ℝ𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 '𝕟 𝕋𝕦𝕞𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤: II [Cleaned Ver.] [Interest Check]

[Ascendant Aegis]

" Welcome to the Land of the Living! "
" Although they look and act like men, they are wolves in sheep's wool. All humanity has left their souls. All that is left is desperation and anger-
-we call them the mort vivant, the Living Dead. "

[Action | Military | Science-Fiction]
[Seeking Advanced Writers; Limited Space]

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Mercenary
Mer·ce·nary
plural: Mercenaries
: one that serves merely for wages.

Overview
Mercenaries have been employed since the beginning of armed conflict. Who would think that the future would be different? During 2152, humanity began it's first steps into the Great Unknown; mercenaries were integral in keeping law and order within lawless colonies and frontier settlements. Mercenaries were hired by the bushel during the Reunification Wars; in which the two superpowers of humanity, the Martian Colonial Confederacy and the United Nations Colonial Administration, clashed in an end-all-be-all conflict. And, when the dust settled and piracy became common in the power vacuum left behind, mercenaries yet again were employed as everything from death squads to colonial police. Even today, present time 2172, mercenaries remain the primary force of change and order; dogs of war clawing and biting to stay alive in the merciless void.

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The Beginning -
Humanity's first steps into space weren't necessarily violent. They weren't peaceful, either. The United Nations created the Strategic Operational Landmass Advanced Relocation (SOLAR) Initiative in order to answer questions of overpopulation and rapidly depleting resources. Millions of settlers were volunteered for service within the newly formed United Nations Colonial Administration by their respective countries and forced, often at gunpoint, to board untested vessels for transport to unexplored space. The primary demographic for these initial colonists were undesirables - political prisoners, unwanted indigenous peoples, social outcasts, death-row convicts; known as Stage I's. By 2153-2154, preparations for the first stages of the SOLAR Initiative were initiated, and the very first Advanced Resettlement Vessels (ARVs) were launched; all on pre-set trajectories to Mars. Chosen for it's distance, it was considered an acceptable place to send the Stage I's; primarily in order to fully test and iron out any flaws within colonization plans. Thousands died initially upon landing planet-side on the Big Red, and hundreds more would slowly die from faulty equipment, inadequate supplies, or accidents. This mistreatment of Stage I's would sow the seeds of spite against the UNCA, and would mark the roots of later unrest on Mars.

After the process of colonization was thoroughly tested, refined, and so bloodily perfected on Mars, it was a simple case of colonizing the Moon, a significantly closer body, for the wealthier and fabulously privileged; the Stage II's. Renamed Luna, the Blue Gem of Humanity, the Moon became a posterchild of what colonization could result in. A glittering, beautiful cityscape; presenting the absolute triumphs of humanity. The more resources that were funneled to complete Luna, the less the UNCA cared to send to the Stage I's on Mars. In what became known as the Private Assistance Fund Act, the UNCA allowed corporations to take over funding and even administration of colonies on Mars. Of course, this was immediately exploited as major firms such as the Kaida Heavy Industries Corporation, or Yakazuri-Toshima Pharmaceuticals Inc. began to snatch up open colonies as fast as possible, quickly establishing a monopoly on the planet's economic and political environments. Though this massively improved the quality of life within Mars, it also immediately caused an increase in corruption and organized crime.

