Mirandae

B l e a k

OOC

_{P R E M I S E}

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Life in the Union has never been easy. Overlord is constantly watching every step and listening to every word. People go missing all the time for saying or implying the wrong thing. Protectors patrol the streets armed to the teeth and ready to ‘assist’ anyone who breaks protocol. Every broadcast and educational information is altered to fit the agenda of the Union. The old religion of the world and knowledge of the Way is outright removed from the collective consciousness. There is only the Union and obedience to it.

One day, a missile strikes the outskirts of the city of Oakridge. This kind of attack is usually ignored. There are three Unions in the world, and they are constantly at war with each other. The relentless propaganda machine of the Union tells everyone to go about their business. However, later the same day, panic strikes the city when strange creatures emerge from the Underground and begin to attack everyone on sight. Overlord orders a total lockdown of the city. Protectors in hazmat gear and heavy firepower swarm the streets. Those who have been attacked by the creatures appear to mutate and come back to life, but seemingly devoid of all humanity.

Resistance Forces within the city seize the moment to overthrow the Union. They launch an attack on several key locations and structures. A small cell of volunteers finds itself in a bizarre situation deep within Union Headquarters. The volunteers discover a strange specimen in what appears to be a research laboratory. The creature looks nothing like anything they have ever seen before. They also find texts and instructions in a completely alien language. Moments later, they are ambushed by elite Union Forces that appears to have been mutated. The volunteers barely escape the building. After attempting to make contact with the Resistance, they hear a distress beacon coming from the other side of the city.

The volunteers arrive at the aftermath of some incomprehensible conflict. They find the leader of the Resistance at his dying breath. He speaks cryptic words about something called Project Agora and the fusion of planets. The volunteers are told to contact the Resistance forces of a nearby Neutral Zone. The volunteers learn that an Aesir of the Solar System may have been forcefully awakened and on its way to the Earth.

_{I N F O R M A T I O N}

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In this story you play a citizen of Oakridge. While a citizen, this person is not ordinary. Not only do they sympathize with the resistance, but they also belong to a minority of powerful individuals born as such. By the unfortunate events of the story, your character is by chance put together with others of the same nature. You thereby become an extremely dangerous force to be reckoned with.

Your character is best suited to be between teenage years and the middle of their lives. With age comes greater power, but also more responsibility. The youngsters will look to you for guidance and knowledge. Your character will also be what is known as an Aeon. It is a powerful individual whose talents are prohibited within the Unions. Chances are that your character knows the characters of other players, already. It is not a requirement, but older Aeons usually offer training to younger ones in the Unions, so there is a network of trust.

There will be no specific order in which players should post. Past interactions can be completed through Flashbacks, if someone falls behind. There may be several timelines in posts, anyway. There will also not be any posting schedule. If you cannot post now, post later. It is that simple. The same goes for post length. Include in your post everything that is necessary in order to create substance for others to work with. The story has elements of many things such as Action, Drama, Adventure, and Slice-of-Life. Some sections of the story may be slower than others.

Read the Codex. You can also add to it in the Lore section or write larger pieces for the other sections. I cannot possibly create everything myself.

Codex

_{U N I O N S}

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(1) Three unions hold dominion over our world. Devlon Industries, Elkoss Combine, and Haliat Armory. They were prominent tech-conglomerates in the past that manufactured great technologies and weapons for the world to destroy itself with. Today, they are self-sufficient government entities at war with one another over the last bits of resources that the world has to offer. Most of the fighting is accomplished through subversion and political assassinations, but blatant warfare does occur every now and then. This has been going on for the last two decades without an end in sight.

(2) Life within the unions is difficult. While men and women go to work and children go to school, everyone will feel the ever watchful presence of the Union and its security forces. Surveillance cameras and drones watch and listen to everything. Most of what people earn working for the union is seized and redistributed. Everyone lives on the edge of poverty and starvation while the members of the unions bask in luxury.

(3) The neutral zones offer some respite. These are the parts of the world that the unions have not gained control over. The communities of the neutral zones live a traditional life with fair laws and high trust within the group—life is simple and quiet. Local resistance fighters work tirelessly to keep the unions at bay. People work and trade with each other openly and securely. Community wide decisions are voted on through a careful process involving several phases. The people that could be considered leaders are elected purely on merit and wisdom.

(4) Boys and girls must attend military school regardless of where they are born. Whether it is for the unions or the neutral zones, every man and woman serves the community as a solider. They may not always be in active service, but they must stand ready when the trumpets sound. However, the discipline and sense of unity provided by such schooling has proved to be universally beneficial for any community in the world.

