Inspired by the works of Koushun Takami's "Battle Royale" and Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games"



"Metahumans will either be contained, or will not be at all."
- President Peter Kozlov on the passing of the Metahuman Draft Board



2099 AD - The Republic of Taured; a totalitarian nation controlled by a political police force that secretly supervises the citizens' activities. Cut off from the rest of the world, Taured strictly oversees all imports and exports and maintains a strong presence in the lives of the people. On the surface, the Republic of Taured promises safety, security, and equality for all first class citizens. But what about those who are unfortunate enough to not even be regarded as human?

Metahumans. Throughout history, select individuals have been born with abilities that surpass those of the rest of mankind. They have been worshiped as gods. Persecuted as devils. Burned as witches. And idolized as heroes. But the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of that which is different. Today, metahumans are second-class citizens. Volatile weapons that must be registered and contained. The luckiest are allowed to live in government controlled facilities, while those who resist are branded as criminals; high profile targets on a shoot-to-kill basis with the law. To preserve the power exerted over metahumans and to further unify the masses against their threat, the government created The Cleansing.

Every five years, The Cleansing can be seen and heard everywhere, dominating broadcast airwaves. Metahumans drafted into the highly publicized program are put on display and paraded about before the public eye, before being forced to fight to the death in an isolated location. The citizens of Taured revel in the bloodsport, casting high-stakes bets on candidates and even sponsoring them during the event. And to the lone survivor? The promise of freedom. Of a luxurious life as a normal human. To some, The Cleansing is a chance at freedom; at a better life for themselves and their loved ones. To others, it is an opportunity to achieve fame and glory for all metahumans. And to the rest? Just making it out alive would be more than enough.

Welcome to The Cleansing.



ABOUT THE REPUBLIC OF TAURED

The Republic of Taured is a police state, where the government controls nearly all aspects of the citizens' lives. Their leader, President Peter Kozlov, is highly prejudiced against metahumans, deeming them a danger to themselves and the rest of mankind.
Despite this, life isn't all bad in Taured. Their technology is modern and all citizens, humans and metahumans alike, enjoy the comforts of material possessions and activities.
Children between the ages of 3 and 18 are required to complete an education and, during their final year, must apply for a job or continue their learning. Students are also required to compete in at least one after school activity, be it physically or mentally stimulating (sports, debate, chess, etc.)
Sundays are known as praise days. Citizens are expected to tune in to the President's live broadcast on the current events across the nation. It is also required that they openly display their affections and gratitude to the President by displaying his image on flags, billboards, etc.

ABOUT METAHUMANS

Metahumans are born with supernatural abilities that can far surpass those of a normal human. In the past, metahumans have had the ability to display incredible feats of strength, become intangible, manipulate the weather, move objects telepathically, and even cause objects to spontaneously combust. Some metahumans are able to control these powers and thus, conceal them. Others, however, are seemingly unable to control their abilities and are deemed a liability. These individuals are brought to facilities specifically designed to monitor metahumans and keep their powers under strict control. Many are subject to various experiments, not all of which are entirely humane. What exactly goes on in these facilities, however, isn't known to those on the outside...but that doesn't stop the rumors from circulating.

ABOUT THE METAHUMAN DRAFT BOARD

In order to keep a record of all citizens with supernatural abilities, the Metahuman Draft Board was implemented. It is a registry that contains all the personal information, fingerprints, occupation, and addresses of confirmed metahumans. All metahumans are required by law to register upon the discovery (public or private) of their powers. Those who are not registered are considered "recusant" and are criminals in the eyes of the government. There is talk of those who are recusant joining together to form an anti-government rebellion group, but if such a group exists, officials have taken great lengths to keep it from the public.
The Metahuman Draft Board serves as the primary method of being selected to participate in The Cleansing, although unregistered metahumans in custody are also sometimes selected.