[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/DGzsiXJ.png[/img][/center]
Three decades ago, London was stolen by bats. Dragged deep into the earth by the Echo Bazaar. The sun is gone. All we have is the gas-light of Mr Fires. But Londoners can get used to anything. And it's quiet down here with the devils and the darkness and the mushroom wine. Peaceful.

Or so it would appear at a first glance anyway. It might not exactly [i]be[/i] the case, not after that masquerade.

[hr]
Welcome, delicious friends! Welcome to London! Of course, it is rather sunless here after the fall, but it is definitely less rainy just as well! The fall happened on the year of 1862 when the sovereign of England (her enduring majesty or the traitor empress, depending on who you ask from) sold the city to a group of cloaked figures speaking in shrill and high-pitched voices, but that isn't exactly relevant any more. It is the year 1896 now, so all that is well in the past!

T'is a tricky place this Neath, not the most ordinary of locales. Death is not exactly permanent any longer (though there are exceptions to the rule, of course), there is little to no weather, sunlight has to be brought in from the surface in mirror boxes and even then it starts killing you... but if we do our best to ignore the fact that London is surrounded by this place, we might almost believe nothing had changed. Well, other than the street/locale names. And the devils. And those things with faces of squid. Okay, I'll admit, that might be a stretch.

[hider=Map of Fallen London]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/IeRyRGB.jpg[/img]
Notable locations:[list][*]Ladybones road, the home to many, many gossips and the locale of the Hangman's arch where public executions take place.
[*]The Spite, a most crowded market many of those who wish to avoid dealing with the Bazaar shop at. Beware of pickpockets. Lots of talking cats with secrets here, though!
[*]Watchmaker's Hill, home to many watchmakers, the observatory manned by blind men and the department of menace eradication.
 Try not to fall into the marsh while there.
[*]Veilgarden, the haunt of many lowly performers of art, the place where drunkards drink before collapsing on the streets of Spite and the home to many a honey den. No, not the ordinary honey. The honey of entering dreams, the Prisoner's Honey.
[*]The Forgotten Quarter, what remains of the 4th city after London fell on it. You read that right. It's hard to remember things that transpired while in the location, but it is rich in archaeologists doing expeditions.
[*]The Flit, a kingdom on the rooftops on London. The Topsy King's court technically rules this place, but they are not exactly watching over the place too tightly.
[*]Wolfstack Docks, where zailors dwell and from where departing and arriving ships get taken care of.
[*]The Shuttered Palace and the court of her enduring majesty. Yeah. Not much to say about this place. It's the place where the most important of the non-Masters can be found. Well, I guess the court has a fair bit of artists sponsored by it.
[*]University, the genteel battleground of the Summerset and Benthic colleges. The church and Hell aligned (respectively) groups try their best to get their voice heard over the other. Actual research is done here. Also cricket. That's the Benthic though.
 Summerset is known for feasting.
[*]Wilmot's End, a ruined statue garden. The Great Game has more or less claimed this place as its playground, so unless looking for something specific in the area, it is better to avoid it in case of a mistaken stabbing.
[*]The Labyrinth of Tigers, Led by a man known as Mr. Finch. Not a Master. Many tigers roam free, but they talk, much like cats. There are many coils to the labyrinth and most never make it beyond the second.
[*]The Brass Embassy, built on Moloch street. In addition to the train to Hell, this place has lots of devils you may or may not want to do business with.
[*]Mahogany Hall, one of the more prestigious theatres in the city of London. Lots of different magic shows are played out here.
[*]Mrs. Plenty's Carnival, just like the name says. A carnival. Ferris wheel's and all. House of mirrors too. Carnival foods like rubbery lumps and heated wine. Lovely.[/list]
[/hider]
What concerns us the most would be where we start from. The masquerade ball. But you have to realise, this was a rather specific gathering. Not just everyone was invited. And the Masters who would turn out to be behind it proved to have looked for distinctively different sort of people when the invitations were being sent out. Standing out from the masses, but not as much as to appear in page sized letters in Slowcake's Exceptionals, was apparently a boon. And much like the group of people the job offer, too, was quite a special case. (What I am saying is that I may not be able to take everyone who has expressed interest in. Try not to duplicate roles, or you'll end up competing with one another!)

But just who were those people invited? Well, that is quite the question! It would be for the better for those people to introduce themselves! We at the Unboxed Cat magazine interviewed each of them, though some imposters may have also slipped in. In any of those unfortunate cases, we apologise!

