Here you'll find the list and descriptions of the role-play channels we use in City Of Unity. If you're new to IRC, head on over to our Connect section and read up there first, otherwise you won't have a clue how to get to these channels in the first place. As always, if you encounter any difficulty, please don't hesitate to contact us so we can help.
Also, if there's any RP going on, yet you yourself are not playing or do not have a character approved yet, you are more than welcome to spectate in the RP rooms. This can be a splendid way to acquaint yourself with how we play here.
#City-Of-Unity - OOC
#Midcity - IC
#Undercity - IC
#Toride - IC
#Ministry - IC
#Brimir - IC
#Niflheim (destroyed) - IC
#Anywhere - IC
#Anywhere-Else - IC
This is our OOC room and main channel where we organize and announce RP, as well as generally hang around. If you're new here, this should be your first stop. Anyone's welcome to drop by, even if they haven't sent in a character form yet, or if they're just cruising by out of curiosity.
The ground-level region of Einheit City; a sprawling, towering industrial slum under a permanently black, cold sky. The only illumination to be abundantly found in the Midcity is the chemical glow emitted by the aging, tangled networks of dim lights which stand watch over the filthy, debris-scattered streets. Most of the buildings in the Midcity are towers hundreds of storeys tall, though a good number are now abandoned derelicts. Remnants of the old Einheit Deco style of architecture from the city's more prosperous years under Dr. Frey are still present, though jarringly mutated with less artistic, more utilitarian building additions and extensions which were haphazardly constructed in more recent years, resulting in huge tangles of chaotically stacked and cramped hive-slums. In some sectors you might find a couple vehicle-sized craters, scorch marks, or piles of jagged rubble caused by the recent rocket attacks launched by the alleged Nightlander siege surrounding the city. Detonations are few and far between, thanks to the Ministry managing to strike most of the missiles mid-air, but inevitably, a small number of these low to mid-range warheads do make it through the air defense grid and slam into the slum-towers below. Air raid sirens sound a few times a week now. Sometimes near, sometimes far.
Smoke-spewing outer class-operated skyships slowly moor through the tangled networks of streetbridges criss-crossing between the Midcity buildings, serving as sets of elevated roadways layered and bridged on top of one another. It isn't uncommon for most buildings here to have a dozen or more bridges jutting out of them, linked to neighboring structures. So numerous are they that in many places the sky is entirely blocked out of view for those on the ground level. Steam-hissing pipes and spark-crackling cables pour from every physically possible surface, serving as throbbing veins of life-supporting E-Fluid tubes and communications wiring. Every few minutes you might hear the rumbling of a steam engine as it hauls its load of freight or passengers through the city.
Searchlight beams slowly sweep through the skyline, where thunderstorms occur regularly, causing bolts of lightning to dance among the jagged tips of the Midcity's skyscrapers. Such electrical storms usually herald approaching snowfall, or sometimes cold rain, depending on the current temperature. It is always some measure of bitter cold here, and most of the Midcity's purebred dwellers prefer to stay indoors, hoping for shelter against the eternal night, the criminal predators of the streets... And the eye of the Ministry.
Loudspeakers and telescreens can be found mounted high in many areas, frequently broadcasting news reels from Chencellor Mara Kadesh, her calm yet firm, almost hypnotic voice echoing through the endless alleys and streets. Walls of buildings are decorated by a chaotic collage of outer class graffiti and Ministry propaganda posters. CCTV cameras are ubiquitous, also complimented by the occasional passing of an AirCam surveillance drone, which might stop in front of you for a brief visual scan before quietly hovering away... Unless you happen to be wanted by the Ministry, in which case you should have stuck to the Undercity. Every so often a Ministry aerodyne hums between the clustered skyscrapers, sweeping its searchlight beams over the desolate streets before continuing its patrol, occasionally accompanied by much larger Ministry skyships. No matter where you go here, the Toride silently stands watch over everything, looming like an obsidian monolith 13 kilometers tall, speckled with scattered points of light.
Yet for all the signs of Ministry activity, criminal activity in the MidCity goes almost entirely unchecked. While the Ministry does viciously hunt down rebels, outlawed press, religious organizations and anything else resembling actual threats to its authority, offenses which fall outside that narrow category of concern to the Ministry go ignored and unpunished. Robbery, murder, and far more heinous crimes committed by one purebred against another are rampant, and rarely gain so much as a passing scan by a Ministry AirCam. After the heavily-armed, white-clad patrols of the city authorities have passed by, the law of the street reigns supreme; fertile ground for the Underlord crime syndicates who rule outside the Ministry's sphere of concern. UniClassers are wisely left alone by the Underlords, but many of the MidCity's purebred industries are owned by one crime group or other.
As massive as Einheit City is on the surface, the known area of its underground portion is perhaps three times as large. Reachable by any of the many elevators, stairwells and street tunnels scattered throughout the Midcity, the Undercity is a vast labyrinth of ancient pathaways drilled miles belows the planet surface.
