Line #15 Roleplay/OpenBlue


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6	A [[PlayByPostGames Forum Roleplay]] set in a LowFantasy world similar to Earth, during a period roughly mirroring the [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen Golden Age of Piracy]]. The RP is centred on a Caribbean-ish [[FantasyCounterpartCulture locale]] known as Arckenia, specifically a small if important region known as the "Allison Sector". In case you were wondering, it's about {{pirates}}. ''Open Blue'' underwent a lot of [[ContinuityReboot resets]] during its extensive history.
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8	After [[NoodleIncident a lot of trouble best not mentioned]], the RP now seems to be going back to its roots and focusing on what worked best. It is now seeking to expand its player base.
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10	There are five playable factions in ''Open Blue''. Three of them are naval forces, once members of a multinational entity known as the [[TheFederation Axifloan Coalition]], but seceded from it thanks to politics and general hatred for each other. This eventually resulted in a war that culminated in a massive naval battle known as the Disaster of Nations. Said battle was aptly [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment disastrous]], and left the three of them with only a fraction of their original naval strength.
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12	* ''[[TheEmpire El Reino de Avelia]]'' - Simply put, Great Britain with a distinctly Spanish character. [[ACommanderIsYou Brute Force/Spammer Faction]]. Normally has a big chunk of Arckenia in its grasp like Spain, and has multiple minorities. Is beginning to enter a [[VestigialEmpire state of decay]]. Source of many a hero and villain alike. The Disaster of Nations embarrassed its [[TheCaligula unhinged king]] into hiding from the rest of the outside world in the safety of his chambers, allowing the de facto rulers, the [[BlueBlood Lords]] [[StandardRoyalCourt of Aguabajo]], to step out and make their unofficial rule official. Wear blue. Their ships tend to be MightyGlacier Galleons.
13	* ''[[ProudWarriorRace Das Reich Sireners]]'' - Based on UsefulNotes/ImperialGermany. [[ACommanderIsYou Elitist/Research Faction]]. Normally has a smaller chunk of Arckenia in its grasp. Avelia's hated rival. Contrasts with Avelia's much larger numbers with [[ConservationOfNinjutsu fewer soldiers]] armed with AnachronismStew weapons that are up to fifty years ahead of their real world equivalents. The Disaster of Nations triggered a revolution that ousted the monarchy and installed a Directory ala the [[TheRepublic French First Republic]]. Their ships tend to be Mario Frigates and Ships of the Line.
14	* ''[[ProudMerchantRace Het Groot Hertogdom van Remillia]]'' - A combination of the Netherlands and France. Normally controls strategic locations on trade routes in Arckenia. [[ACommanderIsYou Ranger/Espionage Faction]]. Got dragged into Avelia and Sirene's rivalry, turning the war into a three-way affair. After the Disaster of Nations, their CosmopolitanCouncil kicked out the incumbent head of state and replaced him with a new one. Majority of its military consists of the [[PrivateMilitaryContractors private forces]] of the country's two biggest rival {{Mega Corp}}s. Relies on fast ships, imported weapons from all over the place, and its [[CloakAndDagger nebulous network of spies and assassins]] to survive. Wear white or green, depending on the company. Their ships tend to be FragileSpeedster Schooners and Race-Built Frigates.
15	* ''{{Pirates}}'' - Administrivia/SelfExplanatory. Rape, pillage, plunder, and... [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything stuff]]. Divided amongst various Pirate Lords (and Ladies), who act in the interests of Captain Roberto, the Pirate King. After the Disaster of Nations, the pirates, once always on the run from the Coalition, have made a big comeback and are bringing in a new reign of terror on the waterways of Arckenia. Since pirates have no uniform, they wear whatever the heck they want, and use whatever ships they can get their dirty hands on.
16	* ''{{Privateer}}s'' - Essentially the mercenaries of the sea, or even more simply, Pirates for Hire. They go around plundering the colonies belonging to the enemies of their employer government, and get a commission of the loot for their services. In the wake of the Disaster of Nations, however, people are starting to hire them for colonial defence as well... and are quickly running out of money to pay for their services.
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18	NPC Factions:
19	* ''[[{{Precursors}} Imperium Iormuneae]]'' - Based on AncientRome, with heavy Norse references. Long-gone by the time Avelia rose to power, this ancient civilization with [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment ancient]] technological and mystical wisdom was completely destroyed by [[TheHorde barbarian hordes]] over twelve hundred years ago. Makes for interesting things like a TempleOfDoom, ArtifactOfDoom, AncientConspiracy, and other things.
