“Worksite zero-one-two has nothing to cling to… just numbers. That’s part of the insanity of this walled off place that still reeks of old world ruins and derelict tunnels that go straight into nothingness. The numbers, darkness, and hopelessness takes some time to settle in of course. The air of forced isolation is just one of many facets that is trying to drown you so you will react out of despair or tolerate the lack of freedom. The anxiety of knowing the life you once held would never be yours again despite who you were or who could have been is maddening and I see it all of the time. Your memories bleed like an echo and your shadow becomes your only friend when you realize everybody here doesn’t know you and is blankly out for themselves.”
“But I want my freedom!”
“Okay, you could try to escape—but how? You’re on the edge of the world between mountains and metal walls. You could succeed and run into the tunnels, but you’ll either starve or get eaten by the twisted creatures that dwell there. So, you run towards the wall right? The Terror has trained marksman on watch twenty-four seven; are you faster than a bullet? Maybe you’re lucky, yeah, and you find yourself on the other side and maybe get away… but for how long? The Terror employs some of the best trackers this side of the Abarlus River—how long can you hide? If you keep moving, how do you keep yourself fed or prepared? What can you really do?”
“…you’re lying.”
“Listen, I was like you once and full of these aspirations that I’d get out and get back to my life—but my life wasn’t mine to give. I’ve seen people executed on the spot, dragged out from hundreds of days of ‘freedom’ and they never get a second chance—you leave and you get brought back here for a spectacle that puts others in line. When I first saw it I could feel my ambition cracking and eventually it was just a matter of time before I just accepted my fate.”
“No. No.”
“Look down at your hands—that feeling inside your wrists from the labor and the stress? The scratching and pounding inside you; the feeling you feel in your bones? It’s a sign of who you are and who I am—we’re not what we were before we came here and you have to just run with that and do your job. It’s worse than any brand or collar—because everybody looks at you and they know what you are.”
“Who are we but… but... worms then?”
“Slaves to our fate—we are nothing but hollow stone to be picked until we’re done. Remember that next time you try to incite a riot or try to get all of us killed over a fruitless ambition.”
“Yes… Manager Karek. I understand.”
Map | Wiki (coming soon?)
Hollow Stone is a anthropomorphic post-apocalyptic roleplaying concept where you take the role of a individual who serves as a new or veteran "slave" under a group of organized raiders called The Terror. Hollow Stone borrows from concepts from the "escape from dystopia" cinematic/literary genre as well as the Fallout game franchise. The atmosphere and pacing is that of a character-driven story of hopelessness, despair, anxiety, and ultimately survival at the surprising end of the day as spirits rise. Players will embody this as they take the role in a work and procurement camp run by aggressive bandits who only serve their own means.
Technician - A technician to say the least is a polite way to say laborer. Men and women within this caste build roads, work in mines, and are general cannon fodder for monsters who creep their way into the work camps.
Manager - A manager is a "head slave" or "house slave" that work with The Terror to manage and ensure that their slave population keeps in check and to point out any ones who are prone to escape attempts. They live in better barracks, which is assuredly better than living like caged animals.
Surveyor - The Terror's indebted engineers and operators; these are slaves who see ruins and are charged with hacking and opening doors, vaults, and security systems. They get fed better than technicians and live in better barracks, but its not a quality life choice.
The World is the planet Aegis, a fractured version of what the world once was as large metropolitan areas were destroyed, military factories were fractured, and large towns were buried. What happened is uncertain, but largely irrelevant as what is important is the lands that are today's Aegis. Throughout the years the lands changed and undergrowth flourished as the secondary species evolved to take a new to this world. Humanity is dead, and it's history is a foreign language that nobody can comprehend. The world's animals took shape and rose from their environments due to the tampering the end of the world provided. Foxes, Wolves, Raccoon, Cats, Lizards, and other species rose from their home to a world of scattered remains and constructed civilization from its ruin.
