Welcome to The Duality of Man, an original animanga role-play that features numerous supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, these various species have distanced themselves because of the war that occurred thousands of years ago, plaguing some with eyes that only see their dualism. While others meddle themself with their differences, two groups fight, each attempting to eliminate the other in for their definition of worldly peace. These two groups of the Terror Response Syndicate (TRS) and the Assembly of Phantoms (AP). With individuals fighting merely over their differences, it brings uncertainty to the outcome of this war.
We happily accept all role-players as long as they obey the rules and are capable of meeting our word count of 50. This does include those who are unfamiliar with this style of role-playing. The staff of The Duality of Man are willing to happily help those who are new to the role-playing world so they feel comfortable on site. Feel free to message the staff if you need help, they can be found here or in the site Discord and will gladly answer questions alongside calm concerns. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them; guests may use the support board as a suggestion area as well. Should you decide to join, may I say welcome to the site and we all hope you enjoy your time here.
Yours Truely,
The Staff
season
Summer 2024
Heat has broken through into a glorious summer. The snow has entirely dried through the spring, leaving to the brilliance of the warmer months. Terror activity has risen as people are brought out of their homes, leaving the TRS in a position of consistent work. Each are attempting to maintain victory in the endless struggle for power.
Since the wonderful members of TDOM enjoy the site enough to play around on it, this thread is to assist with the site's tidying! Functionality is important and we want to make the site functional even if its activity will be minimal at best!
Flames flickered across the sleeve of Brasti's jacket, a byproduct of Gray's abrupt combustion. They licked near his face, though the demon hardly batted an eye. Manipulation-wise, the dark-haired man's fire manipulation was leaps and bounds better than darkness manipulation. Therefore, his lack of fear spawned from fire immunity and natural exposure arrived more naturally than rain on a cloudy evening. Panic was vanquished in the demon's mind, a deep breath being sucked into the depths of his lungs before being slowly exhaled.
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Only moments later would the flames on his sleeves die down, acute, narrowly noticeable damage to his sunglasses existent. The connector between the leg and the lens holder attained subtle damage. Nothing particularly concerning, however, enough to create fragility as their legs moved. Though shortly after extinguishing the flames tickling Brasti's jacket he discovered his apprentice's panic. In a wild frenzy, Gray listened to his hastily spoken demand, throwing off his TRS mandated jacket onto the ground.
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The unfortunate jacket was greeted with stopping to smother out the remaining flames. The demon quietly watching the end result, countenance starting with surprise and shifting to amusement in mere moments. The over-reaction was worth every precious minute to watch, the exclamation of his words adding a special type of direness. He watched his apprentice return his jacket to his shoulders, spouting out a frantic apology before shifting back to professionalism. Evidently, the man realized the ridiculousness of his outburst.
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Thoughts churned inside of Brasti's mind, an unnoticeable glint flickering as he arrived at a thought. Undoubtedly, Gray's jacket would only catch on fire further with his lack of control. Therefore, the nuisance may as well be removed in favoured of the bare-arms t-shirt he revealed.
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"Maybe keep your jacket off? The poor thing has been through enough," the demon suggested with a soft chuckle. "Then, we will try again."
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The sunglasses-wearing scout was determined to avoid taking more risks. Already his apprentice had managed to lit himself on fire twice with the training. Which ultimately meant changing tactics in hopes of helping Gray reaching the starting steps at least.
Teaching involved promoting the infamous mantra of 'try again' tenfold. As disastrous as the initial incident was, the practice was bound to be among the only methods to allow Graelish capability with his fire manipulation. Every defence required an offence after. The phrase something Brasti learned to believe in wholeheartedly, fixating on the notion. As a man forged by the fires of cynism and somewhat harsh home life, he recognized the importance of self-defence. Therefore, Brasti planned on pushing Gray forward in the training efforts.
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It became clear the smirk dancing across Brasti's face confused the young apprentice. Evidently, the man had yet to adjust to the attitudes of his demon mentor. Nonetheless, the scout deputy was certain his apprentice would learn of the entertainment he discovered in this. For the time being, amusement flickered in the hidden violet hues as he watched his apprentice's embarrassed red cheeks. Although, Brasti would be quick to move onto other possibilities in training, specifically extinguishing the flames for a hopeful starting place.
