Headphone Jack: A Gang/Music RP ♬♪ Signups & OOC

[Vars]

Hey all,

I realize I just made that announcement about PMing everyone for posts weekly but just being bluntly honest here, I'm really tired out. This RP has been a lot more effort than I initially planned and it feels like trying to keep it alive is way more energy than I should be expending on it.

So for anyone who wants to actively continue this rp, please reply here saying so. I will take all the people who did this by Friday, 23 June, and create a new plot line / course of action (and possibly even a new private thread for us) in place of all the characters who would no longer be involved. If nobody replies, then I will keep posting in the IC if someone is waiting on one of my characters, but I won't be bugging anyone for replies ever, so the thread most likely will quietly die from inactivity if its recent history is anything to go by.
And if everyone replies, then maybe we can all laugh about this later.

Additionally, I have stopped actively recruiting people for the rp (as of today).

Longer explanation if you're interested

A lot of this is my fault. I've made like a billion missteps GMing this and I apologize for that. I've tried to change and improve but at this point it feels like I spend more time bugging people to post than actually posting. I don't like doing that and I'm sure people who aren't too interested in continuing would prefer to quietly drop the rp.

It's been a fun run and I'm thankful to everyone who played and helped me learn to GM through this experience. I'll do 1x1s if anyone's interested in that.
I may remake this rp in the future, but I'm really too tired of the concept right now to pull a total reset of it at the current time.

If you want to run something based on this concept, feel free to "steal" the idea. I hope you're successful! Maybe I can join? xP

I've learned a lot through this experience and will try to not make the same mistakes in other RPs I try to GM. Thank you everyone who has played, enjoyed the RP concept, and/or stuck with me through all of my fumbling.

Thanks for reading.

EDIT 23 June: I've PMed the people for the new rp. Consider this RP now inactive.
No longer accepting new members, but will respond in the [original] IC thread if others still post there.

 

[Vars]

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

* = Required reading

1. Sticky Table of Contents <- You are here
2. Introduction and Lore*

Introduction to the story, RP, and details on how to use this thread​

3. Rules*

General RP and character creation rules​

4. Limited Character Slot Status

This post details what types of characters you can currently join the RP with, as some types are limited.
Civilians and Clefs are always accepted. Current gang openings are generally in the thread title.​

5. How to Join*

The character profile sheet you should use and how to submit it​

6. What's Happened So Far...

Summaries of past RP pages​

7. Headphone Jack Extended Information

Extended lore, affiliation information, and help with character creation. Has its own Table of Contents.
Reading this is not required to join.​

8. Civilian Character Profiles (Page 2)

List of current civilian character sheets​

9. Clef Character Profiles (Page 3)

List of current Clef character sheets​

10. Electronica Character Profiles (Page 4)

List of current Elec character sheets​

11. NuMetal Character Profiles (Page 5)

List of current Nu character sheets​

12. OOC Chat (Page 6+)

The last page of this thread​

[btn=modb|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/ic-headphone-jack.155016/|self]IC Thread[/btn] [btn=modb|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/headphone-jack-player-driven-wiki.157944/|self]Player-Driven Wiki[/btn]
The OOC chat is the last page of this thread. There's no way to link to that, so hit reply anywhere and start talking! =]​

Tag List [spoili]
If you're not in here please poke me. Sometimes I forget to update this.

Global tag list:
@Vardoger @Chatoyante @Phi Chisym @Giltine13 @Shavynel @Lost-and-Bewildered @Proficiency @Vernyx @The Tragedy

Civilians:
@Chatoyante (Lotario) @Vardoger (Mark) @Phi Chisym (Dr. Bernadette) @Proficiency (Tobias) @Giltine13 (Valto) @Shavynel (Nathan) @Vernyx (Gareth)

Clefs:
@Vardoger (Soren) @Chatoyante (Michael) @Phi Chisym (Silas Moralas) @Giltine13 (Aren)


Elecs:
@Chatoyante (Rae) @Shavynel (Nadia) @Lost-and-Bewildered (Jett) @Giltine13 (Aren) @Phi Chisym (Lisa)

Nus:
@Vardoger (Rye) @The Tragedy (Lucius)

Ex-nausicaa:
@Vardoger (Ryan) @Chatoyante (Rachel) @Shavynel (Nadia) @Proficiency (Tobias)
[/spoili]

 

[Vars]

How to Use This Thread

This thread works a little bit differently from how other RPs are set up. Headphone Jack has organized most information by utilizing multiple posts and pages and uses a table of contents to link to these specific posts. [spoili]All information is not in a single post due to preference of the GM and the ease of editing; many sections are frequently updated and this is easier to do when things are in separate posts.[/spoili]
The first page is all of the recruitment information, rules, and lore.
Pages 2 - 5 are character profiles, and page 6+ are OOC chat. Character sheets are posted here by you and then reposted by the GM to the appropriate page for organizational purposes.
The only separate threads are the actual RP and the Player-Driven Wiki.

You don't have to read everything to join the RP. The only required posts to read are this one, the rules, limited character slot status(If it applies to your character's affiliation), and how to join, all of which are marked with asterisks in the first listed table of contents.

If you have a question, or are confused, feel free to PM @Vardoger (the GM) or reply to this thread.
Thank you for your interest in Headphone Jack and we look forward to playing with you soon!
​

Headphone Jack (synopsis) Headphone Jack takes place in the country of Musica, whose political party Metallica has outlawed music approximately 100 years ago through The Mute Movement. Musica is bordered by the countries of Indie, Emo, and Headphone. Separated by The Great Wall , it is patrolled constantly to keep out musical contraband. There are whispers of an impending war between Musica, Indie, and Emo. Headphone, however, remains neutral. Two gangs in Musica have formed - NuMetal (Nus) and Electronica (Elecs). Nus deal mainly media (CDs, etc.) while Elecs specialize in music creation devices, such as instruments. Both gangs get their product from Headphone in operations called Jacks . Clefs are the law enforcement of Musica. Their aim is to completely eliminate music and gang activity. Metallica has made this easy for them, as the penalty for gang affiliation and music trade is death. The roleplay takes place in Musica's capital city of O Town. Players are encouraged to have multiple characters whose roles can be that of gang members, clefs, or civilians. If this synopsis interests you, continue to the full lore below. Don't be scared of our post count! We are ALWAYS accepting new players! In the IC thread, many RP posts have summaries and there is also a synopsis of previous pages, so it's never too late to jump in! =] ​

Headphone Jack's Notable Mechanics

Headphone Jack has a player-driven story.
Headphone Jack is not GM-led. The story can go anywhere and do anything. The GM has put down the framework in the introductory lore post and the Extended Information posts (Which is optional to read). Everything else is created by the players!
Multiple characters per player, even if those characters aren't active, are deeply encouraged. You can even make deceased characters to help build the history of the current characters' relationships.

Create heavily influential characters, plot devices, notable places, and help develop the culture of Musica. You can world-build through descriptive RP posts and leave notes on your creations in Player-Driven Wiki. There, they become part of the lore and can be referred to by other players.

While the GM has made some plot-driving characters, none of them have plot armor, and literally anyone can make their own plot-driving characters if they so wish. We are basically one small step above a "jump in" RP: We thrive on making it up as we go.

There's a ton of literature about the world if you need some inspiration for some ideas for plot-driving characters or scenarios [spoili](Something described but key details are vague? It was done on purpose! Time to fill in the gap with your idea(s)/character(s)! ) [/spoili], but they are by no means mandatory to read or understand to join and post in the roleplay or contribute to the wiki.

Due to the changing nature of the Headphone Jack universe, players are kept on their toes and may have to improvise certain situations based on new information contributed by other players.
​

Notable Players

If you make a heavily influential character or are interested in worldbuilding, are you prepared to be the subject matter expert on that part of the universe?

You could be listed here too! Just start creating or ask! =)

@Vardoger is the main GM and also plays the NuMetal Leader. Ask him NuMetal-specific questions or general questions about the RP/universe.

