Theme

Overview
The world they know is safe.

It is a perfectly ordinary world. Neither pure good nor true evil have any real hold, if they even exist. The masses toil away to support the elites of the upper classes, all for the sake of going home at night to have a beer and watch television. It is a muted, pastel world in which most people exchange passion for safety and wonder is replaced by the certainty of routine, mundane existence. The passing of time is only remarkable to those who notice old faces fall away to be replaced by new ones, all part of the same cycle, a dull reflection in a grayscape window.

The truth is not so safe.

It is a world of great uncertainty and perilous few answers. Some have dim memories of the ancient past that sometimes bubbles up from from beneath the shadowy surface of this gloaming world. Stories people gather to whisper around campfires and on stormy nights wander the streets. Wise children know to avoid the lonely old house at the end of the lane, and sometimes secret wishes come true, whether wonderful or terrible. Nightmares and dreams alike stalk the hazy edges of mankind's consciousness, and either can be dangerous. You see, the old world never really left. It just got smarter.

The stories are true.

A Clash of Paradigm
Modern fantasy can be a challenging genre to get "just right." Many times, it seems ones only choices are Buffy, Harry Potter, or the World of Darkness setting. This game offers an alternative take on what it might be like if mythological elements existed in the world around us. Please feel free to join us and leave your own mark on this modern mythology.

Here, the old, mystic world never really went anywhere. People are just good at ignoring what they don't want to see, and society prefers not to believe in supernatural, rationalizing it until doing so is impossible. When they can no longer deny it, some people become fascinated. Some panic. What is definite is that when someone reports sightings of ghosts, faeries, vampires, or other such creatures to the authorities, they are ignored as crackpots. Those who persist are likely to get locked up in a psychiatric hospital. The government and other authority figures deny the existence of these phenomena, but when it becomes impossible to do so, well...

Won't THAT be interesting to see?

Concerning Tone
This game is meant to have a certain air of mystique and a measure of IC secrecy. As such, a certain level of ambiguity must be maintained in the IC world. This allows for the uncertainty and flexibility that make playing modern fantasy interesting, rather than just D&D with cars and guns. To keep the tone of the game in place, players have extensive control over what of their information is visible to others. You can be as mysterious as you want, and it's probably (but not necessarily) wise to keep from making too big a public stir. After all, unwanted attention can be unhealthy.

People and the world at large seem to have a way of rejecting and forgetting things that don't fit with their own worldview. That is not to say that you cannot ever make a big splash and reveal to mortals that the world is full of bigger, scarier stuff than they ever dreamed, just that it will be a very difficult task to ever really get the world at large to accept the idea that there are supernatural creatures actually out there in the world.

The Mythical Age
( ? - 500 AD)

Beginning with prehistoric times and stretching until the end of the fifth century AD, this is the era during which the oldest known ledgends were born. The gods of old walked the Earth, and humans shared their world with all manner of supernatural creatures. During this time mankind was championed by its most legendary heroes, from Gilgamesh to Hercules. The most epic struggles of the period came about when these men and women were drawn into conflict with the gods, all while a number of great kingdoms and empires rose and fell. Japan, China, Greece, and Egypt were all powerful states at some point during this time, and perhaps the grandest -- or at least the most powerful -- of all was the Roman Empire, which ruled over most of the known world.

Inevitably, this time would pass on. For reasons none can entirely explain, the gods faded from sight and retreated into their own realms of the Otherworld. With the final fall of Rome around 400 AD, the last bastions of the ancient world began to slip away. By 500 AD, the dawn of the middle ages had come. Only a few of the smaller or more subtle gods remained, though some of these were quite powerful. Even with many of the world's dieties having slipped away, there were still many powerful races of supernatural creatures left among the humans.

