D
DÛke
Guest
So it looks like I am pumping out enough cards to create some sets. I do love themes, so here I will leave my "notes" as far as themes, storyline, and a definition of all important terminology regarding the sets. If anyone wants to jump in at any time, he is welcome.
Since we’re all busy, I figured that the best way to do this, especially the storyline, is in episodic form. Each episode zooms in at a singular event from the storyline, be it the life of a citizen or a hero, though in one way or another the short story must relate somehow to the greater purpose of the overarching mythology. In here, I only offer the theme; the deeper details of the story will be unveiled through the episodes, eventually developing a story far beyond the themes here presented, but which still connects to it.
The unique thing about this is that anyone can choose to write an episode, and be as free and as creative, and personal, as he desires to be. He can depict anything he wants within the world, almost without restrictions. Of course I personally would like to read the short story before it is presented if only to make sure that it is high-class in a way, meaningful, and somehow relative to the overall mythology. At the end of each short story, few cards are presented to depict the “major events” and characters within that story; the cards are mostly envisioned by the author of the story, with the help of anyone else involved in this project.
I will eventually try to see if we can put each episode along with its cards on the front page of the CPA. The cards created will need few description by their creator so as to show everyone else how a card was envisioned in relation to its character or event from the story, and how it was fixed, that way, there is substance to the “article” besides the story. It can serve as an imaginative lesson on card creation and innovation.
On to the theme:
It's year 2997 on a planet named Earth by its inhabitants who named themselves "Human" and who declared their self-proclaimed superiority, first to the other species of the planet, then superiority over nature, and then over the universe.
At first they had gods, but such gods were quickly discarded as ancient, mythical, mere ideologies that have no place in what they learned to call "the Truth." Their truth became what they know as "science."
Millenniums past, and many philosophers, scientist, and prophets emerged, until the Final War on 2291, after which a singular democratic government, ran by nine individuals, the Titans, was established and for the first time true peace seemed to fill the struggling planet. From that day on, humans focused on their science, on knowledge, and truth. Technology had never seen brighter times, and technological revolutions seemed to occur overnight, almost on daily basis. And for a time, it was good.
But then came a darker times. Humanity could not keep up with its own creations, and there were decades of utter insanity and depression. Man's mind, as it was later discovered, is not capable of the radical pace in which the face of life changes, and even then, revolutionary medication was sought in hope to increase man's coping capacity. And for a time, that too was good.
Around year 2950, humanity began to struggle, once again, this time, with seemingly nothing. For over 15 years, thousands of humans died in their sleep on daily basis, for no apparent reason whatsoever. This "disease" was eventually named "Invisible Death." It never was possible to find a "cure" for it, even after desperate tries. Speculation never was fruitful in this case, and no real theory could ever be devised to understand this phenomena. On 2985, A group of nine individuals - scientists and philosophers of the highest caliber - came together to form the Shadowstalkers. Their mission was to focus all their energies in hope of discovering the origin and hopefully an answer regarding Invisible Death.
It didn't take them long.
On 2991, a highly classified meeting, unknown to many, took place between the Titans and the Shadowstalkers in London, upon which critical information was revealed. The world was never going to be the same again. From that day, it became public that all members of the Shadowstalkers were wanted by the world government for charges of conspiracy, deception, and disruption of peace. Rumors around the world spread: that the Shadowstalkers may have stumbled upon discoveries regarding Invisible Death; though other rumors spread, that indeed the Shadowstalkers were nothing more than a conspiracy, a facade, set up to defy and overthrow established values, along with the government and the Titans.
It didn't take long for all information to become public, since the Shadowstalkers wanted the world to know. On 2995, on unforgettable day by all means, a member of the Shadowstalkers went public and revealed all information, after which he was assassinated within an hour.
Unrest and disorder filled the planet for the coming 2 years, and humanity grew divided, while the remaining eight Shadowstalkers were forced to exist only underground, away from normal everyday life. Some rejected what they deemed to be an unscientific finding that the Shadowstalkers were spreading around; to many it was irrational nonsense, “one of many insanities,” as a famous reporter had written, devised by the ill-bent minds of the Shadowstalkers. Some theorized that the Shadowstalkers secretly wanted a new world order and their "findings" were attempts to overthrow the Titans, for good or bad. Others believed the Shadowstalkers, wholeheartedly and religiously. Other didn't know what to believe at all.
