Shadows in the Dread City
It is the year 2120. Humanity has terraformed Mars, and sprawling mega-cities sweep across the red planet’s once barren surface. The all-powerful industrial trade kings known as “Osi-Corp” hold dominion over virtually every aspect of day-to-day life, and technological synthesis has reached previously unseen levels.
Whilst these monumental advancements have ushered in a new age of development for mankind, they have also brought about innumerable horrors.
In Megacity Arcadia, one of Mars’ many immense settlements, crime and corruption run rampant. The Arcadian Peacekeepers have become nothing more than puppets of the city’s countless mob bosses, as gangsters and schemers govern from the shadows.
Growing up in Megacity Arcadia, all you have ever known is backstabbing and bloodshed. It was impossible to make it from one day to the next without getting your hands dirty, and the devil has been walking right alongside you, every step of the way.
But it's all about to get so much worse.
Aurora Baines, queen of the Black Brethren crime syndicate, has happened upon an item of incomparable worth: a map to Arcadia’s Golden Disk.
Thought lost at the birth of Arcadia, the golden disk is a data storage device which holds codes and ciphers that would supposedly grant one complete control of the Osi-Corp Network, or “Os-net”.
With the map in Baines’ possession, contenders from every corner of Arcadia have risen up against her; whilst a grisly all-out-war threatens to come exploding into being.
Whether you stand united or alone, time is of the essence, and the future of mankind itself may very well hang in the balance.
Whilst these monumental advancements have ushered in a new age of development for mankind, they have also brought about innumerable horrors.
In Megacity Arcadia, one of Mars’ many immense settlements, crime and corruption run rampant. The Arcadian Peacekeepers have become nothing more than puppets of the city’s countless mob bosses, as gangsters and schemers govern from the shadows.
Growing up in Megacity Arcadia, all you have ever known is backstabbing and bloodshed. It was impossible to make it from one day to the next without getting your hands dirty, and the devil has been walking right alongside you, every step of the way.
But it's all about to get so much worse.
Aurora Baines, queen of the Black Brethren crime syndicate, has happened upon an item of incomparable worth: a map to Arcadia’s Golden Disk.
Thought lost at the birth of Arcadia, the golden disk is a data storage device which holds codes and ciphers that would supposedly grant one complete control of the Osi-Corp Network, or “Os-net”.
With the map in Baines’ possession, contenders from every corner of Arcadia have risen up against her; whilst a grisly all-out-war threatens to come exploding into being.
Whether you stand united or alone, time is of the essence, and the future of mankind itself may very well hang in the balance.
OOC
Shadows in the Dread City is a cyberpunk (the subgenre of science fiction, not the Mike Pondsmith rpg) rp, set in humanity’s dark future. Players will take on the role of a character within Arcadian society, who is in some way involved in the hunt for the golden disk; be it directly, or indirectly. To begin with, everyone may submit a single character sheet. Once the game is underway, I will consider allowing players to submit and play multiple characters, if I’m convinced that they can manage playing more than one character.
Normal guild rules and edicate apply. Any problems or issues should be referred to the GM. My say is final, and I reserve to decide the fate of departed characters.
Useful Information
This section will be expanded as the game progresses. This setting is fresh, and ideas and suggestions in regards to building and shaping the world are welcome.
• Os-Net is the in-universe equivalent to our modern internet. It is an extensive network, used for communication across planets, and links the inhabitants of the Shadows universe. As well as the “surface” Os-Net, which is monitored and regulated by corporations, and law enforcement, there also exists a “dark web”, referred to as “The Warp”, which is used for anonymous communication, and the selling of illegal goods and services.
• Mankind is governed by the UEA (United Earth Assembly), which serves as the government for Earth, and its surrounding colonies. Within the UEA exist Mega-Cities, which boast their own state sub-governments, and peacekeeping forces. The UEA has Mega-Cities on both Earth and Mars, whilst the moons of Jupiter and Saturn have also been colonised. Research facilities exist on Mercury and Pluto, but those two planets are otherwise uninhabited.
• Whilst real-world drugs and narcotics exist in the Shadows universe, the most egregious street drug is a new substance called “Trance”. Trance began as an experimental pain-killer, but was discontinued due to its hazardous and addictive nature. As a result of the psychedelic high it induces, Trance became an extremely popular recreational substance. Drug dealers across the UEA have increased the toxicity levels of Trance, in order to create a more potent high, and the current incarnation of street-Trance is far more dangerous than the drug was in its original form.
• Mankind is governed by the UEA (United Earth Assembly), which serves as the government for Earth, and its surrounding colonies. Within the UEA exist Mega-Cities, which boast their own state sub-governments, and peacekeeping forces. The UEA has Mega-Cities on both Earth and Mars, whilst the moons of Jupiter and Saturn have also been colonised. Research facilities exist on Mercury and Pluto, but those two planets are otherwise uninhabited.
• Whilst real-world drugs and narcotics exist in the Shadows universe, the most egregious street drug is a new substance called “Trance”. Trance began as an experimental pain-killer, but was discontinued due to its hazardous and addictive nature. As a result of the psychedelic high it induces, Trance became an extremely popular recreational substance. Drug dealers across the UEA have increased the toxicity levels of Trance, in order to create a more potent high, and the current incarnation of street-Trance is far more dangerous than the drug was in its original form.
