Futuristic [OOC & Lore Discussion] No Strings Attached - A Dystopian Soulmate AU

[Skybreaker]

Interest Check and General Premise HERE.

THE START-

YOU are a threaded New Heartland citizen who has completed their State Service, and was finally invited to your Matchmaking Retreat! This is often touted as the happiest moment of any citizen’s life- when the State finally recognizes your worthiness to have a soulmate.

Now, what to do about that enigmatic message from ARACHNE…? Who even IS that mysterious sender, and how were they able to message you on a private channel…? No doubt, many citizens would delete or even report the message. But if you reply….

”The Retreat and the NeuroThread™ are not what they seem! They’ve already taken away our humanity, but you cannot let them take what little we have left. Download this hack into your wrist port. It will allow you to temporarily disable the inhibitor modules once a day, for only 45 seconds at a time- the amount of time it takes for your heart to make one complete circulation. You’ll need this ability if you’re going to attend the Retreat and get to the bottom of what’s really going on…”

- ARACHNE, a friend

LORE REPOSITORY

Spoiler: New Heartland - Ministries & Capitals

Houston Metroscape - Ministry of Defense
The original capital of the New Heartland, and the first of its cities to establish order after the Troubles had passed. Due to the highly centralized and heavy traffic location, the Houston Metroscape was the center of many high and low-power struggles during the war and crisis periods, and was never fully abandoned. As a population center even when the rest of the world was falling apart, Houston’s culture is highly militaristic- after long periods of fighting, a single family-led army was able to seize power and construct Bigfort, which is still used as the Ministry of Defense’s center of operations and the seat of the New Heartland’s president. It is now called the Metroscape because of the wide expanse of urban buildings that spread from the highly fortified city, overflowing with infantry units, tanks, drones, and more.

The Ministry of Defense is easily the most well-funded of the five Ministries, being that it was the original arm of the government’s power. While a good portion of citizens who serve in Defense do indeed act as soldiers and a standing military, all coordination, training, and processes related to both internal and external security is conducted through the Ministry of Defense. Some of the most notable divisions are policing, surveillance, drone development, bio and chemical weaponry, aerospace, and biological augmentation.


Twin Cities Urban Corridor - Ministry of the Interior
The Twin Cities Urban Corridor is a testament to the resilience of civilization in the face of adversity. The region was once two separate cities, each battling their own struggles during the Troubles. However, when the chaos subsided, the survivors from both cities came together to create a sprawling metropolis.

This union was driven by a common goal - to rebuild their world and create a stable society. The Ministry of the Interior, headquartered in the Central Concordance Center, played a pivotal role in this transformation. It oversaw the merging of the two cities into one, focusing on urban planning, infrastructure development, and the establishment of a clean, efficient, and secure environment.

The Ministry of the Interior is a complex web of departments, managing everything from transportation networks to public health and safety. Urban planners, architects, and engineers work tirelessly to maintain and expand the Twin Cities Urban Corridor, ensuring its citizens live in harmony with their surroundings. Additionally, all trade with northern foreign powers, such as New Toronto, is conducted through the Great Lakes as a port of call. The primary divisions of the Ministry include Urban Planning & Development, Transportation and Infrastructure, Water and Energy Management, Public Health & Safety, and Environmental Conservation.


St. Louis Archiplex - Ministry of Agriculture
St. Louis Archiplex is a sprawling expanse of farmlands and homesteads, and it stands as a testament to the enduring power of agriculture. The region's history is deeply rooted in the cultivation of the land and the pursuit of self-sufficiency, even in the most trying of times. During the Troubles, the people of St. Louis Archiplex turned to their farmlands as a source of survival. They fortified their agricultural practices and embraced the importance of sustainability.

The Ministry of Agriculture, headquartered in the Heartland Harvest Hub, emerged as the key institution, responsible for crop farming, livestock management, and ensuring a consistent food supply.NFrom crop research to soil and resource management, the Ministry of Agriculture works diligently to feed the people of the New Heartland. Agricultural experts, scientists, and farmers work hand in hand to maintain the lifeblood of the region. Some of their key divisions include crop farming and agricultural research, livestock and fisheries, food distribution and supply chain, and soil and groundwater management.



New Nashville - Ministry of Culture
New Nashville is a place where the melodies of the past have been preserved and the creative spirit of the present flourishes. As one of the fastest-growing cities in the New Heartland, New Nashville stands as a testament to the enduring power of art, culture, and creativity. In the wake of the Troubles, this city's inhabitants recognized the need to preserve and celebrate their cultural heritage.

