by First topic message reminder :
There is a world beneath the human one, a world where creatures from myth and legend still stalk the streets and live their lives quietly in an attempt to survive in the humans ignorance. Every city has its secret culture and society of these creatures, though very few in the human world know of its existence. The government knows, of course, but largely allows these creatures to live in peace so long as they do not threaten the stability of the human world. The Underground, as it is called, is far from a safe place for these beings, however; various factions bicker and squabble for control, and every Zone has its own unique dangers and factions. However, it is a safer place than the human world for some, since many of the creatures are so monstrous that they would be found out in an instant in the human world, so must stay below in The Underground for their own safety. Glamours to make these creatures look human are available...but at a price, and many can't afford it, as The Undergrounds economy is heavily weighted towards the Upper Classes. The poor get poorer and the rich get richer, as they say.
You are one of these creatures, trying to survive in this New World of secrecy and hidden conflict. Are you a soldier for a local faction, or the leader of a Noble House? Are you a humble shopkeeper, or a master assassin? A street urchin who grew from childhood to slip in and out of shadows to survive, or an out of towner with no idea how the politics and society of this new area works? The decision is yours....but beware. Around every corner lies a new danger, a new threat, and life in The Underground is always a risk. There are even rumours of a new faction rising...a terrorist cell, determined to take back the world from the Humans. They could change everything, if the rumours are true...and not necessarily for the better...
Welcome to The Underground, adventurer.
Have a pleasant stay.
The Zones
Playable Species
Factions:
Glamours:
So! That's the write up including everything we discussed. If I missed something, please let me know. Post the links to your bios below, and I will include a brief one-line summary of your character along with the link up here.
Character List/Players:
- Zalgo Driim, Male Warlock, played by Zalgo The Imminent.
- Tristan Astereus, Male Ordo Dracul, played by Murdoch.
- Genevieve Snyder, Female Half-WereTiger, Half-Shaman., played by Faith Wynters.
- Kiaki Matsuoka, Female Aniwolf, played by Jade Hawk.
- Monique Terren, Female Magi, played by Burn It.
- Mason Walker, Male UPD Werewolf, played by Mason_W.
Current Posting Order:
- Burn It,
- Mason_W,
- Murdoch,
- Jade Hawk,
- Faith Wynters
- Zalgo
There is a world beneath the human one, a world where creatures from myth and legend still stalk the streets and live their lives quietly in an attempt to survive in the humans ignorance. Every city has its secret culture and society of these creatures, though very few in the human world know of its existence. The government knows, of course, but largely allows these creatures to live in peace so long as they do not threaten the stability of the human world. The Underground, as it is called, is far from a safe place for these beings, however; various factions bicker and squabble for control, and every Zone has its own unique dangers and factions. However, it is a safer place than the human world for some, since many of the creatures are so monstrous that they would be found out in an instant in the human world, so must stay below in The Underground for their own safety. Glamours to make these creatures look human are available...but at a price, and many can't afford it, as The Undergrounds economy is heavily weighted towards the Upper Classes. The poor get poorer and the rich get richer, as they say.
You are one of these creatures, trying to survive in this New World of secrecy and hidden conflict. Are you a soldier for a local faction, or the leader of a Noble House? Are you a humble shopkeeper, or a master assassin? A street urchin who grew from childhood to slip in and out of shadows to survive, or an out of towner with no idea how the politics and society of this new area works? The decision is yours....but beware. Around every corner lies a new danger, a new threat, and life in The Underground is always a risk. There are even rumours of a new faction rising...a terrorist cell, determined to take back the world from the Humans. They could change everything, if the rumours are true...and not necessarily for the better...
Welcome to The Underground, adventurer.
Have a pleasant stay.
The Zones
- Spoiler:
The Goblin Market:
Roughly analogous to the human High Street, this long stretch of street is home to many shops, bars, restaurants, strip clubs, cinema's and casinos and more that sell pretty much everything you can imagine. It can be fairly pricey, and stalls often change hands more often than not, but it is the main shopping destination for most species. There are many, many alleys that split off from the main stretch where slightly more illegal practices may take place, but every attempt to clear out the warrens nest of back alleys and side streets has resulted in a massive loss of money and occasionally even a life or two, and the Council that runs the Goblin Market has decided to focus their efforts on The Strip and the few streets to either side. The Council is a powerful and influential entity, but has thus far saw fit to contain their influence and attention to The Goblin Market alone. The Goblin Markets Rules:- Spoiler:
1.) One may not sell goods in the Goblin Market without first registering with the Market Council. Any violators will have their stock taken away and will be expelled from the Goblin Market for a time of eight ( 8 ) days.
