Hellraiser
Arcane
The multiverse beckons you riftwalker.
Index:
Part I: On the trail of Maximilian Ajax and on the path of profit.
Parallel classification guide
Known information about the various parallels nearby
How will you answer its call?
Nearly two centuries ago scholars and engineers from the Ivory Academy made one of the greatest discoveries in atlantean history. They were looking for a way to make atlantean ships create and travel through rifts in warped space-time. To their surprise the rift they created was not such a shortcut through space but a link to a parallel universe. Within the next 25 years atlantean explorers known as "riftwalkers" and automated probes discovered many parallel universes all of which shared a common history with the atlantean universe but branched off at some point changing the shape of human civilization within that parallel.
In the decades following this discovery slaves, art and mineral resources from the nearby parallels would slowly start flowing into Atlantis. A new Golden Age has begun, far more magnificent than that during the great conquest of the mainland or the Automaton Age which unfortunately ended with the automaton revolt. Many parallels were discovered but none had a civilization even remotely as glorious and technologically advanced as Atlantis. For all intents and purposes atlantean civilization is the most powerful one in the entire multiverse, a pinnacle of Man's cultural, military and scientific achievements. You are among the small portion of atlantean citizenry that possesses their own portable Rift Generator Module. The multiverse was yours to roam freely so long as your actions would not interfere with atlantean interest.
The year is 6437 according to your calendar, the natives of this parallel however would say it is 2012. They are a mostly primitive lot which has barely mastered the use of atomics and orbital spaceflight. Unfortunately for you for the past 5 years and 72 days you have been stuck here. You do not know how or why but every rift you try to open "loops back" to this parallel. Suffice to say you are not amused by this situation. However it seems like something has changed the last few times you tried to open a rift this week. Soon you may finally leave parallel αδ - 37.
You are...
...a Thief (1): Finding and stealing valuable works of native art from various primitive civilizations was your main source of income. You had money, women, slaves and influence among the most powerful men in atlantean society who just happened to appreciate foreign art. The Government does not approve of individuals stealing from primitive parallels, it prefers to do it themselves after they burn the native cities into submission of course. Unfortunately being stuck in αδ - 37 means you have none of the luxuries available back home. You survive in this primitive cesspool by using your superior technology to steal money from the primitive electronic banking system. You blended in rather nicely as repulsive as that sounds.
You posses the following atlantean made items: Quantum Decrypter, Structural Scanner, Optical Camo.
...a Pioneer (2): While automated rift-probes have surveyed many parallels the data they gather is not as precise as those in the Grand Army would prefer. Rift-probes after all only do a scan from far orbit. That is they have been doing only that ever since that one atmospheric rift-probe was almost shot down by native atmospheric fighters in αδ - 13. Savages cannot be underestimated nor can they acquire atlantean technology. Thus there is a need for men like you, pioneers who gather detailed intelligence on natives, their culture, technology and natural resources. Hiding your presence is not easy but fortunately you were trained for situations like this. You have hidden your presence by joining a group of squatters who seem to care more about getting intoxicated than knowing who is living with them.
You posses the following atlantean items: Stun Rod, Enviromental Suit, Healing Kit.
...a Slave Tracker (3): On one hand rift-tech gave people like you a job. After all there is no place where slaves could hide in Atlantis, even the far off colonies around Sirius and Tau Ceti have tracking satellites in orbit. Until rift-tech became available to civilians the location of every slave on the Homeworld and in the Colonies was closely monitored, escape attempts were futile. Now however resourceful slaves can hack the DNA authorization system and use their master's rift generator module to run away which means people like you have to hunt them down and drag them back to their masters. The pay is good, after all only the upper echelons of atlantean society can afford to own a Rift Generator Module and a well educated slave smart enough to get away. Unfortunately when you just wanted to do that one last job you ended up stuck here. Now you hunt people for a bail bondsman which is far beneath you to say the least. Luckily you ended up in the only country on the planet where such practice is legal without a license.