The Ministry of Culture, headquartered in the Grand Heart Opry, was established with the goal of nurturing the arts, history, and the human spirit. Within the Ministry of Culture, artists, historians, and cultural enthusiasts collaborate to promote the local arts, support artists, and organize grand festivals that keep the spirit of New Nashville alive. From painting to music, dancing to literature, this Ministry is a beacon of creativity and celebration. Some of its primary divisions are arts and entertainment, cultural heritage preservation, education and promotion of the arts, and tourism and festivals.


Denver Demilitarized Zone - Ministry of Knowledge
The Denver Demilitarized Zone, or D.D.Z., is a place of enlightenment and intellectual pursuit. This city, once a symbol of war and conflict, was transformed into a sanctuary of knowledge, curiosity, and scientific advancement. Originally conquered from the West Coast Technocracy, the D.D.Z. was the last of the New Heartland’s capitals to be welcomed into the fold, and it holds many unique laws in accordance with the Treaty of Denver, including a ban on all weapons of mass destruction being produced and stored within the city. As a gateway to the west, all trade with western foreign powers such as the Salt Lake Sanctum is conducted through the city. This is also where the headquarters of StringCo, the company behind the NeuroThread™ implants, is located.

The Ministry of Knowledge, based in the Summit Scholarium, is at the heart of this transformation. It focuses on scientific research, education, and the dissemination of information. Scholars, scientists, and educators from diverse fields come together to unlock the mysteries of the world. From innovation in technology to preserving historical records, the Ministry of Knowledge ensures the citizens of the New Heartland have access to a wealth of information. It's a place where ideas are nurtured, and the pursuit of knowledge knows no bounds. Some of the most notable divisions within the Ministry are Health and Medicine, Scientific Research and Innovation, Historical Archives and Libraries, Information and Data Management, and Education and Academia.

 

[Skybreaker]

StrixDesmodus eimpress Cave_Town234
Hi everyone, wanted to share this OOC thread where we can chat and discuss anything related to the rp! Strix, I’m working on the next set of answers to your wonderful questions now! I thought it would be great if we could compile all the worldbuilding into this new thread though heheh.

 

[StrixDesmodus]

Howdy!

 

[Cave_Town234]

Sup!

 

[Skybreaker]

Additional lore and worldbuilding discussion!