2.) Weapons may not be drawn in the Goblin Market unless they are being inspected by a buyer or seller. Any violators will have their weapon(s) confiscated and will be expelled from the Goblin Market until the next full moon.
3.) Fighting is discouraged within the Goblin Market except within the designated Fight Club. Anyone found fighting outside the Fight Club will be forced to finish the fight, to the death if necessary, or all parties involved will be expelled from the Goblin Market for one (1) lunar month.
4.) All purchases are final. No refunds.
5.) While slaves are allowed to be sold in the Goblin Market, such deals must be done inside a building. No slave stalls. Any violators will have their stock confiscated and released, and will be expelled from the Goblin Market for a year and a day.
6.) None who enter the Goblin Market may wear a red hat, save for stall vendors and Market staff. Any found in violation of this rule will have their hat confiscated and must pay a fine. This fine will be different based on the violator, generally a small memory or an hour of servitude.
7.) Items made solely from glass may not be sold on Sundays within the Goblin Market. Any solely glass item found to be sold on a Sunday shall be destroyed immediately.
8.) Before conducting business within the Goblin Market, each party must drink one teacup of green tea. Any other tea will be seen as an affront to the Goblin Market and the offending party will be fined one (1) item of their choosing, to be given to the Market Council within the following seven (7) days.
9.) On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, all vendors must cease business for one (1) hour at noon to celebrate a siesta. Anyone doing business during this time will be fined five (5) items of the violator’s choice, to be handed over immediately.
10.) On Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, all vendors must cease business for two (2) hours at midnight to celebrate a nighttime siesta. Anyone doing business during this time will be fined ten (10) items of the violator’s choice, to be handed over immediately.
Black Market:
This area of The Underground refers to the large swathe of backstreets and alleys that spin off from the Goblin Market. Whilst unofficial, everybody knows that if you need some kind of rare or illegal ingredient on the cheap, or some kind of material, mineral, weapon or pretty much anything that's hard to find, as long as you have the cash, you can find it here. You also obviously have the usual illegal activities like sex trafficking, drug dealing, etc etc, but that's just standard for this kind of area. If you take out a loan from one of the men back here rather than the Goblin Market Bank, just make sure that you can repay them, or you may find yourself missing a lung or two.
Industrial:
Pretty much what it says on the tin. This area is where the factories and warehouses and industrial offices lie, built into neat little modern rows of plots and yards. Most of the creatures that can't go out in the human world as they are and can't afford Glamours work here as basic labourers, if they have jobs at all, so the Industrial area borders the Lower Residential. Unfortunately, that means that the smoke and smog usually drifts across to that Residential area first...slowly, though, given that there is no wind in The Underground.
Lower Residential:
The slums, to put it bluntly. All of the houses are squashed together, and are extremely small one or two room affairs. They are dilapidated, stinky, rotten....in short, they are scummy areas that only just pass the health and safety rules for residential's. They aren't about to collapse any time soon, but nor are they going to win any awards for quality. The streets are broken and uneven, the backstreets are even more dangerous than the Black Market and in some areas, Streetgangs wage brutal turf wars without the intervention of the local PD.
Upper Residential:
The rich boys area. Crime is at a minimum, the houses are all opulent, large and garish and expensive cars are parked in the driveways of every house. Not many of the wealthy patrons live there permanently - they live in the human Overworld, but some richer men and women do live in The Underground - but they all have houses there. It is obviously far removed from The Lower Residential. On the other side of the Goblin Market, in fact; about as far away as you can get!
Playable Species
- Spoiler:
Mages:- Spoiler:
Mages are divided into three "Schools," those being Dark, Light and Anima magic. Each of these Schools are divided into 2 "Paths." Each mage is effectively a human who can use magic. Each Mage is born with one or two "Affinities" that dictate which spells they find easier to cast. These one or two Affinities always come from only one Path. It is possible, for example, to have an affinity in Prediction and Healing magic (Oracle), or Prediction alone, but not Prediction and Shapeshifting. A Mage can learn a spell outside of his or her own Affinity without difficulty, but only if that spell is within their Path given the close relationship between the Paths different abilities, but the spell is harder to cast and weaker than if the caster had Affinity. Spells outside the Mages Path, however, are far more difficult and suffer a penalty to effectiveness or strength depending on how different it is to their Path. For example, learning a spell from another Path within the same School will be easier than learning a spell from an entirely different School. For that reason, most Mages tend to stick almost exclusively to their Path, but it is not uncommon for some Mages to attempt to diversify just a little. All Mages also have access to basic "Transmutation," which include things like Feather Fall, Open/Close, basic glyphs and the like. These spells have no Affinity linked to them, so are equally easy or difficult for everybody to cast, though the strength of the spell depends on the power level and experience of the caster.
