Contents
Haloweek - 九龙夜航
▶
RESONATOR
Schrödinger's Gambit
Introduction
Timeline
Codex
- 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101
- 02020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202
- 03030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303
- Introduction01Schrödinger's GambitTo take a course of action based on the pure belief that no matter what the outcome will be, it will be a favourable one.Prelude001We are dying.
It has been exactly 4 months since the Corruptants overwhelmed our forces and turned the tide of battle against humanity. The Sons of Pythagoras had infiltrated our ranks, rotting us from within. A cancer that had spread throughout our entire system, faltering the will of men and corroding the once great machinations that unity had bequeathed us. To think that they were once branded as a small insignificant bunch of madmen. The Corruptants thrived on that sort of insanity. Historia Apostle Of Lies, wretched angel, she who is the mother of deception bathed in the blood of countless of our brethren. Sanctum Aaru had fallen.
We should’ve known. It’d been barely a few years since Shattered Heavens, the catastrophe that brought humanity to its knees. We had learned and overcome. But like countless times in our long history, we became complacent, idle in our gilded cages, safe behind the Schrödinger Barriers of our Sanctums. Fat and indolent. That’s what we were. We as in they; the governments of our fractured world. Such was the curse of men, to adapt. To grow strong in strife. And To become weak in the relative peace of a new normal.
But we are not them.
Even as the blight encroach on our borders and Corruptants tear our walls down, heroes will rise. In unwavering creed and powers derived from the very fabric of the Universe of which we have become our very own gods. Humanity shall once again retake what we had lost and from the ashes, rebuild ourselves anew.
But this tale is not ours to weave. For behind every roaring flame, is the spark of ordinary men. Men who will pave the way to Deliverance.
Men like you and I. Resonators we are called—an elite taskforce of the Retalis Concordia Legions. And we’re all that stands between existence and annihilation.
This is our story. Know it.
For you will die, and no one will remember you.GM Notes002Resonator: Schrödinger's Gambit (R:SG) was originally intended to be a filler RP to get my two (literally) creative braincells moving again, as I was having difficulty expanding on another RP of mine. It borrows tons of influence from various media, in particular, the anime Human Lost and was intended to be a very simple and straightforward RP both lore and storywise. Unfortunately, the more I set into writing, the more I felt the need to explain certain parts of the world until it becomes what it is now. So hey, I hope the text walls aren’t too daunting and that you’ll find this premise interesting enough to chip in, toodles!
Premise003An alternate earth. A universe brought into ruin, destroyed by humankind as they shattered the very fabric of reality. You are a Resonant, an elite soldier of the last vestiges of mankind. The war against Dimension Devourers, called Corruptants, has been going against humanity and it is up to a small dedicated force to protect and deliver a top-secret device to safety so that future generations will have a fighting chance. With traitors abound, your loyalty to the survival of your species must remain steadfast and your resolve unwavering. How much are you willing to sacrifice so that unborn eyes can open?Guidelines004◇ A sample post will be required along with your CS application. If you’re unsure whether my pompous elitist ass will accept your writing, feel free to shoot the sample over before you work on the CS. By doing this, it is not my intention of belittling those who are less able in this regard. Everyone starts from somewhere, but there is space for learning and there is also space for enjoying visual orgasms elicited when I read your carefully arranged communication symbols. Arguably there is both, but this is more of the latter.
◇ Posting frequency. Once a week. More is welcome. If you are unable, just let me know. I can be reasonable to you know? Just keep me updated. 2 weeks of absence with not a single poop will get you the kicker.
◇ There will be no posting order unless specified. Usually for special events or fights. But if you are capable of posting novels every few hours, lord bless you, by all means, indulge us but please be reasonable and allow others to catch up. Cake is good. More cake is good. Gluttony not so much.
◇ The RP will be dark, gritty and at times, gory. It may explore execrable themes not intended for less mature audiences. The only limits are what is permitted by RPN. Actions will have consequences and that includes me killing off your character if they continue down the path of stupid. Do consider these things before joining. In fact, your character may actually die. Consider yourself forewarned.
◇ Discord will likely be the OOC platform of choice. I’m not the most active chatter, but I do know that there are many who find it helpful to keep interactions and interest in the RP going. It is also undoubtedly easier to manage the RP given its tools. If you are unable to use Discord for any reason, do let me know. It is not a deal breaker.
- Timeline02Dark Matter GenomeAs much as 98% of the human DNA is regarded as non-functional code. But there is a difference between lack of understanding and fact
End Of Awakening Wars2057The year-long world war that nearly brought humankind to extinction ends. The catalysts of peace? Various Megacorps of each major political bloc formed alliances, using their combined resource might and the will of anguished people to stage a coup d'état, wresting control from the warring governments to force a stand down on all sides. No race, no religion, and no differing ideals shall come between mankind and progress.