Old world technology is scattered and contained by those with power, the only bits of it there that are commonplace are firearms that have been re-purposed or re-engineered. New world engineers are always working around the clock to understand more about the old world and few have understanding of the idiosycrancies of automated mechs, stationary turrets, and other such technologies; and most of them are held with an iron fist by factions such as The Dominion. People who have a symbiotic relationship with these engineers are called "world seekers" and fulfill a scavenger/salvager's role. These people hunt for old world tech and leads on any answers to their complicated workings, however the world is dangerous and these seekers find many difficulties to survive.
The known world is surrounded by mountains, craters, and what the population calls "wasteland" that sickens the people who travel there and ultimately kills them from simple contact. These cases of wasteland explorers have scared the majority of the masses that they are best surviving where they are. In the western regions there stands an extremely large desert and to the north lies a coastline that contains one of the few unburied/lost metropolitan cities, however it is controlled by tyrants and their extremely talented engineers. Then there is the west, an area of high hills, plains, rivers, and mountain valleys. This is the "free world" and in a sense it isn't inherently incorrect.
Primitive worlds are superstitious and this one is no different. Whispers of ghosts, magic, and monsters are commonplace. But what is real? Magic does exist in Aegis, but it exists in light magic conventions in the form of people called ghosts. Ghosts are people like the rest of the new world, but they have a hyper-evolved niche that can be described as magic.
Depending on the "mutation" that has been evolved through the old world's weapons and environment, these ghosts can do a number of things. Those born with fire can control their body heat and are bred to the center of the desert frontier to the west, they live and strive because of their ability to tolerate the harsh night's climate and the most talented of them can control their magic beyond simple uses.
Fire Ghosts have internal control of body heat and advanced users can burn their enemies flesh through simple touch, Light Ghosts have internal control of their visibility in daytime and advanced users can have short-term complete invisibility, Air Ghosts have internal control of their breathing and advanced users can restrict breathing completely in no-oxygen environments, Water Ghosts have internal control of blood movement and advanced users can refuse water into their body making them optimal to survive underwater. These are some example of ghosts and their typical ability and then their ability through advanced ability or mastery. If you have any thoughts on this let me know if I need to expand it or you have an idea for other types of ghosts.
Aegis was a normal planet once and had animals much like our Earth; foxes, wolves, rabbits, coyote, bears, etc, are commonplace, as long as it's not extinct or fictional (see: dragons) whatever animal you want to play from a mongoose to a lemming is malleable. Humans are all dead and gone though if they even existed.
The Terror said Racial Demographics: Varied.
Tech Demographics: Low-to-Mid.
The Terror is the cliché-named organization that employs skilled bandits, hunters, raiders, slavers, and fourth-rate engineers. Formed near one-hundred years ago by Kaz Kimezi with the intent to push out competing slavers, raiders, and bandits by unifying the bulk of them under one foot—his. While The Terror to this day is not the only name in the criminal industry of which they are known for—eastward from the edge of the Necrosis and underneath the northern Terramurum they reign supreme as the largest. Settled primarily in the Umbrapositus Valley they operate with extreme force and surprising competence.
The Dominion said Racial Demographics: Vulpine, Rodents.
Tech Demographics: High.
The Dominion are the big bad guys of the world as they are the most advanced and the most ingenious. They are located alongside the large northern coastline called "aegia" from the few signs they have deciphered. They have one of the most practical understanding of the old world languages and have some idea of the history but only in the most basic form. Their headquarters is a metropolitan area that they have locked down through reforged walls, automated mechs, and turret control. The people born under these "highborn" are either in poverty or in decency. Few are in luxury and those people run things control the engineering caste as well as have the army on their side. This is a dictatorship and it isn't not nice to live in and to escape is a challenge but it is freedom.
The League of Avalon said Racial Demographics: Felines.
Tech Demographics: High.
