Vim: Tales from Lumina
An industrial fantasy and arcanepunk story
An industrial fantasy and arcanepunk story
How an age arises from the ashes of another, Introduction-
“The brightest light casts the darkest shadow.”
Theme/Discord
Long ago in the world of Numina, existence sprang forth from a void. How this came to be many scientists, philosophers, theologian, and arcanists still struggle to explain but from the void came aether and from it came the gods, the architects of existence. It was the gods who would create the material realm and the realms of spirit and form the building blocks necessary that would develop life itself. In this ancient time of gods the realms of matter and spirit did not exist, allowing the mundane and the ethereal to coexist easily and to allow the essence of the gods and spirits to flow into the world; forming what would become magic.
It was during this ancient time the ancestors of many modern races would emerge. The ancestors that would form recognizable races such as elves, orcs, dwarves and more descending from beings known as faeries, the first undead rising from their corpses for the first time, the offsprings of mortal and gods, and for more fantastical beings would emerge. Humanity would arise in this world not by supernatural circumstances or parentage but by natural selection and evolution. Yet while mankind was a byproduct of nature it did not mean they were immune to the influence of the arcane. Mankind like many races worshipped the gods and revered the spirits, some drawing power and knowledge from them as rewards for favors. Some would dedicate themselves to the arduous and harrowing trials and tribulations to unlock the secrets of magic and use it to reshape their world, many succumbing to madness or hubris of their powers. Those that resisted would become the philosopher kings and queens that would build the groundwork that would form great civilizations. The forces of the arcane would even grant some chosen humans great powers or change them in ways that would make them into something other than human.
While humanity and the other races fought each other for many reasons there were times when love was shared between them, these unions creating hybrids. These unions and the eventual offsprings that would come from them were rejected and accepted by many kingdoms, city states and empires throughout many different periods. As empires and kingdoms flourish the gods continue to control the inner mechanism of the world. This order would continue for millennia until one day the priests and druids the world order found that the gods and great spirits they worship and revered stopped answering their calls. As many searched for answers why the gods have stopped listening to them a barrier was forming to keep the two worlds separated, making it difficult for the inhabitants of both worlds to cross over. These changes would soon find a common source that would begin a chain of events that would lead to great cataclysm to befall on the world, the magic of old was fading away.
The wisest of mages sought for ways to destroy the growing barrier and to find where the magic was going but none ever found a solution. Some nations did not heed the warning and believe them to be rumors until magic finally faded in the parts they have, disrupting or destroying those heavily dependent on magic to function. Many mages and magical creatures began to flock to areas still rich in the magic of old as more of it faded from the world. As civilizations crumbled many fanatical races began to die out due to the loss of magic and by humans encroaching on their lands and exterminating them, for while humanity was suffering the loss of magic they and a few other races like the dwarves manage to adapt to the dark times.
As all began to believe that the world will live on without magic high above the mountains that once house the pathway leading to the realm of the gods a cabal of scholars and mages searching for any remaining magic in the world. Yet on the mountain they found the gateway gone and the magic that use to be on the site gone. This cabal was ready to return home in bitter defeat when they stumble across a miraculous find, a source of energy that was similar to the old magic. Eventually the scholars would find a series of strange minerals, chemicals, and matter that can generate their own arcane energy to alter the world. These scholars would return with this new resource in hand, unaware that this action would change their world forever.
For this resource, now known as Vim, not only brought with it a new form of magic to the world but it was later found to be used to both power and create wondrous devices and machines; the renewal of magic and the new technological innovations brought into the world would be the beginning of an event known as the Vim Revolution, for every aspect of society was affected.
As new technologies, arcane and scientific studies progressed other aspects of society began to change. The Mercantile practices of old gave away to a growing market based economic model to grow an emerging consumer culture. Old aristocratic institutions and absolute monarchies began to compete against nations who form republics with democratic institutions. A growing middle class is now growing in most industrial and urbanized nations as class mobility is now becoming a reality. The guilds of old now are competing against companies who are growing in power, some being able to rival some nations.
