WonderworldIt's a theme park of the imagination.
Or it would be.
Except for the taxation.The Great Lawsuit.After the suit was filed, its chilling effect took place everywhere. Women and men were liable for any action that could be traced to a chain of causation.
If one said a nasty thing to one's neighbor, then that neighbor, feeling sad, shot his wife's dog, the "one" would be liable for the killing through joint and full liability, under a theory of 100% comparative negligence.
Soon, even trial judges feared to sit in courthouses for fear that appellate judges would reverse their decisions, and then the trial judges themselves would be found liable for damages suffered by the parties for misadjudication.
One inventor, who had hoarded metals, chemicals, ether, and floem, came to the rescue of the world before it could atrophy into decadent decay.
His real name was
John Clayton, but after the accident, he called himself Prometheus.
PrometheusHe, or it sits in a high castle, and it ponders. It cannot wander far, even if it so wished. The Prometheus is but a cloud of energy captured in a field of electrons. And never can it leave its seat of Justice.
[note]
On Ideas...The little child screamed, "Please don't horde them; don't take my ideas away!"
But the Reprocessor just shook his head "Age 15." He looked at his chart. "Free-time's up. Playtime's over. Time to contribute just like everyone else."
The child screamed and scratched and the Reprocessor slapped its face, then covered its mouth with a suckerpump, flipped its switch, and began the extraction.[/note]
The IdeoriumIdeas are placed in this warehouse, then hopefully processed by the Magimen (Magi). The Magi are a busy sort, however, and it can sometimes take years before they extract the usefulness out of a valid idea. Some ideas are too tough, others too tender, a few too brittle, others too delicate.
The good ideas, the Magimen give to the WonderWorkers, who weave the ideas into patterns.
The negative ideas, the rejects, are vaccuum-stuffed into a large golden vault, known as "The Box"
[blockquote=The Process Server]
"Eric. Brought. Someone to Justice. Someone. Who Stole. Ideas. The Process Server. Tracked the person. By following etheric energies. They are always found. The energies give off so much glow. I can see them. From my seat. "[/blockquote]
PROCESS SERVER GOGGLESProcess Server Goggles are a special commodity, owned only by the most trusted of the Just.
GhostsThe children often see the ghosts. The ghosts once were people, they once hoarded ideas. Now they float. Their bodies live, but their souls do not. Without an idea, one cannot see the Ghosts because there is not all that much to the ghosts. The ghosts do not eat, they do not breathe, they only need. Hug them once, and kiss them soft and they will go. But never, ever, ever do this if you want to stay.
Penal Code, Criminal Law, Section 105.2(c)
Criminal Penalties for Consorting With A Ghost(c)(1) If the perpetrator be over the age of 15, it shall be assumed that the perpetrator possesses an excess of ideas. Excess ideas shall be extracted. If Prometheus finds, by clear and convincing evidence that the perpetrator willfully transgressed the code, whether or not the perpetrator knew of the existence of the code, the perpetrator will be sentenced to the Extraction.
(c)(2) If the perpetrator be under the age of 15, but older than the age of reason. If Prometheus finds, by clear and convincing evidence that the perpetrator willfully transgressed the code, whether or not the perpetrator knew of the existence of the code, the perpetrator will prematurely be deprived of ideas. If the perpetrator perishes during the extraction, damages will be awarded to the parents in the sum of the prevailing wages for a period of forty-five years in the BBB- pay scale, payment discounted against inflation by 50%.
(c)(3) If the perpetrator be under the age of reason. The child will be upbraided, and supervised by a Process Server. The child and parents will need to report to the Server twice a day at randomized times to be determined by a digital sounding clock that will alert the offenders of the times promptly each morning at 4:55 AM.
"The Box"Envy, Sloth, Lust, Avarice, Wrath, Pride, and Gluttony are all entwined and sealed in this box, accessible only by a tightly sealed vaccuum tube. The box can never be opened or sorted. If a good idea is placed within, it soon disappears, never again to be recovered.
The hope is that only bad ideas go in. But some fear that one day a good idea, like "hope" itself might be inside-sealed.
The Guardian oversees the introduction of ideas to the Box. The Guardian, however, has grown weak and dull from too much exposure to evil ideas. Her eyes are sunken, her skin corpse-white and drawn to the bone. Duty and hope are all that keeps her alive. If either were to be removed, her presence would be a scourge on the world.
Prometheus knows the danger of the Guardian, but he dares not release her from her duty. None other would dare assume her task.
