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Illustrious Dreams

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Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby No More Questions on Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:59 pm

Today I had a very intriguing, but weird dream. The dream took me on a adventure so fulfilling, that after I woke up to this boring reality we call life, I was instantly overcome with sadness. An empty void now inside my heart, I began seeking to fill it with something of equal value. But to no avail; I was not successful in my hunt. This left me with but one option... to recreate this world myself.

At its most basic description the dream was about underground pirates, literally. In this world there was these underground tunnels or sewer systems called the Sub Straits, in which people would brave in search of treasure or old functioning technology. In this sense, they are more scavengers than they are your traditional pirates. But I use the term pirates because they traverse these tunnels, which are the size of large rivers, in makeshift sea-faring vessels.

I would base the roleplay around that activity and of course limit it to the adventures of one crew. What makes this different from any other pirate adventure, would of course be the world it is based in. Whether the Sub Straits span across an entire planet or just one area, I have not decided yet. But I figured I would decided that later. The technology level of the world would be something futuristic and a mixture of arcanepunk, think Shadowrun. I would also be including 5 unique races and 3 class types, there will also be character roles relating to titles and duties aboard the ship. Getting back to the races and classes though, as I said the world be influenced by Shadowrun and the Arcanepunk genre. Meaning we will have fantasy races, like Elves and Dwarves using Guns and Magic.

As far as the plot and story goes, that will depend upon the history of the world and what exactly these Sub-Straits are. But, obviously it would be centered around the journey of our characters as a crew. I do want to stray away from cliches and try to make the origin story as unique as possible; that goes for the quest they are on too. I was thinking, maybe the crew are actually a bunch of criminals who escape into the tunnels and end up on some whirlwind adventure? I also want he characters to exist in more than one dimension and be well thought out.

Anyway, this was just a spur-of-the-moment type thing as it is all based on a dream. Previously, I was devoting all my spare time to the completion of a larger scale roleplay. But if this can generate enough interest, I will place the other on hold and focus on this instead. So, if any of you like where I am going with this and would like to be part of it, let me know by posting your thoughts and ideas.
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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Tsukiakari on Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:17 am

This looks quite interesting! As I happen to have a character who would probably fit in to this thread fairly well, I, for one, have to say that I'd be willing to give this a shot should you ever create it. Also, if you'd like a little help world-building, I'd be glad to offer my assistance. I know from experience how hard it is to remember dreams you want to turn into stories.

Just a few questions, though. What sorts of dangers are there in the Sub Straits? Since you talked about people "braving" them, I'm assuming there are some threats down there. Leftover bits of processing machinery which can drag a ship to its destruction? Rival crews and their ships? Giant soul-eating cyborg monstrosities? The undead? All of the above, and more?

Then, what's the government of this world like? Nonexistent? A tyrannical dictatorship? A system of warring feudal-esque fiefdoms fighting for control of remaining resources on the desolate surface world?

Will there be only guns, or guns and swords as well as magic? What will the ships be like? Caravels and the like, or steamers, or even ironclads and such? Or perhaps some entirely fictional type of ship, powered by magic?

I have a lot of questions, but even without them answered quite yet, I'm still fascinated by this idea.

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby No More Questions on Sat Oct 13, 2012 2:36 pm

Any assistance offered, would be openly received. I have a fair amount of experience in the creation of roleplays and constructing of worlds, but I will not turn away those seeking to ease my burden.

On to your questions...

    1. The dangers of the Sub Straits depend on what the Sub Straits are themselves. However, I still have a general idea of threats the crew will encounter.

    Rival Ships will always be a threat, whether in a narrow passage way or spacious opening. You have only three options when you see another ship: 1) Attack. 2) Ignore. 3) Contact. No matter what your choice is, your decision could always come back to haunt you.

    There could also be still functioning security systems that take forms of automated weapon systems or even automatons.

    Wildlife and native tribes will be another problem. As we would be trespassing on their territory, they could become hostile and attack. Creatures will not be your run-of-the-mil rabid dogs. With the option of Fantasy Races, fantasy type beasts are included as well. I was thinking large sea creatures, plant inspired threats, and land animals as well. Anything that really fits with the environment.

