The Compilation of ToP

[Thanatos]

Note: Within these following pages should be just about everyting you could ever want to know about Phantomile. This document is by no means permanent; through player suggestions and my own revising, I hope to change the Compilation in a number of ways. I would like to apologize ahead of time for the several errors and excessive use of hyphens. Please try to ignore the errors, and gain what you can from this delightful bit of material.

Happy hunting,
-Thanatos



Compilation of ToP

Contents:
Section 1-Fundamentals
-Introduction
-Role-Playing Fundamentals (Required)
-Character Creation Guidelines (Required)
Section 2-The Two Continents
-Overview
-Geography
-Noteworthy Locales
-Current Situations
Section 3-History
-Time of Innocence
-The Great Cataclysm
-Time of Despair
Section 4-Technology
-First Continent
-Second Continent
-Mark Series
Section 5-Organizations
-Established Governments
-The Syndicates
-Other Organizations
-Important People
Section 6-The Mass
-Beginnings
-‘Massology’<br>-Aegisite
-Phantomile

[Thanatos]

Section 1-Fundamentals[/b]
Introduction:[/u]
The world in which Tales of Phantomile takes place is one of turmoil and conflict. A strange new life form known only as ‘MASS’ has begun a slow but steady infestation of all humanity, its powers of possession and manipulation impossible to resist. Humanity itself has become divided—all ties between the two great continents have been severed, each landmass left to its own devices in an attempt to ward off this silent invasion. And thus this situation has continued for one hundred years, forcing the remainder of mankind to stoop to new forms of sickness and depravity as it attempts to come to terms with the inevitable annihilation of its race.
Yet even in this dark age, hope continues to linger on. Whispered rumors speak of a place known only as ‘Phantomile,’ a place that, it is said, possesses the ability to rid the world of the MASS once and for all. And thus a man by the name of Nicholi Anhelo has gathered a diverse group of individuals with one purpose. To find Phantomile, and with it salvation of the human race.

Tales of Phantomile is a forum board role-playing game. Within its digital confines, players interact and work together to fight off the MASS threat, in the meantime unraveling their own complex back stories and revealing their characters’ more personal goals. The purpose of this document is to reveal information to the player for use in the creation and subsequent use of their characters—it is very important to note that most of the information presented in this document will not be initially known by a player character. The next two sections should provide information on both appropriate role-playing etiquette and further details on how to determine what a character should or should not know.

Role-Playing Fundamentals (Required):[/u]
Note: This is an exact duplicate of ‘Role-Playing Fundamentals,’ by Thanatos. The character sheet section will not apply to Tales of Phantomile, as there is already a set style viewable by going to any of the many character sheets present on the website. Much of this content is, however, useful as a role-play starter, as well as with helping a player understand basic rules and courtesies present in most online role-playing games.

In this section will be covered the most basic aspects of role-playing, allowing individuals who are interested in the concept but have never before had the opportunity to fully explore it a fair chance at judging this unique pastime for themselves.

Firstly, we need to identify precisely what role-playing is. In role-playing, someone takes a role in a story and attempts to act it out to the best of their abilities, making decisions and executing actions based solely on that given character's beliefs, not on the player's beliefs in real life.

Basically, role-playing is nothing more than acting, but on a virtual stage.

We differentiate between a player and their character through the use of two acronyms, IC (In Character) and OOC (Out of Character). It is very, very discourteous to not separate these two entirely different methods of communication. In many cases, it's impolite to even enter a bit of out of character dialogue into the ongoing story. An example:
---
Fred kicks the bandit squarely in the chest, knocking his assailant back even as he draws his gleaming samurai sword.

ooc: I like sausage lol!
---
As you can see, the out of character bit of information in this post is entirely unnecessary, in fact detracting from what has just been read. Unless the out of character comment immediately pertains to the ongoing story, it's best to handle such communication in PM's and anything else that does not intrude in the ongoing tale.

Courtesy is a major element of role-playing. If you're purposefully rude and attempt to insult a player out of character, chances are you're not going to build a particularly savory reputation. There are also a few other major no-no's when it comes to role-playing:


-Do not enter a role-playing thread uninvited unless the thread introduction specifically states that anyone is welcome without request. If that is not stated, then contact the conductor of the thread through a PM and take whatever steps are necessary before posting in the actual story.

-Controlling other player characters in any way, shape, or form is definitely frowned upon. A player has created their character for a reason; to play it. So please, attempt to relate only what your own character is doing--leave another player's actions to that player. As an example:
---
(Assuming the player in question is Fred, and the player they are interacting with is George.)
INCORRECT: Fred draws his sword, stabbing his blade deep into George's chest. George dies.
CORRECT: Fred draws his sword, attempting to stab his blade in the direction of George's chest.
---

-Be realistic. Your character is (most likely) mortal, and as such has mortal weaknesses. It's extremely unlikely that they can dodge a thousand bullets and fell a thousand men in the period of one post. Not only that, but please maintain the mood you set for your character in the initial introduction. Sudden uncharacteristic changes of personality make for a very awkward and convoluted storyline.
INCORRECT: fred jumps in the air and falls down on the grund using his super-super-saiyan attack pwr level #59949949 and pwning all the evil ninjas
CORRECT: ...anything not remotely close to that.

-Show good attention to detail and post length. As a rule of thumb, try to write at least four sentences per post. Also make sure to add adequete detail to your posts. We don't want to know that you killed a man--we want to know how.

-Please, be literate. If you're misspelling every other word and sounding like a complete imbecile, chances are you're not going to be very well receieved. In fact, the general community might want you removed post-haste.


There is one more major area to cover in the fundamentals of role-playing: the initial introduction of a character. Generally, a character sheet is first posted, following something like this formula:

Name-
Age-
Appearance-(Height, Weight, Hair Color, Beauty...whatever strikes your fancy)
Equipment/Weapons-(Whatever it is your character carries--specify as necessary for original inventions)
Bio-(A short [or long] history of your character. Try not to reveal too much, as the best role-plays are those that flesh out a character on the fly.)

---
Let's try a practice character sheet based on the skeleton I just posted:

Name-Fred
Age-23
Appearance-Fred stands an impressive six feet tall and weighs about 160 pounds. His deep brown hair and blazing blue eyes make him a sight to behold.
Equipment/Weapons-Fred's attire usually consists of rumpled blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt, tucked in. He is most often seen sporting a particularly stylish pair of sunglasses, and wearing a sombrero of the finest quality.

The only notable bit of equipment Fred possesses is his katana, sheathed visibly at his side. When drawn, it is clearly evident that the blade is of a highly superior make, of something approaching damascus steel.

Bio-Fred led a fairly normal life until the age of 17, when he came home from school to find his family slain by rabid monkey ninjas. Taking up in hand the sword that had been used to slaughter his family, he swore vengeance to the world.
---

Note that character sheets can be modified and expanded upon almost indefinitely. It's entirely left up to the whim of the thread creator as to how much detail he or she wants in this initial introduction.

Now that we have a character sheet complete with suitable backstory, let's try creating an in character starter thread:
---
Fred stood idly on the thickly-wooded hillside overlooking the compound, gazing intently at the structure that confronted him. He was now at the end of his trials and tribulations--whatever awaited him within that building was what he had worked towards the past six years of his life.

He had finally discovered the headquarters of the rabid monkey ninjas.

Even now Fred could hear their crazed hooting, their squealing and hollering as they went about whatever daily affairs a rabid monkey ninja actually did. They would soon be in for quite a surprise.

Placing one hand carefully on the handle of his katana, he smiled the fiery smile of one that has long abandoned all notions of fear and caution. Tilting his fine sombrero to one side, he began to stride downhill, towards his intended target. With each step he was faced with painful memories, with lingering doubts. He did not let this stop him.

Finally, after all of these years. He would avenge his mother, his father, his older brother...even Little Susie, the neighbor's child who was unfortunate enough to have been searching Fred's home for a cup of sugar when the rabid monkey ninjas had struck.

