The Merge Universe

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Bladewind
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Setting document has been updated.

I added Konohagakure to the Locations of Note section, as I didn't feel it was "large enough" an entry to warrant an "Atlas Entry."

I also moved the list of slang from Betterwatchit's section on London to its own section and added a few. Any others that should go in there. And is Earther the actual term we've been using for per-Merge natives?
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Neo-Paladin »

Some things that go bump in the night

If Europe has a Merge-born problem, it's not just the remnants from WW2s and Soviet Unions that never were...it's the folkloric monstrosities that are determined to make the night theirs. The Night War is a major problem in most cities, but rural settings are not safe either. Feral vampires or the various versions of Werewolves, inhuman witches, revenants and fey make it dangerous to go out at night nearly everywhere - which does explain the rise in people who get themselves a firearms license - and the black market for unlicensed guns.

While the term " Night War" began as a reference to the vampire turf wars between various strains, these days, especially in Europe, it usually refers to the struggle against anything that haunts the night.

While in America and some other parts of the world, leadership among the undead is somewhat fluid it was no real surprise when it was found out that several leaders of the undead surfaced...and even fewer people were in any way surprised when more than one of them was a version of Dracula.

Count Dracula
The vampire looks disturbingly like a younger Christopher Lee, which has prompted Lee's relatives to employ mediums to find out if Sir Christopher is still among the dead. Unfortunately, no seer has been able to provide a reliable answer to the query.
The Count has the usual powers associated with him and seems to travel a lot between various castles. While he kills and sires vampires, he is rather careful not to create too many.

Vlad the Impaler
Appears to have sprung from the universe of the tv show " Da Vinci's Demons". Not a vampire, but a version of the historic Vlad Tepesh who has made a pact with some underworld force - he claims it's Satan himself - that leaves him not only sociopathically insane but also unkillable. Appears to have engaged in a feud with Gilles de Rais mostly because he's bored. Cares nothing for the innocents caught in his path.

Carmilla von Karnstein
One of the more 'modest' major vampires in Europe, she is nonetheless dangerous. Unlike some of the other vampire elders, she has taken to city life well and enjoys preying on beautiful women, some of which she grants eternal life - only to leave when she gets bored, which happens quite often.

Constanz Drachenfels
With his foreboding castle appearing in the Swiss Alps, travel around the area has become increasingly dangerous. Hailing from a previous incarnation of the Warhammer world, he was one of the worst monsters to ever haunt those troubled lands, combining necromancy and Chaos worship into a horrifying whole. Has tried to attack both Germany and Switzerland twice, just because he felt like it. When his forces of daemons and undead were driven back, Stephanie Strange tried to shut him down for good...and nearly lost her life. He's since been rather quiet, probably renewing his wards and licking his wounds. He's also responsible for the death of the dark wizard Felix Faust, whom he invited...so he could devour what was left of the man's soul.

Heinrich Kemmler
It's unknown if he's the version from the Warhammer world or the one from the Dresden Files novels...and it does not matter because of him " suffering" from MGS. Apparently, being affected by MGS hinders you less the more insane you are. He's a terrifying necromancer and seems to busy himself terrorizing southern France, always seeming to vanish into thin air after an attack.

Gilles de Rais
Former companion of Joan of Arc. Child killer. Black magician. Hailing from a world in which he was actually successful with gaining everlasting life. Possessed of enormous resources, he's been hard to pin down by the authorities, surfacing here and there to wreak havoc or indulge in baser proclivities. As he has not changed his ways over the years, it's no surprise that nearly every single country has him on their most wanted lists and the Guard is actively searching for him.

Elisabeth Bathory
The infamous Blood Countess. One of the few elder vampires to make a grasp for worldly power. After surfacing in Slowakia, she has begun to use her blood magic and mundane means of controlling key figures in the government and it's probably only a matter of time before she will step into the spotlight, making use of the uncertain legal status of the undead and the fact that she can't be condemned for something for which she already suffered the punishment (being walled in in the pre-Merge world's past).

