[OOC] Metro 2037

[Treue]

In 2013, a nuclear war forced humanity to seek shelter from a now hostile world. The surface around densely populated areas had been hit with major amounts of radiation, causing the land to be lethal to human life. Where possible, humanity sought refuge in the metro tunnels beneath their home cities, with others being unlucky enough to become mutated into horrendous creatures along with the local fauna. Outside the world's major cities, the radiation wasn't as bad. Some areas remained hospitable for humanity to survive, though most creatures over time still managed to mutate, causing the land to be filled with vicious creatures as well as humans who had resorted to a life as bandits.

In a world as harsh as this, only the strongest survive, along with those they choose to protect. Railway stations became cities under the watch of such strong people, providing humanity a place to attempt to flourish underground. Local governments formed in these stations, along with militaries to protect them. When resources begin to run scarce however, will these civilizations be able to find a way to maintain their life below the surface? Or perhaps they'll forge new paths, heading out from the dark tunnels and into the light of the hostile world above.

Welcome, everyone, to Metro 2037. Taking place in an alternate version of our world, and following the events of the Metro series, this story will begin by following the story of a small group of metro dwellers as they brave the odds, facing mutants, bandits, the leftovers of pre-war factions, and perhaps the most threatening of all, limited resources. The world above is flooded with radiation, requiring the use of gas masks for any kind of surface travel within major cities. As a member of this group, how will you shape your story?

Setting

Our story takes place in the year 2037, in an alternate version of London. While most things remain the same as our world's version of London, the main difference is that London's Tube metro system is completely underground, planned to be used for shelters in the event of a bombing, with each station having blast doors to protect those seeking refuge within.

As the bombs fell in 2013, the inhabitants of London were moved underground into the Tube, where their new lives began. The surviving members of the government had made it to the Tube as well, attempting to establish a government which would continue to lead the people of the Tube. This worked for a few years, though over time their control diminished, with other factions gaining control throughout the Tube. Now in 2037, the Tube stands divided, with some factions hostile toward the others. Travelling across borders has become a potentially dangerous venture depending on allegiances, and only the well equipped are guaranteed to make the journey between stations due to the presence of bandits and tunnel dwelling mutants.

Tube Map

geographic full res

CS Template

Name:
Age:
Sex:
Height:
Weight:
Appearance: (If you're using a picture, delete this and put the picture above the Name.)
Equipment:
Personality: (Go as in depth as you'd like here. As someone who enjoys developing a character's personality IC, I understand not wanting to be locked into a lengthy personality description that I was forced to make.)
Backstory: (At least a paragraph here please. More is also ok.)

[Kylia Quilor]

So I saw in the Interest Check how the discussion seemed to be moving somewhat away from London as the choice of setting? I really have no strong feelings apart from 'I'd rather not do Russia' (I mean, somewhere else in Russia other than Moscow could be entertaining, but still, somewhere not Russia ideally), so almost anywhere is good enough for me.

Are our characters meant to be akin to the Rangers - that is, hardy people who specifically head out into the tunnels and the world above ala adventurers in more traditional fantasy tales? Or is there more freedom to define what kind of character we play?

[Treue]

London is most likely what we'll be going with, though an alternate version in where the tunnels and stations were built with the use as bomb shelters in mind. As for your characters, they can be from any walk of life, but they will end up venturing into the tunnels. It'll likely be starting in a station, where the group will be taking on some kind of task that has them set out together.

[Starlance]

Checking in.

In the books, an official metro administration lasted about a year in Moscow before people realised the government didn't make it and the system fell apart. You got any history between '13 and '37 (If there was such central administration, how long did it last and why did it fall apart, what factions are there...) in mind?

[Treue]

I hadn't had anything concrete in mind before starting this, other than wanting it to be Metro themed. Now that we've pretty much decided London as the setting I'll be able to write that lore up. Right now I'm thinking that the local political figures were evacuated into a station together and essentially formed what would be the continuation of Parliament. Initially they would have tried to maintain their control throughout the entire Tube, though over time that control would diminish to only a few stations, with other factions taking hold throughout the Tube. As these things are established I'll be adding them to the OP.