You posses the following atlantean items: Bio-scanner, Laspistol, Neural Collar.
...a Healer (9): For years you have been appalled by the chauvinism and general disdain the majority of atlantean society has for cultures from other parallels. Exploring other parallels to complete a great catalog of genetic profiles of humans across the multiverse was the best idea you could think of. Not only did you get a chance to help those really in need unlike the rich "gentlemen" of the atlantean upper class but you may have also discovered something truly unexpected. For the time being however you try to avoid the native bureaucracy who may want to shut down your not entirely legal clinic.
You posses the following atlantean items: Bio-scanner, Healing kit, Neural Collar.
...an Outlaw (4): The Syndicate had one simple rule you always obeyed, loyalty or death. He questioned your loyalty, he framed you, he has even turned your once most trusted men against you. On the run you ended up here, fortunately for you however it seems that those who chased you lost track and gave up. They might even think you are dead. Clearly they forgot how many people you killed for the Syndicate. Your talents aren't entirely wasted in this parallel, the natives may be primitive but their criminal underground is thriving which makes muscle slightly smarter than the average thug in high demand.
You posses the following atlantean items: Adamantine knife, Laspistol, Neural Collar.
...a Coupist (5): It has been almost 7 years since your attempt at removing the corrupt leaders residing in the Great Hall of Atlantis has failed. Your three fellow co-conspirators have escaped and hid in the agreed upon parallels just as had been planned if your conspiracy was prematurely discovered by the government. Everything else was still in place when you started searching for them. For 5 years you have been hiding in the woods not far from the city of the natives, it is a rough existence but it minimizes the odds of being discovered by atlantean officers or the natives. After all you were already a wanted man when you left Atlantis so anyone can be after you.
You posses the following atlantean items: Adamantine knife, structural scanner, adaptable tools.
...a Scholar (6): The pursuit of knowledge has always been valued in atlantean society. After all it was scientific advancement that allowed Atlantis to conquer the barbarians of the mainland. Still there are many of those in Atlantis who question the value of your work. Studying native cultures and their inferior technology is about as prestigious as being a slave responsible for sewage disposal. Add to that looking proof for some wild theory about myths and other cultural elements shared by different cultures in different parallels and you are guaranteed to become the laughing stock of the Ivory Academy. Such is the life of a pariah scholar. To make things worse this parallel while fascinating in it's own right doesn't have that what you were looking for. At the very least your fabricated credentials got you a nice job at the local library.
You posses the following atlantean items: Quantum Decrypter, Adaptable Tools, Structural Scanner.
...a Gentleman Adventurer (7): Ah the savage multiverse, nothings makes a Gentleman feel more like a true man than constant danger. You have money, slaves and power. What more could you want? Why the glory and splendor of making it into the history books of course! No rock will remain unturned and no savage will remain alive on your search for the lost Professor Petrovit. Who knows what happened to him 30 years ago? He might have been eaten by cannibals! Regardless of his fate you will solve this mystery. That is as soon as you get yourself out of this dead-end parallel. It is a good thing you brought along some shiny trinkets to trade for local currency. It is also a good thing that these barbarians discovered equestrian sports and gambling. You weren't called the gambling hall's nightmare in your youth for nothing after all! Your uncanny ability to pick the winning horse got you hired as a bookie by one of the most influential local crime lords.
You posses the following atlantean items: Lasrifle, Bio-scanner, Healing kit.
...a Technology Smuggler (8): Rift-tech has given you ample opportunities to become ridiculously rich and powerful. Savages pay almost any price for the atlantean weapons you sell them. Too bad the atlantean government looks down upon this kind of entrepreneurship. They come in and kill your clients, occasionally nuke a city or twenty and you have to find new customers in some other parallel before your competition does. Supposedly only Ajax managed to find a buyer powerful enough to stop all the assault teams sent against them. Either that or atlantean agents got him, it is hard to separate fact from myth in the criminal underground. You would have tried to find clients in this parallel if not for the interference "looping back" all the rifts you make. You can't transport the goods from your stash if the rifts aren't working. For the past few years you were avoid attracting too much attention by posing as a plumber. For all you know atlantean agents could be trying to hunt you down and they imprisoned you in this parallel with some new rift-tech device.
