atopiarp

[atopiarp]

thomas norway

faceclaim // ian mckellen

status // taken role

current affiliation // none

former affiliation // blackwell, nest

class // vessel

ability // telepathy

One of the original founders of Blackwell (alongside Leopold Silk and Vivian Grist), Thomas Norway was notable for implementing numerous technologies and theories in vessel research within the walls of the company, contributions which quickly shaped Blackwell into the powerful corporation it became. He was eventually ousted from the company by Leopold Silk himself, the latter becoming insatiable and corrupt in his quest for power. Long ago deemed a fugitive the world over by strings Silk pulled, Norway went into hiding and has been presumed dead for many years. It is only now, when Atopia has reached it’s darkest hour, that he has chosen to step out of the shadows.

[atopiarp]

isobel knox

faceclaim // ana de armas

status // taken role

current affiliation // exo

class // vessel

ability // mental manipulation

At the young age of seventeen, Isobel was helping her father in caring and providing for her five other siblings after her mother up and disappeared. For the longest time, she felt that would be the rest of her life... until her brother, after hanging out with the wrong crowd for far too long, was beat to a pulp by an angry group of vessels. He survived - but at what cost? He was no longer himself, paralyzed from the waist down.. Isobel herself knew the power that came with having an ability, knew the harm that could be done. And yet, no one did anything about it? No one aided in finding justice for her brother. That was when she knew for the first time in her life what she truly wanted. To protect others, to bring justice and consequences down on those who used their powers for bad. As if they weren’t already feared enough. To prove to herself and to the world that things could change and we could all live in peace.. after climbing her way to the top, her leadership and skills are put to the test when top former agent Ekosa comes back from retirement. Of course, as the two grow closer, both her work and personal life take a huge change.

[atopiarp]

beatrice “bea” sloane

faceclaim // angelina jolie

status // taken role

current affiliation // rubicon, the underground

former affiliation // blackwell

class // vessel

ability // healing

An early protege of Leopold Silk, Beatrice Sloane is notable within the erased history of Blackwell Holdings for an especially fierce loyalty to his beliefs, as well as being the first agent to rise to the position of Director. It was during her tenure that the organization expanded drastically, Sloane herself taking on a multitude of students who would go on to establish themselves as notable in their own right. Her most prominent was perhaps James Choire, a connection which eventually led to a secretive affair and a short-lived marriage thereafter. It was her ties to Choire which ultimately dulled her sense of duty however, a weakness culminating in a failed mission to kill Benjamin Vylon. It was with unmitigated wrath that she was imprisoned in the wreckage of “Ironworks” by Silk himself for many years, until being covertly-released by James Choire.

[atopiarp]

vivian grist

faceclaim // janet mcteer

status // taken role

current affiliation // rubicon, the underground

former affiliation // blackwell, nest

class // vessel

ability // materiokinesis

The matriarch of one of the oldest Atopian families and a descendent of one of the famed “Seven Rulers”, Vivian is a cunningly-savvy businesswoman whose mission is to swallow up as much power for herself and her bloodline as possible. As founder and chairwoman of Rubicon, Grist has positioned herself as an ever-generous contributor to companies and organizations that are in dire need of help, a benevolence that has endeared her to the Atopian people many times over. It is only with the unexpected death of Leopold Silk that Vivan’s mask of sainthood can be discarded, her final goal realized through the manipulation of her estranged son, Levias.

[atopiarp]

A:/Atopia/Your_world_Now

This is the last time we’ll probably talk. I lost the ones who were following me some time ago. I’ve been moving place to place. Saw the sights in Hazel, visited that museum in Maegar, I even had one of those famous slices of pizza in Yorkshire. I won’t stop until the truth is out there. I won’t stop spreading the facts.

There is something new I can leave you with. I received a threat the other day. An online handle, “MR_Time” contacted me. He said the war is not over yet. Well, Mr_Time, I saw you’re right. There’s still a lot of fighting to do. We may have lost our abilities. Silk may have siphoned our entire world dry, but, I still hold on to hope. We can rebuild, like we did before.