The Martians believed that the UNCA was intentionally allowing the corporations to rule over them as to oppress them further. The corporations believed that the UNCA was crippling sales with regulations and embargoes on the massively profitable Martian market. The UNCA believed that everything was fine. It had yet come time again for humanity to learn the basic truth of the world:

" The gun is the great equalizer, and the greatest solution. "

At first, there was only a protests against UNCA rule and corporate control. Behind the scenes, a coalition of paramilitary groups, activists, and organized crime groups had formed an alliance, with only one goal: Drive the hated oppressor from Martian soil. The first attacks were vicious, savage. The token UNCA garrison did not expect or prepare for resistance to the scale of which the Separatists threw at them. Heated, brutal close-quarters fighting exploded all across the surface of Mars as cells of Separatists took up arms and took the fight to the Earthers. By morning, Separatists fighters had scaled the UNCA Central Administration Building in Mar's capitol, Olympus, and had cast the UN's flag off the roof. The remaining UNCA forces held out for as long as they could, but eventually surrendered unit by unit; until the surface of Mars belonged to the rebel forces. Of course, the newly formed Martian Colonial Confederation had no official government to speak of, nor a standing army, or any sort of legislature or constitution. The only reason why the UN chose to not send their great fleets to crush the Martian insurgency was because it would be more costly to retake the colony than to simply allow it to exist. The MCC and UNCA continued to clash in space for a few more years, until in 2172, the two sides signed the Marionova-Kaskin Ceasefire Agreement. ​

An Uneasy Peace-
The MCC would form a provisional government and quickly stock-pile armaments in preparation for another great war. The UNCA, dealing with political strife and unrest, chose to ignore the looming Martian threat in order to deal with domestic issues. In this vacuum of power, independent forces such as pirates and mercenaries have thrived. In order to deal with the rising tide of crime and scum present in the power vacuum left behind by the UNCA, many colonies and private clients have taken to hiring private military companies and mercenary groups to protect assets, police lawless territories, and to hunt down and eliminate targets. Operating without any oversight, under an informal code of honor; these hired gunmen often represent the last vestige of order or law in the Frontier, delivering swift justice through hails of gunfire.

It is a harsh, uncaring world out in space.

God can't hear you scream out here.

It's up to you to save yourself.

Welcome to your new life.

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​

Premise-
You will be playing as a newly formed group of around 3-4 mercenaries. You do not know who the others are. You probably do not trust them. As Dogs of War, you have been hired on contract by a mysterious client. What exactly their motives may be are completely unknown to you. This contract will take you throughout Mars and beyond as you investigate the death of a Doctor Aniya and the loss of an asset known as LAPLACE'S BOX.

You will be a mercenary, yourself. Unlawed android, self-owned vatgrown, mutt, or human; it doesn't really matter. You won't be starting off with the most fantastic of gear, but don't worry; you'll probably pick up better kit once the ball gets rolling. Mercenaries are considered professionals when they turn 18-up, so keep it restricted to there. Otherwise, get creative with the backstories and characters!

This will obviously be a combat-oriented roleplay series, with elements of exploration, adventure, and even some mystery or horror thrown in here or there. It will most likely feature mature content; not of a lewd variety, but more of mature subjects that should be viewed and treated as such. The tone of this roleplay is a weird blend of dark, serious, and casual. The humor doesn't really come from the circumstances or the story as it does from the interactions of the characters. Combat itself will be treated realistically, but won't take itself seriously, either. Bullets can and will kill; but at the same time, it would be no fun if the PC's immediately died. I won't be DMing hits or anything, so it's up to the players to react realistically. I hope to keep combat dynamic, tense, and interesting; not just static shooting galleries. Posting schedule is to be decided.

Some basic rules:
1). Please don't ghost. It's somewhat of a bummer to have a good storyline going and to have it all come to a stop. If you have to leave or pause, please let us know.
2). Please be active in OOC and IC. I'm not asking for dozens of posts a day, just enough to keep it going and to keep that momentum. Also, OOC is fun and is a good way for me to gauge how it's going.
3). High-quality posts and characters. Again, I'm not asking for essays upon essays. I would like, however, a good amount of effort put into them. Being literate is required, in this case.
4). Grounded Characters. I can't say do realistic characters, because a band of eccentric mercs isn't necessarily realistic, nor is the setting. But, I will say to keep it grounded. No child soldiers, no superhuman school-girls, ect.
5). Please feel free to discuss plot or characters. The fun in this is interacting and collaborating with people to make a story, so I'd appreciate some communication. Do you like the story or no, and why? Do you need help with your characters or opinions on them? Ect.
6). As cliche as it is, have fun! Be sure to communicate what you want in this. It's no use if you're not having a good time or want to move on, speak up. If you have suggestions for the plot moving forward, please give them! It's all about teamwork and collaboration.


