working title

[Jess Incognito]

testing testing.

 

[Jess Incognito]

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PLOT

The air hangs stagnant, scented with fear and damp stone. The sun will not rise over the city today as it has not risen for the past month since the last earthquake that collapsed the mouth of the cave. Men and women work to pull boulders from the wreckage, attempting to carve an escape to the light, but many citizens have sent their hopes off with the others who went into the tunnels. All order was crushed in the cave-in, along with the city's Lord. If the people do survive, it will be a very different place.

One man tentatively maintains order in the city, though he does so out of duty only and would sooner see this power given to someone else. A former soldier and loyal to the King and his order, he is doing his best to keep the people calm and safe and most importantly - as things have always been.

Of course, others have seen the opportunity this great tragedy has given them. The balance of order and peace has been disrupted. A bit more pressure and it may be toppled completely. These are the crime lords and the ambitious slumdogs who recognize now is the very time to convince the people that there can be a better society, one free of hierarchy and oppression.

THE CITY

The city is called Dod (pron. dode), in the desert land of Dhoskar. Begun as a trading port, probably for pirates, it's become a major point of attraction for trade and even sciences, given the unique location in a massive, seaside cavern. Legend has it Dod is only one half of a greater city that stretches beneath the sea and used to be populated by merfolk, but there is no solid proof of this. Above the cavern, the air is hot and the land dry. It's all scrub and desert home to strange crustacean and lizards. There are even some crab-like creatures as large as horses; their meat is highly prized, provided you can saw through the two inch thick exoskeleton to get it.

The city itself is half carved from the huge stalagmites and columns that crawl up into the darkness. Other buildings, mostly belonging to the rich, are made of stone with intricate arches and walkways moving above the water. Dod is called the vertical city for it's many layers. Sunlight here is a luxury and the rich live nearer to the bay and the mouth of the cave. Further back lies the slums, mainly comprised of wooden lean-to's, and if you're unused to such dim light, it may seem to be in darkness night and day. Torches burn at all hours and there are always people about. The concept of day and night has been lost here.

With the city ever-growing, the slums creep closer and closer to the back of the cavern, which splits off into many tunnels. They haven't been explored more than twenty miles from the city. Some go up, some go down, some lead to other caverns, some to underground rivers. In all of them, the darkness is like to drive a lone man mad. It has done as much in the past. It's uncertain whether the tunnels were man-made or natural, perhaps a bit of both. Either way, no one has done much further exploration in a long time. Strange subterranean creatures sometimes come out of the tunnels and for that reason, the city has set up a special guard to protect this border. They kill whatever comes out.

The earthquake that caused the cave in was followed by a volcanic eruption at Mt Aikos, which is quite a ways from Dod, but some legends claim the tunnels lead all the way to the ancient city of Hod'un, at the northern base of the volcano, which was buried by a similar eruption some few hundred years ago.

This is just one city in a world I've been toying with, so if you want to know more about the remaining lands, just let me know.

technology

Think of this world as largely medieval. That being said, it's a world long years past relying on magic and I'd like you to be free with 'inventor culture'. Strange, but simple devices, perhaps a vague, young steampunk vibe.

But, no guns in the traditional sense. Gas or complex engine and mechanical systems have not yet been developed. Think manpower, fire, and simple machines.

rules & guidelines

Firstly, thank you for coming this far and hopefully for your interest.

I ask only for dedicated writers who will be present in both the IC and OOC.

With being present in the OOC, please feel free to make suggestions about the setting and plot. This is every participant's world now.

Minimum post requirement is simply a post that moves the plot along - be that one line or twenty. Of course, quality and thoughtfulness is expected and I hope the average post is a few paragraphs.

You may have as many characters as you like, but be sure you can keep up with them and that none are fluffers. They should have a connection to the story.

When posting, label your response with your character's name or title. This is especially important for those with more than one character.

Post completed character profiles in this thread. Feel free to discuss potential roles, but don't post in the format of the profile until you're ready to submit.

Characters may be human (which is the largest portion of the population) or something else. Keep in mind, your race may be denied. There is also no creature in this realm capable of wielding magic effectively. Magic exists, but has largely gone from the world.

current cast

THE TORCH-BEARER - JESS INCOGNITO


suggested roles:
OPPOSING LEADER (THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE, EACH WITH DIFFERENT PRINCIPLES AND FOLLOWERS)
WEALTHY SURVIVOR
TUNNEL GUARD
VOLUNTEER DIGGER
LAMP-LIGHTER
INVENTOR

profile skeleton

coming soon

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[Jess Incognito]

[FONT=HELVETICA][SIZE=3][B]TITLE[/B][/SIZE]
 
[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][SIZE=2]NAME: [/SIZE][SIZE=3][COLOR=#ADADAD] Insert here [/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]AGE: [/SIZE][SIZE=3][COLOR=#ADADAD] Insert here [/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]RACE: [/SIZE][SIZE=3][COLOR=#ADADAD] Insert here [/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]GENDER: [/SIZE][SIZE=3][COLOR=#ADADAD] Insert here [/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]MEANS: [/SIZE][SIZE=3][COLOR=#ADADAD] This may be an occupation or 'thievery' 'scavenging' 'inheritance' etc.. How did your character survive before the earthquake?[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]APPEARANCE: [/SIZE][SIZE=3][COLOR=#ADADAD] Please describe your character. If you would like provide an image, do so at the bottom of this form. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/INDENT][/INDENT]

[SIZE=3][COLOR=#ADADAD]Brief summary - The minimum is a description of where your character stands after the tragedy. It's your choice to write more than that.
What have they been up to? How do they contribute and to what exactly are they contributing?  What do they want and what are their motivations? These are prompt questions,  not things to bullet point answers to. 
 
Note: The 'title' line at the top can be a title (ie. Duke So+So, Lady of the Such+Such), an occupation (ie. The Thief, The Baker), or something of your choice that you feel concisely describes the role of your character.
[/COLOR][/SIZE][/INDENT][/FONT]

 

[Jess Incognito]

THE TORCH-BEARER

NAME: Ivaar Bel
AGE: 38
RACE: Human
GENDER: Male
MEANS: Carpenter

APPEARANCE: Ivaar is of medium height, but thick with muscle. Deep lines carve his face and begin to show his age, hardship, and worry. His eyes, a dark grey, are lit by an eternal vigilance and the corner's of his mouth seem to be set always slightly downward. He would like to keep his face clean shaven, but lately a dark stubble has found time to grow in. An old wound in his left leg leaves him with a slight limp, some days more noticeably than others. ​

Ivaar is just a carpenter and before that, he was just a soldier until taking a wound that should have left him an amputee or dead. After the earthquake, things were understandably chaotic, but, being a man of order, the former soldier found it difficult to make excuses for it as the weeks passed. Prompted by nothing but his own ideals, he got to work and slowly attracted the ear of many people who thought simply: here's a man whose head didn't fall off when the world went dark. They organized groups to go out into the tunnels to search for a way out and put the guards back to work along with volunteer peacekeepers.

Of course, at first he was simply doing what he thought everyone should have been doing. He thought it was just good sense that people actually listened to him. As time passes, however, it becomes clearer the influence this man has gained in the tragedy, though he does not necessarily wish it. With no others to lead, he is one candidate to look to for order. The torchbearer, a leader in the dark.
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