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    Zeph
    Zeph

    Cliff Notes (Start Here)

    AN ESSENTIAL READ...

    THIS SITE POSSESSES AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AND RIGHT HERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO START. IN ORDER TO DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTER AND EXPAND THE WORLD AROUND THEM ONE NEEDS BUILDING MATERIALS AND YOU'LL FIND NO SHORTAGE HERE. THAT BEING SAID - WE NEVER EXPECTED A PLAYER TO READ ALL THE LORE JUST TO JUMP INTO THE GAME! SO HERE IS YOUR CLIFFNOTES - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO CREATE A CHARACTER THAT WILL READILY FIT INTO THE WORLD OF RESONANCE. THE REST YOU CAN READ OVER TIME!

     

    GAME PREMISE

    In 2010, the world drastically & permanently changed by what became known as the multiverse resonance event. In a single breath, our world crossed with an unknown number of alternate universes, bleeding into each other, stranding outworlders here and ripping earthborn from our world never to be heard from again. Earth was suddenly a realm of magic and monsters.

     

    RESONANCE CHAPTER #1: SURVIVE... IF YOU CAN

    For nearly ten years the name of the game was survival, in a world that bordered on truly apocalyptic people struggled to find food, shelter and fought those scrounging for the same meager resources. Like animals fighting for the last scraps, outworlders and earthborn alike became vicious survivalists.

     

    This is the chapter under which the game has spent the first 5 years of writing. But as our writers unfolded beautiful stories of perseverance and the plots irrevocably altered the landscape of the world it became clear, a new chapter was about to begin.........

     

    RESONANCE CHAPTER #2: RESURGENCE
    A swing has finally occurred. Basic needs are once again being met, people no longer struggle just to survive. It has taken nearly ten years, but the world is finally rising from the ashes, finally experiencing a Resurgence of life. With stability in the world again, the name of the game has shifted to power, who has it, who can takes it away, which apex predators will find themselves able to claw to the top of the foodchain and once there, how long can they keep it.

     

    People are like shifting sands now, aligning with the likely "winners". But not all apex predators are sporting abilities, the mundane can be just as dangerous in their quest for the summit…perhaps even moreso.


    The story is centered in new york city but extends across the world. It blends a variety of genres; a mosaic of overlapping realms including elves, lycanthropes, altered humans and,of course, magic. In this section you will find not only the cliffnotes for all things resonance, but more information regarding the state of the world, what the nevus is, what the state of politics is, and even a timeline of events. This section gives you a good feel for what happened after the resonance event that splintered the world from the world we know today.

     

     

    THE CHANGING WORLD

    The world has changed and after 10+ yrs the Human populace has been forced out of its denial to disgruntled acceptance. The majority just want things to return to the way they were but have resigned themselves to the fact that the world is different now. Humanity still clusters around their city centres that have begun evolving as the "new world" seeps in. For over 10 years, Humans were simply not ready to embrace the 'altered' with open arms. But with time a new Chapter begins and now it is evident the changed world will never go back to what it once was, leading many to re-evaluate their strategy. Now... while many still struggle to survive in a bigoted world,  far more are concerned with who gets to run the rebuilt playground.

     

    TIME

    We take time seriously which is why we request time-stamping your thread with a date. This is to ensure that we don't have paradoxes and that our site events and our stories flow together. We maintain a TIME LINE for significant events and urge members to keep a time-line for their character's stories in their About Me portion of their profiles.

     

    THE RESONANCE EVENT — 2010

    In the span of a single day everything changed. In 2010 our understanding of the universe, the very nature of reality, drastically changed by the event we now refer to as the Resonance.  There were signs to be sure, but they were missed, or simply ignored. Scientists assured the planet that the strange anomalies that preceded the event were nothing to be worried about. They explained away the strange sounds in the night as rare atmospheric distortions of no consequence. The immense sink holes and enormous mirages appearing across the world were dismissed as hoaxes. Only a few suspected they were more than they appeared to be but there was no amount of preparation that could stop it. In the end, one could only embrace the change and mourn the loss of an era.

     

    Fantasy became reality as worlds lay over eachother in the same space for the briefest moment. That moment stranded outworlders on earth and stole more than half the human population from the world in the same breath. In the span of a single day, the world, our universe, was transformed. What had only been written of in fiction now became reality: the good and the bad. Now humanity and the other creatures that have been bound to this world will either learn to coexist, adapt to survive or battle for supremacy.