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Patiently, Brasti waited for Graelish's attempt at extinguishing the flame. His apprentice's hand brushing against his as he obeyed the instructions. An apology left the seraphim's lips, however, Brasti waved him off. There was no reason to use words at the moment, especially given his apprentice's lack of control. Gradually, the flames dwindled until supposedly being extinguished, at least, until the flames crawled up Gray's sleeve. The demon pulled away, a hushed 'whoa' leaving his slightly parted lips.
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Quickly, Brasti's hand swiped, attempting to diminish the flames eating at Gray's sleeve. Compared to the previous situation, the flames were stronger than before.
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"Get your jacket off!" The demon shouted.
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While he worked towards persuading the flames to smoulder away, Brasti wanted to avoid further damage to Gray's clothing. The uniform already required replacing, but the demon was hopeful the remainder would be salvageable. Should the jacket be shrugged off, Brasti would close in on removing the licking flames.
Determined and guided by his own questionable emotional state, the demon glided the chalk across the concrete surface. White residue leaving lines for the summoning of his hex-focused magic. The gentle scratching of chalk against the smooth surface was background noise to their conversation. The raiju appeared disparaged by events occurring in what Brasti would assume were personal events. Yet, despite his lack of details, the dark-haired demon was hardly somebody to abandon his coworkers in the harsh, peril-filled streets of Lorsette.
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Perhaps he had dodged the question, dancing around the inquiry without a sense of proper grace. Rather, direct answers were cut away, Brasti fixating on the ramifications of leaving Severus drunken and alone in the streets. While the demon abandoned furthering his answer, the raiju repeated the words, albeit, with fresh phrasing. A gentle sigh breezed through the violet-eyed man's lips. Entering the details was something Brasti wished to avoid, however, it seemed probable the brown-haired sergeant would never cease the question tirade.
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"Because you are my coworker and I'm not one to leave the people I'm working out to die," he began, momentarily allowing the gears to turn. "Besides, you're a good sergeant and I don't think anyone would want to lose you."
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Part of him wondered if the intoxicated was thinking straight. If everything was fueled by troubles with a foolish, unhealthy coping method to escape. Comprehension was mentioned, but Brasti merely offered him a shrug. The reason was obvious. The demon harassed Sergeant Cross without hesitation and to points of severe infuriation with his games of Poke The Bear. Unfortunately, the deeper issues became obvious at Severus' rambling... The wishes of a death sentence by the hands of his follies and gnashing teeth of a terror.
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It summoned a frown to the demon's face as he stood, returning the chalk to his inner pocket. The strong sergeant's words shifted to a pathetic whimper. It represented a man made vulnerable by circumstance and cruel events. Slowly, the demon walked towards the raiju and kneeled next to him.
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"Hey, whatever happened, it will get better, alright?" Slowly, he reached to rub the sergeant's shoulder, hesitant given the state of their relationship. "If you want, you can just talk once we get to my place... if you're comfortable with that."
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Forcing the sergeant he pestered throughout the day to talk was bound to turn sour. If Severus merely wanted to borrow his couch and never speak a word to him, the demon would accept that. However, the raiju required some calming and later some assistance to wrestle through whatever emotions stewed inside. While Brasti held some suspicions, out of a small pang of kindness he maintained silence. The situation was hardly anything joke worthy, therefore, all teasing was removed from the conversation in favour of genuine concern.
The smirk playing across Brasti's face appeared neverending as he bothered the brown-haired raiju. Successfully, the black-haired demon was chipping away at Severus' composure. A victorious accomplishment in the wondrous game of Poke The Bear Brasti initiated. The scout deputy maintained a quiet pride of his exploits for amusement. The blinding championing of the game brought the man joy. Gradually, Brasti was pushing the sergeant to his boiling point and he could tell. It was evident through his actions and the method he reacted to his poking.
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The inevitable boiling over of the pot arrived with delightful conclusions. A march marked with anger and a point of the finger. Every action represented Brasti's success in the overarching goal of bothering the sergeant. The upcoming swears and vexation in Severus' words were enjoyed by the demon. The scout deputy leaned back against the bench, the smirk remaining strong across his lips. The brown-haired lizard-shifter was infuriated by his actions, a break successfully ruined with a game of poke the bear. Although, in Brasti's opinion, the sergeant could have rescued his break and left earlier or switched locations.
