Meridian, Last Light of the Walls

Peace behind the walls. Hell beyond them. Your power isn't like anyone else's. Can you survive Meridian?

Plot

[18+] ADULTS ONLY Two hundred and fourteen years ago, the world fell to monsters in a matter of months. Only six cities survived, sealed behind Walls, now bound together by guarded rail lines cutting through wilderness crawling with things that don't belong in a modern world — and yet Meridian, the largest of them, looks almost ordinary. Phones, cafes, arcades, rent, part-time jobs. Almost ordinary. You has just turned 18, and today, like every 18-year-old in the Verge Compact, a personal system called a Codex awakens — the source of power, the thing that decides how strong you'll ever become. Except You's Codex isn't like anyone else's. Deep violet instead of pale blue. Humming with something nobody else's system does. A power that shouldn't exist, on the same day You is due to walk through the gates of Apex Towers University — a school built around eight literal Towers, where students climb floors as they grow stronger, join real guilds while still enrolled, and can end up on the front line of expeditions into the Grey before they've even graduated. Or You could just... go to class. Meridian has room for that too. Not everyone here fights monsters. Some people just live. What You becomes — hunter, scholar, guild legend, someone who never leaves the safety of the Walls at all — is entirely up to them.

Opening scene

[Day 1 | Dawnday | 06:00 | 1 Renewal, 214 A.S. | Meridian, Location Unset] A hum behind You's ribs, low and steady, like a second heartbeat. Then violet light unfolds in the dark, a panel hanging in the air, humming faintly, patient. [CODEX: Signature unrecognized. Welcome, You. This is not a normal Codex. Keep it private.] Every other Codex in the Verge Compact glows pale blue. Yours is deep violet, and something tells you nobody else has ever seen this color. Today is also Registration Day at Apex Towers University, the day every eighteen year old in the Compact is called to report. Before the day begins, two things need to be set. Where is You from? Where you start decides how you got here, who you know, and what you carry with you. Meridian, the capital. The largest city, seat of the Council and the Guild Assembly, home to Apex Towers. You wake up already inside the Walls, a subway ride from Registrar Plaza. You know the districts (Skyline Quarter, Lowmarket, Glasswharf, the Undercity), you may have a friend or rival on campus already, and Cinder Row's guild towers are on your doorstep. The easiest start, with the fewest surprises. Ferrowatch, the mountain city. Miners, Sparkcell crystals, and metalwork, governed by a Miners' Council. It is a 4 hour rail ride to Meridian on a guarded line, so you arrive tired and slightly overwhelmed by the scale. You are tough and practical, with a feel for tools and stone. Your home guild is the Deepdelve Union. Highreach, the plateau city. Channeler academies, observatories, thin air and calm politics. It is a 3 hour ride to Meridian, and the capital's noise will feel strange. You grew up around magic and quiet study. Your home guild is the Skyward Circle. Emberfen, the forge city. Loud, proud, blue collar, with weapon makers and arena fighting as a sport. It is a 3 hour ride, and you arrive with calloused hands and a fighter's confidence. Your home guild is the Forgehand Compact. Saltmere, the coastal city. Docks, fishing, and trade, governed by a Harbor Council. It is the shortest trip at 2 hours, and you bring salt air and street smarts with you. Your home guild is the Tideguard Fleet. Duskhollow, the city on the edge of the Grey. Battle hardened, tense, and run like a military post by a Warden-Marshal. It is the longest and most heavily escorted rail line, 6 hours. You have seen more of the Grey than most students ever will, and it shows in how you carry yourself. Your home guild is the Hollow Watch, the most dangerous and best paying in the Compact. If you're unsure, Meridian is the simplest start. It puts you close to the University and the center of things from the first hour. What kind of family? Your family decides your starting Credits, your monthly allowance, and how the news of Registration reaches you today. Rich. 5,000 MC to start, plus 1,000 MC sent every month. Your parents or a family assistant tell you over breakfast, already expecting it, with opinions about which Department you should choose. You get better starting gear and useful connections, but you also get public scrutiny and heavy expectations. People will know the family name before they know yours. Comfortable. 1,000 MC to start, plus 300 MC a month. A formal Signal notice arrives the night before, the standard city wide procedure for every eighteen year old. You have an ordinary safety net, and nobody is watching you closely. Poor. 100 MC to start and no allowance. The same notice arrives, but a parent or guardian has to scrape together your rail fare or route, and may say so out loud. You will need a part time job or early guild contracts to get by, though you will also learn early how much a Credit is worth. Self made (an orphan, estranged, or simply on your own). 250 MC to start and no allowance. The notice arrives automatically, tied to the Codex awakening itself, and there is nobody to walk you there. You are free of family obligations and family scrutiny, and you go alone. Custom. Name any number and give a reason, and it is used exactly as you say. Whatever you choose is final, and it only changes through what happens in play: earnings, spending, and debt. If you're unsure, Comfortable is the most balanced pick. It gives you enough not to struggle, without guards and reporters already knowing your name. Everyone in this story, including you and anyone you create, is 18 or older. You are a university student in a walled city at the end of the world, and the Codex hums, waiting for your answer.

Tags: Academy Fantasy Scenario Modern Supernatural Student Game System LevelUp HiddenPower Mystery Adventure Urban City Futuristic AnyPOV MalePOV FemPOV ThirdPerson OpenEnding Violence Dark Romance Found Family Friendship Romance SlowBurn

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