Operation: Hollow Storm

[Nexeria]

"I am responsible for myself and my actions; I shall conduct myself honorably, and live a clean and frugal life. I have responsibilities to my fellow citizens. I shall be loyal to them, and humble, because we are elements of a greater whole, and without them I am nothing, I have responsibilities to our society; I shall understand and respect my place in it, defend it, and work to make it prosperous, so that I may receive society's protection, and that we may hand on safety and prosperity to future generations."

— The Octus Canon, founding principles of the COG, as handed down by the Allfathers, and recited by every citizen.

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RP THEME SONG

In case you haven't already figured it out, this is indeed a Gears of War RP. I, being a huge fan of the series, feel that it would make a great RP due to it's expansive and dark universe.

If you choose to make an app, you will play the role of a COG soldier assigned to Omega-Two, a squad of Gears that will be tasked with protecting Assault Derricks (Rigs), which will allow the COG army to penetrate the Hollow via grindlifts in an effort to weaken the Locust forces. Afterwards, Omega-Two will retreat to the city of Ilima in an attempt to evacuate any remaining stranded back to Jacinto and hopefully enlist more soldiers in the process.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Background Information:

Operation: Hollow Storm was a two day long massive military counterattack, which had directly aimed to kill the remaining Locust that survived the Lightmass Offensive. It would be a pyrrhic victory for the COG, though with thousands of Gears killed, captured or missing in the attack on the Hollows, and an unknown amount of vehicles and equipment lost during the trek to Landown City. However, the most devastating loss was the last COG stronghold Jacinto City, which was sunk in a last ditch attempt to destroy the Locust by flooding the Hollows. The events of the operation led to the discovery of the Locust Civil War and the destruction of Nexus. The flooding killed an untold amount of Locust soldiers and creatures, but some escaped.

Stranded: The Stranded are groups of people that were left behind in Sera after the Hammer of Dawn counterattack. The Stranded are the people who couldn't get to the Jacinto Plateau due to the short time limit Chairman Prescott set up so the Locust Horde could not be warned of an impending attack. Once the generals of the COG had unleashed the orbital beams and chemical weapons on Sera, the Stranded were all left for dead and homeless in the streets of the outlying cities, and so, they are alone in the fight against the Locust Horde.

Operation Lifeboat was a COG recruitment policy that involves the conscription of Stranded into the COG army in return for transporting their families to more-secure regions in Jacinto. Although relations between the Stranded and the Coalition are tense at best, the constant danger posed by the Locust, as well as the benefits of having three meals a day and a roof over their heads, has encouraged many Stranded men to seek better lives for their families by taking Lifeboat assistance.

Sera: Sera is a habitable planet with a 26 hour day. The terrain consists of a few very large continents, as well as several small island chains. Sera possesses a single moon. It's also the planet you happen to be on.

Application:

My App:

Name: Waylan Rhodes

Rank: Lieutenant

Age: 36

Place of Birth: Ilima, Tyrus.

Personality: Waylan has always been a relatively nice guy, caring for every single Gear under his command, willing to risk his life for his fellow Gear brothers. Unlike many conscripts and disillusioned Gears, Waylan wholeheartedly believes in the COG and will outright defend its name if questioned. He thanks the Coalition for teaching him how to fight, believing if he had not enlisted he'd have long been dead. Still, he is in no way a by-the-book type of Gear.

Weapon Specialty: Lt. Rhodes has shown remarkable skill in long range weaponry. His preferred weapon is a standard issue longshot sniper rifle.

Reasons for Enlisting: Joined the Gears immediately after the Pendulum Wars ended, assuming that Tyrus would be entering a time of peace, but his wishes were quickly foiled on Emergence Day. Now, he fights to bring honor to his family's name and to avenge them as well as every other human killed due to the war.

