[centre][h1][b][color=0072bc]The Dirt Town Orphans[/color][/b][/h1]
[h3][i][b]RP about a bunch of kids ganging up to survive in a messed up world![/b][/i][/h3]
[IMG]http://i63.tinypic.com/34xnghs.png[/IMG]
[i]The Dirt Town Landscape[/i][/centre]

[h3][color=0072bc][b][Intro][/b][/color][/h3]
[hider]The room was illuminated by a single candle, leaving most of it obscured by darkness. It didn't matter, though, because the most important part of it was clearly visible. The candle sat at the night table next to a bed on which laid the old man who, for years, has been the only parent you knew. 

You always knew Fritz as a vigorous old timer, with his clearly defined muscles lying hidden under the layers of clothing as he played the part of a kindly grandfather trying his best to raise his numerous grandchildren. He only showed the extent of his power when someone endangered the Orphanage and in the recent years that has become extremely rare. 

But now that strong body that you knew and that seemed so reliable has shrivelled up. There was no trace of muscles on old man’s body, just skin and bones. Fritz was so weakened by the illness he couldn’t even lift himself from the bed anymore. Even to eat, he needed the help of Mary, the oldest of the orphans. 

Right now Mary sat right next to his bed, trying not to cry. You and the other children were standing around it. The entire population of the Orphanage was crammed in here. The old man asked everyone to gather because he had something to say, which was in itself a very ominous act. 

[b]“Children…”[/b] His eyes darted around the room as he began to speak – something told you he probably couldn’t even see who was in the room – and it seemed as if he had trouble breathing. [b]“My time has come. I know that even without me saying, you rea-“[/b] his speech was interrupted by a bout of coughing. It took a few moments for him to continue.[b]”You realize that soon things will become very difficult for you. I tried to make some foundation for your future, but in this world nothing is certain.”[/b]

[b]“That is why I wanted to tell you, as my last lesson, to remain united. You are all young, and although there is a lot of potential among you, none of you is strong enough yet to face the challenges of this world alone. So remain together, cooperate, compensate for each other’s weaknesses and you will be able to survive and even thrive in this city.”[/b]

With those words he had another coughing fit and this time it was relentless. It took several minutes before Fritz  managed to push a few more words out. 

[b]“Be –[i]cough, cough[/i] – be there for – [i]cough, cough[/i] – each other…”[/b]

And then there was silence. No more words, no more coughs, no more ragged breathing. Fritz’s chest wasn’t moving. His eyes just stared blankly into the air. 

The silence was broken by a piercing shriek from Mary who fell onto the old man’s chest and cried. Other children joined her soon. Very quickly the entire room was resonating with wallows of orphans, orphaned once again.
[/hider]
[hr][hr]

[h3][b][color=0072bc][Premise][/color][/b][/h3]
The Dirt Town is a giant slum located in the city of Yire-Alba. It is almost as big as the rest of the city surface-wise and has twice as many people. Mired in filth and stench, it is a three dimensional jungle of wood, stone and metal, where new buildings are erected every day without any concern given to aesthetics, longevity, and safety. Fires are a common occurrence, just like diseases which often run rampant due to high population density. To top it all off, crime is also high, with robberies, beatings and murders happening every day in scores. Gangs rule the Dirt Town, staking their claims on as much territory as they can before they run up against another, equally powerful gang. Common people of the Dirt Town are often forced to ask gangs for protection, which makes the gangs the only form of law that this miserable place has. 

The small pocket of respite and safety in this cauldron of crime and violence is an island located on the Mudstream, a river passing through the northern part of the Dirt Town. Fittingly named the Asylum Island, it was protected by an enigmatic man called the Old Man Fritz who, despite looking as old as his name suggested, possessed incredible power. In his shadow, the Asylum Island has prospered as a bastion of peace, with many skilled people flocking to it. Many surrounding gangs have also declared the island a neutral ground, and have used it to conduct intergang negotiations and trade. 

But securing the island’s safety was not the only thing the Old Man Fritz did. Using the remnants of an ancient temple located in the centre of the island as a home, he gathered as many children left without parents as he could find. He sheltered them, fed them, educated them and gave them home. Seeing his kind work, many people on the island have also helped him raise the children, offering both their skills and money despite the Old Man never asking them for any of it. The people nicknamed the temple “the Dirt Town Orphanage” and the children “the Dirt Town Orphans”. Fritz liked the name so he also started using it. 

However, the peaceful days of the Asylum Island are coming to an end. The Old Man Fritz has died and the Orphans and the people of the island are left without their benevolent guardian. The surrounding gangs, which were willing to respect the Asylum Island’s neutrality out of fear and respect for the Old Man’s power will now turn their covetous gazes towards it. After all, where the rest of the Dirt Town suffers struggle and battles every day, the Asylum Island has experienced years of unbroken peace. It has grown fat with wealth and lazy, and without Fritz it will be ripe for the taking. The first gang that manages to take it will be able to plunder its riches – which may be nothing special in the grand scheme of things but represents more money than most of the Dirt Towns residents can hope to see in their lifetime. 
 