But enough of that. Now was the time for action.
---
That's crazily dramatic, but it gets the point across. The purpose of this thread is obviously to storm the rabid monkey ninja headquarters--there isn't a particularly deep plot to speak of. The players are going to fight and then go home, feeling satisfied. While this thread doesn't give any obvious openings for new players, anyone wanting to join the storyline could simply insert themselves by already being present in the fortress, by approaching from another direction, or even by stalking Fred.

[Thanatos]

Character Creation Guidelines (Required):[/u]
Tales of Phantomile, while certainly fantastic in nature, takes place in a low-fantasy, high-realism environment. This rules out a great number of popular fantasy conventions, such as elves, demons, fairies, and magic. Again:

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL CHARACTERS OTHER THAN BASIC HUMANS BE TOLERATED WITHOUT SPECIAL PERMISSION BEING GIVEN

A few other character types are possible, such as androids and bio-engineered subjects, but even then any special abilities granted will directly pertain to the setting at hand, and will not be left up to the whim of the player. The best thing to do is to simply play a human, and put extra effort into making that character unique.
Magic does not exist in Tales of Phantomile. The relatively superhuman does exist, however. Most player characters are not average human beings. They have evolved special traits and abilities, which helps to explain their superior performance in combat. They are not, however, under any circumstances, gods. This is something else tremendously important to bear in mind when designing and/or playing out a character:

YOU ARE MORTAL

Your character may be more powerful than the average joe, but they are not able to survive a bullet to the brain or a direct MASS possession, much less able to kill fifty opponents in one normal combat without incurring damage.
Lastly, all backstories should be cleared with a moderator or administrator in order to make absolutely sure that they will not interfere with the already-established atmosphere of Tales of Phantomile. This also goes for hometowns. All locations in Tales of Phantomile are entirely fictional, and thus until a map is uploaded, a site coordinator will need to pinpoint a precise place of origin.

Note that at this time characters are only accepted that are present on the First Continent.

[Thanatos]

Section 2-The Two Continents[/b]
Overview:[/u]
There are two noteworthy landmasses in Tales of Phantomile. These are Xenon, the First Continent, and Neo-Nexus, the Second Continent—the only continents in existence.

The First and Second Continents are separated by a massive body of water that is as unpredictable as it is violent. Complicating the attempts at travel between the two continents even further, the skies over this water are fiercely turbulent, buffeting with deadly force against all aircraft that travel below the upper stratosphere. Powerful storms are commonplace, especially along the coastlines of both continents; only in isolated bays and harbors is the weather ever calm, and even then only for an hour at a time. This has rendered the fishing industry all but worthless, and made any worthwhile transportation between the two continents a true impossibility. The storms also interfere heavily with all but the most powerful of communication equipment, creating a true sense of isolation between the sister landmasses.

Thus each are left to fend for themselves.

Note: Despite the names of the continents, the Second Continent is much more heavily populated than the first. The names are given as such because popular theory suggests that life originated on the continent of Xenon, having only migrated to Neo-Nexus after several hundred thousand years.

Geography:[/u]
Each of the two continents has been heavily molded by their respective uses. In general, within Xenon can still be found the hints of nature in its purest form; untouched valleys, and unpolluted streams. Neo-Nexus, on the other hand, has been shaped into a metropolis for and of Man. Only the briefest hints of fauna remain, and the diversity of the landscape has been all but destroyed with mankind’s constant presence.

The First Continent: The First Continent, as just mentioned, is by far the purer and cleaner of the two landmasses. This by no means makes it an Eden. In fact, by nature a large portion of Xenon’s land is desert and prairie. The central and southern portions of the terrain are arid and unforgiving, the harsh landscape broken occasionally by small to medium sized mountain ranges. The northern portion of the First Continent is by contrast far more temperate and pleasant in nature, in many places forested quite heavily. Naturally, this makes it the location of the larger amount of Xenon’s population. Mountains in the northern section are almost unheard of. The overall size of the landmass is roughly 10% larger than that of Neo-Nexus. It is worth noting that there are no ice or tundra biomes present on the First Continent.

The Second Continent: The overwhelming majority of Neo-Nexus consists of nothing but drained, featureless gray plains. The northernmost region of the Second Continent is abundant with ice caps. While at one time the southern half of Neo-Nexus thrived with pleasant forests and plains, an overwhelming majority of the wildlife is now long dead with the infestation of the MASS. The mid north section is less touched, but being the sole center of population, has been entirely drained of all other life. It is also surprisingly chilly. The only geographical feature of importance in the Second Continent is that of the Great Divide, a gigantic mountain chain that splits Neo-Nexus neatly in two. When not covered with seven kilometer high mountains, the Great Divide is dotted with defensive turrets and walls which well exceed three kilometers in height. It is the structure of both Man and Nature that neatly divides the world of MASS from the world of humanity. Note that so much MASS exists within the southern half of Neo-Nexus that it approaches the scale of creating its own topographical landforms, with dense groups of the parasite exceeding one hundred kilometers in length and literally covering the entire landscape.

Noteworthy Locales:[/u]
There are many particularly noteworthy locations in the massive world of Tales of Phantomile. Here will be listed most of these, although more will be added as the adventure progresses. Some of these coordinates may never even be visited—they are here simply to provide reference to events that may occur elsewhere in the story.

The First Continent:
Black Village-A tiny hamlet of a settlement, the only noteworthy feature of Black Village is its saloon, which does surprisingly good business considering its isolated location deep in the highlands of north Xenon.

Lone Island-It is the Lone Island from which the samurai Argis hails, a relatively small island, and one of the few places in the entire realm that receives constant good weather. Only a few hundred meters from Xenon’s western shoreline, Lone Island consists of two warring villages that engage in routine conflict. The technological condition of Lone Island’s inhabitants is one of the most primitive of all known cases on either continent—Lone Island’s culture best resembles that of a Feudal Japanese civilization, although with some unorthodox advances. It is worth noting that Lone Island has remained untouched by the MASS, despite their repeated activity close to the area.

The Ruined City-Located in the extreme north of the First Continent, these ruins are that of the ancient city Celaria, one of the two famous cities that was destroyed in the Great Cataclysm. Now the remains of this once-brilliant settlement are nothing more than one gigantic graveyard, a testament to the folly of mankind. None that have attempted to retrieve some of the lost technologies from the ruins have ever returned, and the only inhabitants of the place are the unsleeping Mark units that have named themselves ‘The Remnant.’ It is from this place that the majority of the MASS that now inhabit The First Continent originated. Interestingly, the ground for almost a dozen kilometers around the ruins is covered with a layer of Aegisite.

White Village-White Village is another tiny settlement tucked in the forests and open fields of northern Xenon, although it is much more southward than most of the surrounding villages. White Village’s primary feature of interest is that of the Anhelo Manor, which is perched on a hillside a few hundred meters from the edge of town. Most recently, the majority of White Village’s inhabitants were slain after they incurred MASS possession, the remainder escaping still under the MASS influence.

The Second Continent:
Isle of Divinity-Off the northeast coast of the Second Continent, the Isle of Divinity has been so completely altered by rumor that it is difficult to isolate fact from fiction. It is on the Isle of Divinity that the omnipotent emperor of the Singular Empire lives, surrounded by servants and the other members of the royal dynasty. A veritable paradise, the Isle is completely isolated from the outside world by an advanced particle distortion system that encloses the locale. This makes covert entrance to the Isle impossible, and guarantees protection from the impossibly fierce storms that hammer both continents and their respective islands.

Nexus Nerv-Capital of the Singular Empire, Nexus Nerv is thought to have been the city in which the Empire’s unification efforts were originated. Nexus Nerv is now an impossibly massive urban center that lies snug in the northern half of the Second Continent. Acting as the home of the Crawford Corporation headquarters, Nexus Nerv is also the continent’s largest city, with a population exceeding 1.5 billion.

[Thanatos]

Current Situations:[/u]
After the Great Cataclysm, the situations on both of the continents shifted drastically. Secrets to the science and technology that had so recently blessed the First Continent vanished, as well as all communication with Xenon’s sister landmass. The scenario that arose on the Second Continent was, if anything, worse. While innovations in science and technology were actually spurred by the Great Cataclysm, the subsequent appearance of the MASS was focused far more heavily on Neo-Nexus than it was on the First Continent. This created an instant state of emergency, and over time, a complete reshaping of all human life that resided on the Second Continent.

