Munus - A Modern Gladiatorial Spectacle (OOC/Discussion)
Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 1:03 pm
MUNUS
A Modern Gladiatorial Spectacle
Behind the Munus - General IC
DISCLAIMER: This RP is not even close to being finished. There are still many things that I will be working on implementing, including a world-building thread so that we can compile a litany of information related to the RP. It will take at least a week before the first competition to be launched, but I will have some free time to work on the RP, given that I only have one day of class this week. If you wish to assist me in world-building, whether it be map-making or compiling a list of god-knows-what, I would greatly appreciate it. Just TG me if you're looking to help out.
The year is 2019, and the world has come a long way since then, in terms of our social characteristics. Violent crime has subsided substantially, since the introduction of a modern entertainment spectacle known as the "Munus," named after the gladiatorial matches of Ancient Rome. It's puzzling to think that just 4 years prior, such bloodsport was seen as appalling by the general populace of Earth. The idea of taking a life for sport was an archaic, vile, barbaric practice of a long-gone civilization. Now, for only a modest $9.99, the average citizen can watch Pay-Per-View bloodsport from the comfort of their homes, watching their television screens as men and women of violence duke it out with instruments of death and destruction. For those higher up in the social food chain, betting and sponsorships are all too common, and the rich throw away their monetary assets on the most primal game of chance there is.
The Munus, although still in its youth, has captivated the population of this great planet. This game of life and death was created in 2015 by the "Crime Management Reform Act," passed by the US Congress. The CMRA (also pronounced as "Simra") states:
"...to create an outlet for the population of the United States to exert its violent desires in a controlled, safe environment, as to provide an option other than committing violent acts in society."
The idea of government-sanctioned killing was originally intended to solve the issue of overcrowding in the prison system, with the government allowing violent offenders to compete in the matches for the pipe dream of freedom, though lawmakers and lobbyists provided their own amendments to the law, turning it into a facet of entertainment, where any American could sign up to take part in a live-fire combat sport, in which their lives could be lost. Despite staunch criticism, CMRA was passed and the Munus was launched in 2017, operated through a severely complicated custody between the public and private sectors. Within 3 months, the Munus television program was launched on a Pay-Per-View channel, with the fights broadcast live to viewers worldwide. By the first year, Munus had quickly gained a cult following as other nations requested permission from the US government to allow their citizens to register for the Munus competitions. With this expansion came requests from the "fringe" areas of the scientific community, asking for the Munus to feature various "creations," such as "enhancements" to human brain functions allowing for the usage of certain "powers," and the introduction of genetically-modified predators.
In its current state, Munus is among the most-viewed entertainment programs worldwide. The restrictions imposed upon the contestants are few, and the destruction and carnage is virtually unbridled. If contestants have the money, they have the ability to equip themselves with the best equipment that money can buy, as well as all the support they could ask for, from helicopter gunship support to Joint Stand-Off Weapons. Private third parties are allowed to sponsor contestants, providing them with material assets in order to enhance their survival during the competitions. Contestants are allowed to use anything at their disposal, from knives and the environment, to guns and ordnance. "Test monkeys" - contestants sponsored by members of the scientific community - are often test subjects in order to showcase the latest biological upgrades that enhance the capabilities of the human body to unprecedented levels. A variety of matches - from simple deathmatches to objective-based rounds - are deployed, in a variety of environments all contained on a large, isolated island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
In the story of Munus, your part is your own. You may be a contestant in Munus, seeking the opportunity to earn cash prizes by taking the lives of others. Some of you are ex-military, ex-cops, criminals, psychopaths, but you are all here for the same reason. You may desire to work for Munus, whether you be running amenities for the contestants such as the MunusMart, combat training, "match alterations," and many other facets integral to Munus.
How will you impact Munus?