It is the year 1820 AD. The grass blooms, flowers swirl around like Japanese blossoms. You're the greatest warrior the Muslim world has ever seen. Now, you must wield such strength onto the invaders that have set their sights on your land.

You have on you, a bandage x1, a water bottle for thirst x3 (this is in case you're really thirsty. After the first three sips, the water will be depleted) and lasty, your Ottoman Sword. How do you plan to prepare for the upcoming invasion?

Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. During the day, it's a place of joy. Unfortunately for you, you've got the night shift. You clock in at exactly 12am and make your way to the security office. What a mess... Scattered papers and a half-drunk soda litter the room. The security monitors are stacked in an odd pile on the corner of the desk. A faint orange glow envelops the room, probably the only light in the building. As the light flickers, you catch glimpses of childrens' drawings and letters strewn across the room, even on the lockers behind you. Creepy.

Looks like Ralph left you a message...

"Hello? Hello hello? Hey, first night! Uh, thanks for taking tonight. We'll try and get you back on dayshift as soon as soon as possible. For now, just keep an eye on the place. Uh, we'll also need you to sanitize Chica and see if you can do anything about Freddy's jaw. It's having problems. Again. With that, remember to smile, you are the face of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza!"

Click.

Sounds easy enough. Clean up the chicken, fix the bear. Pray that tonight isn't the night Freddy's becomes popular enough for overnight visitors. What could possibly go wrong?

You're in the security office. You'll need your flashlight before you leave. What will you do?

OOC: This was written purely because the Five Nights at Freddy's sub doesn't allow RP posts. So, hello r/YouEnterADungeon! Hope you enjoy my first post.

The Lineage Device is one of the greatest inventions of our time. A simple VR pod where, once you're placed inside, you can inhabit the bodies of your ancestors as if you were really there. Some people use this device for genealogical research, but most use it for fun, choosing to relive the most exciting memories of their ancestors.

You never knew your parents. You were raised in a foster home. The Lineage is expensive but you've managed to get a coupon through your work. Now you're at the Lineage Center, waiting for your turn in the machine.

Edit: You don't have to use the prompt in the second paragraph, that's just a suggestion.

It's evening time. Around 6:30 pm. Even at this hour, there are still a moderate amount of people roaming the streets. You are a superhero. But right now, you are out of costume and enjoying your regular civilian life.

Suddenly, you see a large van crash through the front window of the lab, showering the screaming staff with glass and debris as they scatter to avoid being hit. A woman inside covers her head, feeling pieces of glass slice through her clothes and into her flesh.

Four men exit the vehicle, each wearing supervillain costumes. The largest of the men looks like an oversized armadillo-man. The second is convulsing with electricity. The other two appear to be twins. One of the twins is holding a riffle, while the other is holding a baton.

"EVERYONE ON THE GROUND RIGHT THE FUCK NOW!"

The screaming picks up as they do as instructed. Unwilling to get hurt.

The men hoop and holler, one of the twins jumping up on the lab table and waving his baton like it is a toy sword. Like cartoon robbers they pull out big black sacks, tossing them to the terrified staff and barking orders to fill them up. The twins then grab the lead scientist by the collar and drag him at gunpoint out of the robotics department and into the back room, disappearing from sight.

Who are you, and what do you do as the scene unfolds?

You think, therefore you are, and your brain is too. You can speak, move and breath as well as the best of them. Trouble is, beyond the awareness of these things, you don't remember much. You are aware your throat tastes of saltwater, and your body is crisscrossed with countless scars that look like words you can't read, and pretty much everything hurts. The only plus side is that the body you have is whole, clothed and rocking and your left hand is complete with four fancy jewelled rings you seem to remember are unique and magical, though in what way is vaguer.

Watching you wake is an old woman with black and white paint under her eyes.

"Good, efforts were not wasted. We have many questions for you, and I expect many have you for us. First I must test you, that you are worth questioning, and we are not wrong to save you. Our seer covets all rings upon your fingers, but will ask for only one. For it, all debts you owe us are settled, and all help we can provide need not be paid for. We are not thieves, so will not harm you if you refuse, but it would tell us not to be generous with you. Are you ready to speak, sleeper?"

Urgh, good morning to her too... you look anew at the rings, the jet stone on a silver band your pinky bears has something to do with shadows and living within them you feel. Maybe that's something to do with why you don't remember anything else, and all the ominous writing all over your body. Maybe that might be the one to give up to stop this happening again....

The Emerald stone on a copper band on your ring finger (of course!) must be important by virtue of having pride of place, and you feel it had something to do with not alarming people, so perhaps you should keep it, lest you reveal yourself to be really a giant slug if it is removed... or maybe it's better to get that kind of revelation out the way sooner rather than later, who knows?

The Ruby stone on a brass band is pulsing with heat and glowing so brightly you're amazed the old woman has not remarked on it. You think it was tied to revenge and survival, so you might want to keep this one.

The Sapphire on gold on your pointer had something to do with staying in touch with people discretely you think, so might be a bad idea to give away if you want to rediscover your old memories, but on the flipside, maybe if someone did this to you they can track it... might give this grasping old woman a shock if they get up in her grill rather than yours.

But could it be smartest not to give any of them away afore you've figured out what you're losing? Since there's not much space to fill out backstory in an adventure where you have no memory and even your true appearance is part of the mystery, your chance to shine and stand out is all in the response you give.

Feel free to question anything you're not sure of, or tell me if you have any constructive criticism.

Create a Ruler Character and a Nation and I'll give 1 to 2 daily problems for your character to fix. I will tell you the repercussions of your choices and whether or not they are feasible if they are not feasible I will inform you and you can try solving the problem differently.

In RPG and fantasy, we are often faced with a situation where the existence of gods is an empirically confirmed fact, rather than a matter of belief. Two extremes can be distinguished in the representation of these entities (note - I do not claim that all creation adopts one of these two extreme points of view). On the one hand - the trend adapted by e.g. most of the settings for D&D - gods are personification of certain values professed by people, not infrequently they are even "born" from the faith of mortals or at least derive power from it/are shaped by it - gods described as "good" are simply good in the conventional sense of the word, they sincerely care about their followers and you know what to expect from them. On the other side, we have motifs that can be considered taken from Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythology - the gods are incomprehensible, distant beings, completely unconcerned with human worldviews and so-called "good and evil", mostly indifferent to humanity (and if by chance their paths intersect with humanit's ones, humanity is screwed) - at the same time, it is not uncommon for most mortals to be unaware of their existence, instead worshipping imaginary, more anthropomorphic deities tailored to their emotional needs.

In this article, I wanted to present deities standing somewhere in the middle - entities whose goals, yes, are not fully understood by mortals, but nevertheless close enough to human morality that worshippers can find some commonality (real or imaginary) with their patrons. These gods are usually directly interested in some way in the lives of their worshipers - although not necessarily in the way those worshipers would like. At the same time, I wanted each description to contain a hook, an important point where the devotees' understanding of the deity diverges from its real nature - and whose discovery could be a significant twist.

I invite you to read and discuss.

1. Mother of Peace

The Religion of the Mother of Peace, or the Cult of Harmony, is a strictly pacifist religion. Strictly and absolutely. No violence is allowed, ever, anywhere, in any situation. If you see a psychopath murdering children with an axe, you have no right to use force to prevent him from doing so. You cannot stun him, disarm him, knock him over, or even grab his arm. At most, you can ask him to stop, try to distract him, or stand up to the blow to give the children a chance to escape. Why do people follow such religion? First, the philosophy appeals to some - in the real world, Gandhi said something like "applying the eye-for-an-eye principle will make everyone blind." - Followers of Harmony believe that violence begets violence, while peace begets peace. If they consistently turn the other cheek and don't resist evil, they will stop winding up the spiral of violence and constant revenge and eventually evil will disappear naturally. Second - following the path of Harmony brings concrete benefits. Holy priests, who have long been non-violent, receive healing powers from the Mother of Peace - but they only work on other followers, so the policy of "I do violence, and the pacifist priest of Harmony heals me" is impossible. To use healing, you need to sincerely renounce violence - which, on the one hand, reduces your chances of survival in an encounter with hostile beings, on the other - if you come out of it alive, all your wounds will be healed, plus you gain protection from natural diseases and other threats. Third - the priests of Harmony preach that those who live and die, observing the principle of non-violence, will be taken into the bosom of the Mother of Peace after death, who will give them happiness incomparable to earthly suffering - so it is "profitable" to trade your life in exchange for heavenly pleasures.

The religion of the Mother of Peace may be perceived differently in society. It is possible that the authorities are avtively against it - it makes the subjects unwilling to fight, which reflects on the combat power of the state. Or perhaps they support it, seeing it as a tool to pacify potential rebels? Ordinary people may regard the Children of Peace as annoying lunatics - or treat them with deep respect. Even if healing powers may not work on "infidels," after all, the Children may be able to help them in other ways - such as using conventional medicine (while remarking "Join us and you'll see real miracles!").

Well, what is the catch? Yes, the Mother of Peace actually exists. But her goal is by no means to create a utopia where people can live in happiness and peace. Her goal is to weaken the population of a given world/planet/country. When a sufficient portion of the population is transformed into followers of Harmony, for whom the use of violence - even for defense - is unthinkable, and even if it were thinkable, they would became too weak to use it, the time for reaping comes. The True Children of the Mother, hordes of bloodthirsty, voracious creatures, come out to prey and consume the pacified people. The devoured people continue to make prayers to the Mother, who continues to appear from time to time, assuring her followers that this is the final test and whoever perseveres without putting up a fight against the monstrous invaders will be saved.

During the course of the game, players may encounter followers of Harmony. It would be good for the GM to present them as something more than detached hippies, to make the players start to wonder if they are right. Maybe they'll come across a reformed bad guy - e.g., a psychopathic follower of the god of murder who massacred a village of Harmonious heretics, but their indomitable will and serenity in the face of death made him convert and join them? Or more life-like - a husband who stopped beating his wife and children and is now an exemplary head of the family? Players can act as defenders of persecuted Harmonists (although this will involve some ambiguity - "Harmonists are decent people, but without people like us, who are not afraid to get their hands dirty, thay would survive"). They can have discussions with the priests about the legitimacy of pacifism. Maybe one of the player characters will start thinking about becoming a Harmonist after his career as an adventurer ends? The more sympathetic players become to the cult of Harmony, the more shocked they will be to discover indications that the Mother of Peace may be a much darker entity than it appears. At first, they may trivialize rumors like "Harmonists are actually a fifth column preparing the world for an invasion by dark forces!" as typical denigration of the new religion by the old clerical establishment. But as time goes by, the evidence will become stronger and stronger… Until finally there will be an invasion of the True Children that the players will have to face. Or maybe they will have the chance to prevent it, and will face the dilemma "Whether to believe the critics of the Harmonists and obstruct the great ritual, which, according to the Harmonists, is supposed to help bring universal happiness, but in fact open the gates of the dark dimensions…. Given that in order to do so, we will have to massacre a crowd of unarmed civilians, including women and children?"

The Mother of Peace is portrayed by her followers as a goddess with, one can easily guess, maternal qualities. Perhaps even as a pregnant woman? This is a play on the ambiguous nature of this entity - the presumed spiritual mother-protector of the followers of Harmony, and the actual fecundator of the swarm that will consume them. Players may come across disturbing references to "the coming of the True Mother's Children" in sermons and hymns - priests may (sincerely or not) explain that it's such a metaphor, that it's about the era when people truly dedicated to peace will come.

2. Enemy of Superstition, Destroyer of Magic, Defender of Normalcy

There are many arguments that are made against magic. It is source of obscurantism, superstition and charlatanism, a way to fool people. It violates the natural order of things. It is the work of demons, leading to possession or by destroying the veil of the worlds to demonic invasion. It is the theft of the power due to the gods, a manifestation of human pride. It distracts people from giving honor due to these gods. It brings madness, sucks the life out of the environment, causes the risk of explosions or other side effects. Leads to inequality, as mages can exalt themselves over ordinary people. Or something.

Depending on the setting, each of these accusations may or may not be true. But that doesn't stop the Defender cult from preaching them. Inquisitors and witch hunters roam the world, collecting magical artifacts, books and even arresting anyone who manifests magical talents. No, they don't burn them at the stake. All items and people associated with magic go to the Bottomless Wells located in temples - supposedly the only way to effectively annihilate them. Importantly, the hunters are ordered to take mages alive if possible and throw them into the wells - supposedly a mage eliminated in the wrong way turns into a wraith, or something like that. Inquisitors are aided in this work by the magic-blocking powers provided by the Defender.

Witch hunters can be treated by the people as terrifying villains - or as heroes. The reason for the latter attitude is not necessarily solely propaganda and "fear of otherness." It is possible that the land has actually suffered a lot at the hands of mages - perhaps it has just liberated itself from the rule of an evil sorcerer and his disciples, or it is fighting a fierce battle against a nation that uses magic in a fierce way. It would be worthwhile for players to see some of the negative effects of magic use with their own eyes, so that at the very least they would develop doubts about whether the Defender's followers are wrong.

