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[h3]A Fantasy-Cyberpunk Adventure[/h3][/center]

[indent]The year is 2060 and shit has gotten weird.

About 40 years ago, magic reentered the world. All the things humankind had believed to be legends and myth, turned out to just be ancient histories of a time long forgotten. Animals transformed into mythical creatures as human beings also changed, giving birth to new kinds of humanoids dubbed Metahumans. The Meta's were your figures of fantasy novels, orcs and trolls and elves and dwarves and more. For some, it was a more unseen kind of change that began to manifest itself. Magic. Suddenly, those with the right talent could learn to control unseen forces of energy in order to create spells. Global society was immediately thrown into chaos.

In the intervening years much has happened. Most nations have fallen and risen once more, or else disappeared forever. International Megacorporations now serve as de facto rulers of the world, playing an endless global game of chess against their rivals. These games never end well for anyone, least of all the folks on the street. After years of brutal racial divides among humans and metahumans, most have settled into an uneasy coexistence. It's the Megacorps that fuck them over most of all, not some troll that runs a food cart down the way, or the mage that does parlor tricks for tips. The constant question of daily life is do you submit to the Megacorps, become a wageslave living in walled little arcologies like ants, or do you take matters into your own hands?

Shadowrunners were the inevitable consequence of this question. The Shadows are the dark spaces outside of the corporate web, the cracks where certain people with certain skills are in very high demand. Runners work for themselves, a tempting concept in this strange new world, and bet their lives on their skills. They do the work that the Megacorps can't do officially, or the work that others need done to the 'untouchable' corps themselves. The sort of jobs those are depends on one's expertise and their moral compass. The likelihood of them living very long depends entirely on their intuition. Being easily deniable, easily covered-up, and easily replaced is no recipe for a long life. But, it is a life of freedom in a world of chains.[/indent]

[center][h3]⚜ Setting ⚜[/h3][/center]

[indent][indent][i]New Orleans, Louisiana, Confederation of American States[/i][/indent][/indent]

[indent]The Big Easy. The Big Sleazy. Queen City. The Birthplace of Jazz, and Lee Harvey Oswald. New Orleans has always been a city of vice and exuberance and magic, long before it ever came back to the world. In 2060, the city is a dysfunctional metropolis at war with itself, in a crisis of identities. Mardi Gras still rages through the historic French Quarter even while modernization demolishes the rest of the city's culture and history. New Orleans has become the major hub of trade in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the influx of Megacorps trying to unofficially claim the city for themselves. The local government is as corrupt as it has ever been, maybe even more so, and bends over backwards for anyone with enough bribe money. For the actual locals of New Orleans, there is a unifying animosity for the foreign Megacorps. Outside of the corporate zones, the mafias are the real authority. They oversee the many street gangs in their territory and dabble in local magic to varying degrees. 

[hider=Voodoun]Voodoo has always been a powerful part of New Orleans and the surrounding bayou. With the onset of magic, the most ancient parts of these many different beliefs began to take on real power again. Soon enough all of the many varieties of voodoo, vodou, and more were united under one catch-all term. Voodoun is the name for this semi-religion semi-magic art, with it's practitioners being some combination of pharmacist and pastor handing out blessings and advice in equal measure. They form a vital part of New Orleans in 2060, Voodoun Kings and Queens often acting as leaders of the community. However, it was not only the good side of Voodoun that was resurrected.

Hoodoo is the dark side of Voodoun, every forbidden art that has been banned from modern times. Dolls to control or injure your enemies, all variety of hexes, curses, evil eyes, and of course necromancy. The creation of zombies was officially outlawed in the state of Louisiana some years ago, but the hoodoo witches of the bayou pay little attention to it. Cast out from the city, they can only be found in the swamps, and are sometimes employed by desperate fools. [/hider][/indent]

[center][h3]⚜ Magic ⚜[/h3][/center]

[indent]Those that can tap into magic are called Awakened, but the laws of magic are only just being understood even after decades of trying. What is known is that it comes from a variety of belief systems, but the awakened themselves fit into three general molds.

