Titan Dream || Space Exploration || Reboot || Interest thread/Recruitment

[la dame en noir]

_{Titan Dream
A Space Opera Small Group Game
Inspired by: Music from Skyworld by Two Steps from Hell, Star Trek, Mass Effect, and Star Wars}

About Titan Dream
Titan Dream is a ship comprised of many people, both human and alien. It was a dream made years ago by one woman who wanted to unite the different ruling planets and send them on an exploration that no one has ever done before. Unlike most ships that were either military or mercenary, their goal was different. Together they explored the Milky way, learning all they could from each other and the universe around them.

Their journey was funded by a private company willing to make sure they were equipped with the necessities to get them through. It was impressive ship, with many layers and an intelligent crew. When the passing of Alanar Titus, the founding woman of Titan Dream, came as a surprise, the ship was handed down to the next in line.

Now the ship sails throughout the universe, exploring new and old worlds and uncovering hidden treasures. The team is young, new, and the fresh face the galaxy needs. What sorts of stories and history will the group unfold?...

Important Links

World Building Thread

[la dame en noir]

_{music to inspire you}

The Story

In 2189, Earth changed drastically. By chance or dumb luck, the human race discovered technology that advanced their species thousands of years ahead. The United States, along with the United Kingdom, were the first of the power nations to discover the technology. It was during a space expedition on Jupiter when they first discovered the element they called ‘Prosper Zero’. This element allowed the human race to advance further than they ever thought possible. The world as we know it, was thrown into a new era of technological advancement.

With the discovery of this new element, the human race was able to launch space academies and programs that would further progress their launch into space colonies and exploration. It took years of studying and investigation, but the world's first exploration took place.

Alanar Titus, an ambitious and driven woman, was the first to found a team of international scientists, soldiers, and archaeologists on an expedition to change the world. Titan Dream was founded through profits of wealthy world leaders in hopes of discovering something wonderful and beneficial for the human race…

Some had hidden agendas.

The first exploration team was comprised of many humans all from different areas on earth. Their discoveries answered the age old question “Is there life outside of Earth” and indeed there was. In 2195, the discovery of the Jupiter alien race - Shoska, the planets were thrown into chaos. The Shoska, a race that thrived in Jupiter’s freezing climate, felt threatened by the sudden appearance of humans and thus throwing them into a war of the ages.

Both Humans and Shoska fought to the death, the Shoska nearly obliterating Earth with weapons the Humans had never seen before. By 2201, after years of fighting, the races called a truce and learned about their differences and how they could help one-another.

Alanar Titus and her crew helped establish the Intergalactic Treaty which meant the planet's could not wage war and would help educate eachother on the vast universe. With the help of the Shoska, Earth was re-built and put into the golden age of new space discovery. There was melding of cultures and even a small colony was erected on Jupiter to help further their advancement.

In 2220, Alanar Titus, along with Yu’ld Duid - leader of the Shoska people, Titan Academy was built and established in the US to help educate both the Shoska and Human race to discover more of the Milky way and beyond. Since its establishment the school has successfully created fast means of travel between Earth and Jupiter via The Prosper Relays. This was a huge success, making space exploration easier and more obtainable.

Though things went well, other world leaders craved more knowledge and power. In 2225, Alanar Titus was found dead in her home only days after denying a contract which would force her crew to take over and colonize various planets inside the Isolde Cluster. The rumor went around that she died from an unknown illness and that is all that's known for now.

Current State

Titan Dream was re-established to continue the exploration of the Milky way and to further advancement of the Shoska and Human races. The team is comprised of Academy graduates and veterans and have come together under the vision of Alanar Titus.

Obedient and driven, the new crew willingly sets course into an unknown cluster where Isolde refused to go. What will happen with the team and what will be the outcome?

[la dame en noir]

Gameplay

✸  This is a guided roleplay, but I won’t have difficult dice roles and things such as that. Gameplay is simple, each player has a character and each character has a specific role or specialization. For example, if you’re playing the Medic, you may not be someone who sees combat often - but perhaps a standard pistol instead.

✸  Any creature or enemy encounters will be played by me or anyone else who would like to fill the co-gm role. Each creature will have an HP bar and a strong attack that your character has to watch out for. This means that YC can get hurt badly. I will not kill or insist that they die, unless you’re all for that. In fact, I would love to see this game keep all of its original characters.

✸  There can status changes such as, getting poisoned or extremely ill. This might put your character in medical attention for a number of days(your call). But keep in mind if that if it was severe and you plan to put your character back in action, you would need to play it out accordingly. Someone getting impaled wouldn’t be able to spring back up the next day like nothing happened.

✸  Although there has been a breakthrough in technology and medicine, no one is immortal - not even the Shoska. Do not worry, I will not put anyone in danger immediately. Remember, it's a guided sandbox - there is a story and I want there to be character development instead of fighting constantly.

Rules

౦  Absolutely no drama is allowed or wanted outside of IC. Please respect that.

౦  Communication is key. Get to know the players and your GMs. It’ll make writing more fun and inclusive.

౦  Your input is important. This means that I want to hear what ideas you have for missions, new alien races or elements, anything you can think of.

౦  Although I prefer that everyone is engaged, please do not backseat GM. This causes drama and runs off players. If you’re having an issue or disagreement, settle it through PM or let me and Alcandre know.

౦  Dedication is necessary. Real life happens, between work, school, mental health, and hobbies - we’re all busy and we’re all adults. However, I would love that everyone is on the same page writing wise. If you’re going to be absent, let us know, if you can't - let us know as soon as possible so that we know how to move on.

౦  Posts: There is a standard two minimum paragraph post for each player, but I do not expect anyone to make novella sized posts each day. Post how your muse feels, but please give your writers something to work with.

౦  Sex: Yes, it's going to happen, especially in such a tight-nipped group. Since this game will be in the extreme category, please make sure you set scenes up accordingly to your O/Os...my NPC aliens aren’t all nice.

Character Sheet & Positions

Players showing Interest

Crew Positions

- Captain/Commander
- First Mate/Second in Command
- Pilot
- Scientist
- Weapons expert
- Medic
- Cook
- Translator
- Archaeologist
- Mechanic
- Navigator
- Engineer
- Communications
- Corporate Sponsor Rep

Face Claims

Creating a character for this game will be different from most group games on E. As someone who gets distracted filling out long and complicated character sheets, I have decided to make this one simple without all the unnecessary additives. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Real or realistic art only. No cartoon or anime art.

Insert Character Name

_{the writer name here}

_{insert crew position here}

✖✖✖

Here you can talk about your character. Please include personality, a background, their species, and gender. It does not have to be long, but instead of filling out a rigorous profile, i would prefer a brief summary that gives a look into your character.

Connections: If any
O/O: Player o/o link and a short description of the character's o/o

Code Select Expand

[float=left][img height=300 padding=5]http://i63.tinypic.com/1056xys.jpg[/img][/float][center][size=14pt][b]Insert Writer Name[/b][/size][/center]
[center][size=12pt][sub]the writer name here[/sub][/size][/center]
[center][size=12pt][sub]insert crew position here[/sub][/size][/center]
[center][url=insert character img link]✖[/url][url=insert character img link]✖[/url][url=insert character img link]✖[/url][/center]

[justify]Here you can talk about your character. Please include personality, a background, their species, and gender. It does not have to be long, but instead of filling out a rigorous profile, i would prefer a brief summary that gives a look into your character.[/justify]

[b]Connections:[/b] If any
[b]O/O:[/b] Player o/o link and a short description of the character's o/o


[la dame en noir]

I. Who is the GM?
It is I, La Dame en Noir. I will be your host and GM for this fun little story that took my months to put together(mostly because I’m easily distracted)
      I.1 Who is the Co-GM?
           That would be Alcandre! She's friendly and helps keep me sane. You can ask her questions when you can't reach me. But I would prefer if we're grouped in the same PM, so I can keep up!

II. Is it small game only?
No. I’m starting this off as a group of 14 players, myself included, because it’ll be easier for me to handle. I hope to reach big game status and bring more players in later on.

III. Where is the game taking place?
The IC, OOC, and any other threads outside of the world building will be in the Extreme category - because...aliens

IV. Can I play a Shoska?
Yes, all the information about the alien race will and can be found in the world building thread.

V. I have an idea for a mission/alien race, etc!
Awesome! Give me your creative brain now. All concepts can and will be taken into consideration. It must be detailed(as you can get it) and PMed over to me to evaluate. If I see it possible, I will post in the OOC for input by the rest of the players.

VI. Who can play in Titan Dream?
Anyone and everyone. This open to every writer capable of meeting my writing criteria. This means the game is LGBTQ friendly. All non-binary, cis, and trans genders are welcome!

VII. Where will the game be taking place?
On the ship Titan Dream. It's a space exploration story, but there is room for something different should this game reach big game status.

VII. Can I play two characters?
No, I want to have a diverse group of writers. So! Pick your occupation now!

[la dame en noir]

Open!

[MisoThe Mouse]

Interested. Thinking of playing a scrappy weapons technician with bad habits. Gun nerd 2225 edition

[BlackStone]

Curious...

[la dame en noir]

I'm glad I have some curious peeps! Feel free to ask questions!

[MisoThe Mouse]

I'm glad I have some curious peeps! Feel free to ask questions!

What kind of limits would a gunsmith/ weapons tech type character have? I don't plan on making mini nukes for the crew or anything but just in general what is off limits? Also how do we feel about jet packs, anti grav, and similar tech?

[la dame en noir]

What kind of limits would a gunsmith/ weapons tech type character have? I don't plan on making mini nukes for the crew or anything but just in general what is off limits? Also how do we feel about jet packs, anti grav, and similar tech?

Give me an idea and I'll let you know? :3

As for jet packs, it really depends. If you played Mass Effect Andromeda, the "jet pack shoes" they use are pretty neat. What other tech did you have in mind?

[Arcanist]

I am interested in playing the medical officer/science officer of the group. Explore and study alien species!

[la dame en noir]

I am interested in playing the medical officer/science officer of the group. Explore and study alien species!

Thank you for showing interest!

[Norsegod1839]

I am interested in nthis as well! Would love in the spirit of Mass Effect to play a "pathfinder" type some one who is trained to go explore and report back.

[la dame en noir]

I am interested in nthis as well! Would love in the spirit of Mass Effect to play a "pathfinder" type some one who is trained to go explore and report back.

I think there may be something like that. I updated the post with gameplay & rules!

[Norsegod1839]

Cool is love to play the explorer type the one who gets to go and explore new worlds first and try to find every one a new home!

[Hexed]

Well shades of Mass Effect huh?

Do you have a version of the omni-tool as well or are your people still lugging PDA's and toolkits?

[Ontan]

Interested! I’ll be applying for the position of ship’s archaeologist / all-round rake.

(edit: stuff redacted)

[Norsegod1839]

I shall get my character sheet up after the holidays! I;ll see you guys on Tuesday and hope you all have a great holiday!

[MisoThe Mouse]

Interested! I’ll be applying for the position of ship’s archaeologist / all-round rake.

Per the FAQ, I also had an idea for a minor race. They feature in my character sheet, but in all honesty, they’re more there for flavour than to a have a material impact on the Titan Dream universe.

Let me know what you all think!

Titan Dream applications

Alien Races: The Skree

The Skree

Dubbed the Skree – an onomatopoeia of their shrieking battle cry – these creatures are very minor players on the intergalactic stage, having never colonised beyond the small habitable moon that is their homeworld. Despite this, they have garnered notoriety beyond their numbers due to their unusual characteristics and media sensationism from the galactic community.

Physically, the Skree are a truly hideous sight: with grotesquely disproportioned bodies and twitching, spasmodic movements, their appearance is at best ugly, and more commonly revulsive or terrifying to other races. Their insectile appearance is only reinforced by extreme sexual dimorphism, with males standing around 2 meters in height, while fully grown females are the size of buildings, easily towering over ten meters. With a convulsing array of stingers and their prominent ‘jaws’, their species clearly has predatory origins.

Despite their menacing visage and a lack of personal accruements (such as clothing or jewellery), the Skree are a highly intelligence race, and have developed accordingly. Eloquence and spiritualism are their most common traits, giving them a surprisingly poetic disposition that seems entirely at odds with their primordial appearance. Their society is ritualised and sophisticated, and with the very notable exception of ‘martial peacekeepers’ – something analogous to both a law enforcer and a warrior monk – they practice strict pacifism within their communities. This is due to a powerful biological stress response that sends them into an aimless, violent rage. Ostensibly, this has ceased to be a problem for at least two centuries, as the advent of pharmaceuticals gave the Skree a means of chemically inhibiting the stress response, but it’s still had a profound impact on Skree culture. Even now, any form of confrontation within their society, even something as friendly as competitive sport, is seen as taboo.