But by today, July 4th 2997, the world has become a hostile camp, divided into two separate parties, with two distinct ideologies and beliefs. The Titans, thereby, no longer ruled Earth at large, while the Shadowstalkers became the leaders of those who believed them. Meanwhile, Invisible Death still gnaws on thousands of random individuals on daily basis, and neither the Titans nor the Shadowstalkers could stop it. Tensions grew all the stronger, and the matter slowly descended into violence and prejudice in the streets, riots, protests, demands, chaos, and eventually, a cold psychological warfare unlike which the Earth had ever seen.
And so the theme of the sets and the storyline begin on 2997, with the new struggles facing manking.
In the following section I will notate a quick refrence guide with all all the important characters and events; it makes it easier for anyone wanting to join to be creative, without having to figure out on his own what the major plot lines are; plus it adds clarity. This list includes characters, events, card-types in the storyline, and other things; it will be updated whenever befitting:
Agent (Creature Type): A dominant creature type, Agents are the creatures that do the dirty work for politicians, and are usually hired by them. Common Characteristic being they all cost 3 or less mana and are difficult to deal with in one way or another. Agents run through Blue, White, and Green, and are very rare in Red, and even rarer in Black.
Cyborg (Creature Type): Human Cyborg are common creatures on Earth. They are the result of a revolutionary synthesis between man and machine. The most common characteristic between Cyborgs is that they usually posses abilities that are by far superior than the average human; they all posses abilities that require only generic mana to activiate, and all of them are X abilities, making for sheer flexiblity. Cyborgs are mostly White, Blue, Black, and Red. They exist in Green as well, but to a lesser degree.
Decking (Game Theme): An alternative winning method. It is a major theme here, mostly relative to Blue and Black.
Final War, The (Storyline): It really began early on 2150's, merely as a struggle that the intellectual side of mankind showed through literature, philosophy, and the arts...until within decades it grew into a definite resistance, even anarchy, against all of establishment. Led by the extraordinary Mavens (see Maven) and the advanced Cyborgs (see Cyborg), the “Final War” was not really a war, per se, as it involved no weapons, no violence, nothing but strong ideologies thought by the multitude of Mavens and Cyborgs, which influenced millions of humans worldwide. By 2200, resisting the multitude of voices and individuals who grew famous, if not infamous, became a near futile effort. By 2250, millions of humans resisted their governments, for good or worse, and fell for the ideological Romanticism that became a global sensation, though unlike any other global sensation, this one was serious, and did not lose its seriousness and motivation, and only fed on its sensational appeal. From 2250 until 2291, governments worldwide slowly dissolved, and intellectuals of all walks of life ruled the world, though without being official leaders. The year 2291 marked the fall of the last government, the United States (see The United States of America). In that year, exactly nine individuals had major influence on world politics and world order, and they were the founders of the Order of the Nine Titans (see The Titans). By 2300, the world was at peace, and order was sown firmly into the heart of man; life resumed.
Human (Creature Type): The most common creature type, humans are the species that dominate Earth, and they come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.
Invisible Death (Storyline): The phenomena that seemingly emerged out of nowhere and overnight. The most terrorizing thing about this deadly phenomena is that its victims show no symptoms at all, neither before nor after their sudden death. The victim simply dies overnight, or whenever he sleeps, at an instant second. Thousands die to Invisible Death everyday, though statistically speaking, more deaths occur in groups in which disbelief in the Shadowstalkers is prominent.
London, England (Storyline): Somewhere around 2353, it is said that London became the official capital of Earth and human civilization, and the residence of the Congress, the Titans (see Titans).
Maven (Creature Type): Some humans have began to show a supernatural ability to muster an absurd amount of potential energy , called Psion (see Psion), in their minds and use such energy upon will. Mavens are Blue, White, and Red, and rarely exist in other colors. Common characteristic of Mavens is that they all can harness Psion energy, but not necessarily use it.