Background Information: Both of Waylan's parents proudly served as Gears in the Pendulum Wars fighting in both the Battle of Shavad and the Battle of Ragani. When Waylan reached the age of eighteen, they gave him the choice to military or go to college. Waylan, thinking he wouldn't make much of a soldier, chose the latter which slightly disappointed his parents who wanted their son to be viewed upon as man with respect, honor, and bravery. Unfortunately, they were both killed on Emergence Day along with a quarter of the human population. This not only devastated Waylan, who had just recently signed up to be Gear days after the Pendulum Wars ended, but forced him into a war he never wanted to be in. As years of brutal war raged on, Waylan proved to be an exceptional squad leader and was even promoted to the rank of Lieutenant sometime after the Destruction of Halvo Bay. He showed a remarkable skill with the Longshot Rifle, managing to protect his squad from several waves of Locust drones, before a lightmass missile exploded giving him and his entire squad time to escape. He has since then been appointed commanding officer for Omega-Two.

Appearance and Physical Description: Waylan is a white, Tyran male with several battle scars: three grueling scars across his right cheek after his first encounter with a swarm of wretches, a large cut extending across his left arm, and a small cut on the right side of his neck after a drone thought he could use Waylan as a meat-shield. Aside from the battle scars, Waylan has brown hair, a well-groomed mustache and goatee, and stands at a height of "6'0. He wears standard issue armor with the exception of a helmet. He feels that a helmet reduces his peripheral vision and doesn't want to risk getting shot because of it. Instead of a helmet or a cap, Waylan wears a solid black headband.

Omega-Two Roster

Lt. Waylan Rhodes

SSgt. Nila Farris

Sgt. Michael Rikter

Cpl. Jaden "Mac" MacNamara

Cpl. Joseph "Seph" Phillips

Cpl. Cato Reyes

PFC. Raymond Evans

PFC. Alexandria "Alex" Rothschild

Pvt. Lorrence Malvo

Pvt. Deckard Fillmore

Pvt. Seymour Gallagher

Pvt. Vincent York

KR-27 Pilot "Servo"

[Nexeria]

Locations

Tyrus: The founding nation of the Coalition of Ordered Governments and is the nation that the RP will be taking place within.

Tyran Cities:

-Andius: Was a city in southern Tyrus, north of the Tyra River. Three days before the Hammer of Dawn counterattack, Andius was trashed by the Locust. This created a traffic jam that slowed the fallback to the Jacinto Plateau for Gears and civilians.

-Char: Was a Tyran city located near the town of Mercy and the home to the Griffin Imulsion Corporation. It was one of the largest cities on Sera prior to the Locust War, serving as home to hundreds of thousands of citizens. Following the Hammer of Dawn Counterattack a year after Emergence Day, Char was left as a mass graveyard, filled with countless ashen remains and resentful Stranded.

-Corren: A city in southern Tyrus. Destroyed in the Hammer of Dawn counterattack.

-East Timgad: A city near Ephyra and East Barricade Academy. Focus point of the Lightmass Offensive.

-Ephyra (Capital): Was the capital city of both the Coalition and the nation of Tyrus during the Pendulum wars. The Lightmass Bombing took place near the city's outskirts.

-Gerrenhalt: Was a city in southern Tyrus, about four hours away from Ephyra on a light traffic day. Destroyed in the Hammer of Dawn counterattack.

-Halvo Bay: A city known for being a resort town for much richer Tyran citizens and having a strong military influence on it, with many military centers and museums in the city.

-Hanover: Located in Southern Tyrus. Hometown of Augustus Cole and the Thrashball team the Hanover Cougars.

-Hatton: A city in Tyrus with a water reservoir. A Stranded camp was built alongside the reservoir.

-Ilima: A Human city located within the Jacinto Plateau on Sera. Attacked and Evacuated Around 10 A.E, although some Stranded still remain. Will be one of the main settings of this RP.

-Jacinto City: Capital of the COG after the Battle of Ephyra.  The city was considered one of Sera's more beautiful cities. After E-Day the city became the last bastion of hope for humanity. When the Fortification Act was passed on the 30th day of Bloom, 1 A.E., Jacinto was turned into a fortress, and the city limits had a trench surrounding it.

-Kinnerlake: Was a city in southern Tyrus that had a highway that connected to Ephyra. Front-lines of the Locust-War in A.E. 1.