    Navigating and basic survival will be a threat all on its own as well. Correct and updated maps, or any map at all of the Sub Straits must be hard to come by, or nigh-nonexistent. This means crews can easily get lost in these maze like tunnels, constantly running into dead-ends or even causing collapses themselves. As a result, crews typically hire Path Finders who are locals knowledgeable of the immediate area. I was also thinking these Path Finders could have an innate sense of direction... Either way, having the correct amount of supplies will be necessary in order to fight off starvation and dehydration -- I assume the water is filthy and undrinkable.

    2. Government, that also depends on the world the roleplay takes place in.

    I had a theory that all this takes place on some planet in the process of being colonized, like Pandora in Borderlands. Or maybe the above ground is suffering from a loss of resource driven by overuse or a post-apoc scenario. What this would mean, is that the Sub Straits are some ancient ruins of an old civilization or where sentient life took refuge during the fallout of a destructive war. Both support reasons for exploring these tunnels, it would also mean that there is no longer an official government.

    If there is a form of official government, then I imagine it would be restricted to go into these tunnels. This could lead to professional teams being sent in to excavate the ruins, it would also add another level of notoriety to crews illegally exploring.

    If there are multiple official or unofficial government authorities, then these tunnels belong to no one, just like the oceans of our world. So governments probably fund whole armadas to explore these ruins on their behalf.

    3. There will be no limit placed upon weapon types. In existence will be: modern weaponry, maybe futuristic something akin to Fallout Tech, medieval will also be welcomed, and magic is part of the world. When confronting enemies you won't know what to expect -- magic fireballs, large swords, or a missile launcher.

    With Arcanepunk, both magic and science exist. This enables endless possibilities of ship types. But, I will try to narrow it down to a few archetypes. Maybe three classifications: magic powered, man powered, and engine powered. There are also other types of vehicles, like small gliders and wall riding motorcycles.

You can keep the questions coming as it helps me define the world more.

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Tsukiakari on Sat Oct 13, 2012 6:30 pm

Hmmm... I kind of like the idea of having several opposing governments, each of which is struggling to acquire resources both in the Sub Straits and on the surface, and who would fund ships to explore the Straits and scavenge for lost technology. On another note, maybe we could expand upon this idea and add elements like Letters of Marque and government-backed piracy efforts to sabotage enemy states? Our characters could, for example, be freelance explorers in the Straits whose allegiances vary and who make a profit by essentially selling lost tech to the highest bidder. Since they're a lone faction, they'd probably be publicly wanted as criminals by each state, but they'd be given temporary pardons and other forms of legal bypass when their services were required. This could allow for multiple elements of political intrigue and economic manipulations on our part as we try to increase our own profits and escape the justice system, as well as the action/adventure elements of braving the Sub Straits. I think it could turn out to be something really amazing!

Just my two cents, though. I'm guessing you probably have different ideas for genre, plot, and such.

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby No More Questions on Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:29 pm

I agree, the idea of multiple factions sounds like an interesting foundation point to start building this world upon.

I will still go with alternate planet with a futuristic post-apocalyptic setting. There will be 5 Kingdoms that represent the controlling powers of the world because the resources they have access to and some stick together as a race. Between these kingdoms are desolate wastelands, which can be your average barren desert or... Maybe this planet was once a one big megalopolis, so the wasteland became the tattered ruins of these mega cities. And in keeping with this futuristic feel, the kingdoms are domed, restored city districts?

So, if the entire surface was a city, everything underground had to be what made these cities run, ergo the Sub Straits. I figure they became settlements after some war or devastating event. Then hundreds of years later, civilization returned to the surface to begin rebuilding and the Straits were for the most part abandoned. But as old world tech began resurfacing as well, rulers of these kingdoms would want any advantage for themselves. This would be where our story comes in.

How does that sound?

I also agree with who our characters should be. Because I want diplomacy to be a major part of the story as well, I may introduce a second crew to rival the first. Like two stories going on at once? I just don't want it to be pure action as multi-dimensional characters aren't needed for running and gunning.