And so even as the two continents have grown more and more isolated, their respective situations have become increasingly grave. The floundering and confused residents of Xenon have, over the last hundred years, been the victim of raid after raid by MASS-possessed on isolated villages, as well as larger attacks on towns and even some of what those on the First Continent call ‘cities’. For the most part, though, the MASS have left the First Continent alone, never truly concentrating their power or conducting simultaneous strikes, as if distracted by something else. This does not mean that the MASS are harmless, however. The lack of technology and established colonies has meant the MASS strikes have been slower and more leisurely, and although dozens still perish every day, the presence of the MASS parasite is a secondary concern to many of Xenon’s citizens.

The Second Continent is a different story. Over the hundred year gap, the MASS have repeatedly struck at towns and cities with vicious coordination, causing tens of thousands to perish in single fell swoops. The superior armaments of Neo-Nexus have caused serious damage to the MASS, and in some cases even secured minor victories, but the battle results are inevitable; every day the MASS push further northward, having completely overrun all of the south long ago. The MASS are currently stalled just at the Great Divide—and this sprawling fortification is only expected to hold for a few more months at most. This constant ongoing war has, as said, radically affected the psyches of Neo-Nexus’ population. In general, the feeling of every word spoken, every action done, is one of despair and gloom. It is as if humanity senses an inexorable end to this conflict, and an end in which they are not the victor

[Thanatos]

Section 3-History[/b]
Time of Innocence:[/u]
…before the coming of the Great Scourge and the destruction of the Twin Cities, the lands of the realm were pure and untainted. The will of Man ruled supreme, but it was a will simple and good—this was a time of the clean soul and the noble mind, a time of innocence…<br>-An Age Lost, circa. 12 A.D, Neo-Nexus Talon Publishers Inc.

The so named Time of Innocence began roughly two hundred years before the Great Cataclysm, although most of its important details have long ago been lost to censorship and the destruction of historical manuscripts. Most history books published after the Great Cataclysm refer to the Time of Innocence as a time when mankind was almost divine in nature, in which no wrongs were committed—but this is quite obviously false. The purpose in this fabrication is to instill humanity with positive morale, fooling them into believing that they will return to this godlike position if only they survive the onslaught the MASS has brought. All surviving records preceding the Great Cataclysm have been locked away or destroyed by human hands, as the actual truth behind the Time of Innocence is actually very dark and misguided in nature. It is worth mention that all the worry about this period of history primarily takes place in Neo-Nexus; those inhabiting Xenon are far less concerned with the MASS in the first place. Another interesting fact is that, despite all communication having been lost between the two continents, the same name is used on both landmasses to describe this time preceding the MASS—‘Time of Innocence.’<br>
At the start of the Time of Innocence, mankind was still heavily dependent upon the use of fossil fuels for energy, before the discovery of Positron Cylindrical Reactor, which is still used in Neo-Nexus’ energy creation to this day. During this period of time advances in every field of science took place daily; transportation was finally possible between the First and Second Continents, and so rapid colonization of the First Continent was begun, quickly displacing and endangering many of the primitive native peoples that had made Xenon their home for untold thousands of years. Back in Neo-Nexus, the invention of the first Positron Bomb instantly replaced nuclear technology as the leading weapon of mass destruction. Within three years, this brought about the formation of the Singular Empire, a sole governing organization that swept over all of Nexus and much of Xenon within months after its formation. This in turn brought about the eventual renaming of the Second Continent from ‘Nexus’ to ‘Neo-Nexus.’

It was during this time too that the Crawford Corporation was founded. Thanks to the immense wealth and keen business strategies of its creator, the Crawford Corporation eventually became the sole owner of rights to the Positron Cylindrical Reactor, in addition to thousands of other patents of every type and nature. This allowed the Corporation to become the dominant technological producer in the realm, and eventually granted them a monopoly on all government contracts. The Crawford Corporation began the Mark project approximately B.C. 45, and the Combat Enhancement Protein project about B.C. 8, due much in part to the incredible amount of financial interest that the wealthy Anhelo family showed in the endeavors. It was the mysterious interplay of these two mammoth projects that would eventually cause the Great Cataclysm.

The building of the twin cities of Celaria and Arconia was begun at roughly B.C. 90 and gradually completed in the B.C. 20’s. Through breakthroughs in theoretical physics, these two settlements of over five hundred million each would be bridged by an interdimensional gateway, allowing a distance of tens of thousands of kilometers to be crossed in mere seconds by millions of commuters and travelers daily. These two cities were to be the pinnacle of mankind, and for a time, they were. It was here that the resources of the Singular Empire were most densely concentrated, and here that the Crawford Corporation moved their most potent ongoing research projects from their old laboratories at Phantomile.

The most commonly used indicator marking time in this period is ‘B.C,’ or ‘Before Cataclysm.’<br>
The Great Cataclysm:
The Great Cataclysm was the name given to the earth-shaking event that forever altered the very fabric of humanity and its following history. An explosion of impossibly destructive magnitude swept through both Celaria and Arconia, killing all of the approximately 1.2 billion citizens of those two massive cities in an instant. In addition, almost all of mankind’s most brilliant minds were lost, and countless top-secret research projects completely mangled. The Archives—a several kilometer long building that housed all of recorded human history—was leveled, its vast computer banks incinerated. The quasi-physical gateway that had connected the two cities was also destroyed; forever severing ties between the sister continents.

Even as survivors reeled from the death and destruction wrought, negative effects continued to mount up. The thick layer of what appeared to be black liquid that had covered the ground for many kilometers around ground zero began to shift, eventually forming itself together and beginning an initial assault on outlying towns and villages around the blast zone. These were the very beginnings of the MASS.

There is no recorded footage of the Great Cataclysm, nor are there any true eyewitness accounts. The actual cause of the event appears to remain forever unknown, although popular speculation has pointed towards some of the more unsavory research the Crawford Corporation was conducting at the time.

When not referred to as the Great Cataclysm, the Endless Destruction, or some other haunting name, this infamous time is simply called ‘Year Zero.’ It marks the end of the Time of Innocence, and the beginning of the Time of Despair.

[Thanatos]

Time of Despair:[/u]
The period that followed the Great Cataclysm is commonly known as the Time of Despair, an era born in and of darkness that continues to this day. In the days directly after the Great Cataclysm, mankind tried desperately to sort out exactly what had happened—a substantial amount of the overall population had been lost, and a new threat was already steadily growing, beginning a campaign of destruction against Man from the moment it had reared its ugly head. Man itself was in no condition to fight back; indeed, the sorrowful days following the catastrophe involved deep reflection and contemplation by almost every human being still living, as well as a scrambling to secure monetary assets as stocks plummeted and crashed. Only a few truly isolated settlements were not immediately aware of the disaster, as the light radiated by the Positron explosion was clearly visible from as many as 2,000 kilometers away.

The chaos during those frantic days was unimaginable. Everything from MASS invasions to attempted military coups was occurring in an impossibly small period of time, and all the while untold billions searched frantically for loved ones that had either perished in the initial explosion, or been isolated on the other continent. The movements in expressionism that took place in Neo-Nexus’ remaining urban centers were particularly stirring, their brooding and depressed nature a perfect indicator of the mood of those times.

