@User This would be an administrator or government official tasked with investigating the status of the colony. As the Willman Lab was a private enterprise that was merely government-sponsored (it was founded and run by Dr. Russell, not specifically by any one government), that means it wasn't run by a governor or council. Therefore, the GC is worried that some sort of mismanagement or administrative problem caused the communication breakdown.
@The1Rolling1Boy There are a couple pretty big flaws with your CS. While I like the character, it is a bit unreasonable to have a mechanical engineer (who would have needed at least four years of undergraduate education, not to mention graduate) be nineteen years old, unless she were some sort of savant. Even then, that age would be a stretch. As for your strengths and weaknesses, I disagree with BurningCold's observation -- someone can absolutely be mentally strong (as in, intelligence) and emotionally weak (as in, fortitude and control of their emotions). However, I would have liked a bit more description in these. How is she emotionally weak? Does she crack under pressure, or is it a matter of being exposed to awful events which cause her to melt down? Also, how is she strong? That is a rather vague identifier.
As for affiliation, I won't knock you on that -- I clearly didn't do a great job of setting that up or explaining that. In fact, @BurningCold you did it wrong in your CS too, I just let it slide. Affiliation was supposed to designate what political bloc your character lived in (EU, Commonwealth, etc) not the planet they were born. However, I'm just going to remove it since it is redundant, and include a line for birth planet.
The quartermaster would be responsible for maintaining and distributing food and supplies. They're also the person who resolves onboard disagreements and arguments, unless it's serious enough to go to the Pilot/Captain. So a character who was a quartermaster would probably be charismatic and organized.
The navigator is someone with a detailed knowledge of hyperspace travel and the layout of the immediate universe. A navigator would have had to of gone to college for years and would be highly knowledgable and intelligent.
@DeepestApology That's fair! Although it should be noted that the characters will only be on the ship for, like, 5% of the roleplay. Still, the Pilot will have to be looking out for the welfare of their crew (the co-pilot, quartermaster, engineers, etc) for the entirety.
@DeepestApology Good question! Also, points for making a Mass Effect reference.
The Pilot is the helmsman, as well as the commander of the expedition while they are on the ship. So they're in charge, until the group steps foot on solid ground at the Willman Lab. They are the direct superior to all of the ship's crew, and indirectly in charge of those tagging along on the expedition because they're riding in his/her ship. So really, the Pilot will be a combination of Jeff and Shepard's roles. Except as soon as they step foot off the ship, he doesn't really have any direct authority over any soldiers or scientists who were on board.
The captain of the expedition is the Sergeant tasked with bringing his fireteam to the Willman to investigate. Essentially, once the group sets foot at the Willman, the Sergeant takes over authority from the Pilot (at least for everyone who isn't the ship's crew).
Note: Any positions which are not filled will be filled by NPCs. Additionally, positions can be created by characters in their CS if it is approved by the GM.
Crew Pilot -- Moira Selag Sphere, LovelyAnastasia Co-Pilot -- Gera Zsoldos, BurningCold Navigator -- Available Mechanical Engineer -- Marie Antoinette Vandersnappe, The1Rolling1Boy Electrical Technician -- Available Quartermaster -- Alessandro Minghetti, DeepestApology
Willman Expedition Fireteam Leader (Sergeant) -- John Howard, FortunesFaded Assistant Fireteam Leader (Corporal) -- Royland Asterwick, BurningCold Rifleman (Private) -- Daniel Østergaard, Starlance Rifleman (Private) -- Jethart Igneal, CrazyShadowy Doctor (Medical Professional) -- Anton Kyznetsov, BurningCold Scientist -- Erin Middaugh, Kaiachi Official/Inspector -- Elizabeth Sinclair, FortunesFaded
Character Sheet
Name: Age: Gender: Profession: Nationality: I would recommend stating both the specific nationality (Like, Japanese) and also the political bloc that country belongs to (I.e. American Alliance) Birth Planet: Or station, in the case of the BASS or the Willman Appearance: Please write a description. If you’d like, you may include a picture as well in the space above the “Name” section. Please do not use drawings or anime. Strengths: You must have at least as many weaknesses as you do strengths, and no less than two. Weaknesses: Personality: History: This may be as brief or expansive as you’d like it to be. Just remember, revealing and expanding upon events in a character’s life is far more powerful when done IC – and that when you write something here, and not in the IC, other characters won’t know anything about it. Family: Does your character have a spouse, or children? Are their parents still alive? Here you may list the names and ages of the character’s immediate family, if you so choose. This is mainly here because, again, lots of death in act one. You may end up playing as one of these folks in act two, if you so choose.