20	* ''[[TheFederation Coalitio Axiflonis]]'' - Based on the UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire. Now but a shadow of its original self, due to the Big Three seceding from it, the Coalition is nevertheless the largest multinational power in the world. Thanks to a bulk of its military forces having come from the Big Three, however, its strength has been greatly reduced, and it now relies on the [[MegaCorp West Arckenia Trading Company's]] security forces to fight its battles. Wear black.
21	* ''[[TheHorde Imperiya Plyemyon Yamana]]'' - Fusion of the Russian and Ottoman Empires. A vast nation of barbarians that at one point invaded Avelia, but were driven back by the latter's superior tactics. Have since remained contained in their present territory, falling victim to internal [[VestigialEmpire corruption and decay]]. As the biggest remaining member of the Coalition, most Yamanis can be found on the WATC's ships.
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23	An adaptation of the previous continuities into a novel is in the works and can be found in the DarthWiki/DarthWiki section, along with old characters and the tropes associated with them.
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25	The forum can be found [[http://open-blue.net here]]. Their prequel campaign, Mini-Blue, is presently on hiatus, pending the return of some players. Meanwhile, the main RP is presently running.
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27	----
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29	!!! ''Open Blue'' contains examples of:
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31	%%* AllThereInTheManual - The Worldbook
32	%%* BlingOfWar - Everybody who can afford/is assigned to wear it, justified by the [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen time period]]. %%What kind of "bling" do they wear?
33	%%* {{Blog}} - The PowersThatBe started one [[http://barnacle.open-blue.net/ here]].
34	%%* TheCaptain - Any character who commands a ship.
35	%%* CaptainErsatz - [[JerkassGods Jerkass Sea God]] "[[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Kukulu]]". %%How exactly is Kukulu a copy of Cthulhu? Just the name isn't enough.
36	* ChildSoldiers - Sirenians enroll at military academies or sign up for boot camp at the age of 12.
37	%%* TheChurch - The Avelian Universal Church. Comes complete with a protestant reform.
38	%%* ChurchMilitant - The three Inquisitional Orders of [[CloakAndDagger Saint]] [[UsefulNotes/TheSpanishInquisition Lennox]], [[NunsAreMikos Saint Clara]], and [[HollywoodExorcism Saint Micaela]]. %%What kind of conflicts have the orders been involved with, and why? Don't just say that they're militants, say how and why they're militants.
39	%%* ContinuityReboot - Five in total, with two spin-offs (in the loosest interpretation of the word). You could say Open Blue has had some activity problems. %%When did the reboots happen, why, and what happened with them?
40	%%* CoolShip
41	* DevilInDisguise: Mr. Anon is a case where the name isn't quite obvious. Indeed, it doesn't even seem to mean anything, and isn't even shorthand for Anonymous. The clue for GenreSavvy [=RPers=], however, are his catchphrases, tendency to [[ShoutOut ask people to guess his name]], and favorite activity of [[DealWithTheDevil making deals with people]].
42	%%* DramaticWind - The PowersThatBe seem to oblige to this whenever the timing is right for any character wearing something that can billow. %%What are some specific instances of this happening?
43	%%* EliteMooks - Sirenen ''Sturmtruppen''. Though officially a PraetorianGuard, the Avelian Black Guard are used as special forces on occasion. %%What sets them apart from normal mooks?
44	%%* TheEmpire: %%How are these two factions evil empires that want to conquer the world?
45	%%** Avelia, which is slowly becoming a VestigialEmpire.
46	%%** Sirene also counts, but it has a [[ThoseWackyNazis more prominent theme]].
47	%%* EyePatchOfPower - With the number of pirates around, it would make sense that this shows up occasionally. %%Who exactly wears them? Give specific examples, don't just say that it happens.
48	%%* TheFederation - The Axifloan Coalition in its glory days.
49	%%* {{Flynning}}
50	%%* [[GratuitousForeignLanguage Gratuitous Dutch]] - Dutch Remillians. Particularly gratuitous with the "Engelmacht".
51	%%* GratuitousFrench - Remillian characters from the French side.
52	%%* GratuitousGerman - Sirenian characters are prone to this, for obvious reasons.