You posses the following atlantean items: Structural Scanner, Adaptable Tools, Stun Rod.
Regardless of your past one thing is certain. The multiverse beckons you riftwalker. But how will you answer its call?
Item descriptions:
Quantum Decrypter - An Ajax-Diomedes Mark IV quantumtronic computation pad. The poor man's choice for a portable quantumtronic device unlike the products of Hypathia Tech or Minostronics. Equipped with sub-par software but lacking the restrictive blockades that prevent the use of illegal or tightly regulated software such as all of the best decryption algorythms the atlantean hacker underground has to offer. This makes it the most commonly used tool for hacking low-tier quantumtronics and pretty much any form of primitive electronics used by the more industrialized parallels. Despite being one of worst quantumtronic gadgets one can buy in Atlantis it can outperform all but the most powerful of computation machines in αδ - 37.
Structural Scanner - A hand-held Minostronics 322M multi-layer material and structure scanner. Commonly used by engineers and mechanics this device allow its user to gaze into the insides of mechanisms, buildings and even caverns. With it one can identify the location structural weak points, hidden empty spaces, cables hidden behind up to 6 meters of solid rock or man made construction material. It can also provide a high-resolution image allowing for a detailed scan of very small objects although not as small as those built in the nano-scale.
Optical Camo - An old military grade "Centaur II" metamaterial camouflage armor, due to its EM wave refraction properties it provides excellent protection from low-energy laser weapons in addition to rendering it's user pretty much invisible to the naked eye and the more primitive optical/EM wave sensors. Doesn't provide much protection in hand to hand combat or against kinetic projectiles, fire and explosions. The best type of optical camo available on the atlantean black market.
Stun Rod - A compact weapon utilizing electrical shocks to render any creature with a nervous system unconscious. It just may take more than one shock to stun some of them. It can also be used as a baton to apply blunt force if one does not mind harming the target.
Environmental Suit - A compact Pioneer R3 standard issue hazmat suit. Equipped with the best atmospheric purifier atlantean engineers could make. No amount of deadly radiation or lethal viruses can kill its wearer. Well as long as it is intact that is.
Healing Kit - An Ajax-Diomedes field medic set. Contains commonly used surgical equipment. It also has a pharmaceutical module allowing it to synthesize necessary medicine out of raw organic and inorganic materials. Quite useful if you know your or your patient's molecular biology well.
Bio-scanner - A handheld Hypathia Tech 271D organic material scanner. It provides its owner with the ability to quickly analyze DNA from samples along with being able to non-intrusively map the interior structure of living organisms. Also it can be used to analyze chemical substances both organic and inorganic.
Neural Collar - One of the few neural devices still legal after the ban on intrusive neural-interaction based technology made as a result of the Automaton Revolt. Despite its name it is more similar to a band that sticks to the rear side of the neck. Once it sticks the person unfortunate enough to be wearing it loses the ability to talk, walk or even stand upright freely. In fact his motor functions can be controlled remotely by a quantumtronic device utilizing a wireless link. The wearer can feel pain, pleasure or nothing at all in various parts of the body if the person controlling the collar wills it. An ideal device for controlling slaves, prisoners or for doctors wanting to perform painless surgery on conscious patients.
Laspistol - A Helios brand cold fusion powered laser pistol. Utilizing two standard fusion chambers it fires a short pulse of concentrated photons that can burn through unprotected flesh with ease. It is also easy to conceal.