The Middle Ages
(500 AD - 1300 AD)

This era dawned with the rise of King Arthur Pendragon, who seemed almost to be a holdover from the ancient world. Under Arthur's guidance, it appeared that the old ways might not be forgotten, though his reign was fated to end in tragedy. The exact details of Arthur's fall are not known, other than that there was a scandal at court involving Queen Guenevere and Sir Lancelot, a knight of Arthur's Round Table. This led to fighting at court, at which point the king's bastard son, Mordred, raised an army and rebelled against the crown. Arthur's forces were victorious, but he was mortally wounded by Mordred. However, many accounts state that the king was spirited away before death by his half sister Morgaine le Faye and taken to the enchanted isle of Avalon to be healed. It was widely believed for many years that Arthur would return one day to lead his people again.

It was during the medieval period that the Fae reached the height of their power, though by 900 AD they were in decline. Most magical creatures had vanished into the Otherworld, and by 1300 only a handful of the Fae remained known to the human world as society came to accept them less and less. In any case, the Renaissance had come. In the 1200's, Thomas Learmonth of Erceldoune, also known as True Thomas the Rhymer, made his first visit to the Otherworld and the Faerie queen, and he returned to serve as a soothsayer in the human courts of the day.

The Renaissance
(1300 AD - 1500 AD)

Even as the Fae began to slip away to their various places of power, the first verifiable reports of vampires were made. They seldom rose to the forefront of society or drew any great notice, though magi lived as openly as ever during this era, often holding a dominant place in polite society. Mysticism and reason melded together into more advanced magical disciplines than history had previously seen, and during this time various magical orders came into the height of their power. Europe was not only the seat of enlightenment and culture but the center of the magical world. Things remained fairly harmonious for the duration of the era, and the world seemed to have settled into a kind of "Golden Age."

It was in the 1300s that True Thomas finally died of extreme old age and passed his wisdom on to his heir, also named Thomas of Erceldoune. From this line would descend several great bards and soothsayers, who never actually became numerous, and the line seems lost to antiquity. The old ways of magic became less known to most during this time as the last Druids faded from European public life.

The Imperial Age
(1500 AD - 1750 AD)

The Imperial Age marked the downfall of the golden age. Many magic users and other supernaturals were persecuted by the Roman Inquisition. Magi were recruited into secret sects of the Inquisition and given an offer of amnesty if they would turn against their fellows. So it was, through a pattern of lies, infiltration, and guile, that many of the most ancient magi were killed or driven into seclusion. Others simply became better at hiding in plain sight.

In America, magi enjoyed a largely undiscovered existence, though there were some ugly incidents, such as the witch trials in Massachussets. For the most part, American magi proved to be more progressive and quite adaptable, easily becoming part of the push to the New World and in many cases becoming quite wealthy and influential as a result.

The Industrial Age
(1750 AD - 1950 AD)

By the time America chose to declare independence from Britain the orders had vanished completely, and by the American Civil War, not a single magus remained known to the general public. Many still remained, though they either reinvented themselves to hide in plain sight or went into hiding. Many retreated deep into the wilderness of the least populated parts of the world. In this era, vampires enjoyed a brief, shining century as the most numerous and powerful of the supernatural races in the world. The Inquisition finally died out -- at least officially. The world began to turn more fully than ever to reason, and the old ways were forgotten.

Following Dracula's apparent death at the hands of Van Helsing in the late 1800s, vampires seemed to vanish overnight. By 1900, they had seamlessly escaped from public knowledge. The coming of the 20th century marked a new era with bigger problems, and the world was made a much darker, more sober place by two world wars. Finally, at the end of World War II, the world was changed by the arrival of the atomic bomb. By 1950, a new age had dawned: the age of the atom.

The Atomic Age
(1950 AD - 1990 AD)

Technology was the defining factor of this era. There was very little recorded supernatural activity during this time, as the Earth became grayer and more barren. The environment began to falter, and humanity reached absolute dominance over all other life on the planet. It seemed likely that nothing could oppose the purely mundane world, and some feared that magic might even begin to fade from the world.