Name: John Howard Age: 38 Gender: Male Profession: Operations Sergeant, United States Special Forces Nationality & Affiliation: American, American Alliance Birth Planet: Earth Appearance: John stands at six foot two, with short brown hair well below military regulation length, and a hard and emotionless face. His eyes are dark brown to match his hair, and his body is muscular just by the sheer requirements of his work. Strengths: Primary – John has been enlisted in the United States Special forces for over a decade. He’s been trained on Earth and in the colonies. He’s been deployed to more places than most have visited. Simply put, he is a shining example of a competent and resourceful soldier. Secondary – Due to the rigor of his work, John is in peak physical shape, far surpassing most men, despite his age of nearly forty. Tertiary – John has been managing fireteams and personnel for years. As such, he’s developed inherent tactics to deal with team morale and tricky situations involving his group. Combine that with a natural sense of charisma, and John makes a fine leader in even relatively hostile environments. Weaknesses: Primary – Though he isn’t stupid, John has absolutely no schooling on the fields of science, including astrophysics and biology. He is totally in the dark when the conversation shifts to these topics, or when application of this particular brand of knowledge is necessary. Secondary – While John has developed a sense of rapport and communication with his subordinates, he often comes off as brash and demanding to civilians, especially during stressful situations when he needs to give orders directly without wasting time. As a result, he may end up alienating some of the civilian members of the expedition, or be unable to rally them the same way he would with his squad. Tertiary – Ever since the death of his wife two years’ prior, John has developed a concerning alcohol problem. It manifests more when he isn’t deployed and has more downtime, but lately he’s started carrying a flask with him almost everywhere, and a bottle of whisky can always be found somewhere in his quarters. He uses the drink to stave off a deepening sense of hopelessness and depression, a void which his work has long since ceased to fill. Personality: John Howard is a man who tries his best to hide his emotions, and does it quite well. While it may not be unusual for him to crack a joke or give a halfhearted smile, there isn’t usually any amusement in his eyes. He’s quite good at instilling emotions in others which have long since withered in himself. It’s been a long time since he’s felt true happiness. Still, he is the type who gives his all no matter what has happened, and he has not stopped being an exemplary soldier. He cares for his fireteam and the civilians on board the expedition in equal measure, even though they may not ever see that from him, and he has no desire for them to. History: John was born an only child in Boston, Massachusetts, to a Colonel in the U.S. Army and a financial accountant. His mother died when he was seven, and his father – the Colonel – was never all that great at raising a kid. They moved around often, wherever he was needed, and John simply learned to give up the prospect of making meaningful relationships. Initially, he wanted nothing to do with the military, and, partially trying to distance himself from his father’s legacy, went to college for business. He graduated with decent grades and a job out of the gate, at a tech startup. However, he found no joy in it, and after his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer he resolved to go into the military. His dad passed away soon after he finished basic training. For a few years, he was alone; all he had was his work, and he did very good work. He rose through the commissioned ranks of the Army, before being selected to join the Special Forces. It was around this time that he met a girl, Susannah, at a bar while he was on leave. The two started a relationship that kept blossoming even when he was away on duty. They married a year later, and were together for just six months before an incident on the highway caused her car to be thrown into the oncoming lane, and she died. John was away when it happened – he didn’t hear until days later. Ever since then, he’s been alone, just as he was before. Family: John has no family.
Name: Elizabeth “Lizzie” Sinclair Age: 31 Gender: Female Profession: Colonial Affairs Junior Administrator for the Mars Colony Nationality: British, Commonwealth Birth Planet: Earth (But she spent most of her adult life on Mars) Appearance: Elizabeth is a petite brunette with sharp blue eyes that carry a sense of mischief and intellect. She is by all accounts attractive, and she often wears a smirk that seems to be a precursor for a witty retort. She stands at 5’4”, and is in pretty fit shape for a government official. Elizabeth’s hair is often done up in a loose bun, and she teeters between looking professional and being comfortable. The result is her own unique style, which gives off the impression that she really doesn’t care what anyone else thinks, but has still managed to have quite a successful career despite it. Strengths: Primary – Elizabeth is highly intelligent and resourceful, having managed to rise from total obscurity into a prestigious post in the Commonwealth’s governing administration on Mars.