@Chatoyante is co-GM and plays the Electronica leader. Ask her all your Elec-related questions and refer to her if Vardoger isn't around for some reason.

@Giltine13 is the subject matter expert on geography and the clef organization. Ask them about how things are laid out in O Town, Musica, and how the clefs function.
​

Introductory Lore

Look, listen to my voice
If you're making the choice
Tell me all the girls and the boys
Either scream or rejoice
Let's make that noise
Either move or we will all be destroyed


Move and show me what you can do
When you step into the circle and shake like we do
Move when you just can't take it
And move if you just feel like breaking it


Can you hear me? Stop, look, listen to my voice,
It was never my choice to feel all alone
This is my home
Back up , you don't know if you've never been here,
You've never been to the place inside, I face my fears
It takes everything I am


Move and show me what you can do
When you step into the circle and shake like we do
Move when you just can't take it
And move if you just feel like breaking it


Move and show me what you can do
When you step into the circle and shake like we do
Move when you just can't take it
And move if you just feel like breaking it


If you come near me, stop, look, listen to my voice
If you're making the choice tell all the girls and the boys
Either scream or rejoice
Let's make that noise
Either move or we will all be destroyed
Back up and let go if you've never been here,
You've never been to the place inside, I face my fears,
It takes everything I am


Move and show me what you can do
When you step into the circle and shake like we do
Move when you just can't take it
And move if you just feel like breaking it


I come crashing to the floor
And I know there must be more like me
I've seen this all before, I can't carry this anymore, break free
Breathe, and leave until the storm is over
'Cause underneath, there's a diamond passing over
So breathe, let's leave until the storm is over,
Because I want to take you away


Move and show me what you can do
When you step into the circle and shake like we do
Move when you just can't take it
And move if you just feel like breaking

The Mute Movement.

When

Metallica

political party took over, the country of

Musica

went through a profound cultural shift. Under the totalitarian dictatorship, all music was banned.
Singing? No. Humming? Gone.
Any remote relationship to rhythm was quickly silenced and the perpetrator forcefully detained by the

Clefs

.

The Great Wall

was built to divide Musica from its music-loving border nations of

Indie, Emo,

and

Headphone

. Clefs were instructed to shoot anything suspicious on sight, making emmigration and trade difficult. The dissatisfaction is now beginning to culminate and there are whispers of war.

Approximately 100 years later, Musicians believe the Metallica is benevolent and agree with the music ban. Most citizens of Musica have never heard music, and if faced with it, recoil in pain. This is due to

the Tie

, a device implanted into native Musicians' inner ears in infancy which painfully vibrates when frequencies outside human speech are heard.
Music's painful connotations have fostered a culture of hate toward melodies and those who engage with them. What kind of people enjoy tormenting others?

Enter the rival gangs,

Electronica

and

NuMetal

, the members of each labeled Elecs and Nus. With the invention of a secret procedure known as

Tempo Control

, they have been able to remove Musicians' Ties and enjoy music without pain.

The Nus specialize in media and consumption while the Elecs concentrate on instruments and production. Both gangs illegally provide all sorts of music paraphernalia, from CDs to pianos, through what the gangs call

Headphone Jacks

- the process of acquiring the items from the neutral bordering country of Headphone.

Both gangs have been running for about five years, but unbeknownst to many, have a common origin:

Nausicaa

. It was a rumble between the two original co-founders that produced the rival gangs. Now, they fight against eachother for territory, patrons, and power. Both have a wish to overthrow Metallica and overturn the music ban, but until they can get to that point, their standard operating procedures differ too much to work together.

Distributing illegal music paraphenalia, planning to overthrow the government, and generally engaging in deviant behavior have all caused gang members to be labeled as outlaws. Any known members should be reported to the clefs immediately.

The penalty for gang affiliation and music dealing is death. The punishment for simply enjoying music? One year in prison and

Reformation

- a process whereby a neurotoxin completely removes the ability to hear anything outside the spectrum of human speech.
The court's jury that decides the outcome? Clefs, not peers!

However, there is still hope. There's been hushed rumors of

The DJ

, a juice that not only has the ability to restore a Reformed Musician's hearing, but also grants the user impervious to any Reformation in the future.

The DJ, if found, could be a severe threat to the Metallica, intiate national change, and grant the gang who finds it impenetrable power.

The gang with the juice wins Musica. And once Musica is won, they can run their world as they please, without a rival gang being in their way. A revolution will come.

There's just one problem: No one knows where it is.

Ryan ("Rye")

, the head of the Nus, is said to have an older brother that is a Clef. The Elecs don't know if this information is true, but assume it to be. The Nus are never given clarification on the matter, since whenever Ryan's past is brought up, someone gets the beatdown. His short temper makes running the gang difficult, but he manages.

Electronica's leader,

Rachel ("Rae")

, is believed to be the source of Rye's animus. Running the Elecs more like a business than a labor of love, she has high profile connections and an even higher profit margin.


To join a gang, prospective members must go through the

beat-in

. If the applicants endure this, they may have their Tie removed and go on their intiatory mission -

A First Accent

- to prove themselves as dedicated to the gang.

After these introductory practices, the members are considered part of the family and are to be protected under that gang. Once substantial trust is gained, they can begin to learn the trade secrets and start dealing, selling, and/or participating in Headphone Jacks.

In this roleplay, players may play the role of civilians, gang members, or Clefs. All characters reside in Musica, and most of the action happens inside the capital city

O Town.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

* = Required reading

1. Sticky Table of Contents
2. Introduction and Lore* <- You were here

Introduction to the story, RP, and details on how to use this thread​

3. Rules*

General RP and character creation rules​

4. Limited Character Slot Status

This post details what types of characters you can currently join the RP with, as some types are limited.
Civilians and Clefs are always accepted. Current gang openings are generally in the thread title.​

5. How to Join*

The character profile sheet you should use and how to submit it​

6. What's Happened So Far...

Summaries of past RP pages​

7. Headphone Jack Extended Information

Extended lore, affiliation information, and help with character creation. Has its own Table of Contents.
Reading this is not required to join.​

8. Civilian Character Profiles (Page 2)

List of current civilian character sheets​

9. Clef Character Profiles (Page 3)

List of current Clef character sheets​

10. Electronica Character Profiles (Page 4)

List of current Elec character sheets​

11. NuMetal Character Profiles (Page 5)

List of current Nu character sheets​

12. OOC Chat (Page 6+)

The last page of this thread​

[btn=modb|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/ic-headphone-jack.155016/|self]IC Thread[/btn] [btn=modb|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/headphone-jack-player-driven-wiki.157944/|self]Player-Driven Wiki[/btn]
The OOC chat is the last page of this thread. There's no way to link to that, so hit reply anywhere and start talking! =]​

 

[Vars]

General Roleplay Rules

# The RP takes place in Musica, a country which has banned all music. All characters must reside in this country.

# Technology is at about a 2006 level. Smartphones are rare (For reference: The iPhone wasn't released until 2007).

# Characters can be killed off in this roleplay, and they can be killed in one hit. You must ask the player of the character if this is okay before you set out to kill a character, but please be accommodating (on both sides). If a compromise cannot be reached, the GM will decide the outcome. As a note: GM-played characters are not exempt from this, they are all also killable.

# Multiple characters are encouraged.

# You must post in 3rd person, in paragraph form. There is no minimum length requirement, however if you do not give anything for others to respond to often, you may be penalized.

# This RP accepts players of any experience level. You can be as descriptive or vague as you wish in your posts and character profiles as long as the point you are making can be understood.

# You must respond to any post interacting with your character(s) within 14 days. If you leave someone waiting on you to post for longer than 14 days, the GM may puppet your character and/or kick you out of the rp. Be aware. If you must leave quickly please inform the GM.

# If you wish to take a break, you can write your character out of the RP temporarily by having them go out of town (or something similar). If you wish to leave the rp entirely, please contact the GM and they will write your character(s) out of the RP permanently.