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Tsukiakari on Sun Oct 14, 2012 1:15 pm

I agree with the whole backstory for the Sub Straits. But, if I might propose an idea, I'm thinking that most of the surface beyond the cities would simply be a dry, barren waste, where dark clouds of ashes and dust blot out the light and plants seldom grow, and wild monsters roam about, preying upon each other and anything else that wanders into their hunting ground. If there were ruined cities and such on the surface, wouldn't it be possible to just salvage technology from those? Of course, there would still be some ruins here and there, but they'd be almost entirely obliterated so as to make scavenging in the Straits a necessity. In addition, this would also force people to run the Straits to deliver supplies and mail between cities, creating a sort of smuggling/underground postal service in addition to the pirate scavengers and the explorers, since it would be too difficult to get supplies during the long, tedious journey through the Overlands.

Perhaps the less fortunate members of society would live nomadic lives out in these wastelands, scraping out a meager existence in the dark, while the rest of society dwells within gigantic, magic-powered spheres which keep out the devastating dust storms as well as serving as a boundary which prevents the predators from the outside from easily entering the cities. The centers of these spheres could perhaps be artificial suns which shed light upon the cities beneath, allowing crops to be grown so civilization can survive. Thus, those who maintain the sources of these barriers and artificial suns - probably bits of ancient technology or magical artifacts of a sort - would be the aristocracy that rules over the surface world, whereas those who simply live within the boundaries of the shields would be their serfs.

As for the idea of a rival crew, I think that could work, but we'd need a lot of players for it to work out. Either that, or you'd have to make a bunch of NPCs. Maybe we should instead run the plot in arcs with our crew going up against various rivals to complete a given objective?

I must say, with each post I'm growing more and more eager to see this roleplay carried out. I like it when a GM allows the players themselves to propose their own ideas to help define the world of the RP. =D

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby No More Questions on Sun Oct 14, 2012 5:29 pm

I'm against desert wastelands without reason. Thats often what is expected and visualized when people think of a post-apoc wasteland, so I want to stray away from cliches and the normal.


But, because I am pretty set on the entire surface being one big city, maybe include a few global preserves of wild jungle life. I was thinking that the high-levels of pollution degraded the o-zone layer of time. And since the civilization of the planet was intelligent and advanced in both science and magic... they were probably able to stave it off for a while and even make repairs, until it became too much. I would expect they made preparations for the day the sun scorched the earth, which is where the domed cities came into play. Because the entire o-zone wasn't destoryed, only areas were the layers were the weakest suffered. As a result cities became raging seas of fire. I imagine they only sought to contain these fires instead of outright putting them out. Overtime this continued until they were able to find a solution.

After the dust settled, the Overlands was composed of three major areas: The Ashlands - the charred and destroyed remains of old cities. These areas consist of desert wastelands and cities of char which were not completely destroyed. The Savagelands - Rampant wildlife that was able to grow beyond their confines. These areas consist of expansive jungles full of dangerous creatures and plantlike. No Name - cities that survived which have become silent ruins overtime. These areas consist of dome cities and the surrounding cities which have become like villages to castles.

Those who weren't able to gain citizenship within the dome cities, fled underground and to other areas of safety. What dome cities survived united to survive and became kingdoms serving under the same banner or government. Outside of the cities, in the Overlands or the Badlands it was every man for themselves.


Because I don't want the Sub Straits to be a necessity, and instead just an option, I want to downgrade its importance. Otherwise the kingdoms would wage a slow war on the Sub Straits, taking territory and once it was safe they would just scavenge themselves. This is also why I changed the history, because if they already lived below ground, they would take what had any worth above ground with them and keep guards posted around what they couldn't take. So, as the Sub Straits are now home to lower class citizens, who are hostile to Surface-Dwellers, pirates are used as emissaries to do the kingdoms biding. The Sub Straits are one of two areas where the kingdoms can get what they need to keep their domes powered; the second area being the Savagelands. The Sub Straits are also areas of worth because of the salvageable technology. So pirates are used again as scouts to find still functioning underground power plants or just old artifacts.