So where do you fit in all of this? 

Well, you are one of the Orphans. The Old Man Fritz gave you and other children home and in return all he asked was for you to stick together. Which in itself is as much of a warning as it is a request, because there’s no way that a single child will survive in the Dirt Town alone. Even if you join other gangs their bosses will not care about your well being and will instead use you up and then toss you aside, if not outright kill you. 

But even if you remain with the Orphanage, it will require cooperation and planning. You will have to work together with other Orphans to fight off any assailants on the island, or negotiate with surrounding gangs for protection or continued adherence to island’s neutrality. The direction of this story depends entirely on what you and other Orphans decide to do. You can turn the tables on the gangs and instead of getting plundered by them you can conquer them , or you and other Orphans can each go their own way and get scattered like leaves on the wind (but then this story will be rather short). 

[hr][hr]
[h3][b][color=0072bc][World][/color][/b][/h3]
[hider][b][color=0072bc]Chaos[/color][/b]
[indent][indent]Chaos can be summed up as “you are allowed to do anything you wish as long as you are able to defend yourself from those who you piss off in the process”.  People of Oblivion don’t govern themselves by what they believe is right or wrong but by what they want to do. Whether this means they will be monsters or angels depends on each person. Nobody expects you to be loyal to your family or group, nor to refrain from harming other human beings, but this doesn’t mean that every inhabitant of Oblivion is a two-faced, backstabbing murderer. Regardless of what they decide to do they will need strength to survive and not be subject to somebody else’s whims.[/indent][/indent]
[b][color=0072bc]Oblivion[/color][/b]
[indent][indent]Oblivion is a land rife with strife. The marauding bands roam the countryside attacking poorly defended towns and villages, while in the large cities gangs are the ones making the rules. Fickle spirits, elementals and gods often mingle with regular mortals, toying with their lives with complete disregard for their well being. Due to the lack of centralized authority beasts thrive in the forests, preying on anyone foolish enough to wander off the beaten path. There are few communities which are peaceful and stable but they maintain those rare gifts by extreme xenophobia.  Overall, life in Oblivion is short and brutal. [/indent][/indent]
[b][color=0072bc]Great Cities[/color][/b]
[indent][indent]Great Cities are the population centres of Oblivion. They come from a time before people followed Chaos and they are enchanted by powerful magic which prevents many of their buildings from being destroyed. This allowed Great Cities to endure for over thousand years, and despite that in some of them the entire population of a city disappeared, they would always get repopulated. A Great City is not a true bastion of security, but it is a safer place than many of the smaller towns which leads to many flocking to them. 

A Great City is usually ruled by a Prince, a person powerful enough to take control of it, but there are also some who are governed by a council of equally powerful individuals. Taking and holding control over one Great City is already a daunting task so it is extremely rare (but not impossible) for somebody to rule several of them.  There are 19 Great Cities in Oblivion.[/indent][/indent]
[b][color=0072bc]Yire-Alba[/color][/b]
[indent][indent]Yire-Alba is one of the Great Cities located on a peninsula in the north-eastern part of Oblivion. It is an unusual case as it is not ruled by a single Prince or a council which cooperates but is split between several rival gangs led by people called Archons of which none is powerful enough to take complete control over it. This makes the life in Yire-Alba more dangerous and less stable than in the other Great Cities, but it still not nearly as bad as being outside of it. The core of the city is located on an island of Yire, but thanks to the Dirt Town almost as much of the city, surface-wise, is on the mainland. Yire-Alba is split into seven “official” districts:[/indent][/indent]
[hider= Districts]
[centre][IMG]http://i65.tinypic.com/2m2gkty.png[/IMG][/centre]
[b]Yire Forum[/b] – dominated by the 500m tall Yire Tower, it is one of the few places in Oblivion where science is practiced outside of the Academy City.
[b]High Garden[/b] – most of it is located on a hill overlooking the Yire island, it is a place where the city’s richest residents live.
[b]Pale[/b] – the commercial district of the city, it is where various shops and services can be found, as well as the city’s largest harbour. 
[b]Nox[/b] – the industrial district, it is a home to many great manufactories and craftsmen. 
[b]Tatalus[/b] – the entertainment district is a place where many theatres, stadiums, hippodromes and other similar things can be found. 
[b]Alba Castle[/b] – located on a small island between Yire island and the mainland, Alba Castle is a  mighty fortress located on the only land route into the city. 
[b]Outer District[/b] – the last official district and the only one located on the mainland, it is dominated by the Boulevard of Respite where many inns and shops can be found. 
[b]Dirt Town[/b] – the “unofficial” part of the city, it is home to those who weren’t given entry onto the Yire island but weren’t willing to return to the dangers of the outside world. Yes, despite all of the shit that happens in the Dirt Town, it is still a better choice than being left outside. [/hider]
[b][color=0072bc]Magic[/color][/b] 
[indent][indent]Magic is omnipresent in Oblivion. Every living being carries magic within itself and there is also magic throughout the environment. In this world magic is not a fantastic force that works outside the boundaries of known reality, but instead it is a part of nature and people encounter it daily. All magic in the world comes in one of the six elements: Dark, Water, Wind, Earth, Fire and Light. No element is considered inherently good or inherently bad. 