Secondary – Elizabeth has a silver tongue; she is gifted in the art of conversation, and can almost always win someone over to her side with enough time and exposure.
Weaknesses: Primary – Elizabeth has zero combat training, other than very basic self-defense lessons taught to her by her father as a child. As a result, she is near useless in a combat zone, and must rely much more heavily on her charisma than her martial ability.
Secondary – She has the tendency to bite off more than she can chew: whenever opportunity comes knocking, she takes it, regardless of if she has the time or skill to handle it. Usually she’s able to feign stability, though there have been times where this has come back to haunt her.
Personality: Elizabeth is disarmingly genuine, to the point where most people forget that they’re talking to a bureaucrat. She insists that people call her Lizzie or Liz, and remains optimistic even at the darkest of times. She is the unique mix of ambitious and kind: willing to do anything both to further herself and help all those around her. Additionally, she has a sharp wit, and is one of the first ones to crack a joke when it is needed. Most of the time, she simply doesn’t let things get to her – when they do, Elizabeth becomes quiet and detached, but rarely ever lashes out. History: Elizabeth was born in Canterbury, England, to a nurse (her mother) and a police officer (her father). As a child she seemed to have a natural charisma, and made friends with everyone even as she excelled and thrived in an academic setting. She was an exemplary student in college, graduating third in her class at Oxford, and was offered a job as an administrative aide immediately after graduation. After about two years, she was offered a promotion in the Mars colony and took it, boarding a shuttle and leaving her family and her planet. Upon reaching Mars, she found that the largest human colony was beset with a myriad of issues. The birth rate was off the charts following the successes of the Bessel Station’s sustainability initiative, securing the stability of food for the colony. The population was growing at an alarming rate, and the infrastructure simply could not accommodate it. Elizabeth set to work fixing that. She dedicated the next five years of her life to getting things done from a position of obscurity, before being praised personally by the Colonial Governor of Hampton (The Commonwealth colony on Mars) and promoted yet again, this time as a junior administrator for the Global Coalition, in the upper echelons of the colonial political sphere. From this position, she had the ability to develop relationships with some of the most powerful people in the solar system – including the Governor, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, and Francois Moreau, the Executive Director of Colonial Affairs for the Global Coalition. It was he who asked her to join the expedition to the Willman Lab, as he felt that her resourcefulness and administrative talents may be of great use in the case of a potential colonial catastrophe.
Family: Elizabeth has a brother, Aaron, who is four years her junior and is currently an associate at a law firm on Earth. Both of her parents are still alive, and are retired and in their sixties living in England.
@BurningCold You're accepted! Congratulations, Gera is literally the first character in the Roleplay (I haven't even made my character yet).
By the way, here's the OOC. BurningCold, Feel free to plop your character in a separate post in the Characters section.
Oh, Edit: Because I always forget to say something. Enjoy the recently updated Timeline section of the opening post -- hopefully that will give a rough historical framework for everyone to work with. My next update will include the nation descriptions and tech explanations, and should be coming out tomorrow. Or tonight, if I can find the time.
Silence cut like a razor, spilling blood by the gallon and filling the air with the pungent smell of iron. It was a massacre, taking place in an empty hall which told no secrets. It was a protest against human ingenuity – a strike against the great pioneers.
It has now been one hour since contact ceased with the Willman Laboratory in Ursa Major following what was described by technicians as a “violent crash and static” on the other end. Government officials have not ruled out the possibility of some sort of disaster, but continue to insist that the cause is likely some sort of technical issue with the station’s transmitters –
At the end of the hallway stood a nondescript door leading to a standard biological laboratory, where a balding white man in his early forties lay decomposing on the harsh concrete floor, his eye sockets black and hollow, his skin broken by small holes all across his body as if his innards had planned a vast exodus en masse. His lab coat was stained a sinister grey color, and that same liquid spread from his body to create a puddle around him on the floor. It had the consistency of blood, as well the smell.
– laboratory was founded by Dr. Hector Russell, a giant in the fields of astrobiology and microbiology, for the purpose of studying the effects on known organisms in unknown environments, and for the discovery of unknown organisms –
On a usual day, the Willman Frontier Laboratory was not a quiet place. It was a place where eight hundred individuals – scientists, largely, along with their families – lived and worked in relatively close proximity, and where everyone seemed to be in quite a hurry to run from metal box to metal box, to share some step toward discovery.