# Post styles. You are required to have your character's name and their affiliation at the top of your posts. Outside of this, no post style is required.
Note: You can prettify your posts further if you like, it is just not required.
You may also edit the name | affiliation heading to be more descriptive if you wish.

Examples

Ryan | NuMetal​

Ryan walked the dog down a long sidewalk with extra words to make this sentence slightly longer.

Bob | Clef​

Bob had a cat on a leash. Others thought it was weird, but he was a quirky guy and so was his cat.

Jess | Dogwalker seeking Electronica
Jess loved dogs. But she didn't have one herself. She also added even more words to this sentence.

Katie | Ex-Nausicaa SFZ​

Katie's ferret pulled at its leash. Ferrets walking along sidewalks were definitely uncommon, but there was nothing better than sticking out among the crowd. And again an extra sentence for some extra words.

# Please post a "tl;dr" or a summary of your post in a spoiler at the end of your rp post. It is not required, but is heavily recommended. I understand this seems insulting at first, but it greatly helps players when back-reading or refreshing themselves when a lot of real world time has passed between posts. Tl;dr's improve player interaction and continuity, especially for new players who join late into the rp.

# Tag users playing characters your post directly interacts with by using @PlayerName somewhere in your post (or in a spoiler at the bottom with your post summary).

# The GM may timelapse if needed. I may puppet your character if needed during these time lapses. I will attempt to move your character how you would have. If I do something with your character that they absolutely never would've done, tell me and I will change it.

# Relationships with other players are highly encouraged. Form alliances, friendships, rivals, etc., with other players of this roleplay through PMs or the OOC thread. When thinking of sending in bios, PM other people to be family members or to have had similar pasts. This entire roleplay is open and anything can happen. Please communicate your ideas with eachother.

# What is not defined by the GM is defined by the players. There's a general outline of the world, but if it is not mentioned in this thread, feel free to make it up yourself! Posting it in the player-driven wiki immediately makes it canon. If you are unsure about your potential contribution(s), you can always ask the GM first.

# @Vardoger is the GM (Game master) but @Chatoyante is secondary GM if @Vardoger is unavailable for any reason.

Character Creation Rules

All Characters Gang Members Clefs Civilians Deceased Characters

• Rules Applicable to ALL Characters
  
  # Some character slots are limited or rationed. The "Limited Character Slot Status" post (beneath this post) will indicate the current status of the limits or rations and whether you can join that faction at the current time. Despite these limits, some types of characters are accepted all the time.
  
  # All characters must reside in Musica.
  
  # You can play as many characters as you like.
  
  # Your character must be 100% human and can be either: a gangmember (Elec or Nu), a civilian, or a clef.
  
  # Romance of any kind is acceptable. However, the characters should be aware of the implications of inter-affiliation romance (ex. Elec and Nu romance, gang and clef romance are "forbidden" culturally). Sex scenes, if they occur, must "fade to black."
  
  # You are limited to one seen weapon and one concealed on each character. Please keep what you carry realistic. You can't conceal nor carry around a bazooka all the time.
  
  # Absolutely no characters that are hackers or cyber terrorists. No exceptions. Assume hackers don't exist in this world. [spoili]The last time I ran this rp, someone did this, and to make a long story short they ruined it for everyone else. So I'm just going to completely avoid it this time. Sorry.[/spoili]
  
  # Ties. A Tie is a device inserted into the ear at a young age that makes music painful to hear. Your character has a tie if:
  
  - They were born in Musica
  - They moved to Musica when they were 5 years old or younger
  - They have not had it removed by a gang (yet).​
  There are no exceptions.
  
  # If your character has been Reformed, any sound outside the frequencies of human speech is distorted or unable to be heard. If your character has been reformed and has a Tie, the music is still painful, even though your character cannot hear it.
  
  # Tempo Control. The process to remove a Tie is called Tempo Control. At the time of this rp's creation, these are the only characters who know (or knew) the procedure:
  
  - Ryan (Nu gang leader)
  - Rachel (Elec gang leader)
  - All ex-Nausicaa members​
  No other characters know the procedure unless they are taught during the roleplay by one of the aforementioned.
  
  # If you have a cool idea for a character but it might be against the rules, just PM the GM with your idea. You might be able to make it anyway.
  
  # There are a limited number of ex-Nausicaa member slots. Only 1 ex-Nausicaa character per person, for a total of 5 ex-nausicaa characters (Excluding Ryan and Rachel). Nausicaa is the gang from which the Elecs and Nus originated. It disbanded approximately 5 years ago.
  
  
• 
  
  Gang-Specific Character Rules
  
  # Characters must be aged 14 - 28.
  
  # Schools/jobs. To keep a low profile, younger gang members go to school and older ones maintain real jobs. Gang members can be students, but they cannot be unemployed.
  
  # Temperment. Electronica members are a bit more serious, structured, rank-based, and concentrate mostly on instruments. Nus are a bit more laid back and concentrate on media (CDs, MP3s, etc.).
  
  # Tattoos. Most gang members have a tattoo on their right shoulder. Elecs have the sharp sign (#) while Nus have the flat sign ( ♭ ). Ex-members of Nausicaa all have the treble clef ( &#119070;). How a character gets the tattoo is up to them. There is no specific ritual for it. The tattoos are completely voluntary.
  
  # Beat-in. All gang members have been beaten in by the gang. It is a process where one or some of the current members beat up the incoming member under the gang leader's supervision. The incoming member is not allowed to defend themselves. How badly one is beaten varies.
  After the beat-in, a member will patch you up. The leader will remove your Tie the next day, if you have one. Only Nausicaa ex-members can be exempted from this. Otherwise, your character has been beaten in and it is part of their past.
  
  # Each gang has a rationed amount of character slots to remain balanced. Gangs cannot have more than a 3 member difference. (Ex. 3 Nus and 6 Elecs is ok, but no Elec characters will be accepted again until a 4th active Nu character is added)
  
• 
  
  Clef-Specific Character Rules
  
  # Characters must be aged 23+
  
  # There is a rationed number of undercover clef character slots. Only 1 undercover clef per 5 gang members, per gang. At the beginning of the rp, there may be 1 clef per each gang. After the rp starts, more undercover clefs cannot be added until there are at least 6 non-clef members of that specific gang. There is a limit of 1 undercover clef character per player.
  
  # Undercover clef's affiliation must be listed as "<gang name> Clef" and their profiles are listed with the gang member profiles when approved.
  
  # Clefs are police and punish any unlawful activity. Given the nature of this rp, most clef characters are assumed to be focused on gang activity and/or music dealing. But you are not limited to this.
  
  
• 
  
  Civilian-Specific Character Rules
  
  # Civilians seeking gang affiliation have their profiles placed with the civilian profiles with the affiliation of "Civilian seeking <gang name>." When the character becomes a gang member, the profile will be moved to the specific gang area by the GM.
  
  # Civilians seeking gang membership do not count toward the gang member balance limits until they are actually initiated into the gang.
  
  # Civilians seeking gang membership must still follow the age limitations of gang members (at the time of their initiation into the gang).
  
  # Civilians seeking gang affiliation are expected to be the most common type of civilian, but do not let this limit you. Just because the character is a civilian doesn't mean they have to be boring or unimportant. "Civilian" just means you're neither clef nor gang member.
  
  # In a civilian's post style, you may substitute your job title in place of the word "Civilian."
  
  Examples:
  "Bob | Lawyer" instead of "Bob | Civilian"
  or "Bob | Lawyer Seeking Electronica" instead of "Bob | Civilian Seeking Electronica"​
• Deceased Characters
  
  First, a note: Why create a deceased character?
  Only living characters count toward the character slot limits. Suppose your (main) character was BFFs with an undercover clef, but there are no slots. Now you can create a sheet for a character that fills that role but has died.
  
  Dead characters become part of the lore and any currently living characters that would've known the dead one will be affected. It keeps players on their toes and can force improvisation. Be careful with the useful tool of a dead character.
  