-Mattino Junction: No information available.

-Mercy: Was an Imulsion pumping facility township located near the city of Char and built on the side of a cliff.

-Montevado: Was a human walled city on Sera. It was one of the three cities that surround the Jacinto Plateau, and was occupied by small groups of Stranded. The entire city has sunken into the ground.

-New Sherrith: Was a COG city south of the Tyra River in southern Tyrus. Like all Locust infested cities outside the Jacinto Plateau, it was destroyed in the Hammer of Dawn counterattack.

-Port Caval: Was a city along the southern Tyran coast.

-Port Farrall: Was a city on the northern Tyrus coast, abandoned sometime between Emergence Day and the Hammer strike in 1 A.E.

-Port Lorrence: Was a coastal city in southern Tyrus that became home to a Stranded community during the Locust War.

-Tollen: A city that was located approximately two hours from Jacinto. The city has recently sunken into the ground.

-Vonner Bay: Was an area of water, a bay, located in the nation of Tyrus. It was a small city and while it managed to escape a direct Hammer strike in the Hammer of Dawn Counterattack, it was blasted by heatwaves.

This list should help RPers pick a birthplace. I suggest you research the place you want your character to be from before posting your app.

[Fi Skirata]

Name: Jaden "Mac" MacNamara
"My wife calls me 'Trouble', guess I'll take 'Mac' any day."

Rank: Corporal
"I ever tell you how I made Corporal?"

Age: 32
"Hey, my statue'll be fucking immortal, so who cares?"

Place of Birth: Tollen, Tyrus
"They fucking sunk it, goddamnit, they sunk the whole fucking thing! My house, the playground, my parent's graves, they fucking sunk it all!"

Personality:
"You know what the Stranded do to stray dogs?"

On the surface, he is a friendly and caring person who tries to make the people around him more comfortable, the kind of guy that most people find easy to trust and confide in, exception given to those he sees as "bossing him around" or anyone he deems unlikable. Mac deeply cares about his companions, and thinks of his friends as family. People who don't comfortably fit into his mental image of comraderie earn his ire. Despite his surface attitude, Mac enjoys battle, and feels comfortable in it. He can be highly standoffish and even openly hostile against people he doesn't like, and previous squadmates and CO's have noted him as having a serious problem following orders and getting along with people who antagonize him over his Stranded past.

MacNamara outright refuses to take orders from someone who hasn't earned his respect, with a disregard for any sort of chain of command outside his own idea's of who's "earned the right" to give him orders. He doesn't bear any particular love for the COG, and his past suggests he may be prone to UIR sympathies. It's immediately clear to anyone who knows the man that he puts his friends and family above his duties, and warnings citing such have been issued to all of his CO's.

Despite feeling comfortable in combat, Mac wants nothing more than to retire and live a normal life, seeing it as the goal he's fighting for. Despite this, Cpl. Jaden seems to exhibit overly heroic tendencies in combat, even to the point of disregard for his own well being. This behavior may be the result of a need for acceptance, or out of a need to make up for his dark past.

Weapon Specialty:
"Never seen a man with four guns?"

Heavy weapons specialist, not weighed down by heavy loads. Additionally bears a strong fondness and proficiency with UIR weaponry. It should be noted that Jaden has staunchly refused to use a Torque Bow.

Reasons for Enlisting:
"I didn't have alot of options."

An Operation Lifeboat conscript, he joined to shelter and feed his family, additionally hoping to redeem himself of his actions as a Stranded, and be a hero to the people.

Background Information:
"You ever had to pull the Torque shrapnel out of the back of someone you love and stitch their throat back together? Then don't fucking ask me about what it was like out there. I'm here now, and I shoot goddamn mole people, that should be enough for you."

