The Reborne are a group of mutants who worship their mutations. I keep leaning toward thinking it's a moderately religious group because Gabe and I keep referring to it as a cult.

Caspian accidentally founded it years ago. he isn't the leader or the figurehead. most of the members of the Reborne don't even know he's the founder.

The group took over the remains of Venice to suit both aquatic and non-aquatic members. the canals are super handy. they've fashioned good gardens that are well maintained. 

the place is a community, help thy neighbor and all. so there isn't so much of a monetary trade going on. sure, you can buy frivolous things if you want, but if you need a roof fixed or a medical exam, that's just something the community will provide for you. everyone eats, even those unable to help out. the place feels like a family and they're always willing to accept new people.

gabe could probably describe the group better? since caspian is the one who founded it. we're building this thing together but i'm not sure how much is his/mine and how much is ours, so i don't feel super comfortable building on the world factions or on caspian beyond what he and i have already established

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The Purists are a group of humans who believe that the mutations caused by the bio-warfare over a century ago are bad and impure. It's mostly a group run by a government who are trying to restore things to the way they were before the war and scientists/engineers trying to figure out how to replicate the mutations to create technology that benefits pure humans without the need for genetic alterations

In part, due to the way they're trying to go back ot how it was instead of moving on toward how it could be, the Purists' areas are more reconstructed and resemble the towns that they were before the war. They aren't as big or as impressive, but they still have electricity and compliated tech and probably things like tv and refridgeration.

(The mutants and non-purist humans may as well, but that tech is more likely to be put together from scavenged pieces and repaired until it can't be fixed anymore than it is to be new)

The main base for the Purists is Vatican City. Not only is it holy ground, but in this world, it had shelters and safes and containment units built in to prepare against the upcoming war, so it's where a lot of information and tech can be retrieved.

The Purists are willing to experiment with genetic alterations and enhancements, but mostly just cosmetically. they don't mind making someone's eyes hot pink or skin have bioluminescent patterns, but they don't want to give anyone wings or quills or poison glands or dual respiratory systems. so some people may look like they stepped straight out of The Hunger Games' capitol, but proper mutants are still shoot-on-sight in most cases. scientists love to slice open mutants to see how they work

The Purists vs the Reborne seems to be the main conflict in this world so far

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Kim is a pretty neutral, selfish person. she's not going to go out of her way to hurt others, but she'll gun someone down over supplies. she doesn't like people much and she's super lippy

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Caspian is a mutant. Pretty aquatic; gabe and i pinned him somewhere between a frog and a salamander with the traits he got. he's a lot older than people take him to be, but refuses to say how old. He's sarcastic and flirty. He's sort of yandere? or whatever the one is that really cares very deeply about people but goes "fuck u i don't have emotions"

as he's been traveling, living that good good nomadic life, people will take him in, give him food and shelter for a bit. He talks about his beliefs, which mostly consist of "this forced evolution is all according to a higher power's plan. we are the reborn, the ones who are going to move society forward after the collapse so many years ago." He didn't mean to convert so many people to his line of thinking but he accidentally formed a cult doing it. The more moderate ones hold their weapons and will love thy neighbor, take in travelers, treat everyone like family, etc. the extremists will attack pure humans on sight and are devoted to taking down the purists(edited)

The Reborne ends up taking over venice (since their founder needs water to survive, and there's still enough land for non-aquatic mutants to live happily)

Caspian is a pretty moderate conversationalist. He isn't quiet, but he definitely knows how to enjoy a comfortable silence. He answers any questions thrown his way (though not without innuendo) and treats Nicholas with patience, which is much more than expected of someone who defies everything the purists stand for. he's witty as hell so it's always an achievement to stun him into silence

He relies on stilletos and other small knives/weapons. Guns aren't terribly effective underwater, but he probably still knows how to use them. (Gabe won't agree to me saying he uses a harpoon gun ono) Often when he's idling he'll play with a stiletto, pointing it at people the way many point pens during conversation for emphasis. not a threat, just an extention of the hand

he's got the ability to vomit out his own stomach to purge. definitely helpful against poisons or rotten food. he's got gills that need to stay moist, but also glands that secrete a thick goo to keep them from drying out. his fingerpads have ridiculous tensile grip, up to the point where he can cling to a flat wall. his nails are incredibly sharp, to the point that he can't scratch itches without risking bodily harm. Kind of impressive, considering he's got thicker skin than an average person

he can't handle extreme temperatures and has to keep closer to water than not. He doesn't need to constantly be submerged but he can't spend too much time on dry land.