One World Revolution (Storyline): Following the Final War (see Final War), and after the fall of all super powers, namely that of the United States, intellectuals and philosophers of the times set up a new system of government and aimed towards new values, thus the genesis of the One World Revolution: a world without boundaries, without borders, with singular laws slowly sinking in, governing all individuals in ways both liberating and fascinating, yet without failing to place restrictions and use force. The results were more fascinating than anyone would have ever guessed, and although stupidity thrived, without fail, in all corners of the world, the more developed human beings, such as the Mavens (see Mavens) and Cyborgs (see Cyborgs) enjoyed the openness and freedoms to focus on more intellectual activities, as opposed to busy themselves protesting against wars and discussing moral issues. The One World Revolution was in fact led by the likes of Mavens and Cyborgs, who were the originating essence of the Final War, struggled through it, and emerging victorious for a new world order.
Politician (Creature Type): One of the dominant creature types is Politician. The common characteristics pertaining to Politicians is that they involve drawing cards, grow stronger the more cards one has in his or her hand, and have power that is lower than their toughness. Politicians are mostly in Blue, White, and Green, though there are few Black and Red ones. All nine Titans have this creature type.
Psion (Game Theme): Some humans on Earth developed psychical abilities that enabled them to store usual amounts of physical energy in their minds, termed “Psion,” giving them the ability to unleash superhuman powers upon will. Psion is utilized by Blue, White, and Red creatures, and rarely by the other colors.
Psi Cost (Game Mechanic): Some spells have an alternative casting cost, the Psi Cost. Many spells and creatures put Psi Counters on permanents you control (See Psi Counters). For any spell with Psi Cost, its caster may remove any number of Psi counters from permanents he or she controlsl. For each counter the caster removes this way, the spell in question costs 1 less to play.
Psi Counters (Game Mechanic): Some spells and creatures put into play Psi Counters. Psi counters are utilized by many other spells and creatures. (See Psi Cost for an example.)
Shadowstalkers, The (Storyline): There were nine Shadowstalkers before one of them was assassinated by an unknown suspect. The Shadowstalkers are all young individuals who have proven to possess intellectual, analytical, and imaginative capacities that are awe-inspiring, if not at times even ethereal. They are forced to exist underground for protective measures and have become the leaders of almost half of Earth's human population. Card-wise, except for a single Shadowstalker, all others are mostly Black, few Red. The one exception being Blue. All Shadowstalkers share the creature type Visionary (see Visionary).
Super Powers (Storyline): "Super Powers" was a term at times used from around the 1900's up to the mid-late 2100's, but eventually it went out of fashion as the Final War (see Final War) began and ended, resulting in the One World Revolution (see One World Revolution). "Super Powers" referred to countries who at the time had an almost unmatched level of technological as well as military development and progress. The United States of America (see The United States of America) is an example of a "super power" that reached its peak around the 1900's until slowly fainting by the 2100's.
Titans, The (Storyline): The Titans is a group of a nine individuals who form the established and respected Congress that runs the worlds affairs. Every five years, a single Titan is elected to be the the Ninth Titan, while the First Titan simply "rotates out" of his or her term. Every other Titan moves a single position to the next level. For example: when the First Titan rotates out, the Second Titan takes over that position, and becomes the First Titan. In that fashion, every Titan moves one level, until he or she reaches First position, and rotates out after five years. The Titans are well-educated human beings, wise, and accomplished in the matters of the mind. Card-wise, all but one of the Titans are Blue, White, or Green; the one exception being a single Red Titan. They all also share the creature type Politician (see Politician).
United States of America, The (Storyline): Once upon a time deemed a “super power” (see Super Power), the United States of America dominated the world order and world traffic heavily, reaching its peak around the 1900s, and slowly dwindling amidst the 2100's. After the Final War (see Final War), the American Congress and Constitution were dismissed and became obsoleted, antiquated, historical curiosities. Many historians agree that the United States was the one obstacle super power that delayed the establishment of the One World Revolution (see One World Revolution).