To mark the awakening of a new age, the Mirai Aeternus Convention of 2057 was set in motion. Nations from all over the world were to send their brightest minds to combat men’s true enemy. Sickness and mortality.
PROJECT S.I.N.2087Three decades later, success. Under the leadership of Dr Friedrich Schröedinger one of the cornerstone projects of the Convention was achieved. Self-Regulating Iatric Nanites, SIN, was the masterwork of all scientific disciplines. Biologics, physical chemistry, metaphysics, acoustics and most notably, computer sciences. In the pursuit to eradicate all sickness from our frail fleshy bodies of blood and bone, the scientists discovered what they now know as the Code Of Life (CoL). Reverberating alter dimensional waves that resonated directly with all bioforms, enhancing growth and vigour. It was the missing ‘link’ they had all been looking for.
With this knowledge, Dr Schröedinger designed nano-sized biomachines that could be infused into the human body. Through synchronisation with a centralized health monitoring system, the SINs can be utilized to emit CoL Waves to counteract any signs of ageing and sickness in the body.
LEX SANITAS2147Six decades later the world is a very different place. SIN has become a large part of society integrating itself into every human with the means to afford the insurance. Man no longer feared impending mortality. With its widespread usage all over the world, the erstwhile convention of brightest minds had involved into its own entity: LEX SANITAS, the largest and most influential Megacorporation globally. With its boundless resources, it continuously pursued progress, pushing the boundaries of understanding in the Code Of Life.
To an informed few, a new project had begun. PROJECT Boundless Universe.
Shattered Heavens2157Humanity had done it again. That step too far. Breaking things, only this time, the thing that broke was reality itself.
Shattered Heavens.
The single most devastating cataclysmic event the entire history of the universe itself. Records were conflicting, but most accounts dictate that there was a low rumble, one that was felt deep within as if the entire world groaned lasting for about a minute. Then in an instant, everything shattered–people, buildings, objects, the sky and even the celestial bodies in vast open space. 50% of the global population was wiped out in that single moment and another 25% in the fallout that ensued. Rifts in the space-time continuum fractured at seven locations throughout the earth, coalescing into gargantuan shape-changing monuments called the Fractelum Megaliths.
Corruptant2158From the ashes of ruin, the vestiges of mankind picked up the pieces once more. Society was rebuilt even as the perpetual curiosity that broke our universe was now directed towards the Fractelum Megaliths. Shimmering radiating crystals called Fractelums were excavated from the sites surrounding the Megaliths. But before the end of our second year since Shattered Heavens, they appeared. Corrupted fauna by the radiation of the Fractelum Megaliths or perhaps extradimensional creatures, we did not fully understand the monstrosities that surged from the base of the Megaliths. We call them Corruptant. Twisted wretched creatures that tore at our defenses and drove deep into our vulnerable cities.
First Fractal War2164Humanity persevered for 8 long years, forming the Retalis Concordia Legions (RCL), a combined fighting force from all nations. Together they pushed back against the Corruptants until they were at the doorstep of Fractelum Megalith Alpha. Using newly researched tech by Dr Schröedinger, they managed to disable the Megalith. But just when victory seemed within reach, a cult of Fractal Worshippers called the Sons of Pythagoras suddenly revolted, with many amongst the RCL revealing themselves to be cultists throwing humanity’s forces into disarray. With the Megalith Limiters deactivated, the Corruptant returned with a vengeance. From that point onward, the RCL had been steadily losing ground and just a mere 4 months after the revolt, all of humanity’s Forward Sanctum Fortresses (FSF) had fallen.
All save for two. FSF ANGELA & FSF MARIA, where the remnants of the RCL prepare for a last stand against the encroaching Corruptants.
- Codex03Ordenskèin LimitA technological limit for which man can reach, but never surpass, essentially halting the change of technological epochs unless the Ordenskèin Variable is identified.Schrödinger's Dissonance001An Omni-dimensional energy wave, said to have been triggered as a ripple effect from failed experimentation by PROJECT Boundless Universe. While much of the information that could’ve been obtained from sensors throughout the world during that time has been lost, it is theorised that the dissonance was the corrupted form of the Code of Life (CoL) Wave. The energy wave was supposed to have vibrated at the perfect frequency to dismantle all matter it affected, subjecting each cell of the body to a 50% chance of immediate non-existence. Though not exclusive, a very high percentage of affected persons were discovered to have SIN infusions.Fractelum Megaliths002Towering objects made of an unknown element with ever-changing shapes. They appeared within moments after Shattered Heavens and are theorised to be large rifts in the space-time continuum. They are the source of the Corruptants, Blight and Fractelum crystals. There are a total of seven Fractelum Megaliths Alpha, Beta, Omega, Delta, Gamma, Epsilon and Lambda. Megalith Alpha is the largest and the supposed location of the original PROJECT Boundless Universe.
