The City of Light has become a dark place.
With a trio of mega corporations known as the big three ruling all but unchallenged while a wide variety of smaller players ripe each other to shreds in savage, frenzied, and bloody attempts to gain more power for themselves the common folk is crushed underneath.
And that is ignoring the other terrors.
Such mysteric ambitions of GD tech threatening to unleash someone no one is truly ready to deal with.
Or the Koopa Kingdom in the depths of the Pipeworks who even now fester and grow in numbers preparing for the day when they will take the surface.
Perhaps doom will come in the form of the machinations of the Chaos Cults whom constantly see ways to bring forth the attention of their dark patrons.
In the end one truth matters above all others.
Life in the city…. SUCKS!
But changing the city right off the bat isn't your goal, right now your focus is a bit smaller in scale.
Pick a faction.
[ ] Monstro Town: Located on a mountain bordering the city that the pipeworks seems to have accidently spread into the settlement of Monstro Town is a place were many mutants, uplifts, machines and other malcontents from the city have gathered together in a form of commune were they can hopefully live in peace. Much like the Pipeworks themselves the mountain Monstro Town is located in is a harsh place but it offers a great bounty for those that can adapt to it and keep hold of it in the face of both Outlanders and the revanus forces of the city itself.
Pros
Exotic Means: The inhabitants of Monstro Town are varied in nature and ability, while this has its own complications it does mean that the town itself has access to some ability uncommon or even unknown in other parts of the world.
Caravan Stop: The Caravan of Dreams has mapped out a route to your little mountain and occasionally stops both to trade and exchange news about current events.
Cons
Exotic Needs: Unfortunately a lot of your inhabitants have needs to stay alive that far well outside of the 'normal' for most species, trying to accommodate for these will be a nightmare and a half.
Monsters: Unfortunately a lot of factions want nothing to do than to kill your kind, your agents will suffer a far greater chance of death and attacks on your home area will become more common as you become more well known.
Goals: Transform Monstro town into a livable place for mutants that has the power needed to keep the major factions from rolling it over.
[ ] Booster Tower: The home of an insanely wealthy yet also insanely.... insane family of individuals, Booster Tower is the dominant landmark of an otherwise unremarkable zone. Its master is an.... odd fellow but he has flashes of brilliance that could save the city if harness properly... or destroy it if focused poorly. The majority of the staff at the tower are mutants known as 'snifits' related the Shyguys of Pipeworks, how so many of them got to the surface and found employment in such a... fine establishment is a mystery but to many of them it sure beats a lot of the other options.
Pros
Idiot Savant: Booster is a master at a surprisingly number of odd and out of the way topics that he can use to great effect both on and off the battlefield.
Harmless Goofball: Most factions don't see Booster Tower as any kind of imminent threat so any action taken against it tends to be token at best.
Cons
Idiot: The boss is an idiot.
Harmless Goofball: Unfortunately the other side of the reputation is also that no one really respects your territory and getting a good deal when negotiating is a pain.
Goals: Keep Booster from accidentally destroying the city or himself.
[ ] Tadpole Pond: Located in the Outlands Tadpole Pod is a veritable paradise unheard by the planet at large and is in fact one of the few places which species usually vulnerable to pollutants such as frogs can thrive...... this a great blessing but also an incredible curse for their are many within and without the city that look upon such an easy target with no small amount of desire. Recently a cloud-like creature has been found and adapted by the Frog Sage that lives in the area.
Pros
Paradise: Keeping a lid on domestic affairs is about as easy as you can get, Tadpole Pond if the perfect habitat for your frog-like people.
Frog Intelligence Network: Some of the more hardy species of Frog have migrated far and wide, these Frogs keep an eye on local events and if contact is made can give you a create view of events in the outside world.
Cons
Prize: People want to kill you and take your home, a lot of people want to do so.
Natural Balance: Your projects may end up restricted from time to time by the needs of the environment, you will not destroy your home while trying to save it.
Goals: Secure Tadpole Pond from invasion and maintaining its environment.
[ ] Smithy: Your blood boils but you can't remember when you had the flesh to go with it. It was so long ago and you've had to sacrifice so much of your body to survive. All you remember is the horrors of war and the betrayal that saw you banished to the depths of the pipeworks..... This is a world of monsters and in that one regard you fit right in.
Pros
Magitek: Smithy is able to combine magic in technology in truly novel ways, given enough time he could create a truly world beating force.
Cons
Not So Mass Production: Smithy might be capable of making armies all on his own but he is still one former human, at the start you will only be able to produce new forces through personal actions.
Goals: ???
OOC: For more information on 8-bit dystopia please see
this doc.... if the setting is of interest to you I might recommend checking
some other quests set in it.
