The Inquisitors: A Magic Cyberpunk Crime Drama

ThatGuyOverThere

ThatGuyOverThere

The RAWRing 20s
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  1. Male
  2. Female
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Genres
Yuri, Yaoi (if there is a crossdresser), Furry, Romance, School Life, Fantasy, Sci Fi, Modern, etc. I'm pretty open minded
The year is 2040 and in this alternative time line magic was once revered and practice by many. Some consorted with benevolent forces while others did bargains with darker powers and some were naturally gifted. Those who practice magic outside common place spells were called Magi and their knowledge of the Eldritch and Arcane placed them on a station above humans. Most the populace feared these spell casters and considered them dangerous to normal society.

Eventually these fears gave ride to the Magic Wars where the nations of the world tried to put limits on magic and police the practice of the craft. This caused an uproar in the Magi community and they protested against government control. Tensions rised and the World Nations went to war against the Magi. The war went on for 5 years with no side gaining an advantage. Eventually the cost bankrupted the World Nations but they didn't want to give up the right.

That is when the Board stepped in. The Board was made up of many corporations that saw a profit to be turned with this war. They made deals with the World Nations that eventually made them into Mega Corporations that soon took over the planet and their fledgling colonies in space. With their new autonomy and resources, the Board eventually defeated the Magi and made the use of magic outlawed.

But now in the year 2040, decades have passed after the war and the Board rules Earth and her colonies. They created a special branch called The Inquisitors that hunt down any unlawful practice of magic and investigate into any crimes that revolve around magic. They also created the Academy where Magi can still practice magic but regulated.

Our characters are apart of The Inquisitors.
 
This sounds interesting. What sort of technology levels are we looking at here, for the cyberpunk side?
 
Technology wise, I'm thinking typical cyberpunk technology. Essentially, technology weeded out the need for magic. But the populace grew too dependent on The Board. But magic is still a very dangerous asset that still challenges what the Board has made. But for your question, think of stuff like Ghost in the Shell or Blade Runner but space ships like in Cowboy Bebop or Star Wars to travel between the Inner Colonies (The Moon, Venus, and Mars) or the Outer colonies like Titan.

Hopefully that helps but if not, I can elaborate more.
 
Heck yeah, this looks fascinating!
 
Any O'Niell cylinders or other such space colonies? Just curious if there's more than the colonized planets/celestial bodies around.

And, that does help a lot on the tech level. Suggests there's plenty of fun for cyborgs and other such entertaining things, so I should be right at home. But, if I can make a cyborg, android, or AI character, or otherwise just have fun with things, I'm all good.

Interesting that magic hasn't exactly stalled the progress of technology. Though I suppose what with a war and concurrent arms race, there probably would be plenty of drive for advancement. Actually, does magic have any rules it follows?
 
Magic follows two principles, Law or Chaos. Magi follow one tradition or the other since that determines how or what magic they cast. Law are formulas that have room to be changed but going too far out of the lines could cause a magical misfire such as losing a limb or growing increasingly mad. Chaos is tapping into uncertainty and allowing oneself to be open to the ebb and flow of magic but you also allow yourself to be a door way or a target of possession for benevolent or malevolent creatures. Combining both principles can be done but only those of strong will can combine the two and usually it's for a last stand spell to cast. Regardless, magic takes a toll on the body and if done recklessly can cause one to become exhausted in a fight.

I am open to the idea of other colonies, what would be some of your ideas? I was toying with the idea of a Dyson sphere around Mercury.

Like you mentioned with the war and the arms race, it caused a big leap in technology to catch up to what magic had provided. With magic out of commonplace, technology was able to flourish. But really people have forgotten what magic can really do thanks to the efforts of the Board. The Academy is where they keep the secrets of magic and keep tabs on Magi that have captured, brainwashed into living weapons, or to keep experiments to learn how to further eradicate the Magi.

But the Magi have gone into hiding for the most part but you have your upstarts that came across a spell book somehow and think they can become Magi or your rebel Magi who practice magic more openly but proven to be elusive. But they all fear The Inquisitors, even the more tough individuals among them. As Inquisitors we are trained to combat magic and groomed to be hunting dogs. There are even some Magi who are privilege to be Inquisitors but they're kept on a short leash.
 
What's the writing level, if it's 2 pars plus every time that's not my jam
 
Ooo! Cyberpunk and magic. I am all over that!

