Shortly after 1972, the Invasions began. From alternate Earths, both human and monstrous. Using alien tech and even magic, some humans rose up to resist, known as Riders, and now they fight against a recently renewed Invasion.
Type: BlossomThe notes on this world are mostly organized by information:
Riders - Gives the details the different 'types' of Riders at the base level.
Tech - Describes some of the technology from the advent of the Rider technology being introduced.
Culture - This gives a look at the culture of the Riders.
The Invaders, core enemies of the setting, are detailed out in four files: ATP Foundation, Theta-Wave Empire, Demon Armies, and Court of Locusts.
World Tree - This gives all the changes that have happened thanks to the blossoming of the World Tree around the Rider World.
The Kamen Riders are the core source of defense for this world. Roughly there is an average of two or three thousand Riders, spread around the globe. This includes the Fallen Riders (See: Court of Locusts) as well, so the average is roughly two thousand or lower. Almost all Riders have one thing in common. When they transform, or henshin, their alternate forms help to mask their identity and tend to be some sort of suit, skin, or otherwise have some serious protection.
Usually, a Rider begins with a base form that usually sets the tone to one of the categories below. Some Riders have the capacity to add on to their base form in order to specialize in circumstances. Eventually, a Rider may grow strong enough that their powers evolve. This might result in more abilities or an entirely new form that can augment or bridge into another base type.
A Rider is not an infallible warrior, however. Being a Rider is hard. Battles interrupt lives, the Invaders want their property back usually or just plain hate the Rider, and often this leads to resentment at their hand in life. Because of this, a Rider often needs a support network these days. The first Riders were lucky enough to have what they needed and support each other. These days, the Internet and face to face talking tends to be the best way to keep the sanity of the Rider. Sometimes, however, a Rider will lose touch with what makes them the champions of Justice that they are. Either it gets to be too much, enemy mind control, or worse corruption by unknown elements. These all result in a Fallen Rider.
There are two common traits between all the Riders, however. The first is the Finisher. These are big moves that usually end a fight or seriously weaken an enemy. Each Rider begins with at least one. The second is the machines that are either given or somehow manufactured for them shortly after their transformation. These take the form of motorcycles or rare instances of cars usually.
Rider Category Types:
Bio - These are the ones usually of the result of either genetic tampering or sometimes evolution by some obscure factor. One of the most aggressive types usually, the Bio Riders tend to fight through sheer instinct to frightening degrees. These are the lions of justice ready to crush evil in their jaws. In most cases, a Bio Rider tends to manifest their weapons either through biological constructs or psychic manifestations. Besides their aggressiveness, they are known to be extremely hard to take down.
FC Rider Inspirations: Shin, Gills, Kiva, OOO
Mystic - These Riders are something ancient and arcane, yet new and alive. A Mystic may be bestowed their power or bring out the arcane power of a particular item. Some harness the power of beings from myth, dreams, or even the elements themselves. Most often these Riders also are empowered by some artifact. A found belt that chose them, a deck of cards, even sometimes infection. A common trait of the Mystic is their toughness and inborn protective streak. Where the Bio Rider has their aggressiveness, Mystics are the ones that will be the hardest to take down because they keep getting back up. A Mystic's look tends to be sleek, defined, and at times may overlap with the other two in their appearance.
FC Rider Inspiration: Kuuga, Agito, Ryuki, Hibiki, Wizard, Gaim
Tech - Born from stolen technology that few understand, the Tech Rider tends to be augmented by it. Their experience makes them want to build a better world rather than let evil tear it down. Where the other Riders have their own abilities, the Techs tend to be versatile and aware of their situations. A Tech tends to have add ons or multi-function weapons to help out in different situations. Techs tend to look futuristic, often based around some device or vehicle. A watch, car, cellphone, even a space station are all valid.
FC Rider Inspiration: Faiz, Blade, Fourze, W, Build, Zero-One
Please do not take these as the end all, be all of ideas. Riders do tend to 'cross over' these categories some
The technology in the Rider World has taken a few leaps and bounds. Particularly in the modes of transportation. While walking is still used from time to time, it's not uncommon to see better motorcycles and cars these days. Trucks and semi-trucks are still the means to move large shipments, but as far as construction you might see an actual power armor model used.
Planes are much faster as far as transportation, owing to some of the Tech Riders making them better in order to ensure that Riders could get around when they had tips. The Internet is currently top notch with only the bare country areas and underground caverns being outside of it, even then there is an abundance of satellites.