As the months passed by, the two continents began to recover, albeit in very different ways. On the First Continent, people worked frantically to resurrect their various gadgets and the like, but it was little use. There were no more than a few dozen skilled technicians on all of Xenon, and these individuals were quickly exploited by various rising warlords in an attempt to unite the continent under one force once more. With these few skilled peoples being stifled and inadvertently killed, none remained to carry on the traditions of science and technology. This paired with the absolute lack of communication with Neo-Nexus created a sense of true isolation. The result? The Second Continent took a backseat in the minds of the populace after one generation, and was nothing more than a fleeting myth with the advent of the second generation. For the people of Xenon, their troubles were more focused in resisting the MASS and surviving the constant tiny battles the continent suffered, rather than playing around with that they considered ‘lost technology.’<br>
Neo-Nexus fared worse. As more and more settlements fell to this grave new threat that the MASS posed, the Singular Empire declared an all-out state of emergency. The military of the empire, up until this point only used to dissolve minor rebellions and attempts at cession, quadrupled in strength overnight. And so the southern half of the Second Continent became a warzone, and the northern half a place filled with dread and fear at the inevitable coming of the MASS. Culture itself began disintegrating, and although many emotions were exhibited by the frightened people of Neo-Nexus, the term ‘Time of Despair’ was coined to describe this new era of uncertainty and darkness. Religions with apocalyptic themes became popular, and the government itself grew in corruption as more and more of the public’s attention was directed towards the MASS.

The Second Continent, with its vast remaining stores of technology, was able to retain and in fact improve upon many of its inventions, thanks much in part to the continuing influence of the gigantic Crawford Corporation. This placed Neo-Nexus in a situation where it did not so much forget about the First Continent as it did ignore it. The cries for reunification of the continents fell upon deaf ears, for from the Singular Empire’s point of view, a rebridging of the two landmasses would be an unnecessary cost in the difficult war against the MASS parasite. Thus those in the Second Continent gradually became resigned to the fact that the First Continent was truly unreachable, and that they were truly alone in their struggle with their alien enemy.

The date is now 100 A.D. Neo-Nexus has continued its steady advances and innovations, and thus the war with the MASS has reached something of a stalemate, although humanity is still poised to take the losing side. The First Continent suffers from widespread conflict and warfare with enemies other than the MASS; literally hundreds of warlords and chieftains now fight each other for rights to mere slivers of land. Thus, many of those in Xenon refer to this time following the Great Cataclysm not as the Time of Despair, but as the Time of Chaos. Whatever the name, however, the atrocities committed during this troubled age remain the same. It is in this one hundredth year of the Time of Despair that Tales of Phantomile begins.

The most commonly used indicator marking time in this period is ‘A.D.’ or ‘After Destruction.’<br>

[Thanatos]

Section 4-Technology[/b]
First Continent:[/u]
…there is no sight more painful than that of witnessing the desperate attempts of our former brethren to recreate an old way of life that even now fades more and more from their memories. It is the solemn wish of this Committee to appeal the decision by the Wise Men to leave the Wasteland of Xenon floundering in its current state. Unless immediate action to reunite the continents is taken, we estimate that the Wasteland will only last for two generations before the general mind set and standard of living is pushed back hundreds of years…
-Letter from Neo-Nexus Reunification Committee to the Wise Men’s Council, circa. 3 A.D.

The general level of sophistication of the people of Xenon has dropped considerably over the hundred years following the Great Cataclysm. While at first the things lost were mind bogglingly complex, such as the secret to the Positron Cylindrical Reactor, the principles behind inventions more and more rudimentary were lost forever. From flight to electricity and everything in between, these technologies that had existed for centuries upon centuries were forgotten in less than a generation. While the great cities that were built in the dusk of the Time of Innocence are still inhabited, their level of upkeep is incredibly poor. None of the people living within their steel confines have the slightest idea how to recreate the commodities they enjoy day to day—when running water fails, or a light fails to turn on, it is gone forever. Thus those that still enjoy a more modern lifestyle do so not through the innovations they themselves create, but rather through the exploitation and draining of innovations of the distant past.

Of the countless self-proclaimed kingdoms and territories of Xenon, the most advanced still retain the knowledge to make use of fossil fuels and build combustion engines, but even the number of individuals proficient in these skills is fading as the Time of Chaos continues. For the majority of the First Continent, the current technological level of its denizens is quite similar to that of the United States’ Wild West period of history.

As a general rule, most of the weaponry employed by Xenon’s inhabitants involves guns that fire single rounds at a time; semi-automatic and full-automatic firing systems are only kept alive in a few select kingdoms and in the stores of lost technology buried in the Ruined City. Vehicles built for combat usually sport no other armaments other than rows of lethal spikes, and vehicles in general are odd contraptions that require great deals of fuel to travel short distances. In fact, in many cases horses and other such animals are a much more efficient alternative to automobiles. Once again, there are exceptions to this rule—but any individual that presents himself as being too technologically astute in the wrong area at the wrong time might very well find himself being burnt at the stake for being a ‘witch’ or ‘magician.’<br>
Nothing but the most simplistic of fragmentation devices are in use. Rockets and bombs are nonexistent except when salvaged from a city’s remains, with the primary source of explosive weaponry either being Molotov cocktails or some similar homemade instrument.

The lack of viable ranged technology has caused a substantial increase in the practice of close-range combat. In the hands of a trained expert, even the most innocent of farming implements becomes a deadly weapon. This in turn has added even more to the general state of lawlessness of the continent. On a positive note, this increased fixation with and use of close quarters weaponry has helped to slightly raise the overall level of speed and coordination of Xenon’s inhabitants. In a world such as this, a good sword is as good as if not better than a good pistol.

Second Continent:[/u]
As has been mentioned several times before, the continent of Neo-Nexus actually experienced a sizable influx of new science and technology following the Great Cataclysm. This coupled with the Singular Empire’s already incredible storehouses of knowledge made it a force to be reckoned with, and a truly stark contrast to the backwater First Continent. With constant inventions coming into existence over the past hundred years, the areas of Neo-Nexus not immersed in gloom and darkness are something close to a mechanical paradise—every possible commodity is at the fingertips of the continent’s citizens, and entire digitized worlds have been created solely for entertainment purposes.

Applications of the Positron Cylindrical Reactor (and, to a limited degree, the Aegisite Drive) are near limitless. Providing almost an infinite amount of energy every given second, only humanity’s twisted imagination limits the versatility and power of these devices. Land vehicles are able to travel hundreds of kilometers in a given hour, and aircraft streak across the skies at improbable speeds that exceed mach fifteen.

Denizens of the Second Continent possess any number of destructive weaponry, although almost all are restricted solely to military use. Neo-Nexus citizens most often rely on traditional lead based projectile weapons, although the accuracy and rate of fire of these devices is very much improved from the models of earlier times. Also in wide use since its recent advent are razor edged blades with cutting power previously unimaginable, always retaining a truly deadly cutting edge.

The military of the Singular Empire, the primary force of resistance that stands against the MASS, utilizes weaponry that would be truly alien to any average citizen of the First Continent. Laser technology has been present for several decades, and its pinpoint accuracy and unreal level of stopping power has been a great asset in the creation of even more powerful weapons of war. Everything from hovering laser tanks to killer satellites are in existence, incinerating and burning away at opposition with superheated beams that are accurate to the nearest nanometer. The hardware required to operate such machinery, however, is massive. This for the most part prevents easily accessible laser technology. The Positron Bomb is also a useful engine of destruction—with a pre-programmable blast radius and a guarantee of complete annihilation of everything within its bubble-like confines, it is an excellent tool in both surgical strikes and full out assaults on the enemy. In limited secret deployment are even bio-engineered creatures of various designs, which in some specialized cases are just as potent as an armada of Dread Bombers.

Note: With the exception of the Mark series, specific inventions on either continent have been purposefully omitted so as to allow more room for creativity in posts. Please be realistic with pieces of technology described, and follow the set parameters. Bear in mind that, in general, items on the First Continent will be far stranger and more quirky in nature, and possess a definite primitive air. Items on the Second Continent, on the other hand, will reek of modern civilization, being streamlined to the extreme.

[Thanatos]

Mark Series:[/u]
The beginning of the Mechanized Assassination Unit Project in B.C. 45 was a true milestone in the fields of innovation and evolution of the entire species. In its early years all parties involved with the project were disappointed—early Mark models were powered by nothing more than the most simplistic of artificial intelligence, and the actual use for their weaponry was quite limited. The dreams of the Crawford Corporation and the Anhelo family of battalions of mechanical super-soldiers was appearing to have been nothing more than a whimsical fantasy, and assets were in the process of being reduced and the operation terminated. This all changed with the advent of the Mark X. The first to incorporate human emotion and sentience in its thought processes, it was an instant success. While still considerably flawed, it was proven that the Mark project would eventually be a success as humanity began incorporating its best features and ideas into a near immortal mechanical body.

