Since the beginning of time, every species has sought to become better, stronger, more than what they were. It was the survival of the fittest until man evolved. Man, with its superior intelligence overcame its physical limitations and sat at the top of the proverbial food chain, but what if something else came along? What if there was something to challenge the rule of Man? Would mankind rise to the occasion or fall as so many species have before?......
"When Zarathustra arrived at the nearest town which adjoineth the
forest, he found many people assembled in the market-place; for it had
been announced that a rope-dancer would give a performance. And
Zarathustra spake thus unto the people:
I teach you the Superman.
Man is something that is to be surpassed. What have ye doe to surpass
man? All beings hitherto have created something beyond themselves: and
ye want to be the ebb of that great tide, and would rather go back to
the beast than surpass man?"
The year is 2026 and humankind
is coming upon a new age of technological
revolution. Though once wasteful, humans have developed biotechnologies
from microbes for cleanup to mental linkages between a pet and its
owner. At the peak of these developments have been viruses that work not
only to combat disease, but to alter genomes for the better (think
GMOs). It has extended life expectancies, prevented deathly illnesses,
and made people happy. It should have dawned a new golden age for
civilization right?
Well not exactly.
Mankind
became greedy and became so dependent on the virus that the very
technology that they thought a convenience became an addiction. If you
wanted blue eyes? Embed the blue eyed gene into the virus. You wanted an
Olympic athlete for a baby? A bit more costly but still doable. The
black market became especially keen for this, developing their own
equivalent of the virus and selling it to the highest bidder. It changed
the face of crime since now people could be injected with the virus to
enhance their strength and go from ordinary bank robber to body builder
in days.
Worse yet was when they came.
We called
them Synths after the shorthand for "Synthia" (the name of the virus),
but really it didn't matter what they were called because they were powerful.
Some suspected that they were lab rats from the military and some said
that they were black market alterations. The truth is that Synths were
mutants, people whose viral injections went wrong. Some could erupt in
flames and some could shatter people with just their touch. Others
though? They became tumorous, scaly creatures who couldn't leave the
house without police brutality. They became the face of Synthia, but
also its scar for Synthia's creators who thought that they were the root
of the increasing crime rates of the city.
The Synths said "to
hell with humanity" and started wreaking havoc upon Metropolis. They
wanted retribution and they wanted anarchy.
But how would I know that? Because I'm their leader.
Rules
Whatever side you're on, fight true and proud.
1. Be literate, be kind, and be active. 2. Don't god-mod, troll, or start out of character drama. 3.
Give everyone a chance of reply before posting! I'm fine with people
having conversations, but don't do it to the point that no one can keep
up. 4. If you have to be away for a while, just send me a PM or say
so in the OOC thread, otherwise I will assume that your character is
frozen. 5. Try to write in third person, not first because it can be a bit confusing if everyone's posts are in different POVs 6. I am fine with having characters other than for the role listed, but I'm prioritizing the roles given. 7. Don't be afraid to PM me to discuss characters or any ideas you may have! 8. This is a bit of a personal rule, but if you are going to use art that isn't your own I'd rather you credit the original artist/ask for their permission. While I can't control this, I think it's good to give credit where credit is due. Otherwise, real life photos are good as well!
Background
"What is the ape to man? A laughing-stock, a thing of shame. And just
the
same shall man be to the Superman: a laughing stock, a thing of shame.
Ye have made your way from the worm to man, and much within you is still
worm. Once were ye apes, and even yet man is more of an ape than any of
the apes. Even the wisest among you is only a disharmony and hybrid of
plant and phantom. But do I bid you become phantoms or plants?
Lo, I teach you the Superman!
The Superman is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: The Superman shall be the meaning of the earth!"
As
the introduction suggests, we are in the year of 2026, which means the
world is distinctly in the future. The focus of this roleplay is in
biotechnologies (microbes, viruses, etc), but in terms of vehicles we're
still leagues away from hoverbikes and such, but everything is emission
free and solar-powered and yes, holograms are a thing. Smartphones are
still as big as ever, especially since they now project holographic
keyboards and screens. Otherwise, things remain mostly the same as in
our current year of 2014.
Moving on, the Synths are your basic
X-Man/Superman/Heroes bastard child except that the villains are the
majority of the super power holders. Obviously there will be outliers,
but the majority feel betrayed by humanity due to the support of Synthia
Corp.'s actions by the police. What "Leader" hasn't told you is that
not everything is so black and white. There are those who seek peace
between the two factions, mainly normal humans who want a third
solution. These humans have dubbed themselves as the "heroes" of metropolis, but are often times inexperienced citizens who either wish they had powers or didn't make the cut into the police. Nonetheless, they are growing in the wake of the two-faction fight so both The Synths and Synthia Corp. must rethink their plans if either one of them want victory.