  ---

  
  # A player must have a living character submitted and accepted before they can submit a deceased character sheet.
  
  # The deceased character must still fit the age limits for its affiliation at the time that character was alive (e.g. 23+ for clefs).
  
  # A deceased character's profile sheet is identical to the normal form. Simply note at the top of the sheet "DECEASED".
  
  # Dead characters can be Nausicaa members.
  
  # Please note that if your dead character affects a lot of players, it has a higher chance of being rejected. Talk with the GM if you have questions or if your dead character was very high profile.

  ---

 

[Vars]

Limited Character Slot Status

Some character slots are limited or rationed. This area indicates the current status of the limits or rations and whether you can join that faction at the current time. All limits only apply to currently living and active characters. Civilians and clefs have no limits and are accepted all the time.

Undercover Clefs

There is a limit of 1 undercover clef per every 5 gang members per gang. A player may only have a total of 1 undercover clef character.

Currently accepting:

- 1 undercover clef for the NuMetals​

This only affects undercover clefs. Normal clef characters are always accepted.​

Ex-Nausicaa Members

There is a limit of 1 ex-Nausicaa gang member per player, for 5 total ex-Nausicaa members for the RP (excluding Rachel and Ryan).

Currently accepting:

- 2 ex-Nausicaa members​

Gang Balance

There is a rationing of characters between the two gangs to keep them fairly balanced. There should be no more than a 3 character difference between gangs.

Currently accepting:

- Only Numetal gang members at this time
Note: this only applies to gang members. If other character types are open, you can still join as those. Remember, clefs and civilians are always accepted.​

 

[Vars]

Read The Rules First

# Read all the general roleplay rules, as well as the character creation rules applicable to your character's affiliation.

# If your character has been around the rp world a while, familiarize yourself with the profiles of the characters already posted. Your characters likely know eachother already, and you can play off that immediately when you begin to roleplay.

Submitting the Character Profile Sheet

# Fill in the required character sheet. Your character profile must use the exact format provided with no alterations. This includes the [plain] tags. [spoili]You can add extra sections (history, weapons, etc.) if you want to have a more extended character profile, but please no divs, no backgrounds, embedded images (urls to images are fine), or changing text font, color, or size. If you put in extra stuff it is also vital that you include the [plain] tags surrounding your character sheet so it's easier for the GM to copy the profile and put it in the proper place.
If you want to submit the actual version, and then the [plain] version beneath it in a spoiler or something, that would be acceptable and a fair compromise. Thank you![/spoili]

# DO NOT USE THE RICH TEXT EDITOR TO SUBMIT YOUR CHARACTER SHEET [spoili]It strips the plain tags and sometimes adds a bunch of weird extra stuff.[/spoili]

# When the profile is completed, please post it as a reply to this thread!
If you're unsure if the character is acceptable or not, PM it to @Vardoger (the GM) instead for approval.

# You may begin roleplaying immediately once your character sheet is posted in this thread. The profiles will be cross-posted to the appropriate areas by the GM shortly afterward.

# Although not required, a great next step is adding things, such as your character's workplace, into the Player-Driven Wiki.

How to Fill in the Character Profile Sheet

Character Name: The character's name
User Name: @YourUsername
Age: The character's age
Gender: The character's gender
Affiliation: Electronica member, NuMetal member, civilian, clef, Ex-Nausicaa.

Undercover clefs use: <gang name> Clef
Civilians seeking gang membership use: Civilian seeking <gang name>
Ex-Nausicaans use: Ex-Nausicaa <current affiliation>​

Occupation: The character's job. Or use "student" if they are currently in school.
Undercover clefs: [spoili] You must have a legitimate 2nd job as a cover for the gang or a fake job. You would put this 2nd or fake job in this area and further explain it if necessary in the bio section of your character sheet.[/spoili]
Bio: Your character's biography and/or history. You can be as short or as detailed as you like. If you have an image of their appearance, please use a text link.

An example of EXACTLY how a filled in Character Sheet should look when you submit it

[b]Character Name: [/b]Ryan or Rye
[b]Username:[/b] @Vardoger
[b]Age:[/b] 27
[b]Gender:[/b] Male
[b]Affiliation:[/b] NuMetal Leader
[b]Occupation:[/b] Librarian at Musica Central Library
[b]Bio:[/b] Ryan was once the co-founder of a gang named Nausicaa, which helped Musicians hear and love music. However, something happened that's been kept under wraps between him and the Elec leader, forcing them to split and make rival gangs approximately five years a go. Since then, the pure intentions are still there but not as evident as the war between them and the search for The DJ.

Rye can be rather laid back when it comes to leading, and considers all his Nus very close family. However, he's very touchy on some subjects, and has a terrible anger problem surrounding them. It is rumored that his older brother is a Clef, but any mention of it or Nausicaa can make him violent quickly.
He generally delegates gang tasks to others, but during jacks, is extremely uptight and militaristic in his commands. He expects his members to follow him without question.

Rye has dirty blonde hair that's short in front but goes down at an angle toward his shoulders in the back. He wears biking gloves, black or blue jeans and either a white t-shirt or a wifebeater with a black open jacket over it. He plans jacks, but rarely deals. Ryan mostly tries to gather information about where the DJ may be, what territory he may be able to gain from the Elecs easily, and watches over initiations as well as help preform Tempo Changes and first-aid.

He can tune guitars, but otherwise seems to only listen to music through noise-proof headphones at very low volume, and doesn't seem to ever hum or sing along. While this seems peculiar, his love for music is still clearly visible by anyone he comes into contact with. His day job is a librarian at Musica Central. [url=http://art.khat.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sJJ4Xus.jpg]Image.[/url]

The actual form to use is below. - DO NOT USE THE RICH TEXT EDITOR

[plain]
[b]Character Name:[/b]
[b]User Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Affiliation:[/b]
[b]Occupation:[/b]
[b]Bio:[/b]
[/plain]

Please keep the extra plain tags in there.​

 

[Vars]

What's Happened So Far...

New players are always encouraged to join Headphone Jack! We are always accepting new members. In order to help make it easier to join in and to keep up with what's going on, Headphone Jack encourages all RP posts to have summaries or "tl;dr's," and every few pages the GM will summarize everything that has happened so far. Below you will find those summaries with expanded synopses in spoilers.

Pages 1 - 4.

A gang fight in the central library!
[spoili]Ryan, NuMetal leader and librarian at Musica Central, wakes up late after trying (and failing) to plan a Jack. NuMetal's inventory is running precariously low.

Rachel, Electronica leader and assistant to Lotario (the County Treasurer), has to give a presentation for a youth financial literacy outreach program at Musica Central. She begins just as Ryan arrives late to work.

In a highly convenient sequence of events, Akira (NuMetal and daycare worker), Fritz (highschooler), Nadia (Elec and legal intern), and Alex (Nu and kindergarten aid) all arrive at the library at approximately the same time.
Alex had gone to the library to return an overdue book, which Rye forgave earlier. She left promptly when she spotted a bunch of kids and another Nu. On her way out, she dissed Rae and Nadia.

Once seeing the Nus, Nadia flips them the bird, which ends up starting a fight due to Rye's short temper. Rye leads the lost student Fritz to Rachel, publicly embarrassing her by stealing her hairtie before going to help Akira deal with Nadia, who is concurrently pissing off small innocent children. A frustrated Rachel follows Ryan, who is also followed shortly thereafter by Fritz. Fritz recognizes Nadia from school and deducts that the people fighting are gang members.
After a most grievous insult given by Rachel, Ryan punches her in the face in retaliation, breaking her nose.

Amara, an undercover clef in NuMetal, has a fake daytime job as a nanny. She goes to the library for some children's books and arrives in the middle of the gang fight. She manages to defuse the situation just as a clef, Lawrence Faulkner, comes in. He plays ignorant that the situation is handled, but in reality he recognizes Amara and decides to stay out of it. Amara and Nadia go outside to help Rae take care of her nose while Lawrence leaves and gets chinese takeout for himself. Fritz says he will see Nadia in school.