What is the truth? It's easy to guess that the Defender is not concerned with defending the innocent from witchcraft. But neither is he driven by any other selfish yet high-minded motivations along the lines of "magic takes the glory away from the gods." The truth is that for the "Defender," magic is just darn tasty. Bottomless Wells are portals leading directly to his insatiable maw. It's possible that the founder of the Inquisition managed by some miracle to communicate with this entity and make a pact "I will provide you with food, you will lend me and my disciples your anti-magic powers, which you use to safely digest objects radiating magic - and we will use them to incapacitate mages."

What will happen when the players reveal the truth about the Defender? Maybe the inquisitors will be furious that their holy crusade turned out to be nothing more than feeding an inter-dimensional monster, they will turn their backs on their god, to which he will react with rage (not because of his violated dignity or some other irrelevant value, but because of the vision of being cut off from a steady supply of grub), through one of the wells he will enter the world and the players, along with the inquisitors, will have to face him? Or maybe the inquisitors will react with a shrug of the shoulders and the statement "So what if the Defender is not a noble god, but a voracious monster. Magic is still a threat, and he is the best means to eliminate it." Perhaps, using the method of the cobbler Skuba (Polish legend), players will toss a special object emanating "toxic"' magic into one of the Wells, which will poison the Defender?

3. Truthsayer

God of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. People swear by his name. He is also worshipped as the god of justice and knowledge, so judges and scholars worship him. Lying brings his curse.

The Truthsayer doesn't lie about himself - in fact, he wouldn't be able to even if he wanted to (and he definitely doesn't want to). The problem is that the people themselves have sung too much about him. As I pointed out above - he is the god of truth and ONLY truth. Justice does not matter to him, it is a totally foreign concept to him…. If he helps the investigators uncover the machinations of the villains, it is only so that the truth will come out, but he does not care whether the result will be the administration of justice. He might as well help the villains discover the heroes' forays and subterfuges. As for acquiring knowledge - yes, he assists scholars in their research, in order to reveal the truth. However, if a scholar spins unsubstantiated speculations and hypotheses (which happen to be contrary to the truth), even in good faith - he draws the wrath of the Truthsayer. Simply put, untruths make the Truthsayer suffer. This applies to any untruth. Also fantasy. If the Truthsayer's followers perform a ritual to increase his presence in the material world, they will bring a terrible calamity. From now on, the curse will fall on actors and poets, on anyone who utters a harmless lie like "You don't look fat in that clothes," "I'm not mad at you," or "I'm on my way out," as well as anyone who uses deception (no, the Truthsayer doesn't care about the nobility of the cause - if you put on camouflage to sneak under the headquarters of the bad guys and rescue their innocent hostages, you are a hideous LIAR and deserve to be punished). Bah, people in ordinary conversations must be careful not to use metaphors and phraseological compounds. A Truthsayer may even go so far as to seek to eliminate words like "nice," "tasty" or "good" - after all, they are subjective, and what is not objective truth, is a LIE.

Good player characters can help prepare a ritual to summon the avatar of the Truthsayer - after all, "God of Truth" sounds like a decidedly good dude, right? At some stage, they may realize that the world of absolute truth will be something terrible (maybe some conversation with a philosopher?) and try to sabotage the ritual. Maybe they will be able to accomplish this in advance… Or maybe the avatar will already begin to pass into our world? Then maybe they will succeed in playing him off by pointing out the paradox - people summoned him because they believed he was the avatar of goodness, justice and knowledge - if he exploits this ignorance of theirs, he will benefit from lying, and this would be unacceptable. Or a character with an exceptionally high bluffing skill or somethin like that might try to spew a tale so full of lies and absurdities that the avatar of Truth will go bonkers just from listening - but a half-hearted success will only enrage him!

For the Truthsayer, as an antithesis, I would see a god of lies and fantasy - not the typical sinister "Prince of Lies" in the style of the Christian Satan, or some malicious trickster, but a deity whose motto is "Such is the world! A wicked world! Why is there no other world?" (B. Lesmian) or "Be guided in life by such foma (harmless lie) as will give you courage, goodness, health and happiness" (K. Vonnegut), who lies not for some selfish purposes, but because he firmly believes that lying IS GOOD. The real world is cruel and unfair, lying helps to endure it and achieve at least a little happiness - through escapist fantasies, small daily lies "From tomorrow I will take charge of myself and achieve something!" "You look nice", "Don't worry, you're not a failure at all" through big lies like "Good is always rewarded and evil is punished". In this arrangement, both the god of lies and the god of truth would be morally neutral in practice (both can assist followers in certain situations, but at the same time pose a danger - the god of truth mercilessly punishes anything that is not the absolute truth, the god of lies can entangle you in a web of delusion) - but in theory, it is the liar who is driven by more altruistic motivations and loves mortals.

4. Prince of Blades, Lord of Sharp Angles and Edges

Centuries ago, the Prince of Blades was worshipped as a deity of war, or even slaughter. Legends say that he made the weapons of his worshippers - and even their teeth and nails - exceptionally sharp and dangerous to enemies. And the legend is true - albeit the Prince was never a god of war. He is the personification - or perhaps the source? - of all sharpness. He doesn't care about harming anyone, although that's very common side effect, he just wants things to be sharp. Or rather - in passing, by his very existence, he makes them so?

Let's say there is a place where strange phenomena occur. Babies are born with long and exceptionally sharp claws and fangs. Swords and axes made by local blacksmiths are famous for their exceptional sharpness (maybe the player characters just came here to get their hands on them?). There is a temple of the Prince underground, and its influence radiates to the surface. Cultists come to the town to unearth it - they believe in the Prince in his aspect of the god of war and believe that he will help them triumph over their enemies. When they realize their goal, they are met with a surprise. The cultists are transformed into living avatars of sharpness. Invisible blades cut them so as to eliminate all contortions (a head clipped to a cube is not a pleasant sight), their hands turn into scythes, and in their brains all thought of their own is replaced by a single imperative - cut! What's more, the Prince's influence is more and more visible in the neighborhood - everything becomes sharper. The most visible effect from a mechanical point of view is that all weapons (edged weapons to a slightly lesser extent, but other ones too) deal more damage. But as the influence increases, even rubbing clothes against skin starts to be painful, then every touch hurts, until finally the very movements of air cut the skin. If players don't close the temple, the effects can be really nasty. It is possible that earlier players encountered a strange artifact - a sponge ball. If they didn't get rid of it, it will turn out to be a "statue" of Our Soft and Oblique Lady, the opposite of the Prince, which will mitigate the effects of opening the temple. The battle will take place not between good and evil, order and chaos, or other abstract constructs, but between Sharpness and Softness.

5. Mistress of the Natural Instinct

A goddess of wildlife, her followers preach the need to return to a life in harmony with nature and reject the defiling influence of civilization. Oh, it would seem - another "mother Gaia" with a pseudo-ecological cult. The thing is, the Lady is not at all angered by the fact that people are poisoning rivers and cutting down forests, as her followers believe. What she doesn't like is that they are rational. Reason, consciousness, morality, are evolutionary dead ends. They only multiply pain and suffering. Do animals - or even so plants - waste time and resources on some foolishness like art? Do they risk their lives and the lives of others for abstracts like honor? Do they suffer from offended dignity, boredom or lack of meaning in life? People simply philosophize too much to be happy. The return to nature is not primarily about rejecting technology (although that will probably be a side effect of it), but liberating people from the unnecessary baggage of excess thoughts. Let them become like animals - free, innocent and amoral. This is the purpose of the Lady, which is not grasped (possibly except by the high priests) by her followers. Yes, during ecstatic rituals some of them fall into a trance, during which they walk on all fours, howl and growl. And the priests are able to bring this trance on their enemies… But are the followers ready to accept the truth that, according to the will of their mistress, this is how life should be, forever?

This is just first part of the text, if You are interested in the rest, it is avalaible here (it is totally free, it just too long to publish as whole here): https://adeptus7.itch.io/twisted-gods

Item #: SCP-212

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: Use of SCP-212 must be cleared by the current containment site’s chief medical officer. Any subjects undergoing operation by SCP-212 must submit to full physical and psychological testing both before and after exposure. Resistance to testing will result in termination of subject.

All personnel are to keep at least 1.5 m (5 ft) from SCP-212 when not in operation. Armed personnel are authorized to use whatever force deemed necessary to prevent unauthorized exposure. Should any personnel accidentally become exposed to SCP-212, full quarantine, testing, and judicial review will be initiated as soon as the subject is released by SCP-212.

Description: SCP-212 is a large medical device, with three large robotic arms. The arms have an extremely diverse array of attachments, but no storage area or power source has yet been found. Attachments slide into and out of the arms as needed, with over five hundred different attachments documented. SCP-212 is made of plastic, steel, and other common materials. In-depth analysis is pending, as any attempt by mechanical means causes violent action from SCP-212, and attempts by any biological means normally results with subject's “improvement”.

When exposed to living tissue, the “arms” of SCP-212 will rapidly move to grab and restrain it. SCP-212 will then begin to “improve” said tissue. This process is extremely fast, but SCP-212 does not inject any anesthetic, or replace any blood lost. The process has been described as “excruciatingly painful”, and can result in the death of the subject at a rate of 47%. Wounds made by SCP-212 are closed with standard surgical sutures and a chemical “sealant” that is not yet fully understood.

Improvements that have been observed include: lining of joints with graphite, replacement of biological organs with artificial ones, addition of metal plates to bones, addition of new or duplicate organs, and replacement of teeth with small serrated steel bands, among many others. SCP-212 has been shown to be able to totally “re-configure” an organism. The “improvements” appear to be random, and can sometimes be detrimental or fatal, as illustrated by one subject’s complete loss of bone marrow and its replacement by a gel that is still under study.

Subjects wishing to undergo exposure from SCP-212 are to be advised that the process is extremely invasive, and that no predictions on “improvements” can be made.

Source: https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-212

Describe yourself.

• Your character must be human.

Let's see who lives, who dies, and who wishes they could die.

In this world, or uh planet there lies a boy, a boy with a special destiny. Of love, of power, drama and adventure, comedy and tragedy. And eventually royalty and a happy ending. That boy...is your older brother who died/went missing after trying to save some idiot kid from the dangers of playing on the road.

As for you well... Life goes on, a decade passes, sure the burning question of where his body went after the crash lies in the back of your head but it's one you'll never get closure for. Or.. so you assumed.

It was a day like any other day when everything went to hell in a hand basket, portals opening up and letting invaders with superpowers in to wreak havoc.

And the person responsible for all of this? Leading the charge...or dropping off these beings? While you don't recognize his looks, the voice is as memorable as the day you lost him.

He's your brother.

Character creation:

So we're doing this basically in a lore based. The basics are simple, make a character, likes dislikes skills and things they aren't skilled at.

Then put in history, personal history, the bond they had with their brother, with their parents, how well they coped with the "death" their current occupation and of course the age. (They can't be less than 18 years old)

Also, shape the brother. What were they like before the Isekai? What did they look like before the magical forces of another world and the various power ups he's received changed him into the powerful man he is today?

It's Saturday, a day of relaxation from work and the stressfulness of a never-ending mundane routine, and you have little to no plans for the entire weekend and the three day vacation from work you have immediately after. You could call some friends, surely one of them would be willing to out for coffee or a movie, but you'd rather just stay home and catch up on some shows you've been meaning to watch-

A knock sounds at the door, loud enough it's startling, but when you go to check - just a second later - all you find is an envelope taped to your door.

Opening it, the writing on the outside frantic and messy but clear enough you recognize your great-grand-uncle's handwriting, yet all that's inside is...

A key, gnarly and rusted, and a note.

"Please." It starts, "You have to go here - you're the only one who can do this. It's too late for me." Followed by a hastily scribbled address.

This must be some sort of joke - a sick and twisted one by a very messed up person.

Your great-grand-uncle died ten years ago, but... The handwriting... It's the same as the last birthday card you received from the man, down to the way he dotted his I's with a diamond like dot.

Even more of a surprise, when you input the address into google maps the place that pops up is very real.

(edit: I have found out what I wanted from this adventure and it is that I don't like dicerolling that much, so I will continue the existing thread a little longer but no new players please. If you'd like to play an adventure message me and I'd be happy to suggest a better one or make a new one or whatever.)

Whether you be an outcast sorcerer with a diabolical plan, are temporarily in the grip of a hash dream, or just a simple lunatic, you've become convinced that godhood can and will be yours.

The how is up to you. Will you slay mighty beasts, cast down great Atabegs, duel other would be immortals, growing in stature until you may dethrone the gods themselves?

Try and grow through learning, seeking out the paths of those who have become gods before, and see if you can recreate their apotheosis?

Maybe you could try the easy and traditional way, pray a lot, dedicate yourself to an existing god, see if they think you're a cool person they'd want to hang out with for eternity, or at least can provide pointers.

Or, Y'know, maybe you could smoke a lot more hash or something. What could go wrong? Worst case scenario? None springs to mind.

Of course, perhaps a truly visionary would be deity would have their own plan for what they think is clever or funny, or want to ask OP questions first. Or maybe the sub is dead after 4 months of no real activity, that's always possible too...