Often people come in touch with magic before they are born, when it twists their physical appearance and gives them extra appendages, unnatural skin colour or some other strange physical trait. Such people are called Tainted, but despite the negative-sounding name there is no stigma against them. Many people are also born with their inborn magical potential so high they are able to manifest spectacular gifts. Such people are often top dogs of their community.

In fact, difference in magical potential between people creates such power discrepancy that there are powerful individuals in Oblivion who are capable of defeating an army of average people alone. Most Princes in Oblivion are such individuals.[/indent][/indent] 
[b][color=0072bc]Technology[/color][/b]
[indent][indent]Despite the chaotic nature of Oblivion, there are two Academy Cities and a few smaller places where people constantly work on inventing new things.  Because magic is part of nature, pretty much all technology in Oblivion works in conjunction with magic, allowing for devices which don’t work in accordance with mundane laws of physics we know. Technology is expensive and most people can’t afford it, but everyone has at least seen some tech in their life.[/indent][/indent] 
[b][color=0072bc]Order[/color][/b]
[indent][indent]So you are probably wondering, if there’s Chaos is there Order? Yes, but in Oblivion Order is confined to a small northern region called the Realm of Selnon. People who inhabit it live in peace, safety and stability, but the social hierarchy of their society is strict and it is impossible for a person born as peasant to become a noble or for a noble to become a peasant. Also, they are very xenophobic and any outsider who is caught on their territory is immediately enslaved, with no hope of ever being freed.[/indent][/indent][/hider]
[h3][b][color=0072bc][Rules][/color][/b][/h3]
[hider][list]
[*]My word is law. When I make a ruling, it is final.
[*]Respect all RPG rules. 
[*]No meta-gaming, godmodding and other similar things. 
[*]After I make an update you have one week to post. If you don’t, you are out of the RP. Warn me beforehand if you can’t post this week or if you are dropping out permanently. 
[*]In the beginning you can only have one CS. 
[*]Only post approved CS in Characters tab. 
[*]When posting IC put your location at the top of each post, for clarity. 
[*]Don’t edit your accepted CS or your IC post without my approval. 
[*]You are all playing kids, DON’T get sexual. 
[*]Placeholder – for any future rulings I deem worthy of making it to this list.[/list]

[b]And some tips[/b] 
[list]
[*]Just because your affinity is Dark you don't have to be an edgelord.
[*]Just because your affinity is Light you don't have to be a goody two-shoes
[*]Try to stick together with other players initially. If you wish to make your own fortune, better do it after you gained some levels.
[*]All PCs at the start of the RP know each other. You have, at least, spent several hours together every day taking classes and doing chores, not to mention that you have likely slept in the same room. Don't treat each other like strangers or someone you barely know. 
[/list]
[/hider]

[hr][hr]

[hider=CS][centre][i]Appearance picture or description goes here. Use this formatting. Remember, at least half of the people in Oblivion are tainted by magic, so you are not limited to looking like a vanilla human.[/i][/centre]

[b][Theme song][/b] 
This is field is optional, post a link to a song that fits your character. If you don’t have a theme song, delete this field.  

[b][Name][/b] 
First name or nickname.

[b][Age][/b] 
You can be between 8 and 15 years of age. 

[b][Gender][/b] 
Self-explanatory. 

[b][Personality][/b] 
How do you act? What do you like or dislike?  

[b][History][/b] 
What were you doing before coming to the Orphanage? How did Old Man Fritz find you? How did you fit in with other Orphans? 

[b][Relations][/b] 
People you have special relationship with, whether it is love, friendship, rivalry, hate, etc. 
 
[b][Level][/b] 
Starting level is 1. No, there won’t be tracking of experience or things like that. Level will increase each time you overcome a challenge. It serves to differentiate PCs who have been through a lot and PCs who have just joined the RP. The higher the level the more powerful your character is. 

[b][Skills][/b] 
All non-combat, non-magic talents and abilities you possess gets listed here. 

[b][Affinity][/b] 
Light / Fire / Earth / Wind / Water / Dark.

[b][Gift][/b] 
Gift is a blanket term for inborn or instinctively developed powers due to high affinity of the individual towards a certain element. Make a power based on your Affinity element. These powers are not limited just to manipulating that element, you can make any power as long as you can thematically connect it to your element (example: [i]Light > Enlightenment > Knowledge > Information gathering gift[/i] or [i]Fire > Chemical Reaction > Transformation gift[/i]). BE PRECISE WITH WHAT YOUR GIFT DOES! Say its effect and limits clearly. Gifts that just say “He can summon demons” or “He can manipulate fire” will not be accepted. 

[b][Inventory][/b] 
Weapons, armours, gadgets and any other item you consider important should be listed here. Orphans are poor, so your stuff shouldn’t be too fancy. 

[b][Other][/b] 
Anything not covered in above fields that you think is important should be mentioned here. If there’s nothing, leave this field empty but don’t delete it. [/hider]