[b]Name:[/b] Should be self explanatory
[b]Title:[/b] Sir/Lord/Madam/Lady/Doctor/Professor/Sergeant/Lieutenant/Bishop/erm, yes. Something along those lines.
[b]Moniker:[/b] A nickname usually in the for of Adjective+Noun people might refer to you with. Examples include "Repentant Forger", "Malodorous Pirate", "Honey-sipping Heiress" and "Dark-Spectacled Admiral".
[b]Age:[/b] Remember when London fell, so if you want a Neath born...
[b]Race:[/b] Most of you are undoubtedly human, though a Clay Man or a Tomb Colonist of particular status could have made it in. Or a Drownie. Anything else would need to be just spectacularly convincing. If any non-human options sound unfamiliar, I recommend sticking to humans.
[b]Appearance:[/b] Of course, the looks of a person are not the most important thing out there. But that has a tendency to be what people first see of you. Pictures and/or a description are just dandy.
[b]Primary Attribute:[/b] The attribute you rely most on.
[b]Secondary attribute:[/b] The attribute you rely second most on.
[hider=Wait, what is an attribute?]
The Fallen London browser game relies heavily on the four main attributes, Watchful, Shadowy, Dangerous and Persuasive. These are used in a multitude of skill checks, though we naturally won't be using them quite as heavily in a freeform RP like this, oh no. These are here more to show how your character thinks and likes to solve their problems. And experience should naturally help in performing such actions too. A short overview for each:

[b]Watchful[/b] - Observation, intelligence, deduction. This is your observational ability, allowing you to learn numerous secrets of Fallen London. Examples include trying to figure out the path to take in the Forgotten Quarter or deduce who the murderer is, other than immediately pointing at the butler.
[b]Shadowy[/b] - Stealth, subtlety, cunning. This is your subtle and cunning skills, allowing you to exploit the dark and fascinating underground that is Fallen London. Examples include picking pockets undetected and avoiding the swarm of constables and Neddy Men when you failed to recognise the fact going for a Master's pockets would be unwise.
[b]Dangerous[/b] - Strength, ferocity, soldiering. This is your ability to confront and smash through numerous dangers and horrors of Fallen London. Examples include beating people up in a bar brawl and stomaching more gin than anyone else in the party after.
[b]Persuasive[/b] - Wit, charm, plausibility. This is your social skills and irresistible charm, allowing you to persuade, convince and charm denizen of Fallen London for your benefit. Examples include writing a poem of questionable content and then trying to convince the Ministry of Public Decency that it is not something Mr. Pages would like to see burned.
[/hider][b]Connections:[/b] Everyone is bound to have a few of these. What factions are [i]you[/i] closest to?
[hider=Help, what factions are there?]
Here's a quick run down.
[hider=Masters of the Bazaar]
The Masters of the Bazaar are the group of roughly a dozen strange, almost certainly inhuman beings who control all trade at the Bazaar, and therefore all trade in Fallen London. They wear heavy cloaks that conceal their features, and speak in shrill, high-pitched voices.
[list][*]Mr. Wines, who controls trade in wine, coffee, and other drinkable beverages. It also claims jurisdiction over dreams, but this is disputed by Mr. Spices. Mr. Wines is one of the most amiable and sociable Masters, and is known to throw some excellent parties, although it has trouble paying for them.
[*]Mr. Apples, who controls trade in fruits, vegetables, and lumber. This includes Hesperidean cider, which means it also controls trade in immortality. Mr. Apples is also somewhat amiable and sociable.
[*]Mr. Spices, who controls trade in spices and narcotics. It also claims jurisdiction over dreams, but this is disputed by Mr. Wines. Mr. Spices is serious, professional, and businesslike, but easily irritated.
[*]Mr. Stones, who controls trade in stone, gems, salt, and blasting powder. Mr. Stones is extremely materialistic and greedy. It's either not capable of speaking English properly or just thinks that sentences longer than two or three words are a waste of time.
[*]Mr. Fires, who controls trade in coal, gas, and candles, and oversees the Wolfstack Docks. Mr. Fires is confident and self-assured, and carries itself somewhat like a human businessman. A 19th century human businessman, which means violent strikebreakers ahoy!
[*]Mr. Iron, who controls trade in weapons, tools, engines, and printing-presses. Mr. Iron is stern and humourless, and does not speak, instead communicating only through writing.
[*]Mr. Cups, who controls trade in crockery, pottery, and sculpture, as well as miscellaneous household trinkets. It has a number of rag-and-bone men who collect said trinkets called the Relickers.
[*]Mr. Pages, who controls trade in paper, books, ink, pens, and affordable secrets. It also controls the Ministry of Public Decency, which ensures that any books the government or the Masters don't approve of are properly burned. Mr. Pages is friendly and approachable, but easily excitable and overly fond of long, possibly made-up words.
[*]Mr. Hearts, who controls trade in meat, skins, bones, and animals. It is friendly and informal to a point that can seem slightly condescending, and likes to make jokes.
[*]Mr. Veils, who controls trade in fabric and clothing. Mr. Veils is an upright sort who is always unfailingly polite.
[*]Mr. Mirrors, who controls trade in glass, mirrors, and high-quality secrets. Mr. Mirrors is polite, but reserved and distant.[/list]
Besides the proper Masters who hang out at the Bazaar, there are some other individuals who appear to at least be the same class of creature as whatever the Masters are:
[list][*]The Masters collectively run an exclusively club called the House of Chimes out of the ruins of Big Ben. Whichever Master is hosting the House of Chimes at any given time goes, appropriately, by the name Mr. Chimes.
[*]Mr. Sacks, also known as the Crimson Beast of Winter, is a Master who dresses up like Santa Claus and runs around Fallen London at Christmas (or "Sacksmas", as it is now called). Unlike Santa Claus, he takes things instead of giving them. Sometimes this can be beneficial (he might take your nasty injury, for example) but he's still one you want to be wary of.
[*][s]There are rumors that there exists, or once existed, a Master named Mr Eaten. Asking questions about Mr Eaten is a good way to get yourself in a lot of trouble.[/s][/list]
[/hider][b]Bohemians[/b] - The many artists of London, from the playwrights from court of her enduring majesty to the starving pianists at Veilgarden, not to forget the performers of Mahogany Hall.
[b]Constables[/b] - Those who watch the laws of London, friends to the high society and the Masters.
[hider=Criminals]
The direct opposite of those above. Well, perhaps not. They are not quite revolutionaries. But they are the ones that move in the shadows, relieve you of your things and may administer a free beating on the side. There are several leadership figures among the group, the most notable as follows:[list][*]The Cheery Man, an aging man who represents the old guard of London criminals. He also runs a popular waterfront pub called the Medusa's Head.
[*]The Gracious Widow, an elderly woman of East Asian descent who accounts for half the contraband in the city. She always stays shrouded in shadow. Literal shadow, I mean, not metaphorical shadow.
[*]The Topsy King, a madman who rules over a court of fellow madmen called the Raggedy Men, all of whom live on the city rooftops, the Flit.[/list]
[/hider][b]Hell[/b] - Yup, Hell. The Devils and whatnot. They import souls and export brass. They've got an embassy in the Neath too. Be careful around them, if you value your soul. They pay well though.
[b]Revolutionaries[/b] - If you want to see the Masters gone, these are the people you should look to. Fighting the high society, constables and Masters alike, the "dynamite faction" is hardly united, but undoubtedly dangerous. The closest they have to leadership would be the Calendar Council.
[b]Rubbery Men[/b] - Boneless creatures with the faces of squids. They like amber. Or at least they trade a lot with it.
[b](High) Society[/b] - The more renowned folk, essentially those who have an entry in the Slowcake's Exceptionals (the big book of who's who in London). Naturally, not all entries are created equal.
[b]Church[/b] - The opposite force to Hell, more or less. They try to have people see the value of their soul before it is sold to Hell and keep up the old tradition of belief and worship.
[b]Docks[/b] - The Zailors are their own bunch, hanging around the bars of Wolfstack Docks when not on the Unterzee.
[b]The Great Game[/b] - A game played by great powers of Neath and surface alike, spies, thieves and assassins as their pawns. "A player" does usually refer to one of the pawns, rather than those who seek benefit from it though.
[b]Tomb Colonies[/b] - The home to those scarred enough to be wrapped into bandages and excluded from the polite society. Just a short trip on the Zee away. They are (mostly) old and experienced folk, there. Be careful, but do not fear them needlessly. Oh, and if you get a few too many paparazzis on your tail, the colonies are a nice place to take a vacation at. The current mayor of London, Feducci, happens to be one of the many colonists.
[b]Urchins[/b] - Yeah, no city is complete without a bunch of young boys and girls [s]stealing stuff[/s] making do on the streets. Especially no city that was stolen underground by bats, don't you think?
[/hider][b]Background:[/b] Now keep it brief-ish, this is a newspaper, not a novel!

[hider=And look, here's a template for your convenience!]
[code][b]Name:[/b]
[b]Title:[/b]
[b]Moniker:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]

[b]Primary Attribute:[/b]
[b]Secondary Attribute:[/b]
[b]Connections:[/b]

[b]Background:[/b][/code]
[/hider]
Speaking of convenient matters, in case you want to read more on the relatively spoiler free lore, catch! [url]https://www.reddit.com/r/fallenlondon/comments/5a22or/a_spoilerlight_lore_guide_to_fallen_london/[/url] A fair bit of the text here has been shamelessly stolen from said guide too, but some sections are of my own digital penmanship. You can probably tell which is which.

Anywho, I believe that is about it! Any questions should be voiced and I in fact encourage it! Somebody else is bound to be thinking about that same question, so getting the answers out in public is only a good thing to all!
[@Lady Selune][@Gordian Nought][@EchoicChamber][@ihinka][@Keksalot][@VitoftheVoid][@rush99999][@Ms Ravenwinter]