Silvercat's Pulp-Dream [Setting Thread]

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Please post comments in the discussion thread (which you don't have to read all of).

Core Ideas

My one overarching design rule is this: "It's a dream, not a reality". By that I mean I don't entirely care if there are logical errors or any of the other factors that break "verisimilitude" or "realism".  Catering to those generally causes my thoughts to grind to a halt while the logic picks apart my idea.  So this time I'm just going to buy into the dream and try to go along for the ride.

The 'look' for the setting:
Pulp: The clothes, the swanky nightclubs, the art deco, the technology, the buildings, the exotic locals, the villains, practically everything about the look of the 30s/40s as portrayed in popular media.  I think that even if I don't use as much as it might seem from how much I like pulp there's definitely going to be a lot of influence.
Fantasy: Colorful/showy clothes/armor and artifacts/tech.  Mostly the stuff you could find in pulp (including the fantasy from pulp such as Conan, though only the look and not the worlds).  The variety and weirdness of the creatures, too, especially races with animalistic qualities.
Modern: Gleaming skyscrapers and a lot of the building interiors.  Honestly even some of the dullest parts of the interior of a modern building I still like.
Sci-fi (more specifically non-distopian futuristic): The way tech functions and what it can do, but not necessarily its look.  Also the vehicles are okay.  I prefer fantasy races to most aliens and don't care to use space travel.

Tropes
Animal-people: Some people don't like them.  Me, they seem to provoke a better response than anything that looks human.  It's various combinations of primality/atavism, mythological, and just the fact that it connects back the cartoons they show you when you're a kid.
The "Better Guys": This is the setting civilization that's closer to the "shining ideal" vision than most of the others.  The society is on the whole tolerant, prosperous, and uncorrupted, and is just generally the best place to live.  This doesn't mean that factions within the larger society can't hate each, that some people might not be richer or poorer, or that there isn't a little corruption in the government.  But the idea is that these are exceptions to provide flavor and something for the protagonists to oppose rather than the norm.
The "Worse Guys": The big legitimate opposition.  The idea is that this society is a lot worse in every way than the "Better Guys", but probably can't be categorized as deliberately destructive and cruel, rather rigidly conformist and with the rich leading corruption.  They're paranoid and greedy, prone to using spies and proxy wars.  But they aren't a totalitarian dictatorship; they are more or less a democracy/republic.  Think of the US during the 50s and you'll probably see what I mean.
The Old Super-Bad Guys: The guys who make everyone else look saintly, the guys you get to kill without guilt.  You know: Nazi-types.
The Adventure Regions: The unexplored or just-starting-to-be-explored region of the setting with all the really cool ancient buildings and MacGuffins.  It's probably inhabited by new civilizations to have misunderstandings with, and is being coveted by the "Worse Guys" while the "Better Guys" are playing diplomat and just generally trying to nice people into joining them.
The Place for Storing Old Stuff: A university or museum (and there's definitely a private club, possibly as opposition) which is dedicated to finding, studying, and keeping Old Stuff so you can have adventures revolving around it.
The Adventurers' Society: The private club for people who go out and get themselves into trouble to go and brag about it afterwards.  These can be "fame and glory" people the Place for Storing Old Stuff calls treasure hunters, or they could just be a convenient (and virtuous) center for adventure dispatch.  Heck, have both and you've got ready-made rivalry.
The "Mall"-burb: I'm using mall here as a reference word to refer to the look of consumer culture America and the way you could see the idealized parts (like the suburb houses) displayed in a mall.  (Note: this isn't meant to be a completely derogatory usage.  I actually think this sort of image is okay for when you want to evoke modern pop culture (such as a game featuring teens).)
The Glamour District: The part of the setting with the pulp city look and swanky places to hang out.
The Swanky Nightclub: The big happening place that people go to for hanging out in style and having meetings with bigwigs.  If you want mobsters and politicians this is the place to find them.
The 5-star Hotel: You have to have somewhere to store your visiting VIPs.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Locations

The Alliance:

The Federation: Supposedly a democratic republic in reality the Fed is society of control freaks who are deeply paranoid of anyone who doesn't fit their view of proper civilization.  They have an extensive rivalry with the Alliance.

The Frontier: The region lying between Alliance-Federation territory and Unknown Country, a place still full of secrets where colonies are established and new civilization are contacted.
'"'"Chaos Rim: Region of the Frontier where the tech is antiquated, the environments dangerous, the secrets well hidden, the villains power-hungry maniacs, and the heroes always willing to risk danger.