Visionary (Creature Type): There aren't many creatures with this type, and most of the ones that do exist are the Shadowstalkers. Common characteristics include power lower than 3 or less, and with abilities that focus on having as few cards in one's hand as possible.
Since we’re all busy, I figured that the best way to do this, especially the storyline, is in episodic form. Each episode zooms in at a singular event from the storyline, be it the life of a citizen or a hero, though in one way or another the short story must relate somehow to the greater purpose of the overarching mythology. In here, I only offer the theme; the deeper details of the story will be unveiled through the episodes, eventually developing a story far beyond the themes here presented, but which still connects to it.
The unique thing about this is that anyone can choose to write an episode, and be as free and as creative, and personal, as he desires to be. He can depict anything he wants within the world, almost without restrictions. Of course I personally would like to read the short story before it is presented if only to make sure that it is high-class in a way, meaningful, and somehow relative to the overall mythology. At the end of each short story, few cards are presented to depict the “major events” and characters within that story; the cards are mostly envisioned by the author of the story, with the help of anyone else involved in this project.
I will eventually try to see if we can put each episode along with its cards on the front page of the CPA. The cards created will need few description by their creator so as to show everyone else how a card was envisioned in relation to its character or event from the story, and how it was fixed, that way, there is substance to the “article” besides the story. It can serve as an imaginative lesson on card creation and innovation.
On to the theme:
It's year 2997 on a planet named Earth by its inhabitants who named themselves "Human" and who declared their self-proclaimed superiority, first to the other species of the planet, then superiority over nature, and then over the universe.
At first they had gods, but such gods were quickly discarded as ancient, mythical, mere ideologies that have no place in what they learned to call "the Truth." Their truth became what they know as "science."
Millenniums past, and many philosophers, scientist, and prophets emerged, until the Final War on 2291, after which a singular democratic government, ran by nine individuals, the Titans, was established and for the first time true peace seemed to fill the struggling planet. From that day on, humans focused on their science, on knowledge, and truth. Technology had never seen brighter times, and technological revolutions seemed to occur overnight, almost on daily basis. And for a time, it was good.
But then came a darker times. Humanity could not keep up with its own creations, and there were decades of utter insanity and depression. Man's mind, as it was later discovered, is not capable of the radical pace in which the face of life changes, and even then, revolutionary medication was sought in hope to increase man's coping capacity. And for a time, that too was good.
Around year 2950, humanity began to struggle, once again, this time, with seemingly nothing. For over 15 years, thousands of humans died in their sleep on daily basis, for no apparent reason whatsoever. This "disease" was eventually named "Invisible Death." It never was possible to find a "cure" for it, even after desperate tries. Speculation never was fruitful in this case, and no real theory could ever be devised to understand this phenomena. On 2985, A group of nine individuals - scientists and philosophers of the highest caliber - came together to form the Shadowstalkers. Their mission was to focus all their energies in hope of discovering the origin and hopefully an answer regarding Invisible Death.
It didn't take them long.
On 2991, a highly classified meeting, unknown to many, took place between the Titans and the Shadowstalkers in London, upon which critical information was revealed. The world was never going to be the same again. From that day, it became public that all members of the Shadowstalkers were wanted by the world government for charges of conspiracy, deception, and disruption of peace. Rumors around the world spread: that the Shadowstalkers may have stumbled upon discoveries regarding Invisible Death; though other rumors spread, that indeed the Shadowstalkers were nothing more than a conspiracy, a facade, set up to defy and overthrow established values, along with the government and the Titans.
It didn't take long for all information to become public, since the Shadowstalkers wanted the world to know. On 2995, on unforgettable day by all means, a member of the Shadowstalkers went public and revealed all information, after which he was assassinated within an hour.
Unrest and disorder filled the planet for the coming 2 years, and humanity grew divided, while the remaining eight Shadowstalkers were forced to exist only underground, away from normal everyday life. Some rejected what they deemed to be an unscientific finding that the Shadowstalkers were spreading around; to many it was irrational nonsense, “one of many insanities,” as a famous reporter had written, devised by the ill-bent minds of the Shadowstalkers. Some theorized that the Shadowstalkers secretly wanted a new world order and their "findings" were attempts to overthrow the Titans, for good or bad. Others believed the Shadowstalkers, wholeheartedly and religiously. Other didn't know what to believe at all.