Resonators003Resonants or Resonators or individuals who have achieved a kind of commensalistic relationship with the corrupted Code of Life waves, hence the term Resonator. As such, their aging process has greatly slowed and they are far more physically resilient compared to baseline humans. They also do not require expensive protective equipment when venturing into the Blight.
There are 2 kinds of Resonators, Synthetics and Inherents. Inherent Resonators were humans infused with SIN that somehow survived Shattered Heavens. Synthetics are Resonators created after being exposed to amplified Fractelum Crystal radiation in a Metaphasium Chamber—a deadly experimental process that has a very low survival rate. Subjects are completely submerged in highly concentrated Fractelum Superliquid.
To be able to effectively use their powers, Inherents also need to undergo the Metaphasium process, though the risk of death is much lower should it result in failure.
WISP004Wandering Inverted SIN Particles. SIN being the original Self-Regulating Iatric Nanites. As the events of Shattered Heavens ravaged the world, the breaking and warping of reality corrupted the Code of Life, and in so doing changed SIN particles forever. As SIN-infused humans shattered all over the realm, they released these ‘inverted’ SINs where they amalgamated into the ruined land. Known as WISPs they are now part of the ecosystem of this new fallen world. Research on WISPs is severely lacking, but they have been reported to spontaneously congregate in swarms, spilling out of the surface of the earth in rivulets of black particles or whirling vortexes. When in areas of high WISP density, Resonators regenerate their energy quicker though they need to take care lest they get caught up in the storm of ripping high-energy nanoparticles.
Blight005“A cacophony of the inherent chaotic nature within the primal universe permeating its randomness onto ordered reality.”
~Dr Friedrich Schrödinger
It first spread rapidly with the coming of the first Corruptants, casting an iridescent, almost beautifully ethereal, shimmering pall over all land. Where it pervaded, reality unravelled. If the Corruptants did not rip you apart, reality would.
Blight spreads passively from the Fractelum Megaliths, but can propagate much quicker with the increasing density of Corruptant population in the area. To date, there are 4 categorised levels of Blight infection, each with increasing chaotic effects. They are denoted by their Lagrange levels:
LAGRANGE 1 - Higher incidences of delirium and other similar mental disturbances were reported among the general populace. Spontaneous spawning of Corruptant nodes can happen though it is uncommon and takes up to a week for the node to develop into Splinters.
LAGRANGE 2 - All previous levels’ effects but greater. Weather patterns can change very abruptly, with deserts suddenly shrouded in blizzards and thunderstorms, spontaneous development of gravity maelstroms, corruption of AI systems into Spliced, exposed digital systems may suffer critical malfunctions, greater incidence of spontaneous Corruptant nodes—development to Splinters take hours.
LAGRANGE 3 - All previous levels’ effects but greater. Exposure to Blight can have very detrimental effects on human physiology. Subjects would experience noticeable breathing difficulties as soon as 30 minutes after exposure to level 3 Lagrange Particles. At 45 minutes, cancer cells would develop all along the respiratory pathways and the eyes take on the same iridescent flecked colours of the Blight. Continued exposure leads to very random effects on various subjects. These include but are not limited to: death, spontaneous metamorphosis and spontaneous shattering. Subjects traversing LAGRANGE 3 terrain may observe the materialization of random objects from figments of thought; interaction with such objects is strictly prohibited.
LAGRANGE 4 - All previous levels’ effects but greater. Dissonance on a universal scale. At this stage, large-scale topographical peculiarities occur accompanied by a breakdown in generally understood laws of physics (ruins of buildings and other such objects suspended mid-air, reverse gravity and even completely missing portions of the terrain replaced by chaotic space). Manifestations of Decoded can also occur as reality becomes affected by the darkest recesses of the subconscious mind, changing according to the worse nightmares, greatest dreams and harrowing traumas of subjects present in the vicinity. Protective equipment is advised even for Resonators.
◇ While LAGRANGE 4 Blight is only found near Fractelum Monoliths, the immediate vicinity surrounding the Monolith may not necessarily experience LAGRANGE 4 Blight.
◇ Though LAGRANGE levels can be determined using specialised equipment, the corresponding environmental effects are more of a spectrum than definitive i.e. LAGRANGE 3 can experience LAGRANGE 4 effects albeit to a lesser degree.