Vessels or no Vessels, Normals, Synths—whatever—it doesn’t matter. We’re Atopians. All the monsters are gone now. We’ve faced the worst and we’ve come out on top. I leave you with this, reader: it’s your world now. Go out and take it.

—a_vessel_kid

[atopiarp]

A:/Atopia/Noone_Talks_About_It

It’s another day in paradise here in good ‘ole Sonoda. At least I can write this preface out here in the cafe, in the open. I think I’ve lost him. They’re not on my trail anymore. As far as I know. You can never be too careful though, that’s why I’ve bugged the basement. If anyone sets foot in there, I’ll know about it.

That’s not why you’re reading. You don’t care about me, about what I’m going through. “Hey mom, I’m fine.” Pass that along, will ya’? All jokes aside. I know the truth. That’s what you want, isn’t it? Reader, keep reading. You’ll be able to put this together for yourself soon enough. Here are the facts:

At some point, Nikolai, the real Nikolai, not some carbon-copy machine, was put in a coma. There’s no record of hospitalization, no record of an accident, an incident that would explain why he was rendered to that state. All I know is that a little bird told me Nikolai was a smart guy, like his father. He had put security measures in place ahead of time should something like that happen. Whoever, or whatever, took him that far, that’s beyond me. What I do know is that something woke him up.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. The Battle of Yorkshire saw a machine take on the mind of Nikolai via digital copy, or “skinning.” What a mess, no, what a nightmare that was. The machine version of that guy was terrifying. He was able to cripple one of the strongest, biggest, most Vessel-infected cities in all of Atopia. That’s power. So, just imagine what the head of this fucker, the real one, must be like...Jeez. I can only imagine. Sick bastard.

Once he woke up, the terrorist organization BLACKWELL, is all anyone talked about in the old Underground circles. Blackwell was back, whatever that meant. Some say they never left. As far as I can tell, Blackwell was some sort of government funded sleeper agent program. It was put together long before EXO as a measure of defense against Vessels. The fucked up part is that Vessels fighting Vessels, that’s not even the weird part of that deal. It’s that Blackwell was essentially the blueprint for EXO. A department to police Vessel related activity.

Which brings us back to NEST. The government intelligence agency, NEST, big brother is watching. Always. What I found was that during the uprising of Blackwell, and the disappearance of Nikolai ( the real one ), a man by the name of Leopold Silk took on the position of director. Looking for correlation? I’ll give it to you. Leopold Silk is Nikolai Cherne. That’s right. That terrorist fuck. The director of NEST, watching us, waiting to strike. Nikolai had not only taken control of NEST, but he was also controlling the Underground via Blackwell.

One Kingdom wasn’t enough. He had to conquer them all. A year ago now, Blackwell attacked our cities. Luckily, the damage wasn’t as bad as we thought. Some cities weren’t threatened or harmed at all. They even had power. What I can tell you about Leopold Silk’s attack a year ago is that it was well-orchestrated, and it should have been. With Blackwell’s force, Lauden Vylon, Sidonia Porter, James Choire having obtained the assets of Stryker Industrial, the whole thing was a fucking mess. The world’s most powerful corporate owners, cashing in on Leopold Silk’s ability. All vying for control, all trying to play God.

It all came to a head, one year ago. Leopold Silk is dead now. What he left behind has left an impression on the world. One that will never be forgotten. See, Silk was a Vessel, the most powerful Vessel. His ability was called SOURCE. He could take whatever abilities he wanted from people, render them useless, Normal. No powers, no resistance. He could also give abilities to people, too. Handing the best to his own men. Arming them with terrifying power. The settlements had their hands full against his army. You wanted the truth, here are the facts. Leopold Silk was a troubled man. He blamed his problems on the world and used his power to try to change it. But, we fought back.

We: the fighters, the survivors.

-a_vessel_kid

[atopiarp]

A:/Atopia/Sign_Of_The_Times

Here I sit, somewhere dark, the ceiling leaks, so far underground they can’t track what I’m uploading. I feel safe here. Safe is a word that hasn’t come easy for us, we know that. Us: the fighters, the survivors. How did we get here? Where did it all start? Let me take you back.

