Okay, so I'm pretty new to this whole thing, I did writing on here a while ago but I have decided to see if I can get some interest for an idea that I have had for a few years.
So I don't have an entire cast of characters or the whole plot thought out yet, but the essential idea is that the world has advanced about 40 - 50 years. The main plot is set in a city leading the charge in technology and advancements, meaning the city has become somewhat of a metropolis. Tall buildings and overarching walkways between them ensure that most of the population never has to come down from the safety of the upper sections. But some people are not as fortunate. They might have run out of money, gotten fired, had a drug problem, or just even been born into that life, but regardless of how they got there, they are they are all left behind in the lower sections. The long neglected and forgotten slums of the city, teeming with crime and poverty.
But things are not entirely perfect in the upper sections of the city either. This utopia of advancement was achieved because there was control and limitations. This seems fine on paper and a lot of people see it as a well-functioning system, but most are unaware of exactly what is limited. The city's governing council decided to become more focused on technological advancement, and as such, they started by limiting creativity. They began by censoring advertisement, but soon moved to outlawing any form of advertisement that wasn't approved by the council. As such, all forms of social media were banned as they could provide uncensored material and were replaced with a system that is used now called the OASIS system. This has since become the only platform for not only communication but also for any form of business. It is also the only platform that the pre-approved advertisements and news stories can be presented on.
And so with any form of censorship, there was an outcry. Anyone who was caught trying to work around the newly placed laws were immediately imprisoned. But as the punishments weren't severe enough to dissuade the populous, there was an initiative put in place, and new prison was built especially to deal with repeat offenders and individuals that would seek to destroy the infrastructure that was so carefully put into place. Anyone who was sent to this prison, often referred to as "The Hole", was never seen again. Some theorised that they were sold into slavery, others assumed they were moved to the slums, but the more popular opinion is that anyone sent there is simply executed. But this was enough to establish a certain amount of control. And as time passed, the city moved higher and higher, and as it did, the buildings changed colour. Where there was once a large city filled with lively colours and people there now stands a metropolis of pure white buildings as far as the eye can see. But despite the efforts of the council, there are still some people that would choose to disobey.
This is where the characters come in. The ideas that I have for characters are that they could be either from the upper city or from the slums and they would be members of gangs that seek to disobey by tagging the city. They are known as guilds and they are commonly hired out to travel either to other parts of the slums or to some of the parts of the upper city and to paint advertisements or pieces of art using bright and vibrant colours using mostly spray paint, or whatever medium they choose. They are often hunted by law enforcement officers and are seen as public menaces, known by the name “Taggers”. There are some that even choose to go a step further and try to bring down the city and expose it's secrets to not only the public but to the rest of the world as well. These are far less popular then the usual guilds, as most that try end up in the Hole before making much progress.
There are a lot of guilds, but there are 3 that have dominion over most of the city. Each one has a more distinct art style focusing on a main colour. Each of them controls a section of the slums, as the majority of taggers consist of slums inhabitants. Despite the gangs mostly consisting of spraying around the city, they also perform several other jobs around the slums. The members of a guild, while not mobilising to spray an area, essentially patrol around their perimeter ensuring the safety and comfort of the people inside. They cover the roll that local law enforcement would have covered if the city above put any effort into preserving the slums. Every now and then the upper police will come to patrol the slums, but this is mostly used as a method to catch and detain any guild members that are unfortunate enough to be spotted by them. The guilds often engage in direct competition with each other for control of land, each seeking to spray there logo around the slums to claim it. Despite the competition, the guilds do their best to have a sense of security between then, as not to turn the slums into a constant war zone. The smaller guilds often perform contract work for the larger guilds, as the main 3 control the majority of land. They are as follows:
• Divinity: They are a guild that controls the majority of the northern section of the slums, being the biggest of the gangs. They are led by a man known as Shaan. He is a reclusive leader, the type to command his chosen few from the shadows while they carry out his will. They are almost militaristic in the training of their members, and are the only guild that operate in a uniform. Despite their appearance as a colder systematic guild, they are known for being especially kind and forgiving with the citizens that live in their sections of the slums, offering a sense of protection and understanding to the people that live in their areas with near constant patrols looking to ensure the safety of the people.
