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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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 Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 5:59 am
SettingThe city of RainFall seems very much like a perfect city. Situated on a mountain plateau with forests and mountains for protection, it is a place that is both beautiful and without most faults. Humans built this city upon arrival on a new, healthy world (away from dying Earth), and their offsprings maintain it now, keeping it perfectly unchanging. The population of RainFall is as diverse as it gets, since the original settlers brought with them the technology needed to create children without parents of any mixed race and origin. Based on this, as well as other technology, every aspect of life for the citizens of RainFall is perfectly controlled, from what they eat to what job they settle into. Each individual is born into a place in society and expected to live in that mold. Yet, there is almost no crime, certainly no war, and even mild conflicts are considered shameful, even wrong based on the Word. As far as the government (loosely defined) is concerned, life is as it should be. The Word of the StarBringers (the original colonists) is upheld daily as rigorously as one would uphold the Bible. But, there is peace and there is harmony, and for the great majority life is without troubles, without too many demands. The only aspect of this world, named Hope, that is not quite perfect are the few mistakes. RainFall is not the only city on Hope, but this one trouble is shared between all the human colonies. Sometimes, very rarely, the children who are created just don't quite come out the way they should. Some are born with strange abilities. Others are just too curious. Still others seem to do things that all logic defies. The original colonists believed that their technology was at fault for this, but it was later found by scientists from all the cities that something in the world's natural domain (wild life) was the cause of the problem. Still, children are born, and they are sent to "Holding Homes" at early age, where they spend their lives as little more than productive slaves, waiting to die. Those who escape are lucky, for Hope matches its name and what lies outside the cities like RainFall is both beautiful and very reassuring. The forests on Hope and the plains and the marshes are populated by creatures that were brought in from Earth long ago and tamed to both the environment and the human whim. They are not very dangerous at all, and the natural wildlife of Hope seems to rest on primarily smaller plant eaters and meat eaters. Nothing large enough to eat a human. To some extent, Hope has been terraformed to fit the colonists' needs, but it is also its own world. In the big picture, the cities are situated in different places, each closed off by a sort of dome that allows air and light through but keeps the city basically out of reach of the outside. Gates, ancient teleportation technology, allow those legally living within the city to travel between them. Those who live outside the cities travel by foot or their own, protable teleporters, created and invented on Hope. List of The Bigger Cities
RainFall
SkySong
CloudFlight
FlowerMusic
WaterTreck
ForestHome
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 6:09 am
The WordThe StarBringers brought with them a set of rules that the people of Hope now call "The Word". These rules are not so much rules as a misinterpretation of several different books from the StarBringers' vast libraries. They are however strictly followed. Below are a few excerpts from the The Word, but like all things, they are taken in a much too serious light. Quote: All people are created equal. This is interpreted by the citizens of Hope to mean that when they use their machines to create beings, all these beings must fit into the range defined as "normal". All those who do not fit into this catagory must be terminated in one form or another. Hence the Holding Houses. CharactersThere are three distinct types of people on Hope. Here is a little information about all three of them. Though there is no formal word to describe them as different, each individual on Hope knows who they are and where they fit in. First, there are average human beings, descendants from the original colonists and born naturally. They are the Keepers of the past and often more likely to be members of the government, regardless of what city they live in. Held in high esteem, they are the people who stand firmly against change and against any sort of new intrusion into the world. It is they who created "Holding Houses". These people do not have any gifts outside of what is typically human and are in fact, most frail. However, they are the ones with the most power and clout. Then, there are the parent-less, born through the advanced knowledge of the first colonists. Most of them become scientists and developers and just generally follow that area. Their DNA before conception (in a test tube) is tailored towards either menial jobs or the pursuit of scinece, depending on what is needed at the time. The vast majority of these people live happy, productive lives with foster families and later with families of their own. A few of these creations each generation are the changed ones, and their fate is usually pretty grim. Those whose genes will not conform are the ones born with strange abilities or other markings that set them apart. Some just look different while others can turn into unicorns for fun or make themselves invisible. These anamolies have long been known as Hope's gift to humanity. Obviously its not been used well. Lastly, there are the surviving changed ones who live outside the cities. They are probably the more brilliant and least influential members of society. They are needed by the cities as messengers and for herb supplying, but usually they are not trusted or well liked. Think of the gypsies, moving from place to place, but at the same time holding on to their own traditions and accepting change as it comes their way.