     

     

    THE NEVUS

    
By the setting of the sun and rise of the moon the night sky reveals the remnant of the Resonance. A great black rift, void of light, haloed in shimmering violet hues it sprawls from horizon to horizon. The celestial body moves in no scientifically discernible fashion, sometimes high, other times low on the horizon, an eerie backdrop to our cityscapes.

     

    The Nevus is perhaps the most distinct feature of this post-apocalyptic world. Just what is it? No one really knows for sure. Some scientists postulate that it is definite proof of the multiverse theory, a tear in the very fabric of space and time through which other realities spilled through, mixing together like the multi-coloured hues of oil upon water. The frightening reality is that we simply don’t know what this ‘rift’ is and what it spells for our existence. We are utterly and hopelessly at the mercy of the cosmos.

     

    As of November 2018, the Nevus has been acting up and causing strange events. More information on this is found in the NEVUS article. Randomly, there will be periods of time where the environment is affected by the Nevus. It is up to members whether or not they wish to develop a story on these days, but it is, however, your responsibility to ensure that your character acknowledges these events.

     

    FIRST 10 YEARS AFTER THE RESONANCE

    After the Resonance the world was cast into chaos. The sudden influx of magic compromised the world grid, modern technology required modification to work but would never be the same again. The dead rose from their graves. The zombie-virus first infected the recently deceased, the undead monstrosities preyed upon an unsuspecting populace spreading the virus through their victims. To make matters worse, Humans were stricken with two other super-viruses creating various forms of Lycanthropes and Vampires. People struggled to make sense of it all, to hold onto their world — their sanity.

     

    Years later there are few that are not haunted by that turbulent time. It is not fondly recalled but people will always remember the rise of such factions as the Order of First Light and the Vanguard who stood alongside detached forces to carve out the semblance of structure amidst the mayhem.

     

    This is not the world people of the twenty-first century remember. Technology, entertainment, economics have all taken several steps backward. Television had been reduced to syndicated programming, the struggling North American industry able to scrape together a couple movies a year. Hollywood near destroyed. The internet is a pale shadow of what it once was. Slow connections and electrical devices affected by the affliction of magic are pervasive. Computer networks are unreliable forcing the world as a whole to return to currency, plastic and paper transactions. Even the base physical laws of gravity and combustion are not always consistent.

     

    The only real rule after the Resonance... was survive.... if you can.

     

     

    THE DRAGON WAR

    During those first ten years the world also was plunged into a war unlike any it was prepared for. It was the war to end all wars. Shortly after the Nevus ripped across the night sky the United Kingdom was plagued by massive monstrosities. They descended from the sky on wings or rose from the depths of the earth. People were at first reluctant to speak their name, it seemed impossible and yet here they were — Dragons!

     

    Why they converged upon the United Kingdom was unknown. In the face of destruction it was difficult to ponder a relationship between the monsters and the place of which their legend was entwined. These legendary beasts sought to assert themselves at the top of the food chain and claim the island of the United Kingdom as their rightful territory. It was a slaughter, thousands were killed before the military mobilized. 

     

    The campaign lasted almost three years (2011 - 2013). During this time it was learned that there were two strata of Dragons, a 'lower' and 'higher'. The 'lower' were what would come to be known as the 'Common Dragon', animalistic, a direct reflection of the lore of the land. The 'High Dragons' were something else entirely, not unlike gods. The world had no chance against them, understanding of magic was simply too young and that's all that could be used against these titans. Fortunately they were few in number and consisted of two opposing factions, one malicious, one benevolent and their numbers were limited. While the military forces were winning the war against the 'Common Dragons', these two higher factions wiped one another out.

     

    England and parts of Scotland and the eastern side of Ireland were nothing but smoldering wastelands. Many fled to other parts of Europe and the Tri-Americas, but others stayed closer to home. Western Ireland remained untouched, a new home for millions of refugees.

     

    Today it is not known whether or not any dragons yet live. Occasionally there are sightings, blurry pictures or videos from questionable sources. It is only known that any recent explorations into the desolate waylands of the dragon war have never returned.

     

    MORE THAN 10 YRS AFTER - NOW WHAT? 

    It is a very different world, but humans are above all, resilient beings. They adapt, they maintain, they innovate and they revise their plans. Ten years of fighting to survive, of trying to "make it go away", of wishing it had never happened.. have given way to power struggles and growth. Much of the power that was established in the first ten years was forced upon others who could not get their wits about them to care. Now, the world is waking up and more and more begin to question who should be holding a seat at the proverbial table of this altered Earth. Factions that were seen as saviors in the early days are crumbling under the weight of reality as the role they once played isn't really needed anymore. Companies are starting to finally make a come back and with their growth, comes shifts in power.

