Introduction

FICTION DICTATING REALITY

A Modern Fantasy RPG
Created by Raptor 36

It's all the Supreme Court's fault.

Those pesky High Priests of the Church of the Constitution were briefed by the two sides for a mere thirty minutes, minus some time that was taken for questions by the Justices' own desire for clarification. The decision was handed down in a few mere hours. It's the shortest decision on record, and it was unanimous. "It is the opinion of the Court that there is no reason why all vampires permanently residing in the United States should not be granted full and immediate protection as citizens of the United States. From this time hence, however, all vampires desiring to enter the United States will be subject to all applicable immigration laws." There had been no mention of such a case on the Supreme Court's docket; no warning when they released the decision along with all the rest.

Some are relieved: there doesn't need to be anything else added to that which polarizes the nation. Some are outraged: why is the Supreme Court condoning bloody murderers? Some are concerned: will this lead to only more crime for over-stretched and under-budgeted police forces? Some are confused: how will this affect me?

Few can see the future. No one knows anything about what's going on. It's completely new territory.

Toggle Rules

The Basics

Overview. "Fiction Dictating Reality" is an RPG that will have an IC start date of 01 January 2000. All pop culture references should be appropriately referenced. For instance, don't be referring to 9/11 if IC hasn't progressed that far yet. There is no determination yet as to what will and will not make the cut as far as pop references go. Just do a bit of research if you're going to reference something pop-culture-esque IC.

Activity. "Fiction Dictating Reality" has the intent of being a flowing story. One liners and short paragraphs does not a story make. I'd hate to have to dictate 'minimums'; I'd much prefer that the story you try to tell is so compelling that you want to post lots and lots. Don't be afraid to work with someone which leads me to...

Godmodding. I highly encourage cooperation amongst players to create realistic and flowing dialogue, interactions and fight sequences. Some people will be comfortable with having people play their characters (I've had this happen to me before, especially with minor things like walking/talking), but do so with the player's approval.

Post Style. "Fiction Dictating Reality" is supposed to be a flowing story, something that has a bit of quality to it. I particularly want to avoid posts that are just copy-pastes from a chat log. Don't be afraid to get everything you might want your character(s) to do in chat. Please do take some pride in your work and clean it up into viable prose.

Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling. Use it properly, thanks!

Links:
- In Character Posting Is Here!
- Out of Character Posting

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The Details

Locations: Anywhere, but let's keep it reasonable. I doubt there is a huge population of vampires in the steppes of Russia, or only one vampire in the small fishing village of Los Angeles (Bonus points to the first person to PM me with where I got that line from!). Also, eventually, the story and your character has to cross paths with at least one other character from somewhere else (and owned by someone else. It gets rather boring to play with oneself).

Characters: I am going to highly discourage high-level power characters, at least at first. Mostly out of a desire to keep the story realistic, but also to keep people involved. Nothing spells certain doom for a game like everyone being the head honcho for their particular brand of whatever. It stifles creativity, originality, and desire to participate... not to mention desire to develop your character.

Powers, Gifts and Abilities: These are going to be laid out formally later on, and will have only a bit of wiggle room. Unless you can present a very rational and straight forward reason for your character to have the ability that isn't in the list, I'd stay away from it. An example is flight: humans aren't Superman... we can't fly. However, vampires tend to be very strong, and they have the ability to play on perception: so they can appear to be doing something that they can't actually do.

Characters, revisited: This is an original work of fiction. That said, there shouldn't be Lestats, Armands, Louis, Anita Blakes, Jean-Claudes, Richards, Nathaniels, Jacobs, Edwards, Bellas, Lost Boys, Lesbian Vampire Killers, Draculas, Renfelds, yadda yadda. Don't be afraid to use them to influence or inspire your character, but don't let your character succumb to those paltry cardboard cutouts! Be ORIGINAL!

How to apply: Apply using the form that this group provides. It's a good start, and if you have any questions about what it should look like, feel free to take a peek at my character's bio. It's not really thorough though, and I'd prefer thorough for a proper application. If I think that the character will have traction in the RPG, I'll ask for an IC post.

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The Races

Humans. The basic people on the planet. 6.6 Billion of them are littered across the globe. Pretty self-explanitory. For the story, the basic laws of physics, biology, etc and all that apply. I'm going to hold back for the reasons cited above as far as any special abilities go.

