The Twilight Fortune

This is the place where we can discuss anything relating to the Lore and setting of The Twilight Fortune RP, alongside sharing ideas or questions and so forth. I'm going to be writing quite a fair bit in this thread as well, since I want to actually turn this into a project somewhere down the line.

Cities, Settlements and Setting! Oh My! Crimson's ideas about the world around the RP.

The setting to this Roleplay is somewhere that I like to believe is around the American Frontier for some settlements, while being Post Apocalyptic in large cities. The Collapse brought about the near complete destruction of humanity. I've done plenty of research into apocalyptic movies, games and actual scenarios about what this 'future' would bring about. Due to an underwhelming amount of people that make up the population in this new world, these cities would actually decay without the people constantly maintaining them. Of course, people would still live in these cities, it's just that they don't need very much space anymore. For example, whatever society lives inside New York City in this RP wouldn't need the entire city to grow, they could only restore and live inside an old part of the city. And besides, whatever society's that live inside the city that are either living peacefully or fighting could actually make a difference to the population.



This is a good example of what I would like to think of Post-Collapse New York City, full of wildlife and greenery instead of the boring stormy grey. The reason behind cities appearing in such a manner is because of the Collapse itself. The Collapse was sudden, without warning and damn effective in near human extinction. It fits the bill for a good post-apocalyptic environment. Some towns or cities could have been burnt to the ground or completely abandoned during the centuries, unless the location has a population itself that would result in some interesting examples. Society and Civilization could have taken different steps when it comes to dealing with this new environment. Law Abinding Citizens could try to rebuild America through several of their personal factors such as democracy, personal liberty, and the rule of law. Others try to dominate it through physical force such as barbarian warlords or tyrants. Ideologies could have changed or reemerged as well, such as Communism or Fascism and perhaps even the establishment of Monarchy's could have appeared during this time. The United States of America as a nation, along with every country on earth, died during the Collapse. Civilization has been given an option to start again, but the road will be bumpy.

While some settlements might actually have a rather large population, large ones having around 30-50 thousand each. The former million+ cities was just history to the people in this roleplay. I like to pretend that a common farmer that lives in the Four Corners region of America must think of amazement when it comes to having over a million people living in such an environment. (Remember that the population for America is around 5 million). It would be like the old country mouse and city mouse stories. This farmer, who could have been used to only being around a couple dozen or a few hundred people throughout his lifetime suddenly find himself in a settlement with around 40,000 people would be a culture shock. In the Four Corners region, which would hold a total population of around 200,000 to 350,000 people in a land area about the size of France, this factor would need to be taken into personal effect.

With the setting being focused around the American Frontier age, specifically at the days of the late 1800's. I've focused the ideas of technology and society being stuck for centuries (But slowly recovering over time) during the closing days of the Wild West and the beginning days of the New Old West. This is roughly the period between 1890 (the year the U.S. Census Bureau announced the closing of the frontier and the Wounded Knee Massacre occurred thereby marking the end of the "Indian Wars") and 1920 (which marked the official end of The Mexican Revolution when guerilla/bandit forces operated along the US/Mexican border and the beginning of Prohibition in the U.S. which closed the last of the old West saloons). There will still be many elements of the Wild West present like cowboys, gunfighters, outlaws, bank and train robberies, saloons, and cattle drives but, as you get deeper into the 20th century, they'll gradually become less common. Society worldwide is still stuck in the 1880's -1890's however for a period of what I like to think would be over400 years since the Collapse, and this recovery is slow. But while the recovery is still happening, the post-collapse world wouldn't be able to currently support any further growth.

I've always wanted to explore the genre that everybody knows and loves, the Western. According to TV.Tropes, this sort of Roleplay would come the New Old West. A brief description on the setting from that page that pretty much describes most of the setting of this RP.

