I already made the full thread for this, but figured I might as well advertise it here to increase exposure a bit. The full thread can be found here, and a Discord server can be found here.
It is the year 2050. After the discovery of holomatter, a mysterious new state of matter with wondrous properties, holotronic technology has become ubiquitous in all sectors of society. Cityscapes are bathed in psychedelic holograms, the virtual reality holonet is a world unto itself, and the megacorporation HoloSys Inc. holds immense influence over mass media and governments. And in the underbelly of society, illegal holotech and programs mingle with rumors of the paranormal conspiratorial into a dizzying web of half-lies.
You are a hacker, one adept with holotech in ways that don't always play by society's rules. Recent times have been relatively calm for you until one day, as you log into the holonet, instead of arriving at your intended destination, you are surrounded by thick, impenetrable holo-fog, the sign of extreme data corruption. From the fog it emerges, a shadowy figure with an uncanny resemblance to yourself, surrounded by an ominous aura that you find unsettling on some primal, instinctual level that you cannot quite explain.
"I am the Shadow, the true self..." The shadowy figure speaks, its voice a horrible distortion of your own, before letting loose the deepest, darkest secrets that you have admitted to no one, not even yourself. But just as you cry out to reject this gratuitous affront to your very identity, the shadowy figure contorts in grotesque defiance of human anatomy, before exploding into a monstrosity from your worst nightmares.
But then you hear another voice, this one unfamiliar and mechanical. "Arcana Code installation confirmed. Initializing..." Suddenly, streams of softly glowing holotrons swirl around you, coalescing into a floating card that resembles stylized holochips. Desperately, you reach out to grasp the card in your hand, and...
It is the year 2050. After the discovery of holomatter, a mysterious new state of matter with wondrous properties, holotronic technology has become ubiquitous in all sectors of society. Cityscapes are bathed in psychedelic holograms, the virtual reality holonet is a world unto itself, and the megacorporation HoloSys Inc. holds immense influence over mass media and governments. And in the underbelly of society, illegal holotech and programs mingle with rumors of the paranormal conspiratorial into a dizzying web of half-lies.
You are a hacker, one adept with holotech in ways that don't always play by society's rules. Recent times have been relatively calm for you until one day, as you log into the holonet, instead of arriving at your intended destination, you are surrounded by thick, impenetrable holo-fog, the sign of extreme data corruption. From the fog it emerges, a shadowy figure with an uncanny resemblance to yourself, surrounded by an ominous aura that you find unsettling on some primal, instinctual level that you cannot quite explain.
"I am the Shadow, the true self..." The shadowy figure speaks, its voice a horrible distortion of your own, before letting loose the deepest, darkest secrets that you have admitted to no one, not even yourself. But just as you cry out to reject this gratuitous affront to your very identity, the shadowy figure contorts in grotesque defiance of human anatomy, before exploding into a monstrosity from your worst nightmares.
But then you hear another voice, this one unfamiliar and mechanical. "Arcana Code installation confirmed. Initializing..." Suddenly, streams of softly glowing holotrons swirl around you, coalescing into a floating card that resembles stylized holochips. Desperately, you reach out to grasp the card in your hand, and...
