Post by Admin on Jan 20, 2019 5:37:42 GMT
LIFESTYLE
There is no global internet
Internets are continental, hard-wired connections running from city to city.
There is no radio. No sonar. No radar.
No wireless communication whatsoever. No signals.
There are no batteries
Electricity cannot be stored.
And there never will be, but this is not to say that it may not exist through magic. This, however, is reliant upon the acceptance that Human technology will be forever limited and that embracing magic will not change the Human world for the worst.
People do carry 'communication devices' in the form of portable computers, they refer to as 'portable phones' or 'portable devices'. They are similar to modern cell-phones, perhaps a little larger and bulkier, but they behave the same. To use them however, they have to 'jacked' into the internet.
The timeline of our new world has deviated from the original Earth, or 'EARTH-PRIME', since 1945 but history has maintained an uncanny parallel of certain events, which writer are more than welcome to explore.
The world population is one quarter of what it was, but density pretty much remained constant in the areas that were transferred. For instance, at least half of New York's populace appeared in Midion. Others were unfortunately isolated and humanity only survived by congregating in the major centres. The largest centres became walled citadels and surrounding towns and agricultural areas were fortified with bastions and garrisons.
The use of coal as a consistent energy source has darkened the air over most of the Human areas, polluting the skies. The mechanics of industry were significantly set back. Architecturally, the world has not progressed as quickly as it would have, compared to Earth-prime, it is very stunted. From an Earth perspective, Midion would look like an amalgam of the 1930's, 40's and 50's. As if all the styles were mashed together, a hodgepodge of eras.
Vehicle styles haven't changed much, they're mainly amalgams of the styles of the 1940's, 50's and 60's. Massive locomotives rumble through the cities and electric cable cars are common. Fashions as well are far more retro by comparison due to the practical nature of the world in general, and the dynamic of a constant menace of hostile, non-human creatures staved off by protective walls. The isolation of encapsulated cities and towns have stunted growth and innovation. While there would be familiarities to a person from Earth-Prime, our Earth has evolved into a very different world.
AGE
We have to address the fact that people don't age like they do on Earth. In Midion Humans (as well as all Earthling creatures) live far longer and do not become as venerable as they go along. This has a significant impact on socialization and the overall dynamic of society. From an economic stand point, a person can work and own a business for centuries. There are less people in the world, less children, thus people have a lot of time to build their lives. In America, which is ruled by capitalism and "God's good fortune" mentality, the business world is far more cutthroat.
It is NOT possible to just guess a person's age by looking at them, so people are far more in tune with how people act and carry themselves. Of course, this isn't much of a tell, when prefer to act like children. There are plenty of people in society who now live extended youths. People are defined by their actions, not their appearance versus "where they are in life".
In our time line, no one is yet nearing their second century of life, thus no one looks old. For someone to appear aged, they would have to be non-human. Anyone that was older at the time of the "Event" had their biological clocks turned back.
COMMONALITY OF MONSTROSITIES
We have to address the commonality of preternatural and supernatural encounters. The oddity of the world of Midion is that behind the fortifications Humans live relatively "normal" lives. Magical wards and such are common place for people to wear for protection, and with all these defences in place annual encounters with creatures beyond the walls are rare. In areas of dense population, riddled with technology, invasions are rare. Around the world, most large cities can safely say they haven't have a breach of their outer walls in at least a decade. It would seem, on the surface, that the world has found a balance, and this is way we the world should be portrayed.
NEW YORK CITY
The main setting of our site is New York city. Many of the landmarks will remain consistent for the sake of continuity and convenience so that the current map can be utilized without extensive redesign. Naturally differences will exist. The boroughs of the city are all surrounded by massive five story high walls, alive with the eyes of watchmen and armaments capable of taking down a Giant, because in this world there just might be one knocking on the gate. Engines, trains, electrical railcars take up a good portion of the main thoroughfares. Tall trestles span the length of Manhattan carrying trains through and around, following the perimeter wall.
Defensive towers loom high above the city streets, their weapons poised to take down any winged creatures or enemy zeppelins that might enter their air space but despite all this the daily grind continues. It’s been at least a decade since that last Dragon attack, the remnants of the devastation healed over with cement, the bones of the beast left where they fell in Central Park as a warning to others.
The fashion styles of the time are gender neutral resembling the 1930’s to 50’s of Earth, basically ranging form formal suits to denim and leather. Architectural styles remain fairly consistent with the current 1950’s time period. Electronic devices generally need to be larger, clunkier and made of metal. Plastics do absolutely nothing to repel residual magic, thus just about everything is made of an alloy or wood and built to last.
Gender equality is far beyond the other world will ever globally achieve. In every country women have risen up against male domination and the majority of prominent positions throughout the world are held by women. This is not to say that male chauvinists and anti-feminist women don’t exist, just that their ways are unacceptable and treated as criminal when they effect people around them.
