In this post, we’ll be talking about the types of characters we will be looking to write.

While the backdrop (and, let’s be honest, a large portion of the plot) is right there on the main page – “Radio is destroying the universe.”, we don’t want that to be the entirety of the story we are telling. The war in Heaven, which until recently had mostly ground to a cold war with occasional proxy conflicts, has been largely ignored by those living on Earth (both human and other) for centuries. That is no longer sustainable, and the various power players from ‘upstairs and downstairs’ are attending a last-ditch peace conference to try and stop the destruction of the universe as we know it, with the PCs pressed into service as unlikely, unprepared, and perhaps unhappy diplomats.

(Relatedly, and we will discuss this more in a future post about combat, but this means a lot of the game will be talky.)

The time period and location of the dust bowl were selected with intention. While this is story about the troubles the universe is facing, we are looking to explore it from a human perspective. Or at rather a ground-view one, to be more accurate. A low fantasy cosmology larp, so to speak. Even if the character you end up with is more (or less) than human, their experience and perspective will be shaped by the time frame and location they live in. By the apocalyptic dust storms, the desperate economic straits, and the aftermath of the Great War, yes, but also by the rise of a mobile culture as a result of the automobile, widespread cultural contact due to radio and movies, and the memories of the relatively recent boom times. We want to layer those experiences with the supernatural and magical experiences, rather than having one wipe out or overwrite the other. Certainly there will be characters that are more involved in some aspect of the game than another, but everyone exists in a cohesive world.

This means that when a friendly supernatural NPC shows up to ask you for help, it may not solve your personal plot. You may have better luck sharing your plight with other PCs. There will be variations in ‘how self-driven is my plot’, and there will be a question to that effect on the questionnaire, but sharing your story with other PCs is expected to be some of the fun of this game.

Another important pillar of this game is music. First off, musical talent or knowledge about theory is in no way required to play this game. We do, however, ask for willingness to sing, drum along with, or otherwise participate in songs during the course of the game. In a world setting where music is literally magic, this enthusiasm for it is, in our view, key for both story and structure reasons. We will be providing an playlist for enthusiasm purposes likely the same time as the casting form, and will also provide a handful of songs that your character should know and be able to relay in some form during the course of game once casting is complete. (semi-melodic chant-reading of transcribed lyrics is totally a-ok) Characters in this world know that music has power (to various degrees), but all share a connection with and enjoyment of it.

So that’s our approach! Please let us know if you have any questions, and thank you so much for your interest in MU.

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