Count Orlock
The rat-like Orlock is more of an infestation than an undead overlord, his mere presence causing plagues to erupt, vermin to multiply and harmless ilnesses developing a hitherto unknown virulence. He, too, has been hard to get a grip on, able to vanish together with his rat swarms.

Dracula, the Prince of Darkness
Not to be confused with the Count above, this one is the demonically infused lord of the castle bearing the dreadful name " Castlevania." Leagues above the strength of most of the other Elders, he nonetheless appears to be content appearing with his castle all over the world, unleashing hordes of monsters before vanishing again - is he looking for something...or fleeing something even he fears?
Last edited by Neo-Paladin on Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bladewind
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Will add this to the doc today,

Look for it just after the sections: vampires... werewolves... and zombies. Oh my.
Last edited by Bladewind on Sun Oct 28, 2018 3:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by kirinke »

Y'know, the Black Heterodyne was rumored to be a vampire and Girl Genius' version of Dracula I think. I wonder....

http://girlgenius.wikia.com/wiki/The_Black_Heterodyne

Yeah, Aggie's family is f-cked up. She freely admits it. :lol:
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Vampires are updated, I added two more. :mrgreen:

Also added the AlterniTeam (its a WIP) to the doc.
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

I'm admittedly on a bit of a high after just finishing the series myself, but I can't help but wonder... what would've happened if Haruhi Suzumiya had also crossed over? I'd actually just written it all down, but I'm hesitant to post it out for review as it touches on things like the freshly woven Merge reality, the taking (and giving) of abilities, and the very fact that it focused around what was essentially a god-on-earth running amuck in japan.
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Neo-Paladin »

As I said...no making things permanently mundane again. Other than that, everything should be fine. The Merge cannot be undone. That's where I am absolutely adamant.
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

Went over and made it canon compliant. The primary anime referenced here is "The Melencholy of Haruhi Suzumiya", specifically takes plsce durribg the events of it's movie "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya". With Neo's approval, I'll go ahead and post Japan's first official crisis;

The Closed Space Crisis:

At the same time that various similar incidents were taking place across the multiverse, one reality was being re-written by an alien girl who had stolen power from another. This other being was a young Japanese girl, who had become the master of her own reality without even realizing it. Whatever she had wished within her heart came true, even if she never realized what she could actually do.

This was Haruhi Suzumiya. Self-proclaimed leader of the SOS Brigade, who three years ago wished her reality was just a little bit more fantastic. Upon waking the following morning after the Merge, she got way more then she had ever bargained for. It wasn't just aliens, time-travelers, and espers called their newly formed reality home anymore, but all manners of things that she could never have begun to dream of.

Rationality tried to tell her that this must all be some crazy dream, yet at the same time she desperately wished this all to be true. These two thoughts struggled together as she was torn between accepting this as the new normal or rejecting it all together. Wishes which tore at the fabric of Japan's post-merge reality with people were either forcibly merged or being simply wished away. Within minutes this internal conflict had become so drastic that reality itself started to bubble, pocket-dimensions forming out of nowhere and slowly spreading across the country.

Beings from all across Japanese media and mythology found themselves the primary occupants of these areas, these Closed Spaces where the truth was in conflict. Yet they were not alone. Shinjin, Haruhi's frustration made manifest, tall ethereal giants that glowed a sinister blue had at once started their assault, intent on ridding this new reality out of every trace of the abnormal now so open and apparent.

At the very center of it all in the largest bubble to form yet, the girl was finding her mentality completely split in half. Her own memories were becoming entangled with those of a similar though utterly normal version of herself, one born of her initially rewritten reality. Merge-Gestalt-Syndrome, a case that was quickly starting to give birth to an unbelievably powerful monster who found the world around it trivial and insignificant, something that she could manipulate and warp to her leisure.

It was within this Closed Space that some of the most powerful inhabitants of this new japan started to gather, joining together in crisis to deal with a threat unlike anything many of them had ever seen before. They tore through a blasted landscape where the physical laws of reality rewrote themselves on a whim, battling monstrous Shinjin and the newly discovered Shūsa, pre-merge natives that had suddenly found themselves empowered and utterly subservient of their crazed mistress.