_{T E C H N O L O G Y}

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(1) Batteries and Power Cells are the primary means of distributing electricity. Due to the hostile nature of the world, using power grids is not reliable. They are too vulnerable to attacks that it is easier and safer to provide electricity through portable means. Batteries are what one would expect them to be. They come in various sizes and can make most contraptions function in everyday life. Power Cells are a lot larger and contain pure energy harnessed from marine Fusion Reactors. These sources of electricity are used to power buildings, vehicles, and other infrastructure systems. Naturally, there is a lot of maintenance in changing Power Cells, but it offers plenty of jobs to people.

(2) Transportation is dominated by wheel-based vehicles such as trains and cars. Air and naval travel is highly regulated by the Unions, thus not as easily available as the other options. Special permits, which are quite expensive, are required for civilians to travel by air or sea. Industry and production also requires permits to transport goods by other means than train and trucks.

(3) The Mobile Assistance Suit (M.A.S.) is one of the world’s greatest inventions. It is an exo-skeleton designed for industrial and military purposes. The M.A.S. can be modified with numerous attachments that include tools and weapons. It can also be fitted with extra armor plating, rigs for heavy duty work, and contraptions that increase carrying capacity. The M.A.S. has its core installed into backside of the neck, just below the head of a person. The surgery is fast and painless, if the proper procedure is followed. Depending on attachments and modifications, the M.A.S. requires additional batteries or Power Cells to function.

(4) Clothes, gear, and armor coating are mostly made out of hydrophobic and electrophobic materials. Water and electricity are the most prevalent hazards plaguing workers and soldiers alike. The world sees many days of rain and thunder each year. Most Fusion Reactors are located near coastal lines, as they use ocean water as propellant, so hydrophobic qualities are of great importance. Water and electricity are also the primary means of crowd control during civil unrest. The weapons used by riot police are based on shock and pressure.

(5) Helmets with advanced visual enhancement and sensors are a common sight. Not only do they offer anonymity, they also protect and increase life expectancy in hostile situations. Most helmets have targeting systems, heat detection, motion detection, environment scanning, and hazard scanning. Helmets are powered by batteries. Disrupting the battery by removing it or by other means disable it will make the helmet useless, as the face is entirely covered and is not see through with the plain eye.

(6) The unions favor different kinds of warfare. Haliat Armory focuses on land, Devlon Industries on air, and Elkoss Combine on sea. They can conduct war within all domains, but they invest more capital and research in their respective focus. Soldiers use an array of ranged and explosive weaponry. Modern forms of melee weapons are also used. All-out war between the unions have a ‘trench warfare’ style to it. They bunker down and try to outlast one another. The unions are corporations after all, not the military.

_{M E T A P H Y S I C S}

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(1) The old religion of the world holds that planets are the domains of Aesir. These beings were among the first that formed in the beginning of the universe. They feed on the remnants of the Creator that lingers in everything. The Creator is not a singular entity. It is an energy from which all things emanated. This entity is often referred to as Eon.

(2) The Aesir of our planet is known as Gaia, Godmother Earth. All the different species of her domain are her creations. She was lucky enough to have her planet be at the perfect distance from the energy of the creator in the nearest star. Those who claim that they have met Gaia describe her as humanoid, closely resembling a female form. Others claim that her shape is not representative of neither man nor woman.

(3) Some species are born with high sensitivity to the energy of Eon. This results in the ability to ‘push’ the energy in various ways that creates incredible effects. However, Aeons cannot do whatever they want. Most would describe it as a martial art. They move and utilize their momentum to push the world around them. The sensitivity also makes them physically stronger in direct exposure to the energy of the Creator, such as sunlight. Even if Eon exists in all things and all places, darkness is still lacking it. The longer these sensitive individuals remain in places devoid of light, the more they revert to the normal strength of their species.

(4) Most Aesir are slumbering. The universe has expanded for such a long time that changes in the order of things are not as significant as they used to be. However, when and if they do awaken, Aesir instinctively seek the warmth and sustenance of the energy of the creator. It is easy for them to grow jealous of the ones that are in the perfect distance from a star. Creating life within their domain is a prime motivator for all Aesir.