To begin, give your name, any pertinent background, allies, or things I should know (you may or may not be given bonuses and/or weaknesses based on what you write now. i.e a skilled thief will have better luck at pickpocketing, but be less trusted, or if you want to write in some sidekicks or enchanted swords go ahead) and choose a starting location that bests suits you. Might help if you give an outline of your plan to become a god too, so I can suggest how you might go about it.

1.Dogsbody's Shisha bar. Wake up stoned somewhat on some nice carpets, surrounded by all sorts of bestial slonkers. Dogsbody is an awful nice fellow, you should be safe if you play nice, and will make lots of new and loyal friends, and will be better at making them, but you've probably spent all your money on hash. choosing this means you get a +2 bonus to charm, the Friendship of Dogsbody, a crippling addiction to hash (and the aroma thereof, and Tarko hash is much stronger than it's real world counterpart), and the occasional hallucinations that triggers, and will start with no money or owed favours regardless of background.

2 Prophet's trail. You've pitched camp on the howling cold peaks of the Urglo mountains, far from any civilization, exposed to ice and monsters, but tantalizingly close to an Oracle who may set you on the right path to eternity, and you're probably pretty hardy to have survived out here this long, so will have bonuses against the cold +2 and minor scrapes +2, and be tougher in general +2Hp, (may be more dependent on background i.e a clay golem is more enduring than a Gnome) and a coin of the Oracle's likeness, granting an audience, but your smell from travelling is Harpy Catnip, and there are a lot of harpies out here.

3 Atabeg's gardens. You seek enlightenment in a more tranquil way, in the reflecting pools of the Atabeg, meditating upon a lilypad, learning to be in tune with the world, and how to tune out hostile magic +3 magic defense. Alas it has made you somewhat unworldly, less able to connect with people -1 charm and devoid of any instruments of violence. No weapons, but perhaps you might know how to fight without...

4 Beached. Tossed from the decks of your ship, kept alive only by an unwillingness to drown and a vow of revenge against those that tossed you to the waves. You are almost undrownable and a master swimmer +6 to seaborn activities, but your lungs are so full of salt water you can't get out you may be a worse sprinter -3, and indeed struggle with many things that might get your blood pumping on land. However, you have the friendship of the Selkie queen, Neia. Who doesn't love Seals? Oh, and you have the enmity of the quarter-troll pirate Admiral Eightfinger too, but he's at sea and you're not, so screw him.

5 Request other.

For this adventure I wanted to refine systems I trialed in other adventures. Mostly a modified (hopefully for the better) version of the levelling and dicerolling from this. It will be used a tad less often than in that adventure, and work a bit differently, the rather derailing wild cards having been replaced with reversals in the event of a 10, which will respond to the situation as they find it.

You begin at level 1(one who sleeps in the light), all else will be determined by what you write about yourself in your initial message, the starting location you choose, and what the Gods and your own decisions do to you along the way. I'm deliberately leaving out a lot of the information so you don't overthink or try to break it, you shouldn't have to screw around with numbers yourself or find this more work than a regular adventure if you don't want it to, but suffice to say, make it to level 7(shed of the mortal coil) , and you are a god and have triumphed.

As it it, you can attempt almost anything, be it summoning a demon, transforming yourself into an ostrich, controlling or reading a mind, and the dice will decide if this is a skill you possess or not, but I might put in some modifiers of my own to try and reduce the likelihood of you destroying the world in your first message, and some foes may have their own stats and personal relationship with the three fabled dice...

rolls: 3 (not modifiable): absolute disaster! Don't ever try that again... if you're still alive to have the chance. May take you back to mortality with a thud.

4-6. Failure. this is not your bag.

7-9. Silver lining. You failed still, but you also gained from your defeat.

10 reversal. This will make it's case in time, and as it wills, and will scorn your modifiers.

11-13. Clouded Success. You accomplished what you sought, but be careful what you wish for.

14-17. You did it! How nice that this is the widest category.

18 The Gods are with you. you do something that cannot be undone by any will or failing, and are a step closer to Godhood.

Anyway, that's the adventure as it stands. If you're still reading you can either join, ask something, or tell me what I've done wrong. I considered making this adventure multiplayer, but don't know if there's enough people on the sub for that anymore. Mention if you're interested, and if other people are too, perhaps your fates can entwine, directly or not...

Name of Player:

Narrative/Level: (Commoner, etc)

Game Introduction: 1974 A.D. The Turkish forces have laid siege to all fronts of Cyprus. Some call it the European Tsushima, but that will not stop the bloodshed, chaos, and madness from ending. It's up to you. Rise from the battle and claim revenge, Cypriots, all walks of nationalities must rise up and become the person they fear the most... Themselves. Are you ready to drive the Turkish forces back?

What is your goal?: (Free Cyprus from Tyrannical destructive rule, etc)

Welcome new user who has logged into this new video game universe known as reddit. I am, your guide. Each time you spin, and an item appears and gives you a certain sort of power. Your adventures will change and either turn positive or negative depending on each spin experience. One day, you'll end up in a construction area, other times you'll find yourself in other places of the video game.

Do you have what it takes to become the King of the world? By writing good replies and adding karma to each other's posts. You'll soon see that the places your character goes, starts to become more and more different and familiar as you go on. Do you have what it takes to become a true patriot? :P

Name:

Occupation:

Purpose of arrival?:

Beyond the need to accomplish the dramatic title deed, the why's and wherefores of the situation are up to you. Anyway, just resolve the 5 Ws and we can begin...

Who or What are you, and indeed who or what are the unfortunate couple you've decided to destroy the union of? Either fill out elaborate backstories and worldbuilding or let it develop beyond cardboard cutouts with names as the story unfolds. If you have allies, masters, archenemies, useful abilities, tools or knowledge of what is to unfold and what you'll need to do it, now is the time to speak up, rather than just discovering you were carrying a taser during a tense fistfight in the church's belltower, or being upset that your main foe is a nameless usher rather than your childhood rival.

I'm also happy to make up any and all aspects of the scenario for you if you don't have ideas, are new to this and would like some help, or just want to be surprised.

Where and When does the wedding take place? Reality in the present day? Primordial (but still matrimonial) geese before recorded history? Beyond the boundaries of reality itself? Anything or anywhere is fine, but if you pick a fictional universe I don't know much about or a real but obscure (to me at least) period of history and culture I will have to take liberties. And of course, where and when are you? Are you right in the front row, ready to leap out the pew at once and object, or perhaps you're a long way away and will have an epic journey to do before you can accomplish your thankless task. Do you have any role in the wedding while we're at it? Perhaps you are supposed to be the Maid of Honour, or are explicitly and personally barred due to your dastardly reputation as a wedding crasher.

Perhaps most importantly Why? Why must you ruin what should be such a special day? Is the bride lying about who she is? Are the couple just a pair of unfortunate virgins due to be fed to a hungry god in a cruel and ancient ritual, an act of evil you have vowed to thwart? Is this the first cross species union, and you've just discovered their offspring will become a world eating plague? Maybe your motives are selfish, and you wish to ruin their happiness out of personal spite.

Of course, the 5 Ws don't cover everything, and you might want to submit requests for things like length of the adventure, in real time or total messages (1 month or 100 messages is a good minimum length to not feel rushed while still not being too arduous a commitment, but if you want to make a two message shitpost, a tense week long rush, or risk frying OP's brain by pulling us into a 5 year long mega epic, feel free to be honest about what you're looking for) You can ask for vaguer stuff like tone, or excluding content that'd make it unfun for you, or insisting on things that would be required for it to be fun.

If there is anything you'd like to ask about first, feel free to ask without feeling committed, but otherwise I hope you'll join the adventure and stop the wedding in time.

You stand there bleeding from your life, as your most beloved person you called a friend, stabs you in the chest. You breathe, gasping for air, but.. all you can hear is your heart palpitations sky rocket further.

Press X to fight through the pain, or Commit Seppuku and Game over.

What do you choose? How do you start the adventure?

You are an ageless necromancer. (perhaps your new to the job, or 2,000 years old) You've set up a laboratory deep underground where the natural mana of the world is thicker. There are even, on occasion, ley lines to tap into.

The natural Hole, as adventurers call it, is populated with monsters naturally. When mana pools up to high enough concentrations "Shimmers" can occur. Think of them as a natural discharge much like lightning is a discharge of electrical energy a Shimmer is a discharge of magical energy. It creates "Shimmers" that connect two points of the world (or if you are deep enough or the mana is high enough other worlds) The affect is much like walking though a dense fog.

Monsters are thus moved around to other "holes" which can be natural caves or power generation structures carefully maintained by sentient populations like dwarves, humans, etc.

• You were not even informed of the first or second incidents. By your orders your subordinates were to deal with intruders and only inform you if they failed twice. You were in the middle of an experiment and simply ordered several powerful monsters (not undead) be released ahead of the Adventuring Party.

• Your goal was to maintain secrecy of this lab as setting up a new place is such a hassle.

• Now though you feel the need to stop your experimentation (wasting months of work) to focus on the intruders.

#Dugeon Master

• You can play this how you like. You are OP, or you've trapped it up, etc, trying to stay hidden, going at them, etc.

• All you know is that the scout sent to bring you information reported there appeared to be "Adventurers, six to eight, High Silver or Low Gold Ranking" But you don't necessarily trust the assessment.

#Inform me of:

• Magic system, Is it high or low magic. e.g. is magic rare or semi common.

• describe the power level of what high silver or low gold means to you. e.g. what does a low gold do to a crowd of normal people, to monsters, etc.

• the adventures' goals. Are they lost? Got sucked into a shimmer on accident? There for the necromancer's head? Looking for Loot? Searching for alchemical ingredients? etc.

PROLOGUE.

Eyes blink open.

Dull green numerals on a dark gray background of the digital clock embedded in the interior side-paneling reads - 9:32 PM. It’s late. Long hours, fat checks. That’s how it goes in the Corpo game. More a rat-sprint, than a rat-race. And for marathon distances, at least until you inevitably burn out or wind up dead.

There’s just two others with you in the back of the unmarked van. Both suited in somber black - neatly pressed, expensive looking blazers and shoes, closely fitted and tight ties. Rain beats down on the roof like a metallic drum, and it's dark save for the few strands of neon that sneak its way to the back through the front windshield and the sickly green spilling from the wall-embedded clock. Just enough for you to see your hands in front of you, gripped around a rifle resting atop your lap. Could cut the tension with a knife. The three of you’ve been on countless other extraction ops. But each one could be your last, and the higher-ups were especially anxious about this one.

Suit across from you's cleaning his rifle, scarred face hard and unreadable, late 20s, early 30s, black side-part fade kept short and steely, dark brown eyes. Catches you looking at him, looks up, makes eye contact for barely half a second before looking down at his rifle again. Cleans it methodically. Deliberately, with no wasted movements. Gun’s already shining like a gem, but he continues to wipe it down. Cigarette’s sprouting out the edge of his mouth, smoldering, wagging subtly up and down as he works.

Suit to your right's fiddling with something in her hands and tapping her foot, her right knee bouncing up and down. An old matchbook, text faded, synth-cardboard flaking in places. You can barely make it out - reads Hal's Bar on the front in a bold red font. She flips it open, closes it. Then flips it open again. There's just the one match-stick left - resting dead center in the matchbook, and something scrawled in ink in a hasty hand on the top flap, but she closes it too quick for you to catch what it says, especially in this dark. She doesn’t notice you looking, light gray eyes focused instead on the old matchbook.

Van rumbles onwards amidst a backdrop of heavy rain and amber street lights for a couple more minutes before it shudders to a stop. Nobody says a word in the meanwhile. Man across from you wordlessly puts away his cleaning kit, placing the gun oil and cloth in its proper places, almost like a ritual. Closes the case with a perfunctory snap, closes his eyes for a second before opening them again. Eyes still hard and unreadable, he pulls out a pair of black leather gloves, and slips them on, carefully. Woman to your right closes her matchbook one final time, sighs, then stuffs it in the inside pocket of her blazer, giving it a pat to make sure it's snug. Gives her handgun a press-check. Click-clack.

You hear the second van pull up next to yours just a few seconds later, tires crunching over granite and asphalt. They’re the medtechs Vector’s sent along with you to handle the asset aftercare, stripping the VIP of their former company’s cybernetics and implants in a safe and controlled manner while simultaneously implanting Vector’s proprietary chipware into them. Standard procedure, can’t have the asset’s prior employer throwing the kill-switch, not to mention all the tracking software they would have been riddled with. And when that’s done they can help take care of any injuries you or your teammates might get during extraction. Needless to say they’ll be staying put in their van and not heading in with you. Docs and medtechs can’t help anyone if they’re the ones that’re shot.

Driver, a face-plated Corpo trooper, puts a hand to the side of the van through the opened window, thumping twice. “Figure you got around ten minutes before they go sniffing around and make me, so I'll start doing laps. Call when you need me back.” He mutters, lifting his helmet and scanning around in front of the rain-streaked windshield with beady eyes. “And don’t bother coming back without the asset, or it’s all our asses.” He then toggles a switch and the side holo-panels of the van go from unmarked to reading “PROVOKER Sound Crew”, complete with logo of a bloodied fist surrounded by black flame. Supposed to be some punk band performing at the hotel club-room tonight.

Van doors swing open, chasing away the pool of darkness with a bright swirling neon, electric blues and blistering reds, and warm magentas.