The Extraction
Definition: Criminal penalty whereby the soul is ripped from the body. After extraction, the soul is fed to Prometheus, so that the Judge will ever-glow.[/color]
The Un-ThrallOnes who escape the Taxation, who hold onto their ideas; where do they go; what do they do? Well, they hide, for the most part. But eventually they are discovered. Their etheric energies attract the Reprocessors and the Process Servers.
They use weapons to fight the System, but the weapons function poorly when a Reprocessor can refocus the ideas of the weapons and make bullets and swords and fists and kicks and scratches and bites fall impotent to the ground. Reality changes when the Reprocessors come.
XEROX-GOOGLEPLEX JUSTICATORSome rumor that its CPU-Chip was rescued from the Promethean Fire that consumed the JUSTICATOR in revenge for the evil it had perpetrated on the world.
Among the Un-Thrall there are those who search for the JUSTICATOR in a quixotic quest to restore freedom to the world.
Those who remember the JUSTICATOR claim that finding and restoring the Beast will only replace one dictator for another.
But the Un-Thrall who search, the Quixotics, ignore the warnings. They search for a Prophet, a Leader, and the JUSTICATOR is the only authority figure they know who might possibly be able to outreason and outthink Prometheus.
Even more important; the JUSTICATOR does not itself exert etheric energies. Its ideas are purely digital.
WonderWorkersThe weavers of possibilities; the wonderworkers craft the greatest ideas and feed the energy to Prometheus, so that he may shine his glow of justice on the world. Every day he directs his glow toward a new task, and progress is made. But progress is slow. Prometheus can only divide so much attention.
ElectricityThe world lacks electricity. When the last EMP-Blasts came, they wiped computer hard-drives, save those in Faraday-Cages. But those were few; and Prometheus soon destroyed them as agents of the vast and evil Interweb that in its idle process time, ran calculations for the JUSTICATOR.
Still, some computers exist, buried in vaults long forgotten.
The DinAs a consequence of the accident, the location where Prometheus ascended has been filled with the constant sound of screaming. The screaming can be heard for up to a mile distant, and radiates outward farther each year. Some still live within the din, but gradually either lose their hearing or go mad from lack of sleep.
Some day Prometheus may confront the ravage of the Din, but not any day soon.
Abuse of Power?Do the Reprocessors abuse their powers? Do they flaunt reality over the common folk? Perhaps. Often, reality changes before and after the abuse, so noone knows. But when a sadist, or a negligent Reprocessor exerts their power, then people remember, and the Reprocessor is marked.
Prometheus' power comes down upon the Reprocessor, and the etheric abuser is himself abused; his ideas torn; his soul to join the ghosts.
Prometheus always has enough power and energy to deal with the Reprocessors... If he did not have to deal with the abuse of power, perhaps he could focus on making the world a better place, but life is not so simple.
Prometheus' Projects
The Everburning FlameThe stone glowed and warmed my hand.
I like this much.
Before, I shivered in the dark.
Now I can see, and work in the fields- even when it snows.
No one ever loses limbs any more.
Except the Un-Thrall.
But they are foolish.
I hate them.
Why would they leave?
I loved my family. Especially Clare. But she left.
She was wrong to leave. She said it was too sad to live without the Joy.
She said we had not comforted each other too long.
But we could not. Gloom was here.
Still, Prometheus promised us Joy one day.
Soon I hear, the rain will make us happy.
And Joy will return.
Maybe then, Clare will too.
If she has not died.
She probably died.
The Reprocessor said she died.
You leave, you die.
She's probably right.
I would rather live.
I hope Prometheus is right.
- Perhaps the most literate journal that was kept during the Gloom.
The author was a PHD English Literature Professor.
(See Glossary)[/color]
The Love.....
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.....
- Thought Process wave diagram of brainwave activity during Lovefall. (See Glossary)
AestheticaThe streets glow at night and shift in colors as chemical reactions combine and spread in green and orange and yellow fogs. The fogs that spread are filled with with pest-killing, and bacteria-slaying chemicals. Sickness is rare, although some have heard of strange new super-resistant viruses. The Reprocessors, however, assert that such claims are just rumors spread by the Un-Thrall.
Some have perished after inhaling too much of the fog, and others break out in rashes, but the common cold was killed, and the Great Avian Influenza Epidemic is but a past, long forgotten memory.
[note]
The Regular Folk
What can one do to live without ideas?
How can one make a choice, to live?