_{R E L I G I O N}

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(1) The collective term for many religions is the Old Religion. As the Unions suppress the practice of any religion, different variations and denominations are referred to simply as the Old Religion. The different thoughts of it centers on appreciation for Eon and worship of Aesir. The most prominent variation revered Gaia and still does, in secret. This kind of worship is the appreciation of and attunement to nature. Temples and shrines can be found all over the world, but not within the Unions. People leave offerings, incense, and prayers at these places.

(2) Some of those who become Aeons live a spiritual life. Others simply ignore it. The teachings of ‘The Way’ usually comes from religious circles. It is the teaching of techniques that Aeons can use to push the energy of the creator. They used to get basic training at mandatory military schools, but not anymore. Now, they have to seek out temples and other gatherings outside of the Unions for training. Within the Unions, young Aeons can only hope to get a bit of training from the older ones.

(3) To ‘push’ is to alter the energy of the creator in oneself or the environment. The reactions of this action are often destructive, but some are also protective. Elements such as fire, ice, and electricity are used for the former end, while water and light are used for the latter. The destructive techniques involve attacks that create beams, blasts, bolts, projectiles, orbs, waves, vortexes, pillars, spikes, and explosions of elemental energy. The defensive techniques involve creating energy shields of different kinds and healing, although light can be used offensively as well.

(4) Aeons grow physically stronger in sunlight. The radiant energy of the creator saturates their cells to peak human potential. They can endure more punishment, strike with increased force, move with otherworldly agility and speed. The extent of this effect partially depends on the training and individual sensitivity of each Aeon. Age seems to play a part, as well, in that older and more experienced Aeons are stronger. However, in darkness, their strength will gradually decrease and return to normal. This decrease is slower if exposed to sunset. Similarly, the strength returns faster if exposed to sunrise.

(5) Aeons are born as sensitives to the energy of the creator. The cause of it is uncertain, but it appears to be related to genetics and the alignments of astral bodies. However, the exact details of the process are unknown. Sensitivity is difficult to detect unless one looks for it in children. It is not until Aeons learn their power techniques that it becomes apparent.

(6) There are many Power Techniques. They are often categorized into basic, advanced, and experimental. The basic techniques used to be taught at school. Advanced techniques are taught by sages at temples or private training grounds. Experimental techniques are mostly self-taught. They are considered highly dangerous for everyone involved, and therefore illegal in most places. As the Unions have banned the use of Power Techniques, basic training is usually found in older Aeons that live within the Unions. They usually offer private training sessions either entirely for free or a modest price. Due to this ban, Experimental Techniques have become much more common.

_{W O R L D}

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(1) The years are counted from the industrial revolution of the world. The current year is 421 thereafter. A new year of the calendar is celebrated with festivities and fireworks. It is also a day of ceasefire. The fourth month of the year is celebrated as the Month of Technology in remembrance of the industrial revolution. Events and conventions are hosted wherever possible that shows new and old technology. Nearby astral bodies are also celebrated with festivities and events. The Lunar Hail occurs during each full moon of the year. It is a single-day celebration that reveres the closest, other deity to Terra: Luna. The Festival of the Quiet, which occurs in the tenth month, is perhaps the calmest celebrations of them all whereby people honor the dead. Lastly, in the eighth month of the year, Mars and its deity, Tiu, is celebrated with a week-long feast.

(2) The world was divided by nations just thirty years ago. It was not until after a series of political assassinations, skirmishes, and financial overtaking that the unions gained control. The remnants of the old world can be found in the neutral zones. While no longer bound by blood and soil, the neutral zones act like independent nations that usually conduct direct or pure democracy. The number of citizens are controlled so as to preserve the value of every single voter. Several resistance forces keep the security of the neutral zones, combating threats both foreign and domestic. Should one such force attempt to install a government that contradicts the current system, then the other resistance forces take it down.

(3) The Net is an important part of world culture. The online virtual reality of the Net has for many years been a focal point of communication, activity, and expression. However, with the rise of the unions, many parts of the Net were censored. This introduced a widespread interest in digital activism and hacking. The Net can be visited with a computer of any kind. Holograms and Headsets support the virtual reality function of the Net. In the current year, the Net is a battlefield of propaganda, disinformation, and sabotage.

(4) Ever since the unions assumed control, the culture of anonymity has skyrocketed in the world. This was also in junction with the increased restrictions on the Net and mass surveillance in the physical world. The unions have a nasty track record of going after family and friends of dissenters, rival unions, resistance fighters, and anyone who opposes them. This is why many people wear masks in combat and everyday life whenever they move around within the unions, and sometimes in the neutral zones. While masks for conflict look menacing, masks for daily use are much subtler and fashionable.