Many lives were lost in the lead up to the final encounter, where at the very end one Minato Namikaze repeated history of his own universe by sacrificing himself to save theit new world. By giving his life to perform an on-the-fly ritual he managed to seal away the godlike portion of Haruhi away, leaving only the mundane version born her altered world.

The closed spaces collapsed, leaving the areas they had encompassed entirely unscathed in spite of the rampant destruction. All that did remain however, were the Shūsa. Though they no longer served the whims of a goddess-in-the-making their powers were still very real, born of the many realities the girl had come to truly believe as the new normal.

It was this event which helped to integrate the Japanese people with their newest neighbors, beings that risked their lives to save a world they didn't even know. Those that died during the crisis were forever immortalized by a memorial in a park where the most climatic events took place, and M-Day itself grew into a holiday of remembrance and morning among it's people for the lives and worlds lost.

Haruhi Suzumiya herself, was eventually allowed to live out the normal though still exciting life of a high-school girl living in post-merge Japan. Within her soul, the real and original version of herself slumbered peacefully, blissfully ignorant of the existence of a world she once hoped to see.

Notable People and Creatures

Haruhi Suzumiya: A girl who suffered from MGS the momment she crossed over, her soul split between a normal highschooler and a goddess with power over reality. After the events of the Closed Space Crisis, her godly self has been sealed away by the efforts of Minato Namikaze. Though she's been allowed to live out a normal life, she remains constantly observed from the shadows for any sign of the seal weakening.

Minato Namikaze: A version of the man who had survived his initial encounter with Tobi, he was one of the critical figures who led other Japanese Ex-Ds durring the Closed Space Crisis. He gave his life to summon the Grim Reaper, and permanently seal away the power of a mad goddess.

Shinjin: Powerful eheral giants formed when Haruhi's emotions are unbalanced. Their bodies are utterly impossible, and can only exist within Closed Space. Not a single instance of them have occured after the crisis.

Shūsa: Unique to the Closed Space Crisis, these are humans who were forcibly merged with powers and abilities relating to a multitude of realities. They live in a sense, with bastardized versions of MGS. Each one of them was subservient of their goddess durring the crisis, but have since regained their original personalities while their powers remained.
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kirinke
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by kirinke »

Bladewind wrote: Wed Oct 24, 2018 3:22 pm Setting document has been updated.

I added Konohagakure to the Locations of Note section, as I didn't feel it was "large enough" an entry to warrant an "Atlas Entry."

I also moved the list of slang from Betterwatchit's section on London to its own section and added a few. Any others that should go in there. And is Earther the actual term we've been using for per-Merge natives?
I'd say it'd be the most common term, but others would include: Terran, Hewmi, Mudder or Mudballer, Tau're, etc depending on how the speaker feels about them. :mrgreen:
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

kirinke wrote: Sat Nov 03, 2018 1:28 am
Bladewind wrote: Wed Oct 24, 2018 3:22 pm And is Earther the actual term we've been using for per-Merge natives?
I'd say it'd be the most common term, but others would include: Terran, Hewmi, Mudder or Mudballer, Tau're, etc depending on how the speaker feels about them. :mrgreen:
Most of those don't actually work IMO. They're terms used by various characters (fan fic or established fic) to talk about Earth's inhabitants. I was talking about Pre Merge vs Post Merge. Taur're for instance, is a Go'a'uld reference to Humans from Earth and thus post Merge (or in universe for Stargate characters). Spiderman is still a Terran, regardless post Merge or Tom Holland in character for a movie.

Working on adding Doctor Malsyn's contribution.
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by kirinke »

Hurr. Okay. Earther it is. ;)
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by betterwatchit »

Thought of another piece of slang...

Screamer: Someone with sound-based powers or who actually needs to shout to get their powers to work.
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Updated. :D
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by betterwatchit »

Griffin's Observations, Actions and Reactions in Post-Merge Britain
These all take place before Griffin joined the party in Prologue to Annihilation.
Like every other country on Earth, the United Kingdom was affected pretty hard by the Merge. And Griffin was thankful that the Time in the Bottle came over as well. He was willing to go so far as to say in public that the Bottle may be the main reason there was slightly less Merge-related violence in London in the year or so since it happened compared to most other major cities. The pub contains a truce enchantment that prevents weapons and offensive powers from working inside, making it the ideal place to talk things out over a pint.