You said that people viewed magic as dangerous and with fear before. What do people think of it now (or is it just sorta esoteric and people don't really think about it)? And what do people think about the Board and the Inquisitors?
 
If you're looking for general ideas, you've got a lot of potential in the Board in terms of political conflict. You've represented the Board as this homogeneous, unified entity and perhaps it is publicly and perhaps especially to Magi. If your intent is to setup straightforward "Inquisitors vs. rogue Magi" stories, it doesn't need to get more complicated than that.

But different corporations have different priorities, different marketshares and different products. It might be interesting if a few of the biggest Board Member Corporations played nice face to face but engaged in industrial espionage, in-fighting and competition behind the scenes. Especially if some of those member corporations bankrolled their own secret Magi or perhaps funded specific parts or groups of Inquisitors aimed at investigating their rivals and any rival Magi employed by the competition.

Be even more interesting if the player characters were all 'Inquisitors' but might be considered employees of (or sponsored by) different corporations where there's the main mission-based chain of command but folks who work for Corporation A might get a secret order on the side or something.
 
I'm also VERY interested!

On the subject of the inquisitors- you said some may also be Magi but kept on a short leash, yeah?
Are they able to combine magic with the said technology, kind of like an artificer of sorts?
 
I'm intrested. Lots of ideas, and questions. But I'll wait for those.
 
There is still that fear and mistrust of magic about. The Board has done a good job with their propaganda to create fear and mistrust around magic. So the general populace is still afraid and mistrusting of magic but there are some who don't even care or there are those who fascinated by Magic. But in general people are still afraid of magic. Even if it's still not widely practice anymore.

The general populace doesn't know much of The Inquisitors. If anything they just view them as the magic police. Yet they don't know what an Inquisitor is to the full extent. Inquisitors do work with local law enforcement to help deal with Magi if called upon. But in general no one knows much of Inquisitors except those who need to know.

The Board is viewed with mix feelings. There are those who hate the Board and actively fight against them be it protests or more rarely, extreme measures. Then there are those who see the Board as their salvation and defend the Board regardless of their misgivings. And of course there are those who just don't care and accepted the Board as part of their daily life. The Board has such a presence in people's lives, it's hard to imagine living without.

Magic can be combined with technology but it is a process that is heavily regulated. Only the Board has the resources to augment people in such a way and if they do, they install a fail safe in case the subject goes rogue. And such individuals tend to be looked down on or more feared. Such power left untapped could lead to unforseen circumstances. There are some Magi Inquisitors who are known as Artificers but they are few and an experimental lot.

I like the idea that maybe there are cells within the Inquisitors that belong to certain corporations. Like the Athena cell could belong to Forward Olympus Inc. Their public image could be their supermarket chains but in the background they work on medical technology but others don't view them as an equal member on the Board so they engage in corporate espionage to black mail their partners. Each cell could belong to and be funded by different corporations but the Board overall has control over the Inquisitors. And each cell could help further their company's agenda.
 
Hmm, interesting setting. What do you think about a Mage who has infiltrated the Inquisitors in order to pass on vital information, but has to play a dangerous double game? Or maybe somebody like a hacker who is learning to wizard/wizard who is learning to hack (think: AI egregores, spells written in computer code, programs written in Enochian, spirit-holograms, robot-golems, and the occasional cackle of glee)

BTW, if you should happen to need/want an info source on Realistic(tm) space technology, space colonization, etc. I highly recommend Isaac Arthur (Isaac Arthur) He has videos about plausible future space technology, colonizing the Solar System, and "megastructures" like orbital rings and shellworlds (your "Dyson sphere around Mercury" would qualify as the latter).
 
That sounds really interesting, I hadn't considered a mage infiltrator. That would definitely be dangerous game but an interesting angle to have. A hacker who uses spells written computer code and such is also an interesting. I would be open to both ideas to be honest. And when I get the chance I will look into Issac Arthur.

By the way, I plan on splitting up the RP into Episodes. The first Episode will be called The Red Witch and will take place on Mars. Our characters will be looking into reports of a Magi calling herself The Red Witch and the following she has been able to amass. Her followers call themselves the Red Coven and practice the magic she has taught them. Though the Red Witch is open about her magic and doesn't hide, she has proven to be elusive. With recent events of the Red Coven activity escalating, our characters are called in by local law enforcement to take care of the upstart.
 
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