Adaptable Tools - A Hypathia Tech set of adaptable tools. Using advanced metamaterials and nanomaterials these tools have a limited ability to change shape adapting to any size and shape requirements you might have. The ultimate solution for all your mechanical problems regardless if it is that one locked door or an engine needing disassembly. It comes with a basic miniature forge allowing you to make spare cogs, screws, bolts and other simple solid metal objects out of raw materials when needed without having to carry the spare parts around.
Lasrifle - A Ares Arsenal laser rifle. The ultimate hunting rifle regardless if the game you are hunting is an over-sized feline or a savage armed with an assault rifle. It utilizes ten standard fusion chambers allowing it to deliver not only more powerful but also sustained laser beam fire. Its power output outclasses even some of the low-tier industrial laser cutters available in Atlantis. Furthermore it is equipped with a high resolution night-vision capable scope. Its modular construction makes it easy to disassemble and carry it around in a standard sized suitcase.
Adamantine Knife - A knife made of the strongest alloy known to atlantean engineers. An alloy truly worthy of being named after the metal from which the chains binding Prometheus were made. While it doesn't look all that different from a regular combat knife it can cut through quite a lot of materials designed to stop other blades. Guaranteed to make your enemies bleed to death in close quarters. Or make wooden figurines if you are into that sort of thing.
Additional notes:
- The RGM (Rift Generator Module) is powered by cold fusion. It can collect deuterium and tritium for fusion from regular water but it takes about 32 hours of filtering to collect enough to create a rift (the filtering device is separate from the RGM and easy to hide), it can store enough fuel for at most 2 uses before needing refueling. It can use fusion fuel other than deuterium-tritium like He3 if somehow you manage to get some in your hands. Also it can be used as a power source for other devices if necessary and with some work it can draw power from an electrical grid although don't expect plugging it into a wall socket to work, we're talking Doc Brown Jiggawatt power requirements here. It takes 73 seconds to open a rift once a destination is punched in and picked, no more no less. The rift opening process is rather flashy so it may draw unwanted attention.
- Rifts take you to the the exact same location in the other parallel. Keep this in mind when picking a location where you want to open the rift since the surroundings might be very different on the other side. They are one-way (kind of like a stargate wormhole) so you can't just jump back if the other side isn't as friendly as expected.
- atlantean items are obviously more advanced than their native low-tech equivalents but some of the native tech available can be almost as effective. A high velocity rifle round is as lethal as a laspistol pulse to the unarmored opponent.
- Riftwalkers of all backgrounds speak Atlantean and English, some are more fluent than others. Some may have picked up an additional language or two.
Feel free to ask questions about the setting pertaining to knowledge an atlantean riftwalker should posses. Don't forget to vote on the hivemind's riftwalking avatar's background, just be sure to type the number of the background, it makes counting easier. Suggestions about the length of updates and other stuff are welcome seeing that this is my first text-based LP (more of a CYOA but whatever).
Any legal, historical, medical, scientific and other inaccuracies are explained as "it's a parallel universe where X is true" unless a detailed explanation is provided in the narrative.
Further updates (assuming somebody votes) won't be as wordy but they should be rather frequent.
Index:
Part I: On the trail of Maximilian Ajax and on the path of profit.
- Introduction: How will you answer its call? (this post)
- 1.1 Of freedom long lost you will soon regain
- 1.2 Breaking and entering 101
- 1.3 Tinfoil hats for all
- 1.4 Through the looking-glass
- 1.5 Get to the chopper!
- 1.6 Meeting new friendly faces
- 1.7 I am an Atlantean smuggler from a parallel universe, honestly
- 1.8 Time to write a letter to the Multiverse Charting Bureau
- 1.9 A death wish
- 1.10 Shipwreck diplomacy and "civilization" at last
- 1.11 It's like that thing Ray Bradbury was talking about
- 1.12 A friendly chat
- 1.13 The lion's den
- 2.1 Once an Engineer, always an Engineer
- 2.2 That is not my kind of cougar
- 2.3 An isocahedron of possibilities
- 2.4 A bold plan
- 2.5 I want to be a Sturmmann
- 2.6 At the crossroads once again
- 2.7 What lurks in the shadows...