• How does the outside world typically view New Heartland? Are there many immigrants or tourists there?
  • No to tourists, though purportedly the Ministry of Culture exports a lot of their art/propaganda to any of the neighboring regions who will allow it. It is hard to say what the outside world thinks of New Heartland because the population’s access to information is so tightly controlled and that is mostly where our characters are going to be. However, let’s say that as a general rule, New Heartland and the other major North American post-apocalyptic powers are either outright hostile to one another OR they are in a tenuous peace.
  • In terms of immigrants, yes. This is actually a little multifaceted though- so there are the five major kind of ‘centers’ that the New Heartland’s government controls- New Nashville, TCUC, Houston Metroscape, Denver SAC, and St. Louis, but in between that are a bunch of smaller towns and pockets of civilization that have differing relationships with the government. Maybe they pay taxes in return for protection, maybe they more or less operate independently as long as they don’t expect any medicine and food to be given to them- its very case-by-case. So these non-threads moving into the cities could technically be considered a form of immigration as well. In terms of foreign immigration, assume that all intercontinental travel has been permanently halted following the era of wars and troubles, and if anyone immigrates from either the West Coast Technocracy or the Nautical Alliance, they’d face a lot of trouble from the government trying to stop them.
  • However, immigrants from New Toronto, Salt Lake Sanctum, and Monterrey would be relatively more common since the New Heartland considers all of those cities trading partners.
• What happens if someone wants to leave New Heartland?
  • In short, that is not really an option for the vast majority of the population. If you were a private merchant who had approved cross-border travel, or a soldier with an assignment, you could overstay your appointment time, but this would be seen as treason/desertion- so you can leave only in very specific scenarios, but don’t expect to be welcomed back.
• You've mentioned private companies existing. Would a character who was previously a fashion designer for one be an option?
  • Sure! Keep in mind though that someone’s State Service is their ‘main’ social function. Private businesses are either run by the elite (AKA nepotism or rarely successful corporate climbers) or they’re formally categorized as a form of extracurricular- it’s fine to do as long as you don’t let it detract from State Service.
• Would a government-approved singer have more elaborate costumes than the average citizen?
  • Yes, certainly! They would probably have a costume created for them by the Ministry of Culture, usually trying to sell an idea or notion of what the New Heartland represents. Also note that the government controls resources but they don’t typically police the fashion unless someone is openly protesting against the implants or the state. I realize now that is a little contrarian to them being culture police but... Let’s just say that for the most part, the dystopian government considers fashion a consumer product more than an art form.
• Do Heartlandians have much time for hobbies? Which ones are most common?
  • Everyone needs some form of recreation from time to time! Think of the New Heartland primarily as an alliance between 5 culturally similar yet separate cities, so there might not be a common thread between them in terms of hobbies. We can certainly discuss what kind of hobbies would make sense in a dystopic society, especially between the different areas of the RP. I think a general rule of thumb would be that things like crocheting, hunting, fishing (lots of pollution still though), gardening would all be seen as useful and among the people, more or less respected. The Ministries would set up little ‘Rec Centers’ under the guise of giving children and families a place to learn more about music, take physical challenges, or test your mettle with chemistry, but the real agenda would be to mark which citizens would be useful in State Service.
• Would someone who has dyspraxia or any other neurological difference documented before implantation be at any legitimate risk for government repercussions even if there's no conspicuous change?
  • Hmm… good question! I feel like this could be an ongoing conversation we have in OOC- how medical and physiological conditions are affected by the implants. They wouldn’t be at risk of government punishment though.
• Does the government support conservation efforts for the remaining wildlife?
  • Not directly- there aren’t really any controls implemented on hunting, fishing, or development. The attitude is more like- ’if them critters can survive all them wars, what do they need our help for?!’
• If there are birds of prey still around, could there be an initiative for using them for hunting and/or pest control?
  • Not from the New Heartland government, but I’m sure that more local communities will probably get pissed if you start individually overhunting in their neck of the woods. They might use a little strongarm governance to protect their interests if it isn’t the New Heartland causing the chaos.
• Are there any zoos in New Heartland?
  • There is one in the Denver Special Administrative Region! It mainly serves research purposes (think animal breeding and testing), but they also have viewing exhibits mixed with propaganda.
• Would someone who believes in mythical creatures, or even just entertains the idea of their existence face any government repercussions?
  • Nope! They would be more or less “corrected” in any schools or institutions though, and the two places where this would directly negatively affect them would be during their State Service Aptitude test at age 16 and at their Matchmaking Retreat. They’d likely be marked as some sort of delusional, but not dangerous.
• Are any holidays widely celebrated?
  • Let me think more about the actual calendar- which aspects would have survived and if they’d still use our Gregorian one. The New Heartland celebrates ‘Heartland Day’ which is the anniversary of the four cities forming an alliance (Denver was conquered later in its history). They also have the StringCo Festival in lieu of any conventional winter holiday, where the state and consumer culture promotes everyone buy their loved ones StringCo accessories and add-ons.
• Could a character have worked in a nursing home for the elderly? Would they need to be threaded for that?
  • They would need to be threaded for any kind of government facility position. But if it was a small-scale/grassroots nursing home, then not necessarily.
• How old does one have to be to get threaded? Could a parent or guardian have their child/ward threaded against their will?
  • So people actually start to get threaded from birth if they’re born in a New Heartland government hospital. The implants are surgically planted a little at a time, depending on the individual neurological composition and constitution of the subject. And yes, parents and guardians are able to thread their children against their will, especially since most of them have them threaded before they can talk.
• What is the age of emancipation in New Heartland?
  • Sort of a tricky question- technically, everyone is in service to the government, even if they can be ‘liberated’ from their families. Let’s say 16 would be the baseline age, since after you take your State Service Aptitude test, you’re considered an adult citizen now eligible for State Service work, where the government can relocate you into a Ministry even if it’s clear on the other side of the country.
• How long does the Government Service time last? Can someone work more than one type, either in succession or as an overlap?
  • It technically never ends- even private workers have to answer to government demands or inquiries based on their time. But the state mainly holds the ‘matchmaking retreat’ over citizens’ heads, and you need to work a minimum of 3 years in State Service to qualify. You will only work for a single ‘Ministry’ at a time and will never be able to formally transfer, but the duties will overlap sometimes like Knowledge & Agriculture or Interior & Defense.
• Are there symbols considered to be representative of New Heartland? National animals, plants, or minerals? Any insignia, coat of arms or flag?
  • Good question! A hand with the NeuroThread™ implant instead of veins is a common symbol. A heart with a lock on it is another- they don’t really use any plants, animals, or minerals though. Give me a little more time to think of potential coats of arms or flags!
• What sorts of art does the government approve?
  • There would be a criteria that the Ministry of Culture promotes, mainly they want to promote their values of restraint, service, and loyalty. So anything non-subversive and bootlicking is approved, and everything else is subject to penalties and fines.
• How far north does Heartland extend? How far south?
  • The Southern boundary is what’s left of the Rio Grande, and the Great lakes are the northern boundary. Aside from that, it’s tricky to enforce boundaries since there are a lot of unstable regions north and south of the New Heartland, so aside from protecting individual settlements, the government doesn’t get too deeply involved.
• How are government leaders and representatives chosen?
  • Married couples are the only citizens allowed to vote, and they can cast votes for the ‘President‘ only. The Ministry heads are directly appointed by the President.
• Are people allowed to speak languages other than English? Is it still called English?
  • They don’t regulate any language outside of their ministries and official business. For our purposes, let’s still call it English. Other languages still persist passed down from families such as Spanish, French, Chinese, German, Vietnamese, and Hindi, but with the stringent cultural regulations, there’s no state-approved art in anything but english.
• Is there any new slang contemporary to the rp's time? How creative can we get with neologisms?
  • Yes! There certainly would be new slang, and with the size of the New Heartland, I encourage players to be creative with their neologisms. (Never heard of that word! Yay for learning something new and so relevant to the world of worldbuilding!)
• Are ethnic foods like shawarma, city chicken, or pemmican acknowledged? Or are they considered to be just another food? Are ethnicities in general still acknowledged?
  • They would just be considered food. After a long period of essentially living like scavengers, the remnants of humanity will mostly eat just about everything. The divide would be between Old World and New World food. New World stuff would be like mushy rations and protein packs That the state provides. Ethnicities would be considered mostly an anachronism, since the new thing would be like country or city loyalty.
• Do people have access to food seasonings aside from the easy to get ones like salt, vinigar, garlic, or thyme?
  • Yeah, I’d say so! Keep in mind there’s no international trade though, so everything they have, they would have to be able to produce themselves within the region.
• What's the system for orphans or other situations where parents can't or don't care for their child?
  • The Ministry of the Interior runs children’s homes and schools. They also hold children here whose parents were prisoners of war, are serving time in forced labor, or whose smaller villages were destroyed due to insubordination.
• What's school and childcare like in general?
  • State Schools are only run in the 5 capital cities, and they generally coincide with the same State Service hours, which is sunup to sundown. Children learn about the 5 ministries rather than conventional school subjects (Culture, Knowledge, Interior, Agriculture, Defense)
• Does anyone ever get divorced? If so, are there are criteria that must be met for it?
  • No. This is a huge ’point’ of the system, regardless of how true it is. Married couples disappear sometimes, but there is a 0% divorce rate.
• Do the naming conventions differ much from those of modern America?
  • Luckily there are no state sanctions on naming- so feel free to be as creative as you want with this. People in the modern era certainly are!
• Do people still swear?
  • Absolutely! Only speech against the government or NeuroThreads™ are penalized.
• When the NeuroThread dulls strong emotions, is there any noticeable difference in comparison to emotions that are genuinely light in intensity?
  • This is a really important question to how we portray the implants in-character. The general rule of thumb is this: if an emotion is going to cause someone to get violent or act out of passion, it is regulated and stopped. You would still have the thought to do something extreme, but you wouldn’t be able to have your ‘heart’ in it, if that makes sense at all. However, people are very resilient so they might slowly adapt to ‘light’ emotions and call them things like love, anger, sadness even though they are a little numb to how their bodies and minds truly want them to feel.