But by today, July 4th 2997, the world has become a hostile camp, divided into two separate parties, with two distinct ideologies and beliefs. The Titans, thereby, no longer ruled Earth at large, while the Shadowstalkers became the leaders of those who believed them. Meanwhile, Invisible Death still gnaws on thousands of random individuals on daily basis, and neither the Titans nor the Shadowstalkers could stop it. Tensions grew all the stronger, and the matter slowly descended into violence and prejudice in the streets, riots, protests, demands, chaos, and eventually, a cold psychological warfare unlike which the Earth had ever seen.
And so the theme of the sets and the storyline begin on 2997, with the new struggles facing manking.
In the following section I will notate a quick refrence guide with all all the important characters and events; it makes it easier for anyone wanting to join to be creative, without having to figure out on his own what the major plot lines are; plus it adds clarity. This list includes characters, events, card-types in the storyline, and other things; it will be updated whenever befitting:
Agent (Creature Type): A dominant creature type, Agents are the creatures that do the dirty work for politicians, and are usually hired by them. Common Characteristic being they all cost 3 or less mana and are difficult to deal with in one way or another. Agents run through Blue, White, and Green, and are very rare in Red, and even rarer in Black.
Cyborg (Creature Type): Human Cyborg are common creatures on Earth. They are the result of a revolutionary synthesis between man and machine. The most common characteristic between Cyborgs is that they usually posses abilities that are by far superior than the average human; they all posses abilities that require only generic mana to activiate, and all of them are X abilities, making for sheer flexiblity. Cyborgs are mostly White, Blue, Black, and Red. They exist in Green as well, but to a lesser degree.
Decking (Game Theme): An alternative winning method. It is a major theme here, mostly relative to Blue and Black.
Final War, The (Storyline): It really began early on 2150's, merely as a struggle that the intellectual side of mankind showed through literature, philosophy, and the arts...until within decades it grew into a definite resistance, even anarchy, against all of establishment. Led by the extraordinary Mavens (see Maven) and the advanced Cyborgs (see Cyborg), the “Final War” was not really a war, per se, as it involved no weapons, no violence, nothing but strong ideologies thought by the multitude of Mavens and Cyborgs, which influenced millions of humans worldwide. By 2200, resisting the multitude of voices and individuals who grew famous, if not infamous, became a near futile effort. By 2250, millions of humans resisted their governments, for good or worse, and fell for the ideological Romanticism that became a global sensation, though unlike any other global sensation, this one was serious, and did not lose its seriousness and motivation, and only fed on its sensational appeal. From 2250 until 2291, governments worldwide slowly dissolved, and intellectuals of all walks of life ruled the world, though without being official leaders. The year 2291 marked the fall of the last government, the United States (see The United States of America). In that year, exactly nine individuals had major influence on world politics and world order, and they were the founders of the Order of the Nine Titans (see The Titans). By 2300, the world was at peace, and order was sown firmly into the heart of man; life resumed.
Human (Creature Type): The most common creature type, humans are the species that dominate Earth, and they come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.
Invisible Death (Storyline): The phenomena that seemingly emerged out of nowhere and overnight. The most terrorizing thing about this deadly phenomena is that its victims show no symptoms at all, neither before nor after their sudden death. The victim simply dies overnight, or whenever he sleeps, at an instant second. Thousands die to Invisible Death everyday, though statistically speaking, more deaths occur in groups in which disbelief in the Shadowstalkers is prominent.
London, England (Storyline): Somewhere around 2353, it is said that London became the official capital of Earth and human civilization, and the residence of the Congress, the Titans (see Titans).
Maven (Creature Type): Some humans have began to show a supernatural ability to muster an absurd amount of potential energy , called Psion (see Psion), in their minds and use such energy upon will. Mavens are Blue, White, and Red, and rarely exist in other colors. Common characteristic of Mavens is that they all can harness Psion energy, but not necessarily use it.
