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 Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:33 pm
It is the year 2547. All is not well.
Centuries ago, to alleviate the difficulties associated with overpopulation, great space colonies and floating cities were constructed. New nations were created in the sky as humanity finally reached into the heavens with a conquering fist.
But these new nations were populated by the rich and the arrogant. From their perch in the lofty skies, they could finally look down upon those they despised. And so a great war began.
Neither side was able to truly gain advantage over the other. While those in the floating cities and space colonies could drop dangerous missiles and bombs to the world below, their own fortresses were ultimately fragile. The floating cities' fell as their engines died; the space colonies succumbed to disease and poison.
In a final act of desperation and rage, the lords of the sky unleashed a devastating weapon that swept across the planet. The Black Scorcher destroyed the world below, forcing the ground dwellers deep into the protective embrace of the planet while the dwellers of the floating cities banded together in desperation. The space colonies stood silent, and there was no travel to or from them.
Now, once again, war is brewing. The largest of the floating cities, a leviathan of steel known as Meridia, is experiencing the throes of a civil war that threatens to engulf the bruised and bleeding planet that lies below...
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:52 pm
Of the great floating cities that were constructed in the 22nd Century, Meridia was one of a pair of identical behemoths. The two cities, Meridia and Equatorius, were designed as discs five hundred miles in diameter, lifted into the sky by twelve massive thermonuclear engines each. Although the two cities were envisioned as metropolises for the rich and wealthy, the advent of the great war would eventually change them into bastions for all of humanity, rich and poor alike.
As the surface of the planet began its slow slide into an uninhabitable wasteland, the ground dwellers began to divide into two camps: Those who retreated below the surface, and those who snuck aboard the giant cities.
There was little done to stop such activity. By the time the cities took notice of the great amount of poor immigrants, they had suffered massive casualties; in order to maintain the integrity of the cities, it became necessary for the aristocrats to employ the poor. Where the engines had once been under automated maintenance, people now tended them; where assembly lines had once been guided by computers, people now watched them; where hull construction had once been the work of machines, people now occupied the outer walls.
However, Equatorius would not survive the war. Damage to the great engines by falling bombs had crippled the city, and the Black Scorcher destabilised it. It fell to the ground, carving a great scar into the Great Plains of the North American continent.
Political leaders in Meridia seized upon the opportunity at once. One side argued that the rich had, in their decadence, neglected the city and caused it to fall; thus was born the Western People's Alliance, situated upon the perpetually western-facing side of the city. The other side argued that the poor had not been under proper guidance, and thus their ignorance caused the crash; from this was born the Society Of Unified Lords, based within the eastern half of the city.
Both sides raced to uncover any technological advancements that Equatorius may have had. They prepared for war.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:20 pm
One incredible discovery in the late 22nd Century led to a great leap in technology: Deepsea excavations in the Atlantic Ocean yielded a small device that drew out the latent psychic ability of closeby humans. Mankind was able to usher in a new era of innovation by replicating the device.
These copies, known as Amplifiers, were considered particularly useful in warfare. By transforming human thought into kinetic energy, a new type of weapon was realized: Combat Armor. Previous attempts to utilize the awkward human form in mechanics had failed miserably; but with the introduction of the Amplifier, the average human was able to provide the necessary balance that such a weapon needed for mobility. With their flexible designs, Combat Armors eventually overtook tanks, jets, submarines, and other vehicles as the heavy weapon of choice.
Amplifiers were able to function as more than an enabler, however. Sufficiently talented humans could tap into the functions of an Amplifier and use their psychic ability as a weapon. Amplifiers began to be organized by type, with each type represented by a colour. The most common types were: Red Units that enabled pyrokinesis, the power of flames; Blue Units that enabled cryokinesis, the power of ice; Green Units that enabled biokinesis, the power of life; and Yellow Units that enabled electrokinesis, the power of electrical energy.
After the Black Scorcher, the remaining nations scrambled to get whatever weaponry they could lay their hands on. Meridia was able to salvage a great number of high-end concept unit Combat Armors and many mass production Combat Armors; with the salvage gained from the fallen Equatorius, they could begin to maintain one of the largest postwar armies.
The polarization of the city into the WPA and SOUL factions likewise caused a polarization of armories. The WPA was left with many of the lower-end models, and an insufficient understanding of any higher-end models they seized. The SOUL, meanwhile, had access to most of the higher-end models, although their army was much smaller than that of the WPA.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:32 pm
[b][u]Username:[/u][/b]
[b]Character Name:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Faction:[/b]
[b]Brief History:[/b]
[b]CA Type:[/b]
[b]CA Description:[/b]
[b]CA Armaments:[/b]
[b]Amplifier Type:[/b]
[b]Other:[/b] Most of the fields are self-explanatory. I would like at least a paragraph within the Appearance, Personality, and History fields; please keep in mind, however, that clothing and personalities are supposed to change over time.
I do not want a novel about your character's history. Please keep it short and sweet.
The CA (Combat Armor) stuff is completely optional. The "type" is whether it's mass-produced or limited, heavy or light or in between, artillery or defense or melee or whatever. Please keep the armaments sensible for its type; I doubt very much that a light unit is going to be loaded down with Gatlings and bazookas. Armaments are similar to what you'd see in a mecha show, with beam swords and miniguns and rockets and missiles and beam rifles and such.
Amplifier types are discussed in the above post.