What you’re not going to find in any public records is that in 917, Vessel-tracking software saw an unusual spike in radiation in a particular habitable zone in one of the districts. Believing it was nothing more than a glitch, a malfunction, the protective agency in that district decided to look the other way. What they would have found had they looked into it is a young man by the name of Nikolai Cherne. The name should sound familiar, Nikolai is the son of the infamous Vessel researcher, Alexei Cherne, the man that published most of what we know about Vessels.

What I’ve uncovered in my research is that the Cherne family disguised concentration - prison camps for Vessels as “research facilities” and imprisoned orphan children to experiment on them. Cutting them open, trying to find out how the illness worked. What made a Vessel—a Vessel. Some time later, Alexei Cherne went mad and killed himself. At least that’s what the public records are going to tell you. The truth is that he had been doing bad business with Abraham Vylon, the business tycoon. You know that saying, “when you cross a Vylon.”

Alexei Cherne, prior to his death, did one last fantastic and yet terrible thing. He was the first man to create a digital clone of one’s mind. Skinning, that’s what they’re calling it. It’s when you transform the mind into a drive of digital data. Put that data together in a shell and boom, you get a digital copy of a person. The digital soul. Nikolai’s spike in radiation didn’t tell us much back then, but most recently we’ve learned that he is one of the most powerful Vessels in existence. He’s what is theorized as “the alpha.” The strongest Vessel to ever be born.

Sometime in the mid-900’s, Nikolai vanished from all record. No one saw him, heard of him,—nothing. The guy just went ghost. In his absence, the government funded private intelligence agency, NEST, began conducting secret operations in Aypos. Many people assumed to start building a new site, but I know the truth. Aypos houses a very rare and powerful mineral: Sodominium. The strongest form of metal available on Atopia. Someone inside NEST wanted to play God. Another record scrubbed clean, you won’t find it, don’t even look...They’ll know you’re snooping.

Project Abel was suppose to introduce a smart-component to the city GRID. Each city has one. The Grid is a core, an energy supply that powers the city. Technology man, it’ll drive a man mad up the wall trying to figure it all out. How things work, why they can do what they do. Project Abel was one of the first AI’s to be calibrated for the Grid. It’d distribute energy sufficiently and sustain the Grid a lot better than any Atopian could. Except, someone didn’t do their job. The computer core that was supposed to be the AI, was replaced with the digital copy of Nikolai’s mind.

That’s when all hell broke loose. That’s why the Battle of Yorkshire happened. We nearly lost a city that day. Vessels, Synths, machines, all clashing in one city—our first war. Hundreds dead, hundreds injured. People lost their homes, their loved ones, jobs. That beating took its toll on us. The aftermath saw the end of the computer Abel, and the near collapse of Yorkshire. It took three years to rebuild it to functional shape. Our story doesn’t end there, readers. We’re just beginning. I believe knowledge is winning the war. You need to know how this happened, how we got here. Keep reading. Keep reading.

— a_vessel_kid.

[atopiarp]

A:/Atopia/Full_Disclosure

Our world, our home, Atopia. The technological olympus, the perfect society, the perfect habitat, the perfect war-less record of our history—Atopia, our sanctuary.

Sometime in our past, history tells us that we rebuilt our civilization from the ground up. We were fighters. We came back from near extinction and took control of our world. We didn’t just come back. We made our world better, stronger, more habitable, an ease of living that we had never experienced before. The aftermath left us with one continent upon which to rebuild ourselves, and we did just that.

Atopia is our planet. It is all around us. It is our continent, it is our skin and bones, our blood and souls. We are Atopians. This new lease on life for our people gave us hope. Atopia was a dream. We aspired to become perfect. We fought for that.

The continent was divided into districts, each one had a capital city. They were divided into quadrants: north, east, west, south. The cities became the center of civilization and around them, smaller cities were built, then around those, smaller towns, until all that connected one district to the other were empty, lonely, long roads. Winding in and out of mountains and forests with ports and towns here or there. Ports allowed visa for passage; visitors were well documented. Where you came from said a lot about you. We didn’t have racism, and we only discriminated against those who came from the big city or the small towns. Folks like those were either too wired, or not at all. It was easy to tell the difference. They always blamed fate or karma.