[hider=Hermetic]The first is Hermetic magic, which is your standard Merlin, wizard in a pointy hat, shoot-fireballs-out-of-hand kind of thing. Hermetic Magicians, or just Mages for short, believe that magic is a quantifiable and therefore predictable force of nature. They study it like a science, use it like a mathematician uses a formula, and have their own particular theories on why it does what it does. The downside to this scientific form of magic is Drain. Drain is the term for the effect on one's body from casting too many powerful spells too quickly.[/hider]

[hider=Shamanistic]The second is Shamanistic magic, which involves the help of some kind of guiding Totem Spirit in order to help channel the forces at work. Shamans, as these practitioners are known, at some point find their Totem Spirit. If the two accept one another, they form an intense bond that shapes the Shaman as a person. They use spells that their Totem approves of, are given blessings by it if they do well, and are protected by it when in danger. Totem spirits come in many shapes, but normally they are the ideal forms of animals that embody certain aspects.[/hider]

[hider=Physical Adept]The last is also the most difficult to describe. Adepts, as they are known, are Awakened that cannot cast spells themselves. Instead, their connection to magic is constant and physical. They might be able to move faster than a normal metahuman, jump higher, sense things, or have any number of superhuman abilities they can tap into with a thought. Adepts are not so much workers of magic as they are vessels for it. In many cases, it can be a mystery even to themselves, but as natural as breathing.[/hider][/indent]

[center][h3]⚜ Cyberware ⚜[/h3][/center]

[indent]Technology has expanded in leaps and bounds since the early 21st century. Prosthesis and robotics have gone beyond merely replicating human limbs, and now seek to improve upon them. Shadowrunners are notorious for their gleaming pieces of 'Chrome', upgrading themselves like a street racer might upgrade a car. These upgrades come in endless possibilities, from huge metal arms tipped with razor-blades to an upgraded immune system that filters out common toxins. The most common cyberware is that of the Datajack, a neural port in one's body that enables the easy connection into the Matrix. 

These upgrades do come at a cost besides Nuyen, however. For every bit of one's body that is replaced with some metal and plastic abomination, their Essence is also lost. Essence is the term for one's ability to connect to the forces of magic. For non-Awakened this can be a trivial concern, since they can't truly tap into such things in the first place. For the Awakened this is a horrible experience, slowly cutting themselves off from their most precious sense.

Cyberware can be graded in these ascending tiers of quality: Basic, Alphaware, Betaware, Deltaware.[/indent]

[center][h3]⚜ The Matrix ⚜[/h3][/center]

[indent]In the year 2029, a cyber plague swept through every bit of networked tech in the entire world. The Crash Virus, as it'd come to be known, would send the entire planet back into the stone age in short order. Unable to use the internet, anything connected to it and anything with any manner of complex software, led to the quick collapse of entire economies. While the virus was eventually eradicated, or so we're told, metahumanity had to start over completely. So, the Matrix was born.

Bearing only the most surface-level resemblance to the Keanu Reeves movie of the same name, the Matrix is how all networked devices now function. It can be seen as a startlingly real virtual reality simulation, using the SimSense technology that allows living beings to interface directly with the code itself. Cyberdecks are portable computers, essentially, that allow Deckers to run complex programs from within the Matrix. Once inside, skilled Deckers can see the code as tangible objects, change certain aspects to their liking, and fight against the protection software trying to stop them.[/indent]

[center][h3]⚜ Characters ⚜[/h3][/center]

[indent][hider=Metahumans][u]Metahumans[/u]
* [b]Human[/b]: Still the most populous on earth, human beings are average in all aspects but also have no downsides either. It should be mentioned that they draw far less attention than other metahumans.

* [b]Elf[/b]: Slender, graceful, and beautiful creatures with pointed ears. Elves are the third most common metatype and have a more developed culture of their own than most metahumans. Their main strengths are in charisma and dexterity. 

* [b]Dwarf[/b]: Short and stocky, dwarves have faced the least amount of prejudice among metahumans. Renowned for their technological prowess and work ethic. Dwarves are well suited to any technologically or analytically related tasks.

* [b]Ork[/b]: Large and powerful metahumans, orks and trolls have suffered the most prejudice since their appearance. Normally, they tend towards physical jobs that take advantage of their superior strength.

* [b]Troll[/b]: The rarest metahuman of all, trolls are towering behemoths of staggering might. Huge horns sprout from their foreheads and they share the orkish canine-like tusks jutting from their jaws. They make fearsome fighters and bodyguards.

* [b]Metavariants[/b]: Each of these metahumans has begun to be broken down into further metavariants, as the world learns more about each of them. If you wish to play one of these lesser known metavariants, please ask for permission first.[/hider]


[hider=Archetypes][u]Shadowrunner Archetypes[/u]
* [i]Asura[/i] [b]Street samurai[/b]: The street samurai is streetwise and heavily armed, well versed in basically everything from swords to rocket launchers. Over time, a sammie begins to specialize their skills into a particular weapon, also augmenting their bodies with cyberware to become terrifying walking weapons.