Light Magic:
- Oracles, which have the power of Prediction (vague flashes of images, more like vague prophecies and feelings than an actual picture), healing magic (which exhausts the caster in relation to the seriousness of the injury) and Banishing Magic (used to counter the Necromancers Summoning Spells...but more powerful summonings require more powerful Banishers).
- Enchanters, who can manipulate light from anything to increasing or decreasing the brightness, to concentrating it into a searing hot beam, as well as limited emotional manipulation magic and the ability to cast basic enchantments.
Dark Magic:
- Warlocks, who are able to manipulate shadows into constructs and corporeal shapes, and may with practice learn to turn themselves into shadow. They are also masters of Illusion, and are the primary source of Glamours in The Underground.
- Necromancers, who are able to summon Wraiths, Thralls and Revenants to do their bidding and are able to use the ancient art of Blood Magic to control and confuse their foes, and give them extra fuel to increase the power of their spells. Blood Magic, however, can corrupt or even kill you if used too often or too much in one go...so be careful.
Anima Magic:
- Shamans are able to communicate with animals and shapeshift at will into any natural animal. Were animals are beyond their powers, however, and their forms (for example, a Shaman Wolf) will be less physically able than a Werewolf.
- A Magus is able to use the elements to attack, hurling balls of fire or bolts of lightning, or razor sharp gusts of wind at their foes. They also have access to "Force Magic," which gives them the ability to give themselves combat-based enhancements such as suits of magical armour, enhanced speed or strength and even - with practice - basic weapons.
- Spoiler:
Vampires are split into three distinct bloodlines:
Ordo Dracul:
Intelligent, ancient vampires who have the most political and economic influence. They are the most cunning of the three Bloodlines and also the fastest, but are the weakest physically. They rely on speed, finesse and cunning to reach their goals. They can transform into a bat, and have the highest psychic resistance of the three Bloodlines. They can walk in daylight indefinitely, but are weakened to the level of human whilst in direct sunlight, and are immune to crosses, running water, holy water, garlic and silver. They have increased regeneration, and must feed once every two or three days. They do not have to kill their victim while feeding to take enough to survive. Their senses are the same strength as the Markavian bloodline, but weaker than Nosferatu's. They can be killed by penetrating the heart with a long, solid object and then removing their head. Failure to decapitate them or penetrate the heart before decapitation will result in the resurrection of the Dracul the following night pissed off, but otherwise whole.
Markavian:
This bloodline has yet to be named, but simply put, they are the sneakiest of the three bloodlines. Politically physically, they fall in the middle of the Dracul and Nosferatu bloodlines, with decent all-around combat ability; they are stronger than Dracul and faster than Nosferatur, but are also slower and weaker respectively. They are, however, the most physically beautiful of the three Bloodlines and can employ limited psychic powers to increase their charisma and persuasiveness. They can transform into a cloud of mist and have very limited shadow manipulation to aid in their stealth missions. Their senses are a similar strength to Dracul, but they are less sensitive than Nosferatu. They can be dispatched in the same way as Dracul.
Nosferatu:
More bestial than the Order Dracul, they are squat semi-bipedal creatures with pale, almost goblin-like features. Their senses are vastly superior to the other two bloodlines, but that also makes them more sensitive. They will die if caught in direct sunlight for more than a few minutes, are deathly allergic to garlic and have an irrational fear of religious symbols, running water and silver. They don't hurt the creature, but they fear it nonetheless. Due to their fear of water, they cannot swim. They possess sharp rending claws on the ends of their fingers, which are used for fighting and climbing. They can also fit into extremely small gaps and disappear if hiding in shadow. They are not as intelligent as the other two species, but are not stupid; they think in a spur of the moment instinctive manner, rather than forward planning. They are, however, physically the strongest of the Bloodlines. To kill a Nosferatu permanently, either drown it or impale its heart and decapitate it.