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 6:13 am
Plot
As the story begins, it is the year ASB (After the StarBringers) 352. Things are going along smoothly for the cities of Hope, but there seems to be some unheard of activity far to the north, near the pole. Scientists are sent out to find out what is causing this disturbance and return with strange news indeed. Unicorns have been spotted wandering through the desolate ice caps, and there seems to be no logical explanation. Elsewhere, other mythical creatures from the StraBringers' past are coming alive. Many of these are creatures condmned by the Word.
Worse yet, recently, there has been some communication with starships from Earth, apparently still plodding their way across the wilderness of space. From them, it has been learned that Earth still lives and now wishes to meet and see just how its children colonies are surviving.
How this plays out and where you stand is up to you.
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2005 2:23 pm
A young man stood in the lush, plentiful forest surrounding the world of RainFall, watching one of the holding houses nearby. As one of the changed ones, he remembered the holding houses all too clearly, and was waiting for the escape attempts that the changed always attempted. Always.
The person, probably in his mid or late teens, leaned against a tree, hiding the slouch of his shoulders from sheer boredom and hiding his eyes with his slightly long, dark hair. Falling about his face, it concealed not only his piercing blue eyes, but also his subtle facial features and the black scar that stretched across his forehead to reach his right temple. A memento of his past...
It was nearing dark, but the sun had not yet set, giving the fading twilight an eerie, ethereal feeling to it, the sort of night that something always happened on. Inside the house, he could hear the old foster mother saying her nightly prayers in front of the window upstairs, blessing the authors of the Word. "Figures," muttered the watcher, "that she'd bless them before the people they blessed." As she turned out her oil lamp, he heard the simple parentless begin their whispers and nightly gossip, talking amongst themselves as they did every night. The changed ones, if there were any in this house, were probably near the center of the building, and locked in the room at night to prevent escapees. But the simple ceiling tiles would certainly allow them to crawl away to the corridors, and begin their nightly, tireless ritual again. But this time, thought the youth, I'm here to make sure the attempt succeeds.
And sure enough, one of the changed ones was already out the door and the escape sirens were already blaring. Although he couldn't make out the profile in the dark, the person was certainly under eighteen, since the houses left those older than that, and was running his way...
(( I've gotten it started. Someone, escape! ))
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 4:07 am
A scream came from out of one of the holding houses, and a scream was returned.
"how dare you talk like that to me" a scream came from an appearantly old lady. "what? am I not allowed to tell the truth?!" Sienna replied, as she stood infront of the little children. Her eyes were red with fire as she stood infront of the house keeper. In a flash a hand fell on her cheek. The house keeper had hit her. It hurted but she didn't care. She only rubbed it a little, still standing infront of the little ones.
"step out of the way" the woman hissed. "why? so you can beat them as hard as you hit me? I can take it but they are little?! I won't let you" A few off them were holding on to her pants as the bigger ones stood behind them. It was allways a gamble who would win. Most of the time Sienna lost and was beaten up like crazy. That was the reason she wasn't allowed to were short clothes in the summer. You would see her scars.
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 8:58 am
Chrono was holding a large breen box when he heard the scream from the holding house. Damn it! This late at night, RanFall citizens should be sleeping, not arguing with each other, not even in that godforsaken place. Trying hard not to sigh in something like disbelief, he changed directions and headed there instead of home. Already, Chrono had been up for nearly eighteen hours as he helped his best friend move, but this was ridiculous! Someone really needed to get their head sewed on right and do something about the holding houses before they awoke half the city.
Unlike the people hiding in the bushes, Chrono had no fear of entering. After all, he was perfectly normal and a legal citizen of this city. No one was allowed to do a whole lot of harm to him. SO, he put the box under one arm, pushed open the Holding House door, and stepped inside. Another scream quickly guided him to where on old woman was apparently ready to hurt a female youngster. The said girl was trying--perhaps?--to protect even younger children. Ridiculous! Holding Houses were supposed to keep the peace, not tear it down every damn night.
"As a member of this community, I ask for your cooperation in keeping RainFall quiet and peaceful during the later evening and early night hours, citizens," Chrono said in this quiet voice of his that usually put people at ease. Ther ewas a hint of shyness in that voice, but also gentle reminder that they were all citizens of one place and, therefore, needed to learn and work together.