But the silence had spread beyond the laboratory, through the hallway and out into the small colony. The living quarters were silent, no children played, no colleagues chatted in the dining hall. Instead, the dead populated the Willman colony. By the hundreds they lay, their eyes devoured, their skin perforated from the inside. They were many, they were all. There was no room for the living.
– a spokesperson for Russell Innovations will be addressing the public shortly regarding this situation, likely in an attempt to quell speculation. The government has already stated that, should the Willman Laboratory not contact Earth within the next four hours, a team will be dispatched to investigate what has unfolded at the most distant human settlement in all of the universe.
Alone, rocking back and forth almost involuntarily on the floor of a maintenance closet, Doctor Hector Russell tried in vain not to hyperventilate. The door was shut firmly in front of his face, shrouding him in utter blackness save for the dim light emanating from the gap at the bottom. Hector expected to hear footsteps outside, a rescue party or, perhaps, a colleague: come to tell him that none of it was real. But there were no footsteps. Only silence, and the man’s own ragged breathing. He kept rocking back and forth on the cold floor. He kept moving, he needed to, else the sensation inside him drive him to utter madness. If he stopped, he could feel them pull, outward. If he stopped, he could feel them crawl beneath his skin.
Event Horizon is an original science-fiction/mystery roleplay taking place in the year 2163. Humanity has successfully built manned shuttles which can exist for long durations out in space, and has already explored a good portion of the Milky Way galaxy, creating many thriving colonies in mankind's solar system and a few in adjacent areas. In space stations, on Mars, and in many other locations humans live good lives. They moved to make a fortune, or perhaps to get away from the clutter of Earth and her nearly ten billion residents, or perhaps for any of hundreds of other reasons. The mastery of space travel was like a gold rush for the scientific community, who began setting up outposts all over the galaxy and, in one instance, on the edge of the neighboring galaxy of Ursa Major.
The term “event horizon” usually refers to black holes, and references the point at which escape from the hole’s pull is impossible. It is, simply put, the tipping point: the point of no return. The destruction of the Willman Laboratory is humanity’s event horizon. It is the first page of the final chapter of our species’ history. But the folks in this story do not know that, not just yet.
Your characters will be among those sent to investigate the silence at the Willman Laboratory. Depending on your character's background and profession, you may have an extensive knowledge of the ongoing situation, or you may have just received a simple briefing. It will be up to you to decide whether or not to share the information you've been given with the rest of your team. The expedition will be the first witnesses to the most important event in human history, and they likely will not live through it. I will say this now: do not expect your character to “win”; do not get your hopes up for them to have a happy life, growing old on some private estate on a corner of Mars. Your character will die at the conclusion of this story, as will mine, as will everyone’s – unless they prove extremely lucky. What I’m trying to say is, do not get too attached. Yes, they will die, but they will just be the first of many. We have reached the point of no return.
Interested?
Earth Population: 9,800,000,000 The Earth remains the largest concentration of humanity in the whole of the universe by far. The planet’s politics remain fractured as they have for thousands of years – currently almost two hundred countries lay claim to land on Earth – but it was generally the larger countries which had the resources to create colony shuttles and have the infrastructure to launch them successfully. Most smaller countries pledged a semi-formal allegiance or pledged to pay tribute in exchange for their inclusion in these countries’ expeditions and colonies, and created larger factions which endured into the spacefaring age of human development. Among these were the Commonwealth, comprised of almost every former territory of the British Empire, with the United States being a notable exception, having constructed their own with the backing of Japan, Mexico and Israel. The European Union, at this point comprised of nearly every country in continental Europe, also constructed an expansive launch pad in southern France. China was among one of the first to figure out how to launch ships that carried a populace far larger than that of the expeditions of the mid 1900’s, and garnered the support of a few other nations in southeast Asia. Other countries followed suit as well: Russia; Saudi Arabia, winning over the support of much of the Middle East and northern Africa; Brazil, bringing along most of South and Central America; and Nigeria, along with much of the rest of central and southern Africa. In the year 2100, the nations of Earth signed an accord to implement a comprehensive population planning program designed to stop the human population from surpassing ten billion.
Mars Population: 3,350,000 Beyond Earth, Mars claims the title of the largest human colony in the universe. Rudimentary terraforming techniques have left the surface of Mars breathable and somewhat hospitable (in many places, the land is akin to that of a desert on Earth), and colonists from all of the major spacefaring nations flocked there. The planet’s largest industry is the mining industry, though many corporations have recently set up shop on Mars in an attempt to escape scrutiny on Earth.