In front of you, The Hotel International - a glass palace of excess for the wealthy and powerful, rising high into the air, penthouse suites at the very top hidden behind layers of storm-choked clouds.

“Intel said the asset is staying in room 305. Executive suite.” Rifle-cleaner says, hand to his earpiece. Name’s Smith.

“Let’s do this clean. Get out in one piece. Get paid.” Matchbook adds, getting off the van with a light grunt, pistol with suppressor at the ready, and brushing stray hair, light brown and kept in a professional bob, from her face. Her name’s Langley.

Smith nods. “Clean and quiet, sure. But loud and guns blazing works for me too, fast in, fast out. All the same to me, long as we get it done. How do you want it?” He asks, looking in your direction.

Flashback to the briefing just a few hours earlier. . .

You’re standing in a conference room, a long dark metal desk at the center with a holo-projection device at its center, surrounded by leather chairs. The room is illuminated by a sterile fluorescence, the walls and floor glossy and polished. You hear the distant hum of the A/C unit, and the constant buzz of the fluorescence overhead. Smell of freshly ground Java beans from steaming mugs, perched on the table amidst loose holo-pads and manila folders of synth-paper - analog copies in case digital gets compromised - everybody learned from what happened to M-Corp all those years ago - need to be able to delete everything digital at a moment’s notice, therefore the need for a physical copy.

Your handler for this op is here, styrofoam cup of coffee in hand, as are your teammates.

“Asset is a Dr. Weissman, top engineer at Arc Entertainment, one of our primary competitors. We have reached out to her with an offer, and unfortunately, she has declined. This will be a poaching operation. Our Intelligence division has determined she’s currently at The Hotel International, in downtown. Expect an armed escort and bodyguards.” Your handler, Beckman, a middle-aged man with a beer belly stretching his suit to its seams, and with wispy balding hair, had barked at you. Smith and Langley were at your left and right. Projected in front of you is a blonde woman in her thirties, thin and petite, with her hair kept in a tight bun and wearing a labcoat, pens rigid straight in its front pocket. Her expression is severe, her eyes spheres of dull blue, cold and calculating, even through a hologram.

Beckman crosses his arms, spiderwebs of wrinkles at his eyes creasing as he frowns. “Would prefer you don’t make too much of a mess at the hotel, just more paperwork for me. But ultimately don’t care as long as Weissman’s shuttled on back to Vector HQ - we’ve got a blank check for damages remuneration and Press blackouts on this one, so do whatever you gotta do, just don’t fuck it up. No matter what happens - you bring me Weissman. The Board is especially interested in this asset (fuck knows why) so you know what that means.” He makes a gesture of slicing across his throat with the back of his thumb, the universal symbol of ‘we’re fucked if this gets screwed up.’ Laid off, and maybe worse.

A blueprint of the Hotel floor plan then appears in front of you. It’s a typical set-up. Front two doors open up into the main lobby, banks of elevators to the right of the lobby, with Hotel buffet and entertainment venue rooms and stages to the left. Vector netrunners have already patched into the Hotel’s security cameras. (“You’re welcome. Get me Hauser’s autograph while you’re there and we’ll call it even. Only Hauser’s. Don’t want the others’. Ugh, everyone knows he’s the only reason they’re still relevant.” Abbie, the resident Vector netrunner and self-proclaimed ‘hotshot console cowboy’ had told you, cracking her knuckles and popping a wad of bubblegum in between black lipstick smeared lips. She dresses more like a goth punk than a cowboy, but the Corporation allows it, given her skills.)

From the surveillance cameras you see there’s two suited men in square blackout shades and crewcuts with their arms crossed standing adjacent to the door to Dr. Weissman’s room, and a third, a cyborg personal bodyguard inside the room itself dressed in a maroon luxury-brand suit, sat on an armchair and smoking a cigar, studying her blood-red, talon-like nails. Dr. Weissman, at the time that you viewed the security footage, was sat at her desk, reviewing research notes through her holo-terminal. The suite itself is up 3 floors, and access to the elevators requires a check-in and getting a room with the front desk. Abbie had also cracked in and gotten you a schedule of tonight’s festivities, on the off chance the good Doctor would partake.

And back to the present . . .

You look back up at the hotel. The words The Hotel International is sprawled out in a gaudy cursive, flashing in silver-white neon framed in midnight-black above the illuminated entrance. Spotlights shine cones of light into the sky, and an enormous water fountain at the center of the plaza in front of the entrance emits a dazzling, colorful lightshow of neon on spraying water. Projected nearby, a giant hologram of a smiling woman in a sundress running on white sands adjacent a sparkling turquoise beach shifts to a clean cut suited man adjusting his tie in an executive boardroom, with the tagline - “For business or pleasure - choose The Hotel International (a subsidiary of Segerstrom Hospitality Holdings, Ltd.).” Men and women in bespoke outfits and jewelry mill in and out through the revolving front doors, and the hotel’s android doorman bows his head in deference as he greets each of them in turn. Other Androids dressed in the Hotel’s red uniform with fez cap and dark grey button-up shirt hurry to help carry the guests’ luggage. You spot one of the guests tossing the keys of his souped up Rossi sports car, engine whirring as the valet drives off.

You catch snippets of conversation as a few of the guests pass you by, each of them with a buzzing umbrella drone flying just overhead, shielding them from the rain.

“...so excited, Provoker’s playing tonight. My fave…”

…

“...had to visit. A9’s got the best fuckin’ Geishas this side of the pond. Jesus, the things they’ll do to you…”

…

“...how’s the buffet here anyway? Yeah, I read the reviews. Supposed to be good. We’ll see about that.”

…

“...Heard about the new Arc Headsets? Insane sim-stim sensory fidelity. Felt like I was really there…”

…

“...Dad, how much longer till the lunar tour?”

“Just a few more hours till the shuttle gets here, Matt. It won’t leave without us, don’t worry.”

“Yaaay, to the moon! I love you dad!”

“Love you too, son.”

…

It’s a different world here - A bubble of excess, with sparkling champagne and perfectly sculpted million credit smiles. And about 3 blocks away is a slum with dilapidated megastructures, junkies, and shootouts. Separated by checkpoints and walls with barbed wire, manned by automated turrets and face-plated Security Forces carrying rifles and electric batons.

…

Smith’s crushed his cigarette beneath the heel of his shoe, polished and cobbled by Italian artisans, and with Vector’s Corporate logo emblazoned on its underside. Langley pulls up her blazer sleeve, checks the time on her skinwatch implanted at the underside of her wrist, then pulls up a feed of the surveillance cameras on her HUD, her eyes fluttering and shifting to an electric blue as the feed runs across her retinas.

“Ah shit.” Langley suddenly mutters while you’re thinking on a course of action. “Asset’s moving out of the room. Think she’s headed toward the party.”

“Tough break.” Smith mutters. “Could work to our advantage, though. Get her separated from her bodyguards through the crowd… What’s the play? It’s your show.” He says, looking at you.

So, she decided to join in the fun after all. This just got a bit more complicated. Unless you don’t care about doing it loud.

It is currently 9:54 PM. You pull up the schedule for tonight’s itinerary Abbie’s cracked in to snag for you and quickly review it…

SCHEDULE

10:00 PM - NYE Party opens its doors in Segerstrom Venue Hall #1. (Buffet and refreshments available)

10:30 PM - PROVOKER Fans Meet and Greet, autograph signing and pre-show in the hall in front of Galeria Clubroom AB. [Note from Abbie: Remember, Hauser’s autograph only! Pretty pleaseee]

11:00 PM till 3:00 AM - PROVOKER CONCERT in Galeria Clubroom AB. [Note from Abbie: sneak in and record some live footage for me pls]

12:00 AM - NYE Celebration and Countdown in Segerstrom Venue Hall #1 (Buffet will still be available.) Live fireworks showing through the virtual skylight. [Note from Abbie: Live fireworks through a virtual skylight… kinda defeats the purpose. But what do I know, maybe it’s a rich people thing.]

1:00 AM - New Year’s Celebratory Lunar Tour Shuttle arrives, pick-up zone is at front of Hotel, estimated 15 minute drive to Sector A-9 SpaceHub from the hotel. [Note from Abbie: Ok, definitely a rich people thing.]

Well, you have at least 4 hours before she’s up in space, assuming she decides to go on a lunar tour.

—

SETTING BACKGROUND

Welcome to “Designated Commercial Sector A-9”, a megacity on the Pacific coast, an overgrown neon tumor that's grown out from where Seattle used to be. Glittering skyscrapers of chrome and glass in the center, and at its periphery, overrun slums, hovels, and megastructures where the bottom floors never see a day of natural sunlight. The cops (and some Corporate Security Forces) have full license to shoot and kill perps in the slum zones, and in the Corporate zones the ones that have not yet purchased the Due Process Guarantee certs are also fair game for a lead injection by A-9’s finest. (Luckily, as senior employees of Vector Virtual, you are provided DPG as part of your benefits package. So they won’t shoot, unless you shoot first…)

It’s always raining in the A-9. Relentless perpetual gray skies and sheets of pattering ice-cold acid rain. Swirling, shimmering, puddles reflecting countless ad holograms and neon signs.

It’s the year 2231, and advanced technologies such as life-like Androids are common-place, though they are shackled (made incapable of true sentience/free will) and are locked to menial duties (maids, cleaners, and other service-workers). Full-dive virtual reality (referred to as sim-stim), similarly shackled AI assistants and AI partners (like JOI in Bladerunner) exists, and space-travel is done for leisure by the wealthy. True unshackled AI was tried and subsequently outlawed decades ago, but there are rumors that the research continues in secret by the megacorporations trying to revive and recover the knowledge that was purged in the Great Corporate War and Fall of Morion and its resulting dark age of anarchy on the East Coast. Nowadays, the East Coast has stabilized, and new Corporations have seized power in the wake of the power vacuum left by Yamasoft Industrial/MorionCorp and Stratus Defense Systems who have decimated one another and have faded into obscurity, left bankrupt. It’s also rumored that there are still a few surviving prototypes from way back then, roaming to this day… [ooc: Same universe as previous campaign, years later]

CHARACTER CREATION

You will play as an elite and seasoned Corporate Asset Extraction Specialist. As the job title says, you are tasked with field operations involved in extraction of VIPs, whether it’s a willing defection or a poaching by force. Top level engineers, scientists, doctors, researchers… those are the typical assets HQ sends you and a small cell of other headhunters after. As a top level operative in the clandestine world of Corporate black-ops with dozens of successful extractions under your belt, you are well trained in fire-arms and hand to hand combat, and, though Agents usually work alone or with disposable hired mercenaries, you have risen to a leadership role on jobs that require multiple Corporate AES operators.

Character backstory and dossier

Full legal name:

Age (at least 25 years):

Personality overview (Shy? Loud and abrasive? Cold and calculating? Emotional? Idealist? Pragmatic and logical?):

Appearance (Height, build, facial features, eye color, hair color, gender, style of dress at work and outside of work if different for each):

Employment history before working at Vector Virtual (Corporate Soldier, Police Enforcer or detective, Corporate Security Forces, Student, Engineer, Criminal, Analyst/desk jockey, North American United Conglomerates Military service member, something else?):

Living situation and lifestyle (luxurious or frugal? Tiny slum apartment or luxury penthouse?):

Family/Loved Ones (Parents, siblings, or lovers):

Something your character is proud of, a fond memory (achievements, sentimental moments, whatever scrap of humanity your character’s managed to eke out in the A-9):

Something that haunts you, a bad memory, a failure:

Has someone close to you died? (can be tied to previous question):

Your character’s greatest fears and weak points (Everyone has flaws.):

What does your character think they’re good at? (Perceived strengths):

Your character’s values (Money, Love, Power, Loyalty, Honor, Honesty, Survival, Intelligence/competence, work ethic, strength, integrity, or something else?):

Totem - Sentimental item or possession, if any (Broken wristwatch stuck at a certain time a la the Major’s in Ghost in the Shell, for example):

Why seek employment with a corporation? (Primary motivation - money, power, survival, the good life, something else?):

PERKS (Choose four from list):

CQC (hand to hand combat, bare hands or with melee weapons)

Marksmanship (accuracy under fire and stress, sniping at range)

Hacking (Getting access to systems, patching into surveillance networks, hijacking drones, hijacking androids, hacking into personal terminals and view their browser history etc)

Stealth (ability to conceal items on person, move undetected, with the active camo implant makes stealth a guarantee for nearly every action save for shooting an unsuppressed weapon)

First Aid (ability to stabilize wounds, diagnose injuries, assist the injured in a way similar to Trauma Team medtechs)

Human Perception (Ability to detect lies, read people)

Charisma (Ability to tell convincing lies, persuade, intimidate)

Endurance (robust, strong-willed, high stamina and health, can drink anyone under the table, survivor. Tough. Flavor for being able to take a punch and act like it was nothing)

Character cybernetic augmentations, if any (Limit to two)

Neural reflex booster (time dilation, move supernaturally fast)

CyberOptics: thermal and infrared vision filters, 4x optic zoom, enhanced scan for faces, quickly compare it to a database

Cybernetic arms and legs (comes as a single package): Punch and kick through walls, lift small cars, survive from higher falls, shatter someone’s face through heavy face-plate armor with your bare hands or feet

Light refractory dermal implant (Active camouflage, go invisible)

Dermal Plating/Skinweave (+Durability, withstand small arms fire)

Mantis blades (Blades that sprout out your forearms)

Monowire (String of monofilament shooting out your forearm burning white-hot, cut through metal like it’s papier-mâché

Internal Audio-Visual Suite: (Take calls through an internal HUD, communicate with others with just your subvocals, something akin to telepathy, record audio and save it for later without needing a bug or external recording device.)