He was the first of the three drafted up plus we were trying to figure out how he differs from a human, so he's gotten the most fleshed out thus so far

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Nicholas is a very sweet guy who was raised in a very twisted empire. His morals are bad but he slowly recognizes that and sheds those beliefs. he's inquisitive and chatty, but not usually snarky. his sense of humor is closer to dad jokes.

Nick grew up in the central area for the Purists. he was a military guard for the scientists who wanted to leave safety for research. He was essentially an armed escort in case they ran into mutants or dangerous humans. Due to his chatty and inquisitive nature, he asked the scientists lots and lots of questions. They were thrilled to have someone to talk to about their findings, even if he didn't have the scientific background to understand concepts easily

So he knows a good amount about science now (layman's terms, at least), and, if given time and equipment, can probably fashion rudimentary safety/enhancement equipment

Nicholas is fairly young. Probably in the 20-25 age range. he's not stupid, but he's pretty naive. he hasn't lived long enough nor traveled far enough to have street smarts. his ideals change pretty drastically as he starts learning about how things are outside of VC. His expeditions to accompany researchers was always to study non-sentient life, so caspian is the first mutant he's really interacted with beyond a shoot-out

He's a really sweet guy. The sort that puts other people before himself at every opportunity. Biggest issue is his narrow definition of 'people'

He's not particularly friendly toward strangers, but he's like a big puppy around the people he knows. You could definitely go to him if you needed a hug. He's got military training in weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. He favors long range weapons like rilfes over hand guns. He looks like a disney prince, honest to god. He's strong (I mean, picture a standard army recruit in your head - that's his build)

he isn't charming. or at least not suave. he's charming in the way a favorite cousin is - if you love him, you love him, even if he's a shitty person and an obnoxious twerp sometimes

The shoulderpads on his uniform are both decorative and functional; they're built in a such a way that if he shifts one down his back a bit, he can protect himself from harm when doing something like breaking down a door with his shoulder

he's the youngest of the established trio and it shows. When Caspian is teasing him, he'll outright whine toward [4th character not developed] like a kid

Growing up he was pretty well off and he has two older siblings. brother is 7 years older, sister is 5 years older. Joining the military was a status thing, not a necessity

He's moderately religious. Starts out thinking that mutations were caused by the devil himself. Not the sort of person who prays at night or goes to church every sunday, but he holds his belief close and thanks god for the good things in life

[Protag & Kim walking along canal]
Caspian: *sticks head out of water*
Kim: *startled; immediately kicks him in the face*
Caspian: As much as I like being kicked in the face by attractive women, hard pass.
Kim: *kicks again*
Caspian: (unimpressed) Do you want to be dragged under?
Kim: *has climbed the nearest building before he finishes speaking*
[Alt:]
Caspian: *Smirks and grabs her foot* Bad. Move. *pulls her under*
Kim: *screeches can be heard half a kilometer away*

[misc]
Caspian: So, what are you, some sort of Disney Princess?
Nicholas: Excuse you, I'm a Disney Prince.
Caspian: Nah, definitely a princess.
Nicholas: ...
Nicholas: I'll be a princess for you, handsome~ *bats eyelashes*
Caspian: *speeches; fiddles with stiletto and gapes*
Kim: So, does that make Cas the frog prince?

[Protag brings Caspian to meet Nicholas for the first time]
Nicholas: What are you doing?! You brought a mutant here?? They're so... filthy! They're crimes against nature; living beings were never supposed to evolve that way!
Caspian: *throws stomach up onto the floor just because*
Nicholas: ...!!!
Kim: Ew, get that off the floor. That's filthy.
Caspian: Isn't there some sort of clean floor rule that you can eat off it?
Kim: You ever hear of bleach? There's no way they don't bleach the floors.
Nicholas: *turns white and leaves the room*
Caspian: Bleach is... a chemical? Oh. *tucks stomach back into place*