Gateway, City at the Edge of Everywhere: Born as the hub of trade between the Alliance and the multitude of small nations in Unknown Country, Gateway was once also once the center of Alliance culture back in the period around the time of the Ancients War.  These days it loses out to the newer Alliance colonies.
'"'"Climatological outlook: Warm and sunny during the day, foggy at night.  There's both semi-arid region nearby (essentially like stuff that occurs in the southwestern US out to California) as well as a good tropical swamp.

Foxden University:

The Daring Club:

Silver Fields: (the Creepy Old House on Moon Hill)

Dreamland:

The Silver Cat:

The Henson:

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Sentient Species

Notes: Panian: Essentially means the same thing as our word "humanoid", except it isn't based upon referring to one species and thus is not considered specist. When referring to human-like head/facial features the word hominid is used.

Tek: The most common sentient species in the nearer multiverse, and for good reason: they are the most adventurous, cosmopolitan, and one of the most adaptable.  They owe most of this success to a genetic leftover from their ancestors: during gestation a tek's genome regarding their outer appearance mutates and rearranges itself constantly, shut down only by the presence of a certain hormone.  From then on a tek's appearance remains stable, only affected by normal aging hormones.  Because of this lack if inherited form tek societies do not carry many of the notions more stable species develop: bloodline and blood power, racial groupings and prejudice, and partner choice and family make-up.  Thus they are often open to new ideas.
This gestation-form-shifting means that there is no one tek look, thought they are all panians.  Tek can most often be said to resemble other creatures: feline, canine, equine, lapine, and rodent are a few of the possibilities.  Mammalian tends to be the most common, but reptilian and avian also occur.  Coloration varies widely, too, from muted to bright tones and in many kinds of patterns.  Extra features such as additional tails or wings are uncommon but not rare.
Tek hybridize easily with many other panian species, though because non-tek genes are not as readily malleable the resulting offspring will still resemble the non-tek parent as usual for that species, and in fact their tek DNA seems to adapt so that the form will be mostly from that parent.

Humans: An unremarkable panian species..

Sonata: Limited shape shifters, some scientists aren't sure if the sonata represent an actual species so much as an inheritable condition.  This confusion stems from their reproduction: sonata can breed with many different panian species (especially tek), and the resulting offspring at first appears to be of that species but will eventually develop shapeshifting and the perceptiveness of a sonata.  Even sophisticated genetic testing often fails to notice this trait until it has fully matured.
Sonata are capable of appearing as nearly any panian species, though the forms seen in tek are the least difficult.

Heyaafoura: A very unique species resembling insects, heyaafoura are not in fact biological organisms.  Though their bodies mimic biological functions there non-bio nature can be seen in their ability to upgrade via modular parts.
The basic form of a heyaafoura is a nearly rectangular semi-chitenous torso, with appendages at each corner and one pair in the middle.  The legs each have two normal joints and one "wrist" joint, plus a "hand" with an average of six finger-like claws.  Their heads are triangular with the point toward the jawed mouth and large eyes at the other points.  They do not possess any form of antenna.
But true heyaafoura appearance depend upon what parts they have on their bodies: they can be large and hulking or smaller and thin; they may utilize four of their appendages as legs or only two; color can vary, but is usually either a sandy gold or dark blue-grey.  The parts are easy to deal with: the heyaafoura enters a "trance" and then can just tug out a part and place in a new one.  The only limitation to this procedure is that the brain of the individual is unreplaceable.
Heyaafoura reproduction is surprisingly simple method given their "biology": each mating individual, and there can be more than one, produces a "seed part" which can then be attached together and grow into a new heyaafoura.

Koryuu: One of the more extreme-living species in the multiverse, Koryuu are capable of surviving in environments ranging though hot, cold, arid, and even a semi-aquatic existence.  Their digestive systems are especially tough, allowing them to eat foods that would sicken or kill other beings.  Their eyes can see into the infrared spectrum and their hearing is quite acute, allowing them to operate relatively well in conditions of no light.  Unlike most sentients they are quadrupedal and lack significant manual dexterity.
A koyruu's head is somewhat feline with a short muzzle and large eyes, though more streamlined in that the muzzle widens toward the back and smoothly joins the cheek area.  Their ears are large and pointed, matching the head in size.  The body and legs are more canine, proportioned for running rather than sprinting.  The tails are not long in relation to body length, and are usually covered in fur.  Coloration is often various patterns of blue-black mixed with orange, red, and/or gold, though solid coloration of those latter three as well as blue hues are known.  Eyes are mostly dark colors, red and purple being common.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Organizations and Individuals

The Ancients: Known by various names including Sh'nn (native term from Unknown Country), Serians (super-bad guys' name), Narras (most common used in the current day).