In our perfect world, and for generations, we lived—in harmony, in unison: no war, no famine, no disease. We lived long and prosperous lives. Life expectancy rose from 90 years to 125 in just a few decades. We truly were creating something special, then it happened. What none of us could have expected, so we’re told. Hitchkin’s Illness. It infected on the genetic level and was impossible to cure. The medical and scientific community simply didn’t know how to treat something they didn’t understand. 

When a person was born with this disease, upon coming of age, they exhibited strange and unusual abilities of the supernatural. Telekinetics, levitating their school bullies. Hydros with their water-whistles. That trend came and went, and then there were the Pyros. They were the worst. They always wound up being the guy or girl from the wrong side of town. It wasn’t long before Atopia’s brightest minds went public that this was no illness, it was a divergence in species. 

A genetic mutation that took root and continued to spread like a virus. Before we knew it, they had even given people with this disease their own name, Vessels. What began as a freak sickness, became a way of life. Vessel-only-jobs, sprang up. Competitiveness between those in the workforce. Then, Vessel-related crimes, and subsequently, their own policing force: EXO. The Senate had their hands full in the early days. There was a problem, Vessels were getting stronger. Organized crime with Vessels spread, too. Next thing we knew, there was talk about a web of organized Vessel-only crime-rings, this web had its own name too. The Underground. 

Any Vessel would deny its existence. Some of the most powerful of their kind ruled that land of make believe. I’d be scared too. EXO spread as quick as the Vessels did. At the end of the day, there had been a newly erected department in each of the major cities and some in the minor sister-cities also. The Senate eventually started a categorized census of our society. Normals were the ones who had no abilities. The ones who were immune to the Vessel bug. Vessels were the lucky ones, and just when we thought our world had become somewhat comprehensible, Synths. Technology did a lot for us in the days of old. They were dealing with some next-level stuff, and from those bright minds, who couldn’t understand the genetic mutation, came Synthetic technology.

 Augmented tech that replicated Vessel abilities: super strength, speed, sight, hearing, reflexes, etc. Everything they were born with, tech could give those who weren’t. It did more than just that. The Synthetic market blew up overnight, it seemed. It was all the rage in the Normal communities. Protests began after that. What was fair? What was right? Pride and hatred. Vessels were the devils we knew, Synthetics were cheap knockoffs and the Normals were the first, the pure, the immune. Right before our very eyes, our world fell apart. Sometimes, I ask myself if we’ll ever get it back. Things just keep getting worse for us. We’re destined for our history to repeat itself. Another great doom is coming. We’d be stupid, blind even, to ignore the clear signs.

—a_Vessel_kid.

[atopiarp]

ATOPIA: THE WORLD

Atopia is an Earth-like world. It’s very possible that Atopia’s story takes place on Earth several thousands of years in the future. At such a point, Atopia is comprised of a single continent with minor, sister-brother islands that linger around the mainland. The only island that is large enough to be considered its own continent entirely is Aypos. However, Aypos, which was once a continent, is now an abandoned location that is overrun by tribes and indigenous species that have similar characteristics to Vessels.  

Atopia has three oceans that surround its landmass: Oceana, Trepus, and Prissic. Oceana is the northern sea, Trepus covers the southwest region and Prissic is the largest covering the shores that remain.

Atopia’s continent is only 5,119,884.69 square miles, which covers roughly 2.58% of Atopia’s mass. Historians who have documented Atopia’s ancient past typically agree that there are signs of civilized culture in the ruins that have been found and preserved. The single continent is made up of several major cities that act as the capital(s) of each district. The districts are divided by directional location: north, south, east, and west. Minor cities also exist to border the major ones — these are sister-brother cities. The current story-used cities are as follows: Yorkshire, Maegar, Napia, Hazel, Pinerisk, and Sonoda — with the lost continent being, Aypos. Notable mentions / minor cities are: Sessmori, Cloudpointe, and Loah Port.

