It has been two thousand years since man began exploring space. Contact with the enemy came swiftly, and they attacked without provocation. They razed our solar system, plundered our resources and used a terrible weapon on our sun, draining the life, warmth and light from it. The enemy left us to our fate. The Ancestors built the cities beneath the earths crust, and here we remain until our star goes dark for good.
Mankind now dwells in subterranean cities and structures collectively called The Pillars. These are massive structures burrowed into the earth with thousands of floors. They are all roughly cylindrical in shape with a tangled spiderweb of connecting tunnels, railways and service lines. Energy is supplied by Pre-Descent Engines of unknown origin. They appear to require no source of fuel to maintain power. Engines that have run for millenia have been known to suddenly cease functioning. Salvaged Engines from abandoned Pillars can be coaxed back to life. Engineers specialize in learning about Pre-Descent technology like the Pillar Engines.The Pillars are scattered across the globe, relics of ancient government projects designed to save their citizens from the environmental effects of the darkening star-and our current home. Some are filled with societies-living and dying every day. Trade routes have been established, new farming techniques discovered. Alliances are formed and broken. War erupts.
Some of The Pillars are tombs for our Ancestors.Perhaps the Enemies weapons found them before they could seal the gates, or some sickness carried them to oblivion in the quiet darkness. Some say we should search these ruins for supplies, science or information. Others say we should seal them off and wait in solitiude until our star goes black.
King Nestor is the ruler of Pillar Neln He has an excellent reputation for honor and justice. His army is small, but well trained. His engineers are some of the most talented in the world. Nestor has a grudge against sorcerers since Sorcerer Varim Grin took the life of his eldest son. Sorcerers have been expelled from Pillar Neln until our sun goes dark.
Lord Oben Graz leader of the Royal Combine movement. Little is known about Graz, or if he even exists. Rumours persist that he is a great knight, or a sorcerer or both. Whoever he is, he is well protected and connected. The Royal Combine's resources seem to be unlimited.
Sir Kamahl Khan famed leader of the northern barbarians. Every few years his soldiers march south in War Machines and pillage as much loot as they can only to slip away into the ice flows and glaciers once more. He has good fighters and knows only one language:money.
Lord Prospero, high king of our hated enemies, Pillar Malka. Prospero rose to power through bloodshed, killing the former council with the aid of an unknown sorcerer and very probably the aid of Lord Oben Graz and the despicable Royal Combine. Prospero speaks openly on the Nets of his intent to destroy our city-even with the peace in place.
Sir Izar Maxim is the commander of Pillar Dakhens small militia. Although Sir Maxim is a trained and well equipped knight, his militia is not. Maxim is the oldest knight remaining in Dakhen-He refused promotion for many years preferring to remain on the battlefield. The last war with Pillar Malka was particularly devestating to the knights ranks, and Maxim finally excepted command of the militia. He is loyal and adamant supporter of the Priesthood of Tallus.
Madame Larimar Vol is the President of Estate Power which supplies 25% of Pillar Dakhens energy needs from scavenged Pre-Descent Engine technology. Madame Vol is concerned only with the well being of her company and will (and has) cease to supply power to the city if her demands are not met. She has petitioned for a seat at the High Council and is rapidly gaining support among Dakhen's nobility.
Sir Ben Pella is a knight and High Guardian of the Priesthood of Tallus. Tallus the Merciful is the light of honor and justice in this dark World. Sir Pella has served at the Temple since he was a child, training knights and giving aid to the city and citizens when he can.[/b]
Dakhen, our beloved city. Our power has wained in recent seasons and the citizens seek to restore that power. The kings war with Malka saw his ultimate destruction and the rise of the High Council as the true governing force in the city-(that's all of you!). The kings foolish war has cost our knighthood untold losses, this will have to be rebuilt. We rely too much on private enterprises (see Estate Power, Madame Vol). Our Engineers are underfunded and without direction. Our hydroponic farms need maintenance. Our people-teetering on the brink of becoming an unruly mob make public their demands. We should restore our city to greatness less chaos befall us all. Long live Pillar Dakhen!
The Priesthood of Tallus is a religious order of knights dedicated to ancient ideals of honor and justice. After the descent mankind cast aside these virtues in favor of greed and anger. A warrior known as Tallus is their diety. He is said to defend the weak and powerless against any foe. Tallus' tomb lies in the Temple of the same name. A dwindling cadre of knights defend this stronghold in Dakhen.