Gangs and factions
The Black Brethren: A powerful mob of cutthroats and thugs, the Black Brethren made a name for themselves as gun racketeers, and have since spread into countless other sections of the criminal underworld. They are the new kids on the block, in terms of Arcadia’s dark underbelly, and have been dismissed as up-jumped gangbangers by some of the Mega-City’s more established criminals, but have nevertheless proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with, and quickly became bitter rivals with the Nazyashi Consortium.
The Black Brethren are lead by Aurora Baines.
The Nazyashi Consortium: A confederacy of powerful mafiosos from Arcadia’s earliest days, the Nazyashi Consortium were pushing drugs and stealing sky cars, back when Arcadia was in its infancy. Over the years, the Nazyashi Consortium has grown from a rabble of bickering street gangs, into a massive extralegal business, whose influence extends to every corner of the Mega-City. The emergence of the Black Brethren has greatly angered the Nazyashi, and they will stop and nothing to pry the Golden Disk from Aurora Baines’ fingers, and wipe their new rivals off of the map.
The Nazyashi Consortium is lead by Günter Nazyashi.
The Awakened: The Awakened are “transhuman” fanatics, who take cybernetics and augmentation to a whole new level; extensively modifying their bodies with robotic enhancements. They view non-augmented humans as impure, and have been known to conduct “hunts” throughout Arcadia’s slums, where they will prey on those without cybernetics. The Awakened’s isolationism, and fierce hatred of those not initiated in their gang, has stopped them from rising to the same threat level as the Brethren or Consortium, but they are still powerful players in Arcadia’s underworld.
The Awakened are lead by an individual known simply as “The Shepherd”, who has augmented themself to the point that they only vaguely resemble a human.
The Militia: An extremist terrorist cell, made up of the forsaken and downtrodden, the Worker’s Militia have become infamous for their brutal methods and ruthless tactics. The militia fights against the oppression of both Osi-Corp, and the other gangs of Arcadia, but have been transformed into something of a criminal faction themselves, due to their lack of morals, and bloodthirsty practices.
The leader of the Militia is unknown.
The Neanderthals: What began as a derogatory nickname has since been proudly adopted as the title of these anti-cybers. The Neanderthals started off as a political movement which stood in opposition to augmentations, but have since grown into a violent gang of serial killers, who despise cyborgs, and consider them to be enemies of mankind. The Neanderthals do not partake in the pushing of drugs, arms, human trafficking, or more conventional criminal activities, but instead spend their time catching and killing cyborgs.
The leader of the Neanderthals is Dorian Kercher.
The Sculpters: In times gone by the Sculpters were written off as boogie men, as stories to frighten children, but in recent years these perverse sadists have caused far too much bloodshed and chaos to be dismissed as mere fiction. The Sculpters are comprised of only the most sick and vicious members of the criminal underworld, and are known for their prominence within the Snuff industry, and organ harvesting rings. The Sculpters got their name in response to the gruesome “artworks” they create out of the defiled corpses of their enemies, and the repulsive body modifications which they crudely work into their own flesh.
The Sculpters relish in inflicting pain in both themselves and others, and frequently engage in Trance-fueled orgies of pleasure and pain.
The leader of the Sculpters is Lamya Sparrow.
Character Sheet
Please post applications in the OOC tab. The CS tab is for accepted characters. Feel free to get creative with the template, so long as the fundamentals are still intact.
Name/Nicknames:
Gender:
(Gender lines have become more blurred, as medical and cosmetic surgery has progressed over the years. Most Arcadians still conform to the traditional male/female model, but androgynous individuals, and others who label themselves differently, are a fairly regular sight throughout the Mega-City.)
Age:
(As a result of modern science, the average UEA citizen lives for 130 years. Those who have access to high-end cybernetics or cutting edge medical care often live longer, and the ultra-wealthy have the potential to become practical immortals. Due to the high crime rate in Mega CIty, the life expectancy of average Arcadian is 40).
Appearance:
(Short, physical description of your character/picture/both. No manga, please.)
Personality:
(A couple of paragraphs to describe how your character behaves, and what drives them. The more detail the better, although I don’t expect an essay.)
Bio:
(A brief synopsis of what got your character to this point, and how the role that they play within Arcadia. As with before, brownie points for detail.)
Other: (Any other notes, pieces of information, etc that you wish to include)
Name/Nicknames:
Gender:
(Gender lines have become more blurred, as medical and cosmetic surgery has progressed over the years. Most Arcadians still conform to the traditional male/female model, but androgynous individuals, and others who label themselves differently, are a fairly regular sight throughout the Mega-City.)
Age:
(As a result of modern science, the average UEA citizen lives for 130 years. Those who have access to high-end cybernetics or cutting edge medical care often live longer, and the ultra-wealthy have the potential to become practical immortals. Due to the high crime rate in Mega CIty, the life expectancy of average Arcadian is 40).
Appearance:
(Short, physical description of your character/picture/both. No manga, please.)
Personality:
(A couple of paragraphs to describe how your character behaves, and what drives them. The more detail the better, although I don’t expect an essay.)
Bio:
(A brief synopsis of what got your character to this point, and how the role that they play within Arcadia. As with before, brownie points for detail.)
Other: (Any other notes, pieces of information, etc that you wish to include)
1x Like
Small, compact, 12 rounds of 12 gauge. Revolving cylinder, the street sweeper.
15 round mag, 40 smith and wesson. Old world deadly.
A six inch old world gravity knife with brass knuckles on it,
It could stop a few bullets, maybe. Level IIIA slim black corporate armor, hidden under his jacket.