One World Revolution (Storyline): Following the Final War (see Final War), and after the fall of all super powers, namely that of the United States, intellectuals and philosophers of the times set up a new system of government and aimed towards new values, thus the genesis of the One World Revolution: a world without boundaries, without borders, with singular laws slowly sinking in, governing all individuals in ways both liberating and fascinating, yet without failing to place restrictions and use force. The results were more fascinating than anyone would have ever guessed, and although stupidity thrived, without fail, in all corners of the world, the more developed human beings, such as the Mavens (see Mavens) and Cyborgs (see Cyborgs) enjoyed the openness and freedoms to focus on more intellectual activities, as opposed to busy themselves protesting against wars and discussing moral issues. The One World Revolution was in fact led by the likes of Mavens and Cyborgs, who were the originating essence of the Final War, struggled through it, and emerging victorious for a new world order.
Politician (Creature Type): One of the dominant creature types is Politician. The common characteristics pertaining to Politicians is that they involve drawing cards, grow stronger the more cards one has in his or her hand, and have power that is lower than their toughness. Politicians are mostly in Blue, White, and Green, though there are few Black and Red ones. All nine Titans have this creature type.
Psion (Game Theme): Some humans on Earth developed psychical abilities that enabled them to store usual amounts of physical energy in their minds, termed “Psion,” giving them the ability to unleash superhuman powers upon will. Psion is utilized by Blue, White, and Red creatures, and rarely by the other colors.
Psi Cost (Game Mechanic): Some spells have an alternative casting cost, the Psi Cost. Many spells and creatures put Psi Counters on permanents you control (See Psi Counters). For any spell with Psi Cost, its caster may remove any number of Psi counters from permanents he or she controlsl. For each counter the caster removes this way, the spell in question costs 1 less to play.
Psi Counters (Game Mechanic): Some spells and creatures put into play Psi Counters. Psi counters are utilized by many other spells and creatures. (See Psi Cost for an example.)
Shadowstalkers, The (Storyline): There were nine Shadowstalkers before one of them was assassinated by an unknown suspect. The Shadowstalkers are all young individuals who have proven to possess intellectual, analytical, and imaginative capacities that are awe-inspiring, if not at times even ethereal. They are forced to exist underground for protective measures and have become the leaders of almost half of Earth's human population. Card-wise, except for a single Shadowstalker, all others are mostly Black, few Red. The one exception being Blue. All Shadowstalkers share the creature type Visionary (see Visionary).
Super Powers (Storyline): "Super Powers" was a term at times used from around the 1900's up to the mid-late 2100's, but eventually it went out of fashion as the Final War (see Final War) began and ended, resulting in the One World Revolution (see One World Revolution). "Super Powers" referred to countries who at the time had an almost unmatched level of technological as well as military development and progress. The United States of America (see The United States of America) is an example of a "super power" that reached its peak around the 1900's until slowly fainting by the 2100's.
Titans, The (Storyline): The Titans is a group of a nine individuals who form the established and respected Congress that runs the worlds affairs. Every five years, a single Titan is elected to be the the Ninth Titan, while the First Titan simply "rotates out" of his or her term. Every other Titan moves a single position to the next level. For example: when the First Titan rotates out, the Second Titan takes over that position, and becomes the First Titan. In that fashion, every Titan moves one level, until he or she reaches First position, and rotates out after five years. The Titans are well-educated human beings, wise, and accomplished in the matters of the mind. Card-wise, all but one of the Titans are Blue, White, or Green; the one exception being a single Red Titan. They all also share the creature type Politician (see Politician).
United States of America, The (Storyline): Once upon a time deemed a “super power” (see Super Power), the United States of America dominated the world order and world traffic heavily, reaching its peak around the 1900s, and slowly dwindling amidst the 2100's. After the Final War (see Final War), the American Congress and Constitution were dismissed and became obsoleted, antiquated, historical curiosities. Many historians agree that the United States was the one obstacle super power that delayed the establishment of the One World Revolution (see One World Revolution).
Visionary (Creature Type): There aren't many creatures with this type, and most of the ones that do exist are the Shadowstalkers. Common characteristics include power lower than 3 or less, and with abilities that focus on having as few cards in one's hand as possible.