Two opposing forces... Think of a coin, tossed into the air and landing upon the ground. One side faces up, basking in the Sun. It takes in the light, the glory, the warmth. Some would even say it’s the winning side. The other side? It faces the Earth. On that side there’s nothing but shadow, cold, and dirt. Everyone wants to be on the light-side. The thing is… Sometimes it’s hard to tell which side is which.

That’s Order and Chaos. One side takes in the glory; the other is steeped in shadows. One is revered; the other, forlorn. The light-side of the coin? People will tell you it’s Order. People think, then, that Order is Good, but Good and Evil are different from Order and Chaos. So how do you know what side is actually facing up? Which side is facing in the heavens? Which side is staring down to the depths?

That’s the thing. Nobody can tell you which side is which. Or rather, you can’t trust anybody to tell you the truth. The whole ‘history is written by the victors’ and ‘lions don’t have their own historians’ thing… You can’t rely on society, history, or The System to tell you what’s right. You have to figure it out for yourself. Sometimes, you can find out.

Sometimes you realize you’re on the wrong side.

That’s Order and Chaos, Chaos and Order.

Some of us just seemed to be plagued by Fate. Destined to be opposed by the world. Whether or not you recognize that you’re wrong or the world’s wrong, the whole goddamn globe is your opposition. That’s what happens when you take on “The Man”, “Them”, society’s shadowy puppeteers. The people in control— they always think they’re right. What do you think?

Actually, I’m not sure your opinion really matters. You probably think you’re all mighty and righteous too, don’t you? Taking on global arms dealers and crime syndicates that deal in death for profit, fighting secret societies orchestrating terrorist attacks to manipulate and create wars at a whim, or challenging shadow corporations as they manipulate politics on a level that surely disregards the world’s delegates… Sure, sounds nice in principle, but when you boil it all down and get rid of all the buzzwords and boogeymen, you know what you are. A criminal, a misfit, a societal reject.

In the eyes of your peers, you’re the problem. You’re the bad guy. So again, what do you think? Which side of the coin are you on? Which side is the right side? Are you Order or are you Chaos? Which is Good and which is Evil? Do you think someone as small and insignificant as you could even have the answers? Maybe society’s right. Maybe you are the villain in the story of objectivity.

Are you ready to continue on your little crusade anyways? Do I still have your attention?

Good.

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June 6th, 2019. City newsboards, televisions, and cell phone screens lit up, synchronized by a thousand bewildered broadcasts. Each anchor, channel, and website competed for coverage, but the police lines shutting off the entire block, the mysterious event sparked a national interest. All eyes were on New York City, and that’s just what they wanted.

An eighty story high-rise known as ‘the Beacon’ houses enough luxury businesses, high class restaurants, offices for New York’s top magnates, tech companies, and security firms to drive an entire small town out of business with its presence. The building itself is heralded as a sort of living entity, run off of the blood and wealth of the upper class. All the ordinary folk— the rats in the rat race— wouldn’t even consider going inside most of the building. Despite the enticing allure of dining and mingling with the machines that run the city, security is usually through the roof to safeguard the mile-high estates on the Beacon’s suite levels, or protect whatever the newest software secrets are that emerge from the research labs on the Beacon’s upper levels.

3:33 pm, it all started. After that, no one in or out of the building. They barred the doors from the inside. Within minutes, all emergency exits were similarly blocked off. The police didn’t respond until 3:41 pm. That was when the block surrounding the building was evacuated and roped off by the walls of police vans and SWAT vehicles. The barren block of NYC was then inhabited only by the snipers and spotters that zipped in between rooftops as they tried to get an idea of what was going on inside. Everyone that had been inside the building had been radio silent since the lockdown. The police were quiet about the events inside, but as security ramped up and all sorts of new black vans joined the frontlines, secrets leaked out. Every news outlet was convinced it was a terrorist attack, though the mysterious party responsible was unknown. Hundreds were unaccounted for, assumed to be in a hostage situation, and all American eyes were on the Beacon.