Cosmetic implants/flavor, if any (Does not use a slot): Light tattoos, regular ink tattoos, piercings, tech-hair (colorful neon hair), skin-watch, plastic surgery modeling your face after one of the lead Sim-stim stars

Interface plugs (Does not use a slot, and comes installed unless you specify you didn’t get this chipped.): Used to interface with nearly every piece of technology in today’s world and provides a basic toggleable HUD that feeds directly into the visual cortex. Only paranoid luddites that don’t have to work for a living or are on the run aren’t chipped with this nowadays.

High effort posts get high effort replies. 3 player slots, first come first serve. Given limited slots will promise to finish the campaigns if there is effort on both sides, at least 1 post a week. (May make exceptions for certain players). No dice rolls, results are decided based on perks and if the action is logical for the situation. Semi-linear campaign and there may be railroading and time-skips as needed for narrative and pacing. Overall plot has been mapped, and branched for decisions. But there is a lot of room for improv for each key encounter/scene. Inspired by Blahgarfogar’s Aventine campaign. At least a paragraph or two in your response, and would prefer your character describe their thoughts and reactions to the world or characters around them. Become the character and roleplay, and incorporate the five senses into your writing to add flavor

Edited to add living situation question, guidelines on responses, and style of dress to appearance question

Established homebrew setting from a homebrew ttrpg I run, feel free to explore, go off prompt, or enter as a new character, I've got no plots or plans for you but I've got locations on and off the moon, adventure hooks and characters already written up. I've never posted here before, but thought I would check it out. Setting: Sci Fi, Future of current timeline, Humans are everywhere, Aliens are eldritch horrors

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Discover the secrets hidden beneath the icy crust of Europa, and see for yourself what makes this place one of the most fascinating locations in the galaxy. So why wait? Book your trip to Query Substation today and experience the ultimate in space travel and adventure!

The screen flickers as the ad plays out, a chaotic rhythm reflected onto the counter beneath your glass as you glance around the dim lit bar. The ad is lost among a dozen conversations, and the indifference of a dozen more brooding faces distracted by their drink.

You are sitting in The Conduit, a small bar nestled four levels down on the Substation. Flickering neon, a scent of petroleum and friend sim-meat in the air. Around you is a motly collection of the stations less-desirables, or those looking for their services. Here the jobs are pricey, but they get done.

You feel a hand on your shoulder, and the voice of Grit, a local ice crawler, announces his presence.

"Git this sorry rock-rat a surger Zal, he looks like it'll be his last" he says as he takes a stool, gesturing in the general direction of the Thadian bartender. "So what's got that scowl on yur face, you see a chill-beast or what?"

"I wish I had seen this when it was first posted." - All of us, at some point, probably.

You look wistfully at the prompt; it was such a good idea. The responses you see are well-written, like they always are. Well, okay, that one comment looked like it had basically no effort put in whatsoever, but besides that, the writing quality never ceases to take your breath away. It's the world you always wished you could have the opportunity to play in.

But that was 7 months ago (or longer), and Reddit has been locking threads that are older than 6 months old for as long as you've been on this forsaken hubworld of the internet. And so you file it away in search of a more recent world to enjoy.

After a bit of filtering to more recent posts, you see another great prompt. The author put forth an idea and begun to develop it... and then they disappeared. And the mysteries they had in mind are lost to the world.

Finally, you sort by New. A thread has appeared at way too early this particular morning, filled with meta references to your exact situation. It offers a simple deal:

Comment a link to an older /r/YouEnterADungeon post that you would have liked to participate in as a player, and your first response to that post.

The door to that world shall be opened anew.

No mood is off limits. ^((If I don't know the world and it's from some other existing fiction, I may have to study up before I respond, but I'm okay with that!)^)

Do you accept?

^(Please feel free to tag the author of the original post if you think they're active enough to try and run it! This is effectively a lost and found thread, so give them a chance to continue to run their world if they would like to.)

^(GMs, if you've been tagged in this thread, absolutely no pressure on your part to keep things rolling. If you don't want me to try my hand with your prompt, let me know and I'll back off.)

A cataclysmic event several centuries ago has covered the world in shadows. Many great evils were released, some were undead, others demonic, causing immense suffering to the people inhabiting the world.

You are a Paladin, a Holy Warrior. You have taken an oath to fight back against the great evils of the world.

In this world, human settlements are often small and either hidden or well protected from the undead and the demons roaming the lands. It was the only way these people could survive.

Describe yourself, Paladin. Who are you? What do you look like? What weapon do you carry? What do you worship? What gives you your powers? Do you have any special abilities or spells you can use? Do you work alone or are you part of a group?

Who is your sworn enemy? Is it a necromancer? Is it the Lich King? A Demon? A Vampire Lord? Or is it something you have yet to find out?

Lastly, where does your adventure start? Is it in one of the secluded settlements? Out in the wilderness? In an ancient crypt filled with swarming undead? Or perhaps at a remote temple, sacred ground, untouched by evil?

A large box with a dial that has the settings "Good", "Great", "Worse" and "Confound" inscribed on it is in front of you. The box is 9 feet tall and 9 feet wide.

//you can put anything in the box and turn the dial then close the box and see what the object transmutes into

{OOC: This is my first post on this sub, so don't expect it to be all too long or in-depth. Hope you enjoy it, though!}

The Town of Nasrol

The stagnant and vile fog lingers in the air - the evening beginning to settle into the town of Nasrol as the lamplighters go around, flicking all of the nearby lights on with magic or flint. Just a quaint place, hidden amongst the trees, where the governing bodies bow to the Church of Noztal, God of Safety, away from the Beasts that lie beyond the forests of Blackglade that you, for whatever reason, have likely just come from - as a notice on a tree caught your eye: "WANTED BY THE CHURCH" - a sum of 10,000 Kreis, enough to buy a small house, to whoever can capture the man painted on - one "Raleigh Porgann": face covered in scarring, beard down to his shoulders, and the distinct robe of the ones after him adorning his body - a so-called 'heretic'

The far-off sounds of the wrinkled, dusty priest allow you to conclude that this isn't a drill, his words filled with vitriol, anger, a deep sadness, and, as you look around, you can see members of the clergy banging more nails into the Glade's trees nearby, their pace one of urgency - quick, but precise. Not a moment to spare when potentially the entire town is at stake, you suppose.

He must have went into the forests nearby - the ones that most have likely never stepped too far outside of, due to the dangers that lie deeper the further you go, the trees twisting to trap you in, and the dark spikes that hug it's vines threatening to take you for good into it's blackened, wooden walls. Merchants, knights from far-off kingdoms, and travellers may go across the roads that come into Nasrol, but it doesn't sound too likely that a wanted man would go on such a blatant route, especially with the many patrols and other wanderers that go up and down it every day, and the tolls that would be imposed onto them, making him easy to track.

It's astonishing that they don't think he's dead yet - or maybe they do, and they want his body for some kind of rite.

This might appeal to you for the money, maybe the need to capture a heretic for the sake of your church, potentially just the thrill of adventure.

Why is that?

What is your name? A little bit about you? Your occupation? And, of course, the reason you're going after the reward?

Furthermore, you start with 100 Kreis - a small bit of pocket change, but nothing compared to what you could get. You can use it to buy your starting equipment from below - you may buy the same thing twice:

• Ammunition - 10 Kreis - Use up 1 Ammunition when attacking with a Ranged Weapon.
• Healing Salve - 20 Kreis - Allows you to heal 1 hit.
• Lantern - 20 Kreis - It's good for 12 hours of light, good for both revealing information, and for burning things down. Automatically hits, but uses up all of your potential fluid.
• Occupational Item - 20 Kreis - Allows you to automatically succeed at anything that your occupation would do on a daily basis.
• Crimson Circus Membership - 30 Kreis - You can entertain others and earn a little Krei from it. Roll a d6 when you perform in a new place, and multiply it appropriately (from 0.1 for remote settlements to 20 for bountiful cities), to determine the amount earnt.
• Map of Blackglade - 30 Kreis - May be consulted to find additional, hidden paths around trickier parts of Blackglade.
• Merchants' Guild Membership - 30 Kreis - You can use the roads in and out of Nasrol, without having to pay the normal 10 Kreis/hour toll.
• Thieves' Guild Membership - 30 Kreis - When used, roll a d6. On a 2 or above, you take something from someone. On a roll of 1, they notice, and can hit you, or cause your Membership to be revoked.
• Basic Armor - 50 Kreis - You may take an additional hit.
• Basic Weapon - 50 Kreis - When used, roll a d6. On a roll of 4 or above, you hit something. On a roll of 2 or below, it attacks you an additional time during it's next round.
• Powerful Weapon - 50 Kreis - When used, roll a d8. On a roll of 4 or above, you hit something. On a roll of 3 or below, you drop this weapon.
• Ranged Weapon - 50 Kreis - When used, roll a d6. On a roll of 4 above, you hit something. When you attack, lose 1 Ammunition.
• Spellbook - 100 Kreis - Begin with 3 spells, to a power equal to other items. Describe them. You can cast each of them twice. You may also consult it for arcane knowledge.
• Prayer Book - 100 Kreis - Begin with 3 spells, to a power equal to other items. Describe them. You can cast each of them once, but they refresh when you find a shrine or another place to pray to Noztal. You may also consult it for information.

You keep any Kreis you do not spend. You may be able to find someone out in the Glade who can sell you something - it's home to many vagabonds and mystics, after all, and they must be powerful - for they've survived among the Beasts for so long.

Alternatively, start with just Rags and some Rations - you're a Beast, a monster of some description. You might just want to get the heretic to get back at the church, maybe find their weaknesses, but everyone finds you dangerous, evil. You may take 2 additional hits, and you have an attack that rolls a d6, hitting on a 4+, but causing you to be hit on any other number.

Enemies will hit on a roll of 4 or above. Stronger enemies roll higher die. You can take 3 hits.

PLAYER SLOTS CLOSED

HAVEN BBS Chatroom 1125282-1089, SEZ SubNet

Accessing P2P network. 

Loading assets.

Locating nodes. Nodes found. 

Authenticating credentials…

DarkNet Connection secured.

Linking mainframe. Establishing ICE protocols.

Logging you in, USER91873

///Welcome to the HAVEN BBS///

--

YOU ARE CONNECTED.

You have one new message (1). 

...

To: USER91873

From: UNKNOWN

SUBJECT: READ THIS.

You're fucked. Heard what happened to your little posse. You don't got much time, do you? The Frontier has a way of burying misfits like you.

I got a job for you.

Let's talk biz, shall we? You need a way out. A Z-man like me is what you need.

Tomorrow. Pesecaderia, at The Gem.

If you zip now, you might beat the sandstorm.

...

LOGGING YOU OUT, USER91873. PLEASE DO NOT TURN OFF THE POWER-

///

Ͱ͟҉͟҉͟҉͟҉͟҉͟҉Ͱ҉̅҉̅҉̅҉̅҉̅Ͱ҈̟҈̟҈̟҈̟҈̟҈̟҈̟҈̟҈̟҈Ͱ҉̅҉̅҉̅҉̅҉̅Ͱ͟҉͟҉͟҉͟҉͟҉͟҉ه҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈Ͱ͟҉͟҉͟҉͟҉͟҉͟҉Ͱ҉͞҉͟҉͞҉͟҉͞҉͟҉͞҉͟

ه҈҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉ه҈҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉ه҈҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉ه҈҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉ه҈҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉҉

▂╱▔╲▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ▂▂╱▔▔╲▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ▂▂▂╱▔▔▔╲▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ▂▂▂▂╱▔▔▔▔╲▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ▂▂▂▂▂╱▔▔▔▔▔╲▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

⎸⎸⎹|ٳٰٰٰٰٰٰٰ⎸⎸⎹|⎸⎸⎹|ٳٰٰٰٰٰٰٰ|ٳٰٰٰٰٰٰٰٰ⎸|⎸⎸⎹|ٳٰٰٰٰٰٰٰ|ٳٰٰٰٰٰٰٰٰٰٰ|⎸⎸⎹|⎸⎸⎹|ٳٰٰٰٰٰٰٰٰٰٰ|⎸⎸⎹|⎸⎸⎹|ٳٰٰٰٰٰٰٰٰ⎸⎹|⎸⎸⎹|ٳٰٰٰٰٰٰ⎸⎸⎹⎸⎹|ٳٰٰٰٰٰٰٰٰٰٰ|⎸⎸⎹|⎸⎸

"𝙷𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝙰𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚜"

• A phrase suggesting trustworthiness within a group that is not considered trustworthy to outsiders.

.