* [b]Mage[/b]: Hermetic mages use a wide variety of spells, both beneficial and offensive depending on their preference. Their power can be terrible to behold. The downside to this is Drain, over-taxing their bodies and spirits with the powerful spells they cast.

* [i]Jabberwocky[/i] [b][s]Shaman[/s][/b]: Shamanistic mages that follow their own Totem Spirit, specializing in utility magic and summoning elemental spirits to aid them. Barriers are also a key part of a Shaman's magic, magical force shields to cut off enemy movement or provide cover to allies.

* [b]Adept[/b]: A physical combatant focusing on close range combat, augmented not by cyberware but through magical powers. Though they cannot cast 'spells' in the traditional sense, they do learn how to channel their innate powers to aid their combat skills. 

* [i]vFear[/i] [b]Rigger[/b]: Masters of the mechanical and robotic, these tinkerers can fix or splice into nearly anything mechanical. All riggers end up creating their own personal drone to aid them, whether a utility drone to support them or a death-dealing battlebot to do the work for them.

* [b]Decker[/b]: Standing above the legions of script kiddies, these hackers are invaluable as shadowrunners in 2060. Their cyberdecks allow them to use datajacks to interact in the Matrix, using custom programs and viruses to help them against whatever ICE they're up against. This means they usually lack focus on their combat abilities
[/hider]

[hider=Character Sheet]
[code]
[b]Name/Primary Alias[/b]:
[b]Metatype[/b]:
[b]Archetype[/b]:
[b]Age[/b]:
[b]Gender[/b]:
[b]Sexuality[/b]:
[b]Ethnicity[/b]:
[b]Height[/b]:
[b]Weight[/b]:

[b]Physical Description[/b]: (please provide a small written description even if supplying an image)

[u]Body Augmentations[/u]: (Cyberware, cosmetic changes, etc. May be subject to approval)
[list]
*
*
[/list]
[u]Weaponry[/u]: ( http://adragon202.no-ip.org/Shadowrun/index.php/SR5:Gear_Lists:Weapons If you'd like a list to pick from)
[list]
*
*
[/list]
[u]Gear[/u]: (Equipment, armor, so forth)
[list]
*
*
[/list]
[u]Personal Belongings[/u]: (Anything important to your character, that they keep close)
[list]
*
*
[/list]
[u]Known Spells[/u]: ( http://adragon202.no-ip.org/Shadowrun/index.php/SR5:Spell_List List to choose from, pick 3)
[list]
*
*
*
[/list]

[b]Psyche Eval[/b]: (Personality traits, mannerisms)

[b]History[/b]: (Keep under 4 paragraphs, please. Focus mainly on their Shadowrunning career, and what led up to it)[/code][/hider][/indent]

[center][h3]⚜ OOC Info ⚜[/h3][/center]
[indent]
[b]Rules[/b][list]
* Don't be a dick. Number one rule, be nice to your fellow players, remember that this is a team exercise, and always try to make sure everyone is having fun.
* All standard Guild rules apply here, especially relating to sex and godmodding. NPC's count as my characters, I'll be in full control of them unless I tell you otherwise.
* There will be no post length requirements, just try to give your fellow writers enough to react to without writing a novel. Shorter posts keep it easier for me to read and respond to, and keep the RP moving faster.
* There will be no required posting order. Try to wait at least 4 replies between your own posts.
* Character pictures should be art, and not of a clearly anime style. I'd like to keep things somewhat realistic in tone.
* There will be a max of 6 players in the roleplay, one for each Archetype. You can reserve an Archetype for 4 days, simply post in this thread. First come first serve.[/list]

[b]Info[/b][list]
* This RP isn't really based on the Shadowrun boardgame, since I know very little about it. There will be absolutely no dice rolling or stats involved in anything. We will be using the shadowrun setting as an inspiration, mostly, and then making the rest up as we go along. If you ever have a question about anything, always feel free to message me.
* All of your character should start the RP as freelance shadowrunners, meaning they're working alone right now. Each of them has separately been hired for a lucrative job as part of a team, and I'll go into more detail in my opening post about where that'll take place and what it is. Your only contact is codenamed 'Roux'.
* Please PM all character sheets to me when you're ready to be approved.[/list][/indent]