About this time, Leena gets a mysterious text to check out the library. She witnesses the end of the fight and tries to get Rye away by rudely asking to check out some books about gangs. Rye recognizes her and writes a secret note to her telling her to come to NuMetal HQ later.

After everyone is settled down, Alex goes to NuMetal HQ. Rye follows after closing the library. Amara also goes via public transport, leaving her car at the library. Once Rye arrives, he tries to research the jack again, but decides to procrastinate instead and go outside to play guitar. Alex chastises his carelessness just as Leena arrives. They have a short discussion about her dead brother, Neo, who was Rye's best friend in Nausicaa. Neo died while Rye was in prison. Afterward, Rye instructs to Amara to beat in Leena. She becomes a NuMetal shortly thereafter.

Aren, an undercover clef, moonlights as a worker at a club. He meets with someone he knows is a gang member to hopefully be inducted into Electronica. That person ends up being Rachel. They agree to meet in a book store the next morning.

Jett, an Elec who works at the Mean Bean and was tasked to do the beat-in for Aren, talk over coffee briefly.

Elsewhere, Soren LaFey was an ex-Elec dockworker recently turned Clef after being kicked out of the gang. Soren stalks Rachel to keep tabs on her, and is about to start his first day on the job after being introduced to his new partner.
[/spoili]

 

[Vars]

Headphone Jack Extended Information

Headphone Jack is a world with hundreds of possibilities to choose where the story goes. This thread gives you more detailed information about the different affiliations (Civilians, Clefs, and Gang members) and their sub-affiliations. It is completely optional to read, but has a much more in-depth look at the world of Headphone Jack to assist in creating characters who feel like they belong.

This resource was primarily created for people who want to join this RP but are not sure where to start.
As such, it describes many things about the RP's universe, its history and culture, and some of the beginning key characters and their histories, leaving many things vague on purpose to give you "hooks" to place your characters and ideas.

Again, it is completely optional. Your character can be a plot-driver without reading it. This information is not required to join the roleplay!

Extended Information Table of Contents 0. Main Table of Contents 1. Intro <- You are here 2. What Makes a Gang Member - Initiation - Beat-ins - Tempo Control - The First Accent​ - Graffiti - Dissing - Violence - Selling / Dealing - Jacks - The DJ - Punishment for Gang Affiliation​ 3. The Differences Between Elecs and Nus - Electronica​ - NuMetal​ 4. What Makes a Clef - Metallica - SFZ​ - Laws - The Music Ban​ - Punishment for Gang Affiliation​ - Knowledge of Gang Functions - Going Undercover​ 5. What Makes a Civilian - The Political Climate - Domestically -Internationally​ - Maps​

Main Table of Contents Main Table of Contents * = Required reading 1. Sticky Table of Contents 2. Introduction and Lore* Introduction to the story, RP, and details on how to use this thread​ 3. Rules* General RP and character creation rules​ 4. Limited Character Slot Status This post details what types of characters you can currently join the RP with, as some types are limited. Civilians and Clefs are always accepted. Current gang openings are generally in the thread title.​ 5. How to Join* The character profile sheet you should use and how to submit it​ 6. What's Happened So Far... Summaries of past RP pages​ 7. Headphone Jack Extended Information <- You are here Extended lore, affiliation information, and help with character creation. Has its own Table of Contents. Reading this is not required to join.​ 8. Civilian Character Profiles (Page 2) List of current civilian character sheets​ 9. Clef Character Profiles (Page 3) List of current Clef character sheets​ 10. Electronica Character Profiles (Page 4) List of current Elec character sheets​ 11. NuMetal Character Profiles (Page 5) List of current Nu character sheets​ 12. OOC Chat (Page 6+) The last page of this thread​ [btn=modb|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/ic-headphone-jack.155016/|self]IC Thread[/btn] [btn=modb|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/headphone-jack-player-driven-wiki.157944/|self]Player-Driven Wiki[/btn] The OOC chat is the last page of this thread. There's no way to link to that, so hit reply anywhere and start talking! =]​

 

[Vars]

2. What Makes a Gang Member

What drives a person to join a gang varies. Both the Elecs and Nus are not overtly violent, but do have some common traditions which can help shape the backstory of your gang member character.
[spoili]
Initiation

Beat-ins

When someone joins a gang, by tradition, they are required to be beat-in. A beat-in consists of the leader overseeing one or a few members beating up the gang applicant. The applicant is not allowed to defend themselves.
How severe the beat-in is for an applicant varies, but for Elecs, generally goes until the applicant is knocked unconscious. For the Nus, it generally goes until first blood. Ultimately, the leader decides how long or harsh the beat-in is.

An applicant can "tap out" if they desire, but it is heavily frowned upon. The beat-in will immediately pause at that time, but may resume or result in denied entry to the gang at the leader's discretion.

Tempo Control

When a Musician is born, it is required by law to place what is known as a Tie in their inner ear. The Tie makes any sound frequencies outside those of human speech painful to hear. Musician Immigrants under 5 years of age also have the Tie implanted.
Tempo Control is an operation secret to gangs that removes this piece from the ear.

Both leaders know the procedure, and will perform it on any initiates who have Ties. This usually occurs the day after a beat-in and generally involves sedation with about a week of sensitive hearing before full recovery.

The First Accent

Once the gang leader determines the new initiate has sufficiently healed from the prior two stages of the initiation, they are usually (but not always) sent on their Accent: their first mission to prove their loyalty to the gang.

The First Accent can be anything, but usually involves less risk and responsibility than most normal gang activities. It is used to gauge how well the new member can follow orders, work with others, and/or deal with stress. It is the final step of the initiation process, and gives the official answer to whether the member belongs in the gang or not.

Certain people may not go on First Accents. Rachel generally pardons initiates who have a special skill or value to offer other members, while Ryan may wait for an actual mission, simply placing the initiate in one of the least-important roles to see how they perform.


Graffiti

Urban street gang graffiti is the most common way for gangs to communicate their message. Organized graffiti is one of the first signs that street gangs are taking hold in a neighborhood and is also an excellent way to track gang growth, affiliation, and sometimes even provides membership information.

Graffiti serves several purposes, all of which is understood by other gang members. Graffiti has been called the newspaper or bulletin boards for gangs and communicates many messages, including challenges, warnings, and pronouncements of deeds accomplished or about to occur.

Large and elegant forms of street art have been dying out due to the harsh penalties of being caught by the Clefs. Because of this, both gangs don't encourage large scale graffiti, and may or may not simply use tags to denote territory only.


Dissing

Both gang leaders heavily encourage dissing rival gang members. Dissing is disrespecting a person in someway, such as, but not limited to: insulting, threatening, or throwing vulgar displays.
If a gang leader finds out you didn't dis a rival, especially if you were traveling in a group, it is noted, looked down upon, and may or may not result in punitive action.


Violence

While the gangs are not overtly violent to eachother, fights do still occur. Violence is not encouraged, but it is also not discouraged when it comes to inter-gang rivalry. Sometimes dissing can evolve into a fight, especially when there's no chance of being caught. The Elecs can be especially bad about this, as their leader heavily encourages inconspicuous sabotage of Nu operations.

Violence against civilians and clefs are expressly forbidden.


Selling / Dealing

Selling music contraband is analogous to drugs. The dealer waits somewhere, and the buyers come to them. Because many music-related things are large, buyers can give an address and the name of what they want. The next day, that product will appear at their doorstep. This is called Delivery. Usually new or young members are sent to do this, and it involves breaking into a home and placing the product inside.

In rare cases, a dealer might wait near a warehouse or abandoned building with the supplies on site. Usually, the warehouses are not where deals take place since these are the headquarters for gang activity.

