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The 25th Hour
Welcome to the Night Shift
The world is dead on its feet.
Will you fight to stay awake or will you fall asleep on the job?
Only time will tell.
Come the 25th Hour, you better not run out of good ideas. They will be all that you have left. That and a cup of steaming hot coffee.
Bottoms up.
Theme: ♪
How We Got Here:
Money. Connections. Military Strength. Technology. In a world where more is better, greed is power.
The advent of science combined with man's insatiable avarice paved the way for prosperity. Inventions flooded the market, revolutionizing the economy forever. Profit increased tenfold as the machines of mass production were put to use; their only fault being perfection. Corporations ruthlessly cut their costs and laid workers off by the hundreds.
Angered, the masses staged uprisings, attacking the factories and causing havoc that wrought severe damage on production schedules worldwide.
The crisis went on until an ingenious entrepreneur spread an idea so crass it just might work.
"Why not let workers become the machines?"
The starving masses took it as their battle cry, readily offering their bodies up for experimentation, eager to defeat the iron beasts that replaced them.
And they won. With bodies that no longer tired and minds that bordered on genius, a new world order emerged.
Bio-engineered food sources became a staple, filled with various nutrients and synthetic hormones that altered human capabilities. One drink in particular was the revolution's pet project– coffee.
Untouched, coffee already had stimulating properties. Scientists merely perfected what nature had, creating something far more potent. The end result was a product that changed the world. Coffee was no longer just a drink; it was the key to success, the drink of champions.
Little did they know that in each bean lay the beginning of the end.
Two years after the release of these products into the market, trouble began to brew. One city after the other fell in a series of violent riots. At first they were dismissed as isolated cases of civil unrest until the outbreak spread, reaching even the remote suburbs of the elite.
Crazed workers destroyed everything in their path, tearing concrete and flesh apart with their bare hands. Some eyewitness accounts also tell of inexplicable forces controlled by those who succumbed to the side-effects of engineered coffee, ranging from being able to manipulate objects without physical contact to “summoning” entities that were not from this world.
The survivors were faced with two options: create a cure or make a weapon strong enough to vanquish the threat. Scarce resources and fear pushed society into taking the harsher option. They had to be destroyed. The beings were no longer human- just rabid dogs that had to be put to sleep.
International corporations merged and funded research efforts to create a weapon against the enemy as well as the construction of what was effectively the last city on earth.
After three years of living in fear, the research finally paid off. Genetically-engineered animals docile enough to take orders yet ruthless and rugged enough to destroy the crazies - these were the Forces of Lethargy, designed to end the Great Frenzy.
Twelve years have passed since the catastrophe. Society has finally rebuilt itself, creating a network of booming cities where there once was nothing but rubble. Most of the coffee plantations in the world have been destroyed, but a few remain in the hands of the governing entity called the Office. Through careful reverse engineering, they have managed to tone down its contraindications while keeping the powers it unlocks.
Still, its use is forbidden– except for those of the Night Shift.
Premise:
Modern society is in the process of rebuilding itself after a great catastrophe that has wiped out most of the world's population. Survivors now live in a mega-city, which is comprised of city-states that thrive on trade. Its capital is called New Olympus, which is where the story begins. The Office is the highest governing entity as it manages most aspects of citizens' lives, food and security being the most important.
This society believes in meritocracy; social structure has been determined according to ones abilities. Therefore, the government gives citizens opportunities to prove themselves, from primary education to collegiate training. To pass the Interview is considered a mark of great achievement– it allows an individual to become part of the Office.
Well, congratulations. You passed.
You are now part of the Advertising and Television Analytics Branch. This is your new home and the people you work with, your second family.
So Intern. How will you spend your days in the Office?
Getting to know your co-workers better isn't a bad start. After all, you will be spending most of your life here; it would be a good idea to get along with the people you're stuck with. Though meritocracy is a highly upheld value, those on good terms with the higher ups tend to have an easier time. And get invited to all the cool parties.
There are many ways to rise above the ranks, but the fastest way is to join the Night Shift. It is also the riskiest. Your life for success– a fair bargain, don't you think?