Yet while the world sees many improvements others still live in dreadful conditions. Most of the power live in cramp, dirty, slums; many being forced to work in factories under horrible working conditions if they can afford or were not replaced by artifact workers. Racism, classism, and sexism of the old world is still alive and while some nations are for more tolerant others are not. Imperialism and colonialism saw a new wave as the new magic and technology gave them a powerful edge over weaken enemies. Mass political movements and civil right protests can be found throughout the world as my clamour for more rights and liberties and freedoms from governments who they feel are not giving them enough of the three.
Political and Corporate greed and corruption is a blight on the world and many conspiracies go on throughout the world's shadows, in those same shadows crime syndicates and grown their operations to become a major threat to the eyes of some nations. While most embrace Vim others reject it and instead follow regressive policies for a myriad of reasons, the most common being for religious, political, cultural, and environmental factors that leads them to reject Vim. Once more while Vim has improved the lives of many it has also given great power to those who would use a use it to subvert and harm many for their own greed and lust for power. Vim itself also creates terrible pollution that along with destroying natural habitats also changes them; creating mutated wildlife, strange phenomenon, and objects with unusual properties. Vim is even eroding the barrier that separated the spirit realms from the material world, allowing spirits and other stranger beings and forces to return to Numina.
Yet even with these and many other issues plaguing the world many still believe in a bright future for the people of Numina, even as the specter of a possible world war looms in the minds of politicians and diplomats.
Summery-
Welcome to Vim: Tales from Lumina. In this RP you will allow be in the world of Numina, once a typical fantasy world until the end of the old magic and the discovery of Vim. Ushering in a new age where steam engines, brass gears, and electrical power act as the beating hearts for the machines of industries with magic acting as the soul. A powerful city state that is resource in resources with Vim being it's most vital resource. Being a major trading hub and a neutral zone for the many world powers the city state has massive influence on the world stage despite being recent when compared to some nations.
Vim will have many arcs taking place in the city and each arc will always deal with something new but some may be a continuation of a previous arc. Your characters can be anything you desire so long as they fit the world.
Administration and Maintenance -
For now the one in charge of this RP project is me alone but I am looking for a members to make a team to better administer and maintain order in this game. While I am willing to allow players have a wide berth in freedom on what they want their characters to be and how they act in the end my word is law. I (and hopefully in the future) and other CO-OPs will review and accept applications, organize world events, history and canon, act as judge, jury and executor to any player caught harassing other players and moderating other players.
Rules-
This RP world is meant to be a Dark Fantasy/Arcanepunk world with both magick and technology. While this can be interpreted in many different ways it is our goal to explain that in simple ways through these following rules.
- Membership is approved by me (and future CO-OPs). Applications are review based on past RP experience, capability of Nation States concept with the world, and ability to write in a orderly way that can be read and understood. If either I or my future CO-OP have something to give you a critique on your application do not take it personally but rather heed their words and work with them, they are willing to help.
- Members must maintain an active status in the group to maintain their characters. Should they be inactive for too long their character will become an NPC and will be under the control of the OP and co-op for the duration of the arc they are in. Former PCs can be reclaimed by the player if they wish to return.
- While Vim is not shy on allowing dark and mature subject matters will like to remind players to be both mature on certain subjects and not to be too graphic on both IC and OOC. We don't need to give the Moderators and Administrators of this website a good reason to lock this thread and put an end to the RP.
- All players are expected to respect one and other at all times in their OOC speak and interactions with regarding to Vim. If either me or other members of the group feel that you are causing too much issues than it is within my right to terminate all existing applications made by said trouble players.
- God modding of any type is also forbidden in Vim. Vim is about storytelling game and is not a board game. While there is winners and losers, a certain type of strategy involved, players must agree to what they expect the outcome of the thread to be and how they are going to go about to do it. If players cannot agree or they feel there could not be an agreement the OPs will gather the facts of the situation, and use appropriate measures to find a solution to the problem. It is then in each players involved obligations to carry out that ruling in their RP to create the story. In addition to Godmodding there is also no ignore-cannon. All actions must be recognized unless overruled by the Op.