"A less popular choice is the New Old West, in which Western traditions and tropes are shifted forward a hundred or so years into the modern day. Now the bandits drive pick-up trucks or ride motorcycles, the outlaws hole up in motels and the great plains of America are surrounded on all sides by airports, highways and cities. Of course this means that it's harder to do stories about outlaws, because advances in technology mean that it's easier for law enforcement agents to pursue and convict criminals. As a result, many New Old West stories are about the perceived loss of freedom in America now that such days are gone. "

Alongside the fact that this is also a Western RP at heart, this also has some pretty huge aspects of being Post-Apocalyptic as well. The Collapse kicked humanity back centuries, new settlements or even nations have arisen that try to live peacefully or conquer and pillage, and plenty of other important factors. Alongside with most of humanity being stuck at the Frontier level for over 400 years and plenty of people trying to make a living in this new world, and you have the conditions that are ripe for a post-apocalyptic roleplay. Although, it's more Post Post-Apocalyptic if you think about it more deeply. I think that I should focus onto another aspect of the world of this RP eventually, such as Technology and other important things, maybe even a timeline somewhere along the path should this RP survive for that long.

"Washington is not a place to live in. The rents are high, the food is bad, the dust is disgusting and the morals are deplorable. Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country."

—Horace Greeley

 

Technology would have been shockingly advanced prior to the Collapse in our world, although it's not exactly anything that contained elements of retro futurism. Pre-Collapse civilization was almost utopian in nature and miracles occurred throughout the advancement of technology. It was practically a perfect (Heavily inspired Sci-Fi) world until the collapse came about. I'm not going to name technologies created during the era just to help with creativity and the imagination.

You're half right. The Collapse did actually originate somewhere and then spread, although I'm not going to expand on this because I want to use it as a plot point. Over time, many people forgot on what caused the Collapse in the first place and just went about their lives as the cause of the Collapse faded into Legend.

No, he's unrelated.

Many of these technologies are still around, some of them such are still surviving such as high speed trains. Of course, many are unable to be used due to the maintenance that they were require and would eventually break. After all, 400 years is a long time. But yes, these technologies are still around.

 

[MENTION=10368]NekoOni[/MENTION] [MENTION=10061]Leviathan[/MENTION] [MENTION=8952]MorphinBrony[/MENTION]

We'll just be waiting for a bit until you guys come back. If you've decided to leave, we'll just retcon your characters unless you want to continue.

 

Amazing idea, keep it!

Technology of the Twilight Fortune

Pre-Collapse Earth was a majestic place while humanity was experiencing a period of growth unrivalled like anything that has been seen before in human history. It wasn’t easy creating a world that I would later destroy, especially when you want to make sure that the technologies that survived were original. The Apocalypse did signal the end for humanity, but what was the wondrous age of yesteryear truly like.




For the sake of understanding, I’m going to set a point of divergence in...Let’s say 2019. In this universe, the technological development from this year onwards essentially multiplies around six to eight times faster than our own. The most radical ideas of science fiction were becoming a reality in this new world, some ideas in this world might never happen in our lifetime alone. It was a perfect balance between a very advanced Sci-Fi world with elements of Retrofuturism. A fledgling field of science in our world has become a thriving industry of its own. Artificial Intelligences, monumental advances in medicine and food production, colonisation of the moon, enormous geopolitical and energy changes, longevity treatments and all other sorts of “magical” technologies came out of the Golden age of humanity. The hopes and dreams of a century became realities.

When the Collapse finally occurred at the end of the 21st century, it set humanity back over two hundred years. Although plenty of these technologies still exist, they are becoming exceedingly rare. Relics of a bygone generation where dreams and fantasies came true.

 

I've had the idea that they are still around and chosen not to return to earth, because there isn't really much of an earth anymore to return to anyway. I'm thinking of a society, like an international effort, to colonise the moon and terraform it to some extent with a breathable atmosphere. This project alone, even with Pre-Collapse tech, could take centuries. They might still be there for that reason alone.

 

Well....I never said that they were nice.

I might explain more in the RP itself.

 

Maybe....
Maybe not....