During Dr. Frey's time, this was Einheit City's warm and prosperous mining and steel-milling zone, where multitudes found employment in the great subterranean forges, sheltered from the bitter cold of the Midcity above. Years after the Ministry came to power, most of the city's reconstruction projects had been completed, causing little demand for the Undercity's mining industry and abundant metals. The ensuing unemployment boom, coupled with the Ministry's lack of support for Undercity purebreds, spiralled the region into rapid decay. As the Undercity became of little value to the Ministry, the Underlord crime syndicates which had been patiently waiting from the shadows quickly took advantage of the resulting power vacuum and unprotected resources.
Presently, Undercity society has fallen to practically lawless levels, with the Underlords being the closest thing to any form of authority or order, but even then, the nearly constant violent feuds between the rivaling powers are a nightly threat. Most populated areas are cramped subterranean ghettoes wracked by corruption, crammed with filthy subterranean workshops and secret factories, while in the more remote, hidden hollows, the Underlords hold their mighty estates; catacombs and caverns carved into grimly decadent mansions from where they rule over their Undercity empires and distant MidCity territories. Society here has splintered into neo-feudal fiefdoms dominated by ruthless crime lords, or into outright anarchy where the Underlords don't bother to exert control. Violence between various purebred species groups is commonplace, setting the stage for a smaller-scale re-enactment of the Species Wars here beneath the city.
With the exception of a few still-functioning E-Fluid pipes, technological infrastructure takes the form of scattered pockets of tech hoarded by the Undercity's endless range of mechano-gangs, cyberthugs, technocults, rogue scientists, and self-styled machinery mages. It is almost as if barely useful technological refuse from the surface city falls down the waste shafts here, only to be collected by the Undercity's denizens and be welded and bolted back together into an aberrant perversion of digital chaos and mechanical nihilism. Old robotic drones which were once tasked with city maintenance in Frey's time still crawl, creep, shamble and buzz through the endless shafts and tunnels, now more closely resembling curious congregations of subterranean insect mechanoids than the automated caretakers they once were.
Some areas of the Undercity are maddeningly cramped, while others are impossibly vast and utterly devoid of population, with no wall, floor, or ceiling visible in whatever little lighting there may happen to be. Aerodynes, skyships, airships are able to travel the Undercity's endless tunnels, which are easily large enough to accomodate such huge craft, but air piracy in the tunnels is a common threat, even for syndicate-owned freighters. Architect Era constructs are nearly everywhere here, giving the Undercity the brooding, decayingly ornate impression of being an giant subterranean Gothic cathedral. This is contrasted by more recent and less artistic constructs brought in after Einheit City's discovery, along with their modern tangles of electrical cabling, piping, and chaotically stacked building components.
Glowing rivers and falls of magma are found in the deeper areas, often pouring from the stone mouths of Architect Era monstrosities into designated channels criss-crossed by bridges of steel and stone. Grimly colossal statues of hybrid figures stand in many of these huge hollows, carved out of the very bones of the Earth into laborous, Atlas-like poses in which they eternally bear the weight of the city upon their giant shoulders.
For all its darkness and lawless danger, one can't help but to be awestruck by the seemingly godlike efforts of the Architects, whoever they were, to make the Undercity's hellish environment into a work of art.
It is thought that the Ministry operates a few secret super-elevators which plunge deep into the Undercity (perhaps even deeper), for the few times that it needs to operate here. But otherwise the Ministry seldom ventures to the Undercity, at least overtly. With the exception of the occasional very heavily armed raid when some rare threat to the UniClass above is detected, or occasional archaeological expeditions for Architect relics, there is little to suggest any kind of involvement from the surface authorities, who are content to let the Underlords reign supreme.
Not all of the Undercity is charted, and few have had the opportunity to explore it, let alone return to tell of their findings. It is said that in the more remote hollows, where one will find pure silence and pure black, is where The Voice echoes more than anywhere else.
Standing at a full 13 kilometers tall at the splendid core of Einheit City like a spearhead-shaped obsidian hive-fortress stretching into a similarly black atmosphere, the Toride's unwelcomingly dark exterior is a stark contrast from what is contained on the thousands of enclosed floors inside. Yet this is a thriving city within a city impenetrably cut off from the outer class; each entrance is heavily guarded by Ministry troops and a series of armored doors, and anyone coming or going will be required to prove their UniClass identity by pressing their palm on a DNA scan pad.
Immaculate, circular hallways and warmly-lit interior plazas make up each of the Toride's civilian sectors. Unlike the dark, cold hives of heavy industry of the Midcity outside and the Undercity below, the Toride holds a lush, greenery-vined interior which winds seamlessly with the abundant high technology life support systems. Thanks to intricate hydroponics networks and special lighting, organic plant life flourishes here in quantities not seen since the Time of Light, perhaps even giving the illusion of a New Age of Light here in the Toride. Just as plantlife is common, so are the signs of industrial progress; factories, business districts, mini-cities providing everything one needs to live without ever needing to leave the Toride can all be found here, a testament to the Ministry's commitment to providing careers for all UniClassers and establishing a utopia of workers, scientists, and artists. Angularly-chiseled monuments are a regular sight, celebrating the great Unity idea, triumphs of hybrid ingenuity and labor, and Ministry sacrifice. Telescreens can be found nearly everywhere, regularly broadcasting public messages from Chancellor Kadesh and the city's Ministry authorities.