• Discord: This guild is in control of the south-eastern section of the slums, holding the smallest total amount of land. Despite this, they are one of the more boisterous guilds. They are very active in their actions, making sure that they are heard and noticed. Most guilds prefer to work quietly in the shadows and then escape before being seen, but Discord seeks to harness the power of recognition by making sure to be seen as they coordinate their work. Their leader, Elise, has the belief that if they are seen as they work it makes their message spread farther. She often ventures into the field herself to make sure that people understand their message. They often engage in competition between any guilds in the area and will often not contract others for work. They are known as the most combative of the guilds, as they often seek to encroach upon the territory of the others around them, often failing, but never quite giving up.
• Dichotomy: A guild that was originally made up of members of the other two larger guilds, but they sought to separate from them to pursue their own idea of art and understanding of what it meant to be an artist. Their goal is less about disobeying the rule of the city and more about trying to teach people to think outside the box. They are creative scholars, as stated by their leader Jayce. He is a creative, focused on the idea that nature has been all but forgotten by the inhabitants of the city. The art of his guild is often focused around the idea of nature and consists of vibrant greens and browns in contrast with each other. Their section of the slums is vibrant, as they have made the effort to have the area covered in trees and plants. They are well known as being respecting of the borders of other guilds, seeking only to enlighten the ones that choose to come to them of their own volition.
These three are the governing bodies of the slums, but there is one other guild that lives in infamy as only choosing to strike at the most vital of times. They are a guild that centres more on the idea of exposing the city for what it is. They consist of only a chosen few Taggers, the ones that stand out in their field and are then chosen to prove themselves. Not much is known about them except for the name. They are known as ‘The Rat Pack’
This is where the story would pick up. Where your players being invited to prove themselves to the members of the Rat Pack, they would each be contacted and told to meet in a secluded location in the slums.
As for the technology of this world, there are a number of advances from our own, but the most important to the Taggers would be known as the “Gears”. As their job requires the players to be able to climb and run, they are a type of footwear that are made to make this easier. They are powered by small motors and contain wheels that allow the Taggers to skate around the city. They would also offer a few other things, such as a small which and cables for suspending the wearer from buildings. I am willing for you to present any other ideas you might have for features that they could perform and I will consider them. In case it wasn’t already obvious, I was thinking sort of a sci-fi Jet Set Radio kind of vibe for this city, so the upper city is very clean and people are very bland, where the slums are very contrasting, as they are darkened by the walls surrounding the lower parts of the city.
So yea, my ideas are very bare bones at this point, but if this gets some interest then we can work out some more details as we go from there :)
So I don't have an entire cast of characters or the whole plot thought out yet, but the essential idea is that the world has advanced about 40 - 50 years. The main plot is set in a city leading the charge in technology and advancements, meaning the city has become somewhat of a metropolis. Tall buildings and overarching walkways between them ensure that most of the population never has to come down from the safety of the upper sections. But some people are not as fortunate. They might have run out of money, gotten fired, had a drug problem, or just even been born into that life, but regardless of how they got there, they are they are all left behind in the lower sections. The long neglected and forgotten slums of the city, teeming with crime and poverty.
But things are not entirely perfect in the upper sections of the city either. This utopia of advancement was achieved because there was control and limitations. This seems fine on paper and a lot of people see it as a well-functioning system, but most are unaware of exactly what is limited. The city's governing council decided to become more focused on technological advancement, and as such, they started by limiting creativity. They began by censoring advertisement, but soon moved to outlawing any form of advertisement that wasn't approved by the council. As such, all forms of social media were banned as they could provide uncensored material and were replaced with a system that is used now called the OASIS system. This has since become the only platform for not only communication but also for any form of business. It is also the only platform that the pre-approved advertisements and news stories can be presented on.
And so with any form of censorship, there was an outcry. Anyone who was caught trying to work around the newly placed laws were immediately imprisoned. But as the punishments weren't severe enough to dissuade the populous, there was an initiative put in place, and new prison was built especially to deal with repeat offenders and individuals that would seek to destroy the infrastructure that was so carefully put into place. Anyone who was sent to this prison, often referred to as "The Hole", was never seen again. Some theorised that they were sold into slavery, others assumed they were moved to the slums, but the more popular opinion is that anyone sent there is simply executed. But this was enough to establish a certain amount of control. And as time passed, the city moved higher and higher, and as it did, the buildings changed colour. Where there was once a large city filled with lively colours and people there now stands a metropolis of pure white buildings as far as the eye can see. But despite the efforts of the council, there are still some people that would choose to disobey.
