These misadventures may have included tangling directly with the Zen Dynamics CEO and discovering the woman also had magical powers of her own.)
- Lia's more proactive nature and approach to dealing with problems gradually leads to Reverie deciding to sideline himself less, revealing his abilities to be closer to biomancy than healing.
- Ultimately, all of this culminates in taking on an extremely powerful Nightmare, one more humanoid in form, with the help of many of the other people in the city with magical abilities. Lia manages to achieve an upgraded form of her powers called Overdrive, enhancing her offensive ability to near ludicrous levels.
- Not a lot changes after that, really. Nightmares still have to be fought off occasionally, and Lia and Reverie continue to keep an eye out for the next major threat.