Corruptant006Dimension devourers. Twisted perversions of the natural laws of the universe, coalescing from the shattered and corrupted Code of Life, these creatures exist to spread the Blight and be the end of us all. In general, they can be categorised into 5 groups, each poses a bigger threat than the previous. They are:
Splinters. Spliced. Decoded. (Dissonant). Fractals.
Sanctums007During the fallout after Shattered Heavens, many of the remnants of humanity fled to utopian mini-cities that had once sprang up around the world’s largest megacorps. This was the final straw for secular government (the beginning of which was during the Awakening Wars) as nations are now ruled by private entities. Sanctums are protected from the Blight through the use of Schrödinger Barriers. The largest Sanctum is Andlang, governed by the notorious megacorp LEX SANITAS. The rest of the Sanctums are Absynthium (governed by Nebulon Inc.), Tengoku, Kayangan and Aaru, though the latter was recently overrun during the betrayal by the Sons of Pythagoras.
To actively contain the Corruptants, the Retalis Concordia Legions (RCL) operate from smaller sanctums nearer to the Megaliths called Forward Sanctum Fortresses. Each Sanctum funds 2 or 3 FSFs by contributing to the RCL forces stationed their equipment, manpower and other various resources. As of the present time, all FSF’s have been overrun except for two: FSF ANGELA operated by Sanctum Andlang and FSF MARIA operated by Sanctum Absynthium.
KIRT Weaponry008One of the main reasons humanity’s first few encounters with the Corruptant resulted in large-scale failures was due to the ineffectiveness (though not completely useless) of conventional projectile or energy weaponry, even against fully developed Splinters; which were the lowest category of Corruptants. The scales shifted to a more level playing field when Kinetic Resonance Transfer (KIRT) munitions were developed. Using by-products of Fractelum Crystal processing, they could be infused into various forms of weaponry that were many times more effective at killing Corruptants.
RCL009Retalis Concordia Legions. A specialised military group formed and funded by the collaboration of all Sanctum governments to combat the Corruptant. In general, they operate as a separate entity but are still susceptible to political will by the respective Sanctums, especially at localised branches.
VECTOR010Variable Exo-Clad Tactical Operation Raider, or more better known as VECTORs. From the towering Eidolon class Vectors to the diminutive 12-footer Latro class, the VECTOR CORPS are among the most important assets of the RCL other than the Resonators. These mecha were born out of necessity to solve two key problems in the fight against Corruptants. The loss of AI and complex self-automation (they warped into Corruptant Spliced) and the need to have a mobile Schrödinger Barrier emitter that can serve as a refuge for attacking forces against the Blight. As such, Vectors were manufactured to go toe-to-toe with the larger Corruptant forces. Smaller Vectors like the Latro and mid-sized Venator can be operated by one pilot while Eidolons require up to three. Vectors are incredibly expensive to produce and a large majority of the VECTOR CORPS had been decimated during the betrayal.
MANIFOLD CONVERGENCE011The catastrophe that was Shattered Heavens irreversibly altered the face of not just the earth, but also caused fractures deep into the very fabric of reality. What is left of the perceivable plane now exists as a constantly unravelling Calabi-Yau Manifold. The Euclidean Leylines that run from node to node are all that keeps the propagation of Manifold Convergence at bay, anchoring reality on nothing but sheer chance and God-knows-what.
The Manifold Convergence is a universal unravelling of all the higher level of dimensions into and out of the normal plane of existence. When not held in check, at any point in time and place, reality simply converges forming a temporal wormhole to an entirely different area of reality. Where the two 'spaces' meet is what is known as the Manifold Convergence, a shimmering chaotic curtain of randomness that would dismantle anything caught in it's path. For the most part, the Manifold Convergence highly favours the current plane of existence allowing those who can survive the event the ability to cross great distances. Many lives were lost in the early months after Shattered Heavens. While the Manifold Convergence appears to be similar and is affected by Blight and high Lagrange Particles levels, they are two separate events.
As humanity evolved into their new environment, they realized that the Manifold Convergences can be held back. In addition to holding back Blight, Schrödinger Barriers created a large invisible 'safeground' that extended beyond its 'physical' radius. This resulted in the Sanctums and FSFs sitting on a kind of 'reality island' where the Manifold Convergence could not propagate. With the addition of Euclidean Leylines that connected communication Nodes and outposts between them, they acted as a kind of reality anchor, tethering the various 'islands' together. In this regard, the FSF's could act as gatekeepers between the Fractelum Megaliths and the various Sanctums. This allows the various FSFs to take the brunt of most Corruptant attacks, though some Corruptants do find their way directly to the Sanctums.
Code by Nano
Last edited:
