I'm starting a new RP up entitled "Ace Combat: Frieben Rising." The story essentially takes place around the events affecting three countries in the AC universe: Frieben, the smallest but most economically powerful, Ardval, the largest, known for its strong military, and Remertia, a currently neutral country which lies between the others, and contains the Remertian Peace Embassy, where leaders of the three countries meet. Here's the briefing:

After Frieben is discovered to be a veritable treasure chest of natural resources, Ardval begins to mobilize troops on its borders. Both Frieben and Remertia suspect an imminent invasion, though Ardval's representatives deny this. Frieben finds itself under immense pressure to prepare a fighting force it does not have, as its military is weak. Under secrecy, Remertia begins deploying "peacekeeping" forces and supplying new weapons systems to strengthen Frieben's own military. Before long, Ardval finds out about Remertia's clandestine troop movements and makes a declaration: Remertia has two weeks to remove its forces from Frieben, or its actions will be considered as acts of war, and will be dealt with as such. The RP starts in the days leading up to Ardval's deadline. Tensions are high, weapons are readied-

And in all three nations, Air Forces are preparing for what they see as imminent war...

So, there's the story, now here's the deal: Each RP'er will designate a squadron and country of origin for their OCs. Squadrons can be as big or small as you wish. They also do not have to be affiliated with a government (i.e. Mercenaries). I would also recommend selecting specific aircraft for squadrons to operate.

This is not to say you have to be a pilot. Ground and naval forces are participating in the situation as well. Heck, even civilians can (and often do) play an important role in Ace Combat.    

Most importantly, remember that as of now, there is no "wrong side" to choose. All nations have their own reasons for preparing for potential war. No one is more right than the other, and not everything is as it seems...

Now to select squadrons. When I feel we have enough players, the game will begin. Feel free to spread the word. The more, the merrier! Now choose your allegiances and prepare for battle!

In the tumult of battle, as warriors fight, who is truly noble? Is anyone right? Is anyone wrong? Only those courageous and pure of heart know the answer...

Alright, so first off...

Fyn (Yeah, you guys knew this one was comin').

Species: Amargasaurus Cazaui (Fin-Neck)

Age: Variable, depending on RP, but a few weeks older than Littlefoot.

Location: Great Valley

Appearance: Orange, with a black center stripe, black spines, and a tan underbelly (Excellent for blending in with the desert.). Also, quite large for his species.

Personality: Fyn is fiercely loyal, which can actually put him in some difficult situations. He's trying to teach himself to think through a problem before rushing in, but sometimes his old habits get the best of him. Nevertheless, he's a good friend and a strong warrior. He is very close to his family, especially his mother, who he made the trip to the Great Valley with (more on that in the bio). One of Fyn's major strengths is his ability to look ahead and see the possible outcomes of an action. This makes him very effective, either in battle or even when simply trying to find the right words to say. He's a good talker, and has often helped others, including his friends, through tough emotional times.