Please feel free to ask any question below, about the RP or lore, below. Thanks for taking a read!

 

[The Wanderer]

The only real question I have to ask, is limit on cybernetics? Not expecting like Gray Fox or Robocop levels in which at best, there's only a brain and a face slapped atop robotics.

 

[Ascendant Aegis]

Around this point, humanity has not yet developed reliable full-body cybernetics, like Robocop.

However, there exists many corporations that have lines of various prosthetic limbs for different roles. They come in three levels: Civilian, Industrial, Military. Obviously, civilian ones are just run-of-the-mill limbs and augments, designed for normal life. Industrial limbs are slow and bulky, but powerful and very durable. Used in stuff like mining and factory work (so, pile-drivers, rebar-guns, tool-box arms). Military-grade limbs and augments are considered the peak of cybernetics tech; and have everything from extendable fiber-optics in fingers to hack terminals to wrist-mounted automatic shotguns.

 

[The Wanderer]

I think I has idea for a character, can't wait for this to pick up.

 

[Ascendant Aegis]

Yeah, I hope so too ^^

 

[Lillian Gray]

Mercenaries are considered professionals when they turn 18-up, so keep it restricted to there.

I'm assuming you mean you'd like us to be older than 18? Yeah?

 

[Ascendant Aegis]

Yep! Characters gotta be 18 or older.

 

[Nomad-22]

Have a question. How long or recent would it been since the uneasy ceasefire between the UNCA and MCC by the beginning of the story?

 

[Ascendant Aegis]

It's been around 20-25 years, and it's still very much in recent memory for most. It has been enough time, however, for mercenaries and pirates to have become widespread around Mars.

 

[The Wanderer]

One more question I have: I noticed something about the weaponry being Cold War-esqe, does this mean stuff in the style of that, or purely that type of weaponry from the time period? @Ascendant Aegis

 

[Ascendant Aegis]

The technology and weapons are in the style of the Cold War. Bulky, industrial-looking; made of stamped steel, aluminum, plastic, and wood. Think FN-FALs, and AKMs. Makarovs and M1911s. So on and so forth. Now, apply a bit of cyberpunk. Most guns have holographic sights that, while bulky, can connect directly to a person via neural uplink, allowing the weapon to be controlled significantly more accurately. While all guns are ballistic, most incorporate some form of electromagnetic propulsion, sometimes in tandem with typical explosive propellant, to give significantly more umpf.

Tl;dr: just Cold War-era stuff with sci-fi fluff.

 

[The Wanderer]

Oooooo

Time to look at some Cold War era weaponry!

 

[Ascendant Aegis]

Do note, that the weapons are not the actual make and model from the Cold War, they're just in the aesthetics and style of the period. I would encourage usage of made-up manufacturers and guns. Example: The RK-47M, made by the Novaska Arms Foundry, standing in for the real-life AK-47.

Furthermore, don't feel restricted to the actual tech of that era, either! I would love to see flechette rifles, needler guns, and all sorts of cool ideas; which is very much in tone for the experimental vibe of the Cold War.

 

[Nomad-22]

Interesting. Pardon the additional questions but nonetheless, beside the Moon what are the other UNCA colonies? Imagine they would space/orbital stations unless I'm mistaken.

 

[Ascendant Aegis]

You are indeed correct. Apart from Luna, there exists dozens of space stations housing populations. The few that still belong to the UNCA mainly orbit around Venus or Earth. The largest orbital station is Gharamere. By far, the most colonies exist in MCC territory; with countless official and unofficial colonies present between Mars to Neptune.