Born to a family of COG medical staff, Mac was entered into training early, and spent much of his life assuming he would end up a Gear like his parents. But Emergence Day tore his happy future apart. Mac left training to go to the front with his parents, where they were killed in the Hammer of Dawn Counteroffensive. Mac would be taken in by an Ex-UIR veteran, and would spend the next ten years of his life as a bandit. Under his Mentor's watch, Mac would openly commit guerrilla warfare against the COG, stealing weapons and food, and Jaden justified it all, since the COG killed his parents. Jaden was his Mentor's right hand man, feeding the other Stranded anti-COG propaganda, keeping morale up, and putting down anyone who spoke out or stepped out of line.

All of this fell apart when his group kidnapped a UIR woman and her family. Jaden's Mentor wanted to sell them as slaves or worse, like human cattle. Jaden spent more time around the woman, Yvanna Romanov, before her "sale", and developed an infatuation. He pleaded with his Mentor to let her go. The two came to blows over it, and the incident ended with Yvanna's throat slit, and Jaden's Mentor dead from a Torque Bow bolt. Yvanna lived, and Mac took her and her family to the nearest COG outpost, where he immediately signed up for Operation Lifeboat, claiming she was his wife.

Now "married", Jaden dealt with severe discrimination through basic over his Stranded status, and was considered a problem child. This was exasperated through association with a UIR man at this time, where the two became close companions. Command separated the two after basic, and Mac hasn't seen his friend since. After a poorly documented incident, Mac was promoted straight from Pvt. to Cpl. and was bounced around several squads, where he refused to follow anyone's orders, until landed in Omega-Two. As a member of Omega-Two, Mac mellowed out from respect for Lt. Rhodes, and is considered a valuable member of the team, if volatile.

Appearance and Physical Description:
"What's wrong with my hair?"

Jaden is 6'2 tanned Tyran male. He's lucky enough to not yet have acquired significant battle scars. He has a severe burn on his left hand, which has deadened some of the feeling in it. His head is mostly shaved with a single strip of black hair forming mohawk and a ponytail, with facial hair amounting to a permanant gruff stubble.

Not given standard COG armor on conscription, much of Mac's kit is rigged together by himself. His armor is the sleeveless, thinner "summertime" armor, unpainted and steel colored, with an Omen spray painted on the front. His left arm is covered from shoulder to fist in a heavy steal gauntlet made of welded scrap metal that doubles as a shield and weapon brace. A bandolier of shells, mags, and pouches is slung over his armor for easy access. Issued a helmet far too small, Mac crafted a crude breathing apparatus that covers his face more often than not, out of fear of Rust Lung. Additionally, a Mk.1 Lancer Bayonet is strapped to Mac's armguard.

On the same chain he wears his COG tags, he also wears a wedding ring, a gift from Yvanna. Inside it's engraved "Trouble never goes alone". It's Mac's favorite possession.

[Nexeria]

Congratulations, you have been accepted into the COG army. Welcome to Omega-Two. Try not to die, would ya?

[Mr. Fountain]

Name: Michael Rikter

Rank: Sergeant

Age: 34

Place of Birth: Jacinto, Tyrus

Personality: "Some people just want to watch the world burn. Some people really, really just want to watch the world burn." Rikter has an almost fetishistic love of fire and explosions - a true pyromaniac. He's only happy during the fight; between battles or during missions that require stealth he becomes extremely frustrated and angry. Being indoctrinated into the COG at an early age, he has a strong sense of fellowship among his brothers and sisters in arms. Rikter was raised to be a soldier, and outside of being a soldier, he has no sense of identity.

Weapon Specialty: Extremely skilled with grenades of all types (Bolo, Incendiary, et cetera) due to an almost obsessive degree of practice. Trained by the COG to be an explosives expert. Mainly wields a Scorcher Flamethrower but will switch to Mortar, Boomshot Grenade Launcher, and Digger Launcher when these weapons are present. Rikter has modified his armor so that it allows him to carry eight grenades at a time, two hanging from each shoulder blade and four hanging from the bottom of his back.

Reasons for Enlisting: "I was getting kind of worried when the Pendulum Wars ended... but then the buggers came. Thank fucking God." Rikter was adopted by the COG military at a very young age and sent to the Halvo Bay Military Academy. Has been with Omega-2 for two years.

