O
Ophelia
Guest
Original poster
So this is based on RP that I was going to participate in on another site but it never got off the ground. I took the idea and ran with it.
Synopsis:
The Beginning: After a mysterious nuclear war erased everything the human race was left to start all over. The earth healed and the Old World was forgotten. The New World civilization has grown to thriving, but not without some major differences.
The Mutations: First, two kinds of genetic mutations have arisen as a result of the nuclear fallout: a tame variety that manifests in birth marks and unique eye discolorations, and a dreaded variety that plagues its inheritors with various and sometimes violent illness-like symptoms. The maladaptive type is rare now, but its legacy lives.
The System: In the years after the nuclear "event" female advantages led to a tradition of matriarchal society. The reasons were practical once, but in today's world men are systematically discriminated against. It begins early. Daughters and sons are born with very different expectations from their parents. Often, in wealthy families, male and female fraternal twins are separated shortly after birth to prevent a twin bond that may foster confusion and jealousy. Boys and girls go to public schools together until puberty at which point girls are transferred to private boarding universities and learn to be politicians, lawyers, leaders of industry, and other socially valued positions. Boys go to trade schools, wealthy households as servants, and in some cases, directly to the fallout mines.
The Mines: The fallout mines are a product of the residue from the nuclear event. Buried under earth and altered under centuries of pressure the once dangerous material is now solid and a valuable fuel source. The industry provides the energy which lights the cities and a major source of income for the Tsarina.
The Tsarina: The Tsarina is the unimpeded ruler of the New World. She holds the most valued position in the world. Her word is law and her power goes essentially unchecked. She lives in and rules from the vast palace in the capitol city. She enjoys a lavish lifestyle and benefits greatly from the poor status of men. Many well-born hopefuls train for the position all their lives and Tsarevna (intended heiress) is announced around her eighteenth birthday by the Tsarina.
The Governesses: The eight governesses serve as advisors to and extensions of the Tsarina in the eight corners of the world. There's one from the North, East, South, West, NorthWest, NorthEast, SouthEast, and SouthWest. They're technically elected officials but the Tsarina hand-picks the electorates to serve her interests. They come to the palace for counsel meetings with the Tsarina regularly.
The Resistance: Lately, though, there has been growing resentment for the abuses of the Tsarina and her figurehead governesses. The Resistance is yet underground but gaining steam. Plots to kill the Tsarina have been conceived but never executed due to their contributors arrested and jailed for life.
The Tsarists: The Tsarists are loyal to the Tsarina. They like things how they are or just don't want to rock the boat. These people are potential problems and often members of the Resistance will try to convert them to the cause.
Detailed Background:
A number of eras ago there was an old world covered in highly advanced humans and these humans lived under hundreds of governments that were rich in both hope and fear. After thousands of years fear overcame hope and the mightiest governments went to war. The war's first and final battle is what we call the Event. The Event made death and destruction of everything. That is, almost everything.
Miraculously, out of the devastation came the survivors, from nearly every nation of the Old World they came, and they found each other, flocking together. For a brief moment in time the human race did not know class. Race, sexuality, gender, creed, none of these things mattered, only that they lived and had a community. For a few generations this was the way of things. Humans found a way to survive in desolation and the Old World ruins deteriorated and were sucked into the earth. We call this era the "Savage Time."
Organization in the beginning was erratic but populations began to form. They worked in communities, wherever food could still grow, and they could be safe and survive. As a rule, nobody spoke about the way things were before the Event, and very soon no one alive remembered the Old World.
The population grew with every generation. With so many previously isolated races mixing, the population was healthy and beautiful. But the new generations were not entirely lucky. Strange mutations from the after-effects of the Event plagued them. Most were maladaptive and sickened the children of the exposed ones who had been alive at the event. Others mutations not bring death, but left their mark in harmless physical abnormalities for the children. Some were born with incredible eye colors never seen in the Old World, or colorful birthmarks that fascinated their parents. These new genetic traits are still around today.
Over the course of the following centuries the Earth, with incredible resiliency, became healthy again. They built villages, towns, and then the earliest New World cities. All the time the human race was adapting and reforming. Civilization had returned. Women, who had a higher rate of genetic immunity to the malignant mutations, led the new world. They were valued over men for their rarity of cases of the dreaded "bad" mutations, their linguistic and communicational prowess, and their life-giving bodies. All of these concepts led to the low male status and the rise of matriarchy.
To ensure unity they developed the highest political office in our land. They named it with a word passed down secretly from mother to daughter for all the centuries of the Savage Time and beyond. The word was "Tsarina" and it meant "most powerful woman." This began our modern era "The Age of the Tsarina."
Ideas:
So I definitely want whatever input you guys have on this.
My idea is that the plot might revolve around happenings in the yet unnamed Capital City.
I'm thinking about a central plot involving the Tsarevna and a miner who she falls in love with and later realizes is a member of the Resistance. Other characters would include visiting governesses, male servants, members of the Resistance, rejected Tsarevna would-be's and so on.