And, I don't mind questions at all!

 

[Nomad-22]

Thanks, really appreciate the info. Beside preparing for a second war what is the general situation for the people living under the rule of the MCC? Beside the pirate trouble I mean.

 

[Ascendant Aegis]

Because they are preparing for another all-out conflict with the UNCA, the MCC doesn't typically really intervene in the local domestic or political affairs of the colonies within it's sphere of influence. As such, life in any of the outer colonies will really depend on the local government. The only times the MCC really effects life out in the Frontier is to occasionally draft random people for service in the Martian Colonial Armed Forces.

Due to this lack of control, the entire area is also essentially the Wild West, but in space.The MCC tries to patrol their territory; but with so much space and so little fleets, there isn't really much they can do.

Meanwhile, in areas like Olympus, where MCC power is consolidated; it can best be described as a military dictatorship, but also a corporate ancap paradise. The government itself is oppressive and heavy-handed, but often prone to inaction due to the complete inefficiency of their bureaucracy. Despite the best efforts of the Martian government to crack down on political dissidents and crime; organized crime groups maintain a heavy presence amongst the lower-class areas, and corporations have so much influence and pull that they essentially hold defacto power in the areas where the government slips. The people themselves typically work in massive, grimy industrial complexes and live in sprawling, densely-packed favelas and slums; most with barely working utilities and almost non-existent healthcare. Mar's primary industries are mining, manufacturing, and defense; which also account for the vast majority of jobs held. Working conditions are, of course, terrible. Efforts to consolidate and nationalize hydroponics farms failed horribly, leading to a microfamine and a long-lasting, and incredibly unpopular, rationing of food and materials by the government.

Such conditions and environments have led to the creation of a distinct, and widely popular, subculture amongst Mar's lower class; a so-called "dreg" movement, popular amongst the younger generations. In addition to sharing many ties with the older "punk" subculture, dregs often replace their limbs with more useful substitutes, regardless of aesthetics. Dregs tend to speak in a very jarring, utilitarian dialect of English, and also tend to hold any authority in contempt.

 

[Nomad-22]

Wild West indeed. So what about the UNCA and Earth in general? It sounds like they got their own problems to deal with as well.

 

[Ascendant Aegis]

Of course, the UNCA has it's own problems as well. Longstanding ethnic and national conflicts have recently resurfaced, as the UN still remains a collection of independent nations. Furthermore, Earth's politics have divided into two groups; the Doves, who believe that peace and co-existence should be pursued at all costs, and that the colonies should be left alone, and the Hawks, nationalists who believe that Earth should flex it's military might and crush the outer colonies to secure it's place as the most powerful force in the system.

The Middle East, Eastern Europe, and South America remain points of conflict; with nigh endless waves of terrorism and civil unrest, mostly inspired by ultranationalists and fundamentalists. While, due to the valiant efforts of the UN, illiteracy and most diseases have been wiped out; much of the world remains in poverty as the UN struggles to split it's rather limited budget across all of it's issues. In interests of simplifying logistics and administration, all nations were amalgamated into seven Commonwealths, which were placed under the command of a democratically-elected committee. Life in these Commonwealths are significantly different, as the local governments are mainly responsible for procuring their own resources and assets. For example, there exists a significantly higher amount of middle class families in the North American Commonwealth than, say, the Middle Eastern Commonwealth or African Commonwealth. A high amount of surveillance is employed on UN citizens, in the interests of public safety.

Since, theoretically, everyone has the same opportunities to education; there is a rapidly diminishing number of jobs, leaving a surplus of over-educated, but unemployed youth. This, in turn, has led to a significant amount of unrest, both civil and political. The unemployed either join the UN or Commonwealth Armed Forces, or scrape by off of UN basic support funds.

 

[Nomad-22]

Makes sense to me. Which Commonwealth would South East Asian countries lIke Philippines be part of?