This Is Not The End (Under Mild Construction)
2087. Thirty years after Mankind was not only pushed to the edge of extinction, but from their home itself by an unknown mutation that threatened all sentient life on the planet. The few that survived the surface found themselves seeking salvation aboard the grand low-orbit vessels stationed in Earths outer atmosphere, and have since remained, terrified of what lurks below the thinly veiled clouds. As the few thousand left alive live their lives as best they can aboard Earths finest vessels, there are still those whom look to the surface with daring, tempted eyes.
We're going Ground-Side.
As we've established, the year is 2087, and our story opens up at the cusp of winter. Not that the weather matters anymore to the lives of mankind, kept stationed within the few civilian vessels that managed to escape the horrors of the surface thirty years ago. Split between three ships (Rebirth, Awakening and Slumber, respectively), progress for our species as a whole came to a halt, in lieu of what became everyday fears and tribulations; starvation, disease, and sustaining a diminishing population. The first few years were the hardest; mankind had faced a loss it had never had to face before; families had been literally torn apart from one another, entire countries burnt to cinder, and everything we held dear left behind. Riots ensued aboard the vessels, with people desperate for some sort of retribution that would ultimately never come. Once this settled down, people became accustomed to their lives away from the surface; they fell into jobs, as they always had before, and strangely enough, life wasn't all too unfamiliar; the few military that remained disbanded, forming a policing force amongst the three vessels. Professions were created; teachers, care takers, and most prominently, engineers, whom became the life-blood of the ships. Resources were scarce, so anything that couldn't be recycled was quickly weeded from society in order to keep everything self sustaining. Solar powered decks brought forth fresh food and the ships on-board ventilation systems kept everyone alive and hydrated. It was damn-far from perfect, but it was something.
But that's not enough for everyone. Some want to feel the air on their skin, and breeze on their backs and the water trickle down their faces. There would always be those whom looked back to Earth with desire filled eyes.
Before mankind fell, humanity saw itself in the center of a technological boom. The forefront of this came with the invention of the 'Nano-Metals'; ultra light weight, with the durability of steel. Almost unbreakable, and able to harness pure energy. If the events of thirty years ago had not occurred, then these Metals would have thrust mankind into a new age of possibility. But when Earth fell, only a small supply could be salvaged. From the safety of Rebirth, the only prominently military vessel within orbit, engineers worked tirelessly to fashion anything that could be used to aid a crippled mankind. What they created was elegant, and would ultimately be the driving fuel in mankind's retaliation; Nano-Kinesis. Turning the metal in a personally fashioned suit of protective armor, it allowed its wearer to sustain massive amounts of kinetic damage, and pushed them to the edge of physical perfection. It came accompanied with the users trade-mark weapon; a Blade, able to manipulate its shape at their will. These became fundamental in the users training. Able to manipulate objects around them through the suits energy-fueled qualities, its wearer became strong enough to truly turn the tide of a battle. There was only one problem; with no official military units left, there would be no-one to bring the fight back to Earth.
And so, the unofficially named 'Ground-Siders' were created, aptly named for their insistence to return to the inhospitable surface. Drafted from volunteers of a young age, whom were trained mercilessly to the best standard mankind had left to offer, each was gifted with a suit of the precious Nano-Kinesis, and were taught and prepared to face the surface. Many mocked those whom enlisted, calling it suicide and redundant; Earth was lost. But if there's one common quality amongst the infamous Ground-Siders that is direly lacking within the remainder of humanity, it's hope.
To date, there has only been fifty 'Ground-Siders' ever deployed to Earth. Few rarely survive more than one or two trips. Those who do, become legends.
Ever since its fall, Earth has become a baron, desolate place. Cities have been reduced to ruin, entire forests have been burnt to ashes, and any form of notable civilization has been disbanded. There are rumors that few outposts of survivors still exist on the surface, but this has never been either confirmed or denied. For all intents and purposes, its apocalyptic.
And then there are the creatures that scavenge its surface. In thirty years, mankind is still none the wiser as to the origins of these things, their motivation, or even what they are. It was assumed to be a random genetic mutation, afflicting almost sixty percent of the population. It made them strong, relentless, and hungry. In droves they sacked every human city, butchered and mutilated every living being they could find until mankind was forced to abandon its home. Nothing slowed them down, other than the removal of their head. Their bodies still rotted, flesh and skin falling from the bone. Some mutated, growing in size or developing extra limps. All sentient beings seemed to be affected; human, dog, goldfish; it didn't matter. It's easy to see how inhospitable the world became when the majority of all sentient life turned feral. But they still retained a dash of their former intelligence; those whom had been human still operated weaponry and machinery, turning man-kinds technology against them.
And now, we come to you. You are a 'Ground-Sider', and have spent your entire life in the stars. You were born aboard the vessels, and never got to see Earth with your own eyes. Perhaps this factors into your volunteering, perhaps it doesn't. The choice is yours. Something to note is that I want this to be a very character driven, emotional role-play rich with character development and such. So, factor in that your characters will grow as the story progresses.
Various details to include in your character sheet are as follows:
Name.
Age.
Gender.
Appearance (Preferable written, but an image works as well.)
Personality.
Motivation. (Why did your character volunteer?)
Relationships. (Family, ETC.)
Notable Skills.
And anything else you wish to add.
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