As he stood there, Chronon didn't look older than fourteen, though in reality he had just celebrated his eighteenth birthday. Everyone in his family was like this, and since he was born naturally, Chrono had no reason to worry about his looks. Short, dark hair fell into his warn, large, brown eyes as he regarded the older woman and younger one thoughtfully. Confidence was one thing Chrono was not lacking, not one bit.
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 6:42 pm
Nami crept silently through the bushes near the holding house as the darkness deepened around her. She tried to keep silent but she was struggling not to laugh out loud for joy. She had finally escaped that place! Tucking a long strand of red hair behind her ear, she decided she was far enough from the house to begin running. Slowly, she stood up and began dashing away from the hated place, her dark eyes glittering with hope. A scream suddenly cut through the night and startled her, causing her to trip. At the last second, she noticed a wire running along the ground: an alarm trigger. She threw out a hand to catch herself before she fell on it but it was too little too late. She fell heavily to the ground and immediately, the sirens began wailing. Scrambling upright, she began running as fast as she could, there was no point in trying to sneak around anymore.
"There she is!" yelled the deep voice of a guard. Nami didnt even turn to see who it was but quickened her pace, her hopes of escape beginning to fade with each step.
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 9:08 am
Sienna looked outside while grinning as she noticed with a sly eye that the woman was turning red as seh noticed that it was turning dark. It was probably not her intention to be noticed and screaming while everybody was at home was not the best way to do it. With a strange look she looked at the boy who came in boldy and started talking immediatly.
"I'm sorry sir, it was just I tried to put these kids in bed" the woman said waving towards the children who devensivly stood more behind Sienna. "but they kept hiding and.." "they were playing hide and seek, on which you agreed that they were allowed to do" Sienna interupted. She didn't care who this stranger was.
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 10:01 am
Far outside the city gates she was wandering around in the nature of Hope, her cloak floating around behind her as wind played around with her half long silky like black hair. Watching the skys with her pearl white eyes while walking she smiled slightly "it's a beautifull night" she muttered to herself.
Walking on silently through real long grass she then sits down crosslegged on the ground pushing some of her hair backwards behind her slightly pointy ears, closing her eyes and listening to the silent sounds of nature around her while thinking all kind of things.
Remembering her first few years. Being one who should been working in a large company they had found out at her birth that she was having alot different blood running through her viens. That she had different strengh and abilities. Wanted to do research on her, she somehow had been able to do a slight teleportation before they could start on her. Not remembering how she did that back then, she was and still is very happy that she did.
Her young youth wasn't bad at all. Easy and relaxed she learned how to work with her abilities and learned many things of the nature, making her able to live here without any problems. Though sometimes she sneeked into the city. Curious about how life was there. Wanting to know it all. But she knew she had to be very carefull with every movement she made. After all for persons like her it was dangerous to walk around in the city without any license or whatever.
Thinking about that city again she got on her feet "lets have a look this evening." nodding, her cloak wrapped itself tight around her and she sank down into the shadows.
After just one minute she walked slowly out a shadow in the centre of the village standing underneath a high building hearing now the sirenes. Suprised she looks around of what was going on.
Walking through the shadows in the streets she then saw someone running over a field with several gaurds after him or her. Thinking deeply yet again she gave a slight sigh. She then run over to the person who had now fallen on the ground. Standing next to her, she helped her on her feet and ran after her "Need help?" she asked friendly while they were running away with the gaurds after them.
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 6:55 pm
(( Sorry I was gone so long sweatdrop ))
The watching person turned to the escapee. As the distance closed between them, he saw that it was a female redhead with guards chasing after her. "This way!" he cried out to her, and sure enough, she ran in his direction, bringing the guards his way, too.
As they the female bolted towards him, he ran out past her, towards the guards. In a blinding flash of movement, both of them fell to the ground, aparently unconscious. He turned back to the girl, still running.
"Hey, wait up! They're not going after anyone for awhile, now," he called to her as he went back towards her.
"You're free; they won't be able to get you back in there for now. Oh, I'm named Darren, by the way. What's your name?"
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 1:47 pm
Chrono offered little more than a blink. Unlike most citizens, he chose to be a part of the community, having great love for his home and his world. Like many of the children born on Hope, he lived for the great whole as much as for himself and his own wishes. Moving the box from one hand to another, he looked between the elderly woman and the younger one, his expression thoughtfull. One look about the room spoke of too many children in too little of an area and a very frustrated baby-sitter.