 

[StrixDesmodus]

Ok, so I think I have some more concrete preliminary concepts for my characters! If you make an application form, I'll definitely fill it out, but I'll also give some details now while I have the muse.

---

Francis Sato, he/him, 20
From the former Detroit, MI; who has multiple neuro-psychological disabilities, but is not immediately disqualified from the Matchmaking Retreat because he's got promising scientific and artistic aptitude.
His father died of a hemorrhagic stroke when Francis was about two years old, and his mother was temperamental and manipulative towards him until he moved to a rural town further north to live with his maternal grandpa.
He's worked at a long-term nursing home as an activities co-ordinator, and remained friends with many of the residents even after being sent for his government service at the Ministry of Knowledge, where he has worked with falcons.
The reason he worked with falcons is because his grandpa was a falconer who rented his birds out to farmers to keep pest birds such as starlings away, and it is for this reason the government took interest in him for this job.
Additionally, he's known for having an odd and sometimes surreal sense of humor, singing songs as a hobby, and illustrating informative books.

---

Cyprian Lehrer Hedge, thon/thons, 26
A herbalist and botanist from a semi-urban town in the former area of Illinois who serves the government in the St. Louis Archiplex. Thon has a side hustle dying and printing fabrics. Thon often wears a mantled cloak that thon made and dyed thonsellf, but does not typically sew for other people aside from close friends and family.
Cyprian had a typical childhood by anyone's standards, with an older brother and younger sister, and both parents alive to this day with relatively harmonious relationships.