Interesting Notes:

The Pacifica

The Pacifica was built near the end of the 21st century, only a few years before the Collapse in a joint effort between the Japanese and American governments to assist in transportation measures across the Pacific. The Pacifica is crowned to be one of the pinnacles of human transportation and engineering. Although plans of this transport go back decades prior, this mode of transportation travels at hypersonic speeds that could take travelers from LA to New York in under 45 minutes, cruising at six times the speed of sound.

The train itself is a a magnetic levitation train akin to earlier Chinese and Japanese maglevs would travel through an underground tube at 7000 km/h, using only a fraction of the energy of modern air travel. The airless technology would allow for close-to-zero friction and no air resistance (no turbulence). The Pacifica project cost over $400 billion dollars and took almost fifteen years to construct. While travel times were reduced and tourism between the two countries went up, project was declared a success. The Atlantica was going to become the successor to the Pacifica, taking travelers from New York City to London in under half an hour. A similar project was going to occur between China and Russia, with a railway system taking travelers from Beijing to Moscow within an hour and a half. Unfortunately, these projects never started construction due to the Collapse occurring in early 2093.

Since the Collapse, an organization has been created by Japanese and American survivors known as "The Railroad" with the sole purpose of maintaining the Pacifica whenever needed, a task they have been doing for over 400 years. With the assistance of androids and robots inside The Railroad, the Pacifica is a proud relic of the Old World that has survived The Collapse.

(I'm going to write about the Collapse next. I wonder what your ideas for the apocalypse was, it might actually surprise you!)

 

Eeyup....

The Collapse

The Chimera Virus, also known as J-11, was an artificially created retrovirus designed to cure Dementia and ultimately determined the fate of mankind, almost causing human extinction in the process by eradicating 95% of mankind alone.
On February 5th 2093, a set of apes are imported and arrive at Milli Research Products facility in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Unbeknownst to the staff, they have developed a mutated form of the D-11 that was lethal to humans. Bernard Vidal and Abby Glendonat are both infected that first day, and spread it to all of the facility. Glendonat stops at a local petrol station and infects seven people, one of whom is Charles Bailey, a pilot. Bailey then proceeded to his job, unknowingly spreading the virus to the several people in the airport and on the airplane that he piloted, which went to Rome, Italy Bailey eventually died almost a week and a half later, not before unknowingly bringing the virus to Europe, which proceeded to spread across the continent and then the globe via international flight routes.

Several dozen cases of "fever and nausea" are reported at various hospitals around New Brunswick and New York hospitals on February 9th 2093. Most are dismissed, and sent home with anti-emetic and anti-fever prescriptions. Meanwhile, the virus spreads to Paris where the French Health Ministry a "surprising increase in fevers" in the Paris metropolitan area.

February 11th 2093: Bernard Vidal goes into a coma. Upon palpation by an attending physician, it's discovered that his liver is failing and possibly his kidneys as well. Abby Glendonat goes into a coma just before midnight. Bernard and Abby are both moved to the NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital. Los Angeles, Moscow, Stockholm, London, New York City, Tokyo, Beijing, Jerusalem, and Sydney, Australia all report "strange fevers".

February 12th 2093: Abby Glendonat dies at 1:32am. She is the first fatality of the Chimera Virus, before Bernard Vidal joins her less than seven hours later. By now, the entire staff at the NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital Centre (as well as some 30% of Manhattan itself) is infected. Most are still in the early stages, but admitting members of staff are now in the isolation ward. Between an emergency meeting by the the CDC and the WHO, both declare a medical emergency and implement quarantine procedures. American President, Michael Arthur is advised by SoD Rodman to go on national television to announce to the nation. During his speech, martial law is declared in New Work City, and strict "stay in your home" curfew is implemented.for two days. The speech is serious, but attempts reassurance and states that a "potentially dangerous epidemic" has broken out but that it should run its course in a few days, while Martial law was being declared with a time-limit of the next two weeks.

Not long after the announcement and emergency meetings, a protocol is initiated to try to contain the virus in New Brunswick and Manhattan, by sealing off the city with National Guard units. Just before it is put into place, reports from the CIA and State Department indicate that Paris has had its first fatality, a child on the same flight as Bailey. Elsewhere, reports are flooding in from half the major cities in the United States. Containment has been lost.

