RisingRobin — Roleplayer Guild

In the latter half of the 21st century, the world was consumed by corporate greed, political unrest, and the constant threat of nuclear war. Many of the world's upper class were able to channel their wealth and power into political influence; often turning whole armies into their personal fighting forces. Eventually, clashing interests and desires consumed those in power and the Corporate Wars began. Over the next several decades, the rich and powerful lived in comfort and abundance while the world around them was consumed by the flames of a thousand atomic fireballs. Knowing their influence over the world would only last as long as there were people to lord over, cooler heads prevailed and the Megacity Plan was born. 

The survivors of the Corporate Wars soon found themselves being ushered out of the wastelands that were once their homes and sent to live within the confines of the Megacities: vast Metropolises built by the amassed wealth of the corporate elite. Constructed upon the skeletal remains of the old world, the Megacities spanned hundreds of miles in size. To ensure the survivors would be coaxed into the Megacities, incentives were offered such as the promise of a safe place to live, and luxuries that would be impossible to obtain living in the wastes outside the walls. Survivors of the Corporate Wars flocked to the cities in droves, many of them unaware they were simply being dragged into massive cages to be ruled.

The year is currently 3085, and the promise of the Megacities has long since grown stale. Every day, it feels like something is falling apart and the cities are in a constant state of disrepair. Most consider it a blessing if they can get through a week without having to put out a call for maintenance. Crime is a common occurrence and the cities are more often controlled by local gangs rather than any unifying police force. While there is some level of law enforcement it's really just there to protect the interests of the Heirs, the last living descendants of the elites who started the Corporate Wars. 

Despite the poor conditions of the cities, there is one luxury that makes life there tolerable: Geonet. An upgraded internet with lightning fast connection speeds and overseen by a powerful AI; all citizens are connected to Geonet and their GEO-IDs serve as a means of identification as well as keeping track of their personal information. Using their GEO-ID, citizens can readily keep track of their money, health records, and even access public transit. A GEO-ID is typically a small green disk that’s linked to a specialized armband, but it can be attached to different articles of clothing (i.e. glasses, earrings, rings, etc.) or it can be directly installed into a citizen’s cybernetics. Due to being DNA locked to an individual, stealing or masquerading another person’s GEO-ID is NEARLY impossible. Despite GEONET being one of - if not the only - useful thing in the Megacities, there are some who elect not to use it, preferring a life of freedom without the watchful eye of MCPD on your back. 

One of the most common sights to see in the Megacities - and the most profitable business - are Modified-Humans, or Mods for short. Simply put, these are humans who’ve elected to visit the ModDocs and had cybernetics installed. The type of modifications one can receive are vast as new cybernetics are developed on what feels like a daily basis. However, laws have been put into place as to what types of cybernetics can be legally installed. This hasn’t stopped Back-Alley ModDocs from setting up shop and acquiring upgrades on the black market. 

While some may find it tempting to acquire as many modifications as possible, there is a drawback to this. For every cybernetic enhancement, the brain has to be re-wired to account for the new nerve inputs. The more modifications on a single body, the more the brain itself becomes taxed. Too much stress on the brain can lead to a condition known as “Program Stasis” in which human traits such as emotion, ethics, and basic morality are overwritten by logic and computer code. In short, losing your humanity is a very real possibility. 

Due to the fear of Program Stasis, many ModDocs take a hippocratic oath of sorts to steer clients away from over-modification, but for just about every legitimate ModDoc in Megacity-01, there are two who will take the credits and ask questions never. 

Given the impossibly vast size of Megacity-01, it’s no surprise that what little police force they have is unable to cover all of the various districts and areas. This has resulted in street gangs, cartels, and other organized crime taking up residence in the areas. Some of the major groups that operate within Megacity-01 are as follows:

Living at the top of the social hierarchy, the Heirs run the show throughout all the Megacities in the world. The last descendants of the CEOs who started The Corporate Wars, the Heirs live luxurious lives off the money their ancestors left behind. While some Heirs simply lead lives of excess, there are others who are more cunning and seek to increase their wealth and influence by expanding their business or eliminating the competition. All Heirs live in the sector of the city known as “The Spire”. Named for the massive tower that dwarfs all other buildings in Megacity-01, The Spire houses the AI that oversees GeoNet and maintains communications throughout Megacity-01. While few Heirs rarely leave The Spire, the ones that do can be spotted in the entertainment district, typically rubbing shoulders with the likes of E Street and Black Maria.