The Royal Combine is a fanatical social movement led by Lord Oben Graz. Probably the largest threat to Pillar Dakhen security at the moment. There military headquarters is unknown, but a large presence has surfaced in Pillar Dakhen in recent weeks. Information suggests they seek to restore a monarch to Dakhen, as they did in Pillar Malka some years ago. Royalists recruit from the dredges of society, but it would be a mistake to assume all of their fighters are peasants. Heavily armored knights have been spotted among their ranks during battle. The names of these knights are unknown to us, but a sufficient reward would surely entice some to reveal that information. Royalists carry a banner of crimson with a gold crown mounted on a sword emblazoned upon it.
Pillar MalkaOur bitter enemies. We have an uneasy peace-(more of a ceasefire really), with those scoundrels. Their king, Lord Prospero (if you can call him a Lord!) has made quite public his loathing of our form of government-and would take our city and our resources if given the chance.
The dying Sun has changed the realm of science and nature. Or maybe it was the weapons used by the Enemy- A certain percentage of the population finds themselves with the ability to manipulate energies. Telekinesis and telepathy are the most common. Simple thermodynamic manipulation is prevalent as well-. Others have increased speed, strength and intelligence. These individuals hold places of power in the societies beneath the mantle. They lead factions and governmental projects. They are the military officers and research specialists. They are the new nobility and social elite of the Pillars' society.
In Our Dark Star you play a member of the ruling council of Pillar Dakhen, once one of the most influential and powerful cities in the world. Play consists of turns where the player will tell me what they do and say. Each turn is one season in game time (four seasons per turn). Any additional RP material is welcomed.(vignettes, social commentary, This is a cooperative turn-based RP set in the final centuries of our stars life. This is a soft science RP with a dark tone. Major themes include redemption and discovery, fading memory and the inevitability of the End. It will be at least a week before the character classes are finished.I'm aiming for one turn per-week. At the beginning of each turn I will post any important events, results of the players endeavours, inquiries and news. I'm looking for 4-6 players capable of maintaining casual writing standards.
Classes are subject to change while I get this thing together-I'm building this thing from scratch so some early versions might not be the final product
Classes in Our Dark Star define the archetype of what your character is like. These should not be viewed as limitations. Each class has unique features and benefits. Characters can be male or female.
Knights are unmatched on the battlefield. They are the beloved heroes of the common Pillar citizen. They have the best weapons, armor and weapons technology. A knight has access to a War Machine like a Mech Unit, Aircraft or Battle Tank. These machines make knights almost invincible against even a moderate sized fighting force. A knights power increases by 2 when occupying a war machine.
Engineers use science and technology to their advantage. Engineers can traverse the Networks effortlessly, breaking codes and encrypting information.They search out and guard the secrets of the Ancestors. Engineers have access to a Workshop for constructing machines of their design.
Sorcerers investigate and harness the latent energies of the world. Sorcerers are shunned by the common citizens of the Pillars as dangers to the safety of the city. Some Pillars have banned sorcery outright. A Sorcerer has the added benefit of a codex and an underling. The underling acts as a servant capable of completing moderately complex tasks or things a sorcerer might not necessarily be able to get away with. When playing a sorcerer be sure to think about the character of your underling as you will be playing them as well. A codex is a book containing the arcane knowledge a sorcerer has gathered.
Nobles bring the benefit of wealth and industry to the party. Nobles are the financiers, investors and industry captains of the Pillars. They strike trade deals that build and topple cities. Nobles are in the public spotlight and make or break their fortunes under public scrutiny. Nobles have the added benefit of an independently owned industry of their choosing. This could be as controversial as weapons and chemical production or as simple and necessary as food goods or service. Choose a name for your industry as well. In addition, one favor may be called upon from an NPC of your choosing. This favor cannot be refused and will almost certainly succeed. Choose carefully.
Assets measure the disposable wealth of your character. Basically the fruits of your labor. Assets are the result of your production. Spend assets like you would money. Each player starts with 5 assets. Assets accrue seasonaly.
Power How much force your character is capable of harnessing. For a knight this is a measurement of the physical ability or mechanical ability of your machine. For a sorcerer this measures the measure of your magic. etc.
Production Your potential income. In other words, how much your character is financially worth. Your production directly influences your Assets. Production is high for Nobles and low for Knights.
Influence Your pull with the major players. This measures how likely you are to convince a person/organization/government entity of your schemes. Increase this by appeasing the powers that be. Not to be confused with Charm, which is how the public views your character.
Charm Measures your popularity with the public at large. This is reflected in your appearance on the Nets and your conduct on the council. The common citizens of the Pillars are fickle and do not easily forget.