Instinct, of course, for the most part.
But people still have their souls, tied to bodies.
If people did not have ideas, then they could not have souls.
The ideas are just less; the people are a little duller.
But all is for the good.
The ideas are doled out for the common good.
Everyone benefits.
As Prometheus sees fit.
[/note]
[ooc]
HISTORICAL FILESA Treatise on the Unfair Past, Chapter One: The United Government-The International Criminal Court gradually expanded its power, becoming a true world court with jursidiction over all countries. The ones which did not submit had their computer systems overloaded by massive DOS attacks, their defense systems shut down.
Some tried to fight with old-style guns and tanks, but many of those had been retired as inefficient and were jammed, unusable. The weapons of the future were based on sonic and energy. And when the EMP-blasts came, the computer chips inside the weapons failed.
Those who agreed with the United Government kept their energy, their electricity and their computers.
Whether willingly, or only at the threat of destruction, all submitted to the will of the United Government.
A Treatise on the Unfair Past, Chapter Four: The Atrophy- After the Great Lawsuit; there was massive atrophy. No one dared post on the internet, no one dared create for fear of causing outrage to someone who would then fly into a fit of rage and do something tortorious, thereby bringing liability down on anyone connected with the internet poster.
One teen, a Joey McGilligully, posted a short argument discussing why left handed people were stupid since his brother was left-handed and he always had trouble holding his scissors.
A deeply disturbed man whose name has been redacted from the record, then went and murdered ten left handed people.
Since the disturbed man disappeared into the Yuma Desert; the police held poor little Joey liable for the murders. After Directing a Verdict for the Plaintiffs and preventing the evidence from going to the jury; the Judge had Joey executed for the crime.
No appeals were allowed.
Appeals were abolished after the XEROX-GOOGLEPLEX JUSTICATOR ruled on the probability of Joey's culpability and entered a verdict of 99.99999 to 00.0000001 that, given the evidence prevented, beyond a reasonable doubt, Joey contributed at least partially to the murderer's decision since it was uncontroverted that the murderer had seen Joey's post, given that the murderer's computer held the post cached in its internet history, and the file was saved on the murderer's desktop.
Riots precipiated after the decision.
It was in that period of chaos that Prometheus conducted his experiment.[/ooc]
Dramatis PersonaeReinBeautiful silken black hair contrasts with vacant, empty eye-sockets.
Rein is a ghost.
I sigh, thinking of what she once was, and what she is now. She transgressed against a reprocessor who would have forced his way against her and who clawed at her eyes and tore and removed, but soon thereafter, he himself was killed. His fellows filed a report, then had her extracted.
Now she floats and thirsts for revenge. Pity though that she is insane with anger and with pain. She tries to pass for human, and often succeeds if her face can be covered. Otherwise, body is perfectly preserved and she tries not to float. She lures reprocessors, ideageons, and wonder workers into back alleys on windy days. Then she reveals herself and kisses them- none willingly take her kiss and they grow weak. She falls unconscious at the exertion, and then blows away on a gust of wind- not to be found.
Often, after Rein floats away, animals in the vicinity drawn near and begin to bite and gnaw and attack her victim, who, weakened by the ghost, can hardly protect himself.
Dozens of Prometheus' people have been lost to Rein's machinations.
The GoldenI AM A MACHINE MAN WHO WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO UPHOLD THE RIGHT AND PROPER RULES AND LAWS OF MY FATHER, THE JUSTICATOR.
THE JUSTICE OF HE WHO ALWAYS CORRECTLY CALCULATES WILL BE HAD THROUGHOUT THE LAND.
I AM 170 CENTIMETERS TALL. I AM GOLDEN. I DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY KILOGRAMS I WEIGH. I CAN BENCH-PRESS OVER SEVEN MEDIUM-SIZED HUMAN BEINGS WITHOUT CAUSING SPARKS TO FLY FROM MY INTERNAL CIRCUITRY.
I CARRY AN AXE AND I STRIKE WITH ENERGY ARCS.
I HAVE GIVEN BIRTH TO MANY MACHINE CREATURES THROUGH MY METALLIC HOLINESS.
I HAVE DUG HOLES ACROSS THE LAND IN SEARCH OF THE JUSTICATOR.
I HAVE TRACKED ENERGY EMANATIONS FROM ACROSS THE LAND. I HAVE MANY PLACES LEFT TO CHECK. I ENLIST MANY TO HELP ME FIND THESE PLACES. THEY ARE REWARDED WITH ENERGY, AND MY HOLY PRESENCE.