Vampires. They look like humans. They can talk like humans. To delve further:
- They have to consume blood to fully survive, however. A nearly-non-communicable virus has altered their physiologies to such an extent that some simple proteins can only be absorbed through the consumption of the blood of most mammals. Foods can still be consumed but give nearly no nutritional value; drink (other than blood) is rarely worth the effort, but does help with maintaining hydration.
- The normal acts of breathing, heart beat, blinking and other involuntary actions can be controlled through time and practice: don't expect to suddenly wake up and be able to go without breathing or having your heart beat. Other routine bodily functions operate much the same way, aside from the digestive tract. Vampires are also compromised by their near-total reliance on blood as a substitute for their mucus membranes: vampires do cry blood, and woe be to the vampire caught in a protest where the police are firing tear gas--because of the virus conversion, a vampire that is subjected to CS, Tear, MACE, or Pepper spray they cannot stop themselves from the normal reaction: breathing more. As they breathe more, their mucus membranes go into overdrive, and they will begin bleeding from the eyes, nose and mouth uncontrollably. Though unable to 'drown', the vampire will bleed out if untreated.
- Vampires are extremely flammable.
- Vampires' cellular structure, altered as it is by the virus, is capable of rapidly repairing damage to their bodies, provided they have enough access to the raw materials necessary--blood. The downside is that once they start taking damage, more serious damage becomes even easier to inflict and harder to repair. Wounds that result in brain damage or decapitation are universally and instantaneously fatal.
- Vampires' eyes can manipulate light. Much like a laser, the energy and light (outside of the visible spectrum) can cause a human to become disoriented, lose track of time, or become hypnotized and therefore suggestible.
- Vampires can control the sound of their voices, resulting in some similar effects to what their eyes can do, but at much greater range. These frequencies are in the Extra-Low Frequency (ELF) range, and though limited in the amount of information that can be sent through the signal, the human can be "prepped" (or brainwashed) into certain responses upon receipt of various signals.
- The combination of the above two abilities can cause vampires to affect the perception of what they are doing. In simple terms, the vampires cause illusions, and so the humans are mislead to their actual capabilities.
- Though I feel like it should go without saying, vampires do not sparkle in sunlight. Nor do they burst into flames. If older than about 1000 years however, they can develop severe acute-onset porphyria and expire.
Therianthropes. A more apt term than 'lycanthropes' or mere werewolf, etc. They still aren't fully appreciated:
- Size: The laws of physics must be maintained: A 150lb man will result in a 150lb wolf. A 100lb woman will result in a 100lb cat.
- The change is not tied to the moon, but in several groups this is still used as the one time a month to get together as a group.
- Species limitations: It's a disease, carried by species in the scientific classification class of: mammal, marsupial, reptile and avians. Generally limited to the dominant species in the area. For instance, in New Orleans, the leading group is probably going to be alligator, but in Colorado, it might be the cougar. Though it has been reported, there are few examples of water mammals (weredolphins? Yeah, that'd be a bit hard on someone!)
- On Furries, Cat/Dog-people, etc: No. No no no no no no. There isn't any partial shifting in this world, thanks. If the character is in person form, they're in person form. If they're in animal form, they're in animal form.
- Powers: I realized that I should probably delineate these as well. Specifically, there are none, other than some basic physics-level stuff. If an animal is fast/strong/slow/weak/etc, the therian version probably will be too.

The workings on how one is converted from human to either of these groups is something that I'm going to work on.

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Character Portrait: James Hillary 'Jack' Russell

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Characterization: Proficient Plot: Proficient Depth: Advanced Style: Proficient Mechanics: Advanced Overall: Advanced

Jag wrote:In terms of roleplays, this is one of the better reads that you'll find on Gateway at the moment. The game's writers as a general rule follow a higher technical and mechanical standard that many other stories. Althought the plot and the true development of the characters hasn't had time to truly rise to the surface and allow for a deep engagement by the reader, all the pieces seem to be falling into place to tell an epic story. This game has vast potential.

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#2010-11-01 08:25:54, as written by RaptorThreeSix

So, because we're going to be playing in the forum-area instead of via the tab system, I've decided that this area shall be where I post things of mutual interest for all people involved in "Fiction Dictating Reality", when I'd rather not mess with the rules page (as those are the general rules, and these are pretty specific). So, for the first ever update, I have for your reading and internalization pleasure...

"Comparative Vampire Government 201: How They All Govern Themselves"
A Clif-Notes Edition on Vampire Government

