Thread for Setting & History Index | New Thread | Reply | Close | Unstick | Delete  Setting & History X 2:37am, October 12, 2017 [Edit] [Delete] The primary setting is Neo-X, formerly New York City and the current capital of the world. The Imperial Institute of Higher Learning that is located in what once was the site of the Empire State Building and has now been outfitted to be the academy of the future for all those who have superhuman abilities and is primarily geared towards mutants as per the current regime's desires. Just about as much of the school that resides in the 35-story (above ground) building also resides in the 17-stories below ground. All of this will go into more detail in a later edit of this post when I can get maps drawn up of everything. In general, the dorms for the students begin on the 2nd sublevel with the oldest students and extend for 3 levels, every dorm room houses at least 2 students and as many as 6 (usually younger students). Faculty dorms/offices are on the first sublevel as well as the school's medbay. In short read the history for this dimension because it really is dramatically different from the comics and play your character as you wish. You can make Bobby Drake an infant or make Emma Frost a prostitute. Whatever you want. Play Marvel Canon Characters as YOU want! Also, we definitely WELCOME custom characters! Current year IC: 2017 History: In the early 1980's human science was making leaps and bounds in identifying disease that had yet to be identified and classified. Among the first besides HIV/AIDS was the Mutant Gene. Thought to have been a genetic mutation and defect the United States government was the first of several of the more powerful countries to begin researching this phenomenon along with Russia, England, Germany, France, and the fledgling government of China. The respective governments rounded up all the known "oddities", who were to be called Mutants in the future, and began to subject them to tests. In April 1981, in the United States "oddities" were kept in camps in the middle of the Arizona desert and it is there that one Charles Xavier (32) and Magnus Maximoff (30) met. The experimentation radically changed Xavier's views of promoting equality to those more aligned with Earth-616 Magneto, of mutant supremacy. The 3 "oddities" the United States had successfully identified to date were Charles Xavier, Magnus Maximoff and the young Scott Summers (then 13). The three busted out of the camp, Xavier and Magneto killing most of the men there before fleeing, they'd sent Scott ahead once they broke the defenses. Over the next 9 years there was a worldwide revolutionary war of mutants away from their human oppressors. The conflict was capped off in late 1989 when Magnus led an attack on the USSR near Kazakhstan where he was able to commandeer nuclear missiles stored there and launch them at Europe. This spelled the end for humanity's resistance as they surrendered by early 1990. With Europe a nuclear waste refugees spread around the world, though many of them fled to North America. Meanwhile, Xavier setup his capital in what once was New York City, now renamed Neo-X. As the Empire took hold of the planet laws were put in place, diminishing the rights of humans in most cases to being barely more than cattle. They lived, and worked for the Empire. Former leaders of humanity, key figures along with their families faced varying fates from complete extermination of their bloodline, to forced servitude to the ruling Imperials in perpetuity for as long as their bloodline was allowed to survive. While the Empire was still being fully formed around the world and was just months old, a challenger arose out of Africa. "Usurper Prime" was the propagandist label attached by the Empire to the man--the Shadow King. Xavier and the Shadow King fought in a duel of the minds, Xavier winning but in the process of severely damaging his physical form leaving him but a mind in a glass jar. The Emperor's brain, still conscious, was moved to the Capital building in Neo-X where it was connected up to a quickly growing worldwide database of mutants and their respective powers known as Cerebro. The machine amplified Xavier's gifts to reach and catalog every mutant around the globe with ease. Meanwhile, Magnus and eventually his children were the figureheads of the Empire, eventually being known as the Royal family. Magnus held some degree of political power, but the majority of governing was left to the Imperial Senate. Facts about the world in the 27 (nearly 28) years since humanity's surrender: -- Neo-X has been built up to be a sprawling megacity centered on where New York City once stood. and stretching out roughly 200 miles. Rough area of Neo-X.     > The city holds roughly 25% of the world's population within its walls.     > There are numerous districts within Neo-X. The Central district being the heart and by far the most dense population of mutants and metahumans. Humans typically live outside the Central District if they reside in the city at all. Everything that is not the Central District is considered an Outer District.     > While no humans live in the Central District, mutants and metahumans do live in the Outer Districts as well. Typically poorer mutants/metas or ones with more physical oddity-based mutations.     > The 5 outer districts along the Northern Central District border are called The Strips. Pictured here.     > Due to the massive amount of resources required by the city, the immediate areas surrounding the outer reaches of the city for 50-100 miles on average (varies by location) are simply desolate wastes. Small villages and encampments exist out in the wastes but life is harsh.     > Humans have extremely limited rights in this world. NOTE: Unlike the original Empire X room, humans have NOT been castrated or executed en masse. -- In various spots around the world outside of Neo-X humans are kept in labor districts and the Empire will hold Hunger Games-esque events for their (the Empire's) entertainment. The frequency of these events can shift due to the desires of the Empire and its propaganda. -- While there has not been a successful rebellion, there have been some minor skirmishes against Imperial forces and would-be rebels over the years. Fortunately for the Empire, none of these resistance groups have found much footing yet. -- In 1998, a plague ravaged crops in the Great Plains of North America. While the Central district of Neo-X was generally unaffected, the outer districts and the rest of the North American residents suffered greatly. While the plague eventually receded due to treatments from the Empire to slow the impact on their food stores, the plague still pops up from time-to-time. This only made life outside of Central Neo-X in North America that much harder -- The timezone of Neo-X itself is called Imperial Capital Time. It is equivalent Eastern time. -- SHIELD was a defense force created by the US shortly after World War II. They existed in the shadows until the outbreak of the Mutant v. Human War in 1981 when they made themselves known during a battle north of Toronto aiding the Canadian military's defense of the city. They were pivotal in humanity's defense against the mutant forces during the war, but ultimately could not swing the tide in humanity's favor. At the end of the war they disappeared back to the shadows. For a short time, some in the Empire believed they were disbanded.     > In the years since humanity's surrender, SHIELD has splintered its operations tremendously. More often than not operating as small cells of no more than 4 or 5 agents. There are numerous cells in and around Neo-X itself, as well as outside the borders of Neo-X.     > Operations are typically focused far outside the walls of Neo-X, typically in and around the various scattered human labor districts to disrupt supply lines. Through the years SHIELD has carried out raids on Imperial bases to capture and steal vehicles, weaponry, munitions, and to disable Imperial equipment.     > Officially from an Imperial propaganda standpoint, SHIELD does not exist and has not existed for some time. The guerrillas perpetrating the attacks against the Empire are simply using the name of the terrorist organization SHIELD to promote false ideals and beliefs in the honest, hardworking subjects of the Empire. In fact, to quite a few of the Imperial Defense Forces officers don't even believe they actually exist. However, it is and has been known for a long time that SHIELD actually exists but are considered a passive and known threat by the highest levels of the IDF elites.     > Sometime in late 1980 to early 1981, SHIELD agents actually located and identified the frozen remains of Captain Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. It was theorized that he might be able to be reanimated depending on his physiological state upon recovery. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of the Mutant Human war recovery efforts were put on hold as resources and attention went to the active conflict. In July 1985, while humanity continued losing ground SHIELD Command sanctioned a secret op to retrieve Capt. Rogers and move him to a secret SHIELD facility in Antarctica. The Op was successful and Rogers remained in the facility until SHIELD technicians felt they could safely reanimate him from within his chunk of ice. -- Power suppression and nullification technology does exist however it is typically only produced as wearable tech (i.e. bracelet, watch, choker, etc.) and used when needed.     > There is a social stigma around people who use suppression/nullification tech similar to the social stigma around those suffering mental health issues. These individuals who wear this tech are sometimes called "Nulls".     > Some can choose to wear this tech if they feel it suits their desired life better, however, they typically suffer from the social stigma of being a "Null".     > Suppression tech does not completely nullify powers. Depending on how powerful it is set will dictate how much of the wearer's abilities remain. -- Legal age (including legal age for drinking, etc. anything you'd get carded for) is 18. -- Pot is legal, taxed, and regulated. Prostitution is legal, taxed, and regulated. -- Firearms are illegal to all non-Imperial Defense Forces. Edited 2:44pm, October 29, 2017 by X, author.  Neo-X the Megacity X 4:53pm, October 23, 2017 [Edit] [Delete] At its heart Neo-X was built to be the shining beacon for the world. Whether that beacon be a message of hope if you're a mutant or metahuman, or one of imposing oppression if you're a human. The design of the city was reflected to match this intent from the heart out. (All images can be clicked to view the full-size version) Rough conceptualization of Neo-X looking toward the Central District from several districts out. Central District If Neo-X is the capital of the Empire then the Central District is the capital of Neo-X. As such there are varying areas within the District that perform various functions. Below are what they are, where they are, and what they do. Xavier Square - Xavier Square is an area carved out of what once was Midtown Manhattan (pictured below in blue). This area serves as the proper seat of the Imperial Government housing all Imperial Departmental Headquarters, the Imperial Institute, Capital Tower, Royal Estate, Imperial Senate, Grand Imperial Palace and Gardens, and a slew of the finest freestanding art in the world. Aside from some of the monuments within the Square and the Capital Tower, most of the buildings are similar to Washington D.C. around the White House (i.e. not going above a certain height for security purposes). The cap height for most buildings is 50 meters or ~164ft. Historians will identify that it is more rectangular with an arm than a square despite its name.   > Imperial Departmental Headquarters - The various Imperial government offices dot Xavier Square. (Map to come) Among them include the following departments:    1. Imperial Health Services    2. High Space Council    3. Imperial Defense Forces    4. Administration of Education   > Imperial Institute of Higher Learning - The Institute is the jewel of the Administration of Education's crown. The full write-up for the Institute can be found here. The location of the Institute's campus is pictured in gold below. Institute campus seen in gold.   > Capital Tower - The Capital Tower is as much a monolith to the Empire's might as it is a functioning building for the Imperial government. It is the tallest building in the Empire at 970 meters tall. The top floor is 800 meters up, with the remaining 170 meters dedicated to the spire. The spire itself has a huge power generator at its base that doubles as a large light source. The light source is typically kept quite low in brightness compared to its maximum potential output, but it is possible to make the entire Central District have enough light as if it was day even in the middle of the night. Around the spire are huge pieces of metal bent into semicircles that rotate around the spire 24 hours a day held aloft by Imperial tech built to simulate Magneto's abilities. It was erected over what once was Times Square. Location of the Capital Tower.   > Royal Estate - Built in the general vicinity of where Rockefeller Center was, the Royal Estate are reflective of Magneto's stylings. The building is 50 meters tall, matching most of the other buildings in the Square. While the Estate may seem meek from ground-level there are numerous sub-levels for the Royal family to retreat to and enjoy their time out of the prying eyes of the public. Location of the Royal Estate.   > Imperial Senate - The Imperial Senate building stands in the shadows of the Capital Tower. It houses the Imperial Senate, the Senate Hall, and Senate offices. Most of the space is utilized on the ground floor, but there are 2 sub-levels used for various purposes.The building, like so many others, stands at 50 meters tall. Grand Imperial Palace and Gardens.   > Grand Imperial Palace and Gardens - The Grand Imperial Palace and Gardens serves primarily as a service to Imperial citizens. While it requires similar security checks as someone visiting the White House in present day, it is generally open to the public. The Palace is the finest museum in the world with countless pieces of art from throughout history, as well as a walking history of Homo Superior including relics of the Mutant Human War and occasionally traveling exhibits from prominent mutant artists. The Gardens are the most well-kept arboretum in the world with freestanding art pieces scattered throughout. A truly one of a kind oasis within the sprawling Imperial Capital. The Gardens sit on roughly the lower 40% of what once was Central Park. Grand Imperial Palace and Gardens. Edited 9:15pm, October 23, 2017 by X, author.  Wastelands / Outer Imperial Territories X 4:39pm, November 06, 2017 [Edit] [Delete] Riverdale Village The Village centered over what once was Riverdale, NJ, USA This partially-walled village (along the west-side protecting the magrail line) in the wastes outside of Neo-X was initially built as a staging area to organize European human refugees for transport to their labor districts. After the initial flood of refugees subsided the village shrunk in population dramatically until the 1998 famine when some fled back to villages near Neo-X, such as Riverdale. What exists now is a rather bustling township outside of the capital policed by the residents which has allowed all sorts of crime and savagery to take hold. Visually, the village is a sprawl of small to moderate sized buildings. The highest being near the village center standing about 3 stories (~45 ft) tall, with all other buildings being less than that. The farther you get from village center the more you'll see single-floor buildings. Imperial Defense Force presence is minimal. IDF units typically roll in while protecting the magrail trains only disembarking from the train during extended supply run stops. Even then IDF soldiers usually do not venture farther than a block or two from the station before returning when the train departs. IDF Air Defense fly-overs and IDF roving unit patrols occur VERY RARELY AND SPORADICALLY. However, due to the size of the village there's a supply runner that stops at least every other day if not every day. Edited 5:52pm, November 06, 2017 by X, author.  Imperial Governmental Departments X 4:40pm, November 06, 2017 [Edit] [Delete]  X-Force X 4:40pm, November 06, 2017 [Edit] [Delete] Edited 4:41pm, November 06, 2017 by X, author.  Imperial Military X 4:41pm, November 06, 2017 [Edit] [Delete] Edited 4:43pm, November 06, 2017 by X, author.  Recognized Non-Imperial Territories X 4:43pm, November 06, 2017 [Edit] [Delete] Asgard Atlantis Wakanda Wakanda's history doesn't vary much from canon in the beginning. It remained shrouded in mystery up until spring 1986--roughly halfway through the Mutant Human War--when they were forced to get involved as mutant forces began encroaching on their land. The Wakandan forces responded in kind to their enemies fighting the mutants back and handing them one of their worst losses in the entire war. Seeing how aggressive the mutants were, Wakanda--led by T'Chaka--began defending the entirety of sub-Saharan Africa. Once the rest of humanity surrendered Wakanda entered into an uneasy treaty with the Empire laying claim of their current lands of sub-Saharan Africa as uncontested Wakandan territory. Seeing the humanitarian crisis unfold immediately after the war with European refugees, T'Chaka created the demilitarized zone along the western coast of Africa. Providing a home for the Refugees that traveled south from Europe as well as a major trading region for Wakandans to trade with merchants from the Empire and others. King T'Chaka led Wakanda from 1978 until his passing in 2011 when his son, T'Challa, took over as king. In the time of T'Chaka's reign, aside from surviving the Mutant Human War he pushed for Wakanda's presence outside the lands of their treaty with the Empire. He established a Wakandan outpost in the Savage Land and a Wakandan Colony on the Blue Area of the Moon--challenging the Earth-space Supremacy of the Empire. Upon his passing, T'Challa became king and has ruled in the 6 years since. Sensing a coming war, T'Challa has been secretly preparing his land and his people for a conflict that he sees as a unavoidable certainty. T'Chaka's reign was not always quite as successful. His greatest personal failure upon his passing was not making being able to calm the minds of some of the other leaders of the Wakandan government shortly before they entered the Mutant Human War from rebelling. In Fall 1985, the voices of other Wakandan nobility grew to a roar as they attempted a coup against a king they felt was being too passive in his response to the mutant threat. T'Chaka was able to put down the coup and execute the leader. Edited 3:48pm, November 13, 2017 by X, author. Index | New Thread | Reply | Close | Unstick | Delete