Please send all profiles to me in a PM. If I am dissatisfied with any portion of your profile, I will ask you to correct it. I am going to be blunt when it comes to your profile; I will point out blatant errors in spelling and grammar and I will take to task any character that I believe does not fit with the roleplay's paradigm. You are forewarned.
Also, please send along a small roleplaying sample. Respond to the following situation: You are alone in the woods. Something is following you, and you're very much aware of it.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:53 pm
Members of the Western People's Alliance
Username: Morael S.O.L.
Character Name: Mr. Schwarz
Appearance: Mr. Schwarz is an unnaturally tall and thin man; he almost appears to have been stretched, with his long, thin limbs and long, thin face. His black hair is neatly combed and his disturbingly pale skin is flawless. He is never seen wearing anything other than a completely black, expertly tailored suit, with matching shoes and gloves, and a large pair of black sunglasses. The only parts of his body left exposed are his head and neck.
Personality: Mr. Schwarz is either an excellent actor, or he's got a disturbingly flat affect. Either way, he shows a disturbing lack of emotion, even when his plans come to a smashing success or go terribly awry. He has an almost preternatural intuition, being able to predict the moves of the SOUL with incredible accuracy.
Faction: Western People's Alliance
Brief History: Very little is known about Mr. Schwarz. He has apparently been with the WPA since the beginning, and is the primary benefactor of the organiztion. His reasons for opposing the SOUL are largely unknown.
CA Type: Unknown
CA Description: Unknown
CA Armaments: Unknown
Amplifier Type: Unknown
Other: Mr. Schwarz comes and goes as he pleases, and he does so with great stealth and discretion. He has many contacts throughout Meridia and can easily gain information on the SOUL's movements.
Members of the Society Of Unified Lords
Username: Morael S.O.L.
Character Name: Lady Blanc
Appearance: Lady Blanc is a tall, strong-looking woman, with broad shoulders and a sharp, almost sculpted face. Her straight black hair is always kept in a tight plait; her deep brown skin is free of blemish. She favors dresses in her wardrobe; but no matter their cut or style, they are all flawlessly white. She has the shoes to match for every occassion. Always, a thin strip of white fabric covers hey eyes.
Personality: Lady Blanc is always in a jubilant mood, her mouth constantly drawn up in a smile or open in a laugh. She treats everyone she meets as if they were an old friend, and she typically says goodbye by pressing a few bills into her companion's hand. Her astute tactical prowess tends to surprise those not familiar with her; she is a calm and collected leader and strategist.
Faction: Society Of Unified Lords
Brief History: Despite being one of the founding members of SOUL, very little is known of Lady Blanc. She began moving in high circles not long after the Black Scorcher, providing much of the funds and materials for SOUL's rise in power. Her motivations are unknown.
CA Type: Unknown
CA Description: Unknown
CA Armaments: Unknown
Amplifier Type: Unknown
Other: Lady Blanc can slip in and out of rooms with unnerving speed and stealth, although she typically announces her arrival and departure within seconds of the act. She apparently has a system of contacts that stretches beyond Meridia; she's aware of political situations throughout the globe.
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:46 am
Detailed Analysis: Meridia's Structure, Part 1
Meridia is essentially a large plate divided into multiple layers and sectors by function; these layers and sectors are further divided into sublayers and subsectors. The sectors are organized in a clockwise fashion, which, due to the city's defined orientation, start at the northern point.
Layer 1
Layer 1 is the main residential layer; it's the topmost layer, kept in the most pristine condition. The richer citizens live on this layer, although the distinction between the WPA and the SOUL has generally confined them to the eastern half. The great war and the fall of Equatorius taught the maintainers of the city a number of tricks, and much of Layer 1 is designed to withstand ballistic and energy-based attack, with rounded buildings and energy shields being commonplace. A number of gigantic shield emitters line the edge of this layer, along with multiple anti-aircraft guns.
Layer 2
Layer 2 is the secondary residential layer and the primary armament layer. Much less attention is paid to aesthetics on this level; the ability to efficiently maintain the many weapons in this layer is valued above any painting (although the SOUL-controlled half does have a certain pristine quality to it). The hangers and launch catapults for most of the city's resident Combat Armors are located in this layer, along with some of the heavier defensive weapons, such as missile batteries and heavy guns.
Layer 3
Layer 3 is the tertiary residential layer and the primary industrial layer. The great generators that power the city are housed between this layer and Layer 4, with many of the residents of the two layers being their primary tenders. Food production, including hydroponic gardening and, amazingly, some livestock raising, is carried out here; electronic goods and textiles are also produced on this layer. The first level of shelters is located on this layer, protected by the thick portion of the hull and another ring of hull-mounted shield emitters.
Layer 4
Layer 4 is the primary sheltering layer and secondary armory layer. Most of the emergency shelters are housed in this layer, behind the thickest portion of the hull, as well as some aircraft should the need to abandon the city arise. The city's main generators occupy the center portion of the layer, continuing from Layer 3; several slave generators and back-ups are contained on this layer, as well as fuel storage. The bulk of the ammunition stores are in this layer, as well as the ammunition factories. Some of the more top-secret development projects occur in this layer.
Layer 5
Layer 5 contains the twelve great engines that provide Meridia with lift; it is also the tertiary armory layer. This layer, which is essentially a gigantic cavern, is frequently the target of sabotage attempts and outright attacks on the engines, and is therefore equipped with light weapons and a small contingent of guardian Combat Armors. The city's enormous Main Gun is housed on this level.
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