There was an online video that Griffin and a small group of other powered Britons put up on YouTube and LiveLeak. One thing he said in his segment was "When drawing on other people's abilities for inspiration, I find that the exact mechanics used matter not so much as what the actual effect does. For example, I'm no Dragonborn but I can do a very convincing work-alike of the Unrelenting Force Shout. Watch this!" He then faced a dummy, extended his wings as far back as they could go and quickly snapped them forward while yelling "FUS RO DAH!" The dummy went flying into the wall, it was definitely wrecked. Griffin gestured towards it, saying "See what I mean? Someone who could either air-bend, use air-based magic or telekinesis can pretty much do the same thing I just did, to give you an idea!"

London Zoo has become one of the foremost places in Britain to see post-Merge species, such as Pokémon. It also uses the Pokémon as part of their security system, with at least two Pokémon trainers patrolling the Zoo at all times. This means that anyone trying to steal an endangered animal from the Zoo for traditional medicine or for use in some arcane ritual is in for a shock, freeze and burn!

Kew Gardens is a popular place to see post-Merge plants, like Nirnroot, famous for the unique sound it emits. The current star attraction is an actual Piranha Plant from the Mushroom Kingdom, that has been proven to be fully sapient! All the really dangerous plants have Home Office permits, making the Gardens one of the few places in Britain that can legally grow and display them.

Everyone from the BBC to Vice has been talking about how the global drug markets have gone bloody wild! And just plain bloody! Moon Sugar, Melange (AKA Spice), Nectar, Psycho, Venom... The list goes on and on! Anything else that Whitehall finds out about will very quickly fall under either the Human Medicines Regulations, the Misuse of Drugs Act or the more recent Psychoactive Substances Act. Because of those laws, the only three psychoactive substances that are legal for a civilian to possess and consume in Britain without needing a Home Office permit or a doctor's prescription are alcohol, caffeine and tobacco.

Griffin brought out a series of YouTube playlists consisting of the use of various powers in games and movies. One video he made absolutely sure to include in the Telekinesis playlist were the three clips introducing the Telekinesis Plasmid clip from Bioshock 2. The clips mention that you can use telekinesis to "catch" grenades and throw them back! Pretty useful at a riot! Or even throw one opponent at another! Griffin doesn't know if Rapture itself had made it over, but most governments appear to have already banned ADAM and EVE, due to the very well-documented side effects of severe mental and genetic instability. Griffin has drawn a bit of heat from so-called 'moral guardians' for his particular choice of videos. He responded: "Videos and the internet do not create psychos. They just make people who are already psychos more creative."

People with Animal Empathy and Comprehend Speak & Understand Animals - popularly known as Dolittles - are worth their weight in gold to vets, zoos, laboratories, anyone who deals with animals! Anyone already working with animals who acquired this combo from the Merge could ask their bosses for a raise and have no problems getting it approved once they prove they can actually do it.

The United Nations is trying to recruit more countries to join it since the Merge brought several new ones over. And they already have a spare chamber to conduct such meetings in that hasn't been used for a while, previously used by their Trusteeship Council, whose job it was to decolonise dependent territories and help them gain self-government or independence. So they already have a chamber available without having to build another one, which certainly helps their budget.

The Healing power is in very high demand among super-teams, gangs, spies, sports teams, anyone who runs the risk of severe injury in their occupation. It also helps that they're rare enough that no one in their right mind would oblige a healer to do anything dangerous themselves. After all, someone who can heal you in seconds without a hospital stay - or having to inform the police - is someone you don't want to lose to a stray bullet.
Last edited by betterwatchit on Tue Dec 11, 2018 11:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Bladewind
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Updated.

You'll note I added that last bit to the very end, as part of sections like Nightwing's letter home.

I also added Neo's statement about not undoing the Merge near the beginning of the doc. Seemed appropriate.
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
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