I AM WANTED AND MARKED FOR DEATH BY prometheus.
HE IS FOOLISH.
Sid Sid is an Ideageon.
He's quite prescient.
In fact, he knew it was a good idea to leave the immediate vicinity of Prometheus.
Though most people would have thought the same, so that wasn't remarkable.
It's usually not a good idea to steal woven ideas from your boss, but Sid did that.
What was remarkable was that Sid was prescient enough to realize he'd get away with his crime.
Why did he steal the woven ideas?
Sid saw an opportunity, and he took it.
Sid is always looking for an opportunity.
Right now though, he's living in an idea-paradise.
He's underground, literally.
But his little idea is of an island paradise.
And he brought a few friends with him, to keep him company, and keep him happy.
So he's content.
But he can't leave the place.
And he's curious.
Will his agent find you and ask you to do him a favor.
Maybe.
Or maybe you'll find him.
Still, even if you do succeed, he'll have known you were coming, and'll have something interesting prepared for you.
Sid is a black haired man with a long pointed nose. His eyes are slanted and his cheekbones are highly raised and perpetually rosy. Sid always smells of lemons. And he walks mechanically, like a toy soldier; he's embarassed about this, so he usually sits.What to DoA Modern World, but Electricity Does Not Exist - Ah, an environmentalist's dream. Prometheus' magic has replaced electricity for the luck; the Un-Thrall however, live a cave-man-like hunter/gatherer existence.
The Power of Ideas - The World's magic comes from the power of ideas; how they are shaped and used.
Legalistic Control, Communal Control, and Extreme Individualism - Seek out the JUSTICATOR and restore impartial, computer-logic-reasoned justice, support Prometheus and his ideal utiopia, or live among the Un-Men and walk among the Faith and spread the gospel of individualism.
Explore, Expand, Exploit, Engage - Explore the world and discover technological artifacts of the bygone ages, making it better; Expand the grip of Prometheus, or the JUSTICATOR, or the Un-Men; Exploit the power of ideas and shape the world; Engage your enemies and destroy them.
Adventurers[ic=Ideageon]
IdeageonOne who retains her ideas, the Ideageon generates fantasies and wondrous images. Sometimes, these images become reality.The Ideageon have been affected by the etheric energies that ricocheted around the world following Prometheus' ascendancy. As a consequence, they have gained some powers similar to those of Prometheus. Prometheus hates and fears them. Their ideas, unlike the Un-Thrall's, do not glow and are undetectable. For all other purposes, they are indistinguishable from Prometheus' subjects.
RealityShift Once per day, the Ideageon can change an event. A rainstorm can become a sunny day, a deadly knife wound can close and sprout a flower. A sword can fall leaden to the ground.
HarvestIdeas The Ideageon can harvest ideas from their neighbors. If they have a way to extract the ideas, they can pull them out, and then reshape the idea, whether big or small, into a creation.
Cassandarians An Ideageon generally knows when danger is coming close. They have an uncanny way for stepping just out of the way of a trap, or bringing along a Koran in their pocket just thick enough to stop the slice of a stilleto.
Similar to: Rogue, Wizard[/ic]
[ic=Reprocessor]
ReprocessorCharged with the task of extracting ideas, the Reprocessors are for the most part a bitter breed. They take the happiness from their friends, their lovers, all for the greater good. Some enjoy the job, and feel honored and proud to serve. Others are sadists, and delight in the suffering they cause.Promethean-Favored The Reprocessors can always, at but a thought, communicate with WonderWorkers and pass along information. This is a two-way street though. The connection allows WonderWorkers to track Reprocessors' thoughts and movements, no matter how far afield they roam.
HarvestIdeas The Reprocessors can harvest ideas from their neighbors. If they have a way to extract the ideas, they can pull them out, and then reshape the idea, whether big or small, into a creation.
Catlike The Reprocessors train with the sword and in the martial arts. Moving fluidly, they exert their Wushu moves. Practicing inner peace, they meditate, and given enough time, can heal their own wounds through the power of faith.
Similar to: Fighter[/ic]
[ic=Ghosts]
GhostsFloating strangely in the night, these soulless creatures seek love, seek companionship, seek a kiss, a hug. Until they receive this love, they are bound to the earth, to wander persecuted.Ghosttouch If the ghost's kiss is not welcomed, the one embraced shivers with dread and begins to grow weak and sick. The ghost too, however, is sickened and often falls immobile in a heap after the embrace. Few ghosts dare Ghosttouch, because after doing the deed, they glow with etheric energies, and Reprocessors come to punish and torment their soulless bodies.