. ◢ ◢▇ ◢ ◢◤▇ ◢▇ ◢ ◢◤ .

. ..

２０８９： Ａ Ｐｒｉｍｅｒ

=

The year is 2089.

The future remains in flux and distortion.

Khyionne is a terrestrial world located in the Omega System of the Perseus Arm, roughly 6,500 lightyears from Earth.

Sixteen years ago, it became the first independent world to sever ties with the Colonial Federation after the end of The Sovereignty War.

It was dubbed ‘The Frontier’. Thousands would partake in a mass migration, searching for a new beginning.

From humble origins, one metropolis was watered with blood and ash until it blossumed into a city of so-called truth and opportunity.

That city would be known as Veritas.

In time, many would know its true nature.

Everyone is a liar, a cheat, and a parasite. Everyone here is a sinner.

All to survive.

…

///

𝙰𝚗 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚌𝚢𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚞𝚗𝚔 𝚌𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚗 𝚁𝙿𝙶, 𝚜𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚍𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚕' 𝚆𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 DOUBLE 𝚍𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 HYPER𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑-𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚑 CHAOS, 𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 grim 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚅𝙴.

𝐋𝚰𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐘.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕.

𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚑 𝚏𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚑 𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚒𝚛𝚌𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚜.

𝙱𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚕𝚢𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜.

𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜, 𝚂𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚝𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙽𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚠𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖.

𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚓𝚞𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚍-𝚞𝚙 𝚑𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚢𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚛𝚘𝚊𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚜.

𝙰 𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚞𝚙 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚜𝚢𝚖𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚑𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚗𝚎𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚖𝚊.

𝙽𝚎𝚝𝚂𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚊 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎 𝙰𝙸𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜.

𝙱𝚞𝚕𝚔𝚢 𝚐𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚜 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚢𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚐 𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚜 𝚣𝚒𝚙 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎 𝚊 𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚊𝚙 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎-𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜.

𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚕.

𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚏 𝚊 𝚙𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝, 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚖𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚊 𝚘𝚛𝚎.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚛𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚑𝚊𝚣𝚎.

𝙰𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗.

𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚎𝚒𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚜𝚞𝚗.

𝙱𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝.

𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎'𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞.

𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖆𝖘 𝖛𝖔𝖘 𝖑𝖎𝖇𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖇𝖎𝖙: 'THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE'.

𝙻𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚞𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚢 in 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛.

▙▟▙▛▜▟▟▟▟▚▚▚▚▚▚▙▙▙▙▚▛▞▚▙▞▟▚▚▙▛▜▟▜▙▚▙▟▙▛▜▟▟▟▟▚▚▚▚▚▚▙▙▙▙▚▛▞▚▙▞▟▚▚▙▛▜▟▜▙▚▙▟▙▛▜▟▟▟▚▚▚▙▙▙▙▚▛▞▚▙▞▟▚

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𝚅 𝙴 𝚁 𝙸 𝚃 𝙰 𝚂 _𝟸 𝟶 𝟾 𝟿

///

I N T R O D U C T I O N

From the writer and gamemaster of Aventine 2066, Fortuna 2070, and Senumbra 1835, comes another grimy, high-octane adventure. It is NOT necessary to read/play my previous campaigns to play Veritas 2089.

This is primarily a roleplay, narrative-focused, semi-linear campaign with a decent mixture of action, social, and exploration encounters against the backdrop of a hostile frontier planet named Khyionne. The age of lawlessness is coming to a close, yet there are some who still rage against the machine.

Think Ghost in the Shell meets Red Dead plus Cowboy Bebop plus Mad Max and The Expanse x The Mandolorian + Cyberpunk RED TTRPG.

The technological singularity has gone unchecked, leaving Earth to decay from resource depletion and overpopulation. To avoid annihilation, mankind surged to the stars and brought with them their worst habits and prejudices. Adaptation to space travel as well as the changing biosphere accelerated the creation of cybernetics, machine augmentations that enhance the body. Getting augmented is now culturally normalized, and is basically mandatory for most jobs, similar to how computers and smartphones are so common in the real world. For a full timeline of what has happened from 1975 to 2089, click here for access.

You will play the role of an outlaw, a career criminal on the run from unsavory folks after your gang falls apart to unseen forces, leaving you to fend for yourself by the skin of your teeth.

WHAT IS CYBERPUNK???

Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction, relating to advanced or futuristic technological or scientific progress contrasted against dystopia and marginalized groups, often expressing a deep sense of rebellion or individualism in the face of nihilism. Also highlights how technology without ethics or foresight results in further social stratification and conflict. In other words: “High tech, low life”.

Cybernetics and related tech are not inherently good or bad. They are tools, solutions, innovative methods that can be used for whatever purpose its wielder desires. Often more than not, it serves the needs of capital rather than people at large.

G U I D E L I N E S:

• Content Warning: Contains mature subject matter. There will be scenes of strong violence, self-harm, drug/alcohol abuse, strong language, and mild sexuality (x-rated scenes will fade to black). If there are any issues with this or have any lines not to cross, message me and I will dial it back, no questions asked. The important thing is your comfort level.

• Writing Expectations/Roleplaying: Please respond in the first person tense, as to make things grammatically consistent throughout. As this is a long-form campaign, responses have to be five sentences minimum (a paragraph), as I will also be putting forth a lot of effort into my writing as well. Nothing sucks more than to write a detailed response only to be met with a single sentence saying: ‘I’ll head to the left path’. Use the five senses. Elaborate on the feeling of driving through a sandstorm, emphasize the pain you feel as you feel a knife plunge into your leg. It’s all about the feeling. Professional writing skills are definitely not a requirement.

• Mood & Tone: The world I’ve constructed is grim and seemingly hopeless, where happy endings aren’t too common. People eke out an existence any way they can, burdened with economic debt and street violence. Attempts to tame the planet have been mixed, yet some still rush forth to challenge themselves. I will do my best to capture the essence of your character to create truly dramatic storytelling moments.

• Response Time: I personally will aim to respond, at minimum, twice a week. If more people drop out or if there are less, I'm able to respond more frequently. Feel free to DM if I happen to forget. I do intend on finishing this.

• Questions: Feel free to chat or DM me if you have any questions about gameplay or lore, if you need to take a break at all, or if you wish to exit.

S O U N D T R A C K

𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐎 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐁𝐄𝐒.

Tunes to ride through the wastelands. A sample of what's to come.

Heavy distorted riffs and industrial walls of sound by Queens of the Stone Age, Refused, The Vines, Death from Above 1979, Truckfighters, The Black Angels, and more.

HOW TO PLAY

General gameplay mechanics will be diceless, and will be a tiered system to determine different degrees of successes and failures throughout the game. It's easy.

TIERED STAT RANKING SYSTEM

STATS and RESISTANCES are ranked from 0 to 5 by default.

• 0 is unskilled, unworthy. All down to luck and prayer.
• 1 is novice level, hobbyist.
• 2 is adequate, a few weeks or months of training.
• 3 is good. A few years of training, enough to make a living.
• 4 is masterful. Studied and practiced for decades.
• 5 is legendary. Lifelong commitment to the craft to hone perfection.

...

You can play how you'd like to suit your style. You will begin by distributing STATS and RESISTANCES.

STATS

These are your active attributes and core skills that you possess.

Rate each stat a +0, +1, +2, +3, +4, and +5.

• [TOUGH]: Strength, athletics, martial arts, melee combat

• [QUICK]: Reflexes, ranged combat, acrobatics, precision, driving/piloting, stealth

• [HACK]: Manipulating computer networks in NetSpace, programming, memory traversal

• [TECH]: Engineering shortcuts, control robotics such as drones and mechs, hot-wiring, lock-picking, operating Heavy Machinery and Heavy Transport (Aerodynes, hovertanks, zeppelins, spaceships)

• [WITS]: Sensory perception, natural sciences, navigation, accounting, deduction/induction, medical aid

• [COOL]: Diplomacy, deception, charm, intimidation, fast-talking, street rumors

...

RESISTANCES

These are your core defenses against external influence and immediate danger.

Rate each resistance a +0, +1, +2, +3, +4, and +5

• (TANK): Resisting physical damage, hazards, parrying, blocking, endure pain

• (DODGE): Dodging, evading danger

• (FIREWALL): Defend yourself against Network security, mitigate Backlash effects from failed hacks

• (SHIELDING): Recover quicker from EMP and electrical attacks

• (FOCUS): Seeing through illusions such as holograms, mind altering drugs, flashbang recovery

• (INSIGHT): Recognizing manipulation and estimating intent, catching deceit and misdirection

...

CUSTOM STATS & RESISTANCES

Alternatively, you may pull from a pool of 15 points to assign to STATS, and a pool of 15 points to assign to RESISTANCE for further customization. Individual STATS & RESISTANCES cannot exceed 5. Only way to go past the maximum is by AUGMENTS (See further down below).

...

BIOMETRICS

Your overall biological physicality.

• HP: [TOUGH X 2] + 10. When you hit 0, you are incapacitated.

• REACTION TIME: QUICK + DODGE. Who gets to react first.

• MOVE RATE: QUICK X 2 METERS per TURN

...

TASK RESOLUTION 'STAT CHECKS'

To do almost anything in this game, I just compare your STAT rating vs a DIFFICULTY RATING (DR) that I set,

• DR 0 is trivial.
• DR 1 is quite easy.
• DR 2 is moderately easy.
• DR 3 is average.
• DR 4 is hard.
• DR 5 is very complex.
• DR 6 pushes human limits.
• DR 7 is nearly impossible.

If you meet or exceed the DR, you do the thing!

Combat is the same, but I compare your REACTION TIME to see who goes first, then your relevant STATS to the corresponding enemy's RESISTANCE. Combat is fluid and happens extremely quickly, largely turn-based (each turn lasting around 5 to 10 seconds), alternating between opponents.

You reliably have 2 Actions and movement to go off per Turn, such as shooting, repairing a panel, or using an item. Actions are only limited by your creativity.

If your STAT meets or exceeds their RESISTANCE, you hit!

Armor is something you can wear (Like a vest or suit) or enhance yourself with using AUGMENTS (we'll get to this later) that provides flat damage reduction. Ex. if you have Armor that has a rating of 1, and get shot by a bullet that inflicts 3 damage, you only end up suffering 2 damage total (3-1=2). Armor is separate from your TANK RESISTANCE (TANK is simply your ability to defend, block, parry, endure pain). Some weapons and augments are able to pierce Armor (ignore a certain amount of Armor Rating), while others bypass all of it entirely.

Hacking slightly differs. As a hacker, you are able to transfer your consciousness into NetSpace (virtual dimensional representation of raw data) and use malware to manipulate systems, giving hackers the moniker: datamancers. All you need is an Access Point and a CyberDeck Augment. Types of hacks depends on what systems are available and what you can come up with (cameras, power grid, turrets, etc). Failing a hack or prematurely ejecting results in Backlash, which triggers an alert and deals damage and other effects depending on the enemy firewall.

You can also respond retroactively to NPCs or scenes, or write in backup plans in the event your initial plan doesn't work out (Ex. Marcus writes that he wants to set up a distraction by hacking holograms, but if that doesn't work out, he'll decide to open fire with his shotgun instead.) Doing this will help speed up the thread a great deal.

Bonuses & Penalties

Some tasks can be made easier by certain factors, items, environments, or NPC (non-playable character) aid, giving +1 or higher bonuses to your STAT or RESISTANCE. Taking the time to steady your aim and adjust your scope will make your shot more likely to land, or studying a mark's online history beforehand to figure out their behavior. Conversely, this also applies to factors that make tasks more difficult. Things like a heavy sandstorm obscuring navigation, or an unstable platform on a collapsing tower making it harder to keep balance, incurring something like a -1 or -2 penalty.

...

M O N E Y

"Gotta spend scrip to make scrip, chummer. Make me an offer."

...

SCRIP (SC): Main electronic currency used in The Frontier, and all across the planet Khyionne.

In-game, money will be handled in a simple form, an abstract measure of cash and liquid assets. Numbers will be small and simple.

Here's a list of equivalent exchange values.

• 0 sc: Enough to buy knick-knacks and petty items or snacks.
• 1 sc: A week's wages.
• 2 sc: Weekly small business income.
• 4 sc: A month's wages.
• 6 sc: A few month's wages with a bonus tossed in.
• 8 sc: A mid-tier store vendor's monthly income.
• 10 sc: A yearly salary.
• 12 sc: A luxurious lifestyle.

You cashed in on your reserves. You will receive 12 scrip to spend on AUGMENTS below.

ＡＵＧＭＥＮＴＳ

"Get chromed or get zoned."

...

AUGMENTS are biomechanical cybernetics that enhance the body. Most get them to do their jobs better, while some careers demand mandatory installs. Artificiality is now the norm.

All AUGMENTS are weak to:

• ARMOR-PIERCING: Damage that ignores a portion of Armor. Examples include Gauss/railgun type weapons, armor-piercing ammo, incendiary ammo, certain melee weapons
• ANTI-MATERIAL/ENERGY WEAPONS: Ignores Armor completely and can go through all Cover. Examples include lasers, plasma beams, microwavers, and heavy explosives.
• ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE (EMP): Damage that targets electronics and AUGMENTS to inflict STUN (target becomes immobilized, Move Rate becomes 0, reboots AUGMENTS for a number of 2 to 5 Turns depending on potency). Examples include electropulsar grenades, EMP mines, electric batons, signal jammers, specific anti-personnel hacks (BLACK ICE)

OVERHEATING

The merging of flesh and machine still must obey thermodynamics. Going beyond the recommended usage of certain abilities results in self-damage. Eventually, you'll cook yourself alive and receive 10 damage per overuse. You can always go beyond it at your own risk, however. After 24 hours or so, your uses replenish fully.