 

[Resa_rose]

I had maybe an odd idea, but what if there was an aptitude test that we could take for our character/s?
Quote

 

[StrixDesmodus]

I had maybe an odd idea, but what if there was an aptitude test that we could take for our character/s?
Quote

Oooh I like this idea. I have ideas for my characters already, but I could do this instead.

 

[StrixDesmodus]

Actually, I'm probably editing the details about Cyprian anyway. There's some stuff I might add and switch.
I think thons last name should be "Hedge." It sounds like it fits thons first name better to me, syllable wise. Plus I think it thematically fits, since a lehr is a furnace for annealing glass. Not very botanical.
Also, I might add floristry to thons amateur skills just for the heck of it.

 

[Caffeinated Joy]

Would it be incredibly difficult for people to get a hold of, and listen to, unsanctioned music? I have beginnings of an idea for a character who is already secretly a bit of a rebel and listens to (and enjoys) music she can't readily access inside New Heartland.

 

[Skybreaker]

Absolutely loving the character concepts so far, it’ll probably take me a few days to throw together CS because I do want to make it a piece of lore as well!

I had maybe an odd idea, but what if there was an aptitude test that we could take for our character/s?
Quote

This could be an interesting way to do it. The aptitude test itself happens when the characters are only 16, but if you would all be in favor of me assigning Ministry service to your characters in their backstories based on Aptitude Tests and then you all filling out some information that your characters would need for their Retreat invitation, then we can certainly go this route. Let me know if it would be fun or just extra work, haha!

Would it be incredibly difficult for people to get a hold of, and listen to, unsanctioned music? I have beginnings of an idea for a character who is already secretly a bit of a rebel and listens to (and enjoys) music she can't readily access inside New Heartland.

I would say that there’s a pretty thriving black market in all of the major cities in the New Heartland. As long as the characters are smart about it, they should be able to trade illegal recordings pretty easily!

 

[November Witch]

Alright, I've skimmed through everything here, (I'm at work, so I'll look more closely when I get home) so I want to make sure my character idea isn't conflicting with anyone else's. We wouldn't want to have 2 of the same character, would we?

I'm thinking about making a character who was an orphan at one point. Grew to like music, and plays at bars and small venues. She knows how to use many different instruments and such. Most likely a rebel type and makes the kind of music she wants to make whether it's or not it's something the government would approve of. So probably a little rebellious. But fun loving and wild at heart.

Thats my idea. However, I did see someone also mention music and rebelliousness with their character idea. So I'm hoping there's not too much overlap there?

 

[BlossomBunniess]

How do people get their art approved by the State? What's the process? Do people have to do anything special to become an approved artist?

 

[Skybreaker]

Alright, I've skimmed through everything here, (I'm at work, so I'll look more closely when I get home) so I want to make sure my character idea isn't conflicting with anyone else's. We wouldn't want to have 2 of the same character, would we?

I'm thinking about making a character who was an orphan at one point. Grew to like music, and plays at bars and small venues. She knows how to use many different instruments and such. Most likely a rebel type and makes the kind of music she wants to make whether it's or not it's something the government would approve of. So probably a little rebellious. But fun loving and wild at heart.

Thats my idea. However, I did see someone also mention music and rebelliousness with their character idea. So I'm hoping there's not too much overlap there?

Absolutely do NOT worry about the overlap between characters in the slightest. I think the very premise of the New Heartland being that “true love” is something that is so deeply ingrained by the whole population as something to strive for, while their daily lives are strictly regulated and monitored by a government that has found a way to limit their capacity to feel said love would naturally point a lot of their citizens into seeking solace in art. Music especially has a lot of romantic themes, so there might be an element of longing there.

I encourage everyone to contribute their ideas to discuss how this could feasibly work in a dystopia (because I don’t want everyone to worry about strictly adhering to my thoughts as GM with every little aspect of the rp) but I think even “hobbyist” musicians would be able to play at bars and small productions as long as they weren’t writing their own pieces/performing anything subversive. It might be within the realm of being in a legal gray area but the New Heartland isn’t going to unnecessarily attack their citizens over playing music as long as they’re not inciting a rebellion.

How do people get their art approved by the State? What's the process? Do people have to do anything special to become an approved artist?

So the “approved artists” are only people within the Ministry of Culture, and it’s not really something that anyone can apply for. You would more just take your aptitude test (like any other citizen) and if you got Ministry of Culture, then yay!

That being said, if a citizen decides to work/establish a private business of sorts, they can run their proposal by the Ministry of the Interior and get a license to do business if they have no negative record. So in this way someone could create/produce what they liked, but with the knowledge that the government could seize or shut them down at any time without having to justify themselves.