While most Skree are content to stay on their modest homeworld, a few rare individuals have taken to the stars for diplomatic missions or cultural exchange. Without a doubt, the most famous of these is the Skree adventurer, the colourfully named Mighty Zan, Bane of Secrets. Though a scholar at heart, Zan unwittingly gained celebrity status owing to the massive (and arguably exploitative) media reaction that quickly latched onto his career: the sight of a giant, hideous insectoid attending formal academic summits was simply too bizarre to pass up, especially when said insectoid went from uncontrollable screeching one minute, and giving its research findings in haiku the next. The ascetic Zan and his human assistant, Carter, went on to become celebrity icons, with countless documentaries and reality entertainment shows detailing their bizarre exploits to a growing audience of puzzled but enthused viewers. Unfortunately, male Skree are short-lived by nature, and their religious beliefs preclude the use of life-extending medicine. Mighty Zan, Bane of Secrets is now in the final stages of life, and has recently entered palliative care. His assistant, Carter, has temporarily withdrawn from media appearances in order to consolidate the life works of his mentor and friend before it's too late.

Character: Alexander Carter (archaeologist, rogue)

Dr. Alexander Carter

_{Played by Ontan}

_{Archaeologist}

#1#2#3

A desperado and a gentleman, a superstar and a scholar, an enemy of common decency and the best friend to a giant screaming insectoid: Doctor Alexander Carter is all these things. Except, perhaps, the second.

Along with his Skree mentor, Alexander Carter has been a household name for almost a decade, as much from the media sensationism that follows in his wake as his contributions towards archaeology. The pair’s controversial exploits are widely broadcast throughout colonised systems, and rarely disappoint the growing hordes of watchers: from exploring lifeless shipwrecks drifting through space to ‘liberating’ priceless artefacts from black-market collections, their passion for treasure hunting and brazen disregard for bureaucracy make for compelling (if occasionally perplexing) viewing. Their most recent series was Terminus, which documented the outrageously illegal recovery of the titular derelict warship from an asteroid field; the series was so popular that its viewership even eclipsed mainstream favourite Fat Chance: The UK’s Greatest Talent / Weight Loss Show, and the international release of Prevenge VII: Patriotism Never Sleeps. 

In sharp contrast to his ascetic but guileless mentor, Alexander is a rake through and through, with the scandals of his private life rivalling the controversies of his professional career. An eloquent and refined socialite at heart, he’s always fashionably dressed and suavely arrogant, but it would be a grave mistake to write him off as a spineless playboy: over the course of his ruthless career, he’s developed a set of distinctly ungentlemanly skills, especially when it comes to fighting and thievery. He’s also been the legal brains of the duo: while his Skree mentor was naïve about the illegality of their activities, Alexander knew that their commercial success and popularity would insulate them from any meaningful reprisal.

However, for all his worldliness and extroversion, Alexander is still remarkably clueless about certain things himself. He’s formed casual friendships with beggars and convicts, but he’s never lived a day in their shoes; he’s caroused and brawled in slum bars, but always retired to his plush lodgings afterwards. Alexander is largely oblivious to the struggles faced by most people, especially the poor, giving him an air of callousness. Still, a reputation for cruelty – deserved or otherwise – has done nothing to harm his image in the eyes of a scandal-hungry media, who are ever quick to celebrate him as an antidote to bureaucratic drudgery, and a firebrand counterpart to his spiritual Skree business partner.

***

Given the notoriety he’d go on to cultivate, it’s surprising to learn that Alexander had a relatively boring start to his career. Born to British aristocracy, his family’s wealth afforded him an excellent education, while their social connections allowed him to jump-start a perfectly respectable career in archaeology and anthropology. Alexander initially worked for the European Restoration Council, which sought to preserve or rebuild aspects of Earth’s culture following the planet’s extensive recovery after the Jupiter War, though as time went on, he liaised extensively with the Titan Academy on a number of collaborative, multi-national projects. During these years, his performance was both competent and bland, though with hindsight it’s now clear that Alexander was starting to foster a growing resentment towards the political interference that frustrated his work.