February 13th –February 20th 2093: Panic erupted worldwide. Less than a week later, the American death toll had reached over two million. With no sign of a cure, New York and several other cities on the East Coast went into chaos, with citizens looting pharmacies and overwhelming hospitals. The breakdown of law and order resulted in the intervention of the National Guard, and the appearance of various domestic terrorist groups and separatists in southern California. In eastern China, the government went on a brutal crackdown of rebelling ethnic minorities. Many ethnic groups across Europe, Africa and the Middle-East broke out into fighting. Australia, with fewer cases of infection, closed its borders and shot down or sunk any form of unrecognized transport attempting to enter the country. In Egypt, Muslims began burning Christians alive. Infection rates skyrocket, with a 55% increase during this period in Europe alone and 80% in China.

President Arthur, now appearing feverish, receives reports based on global research that estimate that approximately 5% of the human population is immune to the virus. However, other factors resulting in the apocalypse such as fighting, fires, and would reduce the surviving population dramatically. Crime and fighting drops during this period as those committing the crimes become too sick.

Meanwhile, nuclear power plants (ordered by President Arthur to enact shut-down protocols) begin to heat up as there are few if any staff to maintain them. Many would soon go into meltdown, releasing radioactive chemicals into the atmosphere and increasing the death-toll.

February 21st 2093: At 5:31pm, President Arthur dies. Vice President Madison Stephens has the Acting Attorney General swear her in, almost immediately Stephens’s legs give out from under her and she is forced to stay on the sofa in the Oval Office. (His time as President would last eight hours.)
In America itself, total anarchy reigns. No police forces remain intact, and only two battalions of National Guard and Army units are more than half active. Fires burn out of control in forty different cities. Some, who had escaped infection, die in the fires or the firestorms that are created. The population of Los Angeles is approximately 20,000. Manhattan burns out of control, with the One World Trade Centre acting as giant torch lighting up the night-sky visible from the other side of Boston.

February 22nd 2093: World deaths reach the two billion mark. Paris is now almost a ghost town, with around 85% dead or deserted. London, Moscow, Beijing, Mumbai, Singapore, Tokyo all suffer a 95% infection rate infected, 70% dead. Fires burn out of control in most of the major cities of the world; power and water systems have failed in most as well.

February 23rd 2093: World deaths reach the four billion mark and continues. No one remains in Washington DC, Paris and Shanghai, while Moscow, London and Berlin have little more than a couple hundred immune survivors. The immune now total about seventy million world-wide; uninfected total about twenty million, for a total of twenty million. The Pre-Collapse world had almost eleven billion people on the Earth. The remainder of the 6.43 billion people on Earth will be dead in less than 48 hours.

February 30th 2093: The Collapse officially ends, and the Chimera Virus has claimed the lives of approximately 10,432,210,090 lives. Somewhere around 350 million people are completely immune to the virus. In America, around five million survivors exist. The last person to die of the Chimera Virus was Entian Ihejirika, an elderly man in Dakar, Senegal. Though 350 million escaped infection, almost 40 million of them proceed to die from other causes. There are some 225,000 suicides; people either despondent at the loss of family or friends end their lives.

Post Collapse: The event marked the end of a golden era of human history, and mankind would very slowly recover from the nightmares that the Collapse brought about. Although technology has been pushed back to the 19th century, the new frontier has been born since then.

 

List of Major settlements and population count

Angel City (Los Angeles): 55,730
Tower Bay (Seattle): 52,712
Empire City (New York): 46,198
Dise (Las Vegas): Around 30,000
Two Sun (Tucson): 29,432
Motor City (Detroit): 22,121
Castle Mountain (Denver):Between 18 to 20 thousand, official population count hasn't been tallied
The Metroplex (Dallas/Fort Worth): 15,000+
The Capital (Washington DC): Just over 10,000, previously a ghost-town for centuries.