The Dirt Town
The Dirt Town Orphans RP is inspired by Saints Row games in that it is about gangs vying for control over a city in an over the top fashion. It is also inspired by Dragon Age 2, in that it will follow PCs rise to power and wealth in the city over the course of many years. Final – and most important because it kickstarted the whole thing – inspiration comes from the story of Emperor Kellanved from the “Malazan: Book of the Fallen” novels and how he went from being a tavern owner to being the emperor of the world’s most powerful empire. I forgot to mention in the Interest Check, but The Warriors movie was big influence as well.
The main idea is for PCs to make their own story. I am not going to railroad you into fighting this boss then that boss then another boss. You pick your own fights and alliances. I also won’t create my own PC who will act as the leader of the Orphans – you players will have to sort that among yourselves. I will just provide you with the playground, the sandbox, and it is up to you to make something out of it. Whatever you choose, though, don't think I'll make it easy!
Once upon a time, in a universe far removed from our own, there was a land called Oblivion. In addition to its ominous name, the people of this land have a peculiar way of doing things. Namely, people of Oblivion believe that you only deserved as much freedom as you are capable of taking by your own hands. They called this the “Philosophy of Chaos”.
In this land of Oblivion, there is a city called Yire-Alba. It is one of the great cities of the land. Yire-Alba is a city divided into districts, each district ruled by a gang, each gang led by a person titled Archon. The Archons often fought between themselves in attempt to take control of the entire city, but at the beginning of this story they had been stuck in a stalemate for a decade.
In this Yire-Alba, there is a place which was not ruled by any of the Archons. It was called Dirt Town, and it was the largest slum in Oblivion. Surface-wise it was half the size of the rest of the districts combined but its population was twice as high. It was a terribly crowded place where all kinds of scum and lowlife made their dens.
In this Dirt Town, there is an orphanage. In this orphanage a strange, but powerful old man called Fritz gathered unfortunate children who were left without parents and protected them from the harshness of the world.
Alas, the old man Fritz is on his deathbed and the Dirt Town Orphans – which is the name given to them by the other denizens of the Dirt Town and which the old man Fritz adopted – are now left to fend for themselves.
Will they manage to carve out their place under the sun or will they be devoured by the cruel world of Oblivion? Well, that’s what this story will try to find out!
In this land of Oblivion, there is a city called Yire-Alba. It is one of the great cities of the land. Yire-Alba is a city divided into districts, each district ruled by a gang, each gang led by a person titled Archon. The Archons often fought between themselves in attempt to take control of the entire city, but at the beginning of this story they had been stuck in a stalemate for a decade.
In this Yire-Alba, there is a place which was not ruled by any of the Archons. It was called Dirt Town, and it was the largest slum in Oblivion. Surface-wise it was half the size of the rest of the districts combined but its population was twice as high. It was a terribly crowded place where all kinds of scum and lowlife made their dens.
In this Dirt Town, there is an orphanage. In this orphanage a strange, but powerful old man called Fritz gathered unfortunate children who were left without parents and protected them from the harshness of the world.
Alas, the old man Fritz is on his deathbed and the Dirt Town Orphans – which is the name given to them by the other denizens of the Dirt Town and which the old man Fritz adopted – are now left to fend for themselves.
Will they manage to carve out their place under the sun or will they be devoured by the cruel world of Oblivion? Well, that’s what this story will try to find out!
"You know the thing about chaos? It's fair." - Joker, The Dark Knight
Chaos – an ideology of “strong rule”. It can be summed up as “You are allowed to do anything you wish as long as you are able to defend yourself from those who you piss off in the process.” There are no taboos in Oblivion.
Magic – a supernatural force which exists everywhere in the world. Every living being has some magical potential within itself, but for most it is too weak to manifest. Those whose magic is strong enough are usually the ones who set the rules in Oblivion.
Tainted – people who have been physically influenced by magic. Usually this means they have an extra body part than average human (such as horns, tail, wings, talons, etc.), but it is not rare for their entire appearance to be inhuman. In Oblivion there is no discrimination and persecution against the tainted folk.
Spirits – magical entities which feed on people’s emotion. They exist everywhere and are a fact of life in Oblivion. Humans and spirits often cooperate to fulfil their goals. It is common knowledge that all Archons have at least one spirit ally.
Ad – spirit realm that exists parallel to our own. Normally, humans can’t enter Ad.
Great Cities – ancient cities, centres of population in Oblivion. Life in them is very tumultuous due to constant power struggles. Because it is very difficult for somebody to take control of one great city, it is extremely rare for one group or person to rule several of them.