Only one AUGMENT may be purchased per anatomical category. For optics, arms, hands, and legs, they all come in pairings. You are also able to change the color, texture, and patterns of them, too. The STAT & RESISTANCE bonuses some offer will stack with each other.

Again, you'll have 12 scrip to spend. Anything not spent is carried over.

BASIC NEURALWARE (NERVOUS SYSTEM)

• Nocturne Synchronous Transfer Socket (SYNCHRO): Installed on almost 90 percent of the population. Taps into clusters of nerve trunks to interface with the neural processor to send and receive signals. Allows linking to access points via 1m long personal cable to view data, initiate Hacks, run diagnostics, link with vehicles, and slot in datashards. Highly recommended. - [0 sc]

ADVANCED NEURALWARE (NERVOUS SYSTEM, OPERATING SYSTEM)

• Morion Dragoon Reflex Amplifier: A comprehensive neural implant that provides a substantial boost to reaction time due to enhanced synapse amplifiers and motor neuron clusters down the corticospinal tract. Grants +2 QUICK, DODGE, & REACTION for roughly ten seconds. 3 Uses/Day. - [2 sc]

• Nocturne RedCell Edgeline CyberDeck: A balanced CyberDeck of moderate budget, computing power, and reliability for mid-tier hacking. Installed within the brainstem and corticospinal tract. Can also ‘hack’ into another person’s brain directly to view recent memories of the past 12 hours. You'll be unconscious during hacking, however, with a bit of nausea afterwards. - [1 sc]

• KTR Dynamics 'Storm' Power Booster: A complex hybrid of neuraltech that communicates with adrenal glands and pain receptors to give you an edge. Grants +2 TOUGH and +2 TANK and +2 Melee damage for ten seconds. 3 Uses/Day. - [2 sc]

ADVANCED NEURALWARE (FRONTAL CORTEX)

• Theurgist CommSYNC: Akin to telepathy, communicate wirelessly through thoughts with other people through micro-machines in a neural web overlapping the frontal cortex, specifically the cerebellum. Range of 500 miles. - [1 sc]

OPTICS

• Azpire Kestral Recon Cyberoptic Scanner: Acts as digital binoculars. With a patented phase interferometry system to improve resolution and magnification, plus an AR analytic lens, see more of the world. See up to 1km range, highlight and tag targets, assess AUGMENTS and WEAPONS, x-ray and infrared up to 100m, analyze biological matter. +1 WITS - [2 sc]

• Azpire Socialite Behavioral Cyberoptic Scanner: Multi-layered lenses and sensors that directly monitor behavior patterns. See up to 100m, assesses individual body language, vocal fluctuations, and psychophysiological activity to measure stress levels and emotive intent. +1 INSIGHT. - [2 sc]

• Azpire Raptor Combat Cyberoptic Scanner: Adaptive software and predictive trajectory trackers allow real-time adjustments in the heat of battle. See up to 1km, highlights threats, assess augments and weapons, increases hand-eye coordination. Flashbang immunity and EMP immunity. +1 to QUICK when shooting and +1 to TOUGH when melee fighting. - [2 sc]

AUDITORY

• Oticon Neuroprosthesis Amp: Cochlear implant that engages speech pathology centers and enhances sonic sensitivity with failsafes to prevent feedback. When listening closely, gain +1 WITS and +1 FOCUS. Also auto-translates all languages and can record audio. Immune to being Deafened. Range of 100m. - [2 sc]

ARMS

• Del Toro 7th Gen Berserker Arms: Utilizes reinforced joints, titanium-ovidium composite paneling, nanofiber hexagonal patching, and thickened synthetic muscles to overwhelm the enemy. +1 TOUGH, +1 TANK, and + 8 Melee damage when in combat. Destroys light cover. Armor-Piercing Immune. - [5 sc]

• Del Toro 5th Gen Reaper Blades: Contains two simultaneously implanted 105cm long serrated blades in both forearms that remain retracted within a synthetic ovidium sheath until triggered. When used, forearm dermal paneling will 'split' and extend the blades forward with reinforced joints to lock them in place. When in combat, +1 TOUGH and +10 Melee damage, pierce 1 Armor. - [6 sc]

• Morion Justicar Infiltrator Prosthetics: Lightweight carbon fiber layered in EMP-shielding foil, hydraulic pistons with internal nozzle for tube-fed close range (1m) tear gas that blinds the target. Spool installed for a 20m long grappling hook and subdermal wrist-mounted crossbow that launches a single tranquilizer at 25m (Dart cannot pierce Armor). Sensitive-touch microphones on index finger to permit eavesdropping through glass and thin walls, audio stored on datashard. EMP-immune. Restocking the gas canister and tranquilizer costs 1 sc. - [6 sc]

• Avalon Combine Copperhead Monofilament 'Monowire' Wire Apparatus: Comes in two parts: a composite ceramic grip with nanofiber microlayers that covers the entire hand to allow safe handling of the 1-atom thin thermal monofilament wire itself, and the power cell- sourced subdermal wire slot which shoots out and extends the monowire. Use it to lash out like a whip and cut up your foes into cauterized ribbons. When in combat, +1 TOUGH, +10 Melee damage, and pierce 3 Armor. Monowire has 20m range. - [7 sc]

• Morion Varangian Type-XE Micromissile Launcher: Within a pop-up launcher mounted on a tri-platform frame that splits the subdermal forearm paneling apart are three miniature high-explosive gyro-jet rounds. Range of up to 100m, and deals 25 damage in a 10m radius per micromissile. Restocking a single micromissile costs 2 sc. - [8 sc]

HANDS

• KTR-Dynamics AXON Palm Taser: A low-cost self-defense option that contains thin electroshock pads on the palm that delivers a modulated electric current, disrupting voluntary control of muscles. Non-lethal and stuns the opponent for 3 Turns. Exercise caution. 3 uses/day. - [1 sc]

• Del Toro 5th Gen Harpy Retractable Talons: Metallic carbon-fiber and ovidium chassis with five internal sheaths similar to Reaper Blades that extend 10cm long sharp talons that tear apart flesh. When in combat, +1 TOUGH and +4 Melee damage.- [2 sc]

LEGS

• Morion Praxis Leg Prosthetics - Has advanced frictionless materials around the titanium joint mounts to allow a greater range of flexibility and speed. Carbon-fiber paneling, amrita semi-conductors, and secondary shock absorbers add to the list of safety features. +1 QUICK, DODGE, & REACTION. +10m to Move Rate. Double jump with air jets and cross up to 25m in a single bound - [5 sc]

• Avalon Combine Nightingale Leg Prosthetics: A hybrid of VTOL tech, rechargable power cells, and prosthetic advancements, has three propulsion jets on the outer thigh with rotater stability dampeners, booster jets on the soles, and heat-resistant ceramic coating. Electromagnetic pads also allow for adhesion to metallic surfaces. Intended for quick maneuvering or access higher elevation. Triple Movement Rate, hover vertically up to 100m when activated. Ten seconds of hovering per use. 5 uses/Day. - [6 sc]

SKIN

• Piezo Armadillo Subdermal Armor: Surgical composite of armored plastics and metallic weaves sandwiched between anti-spalling lattices beneath the skin, while remaining microscopically porous. Adds +2 Armor and 10 HP. - [4 sc]

• Piezo Chameleon Achromatic Cloak: Thermooptic solution by bending light around their body with broadband achromatic metalens nanites that can even spread over clothing, rendering you invisible for ten seconds. Your footsteps can still be heard, however. Gain +3 REFLEX and DODGE when sneaking. 3 uses/day. - [4 sc]

CIRCULATORY

• Mugen Industries Nano-Coagulation: Artificial nanomachines with hypercoagulin capsules and synth-collagen fibers that adhere to the puncture or laceration to stem bleeding and internal hemorrhaging. Trigger at any time to heal 10 HP, limited by 1 use/Day. In addition, you will always passively heal 1 HP per hour. - [3 sc]

RESPIRATORY

• Mugen Industries ECMO Synthetic Lungs - Provides higher oxygenation of blood and carbon dioxide removal from blood, and also auto-repairs trauma to the chest cavity. Breathe underwater for up to 30 minutes, run longer and faster: +10m movement. When at 75% health, auto-heal 7 HP. Auto-heal has 1 use/Day. - [3 sc]

SKELETAL

• Mugen Industries Titanium Bone Infusion: Adds an extra layer of durability in the form of titanium inserts without inhibiting bone marrow production. Adds +1 Armor, 10 HP, and +1 to TOUGH & TANK. - [6 sc]

...

CHARACTER CREATION

1. Demographics

• Age: How old are you? (Minimum of 18)

• Aliases/Nicknames/Street Name

• Appearance: (Height, weight, physicality, ethnicity, etc)

• Personal Aesthetics (Clothing style, accessories, tattoos, scars, nail polish, makeup, jewelry, etc)

2. Languages: You know English by default. Choose one more, or if you want one not on the list, pick that one.

• Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, French, Portuguese, Russian, Hindi, Arabic, Dutch, Spanish, Jamaican Creole, German

3. Cultural Origins: What are your roots?

*For further technical details of the planet, click here for its database entry.

North Economic Zone ‘The Deadlands’: A semi-arid biome. Rife with mineral deposits, underground water reservoirs, and cave systems that extend hundreds of miles beneath. Home of the first colonies. Somewhat recovered from the Sovereignty War, a planetary conflict between Khyionne and the Colonial Federation that ended in 2071.

• Veritas (Capital): The most populous high-density city on the planet, and the main seat of power of the Khyionne United Republic (KUR). Began as a small mining outpost and exploded in population shortly after, eventually birthing a thriving criminal hotspot, a diverse cultural melting pot, and trade hub. Corporations have begun exerting power here. [Population: ~5,500,000]

• Caldera: A small town born from corporation-backed money, originally planned as an extension of Veritas through a hyperloop project, it was scrapped mid-development but colonists took refuge here regardless. Seen as a cheap rest stop for travelers with a half-decent distillery. Half the town is tended to by robotics. [Population: ~1,200]

• Cuervo Gully: Small, labyrinthian, and dangerous, the KUR has since issued a travel advisory warning indicating the hazards of this quarry-based location. Place is strewn with makeshift walkways and electric wires that crisscross like spiderwebs, and is home to infighting bandits. [Population: ???]

• Marley’s Hope: A fringe colony of farmers serving as an agricultural center. Made famous for growing the first potatoes from Earth-sourced seeds. Named after a local hero no one remembers anymore. A local mercenary headquarters there has a relatively friendly symbiotic relationship with the colony. [Population: ~3,000]

South Economic Zone ‘The Barrens’: A coastal desert expanse that borders on Khyionne’s only ocean, The Varuna Sea, which is dwarfed by the size of the mainland. Home to a gigantic crater, remnants of an old asteroid impact. Scattered with ship debris from the Sovereignty War. Civilians are encouraged not to venture past the Armistice Line due to the presence of buried land mines.

• Aequitas: The second-biggest city on Khyionne but it slightly lags behind Veritas in terms of economic power. Generally mountainous and is the highest colony, elevation-wise. Much of its industry comes from cybernetics, spaceship, and vehicle manufacturing, with numerous mass drivers providing constant resupply to space stations. Also contains many training camps. [Population: ~3,000,000]

• Libertas: Formed from the metal corpse of a Prometheus-class carrier that fell to the planet during the Sovereignty War, it is a community that remains in deep poverty due to exploitation by Monolith, the biggest mining company in the system. It is a place of constant revolts and hardship, seemingly abandoned by the KUR. Much of it remains a junk heap. [Population: ~70,000]

West Economic Zone ‘The Wilds’: An isolated region containing numerous failed research colonies built in the middle of temperate grasslands, possessing diverse plant life and has fostered new breakthroughs in science. Unfortunately, many dangerous species of alien fauna have made things difficult. Only corporate backed settlements with armed security make it far here.

• Concordia: More of a series of connected research facilities, this corporate-backed settlement is unique in its habitat ‘domes’. Life here works civilians to the bone, all of which are promised new economic opportunities to move up the ladder with corporate credit. Those who fail their quota quietly disappear. To some, Concordia seems almost like its own country. [Population: ~400,000]

East Economic Zone ‘The Wasteland’: Was once prosperous with arable land, but its flagship colony of Opis was glassed from orbit in 2055 by the Colonial Federation in a last ditch attempt to destroy a rebel comm relay that remotely controlled a rogue asteroid. A quarter of the region is now a radioactive wasteland with a 100 km Exclusion Zone surrounding it, guarded by drones.

• Zena: A cliff-side community of nomads who eke out a meager existence on the borders of the EEZ. They often act as mediators between rival gangs and factions, selling merchandise. Occasionally, they send scouts to investigate the Exclusion Zone, which possesses ‘unnatural phenomena’ and salvage. Few ever come back. [Population: ???]