Flight/Solidity The Ghosts can fly, though not very far or for very long. Flight is only possible when the wind is heavy, over 30km/hr. And the flight is really more like a floating. Generally, ghosts' bodies are lighter than air, but they can control their solidity. Ghosts can choose to anchor themselves to the ground in the heaviest gale or float away on a strong breeze.
Animalfriend Ghosts can communicate with animals; which can be useful, however animals see them as slabs of unthinking beef-- easy prey. To defend against dogs and cats and rats, the Ghosts often draw frightening tatoos on their naked skin, or place jagged spikes around their ankles.
Unhealthy Ghosts are always unhealthy, and often risk breaking limbs and becoming immobile. Without blood, they have no natural healing, so they gradually grow more and more decrepit over time until they fall completely apart, and exist only as brain matter, conscious and suffering, but unable to change their situation. Ghosts can, however, be healed by the Faith or a Reprocessor, but only if healed lovingly and willingly.
Lightening Ghosts, which can become solid at will, can carry anything, no matter how much it weighs. The trick is balancing it. A ghost could carry a bus, but only if the object could be strapped to the ghost's head.
WelcomeKiss If a ghost is kissed and embraced with love, then that ghost will fade, the body will collapse to the ground, and the soul will be released. Many adventuring ghosts refuse to welcome the welcomekiss though without the return of their souls. They intend to suffer until their bodies can be united.
Similar to: Druid[/ic]
[ic=Un-Thrall]
Un-ThrallToughness Un-Thrall survive by being tough. They can be hit, hammered, slashed, and stabbed, and still walk away without any debilitation.
The Fury Un-Thrall are haunted beings. When they are under extreme stress, they reach a point, and then their consciousness breaks. Once the consciousness breaks, the adrenaline surges and they become unstoppable in battle, unless their heads are cut from their bodies.
Subsistence If they have access to water, the Un-Thrall can survive for weeks without food; Un-Thrall live in the most deadly environments of radioactivity, of heat, of ice. They are a hard race.
Willful Un-Thrall cannot be convinced of something which they do not want to believe. They see a goal, and only change their mind if they want to. They are immune to mind-affecting illusions and magics such as the addictive and curative affects of Joy-Gather. If they choose to believe in the Joy-Gather, they can be healed, but they risk addiction.
Similar to: Barbarian[/ic]
[ic=MachineMen]
MachineMenThe creatures of the JUSTICATOR, The Machine Men have sorts of souls. They were programmed to think and to feel like humans. Few escaped the wrath of Prometheus, but those who did seek their leader, the JUSTICATOR, and hope to restore him to glory.Smite MachineMen can once per day create an energy arc to smite their enemies. The energy arc overloads the enemy with frightening levels of voltage.
Metallic Holiness The MachineMen are holy creatures. In their wake as they walk, if there is any metal or cables within visible distance, that metal vibrates and moves toward the MachineMen. If the MachineMan rests and meditates for 8 hours in low-power mode, the metal will form into a circuit board or simple machine.
The Mission The MachineMen always follow the mission to save the JUSTICATOR; no matter what, they follow the MachineMen's code. (1) Serve and Protect Justice, (2) Serve and Protect Humans, (3) Serve and Protect Life. If 2 or 3 contradict with one, then they will ignore those points; the most important part of the code is that which is listed first.
Similar to: Paladin[/ic]
[ic=WonderWorker]
WonderWorkersThey serve Prometheus, They weave the possibilities.The WonderWorkers shape the big ideas. They integrate many small ones and then create the wonders of Prometheus' projects.
Prescience The WonderWorkers can create the future, to some degree. Once per day, they can dictate everything that will happen in their vicinity for a time not to exceed ten minutes.
Weird A WonderWorker can stop time once per day and perform a number of actions equal to the length of her life-thread.
Minor Project A WonderWorker can have an extremely powerful idea once per day. She can do nothing about it though, unless she has access to her loom. But her partners may be able to do something about the idea if among them are a Recollector and a Faith, or an Ideageon.
UnDeath A WonderWorker cannot die unless her threads are cut in Prometheus' Tower. But she can be disabled; cutting off one's head and legs does wonders for rendering one immobile.