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THE PRIME

Atopia’s government is founded on basic function. Prior to the recent fallout, a clandestine council known as The Senate administered Atopia’s government. This council was primarily made up of the wealthiest business owners in the world. However, after recent events a new form of Government has been established. When the Blackwell terrorist group murdered the entire council, in a state of emergency, power was given to a single individual known as “the Atopian Prime”. This was a worst-case-scenario transfer of power and title.

According to the Senate’s statute, should it become unable to function accordingly, providing guidance and safety for the Atopian public, a Prime will be selected and the government reformed under a single individual. In archaic times Atopia was governed by a Prime and a Regent-Prime. The Senate came to be when congress introduced the terminology: Vessel and Normal, and as well as vowed to create the EXO organization to serve and protect against Vessel-related crimes.

The Atopian Prime is a presidential figure that reigns over the Atopian government as “the last word”. He/she becomes the most powerful, influential governing figure of Atopia. The Prime assigns their team according to the congressional votes — a survey submitted by politicians that each represent a major city / district. Their votes not only count toward who will become Prime, but also who is able to be a candidate. It is the Prime’s directive to ensure the safety and future of Atopian society.

The Atopian Prime’s team is mapped out as follows: Prime, Vice-Prime, or formerly known as Prime-Regent. After which comes, Prime-Judiciary, Prime-Advisory, Prime-Defense, and Prime-Treasurer. Should the prime be married, his or her spouse then is referred to as Prime-Second. While Prime-Second are subjected to the same sort of protective protocols, but obtain none of the power that the Prime has been selected to receive. The Prime, once selected, is relocated to the capital city where he/she resides until the completion of their four-year term. After which, they are up for re-elections with maximum potential of two term (equaling an eight-year total).

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Technology

In one location more than any other, technology plays a very important role. Sonoda: the city of the future. So named because of its high investments in synth-based tech. Since the dawn of the Vessel in Atopian society, Normals have been constantly trying to keep up with the shift in the social economy. They’ve managed to do so by investing in augmentation. Changing aspects of themselves to be stronger, faster, more intelligent, or to rely on technology to give them an edge against Vessels. Augmentation has grown rapidly since the first Vessels, and Synths have become a mighty popular trend in lifestyle, especially in Sonoda.

Augmentation gives Atopians the ability to collect or store their entire life in a digital drive with a capacitor. With the component being surgically implemented within the user’s brain, they’re able to visually see a screen controlled by motion or certain thoughts. This display prompts a filing system that they can cycle through to pull up several of their own memories, observed through their own eyes, as if they were videos taken from a camera. There have been many crimes solved using this technology, and also many conducted because of it.

What a person knows can be just as deadly as what they can do.

Digitally replicating one’s self is in high demand on Atopia, constantly. First introduced in NEST as a top-secret theoretical technology, digital copies have proven to aid in many ways. Repairing memories, or partitions of one’s mind that has suffered from illness or disease. Digital copies help to keep people on record, as well as understand criminals that have been captured, allowing smart-technology to dissect their minds in several different ways. This is done to find the perfect method of rehabilitation for those likely to become violent or destructive.

Currency

Technology touches every aspect of Atopia. This even comes down to currency, which is generally displayed virtually through augmentation. Those without this augmentation use other methods, such as a swipe card. Every form of currency on Atopia is digitally generated and kept track of through a form of cryptocurrency, digicredits. A personal bank for each person unattached to a systematic fee-based terminal. With each person responsible for their own personal bank, it keeps the power of their funds in the hands of the people with no reliance on the government or an outsourced banking system at all. Doing good deeds can gain credits, selling personal items, even taking specific routes of travel over others can allow a person to inherit credits.

[atopiarp]

Culture

While there aren’t any issues of racism or discrimination, depending on where a person comes from, there are different kinds of Atopians. For instance, most of the identities of a type of person heavily depend on which city / area a person comes from. They are more likely to be augmented or synth if they come from Sonoda. More likely to be naturally gifted in dancing, sports, etc., if they come from Yorkshire. More drawn to history if they’re from Maegar, and likely, great swimmers if they come from Hazel. Atopians do not take pride in war. In fact, a war has never been waged on Atopia to a full-scale. This is likely due to having one government, and not separating or dividing the people into sides based on religion or nationality.