Orbital Space ‘The Outer Sphere’: In the void of space, life continues to flourish. Present within the planet's rings.

• Hesperides Industrial Station: Constructed in the mined-out husk of a metallic asteroid, it remains a key component of rocket engine production and asteroid/ice mining operations within the planet’s ring system. It was once lawless and served as a rebellion base during the Sovereignty War. In recent years, the KUR has exerted full control over the station with mixed results. [Population: ~150,000]

• Stallos Station: The oldest toroidal space station has served double duties as a government R&D station and as an Earth embassy for diplomatic relations. The station was made especially important during the formation of the Independent Planetary Treaty Agreement in 2071 that led to Khyionne’s independence from the Colonial Federation. Life here is scenic and largely stable, attainable usually only by governmental employees who bring their families. [Population: ~60,000]

4. Career History: You were different back then. What did you do?

• Corpo Drone, Criminal, Aristocrat, Refugee, Ex-Cop, Military Veteran, Smuggler, Rebel Fighter, Techie, Laborer, Hacker, Bounty Hunter, Ranger, Media Personality

5. Criminal History: Your band of rogues.

• The Crew: What can you say about your old gang? {The name? What were they known for? How many members? How were they formed?)

• What motivated you to turn to a life of crime? (Desperation, freedom, money, etc)

• Name a legendary crime or feat you pulled off.

• Why did your gang break up? (Misfortune, infighting, a botched job, outside interference, etc)

• In the aftermath, an antagonistic faction is now after you, forcing you to go on the run. Who are they? (shadow gov't agency, bounty hunters, lawmen, crime syndicate, megacorp, etc)

6. Bonds: The people you surround yourself with tells a lot about who you are.

• Youth: What was your family life and upbringing like?

• KEY BOND: Who is someone you trust and care about? Describe their persona and appearance. (You can have more than one, but having at least one is required.)

• PARTNER-IN-CRIME/RIGHT HAND: Who is someone you can depend on for shady gigs? Describe their persona and appearance, and what they specialize in. This can also be your KEY BOND.

7. Psyche: You make choices, and your choices make you.

• Foundation: What are some of your core values? Name at least two and explain why. (Ex. Loyalty, survival, honesty, strength, etc)

• Vices: What hobbies or habits do you like to indulge in? (Drugs, alcohol, pleasure, virtual reality, tinkering, food, art, religion, violence, urban exploration, etc)

• Reminiscence: What’s a memory you’re deeply proud or fond of?

• Haunted: What’s a horrible memory that eats away at you?

• Totem: What is a sentimental item you possess? What’s the history behind that? (Dog tags, loaded dice, postcard, bullet, wedding ring, action figure, etc)

• Blind Spot: What gets under your skin? What throws you off-balance, weakens you, your inner flaw you try to hide from everyone, even from yourself?

8. The Endgame

• Why do you want to go to the city of Veritas? (A new start, save your old crew, go into exile, get help, hunt a traitor or truth, etc)

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Ready? Let's go.

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PROLOGUE: A Train to Catch

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Planet Khyionne, Omega System, Perseus-Sygnus Arm

16th Month, Cycle 7, 14:30, 2089 CE

Pesecaderia, 'The Barrens', South Economic Zone

Freedom comes at a price. But not everyone pays the same way.

You’re on the outskirts of civilization in a skeleton of a town called Pescaderia. Not your first choice, nor your second or third. A nice change of scenery from your temporary shelter inside a derelict aerodyne chassis a few klicks west of here, but still, not much to look at here. If you listen closely, you can even hear the wind flow through the bullet holes of the boarded up shops, stirring up tiny swirling dust devils that dance across the sandy tarmac.

The ‘oasis’ of Veritas past the NEZ border is your eventual goal, but multiple problems stand in your way, one of them being lack of money and safe passage. Without the scratch, you can’t be smuggled in. With the blockades in place, strolling in is suicide, especially with a reputation like yours. It's a surefire way to get shot at by authorities, or worse, have your consciousness molested by government datamancers.

"Howdy hun! Welcome to The Gem-The Gem-The Gg-em! ZZZtttt. Best b-b-bourbon innnnnnn towwZZZZwwn-" glitches the womanly hologram of the bar's mascot. The holographic voxels and pixels degrade into a slurry of digitized patches that blink in and out of reality.

One could spend an entire day polishing the floors and walls but it’ll never live up to its namesake.

A bandaged thumb presses repeatedly on the tuner, long and dirty yellowed nails clicking against the touchpad of the radio. The radio pukes up a signal:

“…106.9 ‘RENEGADE’ FM Radio, SEZ. HELLO and good fuckin’ morning, people of Khyionne! Love ya all, ya beautiful bastards. This is your host and trusted voice of the The Barrens, Whiskey Pete, broadcasting planetwide, or as far as my shitty transmitter tower can go, Nursin' one helluva hangover. We got clear skies with a high of 38 degrees celsius, an all-time low, so count ya blessings and pray that big ol’ golden behemoth of a sandstorm ain’t comin’ our way to ruin and rust your new chrome.

Speaking of which, bad news. I heard the blockade by our illustrious KUR Navy is still clogging up that Archway jump gate up in space, interstellar traffic is at a snail’s pace. The REQUIEM, the MEGARA, and the DOWAGER EMPRESS all stuck in..."

A brute of a cyborg with more meat than brains in a washed-out gray poncho glares at the radio in raw irritation.

Sweat drips from your brow onto the faux wood table.

“...You listening, chummer?” asks a sleazy molerat of a man sitting across from you, cyberopticals bulging out of their sockets, with a metal plate across the side of his scalp. His silvered hand prosthetic runs through his greasy hair. Cheap brown aviators are held between his other tattooed hand, displaying faded ChemInk you hardly recognize. His belt buckle is even more tacky.

Chummer. The term doesn’t suit the relationship between you two. Far from it. You’re not his friend. His name is Wyatt. He's small fry, but even a vulture like him knows an opportunity to exploit desperation when he sees one.

You’re in deep shit and all you got is a shovel. Beggars can't be choosers.

He repeats his offer. "Do a score with me, and I’ll square away your troubles in a blink. Hand to God’." he tells you. "The Sunset Express is going to cross the nearest train station in four hours. Station's 'bout ten, twelve kilometers from here. On that train is something I want. A cryothermos. Bastard in possession of it is a bigwig corpo from Oneiros, y’know, the big VR company? Don't care how you do it. Just don't fuck up the goods."

Wyatt pours two glasses with tequila and slides one over to you. "C'mon, partner. Questions?"

You have just come of age, and great things are expected of you, for you are the fourthborn of remarkable parents. Your father, BlueSpear, is one of very few of your tribe to been both a Chief in War and Chief in Peace. Perhaps more remarkable is your mother, SoulName, one of the metal bearing sea peoples of the line of Names Uncounted. Only two humans have ever been accepted into the Satyr tribes, and she is first and last by marriage, and somehow made it through the horrors of birthing four children with horns and hooves and remained intact.

Unfortunately, coming of age means proving yourself. Tradition demands that you go forth alone with naught but a flint spear and find a gift that will show who you truly are, allowing you to finally earn a name or two beyond Fourthborn.

What name you shall get will depend on what manner of gift you bring home, and the manner in which you did it. What you choose should be based on what sort of reputation you want to have, how long you're willing to spend, and whether or not you can actually make it home with the ruddy thing.

If you want an Easy and Short time seek out flowers, a blue one for father, and a yellow one for mother. This will show your good and gentle nature, and your tribe will doubtless allow you to settle into a quiet life-even if you'll probably end up with a rather uncool name like Flower Picker. Your flint spear will be all you need here, surely you won't have to stab anything to pick flowers.... might take 1-2 weeks to complete (this is of course a guess, and dependent on how and how often you respond. maybe 20 messages total?)

If you want a more impressive goal, a Medium (but still quite shortish task. Maybe a little under a month- a little over a 100 messages?) may be for you. Forge an alliance with another tribe. Either by marriage, gifts, charm or favours, persuade another tribe to forge bonds of eternal friendship with your own, show your value as a bridge builder and secure the long peace a few generations more. Or else decide your family are rotten cunts for making you do this dangerous challenge just to go on living with them, and see if you can forge out more of a future for yourself in another village.

But if you are determined to be more than a forgotten fourthborn, perhaps you are set on a Hard task, and thus solemnly vow that you will bring home not one gift but three, and they none other than the prized trinkets of the King of the Green Dream Demons of the sacred pool. They are: 1: his Cup of Purity- water drunk from it may cure you of any curse, sickness or wound.

2: The Torque of Dreams, which the Demon King uses to call forth horrors from the world of sleep.

3: The Skinwalker's loincloth, which allows him to dwell within the form of anything that has flesh.

This task can no longer be called short, but nor will it take all too long. 2-4 (maybe 2-4 hundred messages? probably toward the low end) months is my guess, but it gets harder and harder to guess with tougher tasks. of course, there's always the chance you get killed, in which case I don't doubt it could be the shortest path of all.

Custom Perhaps you think none of these gifts sum up who you really are. Feel free to set your own goal also, or start the adventure without a target in mind and wander around till you spot something worth doing. No one is rushing you. If you do have something in mind, you can also request how hard it is or how long it might take to play the adventure.

And I suppose you should say a little about yourself. You're a nameless forthborn Satyr yet to complete your coming of age by default, but that doesn't mean you haven't lived a life. Anything that's happened in your first 23 years worth remarking on? And I suppose you should specify what gender and pronouns you're likely to use to avoid confusion and offence.

If you'd prefer some other backstory or species, like being a sailor who's washed up on this funny little island that's fine with me too.

Anyway, I think that's everything, so feel free to join the adventure, or ask any questions first before committing.

You stand before the entrance to a massive dungeon complex. Built in an age long past, it is nowadays only known as Dungeon 13. The tablet outside the fairly normal looking front door lays out the terms in a language that is always just barely your native tongue.

//Once you walk through this door, you will enter a challenge of delightful proportions. 13 rooms are all you must pass, in order to gain your greatest wish. You may leave at any time, but once you exit the [unpronounceable word] you will never be able to enter again. 13 rooms. 13 challenges. Death for most. Delight for some. May the One God favor you.//

The door appears to be simple wood, with a shiny brass handle.

Who are you, to accept this challenge?

(Theater of the mind dungeon crawl, door can be in any world.)

The floor is cold and dark, the same can be said for your surroundings. There is a feeling of strange energy in the air. Then, the ceiling above you and the floor beneath your feet starts to shudder as a light bursts out of the ground, somewhere else in this room, something that alerts you to how big, or at least wide this room is two more colored lights burst out of the ground, probably meaning that you aren't alone. Out of the many questions that are going through your head, the big one is simple. What now?

(OOC: Hello, my name is Mega and this is my first time uh, acting as the dungeon master for something like this. Now as for character creation the process is simple. Firstly choose one of the three colors. Purple, Red, or Blue. These will qualify you for one of three classes I have in mind for this. This will also provide a nice bit of framework for your character.

Purple is meant for the Rogue, the Average man or woman who can go surprisingly far when pushed.

Red is the color of the warrior, the person who is powerful on the battlefield and possesses a strong moral compass everywhere they go.

Blue is the Mage, who has spent so long up in their wizard tower and studies that they no longer know how to interact with the mundane and somewhat outdated methods. Their magical prowess is unmatched.

Other than that, just create your basic character, tell me a bit about who they are, what they were doing before waking up in this dark room, any professions or skills that could be handy. Stuff like that.)

You awaken with a blank mind. The smooth white domed surface before your eyes lifts and swings away. You sit up and place your bare feet on the cool white floor. Looking around you see a series’s of identical chambers with similar looking people examining their hands or looking around as you are. You look down at your hands and turn them over. Smooth and supple with a wonderful pink flesh under your slightly long nails.

The bright white panel lighting around the walls close to the ceiling flash brighter once and turn off. The windowless room is pitch black for a long tense moment of silence before smaller lights dotted around the floor drench the room in amber light. Every person in the room stands to their feet in unison with you.

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New comer Starting position: you’re suspended in a cryo pod waiting to be revived in the case of an emergency or your end of tour, aboard a military vessel.

What is your rank? Conscripted, volunteer or career military? What was the last thing you did to prepare for being woken up besides unlace your boots ready to be stepped into? Did you pay attention to the safety briefing screamed at the crew on day one, did you have a hangover?

__

(My first time. Be kind. Be brutal.)

You hear that a contact may have information regarding your quest, walking inside, you see a host of patrons. A group of dragonborn sit in a corner booth, while a group of tabaxi are talking around one of the center tables, the rest of the tables have a mix of races and everyone seems to be having a good time.

The only thing that seems to stand out, is a small dragonborn? He’s the tavernkeep, serving the few patrons that have sat at the bar.

Who are you, What is your quest, and what do you do?

There is no damage to any of the infrastructure, everyone is just gone. The power is still running, atleast for now. There are no dead bodies.

An eerie silence fills the world, except for a car alarm, a radio, what sounds like a smoke alarm. You can see a contrail ending in a sharp downward descent, and a pillar of smoke off in the distance.

Other than machinery, the city is oddly quiet.