- 2.8 On the trail of men and machines
- 2.9 Quo vadis Hercules?
- 2.10 No habla
- 2.11 The chatterbox
- 2.12 Smuggling is my business and business is good
- 2.13 The streetcar and the beholder
- 2.14 Get out of here stalker
- 2.15 The midnight light show on Hercules Boulevard
- 2.16 Some things never change while other things change only slightly
- 2.17 So I heard you like smuggling technology
- 2.18 Garage sale trinkets
- 2.19 Obedience is slavery
- 3.1 bad trip man
- 3.2 The ruins of yesteryear
- 3.3 Smuggler needs food badly
- 3.4 A retirement plan for true leaders
Parallel classification guide
Known information about the various parallels nearby
How will you answer its call?
Nearly two centuries ago scholars and engineers from the Ivory Academy made one of the greatest discoveries in atlantean history. They were looking for a way to make atlantean ships create and travel through rifts in warped space-time. To their surprise the rift they created was not such a shortcut through space but a link to a parallel universe. Within the next 25 years atlantean explorers known as "riftwalkers" and automated probes discovered many parallel universes all of which shared a common history with the atlantean universe but branched off at some point changing the shape of human civilization within that parallel.
In the decades following this discovery slaves, art and mineral resources from the nearby parallels would slowly start flowing into Atlantis. A new Golden Age has begun, far more magnificent than that during the great conquest of the mainland or the Automaton Age which unfortunately ended with the automaton revolt. Many parallels were discovered but none had a civilization even remotely as glorious and technologically advanced as Atlantis. For all intents and purposes atlantean civilization is the most powerful one in the entire multiverse, a pinnacle of Man's cultural, military and scientific achievements. You are among the small portion of atlantean citizenry that possesses their own portable Rift Generator Module. The multiverse was yours to roam freely so long as your actions would not interfere with atlantean interest.
The year is 6437 according to your calendar, the natives of this parallel however would say it is 2012. They are a mostly primitive lot which has barely mastered the use of atomics and orbital spaceflight. Unfortunately for you for the past 5 years and 72 days you have been stuck here. You do not know how or why but every rift you try to open "loops back" to this parallel. Suffice to say you are not amused by this situation. However it seems like something has changed the last few times you tried to open a rift this week. Soon you may finally leave parallel αδ - 37.
You are...
...a Thief (1): Finding and stealing valuable works of native art from various primitive civilizations was your main source of income. You had money, women, slaves and influence among the most powerful men in atlantean society who just happened to appreciate foreign art. The Government does not approve of individuals stealing from primitive parallels, it prefers to do it themselves after they burn the native cities into submission of course. Unfortunately being stuck in αδ - 37 means you have none of the luxuries available back home. You survive in this primitive cesspool by using your superior technology to steal money from the primitive electronic banking system. You blended in rather nicely as repulsive as that sounds.
You posses the following atlantean made items: Quantum Decrypter, Structural Scanner, Optical Camo.
...a Pioneer (2): While automated rift-probes have surveyed many parallels the data they gather is not as precise as those in the Grand Army would prefer. Rift-probes after all only do a scan from far orbit. That is they have been doing only that ever since that one atmospheric rift-probe was almost shot down by native atmospheric fighters in αδ - 13. Savages cannot be underestimated nor can they acquire atlantean technology. Thus there is a need for men like you, pioneers who gather detailed intelligence on natives, their culture, technology and natural resources. Hiding your presence is not easy but fortunately you were trained for situations like this. You have hidden your presence by joining a group of squatters who seem to care more about getting intoxicated than knowing who is living with them.
You posses the following atlantean items: Stun Rod, Enviromental Suit, Healing Kit.