One of the chief advances was always transportation. A Rider or someone that can really afford it is often seen on a customized motorcycle or car that may or may not transform with them. Their vehicles tend to be extremely tough. With the advancement of such to get around, alternative fuels were found including such things as drawing on mystic fields to solar batteries. Some might even run on something as simple as burning trash.
Lastly, due to the advanced nature the civilian defense option has been vastly upgraded. Police have higher caliber pistols with specialized bullets for any Invader threat, even if it only slows them down. The Riders and some military have the real options in firepower. Such things as high-tech, mono-edge swords, rail-like bowguns, piston-fist gauntlets, and others have risen up to match a Rider's theme and look.
The Invaders known as the ATP Foundation is, in their reality, a brutal regime that started as a megacorporation. Most of the governments in their dimension are subverted in some form or another and under their control. To their world they are brillant military, health, and information specialists. After using up a lot of resources, they started to invade other dimensions. Leaving them barren as they strip mined them and added to the population of their own. Eventually, they came to target Earth.
Something about the Rider World's population began to bring about individuals that resisted the usual means of control. The ATP Foundation's board of directors are infuriated by this, enough that they have turned a vast amount of resources on conquering it. The World Tree only makes this more enticing at the moment as something about the joining has ripped their usual resources out, causing them to try harder to get what they need while turning to alternative fuels in the mean time. This has resulted in a bit better world as they resorted to solar power among other things and vastly rechargeable batteries. However, ATP in general is blind to this.
As far as what they make and might encounter, a lot of the Bio or Tech Riders have possible ties to them. They were some of the chief ones gaining human test subjects from the Rider World before the rise of the Riders, and still do. The principle material they use is a yellow ichor called "MK Fluid" in their files. Debates still rage over what the original name is for it, as even ATP just calls it that. This fluid has many uses, but mostly physical changes. Second among this is actual full on cybernetic implants that can go as far as brain implanted chips. Like most of the other Invaders, they tend to try to one up each other a lot even down to selling the transformative MK Fluid to street criminals.
Among their forces are the following. Their abilities tend to be based on individual circumstances, but there are a few things noted that are the same throughout. In some cases, such as the Soldats, the MK Fluid remains unstable and can cause an individual to transform back to human form.
Soldats - Thuggish, vicious grunts more or less. These are often enough to give an individual Rider trouble if they are inexperienced in combat. These are sometimes even just street criminals under the control of other higher types.
Engineers - The next step up from the Soldats. These are the rather genius types, often cybernetically enhanced. Where a Soldat is the foot soldier type, the Engineers tend to be the ones with actual plans but often are just a slight bit above the Soldats in the physical department.
Blitz Troopers - Twitchy, aggressive, and a lot more powerful than the previous two. The Blitz Troopers tend to be high stakes, high speed individuals that get in, cause what they need to happen, then get out. Some might even be considered full on monsters.
Magna Troopers - The hulking, backbone brutes of the ATP forces. When something HAS to be done, the Magna Trooper is sent in with an Engineer. While the Engineer can direct, often the Magna Trooper is what takes on any response. Magna Troopers currently have a caution flag among local governments because of their destructiveness.
Auditors - So far, these have remain mostly unseen. They work behind the scenes usually. The last known Auditor sighting was almost two decades ago, with rumors of others since then. They tend to look human, but change to more monstrous forms or have various enhancements that when pushed turn them into something far more troubling than the Magna Troopers.
The common opinion, and rightly so, is the Court of Locusts make up the scariest, and probably worst of the Invaders. Especially as they tend to be home grown. The Court of Locusts is comprised completely and utterly of Fallen Riders. The Fallen often deviate and eventually end up among them where their charismatic upper leadership keeps control of the Fallen while allowing them to hire out to the other three factions.
One thing, however, tends to set them up completely. They are, in no uncertain terms, running with a lot of screws loose. Insanity is common because they often have access to powers that the heroic Riders do not, often centered around annihilation, void, or dark forces. Thus far, there is no known way to bring a Fallen Rider back. Governments, fellow Riders, even friends and family of the Fallen (if any survived their fall) have tried. To no luck.
The terrifying part is that the Fallen tend to be happy to go along with whatever schemes the other three factions have while gleefully backstabbing their own members out on hire. And this has in part infected the other Invader factions to success. Don't like Kamen Rider Billy Joe Bob's plan for doomsday is working, but he spoiled yours? Drop a tip to the police, Riders, or others. Then laugh gleefully as he gets swarmed by Riders and takes four or five Finishers to the face. This alone, even with their charismatic Queen, defines the Court of Locusts.
