Welcome to Neo-Tokyo. The year: 2031. Technology has been on the rise for the last decade and the upcoming fusion between man and machine has dawned upon humankind. Legacies of a once dreamt future have become the very reality many citizens of Japan, alongside the rest of the world, live within. Implants and enhancements to the human body have occasionally doubled the working power of each working citizen, allowing nations to further prosper off of their ever-growing industrial enterprise. And yet despite this fascination with the fusion of biology and artificiality, the world couldn't be any less of a horrific nightmare to live within. The passive reminder of a once bleak, shallow past constantly hangs over the citizens of Neo-Toyko in particular, to the point where it has directly brought the fragmentation of society to their doorsteps. A looming desire to take back the past that was stolen from them has thrived in the recent years, and it was all because of one push of a button.
2012, the year of fire. At the dying breath of a once powerful and ruthless Korean dictator, Tae Jeong-Mun, the order to send his legacy out in a blaze of glory came from the international breach of peace. Three nuclear arsenals were prepared for launch. International espionage operators noted these findings to their superiors and a coalition campaign set to disarm these warheads under covert conditions was approved. Spearheaded by Japanese officers and primarily tied to their government, teams of expert special operations forces were deployed into Korea to seek any means of disrupting and disabling the ability to launch. The clock was ticking and the hours were bleeding away. A growing anticipation for launch was flaring up. One team successfully disabled one of the nuclear warheads, however the other two were caught in complications that would cost several million lives. On the announcement to the public of Jeong-Mun's passing, Korean officials launched the two remaining warheads as a public show of might, aimed directly towards the Japanese home isles upon finding their involvement in the coalition against them. One missile landed in the Pacific Ocean, however one hit its target: Tokyo.
Half of the city was blasted and devastated by the blast. Whilst it was a minor bomb in comparison to many counterparts, it was still enough to rain havoc upon the populace for the coming decades. The clouds cleared and the shock and awe behind the devastating act of war shook the nation. Hundreds of thousands were announced dead, and many more were presumed lost to the flames of the agonising firestorm. And from there, everything fell quiet. Words were barely uttered of the inter-period of nothingness. Ultra-nationalism began to see its rise once more in Japan and Article 9 was abolished, allowing the military off of its leashes. Within its ranks, the infamous Jinrai was forged. An asymmetrical warfare group fuelled by the able bodies of many nationalistic forces. In their eyes, it was not only about the defence of Japan, but the revenge against its aggressor. Soon enough, its influence began to grow further. Corporations rising in the now reviving of Tokyo took advantage of their prominence by selling them weapons, developing cybernetic gear and increasing their arsenals tenfold. Tokyo relocated itself out of the exclusion zone and formed the now nightmarish Neo-Tokyo, the land of profit and death.
In late 2030, the Jinrai were at the peak of their power. Talks of a prepared surprise annexation of Korea were underway when the snap election kicked in. To the Jinrai's annoyance, a moderate Prime Minster was elected into power. Instead of feeling threatened at first, the military branch felt insulted, resulting in the Coup that would shake Tokyo for the next years. Failing to oust the minister they deemed defective to the revival of a powerful and strong Japan, the government retaliated by initiating its own special operations group. As the Jinrai were removed from the military ranks officially, branding them as a terrorist organisation and exiling them from social normalities, the Prime Minster gained power over the NSF - National Security Forces. Answering only to the current government in power, they began a shadow war of rooting out cells of Jinrai operatives, hoping to restore an ideal balance they once believed they could achieve. And yet despite this, not everything is all black and white between the two sides. In many areas, one might begin to reconsider who they stand with.
Welcome to NEO-TOKYO: State of Disarray, a cyberpunk roleplay scenario based off of the Half-Life 2 mod of the same capitalised name. Neo-Tokyo (the game) acts as a multiplayer competitive shooter relying on cybernetic enhancements to boost the gameplay and its complexity, however the lack of development within its story is expected from such a genre. Recent returns to the genre of cyberpunk has inspired me to try and place us, the players, in the seats of operatives, citizens and all things in-between of this potentially expansive universe. Playing on themes of deceit, conspiracy, the swift change in expectations and the brutality of shadow warfare, I hope to deliver an experience that feels more alive than the game's wikipedia description. It's worth mentioning now that you don't need any experience in the game at all to participate as it legitimately is as straight-forward as it comes towards its lore. With the addition of an easy-to-learn and easy-to-pick-up backdrop, we can highlight what might happen within this roleplay.
So, I am not entirely concrete on which side this story will begin on. Note, I say "begin" because there are likely many opportunities to switch sides, form your own faction and more onward. This we can discuss together as we prepare the roleplay itself. I'm hoping to delve into the depths of this nightmarish society, fractured by inner conflict and a growing desire to invade a former enemy. The criminal underbellies and illegalities of many corporate indulgences will appear throughout the story, and our characters will either be working for or against these practices, all with their own opinions on the matter and stakes on their side. Trafficking, narcotics, political espionage and corporate warfare will be encountered in the alleyways of the promising Neo-Toyko, giving us a large plethora of scenarios to interact with. I may incorporate a sandboxy element to the roleplay scenario, where you can strive to bring your own stories to life as a group or individuals before colliding once more as a collective. Going rogue or convincing other characters to leave their allegiance are many ways in which the diversity of our narratives can be expanded upon. Another note, I do take huge interest in the actual interactions and developments of the characters, so a focus on that may become more apparent than just the expected combat the title might give off of.
Overall, I haven't got too much to say right now as it is still in a near-end to its infancy. I have a discord up and going to act as our place of discussion once/if interest directs itself this way. In the case that you are interested, drop a hint below and I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have!
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