WANDERLUST
Oasis: It was a Nation, a City, and life itself for its inhabitants. Surrounded on all sides by harsh desert, it was the cradle of civilization, and its prison. Thousands of years ago Human life had settled there, although from where or how nobody was quite certain. For centuries they clashed with each other, populations growing ever larger in spite of the war, sun, and harsh beasts surrounding them. That is until The Prophet came, uniting the Human race under a shared sense of divinity, and ruled over Oasis as its first Queen. Centuries later, her teachings of Human superiority, that they were a divine race forged under the harshest conditions possible still rang true with many, and non believers were looked upon with suspicion, and contempt.
By now, the various tribes in Oasis had merged into one identity, one city. Sure, the occasional physical trait could be traced back to the tribes of old, but the world, at least the only part of the world that mattered, was at peace. Concerns of overpopulation had replaced war, with the military's only purpose being to keep The Pack at bay. Still, Oasis was large, food was, at the moment, still plenty, and breakthroughs in architecture saw that building were beginning to climb upwards, not outwards. Room was not as big of an issue when climbing towards the sky. Still, many were discontent by this existence. Sure, arts and entertainment flourished, crime was always a factor in everyday life, and economic problems abound, but a sense of... loss permeated the air.
What exactly did the rest of the world hold? Scientists had long ago figured out its size, and Oasis was but a small dot in comparison to what lie outside it. Over the centuries, many explorers had made their way out across the desert, with only two ever returning. They reported a huge chasm, with an endless sea of water pouring into it from the other side, making a ring around the desert. It was a fact that quickly became legend, as centuries later no party had still been able to cross the harsh wasteland and return to tell about it.
Now however, a new expedition is leaving Oasis in an effort to find this barrier, and with luck cross it. Funded by the crown, it's intention is to gather men and women of all skills, in an attempt to face every challenge that may be thrown at the caravan. Any were welcome to risk their lives, the only condition being they signed their belongings over to the state, in order to recoup the investment lost if the caravan should meet the same fate as every other expedition. This was, partly, to prevent men and women with families to return to from wasting their lives.
After all, only the foolish expected any chance of returning alive.
Setting Details:
Technology: Technological growth has been sporadic over the centuries. Warfare has been a dead art for quite some time, so innovation in weapon technology has been sparse. Firearms exist (with rifling), although they are extremely expensive and hand crafted. Swords are weapons of recreation, and most hunters carry a spear and crossbow out into the desert. Steam technology exists, but further advances into it have been banned in an effort to conserve as much water as possible. Iron is rare and expensive, steel even more so. However, copper is mined quite extensively, and thus is the most commonly used metal in Oasis. Unless you're playing quite an affluent character, most metal items should be made of Bronze/Brass.
Also for those would-be inventors: Air and sea technology are abysmally behind. So please don't have great advancements in these areas when you make your character. I want their understanding of both to remain rather primitive.
Culture: I'm not going to enforce too much here. It can be assumed culture is uniform across Oasis as well as (more or less) race, with minor details that can be differentiated. Those with green eyes strongly have the blood of The Lost in them, a tribe that was wiped out by The Pack centuries ago. Those with blue eyes come from the same tribe as The Prophet originated. I will let players decide how this affects their characters' attitudes. It can be assumed any other racial connections to old tribes do not influence modern day culture. Other than this, assume a more or less non-sexist 1800's European with Ottoman influences.
Wildlife: Ah, yes, I keep bringing up The Pack don't I? Almost more of a force of nature than a pack of animals, it wanders the desert endlessly. As far back as written history they have been outside of Oasis, an ever present danger. Attacks were always rare and cataclysmic, only occurring when their wanderings passed right through the Oasis. Humans to them were no more than an inconvenience, seemingly, a snack standing in the way of their endless migration. The Pack is seemingly larger every time it's sighted, although how nobody is sure. Any attempt to observe them has ended in death, and by now most have given up on the curiosity.
Ever since the walls were erected around Oasis the people have been safe. Migrations take hours to fully pass by though, and the sound of their march and anxiety it causes has made more than one man end his life. It has become custom, over time, to throw the dead over the city walls when The Pack crosses by, almost in tribute. Most believe that it will eventually span the entire desert, wiping out civilization in the process.
Aside from that, standard fanfare. Camels instead of horses because: desert. The wildlife that has been discovered isn't as important as the wildlife you may eventually find. Also: I've mentioned hunting. It is unknown why, but creatures that appear to resemble those found in The Pack can be found wandering the desert, often grotesque in appearance. Whether these are a byproduct of their breeding, or originate somewhere else entirely is unknown. However, they have been supplying meat for the Oasis for centuries, even if these days it's considered a delicacy more than a staple.
Character Sheet:
Name: I shouldn't have to explain this.
Color: Please type the color code you'll be using here, so other players can quickly reference it.
Age: Duh.
Gender: I don't judge.
Description: You're free to post art if you wish, however I also want at least a paragraph of text as well.
Occupation: Literally can be anything. An explorer wanting to map beyond the edge of the world, a poet gripped by wanderlust, a hunter looking for new trophies, etc. etc.
Personality/Bio: At least 3-5 paragraphs please. Why is your character risking death on what's considered a fool's errand? How did they get to this point?
Possessions: While the state is confiscating all your property if you don't return, you're allowed to bring any personal belongings that you can carry on your person. Weapons, sentimental trinkets, etc.
Misc/Rules:
Pretty obvious stuff here guys, Godmodding is a no-no.
I'd like a minimum of three paragraphs per post, no upper limit.
I've kept the setting more or less purposefully vague so you guys can fill in the nuances how you see fit. I'm letting the players have some freedom with the setting that their characters came from. Where they end up, if they survive, is my primary concern.
Oh, yeah, survival. I won't kill anyone off without warning, but please don't make any abundantly stupid decisions and force my hand. I'd like us to be open to death and/or failure, although I by no means have it planned ahead of time.
Activity level I'll be pretty lenient on. I'll send you a PM if you're holding up the action too much. I know at least a couple players interested in this are collab oriented and I encourage it. It helps to speed up interaction when it's just between a couple characters.
Please post any characters here in the OOC for approval. I don't have *many* details set in stone for the setting these people originate from, but that doesn't mean I'll want a mass murdering Cthulhu cult suddenly existing either.
Oh, there's a Discord chatroom too!
To quote my own damn self on this RP's "mission statement" of sorts:
But yes, adventure! I'm hoping to catch that feeling of wonder and excitement of knowing you're somewhere noone has been before, and it's alien and terrifying, but more than anything else it's joy. It's definitely meant to be character driven.
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