Every now and then, the media would explode with a blurry photo of a masked figure toting Kalashnikov or shotgun in the window, but still there was no radical message released, no demands, nothing. The silence only built the tension, but America had no choice but to go about their regular days, sideways glances glued to televisions in office break rooms, one headphone in the ear tuned into radio coverage as they made their commute. Things came to a head at 5:40 pm when the power to the building was cut. Exactly one hour and 13 minutes later police, SWAT, and all other sorts of suits stormed the Beacon. Helicopters dropped squads in through the roof access. The glass front doors were busted through as entire armies marched into the building. Word would soon come that all 80 storeys of the building had been cleared. Hostages had been secured in various locations. No culprits, however, were located. Any of the hostages who had any idea what was going on had little information to give, but were quickly whisked off to whatever top secret interrogation rooms were vacant nearby. Some of the people trapped in the building hadn’t even known what was going on.

The party responsible remained at large, as though they’d just vanished. No one was gunned down. No zealous message was broadcasted. People couldn’t help but wonder what it was all for, and if there was more to come… Homeland Security had a field day thereafter. Border security was tightened despite speculations of the threat being domestic. The only thing the populace could be sure of was that there was more to the story then what was told to the people.

But of course, you remember all that. You have a vivid memory of that day. It affected you personally in some way, didn’t it? Maybe you knew someone inside. Maybe you saw something strange at one of the police lines. Maybe you caught a glimpse into one of the Beacon’s windows from an adjacent building. Maybe you’ve already forgotten about it. So many others already seem to have forgotten. After all, it doesn’t seem to have affected your life anyway, save for drastically increasing American tensions regarding domestic threats. Two weeks passed.



You love to think you don’t fit in, you’re a misfit, you’re out of place, different from everybody else, don’t you? Don’t fool yourself. Look around. You’re in just the right place, at a loss for purpose. Alongside all the other derelict souls of New York City, you wander, thinking your different from the other drones. You wander and wander without knowing what you’re looking for. That’s how you ended up there, the bar specifically for your type of individual. You didn’t know the name of the joint— didn’t care, just went in and sat down to join the duped masses, drowning in drinks. That’s where you met him.

On first glance, he looked like he belonged their too, but as he caught your eye, you noticed he was different. He didn’t carry himself like the rest of them. His movements were crisp, driven by a purpose. Despite walking with a cane, he moved with a confidence rooted in his bones. He saw you staring. He offered you a drink. Every conversation starts with small talk. Usually it’s dull and boring— the weather, the local sports teams, “how was your day”, all that. He was different. He jumped straight into the incident at the Beacon, which certainly wasn’t an uncommon topic among the people over the past two weeks. There was something eerie about his description of the events, though. He knew the answer to every one of his own questions. He was testing your knowledge of the ordeal. Eventually, he brought up your specific circumstances at the event. Maybe you didn’t notice, too steeped over in your own drink. He offered you another.

That’s when things got good. The mystery man really caught your attention with a wild theory of his own regarding the attack on the Beacon, except it was quite just a theory. That’s where you learn about ‘Pyramid Microsystems’. He tells you that this corporation, a small parts manufacturer contracted by the American military had something to do with the attack. He tells you that Pyramid is indirectly responsible for the attack. He says it’s all going to happen again, except the second time around Pyramid is going to put on a little show. Their newest product, an anti-terror defense weapons system is just coming out of the prototype stage, and it needs to be shown in action if the buyers are going to line up. You know how advertising goes…

Here’s the real kicker. Your new mystery contact? He tells you that you can help stop the fake attack. He tells you he needs you, that you could be an integral part of the team that takes down Pyramid. You. Little old you. The nobody. The lost soul. The derelict. He needs you to give up life as you know it and devote yourself to taking down Pyramid. He doesn’t tell you why. You forgot to ask. The crazy offer certainly isn’t one that anyone can take lightly. The man seems to understand this. He tells you to think about the offer. Perhaps if you weren’t so saturated by his expensive cocktails, you might have asked ’How will I contact you?’ He never did say, just urging you to make a decision as he got up from his stool and wandered towards the door. You did get at least one useful question in before he reached the door at the very least, something you’d forgotten to ask all throughout your hour-long talk. How impolite.

“What’s your name?”

“Gage.”