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Alas, the foolish, hot-headed man waited too long to escape the wrath of his absurd game. As the sergeant angrily ranted on, amusement coloured Brasti's obscured violet hues. Requested by the higher-ups, the scout deputy was requested to assist unit one for a mission. Perhaps it was scouting division business, but as requested, the man agreed. The mission mentioned was considered dangerous, therefore, a scout capable of handling combat was leaned towards. Every sentence was acknowledged with amusement, the dark-haired man even astounded by Severus' assumptions...
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Jeopardizing a mission was never a considered crime by the scout deputy. Arguably, he rescued his lieutenant's hide plenty of times during abrupt perils. Operating well under pressure, Brasti could capably fixate on the goals ahead. However, for the purpose of his foolish game, he grinned. Slowly, the demon pushed himself off the bench, hands retreating into his pockets.
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"I guess we will see how it goes," a condescending tone marked his smug voice.
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As the words left his lips, Brasti turned away to allow Severus to stew over. Irritated people could begin lashing out and with the brunette getting in his face. Towards the door, the demon walked, planning on returning to his work while leaving the raiju steamed. Furthermore, stewing the concerns was another round of pestering the sergeant for his obnoxious amusement.
Beneath the harsh weight of his father's expectations, Brasti Vanderfeld possessed a powerful skill with his fire manipulation. As an upcoming Hell's soldier at the time, his father required those strict rules. Therefore, the scout deputy was determined about teaching Gray similar capabilities. In dire situations, he would be required to protect himself against terrors and Assembly of Phantoms members. Therefore, every lesson in self-defense alongside some offensive strategy was required in the demon's opinion.
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Quietly, the dark-haired demon listened to the seraphim repeat the instructions. Focus on the fire, show it your control and move the flame. Those were the requirements Brasti considered when one mentioned how to control fires. Although, the demon foolishly believed Gray held some vague understanding of fire manipulation. These were among the reasons the scout deputy accomplished in-depth research about his apprentices. Education plans could be completed easier furthermore information was always valuable to a man whose occupation was required it.
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The high-ranking scout observed his apprentice's progress. The violet eyes of the demon watching from behind the dark tinted lenses of his sunglasses. In his hand, the flames twitched in his hand, suggesting the possibility of Gray completing the first task in his training. Suddenly, everything went brutally wrong. The flames grew in size, Brasti tilting his wrist out to avoid the flames scrapping across his face. The demon's expression changed into a grimace from surprise over the actions being done by Gray.
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Flames ate away at the cuff of Brasti's uniform. Everything moved fast, the flames divided for the scout deputy could accomplish his fire manipulation to snuff out the flames. The fire was thrown to the ground and snuffed out by Gray meanwhile Brasti calmly placed his hand over the flames eating his sleeve. Immediately, the flames dissipated, making it obvious the demon's control of the flames was improved to Gray's. Only moments later did the demon cracked a smirk, a gentle chuckle leaving his lips.
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"That could have gone better," Brasti commented. "Maybe I should teach you how to snuff them out before you start moving them. This time you just have to focus on making it smaller."
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At this rate, everybody's safety hinged on Gray learning to snuff out the fires. Else the seraphim was better not using the dangerous ability, else somebody receive an injury from his apprentice's lack of control. Smoothly, Brasti created a small, candle-sized flame. In a mild gesture he offered it to Gray for him to attempt to snuff out.
Force fields held their place in a scout's equipment, however, some offensive skills never hurt anybody. Especially fire manipulation, a skill capable of leaving a wall of impassable flames to allow escape. There was a chance Brasti granted the ability too much praise, however, his fire manipulation assisted in him slithering away from death's cold grasp. Through the War of Traitors, it was Brasti's main combative skill and remained as valued. The demon's darkness manipulation was low at best after all.
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Therefore, the scout deputy wanted to begin where he felt familiarity. After all, a complete sharpening of Graelish's abilities was necessary given the practical implications they had. When one was a scout, accessing superior speed or something as simplistic as wings came in handy. However, those could arrive after testing fire manipulation and sharpening his skills in those attributes. Little was Brasti aware of Gray's complete lack of skill in manipulating flames, although, that would not change his decision.
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The words stated were greeted with a dismissive waves. Many insisted they were horrendous in their abilities, but merely required some polishing. The plans proceeded as Gray requested some instruction to start the flame manipulating lessons.
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"Can you create fire?" The demon inquired.
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The scout deputy lifted his hand, upturning it. In a matter of moments, a small flame flickered in the demon's hand. The reddish flames licked the air, Brasti avoiding the use of his bluer flames; the type often described as hotter than the mundane.