Speculation still goes on about the Mark XIII and XIV models, both of whose construction was begun just prior to the Great Cataclysm. These were the first Mark units to not be mass-produced. Following the chaos of the construction, the Mark project was taken out of the Crawford Corporation’s hands and placed solely in control of government facilities. And so the condition of any units built following the Great Cataclysm is a true mystery, although it can be assumed that the Singular Empire would not so quickly dismiss such a beneficial project, even in these trying times.

Mark I-The first Mark unit to have ever been created, the Mark I was by standards at the time almost as much a joke as it was an actual viable weapon. While deadly enough in certain situations, its weak artificial intelligence and lack of true combat flexibility made the Mark I seem a definite failure in the Mark project. Approximately one meter in height, the Mark I consisted of a high-powered machine gun with laser sighting grafted to mid-sized treads. While it saw some combat situations, the overall uselessness of the Mark I compared to other technology of the day made it a laughing stock.

Mark II-Another tread-based Mark, the Mark II was an attempt at expanding the combat capabilities its predecessors, as well as expanding the artificial intelligence software utilized. Much larger than the original, the Mark II stood a height of two meters, and was able to reach speeds of up to twelve kilometers an hour. Its usage in close quarters combat proved to have moderate successes; its two heavy machine gun arms and spread-shot cannon nestled in the midst of its brain circuitry was a force to be reckoned with.

Mark III-On a completely different track from the Mark II, the Mark III explored what had been the original goal of the Mark project—machines capable of quietly and efficiently eliminating targets without the need of error-ridden human assassins. Only twenty centimeters in length, the eight-legged Mark III was in almost every manner like a mechanized spider. Its primary weapon was a highly potent venom injected from a cavity in its head, its spindly legs were able to climb almost any surface with ease, and its common accessories included a variety of cameras and sensors for surveillance activities. Unfortunately, the Mark III was released only months after the Mark II, thus its artificial brain was still very primitive. This meant the Mark III was substantially less intelligent than its previous version, and gained a sort of notoriety as being incredibly easy to trick.

Mark IV-The largest of all known Mark units, the Mark IV was a towering creation that exceeded three meters in height. Plated with layer after layer of heavily reinforced and tempered metal, the Mark IV was all but impervious to small and medium arms fire. It walked on two legs, huge, bulky appendages that carried it at a slow rate over its surroundings. Lacking an identifiable head, the core brain of the machine was buried deep inside its massive shielded chest. Mounted on the chest was also the Mark IV’s primary means of attack—a plasma heated flame thrower which spouted blue flames, capable of melting even small vehicles. Alternate weaponry included two heavy machine guns attached to flexible metal arms. While a truly devastating force on the battlefield, the Mark IV lacked the stealth and finesse that the Mark project lacked, thus it is the only unit of its type. The occasional Mark IV is employed on large scale battlefields, but for the most part, has disappeared.

Mark V-The first humanoid shaped Mark unit, the Mark V utilized the greatest speed yet. Its preferred mode of travel was at a sickeningly fast crawl on all fours, although its pattern of attack involved standing for limited amounts of time on two legs. While the Mark V was certainly humanoid in shape, it did not appear remotely human. Its headpiece was in an elongated shape, and its feet were unsightly devices that gripped deep into solid cement to hold it stationary in the worst of situations. The only weapons employed by the Mark V were its knife like clawed hands, which it deployed with deadly power. The Mark V was the first Mark with the artificial intelligence necessary to practice slight improvision; a truly groundbreaking step in the Mark research project.

Mark VI-Similar in design to the Mark V, the Mark VI shared many more tendencies with actual Homo sapiens, including a realistic human frame. Continuing the earlier trends of utilizing only melee weaponry, the Mark VI’s devices of death were grafted where its hands would have otherwise been. Its right arm ended with a razor-edged blade, and its left with a flexible, unfurling spiked whip. Their notable combat prowess with these tools is still exploited in Neo-Nexus to this day.

Mark VII-The first of the humanoid Marks to use ranged weaponry, the Mark VII was designed and built for one sole purpose—long range precision sniping. Equipped with highly modified artificial intelligence and scanners accurate to up to ten kilometers, the Mark VII’s only weapon was a long barreled sniper rifle that fired high powered rounds capable of piercing up to eight centimeters of heavy armor. While not practical to employ in large numbers, a small squad of Mark VII’s was proven to be quite capable of placing even large fortifications under siege, if positioned in the correct spots. The Mark VII showed exceptional skill in differentiating between targets, as well as choosing the proper moment to fire its weapon as to draw the least amount of attention to itself.

Mark VIII-With the advent of the Mark VIII, the Crawford Corporation was beginning to experiment with the use of synthetic flesh to make the Mark line more humanlike in appearance. This technology was applied to the Mark VIII unit, although not with particular success. The Mark VIII was a master of close-quarters combat, its weapon a metal staff carefully layered with countless almost microscopic blades. This made its armament more than capable of effortlessly cutting through a majority of substances, ranging from flesh to heavy wooden planks. While it possessed a life-like human outline, the synthetic skin of the Mark VIII was rubbery and unrealistic, the only part of the body recreated with true accuracy being the hands. These were the first Mark models to occasionally be covered in clothing—it was found that long coats and thick hoods often times masked entirely the Mark VIII’s obvious lack of humanity.

Mark IX-A compilation of all the best areas of Mark technology, the Mark IX was almost completely covered in convincing synthetic skin, though many of its more minor facial structures remained obviously machine-like. Powered by an artificial intelligence engine capable of accurate and intelligent improvisation, the Mark IX was hailed by many as the ‘perfect machine.’ Artfully combining the use of a thin, cutting-edged blade with that of a rapid fire single-handed machine gun firing upwards of three hundred rounds a minute, the Mark IX was a superb balance of technologies. The Mark IX was also the first Mark model to be built with unarmed combat as a legitimate area of attack—thus its strength was augmented considerably, a feature that would be placed in all future Mark units.

[Thanatos]

Mark X-Following the widespread success of the Mark IX, Crawford Corporation embarked on an entirely new endeavor. It would succeed in the successful implantation of human logic into its highly advanced machine brains. The Mark X was the first unit to possess this new kind of ‘natural’ intelligence, weighing in at a generally unimpressive .0002% HRI (Human Reasoning Index). Nevertheless, this marked a revolution. Finally the barrier between sentient organic life and insentient machines had been bridged; machines were now in existence that would be able to function for years at a time entirely self-sufficient, practicing actual homeostasis with their environments. While the Mark X’s minute portion of human emotion and reasoning was very rarely visible in its thought processes, it did prove itself to be the most intelligent Mark yet. Focused in the areas of stealth and infiltration, the Mark X’s only pre-programmed weapons expertise was with a modified, high-powered silenced pistol. The Mark X was also the first unit to sport a completed coat of realistic human skin, although it still lacked true color or more minor features such as a believable mouth. The Mark X also possessed metal eyes instead the complicated organic variety, a trait that would remain true in all Marks until the Mark XIV.

Mark XI-Expanding and advancing upon the technology that had produced the Mark X, the Mark XI’s HRI reached .05%, a whopping improvement over the previous version. Maintaining the same realistic level of human appearance as that of the Mark X, the Mark XI differed in one very interesting way—its human brain processes, as well as its external guise, resembled that of a female instead of the genderless Mark units that had existed in the past. The Mark XI was also the first unit to gain the artificial vocal cords necessary to emulate true speech, instead of the mechanical garbles of previous models. With emotions sometimes clearly expressed, the Mark XI came ever closer to ‘true’ sentience. While naturally diplomatic in nature, the Mark XI fell back on an arsenal of hand-to-hand bladed weapons when necessary, fighting using a style that emphasized short blades and masterful maneuvers. This coupled with its amazing speed produced some truly devastating results in combat performance.