     

    But growth doesnt mean healed either.  While life in the cities appears civil and controlled a storming sea of prejudice and racial hatred continues to rumble beneath it’s surface.  

     

    TRAVEL

    Planes were grounded nearly completely the first 6 years but as private factions have worked to restore the ones that survived, they are becoming a more common sight again. Very few are flying yet commercially, there just isnt the equipment or manpower to maintain a commercial airline and they have found the big jets struggle in the changed atmosphere the Nevus scar has left in the sky. But private jets can be hired for those with the cash to start travelling again. 

     

    Ocean and train travel however has made a strong comeback as cruise liner ships have been rehabbed for long distance commercial travel and development on bullet trains has begun again. Since 2015, the popularity of trains has greatly increased. Mag-lev trains have proven safe, efficient and environmentally friendly. There are now new railways connecting larger cities providing fast transport (85 - 120 MPH on average) to the populace, including in North America where train travel had been dwindling before the event.

     

    RACES

    Since the Resonance, the definition of Humanity changed. People changed. The temporary overlap of alternate realities and universes deposited beings we had always referred to as ‘mythic’. Some Earthborn were transformed into these ‘other races’ possibly bearing some genetic pre-disposition or perhaps it was all random. Nobody knows for sure.

     

    One of the most profound changes in our gene pool are what we simply refer to as ‘Altered Humans’. There are two types: Empowered Humans and Metahumans.

     

    The Empowered Humans have been gifted (perhaps cursed) with a particular set of abilities. It was as if the heavens parted and the pantheon of comic-book superheroes were all at once born into the population. They look Human, some with features or ‘markers’ that make them stand out but they can always blend in so long as they keep their abilities hidden.

     

    Metahumans are those ‘Earthborn Humans’ who adopted the form and abilities of a mythic race from another realm or time. The important factor here is that these are non-humans who once were human. They were once like everyone else, but now are fae, minotaurs, elves......suddenly transformed.

     

    We also have ‘Viral Races’. These are Lycanthropes and Vampires more specifically known as the ‘Sheut Ka’. When the Resonance swept across our solar system and our world it brought three super-virus strains, the Vampire Virus (nocturnaeximius-virus), Lycanthrope Virus (lycaneximius-virus) and Zombie Virus (morteximius-virus). The last created a mindless, voracious, undead monstrosity that still on occasion plague the world today. The other two created creatures able to hide themselves within Humanity.

     

    Magus, Shapeshifters, Faerie and Elves now count earth as home. Some pass as human, others cannot. Those dropped from other worlds are called OutWorlders or 'Veil Crossers’. These were naturally born as they are, as opposed to the Earthborn humans that were violently changed to seem like the OutWorlders themselves. The only difference between an Elf from beyond the Veil and a Metahuman Elf is that one was once Human. The Metahuman Elf has no memory of another world while the Veil Elf knows his homeworld.

     

    MAGIC and TECHNOLOGY

    Magic is now a part of the world. The Resonance triggered changes that have allowed many to harness, at varying degrees, the manifestation of magic. Still, since the Nevus' appearance the control and manipulation of magic is still considered difficult.  Only about 10-15% of the populations of both Human-kind and Meta-kind show the ability to successfully manipulate it, and even fewer are trained to a level that can tap their full potential.

     

    Magic is an element of chaos, disrupting the mathematical perfection that balances the other forces of the world (gravity, magnetism etc). As such, physics and especially forces like electromagnetism will not always perform as expected or calculated. Electronics and all complex human machines are based on a precise understanding and the predictability of these forces which is why the first 10 years complex machines rarely functioned. Now, people are learning what it means to build in a world that has magic and slowly these things are coming back, albeit differently constructed than they once were and with far less computer parts.

     

    SUPER-VIRUSES

    
Three super-virus strains (Vampire Virus (nocturnaeximius-virus), Lycanthrope Virus (lycaneximius-virus) and Zombie Virus (morteximius-virus)) have managed to infect a small portion of the human and meta-human populations. The super-viruses cannot be modified by science or magic. This is because they are a corner stone of our setting and any alterations to them would cause drastic changes to our world. Your characters are, however, welcome to experiment away so long as those attempts end in failure. It is already suspected that the super-viruses are a combination of biology and magic, so many experiments are simply trying to prove that theory.