Trends

A lot of Atopia’s culture is based around the use of technology. There are social media applications, display, and even parts of each city that are considered “smart.” Each are part of the city and sync with types of augmented technology to give a more immersive experience to tourists. They encompass things like: translation tools, fun facts, historic facts, etc. As trends pop up, they seem to come and go quickly. One day it’s possible to see a number of people dressing the same, acting the same, using certain slang, and the next — entirely different. Because Atopia is so progressive and moves so quickly in the limelight of the mainstream, trends tend to die as quick as they begin. Adolescence: always searching for the next “thing”.

Fashion

Fashion can play a key role in disclosing from where a character hails. Depending on how a character dresses, he or she, could be identified as having come from wealth or a specific city; even as far as being categorized as a specific personality or being affiliated with certain criminal activity. The fashion trends in Atopia change constantly. If it’s not pink or purple hair, black leather or skin-tight dresses, it’s oriental with the flare of cherry-blossoms, or perhaps the new and trending spectrum-wear, displaying odd patterns and colors in neon-glow all around the article.

Entertainment

Entertainment is always changing and adapting to keep up with the latest fad. There are singers, dance groups, television actors, blockbuster movies, and so on. Because of this, there is and will always be a high demand for fame. People who chase after fortune and popularity to live high, high in a castle in Hazel or Maegar — dreaming of a better life.

Success

A common factor in Atopian culture is the need to be desired, loved, or to have a form of success. Which, similarly, exists everywhere. Success, for most people, comes in the form of fortune. Being rich can be tough and often comes hand-in-hand with having power. It comes down to making the right investments or inheriting wealth from your family. THE SENATE based government, being wealthy could even lead you into a position of political importance. Giving you say in what happens within the very government that protects you.

Culinary

Food plays a huge role in Atopian culture. It provides competitive business and careers, encompasses many key locations for entertainment and is quickly adapting to Atopia’s ever-changing technology and currency. The kind of food you eat says a lot about you and your culture. Are you willing to try it all? Maegarian Huntsback? What about Yorkshire Pizza? Nothing beats a burger from Hazel. The food for each city varies greatly. Certain foods can only be purchased in specific areas of not only Atopia, but the cities themselves. For instance, many people recognize that the food in Yorkshire is mostly grilled, bbq’d or well-done. In Hazel, there are more seafood-based restaurants than anything else. In Maegar, take a bite out of history with food trends of the last twenty-seven years.

Relationships

Sexual or carnal desires do not seem to be the relationship go-to. They are offered in such a quantity, through virtual or augmented display, that sexual encounters often take the backseat in most relationships. You’ll find most Atopians are simply looking for the right pair. Sex can be bought in all shapes and sizes. A relationship can be hard to maintain, however, in such a fast and progressive world. Often times, people tend to view each other as interchangeable connections. A person might smell great, but lack intelligence, therefore, the partner seeks out a better suitor — a person who holds a majority of their interests or tastes. There are dating sites and hotspots in each city. Most people find themselves meeting in bars or specific areas designed for meeting a blind date. Show up, hook up, leave.

[atopiarp]

SONODA, the city of the future

They say people here have come down with something—the neon sickness. This isn’t the largest city, no, but it could fool anyone. The way everything is so compact, streets are no longer than a few feet. There’s always a corner to turn, always a big neon sign hung overhead screaming “buy this!” They’re all sick here. Consumerism has taken foot. The biggest corporation in the city, Rising Sun Technologies, helmed by the infamous Kaito family, is much to blame. Their promise to make Sonoda, their city, the best city; to be the city of the future, drives technology sells up through the roof. Sonoda isn’t just buried in neon sickness, it’s also the Synth capital of the world. There are more Synths walking the streets of Sonoda than anywhere else in Atopia. Five out of eight people are augmented, with the tech coming straight from Rising Sun. Due to the high-Synth population, the laws differ in Sonoda than anywhere else, more specifically with the sales and purchases of Synth-based tech. Trust no one; this city is wide awake in the still of the night and always preying on you.