On a side note, there was a discussion above briefly about whether or not we could do aptitude tests in addition to our Character Sheets. Upon reflecting on that, I decided that I want everyone to have the full creative freedom to have their character working/previously worked for whichever Ministry and occupation of their choosing. However, just as an optional/perhaps fun world and character building exercise, if you all think it could be fun, I can post a list of 5 general aptitude questions your characters would have received at Age 16 so we can theorize a little more what details might have pushed someone into a certain Ministry over others.

 

[November Witch]

Well that's the thing. She'd probably sing covers of songs, and also make her own stuff.

Also, as far as the implanting suppressing passionate feelings, does it distinguish between kinds of passionate feelings? If someone was feeling very passionate about the country, would that be suppressed in the same way that passion foe ones child or passion for music or romantic feelings would?

 

[BlossomBunniess]

Absolutely do NOT worry about the overlap between characters in the slightest. I think the very premise of the New Heartland being that “true love” is something that is so deeply ingrained by the whole population as something to strive for, while their daily lives are strictly regulated and monitored by a government that has found a way to limit their capacity to feel said love would naturally point a lot of their citizens into seeking solace in art. Music especially has a lot of romantic themes, so there might be an element of longing there.

I encourage everyone to contribute their ideas to discuss how this could feasibly work in a dystopia (because I don’t want everyone to worry about strictly adhering to my thoughts as GM with every little aspect of the rp) but I think even “hobbyist” musicians would be able to play at bars and small productions as long as they weren’t writing their own pieces/performing anything subversive. It might be within the realm of being in a legal gray area but the New Heartland isn’t going to unnecessarily attack their citizens over playing music as long as they’re not inciting a rebellion.



So the “approved artists” are only people within the Ministry of Culture, and it’s not really something that anyone can apply for. You would more just take your aptitude test (like any other citizen) and if you got Ministry of Culture, then yay!

That being said, if a citizen decides to work/establish a private business of sorts, they can run their proposal by the Ministry of the Interior and get a license to do business if they have no negative record. So in this way someone could create/produce what they liked, but with the knowledge that the government could seize or shut them down at any time without having to justify themselves.

On a side note, there was a discussion above briefly about whether or not we could do aptitude tests in addition to our Character Sheets. Upon reflecting on that, I decided that I want everyone to have the full creative freedom to have their character working/previously worked for whichever Ministry and occupation of their choosing. However, just as an optional/perhaps fun world and character building exercise, if you all think it could be fun, I can post a list of 5 general aptitude questions your characters would have received at Age 16 so we can theorize a little more what details might have pushed someone into a certain Ministry over others.

Oh, Ok, I was just asking because I wanted to make a cute little grocery store owner with a design on her store. I wanted her to have a mosaic or mural on the side of her store and around the area of the store.

 

[Caffeinated Joy]

Alright, I've skimmed through everything here, (I'm at work, so I'll look more closely when I get home) so I want to make sure my character idea isn't conflicting with anyone else's. We wouldn't want to have 2 of the same character, would we?

I'm thinking about making a character who was an orphan at one point. Grew to like music, and plays at bars and small venues. She knows how to use many different instruments and such. Most likely a rebel type and makes the kind of music she wants to make whether it's or not it's something the government would approve of. So probably a little rebellious. But fun loving and wild at heart.

Thats my idea. However, I did see someone also mention music and rebelliousness with their character idea. So I'm hoping there's not too much overlap there?

I have a germ of an idea brewing.

I've been pondering over my character for the past couple of days, and I was going to have her be athletically inclined, which could lead to her State Service, somehow, but secretly very much into listening to, and singing, black market music. Maybe our characters could know each other and occasionally perform together? She wouldn't play any instrument, just sing.

 

[November Witch]

I have a germ of an idea brewing.

I've been pondering over my character for the past couple of days, and I was going to have her be athletically inclined, which could lead to her State Service, somehow, but secretly very much into listening to, and singing, black market music. Maybe our characters could know each other and occasionally perform together? She wouldn't play any instrument, just sing.

I like that idea alot actually! I'd be down. Feel free to DM me here, or I could send you my Discord if you would rather talk there!

 

[Caffeinated Joy]

I like that idea alot actually! I'd be down. Feel free to DM me here, or I could send you my Discord if you would rather talk there!

I'll send you a DM (or you could DM me) when I'm not too tired to for thought. I had a looong, horrible day at work and I'm dead on my feet.

 

[November Witch]

I saw that genetic augmentations and things along those lines were mentioned. Can I use a character with animal traits like ears and/or a tail?