(5) There are many different currencies in the world. The unions use their own credit system. It is all digital and easy to track. However, there are plenty of shops and underground networks that accept other currencies. In the neutral zones, citizens can choose from a wide range of payment methods involving ‘hard’ currency. Gold and silver are always welcome and valuable. Union credits work sometimes, but are not worth much. Other precious metals such as palladium and platinum as well as gems are often traded with. On the front and in the wilderness, one can trade almost anything for other goods.

_{L O R E}

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★ Netrunners — A collective group of individuals in the neutral zone that hack into union satellites, allowing people to use features like GPS on their devices.
★ Call-to-Arms Alert — Mandatory mustering for citizens in defense of a town or city.
★ General Alert — Non-mandatory mustering, but has a reward incentive.
★ Lunar Hail — Celebration on every full moon honoring the deity Luna.
★ Festival of the Quiet — Festival remembering and honoring the dead.
★ HA-12 — A 10-shot revolver by Haliat Armor powered by a small power cell.
★ Elkoss Carbine - A lightweight, tactical firearm with a lot of attachment potential.
★ Yumchug — Very tasty.
★ Union Wheat — A brand of cereal, often mixed with Yumchug to produce an edible grey mixture.
★ Sensitive — A term for an Aeon.
★ Children of the Sun — A term sometimes used to describe Aeons.
★ Hellhog — a slang term used for motorcycle.
★ U-Wake — A commonly used personal media player.
★ Foxtrot 11 — Powerful contact or shadow organization that buys and sells information.

Character Sheet

You can change the colors if you want. Character image/gif/mood board goes on top of the sheet. Character appearance should be the same across all characters, so either realistic or art. This has to be decided at some point in OOC discussions. Completed character sheets go into the OOC for check-up before being posted in the Character Tab. Combat rules will be posted in the Character Tab, as well.

[CENTER][SUB][COLOR=cecece]N A M E S U R N A M E
◄ AGE ▎ MALE/FEMALE ▎ HEIGHT ►[/COLOR][/SUB][/CENTER]

[SUB][COLOR=cecece]P R E S E N C E[/COLOR][/SUB][hr.][color=a8a8a8]
This is about the way your character [i]is[/i]. It could be personality, but also general behavior and attitude. Presence can also include appearance descriptions.[/color]

[SUB][COLOR=cecece]C H R O N I C L E[/COLOR][/SUB][hr.][color=a8a8a8]
This can be any noteworthy event in your character's history. The only requirement is that your character lives in Oakridge.[/color]

[SUB][COLOR=cecece]M E M O R I E S[/COLOR][/SUB][hr.][color=a8a8a8]
Memories are for creating relations with other characters, be it player or non-player. A memory can be any kind of moment that two or more characters shared together. It can also be memories of non-player characters or events that shaped your character. Memories can be anything.[/color]

BLEAK

Thank you for the kinds words, really. I'll take a look at everything this weekend, see what I can salvage and redo.

BLEAK

Not sure what happened here, but we're quitting this? Seeing as everyone disappeared at the same time. I know Sync had a hard time with a new job, though, if I remember correctly.

BLEAK

Doesn't seem like we're getting anyone else. People seem too mesmerized by all the superhero-high school roleplays. :)

BLEAK

I'm bumping the interest check a little bit to see if we can fill a spot.

BLEAK — action, adventure, drama.

Bump. Looks like there is an opening for an additional player or two! Please come by the ooc and feel things out, ask questions. No need to make commitments until you're absolutely sure.

BLEAK

Ok, here's the discord link: discord.gg/wHJHpA4

I know little to nothing about having a discord server, so just tell me if something is off and I'll change it.

@DeadDrop That's unfortunate. I hope that the training goes well and that you'll be back when you can. I'll think on what to do with the character. It depends a little on how far we get and what happens. But, thank you, thank you for staying with us this far. :)

BLEAK

Off-topic question: are you guys Discord-kind of people? I could set something up for us, if that is the majority wish.

BLEAK

Sorry for the slight delay. I got caught up in video games over the weekend here.

I suppose we can decide together where the party is headed, and who that wishes to take the driver's seat. The three destination options are: Mineral Grove, Dadena City, and Eastbourne.

