Night-life Loving Introduction (Patreon)

Introduction

For the past 800 years, Earth has been in a cycles of unyielding strife. After the turn of the 21st century: the world order was trapped in chaos by the upending of countless power structures. Drug dynasties toppled, democracies failing into fascism, borders of established countries all collapsing in the same decade worldwide. What remained of those in power spent centuries attempting to establish any order by the iron grasp of totalitarianism. Their desperation for control of this pandemonium escalating global warming.

Until it all accumulated in the 23rd century with the world reclaiming itself from the crisis of human greed. Earth choosing to heal itself through ice and snow. With a 600 year long freeze that began with Winter 0. The 3rd Great Ice Age that has frozen much of the planet, stunting the expanse of civilization across the globe. Forcing many societies closer to the equator as pockets of cultures hold out through fringe methods. Only a few groups were privy to the where the escalation of climate change lead. Working in the shadows as a cabal of the riches families in their governments to carve future empires in plain sight.

Fortifying places less likely to be affected or one’s that already had existing architecture ready to handle global sub-freezing temperatures. As such, the FCU was born from the frigid corpse of the USA. The Federation of Commonwealths United rose during Winter 0 with the tools needed to host society using the 6 international families that run this new empire across the globe. From the US, Tibet, Nepal, Quebec, Iceland, and Norway: they work to advance their human population to slowly build the world in their own image. Preventing other thriving civilizations from realizing those territories have living populations through the freeze.

Despite similarities with our Earth: this version of our planet is ‘blessed’. Right at the start of the 1 Millennium, a rare type of power rose from humanity itself. Once uncommon, this system of blood magic spread across human genomes as if always present within the people of Earth. These powers are known as Cellgrades. Haemomantic abilities that create a random power in a person based on 2 factors: the amount of blood cells the heart produces and the type of blood a person has. Their cellgrade fueled by energy created through this production of vital essence keeping your heart running. The types of powers present categorized since ancient times as the Icosahedron of Blood, the 4 Strains, or the 20 faces of Haemomancy.

Every Cellgrade falling into 1 of 20 specializations with their own immunities to their same class, weakness to another class, as well as limitations to their power set in them. Though the blood sorcerers at the top try their best to breed limits out in favor of stronger abilities via inbreeding, they are not immune to consequence. One Common sign of Cellgrade potency is striking biological cosmetics. Skin patterns, bright eyes and hair: If a person has anything like with unnatural or rare tones, it can mean they have a powerful ability and the blood to back it up. Bright cmyk colors to bright tones from metals, to even opalescent shades.

Roughly 80 percent of the world’s population have a Cellgrade, although not every power is as useful as the 10% of that population that wield stronger abilities. The last percentages of humanity were born with either a blood-type that locked them out of a Cellgrade, or gained a condition that prevented them every using one. Even if they had a power since birth, losing it to auto-immune disorders such as Diabetes, etc. Even before the old world ended, they had become a common standard in humanity. In this new age of ice, Cellgrades have gotten much more complex with their own consequences to use. One penalty staying the same: if you over extend your blood’s production of cells, your heart will be implode.

This story follows two very special men. A man born into the new world, desperate to bring justice to the cruel land he has known all his life. And the man he will eventually fall in love with; an old soul with many secrets he has shamed over for centuries as his manic mind attempts to accept itself. As they inadvertently work together to change the status quo of the former USA, at the heart of the FCU.

Robert “Rob” Issaw is an Irregular of the FCU. An underclass of new world society that works under the legal lines of the federation for their own benefit. For this case, he is a vigilante working on the downfall of the fascist country he has only known. Tall and imposing; this man is made more intimidating by his face paralysis and forced monotone face. He was not always like this, as Rob lost much of his expressive self around the same time his parents. Broken down by a system he attempted to be assimilated into; Rob has found a fire in him to see the FCU’s tyranny burn and save many more from its control. As such, he has set a base within the heart of their operations as he gathers intel on his current objective that can really loosen their grasp of power over his people. This journey expanding his views on his ethnic culture, his faith, and even his sexuality. He has a cellgrade, but it is not very useful anymore due to his physical trauma. Rob makes up for his lesser power with his combat prowess, resourcefulness, and compassion.

Maverick Anzai is an old soul in a young body. Originally from the 1st Wild Ride series: his Cellgrade Subjugation passively overrides the personalities of a random body nearby to ensure his survival. So for the past 800 years since the original series, he has been a pivotal factor in how the world ended up. Unfortunately for everyone in the world: he was already a deeply broken and disturbed man before constantly soft reincarnating whenever his host body dies. Maverick is a very flawed man, who has been blessed with the ability to live long enough to reflect on the mistakes of the past; but is so broken as a person that growth for him is a slow process to fully grasp. Though as Wild Ride 2 continues, he begins getting surrounded by people that care for him, forcing more attempts at being a better person. As well as opportunities for the old, bitter parts of Maverick violently resurface. For now, he indulges in many things to stave his mind of the thing he hates the most: himself. Drugs, alcohol, sex, you name it. As Maverick struggles with the consequences of his actions with his slowly growing empathy.

This story is a supplement to a larger franchise. Exploring lore in the background of comics between friends and fans a like. Despite the spicy tones of it, I write it with the tenderness of a world builder set to bring readers new and old into a reality I wish for them invest in. I do hope you enjoy an expansion of characters publicly posted into a more fleshed out adaptation of two broken men finding something within one another.