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phantommods) wrote2017-08-02 08:34 pm
phantommods) wrote2017-08-02 08:34 pm
Setting
SETTING
Where have you been? Been searching all along
Across the world, humans have begun to congregate in ways that they never have before. The progress of technology and medication has lead to the rise of enormous cities where millions of people work, play and live out their lives. What most are not aware of, however, is there is another world teeming with life just below these cities. Deep in the hearts of some of the largest cities in the world lies the Metaverse, a world of cognition formed of the Collective Unconscious of mankind.
The Metaverse has been confirmed in a number of major cities across the globe, spanning from London to Paris to Hong Kong, from Tokyo to Sydney to Los Angeles. Connected by the deep, cavernous train and highway network known as Mementos, the Metaverse is a reflection of the desires of humanity. Lurking within it are Shadows, creatures of untold power born of the chaotic and often twisted cognitions of humanity. Nobody has yet confirmed what lies at the very depths of Mementos, if there is even an end at all.
Los Angeles is one of many American cities that have experienced the Metaverse phenomenon. The largest city on the west coast of America, LA is a huge metropolitan area known as the center of the entertainment industry. Los Angeles serves as the major hub city of Phantom Thieves International. The below points of interest are a snapshot of areas players might use for their own plots, or be used in the main plot. New locations may be requested by players by using the form below.
Midnight Studio Talent Agency
The Midnight Studio Talent Agency is a nondescript, large three-story house in a posh Burbank neighborhood that is zoned for business. With the upper floors converted to something of a dormitory, the Midnight Studio is ostensibly a talent agency for young hopefuls trying to break into Hollywood. While it does contract some minor acting gigs to keep afloat, however, its main function is as a Safe House for Phantom Thieves, serving as the major base of operations in the LA area. The owner, Shiji Takada, is a somewhat slimy character who is well connected and seems to have a good bead on the goings-on in the city.
The Midnight Studio Talent Agency is a nondescript, large three-story house in a posh Burbank neighborhood that is zoned for business. With the upper floors converted to something of a dormitory, the Midnight Studio is ostensibly a talent agency for young hopefuls trying to break into Hollywood. While it does contract some minor acting gigs to keep afloat, however, its main function is as a Safe House for Phantom Thieves, serving as the major base of operations in the LA area. The owner, Shiji Takada, is a somewhat slimy character who is well connected and seems to have a good bead on the goings-on in the city.
UCLA
The University of California Los Angeles is a prestigious public University in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Boasting the highest number of applicants out of any American University, UCLA offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs.
The University of California Los Angeles is a prestigious public University in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Boasting the highest number of applicants out of any American University, UCLA offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs.
West Burbank High School
West Burbank High School is a public high school that serves the neighborhood the Midnight Studio calls home. A typical public high school, most students who live in the area go here.
West Burbank High School is a public high school that serves the neighborhood the Midnight Studio calls home. A typical public high school, most students who live in the area go here.
The Grove at Farmer's Market
The Grove at Farmer's Market is a trendy outdoor shopping center with a number of shops and restaurants, as well as a large movie theater making it a popular destination and hangout. Part of an old Farmer's Market, entering the enclosed shopping space of the Farmer's Market proper almost feels like stepping into another world. It, too, boasts a number of shops and restaurants, but while the Grove area is more corporate chains, the Farmer's Market hosts local and independent businesses.
The Grove at Farmer's Market is a trendy outdoor shopping center with a number of shops and restaurants, as well as a large movie theater making it a popular destination and hangout. Part of an old Farmer's Market, entering the enclosed shopping space of the Farmer's Market proper almost feels like stepping into another world. It, too, boasts a number of shops and restaurants, but while the Grove area is more corporate chains, the Farmer's Market hosts local and independent businesses.
Little Tokyo
One of the only three official Japantowns in the United States and the oldest, while the population of residents have declined since it's height, it is still a historically important neighborhood in the history of Japanese-Americans and still a hosts several Buddhist temples, Nisei day parades, and import shops - serving not just the district but the Japanese-Americans in the greater Los Angeles Area
One of the only three official Japantowns in the United States and the oldest, while the population of residents have declined since it's height, it is still a historically important neighborhood in the history of Japanese-Americans and still a hosts several Buddhist temples, Nisei day parades, and import shops - serving not just the district but the Japanese-Americans in the greater Los Angeles Area
Chinatown
Today's Chinatown had moved from where Union Station is now to what used to be Los Angeles' Little Italy, New Chinatown's many landmark features were created by Hollywood set designers in the 1930s. Business in the district is mostly family-owned, specialized shops and tourist traps. While there is always rumors of the Triads operating out of Chinatown, those rumors are likely quite exaggerated.