Luna Population: 950,000 The Earth’s moon holds historical significance to the human race: it is the first place that humanity ever set foot on besides their home planet. Further, the Lunar Colony was the first off-world permanent colony to be established. Unlike some of the smaller colonies, has been separated by Earth nationality almost since its inception. The moon’s population is centered around a city near where the original moon landing took place, and which is predominately inhabited by Americans. Encircling that city are settlements just as homogenous, from Russia, and Brazil, China and so on.
Bessel Agricultural and Scientific Stations (B.A.S.S.) Population: 70,000 The Bessel Agricultural and Scientific Stations are a series of airtight space stations orbiting the planet Earth. Just as the name suggests, this colony was created with two goals in mind: to produce and distribute food to the other colonies, and to further the research into space and spacefaring. BASS is run by a council comprised of members of both the scientific and agricultural community.
Saturn Population: 30,000 Though there isn’t (and, indeed, cannot be) a colony on the surface of Saturn, there are tens of thousands of people living in mining colonies and small cities on the gas planet’s many moons. Roughly seventy years into mankind’s push into the stars, it was discovered that valuable minerals from Saturn’s rings could be harvested by small orbiting stations, triggering a “gold rush” of sorts to colonize Saturn’s satellites and monopolize on this new find. The astromining industry is still the largest by far in these colonies, though they’re slowly starting to develop into diversified settlements.
Willman Frontier Laboratory Population: 800 The Willman Frontier Laboratory is humanity’s first and only colonization attempt outside of the Milky Way Galaxy. Located in the Ursa Major I dwarf galaxy, one of the closest neighboring clusters, the laboratory is fully self sufficient and is still able to communicate with Earth and the colonies. The laboratory was founded by Dr. Hector Russell, a respected microbiologist who continues to run the program on site and the laboratory’s director.
In the universe of Event Horizon, Earth is still split along national borders, preventing the population of the stars by one united human race -- rather, it had begun as a show of superiority and financial ambition between several large political blocs on the planet, and those border lines drawn on Earth have, for the most part, been drawn in the same color across planets and colonies. However, there is one major international organization which has managed to successfully keep the peace and organize colonization efforts between the various blocs: The Global Coalition. The GC was the spiritual successor to the United Nations, which collapsed in the year 2078 during the start of the Russian Invasion of Europe. In the aftermath, it was decided that the next international governing body should hold no allegiance to any one country at all, and was granted the island of Comino in the tiny nation of Malta, which would serve as a sovereign capital for the Coalition. Any time a situation arises in one of the many international communities or outposts in the universe, it is generally the Coalition which steps in and handles affairs, with support or funding from the major nations of the world.
Note: I'll be completing this section soon.
American Alliance
The Commonwealth
European Union
Indochinese Alliance
The Russian Federation
The Arab League
The Brazilian Alliance
The Nigerian Accord
Note: Humanity is currently still at the beginning of the spacefaring age. As a result, society still looks quite similar to that of the present day, and most of the technological advances are not too far out there. There is no teleportation, guns still fire bullets, etc.
Space Travel: Ships are generally made much larger than the shuttles of the 20th century, and can now be piloted fully via an onboard interface much like an airplane, rather than via a control center on Earth. Ships have Earth-like gravity, thanks to a small Gravitational Adjustment Device (GAD) which counteracts the effects of space; additionally, ships have oxygen circulated internally, allowing passengers to move around without the need of an oxygen suit. Generally, a small number of oxygen suits are kept on board only in the event of an oxygen leak, or the need for external repairs arise. Space travel specifically is done using hyperdrive technology. Once a ship has cleared a planet’s orbit, it may enable the hyperdrive, restricting directional mobility but drastically increasing the speed of the vessel. As a result, a trip from Earth to the Willman Lab in the Ursa Major I Dwarf galaxy would take three or four days instead of several decades.
Colonies: In the absence of sophisticated terraforming technology, colonies have to rely on an acceptable substitute: the use of airtight interconnected buildings on the planet’s surface which utilize large, industrial Gravity Adjustment Devices to normalize sections of the city, as well as centrally planned oxygen circulation running nodes throughout each section. However, there is access to the outside planet, usually for the purpose of maintenance or mining endeavors, via a series of airlocks. In cases of transnational colonies, each region is generally separated by customs checkpoints, and every area is governed exclusive of each other, usually in the form of a city council.
