Times have changed, but economics have not. Though the city is full of people of all different culture and creed, business is business. The biggest corporation is called Astudaia, and it is what every company strives to either emulate, or become. It is responsible for the highest amount of exported goods on the planet, and its research and development department explodes with new discoveries every day, outshining the government run facilities by miles in progress. Astudaia is a brand everyone trusts.

It doesn't hurt their press that Astudaia is one of the main reasons the people of the world call this time in human history the 'Age of Technomancy.' The combination of magic and technology - a fruit born of several bright and talented minds coming together at once to form the new era of human exploration. At its essence, it allows humans to not only harness the wild magics all around them and funnel it with human-made tech for any use one might desire (ex: a sorceror creates a spell for energy; the spell is then channeled into a device that would keep the spell active forever; the consumer of said product could use it - depending on the power of the spell - to fuel anything from their personal communications device or an entire city block).

For a price, of course.

The trend to use technomagical devices exploded almost overnight. People first used it to power their homes, their vehicles, their every day devices. But this was not enough. Soon, they began to modify themselves.

At first it was a luxury reserved for the ultra rich. Then, with the creation of a giant wireless network, the internet became gridless. And everyone could afford a slice of meta-mods. That's what the basic interface was called, of course, but it quickly became slang for 'technomagical uplink.' You could buy spells and glamours; you could trade souls; you could alter yourself in any way you'd like and carry your changes with you in case you needed to switch back to 'normal.' With the increasing advances in both technology and science, the sky was the limit.

True, such god-like powers were limited to the ability to channel such magic and contain it - that, and the breadth of one's bank account. But wherever there was a legitimate market, there was a black market. And soon enough, people with causes began to make trouble.

The trouble did not only come from below. Politicians began to use glamour to win their elections, persuading people with magic, not words or solutions. Laws were quickly put in place to prevent illegitimate or dishonorable uses of technomancy, but it became readily apparent that while it had started out a boon, technomagic had become Pandora's box.

Some believed that the chaotic magics around them were never meant for human use - that the creatures most believed to be mere legend were the original wielders of these powers, and the rampant disingenuous use (and tight control) of harnessed magic would destroy humans as a whole. They believed that if we threw away the technological aspect, destroyed the illusion of control, our problems would be over.

Others were either for or blatantly against technomancy (both magic and technology together - they did not compromise). These splintered beliefs transformed into legitimate factions, turning what was once a relatively peaceful, prosperous city into a war zone. Smaller gangs would fight guerrilla wars amid the city's slums, causing unfettered casualties, while 'formal' factions found it easier to play puppeteer or shadow games, fighting a cold war that has grown closer than ever to the brink of bloodshed.

Anything could tip the precarious balance in the direction of war...or peace. And amid this tension, the answer is found not in weapons or skill...but knowledge. A Senseer - one who lost themselves to their desire to learn the future - has predicted a source of magic so old and powerful, anyone who manages to find it would be able to control all technomagical devices and implants, regardless of the original spell or mechanical control.

Now the search is on. The bounty is the ultimate goal. The only question is: who will find it?

Factions:

Influential Businessman/CEO (Limited - 3 : Astudaia, Fuller Industries, and Cyberne)

 - Astudaia (you are your own Faction): You have political sway as well as unlimited resources regarding technomancy. You generally have other people do your bidding, but that doesn't mean you don't get your hands dirty. In fact, its generally considered bad for everyone if you do.

 - Fuller Industries (Anti-Technomancy Faction): You don't have as much political power as you used to, but you have quality technology, even if you're short on quality sorcerers. You always have other people do your dirty work.

 - Cyberne (Pro-Technomancy Faction): You vie with Astudaia for the most political power. You have a few extremely talented technical geniuses, but your true 'oomph' comes from your massive collection of sorcerers. You love getting involved in your business, and generally have no fear of being seen as extreme or reckless, which has been thus far your biggest detriment.