Today's Chinatown had moved from where Union Station is now to what used to be Los Angeles' Little Italy, New Chinatown's many landmark features were created by Hollywood set designers in the 1930s. Business in the district is mostly family-owned, specialized shops and tourist traps. While there is always rumors of the Triads operating out of Chinatown, those rumors are likely quite exaggerated.
La Brea Tar Pits
The The Tar Tar Pits as it's literally translated - formed within urban Los Angeles, this noxious smelling pit of bubbling tar and methane had been accidentally discovered by human excavation, and soon the tar gave up it's wealth of prehistoric fossils to the careful paleontologist. The George C. Page nearby displays and works on the fossils retrieved from the pits.
The The Tar Tar Pits as it's literally translated - formed within urban Los Angeles, this noxious smelling pit of bubbling tar and methane had been accidentally discovered by human excavation, and soon the tar gave up it's wealth of prehistoric fossils to the careful paleontologist. The George C. Page nearby displays and works on the fossils retrieved from the pits.
Staples Center
A massive sports arena in the heart of downtown LA, the Staples Center is right next to the LA Convention Center and hosts a huge number of events, from sports to music to skating performances.
A massive sports arena in the heart of downtown LA, the Staples Center is right next to the LA Convention Center and hosts a huge number of events, from sports to music to skating performances.
Santa Monica Pier and Beach
A century old landmark, and popular attraction for both tourists and residents, the double pier is home to the Pacific Park - an amusement park, the Santa Monica Aquarium, several restaurants, pubs and is also a popular spot for anglers. The pier and beachside is an all in one stop for any kind of fun by the sea.
A century old landmark, and popular attraction for both tourists and residents, the double pier is home to the Pacific Park - an amusement park, the Santa Monica Aquarium, several restaurants, pubs and is also a popular spot for anglers. The pier and beachside is an all in one stop for any kind of fun by the sea.
Kirk's Rock
Officially the Vasquez Rocks Natural Park Area, it's affectionately known as Kirk's Rocks due to the prominence of it's distinctive formations as a stand-in for alien planets in Star Trek the Original Series. These features can also be seen in many other westerns and sci-fi series. When no one is filming yet another TV Sci-Fi series, Kirk's Rock is a popular spot for picnics, rock climbing and horseback riding.
Officially the Vasquez Rocks Natural Park Area, it's affectionately known as Kirk's Rocks due to the prominence of it's distinctive formations as a stand-in for alien planets in Star Trek the Original Series. These features can also be seen in many other westerns and sci-fi series. When no one is filming yet another TV Sci-Fi series, Kirk's Rock is a popular spot for picnics, rock climbing and horseback riding.
LAX
The Los Angeles International Airport, the largest airport in California and the second busiest in the United States, it's a flurry of activity where the majority of foreigners coming into the western part of the US goes through. The theme and design of the core buildings bear an atomic age retro-futuristic design, with the Theme Building made to look like a UFO about to land, giving one the impression that they had stepped back in time.
The Los Angeles International Airport, the largest airport in California and the second busiest in the United States, it's a flurry of activity where the majority of foreigners coming into the western part of the US goes through. The theme and design of the core buildings bear an atomic age retro-futuristic design, with the Theme Building made to look like a UFO about to land, giving one the impression that they had stepped back in time.
Hollywood
Practically needs no introduction, once Hollywoodland, this is the holy land for the starstruck and those seeking a big break. Many of the oldest and most well-known studios are located within this neighborhood.
Practically needs no introduction, once Hollywoodland, this is the holy land for the starstruck and those seeking a big break. Many of the oldest and most well-known studios are located within this neighborhood.
Hollywood Bowl
Known for it's distinctive bowl-like conclave and band shell, everyone whose anyone in the world of opera, music, and stage performance has had a showed there - or hoped to. From the Beatles and Pink Floyd to Monty Python and Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong had performed in these famous halls. There is a museum attached to to it highlight it's history.