Ambition will take you far, but remember that there is also a world outside these concrete walls. Not everybody is happy with the order the Office creates. There are countless conspiracies that surround the corporation you work for. Then again... they say that ignorance is bliss.
Everyone has dreams of their own. If you work hard enough, yours just might come true.
Though it would be wise to remember that one man's nightmare may be another's utopia.
The Main Setting:
New Olympus
This city was the first to be established since the Great Frenzy. As a result, it is home to most of the core facilities that keep society functioning properly. It is also the most heavily fortified as well as the most independent sector in the mega-city, producing not only staples but luxury goods as well. The Laboratory, responsible for medical, technological, and food-related innovations is located here. Within the Laboratory lies the only coffee plantation known to exist, its seedlings kept under extremely tight security. Smuggling is not unheard of, but the people are quickly dealt with– penalty for illegal coffee trade and consumption is death… or worse.
New Olympus, like other cities, is divided into different sectors. There are commercial sectors, recreation areas, as well as residential lots, each arranged into a hierarchy. The citizens who are better off live closer to the Office or near the luxury shopping centers. Those who work for outlets or have their own small businesses are usually on the lower end of the social structure, as the bigger corporations are partly owned by the government.
Workers for the Office, however, do not live with their families, and instead reside in the dormitories within the Office premises. They may use their leaves to visit their family or have a short vacation, but for the most part they stay in the Office. There are also holidays where workers are given paid leave.
- The Laboratory
Not much is known about the Laboratory because information on it is restricted to scientists assigned there and to the Board of Directors. It is located quite far from the busier part of the city, shielding it from prying eyes. No one knows exactly what goes on behind its walls.
The Lab is home to the last coffee plantation on the planet, as well as housing a large farm that provides for New Olympus. Surplus produce is sold to other cities. Most food products from the Lab has higher nutritional content compared to produce from other cities.
- The Office
The Office is the heart of it all; without it, society would crumble. It functions as a government as well as a military force that keeps the people safe and satisfied. Only the best of the best work for this entity.
A large chunk of New Olympus is used to house the Office complex. Large skyscrapers are home to various Branches and their Departments. There are also dormitories within the area, segregated by rank and gender. All workers are required to live in the dormitories. The dormitory facilities also depend upon rank– Directors have access to swimming pools, state-of-the art gym equipment, as well as private entertainment centers. Interns, on the other hand, have more modest amenities like public baths, smaller rooms, and basic fitness tools. Most amuse themselves with card games and the like. However, their living conditions are much, much better than those who live on the outskirts of the cities. Food and board is free for all employees of the Office.
The premier shopping districts as well as the classier residential areas are located near the Office. Other recreational areas also lie further away, though they cater to less expensive tastes.
For Night Shift Employees:
The 25th Hour:
Only those of the Night Shift know what happens in the Hour, but all employees know of its existence.
Put simply, it is an event that takes place in an alternate space called Limbo. These events are unpredictable in nature, but they always have something to do with the Forces of Lethargy, which were all banished into Limbo after the Frenzy. The tasks are always dangerous and require extraordinary strength and abilities, hence the legalized use of coffee for the Night Shift.
Limbo:
There is a place, a far away place, a place from where all ideas are born and where all ideas finally go to die. It is a place outside of the flow of time, a place in constant flux, where nothing is what it seems, and never is as it was. Welcome to Limbo.
No one knows what the limbo really is– there are many hypotheses; some have said that it is the physical manifestation of humanity's racial memory, or perhaps the mind of the Gods.
The doorways to limbo are controlled by a fantastical creature known as the Keymaster. Everyone knows of its existence, thanks to countless websites and underground sightings. However, less is known about this enigmatic figure than Limbo itself. There are countless rumors about its nature. Some say the Keymaster is an angel. Others say it is a servant of the Gods, while there are those who claim that it is nothing but a monster that sees humanity as toys.
Coffee System:
Coffee is a rare substance only given to those who are part of the Night Shift. Decaffinated coffee and other coffee substitutes are available for public consumption. This beverage has the ability to enhance the drinker's physical and mental capabilities.
Further information is classified– only available to authorized personnel.
For some reason, coffee's effects are strongest in Limbo. There are three primary ways in which these effects manifest themselves on the drinker. These effects are called Terroir.