You didn’t forget about the offer. Perhaps it was pushed to the back of your mind, but it sat there, pervading into your daily thoughts. It was as if the strange offer was taunting you. Could you really just leave the life you had and enwrap yourself in the affairs of arms dealers, global-scale politics, and homeland security? You weren’t sure, but the yearning was always there.

And you yearned and yearned more and more until the file came. No postage, just an envelope with a file folder. Inside, all your instructions were laid out in detail for you, albeit not without their own ambiguities. Such a dangerous offer wasn’t without its enticing rewards, however. Gage was sure to get across that you would be taken care of after your acceptance. Alongside the papers in your folder was $1,000 in freshly printed notes, a small key, and a sealed envelope. Opening your envelope, you became privy to a detail about the June 6th attack that seemed fiction; a SECRET of unfathomable pricelessness. Was it enough to lure you in for more?

This was your chance to change it all, to escape the rat-race, the derelict city; this was your chance to re-find yourself and do something good. Gage’s message wasn’t without its warnings, however. The uniform text told you that your acceptance required your unflinching loyalty and belief. There was no turning back. A once in a lifetime offer, and all you had to do was arrive on time at the Grand Averis Bank, use the enclosed key to open your new safety deposit box and await instructions. So what’s it going to be?

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Welcome to 𝕮𝖔𝖎𝖓𝖘! In this roleplay, each of us will take on the role of one member of Gage’s newly formed crew, each a lost soul seeking a reinvigoration in purpose as their city crumbles around them. Each crew member has had a cursory run-in with Pyramid Microsystems or the June 6th attack, and this is what starts the curiosity that takes them down the rabbit hole. Seeking to change the world, each of the characters opts to accept the offer to join the mysterious crew despite having no idea what they might be in for. As 𝕮𝖔𝖎𝖓𝖘 carries on, the cast will be introduced to a series of great threats to worldly order and humanity. They will be forced to walk the fine line of morality, compromising values they once held dear to protect against even greater evils in the world. Will it all be worth it?

General themes present in 𝕮𝖔𝖎𝖓𝖘 will revolve around the team dynamic that unifies the group of misfits that gave up their lives for a cause only to realize they’ll have to give much more than that. Becoming something of a fugitive organization, you characters will suddenly be forced to live alongside one another while undertaking a variety of dangerous operations in pursuit of their ultimate (though rather ambiguous) goal. Pyramid Microsystems is only the beginning. Together, you will have to uncover what secret orders may be at play that direct the forces of the world. You will have to discover the purpose of your employment and who your mysterious employer is. You will have to choose between compromising your values and doing what is right in the long run.

Plots & The Story So Far:

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Rules:

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While you might expect Gage to be recruiting super-spies and soldiers covered in accolades, you can’t help but notice your incredible ineptitude when it comes to global-scale politics and espionage. The squad seems to be made up of people that were quite literally randomly selected off of the streets. Perhaps they were…

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As a base setting outside of missions and other travels, the roleplay will be run out of the operation’s safehouse. Based in a derelict offshoot of New York City called Rockland Avenue, Gage has established this base of operations inside an abandoned high rise construction site. Vague signs point to the dilapidated building being a sort of medical facility. For ease of communications and security purposes, most operatives have taken to just calling the concrete skyscraper ‘Rockland’. It is here that you have a chance to explore your character, get to know the rest of the cast, and pursue deeper lore about the events of the world. As much as the story will contain scenes of action, intrigue, and grave operations, there will also be a central focus on the relationships, bonds, and dynamics formed within the squad. So randomly this group has been forced together, each of them having to abandon their old lives and be thrust into this foreign world.

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Every person has there specialty, right? Think about that. Every passerby you encounter on the sidewalk has their own unique interests, hobbies, and pursuits. What are yours?

Each character in 𝕮𝖔𝖎𝖓𝖘 will undertake a certain unique role during their time in the field. This is what we will use to determine what your character will be doing throughout various mission scenarios. The main thematic idea I want to get across when it comes to roles is that they are essentially stemming from a skill, trade, or interest your character had in their regular life before they were recruited into the operation. I urge you to come with something that is to a certain degree mundane. After all, each character was just another unidentified face in the crowd until they joined the operation. I also urge that you aim for something that is unique and will provide new and different opportunities to your character. By this, I mean that you shouldn’t aim to create the exact replica of a trope in a spy movie. Give your role certain powers and limitations that seem adequate for the character and their background.

