Introduction
The Year is 2227. The location is the country once known as the United Kingdom, in Southern England....though such things as nationality ceased to matter or exist in any meaningful sense many years before. No-one remains alive that remembers the old world, it was too long passed that anyone could speak of it from experience. A new world had taken its place, a harsh world, a poor world.
The City
Welcome to MK-2, billed as the last city on earth, or perhaps the only city that ever existed. That story depends on who you ask.
It stands as a colossal dome of concrete and steel, enormous chimneys issuing out steam from the reactors that power the structure. The walls are metres thick, and require continual repair in order to keep them standing.
Why?
Because the outside is deadly to living things. At some point centuries before, pollution, war and disease triggered a poisoning of the earth. The soil itself is corrosive to the touch, able to eat away the skin. The rain is not much better, coming down acidic and poisoning most rivers and lakes at its touch.
MK-2 stands as a bastion of humanity in the wasteland, a triumph of engineering over the hazardous environment.Food is produced by synthetic means, and could last for centuries. Water is recycled, and though not top quality, is considerably less dangerous than any of the poisoned puddles outside. Everyone has clothes, jobs, and places to sleep. No poverty exists and there is minimal crime..but the safety of the dome comes at a cost, and the cost is MK-2 society.
The City adheres to a rigid social structure. There is no culture, and individuality is seen as a dangerous characteristic. Society is separated into four distinct classes, chosen before the individual was ever born.
The Classes
Citizens
Citizens are the ordinary, workaday folk of MK-2. They have all the positives and negatives of an ordinary person...though they were raised in the grim, repressed world of the domed city. All Citizens wear pale grey uniforms, of a top and loose-fitting pants and rubber-soled shoes. Citizens are not named. It is believed that names promote entitlement. Each citizen has a 6-digit ID number that they are officially known as. Many adopt nicknames, or a moniker based on their number (101067 may call themselves 'Tenten.') though it is considered against the rules, it's often allowed to slide.
Citizens are given a basic education, though are not taught to fight. They are very much kept in line by the upper classes, and regarded with cruel contempt by most Guardians. This has made some Citizens highly resentful. They are by far the most emotional and compassionate class of MK-2.
Guardians
Guardians form the 'police' and security section of MK-2. They are distinguished by their dark grey uniforms and body armor, along with the fact that they are armed, generally with batons, tazers, or other non-lethal weapons...well...non-lethal assuming one is using them correctly. Guardians are 'named' through a letter and a two-digit number(T-71, D-45 etc) though often adopt nicknames among themselves.
Guardians were altered before birth to be considerably stronger than an ordinary human, and often appear outwardly more tall and athletic than a Citizen. They were also educated and conditioned not to sympathize with Citizens and to see them as lower forms of life. As a result, they are often extremely brutal in their methods of apprehension and punishment. It's not unheard of for citizens to be unintentionally killed by Guardians.
Guardians rather resent the authority the Protectors have over them, and have a simmering hatred from them that overrides their contempt for the Citizens.
Protectors
The 'secret police' of MK-2, The Protectorate are some of the most feared inhabitants of MK-2. They take their orders directly from Citizen Leader, and also serve as her bodyguards. Much of the more 'cloak and dagger' matters, things that the establishment want kept under wraps, tend to be handled by the Protectors.
There are twenty-four in all, distinguished by their black coats, each marked with their symbol. They were each named after a letter of the Greek alphabet, from Alpha to Omega, and it was never shortened or altered.
Each Protector had slightly different jobs, and tended to operate individually rather than as a unit, but the Protectors always had a disturbing habit of being able to arrive at scenes of trouble.
They were altered pre-birth to have impressive athletic ability, high IQs and astonishing reflexes, taking on a Protector would be a citizen's nightmare. Such abilities would be a danger to most...including Citizen Leader, so the Protectorate have another major alteration. They are physically incapable of violence against Citizen Leader. They freeze up if they so much as contemplate it...not that most would. Protectors are heavily conditioned to be obedient and unsympathetic, and engineered to be emotionally stunted individuals.