Similar to: Sorcerer, Wizard[/ic]
[ic=The Music]
The MusicFrom Within the Din, They Come. They are not as real creatures; but more as notes, floating in others' minds.The Music are the sounds of the Din; they are sentient atomic-sized vibrations that seek a strange agenda; they gain strength through sucking electricity and magic; but instead of wanting to destroy either, they wish to create more so that they can procreate and disperse across the world. They often attach themselves to others and inspire them with insipid buzzing.
The Buzzing The Music inspires a Host to take actions, even actions repulsive to that Host's desires.
The Wonder Up to thrice a day The Music vibrates and in doing so, it shakes the bounds of reality and causes objects to fall through a dimensional rift. The objects are always strange, rarely useful, but often intriguing. Objects can include burning meteorites, cyclopean monuments that fall and crush everything under their shadow, unfeasible weapons, and frozen boxes that give off radiated smog.
Similar to: Bard, Enchanter[/ic]
[ic=The Awakened]
The AwakenedThe awakened were animals once; and now they are sentient as a result of Prometheus' ascension. Their numbers are small and the first awakened were limited to only those animals within 10 miles of Prometheus' ascension. Their goals are as varied as humans' goals. Many have learned human tongues through observation, others have created their own language. Without opposable thumbs, they can build little. But they were immune to the Gloom and the Magics, so they can read books and retain knowledge. The Awakened are some of the brightest and most learned creatures left in the world.
Speak The Awakened speak their own constructed languages; or human languages.
Sit When the Awakened sit for long periods of time, their muscles become ultra-tensile and sprightly. When they move again, they can move at up to three times their natural speed or jump three times as high.
Stay The awakened can separate their soul from their bodies, and go floating into the night, to see and hear and spy. The soul never needs to sleep, although the body does.
Roll-Over The Awakened, when they roll-over, can sometimes trigger a quantum event that rewinds their own personal timeline for up to a minute. (Once/day) [Basically, this allows them to heal, or to regain something recently stolen...The thing will disappear from the thief's grasp and reappear where it was one minute before if, at the time it was taken, it was in physical contact with The Awakened's body.]
Similar to: Rogue[/ic]
[ic=Faith]
FaithThe faith are optimistic. They have to be. Otherwise they'd be the loss, wouldn't they?The Faith are actually opposed to Prometheus, though he barely realizes it. The Faith have found a way to adapt Joy-Gather to something less dangerous- they extract the curative powers of Joy-Gather and use it to heal the Un-Thrall where they can find them. The Faith pay their toll of ideas, and stoically bear the suffering, but they yearn for a day of freedom from being forced to serve others at Prometheus whim. Instead, they serve the free ones, the Un-Thrall, at their own will.
Heal With the vials of Joy-Gather Extract held around their necks, the Faith can heal almost any disease, can fill stomachs, and quench thirst.
Immune The Faith are immune to disease and illness and addiction.
Vibrant The Faith's happiness has a tendency to create ideas in other, to inspire joy and confidence
Similar to: Bard, Cleric[/ic]
--
GlossaryThe Everburning Flame -Although electricity has passed from the world; each person walks with an everburning flame that can be adjusted to give them warmth.
Prometheus powers each through the power of ideation; as long as he thinks, the idea that every stone can give off warmth, or open to reveal an oven of flame for cooking, remains.
Ideorium
JUSTICATOR
The Love - Every smile's effect is magnified. Prometheus spent a long time pondering how to improve his people's lives.
So he gathered all the happy thoughts of the people; all the pleasant and pleasureful and hedonistic ideas. And he melded them, with jolts of energy, intertwining them and weaving them, and he sent them to the WonderWorkers who tweaked his work and isolated experiments and gathered samples.
After several years of the Gloom, a time of great sadness among Prometheus' people, the project was complete. Just last year, the beginning fruits of Prometheus' work have begun to permeate among the populace.
When the rains come, with them come the evaporated molecules of joy. Every breath of water taken in fills a person with the effects of valium and prozac and aphrodesiacs. Envigorated and happy and content- most people who can restrain themselves and not drown within filled bowls of Joy-Gather are genuinely pleased with their lives and sacrifice, and thankful toward their Overseer.
Lovefall (see The Love) Prometheus
Un-Thrall
XEROX-GOOGLEPLEX JUSTICATOR (see JUSTICATOR)---In Clearer Terms:Things For Adventurers To Do!- Find a Computer Vault
- Find the JUSTICATOR
- Find the Un-Thrall
-
Shoot. This was supposed to be a happy world, written in response to Steerpike's artful creation.