Known for it's distinctive bowl-like conclave and band shell, everyone whose anyone in the world of opera, music, and stage performance has had a showed there - or hoped to. From the Beatles and Pink Floyd to Monty Python and Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong had performed in these famous halls. There is a museum attached to to it highlight it's history.
Venice Beach
Venice's broadwalk is a mecca for bodybuilders,skaters and skateboarders, vendors of oddities and other sun-worshiping eccentrics. Very little will cause long-time visitors of this district to blink.
Venice's broadwalk is a mecca for bodybuilders,skaters and skateboarders, vendors of oddities and other sun-worshiping eccentrics. Very little will cause long-time visitors of this district to blink.
Getty Center
Located in the Brentwood neighborhood on top of a hill, this center overlooks the city of Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean. The Center is part of the Getty trust and Museum, containing a fabulous ever changing garden, several fountains, and unique architectural structure. And the other main attraction is the center's extensive art collection, including Van Gogh's Irises.
Located in the Brentwood neighborhood on top of a hill, this center overlooks the city of Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean. The Center is part of the Getty trust and Museum, containing a fabulous ever changing garden, several fountains, and unique architectural structure. And the other main attraction is the center's extensive art collection, including Van Gogh's Irises.
Palaces are enormous structures exist within the Metaverse. When a single human's desires become distorted, they will create a Palace in the space around them. A Palace naturally attracts powerful Shadows who serve the cognitive existence the host projects. This cognitive existence is itself a powerful Shadow and acts as an unfettered expression of the host's distorted desires. The Palace itself is formed by how the host views the area around them and is tied to the real world location where they hold power in the real world.
At the heart of a Palace lies the host's treasure, a cognitive manifestation of their distorted desires. If the host is sent a Calling Card that threatens their treasure, it can be made to materialize for a brief amount of time and the treasure can be stolen, robbing the person of their distorted desires. In cases in which those desires have caused them to commit crimes, the theft of their desires returns their feelings of guilt and causes them to confess their sins. The treasure can also be destroyed which renders the host catatonic. If the shadow of the host is killed, the host is themselves killed. Treasures stolen from a Palace will materialize in the real world, although they will be at most a replica of a real object in the host's possession. Once a treasure has been stolen, the Palace crumbles to dust and vanishes forever - along with anybody who might remain within it.
Taking action in a Palace will not be detected by the host, but the conversations held within can influence their cognition. For this reason, all Phantom Thieves use code names to identify themselves in order to avoid placing themselves under suspicion in reality. Palaces can be accessed by the Metaverse Nav, a mysterious phone app given by Igor that allows humans to enter the Metaverse so long as they possesss the proper keywords - a full name, the name of the location, and the person's distorted view of that location (if they view an area as their personal castle, for example, the final word would be "Castle").
The core of the Collective Unconscious, Mementos reflects the distorted desires of the residents within the city it is found, and for that reason it is considered the Palace of the People. Visually, Mementos appears as the major mode of transportation favored within the city, with Shadows of humans constantly traversing it. In the case of LA, for example, Mementos appears as an enormous, sprawling freeway that is constantly clogged with cars and the sound of incessant honking. In other cities such as Paris or Tokyo, Mementos instead appears as commuter trains, whereas New York City has a combination of both. Ultimately, Mementos reflects the daily experience of the humans that live within it. Like ordinary Palaces, Mementos draws Shadows to it, although they are typically not as powerful as those found within a single person's palace. That said, those who have traveled deeper into Mementos report that more powerful Shadows appear within it, and there are rumors of an immensely strong Shadow that stalks humans within Mementos and will catch up with them if they remain within an area for too long.
Humans whose desires have become distorted but not to the degree that would produce a Palace will materialize within Mementos. No Calling Card is required in this case, some posting of their name in a public space will suffice and the Shadow of that person will typically remain within Mementos for a much longer amount of time. All the same rules apply to the humans here as apply to Palace hosts, but the treasures found from Shadows within Mementos are typically much less valuable.
A mysterious place sequestered from Mementos, the Palaces and the real world but accessible from all three, the Velvet Room is presided over by Igor and his assistant Maria. Taking the form of an enormous room akin to that of the UN General Assembly, Phantom Thieves from all over the world can enter the Velvet Room for aid and advice.