"Please, do not disturb the neighborhood in the future," he said, not quite sternly, but with some force behind it. "People live here, and they are currently sleeping." Turning to the girl, he sighed, "Getting permission to play hide and seek is lovely, but do you not think that the younger kids should be in bed by this hour?"
Running a hand through his hair, he was tempted to ask what had caused the girl's scars, but it seemed less than polite to inquire. After all, people came from different backgrounds and so were inherently unique. Smiling a little, he put the box down and opened it. Inside were small toys and gadgets, obviously things he'd been working on. Unsure, he offered the toys to the children hiding behind the girl, hoping that this would give them something calmer to do for the rest of the evening. It was a long shot, but he had a feeling it would help a little.
Like most citizens, he did not know and couldn't imagine what happened behind the walls of holding houses. He came simply because of the noise, not knowing of any of the rest of it. Left uninformed, he would walk away with that same ignorance.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 4:20 pm
((ah! two people!))
Nami stopped running and turned to face the people who had helped her. What if they arent trying to help? she thought suddenly, her dark eyes hardening. What if they just want to take me to another holding house? She couldn't let that happen. After failing to escape so many times, she was near her limit. If this attempt failed, Nami didnt think she could find the courage to try again; the punishment was too terrible.
She pulled out a long knife she had stolen from the kitchen out of the back of her black pants, long since faded to grey. She clutched it tightly in front of her, her pale hands shaking slightly. "Who are you people?" she whispered, not wanting to attract the attention of any other guards. Nobody would have heard anyways with the sirens still blaring.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 8:29 am
THe children ran to them as Sienna stood infront of the elderly woman. "you really must not do that.." Cruella, the woman tried, but one girl held up a little toy. "is-is this really for us? they're not going to burn it?" she said hopefull. Her finger tops were scarred because she didn't want to let her doll go when they were burning it. Sienna nodded to the girl and to the boy. How old was he anyway? She had caught him staring at her scars and had made her sleeves longer covering her arms and legs.
"I understand why you were brought here, all the others couldn't cope with you could they?" Cruella hissed at her. Sienna smiled fakely. "why, how clever off you.. that you can even use that single cell of yours" Cruella's hand got up to hit her when Sienna whistled and pointed into the boys direction. Immediatly her hand went down and Sienna grinned. She knew it.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 9:12 am
Chrono was more intent on the younger children. He loved working with his hands, and so had little trouble showing the small ones how to play with the toys and which ones came apart to do other things. He saw the little girl's burnt finger tips, and noted them like he had all the other hurts the children had obviously suffered. A part of him wondered how this was even posible, but this night seemed to be one of mystery, and this was more than enough for him.
As Sienna whistled he looked up at her and the elderly woman she was conversing with, raising an eyebrow as if to ask what she wanted of him. A boy, no older than six, clambored up into his arms, and Chrono rose, still holding onto the child. Walking over, he looked between the two women thoughtfully.
"Before you two have a major battle, may I ask how some of these youngesters got hurt?" the boy asked quietly, ruffling his new friend's hair. "In short, what is going on here?"
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Jeremiah BrightWaters Captain
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 1:32 pm
Suddenly standing still at the same moment when the young woman pulled out the kitchen knive she looked scared over her shoulder towards the gaurds running up to them "please, let us help. I'm Feanyth Mayosh, just call me Fea. I don't know how I can make you trust me so fast but just like me I don't think you would like to get into the hands of those gaurds" she said when she looked back to the young woman.
The sirenes screaming out there alarm while she and the two others were standing still. The gaurds fast coming closer yelling out for them to surrender.
Looking down to the ground she then looked to the young woman and the man with her pearl white eyes "please trust me for a moment. Don't get scared of what is now going to happen to you two" at the same moment her cloak fast floated around them and grabbed the young woman and the man around there waist, wrists and enkles pulling them into the shadows.
She looked over her shoulder again to the gaurds who were now looking shocked at her floating shadowcloak (it floats around kind of like the cloak of Spawn). She then sank down into the shadows as well, getting dragged through many she then walked out of a shadow far outside the city. Standing still as her cloak softly set the young woman and the man on there feet on the ground "You're free now. But uhm... I don't know but are there more there like you and me?" she asked curious.
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