There are not as many vehicles on the roads as compared to Earth-prime, there would be roughly half. This is due to the fact that society has evolved to travel more by trains and other forms of public transportation. Long distance travel is usually by tunnel and areas outside of large Human populations tend to be more magical. More magic means that technology becomes less reliant.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
We cannot stress enough how important this basic theme is to depicting the lifestyle of this world: There are books, videos, all manner of documentation of what the world was like before the "Event" occurred. People are painfully aware of the potential that existed in the "Other Earth". They realize that radio signals would not be inhibited and what the potential of Earth-Prime's natural processes of combustion and conduction meant to progress. Everyday people at some point in time lament what could have been.
FASHION
The world of WROUGHT IRON, being far more hostile, tends to maintain a practicality to everyday wear. This is not to say that more cosmopolitan fashion doesn't exist, it merely means that trivial expressions of Earth-Prime's Fashion Industry is not as common. This world remains locked in the time of tapered suits of the 1950's and 60's, but fashion is gender-neutral. Rugged, durable wear is often combined with stylized fabrics creating a colourful collage of vibrant garb.
For the most part, if one were to characterize the fashion of North America, it will mirror 1960, with the absence of a predominant contrast between men's and women's styles. Some towns can reflect 1940's fashion. People are more isolated, thus clothing styles tend not evolve as quick, nor do trends sweep the nation.
Many gangs still emulate the 1950's leather jacket, jeans and duck-tails. A style which isn't just restricted to North America, but occurring in Asian as well.
FOOD
Magic has provided society the luxury of producing meat without the slaughter. Culinary incantations allow energy of specific components to conjure replications of cuts of meat or even full birds. There is no need for livestock anymore, but there are of course those who believe it to be unnatural, swearing that they can taste the difference. That they are consuming death or some kind of non-sense. While the majority of people are fine with magically conjured meats there are minorities that believe it’s their right to hunt or slaughter their food. Many countries have gone as far as making hunting illegal but the butchering still continues.
Fruits and vegetables can be replicated as well but the amount of energy and components necessary for such conjurations are simply uneconomical when compared to producing them the old fashioned way. Magical spells can help keep crops healthy so that their yields are always bountiful.
TECHNOLOGY
To best describe the technology of this new world it is easiest to define what does not exist and why. For instance, there are no radio waves or signals of any kind. Data and signals cannot be transmitted through the air, they requires a physical conduit capable of repelling magical interference. There are no batteries, electrical power cannot be stored, thus anything that is electrical cannot be portable.
Humans that reside in power have long been trying to diminish the need for magic because it is a skill that not everyone can employ and those that do often lack the desire to hold power over others. This power struggle has existed since people first found sanctuary in their walled citadels. Those lacking natural ability always feel it necessary to limit those that do. In our main setting residing within New York City the American culture seeks empowerment through capital and those that threaten this established order are seen only as opposition. Magic, however, is still a necessity. Scrying is needed for long distance communication, thus those possessed of the ability to scry are required as conduits for the devices that make this possible. There is simply no other way, thus these individuals are invaluable and at times brutally controlled.
There is Television, networks that reach as far as the cables can go. People make movies, music videos, the entertainment industry would be roughly at the same point as it was during the 50's and 60's. People, however, are not as gullible. They possess the same cynicism as we do in our modern era.
Since there is no radio, radio programs are referred to as 'talk shows'.
Computers and networks will be the equivalent of what existed in the 1990's, the entire internet system reliant on being hard wired. The hardware, however, needs to be made of metal and heavier monitor tubes are needed to combat the effects of residual magic acting on them.
They have the internet, but everything has to hard wired and it's not global. All internets are bound to their continents and wherever they extended their underground wires, which usually run with rail and road ways.
Most people possess modern appliances, their homes reflective of 1950's America. Society is very similar to what most cultures have now despite the reality that their safety is reliant on being surrounded by enormous walls and living in the shadows of defensive towers.
COMMUNICATIONS
Scrying is needed for long distance communication that is absent of a hard-line connection, thus those possessed of the ability to scry are required as conduits for the devices that make this possible. There is simply no other way, thus these individuals are invaluable and at times brutally controlled.
As long as wires can be utilized, closed circuited communication exists in the form of telephones and television. Tele-conferencing exists between cities and satellite towns which have established tele-wires and power cables that run the lengths of the underground or above ground encapsulated transportation rails and roads connecting to satellite towns.
Undersea cables, massive lines between the continents were installed at the peril of many. Thus is there is a global internet.
TRAVEL
All roads and railways existing beyond protective walls are either underground or encased in man-made tunnel systems. Concrete tubes winding their way across the country-side. Why are these transportation systems not under constant attack? It's because the Faerie and Monsters that exist outside the walls really want very little to do with humans. Larger, formidable creatures just want to be left alone, or are not intelligent enough to equate attacking tubes or digging underground to eat humans. Even if they were so inclined, humans tend to fight back and sting like hornets, tending to leave a bad taste in one's mouth. Basically, the enclosed system works, with few incidents to discourage.
Trains are the most popular method of long distance travel. There are enclosed highways as well, but society has evolved to be more efficient, thus people tend load their vehicle on a train when traveling from one city to another. Ferrying is common practice throughout the world as road systems followed railways.
Many of the tube systems enclosing rails and roads have become overgrown with vegetation, blending them into the landscape. In some areas, magic has been used in the construction creating tunnels of natural vegetation, tightly woven trees enshrouding rail or road, or sometimes both.