Mark XII-Researchers at Crawford Corporation attempted a new approach with imbuing the Mark XII with an HRI percentage. Instead of following the previous technique of implanting specific human hormones in machine circuitry, the Corporation instead created a blank human brain in their laboratories and reinforced it with advanced circuitry and logic sensors to create a final product that encompassed both humanity’s emotion and machine’s analytical nature in one compact package. This was an overwhelming success. The HRI of the Mark XII was 45%, creating almost as much a liability as it did a benefit. The large amount of free will and emotion present in the Mark XII meant that sudden impulses often times impeded on its missions, as the unit often took time to taunt or converse with its intended victim before extermination. Nevertheless, this technological triumph proved once and for all that a machine was just as capable of sentience as a human being itself. This revolutionary breakthrough rewrote ethics books all across the Singular Empire overnight, and sparked countless new fanatical movements. The Mark XII’s weapon of choice was an oddity that, it is suggested, stemmed from its large portion of implanted human quirks and ideas. Wielding what best resembled six shooter Colt pistols, the weapons were capable of inflicting massive damage with their explosive, high speed rounds. Unlike the Mark XI, the Mark XII was, for all aesthetic purposes, male.

Mark XIII-Created in the final days of the Time of Innocence, the Mark XIII units were an attempt at perfecting the ideal mix of human and machine mentalities to create the perfect tool of focused destruction. The first of the Mark series to utilize the Positron Cylindrical Reactor, this guaranteed the Mark XIIIs’ lifespans to exceed fifteen-thousand years. These Mark units also took full advantage of the most recent of technological advances in other fields, granting them the ability to alter their synthetic flesh and hair at will to match any number of major appearance archetypes. Unfortunately, the metallic eyes that had become so deeply associated with the Mark project remained—a reminder that despite how truly lifelike and alive a machine might appear, it was still a creation at heart. There were three Mark XIII units built, each one exploring a different ‘percentage’ of humanity.

Mark XIII-0, “?”: The prototype Mark XIII unit, all data that pertains to Unit 0 is shrouded in mystery. Known facts include that the HRI of the unit exceeded 75%, and that the primary focus of Unit 0 was in spying and subterfuge. It is also a popular notion that this first Mark XIII model was female in both mentality and appearance.

Mark XIII-1, “Thanatos”: The second Mark XIII unit produced, Thanatos was a stark contract to the prototype Unit 0. Possessing a HRI of precisely .2%, Thanatos was far more detached and aloof than either of the other two Mark XIII’s, yet still substantially more alive and animated than the earliest ‘sentient’ versions. Created in a male image, Thanatos’ primary purpose was one of assassination and elimination. To realize these goals he possessed an unnatural affinity and skill with throwing knives, as well as a custom-built pistol of unique length that, when fired, would release microscopic blades capable of cutting through almost any obstacle.

Mark XIII-2, “Kain”: The third and final Mark XIII unit, the aesthetically male Kain was a near perfect balance between the overly emotional first unit and the excessively cold second unit. His own HRI comprised approximately 17% of his overall mind, a percentage that the Crawford Corporation scientists had eventually deemed the ‘perfect mix.’ Thus Kain was able to fully empathize with and understand humans while still carrying out his tasks, usually without interference or regret. Created primarily for scouting purposes, Kain was armed with a small number of accessories and gadgets that could be utilized for many different purposes, such as exploding shurikens, a grappling hook, and his cypher blades.

Mark XIV-The Mark XIV is many times considered to be more than a myth than a legitimately documented Mark unit. Said to have been completed less than a day before the Great Cataclysm, the Mark XIV was supposedly the final, flawless combination of the natural and artificial. It also practiced combat prowess on an unbelievable level, marking it as a definite improvement over the Mark XIII’s. Supposedly, the sole Mark XIV was created in the image of a child.

[Thanatos]

Section 5-Organizations[/b]
Established Governments:[/u]
Early in the Time of Innocence, countless separate nations, principalities, provinces, republics, and kingdoms existed, sprawled over both continents. With the invention of the Positron Bomb, however, a grand unification—many times by force—of these fragments was formed. This was the Singular Empire. With the coming of the Great Cataclysm, the Empire’s domination of the First Continent swiftly collapsed, although it held firmly onto the reins of Neo-Nexus. Thus the current state of the First Continent is that of disorder and confusion; the amount of kings and warlords attempting to unite the continent under one rule is staggering. There are, however, three kingdoms of the First Continent that should be mentioned in this section, as well as the infamous Singular Empire.

Grand Confederation of Xenon-The largest of the First Continent’s noteworthy kingdoms, the Confederation practices, as the name implies, a very loose type of government that consists of an assembly of 83 members elected for life, one from each of the Confederation’s 83 provinces. Sprawling across the northernmost area of the continent Xenon, the Confederation encompasses many ancient city sites, although ironically it is the least technologically advanced in nature. Aside from providing police assistance, the Confederation does very little for its provinces, and is not the least bit expansionist in nature. It is an old and stagnant government, and one that is not taken all that seriously by anyone, including its members.

Paradush Empire-A woodland kingdom located in the mid-west section of Xenon, the Paradush Empire’s location approaches that of a veritable Eden. It is gifted with abundant forests and fresh water supplies, as well as very fertile soil. Although the smallest of the three major kingdoms, the Paradush Empire is also the most militaristic, enforcing a rigid caste system and mandatory attendance in its rag-tag armed forces. Thankfully, its small size and isolated location has prevented it from making much of an impact on daily Xenon life. It is an absolute monarchy, although a lineage system is not in effect—the crown is taken by force. Its current ruler is Lord Dalrak.

Divine Kingdom of Karnth-Situated in the deep south region of Xenon between towering mountains and scorching deserts, the Divine Kingdom of Karnth would seem an unlikely place to find some of the most advanced technology present on the continent. A theocracy, Karnth is ruled by a triumvirate of holy men which make decisions concerning every aspect of daily life. While occasionally embarking on fiery jihads, Karnth is for the most part a peaceful kingdom, already of a considerable size. Most would find Karnth’s customs and traditions odd, however, for the unpleasant surroundings of the civilization have shaped its culture into something radically different than the rest of the continent. Amazingly enough, Karnth is the most technologically advanced of all three kingdoms, although this power is not often utilized properly.

Note: In terms of actual gameplay on the First Continent, specific kingdoms will very rarely come into play, perhaps never even being utilized at all except as a miscellaneous name dropped at a key point of play. White Village, Black Village, and the Ruined City are all locations that are based in the Grand Confederation of Xenon, thus the immediate situation in the large region is one of tiny splinter factions fiercely fighting each other when not entangled in MASS conflicts, due simply to the lack of order in the failing Confederation.

Singular Empire-Beginning as nothing more than an attempt at small scale unification of the Second Continent by an obscure warlord late in the Age of Innocence, the Singular Empire soon blossomed into a massive movement towards governmental unification that would encompass both landmasses, helped greatly by the timely invention of the Positron Bomb. With the coming of the Great Cataclysm, the Singular Empire’s influence was once more restricted to Neo-Nexus, yet unlike many other systems of that day, it hardly faulted with the deaths of over a billion citizens and the introduction of the MASS. Rather, the Singular Empire evolved. No longer was the sole purpose of this gigantic organization one of unity and peace—now there was a war to be waged, a war that would require true cooperation and sacrifice amongst all the people of the land. Thus the Singular Empire truly became Neo-Nexus’ dominant force, gradually transforming its governmental attitude from one of leniency to one of rigid control.

The Singular Empire consists of two branches, although one branch has always possessed notably more power than the other. In essence a constitutional monarchy, officially the most important actions of the Empire are controlled by the ruling Emperor, with legislative and judicial matters falling to the Wise Men’s Council of thirteen members for life. In actuality, the Council determines every facet of daily life for the citizens of Neo-Nexus, as well as strategies concerning the ongoing war against the MASS. The individual with the most power in the council is its Prime Minister, currently Felix Amethyst, who presides over the rest of the twelve member body. The monarch, currently Emperor Scion II, has become nothing more than a formality, a tool to maintain contentment amongst the populace. The Emperor, with his staff of aides and dignitaries as well as the rest of the Royal Dynasty, resides in the Isle of Divinity off the east coast of the Second Continent. The Wise Men’s Council is based in Nexus Nerv, which has been the capital of Neo-Nexus for well over two hundred years.