Many supernatural creatures lurked and hid themselves in the dark corners of the world, most fearing what might happen if this new and frightening human society should remember them and seek to destroy them. Other supernaturals were able to blend perfectly into human society. Despite the advances of science and technology, ignorance of what was once known seemed determined to persist in the minds of men.

The Information Age
(1990 AD - ? )

The birth of the Internet changed everything. Between 1990 and 2000, the more unusual people of the world began to meet. One by one they came into contact, and so groups began to form. They even held conventions. Some of these groups were only fans of particular movies or books, but some were something more than that. Some of them were True Believers, holding various ancient lore or mystic power that had long been forgotten by the public. They were the first humans in many years to find that the supernatural had never really gone anywhere.

Gods, demons, vampires, faeries -- they had all been forced to adapt and change with the world around them. Some still dwelled in the oldest natural places of the world, and others had vanished away to long slumbers or private realms. Many, though, had simply blended into mortal society. Old gods might be found sometimes wandering in alleyways with a dedicated following of homeless acolytes. Faeries often took on human shapes and dwelled among them. Vampires, probably, proved the most apt at adapting to human customs, even if their fashion tended to end up a decade or two out of style.

Present Day
Most of humanity has forgotten the older world and all the supernatural creatures that come along with it. Yet, they are not all ignorant. Some humans have been present when long-dormant creatures have awakened, and these humans have begun to study what they can of the old, broken pieces that were left from ages past. Those with very exceptional resources might even have more current knowledge. Even the government has its obscure branches that exist to keep supernatural creatures from getting out of hand, but they tend to have limited power and resources. After all, the more supernatural power one attains, the less "human" one might seem to be to ordinary people.

There are some humans, though, who wish to coexist openly with supernaturals. Some of the supernaturals grow tired of hiding and wish to openly present themselves to humans. As discontent stirs amidst the masses of humans and the societies of supernaturals alike, it may be a forgone conclusion that change will come. Some even speak of massive shifts in power, of war and revolution. It may be inevitable that we are doomed, whether we like it or no, to live in very interesting times....

Setting
Seattle, WA The setting of the game is that of a world much like our own with a few key differences. This is not in fact the real world, and no actual living persons will be depicted as a part of ongoing role-play or the setting of the game. While references might be made to distant political figures, celebrities, etc., no character that is in any way involved with the game's plot will ever be a real person. Events of the real world will not be reflected in the world of the game. This is a fictional setting based in part on the real world and in part on legends, myth, and the imaginations of the players and staff.

In the city of Seattle, there are many outdoor markets, bistros, and cafes. In many areas of the city, it is perfectly acceptable to assume that such surroundings exist. Naturally, you should not assume you are in a bistro if you are in an industrial park, or an outdoor market floating on Puget Sound. However, you could easily decide that you are going through such a market in a neighborhood where the description notes that sort of thing as an element of the area.

''However, you should never RP that the room you are in is another area altogether. If you need a place that is not offered on the grid, rather than hijacking an IC location and RPing that it's something else, just go to the Hall of RP Rooms off the IC Nexus and create the location in an RP Room. (One would not, for example, go into a Starbucks and declare that for your scene it will be an Irish Pub.) That said, please do make use of the grid. You can use the +poi command (see +help +poi) and the +map command (+help +map) to locate spots to play on the grid.''

Races
If the race you want is not listed on the game, just contact staff to see if it needs to be added. In general, we're leaving races very broad and open- ended instead of trying to define them excessively. The theory behind races on this game is this: if there are a dozen (or an hundred) different stories in the world about what a vampire is, then there's no reason why there can't be that many varieties of vampire out there. The same holds true for any other race out there that is not forbidden under the character restrictions rules.

You must create the character's desired abilities and weaknesses with advantages and flaws, so you can define the race however seems best to you. Though, if your take on a race seems utterly at odds with its concept (such as a vampire who does not drink blood and is unaffected by sunlight), staff may require more explanation or some adjusting.

