Welcome to Animos City

A City Shrouded in Mystery

Converted: 36 After Launch

Animos City is a sensory blast of people and culture. While the densely packed urban landscape is a wash of neon colors and skyscrapers, it’s the people that capture the eye: to preserve their strict sense of community-run democracy and free exchange of information, Animos citizens sport a cutting edge fashion sense, portraying their individuality through the masks that conceal their faces.

Animos rose from the ashes of a totalitarian regime. Under the repressive rule of Emperor Kush Chernova, a group of people rallied a resistance and reclaimed their freedom in the ‘Animos Liberation’. With the tyrant’s political purges seared into their minds, the newly freed people took to hiding their identities from any who would target them. The anonymous crypto lifestyle was born. Animos was built on top of that foundation, and now only the famous Library preserves the historical record, protecting the mistakes of the past to safeguard the future.

Because of the impersonal feel, the culture that built up can be harsh and direct. To keep from a centralized authority, members of the community banded together to form the Enforcer’s watch group, with the imposingly large Commander the central figurehead, his thick helmet and reflective visor connected by five thick bolts. Their successes are regularly featured on Animos’ ‘RSS News’ program, the network Anchor’s visage beamed against hundreds of surfaces every night. Animos was a gruff but peaceful city.

That was until Vikky Relay, co-owner of the industrial tech giant Circuit Breaker Manufacturing, was found dead and her husband Tommy at large. Now, with the economy suffering and crime spiking, only a few can see the city’s silent screams, painted across every steel beam, over every glass sheet. And amid this rising chaos, someone new steps onto Animos City’s turf, wielding a metal baseball bat with the numbers ‘.357’ sprayed in runny red ink.

The Hooligan

An Anonymous Sleuth

Born: ???

The Hooligan was born to be a crypto. With his BMX bike he easily weaves into the flow of foot traffic across Animos City and blends into its crowded sea of people in his goggles and mask. He is as comfortable by himself in his apartment as he is packed into his favorite anonymous forum. With his limited expressive range, he has developed a lively and animated character that speaks with every motion. Then there’s the number-crunching server strapped to his back, sparking wildly into the air.

A street detective, the Hooligan is a member of a little known subgroup of interested parties that keep their eyes peeled to any strange goings-on, collecting data and analyzing results, all to keep Animos honest and the truth flowing freely. When Vikky Relay, co-owner of Animos tech house Circuit Breaker Manufacturing, is found dead, it’s starting to get more difficult to distinguish fact from falsehood.

Luckily, his goggles are equipped to observe every clue. With the screenshot functionality built into the lens, the Hooligan can remember everything he sees- with the invisible spray paint strapped to his server, he can notate every inch of the world around him. The Hooligan is a different type of detective, able to document the evidence and spread the word. And with all the talk of a failing economy and fracturing culture, his can runs dry.

The Hooligan is an enigma inside a mystery. With his appearance, he brings intrigue, with his departure, he leaves questions: What is he truly after? How do you find a person without an identity? And who is the guy that lies beneath his mask?