Yire-Alba – a great city located in the north-east region of the Oblivion, most of it is located on an island close to the coast, with only the Outer District and Dirt Town being located on the mainland.
Gangs – groups formed out of ambition or necessity, gangs are fact of life in Yire-Alba and Oblivion. They are the law in the area which they control. Gangs are constantly in the state of alert against bigger gangs devouring them or gangs without territory usurping them. Most gangs usually have one leader called “boss”.
Archons – bosses of the big gangs which control the seven districts of Yire-Alba. They are all incredibly powerful individuals, which is why they have been in a deadlock for a decade with neither Archon being able to get advantage over the others and take the reins of the entire city.
Ikkitousen – In Oblivion there is a huge power discrepancy between average people and powerful warriors. The latter possess magical ability so great that they can easily face hundreds of lesser combatants and win. This is why average gang member in Oblivion (and Yire-Alba) is not meant to fight other gangsters but to keep the normal population in gang’s territory under control, while fighting in gang wars is left to the boss and lieutenants.
Yire Forum – the centre if Yire Island, a 600m tall tower is located in the middle of the giant forum. It is the centre of learning in this part of Oblivion.
High Garden – the high-class area located on the slopes of small mountain of Kerna. Rich merchants make their home here.
Pale – the downtown of Yire-Alba, most business of the city operate here. It is also the location of the city’s port.
Tatalus – the entertainment district. It is the centre of arts and high culture. Anyone who wants to appear refined frequents Tatalus.
Nox – this district is the manufacturing centre of the city and home to most craftsmen. Products made here are sold all around Oblivion.
Alba Castle – a gigantic fortress located on a small island nestled between larger Yire Island and the mainland, it is the gateway to the city.
Outer District – a district dominated by the Boulevard of Respite where many inns and shops can be found. Outer District is home to those who weren’t rich enough to afford living on Yire Island but are not so poor to be forced into Dirt Town.
Dirt Town – a three dimensional maze of shacks and ruins, Dirt Town is horribly overpopulated and filled to the brim with misery. People who are left with nothing as well as people who want to escape something or someone come to live here. Dirt Town is separated in three areas: Northern, Western and Southern Dirt Town. Orphanage is located in the North Dirt Town.
High Garden – the high-class area located on the slopes of small mountain of Kerna. Rich merchants make their home here.
Pale – the downtown of Yire-Alba, most business of the city operate here. It is also the location of the city’s port.
Tatalus – the entertainment district. It is the centre of arts and high culture. Anyone who wants to appear refined frequents Tatalus.
Nox – this district is the manufacturing centre of the city and home to most craftsmen. Products made here are sold all around Oblivion.
Alba Castle – a gigantic fortress located on a small island nestled between larger Yire Island and the mainland, it is the gateway to the city.
Outer District – a district dominated by the Boulevard of Respite where many inns and shops can be found. Outer District is home to those who weren’t rich enough to afford living on Yire Island but are not so poor to be forced into Dirt Town.
Dirt Town – a three dimensional maze of shacks and ruins, Dirt Town is horribly overpopulated and filled to the brim with misery. People who are left with nothing as well as people who want to escape something or someone come to live here. Dirt Town is separated in three areas: Northern, Western and Southern Dirt Town. Orphanage is located in the North Dirt Town.
Located in an ancient but relatively well preserved temple dedicated to an unknown deity, Orphanage provides an incredibly good standard of living for a building located in the Dirt Town. Thanks to it having many rooms, children sleep in groups of 3 or 4 per room. There is also a large hall for dining located at the back of the temple. However, the building is dominated by the main hall where religious ceremonies used to be performed in the past. Nowadays, it is used by old man Fritz and big sister Mary to educate children or when a new member of the Orphanage has to be introduced.
Orphanage is nestled on a river island called the Asylum Island, so named because in the heyday of the temple it also served as a refuge for people with deadly and contagious diseases. The name still holds true today as well, though for a slightly different reason. Although a powerful man, Fritz knew he couldn’t defeat all surrounding gangs who wanted the island for themselves, so he struck a deal with the most powerful bosses to make the Asylum Island a neutral territory, used for negotiations, trade and other possible inter-gang business. This has resulted in the Asylum Island being somewhat sheltered compared to the rest of the Dirt Town and many people have flocked to it for safety.
With the old man at his deathbed, there’s no telling if gangs will continue respecting the island’s neutrality.