Shapeshifters:- Spoiler:
Shapeshifters are creatures who can change their shape. Shocking, I know. Who saw that coming? Not me. Anyway, there are three major types of shapeshifters,
Were's:
Perhaps the most popularly well-known shapeshifters, Were's are humans that transform into large, vicious animals depending on the cycle of the moon. Were's can always access a "hybrid" form (eg, bipedal humanoid wolves, or humans with large wings talons) which retain their human self control but are weaker and slower than their full beast form. When the full moon rises, they turn into giant bestial animals that are larger and more dangerous than their non-Were counterparts (EG, a Werewolf is larger, stronger and faster than your average normal wolf). With practice, an adult can learn to carry his human mind through into the full beast form as well, but it usually takes years of tough study. There are three known "Clans" of Were, into which all packs fit, and each have their own values:
- Werecanines, which are made up of Packs of Were's such as Werelions, Werewolves and Werehyenas. They value strength and martial prowess, and are generally the most brutal physical fighters within the Were community.
- Werefelines, which include things like Weretigers, Werejaguars and Werepanthers. They focus more on cunning, stealth and clever tricks to get by.
- Wereavians, which include packs such as Werefalcons and Wereravens. They are most concerned with speed and agility, and attention to detail.
More "Clan Strains" are rumoured to exist, but in this part of the world, none have yet been confirmed to actually be real.
Each "Clan" in the city is led by a council made up of the Alpha of every local pack within that clan, and meets once a month, at the end of the month. At this Moot - which can last up to days - they discuss any intra-clan business and issues, settle any disputes and decide on important matters. The final decision to be made is the election of 2 representatives from amongst the Clan Alpha's to meet at the Clan Moot in the middle of the next month, which is when two representatives from each Clan - the Canines, Felines and Avians - meet to discuss inter-Clan issues and policies. There are obviously individuals who go to the Moot, and packs that are mixed Canine packs (for example, a small Lion pack and a small Wolf pack merge to give themselves more influence in the Moot, since being the Alpha of a large, strong pack gives you more political power within the Clan), but any rogue packs are dealt with brutally. Were's can be battered and bruised, but can only be seriously injured or killed by silver or, if they can't swim, drowning. Throwing them out of a plane at several thousand feet might work as well. Might.
Animoids:
Whereas Were's are humans that turn into animals, Animoids are animals that turn into humans, though the reason for this ability is currently unknown outside of the highest levels of Animoid society. They are animals in thinking and action, and in the absence of a Glamour provided by a Warlock, retain animalistic characteristics dependent on the animal they are; an Aniwolf, for example, might have small furry ears and a short bushy tail that would be visible without a Glamour. As such, only Glamoured Animoids are allowed to leave The Underground and go into the city. They are allowed to roam the wilds outside the city, of course - there are routes from The Underground that lead out to the wilderness around the city - but must have a Glamour to visit said city.
Animoid society is far less regimented than Were society. Whilst the Packs and loners meet once every couple of months at their own Moot, the only authorities are the Elders; every Alpha has an equal say, and there is none of the "Clans" business. There are many different types of Animoid, and more strains are being discovered all the time.
Skinchangers
There really isn't that much to say about Skinchangers. They are humanoids with slightly differently coloured skin than humans - everything from a paler shade of pink to deep crimson - and can change their shape to become a perfect duplicate of a humanoid they have seen before. They can also, with practice, take several different features and meld them together into a brand new appearance that is not a duplication. However, if they touch a reflective surface that gives an almost perfect reflection (for example, a shined silver spoon would be enough, but not a funhouse mirror), their disguise may be disrupted in relation to how reflective or how big the surface is. A spoon might cause a minor fluxuation as the Skinchanger struggles to maintain control, but a large polished mirror would dispel the illusion completely.
Factions:
- Spoiler:
Very simply, there are a few different archetypes of faction:
Were Packs:
Explained above, they vary in size and are usually only one type of Were, though mixed packs can occur. They are led by one Alpha male and one Beta male as 2iC, though recently there have been a few packs led by females. Usually, Alpha and Beta matings are used to solidify an alliance or union between two packs.
Streetgangs:
Primarily present in the Lower Residential, these gangs are waging a constant turf war to try and control the Lower Residential in order to have a monopoly on the goods that are produced in its back alleys, as well as the protection money.
Corporations and businesses:
Fairly self explanatory.
Crime Syndicates:
Again, self explanatory. They tend to stay out of the Goblin Market and focus their business on the Blackmarket, Lower Residentials and Upper Residentials, with a few fingers in the Industrial, depending on the Syndicate. No other information is available at this time.