Much like the Riders, the Locusts come from all types of walks and with their insanity, not to mention frighteningly similar powers to the Riders makes them some of the scariest threats. One shout of 'Fallen' over the Rider's Network will see almost all in an area drop what they are doing and come running to help. Governments have been known to keep watch on Fallen and notify Riders of their appearance. Police, military, and anyone else have strict orders to stay away from the Fallen and notify the nearest Riders because of how scary they can be.
The Theta-Wave Empire gained its name from what was science into the metaphysical planes of their world. Eventually, the result was their harnessing powers, beings, and the stuff of nightmares. Once human, their powers have turned them into something more over time. Instead of turning to technology in their world, they turned to mystical powers. This has resulted in a cleaner world in some ways, but also a hunger for power. Most of what was humanity has become slaves to masters from beyond that include such things as fae, gods, even elementals to a degree that were all corrupted incredibly harshly. Most feed on what's left.
At the top of this tier of power, under these beings that grant such power are the Nightmare Scholars that send out invasions in order to drain humanity of their essence. Some call it spirit, others call it life force. To them, the inhabitants of different worlds are just batteries or even in some cases meals to appease their patrons.
Sometimes, however, their attacks bring along aspects of the uncorrupted. The dimension is not fully lost, but those that are left often try to flee to the Rider World or beyond it in order to get away from the corrupting influence. Often, this requires hosts. The Riders that usually end up from this are sometimes host to supernatural entities, aspects of a greater whole, or find items that have been imbued by them that did the same.
Common encounters with the forces of the Theta-Wave Empire tend to leave people questioning their sanity and the ways of the world. This empire has no problem in fielding some of the horrors that make up nightmares. Often, their powers are referred to as lucid-dreaming where they pull mystical weapons and armor out of the air to fight with. Even the most human among them, however, has long since stopped being human.
Sleepwalkers - These come in two types, but also are typically the easiest to deal with. Guards tend to be the more physical and often developed physically, but use their powers to augment their speed and strength even when under a more human guise. Mages, on the other hand, tend to harness an element or otherwise be tricky with what they do. Whereas a Guard might be able to walk on walls, a Mage may levitate or even change the wall to grab someone for capturing.
Dreamer Marksmen - The next step up from the Sleepwalker, these are terrifyingly proficient in their chosen field. They strive to mark targets that are then kidnapped or otherwise stick to fighting behind the Sleepwalkers or whatever minions they can summon.
Dreamer Monks - Frighteningly powerful, the Monks are like the Marksmen a step up, but instead of specializing in keeping back, focus on broadening their abilities. A Marksman might try to shoot form a distance or use their minions as a distraction, but a Monk will be in there trying to attack with their minions and giving terrifyingly powerful attacks.
Nightmare Scholars - These are quite frankly the highest of the Theta-Wave Empire. Academics that started in the rank and file, but eventually raised themselves. Wearing armor that is as much like a second skin as much as a part of them now, they have long forsaken their humanity and corrupted their physical forms to cause fear, terror, and otherwise continue their research and quest for power. Often these are the ones who bestow slivers of power on Sleepwalkers or Dreamers as a means to begin sending them out.
When one thinks of the underworld, they get the right idea. The Demon Armies are residents of whatever sliver of the underworld made it through with the Rider World. Unfortunately, it also tends to spawn demons by the dozens and also tends to be very crowded. Like in some religions, however, the Demon Armies have a purpose. Their purpose is to storm the higher realms such as Heaven. Heaven, for example, is loath to kill humans and the demons know this. Human hosts make the ultimate foot soldiers for the underworld to use against heaven as it is quite hard to do an exorcism in the middle of battle.
In terms of society, the Underworld is just as one might imagine a hellscape. It is not pretty, devoid of life, and all around tends to be unpleasant. Fortunately the classic burning hellfire seems to be confined to a few areas here and there. The main problem is that there are roving bands of demons and they really don't like each other usually, with some banding together temporarily to try to take on others.
To that end, the Demon Armies pretty much have one goal in any of their attacks. Capture humans and turn them into living shields or weapons against other supernatural powers. In most cases, those powers are pretty helpless but lately a lot of them have started to take notice and began to choose carefully from the stronger willed victims. This leads to the individual sometimes resisting the demon or otherwise changing whatever is happening to them to empower them leading to Bio or Mystic Riders being the result. Other times there is nothing at all involved and they simply change the possession themselves somehow.