Orphanage is nestled on a river island called the Asylum Island, so named because in the heyday of the temple it also served as a refuge for people with deadly and contagious diseases. The name still holds true today as well, though for a slightly different reason. Although a powerful man, Fritz knew he couldn’t defeat all surrounding gangs who wanted the island for themselves, so he struck a deal with the most powerful bosses to make the Asylum Island a neutral territory, used for negotiations, trade and other possible inter-gang business. This has resulted in the Asylum Island being somewhat sheltered compared to the rest of the Dirt Town and many people have flocked to it for safety.
With the old man at his deathbed, there’s no telling if gangs will continue respecting the island’s neutrality.
Boss (Gang): Those not described are too far away from the Orphanage for Orphans to be familiar with them.
0 - Dirt Town Orphans
1 – Mr. Shiro (White Blade): The most immediate threat. It took a defeat of Mr.Shiro at the hands of old man Fritz for him to accept the Asylum Island’s neutrality. Of all the gangs surrounding the Asylum Island, the White Blade is the most disciplined and methodical. Mr.Shiro has slowly expanded his influence, making sure he consolidates his hold on his gains before moving on to take new territories.
2 – Stalwart (Vengeance): Stalwart isn’t officially part of Fritz’s original agreement because she wasn’t a boss at the time it was made but a right-hand woman to Mr.Shiro. However, after a recent disagreement, Stalwart went to form her own gang and usurp a White Blade territory on the other side of Mudstream.
3 – Momo (Nyanjin): Probably the friendliest gang around the Orphanage, and maybe the whole Yire-Alba. Momo doesn’t appear to be very ambitious and is more concerned with keeping what she has and enjoying the finer things in life.
4 – Shogun (Streetwise Samurai): The Streetwise Samurai where only a fledgling gang when the agreement was made, but Shogun was still invited to it. The gang has since expanded tremendously and Shogun doesn’t show any desire to stop.
5 – Veyles (Soul Reapers): Veyles is the person who has been a gang boss the longest in the Northern Dirt Town, and that’s saying something. However, rather than owing this to his own strength and intelligence, it is thanks to his friendship with the Archon of the Outer District that he remained in power for so long. He was the first boss to accept Fritz’s proposal to make the Asylum Island a neutral territory.
6 – Gengxin (Destroyers)
7 – Isgran Fyur (Wolf Pack)
8 – Joy (Furious Force)
9 – Sweet Tooth (Candymen)
10 – Lady Spider (Lady’s Brood)
11 – The King (Kingdom)
12 – Kaiser (Legion)
13 – Alchemist (Dirt Town Research Institute)
14 – Reverend Goldmane (Followers of Zig)
15 – Captain Hellen (Azure Sails)
16 – Uwa (-no gang-)
Appearance picture or description goes first (use this formating). In the land of Oblivion a lot of people are born tainted by magic, which results in them having parts of the body average humans don't have, such as tails, claws, wings, horns, etc. Some are almost completely inhuman in appearance.
Name: Only first names or nicknames.
Age:10 to 15.
Gender: Male / Female.
Background: Describe your characters personality and history. One paragraph is enough.
Equipment: Your weapons and other tools. Nothing too amazing, please.
Level: You start at level 1. The level shows your character's growth and experience.
Attribute: Force / Finesse / Focus / Fluid
Skills: List 3 non-combat, non-magical skills you have.
Affinity: Dark / Water / Wind / Earth / Fire / Light
Gift: Make a magic ability based on your elemental affinity (see hider below). As your level rises your gift grows stronger and you can add more abilities to it.
Attribute is a descriptor which represents the preferred fighting style of your character. It refers to both their magical and their physical combat ability.
Force – You prefer to overpower your enemies. Your punches may be slow but each of them hits hard. You can also take more punishment than others.
Finesse – You prefer speed. You can use many attacks while others use one, so who cares if they barely leave a scratch of half of them miss. You are also hard to hit.
Focus – You are the precise sort. Your aim your attacks at enemy weakness. You position yourself in an advantageous spot before engaging.
Fluid – You are jack of all trades, but master of none. Other attributes are superior to you in their respective specializations, but you are superior to them in everything else.
Force – You prefer to overpower your enemies. Your punches may be slow but each of them hits hard. You can also take more punishment than others.
Finesse – You prefer speed. You can use many attacks while others use one, so who cares if they barely leave a scratch of half of them miss. You are also hard to hit.
Focus – You are the precise sort. Your aim your attacks at enemy weakness. You position yourself in an advantageous spot before engaging.