It is generally quiet, though not silent here. In the hours or areas where there is less activity, the thrumming ambience of the Toride pipes pumping E-Fluid through its towering depths walls can be heard, or perhaps the gentle whirring of a hovering, beetle-like auto-cleaner as it vacuums and polishes away what little grime ever happens to touch the white floors here. Mini-park lounges are placed at various points, holding comfortable seating lined next to wide, blast-proof windows which offer an impressive view of the city below, or the constant comings and goings of skyships. An ideal spot to stop for a few moments' rest or a cup of synth-tea on your way back home from work. Unfortunately, the relative serenity of the Toride is interrupted a few times a week by alarms sounding off warning of an impending rocket attack from the Nightlands. So far the Ministry's advanced air defenses have kept the Toride from taking on any noteworthy damage, but UniClass society remains vigilant and prepared for the worst, undergoing regular missile attack and gasmask-donning drills.
Security cameras are virtually everywhere in the Toride, both in obvious and not-so-obvious places. Of course, the UniClass population doesn't seem to mind. After all, only people who have something suspicious to hide from Einheit City's generous Ministry benefactors would be bothered by this.
Ministry troops are a common sight here. Although they are slightly lighter armed than they are when stationed outside the Toride, their scrutiny on citizen affairs is at its strongest here. But if you happen to lose your way, one would be more than ready to assist you to your destination after a quick DNA check on their ID handheld.
Stacked above the civilian sectors of the Toride is Ministry Command, which is inaccessable to the public. Even higher above that is the Heart Machine's housing unit, yet only the High Ministry has ever been there.
(Description under construction)
Located in the depths of the Midcity slums under a derelict skyscraper, at the bottom of a short concrete stairway just below street level, behind a graffiti-covered steel door is the Brimir, one of Einheit City's first liquor establishments. Created in 1 ECE during the city's early days of discovery by a refugee family, on one of the walls is a framed old black and white photograph of Dr. Frey surrounded by a crowd of smiling purebred and hybrid blue-collar workers inside the Brimir, raising their mugs in toast.
The cleaner, more well-lit establishment depicted in the photo is a far cry from the Brimir of tonight. Its original owners have long since disappeared, perhaps due to becoming victims of some Ministry charge or other, or having been run off by the mob; the Brimir's new management.
Upon stepping inside, one can't help but to notice the establishment's rather unwelcoming aura, further complimented by the profoundly poor lighting, which seems to flicker and fluctuate every few minutes, bathing the area in a dim glow diffused through the constant haze of cigarette smoke. A few E-Fluid heaters can be found here, usually with a few patrons seated nearby for what little warmth there is to be found.
Most of the building material in here is worn down around the edges from decades of use and abuse, with few repairs. The metal walls and ceilings are vined with tangles of cabling and piping to provide what little electricity there is, with small light-emitting diodes here and there. Occasionally one of the telescreens hanging from the ceiling goes fuzzy, which the bartender temporarily corrects by irately slapping the monitor a few times until the picture improves.
Other usual bar equipment is present, such as a couple beaten pool tables, some partially-functioning arcade machines, and dart boards. An old, poorly-tuned piano sits in one corner. Rows of metal stools line against the bar, a few of which might even be occupied. Behind the counter is a tender you can place your order with if he or she doesn't ignore you altogether. Several booths and tables are also found throughout the large room, and if you're lucky, a barhand might actually come by to take your order. The beverage selection is standard fare for the city's hard times, though some higher-quality brews are available for those able to pay for them. A few more exotic drinks can be ordered if you know to ask for them. Just don't ask how they're supplied.
Every few minutes the room vibrates and rattles as a steam train passes by in the Midcity slums outside.
Club Niflheim, afer enjoying several years of operation as the MidCity's top venue, was annihilated recently by a series of strategically-placed bombs which destroyed it, as well as a few surrounding structures in what appeared to be a mafia-related dispute. A link to the RP log of the event will be provided shortly.
With any game, there are sometimes scenes which simply don't fit into any of the normal RP settings, or the issue of overcrowded RP rooms comes up, which is why we have #Anywhere. Basically, #Anywhere can take place... Well, anywhere, depending on who is using it at the time. For example, if you and other players are RPing a scene that's in the MidCity, yet takes place inside a closed-off or otherwise not public environment such as character's apartment, this would be a good channel to use so that other people RPing in #Midcity don't mistakenly assume that your character is in public.
This channel may also be used for retro-RP sessions. If you and another player's RP session in #Midcity was unexpectedly cut short a week ago and you haven't had time to resume it until now, it would be a little too far out of the game's chronology to simply continue in #Midcity or one of the other normal RP rooms. Same goes if you were to play out a character's flashback or memories to several years ago. Hence, RP sessions which take place outside the present time may be played out here in #Anywhere.
Same thing as #Anywhere. This is just an extra room in case #Anywhere is already in use by another party.