๐ฎ๐๐๐๐
Order and Chaos, Chaos and Order
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 itโs the winning side. The other side? It faces the Earth. On that side thereโs nothing but shadow, cold, and dirt. Everyone wants to be on the light-side. The thing isโฆ Sometimes itโs hard to tell which side is which.
Thatโs 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 itโs 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?
Thatโs the thing. Nobody can tell you which side is which. Or rather, you canโt trust anybody to tell you the truth. The whole โhistory is written by the victorsโ and โlions donโt have their own historiansโ thingโฆ You canโt rely on society, history, or The System to tell you whatโs right. You have to figure it out for yourself. Sometimes, you can find out.
Sometimes you realize youโre on the wrong side.
Thatโs 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 youโre wrong or the worldโs wrong, the whole goddamn globe is your opposition. Thatโs what happens when you take on โThe Manโ, โThemโ, societyโs shadowy puppeteers. The people in controlโ they always think theyโre right. What do you think?
Actually, Iโm not sure your opinion really matters. You probably think youโre all mighty and righteous too, donโt 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 worldโs delegatesโฆ 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, youโre the problem. Youโre 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 societyโs 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.
Where were you when it happened? Do you even remember? Would it have mattered?
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 thatโs just what they wanted.
An eighty story high-rise known as โthe Beaconโ houses enough luxury businesses, high class restaurants, offices for New Yorkโs 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 folkโ the rats in the rat raceโ wouldnโt 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 Beaconโs suite levels, or protect whatever the newest software secrets are that emerge from the research labs on the Beaconโs 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 didnโt 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 hadnโt even known what was going on.
The party responsible remained at large, as though theyโd just vanished. No one was gunned down. No zealous message was broadcasted. People couldnโt help but wonder what it was all for, and if there was more to comeโฆ 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, didnโt 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 Beaconโs windows from an adjacent building. Maybe youโve already forgotten about it. So many others already seem to have forgotten. After all, it doesnโt seem to have affected your life anyway, save for drastically increasing American tensions regarding domestic threats. Two weeks passed.
Who the hell are you; Who the hell am I?
You love to think you donโt fit in, youโre a misfit, youโre out of place, different from everybody else, donโt you? Donโt fool yourself. Look around. Youโre 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 youโre looking for. Thatโs how you ended up there, the bar specifically for your type of individual. You didnโt know the name of the jointโ didnโt care, just went in and sat down to join the duped masses, drowning in drinks. Thatโs 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 didnโt 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 itโs dull and boringโ the weather, the local sports teams, โhow was your dayโ, all that. He was different. He jumped straight into the incident at the Beacon, which certainly wasnโt 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 didnโt notice, too steeped over in your own drink. He offered you another.
Thatโs 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. Thatโs where you learn about โPyramid Microsystemsโ. 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 itโs 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 goesโฆ
Hereโs 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 doesnโt tell you why. You forgot to ask. The crazy offer certainly isnโt one that anyone can take lightly. The man seems to understand this. He tells you to think about the offer. Perhaps if you werenโt so saturated by his expensive cocktails, you might have asked โHow will I contact you?โ 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 youโd forgotten to ask all throughout your hour-long talk. How impolite.
โWhatโs your name?โ
โGage.โ
A series of interconnected coincidences...
You didnโt 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 werenโt 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 wasnโt 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. Gageโs message wasnโt 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 whatโs it going to be?
Welcome to ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐! In this roleplay, each of us will take on the role of one member of Gageโs 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 ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ 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 ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ will revolve around the team dynamic that unifies the group of misfits that gave up their lives for a cause only to realize theyโll 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:
Rules:
โบFollow all of the Guildโs rules and donโt metagame or powergame.
โบThis is an Advanced RP, so I hope to keep us all to these standards. While I know that quality is greater than quantity, try to keep your posts a bit longer (3 or so paragraphs at the very least) as that tends to move us along through action while also being descriptive of your situation.
โบBe friendly and respectful to the rest of the group. If any sort of problem comes up, hash things out respectfully.
โบDonโt be afraid to bring up issues that may arise so that we can talk through things and solve any problems. Iโd prefer us all to be on a friendly page.
โบThis story necessitates heavy participation, discussion, and active pursuit of new subplots and roleplay. I urge you all to push for your own roleplay as much outside of the main plot to develop your characters.
โบWhile I would like everyone to be posting on a semi-regular basis, I understand that issues may arise and we all get busy. My main pursuit is to keep this roleplay going regardless of what roadblocks we may hit, so if you need to take a temporary leave of absence where you canโt post, just let me know. The most important part of keeping this RP active is to keep me updated regularly as to whether your writing, unable to write, etc. That being said, if you are unable to post for an extended period of time, I will likely control your character as an NPC if the story needs to move along.
โบThis story will have 18+ themes, as violence and descriptive combat will play a large role in portions of the roleplay. Please keep that in mind. While you donโt have to go into graphic detail, expect rattling violence from ruthless aggressors.
โบThis is an Advanced RP, so I hope to keep us all to these standards. While I know that quality is greater than quantity, try to keep your posts a bit longer (3 or so paragraphs at the very least) as that tends to move us along through action while also being descriptive of your situation.
โบBe friendly and respectful to the rest of the group. If any sort of problem comes up, hash things out respectfully.
โบDonโt be afraid to bring up issues that may arise so that we can talk through things and solve any problems. Iโd prefer us all to be on a friendly page.
โบThis story necessitates heavy participation, discussion, and active pursuit of new subplots and roleplay. I urge you all to push for your own roleplay as much outside of the main plot to develop your characters.
โบWhile I would like everyone to be posting on a semi-regular basis, I understand that issues may arise and we all get busy. My main pursuit is to keep this roleplay going regardless of what roadblocks we may hit, so if you need to take a temporary leave of absence where you canโt post, just let me know. The most important part of keeping this RP active is to keep me updated regularly as to whether your writing, unable to write, etc. That being said, if you are unable to post for an extended period of time, I will likely control your character as an NPC if the story needs to move along.
โบThis story will have 18+ themes, as violence and descriptive combat will play a large role in portions of the roleplay. Please keep that in mind. While you donโt have to go into graphic detail, expect rattling violence from ruthless aggressors.
