Post by Frederic Bourgault-Christie on May 27, 2008 15:37:21 GMT -5
The world is Multi-Dimensional Earth, pre-unification with the rest of the Associated Worlds but with hints that that will be on the horizon. It is, however, a darker Multi-Dimensional Earth. The United States' venture in Iraq and a failed invasion of Iran caused a Islamic League to emerge, uniting Indonesia, the Middle East and Pakistan against the infidels. The Monolith busily sells to all sides, leading the US to consider action against them. Russia, China and India have moved into an alliance. Due to the world's primary oil reserves being in Islamic League hands, Venezuela has successfully parlayed its massive new importance into creating the Cooperación Económica De Repúblicas Socialistas Unidas, or CEDaRSUn. Socialist, pareconist, anarchist, mutualist and libertarian municipalist efforts are getting off the ground, but guerillas headed by former dictatorial and capitalist forces, backed by the United States, force the CEDaRSUn's members into war. And, of course, when they cannot manufacture their own weapons, the burgeoning weapons industry is all too happy to oblige. Nationalists in Japan have begun to debate openly for re-armament, but the worst groups are those who want to expand the Self-Defense Army into a weapon of renewed imperial conquest. Peace groups have fended them off, but America has repeatedly snubbed Japan and worse has attempted to expand the SDA itself in order to hedge against the growing Chinese league. Japan and China grow closer together, and the Russian-Chinese Alliance (the RCA) have increasing ties with the Islamic League and CEDaRSUn. The European Union has created its own military. Their efforts have re-armed the United Nations, which alongside CEDaRSUn's contributions may be the only forces for sanity left. The risk of nuclear war is appreciable.
Criminal organizations are also experiencing a new renaissance. Major Japanese CEOs and representatives are "former" Yakuza members and are constantly accused of improprieties. La Cosa Nostra has been revived in the United States, combining with even more ruthless criminal organizations in Canada and Mexico. Since CEDaRSUn and the Islamic League have made it very difficult for their Mobs to run, there is an unholy alliance between the major powers and the criminal organizations opposing them. Worse, there are rumors of a group trying to create a new United Criminal Empire, making the domination of the Earth by crime syndicates official!
Then there are the corporations. Major players like the Monolith, Razor's Edge, Holmes-Schmittel (a German-British combine specializing in vehicles and vehicle energy solutions), Stark Industries, Wayne Industries, Microsoft, and a mix of other traditional and new players has caused all sorts of opportunities for corporate espionage and sabotage. The Corporate Wars occur, and some cities like Seattle, sections of Los Angeles and San Francisco are owned by corporations in all but name. Indeed, some corporations have created their own nations, petitioning for membership in the UN! Their conflicts cause the associated Cyberpunk Wars: Mercenaries, hackers, and douchebags in steam-powered mecha helping to determine the course the market takes, alongside the machinations by the criminal empires, political powers, and ordinary people.
Technology seems to expand the complexities. Many have taken refuge in the growing Metaverse, a free-wheeling collective of utopian associations, crass business mainframes, spamvertisement and so forth. But the Metaverse itself is under attack, especially since those who inflict fear and suffering rarely want there to be a refuge. This has lead those hackers and freethinkers not fighting for any one major corporation to lead revolutionary assaults against their enemies. There's even rumors of travel among and in fact full unity with the metaverse, the physical body converted to energy and data!
The backdrop only gets worse when one considers the supernatural and the superhuman. Supervillains have successfully carved out chunks of countries for their own. Superheroic battles rage, and the Justice League and the Avengers notably harden in their approaches with each passing year. Pentex's crimes have managed to get it involved in the Corporate Wars, bringing a rumored supernatural element. Jamaica may seem to be a safe ground in the day, but rumors of disappearances and assassinations rule the night. Indian nationalists reportedly interact with a reborn sect of Thugees, channeling Kali's malevolent power. Mad doctors and ancient gods coexist with demonic and spiritual assailants.
Luckily, the backdrop is not uniformly bleak (well, at least not for good). Activist groups, some idealistic nations, superheroes, and forces for good do exist. Unfortunately, even they find that deals with the devil are far too common.
Additional details for factions can be provided at request. I'll expand when I have time and interest. Information given at request will of course be added here. Questions regarding character creation parameters are in the Character Creation sticky.
Criminal organizations are also experiencing a new renaissance. Major Japanese CEOs and representatives are "former" Yakuza members and are constantly accused of improprieties. La Cosa Nostra has been revived in the United States, combining with even more ruthless criminal organizations in Canada and Mexico. Since CEDaRSUn and the Islamic League have made it very difficult for their Mobs to run, there is an unholy alliance between the major powers and the criminal organizations opposing them. Worse, there are rumors of a group trying to create a new United Criminal Empire, making the domination of the Earth by crime syndicates official!
Then there are the corporations. Major players like the Monolith, Razor's Edge, Holmes-Schmittel (a German-British combine specializing in vehicles and vehicle energy solutions), Stark Industries, Wayne Industries, Microsoft, and a mix of other traditional and new players has caused all sorts of opportunities for corporate espionage and sabotage. The Corporate Wars occur, and some cities like Seattle, sections of Los Angeles and San Francisco are owned by corporations in all but name. Indeed, some corporations have created their own nations, petitioning for membership in the UN! Their conflicts cause the associated Cyberpunk Wars: Mercenaries, hackers, and douchebags in steam-powered mecha helping to determine the course the market takes, alongside the machinations by the criminal empires, political powers, and ordinary people.
Technology seems to expand the complexities. Many have taken refuge in the growing Metaverse, a free-wheeling collective of utopian associations, crass business mainframes, spamvertisement and so forth. But the Metaverse itself is under attack, especially since those who inflict fear and suffering rarely want there to be a refuge. This has lead those hackers and freethinkers not fighting for any one major corporation to lead revolutionary assaults against their enemies. There's even rumors of travel among and in fact full unity with the metaverse, the physical body converted to energy and data!
The backdrop only gets worse when one considers the supernatural and the superhuman. Supervillains have successfully carved out chunks of countries for their own. Superheroic battles rage, and the Justice League and the Avengers notably harden in their approaches with each passing year. Pentex's crimes have managed to get it involved in the Corporate Wars, bringing a rumored supernatural element. Jamaica may seem to be a safe ground in the day, but rumors of disappearances and assassinations rule the night. Indian nationalists reportedly interact with a reborn sect of Thugees, channeling Kali's malevolent power. Mad doctors and ancient gods coexist with demonic and spiritual assailants.
Luckily, the backdrop is not uniformly bleak (well, at least not for good). Activist groups, some idealistic nations, superheroes, and forces for good do exist. Unfortunately, even they find that deals with the devil are far too common.
Additional details for factions can be provided at request. I'll expand when I have time and interest. Information given at request will of course be added here. Questions regarding character creation parameters are in the Character Creation sticky.