Jacks

Jacks are likely the most dangerous and risky part of being a gang member. All Jacks occur from Headphone, and all are organized operations usually planned well in advance. The border patrol on the Headphone side does not cause any issues, but Musica can shoot to kill on sight near the wall.

Most Jacks are done through cargo shipments by boat for this reason. Each gang heavily depends on its members to have contacts with the harbors in order to make the Jacks as seamless as possible. The Elecs, who focus on instruments, obviously face more logistical challenges than the Nus who deal in much smaller wares.

Depending on the incoming cargo, Jacks can be massive operations or can be handled by as little as three people. Because Jacks are the most sensitive operation of a gang, only the highest ranking and most dependable of members are even considered to participate. Generally speaking, a gang member will not even know when Jacks will occur or how until they've been active within the gang for at least a year.

The DJ

Reformation is a process whereby a neurotoxin is injected into the system that completely removes the ability to hear anything beyond human speech. This is different from a Tie, which retains the ability to hear music, but makes it uncomfortable.

The DJ is a juice that is said to cure and prevent Reformation. But there's a problem: No one knows where it is. It's not even certain to legitimately exist.
At the time the rp starts, there are zero leads to its whereabouts.

Both gangs assume it exists, and both gangs do want possession of the miracle cure. The Nus want to mass distribute it and begin a revolution. The Elecs want it for power and money. Needless to say, the gang who gets the DJ first holds all the cards.


Punishment for Gang Affiliation

Gangs are classified as political dissidents. If someone is suspected of being affiliated with a gang or aiding the illegal music trade, they are immediately detained and questioned, even if there is no physical evidence. However, Clefs are generally rational and practical, and try to avoid making false arrests in order to remain in the public's favor.

If the suspect gives up valuable information, they will be Reformed and allowed to live. If the suspect refuses to cooperate, they will be allowed a trial, but with a jury of Clefs and not peers.
It is still possible to prove innocence, and is usually possible with an extremely good lawyer. This lawyer generally must have connections or good standing with the Clefs.

However, even if the suspect is deemed not guilty, they are still held in jail for up to a year (although this can be counted while awaiting trial instead of after it). If the suspect is found guilty from the trial, they are put to death.[/spoili]

 

[Vars]

3. The Differences Between Elecs and Nus

Musica has two predominant gangs, both vying for territory throughout the capitol, O Town. These two gangs have a common history and origin: Nausicaa.

[spoili]Nausicaa was a coalition of friends bringing music to Musica. The members invented the Tempo Control procedure in order to remove the Tie, allowing native Musicians to enjoy music. The efforts took money, and they were eventually forced to sell their wares. This forced the friends to expand and become a gang, somewhere along the way gaining more members to process more orders and complete more sophisticated Jacks.

Rachel (Rae) and Ryan (Rye) were the creators of Nausicaa. Rae, as Rye's next door neighbor and childhood playmate, introduced Rye to music. Everything snowballed from there. Rye wanted to make everything free for the people, but Rae pushed for profit.

Eventually, Rye left Rae over this in a fit of rage. Someone put in an anonymous tip to the Clefs of Rye dealing music, and he was detained for a year. He managed to be proven not guilty of the charges. When he got out, he created his own gang, the NuMetals, and took some of the Nausicaa members with him.

Rachel renamed the remaining group Electronica, and ever since then, the two gangs have been butting heads.

The history of the gangs is not necessarily common knowledge, but is somewhat of an "open secret." If you've been a member of the gang for over a year, you probably know the history, or can at least infer something serious happened between Rachel and Ryan.

Electronica

The Elecs mainly deal in instruments, and Rachel's meritocratic philosophy. Rae believes that a price a person pays should match the danger her and her members go through to deliver the contraband. She feels that only those who can pay that price deserve music. She also believes that those who choose to learn an instrument are more deserving of music and the risk it entails, compared to those who only listen to media.

Rae doesn't agree with the notion that she is greedy. She sees her prices as fair, considering the cost of acquiring physical objects (you can't just copy or burn like with media) and risk of moving large objects (ex: a piano vs an mp3). Rae believes not asking for payment is careless. Not only does the money fund further investment in their operation, it also acts as a means for Rae to cover some legal costs if an Elec member is caught.

She considers Ryan (and by extension, the Nus) to be too idealistic. She's extremely critical of his decisions to give music out for free, as she believes that it puts him, his members, as well as anyone involved in the trade in danger by drawing attention to it.

In her own dealings, Rae is very much a control freak and it takes a lot to get into her inner circle. She'll vet her clients just as harshly as she'll vet her own gang members. With the prices she demands, the gang gets very high-profile connections. Connections that could help or ruin Electronica's livelihood in the blink of an eye.

Leadership Style		Common Member Drivers
- Controlled and formal - Rewards contributions - Future-oriented - Practical - Rational		- Values and Learning - Connections with the upper echelons of society - Money - Gang protection

NuMetal

Ryan assumed Rachel made the call that put him away for a year. Ever since he got back, he hasn't been the same. Originally, he saw every member as family. He was their mentor or surrogate father or older brother. He deeply cared about the safety and well-being of his members.

Some of this still carried over, but he now has a violent temper. It's evident he still cares for his members, but he can sometimes be over-protective and abusive in his quest for their safety. Mention his past, his family, or Rachel, and you'll be lucky if you don't get punched in the face. Whatever happened broke him, and the wounds never healed.

The Nus are a generally self-sufficient family with an assumed hierarchical structure. Older and more experienced members demand more respect from the younger, newer, and/or inexperienced. Members have to prove themselves in order to gain rank and be further trusted.

The gang functions through a relaxed chain of command. The newest members go out and tag or survey, while more respected members deal, and the most respected and trustworthy perform Jacks.
Ryan delegates tasks, including his own leadership roles, out to those he trusts.

On a day-to-day basis, NuMetal HQ functions as a general safe haven for hanging out and listening to music. But when business needs to be done, it's serious, and Ryan will punish you if you don't work to his satisfaction.

NuMetal's focus is on dealing musical media, such as CDs, tapes, and mp3 files and players. They sometimes deal other things but mostly keep to small, easily hideable, objects. Ryan doesn't want any of his members getting caught.

The Nus do take a profit, but it is very small. Their prices are cheaper than Electronica's, but they also don't deal as often. Rye still believes that music should be a right to the people, and wants to be able to make it available to those less fortunate.
The small profit Nus do turn is used for charity, giving away free 'product' to some of his gang members to use or spread around as they wish.

Leadership Style		Common Member Drivers
- Volatile Leader - Relaxed hierarchical structure - Can be over-protective - "Family" Mindset - Passionate		- Music consumption - Vested interest in music accessibility - Desire to "belong" - Animus

[/spoili]

 

[Vars]

4. What Makes a Clef

Clefs are the catch-all term for both law enforcement agencies and their officers. The ambiguity and lack of distinction helps the Metallica, the dominating political party in Musica's totalitarian dictatorship, remain in power.
[spoili]
Considering the nature of this roleplay, it is assumed most Clefs will concentrate on gang or music-related issues. However, Clefs police and enforce all laws- not just those music and gang-related.
There are many divisions and departments within the Clef organization. If your character could be part of the police in the real world, or can be related to some sort of active law enforcement, they would qualify as a Clef character.

While one department has been created, it is not necessary to use. The Clef organization is intentionally left open for greater player control of the narrative. Create new divisions, departments, and drives for Clefs. Create evil, authoritarian Clefs, or Clefs who wish to operate entirely within the confines of the public laws. Or create anything in between!

Characters, especially gang characters, are anticipated to die in this roleplay, so feel free to interpret the organization how you deem fit. Just make sure to work together with the other players.

If you create a character with high status among the Clefs, it is expected that other players will play ball. The GM will help enforce a hierarchical structure if necessary.


Metallica

Metallica is the dominating political party in Musica's totalitarian dictatorship. They took to power approximately 100 years a go and spearheaded The Mute Movement, proliferating their ideology against music.