...a Slave Tracker (3): On one hand rift-tech gave people like you a job. After all there is no place where slaves could hide in Atlantis, even the far off colonies around Sirius and Tau Ceti have tracking satellites in orbit. Until rift-tech became available to civilians the location of every slave on the Homeworld and in the Colonies was closely monitored, escape attempts were futile. Now however resourceful slaves can hack the DNA authorization system and use their master's rift generator module to run away which means people like you have to hunt them down and drag them back to their masters. The pay is good, after all only the upper echelons of atlantean society can afford to own a Rift Generator Module and a well educated slave smart enough to get away. Unfortunately when you just wanted to do that one last job you ended up stuck here. Now you hunt people for a bail bondsman which is far beneath you to say the least. Luckily you ended up in the only country on the planet where such practice is legal without a license.
You posses the following atlantean items: Bio-scanner, Laspistol, Neural Collar.
...a Healer (9): For years you have been appalled by the chauvinism and general disdain the majority of atlantean society has for cultures from other parallels. Exploring other parallels to complete a great catalog of genetic profiles of humans across the multiverse was the best idea you could think of. Not only did you get a chance to help those really in need unlike the rich "gentlemen" of the atlantean upper class but you may have also discovered something truly unexpected. For the time being however you try to avoid the native bureaucracy who may want to shut down your not entirely legal clinic.
You posses the following atlantean items: Bio-scanner, Healing kit, Neural Collar.
...an Outlaw (4): The Syndicate had one simple rule you always obeyed, loyalty or death. He questioned your loyalty, he framed you, he has even turned your once most trusted men against you. On the run you ended up here, fortunately for you however it seems that those who chased you lost track and gave up. They might even think you are dead. Clearly they forgot how many people you killed for the Syndicate. Your talents aren't entirely wasted in this parallel, the natives may be primitive but their criminal underground is thriving which makes muscle slightly smarter than the average thug in high demand.
You posses the following atlantean items: Adamantine knife, Laspistol, Neural Collar.
...a Coupist (5): It has been almost 7 years since your attempt at removing the corrupt leaders residing in the Great Hall of Atlantis has failed. Your three fellow co-conspirators have escaped and hid in the agreed upon parallels just as had been planned if your conspiracy was prematurely discovered by the government. Everything else was still in place when you started searching for them. For 5 years you have been hiding in the woods not far from the city of the natives, it is a rough existence but it minimizes the odds of being discovered by atlantean officers or the natives. After all you were already a wanted man when you left Atlantis so anyone can be after you.
You posses the following atlantean items: Adamantine knife, structural scanner, adaptable tools.
...a Scholar (6): The pursuit of knowledge has always been valued in atlantean society. After all it was scientific advancement that allowed Atlantis to conquer the barbarians of the mainland. Still there are many of those in Atlantis who question the value of your work. Studying native cultures and their inferior technology is about as prestigious as being a slave responsible for sewage disposal. Add to that looking proof for some wild theory about myths and other cultural elements shared by different cultures in different parallels and you are guaranteed to become the laughing stock of the Ivory Academy. Such is the life of a pariah scholar. To make things worse this parallel while fascinating in it's own right doesn't have that what you were looking for. At the very least your fabricated credentials got you a nice job at the local library.
You posses the following atlantean items: Quantum Decrypter, Adaptable Tools, Structural Scanner.
...a Gentleman Adventurer (7): Ah the savage multiverse, nothings makes a Gentleman feel more like a true man than constant danger. You have money, slaves and power. What more could you want? Why the glory and splendor of making it into the history books of course! No rock will remain unturned and no savage will remain alive on your search for the lost Professor Petrovit. Who knows what happened to him 30 years ago? He might have been eaten by cannibals! Regardless of his fate you will solve this mystery. That is as soon as you get yourself out of this dead-end parallel. It is a good thing you brought along some shiny trinkets to trade for local currency. It is also a good thing that these barbarians discovered equestrian sports and gambling. You weren't called the gambling hall's nightmare in your youth for nothing after all! Your uncanny ability to pick the winning horse got you hired as a bookie by one of the most influential local crime lords.