Mage Schools:
Whilst more of a friendly rivalry than out and out hostility, Mages tend to be extremely competitive when put against a member from another school. Some Schools hate each other (For example, Shamans and Necromancers don't get along due to the obvious differences in their ideologies), but most are just friendly-ish rivals. Paths tend to get along within their Schools. There is no central authority for Mages currently set up, but every School has its own governing council made up of elected representatives from the two Paths within that School. Sometimes the School Reps informally meet other School Reps, but nothing official is in place at this time.
UPD (Underground Police Department) :
The police. Figure it out.
Vampire Houses:
Each Vampire House is effectively a family-run faction. Each house has one Matriarch or Patriarch, a number of household guards hired from a variety of species and a number of agents. Some of them hire Nosferatu as almost slave labour, whilst others view them as filthy beasts, but all of the Houses are run by Ordo Dracul, since Nosferatu are seen as inferior by other vampires, and Markavians are more of the loner, spy-for-hire type. They are primarily focused on increasing the power of ones family, even if the family is just one person, and their strengths vary (think Game of Thrones). There are four big influential houses, and a number of smaller ones running around trying to get any influence or power they can to try and survive and become powerful. Occasionally the big Houses change, but at this point, they have remained the same four Houses for the last century or so. The internal structure varies a little from House to House.
Covens:
Covens are what Nosferatu have instead of Houses, and are usually found in back alleys and in caves beneath the ground, hiding from those who want to exterminate them. They are an egalitarian society, with each member having a say in what happens in regards to policy and action, and vary in size from a handful to dozens. They tend to stay away from other races unless specifically approached, and even then they're skittish. Not all of the Nosferatu live in Covens, however; some live individually, and some have managed to find employment and decide to stay out of the whole Coven thing.
Glamours:
- Spoiler:
- Glamours are the primary way that an inhuman creature that would draw attention can enter the human world undetected. They are created sold primarily by Warlocks, which is how most of them make their living. There are licensed Glamour Warlocks, who are formally and officially approved but may be a little pricey at times depending on the quality of the Glamour, and then you have the unlicensed blackmarket ones, which are cheaper but of questionable quality, and if you don't make your payments, there is no Consumer Law to protect you. Make your choice.
A Glamour can be anything worn, from a piece of clothing to jewellery or even prosthetic limbs if desired, and come in two types. Either you get a quick and cheap Illusion that changes your shape for a specific amount of time during which you cannot deactivate it, or you could get an activateable Glamour that can be switched on or off with a specific word of power. The latter is more desirable, but also more expensive. Like a battery, however, the activateable Glamours only have limited charge, so would have to go to a Warlock to be filled up again. Refills cost less than the crafting, and obviously higher quality ones will last longer than crappy, cheap "burner" Glamours. Glamour images can be changed after purchase, of course, and some vendors offer one free image change along with their sellers warranty, but normally it is extremely expensive and time consuming to do, so if you want a new appearance for your Glamour and don't have a free one in the warranty for whatever reason, it would probably be easier to just get a new Glamour made.
Glamours of specific people are kind of in fashion right now, but they're only allowed to sell short-term, non refillable "Burners" of those legally that, once activated, cannot be deactivated until they die. Blackmarket dealers, however...
The quality of the Glamour dictates how long it lasts and the quality of the illusion. Bottom quality glamours will only change your appearance and nothing else, while top quality glamours will change how you feel - so instead of touching the Glamour and feeling your true form instead, anybody touching the Glamour would feel the form the owner has taken the shape of, since the illusion is complete - how you sound, even how you smell. These are extremely expensive, however, so many who must venture into the world above get the cheapest option they can get away with, which is the middle of the range Glamour that changes your appearance just enough to be human, and changes how you feel enough to be convincing in passing. Of course, more humanoid creatures with animal-esque features (such as small cat like ears) will find it cheaper to buy Glamours than, say, a Nosferatu.
So! That's the write up including everything we discussed. If I missed something, please let me know. Post the links to your bios below, and I will include a brief one-line summary of your character along with the link up here.
Character List/Players:
- Zalgo Driim, Male Warlock, played by Zalgo The Imminent.
- Tristan Astereus, Male Ordo Dracul, played by Murdoch.
- Genevieve Snyder, Female Half-WereTiger, Half-Shaman., played by Faith Wynters.
- Kiaki Matsuoka, Female Aniwolf, played by Jade Hawk.
- Monique Terren, Female Magi, played by Burn It.
- Mason Walker, Male UPD Werewolf, played by Mason_W.
Current Posting Order:
- Burn It,
- Mason_W,
- Murdoch,
- Jade Hawk,
- Faith Wynters
- Zalgo
Last edited by Murdoch on Sat Jun 07, 2014 7:24 pm; edited 15 times in total