 

[StrixDesmodus]

Happy Halloween!

 

[Wondertainment]

Hey, just wanted to post my interest. I'm still brewing up a character idea.

 

[TheMadIceCreamMan]

Hello, I wanted to pitch my own interest in joining. The fact that the roleplay itself will seemingly revolve around interpersonal intrigues based on the nuances of the world sounds grand.

I do have a character concept in mind though I wanted to ask a few questions on ideas of the setting as to better sculpt out the idea clay I have right now.

• It is clear that cybernetics has advanced, or rather survived the collapse of the old world to take center stage in the current setting. What other fields of science/research have remained relatively intact and continue to see support by the government at large?
  
  
• What role does gene altering technology play in this setting? Is it purely medical in its application to cure people deemed unideal by the state that otherwise have unavoidable genetic maladies? Or, does it go further. Such as prospecting parents entering into programs to create designer babies with the guiding hand of the State to better result in ideal future citizens? IE using advanced crisper technology to selectively choose what genes express in the child before they are even a blastula.
  
  
• What is the current state of the field of Psychology? What are some new 'diagnoses' that might exist in the curriculum that are unique to the setting due to the different perspective this society has?
  
  
• What sort of criteria does a Doctor need to meet to implant NeuroThread™ for the government? Or, has it been made into such a simplified and streamlined process that most medics are generally equipped with the knowledge?
  
  
• What is the current state of Academia in this setting? How does one get to have a higher education in the system?

 

[Skybreaker]

Well that's the thing. She'd probably sing covers of songs, and also make her own stuff.

Also, as far as the implanting suppressing passionate feelings, does it distinguish between kinds of passionate feelings? If someone was feeling very passionate about the country, would that be suppressed in the same way that passion foe ones child or passion for music or romantic feelings would?

I think I can speak to the design-side of the implants more than the ways they would affect the behavior of each individual character, so please ask any clarifying questions if what I’m about to say is not complete enough:

The main function of the threads would be to inhibit forms of excitement/passion-based attachment. So theoretically, they are trying to stop the acts of passion and love from manifesting into actions. In the case of hobbies and activities, or in the case of State loyalty, I think the implants would still stop that- the NeuroThreads™ are almost perfect at what they do, but they can’t read thoughts or compel any kind of action, just reduce feeling and expression. So although a person might recognize that yes, they love something (or even someone) on a mental level, they wouldn’t be able to ‘feel’ it because of the implant.

It’s an inherently confusing concept, so it’s a little hard for me to put into words as well- just imagine that deep down, these people know they should be feeling something but they’re being stopped, and because they can’t properly feel the emotions associated with what they’re trying to do, it impacts their ability to inspire each other/mobilize.

Oh, Ok, I was just asking because I wanted to make a cute little grocery store owner with a design on her store. I wanted her to have a mosaic or mural on the side of her store and around the area of the store.

Ah that makes sense! I think if it was a smaller grocery store, it would just be up to the local municipality to dictate what happens. The building would still be state property, but if the ‘graffiti’ was inoffensive, they probably wouldn’t waste resources on cleaning it up/penalizing your character. Technically though it would still be illegal, so if she ever pissed off the wrong auditors/police members, they’d definitely tack her with a hefty fine.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

I saw that genetic augmentations and things along those lines were mentioned. Can I use a character with animal traits like ears and/or a tail?

Great question! While this technology might be possible in the New Heartland, they are a very utilitarian/resource controlled society at the end of the day. So for your character to have cosmetic enhancements to have animalistic, they would need to be more plastic surgery based. There is some form of gene augmentation, but the research is mostly from the pre-war world and that research was focused on “corrective” gene therapy to prevent any physiological conditions they could. Feline ears and tail would fall more among the cosmetic surgery side.

As for how your character would be able to have that kind of procedure done in the year 2142… hmm…

Culturally, even the elites of the New Heartland would be vindicated if they were using medical resources to get cosmetic surgeries done. Even though they can technically do whatever they want, the government is very bent on getting everyone to follow the no-nonsense and passion principles of their society. So I suppose the only real way would probably be if your character came from outside New Heartland, which would introduce a whole new host of discussion. Hope this was able to illuminate a bit!

Hey, just wanted to post my interest. I'm still brewing up a character idea.

Take all the time you need! The only current requirements is that all characters are at least 19 (since they need to have taken their general aptitude test at age 16 at the earliest and completed 3 years of State Service to qualify for the matchmaking retreat).

Hello, I wanted to pitch my own interest in joining. The fact that the roleplay itself will seemingly revolve around interpersonal intrigues based on the nuances of the world sounds grand.

