U N D E R W O R L D
Just one year ago, Commander Shepard did what many said was impossible.
He beat the Reapers.
Using the ancient Prothean superweapon, the Crucible, and with the help of confederation of alien races, Shepard destroyed the race of synthetic organic machines. The cost was high though, and no one managed to emerge unscathed from the conflict. Still, the war was over. The hard part was over.
Or so they thought. While a fragile peace holds for the moment, the new balance of power between races has yet to settle, and without a common foe to unite them many are now waiting for an excuse to turn against each other once more, to gain recompense for past slights, or to seize a more influential position. The galaxy holds it’s breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Unbeknownst to them all enemies both new and familiar begin to stir, eager to take advantage of the chaos of the post-war period to turn the situation to their advantage.
The Council realizes drastic measures are called for if the peace is to be maintained, and so a crew of Spectres and their allies are called in to intervene.
They won the war. Now it’s time to win the peace.
Mass Effect: Underworld will be a RP run by myself and @MrDidact. A continuation of the original Mass Effect’s story – though one with a slightly revised ending and canon – players will create characters who are recruited by Spectre agents to maintain the new, tenuous peace that has fallen over the galaxy in the wake of the Reaper’s assault. It’ll be no easy task though, as those who threaten the races of the Milky Way do so from the shadows, and to pull them into the light our heroes must step into the darkness themselves.
The journey will take us across the galaxy, visiting all the familiar locales that you’ve come to love over the course of Mass Effect series. From the war-scarred earth, to the depths of the Terminus systems, from the grimy slums of Omega, to the corrupt world of Illium, and even some places that have only been hinted at so far, the mission will have us treading to the very boundaries of known space.
I'd like to leave character creation as open as reasonably possible. You want to create a biotic Salarian assassin? Go for it. A Krogan engineer with a sunny disposition and a fear of heights? Have at it. My only request is that your character makes sense within the general confines of the ME universe, and that there is an actual reason for them to be a part of this Spectre led task force.
While the RP won’t be a sandbox style, my GM-ing style and preference does allow for a scope of player independence. While I don't mind having to hold the hands of a group of passive Peters, and that I do have an overarching story line in mind, I would like to see any potential players volunteer up their own ideas for side and sub-plots. This is going to be your world as well as mine, so take the reins people!
So, who’s interested? Who has questions?
F R E Q U E N T L Y A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S
Is this RP set in the Mass Effect universe? - Yes, though it is based after the events of the Reaper war, using a canon devised by myself and Mr Didact.
Do I need an in-depth knowledge of the ME universe to join? - No. There's plenty nerds here who can help you with any gaps in your knowledge.
Can I make OC's? - Yes.
Can I use a canon character? – No, though they can feature in your OC’s backstory.
How many characters can I make? - One to begin with. Once you have established your primary character you may apply for a second, though acceptance will be dependent on whether I think you can handle more.
Is there a posting order in play? - No, though leave a couple of posts in between each of your own.
Do you have an offsite chat feature? - Yes. If you're accepted I'll forward you the details.
G A M E C A N O N
C H A R A C T E R S H E E T T E M P L A T E
[b][u]Name:[/u][/b]
[indent]Your character's given name. Any nicknames or Alias’s also go here.[/indent]
[b][u]Race:[/u][/b]
[indent]Your character’s race.[/indent]
[b][u]Class:[/u][/b]
[indent]Your character’s class.[/indent]
[b][u]Age:[/u][/b]
[indent]Your character’s age[/indent]
[b][u]Sex:[/u][/b]
[indent]Your character’s gender[/indent]
[b][u]Appearance:[/u][/b]
[indent]A short written description of your character’s appearance. You may also use a picture, though will still require such things as height, rough weight, and visible markings or tattoos, to be written down.[/indent]
[b][u]Backstory:[/u][/b]
[indent]Your character’s personal history. Aim for a minimum of three paragraphs here, touching on all key points of your character’s past. [/indent]
[b][u]Psyche Profile:[/u][/b]
[indent]What makes your character tick? What makes them happy? What makes them angry? Why do they do the things they do? [/indent]
[b][u]Specialty:[/u][/b]
[indent]What is your character good at. Are they an exceptional helmsman, a renowned geneticist, or a devil on the frontlines? We’ll be looking for a good mix here, so give it some thought. [/indent]
[b][u]Powers/Skills:[/u][/b]
[indent]What special abilities and skills does your character possess. [/indent]
[b][u]Equipment and Resources:[/u][/b]
[indent]What gear does your character bring to the table.[/indent]
[b][u]Sample Post:[/u][/b]
[indent]A short sample post so I can get a handle of your writing style. This could be one of your characters early missions, a showing of them enjoying some downtime, or a short of some of their exploits during the Reaper war.[/indent]
[b][u]Notes[/u][/b]
[indent]Any miscellaneous notes you may wish to add.