Some races may require particular discussion with staff, even given our open-ended approach. For example, characters with divine connections (demigods, angels, demons) may need to be carefully defined so there is a sense that the cosmology behind them is at least similar. Such as described in the "Religion" section below, this game assumes that there is no single "correct" belief system in the world.

Factions

 * List of current factions.

Various factions exist in the world. Many have no particular relevance to the game, and so we will not say anything much about them. Yet, some play a very important role in the society of the game. These will each have their own entry in our +facs system (see: '+help FACTIONS'). Each of the game's factions has its own goals and resources, and each faction needs someone to play its faction head. The faction head is in charge of helping to generate role-play within his/her own faction and between their faction and the others. They gain special perks and notable In Character authority, but this comes with the burden of responsibility. Also, staff will become quite unhappy with anyone who abuses their In Character authority.

The head of a faction is not a monarch. They cannot demand that a member of their faction give away property or sacrifice life and limb for the cause -- though, they can certainly make it very uncomfortable for those who refuse to aid in the defense of the faction's interests. Each faction has the ability to control various interests, be they locations or artifacts, and these grant advantages to those factions. The faction head is able to bequeath these holdings to the keeping of faction members, thus granting some advantages to the ones who hold them as well. Of course, a faction's holdings can be lost as well as gained, especially when they come into conflict with another faction.

Peace between the factions may be possible, but it will almost certainly not come easily, given that they tend to have fairly different goals from one another, and none of them hesitate to pursue those goals.

Religion vs. Cosmology
Personal spiritual belief or religion is something that we have no desire to challenge or disrespect on this game. We consider all belief systems valid, and in point of fact the founders of the game count amongs themselves a diverse range of religious backgrounds. As such, in terms of the In Character world of the game, we will not treat any particular belief system or religion as uniquely "correct," instead taking the attitude that all have some truth to them and can coexist. Any attempt to enforce a specific belief system as TRUTH, rather than simply one of many In Character forces and beliefs, will not be allowed. It is not the purpose of this game to explore theology. The purpose is to have fun. So, while any character may believe what they choose, opposing views are just as valid. It should be perfectly plausible for a demigod descended from Zeus and an angel to co- exist in our world with neither of them thinking it strange. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Most players can stop reading at this point. From here on out, it's all going to be advice about playing a character with religious themes and elements and how to help them all fit into the same world without causing a problem for each other In Character or disrespecting someone's personal OOC beliefs. That said, here we go.

Angelic Characters
Angelic characters are especially problematic, since they presumably know what "God" is really like; as such, angels will be especially hobbled. Reduced to divine spirits in mortal bodies, they may not remember much beyond their basic mission or specific purpose. Angels who have been sent to Earth will have no ability to tell anyone what "God" or "Heaven" are really like. Rather, they are more likely to refer to the power they serve as "The Divine" (though some may say "God" for the sake of simplicity) and they cannot reveal the nature of the Hereafter. They should perhaps come across as offering a Deist view of the universe, though (if they even have enough memories to say) they should say that isn't quite entirely right, either. Essentially, there is Truth in every major religion, and within the greater wisdom of The Divine all things are possible and may coexist.

Perhaps an even bigger question is, what sort of morality should an angelic character support? Well, it's likely that some very well-known ways of identifying the broad guidelines of morality apply ("Do not kill, do not rape, do not steal" and "Treat others as you wish to be treated" come easily to mind), the most likely answer is that an angelic character has a unique and perhaps somewhat skewed view of morality based on the mortal mind that their spirit dwells within. Therefore, an angelic character could in theory have a lot of ideas that are simply unique to them, and there's no specific way to prove them wrong or right.

The most important thing to remember when playing an angel here is this: you should not be establishing any other religion as untrue or immoral, nor should you condemn any particular culture or minority group. So, no one should be playing an angel and claiming that "God hates" Muslims or gays or Catholics or Mormons or anyone else. It's in poor taste, and it's really not what this game is designed for. Playing an angel here means playing a divine spirit bound to mortal flesh who wants, in their own unique way, to make the world a better place and help humanity. That's all.