The Clef organization was created as a singular law enforcement force with no distinction between its main departments. For a comparison, this would be the same as if the USA had renamed the CIA, FBI, Federal, State, City, and County police forces all simply "The Police."

The lack of distinction between the Clefs to the public helps Metallica retain its power. Because of this ambiguity, the Clefs can simultaneously operate as a public and secret police force. It keeps a public face and holds some accountability, but many music and gang-related cases are never covered by the press. This allows for more harsh punishments and less ethical methods of investigation and litigation with little public fallout or knowledge.

SFZ

Despite Clefs having no publicly delineated departments, internally, there is what is referred to as the Sforzando or SFZ. These Secret police specialize in clandestine acts of terror and/or intimidation. They are controlled directly by members of the Metallica party, can be bought or sold, and may or may not also act as a publicly accountable clef as a cover.
SFZ members have skillsets, drivers, and personalities that can be compared to members of SWAT, mercenaries, and/or the Gestapo.


Laws

Musica is considered a developed and civilized country with a surprisingly complacent citizen base. There is a high quality of life and an average amount of political and violent crime. As such, the current laws are comparable to any real world developed country with similar quality of life.
Musica would have comparable laws to: The EU, UK, and Canada, and Australia.
Gun legislation is most similar to Canada, while non-lethal weapons (e.g. mace, tazers, etc.) are most similar to the USA (i.e. easily acquired and not heavily restricted in most areas).

The primary divergence are the laws against music, which is most analogous to the US's war on drugs.

The Music Ban

Music is not tolerated in Musica. Offenses against the ban are left to each individual Clef to interpret.
Players may come together to form more specific crime classes if they wish, but generally, the crimes break down to whether or not a Clef believes an offender to be affiliated with a gang. Punishment can vary from friendly warnings, tickets, fines, and arrests.

As an example, if a civilian is wearing a set of headphones that is not connected to anything, they might be let go with a warning. Due to Musician ignorance, it is entirely possible the civilian thought the headphones were a fashion accessory.

Humming, singing, or otherwise somehow producing music, is a larger offense dependent on the motive behind it and the motivation of the Clef.

Listening to and enjoying music, intent to sell or deal music, or owning a still functional music-producing instrument (such as a guitar) are the worst music-related offenses.


Punishment for Gang Affiliation

Gangs are classified as political dissidents. If someone is suspected of being affiliated with a gang or aiding the illegal music trade, they are immediately detained and questioned, even if there is no physical evidence. However, Clefs are generally rational and practical, and try to avoid making false arrests in order to remain in the public's favor.

If the suspect gives up valuable information, they will be Reformed and allowed to live. If the suspect refuses to cooperate, they will be allowed a trial, but with a jury of Clefs and not peers.
It is still possible to prove innocence, and is usually possible with an extremely good lawyer. This lawyer generally must have connections or good standing with the Clefs.

However, even if the suspect is deemed not guilty, they are still held in jail for up to a year (although this can be counted while awaiting trial instead of after it). If the suspect is found guilty from the trial, they are put to death.

But remember that each Clef is autonomous and there is nothing but their own morals that hold them to "the law" ! Metallica trusts each Clef to make their own judgment call in how best to deal with gang members.

Knowledge of Gang Functions

The following pertains to what the Clef organization knows as a whole. It only applies to the start of the roleplay, and can adapt as players contribute to the story. Individual characters may know more or less than what is described here, but players may use this table as a building point for what is considered common knowledge among other Clefs.

What is Known		What is Unknown
- Which tattoos belong to which gangs - Ryan was the leader of Nausicaa, which is now defunct [spoili]This information is incorrect, but it is what they believe to be true. (Ryan & Rachel were actually co-leaders of Nausicaa)[/spoili] - The music is coming from Headphone - A basic understanding of the gang's current territories - That the gangs know about the DJ - The steps of the initiation process - A basic understanding of most graffiti		- Who the current leaders of the gangs are - How many members each gang has - Exactly how the music is coming from Headphone [spoili]They assume it is through the seaports, but can not seem to pin down how it is organized, and have not been able to catch any Jacks in-progress as of the start of the rp.[/spoili] - Current ownership or location of the DJ [spoili]However, the Clefs do have confirmation that it does indeed exist.[/spoili] - How much the gangs actually know about the DJ - How Tempo Control is performed

Going Undercover

Clefs want to eradicate gang activity and the illegal music trade. But additionally, they want to figure out the inner-workings of the gangs, their methods, traditions, drives, and what they know.

This roleplay has a rationed dynamic where there can only be 1 active undercover Clef (spy) per 5 gang members per gang. There are no limits to how long the Clef has been in the gang or how much the Clef knows. While the affiliation is clear on the profile sheet, players are expected to treat the character no differently from any other gang member (or at least until the Clef gives them a reason to be suspicious in-game).

Because of this, the Undercover Clef is an incredibly powerful tool. Use it to learn the secrets of Jacks, Tempo Control, to act as a triple agent, or anything in between. Due to the nature of the Clef organization, the amount of autonomy a Clef character has is as vast as the sea is wide.

However, Clefs do not necessarily need to go undercover in order to learn more about the gangs. There are detectives, informants, etc. Some Clefs might be ex-gang members, or have gone undercover in the past. Perhaps your character simply has a specialty, and is the subject matter expert for that particular thing? Do not think of the information here as a confining box. Feel free to discuss ideas for characters, backstories, or plots with the GM.[/spoili]

 

[Vars]

5. What Makes a Civilian

Civilians are the wildcard of the roleplay. Clefs and gang members have general motives and forces, but civilians are truly blank slates. Almost anything can be accomplished with civilians. Their role is simply "not a gang member or a clef."
[spoili]
The roleplay assumes the most common civilian is one that is seeking to join a gang. However, do not let this stop you. Some examples of what your civilian could be:

- Relative to a gang member - Informant - Politician - Ex-gang member

- Ex-Clef - Criminal - Scientist - Doctor

- Relative to a Clef - Lawyer - Border Patrol - Vigilante

- Political Activist - Gang sympathizer - Conspiracy theorist - Customs inspector

- Merchant Marine - Seaport / harbor worker - Customer to a gang music dealer - ...And more!

There is no penalty for having an "inactive" character [spoili]The only activity rule is that you must not leave someone waiting for a response from you for longer than 14 days. If your character is not interacting with anyone, then you should not run across an issue of someone waiting on you to post! =)[/spoili]. The roleplay encourages multiple characters. If you have a character that could be an NPC, but you'd rather give them a profile to make them a little more official, then do so! Every character added opens up many new avenues of storytelling and depth to the world.

This being stated, all citizens of Musica do have some common knowledge, and that information is detailed below. [/spoili]

The Political Climate

Musica is considered a developed and civilized country with a surprisingly complacent citizen base. There is a high quality of life and an average amount of political and violent crime.
[spoili]

Domestically

Musicians generally find the Metallica to be benevolent, and therefore are not politically motivated to overthrow the party or incite unrest. The main detractors are the gangs, which the public looks down upon as miscreants.

Since music brings pain to Musicians, there is no drive to sympathize with gang members or the war on music. The highly policed wall border is not of much public interest, and sympathy against cruel punishment to gang members is uncommon.

Internationally

Musica is surrounded by ocean on it's north, west, and southwest sides. To the east and southeast are three bordering countries: Headphone, Indie, and Emo.

The neighbor countries are adversely affected by the Great Wall. Emo, to the south, also has an ocean border, but refuses to participate in trade with Musica due to the Mute Movement. Indie, a landlocked country, must pay high fees and deal with huge delays to trade through the wall. The costs are so great that it frequently will instead trade through Headphone.
Headphone, the northernmost country, has declared itself politically neutral. It generally does not bother trading through the wall and instead focuses on cargo shipments through it and Musica's northern harbors.

Given Emo's political position and Indie's geographical limitations, Headphone is prospering economically. The dissatisfaction among Indie and Emo is beginning to culminate, however, and there are whispers of war.[/spoili]

World Map

[spoili]

[/spoili]

The roleplay takes place in O Town, Musica's capital city.​

O Town Map

@Giltine13 made us a really great town map in the Player-driven Wiki! It is mirrored here for convenience.