Arguably one of the most influential gangs within Megacity-01. The E Street gang is directly funded and controlled by a trust fund of Heirs, granting them access to the best legel weapons and cybernetics on the market. What started out as a group of street kids with more guts than brains, a few Heirs took the brats under their wings and turned them into a personal hit squad. Over time, their numbers grew until E Street became a legitimate threat and could claim parts of the city for themselves and their various criminal activities. Being the only known faction that is allowed to legally operate around The Spire; law enforcement is encouraged to turn a blind eye to E Street’s ‘personal activities’ so long as they stay on the good side of their benefactors.

Known for their extravagant masks evoking animals long since extinct, members of The Pack can frequently be spotted in the backstreets of Megacity-01. Talented scavengers and mechanics, it’s not uncommon to see them digging through piles of trash and turning the scraps they collect into weaponry, cybernetics, malware, or whatever they happen to be building at the time. Items created by The Pack dominate Megacity-01’s black market and - despite their questionable craftsmanship - they are easy enough for even untrained soldiers to utilize effectively. Because of their belief in loyalty and anonymity, some people doubt members of The Pack are even human! An old rumor even claims they’re service robots that survived the Corporate Wars. While their motives and goals are unclear, many fear The Pack and view them as the boogeymen of Megacity-01.

Among the Pack, there exists one member who's existence has become something of an urban legend: Mak0. Known only by the shark holotag that graces certain weapons and mods on the black market, Mak0's craftmanship is the best in decades. Mak0 remains the only hacker in the entire city to have infiltrated the servers within the Spire, although it seemed like Mak0 was testing the security rather than looking to cause harm. Naturally, any successful outlaw is going to inspire copycats. A number of goods claiming to be Mak0's work have appeared in recent years. Currently, only five weapons within Megacity-01 are confirmed to be genuine Mak0s. Mak0 is even rumored to have created the Skynet mod (See Sk8te)

Ruling over Megacity-01’s sizable red-light district, the members of Black Maria prefer working from the shadows rather than getting their hands dirty. It’s unknown how this once tiny and unnoticeable gang came to control as much of the city as they did, but a slew of ‘disappearances’ in their territory may provide some answers. As of now, MCPD have never found a single body. Black Maria also has a long-running feud with E Street who have tried to move in on their territory more than a few times. With their vast wealth acquired through various casinos and racketeering, Black Maria can afford the best Megacity-01 has to offer be it fashion, drugs, or mercenaries.

The largest faction in Megacity-01. What they lack in money or technology, Demonio makes up for in sheer numbers. Inhabiting the bottom rung of society, Demonio’s members are made up of the descendants of the wastelanders who were forced into taking part in the Megacity system. Claiming the Metro Street as their own, Demonio frequently runs protection rackets on the local shop owners and they have no problem roughing them up, robbing them, or breaking a few limbs when they can’t pay. Due to a lack of resources, most members of Demonio lack any advanced weaponry or cybernetics, often opting for their bare fists or melee weapons.

Sk8te is an organization with no defined leader. The origin of the name is debated, but the term is used as a catch-all for various cells of youths and some adults that have voluntarily disconnected themselves from Geonet and live their lives freely on the rooftops of Megacity-01. Due to constantly moving around to avoid MCPD, Sk8te cells are notorious for knowing the ins and outs of the Megacity like no one else. Without a GEO-ID to operate a vehicle, the members are all skilled freerunners, or use more conventional methods such as hoverboards, and holo-blades. The few that can scrounge up the money even find a friendly ModDoc and receive cybernetics to enhance their already impressive mobility. Because not being connected to GeoNet makes them untraceable, Sk8te members are often hired out for various jobs and that people want “off the books”. Sk8te members even serve as unofficial ‘couriers’ for illicit goods and messages around the city. It’s an oft used expression “If you want something delivered, find a skater.” Moreover, not all Sk8te cells are created equal. Some choose to live peaceful lives apart from the systems of Megacity-01 whereas some have a more militaristic worldview and seek to overthrow the Heirs themselves.

A bootleg mod on the Megacity-01 market has become quite popular with various Sk8te cells. Utilizing a simple implant, the mod allows users to view maps of the Megacity overlayed with common Sk8te routes, ensuring safe travel. The mod even allows users to scan for Holotags from other Sk8ters or see if a tag has been placed to warn of MCPD or other hostiles in a particular area. The mod has been dubbed "Skynet" by users.

]NOTICE FOR PICKING FACTIONS: If you want to create a Sk8te cell of your own, please DM me your pitch prior to submitting your character sheet. If you think you want to be the leader of any of the listed factions, you are welcome to write it into your character sheet. Bear in mind, if two or more people want to run the same faction, the final decision will come down to the overall quality of the character sheet. Ideally, each character will have ties to some faction in order to keep the story cohesive. I’m happy to find a role for you!