Demonic Characters
So, if you actually made it through that long rant about angels on the game, the rest of this should be easy. Demons, for example, may come from one of any number of hell dimensions, and they may never have hear of (let alone met) a guy named Satan or Lucifer. If they happen to have met (or chosen to serve) him, then they may have his version of the "Truth" about God/Heaven/the universe, but this is not to be taken as (pardon the pun) gospel. Generally, demons don't know anything about the true nature of "God" or "Heaven," though they can (and do) pretend to. They tend to be much more designed around the concept of dark spirits who have taken a mortal form, however powerful it might be, to prey on the souls of humans.

Divine Characters
In the case of demigods, they don't have to be difficult at all. Sure, the gods are real--yes, all of them, even when they overlap. How does that work? Call it a Divine Mystery, because the gods themselves have never offered any explanation, so demigods don't have them either. Sure, a demigod might have her or his own theories or opinions, but the fact is that no one is quite sure what the big picture is and how it all fits together. Demigods from all pantheons are possible, just as angels are. How and why they are all possible is perhaps best summarized with the (obviously borrowed) expression: "the gods move in mysterious ways."

Magic
There are many ways one can approach the concept of magic. For our purposes, we're taking the one that allows the most possibilities and does the least to limit it: magic cannot be defined. What it is, exactly, may vary from user to user. It can be divine or demonic power, natural energy or extradimensional force, a manifestation of the latent power of the soul or one's personal chi put into focused effect -- magic can be whatever it needs to be. To define it is to make it science instead of magic.

To that end, our fundamental assumption about magic is that it can work just about any way you want it to. It can come from any source, and it can be shaped in just about any way. With that said, though, we do have a few guidelines for its use. These are meant to establish tone and power, practical considerations, rather than thematic ones. Trying to pick apart your magic and tell you how it works is not something we have the time or inclination to do. Here are some practical guidelines for using magic:


 * The bigger the effect, the more time and energy should go into creating it. A quick spell that might do personal-combat-level damage to someone is fine as a basic attack, and it will be as effective as your DMG stat allows it to be.  However, if you want to destroy a brick wall, you should probably take a few moments to prepare, whether that means you make a circle of power, chant an incantation, or simply take a moment to focus intently before striking.  In general, "street level" effects can be done without much fanfare (or with fanfare, if you prefer).


 * Bigger or more exotic effects should be worked out as Plot material, possibly with help from staff. Transforming or enchanting other players on a very short-term basis can be done with their consent, but generally such effects should be plot effects.  Destroying something larger than a truck, making a large area change to the way Nature works (such as, say, altering the weather across the entire city), or otherwise doing magic that either causes big ripples or extensive changes to a player character or established NPC should be treated as Plot effects.


 * Magic that alters physics extensively, such as reordering time on a large scale, should always be Plot effects. The caveat to this is that if it's minor enough, you can get away with almost anything.  For example, having a sorceress casually say that she adjusts the flow of time so she's never late to work and always has plenty of time to get ready in the morning is an incidental effect, no problem at all.  Yet, if she were to try to use time travel as an excuse to accomplish an important task or affect another player, the odds are she would need to seek Plot approval.


 * Creating illusions that may deceive others in the immediate area is fine. Creating illusions that will affect more than a city block needs Plot approval. Conjuring a pencil or even a bit of cash is fine, but using conjuring magic as an excuse to invent Advantages that you do not have or using transportational magic to steal something of someone else's or to infiltrate their personal sanctum is probably a Plot effect.

All in all, common sense should rule the day in these matters. If you are ever in doubt as to whether a magic effect is incidental and acceptable, a Plot effect that needs approval, or just plain too big or outlandish to get away with at all, please contact staff. We will be happy to advise.