Medicine Though medicine in 2163 still looks largely the same as it does in present day, numerous groundbreaking advances have been made. Numerous diseases have been eradicated due to extensive vaccine research, meaning that the human race hasn’t had to deal with a widespread epidemic in almost a century; occasionally a minor outbreak will occur, often in the colonies, but it is usually quickly treated and contained. Great gains have been made in the medical cybernetics industry, with fully functional replacement limbs and body parts becoming a reality in the early 2100’s.
Weaponry Work in Progress
2039 – The second space race begins as a result of competition between the United States and China, who both begin construction on large launch facilities capable of sending colony ships into space. Many other superpowers and political blocs soon follow suit. 2042 – The Seattle Pact is signed, cementing a formal alliance between the United States, Mexico, Japan and Israel, and consolidating their spacefaring efforts into one program. 2048 – The moon’s surface is prepped for colonization by construction drones. 2050 – The first permanent colonists from the United States land on the Earth’s moon, and the first human city not built on Earth – named Kennedy – is established. 2062 – The first Mars colony is established by the European Union. Led by a Lithuanian Captain, the EU expedition beat a Russian colony ship to Mars by several months, causing tensions between the two blocs. 2077 – Russia launches a full-scale attack on the Baltic states, which draws international condemnation and military aid to the defending states from numerous western powers. The United States, France and Great Britain send special forces units to engage directly with Russian forces. China likewise does the same for Russia. 2078 – With the nations on the security council at war with each other, the United Nations ceases to exist. 2081 – The Russian War ends at a virtual stalemate; Russia is allowed to retain “ownership” of the Ukraine and much of the Baltic region; however, these areas will remain autonomous regions within the Russian Federation for at least fifty years, and will hold fair elections undisturbed by the Kremlin. Russia is forced to pay financial reparations for the war numbering in the tens of billions. 2081 – The Global Coalition is created as a successor to the United Nations. The GC is granted land in the island nation of Malta, and is classified as a “transnational autonomous region”. 2086 – In one of the GC’s first major initiatives, the international entity sponsors the construction of an orbiting station whose population may number in the tens of thousands. The station was created to grow food and distribute it to the newly formed colonies on Mars and Luna, as well as to serve as a research hub. 2100 – Every nation on Earth signs the GC-backed “Sustainability Doctrine”, a set of laws and guidelines designed to halt the growth of the population and, as a result, irreparable damage to the planet. 2112 – Valuable minerals are found in the rings of Saturn, triggering a second “gold rush” to establish colonies in the area. 2115 – After nearly a decade of trying to unify the whole of Africa under one space program, the nation of Nigeria succeeds, building a launch facility outside of Lagos which rivals that of some of the earlier facilities in Europe and America. 2154 – Dr. Hector Russell, a celebrated South African scientist and businessman, establishes a research outpost in the Ursa Major I Dwarf system. This marks the first permanent human settlement outside of the Milky Way. The outpost is named the Willman Frontier Laboratory after Beth Willman, who had discovered the system. 2163 – All communications are lost between Earth and the Willman Frontier Laboratory.
My goal is to have this roleplay be separated into distinct sections, or Acts. Act One, called Contact, will revolve around the expedition sent to uncover the fate of the Willman Laboratory. Acts Two and Three (and perhaps more, depending on how successful Act One ends up being) will focus primary on new character in a new setting, but in the same Universe. So while your brave Act One soldier who grew up in a poor Mars colony may have perished at the Willman Lab, his daughter may be on the verge of a monumental scientific breakthrough on Earth which will be central to the plot of Act Two. Alternatively, your characters could be totally unrelated -- each Act could be a totally fresh start.
There will be a whole lot of death in this RP; after all, it is about the end of humanity. That part of the story is already "written", so to speak. I think that part will be the hardest for veteran roleplayers to get used to. Having done this stuff for almost a decade, I can say from experience that it is extremely hard to let go of a character whom you've poured your heart and soul into. So I understand if this gets folks out of their comfort zone, but I also think that that's half the fun of it all.