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Character Types:

Jobs/Political or Personal Beliefs which shape how you live, how you prosper, how you react: Politician (Augmented or Non) - You are part of the government of the city - you may also have stock in one of the three major corporations. Your ambitions are either out there for the world to see, or hidden. Being augmented or non-augmented affects what your agendas are. Normal Everyday Member of Society (Augmented or Non) - You could be anything in this role, but generally you just want to get by and have no love of any faction, but perhaps you lean toward one cause or another. These people make up the majority of the population in the city. Sorcerer (Non-augmented) - Magical by nature, sorcerers are the channelers of magic that power and create technomancy. They were valuable before, but now they're priceless. Depending on how powerful they are, a sorcerer is at risk for assassination, kidnapping/ransom, imprisonment, or servitude/slavery. Most, currently, try to either find a safe haven to escape to, or barter their way up the food chain to avoid any of the above. Mods have no effect on sorcerers, and no one knows why. Senseer (Augmented or Non) - A born seer is a rare, but valuable asset as they are fairly stable and have far more accurate, and lengthy, visions of the future. An augmented normal person who accidentally triggers seer capabilities are almost always broken by the triggering of their powers, and have faulty or unreliable visions that tend to torment them in the process. Mod-Head (Uber-Augmented, no sorcery) - Over-the-top augmentor. Someone who is so augmented with technomancy that they're practically not human anymore. Or perhaps their life depends on having said augmentations. Either way, this is what you're called. Most Mod-Heads are members of Pro-Technomancy factions, but some are just ardent about technomancy to the point of possible fanaticism. Straightedge (Non-augmented, no sorcery) - Means you are a believer - or faction member - who thinks augmentation is evil/wrong/bad for humanity/etc. They are just as ardent as Mod-Heads about technomancy, but in the opposite direction.

There are many other smaller gangs with different goals. Some act under the banner of one the Trifecta, but others are independent.

1. Don’t be selfish. Everyone’s got something to say, but there’s no need to hog the space to say it in. :3 Be wary of others, and don’t barge into scenes without thinking about the story first. a. Addendum: Don’t god mode. It just pisses me off.

2. Don’t rush! We’ve got time to think things through – and if we must pause the RP to save our plot or even rewrite our story, we should. Also, it’s good etiquette. Don’t leave anyone behind.

3. If you come into the story late, post first, then PM me with questions and let me catch you up that way. If you’re new, jump into it! It’ll be fun to mix things up once in a while.

4. I myself am sketchy with RP, because sometimes RL gets in the way. If I’m out of town for a while, I’ll let you know in a post. If you are going to be/are away, please do so as well. Same goes for if you decide to drop out. Just let me know! (This keeps me honest as well. :D) I promise I won’t hate you for it. And I'll do the same for you. :3

5. Semi-literate and up, please. I don't expect you to write 5 paragraphs every post, but try to write at least a good solid paragraph (up to seven sentences at the very least), and use proper grammar and spelling. Absolutely no one-sentence posts.

As for Character Profiles...:

Details are wonderful, but don’t give everything away in your profile! Leave some room to grow, and allow for interpretation. Don’t skimp out on important info. It will affect how our characters react with yours.

Also I do allow more than one character, but let us try to aim for a limit of two for now. We'll increase that later if need be. :)

Personal Limits and Things:

I won't do certain things (like openly RP sex - it's boring, difficult to describe without redundancy, and oftentimes, icky), but you can count on me to try anything at least once.

1. Romance: I already mentioned the sex thing. But truly, this RP is otherwise open for M/M, F/F, M/F, and anything in between; as long as people discuss it, we're in the clear.

2. Violence: No level to this one. My dreams often resemble horror flicks, so I'm used to the disgusting, weird, and mildly artistic, violence. No worries on my end. If you want me to tone it down - or you aren't used to that sort of thing, just let me know in advance. I'll remember, I promise.

3. Language: I often swear. And I might get mouthy if a situation in the RP is bad (for my char - and if they're old/mature enough to speak like that); I believe it's realistic. However, since I'm flexible, I'll do my best to put some soap in my mouth and wash it out. Before you get the idea that I swear like a sailor, I don't. It just happens more often (mildly speaking, that is; like - damn, ass, hell - those) than not.

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If you read the general rules above, you get an idea of what I'm like. However, there are things I might do that might irk others; and there are things others do that might irk me. Check it out:

1. Chat with me in an RP, and I'll stay in the loop/remember to effing respond. If I'm off for a long while, I'll let you know in advance. If you're waiting for my response, and I'm not bringing it to the table, let me know. We might end up playing the waiting game for eternity if one of us doesn't get their acts together. Do not be shy in yelling at me to hurry the f*** up. >>

2. Don't try to control my character. Ever. I won't do it to you, but seriously: don't even think about it. That's like trying to control my actions - and that shit ain't happenin'. It's the definition of godmoding/powerplaying, for those of you who may not be clear.

3. Mary Sue and Gary Stu aren't invited to any of my parties. If you bring them with you, I'll leave and bring my party somewhere else. The world isn't perfect, so why should anyone else be? If you're concerned that one of your characters may fall into this category, talk to me about it. I might be able to help.