     

    It is important to note that this is not ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE or VAMPIRES and LYCANS TAKING OVER THE WORLD site. While these creatures are a constant threat in the world, the virus is manageable and incidents are relatively low. Highly accessible vaccines now exist for all of the super-viruses and so long as they are administered within a 24 hour period a person will make a full recovery.

     

    FACTIONS

    
Governments collapsed after the event and nations had to adapt. Necessity and survival forged new factions and powerful corporations have also thrown their hats into the power vacuum of this new global structure.

     

    The Order of First Light long hidden behind a veil of secrecy has always been a part of the civilized world. After the Resonance many of it’s members gifted with ancient and arcane knowledge became Magus. They filled the void in the first years but after seeing a splinter group leave their ranks and with discord in their midst, they are waning in their power. 

     

    ARMA, a faction of Magus that have split off from the Order of First Light has also seen discord grow. Originally built by those that rejected the Order's hoarding of arcana and their suspect/even outright dark motives, ARMA is a group of mages and other powered individuals (and unpowered sympathizers) who have devoted themselves to pushing back against those products of the Resonance that would do harm to the world's innocent. In the Americas, they served as advisors and backup to law enforcement, while conducting their own investigations and providing proactive protection against imminent threats of the paranormal variety. But the loss of several in their governing body has seen them too begin to falter. 

     

    Then rising from the ashes of the old world another powerful faction stemming from same order of Templar knights took their place opposite their magical brothers. They called themselves the Vanguard of Humanity, another secret society born to stand against the ravages of the Resonance. The apocalypse was their sign, their time to emerge from the shadows, into the light. They oppose magic, support belief in a ‘higher power’ and work to perpetuate the template of twenty-first century society. They are also known to be highly suspect in their treatment of OutWorlders.

     

    Bakkhos are the mob, but organized at a level that is unprecedented. As a vacuum begins to emerge again in the seats of power around the world, Bakkhos is enjoying growth, often filling the vacuum. 

     

    The Sheut Nation is completely hidden from public knowledge, a faction living in secret organized by ‘vampires’ but holds many in their ranks - their goals unclear but it seems they have been affecting the events of the world since the Resonance. Vampires have managed to remain fairly fictitious predominantly from the iron hand the Nation wields when it comes to those that would expose the race. 

     

    We also have the Fanya Niasa otherwise known as the Veil Alliance, an Elfin/Fae faction formed to represent the rights of the Fae/Veil crossing kind. Once dismissed as irrelevant, in the shifting world that now sees stability and structure, this faction sees growth in its future.

     

    Pharos is one of the few factions not seeking to publicly hold power in the world. More popularly known as Ward Holdings before the Resonance, Pharos was a powerful conglomerate concealing a secret society of archivists and scientists. They exist to preserve knowledge, interceding throughout history, risking their lives to ensure the survival of the world’s precious antiquities. They are for the most part a neutral faction trying to promote solidarity and prevent a civil war. (think Warehouse 13 - keepers of things unearthly)

     

    LOCATIONS: NORTH AMERICA

    New York City has emerged as the dominant presence in North America, residing in what is now the Eastern American Alliance. This is also our core game location. The United States collapsed in the early years after the Resonance, becoming what is loosely referred to as the Tri-Americas. The E.A.A. - Eastern American Alliance, F.W.A., the Federation of Western America and the S.C., Southern Coalition.

     

    A large part of the continent, especially Canada is wild, the cities and towns never rebuilt. These places harbor many horrors, zombies being the least of one’s worries. The animated dead, however, are prevalent and always a concern.

     

    In the latter part of 2017, governments were finally formed and leaders selected in an attempt to bring law back to the lands. Realistically the factions that support them control the regions but figure-heads and a semblance of a familiar political structure are required if the Tri-America's wish to progress.

     

    LOCATIONS: THE REST OF THE WORLD

    Our setting does not stop at New York, however, the world is vast and you are allowed to explore it — help us expand it. The heart of Africa is a technological free zone. Ancient mysticism permeates the Yakuza controlled islands of Japan. Russia is irradiated, what remains of their population condensed into a few of their major cities. From sealed train windows iridescent zombies can be seen wandering the wastelands. We then have South America, a land transformed, where magic and technology have truly collided. Here the fantastic cities of another realm manifested next to modern cities like Rio De Janeiro. It is now land of Elves and Faerie, outlanders counselled by the Fanya Niasa.

    Edited by Zeph

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