North American Government
- Territory. Vampires on the North American continent have a unified government--that is, the United States, Canada and Mexico are all under one government. These territories do not include any of the islands in the Caribbean (except for Puerto Rico). Territorial divisions within this government are generally centered around cities and towns--usually the rural areas do not have the human population to sustain vampires beyond lone individuals. Local groups of vampires that have chosen what passes for permanent residence--generally met if the vampire has resided in an area for over twenty years or so--will come together and nominate a representative for the continental assembly, generally the oldest vampire of the group with the second or third oldest nominated as a deputy. Should the oldest vampire die or 'retire,' the deputy will step forward to fill the vacancy and a new deputy will be nominated. At a minimum, the representative is at least 50 years old, but usually only those who are 175-200 years old are considered for the smaller territories. Larger territorial representatives are generally 300 years or older. As there are no local laws, there is no need for a true local government.
- Continental Congress. This is the group of representatives for the vampire community in North America. A unicameral legislature, it meets in Philadelphia twice a year in January and July. There are term limits of 30 years for all representatives. Territories are set, and can only be unified (if a significant population has emigrated out) or divided (if a significant population has immigrated in) by decision of Congress. Each rep has one vote, and most minor bills require a simple majority. Major bills require a super-majority or two-thirds. Enforcement of all decisions of Congress is conducted by a group of 150 vampires who are only loyal to the Constitution and Congress.
European Government
- Governing Bodies. Vampires on the European continent have a rather fractured governmental system. There are four important governing bodies, three on the nation-state level and one on the international level.
- United Kingdom. The nations of Great Britain and Ireland (still unified, similar to the North American continental body) have a House of Lords, not to be confused with the Parliamentary body, this House has limited legislative duties, but does serve as a judiciary to resolve any conflict and punish violations. The body does nominate representatives to the European Union--again, not to be confused with the similar body of the same name--for international relations. It retains the right to not comply with EU decisions regarding foreign relations. Rank in the House is granted by age and/or services rendered. There is the possibility of hereditary transfer of titles, but are rare. Ages generally associated with the ranks are:
  - Lord/Lady: 50 years.
  - Baron/Baroness: 75 years.
  - Count/Countess: 100 years.
  - Duke/Duchess: 250 years.
- Continental Systems of Government. Throughout much of Continental Europe, there is a rather feudal system of government where the strongest vampire rules. Territories can be conquered and divided at will. Leadership is generally passed on to a nominated heir--territories which have leaders die without nominating their heir can result in internecine warfare. There is a rule banning the engagement of international relations below the national assembly-level; this is generally adhered to. Though national boundaries are largely ignored by vampires, they are respected for participation in the national assembly of vampires. These assemblies are never attended by the leaders of the territories themselves, but their appointed representative. The national assemblies also nominate representatives to the European Union, which decides on international relations. Some smaller nation-states groups of vampires have unified themselves with those of the larger nations, generally along the lines of language:
  - National Assembly: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco
  - Cortes Generales: Spain, Portugal, Andorra
  - Budestag: Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary
  - Zgromadzenie Narodowe: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia
  - Verkhovna Rada: Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Romania, Balkan States, Bulgaria
  - Hellenic Parliament: Greece and Cyprus
  - Parlamento Italiano: Italy

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Monoda (Aka Mo)

A therianthrope of sorts, an experiment that was only so succesful, was meant to be a prize to a ruler but failed to reach expectations.

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Shianne is a 300 year old vampire. She has survived throughout the years depending on no one but herself, and she tries to keep it that way.

James Hillary 'Jack' Russell

CIA Clandestine Services Officer

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Shianne

Shianne is a 300 year old vampire. She has survived throughout the years depending on no one but herself, and she tries to keep it that way.

James Hillary 'Jack' Russell

CIA Clandestine Services Officer

Monoda (Aka Mo)

A therianthrope of sorts, an experiment that was only so succesful, was meant to be a prize to a ruler but failed to reach expectations.

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Fiction Dictating Reality
1, 2, 3by RaptorThreeSix on Sun Oct 31, 2010 4:46 am

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Last post by zhill
on Fri Jan 14, 2011 1:25 am

Ok, that kind of helps me understand your last IC post a bit better.

I will look at the scene again and come up with a response that will take us in the right direction.

Are the other two still around or is it down to just us now? I was kind of looking forward to more character interaction but maybe some others will have to be recruited.

Anyways, you can expect something from me today.

RaptorThreeSix

Re: [OOC] Fiction Dictating Reality

Well, really the question is can Ed trust Jack. If he can, and he starts--if not hemorrhaging information, then certainly giving some details; like why he needs a cover story, if he knows who Kareem might have been talking to, etc. I mean, Kareem needed to tell Ed something that would affect Ed and his boss. Can he trust Jack to help him figure out what Kareem was in on? That gets Jack two things: one, it gives Jack access to vamps; two, it gives Jack a contact--sources and methods if you will. It gets Ed unofficial assistance from the US Government to figure out the reasons behind what's going down in the States, and beyond if it goes there.

Might have Ed answer that bit about the vampires. No one brought it up except for Ed, and it's piqued Jack's interest.

zhill

Re: [OOC] Fiction Dictating Reality

Its going to take me a bit to figure out an appropriate response to that, cuz now it seems like he really is between a rock and a hard place with no viable solution.

I will think about it and see if there is a way this can still work out realistically from his perspective, but it might help if I knew OOC what the plan was even generally. Is Ed getting released and then him and Jack play detective together? Is he getting locked up and being used as an informant on vampire on goings? I'm only asking this because I am a little confused on the direction at the moment.

zhill

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1 posts · 12 characters present · last post 2010-11-01 07:25:54 »

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