On Aliens
If we're talking strictly sentient species, then no, humans have not discovered anything that appears to be on par with their own intelligence. They have found "life", but that comes in the form of bacteria found on distant planets. At this point, that's the extent; although the human race has not gotten too far into the spacefaring age: they've really only explored the Milky Way, and had just begun to explore Ursa Major and other nearby galaxies. Just because aliens aren't in this at the start, doesn't mean they aren't coming.
On Cybernetics
In terms of cybernetics, humanity will have developed them to an extent, though not to the point where people have become more machine than they are man. The universe of Event Horizon is nowhere near the level of, say, the universe in Deus Ex. Cybernetic appendages are fine (rudimentary versions of these have been developed in the present day), so are mechanical tendons and muscle (in instances where an individual had, say, a crippling leg injury which prevented them from walking, but they still physically have their leg). In general, "physical" replacements and enhancements are fine -- things that allow folks to continue functioning -- while super high-tech things like cyborg eyes and, like, built in hacking features are nowhere near developed yet. As is, all cybernetic enhancements are still wildly expensive, meaning if someone has them, it's either because they need it (like they lost their hand) or they're super wealthy (and wanted to enhance their running abilities, or something).
On Multiple Characters:
As for multiple characters, I've been thinking a lot about this, and I may have come up with a rather unorthodox solution. It might not work. If it does work, however, it'd be pretty cool. So, anyone is entitled to however many characters they'd like, as long as they pledge to give 100% to every single character (meaning, if you choose to have three characters, I'm expecting three paragraphs per post and have all of them be actively involved in the story). However, most people won't want to do that, as it'd be rather time consuming. So, when I create the OOC and put up the character sheet, I'll invite anyone (especially the people who have expressed interest here, because you guys are the only reason this thing is getting off the ground in the first place) to create Character Sheets for the NPCs. So say you make your character, who happens to be, like, a soldier on board the ship. However you also make the CS for the Doctor and the Mechanical Engineer. Then, when your initial character dies (and odds are, they will -- there will be a lot of death in this RP), you're free to pick up one of the characters that you helped make. In the mean time, while you're playing your first character, I'll be fully in charge for all the NPCs. Think of me as, like, the banker. All of the NPCs will be in my "bank" during the course of the roleplay, and you can choose to "withdraw" one to play as at any time, should your character die or if you wish to play as two characters. During that time, though, I can and will be killing off characters and developing them of my own accord until you choose to pick them up, and when that happens you become the person totally in control of them.
Note: Any positions which are not filled will be filled by NPCs. Additionally, positions can be created by characters in their CS if it is approved by the GM.
Crew Pilot -- Available Co-Pilot -- Taken Navigator -- Available Mechanical Engineer -- Available Electrical Technician -- Available Quartermaster -- Taken
Willman Expedition Fireteam Leader (Sergeant) -- Taken Assistant Fireteam Leader (Corporal) -- Available Rifleman (Private) -- Available Rifleman (Private) -- Available Doctor (Medical Professional) -- Available Scientist (Specializing in a form of biology, either microbiology or astrobiology, which is the study of extraterrestrial life, or both) -- Available Official/Inspector -- Available
Character Sheet
Name: Age: Gender: Profession: Nationality: I would recommend stating both the specific nationality (Like, Japanese) and also the political bloc that country belongs to (I.e. American Alliance) Birth Planet: Or station, in the case of the BASS or the Willman Appearance: Please write a description. If you’d like, you may include a picture as well in the space above the “Name” section. Please do not use drawings or anime. Strengths: You must have at least as many weaknesses as you do strengths, and no less than two. Weaknesses: Personality: History: This may be as brief or expansive as you’d like it to be. Just remember, revealing and expanding upon events in a character’s life is far more powerful when done IC – and that when you write something here, and not in the IC, other characters won’t know anything about it. Family: Does your character have a spouse, or children? Are their parents still alive? Here you may list the names and ages of the character’s immediate family, if you so choose. This is mainly here because, again, lots of death in act one. You may end up playing as one of these folks in act two, if you so choose.
@BurningCold I'll be covering this in my update tomorrow when I put up the OOC, but to give you a shorter answer now: Basically there are three "classes" of manned ships currently in existance: a single-occupancy (or double-occupancy) scout-class ship, a large, bulky colony ship, and a medium-sized vessel used either for twenty-or so passenger transports or cargo. The medium-sized ship is the one we'll be using specifically in Act One of this RP; for that ship, picture something similar to the Serenity in the Firefly universe: a decent-sized freighter which is versatile enough to carry either passengers or various types of cargo.