Most of the demon forces tend to be military ranked, with their powers varying. They also come in all shapes, sizes, and forms. Thus far the Rider World has only had to face one General, and that was back in 1980. Even then, it nearly cost the Riders involved their lives and in some cases forced a near-retirement. The strongest in the new millenium that has been faced so far is a Major off around the far eastern areas.
The Riders, unsurprisingly, have a degree of mostly loose culture about. While sometimes it comes down to politics outside of the community, other times it depends upon the Riders themselves to play 'police' among them. The internet surprisingly has been very, very helpful on making sure a Rider can keep in contact with others. Enough that it's not uncommon for Riders to setup meetings to talk, chill out, and otherwise be themselves.
Early in the 80's, with the lull in activity starting from the Invaders massing forces, some of the veteran Riders and newer ones tried to establish a sort of world organization. This, unfortunately failed spectacularly. The Riders are, at their core, individuals despite similarities all around. And the organization tended to make conflicts between Riders too likely to happen with politics. Instead, the Riders setup a voluntary organizational structure over the Internet and small centers in major cities across the world. The centers included translation programs for out of country Riders as well as small armories in case they needed it for specialized tasks. The governments keep a tab via facial recognition and finger print software as to who has what.
In the terms of use of the culture, the Riders mainly use it to request help, keep in touch, and keep a look on the world itself. A Rider is usually a solo act with a few others in the city. Because of the chance of a Fallen Rider, often the calls for help are answered no matter the personality of the Rider in question. Whether it be to destress, fight an army, or just to exchange notes. Some even do deliveries for other Riders simply because it is what they are good at.
The Internet culture is particularly watched with some of the best and brightest minds watching for troll accounts, activity among the Riders, and where new ones pop up. They also try their best to keep the Court of Locusts and ATP Foundation off of the forums. In particular is the lack of activity watched. If a Rider doesn't say they are semi-retiring, then that lack of activity could represent an attack or a Fallen Rider possibly. Other Riders will check in on the lack of activity pretty quickly if it's noticed.
When it is all said and done, however, the Riders do their best to stand together despite the odds, distance, and even personal view points being different between them. This behavior is encouraged greatly by the veterans that survived the beginnings in the 70's and 80's along with the governments and the population itself. Whether or not it actually works is up to the Rider himself, however.
The world tree portals, since they began appearing, have caused confusion among both the Invaders and the regular people of the Rider World. With the lack of confirmation from the three sides that do the portals and the readings showing them to be something else entirely, everyone is waiting for another invading force that is fresh. Since the portals move, various people have started to keep track and try to get the readings necessary to figure out where the next one will be, or at least notify the authorities of what has happened with them.
The first reaction by the world governments was to build a fortified base around the first stabe portals that appeared. After the portals moved, the world governments threw up their hands and switched the bases to being resupply centers for people to watch the portals themselves and keep all but a few teams from using them. Thus far, any exploration team would consist of at least one Rider, at least a few military, and some scientists exploring the other side as well as trying to make sure they can get back.
However, despite the bad experience of the Invaders, the Rider World wants to give these new portals the benefit of the doubt and has taken a "wait and see" approach with Riders notified of a stable portal's presence and asked to keep an eye out for possible Invasions as well as what is being called "first contact" situations with new places.
The most startling change since they began to appear, however, is with the Invaders themselves. The Rider World is considered the main 'hub' of the connection and is fine. The Invader worlds, however, are now cut off from their primary resources for renewal.
The most effected by this is the ATP Foundation, which has begun to recycle and reuse various technologies that they 'dumped' at first as well as start to steal metals and fossil fuels from the Rider World in addition to their usual targets of politicians and trying to subvert the government.
The Theta-Wave Empire has mysteriously gained access to more disgruntled patrons, but since their only need is human battery they tend to be fine. Even then, they run into the same problem of not having scores of minions to subvert, create, and control now.
The Demon Armies are the least effected as they can literally create their own forces as well as most of the times get tossed back to the Underworld upon a defeat.
The strangest part is that the Invaders themselves are starting to eye the portal and consider going through to find more resources to bring back to their respective factions. Even the Court of Locusts is looking at the portals as a curiousity, and rumors have it one or two decided to secretly go through.