You posses the following atlantean items: Lasrifle, Bio-scanner, Healing kit.
...a Technology Smuggler (8): Rift-tech has given you ample opportunities to become ridiculously rich and powerful. Savages pay almost any price for the atlantean weapons you sell them. Too bad the atlantean government looks down upon this kind of entrepreneurship. They come in and kill your clients, occasionally nuke a city or twenty and you have to find new customers in some other parallel before your competition does. Supposedly only Ajax managed to find a buyer powerful enough to stop all the assault teams sent against them. Either that or atlantean agents got him, it is hard to separate fact from myth in the criminal underground. You would have tried to find clients in this parallel if not for the interference "looping back" all the rifts you make. You can't transport the goods from your stash if the rifts aren't working. For the past few years you were avoid attracting too much attention by posing as a plumber. For all you know atlantean agents could be trying to hunt you down and they imprisoned you in this parallel with some new rift-tech device.
You posses the following atlantean items: Structural Scanner, Adaptable Tools, Stun Rod.
Regardless of your past one thing is certain. The multiverse beckons you riftwalker. But how will you answer its call?
Item descriptions:
Quantum Decrypter - An Ajax-Diomedes Mark IV quantumtronic computation pad. The poor man's choice for a portable quantumtronic device unlike the products of Hypathia Tech or Minostronics. Equipped with sub-par software but lacking the restrictive blockades that prevent the use of illegal or tightly regulated software such as all of the best decryption algorythms the atlantean hacker underground has to offer. This makes it the most commonly used tool for hacking low-tier quantumtronics and pretty much any form of primitive electronics used by the more industrialized parallels. Despite being one of worst quantumtronic gadgets one can buy in Atlantis it can outperform all but the most powerful of computation machines in αδ - 37.
Structural Scanner - A hand-held Minostronics 322M multi-layer material and structure scanner. Commonly used by engineers and mechanics this device allow its user to gaze into the insides of mechanisms, buildings and even caverns. With it one can identify the location structural weak points, hidden empty spaces, cables hidden behind up to 6 meters of solid rock or man made construction material. It can also provide a high-resolution image allowing for a detailed scan of very small objects although not as small as those built in the nano-scale.
Optical Camo - An old military grade "Centaur II" metamaterial camouflage armor, due to its EM wave refraction properties it provides excellent protection from low-energy laser weapons in addition to rendering it's user pretty much invisible to the naked eye and the more primitive optical/EM wave sensors. Doesn't provide much protection in hand to hand combat or against kinetic projectiles, fire and explosions. The best type of optical camo available on the atlantean black market.
Stun Rod - A compact weapon utilizing electrical shocks to render any creature with a nervous system unconscious. It just may take more than one shock to stun some of them. It can also be used as a baton to apply blunt force if one does not mind harming the target.
Environmental Suit - A compact Pioneer R3 standard issue hazmat suit. Equipped with the best atmospheric purifier atlantean engineers could make. No amount of deadly radiation or lethal viruses can kill its wearer. Well as long as it is intact that is.
Healing Kit - An Ajax-Diomedes field medic set. Contains commonly used surgical equipment. It also has a pharmaceutical module allowing it to synthesize necessary medicine out of raw organic and inorganic materials. Quite useful if you know your or your patient's molecular biology well.
Bio-scanner - A handheld Hypathia Tech 271D organic material scanner. It provides its owner with the ability to quickly analyze DNA from samples along with being able to non-intrusively map the interior structure of living organisms. Also it can be used to analyze chemical substances both organic and inorganic.