Citizen Leader
The top dog, the head of the city, someone who remains rather enigmatic to the residents. She wears white clothing, adorned with medals...awarded by herself. She does not appear to age at all, having been an ever-present face for as long as any inhabitant can remember. She is extremely intelligent and tactical....but utterly ruthless. She thinks nothing of having any threats to her authority removed.
Citizen Leader seeks 'educate' the inhabitants of MK-2 in her version of world history, and quickly wipe out any evidence to the contrary. She claims to have great compassion for all those who serve below her...though that compassion appear to be mostly a facade that very quickly cracks in the face of any sort of dissent. She becomes extremely angry if disobeyed or questioned by anyone, particularly Citizens.
She claims that before MK-2, people lived like savages on the poisoned earth, and that the city is as good as things will get for humanity.
The Prospero Incident
About three years previous, there was a rebellion in MK-2. A Citizen named #667845 had been on cleaning detail, throwing mounds of old trash through a vent that took them outside the walls. It was within the refused that he found a book, 'The Complete Illustrated Works of Shakespeare' and an' Ordinance Survey Map of Great Britain'. He realized their value and smuggled them out with him at the end of the work day.
He read through the book, and it changed him. The vivid descriptions of nature, of the outdoors, and of love and friendship drove him to think beyond the walls of the city...and it came with a letter that offered him hope. It claimed that a land existed to the west, a land where the earth was still green. A route was marked onto the old map that claimed to lead others there.
#667845 took on the name 'Prospero' and began spreading word among the Citizens of the stories of the land to the west, and sharing with them the beautiful language of the book. He gathered many followers with his claims, many disaffected Citizens tired of the world within the walls...but Citizen Leader and The Protectorate soon found out.
Many of Prospero's followers disappeared or were sent for 're-education'. Prospero himself was hunted down by Protector Delta, Citizen Leader's right hand...and personal executioner. He was never heard of again.
A few followers of Prospero remain at large, and spread their message through graffiti and hastily written notes, but feel they are fighting a losing battle. Many are willing to risk it all in a final big protest. Meanwhile, the book sits in Citizen Leader's Office, in a glass case, as she ponders what to do with it...
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OOC:
Hi there folks, Vit, your (prospective) GM here.
This plot is the plot of 'Alas Poor World', a play that I co-wrote several years ago for a Shakespeare Festival and a short theatre run too. I thought it'd be fun to turn it into an RP. I don't want to ramble too much more, but that more or less outlines the world it's set in to start out with, and sets things off for the beginning of the storyline as it begun in the play, with the rebels considering a last shout to try and get their message across to the Citizens of MK-2. Where it goes from there....well that's up to you lovely people. I have plenty of material set aside as to what exists outside the walls, but whether people get there and what happens is all down to how things go.
If you've got any questions, feel free to post on the OOC, it's a rather er...big sort of plot and I don't want it to come across as too intimidating, and I'll be happy to answer and questions you can think of, even silly ones.
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Roles
Citizens (Other slots for these guys is available if we get a lot of interest, I've just put these up to start with and so I can list characters eventually.)
1- OPEN
2- OPEN
3- OPEN
4- OPEN
5- OPEN
Guardians (Same with Citizens, just said five as a placeholder.)
1- OPEN
2- OPEN
3- OPEN
4- OPEN
5- OPEN
Protectors
1 - Protector Delta played by VitaminHeart
2- RESERVED SPOT for Brock10
3- OPEN
Citizen Leader OPEN
Other: (Other roles I'll be happy to open up later on depending on whether they're going to be relevant, and whether people would be interested in hopping in later in the RP, or taking multiple roles. Think Wasteland-dwellers, that sort of thing.)
Skeleton
Stuff in the brackets is just notes on filling out, and you're free to delete all that.