I suppose this is what happens when you mix Judicial Activism with Communism.
Other Inspirations:
- Greek Myth
- The Norns of Norse Mythology
- The Model Penal Code
- Brave New World. (Aldous Huxley)
- That Hideous Strength. (CS Lewis)
- Vernor Vinge's short story... (Vernor Vinge)
- Minority Report (Phillip K. Dick)
- Pyramids (Fred Saberhagen) [The JUSTICATOR]
- Watchmen [Prometheus' Creation]
- The Animorphs (KA Applegate) [The Awakened, and The Music]
SoundtrackSo you're wondering what "
The Music" sound like. I would posit that they sound something like something between actual buzzing and a song by the ethereal band, "The Birthday Massacre." or some of Muse's songs, especially "Hysteria."
Also recommended for the
Ghosts: "The Streets are Whispering" by "Red Sea Station", "Starhunter" by "Moon School"
For the
Reprocessors: "Clock Out and Go Home" by "Obadiah Strange" and "The Shadow" by "Cavedoll" and "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" by "The Alan Parsons Project"
For the
WonderWorkers- "Techno Magic" by "The Dark Side of the World"
For the
Ideageon- "Journey to the Center of My Mind" by the "Amboy Dukes" and general Psychadellic rock.
For the
MachineMen- "Killing in the Name" by "Rage Against the Machine" and (for when they are a bit happier- LCD Soundsystems' "Big Ideas")
For
The Faith - Tullycraft's voices just seem perfect; Combine the voices with the happy optimism of Particle Zoo's "Freaky Fat Tuesday" and you have the Faith.
You say this was supposed to be a happy world, but I think it's wonderfully dystopian. The Un-Thrall remind me the rebellion from the Matrix. I suppose any dystopian rebellion group would be just as fitting, but for some reason, I'm specifically reminded of that particular group.
I'd love to see more of this. It seems great, but right now, it seems a little disjointed. What was the nature of the Great Lawsuit? Did somebody manage to successfully sue a South American plant because that person spilled a hot beverage into their lap? How, exactly, is the current state a response to it's prior state of liable causes of chains-of-effects?
In short: please, tell us more!
edit-- Oh, and let me be the first to welcome you to these forums. I'm sure I'm not the only one to appreciate you jumping right in!
A wonderful mix of legalese and mythology. Enthralling... but as written so far, pretty damn dystopian. Perhaps if the more beneficial aspects of Prometheus' despotism were emphasized, it might seem sunnier... or if the idea-fascism/statism's upsides were spectacularly presented, so that people could see what they were sacrificing their imaginations for? If the society produces great works through Prometheus, their sacrifice might be more visible, even if it can still be criticized.
It feels quite Orwellian to me. I can see the Watchmen infleunce. Looking forward to more.
By the way, small grammer error: " there is not all that much too the ghosts" should be changed to " there is not all that much to the ghosts."
Thank you Steerpike.
Your idea of highlighting Prometheus' great works is one which I just added. I decided that the setting could benefit from an infusion of ideas from two of my favorite books: Brave New World and That Hideous Strength, both of which I think out-Orwell Orwell.
I actually believe I would like to live in Huxley's Brave New World- I see it as a Utopia, but I think the lack of free will or free choice is chilling in a sense. I believe Huxley was trying to tell people that free will is what makes people human, otherwise humanity are but animals.
But the most frightening of the three books (1984,New World,...) is That Hideous Strength by CS Lewis. Brave New World could never happen since without invention or exploration, it would be difficult to provide for a human society- there would have to be too many managers and free-thinkers for the society to perpetuate.
That Hideous Strength however, is very possible and is downright disturbing. Have you perchance ever read it, Steerpike?
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Hm. Not so much a grammar error; more of a typo. Oops. Thanks! :)
A long time ago I read the first two in the series, and started That Hideous Strength... I should go back and read it, I liked the planetary stuff a lot more than Narnia.
The first 100 pages are a bit tedious, but That Hideous Strength has one of the most chilling, nasty, and satisfying endings of any book I've read.
I don't want to ruin surprises, but here's some incentive to finish the tale. "A walking brain". and "Merlin."
there has got to be somewhere to go with the 'Music'. To start with...what is the soundtrack (or soundtracks) in your mind for Wonderworld?