The League is one of the major powers and the parallel to The Dominion; settled west of the settlements of Hope, the League of Avalon sits on the edge of the Necrosis against the southernmost mountains. Like The Dominion they have a strong understanding of the old world languages and technology; and they exploit this fact. While not tyrannical in the "invasion" sense, Avalon is led by a theocratic church and their word is the law in their district. Led by a religious council; the Avalon people find themselves frightened about the “big scary world that is out there”. Between propaganda and matter-of-the-fact news, they do not want to leave their city unless they are among the select few the church deems worthy to search for old world artifacts and information; these people are part of a sub-church organization called The Vanguard of Truth. The church will train those born (or have proven worthy) in becoming such, but it becomes a chaste and zealous lifestyle. The League of Avalon allows immigrants but they are heavily mandated and debated if they are worthy into letting into the League for citizenship by the council.
The Kingdom of Arnak said Racial Demographics: Various.
Tech Demographics: Low.
The Kingdom of Arnak is a feudalistic sub-kingdom that exists somewhere in the mountains to the northeast, virtually unknown to the entire world the kingdom has no interest in expanding or finding out about the rest of the world due to general mutants, monsters, and wasteland that surrounds them and has killed their champions. They still occasionally send champions out to find the "old gods" and whatever artifacts they left for them, but none have ever found way back home if they did make it to the fields and valleys of where our roleplay takes place. The kingdom also is afraid of firearms, old and new; feeling they are demonic and one of the weapons of the one's who defeated the old gods; so this creates Arnak as a kingdom that focuses on post-modern feudal weapons. Crossbows, Longbows, Swords, Lances, Pikes, Spears, and Shields have been re-purposed to work better through contact with mutants of all shapes and sizes. One of their best weapons is the guardian-class crossbow (similar to the one in Van Helsing).
Citizens of Hope said Racial Demographics: Various.
Tech Demographics: Mid.
Hope is a loose city-state much similar to Fallout's "Megaton", but without the giant nuclear bomb. It's a town run by the people and the enforcer's they elect. Loose trade between The Terror keeps the biggest bandits away from them and as thus they generally only have to worry about smaller bandit collectives. They have third-rate engineers and they have many who aspire to make it big as seekers. A small school of engineering is situated in the city itself, but what they know is kids stuff compared to The Dominion.
Citizens of Faith said Racial Demographics: Various.
Tech Demographics: Mid.
Faith is the Hope of the north, right out of the Terror's domain. The town is run by the people and instill a strong public militia. They are on high guard but whilst cautious seem generally well-meaning enough. They have talented defensive forces and this is noted as a small school of personal defense is situated in the city itself.
Saecernir said Racial Demographics: Various; generally bats and birds due to it's cave/mountain society.
Tech Demographics: None-to-Low.
Saecernir is a nation existing amongst the mountain peaks of the eastern extremity of the known world. Comparable in size only with Arnak it is considered half-mythical half-rumour by most if not all people beyond its borders, with very little beyond its name ever having reached any other nation at all. Due to this, claiming to be a citizen of Saecernir is virtually synonymous with claiming to be a vagabond, drifter, or refugee with nowhere to go, wherever the name is known. Saecernir is home to a virtually classless society, where all are treated as equals and positions of authority exist for the purposes of function and as necessity dictates. Though isolated the people of Saecernir are not isolationist, taking an avid interest in the wider world beyond their borders- both the world of the 'Old Gods' and the growth and development of the present world as well; sending Heralds to further and broaden the wealth of knowledge collected in Saecernir. Weapons technology is relatively simple (often spears, swords, clubs, bows, etc) with the few sophisticated weapons that exist there being equal to those of the League of Avalon at best. Saecernir has no interest in war with any nation and maintains the small standing militia it has for defence of the realm only. To the people of Saecernir, knowledge is the native currency and treasure, with a value greater than gold.
Ghosts said Racial Demographics: Varied; desert-related animals.
Tech Demographics: None-to-Low.
Ghosts are the tribes of "spooky, tricky wizard-like people" who every "normal" person is scared of because of mythic story-tales. They live in the Necrosis, the giant desert that is devoid of safety and practical resources. Most people leave them alone and maintain their own realm and those who escape to the desert are never heard from again.
I. This is a character-driven roleplay that ventures due to character decisions while there is plot events this thing will progress as far as you want to take it.