Below, I’ve included some vague ideas for possible roles to take up. I encourage you to put a unique and personal spin on them that adapts them to your character if you choose to use them. It is important to note that your role will not confine you to doing one thing every mission, but rather, signifies your specialty. Everyone can (and may have to) tote weapons, kick ass, and take names.

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Money is power. As much as we hate to admit it, one can’t overlook the power of coins. There is, of course, something more powerful than any sort of wealth or currency ever could be: knowledge. The powerful trade in coins. The most powerful trade in whispered secrets.

SECRETS will be a side mechanic that will be given to characters throughout the story as they strive to complete missions, explore the world, and uncover the mysteries around them. Each SECRET will come to you personally and privately from me, including a brief insight into some deeper lore regarding the story and the forces at play. Most often, you’ll receive a subtle and cryptic detail that may come in handy at a later date. SECRETS are given out on a number of occasions, though some of the more common ways to acquire secrets would be to find and procure the hidden documents of your adversaries, do something of note for Gage, or to complete important information-gathering missions.

Each of you starts with one SECRET that will regard lore you will encounter in the future of the RP. This SECRET came to you courtesy of Gage in the first file you received. This first SECRET has to do with how your character has encountered the June 6th attack and Pyramid Microsystems prior to the start of the RP. The more SECRETS you amass, the more advantageous your position will be when dealing with adversaries in high stakes scenarios. Remember— information is power.

Alright! I believe that's the base of everything all set. Plenty of new details and mechanics have been added. I'll be putting up my own character by tomorrow as an example sheet. Feel free to direct any questions about anything to me.

Welcome to 𝕮𝖔𝖎𝖓𝖘!

Reporting in. I'll start brainstorming ideas.

Also, please don’t give this to me in some avant-garde dialogue form.

I feel personally attacked.

Looks great! I'll see what I can come up with. It's a little daunting for me, but I'll give it a go.

BTW ill be away for all of next week, fully returning on Sunday. I haven't read through the whoel thing yet, but I glimpsed the CS and it does take me a while to make a character. Point is, (1) i'm asking when you're expecting for this to begin approving applications? and (2) when is the predicted cut off if there is one?

BTW ill be away for all of next week, fully returning on Sunday. I haven't read through the whoel thing yet, but I glimpsed the CS and it does take me a while to make a character. Point is, (1) i'm asking when you're expecting for this to begin approving applications? and (2) when is the predicted cut off if there is one?

I hadn't had a strict date in mind. Once the sheets start to come in, I'll have to converse with each of you to get your SECRET to you, so that may take a moment. At the very least, I imagine we'll take around a week to get to that point. It will take even longer than that before we get fully through the first round of posts. If you'd like to create a character and you're a little late to the start, that should be fine. I'll aim to get a better estimate of start time as the sheets start to come in and I realize what kind of cast size we're looking at.
I hope that helps!

@Opposition

You have no idea how desperately I want to be chauffeur again.....

But anyway, I’m brainstorming now. Probably gonna ditch a concept Inwas working on and start with a new one.

EDIT: God, now, I'm going in circles.

@Opposition

You have no idea how desperately I want to be chauffeur again.....

But anyway, I’m brainstorming now. Probably gonna ditch a concept Inwas working on and start with a new one.

EDIT: God, now, I'm going in circles.

I enjoyed the previous incarnation quite a bit as well! Rest in peace Futility attempt 1. Let me know if I can assist in any way.

>_>
<_<

Fancy seeing you here, @Opposition. First of all, my idea is... somewhat similar to Oren, I guess... so if you're opposed to that I might just struggle. However, you have me thoroughly intrigued, so I'd probably take a shot anyway.

My idea is very, very barebones rn, given that I've only just discovered this, but it's basically centred around a young guy who has been shunted around his whole life, and the role he fills is the Cat Burglar. Sound good?

Currently working on a bartender character right now. Probably gonna finish the concept by the end of this week.