- Code: Select all
[center][img](Image URL goes here.)[/img] (An image isn't needed, but feel free to add one if you want one in. Otherwise, you can delete this bit.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Name/Designation:[/b][/size][/color] (Name, Number, Letter, whatever they are officially called.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Nicknames/Aliases:[/b][/size][/color] (Anything else they might go by.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Age:[/b][/size][/color] (Average life expectancy tends to be lower than in the present, unless you're Citizen Leader.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Gender:[/b][/size][/color] (Self-explanatory.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Occupation:[/b][/size][/color] (Citizen, Guardian, Protector etc. Protector characters could have a bit of detail about what their individual duties tend to be.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Height:[/b][/size][/color] (Guardians and Protectors tend to be taller than Citizens, though it's not a hard and fast rule.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Weight:[/b][/size][/color] (Guardians tend to weigh a bit more than the others due to better muscular development, but again it is not hard and fast.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Physical Description:[/b][/size][/color] (What do they look like? Even if you've got a picture, a bit of writing would be nice.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Personality:[/b][/size][/color] (A brief outline of their demeanour.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Skills:[/b][/size][/color] (Things they can do that set them above others. Keep in mind the limitations of class. A Citizen is not going to be the world's greatest gunfighter, and a Protector is not going to be seducing people left and right.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Weaknesses:[/b][/size][/color] (Achilles' Heels that can be exploited by their enemies.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Brief History:[/b][/size][/color] (Any notable events in their background that might have shaped them. If you don't want to reveal too much, that's fine.)
[color=#000000][size=100][b]Other:[/b][/size][/color] [/center] (Anything else you think everyone needs to know about your character.)
- 2 posts here • Page 1 of 1
The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 2 authors
Setting
0.00 INK
It was sprayed on in a black spray paint...the sort of stuff that they used on the vertical supports in the maintenance corridors...someone must have stowed a can of it away...it would be hard to track that sort of thing as it was so widely used. They were clever, these people, a little too clever for her liking.
It was morning in MK-2, most would be waking up and getting dressed for a day of work. She'd been up for a while though, ever since the news of the newest graffiti had reached her.
Protector Delta was not an overly confident individual, but she did pride herself on what she had accomplished to some degree...and it did not seem right that she should be stumped by a bunch of Citizen malcontents. If she could find Prospero, then she could find these jokers....it was just a matter of working out how.
The distinctive figure of the Protector stood in one of the large transit corridors that led between the dorms and the main canteens. It was wide and low-slung, with thick support beams that ran over the roof, spots of dirt and condensation clinging to the ceiling. Old ventilation grates rattled overhead as the city's air system did its best to keep them all alive...some of the pumps were malfunctioning and it was putting a greater strain on the machinery...it needed to be looked at. Any minute, the Citizens would be coming through to eat before work begun, and the ugly little message of dissent on the wall was sure to attract attention...and it went without saying that Citizen Leader already knew about it. She seemed to find out one way or another, regardless of whether Delta was keen to reveal it or not...oftentimes she suspected that some of the Protectors reported on their peers in hopes of gaining favour.
She sighed, turning and making her way along the wall of hallway, over to the intercom that was drilled to the wall. It was a squat yellow box with a mircophone and speaker set into it, a button for activation, and a notice that any Citizen caught using it without express permission would be very harshly disciplined.
The woman lifted a pale hand and pressed the bottom, speaking into the microphone, pausing at the scratchy shriek of static that accompanied the activation.
"Protector Delta Here. Four Guardians needed in the north transit corridor. Bring a ladder, plastic sheeting, and tape. This is an order, not a request."
She always adopted the same, somewhat irritable tone when addressing Guardians. There was no love lost between them and the Protectors. They resented the fact that The Protectorate could tell them what to do, and would often go out of their way to find a reason not to follow any orders...particularly if it was something like this...doing grunt work for a job that was assigned to her....but Delta was well aware that she couldn't deal with it alone...and telling Citizens to handle it was a terrible idea...so Guardians it would have to be.
In the crevices of the brain, now lay dead the remnants of life. The morning brought no joy, no peace, no comfort. The night brought no sense of accomplishment. Each day was exactly like the yesterday and the tomorrow. Matter not what time it was outside; matter only the ringing and the ticking the clocks in the dome.
Prospero may be only the figment, the last figment, of imagination of a desperate soul; a broken soul that wishes only for a taste of freedom, of true peace and quiet. But the soul was not its own master. And yet, the soul administered hope in itself; hope for change. Would the tired soul be bestowed upon with happiness? Never, if it stayed in MK-2. The quantum of solace would destroy it.