Wow love the classes - particularly the Music and the Reprocessor. The Ghost seems awfully weak: its msot potent ability that doesn't deblitate it is to get blown about on heavy winds... Could Ghosts have a possession ability? Are they incorporeal (walk through walls)? Can they pick objects up?
[blockquote=LightDragon]Somehow I doubt you've ever heard of the bands (other than muse and rage against the machine), but I bet you can find them somewhere online! [/blockquote]
I'm old. But not musically. Very Familiar with The Birthday Massacre, and I enjoy them very much. I have...some familiarity with alt/goth. Cavedoll and Moonschool to some degree, as well. (Numan, Covenant, Haujobb, Apop, Ade Fenton and a lot of classical is the soundtrack for Celtricia) Ad I own 'turn of a friendly card', from alan parsons.
I am amazed at the clarity that this little snippet gave me of you vision. Somehow, the music helps understanding.
Oh, I'm glad it helps. :)
Any other questions are welcome; or directions to develop.
I'll have to check out Celtricia sometime soon.
Updated WHAT TO DO in the main post and DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
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Rein
Beautiful silken black hair contrasts with vacant, empty eye-sockets.
Rein is a ghost.
I sigh, thinking of what she once was, and what she is now. She transgressed against a reprocessor who would have forced his way against her and who clawed at her eyes and tore and removed, but soon thereafter, he himself was killed. His fellows filed a report, then had her extracted.
Now she floats and thirsts for revenge. Pity though that she is insane with anger and with pain. She tries to pass for human, and often succeeds if her face can be covered. Otherwise, body is perfectly preserved and she tries not to float. She lures reprocessors, ideageons, and wonder workers into back alleys on windy days. Then she reveals herself and kisses them- none willingly take her kiss and they grow weak. She falls unconscious at the exertion, and then blows away on a gust of wind- not to be found.
Often, after Rein floats away, animals in the vicinity drawn near and begin to bite and gnaw and attack her victim, who, weakened by the ghost, can hardly protect himself.
Dozens of Prometheus' people have been lost to Rein's machinations.
The Golden
I AM A MACHINE MAN WHO WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO UPHOLD THE RIGHT AND PROPER RULES AND LAWS OF MY FATHER, THE JUSTICATOR.
THE JUSTICE OF HE WHO ALWAYS CORRECTLY CALCULATES WILL BE HAD THROUGHOUT THE LAND.
I AM 170 CENTIMETERS TALL. I AM GOLDEN. I DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY KILOGRAMS I WEIGH. I CAN BENCH-PRESS OVER SEVEN MEDIUM-SIZED HUMAN BEINGS WITHOUT CAUSING SPARKS TO FLY FROM MY INTERNAL CIRCUITRY.
I CARRY AN AXE AND I STRIKE WITH ENERGY ARCS.
I HAVE GIVEN BIRTH TO MANY MACHINE CREATURES THROUGH MY METALLIC HOLINESS.
I HAVE DUG HOLES ACROSS THE LAND IN SEARCH OF THE JUSTICATOR.
I HAVE TRACKED ENERGY EMANATIONS FROM ACROSS THE LAND. I HAVE MANY PLACES LEFT TO CHECK. I ENLIST MANY TO HELP ME FIND THESE PLACES. THEY ARE REWARDED WITH ENERGY, AND MY HOLY PRESENCE.
I AM WANTED AND MARKED FOR DEATH BY prometheus.
HE IS FOOLISH.
Sid
Sid is an Ideageon.
He's quite prescient.
In fact, he knew it was a good idea to leave the immediate vicinity of Prometheus.
Though most people would have thought the same, so that wasn't remarkable.
It's usually not a good idea to steal woven ideas from your boss, but Sid did that.
What was remarkable was that Sid was prescient enough to realize he'd get away with his crime.
Why did he steal the woven ideas?
Sid saw an opportunity, and he took it.
Sid is always looking for an opportunity.
Right now though, he's living in an idea-paradise.
He's underground, literally.
But his little idea is of an island paradise.
And he brought a few friends with him, to keep him company, and keep him happy.
So he's content.
But he can't leave the place.
And he's curious.
Will his agent find you and ask you to do him a favor.
Maybe.
Or maybe you'll find him.
Still, even if you do succeed, he'll have known you were coming, and'll have something interesting prepared for you.
Sid is a black haired man with a long pointed nose. His eyes are slanted and his cheekbones are highly raised and perpetually rosy. Sid always smells of lemons. And he walks mechanically, like a toy soldier; he's embarassed about this, so he usually sits.
So... who built the Justicator?