Neural Collar - One of the few neural devices still legal after the ban on intrusive neural-interaction based technology made as a result of the Automaton Revolt. Despite its name it is more similar to a band that sticks to the rear side of the neck. Once it sticks the person unfortunate enough to be wearing it loses the ability to talk, walk or even stand upright freely. In fact his motor functions can be controlled remotely by a quantumtronic device utilizing a wireless link. The wearer can feel pain, pleasure or nothing at all in various parts of the body if the person controlling the collar wills it. An ideal device for controlling slaves, prisoners or for doctors wanting to perform painless surgery on conscious patients.
Laspistol - A Helios brand cold fusion powered laser pistol. Utilizing two standard fusion chambers it fires a short pulse of concentrated photons that can burn through unprotected flesh with ease. It is also easy to conceal.
Adaptable Tools - A Hypathia Tech set of adaptable tools. Using advanced metamaterials and nanomaterials these tools have a limited ability to change shape adapting to any size and shape requirements you might have. The ultimate solution for all your mechanical problems regardless if it is that one locked door or an engine needing disassembly. It comes with a basic miniature forge allowing you to make spare cogs, screws, bolts and other simple solid metal objects out of raw materials when needed without having to carry the spare parts around.
Lasrifle - A Ares Arsenal laser rifle. The ultimate hunting rifle regardless if the game you are hunting is an over-sized feline or a savage armed with an assault rifle. It utilizes ten standard fusion chambers allowing it to deliver not only more powerful but also sustained laser beam fire. Its power output outclasses even some of the low-tier industrial laser cutters available in Atlantis. Furthermore it is equipped with a high resolution night-vision capable scope. Its modular construction makes it easy to disassemble and carry it around in a standard sized suitcase.
Adamantine Knife - A knife made of the strongest alloy known to atlantean engineers. An alloy truly worthy of being named after the metal from which the chains binding Prometheus were made. While it doesn't look all that different from a regular combat knife it can cut through quite a lot of materials designed to stop other blades. Guaranteed to make your enemies bleed to death in close quarters. Or make wooden figurines if you are into that sort of thing.
Additional notes:
- The RGM (Rift Generator Module) is powered by cold fusion. It can collect deuterium and tritium for fusion from regular water but it takes about 32 hours of filtering to collect enough to create a rift (the filtering device is separate from the RGM and easy to hide), it can store enough fuel for at most 2 uses before needing refueling. It can use fusion fuel other than deuterium-tritium like He3 if somehow you manage to get some in your hands. Also it can be used as a power source for other devices if necessary and with some work it can draw power from an electrical grid although don't expect plugging it into a wall socket to work, we're talking Doc Brown Jiggawatt power requirements here. It takes 73 seconds to open a rift once a destination is punched in and picked, no more no less. The rift opening process is rather flashy so it may draw unwanted attention.
- Rifts take you to the the exact same location in the other parallel. Keep this in mind when picking a location where you want to open the rift since the surroundings might be very different on the other side. They are one-way (kind of like a stargate wormhole) so you can't just jump back if the other side isn't as friendly as expected.
- atlantean items are obviously more advanced than their native low-tech equivalents but some of the native tech available can be almost as effective. A high velocity rifle round is as lethal as a laspistol pulse to the unarmored opponent.
- Riftwalkers of all backgrounds speak Atlantean and English, some are more fluent than others. Some may have picked up an additional language or two.
Feel free to ask questions about the setting pertaining to knowledge an atlantean riftwalker should posses. Don't forget to vote on the hivemind's riftwalking avatar's background, just be sure to type the number of the background, it makes counting easier. Suggestions about the length of updates and other stuff are welcome seeing that this is my first text-based LP (more of a CYOA but whatever).
Any legal, historical, medical, scientific and other inaccuracies are explained as "it's a parallel universe where X is true" unless a detailed explanation is provided in the narrative.
Further updates (assuming somebody votes) won't be as wordy but they should be rather frequent.
that's a typo. Should be fixed when you read this.