As for the second crew... I don't know, it was just an idea. Like you said, it would require a lot more members, which could be a problem. Then again, crews of five is all thats needed and players could control multiple characters. Therefore, I would only need a minimum of 8 players. I would also like an even gender ratio, but its not necessary. I figure, in the event of dropouts, I could make it so the two crews combined with a sufficient story backing.

And its not a problem. The players are needed to make the roleplay successful, so catering to their needs and wants can ensure their dedication. Which is why I took your suggestions and tried to employ as best I could, while sticking to my vision. Anyway, whats are your thoughts on character races and classes?

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby No More Questions on Sun Oct 14, 2012 5:34 pm

A note for readers: this is still an interest check, so if you like what you see, feel free to jump in and post thoughts and ideas. As of now this is just an in-depth discussion about what the world of the roleplay. I am still searching for others who might be interested in joining and participating, so that I might turn this into an actual roleplay.

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Tsukiakari on Mon Oct 15, 2012 9:57 pm

Alright, sounds interesting, although personally, I think I prefer the vast, empty wastelands where time has left everything buried and consumed to the more standard fallen cities strewn with rubble, and if the ozone layer was eliminated and the entire planet was cooked to ash by the sun, I don't think there'd be much left but dust and slag, as well as a whole lot of lava rock, since most things would probably liquify, if not outright vaporize, leaving ruins outside of the shielded areas highly improbable.

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby No More Questions on Tue Oct 16, 2012 4:04 am

Yea I realized that, I will make the needed corrections later in order to coincide with logic and realism. For now, the basic idea sounds very interesting to me. I've also settled a lot of the lore, such as races and changed the identity of the Sub Straits. I could post it all here if you are interested or if you would like to officially assist in the creation of the roleplay, then you can join me as a co-gm?

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Tsukiakari on Tue Oct 16, 2012 2:59 pm

Sounds good, although I might not be able to manage much event and plot organizing as co-GM due to my hectic schedule. Still, I think I'd be able to fit one more big RP into my timeframe, although at times I can only post twice or three times a week at most. If you'd like me to help with world-building, backstory, and perhaps the starting points for some plots, though - perhaps a sub-arc about the backstory of the character I had in mind, or something - I think I could manage that fairly easily.

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby No More Questions on Tue Oct 16, 2012 4:42 pm

Well, what I need from a co-gm in this roleplay is the ability to control the story. I'm still going with the two separate crews embarking on the same quest. So I will need someone to manage the other half. I can of course control the events and the course of things as the GM. But when you have a player stimulating activity and keeping things lively directly, the story is a lot better. My hope is to tell a story from two different perspectives simultaneously. This will be done via two separate threads and some cooperation on our part to insure successful cross-interaction. I realize that this is all highly ambitious, with random player attendance and posting rate, however I have a failsafe in place.

So if you think you could handle that, then welcome aboard. As far as your contribution to world building, whether it is with theoretical sense by offering advice and thoughts or literal by taking on some of work load, either is welcome but not required. Just let me know how exactly you will be able to help. We should also take our discussion elsewhere. I know of a few different ways we can do so.

As for this thread, I will continue to update it with bits of information, in hopes of drawing attention and interest in the final product.

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Tsukiakari on Wed Oct 17, 2012 5:41 pm

While the idea for two simultaneous threads sounds interesting, given people's schedules, I think most would have trouble following all of that information simultaneously. And, as for managing one of the threads myself, I'm afraid that I couldn't manage something of that scale at all. Given my schedule, the amount of time I can spend on this site is greatly limited, which would render me incapable of managing all of the issues that driving a separate storyline would entail. I think it would be better to have all of the information in a single place, and managed by a single authority and said authority's co-GMs, so that it would be easier to find and follow, and people could keep things going at a steady rate.

As for world-building, I can offer suggestions, advice, backstory, the creation and partial management of small-scale plot arcs, etcetera.

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Re: Illustrious Dreams

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Tea on Thu Oct 25, 2012 2:01 pm

I heartily recommend a more developed field of play for those interested to be able to construct interesting, dynamic, and appropriate characters.

It is a sufficiently fascinating basis for a concept. Good show.

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