Umbra:The Abyssal Connection
“What Did They Do to Us” Prelude Synopsis
That's what awaits the souls that survived the Perishing Event as they roam the Dust, what remains of the world.
Factions feud in the dying light of the world, amidst broken skyscrapers and scraps of metal. Umbra Corp will do anything to get their hands on the hearts of Wilds. The Wilds will do anything they can to wipe out Umbra Corp and everything else. Ghost Corp want to run the show, and the Lawless sell their services to the highest bidder.
And now, in a turn of events, Umbra Corp has sent out their latest test subjects, their champions, to finally put an end to the Wilds.
But you? You see them march into the city looking greener than a daisy. Soft folk not made for the harsh world of the Dust. And you get to decide what you do with them. If you want to help them, hinder them, hurt them, or turn them over for profit.
They have the hearts of a Wild, after all…
Players and Factions
Umbra Corp
VV - @Estylwen
D - [@Wayward]
A - @Qia
Ghost Corp
Ivy Tenebra - @illirica
"Mimi" - @SporkoBug
Wren - @SporkoBug
Lawless
Izaac "Val" Valentino - @Herald
Bastian - @Lexisheeps
Wilds
Mercy - @rabidbacon
Teresa -@Abstract Proxy
The Perishing Event
The Perishing Event is recounted with dread in the faces of the survivors of the event. It was a dark day, where Umbra Corp went ahead with classified, unsafe and downright unethical research. They tore a hole in the sky, turning the sky a permanent red, releasing Abyssal Energy and Wilds into the world.
This abyssal energy was condensed, suffocating and overpowering most of the population. The average person was subject to powerful hallucinations, and most lost their minds, killing themselves or those around them. Whoever managed to survive were hunted by furious Wilds.
After the Perishing Event, only a quarter of the population remained. The Wilds continued to hunt survivors, causing Umbra Corp to build a space station and move most of its people off the planet.
A hundred years later, the world is nothing but Dust as new factions spring up, fighting for control, and to carve a piece of paradise out for themselves on this lonesome planet.
The Abyssal Connection
The abyssal connection is the coveted and rare power only held by a select few among the Dust and the stars. It allows a person or being extraordinary, supernatural abilities. However, the cost is that there's a degree of suffering involved. The stronger or deeper a being's abyssal connection is, the more they have suffered.
An abyssal connection can be physically seen by how black a person's heart is. These are called abyssal hearts or Wilds hearts, and can be taken and sold for a high price as material.
When an abyssal connection is too deep, there is too much contact with the Thing in the abyss, thus resulting in hallucinations, deteriorating of the mind, and eventually succumbing to madness.
There are different types of abyssal connections, as denoted below.
Technology
The use of Abyss Energy is what powers most, if not all tech. Tech that still uses electricity is considered archaic. This dependence on Abyss Energy is what powers the continual hunt of Wilds for their hearts, as the heart of a Wild powers Abyss Energy.
People pay good money for Abyss Energy; it's certainly not cheap. The more wealth you have, the more Abyss Energy gadgets you have, typically. For example, the Umbra Corp are easily the most wealthy faction. They are the only ones with a space station, cryostasis containers, and fancy technology that is able to inhibit Wilds easily.
Ghost Corp is known for stealing Umbra Corp's technology, either using it outright or creating discount versions.
The Wilds do not use technology, preferring their Spectral Woods to be powered by their connection to the Abyss, and that's it.
The Lawless are the poorest out of all of the factions, and can often be seen using electricity as well as Abyss Energy, when they can afford it. They typically put money into blasters that are good for both humans and Wilds, using Abyss Energy-derived bullets.
Technology like abyssal heart scanners and spectral woods finders are pretty common nowadays.
Faction Information
The Dust
The world, or what remains of it after the Perishing Event. Skyscrapers and buildings are in ruins. The sky is a broken, blazing red. And there is a distinct lack of vegetation.
This lack of vegetation gave the world its nickname, Dust, due to the excessive dust in the air as no roots were holding down the dirt. It is not uncommon for people to walk around with racial coverings like bandanas or face masks. If they're rich, they may even have an Abyssal Energy-powered face mask that filters the air.
When rain falls, it's usually a pitiful amount. That makes food and water sources less common, and often the topic of bickering and fighting.
The Umbra Corp
Mainly stationed on their space station, the Umbra Corp delve into unethical and inhuman research to propel humanity forward. They often view their test subjects as tool, expendable in the grade scheme of things.
They have bases within the Dust, where Umbra Corp mercenaries fight with the Wilds and try to capture hearts. These hearts are then securely launched up to the space station.
Umbra Corp routinely expands their territory, pushing out Lawless, Wilds, and Ghost Corp. This causes a lot of chaos and fighting.
Umbra Corp has the technology and manpower to go toe to toe with all factions at the same time and not break a sweat.
Umbra Corp tech includes their space station, cryostorage, abyssal energy nets that act as suppression and nullifiers for those with abyssal/Wild hearts, night vision that tracks the energy signature of abyssal hearts, among other things.
The Ghost Corp
The Ghost Corp is the official body of people who had enough of being pushed around by Umbra Corp. However, they have their fair share of fights with the Lawless and the Wilds.
Ghost Corp has their own ideas with what Umbra Corp does. While Umbra Corp exploits abyssal connections, Ghost Corp reveres any person with an abyssal connection.
However, this doesn't mean Ghost Corp won't exploit those abyssal connections. They absolutely will, just with a little more compassion.
Ghost Corp's once altruistic goals have since morphed over the hundred or so years of warring. Instead, Ghost Corp wants to be the one in complete control. And they're ready to play dirty to break apart Umbra Corp and anyone in their way to get there.
Ghost Corp doesn't actively hunt Wilds. They instead leave that ‘dirty work’ to the Lawless. They then buy those resources from the Lawless, often having to fight over the price as Umbra Corp always pays more, and pays handsomely.
It's not uncommon for trades between the Lawless and Ghost Corp to end in gunfights, unfortunately.
Ghost Corp technology includes ripping off Umbra Corp's smaller tech, as well as fashioning their own abyssal grenades, causing paralysis to those with abyssal/Wild hearts.
The Lawless
The thugs. The stragglers. The gunmen with no morals, ready to cut you for a coin in your purse or a black, abyssal heart in your chest.
The Lawless are like ants of the Dust, in enormous numbers. It's their main strength. What they lack in technology they make up for in numbers and hunger. Lots of hunger.
Lawless are often seen toting abyssal energy blasters that can punch holes in humans and Wilds alike, if they're of the richer variant. If they're poorer, then they carry around archaic guns with regular iron bullets, swords and daggers. Their establishments are usually powered by electricity, not Abyss Energy.
The Wilds
The Wilds live in the last real vestiges of plant growth: The Spectral Woods. Spectral woods can be found propped up in the most unlikeliest places all over Dust. It's these woods that are homes of the Wilds.
Spectral woods are attacked only by the most brave or reckless factions, like Umbra Corp or the Lawless. They are heavily populated by Wilds and one can easily be overwhelmed if they find themselves within one. Most people give these bastions a wide berth, giving Wilds a safe haven to rest.
Some humans dare to traverse the spectral woods in hopes of obtaining the blue fruit within, a delicious and sustainable fruit that the Wilds don't actually eat, merely admire.
Wilds are the supernatural monsters that came through and overwhelmed the world when the Perishing Event happened and the sky tore apart. They can be corporeal or spectral, and typically look unnatural to human eyes in appearance.
Wilds feast on human emotions such as grief, fear and dread. They also feast on humans directly. Due to the fact that Wilds devour negative emotions, they find themselves haunting suitable humans that give off a lot of these emotions, keeping the humans alive by bestowing powers on them so the Wild, in turn, can remain sustained. Wilds consider this to be a symbiotic relationship.
Not all Wilds are evil. Some feast on positive emotions, though they are rare, and prefer to help humans.
The Wilds’ heart is blacker than black, a product of abyssal connection. This black abyssal heart causes weaker Wilds to be hunted by Umbra Corp and the Lawless.
Wilds are hateful towards Umbra Corp for being responsible for tearing a hole in their world, causing Wilds to flood the earth. They tend to be cautious of Ghost Corp, as Ghost Corp are not known as Wild heart hunters. However, Wilds are vehemently violent against the Lawless, which are known to specifically antagonize and hunt Wilds.
Wilds coordinate with each other under the order of their leader, hoping to wipe out Umbra Corp one day.
The Rules
x No godmodding. You control your PC and NPC’s, and that’s it.
x Post at least once a week. Players who don't post longer than two weeks may lose their characters.
x Collaborations and interactions with other factions and within factions are highly encouraged. Don't hesitate to reach out with your ideas and plans.
x Have fun.
The CS
[hider=Player Name]
[center][img]no larger than 500 px[/img]
[h2]NAME[/h2]
[b]Age[/b] | [b]Human/Wild[/b] | [b]Gender[/b] | [b]Faction & Title[/b] | [b]Height (in feet)[/b] | Weight (in pounds)[/center]
[h3]Abyssal Connection: [i](Forced Subjugation, Possessive Subjugation, Natural Subjugation, None)[/i][/h3]
[b]#1 ABILITY NAME[/b]
[indent](Ability description, including flaws)[/indent]
[b]#2 ABILITY NAME[/b]
[indent](Ability description, including flaws)[/indent]
[b](Locked) #3 ABILITY NAME[/b]
[indent](Ability description, including flaws)[/indent]
[hr(REMOVE ME)]
[b]Goal:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]History:[/b]
[b]Inventory:[/b]
[/hider]
NPC Sheet
[hider=Character Name]
[center][img]no larger than 500 px[/img]
[h2]NAME[/h2]
[b]Age[/b] | [b]Human/Wild[/b] | [b]Gender[/b] | [b]Faction & Title[/b][/center]
[h3]Abyssal Connection: [i](Forced Subjugation, Possessive Subjugation, Natural Subjugation, None)[/i][/h3]
[b]#1 ABILITY NAME[/b]
[indent](Ability description, including flaws)[/indent]
[b]#2 ABILITY NAME[/b]
[indent](Ability description, including flaws)[/indent]
[hr(REMOVE ME)]
[b]Description:[/b] (A little about them.)
[/hider]
Relationship Sheet
[hider=Character Name's Relationships]
[table][row][/row][row][cell][b][h3]Character Name[/h3][/b]
(Description of relationship, how your character feels towards the other, if they are friends or not.)
[/cell]
[cell][color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[i]"In-character quote of relationship."[/i]
[/cell][/row]
[row][cell][b][h3]Character Name[/h3][/b]
(Description of relationship, how your character feels towards the other, if they are friends or not.)
[/cell]
[cell][color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[i]"In-character quote of relationship."[/i]
[/cell]
[/row][/table]
[/hider]