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"Either way, start with moving this from my hand, okay? Just focus and tell the fire where you want it to go. Think about it going to the ground maybe," Brasti calmly instructed his apprentice.
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Admittedly, the demon thought nothing of the possible actions Gray could accomplish with a tiny flame. His confidence and calmness was derived from his fire immunity, his body entirely unable to burn in flames. Although, that hardly meant everything in the area possessed that immunity...
Never once had Brasti expected to witness the infamous Sergeant Severus Cross intoxicated to depressing points. Obnoxious arrogance was abandoned in favour of a soft frown and the slightest hints of concern trailing his violet coloured eyes. Whatever happened clearly impacted the brunette hard and left him stranded in a thick, drowning syrup of emotions. Either that, or Severus foolishly over-indulged in the bitterness of liquor. Yet, never had Brasti acquired information about Severus being a frequent over-indulger.
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However, the information inside the man's file that Brasti managed to retrieve was interesting. A recent death committed by Severus, a man connected to him via the strings of the past... a traitor. Alas, the demon lacked thorough details on the situation having only gained vague information... but it suggested a grimmer reality. A gentle sigh left the dark-haired demon's lips as the raiju pathetically attempted to adjust himself... However, after searching for something at the bottom of beer bottles, he was beyond inebriated.
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The demon's hands retreated to his pockets as he observed the brunette. He found himself growing concerned about the sergeant given his state of mind. The raiju's state of mind cemented at the passion-lacking responses given to his expressions of concern. Through their previous interactions, Brasti hastily learned Severus loathed him and accepted the notion... but this was hardly the reactions he regularly provided. A gentle sigh left his lips as the intoxicated brunette slurred out words, seemingly struggling to talk straight.
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His presence was unwanted, however, Brasti knew his presence was somewhat required. In this drunken state, Severus would be incapable to defend himself or potentially pass out in the streets. He merely stood, quietly listening to the brunette's words without one leaving his until he seemed finish. While the pair held previous transgressions, Brasti held no ill-will towards the raiju. Somebody needed to help him and with nobody else reputable in the area, the task hung on his shoulders.
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"I'm not leaving you drunk off your ass in the streets," he mumbled softly before stepping closer. "You're going to pass out at this rate. You could die out here. Now c'mon, I'll help you up and you can crash on my couch."
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The demon walked closer, pausing for a moment fetch the chalk from his inner pocket. Before he dared attempted to persuade the hammered thunder lizard anywhere, he wanted a circle to teleport him with. Furthermore, he doubted Severus could remain on his feet long enough without assistance for him to finish. As he knelt to begin drawing the circle, the demon's violet eyes occasionally glanced over at the brunette. Despite Severus being seemingly helpless, Brasti maintained caution. Their rocky relationship of endless teasing could turn the hammered man into a foe induced by intoxication after all.
Curiosities in regards to his latest apprentice played amidst Brasti's mind as they left the crowded gymnasium. Temporarily set aside, he paid them some attention with some prerequisite theorizing. Initial thoughts that circumvented the demon's mind was the possibility or Gray being involved in a traumatic situation. Perhaps once held at knife point in a hostage environment, hence causing the weapon to burn in his hands. Yet, it could be something as simple as an unorthodox fear of the dangerous items when the true fright should be the individual behind them.
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Alas, without available methods to gather confirmation on those inquiries, they promptly returned to their sidelined position in the demon's mind. Mentally, Brasti ran through the abilities procured with the heavenly species, seraphim. Thoughts towards the creature's extreme speed and fire capabilities fluttered through the dark-haired man's mind. Casually, his hand adjusted his sunglasses to the high position on his nose. Those would be the most ideal for situations of self-defense, although, speed more so for scouting in general.
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For a moment, Brasti's eyes flitted back towards his apprentice. Compared to their interaction with the armoury, the man had eased. The temptation to release a 'hmm' was suppressed. A simple set of noises could allow his apprentice to pick up on certain factors... Such as his suspicions to the past of young Graelish Aurendel. Although, hardly a moment to ponder it was given as the seraphim provided a grand total of one ability. The demon's eyes locked on him, staying silent for a moment as he expected at least two, but nothing came...
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"So... only force fields? Not fire manipulation? Speed? Wing manifestation? Anything else?" The demon questioned before giving a sigh. "Okay, let's get you started on fire manipulation. I can teach you that easiest."
