Deep Ground Online
GM: TheWindel
Co-GM: Lucius Cypher
It is said that the past repeats itself throughout the course of history. An ancient legend from a time too far for our own understanding speaks of such a repeated process. According to the texts of old, five wise kings once ruled the land in separate territories, and peace was installed in the plane we know as the world. Each designated ruler was a mighty warrior in their own right, and each represented a color of the spectrum to reflect their inner strength and will: Red, Blue, Green, White, and Black.
For a time, the constant era of war and strife was ended upon by a peace treaty which, although not fully uniting the different kingdoms as one, did maintain a common truce among the five rulers. Five kings to rule the land…until one day in time. One single moment in fate.
The wisest and most powerful of the rulers, the Black King, was struck down by a treacherous blade. His brother in arm, the White King, with all of his cunning and skill, persuaded the remaining three rulers to rebel against what they saw as prideful tyranny. In doing so, each of them betrayed their beloved comrade with a cruel execution. Soon after, the rulers and their legions of armies continued the cycle of violence and war anew, each seeking out greater power and glory than ever before.
The world grew divided once again.
Fast forward into the future, nearly several thousand years since that dark time. It is the year 2048. The world has become connected once more though a global phenomenon known as the World Interface. It is through this tool in which all conflicts are resolved without the usage of such barbaric means. All people can connect their minds to the World Interface at any given time, via a mass satellite orbiting around the planet that transmits and broadcasts brainwaves to chips implanted into all human beings and kept under regulation.
Enter Deep Ground Online.
The Deep Ground Program, or D.G.P. to most, is a universal method of education and teaching to all youth. To an external viewer, it is nothing more than a highly competitive action game, and some have even labeled the software affectionately as Deep Ground Online. That title is not too far from the truth, as players compete with one another on a global scale through various battles and missions with the world of Deep Ground Online deeply engrossed in the lore of the five colored kings of old.
The game itself is quite simple, and the goal is linear. Be the first to eliminate your opponent and win. However, like all things in this world, there are twists of fate. Deep Ground is only available to those ranging between ages 13 and 18. It is not uncommon then for many to grant their child the D.G.P. for their thirteenth birthday.
The software itself affects reality as well. Players begin their harsh journey at age 13. Once reaching age 19, the program automatically uninstalls itself from within the player’s memory bank stored within their brain. The overall objective is really quite simple.
The program determines one’s social status in the real world. The better the player, the better they shall succeed in real life. A player who has a significant winning streak may then be rewarded to live the rest of their lives in relative comfort with perhaps a high waging job. Likewise, a player who has failed to meet any substantial achievements is forever condemned to a life of meager living. Your status in-game affects your future. There is no fighting against it; that is how it has always been. That is how it will always be.
There are a total five domains located within the world of Deep Ground, each ruled by a colored king to fit the legend. All colored rulers are at least level 9 players, with the highest cap peaking at level 9 fittingly. Red, Green, Blue, White….each have created guilds in which to further expand their power and glory in the real world.
The Black King rules a guild that is notified for the fact that it contains no players, only the Black King itself. Long ago, the former Black King was caught publicly partaking in a widespread illegal internet activity. As a result, the Black King was forcibly removed from Deep Ground forever; the Guild was informally disbanded as a whole when scrutiny built up around the players within it. However, times are changing, for better or worse. One fateful day, much like the day of legend long past, the current Black King made a public announcement throughout the servers of the World Interface and all throughout Deep Ground.
The Black King rules a guild that is notified for the fact that it contains no players, only the Black King itself. Long ago, the former Black King was caught publicly partaking in a widespread illegal internet activity. As a result, the Black King was forcibly removed from Deep Ground forever; the Guild was informally disbanded as a whole when scrutiny built up around the players within it. However, times are changing, for better or worse. One fateful day, much like the day of legend long past, the current Black King made a public announcement throughout the servers of the World Interface and all throughout Deep Ground.
“Attention all players. I, the Black King, ruler of the Ebony Strykers, am allowing any and all to join my guild. This will be the first time I have done so in the entirety of Deep Ground’s launch. Please, choose your allies wisely.”
Around the same time, a player known only as the Corpse Collector successfully stole several key items from each of the other colored Guilds. With the recent renewal of the infamous Black Guild along with a highly wanted thief, tensions began to rise among the world of Deep Ground Online. And where do you fit into this? You are a player yourself, trying to survive and succeed until your 18th birthday. Will you join a guild or will you dare to fight alone?
The choice lies entirely in your own actions. Happy gaming.