Early morning stirred a tired scrawny body. The demons and servants would commemorate him by Hill, till they could remember no more. The body lay on a dirty white bunk bed covered with a torn white pillow. The pillow was merely for name, a piece of cloth stitched with rocks inside. His body ached, a sign that this wasn't how it was supposed to be, but his mind shooed away the thought, fearing deadly repercussions.
"Wake up," a voice box screamed. The half-broken piece of iron screamed again. With all his soulless might he slammed his palms against the top of the voice-box; silence and pain the rewards of the action.
His body moved in the motions he had learned oh! so many half eaten memories ago. Somewhere in his mind a jingle began, one that his mother said. Kee' you' 'ight leg dow', kee' you' left leg dow', now stan' up and wa'k arou'. He still followed what his mother had asserted each fine morning, till she was gone. Just, gone.
He kept one leg down on the squeaky clean grey floor, winced as the cold sensation shot through his leg, put his other leg down, winced again and stood up. For a moment, all the blood gushed out of his brain, rushing through his veins to his legs; he felt nauseated but his weak heart beat on. Blood come back to the brain like a forgotten lover and his mind was at relative peace again.
Even with his bated breath, he managed to command his hand to remove yesterday's, and tomorrow's, clothes. He slipped into his second pair of hand-me-downs not like a man in the woman he loved, but a truck through a shop window. The shadow of perfection had left him years ago, when the requiem for the better sperms was held in his mother's womb.
He had dreamed of a stormy night. His dream had always been vivid; a caricature of desires, a painting of his hopes. But this one had been different. "My son," a low voice spoke. Hill was standing at the edge of the cliff as the rain battered against him and thunderstorms provided light. Not one of the raindrops, he felt. He had never felt raindrops consciously so how could this dream know what to project, what lies to spin?
Hill turned to the voice, and saw no soul. He was all alone. Yet, the low voice continued, "My son, be free..." Hill's body shook... It was Prospero---
RING!RING! The doorbell chimed. RING!RING! it chimed again. Hill had fallen asleep again. He was taking support of the side of the bed as he slept. Quickly, his muscle contracted and relaxed, and he was at the door. A throaty voice accompanied the creaking of the door, "Let's go." He followed the man quietly. There was work to do.
- 2 posts here • Page 1 of 1
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417782 aka Hill
"I love you, Civilian Leader."
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417782 aka Hill
"I love you, Civilian Leader."
Protector Delta
"Delta. Mathemically it is symbolic for change or uncertainty...I suppose that's an irony not totally lost on me."
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417782 aka Hill
"I love you, Civilian Leader."
Protector Delta
"Delta. Mathemically it is symbolic for change or uncertainty...I suppose that's an irony not totally lost on me."
Fullscreen Chat » Create Topic » Alas Poor World: Out of Character
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Alas Poor World
by VitaminHeart on Mon May 28, 2012 10:04 am
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- Last post by TheFinalOne
on Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:04 pm
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Alas Poor World
Most recent OOC posts in Alas Poor World
Re: Alas Poor World
Re: Alas Poor World
Re: Alas Poor World
I could not find a nice picture.
I also could not write much about the character because I made a civilian and I cannot find information about the classes of citizen or how a normal citizen lives.
Re: Alas Poor World
I did see and accept your application, character looks good!
I've got a couple of other RPers who might be interested in this from an interest check thread I made a little while ago, so we may get some more joiners from that, and I'm going to be putting up an 'RPers Wanted' thread too in due course.
Re: Alas Poor World
Re: Alas Poor World
Re: Alas Poor World
Re: Alas Poor World
As for location, MK-2, as close to the site of where the town of Milton Keynes stands today, hence the name. The Western Land's location is around Wales and Herefordshire, roughly.
Re: Alas Poor World
Re: Alas Poor World
Thanks, I'm glad that you like the idea. I can certainly see some of the similarities with Fallout, though I actually only got into that series after I worked on Alas. It takes a bit of inspiration from 1984, and Brave New World as well. I'll put you down for one of the Protector roles. If there are any questions regarding lore that your have, I'll be only to happy to answer them.
Re: Alas Poor World
Alas Poor World
You may edit this first post as you see fit.