Party for Order Temperance, short form: Porte/Portis (derogatory "morties"): A group originally begun as simple political party it was slowly corrupted into a pride movement based around the superiority of certain individuals who believed themselves descended from the legendary creator species known at that time as the Serians.
They were defeated in the Ancients War, though there are still occasional Neo-Porte movements in the current day.  Their symbol is a skull, ironically a symbol of peace and renewal for many cultures.

They have special powers, so that's a natural superiority complex waiting to happen.  What's key is that these powers don't have to be confined to one species so they aren't racial bigots.  Psionics seems like a good fit: they thing they have psionic power, but the twist would be that psionics don't exist in this setting. Exactly how they think of their "superiority" I'm still working on (i.e. do they think the usual "we are the next stage of evolution").

Doc Hazard: "The Walking Disaster".  An alien genius who appeared on the multiversal scene around the same time as the Porte, and spent the war years fighting their mad scientists before turning her attention to Evil Emperor Thanos.  While a brilliant inventor she has the tendency to cause dangerous situations, either through her own creations or somehow messing up something else that's going on.  Fortunately that principle holds true for the villains she faces as well, and if that doesn't work her loyal cadre of Science Rangers will get the job done.  She is a hero to many on the Frontier.
In appearance she appears as a very short human woman with a large mass of hair she can change the color and shape of at will.

The Science Rangers: Founded by the infamous scientific-adventurer/walking disaster known as Doc Hazard the Rangers were brought together to serve as crime-fighters and troubleshooters in the pre-war period, especially against the Portis.  During the war they were granted full military status though their activities did not change.  Today the organization is a full branch of the Alliance's interplanetary police.

Evil Emperor Thanos: The Doc's archenemy, a cunning mastermind even if he always overestimates his intelligence.  He is the bane of the Chaos Rim and occasionally the Alliance.  Fortunately wherever Thanos shows up to seize power that infernal Doc Hazard and her meddling Science Rangers are never far behind.  Thanos is quite certain that the Doc is the only one in existence with skills to match himself.
Thanos never caries out an evil scheme without his standard group of henchmen:
* One femme fatal personal assistant who inexplicably falls for a male Science Ranger (and occasionally Doc Hazard).
* One brutish lieutenant who's so dumb that a dress and a longhaired wig convinces him that the wearer is female.
* One small yet brainy lieutenant with shifty eyes who's job it is to yell at the troops if Thanos isn't there to do it and to constantly plot to overthrow Thanos.
* One seemingly endless supply of themed warrior-mooks who have face-obscuring helmets.

Ixator's Discount Villain Supplies: "Ixator's, where you always know what to buy because it's the same stuff you bought last time!
Ixator's is not responsible for any failure of our merchandise due to the cleverness and/or incompetence of a plucky/ragtag (band of) hero(es) and/or your own minions even if you bought them at Ixator's."
Ixator's appears to be a multiplanetary service catering exclusively to the basic needs of villains: elaborate costumes, showy gadgets, fully stocked lairs in out-of-the-way places, even henchmen and mooks.  Villain's never have to seek out Ixator's: if they are suitably villainous a salesthing from Ixator's just shows up to present a selection of merchandise and take orders.  Oddly no money has ever changed hands in these sales, leading many to wonder what exactly it is that Ixator's takes as payment.
Non-villains are acquainted with Ixator's through the distinctive logo stamped somewhere on all their products: a large, painfully obvious red circle with the words "Do Not Push" written on it in a selection of regional languages.

The Mob: I'll probably just include them for the heck of it.  I'm not good with terribly frightening universes, so they'll be threatening but when they're not being focused on you don't have to worry about them sneaking up behind you with a Tommy gun.  Ironically they survive better in Alliance civilization than the Federation, either because the latter is quite willing to trample peoples' rights in pursuit of "justice" or because the latter is so corrupt that there's too much competition to keep together an organization.

"Big Boss": Most mob bosses you see aren't the physically toughest people.  You can tell because they always have someone whose body language says "I break people for a living".  Not Big Boss: he's got the brains, he's got the charisma, and he's got 8 ft of pure muscle and hide.  When he goes out he's surrounded by people whose body language says "I'm paid to stay out of the way and clean up afterwards".