@Opposition I might make an ex-construction worker/project manager who then learns about the beauty of controlled demolitions. The Demolitionist.

Or maybe a bartender looking for a break, good with his hands, does magic on the side, maybe a little sleight of hand and misdirection.

Meanwhile, I'm going to make a former war reporter and make them into the hacker or the distraction.

Fancy seeing you here, @Opposition. First of all, my idea is... somewhat similar to Oren, I guess... so if you're opposed to that I might just struggle. However, you have me thoroughly intrigued, so I'd probably take a shot anyway.

My idea is very, very barebones rn, given that I've only just discovered this, but it's basically centred around a young guy who has been shunted around his whole life, and the role he fills is the Cat Burglar. Sound good?

Good to see you are interested. I like the idea, though I'd encourage you to think a bit more abstractly in regards to the origin and basis of the role. I'm aiming to have each role be something based more on a facet of mundane life that wouldn't be considered part of the quintessential team for any covert ops squad. That isn't to say you can't have a similar set of skills, though.

Currently working on a bartender character right now. Probably gonna finish the concept by the end of this week.

I'm looking forward to it! Let me know if you've got any questions.

@Opposition I might make an ex-construction worker/project manager who then learns about the beauty of controlled demolitions. The Demolitionist.

Or maybe a bartender looking for a break, good with his hands, does magic on the side, maybe a little sleight of hand and misdirection.

I can imagine either of these ideas going well as both manage to pull their skills from everyday work in particular manners. Feel free to explore either.

Meanwhile, I'm going to make a former war reporter and make them into the hacker or the distraction.

That's quite a unique idea. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

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I have finished the example sheet, though I am leaving the concepts behind it a bit vague so that they may be changed to work around other characters. That should give a basic idea behind what the sheet should look like, though I imagine the prompt is mostly self-explanatory. If you guys have any questions, I am at the ready!

I'm leaning towards a medic character and thinking of making him a student who was booted from medical school before finishing (maybe drugs, maybe cheating, have not yet decided), hasn't been able to get any work since, has been struggling to keep up with paying fees and is largely disowned by his parents. Has the right skillset and nothing to lose. Sound ok? If not I'm still confident of the medical idea, maybe a Vet as an origin instead.

@OppositionOh hey, missed the interest check but I really dig this idea. I'm toying with a few ideas at the moment, but I'm leaning towards a wannabe stage actress who can take on different "parts" to help the team out, be it hiding in plain sight as a new intern, pretending to be an exec from the home office, or just bullshitting someone long enough for the others to come up with a plan of action. Kind of a mix between the bait/distraction and a scout/plant.

TL;DR: basically Diana Lotus.

I'm leaning towards a medic character and thinking of making him a student who was booted from medical school before finishing (maybe drugs, maybe cheating, have not yet decided), hasn't been able to get any work since, has been struggling to keep up with paying fees and is largely disowned by his parents. Has the right skillset and nothing to lose. Sound ok? If not I'm still confident of the medical idea, maybe a Vet as an origin instead.

A medically-based character is certainly sound if that's what you'd like. I think a veterinarian might give you a bit of extra room to work with as you will be more of an improvisational medic and that might do well to fit the theme. Try what you think will work best, though, and we can work from there.

@OppositionOh hey, missed the interest check but I really dig this idea. I'm toying with a few ideas at the moment, but I'm leaning towards a wannabe stage actress who can take on different "parts" to help the team out, be it hiding in plain sight as a new intern, pretending to be an exec from the home office, or just bullshitting someone long enough for the others to come up with a plan of action. Kind of a mix between the bait/distraction and a scout/plant.

This could work quite well. The 'wannabe actress' identity might make for some very interesting dynamics and interactions whilst trying to show off her skills. Feel free to explore those roles throughout your sheet and pick what works best.

I'm struggling between 4 different character concepts and I've got no idea which one to choose, arrrgghhghdhgdsfjh.

As I work through some character ideas, I was curious if you had a specific age range that you wanted us to shoot for? Would it be ok to go with a more mature character (maybe 50s or 60s)? He wouldn't be as physically adept as some of his younger counterparts, but I could still see him contributing to the group, perhaps as the negotiator or the chauffeur.