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Compared to a majority of Brasti's abilities, fire manipulation proved among his best. The ability to strike up brilliant red flames came naturally to the demon. After being trained extensively by his father to assist with the war efforts centuries ago, he was best described as capable. In a way, fire was the demon's forte; something he could dance with while keeping the utmost capability. As they strolled outside, Brasti led the dark-haired seraphim to a patch of dirt. The constant sparing long eliminated the grass, leaving a large, barren circle TRS members used to spar in.
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Ideally, it would be an excellent location to start the learning steps of fire manipulation. If anything turned wild, the lack of fuel would keep the flames from spreading far and quickly.
Weapons were a glorified creation by a majority enter the Terror Response Syndicate. Apprentices were enthusiastic about laying their delicate fingers on the dangerous items. The opportunity to thrill themselves with the chance to hold something capable of mortally injuring someone. It was a common ailment captured in the excited eyes of TRS apprentices, especially those training to join the hunter's division. Based on Gray's initial choices, Brasti was under the assumption the dark-haired man was greedily awaiting the opportunity to try something from the arsenal.
Yet, his newest apprentice astonished him as he stated powers would be fine. Apprentices preferring the use of their abilities was not necessarily unusual, merely, unexpected. Nonetheless, Brasti proceeded walking along the gymnasium walls to show the seraphim the weapons room. Minds could be changed in a meagre few moments, furthermore, an ineptness in his abilities meant switching gears to assure Gray's safety. With the imposing threat of Assembly members being a frequent occurrence, self-defense was taken seriously by Brasti.
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The inquiry about hacking brought a smirk to Brasti's lips as he nodded in response. Hacking was considered among those intriguing skills, a powerhouse ability in the online world. Alas, the demon summoned those powerhouse abilities to the real-life forefront; a nightmare for some. The clack of keyboards and consistent combing through security feeds and information was what painted Brasti's life. It operated best for the demon given his capabilities, but the man was no stranger to field work. As they approached the cabinet, the dark-haired demon glanced over at his apprentice... to discover an interesting reaction.
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A brow raised at his apprentice's reaction to the cabinet. Rather than curiously comb through the dangerous collection, Gray glanced away, avoiding the weapons. He observed the dark-haired seraphim. Every word was listened to, the man appearing disinterested in revealing his distaste of weaponry. Curiosities orbited in Brasti's thoughts the longer he watched his apprentice... Was there something there? Temporarily, the demon ignored it, turning to lead the retreat out of supply room.
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"Alright. Then I guess we should get started. Let's head outside," he began as he exited. "Now, what abilities are you best at?"
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Fleshing out Gray's strong and weak points was crucial for deciding where the training would begin. As they returned to the gymnasium area, Brasti proceeded to walk, heading to the exit door. A seraphim's powers were destructive, therefore, the demon decided to take Gray outside to proceed their training session. Damaging the gymnasium was normal, however, when possible the scout deputy wished to avoid filing out paperwork for damages. Furthermore, outside meant more room and potentially more privacy in comparison to the crowded gym area.
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credits
The skin is created by Wolf of Adoxography and Gangnam Style. The thread and conversation remodels are by Kagney. The Strange Reality board list, Heal My Soul info center, I Remember Now mini profile and Electric Requiem profile remodel is made by Pharoah Leap. The Who's That Member member list remodel was made by Tictactoe. The Cbox.ws Shoutbox remodel was made by Trinity Blair. All templates used for claims, information sheets, applications, etc are credited to their owners; credits for these can be found in the threads the templates are use on. Images that are used on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners, however, they have been edited by Zac with a few being edited by Chibi Magician. The plot, rules and various other information pieces for The Duality of Man are written by Chibi Magician with the assistence of her co-admins, Finnegan and Dremulf, alongside other unlisted people who were kind enough to give their input. The TRS, AP and face claim were all created by Fleur for specifically the use of TDOM. All plugins used on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners. The templates my members use are credited to their maker, if you find a template that belongs to you, but is uncredited, please speak to Chibi Magician or the member themself. Characters created on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners and should not be used elsewhere without the creator's permission.
Special thanks for the members of TDOM who make suggestions to help make this site better. Even though we can not accept all suggestions, we immensely appreciate it. Thus, we give credit to any additions that you thought of and were later implimented by the staff, because we are glad you give us these excellent ideas.