Examples are character’s sexuality, any notable achievements, relationships with other characters or supporting casts.[/indent]
C H A R A C T E R R E L A T I O N S H I P S H E E T T E M P L A T E
[hider=(Insert your character's name here) Relationship Sheet]
[center][color=7B68EE][b]╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗[/b][/color][/center]
[center][h2][color=9966CC]Insert your character's name[/color][/h2][/center]
[center][color=7B68EE][b]╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝[/b][/color][/center]
[center][b][i][color=9966CC]Character quote, if desired[/color][/i][/b][/center]
[center]| [color=yellow]☀[/color] Friends | [color=FF00FF]✌[/color] Neutral | [color=brown]☕[/color] Who? | [color=gray]☠[/color] Not fond of | [color=00FA9A]⚜[/color] Acquaintances | [color=00BFFF]✸[/color] Best friends | [color=pink]❤[/color] Love interest | [color=red]❧[/color] Dating |[/center]
[center][color=#00FFFF][h3]|| Insert other character’s (I.E The character your character is thinking about) name here|| [/h3][/color]
[color=FF00FF](copy and insert whichever symbol from above which applies to the relationship here I.E. ✌ for neutral)[/color] [i]Laconic quote about how your character feels about this character, if desired[/i][color=FF00FF] (copy and insert whichever symbol from above which applies to the relationship here I.E. ✌ for neutral)[/color]
Longer explanation and exploration of feelings.[/center]
[center][color=#00FFFF][h3]|| Insert other character’s (I.E The character your character is thinking about) name here|| [/h3][/color]
[color=FF00FF](copy and insert whichever symbol from above which applies to the relationship here I.E. ✌ for neutral)[/color] [i]Laconic quote about how your character feels about this character, if desired[/i][color=FF00FF] (copy and insert whichever symbol from above which applies to the relationship here I.E. ✌ for neutral)[/color]
Longer explanation and exploration of feelings.[/center]
[center][color=#00FFFF][h3]|| Insert other character’s (I.E The character your character is thinking about) name here|| [/h3][/color]
[color=FF00FF](copy and insert whichever symbol from above which applies to the relationship here I.E. ✌ for neutral)[/color] [i]Laconic quote about how your character feels about this character, if desired[/i][color=FF00FF] (copy and insert whichever symbol from above which applies to the relationship here I.E. ✌ for neutral)[/color]
Longer explanation and exploration of feelings.[/center]
[center][color=#00FFFF][h3]|| Insert other character’s (I.E The character your character is thinking about) name here|| [/h3][/color]
[color=FF00FF](copy and insert whichever symbol from above which applies to the relationship here I.E. ✌ for neutral)[/color] [i]Laconic quote about how your character feels about this character, if desired[/i][color=FF00FF] (copy and insert whichever symbol from above which applies to the relationship here I.E. ✌ for neutral)[/color]
Longer explanation and exploration of feelings.[/center]
[center][color=#00FFFF][h3]|| Insert other character’s (I.E The character your character is thinking about) name here|| [/h3][/color]
[color=FF00FF](copy and insert whichever symbol from above which applies to the relationship here I.E. ✌ for neutral)[/color] [i]Laconic quote about how your character feels about this character, if desired[/i][color=FF00FF] (copy and insert whichever symbol from above which applies to the relationship here I.E. ✌ for neutral)[/color]
Longer explanation and exploration of feelings.[/center]
[/hider]
[COPY THE CODING UNTIL YOU HAVE REQUIRED NUMBER OF ENTRIES FOR CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS. RECOLOR COLORED TEXT AS ACCORDING TO YOUR WISHES. PLEASE DELETE THIS TEXT WHEN POSTING]
C H A R A C T E R L O Y A L T Y M I S S I O N A P P L I C A T I O N
T E M P L A T E
T E M P L A T E
[hider=Loyalty Mission Proposal]
[b][u]Character Name:[/u][/b]
[indent]The name of your character. I know it, and you know it, but let’s just dot the I’s and cross the T’s.[/indent]
[b][u]Mission Name:[/u][/b]
[indent]The title of your character’s loyalty mission[/indent]
[b][u]Mission Location and Setting:[/u][/b]
[indent]Where you propose your loyalty mission takes place. Can be anywhere in the galaxy.[/indent]
[b][u]Mission Synopsis:[/u][/b]
[indent]A brief synopsis of your loyalty mission. This is the ‘barebones’ details that you’d be willing to share with all the players in the OOC.[/indent]
[b][u]Mission Description:[/u][/b]
[indent]This is the detailed bit that you share with the GM’s. We need to know exactly how you intended to plot out your loyalty mission so we can more easily fold it into the overarching narrative. There should be no surprises for us during the mission itself, so everything applicable must go here. What kicks off the mission? how does it unfold? How does it conclude? What kind of enemies will be encountered? How are the character affected by the outcome? Seriously, you can not put enough detail here. I will concede that no plot survive first contact with the players unaffected, and that there will be some unavoidable IC changes forced upon your plot, but the end result will still reflect what you write here.[/indent]
[b][u]Desired Player count:[/u][/b]
[indent]How many characters are there space for in your Loyalty Mission?[/indent]
[b][u]Desired Characters:[/u][/b]
[indent]Which characters would you like to see take part in your mission? Please try to include either Aegon or Anderson here, as at least one of them should still be present so we can still provide some kind of GM oversight (though this isn’t completely integral, and some exceptions can be made, however you will need to provide a good reason for why they aren’t present) Probably a good idea to get the agreement of the players who control the characters you want taking part in your mission before filling in this section. If you'd like to leave your mission open to anyone who'd like to join you, please enter 'N/A' here.[/indent]
[/hider]