With the evolution of the Singular Empire into something more than a simple ruling body, the level of corruption within all levels of government has increased dramatically. Everything from local police forces to the Wise Men themselves care notably less for the people they govern than in decades past. Money changes hands quite often in this high-stakes game of rulership—at the current time, four seats of the Wise Men’s committee are taken by members of the Crawford Corporation’s Board of Directors, and many of the rest all possess powerful ties to substantial monetary asset of one form or another.

[Thanatos]

The Syndicates:[/u]
Wherever there are attempts at an establishment of order, there will be others attempting to counteract this order and maintain a level of chaos. This is a fundamental law of human existence, and one of the main pillars upon which the Syndicates are based.

The Syndicates are loose and shadowy groups of individuals that practice any variety of unpleasant and illegal activities that range from minor thefts to exhortation to high level assassinations. The Syndicates are naturally diverse and fragmented in nature, each of the countless groups proudly adorning themselves with such colorful titles as the ‘Red Lions,’ ‘Bloods,’ or ‘Supreme Brotherhood.’ These groups are rarely known by their adopted names, however. Instead, each organization is simply referred to as ‘The Syndicate’ by the people of the respective area that they inhabit.

In the united and, for the most part, benevolent Age of Innocence, the influence of the Syndicates was more or less controlled by the supreme power that the Singular Empire wielded in stamping out crime and corruption. Nevertheless, the Syndicates stretched across both continents, occasionally pooling their resources to attempt larger and more complex crimes. With the coming of the Great Cataclysm, however, the Syndicates tripled in authority in a matter of days. For a group of organizations that had only been weakly connected in the first place, the Syndicates were not significantly affected by the dividing of the two continents. With their power unchecked by the now preoccupied Empire, the Syndicates were free to operate almost entirely in the open, in many cases even infiltrating Imperial government itself. This was one of the early factors that led to growing corruption in the Singular Empire, and soon the Syndicates and ruling officials became almost inseparable.

The occasional attempts of overly zealous members of the Singular Empire to eliminate the Syndicates have kept these groups of thieves and assorted societal scum from dominating Neo-Nexus life, but the people of Xenon have not faired so well. With the landmass already divided into many tiny provinces and kingdoms, the Syndicates have been free to exercise a substantial amount of control over local populaces themselves. This has granted them a fearsome reputation amongst the general public, and placed them on the same level as local police forces.

Some rumors suggest that the Syndicates of the two continents are actually in steady contact with each other, and that a single man, ‘Javid,’ controls all wide-sweeping Syndicate activities from somewhere in Neo-Nexus. While many would find it hard to believe that thieves would remain united as governments themselves collapsed, there is one undeniable fact to take into consideration: the level of technology utilized by the Syndicates has not degenerated at all in the past one hundred years, even as the general mechanical skill of the First Continent’s people has decreased steadily throughout this period of time.

Note: Both kingdoms and Syndicates of the First Continent could make excellent backstories for a player who is unsure of their character’s past. The sheer vagueness of both of these organizations leaves details entirely up to the imagination, thus allowing a great deal of flexibility in creating a rich past. The only underlying rule to be followed is that, for the most part, kingdoms will be fiercely expansionist and competitive, while the mysteriously unified Syndicates will be far more interested in exploitation of the people than squabbling amongst themselves.

Other Organizations:[/u]
The groups and governments listed so far are but a small selection of the various organizations existent within the vast world of Tales of Phantomile. Shadowy institutions, some with even darker goals than the Syndicates themselves, plied their dark ideas long before the Great Cataclysm took place. Whether it be fanatical cults, secret societies, or simple worker unions, these countless cooperative efforts are present in numberless quantities, in both pulsing Neo-Nexus cities and lush Xenon countryside.

Note: More of these ‘Other Organizations’ will be added throughout the course of play, although individuals should feel free to create and utilize their own as need sees fit.

The Remnant-Also known as the Remainder, the Remnant have been the only inhabitants of the Ruined City of Celaria since the Great Cataclysm. Directly following the destructive event, all Mark units that had been in storage within the great Twin Cities were freed from their confines and activated following the great surges of energy that the Cataclysm produced. While many of these consequently wandered away in search of their former masters, a few Mark X, XI’s, and XII’s immediately recognized this chance for what they considered true freedom, and organized the remaining Mark units into a tribal society that would forever occupy the sprawling ruins. Sitting on the only sizable store of lost technology on the First Continent, the Remnant is able to recharge and maintain itself indefinitely. This also grants the units a chance to pay final testament to their fallen creators, although only the most sentimental of the Marks recognize this. Although any Marks below that of X are essentially mindless, all models are still part of this organization. The Remnant does little more than sit idle nowadays; by 20 A.D, almost all possible lines of conversation had been completely exhausted. This has not proved to be much of deterrence, however. For a machine, time is nothing more than a word, and mortality means nothing to them.

Important People:[/u]
While the realm is filled with notable individuals (namely those that have undertaken the mission of the man known as Nicholi Anhelo), there are a select few that must be recognized for the large parts they play in the fate of the very realm.

Emperor Scion II-A far cry from the great rulers of the early Singular Empire, His Royal Grand Imperator Scion II is far more concerned with the attaining of worldly goods and pleasures than he is with the continued unity and safety of the sprawling Empire. Basking in the unadulterated glory of the Isle of Divinity, every passing second of the Emperor’s life is spent in true Paradise. Not even comprehending what the MASS are, Scion II willingly accepts or acknowledges any requests the Wise Men’s Council might have. Even when still possessing actual power, the Emperor has fallen to the position of nothing more than a figurehead; blindly accepting whatever suggestions are placed before him, so long as he might gain a short-term material benefit. Nevertheless, if approached in the right tone and manner, the Emperor might still prove to be quite useful.

Javid-The rumors concerning this name are so varied and widespread, Javid might very well be the title of some high-level Syndicate that has reached a point where it oversees all other Syndicate activities. If Javid is an individual, however, then it will be something very noteworthy—here will be a single entity possessing almost as much power as the Emperor and Prime Minister of the Singular Empire. Javid’s motivations are unknown, purpose completely shrouded by the storm of rumors that surround the name. The only solid fact is that, whatever Javid is, the base of location would be somewhere within Neo-Nexus.

Nicholi Anhelo-Nicholi Anhelo is one of the last members of the infamous Anhelo family, a dynasty of death merchants that practiced a great deal of influence on both the Singular Empire and the Crawford Corporation before the Great Cataclysm, its remaining members having been isolated on the First Continent following the disaster. One man against the world, Nicholi’s sole aim and obsession has become the rediscovering of the lost location of Phantomile, a place which, rumors say, holds the key to destroying the MASS forever. With this goal in mind he has gathered a diverse group of First Continent inhabitants with the purpose of locating this lost relic—and once and for all ridding the realm of the MASS threat.

Prime Minister Felix Amethyst-Head of the Wise Men’s Council, Felix Amethyst is, for all practical purposes, the leader of Neo-Nexus. Doing nothing to halt the growing corruption in the Singular Empire’s government, Felix has pushes the Empire closer every day to what appears to be a decidedly deadly end. His calm composure and substantial monetary backing has impressed Neo-Nexus nobility, and his rousing speeches and incredible natural charisma have enthralled the masses. For all intensive purposes, Felix holds the fate of the entire continent in his hands—and he does not appear to be leading it along a path of salvation.

[Thanatos]

The Mass[/b]
Beginnings:[/u]
Seeing that Man was impure and evil and disobeyed His teachings, the Great One sent down upon the earth a scourge upon his creations, a plague that would fester in their sinful hearts. Yet it was with a heavy heart that the Great One went about this, for he wished Man to be unburdened and free, but in His infinite wisdom understood this was Man’s only hope for salvation.
-Holy Gospel of the Great One, Book of Trials, 1:10, circa A.D. 1, Neo-Nexus Talon Publishers Inc.