I do have a character concept in mind though I wanted to ask a few questions on ideas of the setting as to better sculpt out the idea clay I have right now.

• It is clear that cybernetics has advanced, or rather survived the collapse of the old world to take center stage in the current setting. What other fields of science/research have remained relatively intact and continue to see support by the government at large?
  
  
• What role does gene altering technology play in this setting? Is it purely medical in its application to cure people deemed unideal by the state that otherwise have unavoidable genetic maladies? Or, does it go further. Such as prospecting parents entering into programs to create designer babies with the guiding hand of the State to better result in ideal future citizens? IE using advanced crisper technology to selectively choose what genes express in the child before they are even a blastula.
  
  
• What is the current state of the field of Psychology? What are some new 'diagnoses' that might exist in the curriculum that are unique to the setting due to the different perspective this society has?
  
  
• What sort of criteria does a Doctor need to meet to implant NeuroThread™ for the government? Or, has it been made into such a simplified and streamlined process that most medics are generally equipped with the knowledge?
  
  
• What is the current state of Academia in this setting? How does one get to have a higher education in the system?

Very happy to have you! I’m so glad that the premise is inspiring so many intricate questions from the group. I’ll do my best to answer some of these, though keep in mind my real-life scientific knowledge is, ahem, limited! So we might be leaning into suspension of disbelief or scifi a bit here just to keep within the rules of the story.

• A very good question! For the New Heartland specifically, they Ministry of Knowledge is in charge not only of developing research initiatives and experiments, but also data mining and searching corrupted databases and archives from the old world. As a general rule, assume that all present-day technology was well-enough preserved that it perseveres into the New Heartland, but anything experimental that was owned by a private corporation or a more concealed arm of a government would be prime material for probing and data recovery. The New Heartland would primarily be interested in technology they can use for surveillance, military, medicine, and food production though.
  • If you have any technologies in mind you wanted to include and write about, either real or theoretical, feel free to bring that up here and we can discuss how we can work that into the story.
• For the State and the official hospitals of the New Heartland, gene augmentation is purely utilitarian. In fact, they don’t consult the parents’ opinions at all- if they identify a suboptimal gene, they’ll proactively augment it so the newborn will be ‘ideal’. Parents would not have the option to create designer babies in official hospitals since that would be seen as superfluous, but they might be able to do that through the black market or from any corrupt doctors. In terms of creating ideal citizens, autonomy and biometrics are huge themes in the lore, but in the year 2142, medical researchers have still not been able to identify intrinsic characteristic genes in humans (obedience, strength, intelligence) that can be individually sequenced and expressed across a test population.
• This is a great question, and I think that we will probably be contributing to the notion of in-universe psychology as the group explores and fleshes out the world a bit more! I don’t have any names off the top of my head, but the New Heartland would be eager to publish studies on the “diseases” that come from not being threaded… since their society reports to have a perfect marriage rate, they’d consider things like infidelity, non-monogamy, or even having a crush as a form of mental illness. Not only that, but the common narrative would actually blame all sorts of romantic attraction on causing the Troubles that led to most of the world being rendered by crises and war.
• There are actually NeuroThread™ specialists who are the main practitioners. These would be doctors who have proven themselves and now work directly under StringCo either as private doctors or sponsored by the state, but even though they all know how to do the procedures, very few of them would understand or be told how the devices work. Oddly enough, the threading process is mostly automated even though the majority of medicine is not. To answer your question directly though, most/all medics would know how to carry out a threading procedure and treat malfunctioning implants, but only StringCo can authorize the NeuroThread™ Specialists, not the State.
• The schooling forms are split into Ministry even from a young age, so education as a whole is less about learning and more about serving the State. So children in state schools will take subjects in Culture, Knowledge, Interior, Defense, and Agriculture. I suppose all of them also have traditional academia and educational value, and all have the opportunity to conduct research and consult archives, though only the Ministry of Knowledge would have a traditional ‘university’ setting where the members would be expected to become experts in their fields and complete their assigned areas of study. There are no universities of any kind outside of the Ministry system, at least not within the New Heartland. Additionally, teachers and the schooling system would fall under the Ministry of the Interior. Hope this provides some context!

 

[kakemha]

heyo! plopping in with an idea for a character hehe

I know ppl are planning to make rebels or smth along those lines, WHICH I LOVE HAHA. The ideas here so far are amazing.

But I was thinking of making somewhat of a rule-follower/dreamer in a sense. I wanted to make maybe an orphaned girl in New Heartland who really strives to find the true love of the threads because of the stories she heard about her parents and how they found true love. Basically, she heard about her parents' relationship before they died and it supposedly played out like a romance novel.

Could that be a possible character I could make?