Again, tell me what you think!
Also help me fill in the holes!
Synopsis:
The Beginning: After a mysterious nuclear war erased everything the human race was left to start all over. The earth healed and the Old World was forgotten. The New World civilization has grown to thriving, but not without some major differences.
The Mutations: First, two kinds of genetic mutations have arisen as a result of the nuclear fallout: a tame variety that manifests in birth marks and unique eye discolorations, and a dreaded variety that plagues its inheritors with various and sometimes violent illness-like symptoms. The maladaptive type is rare now, but its legacy lives.
The System: In the years after the nuclear "event" female advantages led to a tradition of matriarchal society. The reasons were practical once, but in today's world men are systematically discriminated against. It begins early. Daughters and sons are born with very different expectations from their parents. Often, in wealthy families, male and female fraternal twins are separated shortly after birth to prevent a twin bond that may foster confusion and jealousy. Boys and girls go to public schools together until puberty at which point girls are transferred to private boarding universities and learn to be politicians, lawyers, leaders of industry, and other socially valued positions. Boys go to trade schools, wealthy households as servants, and in some cases, directly to the fallout mines.
The Mines: The fallout mines are a product of the residue from the nuclear event. Buried under earth and altered under centuries of pressure the once dangerous material is now solid and a valuable fuel source. The industry provides the energy which lights the cities and a major source of income for the Tsarina.
The Tsarina: The Tsarina is the unimpeded ruler of the New World. She holds the most valued position in the world. Her word is law and her power goes essentially unchecked. She lives in and rules from the vast palace in the capitol city. She enjoys a lavish lifestyle and benefits greatly from the poor status of men. Many well-born hopefuls train for the position all their lives and Tsarevna (intended heiress) is announced around her eighteenth birthday by the Tsarina.
The Governesses: The eight governesses serve as advisors to and extensions of the Tsarina in the eight corners of the world. There's one from the North, East, South, West, NorthWest, NorthEast, SouthEast, and SouthWest. They're technically elected officials but the Tsarina hand-picks the electorates to serve her interests. They come to the palace for counsel meetings with the Tsarina regularly.
The Resistance: Lately, though, there has been growing resentment for the abuses of the Tsarina and her figurehead governesses. The Resistance is yet underground but gaining steam. Plots to kill the Tsarina have been conceived but never executed due to their contributors arrested and jailed for life.
The Tsarists: The Tsarists are loyal to the Tsarina. They like things how they are or just don't want to rock the boat. These people are potential problems and often members of the Resistance will try to convert them to the cause.
Detailed Background:
A number of eras ago there was an old world covered in highly advanced humans and these humans lived under hundreds of governments that were rich in both hope and fear. After thousands of years fear overcame hope and the mightiest governments went to war. The war's first and final battle is what we call the Event. The Event made death and destruction of everything. That is, almost everything.
Miraculously, out of the devastation came the survivors, from nearly every nation of the Old World they came, and they found each other, flocking together. For a brief moment in time the human race did not know class. Race, sexuality, gender, creed, none of these things mattered, only that they lived and had a community. For a few generations this was the way of things. Humans found a way to survive in desolation and the Old World ruins deteriorated and were sucked into the earth. We call this era the "Savage Time."
Organization in the beginning was erratic but populations began to form. They worked in communities, wherever food could still grow, and they could be safe and survive. As a rule, nobody spoke about the way things were before the Event, and very soon no one alive remembered the Old World.
The population grew with every generation. With so many previously isolated races mixing, the population was healthy and beautiful. But the new generations were not entirely lucky. Strange mutations from the after-effects of the Event plagued them. Most were maladaptive and sickened the children of the exposed ones who had been alive at the event. Others mutations not bring death, but left their mark in harmless physical abnormalities for the children. Some were born with incredible eye colors never seen in the Old World, or colorful birthmarks that fascinated their parents. These new genetic traits are still around today.
Over the course of the following centuries the Earth, with incredible resiliency, became healthy again. They built villages, towns, and then the earliest New World cities. All the time the human race was adapting and reforming. Civilization had returned. Women, who had a higher rate of genetic immunity to the malignant mutations, led the new world. They were valued over men for their rarity of cases of the dreaded "bad" mutations, their linguistic and communicational prowess, and their life-giving bodies. All of these concepts led to the low male status and the rise of matriarchy.
To ensure unity they developed the highest political office in our land. They named it with a word passed down secretly from mother to daughter for all the centuries of the Savage Time and beyond. The word was "Tsarina" and it meant "most powerful woman." This began our modern era "The Age of the Tsarina."
Ideas:
So I definitely want whatever input you guys have on this.
My idea is that the plot might revolve around happenings in the yet unnamed Capital City.
I'm thinking about a central plot involving the Tsarevna and a miner who she falls in love with and later realizes is a member of the Resistance. Other characters would include visiting governesses, male servants, members of the Resistance, rejected Tsarevna would-be's and so on.
Again, tell me what you think!
Also help me fill in the holes!