Fluid – You are jack of all trades, but master of none. Other attributes are superior to you in their respective specializations, but you are superior to them in everything else.
Gift is a blanket term for inborn or instinctively developed powers due to high affinity of the individual towards a certain element. What abilities a Gift bestows upon a person depends on the element he has affinity for. Although every living being, and especially every living human, has some degree of affinity for an element – which element it is usually depends on the affinity of parents – less than half of them are capable of displaying Gifts. Even rarer is for the Gifts to be sufficiently powerful to influence that person’s life significantly.
Dark – The primary type of Gifts developed from the affinity for Dark is creation of darkness and shadow manipulation. However, there are also cases of people developing ability to instantly teleport from one spot to another nearby, step between shadows or create extra-dimensional pockets of space. There are also Gifts which allow the user to summon creatures out of their imagination.
Earth – Earth is the element of change, adjustment and shaping, and as such its Gifts are primarily focused on allowing the user to shape their surroundings. The most blatant example of this is manipulating earth around oneself, but also to create chemical and physical processes. Some Earth Gifts make the user able to pile up raw materials and immediately turn them into the final product.
Fire – Gifts of Fire are categorized as either self-empowering or destructive. The former type increases abilities of the user and usually follows it up with physical alterations to the person’s appearance - they can grow new extremities, increase in size, gain bestial visage or radiate a fiery aura. The latter is pure usage of fire in all its destructive glory. There is also an extreme rare Gift of Fire which allows user to manipulate emotions of the people around him.
Light – Being able to cast lightning is the most basic form of Light Gifts, but usage of Light to heighten one’s senses is also quite common. It also not rare to see Light users develop Gifts which allow them to make themselves invisible, but full on illusions are much rarer. There is also Gift to send messages at long distances or know the state of someone or something from far away. The rarest Gift of them all, however, is ability to see past and future.
Wind – Probably the most peculiar affinity one may have, Gifts of this element most of the time grant the user the ability of telekinesis, aka moving stuff around by just willing it, and those with very high affinity can even make themselves fly. The less common type of Gifts is manipulating intensity and distribution of sound waves. The rarest, and it is indeed extremely rare, to the point of only 1% of those with Wind affinity having it, is the ability to manipulate time.
Water – Those with affinity for this element have the most straightforward Gifts. Aside from the quite common ability to manipulate water and other liquids, there are also those able of healing other organic beings or creating various types of barriers. Water users may also develop the Gift to create water out of nowhere, and some attain a rare Gift of creating ice.
Dark – The primary type of Gifts developed from the affinity for Dark is creation of darkness and shadow manipulation. However, there are also cases of people developing ability to instantly teleport from one spot to another nearby, step between shadows or create extra-dimensional pockets of space. There are also Gifts which allow the user to summon creatures out of their imagination.
Earth – Earth is the element of change, adjustment and shaping, and as such its Gifts are primarily focused on allowing the user to shape their surroundings. The most blatant example of this is manipulating earth around oneself, but also to create chemical and physical processes. Some Earth Gifts make the user able to pile up raw materials and immediately turn them into the final product.
Fire – Gifts of Fire are categorized as either self-empowering or destructive. The former type increases abilities of the user and usually follows it up with physical alterations to the person’s appearance - they can grow new extremities, increase in size, gain bestial visage or radiate a fiery aura. The latter is pure usage of fire in all its destructive glory. There is also an extreme rare Gift of Fire which allows user to manipulate emotions of the people around him.
Light – Being able to cast lightning is the most basic form of Light Gifts, but usage of Light to heighten one’s senses is also quite common. It also not rare to see Light users develop Gifts which allow them to make themselves invisible, but full on illusions are much rarer. There is also Gift to send messages at long distances or know the state of someone or something from far away. The rarest Gift of them all, however, is ability to see past and future.
Wind – Probably the most peculiar affinity one may have, Gifts of this element most of the time grant the user the ability of telekinesis, aka moving stuff around by just willing it, and those with very high affinity can even make themselves fly. The less common type of Gifts is manipulating intensity and distribution of sound waves. The rarest, and it is indeed extremely rare, to the point of only 1% of those with Wind affinity having it, is the ability to manipulate time.
Water – Those with affinity for this element have the most straightforward Gifts. Aside from the quite common ability to manipulate water and other liquids, there are also those able of healing other organic beings or creating various types of barriers. Water users may also develop the Gift to create water out of nowhere, and some attain a rare Gift of creating ice.