[Kylia Quilor]

Did any element of the Aristocracy/House of Lords or the Monarchy run to the tunnels? Because they might form alternative centers of gravity to the PM and the House of Commons - or at the very least, inspirations to other factions. Some sort of ultra monarchist faction, perhaps. And, unfortunately, probably some sort of BNP/Far-right inspired faction too, though we could just ignore that for the sake of variety, since it would basically be a British version of the Metro Fourth Reich.

[Treue]

I'm not exactly a world government buff, so I don't know the roles those groups play in politics in England. If they're important political figures though then they'll likely have been evacuated to the tunnels as well, and I don't see why they couldn't form their own factions with their own visions for civilization in London's future.

[Starlance]

Assuming they survived. Remember Kremlin from the first book? *shudders*

[Treue]

This is very true. Of those in London at the time of evacuation, not all would have survived.

[Kylia Quilor]

Assuming they survived. Remember Kremlin from the first book? *shudders*

@Starlance

I imagine some members of the House of Lords/Aristocracy might have gotten in. Monarchy maybe not - they may have been attempted to be evacuated elsewhere, who knows. But they make sense as something the London Metro residents may try to emulate - maybe one of the factions is a Kingdom, and there's Dukes and Earls and Barons (or the feminine equivalents of those titles) ruling stations as feudal lords under the authority of a monarch.

It doesn't make sense we'd see a Red Line - 2013 UK doesn't have a strong communist base to do that - but something inspired by the Monarchy would be very British.

[Treue]

The monarchy will likely have been evacuated to their own personal bomb shelter, which we can place somewhere in the world. They may still be surviving in our RP. As for the Red Line and the Fourth Reich, they likely won't be making appearances. But who knows? I doubt Artyom and crew were the first to leave Moscow, or the last.

[Kylia Quilor]

But to make it all the way to London?

[Starlance]

Just because there wasn't a strong communist base at the time of the war doesn't mean the circumstances in the tunnels couldn't create it. I can't wait to see what factions we'll up with.

Anyone got ideas for characters yet?

[Kylia Quilor]

Just because there wasn't a strong communist base at the time of the war doesn't mean the circumstances in the tunnels couldn't create it. I can't wait to see what factions we'll up with.

Anyone got ideas for characters yet?

@Starlance

True, but don't we want to make our London Metro not just a retread of the Moscow one?

Depends on how the factions break down. I have some ideas on characters, but nothing final.

[Treue]

As far as what factions there will be, I like the ideas set forth so far. If existing factions from the metro lore do make an appearance in London, they won't be very prevalent and as such won't have a very well established foothold.

Also, I suppose since we've decided on the setting I can put the CS template up.

[Treue]

I've started working on the setting, gonna be chipping away at it for now since I'm still at work.

[ArkmageddonCat]

Are we gonna be seeing new mutants? I'd assume so, but it's ultimately up to you.

[Treue]

With some different wild life in the area there will be new mutants as well. That's something I'll be having some fun messing around with. That said, Nosalises seem to have mutated from moles, and watchers from canines, so the possibility exists for both of those types to be in London as well, though perhaps in a different form, like the nosalises in Novosibirsk.

[Poppirious]

All this talk about Metro has made me buy Exodus - so I'll be binging the hell out of that for a good while.
Super-hyped for this roleplay now though, really in a metro mood :D

In terms of factions though, I think an ultra-monarchic society faction would be a good one, hell the King himself could be the ruler of that particular faction.

[Treue]

Apologies for the double posts. I just wanted to say that you'll each be allowed one firearm and one melee weapon to start. Unless you wamma be some sort of psychopath and take two melee weapons, you could do that as well. Nobody will be starting with two firearms, as I want them and ammo to feel scarce at the start. As the RP goes on I'll allow you all to amass an armory if you so choose, but at the same time you'll need to be realistic with what you're carrying on your person. This is a Metro RP after all, and so it will be very survival-horror based in the way it's gonna be feeling. As for what you will be allowed for firearms, nothing like a flamethrower or gatling gun to start. As far as weapons made in the Tube, I doubt the same weapons will be around as are in the Moscow metro, so be creative. I want to see some interesting things. Pre-war weapons could be anything the English military had in 2013 or a few years prior.

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EDIT: I was ninja'd, and this is no longer a double post. But there will most likely be a monarchy type faction.