One x One Counterbalance OOC

[Taj]

Soulmates are not a fairy tale. They are nightmares.

Once upon a time, the ruler of the living and the ruler of the dead were deeply in love. But a day came when they fought viciously and cruelly, and Death King Ukhel revealed that his heart belonged to his lover only in half for he had given a part of it to another. Angry and heartbroken, Queen Gena promised him that if he would only give her half of his heart then she would only give him half of hers. She cursed humanity so that every soul was bound to another by the same hatred she felt for her betrayer, and the two would seek each other out and try to kill the other. The victor would be guaranteed a place in the afterlife upon their death while the fallen waited in an eternal purgatory.

The Assembly

Most of Earth falls under the umbrella of a single power known as the King's Assembly. The Assembly demands that every individual give allegiance to Ukhel, and ensures that only the honorable, courageous, and strong of spirit gain acceptance into the afterlife. All nations fall under this central world power of both church and government.

The Assembly deems that this physical life is brief and unimportant except in its affect on the state of the afterlife. An individual's choices and actions directly correlate to their wealth and glory after they have passed. But most importantly, one must gain entrance into the afterlife by killing their soulmate in battle and purifying humanity of Gena's weak offspring. Should two soulmates refuse to kill one another, they are Gobar and sentenced to death as neither is worthy of Ukhel.

Festivals and celebrations are the Assembly's rein of control over the nations. At a local level, these events are centered around the duels of a handful of soulmates before a bloodthirsty audience. It is a great honor to battle one's greatest enemy in a public duel. National and world celebrations host hundreds of battles, often high profile celebrities and officials. Gobar face their executions here as well, a reminder to all of what awaits them should they rebel against the natural and just way of things.

Soulmates

Every human is born with a mark on their palms. As they grow, the mark gains complexity and color. Around the year of twelve or thirteen it reaches full maturity and perfectly matches the mark of another person.

Fate guarantees that all humans will meet their soulmate along the natural path of life. Upon their first meeting, soulmates may immediately attempt to kill each other or agree to wait until they can duel publicly. Should they choose to duel in an arena, commonly termed Gena's Pit, they sign a binding contract that promises they will not attempt to harm the other until the official time and date of the duel. Breaking the contract is akin to losing the duel.

Technology

The greatest technological difference between this world and ours is the lack of computers and wireless communication. Most countries run on electricity and plumbing and travel via car or train, but not one machine in the world is controlled or automated by a computer. Because of this, a large amount of modern technology simply doesn't exist. Radios and washing machines - yes. Calculators and scanners - no. Without computers to provide millions of new possibilities and sleek automation, things like vehicles and household appliances have progressed quite differently. Industry advances far more slowly without computers to run near-instantaneous calculations.

Cell phones do not exist. The most common form of long distance communication is an advanced form of the telegraph. Wealthy homes occasionally boast the brand new tech known as "landline telephones."

Culture and Society

Culture itself is not far removed from reality. However, it is much more localized and moves a great deal slower due to the lack of internet and social media. In addition, violence and battle are celebrated rather than feared or despised. The Assembly casts a dark and overbearing shadow exacerbated by corrupt government and lax law enforcement in most regions. Lawlessness, rebellion, corruption...it's every man for himself.

Metal, leather, and unfinished wood is a prevalent style in various areas of culture and decor due to the instinct to appear dangerous and invincible.

 

[Taj]

The Soul Killer

Not everyone is content serving the Death King. There are those who believe that humanity belongs to Gena alone.
There is one who is devoted to paying the goddess her dues.

 

[Taj]

Luke Ashton

Luke was born and raised in Wyoming, the son of highly-respected wealthy cattle ranchers. His life was simple and idyllic until his mother's soulmate murdered her in cold blood when he was six years old. Life continued on until his father was caught out in a blizzard and never returned, leaving Luke in charge of the ranch at age 17. Leaving it in the capable hands of the manager, he moved to California to follow his dreams and become a surgeon. Two years into his bachelor's degree, a wildfire completely decimated his ranch and removed his source of income and left him with only a moderate savings account. He set aside any idea of medical school and finished his degree by working odd jobs, graduating at 21 to become a cop.

It took little time for Luke to realize how dark and ugly the underbelly of the government, law enforcement, and society itself really was. Less than two years later he quit the force and moved to Washington where he made a living as a bartender. He is now 26 years old and primarily lives off his craft, metalworking, and retains his old job at the bar only part time.


​

 

[Mooniee]

Catarina Essert

Catarina or Cat, was born in Oregon to a loving mother and father. Unfortunately, she never knew her father. While he was at work, his soulmate stabbed him fatally. Although she grew up without a father figure, Cat’s mother tried her best to give her daughter the best life possible. Everything changed when her mother lost her job as a housekeeper when Cat was 14. With no income, the two struggled. It was even worse, however, when her mother fell ill. There was a scarcity of jobs in her town and no business wanted to hire a fourteen year old. This left Cat with one clear choice. Theft.

Her thievery started out small at first, pocketing an apple or two from the grocery store. After a while, she grew braver, distracting a store clerk then grabbing some cash from the drawer. She was never the type to threaten people for items, preferring to take things in secrecy. Eventually her skills grew enough that she was able to well enough support herself and her mother. Telling her mother she managed to get a part time job in a nearby city, her actions grew riskier. The police started catching wind of her crimes and began to investigate.

Shortly after the beginning of Cat’s investigation, her mother passed away due to her illnesses. She no longer had any reason to stay in that town so Cat fled to Washington to throw police off her trail. Now, at 24, she still commits petty thievery in order to survive.

 

[Taj]

Welp, there's my first IC post in a long while...sorry if it's not great, I'm a little rusty.