53	%%* GratuitousLatin - The Coalition and Iormunean Empire.
54	%%* GratuitousSpanish - Avelia
55	%%* HegemonicEmpire - The Backstory pins the Big Three as having become hegemonic empires during the era of the Coalition, during which they converted many of the smaller member countries into vassal, satellite, and puppet states. %%How did they do so?
56	* KingOfAllCosmos - [[{{God}} Zod]], who spends his time drinking and arm wrestling with Kukulu.
57	%%* LostTechnology - A fictional version of Wootz Steel was manufactured for Avelia by the "Manusian Raj" until ore supplies ran out. A more fictional variation is the score of techniques used in forging Jormunicum, which suffered the same fate as Wootz Steel forging. %%What are Wootz Steel and Jormunicum, and what happened to them?
58	%%* LovableRogue - Quite a few pirates tend to fall in this category, though opinions may differ. %%Who qualifies?
59	%%* MegaCorp - Remillia is divided into two of these, the Dutch-ish Machtgeld Corporation and the French-ish La Connaissance Trinite. The Coalition has the West Arckenia Trading Company, which continues to exist in the Coalition Remnant. %%How exactly are they "mega" corporations?
60	* MythologyGag - The "An-Kuram" Tribe, who worship the "Mad God Eh'lyy" refer to two names used by a now-inactive member of the RP who liked thinking of CrazyIsCool ideas.
61	%%* PintSizedPowerhouse:
62	%%** Sirene, relatively speaking, compared to Avelia.
63	%%** Axiflos.
64	%%* {{Pirates}}
65	%%* PraetorianGuard - The Avelian Guardia Nero Real, and the Sirenian Regiment der Gardes du Corps.
66	* ProudWarriorRace - Sirene. Everybody (save the people who become scientists) undergoes military training and is required to serve a minimum of four years. [[WarriorPrince Princes]] and Princesses are required to be able to effectively lead armies and/or fleets into battle by the age of [[ImprobableAge twenty]]. Ironically, many of them also have a penchant for learning. The ones who like that better are sent to become part of the [[ProudScholarRace Proud Scholar Caste]] instead. Needless to say, whatever research they come up with ends up being used for war.
67	* RunningGag - The guides repeatedly use "Street Urchin" as a hypothetical character class (and occasionally "Farm Boy"). As icing on the cake, if you choose 'Other' as your character type, your starting rank will be "Street Urchin".
68	* SeriesMascot - Kukulu is the forum favicon, and can be seen on any promotional pictures they have.
69	* ShoutOut: The [[http://www.open-blue.net/content.php/155-Port-Allison Port Allison Fact Page]] refers to a nearby island allegedly haunted by a devil that leaves "[[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos blood found drawn on the nearest wall in a ⊗ shape above a bowl of animal organs arranged in a similar pattern]]".
70	%%** Many a reference to ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' (which the whole RP was originally based off of), ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', ''Literature/HoratioHornblower'', ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', and others.
71	%%* StateSec: Sirene's ''[[PuttingOnTheReich Reichsnachrichten]]'' is somewhere between this and CloakAndDagger. It still primarily deals with intelligence, but also includes a special forces detachment and SecretPolice modeled after the Gestapo. %%What does the Reichsnachrichten do?
72	* {{Unobtainium}} - Jormunicum, weapons made of which are capable of piercing the best plate armour even at the thickest points. It's also so corrosion proof that it's possible to smelt down Jormunicum weapons over 12 centuries old and forge them into new ones. Also, almost none of it is left.
73	%%** Wootz Steel, of course.
74	%%* VestigialEmpire - Yaman, the Coalition
75	%%* WoodenShipsAndIronMen
76	%%* WorldBuilding
77	%%* WretchedHive - Cofressa.
78	* YouKnowTheOne - [[spoiler:Iron Nautili]], They Who Must Not Be Named, banned by the administration for being such... odd... [[GameBreaker Game Breakers]]. One of the rules explicitly states that they should not be named while in-character (or out of it, for the matter). This is parodied in-universe by turning their name into a [[TheScottishTrope Scottish Trope]]. They've recently been added to the [[AllThereInTheManual Worldbook]] as a MythologyGag, which states they are extinct in the wild, with the only known surviving specimens being kept in an aquarium at the University of Axiflos.

Context Roleplay / OpenBlue