Central part of the city

Commercial districts

Industrial districts

Highest class residential area

Upper-middle class residential areas

Middle class/ Normal people residential areas

Poorest parts of the residential areas
(To see a bigger version of the map, open the image in a new tab)

[spoili]

1 - Lydian chord - is the city center where culture thrives. Here, the governments body, ruled by the Metallica politic party, is concentrated. The Alto Square - a place where a lot of festivals and other celebrations in open air are held - also resides in the city center. Here you can also find the oldest buildings (some of them still used for living) in the city alongside courts, churches, libraries, theaters, museums, galleries, restaurants etc. The main Clef base is also located in this territory as well as the Tenuto university - the best one in this country.

2 - Tristan chord - is a gorgeous and full of greenery extension of the city's center, but more concentrated on the commercial activities, like shopping centers, offices, cafes, restaurants, theaters and so on. It is mostly know for its Boulevard of Broken Dreams which goes through the whole chord, passing through the biggest shops and other attractions hidden behind beautiful flora.

3 - Magic chord - another commercial district is located here, though this one mainly co-operates with the harbors industry. This chord has the biggest variety of shops and offices as its scenery and price-range varies drastically as it moves away from the harbor and towards the Dream chord.

4 - Mystic chord - the industrial district exploiting the close contact with the sea. As this shore doesn't have any sandy beaches or other kinds of attractions it is mainly used as a harbor for transportation and water based factories. Since the Musica's borders are so strict, the harbor is often used as a mean to transport and communicate with other countries. It's also the perfect spot fro Jacks.

5 - Elektra chord - industrial district supplying electricity and other services to residential districts and the city centre.

6 - Dream chord - high class living area made up of enormous mansions with their own private gardens. Only the richest people can afford to live here. There are also some parts of the surrounding districts located here, though all of them are of high standard and extremely expensive. Because of this it's an incredibly wonderful place to live often associated with paradise for its fancy and well-kept looks.

7 - Farben chord - flourishing residential area for upper-middle class people, it has a lot of greenery and beautiful buildings. Mostly private houses can be found here with some parks, schools and fancy shops thrown into the mix.

8 - Tonic chord - middle class residential area with its own shops, studying facilities and buildings for entertainment. It mainly consists of old and boring apartment blocks. It also has a more run-down side where poorer people find a roof above their heads.

9 - Psalms chord - living district with three distinctive parts by the locals referred to as the 'Upper Psalms', 'Middle Psalms' and 'Lower Psalms'. Their names follow the trend of the people living there, for example the Upper Psalms is where the upper-middle class people reside as this part is nicer and more expensive, while the Lower Psalms is shabby and has the highest rate of crime in the city. There are local shops, schools and other typical buildings scattered around.

10 - Viennese chord - almost solely a huge living area, mostly taken up by the middle class, though it has its prettier and shabbier spots. It also has it's own educational and commercial buildings. At its very edge, there is a tiny (compared to the other two) abandoned industrial area, mostly mixed up with the living and commercial one. It used to host a humongous airport before the Mute Movement, however now that airport has been closed down leaving some clefs in charge of security of the perimeter and the unused planes. There are some rumors going around that the government has made some plans for this area, but they're only rumors.[/spoili]

 

[Vars]

Extended Information Table of Contents 0. Main Table of Contents 1. Intro 2. What Makes a Gang Member - Initiation - Beat-ins - Tempo Control - The First Accent​ - Graffiti - Dissing - Violence - Selling / Dealing - Jacks - The DJ - Punishment for Gang Affiliation​ 3. The Differences Between Elecs and Nus - Electronica​ - NuMetal​ 4. What Makes a Clef - Metallica - SFZ​ - Laws - The Music Ban​ - Punishment for Gang Affiliation​ - Knowledge of Gang Functions - Going Undercover​ 5. What Makes a Civilian - The Political Climate - Domestically -Internationally​ - Maps <- You were here​

Main Table of Contents Main Table of Contents * = Required reading 1. Sticky Table of Contents 2. Introduction and Lore* Introduction to the story, RP, and details on how to use this thread​ 3. Rules* General RP and character creation rules​ 4. Limited Character Slot Status This post details what types of characters you can currently join the RP with, as some types are limited. Civilians and Clefs are always accepted. Current gang openings are generally in the thread title.​ 5. How to Join* The character profile sheet you should use and how to submit it​ 6. What's Happened So Far... Summaries of past RP pages​ 7. Headphone Jack Extended Information <- You were here Extended lore, affiliation information, and help with character creation. Has its own Table of Contents. Reading this is not required to join.​ 8. Civilian Character Profiles (Page 2) List of current civilian character sheets​ 9. Clef Character Profiles (Page 3) List of current Clef character sheets​ 10. Electronica Character Profiles (Page 4) List of current Elec character sheets​ 11. NuMetal Character Profiles (Page 5) List of current Nu character sheets​ 12. OOC Chat (Page 6+) The last page of this thread​ [btn=modb|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/ic-headphone-jack.155016/|self]IC Thread[/btn] [btn=modb|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/headphone-jack-player-driven-wiki.157944/|self]Player-Driven Wiki[/btn] The OOC chat is the last page of this thread. There's no way to link to that, so hit reply anywhere and start talking! =]​

 

[Vars]

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[/spoili]

 

[Vars]

 

[Vars]

. ｐｌａｃｅｈｏｌｄｅｒ ．​

 

[Vars]

. ｐｌａｃｅｈｏｌｄｅｒ ．​

 

[Vars]

. ｐｌａｃｅｈｏｌｄｅｒ ．​

 

[Vars]

. ｐｌａｃｅｈｏｌｄｅｒ ．​

 

[Vars]

. ｐｌａｃｅｈｏｌｄｅｒ ．​

 

[Vars]

Extended Information Table of Contents

0. Main Table of Contents
1. Intro
2. What Makes a Gang Member

- Initiation

- Beat-ins
- Tempo Control
- The First Accent​

- Graffiti
- Dissing
- Violence
- Selling / Dealing
- Jacks
- The DJ
- Punishment for Gang Affiliation​

3. The Differences Between Elecs and Nus

- Electronica​

- NuMetal​

4. What Makes a Clef

- Metallica

- SFZ​

- Laws

- The Music Ban​

- Punishment for Gang Affiliation​

- Knowledge of Gang Functions
- Going Undercover​

5. What Makes a Civilian

- The Political Climate

- Domestically
-Internationally​

- Maps​

Main Table of Contents

* = Required reading

1. Sticky Table of Contents
2. Introduction and Lore*

Introduction to the story, RP, and details on how to use this thread​

3. Rules*

General RP and character creation rules​

4. Limited Character Slot Status

This post details what types of characters you can currently join the RP with, as some types are limited.
Civilians and Clefs are always accepted. Current gang openings are generally in the thread title.​

5. How to Join*

The character profile sheet you should use and how to submit it​

6. What's Happened So Far...

Summaries of past RP pages​

7. Headphone Jack Extended Information <- You were here

Extended lore, affiliation information, and help with character creation. Has its own Table of Contents.
Reading this is not required to join.​

8. Civilian Character Profiles (Page 2)

List of current civilian character sheets​

9. Clef Character Profiles (Page 3)

List of current Clef character sheets​

10. Electronica Character Profiles (Page 4)

List of current Elec character sheets​

11. NuMetal Character Profiles (Page 5)

List of current Nu character sheets​

12. OOC Chat (Page 6+)

The last page of this thread​

[btn=modb|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/ic-headphone-jack.155016/|self]IC Thread[/btn] [btn=modb|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/headphone-jack-player-driven-wiki.157944/|self]Player-Driven Wiki[/btn]
The OOC chat is the last page of this thread. There's no way to link to that, so hit reply anywhere and start talking! =]​