Located at the very heart of Megacity-01 is The Spire. This upper class sector is the only place where it isn’t cramped, there are trees, and things aren’t always breaking. As you might expect, The Spire is home to the Heirs, MCPD, any decent stores, and the members of E Street that have stayed in the Heirs’ good graces. Dominating the The Spire is a massive tower that gave the area it’s name. Housed within this building are the CPU for the GeoNet AI and the servers that maintain it. In addition, several floors of The Spire act as luxury apartments for the richest Heirs. To even own the smallest space within this massive tower is considered a major status symbol.

While not as glamorous as The Spire or the surrounding area, the Red Light District of Megacity-01 is notorious for being a hotspot of every illicit activity imaginable. Needless to say, ridiculous levels of money flow through the Red Light District, making whatever faction controls it a force to be reckoned with in the grand scheme of things. For the last several years, Black Maria has had a stranglehold on this district and all the biggest casinos can be traced back to their ownership. A few minor groups have gained a foothold, but it’s not without Black Maria ‘allowing’ their existence.

Throughout the city, the Backstreets are as numerous as they are dirty. It’s not an uncommon sight to see the backstreets littered with trash, It’s here the signs of the Megacity’s decay are most visible. The narrow streets and cramped atmosphere only add to the sense of discomfort experienced by those who call the backstreets home. Members of The Pack can be spotted digging through the trash piles, and you’ll likely find members of Demonio squatting in any homes that aren’t claimed or have had their occupants ‘removed’.

Connecting all areas of Megacity-01, Metro Street spans almost the entire length of the massive city complex. Metro Street serves as the main transit hub as well as commercial center for the day to day needs of the citizens. Despite the bright lights and flashy signs, there’s a palpable hint of danger beneath the surface. Nevertheless, Metro Street is essential to the day to day lives of the people just like GeoNet, making it a valuable resource. Businesses that can be found here include, but aren’t limited to: various grocery stores, convenience shops, “Legal” ModDoc clinics, appliance shops, movie theaters, and The Bodega. Thanks to their numbers, Demonio run Metro Street as a sort of ‘necessary evil’. They keep the other factions out of peoples’ lives while blackmailing shop owners for protection credits at the same time.

Living up on the rooftops of Megacity-01, Sk8te cells lead lives of “Absolute Freedom” as they soar from building to building. No Geo-IDs, no MCPD to track you, and owing no allegiances to anyone living on the streets below grants Sk8te members the ability to traverse the city as they please and get around faster than anyone else. Thanks to the immense light pollution caused by the city, it’s created a unique phenomenon in the sky where the sun sets in intense shades of pink and purple, almost mimicking the city. Because of this stunning vista, Sk8te members - regardless of their cell - have dubbed this rooftop paradise of theirs: Neosky. 

No matter where they go in Neosky however, every Sk8te member can always see The Spire jutting out from the skyline. It serves as a constant reminder of the world they left behind and the forces that control the streets.

"Character quote here. Show us some personality!"

Age: Pretty self-explanatory

Appearance: At least a paragraph or so (if possible), and mention any information not visible in the above picture.

Faction: What factions (if any) does your character belong to? See “Factions” for information and rules regarding how this works. Simply say “Solo” if not a member of any group.

Sk8te Cell/Gang: Name your Sk8te cell and any information that sets them apart. If not in Sk8te, leave blank unless your character is involved with a gang that works underneath one of the other factions. (i.e. You're in a small gang, but you work for Black Maria)

Background: Let’s learn about your character. Ideally, I’d like this to be at LEAST 2-3 paragraphs. The more we know, the better! 

Cybernetics: Does your character have any mods? If so, list them here!

Weapons/Tools: Megacity-01 is a dangerous place. How is your character defending himself/herself? Do you have any tools for activities in the city? (I.e. Does your Sk8te member carry a grappling hook to scale buildings he/she can’t jump? Does the Demonio member have lockpicks on hand for breaking in? etc.)

Likes: List some things your character likes
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Dislikes: List some things your character dislikes
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Quirks: Add some details that make your character unique! Can be an odd habit or just some information not revealed in the image or the backstory!
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Places of Interest: Bit of an odd one, but with how massive this city is, are there any locations in particular your character might frequent? A base of operations? a store on Metro Street? Maybe you just like walking around The Spire? Let us know here!
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RisingRobin Member

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