Types of Terroir:
- Blue Collars [Weapon users]
Blue Collars can summon a personal Regalia, which takes the form of everyday stationery items that happen to be uncannily durable and lethal. Neckties, for example, can be turned into a flexible whip-like blade. However, they have to own these items in order to manipulate them. These Regalia are also permanent once selected, so pick wisely. These weapons are personal and can only be used by the summoner unless special seals are used.
Due to the physical nature of their ability, they get complimentary boosts to speed, reflexes, strength, and also tend to heal quickly.
- Red Tapes [Origami-Ink Masters]
The Red Tapes, like their bureaucratic namesakes, weild nothing more than a pen and a notebook they summon in Limbo. The Reds can manipulate paper, giving the term paper-cut a whole new meaning. Origami also becomes a deadly art. The pen isn't just there for show either. Whatever written on paper with the ink comes true, as long as they follow the following restraints:
- The action can only affect the paper it is written on and anything in direct contact with it.
- The more implausible the effect, the more coffee energy it uses up.
Other than these limitations, it is pretty flexible.
The Red Collars are also capable of making weapon seals.
- Sycophants [BOSS users]
Whoever named these Terroirs had a strange sense of humor. Syncophants, unlike the other drinkers, get a conscious weapon– a powerful familiar that is tied to their will and emotional state, known as a BOSS.
BOSSes are wild cards, having physical abilities that vary quite drastically from one another.
One important thing to note is that, the strength of the familiar is dependant on the state of the Syncophant, and is attuned to his or her will and emotions. Unsurprisingly, the power output of a BOSS is very volatile.
If a Syncophant has a strong enough will, he or she can also control another Syncophant's BOSS. This can be useful or detrimental to a group, depending on the motives of the controller.
Note:
The Gm's will determine the success of actions. :3
Side-effects and Antidotes:
Coffee is not something that is natural for man, and its usage has drawbacks and side effects. Those of weak body and mind may break under its power
- Tolerance
This represents a drinker's caffeine threshold. It increases with each intake of coffee.
- Migraine
Even for users who have built up a high Tolerance, no one can drink infinite amounts of it. The Migraine is one of the first signs that you are nearing the edge of your Tolerance. It may start of as a mere throb on your forehead. But disregard it and you will find you mind splitting from the pain, and blood seeping from your eyes and nose.
Alcohol has the ability to negate the coffee in ones body, due to the fact that it distills Caffeine. It must be ingested to take effect.
The Staff Directory [segregated by department]
Company Policy
On Internal Affairs
- Unauthorized possesion of coffee will be dealt with swiftly and severely.
- All matters related to the Office may not be discussed with civilians.
- Stationery supplies are to be shared, not stolen.
- The Office reserves the right to withhold paid leave when deemed necessary.
- Employees of the Night Shift are not covered by insurance policy.
- The Board of Directors can veto or override policies.
Some Tips for the Night Shift
- Do not try to exert forces more than twice your body weight.
- Do not consume more than your Tolerance level.
- Assess risks carefully. Remember, your life is at stake.
On Employee Conduct
- The GMs [me and this other person] reserve the right to call the shots. If you've got beef with something, message us! We don't bite.
- No godmodding. The world is yours to explore, but only through your own body. Unless a special scenario allows you to do otherwise.
- Be civil. Flame wars are pointless; save the internet. Or at least this corner.
Résumé: [Character Creation Sheet]
[Paste your picture here]
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Appearance: [For those who do not have a picture or have obsessive-compulsive tendencies]
Power Song: [Your favorite tune to help you get through the day.]
Bio: [Describe how your life has been so far. Was your family well-off? Did you get into trouble a lot? You can add personality traits too, if you wish.]
Academic Background and Achievements: [What did you spend your time in school doing? Did you even go to school?]
Goals: [Pick at most two. What is it that your character wants to achieve in life, etc.]
Talents: [Pick at most three. What do you like to do during your spare time? These skills just might come in handy.]
Relationships: Talk to each other~ Relationships with the NPCs can be formed as you work and play.
Edited by Captain Sciutto, 14 December 2013 - 02:46 PM.
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