This is where the characters come in. The ideas that I have for characters are that they could be either from the upper city or from the slums and they would be members of gangs that seek to disobey by tagging the city. They are known as guilds and they are commonly hired out to travel either to other parts of the slums or to some of the parts of the upper city and to paint advertisements or pieces of art using bright and vibrant colours using mostly spray paint, or whatever medium they choose. They are often hunted by law enforcement officers and are seen as public menaces, known by the name “Taggers”. There are some that even choose to go a step further and try to bring down the city and expose it's secrets to not only the public but to the rest of the world as well. These are far less popular then the usual guilds, as most that try end up in the Hole before making much progress.
There are a lot of guilds, but there are 3 that have dominion over most of the city. Each one has a more distinct art style focusing on a main colour. Each of them controls a section of the slums, as the majority of taggers consist of slums inhabitants. Despite the gangs mostly consisting of spraying around the city, they also perform several other jobs around the slums. The members of a guild, while not mobilising to spray an area, essentially patrol around their perimeter ensuring the safety and comfort of the people inside. They cover the roll that local law enforcement would have covered if the city above put any effort into preserving the slums. Every now and then the upper police will come to patrol the slums, but this is mostly used as a method to catch and detain any guild members that are unfortunate enough to be spotted by them. The guilds often engage in direct competition with each other for control of land, each seeking to spray there logo around the slums to claim it. Despite the competition, the guilds do their best to have a sense of security between then, as not to turn the slums into a constant war zone. The smaller guilds often perform contract work for the larger guilds, as the main 3 control the majority of land. They are as follows:
• Divinity: They are a guild that controls the majority of the northern section of the slums, being the biggest of the gangs. They are led by a man known as Shaan. He is a reclusive leader, the type to command his chosen few from the shadows while they carry out his will. They are almost militaristic in the training of their members, and are the only guild that operate in a uniform. Despite their appearance as a colder systematic guild, they are known for being especially kind and forgiving with the citizens that live in their sections of the slums, offering a sense of protection and understanding to the people that live in their areas with near constant patrols looking to ensure the safety of the people.
• Discord: This guild is in control of the south-eastern section of the slums, holding the smallest total amount of land. Despite this, they are one of the more boisterous guilds. They are very active in their actions, making sure that they are heard and noticed. Most guilds prefer to work quietly in the shadows and then escape before being seen, but Discord seeks to harness the power of recognition by making sure to be seen as they coordinate their work. Their leader, Elise, has the belief that if they are seen as they work it makes their message spread farther. She often ventures into the field herself to make sure that people understand their message. They often engage in competition between any guilds in the area and will often not contract others for work. They are known as the most combative of the guilds, as they often seek to encroach upon the territory of the others around them, often failing, but never quite giving up.
• Dichotomy: A guild that was originally made up of members of the other two larger guilds, but they sought to separate from them to pursue their own idea of art and understanding of what it meant to be an artist. Their goal is less about disobeying the rule of the city and more about trying to teach people to think outside the box. They are creative scholars, as stated by their leader Jayce. He is a creative, focused on the idea that nature has been all but forgotten by the inhabitants of the city. The art of his guild is often focused around the idea of nature and consists of vibrant greens and browns in contrast with each other. Their section of the slums is vibrant, as they have made the effort to have the area covered in trees and plants. They are well known as being respecting of the borders of other guilds, seeking only to enlighten the ones that choose to come to them of their own volition.
These three are the governing bodies of the slums, but there is one other guild that lives in infamy as only choosing to strike at the most vital of times. They are a guild that centres more on the idea of exposing the city for what it is. They consist of only a chosen few Taggers, the ones that stand out in their field and are then chosen to prove themselves. Not much is known about them except for the name. They are known as ‘The Rat Pack’
This is where the story would pick up. Where your players being invited to prove themselves to the members of the Rat Pack, they would each be contacted and told to meet in a secluded location in the slums.
As for the technology of this world, there are a number of advances from our own, but the most important to the Taggers would be known as the “Gears”. As their job requires the players to be able to climb and run, they are a type of footwear that are made to make this easier. They are powered by small motors and contain wheels that allow the Taggers to skate around the city. They would also offer a few other things, such as a small which and cables for suspending the wearer from buildings. I am willing for you to present any other ideas you might have for features that they could perform and I will consider them. In case it wasn’t already obvious, I was thinking sort of a sci-fi Jet Set Radio kind of vibe for this city, so the upper city is very clean and people are very bland, where the slums are very contrasting, as they are darkened by the walls surrounding the lower parts of the city.
So yea, my ideas are very bare bones at this point, but if this gets some interest then we can work out some more details as we go from there :)