Biography: Fyn was born in a place known as The Grove, a small paradise tucked away in the Mysterious Beyond. He grew up during the events of the first LBT movie, and his home was untouched by the dramatic changes that were occurring. Unfortunately, this was not to last. During the events of LBT X, a group of Sailteeth (Spinosaurus) invaded The Grove, forcing the Fin-Necks out. There was only one place left to go: the legendary Great Valley. The herd began the journey shortly, but along the way, many things went wrong. The herd was stalked by a Sharptooth, and drought and hunger weakened many of the dinosaurs. Finally, all of these problems came to a head when the herd was forced to cross a rock bridge spanning the chasm that was created by the Earthshake in the first LBT. The Sharptooth finally attacked, and in an attempt to buy the herd time, Poldar, Fyn's grandfather, was killed. The Sharptooth was knocked temporarily unconscious, but attacked again shortly. This time, Labon, Fyn's father, was forced to destroy the rock bridge, separating himself from Fyn. Fyn's sisters were separated as well, as they had stayed on the same side of the chasm as Labon. Fortunately, the battle had supposedly incapacitated the Sharptooth. Unfortunately, with the Bright Circle falling fast and a journey that still needed completing, Labon had to make a quick decision on who to choose as the herd's new leader. He chose Fyn, but leadership was quickly snatched by Sorven, a jealous, power-hungry Fin-Neck. He forced Fyn to tell him the directions to the Great Valley, but was killed during a Fast Biter attack in the Mountains that Burn. At that point, Fyn finally accepted his role as leader. He led the herd straight to the Great Valley, despite a massive, blinding sandstorm and a final attack from the Sharptooth (who was killed by Keva, Fyn's mother). In the Great Valley, Fyn and Keva were united with the rest of their family, and Fyn met and became part of the gang, until the arrival of Chomper and Ruby (at the beginning of the TV series). Fyn immediately displayed his distrust for the two and left the gang. However, a season later, events occurred which forced him to work with the two, and Fyn realized that not all Sharpteeth really are bad. He rejoined the gang and stayed with them until his adult years. He is still living with them in the Great Valley

Picture: Pending, coming soon!

I'm always interested in what inspires people's writing. I personally write based on life experiences (which are obviously dramatized). I just set up this topic to ask a simple question: fanfiction authors, what inspires your writing?

Well, BCT is now over, and I've got my computer. I expect to be active in both this site and fanfiction.net again. I'm glad to see everything's going well! See you in the forums!

If anyone's got any questions about my summer, I'll be more than happy to answer them. Let's just say it was... unique.

This is one of two fanfics I'm actually going to post on this site. The summary is as follows:

When Farwalkers entering the Great Valley looking for help are turned away by Cera's father, it's up to Fyn and the gang, including Chomper and Ruby, to help the strangers. However, Fyn does not trust either Chomper or Ruby, and must learn to overcome their differences to work together. Unbeknownst to the gang, however, they are being followed by a mysterious dinosaur, who may be able to change Fyn's views...

One note: Fyn is an OC of mine who is an Amargasaurus. My avatar is a version of him as an adult. Terra, another OC featured in this story, was created by E-Mir the Luminoth 17 on Fanfiction.net. E-Mir owns all rights to Terra. LAlso, at this point in Fyn's life, his grandfather, Poldar is already dead. He died helping his herd reach the Great Valley. For the full story, read "The Land Before Time: Fyn," which I also wrote. That's got the background details on Fyn.

Also, here's a list of new species in the story: Terra (Allosaurus/T-Rex Hybrid), Dark-Dweller (Charcharodontasaurus), River-Dweller (Mosasaurus), Carnotaurus, and Compsognathus.

Among Friends

The Creed of the Highmountain Dwellers

"I am one, I am insignificant. In my life, I serve a single purpose: to further the existence of my two masters. My masters are terrible to behold, and their wrath is frightening. They must not be angered, lest their ferocity be incurred. Only through my existence can this be made possible. I am their sustenance; I live so that I may offer myself to them in exchange for the lives of the rest of my race should my time come. If I am called forth, I will meet my fate with honor and courage, and I will not falter. My brothers and sisters depend upon my unwavering commitment to your nourishment, and it is they who look to me to do what must be done. Know then that always I will be here, we will be here, under your watchful eyes, to commit our lives to furthering yours, in exchange for the preservation of this magnificent paradise."

So I was looking around on the site, and I noticed something about fanfiction awards. Any plans for getting those going this year?

Hello, everyone! I'm happy to be a part of this forum, now. A little bit about myself: I just graduated from High School and will be off to the Air Force Academy in a week. I play tenor sax, and enjoy writing. In fact, I've published four (almost five) stories on fanfiction.net, under the Land Before Time section using the pen name "yf-23ace." The Land Before Time has been an interest of mine for a while, now, and I'm happy to have found a site that shares my interests!