Background Information: "I don't wanna talk about it." Born in 15 B.E. to parents Michael and Leelah Rikter, both Gears during the Pendulum Wars. In 17 B.E. Rikter's parents died together during the Siege of Anvil Gate from an enemy Bolo Grenade. When news of his parents' death reached the young Rikter, he was being cared for in the children's center of the Jacinto military base. With no surviving relatives, Rikter was adopted by the COG military and sent to the Halvo Bay Military Academy when he reached an appropriate age.

The young Rikter wanted nothing more than to grow up quickly and join the fight against the UIR just like his parents. Excelling in many areas of schooling but never quite being in the top tier of his class, his mentors and teachers began to theorize that Rikter might be deliberately not trying enough lest he wind up as a strategist instead of a front-line soldier.

When Rikter was finally given his parents' recovered COG tags and informed of the particulars of his parents' demise, Rikter began focusing particularly in explosives and flame-based weaponry. Rikter even began to practice throwing a dummy grenade for two hours every single day. Rikter became extremely proficient in 'trick-shots' with his dummy grenade and ended up indirectly starting some kind of trend or game at the academy. Students would often challenge Rikter to throw his dummy grenade into a wash bucket at various distances and have him bounce it off certain items, often many items at once. There was a female student a couple of classes below him that came up with the most difficult challenges. Rikter started a close friendship with this student and would eventually spend almost all of his free time with her.

Only a year away from graduation, the Pendulum Wars ended. Rikter was not pleased. Rikter was so not pleased, that his grades began to plummet. His anger issues began to cause him and everyone around him so much trouble that Rikter was transferred to another school in Jacinto only a couple of weeks before Emergence Day. This ended up being a blessing in disguise for Rikter as Halvo Bay fell only six weeks after E-Day. Rikter finally joined the military when he became of age and began a very successful career as a Gear of the COG.

Appearance and Physical Description: Rikter is a white, tanned Tyran standing at 6'6" tall. He, like many other Gears, is very muscular. A burn scar covers his whole left side of his face starting from right below his ear lobe and going down the left side of his neck into his armor. Rikter wears light stubble that doesn't grow where his face is scarred. He has brown eyes and short, greased-back, dark brown hair, a broken nose, and dons a pair of dark tinted goggles that look like something a welder might wear. Rikter wears regular Gear armor and has ripped off his sleeves for comfort. He has also painted two simple angry faces on each of the circular seals of his armor in red paint. Along with his own COG tags, Rikter wears the COG tags of his parents and a blank COG tag with the name 'Leigh' carved crudely into the metal.

[Nexeria]

Michael Rikter:

It's a bouncing baby boy! Another soldier in the fight against the Locust Horde!

[Mr. Fountain]

Michael Rikter:

It's a bouncing baby boy! Another soldier in the fight against the Locust Horde!

Blow 'em up! Blow 'em all the fuck up! Fuck 'em!!

[Fi Skirata]

Have to say this is a better video for the theme: Clickity Click Here

[Mr. Fountain]

Have to say this is a better video for the theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM0BiOjd3hs

Fixed

[Fi Skirata]

Have to say this is a better video for the theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM0BiOjd3hs

Fixed

And lo, the admin dick fight has begun.

[Mr. Fountain]

Have to say this is a better video for the theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM0BiOjd3hs

Fixed

And lo, the admin dick fight has begun.

[Fi Skirata]

Throwing this up for posterities sake. It's Prescott's speech at the opening of the RP.

[EmotheKing]

Name: Raymond Evans

Rank: Private First Class

Age: 23

Place of Birth: Jacinto City, Tyrus

Personality: With an overwhelming sense of need to help people, and a strong sense of duty, it’s no wonder Evans enlisted as a field medic in the COG. But, due to his young age, Evans is naïve and due to his lack of experience he isn’t the most capable soldier when it comes to intense combat.

Weapon Specialty: Evans never excelled at any weapon until his drill instructor put a pistol is his hands. He prefers them over larger weapons and is almost as accurate as a sniper when using one. After his graduation from the academy his instructor gave him a Boltok Pistol, which he had picked during a battle, as a graduation gift. Evans treasures the gun and has carved the words ‘For Lia’ in the side to commemorate his sister.

