WELCOME TO DUBLIN
A HISTORY OF SORCERY AND MAGIC
The first known record of a 'Sorcerer' child was in the summer of 1885, in a small town in England. A young boy was reported to have set the family home on fire after a bad tantrum. He was reported to spray fire from his hands, summon winds and lift stone with his mind. He also reportedly attempted to put out the fire with water 'out of the air'. Police shrugged it off as post-trauma stress and wrote it off as an unintentional and tragic accident.
Soon, there were reports of more children and sometimes even adults doing strange things, things that seemed impossible. Reports every few years turned to weeks which turned to days. There was no denying it- There was a new breed of human. Governments tried their best to cover it up, and the World Congress created a top-secret program to keep these humans under control and out of sight.
Meanwhile, these 'Sorcerers' were coming together. Learning, thriving together. The schools of magic were established, dividing sorcerers based on their powers. Sorcerers were documented and catalogued. The ' Sorcerers of the World' organisation was created, with Leaders elected and representatives voted. Though shaky at first, TSOTW quickly grew in numbers and in power. Much of the group wanted to live in peace with mortals (as they had been dubbed) but others... Others wanted revenge, wanted to strike back at those who had and still did hunt them down.
Years passed, and rogue groups rose and fell as they fought the Governments of the world. In 1972 The President of the United States made an official statement finally revealing that sorcerers were very much real and very much a threat. The world was split. Some countries declared war on sorcerers while others welcomed them. In 1983 after a brutal attack on the Pentagon by a terrorist sorcerer group known as the 'New World Order' America officially declared war on sorcerers. In 1987, The United Kingdom joined them along with Russia. China attempted to create a superhuman army but after multiple attacks they too declared war on magic. By 1996, More than half the world was hunting down sorcerers.
The New World Order was reported to have been disbanded in the late 90s, fading into obscurity. They had gotten what they wanted;
Total chaos.
The war continued, and by 2003 almost half of the world's sorcerers were dead or imprisoned, the others forced to hide or migrate to one of the few countries where they were still accepted. Rogue groups fought back. Others tried peace and were denied it and detained. Some countries captured sorcerers and experimented on them.
Now, in 2014, after years of fighting and rebellion, the only countries still welcoming sorcerers are Ireland, Iceland, The Ukraine, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Brazil, Egypt, Canada, Madagascar and India. You are residing in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. Big things are about to happen. Who are you? What part will you play in this great game? Are you a mortal or are you a sorcerer? Are you pro-magic or do you want this Earth for your kind alone? That my friend, is up to you, but no matter who you are, your life is about to be flipped upside down.
TRIVIA ON DUBLIN AND IRELAND
I'm going to assume not all of you are from Dublin. So, here's a bit of trivia and general knowledge any Dubliner should to know.
Education System
The Education system in Ireland is rather different than America. There are no middle schools. Instead, there are two schools, Primary and Secondary Schools. Primary takes children from the ages of Four and Five to around Eleven and Twelve. Secondary takes Twelve and Thirteen to Eighteen and occasionally Nineteen. In the Third Year of Secondary school, students take the Junior Cert, a very important set of exams. In Sixth Year (The final year) students take the Leaving Cert, which determines which colleges you will get into and such.
The Irish Language
The Irish speak English, thankfully, but Gaeilge, or Irish is a mandatory subject and is spoken in some areas in the West of Ireland known as the Gaeltacht. Not many people like Irish as it's pretty damn difficult to learn.
Geography of Dublin and points of interest
The main river in Dublin in the River Liffey, which cuts the city in half in the city centre. Those on the north bank are referred to as Northsiders, and those on the South bank Southsiders. Southsiders are stereotyped as posh, while Northsiders are more common, or 'knackers'. Dublin is not a very industrial area, but there is a large industrial area on the Southside, marked by two very large chimneys. People living in the countryside are often referred to as 'culchies'. Both terms of Knacker and Culchie aren't really very nice, and will be taken as insults.
Dublin has a whole bunch of great stuff, so first, I'm gonna plop this down;
From that, you'll notice the South Side has a lot more historical landmarks and such. The South Side also offers good shopping, mostly on Grafton Street. On the North Side, you've got the wonderful O'Connell Street. O'Connell Street is probably the most influential place in all of Dublin, as it was the site of most of the 1916 rising. The rising took place on Easter Sunday of 1916, where rebels stormed the general post office in the name of Independence. Much fighting and shelling from the Brits ensued, and after a few more years of scuffles and general fucking up we became the Republic of Ireland. (Cue cheering) There are quite a lot of statues and landmarks on O'Connell Street, the most popular arguably being the Spire, a giant silver spike commemorating the New Millennium. Huzzah! To the West of the city centre upriver, you will come to Pheonix Park, the largest city park in the world and home to Áras an Uachtaráin (residense of the president). It's Ireland's very own White House. (It even looks a lot like it) East of the Northside is the Howth peninsula, which has a little harbour and is popular with tourists for it's beaches and the like. The most visible landmark in Dublin isn't even a landmark- The twin chimneys from the industrial estate, known as the Pidgeon House. These babies are huge and can be seen from just about anywhere.
Geography of Ireland
The Republic (not the Island) of Ireland is split into 29 Counties and 3 Regions. Dublin is located in Leinster.
Government of Ireland
The structure of the Government of Ireland is regulated by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach. The deputy prime minister is called the Tánaiste, and is nominated by the Taoiseach from among the members of the Government.
The Government must consist of between seven and fifteen members. Every member of the Government must be a member of the parliament of Ireland, called the Oireachtas. No more than two members of the Government may be members of Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas. Therefore, all other members of the Government must be members of Dáil Éireann, the lower house. The Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance must be members of the Dáil.
The Taoiseach is nominated by Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, and appointed by the President. Other members of the Government are nominated by the Taoiseach, approved by Dáil Éireann, and appointed by the President. A minister is usually in charge of a Department of State and thus technically a "Minister of the Government". Occasionally a minister without portfolio is appointed who is a minister and a member of the Government but not a "Minister of the Government".
The President of Ireland (or Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Ireland. Unless a candidate runs unopposed, the President is directly elected by the people. The President holds office for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does have certain limited powers. The president's official residence is Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin.
Irish policemen are called Garda, plural Gardai. The Guards is also used when talking about them.
Currency
The Euro.
ACCEPTED THUS FAR
Additional Notes:
I'm currently away on Holidays in Portugal and it's all very nice but I may not be able to post as often as I'd like.
Have fun!