The appearance of the MASS following the Great Cataclysm saw a realm stunned and confused. Not only had the continents been severed and innumerable millions slain, but a new threat more potent than any in all of the continents’ history was now in the process of slowly but surely conquering all of humanity. Instantly various organizations and individuals concocted any number of theories to explain the coming of this new organism. Some were believable, while others were simply impossible—but all were quickly adopted by a frightened public, no longer sure what to believe.

A great deal of stories concerning the beginnings of the MASS are religious in nature; it is only natural to assume that one divinity or another is somehow testing or punishing the populace when something this unnatural and deadly is released. The remaining theories are intellectual in nature, although most of these are no less wrong than the ideas of apocalypse and final judgments. Everything from alien invasions to strange seismic activities have been proposed and evaluated by a confused population no longer at all sure what to believe. To the average citizen of either continent, the mystery of the MASS is one that will never be solved—the only known fact is that the MASS appeared directly following the Great Cataclysm.

There are but a few scientists of Neo-Nexus that still puzzle over the advent of the MASS; far more are concerned about creating larger and larger weapons of destruction to counter them. These determined few, however, are perhaps the closest to understanding the exact series of events that led up to the creation of the MASS, and indeed, the Great Cataclysm itself. The only published reports included mention of the Mark XIII, the Combat Enhancement Protein project, and the Positron Cylindrical Reactor. This report was censored and classified by the Singular Empire hours after its release.

‘Massology:’[/u]
Studies conducted on the MASS, most taking place on the Second Continent, have been so varied and numerous that an entirely new field has been formed: the scientific domain of Massology. Utilizing everything from vague accounts of MASS attacks to the careful analyzing of minute MASS samples, a fairly large store of information has been created. Naturally, very little of these facts are available to individuals present on the First Continent—for those souls, the only information available concerning the MASS involves stories and fiction.

The MASS are what best resemble a molasses-like black liquid, able to change shape at will and combine to create single entities in excess of one hundred kilometers across. MASS is featureless; from any direction it looks the same, an impossibly black substance that moves with surprising swiftness across the ground, despite its innately sluggish impressions. Existing on a molecular level, MASS splits and recombines seamlessly, as well as practicing fast asexual reproduction—their minute size allows them to squeeze through the pores of all but the tightest of materials, making walls useless against them. Conventional weaponry used against MASS does not destroy it; at worst, a MASS formation is merely disrupted and the time must be taken for the entity to reform itself. Even Positron Bombs show little effect on the parasite, as it is simply scattered, not burnt or harmed in any fashion. Studies have not concluded whether or not MASS are comprised of more than one hive mind, thus when referring to MASS, both singular and plural cases are used. The MASS do exhibit uncanny coordination in both their natural form and MASS-possessed, able to mount massive attacks of perfect precision, often in fifteen different areas at one time. Communication between MASS, it has been decided, must be instantaneous—MASS on the First and Second Continents show equal ability, despite the incredible distances between them.

MASS utilize only one method of attack; this is the possession of any organic object they come in contact with. Masters of this art of control, MASS seep through pores in the skin and make their way through the body, fully inside the brain within seconds of contact. Any individuals under control of the MASS are, for the most part, considered mindless. Their faces are blank, their bodies limp and relaxed. Soundlessly these organic vessels carry out the mysterious goals of the MASS, attacking settlements in large numbers while even more pure MASS steal additional hosts. Those under control of the MASS are much more physically powerful than they ever were in life, and they also retain all abilities that they might have had before. From what is known, the MASS are able to read and exploit the memories of every one of their hosts, thus gaining access to even the most secret and experimental technologies.

The slightest physical contact with MASS is considered fatal; ten grams of the parasite is enough to take full control of a target, and as little as 500 milligrams permanently scars the individual in question. Herein lies one of the underlying tragedies of those taken by the MASS—while on the surface following the bidding of the parasite, deep in their consciousness these people remain human, tortured souls unbelieving of the atrocities they are forced to commit. If the MASS in control of the brain is destroyed, these people can be freed once more, but not without permanent scarring of their psyches. Traces of MASS will remain in their brains, filling their minds with dark thoughts and ideas, although the actual individuals will have no knowledge of it. And so any that have at one time been MASS-possessed remain forever touched by the MASS, something foreign and alien from what they once were.

A strange quirk of the MASS is that they tend to primarily target settlements with the most advanced technology, and within those settlements first possess those that lead unsavory and dark lifestyles. Very rarely do MASS take children, and even more rarely to they take those that are truly pure at heart.

The MASS are a plague upon humanity, a parasite that seems to only be interested in the complete destruction of all mankind. MASS mentality is still entirely a mystery, as there has never been a conversation with pure MASS, and MASS-possessed only speak garbled references to their former lives. Yet, if actual communication were to take place between MASS and Man, the implications of that would be stunning beyond belief…<br>

[Thanatos]

Aegisite:[/u]
It was not until several weeks after the chaos immediately following the Great Cataclysm that the people of both continents began attempts to explore the ruins of the Twin Cities. While most exploration efforts on the First Continent were hampered by the machine Remnant, and on the Second by the MASS, people were still able to retrieve some of the mysterious substance that covered the ground for countless kilometers around the ruins of both Celaria and Arconia. This hard, glossy material was deemed Aegisite, and further experiments concerning it would reveal its exceptional role in the fight against the MASS.

Aegisite is fairly light, and its color immediately appears to be a nondescript gray, although through light refraction it can present the impression of being every color of the rainbow. On the Second Continent, further tests with the material proved it be a truly unnatural source of energy, one gram of the substance providing the power of ten maximum capacity Positron Cylindrical Reactors. This sparked the advent of the Aegisite Drive, a surprisingly simple contraption that could literally provide an almost infinite amount of energy on demand.

It was not until approximately 20 A.D. that the true powers of Aegisite were discovered. MASS that came in contact with the strange material were found to instantaneously lose their chemical identity, gradually sizzling into nothingness. Interestingly enough, an equal quantity of Aegisite disintegrated in the experiment as proportional to the amount of MASS. The substance that remained, a dull stone with no practical uses or interesting features, was dubbed Heartstone. A variety of Aegisite weapon systems have been tested and exploited in the Second Continent, although the overall amount of the Aegisite around the ruins of Arconia has been very much depleted in recent years. The cause behind this is that, while the MASS are psuedo-organic in nature and are able to reproduce, Aegisite appears to be an inorganic mineral, and thus there is only a finite amount present to begin with.

An equal amount of MASS is destroyed proportionate to the amount of Aegisite present in an object, but it is noteworthy to mention that Aegisite is packed far more tightly than MASS, thus a fairly small Aegisite bullet is capable of destroying a sizable MASS formation. This is not foolproof, however; truly mammoth MASS structures reproduce so quickly that the presence of tiny bits of Aegisite does not deter them at all. The disintegration of pieces of Aegisite as it comes in contact with MASS makes many weapons difficult to maintain; a sword that is completely destroyed with only a few dozen uses is not particularly useful.

Individuals on the First Continent are not nearly so knowledgeable about Aegisite. Only a rare few have discovered its use against MASS, and this only in recent years. Some smiths, do, however, employ Aegisite alloy in their weapons, as Aegisite has been proven to be the hardest substance in existence.

Phantomile:[/u]
While many legends concern the genesis of the MASS parasite, very few mention what might be done to rid the world of MASS forever. Of the select few tales that exist, only one appears to have any sort of validity; and this is the tale of Phantomile, a story that is present on both continents.

Said to be a place of great mystery and power, Phantomile supposedly contains humanity’s greatest triumphs, as well as its worst blunders. The technology of the hidden Phantomile is rumored to be truly unreal; greater even than the height of what the Second Continent has to offer. The Singular Empire, nor the Crawford Corporation, has ever clarified the rumors of this place and its dark secrets.

If Phantomile is an actual location, then solid records of its existence have forever disappeared; either destroyed in the Great Cataclysm, or lost in obscure corners of history. Yet there are a select few that search feverishly for this lost paradise, for legend says that it is within Phantomile’s hallowed walls that the key to humanity’s salvation lays…as well as its final destruction.