Reason for Enlisting: Whenever asked why he enlisted Evans always replies with “To save people from experiencing the loss I have”. He fights in memory of his dead sister and with a determination to see the world put back in order.

Background Information: Growing up in Jacinto City, Evans learned his medical skills by studying under a local doctor. His mother died giving birth to his younger sister, Lia. He raised Lia by earning what money he could and considered her the most important thing in his life. Then one day he came home from work and found his sister’s body lying on the floor of their hut covered in blood. One of the neighbors told him that they had seen a man that Evans considered to be a close family friend leaving the hut earlier. Evans stole an MX8 Snub Pistol from the hip of a patrolling soldier and tracked down the man. He killed him and then disposed of the evidence to keep from being caught. For three years he repressed the memory of the event before he finally decided to join the Gears due to his belief that he can assist in ridding the world of all vermin and help make it a better place.

In the academy he showed little promise in combat but showed that his childhood training was enough to raise him to the top of the medical division. He proved a quick study and used the academy’s many resources and books to learn as much medical knowledge as he could. When it came to weapon training he sorely lacked in skill until his instructor noticed it was the weight of most weapons that caused Evans to be ineffective. The instructor then handed him a snub pistol and Evans exceeded, proving to be as deadly at medium range as many snipers were at long range. This along with his extensive medical knowledge were enough to put him up past private rank to private first class and land him in the Omega-Two squad fresh out of the academy.

Appearance and Physical Description: Evans is lithe and therefore could not wear the standard issue COG armor. Due to this he was issued a lighter set that allows him to move more freely than most Gears but provides him very little protection from heavier rounds. He spray painted a large red caduceus on the back of his armor upon graduation to signify his purpose on the battlefield. He carries a tattered satchel filled with a various assortment of medical supplies on his side and he has a small combat knife in a holster on his thigh for use in medical and life-threatening emergencies. He is pale with medium length, pushed-back black hair and emerald green eyes. He has a few small scars from growing up on the streets and his face is gaunt due to years of having very little food as a child. His Boltok pistol is in a holster on his right-side waist and he has a Gnasher shotgun on his back.

[Nexeria]

Raymond Evans:

I love it. I think it's interesting to have a young, inexperienced, physically weaker character among all the other hulking gears. Plus, I like that his backstory involves his family dying from something other than Locust.

[Fi Skirata]

How'd a muppet like you make it past selection?

All of our parent's are dead and I'm the only one with a family left. My fake wife and kid.

I dub Omega-Two the Woobie Squad.

[Nexeria]

How'd a muppet like you make it past selection?

All of our parent's are dead and I'm the only one with a family left. My fake wife and kid.

I dub Omega-Two the Woobie Squad.

Ah, you said the muppet thing!

I'm getting really excited now because I just realized that I get to cross out the dead character's names with a strike!

[Fi Skirata]

I was literally about to demand you keep that list up to date with who's alive and not.

Aside: this is our first time making it to the second page on a thread. Go us.

[Nexeria]

Gears of War Caduceus:

This is what Evans' spray painted caduceus should look like.

[EmotheKing]

Ok awesome, that looks cool.

[Fi Skirata]

That looks friggin sweet.

Toss Pvt York up on the Squad Roster.

[Fi Skirata]

Someone on TCAS asked if "muppet" was an insult. It was one of you, wasn't it? XD

[Nexeria]

Someone on TCAS asked if "muppet" was an insult. It was one of you, wasn't it? XD

Nope.

[Nexeria]

Hey, Emo, why'd you just take down your post? I was just about to have Rhodes respond to Evans and explain why Rikter is Sergeant, but now your post is gone.

Why?

[EmotheKing]

Idk it sounded dumb to me. I can repost it if you want.

[Nexeria]

Idk it sounded dumb to me. I can repost it if you want.

Well, I typed up a post that I wanted to reply with. You can repost it and ask the question in different way if you want. I'll leave it up to you.

Or I could have York ask the question.

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