These frustrations hit breaking point when a project to track down looted relics was cancelled due to concerns over the diplomatic ramifications. At this juncture, Alexander didn’t resign so much as go rogue: taking (illegal) copies of the project’s investigative leads, he conducted a short but intensive search for a prospective business partner, and eventually teamed up with an amateur Skree adventurer, the vibrantly titled Mighty Zan, Bane of Secrets. Their first venture – the Callisian IV Incident, as it’s now known – was both a spectacular misadventure and an undeserved triumph. The pair was captured by the very militia they were trying to track, and then forced to assist their captors in unearthing a new archaeological site. However, the tenure of their forced labour was to be extremely brief, as their captors rather unwisely withheld the Skree’s tranquilisers, and a wholesale bloodbath quickly ensued. Between camera drones and footage recovered from the slain militiamen, the escapade was recorded in full. Their appearance at an academic summit soon after would prove just as eventful, with Zan making the baffling decision to read out his findings in haiku (between bouts of uncontrollable insectoid shrieking), while Dr Alexander Carter was filmed leaping out a third storey window to avoid some uncomfortable questions from a police investigator. Mainstream reporters and paparazzi alike have been avidly following their exploits since.

In recent months, however, Alexander seems to have grown inexplicably resentful towards the media presence that’s shadowed his every step for the last decade. The mood swing seems entirely at odds with his usual showmanship, and is attributed to the abruptly declining health of his friend and mentor, Mighty Zan. Alexander has since withdrawn from media appearances in order to consolidate his companion’s life works and, if rumour is to be believed, focus on his own academic projects rather than furthering his celebrity status. The mainstream media have already began a series of attack articles speculating on the ‘real’ reason he’s withdrawn from the spotlight, and have challenged him to make a public press release is he wishes to rebut these theories.

The truth has been a remarkably well-kept secret. Unbeknown to even his most ardent fans, Mighty Zan, Bane of Secrets has already passed away. At the behest of his friend’s final wish, Alexander applied to join the Titan Dream project in order to continue their shared passion for archaeological progress in a more professional, less exploitative manner. Notwithstanding the fact his application was filed under a pseudonym, Alexander’s identity was quickly uncovered during various background checks, though the Titan Project’s administrators have accorded with his request for discretion. They’ve also accepted his application: despite a few… idiosyncrasies… in his methods, there’s little doubt that Dr Alexander Carter is a talented and resourceful archaeologist. His skills and experience has been welcomed aboard, and both sides have agreed not to release any details to the media until after the expedition’s departure.

Connections: Open and seeking!

O/O:
Player Preferences: Please see this link for player Ons and Offs.

Character Preferences:
Ons: The naughty women. The nice women. The women who fall between naughty and nice. The occasional guy who, gender notwithstanding, meets any of the above criteria. The thrill of the chase. Flirting and teasing, even if it goes nowhere.
Offs: Non-consensual, underage, blackmail scenarios, toilet play.

I realise I'm really jumping the gun here, so I've put them both under the same spoiler to prevent it becoming overbearing. All said and done, I'd be thrilled to see either game concept go ahead, so don't take any of this as an attempt to sway things one way or the other... at least, not beyond my vote.

Just when I was feeling bad about writing as much as I did on the tech. Right on time  . We might just get to go back to the space!

[la dame en noir]

I wouldn't post any applications just yet until I feel we have a good amount of people interested. Ontan was in my last game, so he's just a bit excited.

[Norsegod1839]

So no posting character sheets yet then?

[MisoThe Mouse]

I wouldn't post any applications just yet until I feel we have a good amount of people interested. Ontan was in my last game, so he's just a bit excited.

I played with Ontan on Empire of the Indigo Sky, and I share his excitement like WHOLE heartedly. I haven't had my sci fi fix in a while. And I know the feeling of being particular about all your characters supporting components. Hence the logic bomb I'm gonna drop about weaponry and armour my character works on 

[Ontan]

I wouldn't post any applications just yet until I feel we have a good amount of people interested. Ontan was in my last game, so he's just a bit excited.

I am ridiculously excited about it. Also, holiday season = not work = Ontan has too much time on his hands :p

Hope you all had a great Xmas / pagan solstice / nondenominational holiday!

[la dame en noir]

So no posting character sheets yet then?

Not yet. There are so many positions available and I want to see if we can a few more faces.

[la dame en noir]

I think I'm actually going to close recruitment.