BLEAK

_{HELSTON OUTSKIRTS ▎ FRIDAY ▎ 26 OCTOBER}
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It did not take long for them to reveal themselves. That thing roaming and wreaking havoc was a formidable foe. Any sensitive would be wise to employ their capacity against it. Alice tried to support her fellow Aeons with hails of bullets when the opportunities presented themselves. The man she had spoken with at the camp turned out to be one of her own kind. His abilities were impressive. They belonged to some categories that Alice herself had not mastered yet. The man with the helmet’s display was followed by the upbeat guy from the camp, the one she had waved to in response to his general greeting of those who were there. His attack on the creature obscured the view of things, which caused Alice to stop firing and find cover by one of the personnel carriers.

Alice ejected the mag and reloaded. It was at this time that the blonde woman from the camp darted forward and gave the creature a good smacking. The energy from her blasts were heavy and emitted quite powerful sounds. Alice tried to find an opening to fire at the beast, but the woman was too fast. The shots were better aimed at the tiny abominations running around, as it would keep the blonde in the clear and avoid being suddenly overwhelmed. When the mag ran dry, Alice changed position while locking ready her last bullets. She moved with rapid but soft steps from cover to cover behind the vehicles of the convoy. The others kept the aggressive monster occupied with storms of Aeonic energy long enough for Alice to reach the ruins of the first carrier.

The tag team was there and alive. Alice took a quick peak inside, and then she drifted her view across the battlefield. Their numbers were thinning at an alarming rate. Many of the regular volunteers were dead or being killed by the second. “Can she move?” Alice asked the boy with the soft features and threw a glance at the woman with the injury being mended by watery energies. “We need to get out of here. Try to move over to the other carrier. It’s just a few meters away,” she continued and let off a couple of shots at approaching abominations. At that instance, the ground began to rumble and vibrate again. It felt much more intense this time around, an assault on the senses to say the least. A loud, deep roar growled in the depths of the crater. A colossal creature of horrid proportions began to crawl towards full view. It towered at the height of skyscrapers, tentacles sprouting from its head clad with myriad eyes, and limbs spearheaded by hoofs. It was incomprehensible to the mind to look at, and it was accompanied by a swarm of the Red Terror that they had just fought. It was, indeed, time to leave. The sergeant back at the camp that Alice had previously spoken to surely did not predict this kind of monstrosity, but he was right nonetheless. There was no chance of victory.

“Come on!” Alice shouted, as she made her way to the second carrier of the convoy. Nearly all of the regular volunteers had been killed. Only the few Aeons that had joined the fray remained, keeping horde at bay. However, they would soon be overrun. Alice opened up the driver seat door and peaked inside to make sure that the rear was unlocked, and it was. She hurried around the back of the carrier and grabbed a spare mag that fit her rifle. With a graceful leap off of the ground, Alice took hold on top of the vehicle. “Come on, it’s time to go!” She shouted again while letting the bullets fly, providing cover for a retreat. The bulk of the swarm and the gigantic monstrosity seemed to just engulf the area in seconds. Routes and possibilities of escape were diminishing quite rapidly.

Her rifle ran dry again. The straps attached to the weapon came around her shoulders for it to rest across her back. Alice began modest gestures with her hands that sparked into existence faint energies of frigid nature. As it charged and grew at an exponential rate, emitting a white-bluish hue, she waited for the survivors of this lost battle to come closer to the carrier. When they were nearly there, Alice catapulted herself off of the roof of the vehicle straight up towards the sky. She extended both arms forward with their fingers folded together. A massive stream of icy energies rushed forward. Half way towards its target, Alice parted her fingers and exposed the palms, which split the giant beam into numerous hails. The bombardment caused explosive sounds to consume the field, each hit bursting into arctic air around its impact. When the survivors were safely close to the carrier, Alice ceased her attack and fell down onto the roof of the vehicle again. “Go, go, go!” She shouted to whoever had taken the driver’s seat.

The way back to Helston was cut off. They only had two options. Either they drove north towards Mineral Grove or Dadena City. Or they had to drive east towards Eastbourne. The driver would ultimately have to decide. However, to Alice’s horror, as she held herself steady on the roof of the carrier, the sky in all directions were clad with falling stars just like the one that had crashed outside of Helston some hours ago—the one whose creatures they had just fought. This was not just some random astral event. This was an invasion.

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QUEST STEPS: Anyone can take the driver's seat. Whoever does will decide where the party goes from here. (suggestion: whoever is first to post after this). Finish up the fight, react to the big monster and swarm of Red Terrors, and retreat to the carrier. React to the multiple falling meteors in the far distance, in all directions (the unions).