Characters
The
Synth are a loose collective of mutants who are vying for revolution
(if not full blown dominion) of the nation. On the outside, they appear
to be criminals who just want anarchy, but the dedicated members know
that their destructive methods are a means to an end of controlling
Metropolis, the center of Synthia Corp. There are a total of four
leaders within the organization who plan the tactics and battles to
come.
The Leader | Every rebellion needs a leader and
this one is no exception. You will be the one that leads the Synths,
whether it is to their death or their victory. You have a great burden
on your shoulders, but Synth's future means you have to take it. The Strategist | You've got the wits and power to make the wildest plans come true. It's no coincidence that the leader sought you out first. The Spy |
Your power isn't as flashy as everyone else's, but you make up for it
in stealth and directional knowhow. You've been Synths inside (wo)man
for a long time know, whether it's infiltrating Synthia Corp or the
latest ragtag group of wannabe heroes. The Artillery | While
everyone else is busy in their own world you are on Earth, planning the
logistics of everything that happens. You are the one managing the
soldiers, the vandals, and the supplies for every situation. Some might
argue you'd make a better leader, but you're far too humble for that.
This
is the most well known of all the factions. Synthia Corp. was the first
organization to successfully come out with and sell a "safe" GenMod
(Genetic Modifier) for human use. Though other companies (such as
Monosanto) have tried, they never got passed the plant or animal stage
and were eventually bought out until Synthia Corp. monopolized the
entire genetic engineering market. They opened up branches all over the
United States, but Metropolis was their home from their inception to
now, their biggest hurdle yet. Though backed by the police and mayor,
they know that they must fight fire with fire.
The Command
| You are the leader of the task force and unknown to everyone else,
you are no ordinary human. You were given a power by Synthia's CEO to
ensure that if you were ever to face the leader in combat you would be
able to subdue them. The Oracle | You were recruited by
Synthia Corp. from The Synths due to your ability to tell the future.
Staying ahead of the game is necessary, even if it's hard to tell what's
a vision and what's a simple dream. But why do you work for this corporation when it means everyone calling you a traitor? The Frontline
| You are a beast of a policeman who, in their heyday, could lift cars
even without the aid of Synths. You act as the muscle amongst the rest
of Synthia's Corp.'s soldiers. The Shadow(s) | Synthia Corp.'s mysterious duo of leaders. What exactly do you have planned? Why did you unleash this upon the world?
THE OTHER GUYS
Unlike
Synthia Corporation or The Synths, they have no fancy logo or huge
following. This group is a handful of normal humans who are fighting
against both sides. Though barely any of them have powers, what they do
have is a whole lot of spunk an an iron will. As a ragtag team, they
wage their own war against Synth related crime as well as Synthia
brutality. Working in masks, they all have something to lose if their
identities get out, but they won't let that stop them from holding
Metropolis together by its seams. Their policy is to avoid killing
people, but it's never worked out well.
The Synth Slayer |
You have a reputation for being the one who killed the last leader of
The Synth. The Synth want your head while Synthia wants your body. Just
how did you get past his defenses that last time? TAKEN BY COWS GO MOO The 9-5 Guy
| You sure are interesting. Was it a midlife crisis or just the sense
of crisis calling to you? No, that's all miniscule compared to the fact
that you have a family. You can't let them die for a war that you never asked for. The Golden Boy/Girl
| You naively thought that you would be the hero. You would be Superman
right? Well you were wrong. You realized too late that you were headed
down a dark path and though you try to remain optimistic you aren't sure
how much longer you can survive without killing someone. The Defect
| You aren't really sure where you belong. You aren't strong enough to
be a hero. You aren't smart enough to be in Synthia Corporation. You
don't have the mutated gene. No matter where you go, you're a square peg
trying to fit into a round hole. You've had a foot in every
organization, but ended up floating here, to the heroes.
"Zarathustra,
however, looked at the people and wondered. Then spake thus: Man is a
rope stretched between the animal and the Superman--a rope over an
abyss. A dangerous crossing, a dangerous wayfaring, a dangerous
looking-back, a dangerous trembling and halting. What is great in man is
that he is a bridge and not a goal: what is lovable in man is that he
is an over-going and down-going."-Also Sprach Zarathustra