Futuristic The Celestrad Trilogy: Part One

[elmatus]

"Suffer -- that's all they said. We wanted more, but... truth is, we all saw it coming. We just ignored it. The Fall wasn't nearly as flashy as you'd imagine. It was more like one big collective sigh. What else could we do? We had to suffer."


- Kai Adem, The Fall

• Background
• Characters
• Requesting to Join

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  Plot Summary
  
  
  The first entry in the Celestrad Trilogy opens a window on the human experience 150 years after the fall of modern society. It follows the journey of a group of people traveling across a largely destitute North American wasteland in search of the fabled city of Celestrad.
  
  
  The Setting
  
  
  This story takes place some time after what is commonly referred to simply as The Fall. Small groupings of humans survive in a nomadic state, roaming in search of fertile land or any other sources of food. Remnants of a once advanced society dot the landscape. Pieces of technology are regularly manipulated and reassembled as best as possible to be used as tools -- and as weapons. An abundance of bioengineering and cybernetics that had so flourished in the decades prior to The Fall lingers on through generational knowledge and sheer need.
  
  
  Human biology was not spared. Pregnancies have become extremely rare, and resource scarcity has transformed many survivors into fearful and extremely dangerous scavengers. The need to band together persists, and with that need spreads the inevitable darkness of the human soul. Where some are content to roam and survive, others choose to prey on the weak. And so humanity continues to suffer.
  
  
  Key Terms and Concepts
  
  
  The Fall: A term commonly used when referring to the end of human civilization approximately 150 years before the events in this story. Over 99% of the human population died during this time. The world's ecosystems were also severely impacted, which had a hugely negative effect on wildlife. Towns and cities were essentially obliterated, and the land was left largely infertile. Agriculture is possible but difficult. Fauna and flora for survival remain, but are severely depleted.
  
  
  Celestrad: A city that is said to have survived the Fall and maintained a high degree of technological wonder and prosperity. The existence of Celestrad is essentially mythological.
  
  
  Augmentation: The process of enhancing a human or animal's biological and physical capabilities by way of bioengineering and cybernetic technology. This may involve chemical augmentation, cybernetic augmentation, or some combination of both. Such bioengineering had become extremely common in the decades immediately preceding The Fall. Though there are comparatively few people with such bioengineering skills today, the echo of this technology remains.
  
  
  Biodoc: Common parlance for a person with knowledge and experience in augmenting humans through bioengineering and technology. Before the fall, they would have been highly educated; Now they are mostly self-taught. They are highly sought after and respected. It should be noted that the term 'Biodoc' does not refer to someone who augments animals, as there are many people who attempt to do this with varying degrees of success.
  
  
  Enlightened Ones: The Enlightened are humans born with an ability to sense and communicate with each other through some largely misunderstood combination of thought and emotion. They began appearing naturally shortly after the use of human augmentation became widespread. For most, this represented a dangerous form of human mutation. As such, Enlightened Ones were typically hated and even hunted. They are extremely rare today.
  
  
  
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  Note that the following descriptions are only brief summaries. This is to allow prospective players to flesh out their character's traits and tendencies however they so choose.
  
  
  Available
  
  
  Brigid | 27-31 years old
  
  
  Partner of Simon and mother to a pair of twins (Lucas and Anabelle); She is an intelligent woman who is often considered the glue keeping everyone together. When an issues arises, she is among the first to act
  
  
  Adrian | 30-35 years old
  
  
  The group's technician and handyman; In charge of dealing with salvaged metals and anything mechanical; In times of extreme trouble, Adrien is typically the one who is asked to take on the tougher tasks
  
  
  Caleb | 17-21 years old
  
  
  Raised by Adrien since birth despite not being his biological son; Has learned much from his father about mechanical work; He is also commonly sent on hunting rounds with Gideon
  
  
  Gideon | 40-46 years old
  
  
  The group's primary food gatherer; He is generally tasked with anything that needs to happen outside village walls; He was provided with cybernetic augmentations by a sympathetic biodoc following an accident a number of years ago; Gideon's implants allow him to see in the dark and to see heat signatures
  
  
  Aimee | 17-21 years old
  
  
  Close friend to Rufus; She is very bright and extremely resourceful; They will become known to the rest of the group during the first chapter
  
  
  Rufus | 30-34 years old
  
  
  Close friend to Aimee; He stands by her as a sort of protector and confidant; They will become known to the rest of the group during the first chapter
  
  
  Unavailable
  
  
  Simon | 28-32 years old
  
  
  Partner to Brigid and father of the twins -- Lucas and Anabelle; Simon is diplomatic and is very well-respected in the group for pulling more than his share of the load; Much like Brigid, he is often called upon to solve problems and alleviate disputes
  
  
  Anabelle | 8 years old
  
  
  Daughter to Brigid and Simon and twin sister to Lucas; Anabelle is ever-smiling and full of life; She never seems discouraged by problematic events and is often the sole bright spot when things turn sour
  
  
  Lucas | 8 years old
  
  
  Son to Brigid and Simon and twin brother to Anabelle; Where his sister is friendly and adventurous, Lucas is more restrained and cautious in everything he does; He has grown very close with Caleb over the last number of years, and often follows him around wherever he goes; However, he is never allowed to go on hunts, despite a strong longing to do so
  
  
  
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  To join our RP, please answer the list of questions below and PM your answers to me. Note that only people who are accepted will be contacted. Also please keep note of the current list of available chars. Until that list is filled, I am unlikely to accept your own original characters. See the 'characters' tab for more details on each one.
  
  
  Shortlist of Currently Available Chars: Brigid | Gideon | Adrien | Caleb | Aimee | Rufus
  
  
  
  
  
  • Character name and age (note the age window mentioned in the character tab):
  
  
  
  
  
  • Provide some description of their appearance, as you imagine it:
  
  
  
  
  
  • Describe the character's personality:
  
  
  
  
  
  • Do you envision your character having any sort of notable equipment or belongings? Please explain if so:
  
  
  
  

RULES

1. Base RPN rules apply
   
2. No godmode; Some characters are capable of things others are not, but don't go nut job.
   
3. Stick to the setting. I will provide additional detail as the story progresses. Please pay attention to these posts.
   
4. Beef up your posts. This doesn't mean you need to write a short story per day, but do try to have a well-thought and sufficient post. This is highly unlikely to be a one-liner.
   
5. Be respectful of others OOC. Your IC may be whatever you feel is warranted at the time.
   
6. You will be asked to post at least once a day.