II. Character types that are proven badasses or masters of escapology aren't ones I'll be looking to accept, this is about the conditions and the escape and the survival unless as a group we decide we want to avert the plot elsewhere.
III. Be as active as the players around you whether we're posting bi-weekly or daily or monthly.
IV. No god-modding, powerplaying, blah blah you know the drill. Regular guild rules apply.
V. Honor the rules and conventions of the magic system if you are to create a ghost, its a very low magic style so NOBODY will be a dragon breathing fire or blasting fireballs like he's the best sorcerer to walk on Aegis. You dig?
Sample CS said Name - Doran Karek
Age - Adult (25)
Species - Fox
Class - Manager
Background - Doran was trained in entry-level engineering and has a average ability to survive independently. He is self-taught in basic firearms, but not to a high quality level.
Personality - Doran was once a man of passion, adventure, willpower, and focus. But time and experience has rendered him broken and defeated. What many see is a defeatist Doran, who barely makes light of things and quips comically to lighten the mood. Really, Doran's true self is lost and there is only a hollow shell of stone.
Psychology - Broken; you could say that Doran has been beaten into submission and operates dutifully. If there's a spark someone hasn't ignited it.
Backstory - Doran Karek was born and raised in the inner-workings of the city-state of Hope within the southern plains. He was the son to Dalis and Shira Karek, who were important but forgettable members in the community. Doran's mother helped the hydro-plant that kept the clean water supply steady by salvage repair and maintenance, as such she dealt with a lot of scrap merchants for the materials she needed. Doran's father was a world seeker who did his job well and carefully, but ultimately was shot in the back when Doran was fourteen. At that point Doran had a typical life in Hope and had no interest in leaving due to the assorted horror stories both his father and the community spoke of and this death struck the young fox hard. Doran had already been showing initiative and reading entry-level engineering manuals and working on non-essential devices in his community to see exactly how they worked. With his father's death he went headfirst into engineering and entered a school in Hope that taught engineering and electronics. Up until that point he had mixed opinions about learning his part-time hobby. His girlfriend Maria supported his interest.
From age fourteen to age twenty two he had spent time learning electrical engineering and all of it's traps, but he wanted more than being re-purposed as one of the engineers to help run Hope and make sure it never went quiet. His mother had died one year earlier for unknown reasons. So with all that he had left was his group of friends and his girlfriend, Maria, Doran set out for the world of opportunity and danger. All of his friends sought this as a group and believed only those who go out alone would perish and for one year they were relatively correct. On a hunt in the ruins of "BlaksteTeh" they ran into a group of raiders under the control of The Terror when they had succeeded on the scavenging run of the ruin. Three of their six man group were shot dead as what seemed like a flash happened and they were captured. It took weeks of travel until they arrived at an unnamed camp that they were to be "processed" in. The group of three were inducted and sent to work helping with road construction, tunnel construction, mining, and other sorts of expectations. Their slave driver, Akir Tashet, gave them a choice of the labor options and they chose to insult the driver causing him to mock them and pick their job for them; mining, one of the most dangerous.
The trio plotted as they refused to be trampled by a bunch of low morality slavers, coming up with plans to escape; on their first attempt their friend, Kon, was shot in the leg. This took time for Kon to recover in the slave-owned medical facilities as time withered on as months turned into years. Eventually a year later Kon suggested the idea to play the martyr and as much as Maria and Doran refused it, ultimately it was his choice. They successfully escaped as Kon was shot and assumed dead by the duo. They didn't taste freedom long. Months later, Doran and Maria were found by "slave hunters" by the name of Marik, Jada, and Lnife. The three brought the two back to the slave camps and separated the two. As time went on rumors reached Doran's ears of a female fox's death as she tried to escape and this completely shattered any passion he had left. Through these life experiences it defeated him, emptied his resolve, and made him a willing drone of The Terror.
Gowi said Doran Karek
VioletWhirlwind said Serenity Leticia Oakseed
Snowdrift
GemaJinn said Caelin Ea' Draumir
Irell Starling said Ellina McKarn