- A certain quality is expected of members within their RPs, put your effort in to having fun and commit to Vim when you post in IC. Members who are found to be consistently posting half-assed IC posts will be talked to by either me or the CO-OPs and if the behavior continues than the problem player will be dismissed.
- Vim has a joint canon and history and this is something that all the players must contribute to within the world. Please adhere to the existence of this history and try to actively contribute to it. If either me, the CO-OPs or in dire situations the players, deem it necessary they will put someone in charge of forming the world history and canon to be put on file in this thread.
- As stated above Magic maybe more common but it isn't any easier because of it. Magic is a powerful, dangerous and sanity shattering force for one to use. All magi must shed attachments, abandon preconceptions, betray trusts, deny duties, and alienate loves for the craft means everything to them. One can still practice magic and still keep their attachments, trusts and love ones but they will not be as powerful as those who have fully given themselves to their craft. Magic also comes with a price for each spell, ritual, curse, summoning and blessing performed for nothing in this world or any other is free. Exposure too much magic can cause bizarre and permanent mutations to mages and these can lead to physical disabilities, illness, and add in mental degradation. These mutations also affect the children of mages, even if the mage in question appears outwardly normal.
Other forms to use magic is by Vim powered devices or imbuing Vim onto ones clothing, inking tattoos with Vim, or consuming Vim potions and drugs. Some intentionally mutate themselves for power or implant Vim prosthetics, monstrous body parts, and other implants on their bodies to make their bodies into a conduit for magic. - Technology at its default is set in the same level that was around in both the late 19th century and early 20th century however due to Vim some things are drastically different and some technologies not present in either periods are present. For example in this world thanks to Vim, steam engines are as powerful and efficient as Internal Combustion Engines. Vim has also allowed for mechanical computers to give rise to an Information Revolution, further changing the world Steam powered, clockwork, robots work side by side with the growing middle class in grueling labor in the factories. Anachronistic super-advanced technology like those of Giant Flyer, Spider Tank, Disintegrator Ray, and Magnetic Weapons along with those made by works of H.G Wells and Jules Verne are allowed in. In short any crazy tech can be allowed in as long as both I and the Co-ops find it agreeable to the setting. Different nations possess different technological levels.
- default acceptable races are as follows: Humans, Human+, Faeries, Changelings, Undead, Artificial, Mutants, Aliens, Godlings. Human+ are humans who have gain superhuman abilities either due to be experiment on by a doctor or scientist or were a doctor who perform self experimentation, were born with their powers, achieved enlightenment or special training, or gain them by a freak struck of luck. Faeries include a diverse range of races that descended from the first feys of like elves, Orcs, Goblins, Dwarves, Gnomes/Hobbits, Trolls, Pixies, Centaurs, Satyrs and many other creatures of myths and folklore that aren't gods or demons.
Artificials include golems, homunculi, animated/ possessed dolls, uplifted chimeras, clockwork robots and other synthetic beings. Mutants are those affected by Vim in odd ways, often gaining great powers but bizarre mutations that sometimes makes them barely resemble their original form and can cause lifelong health problems, the Therions (a magically inclined and physically enhanced subspecies of humans infamous for demonic like mutations) and uplifted magical animals are an example of mutants. Undead can include vampires, intelligent zombies and ghosts, Reapers are unplayable. Aliens include not only extraterrestrials but also ultraterrestrials and extradimensional beings, all coming thanks to the eroding barrier. Godlings are hybrids of both humans and either gods (which can range from pagan to lovecraftian gods), demons, and powerful spirits. All Godlings only have half the powers from their parents and due to their mortal half can be killed. If you have another race that you really really want to play as. It must be brought to both me and my CO-Ops to be approved.
Application-
To apply to Vim you may either join as a Player Character, a Nations State or as a group. Bellow are the application formats for each one.
