Culture Notes

==The Vibe==
Considered to be a manifestation of one's soul, to some. Purely science, to others. Cool dancey junk, to the rest.
==Funk Mafia vs UG==
The Funk Mafia believe they are the chosen elite, born to lead the city with their Vibe powers. They believe in strict discipline where dancing is concerned.
The UG see themselves as the rebels and the underdogs, lashing out against control and oppression. They prefer absolute freedom of dance.
Loosely, these two sides can be viewed as Lawful and Chaotic, respectively.
*The Mafia is structured, with a specific hierarchy. The Don is at the top, followed by her Bosses that reign over the Discotheques, followed by Underbosses who lead dance crews. The rest of the mafia is filled out by Steppers and initiates. Seniority usually equates to a higher rank within the Steppers of the Mafia, and angering someone of higher rank tends to end badly.
::::: Many mafioso view The UG as uncivilized, reckless, and disgusting.
*The UG has few ranks besides the Leader and MCs. DJs, although not actual leaders, may guide the community in ways of the Vibe. Loyalties are usually varying depending on the individual. Some may still be loyal to their previous gangs, or to their favorite DJ, or loyal to none at all. It's generaly understood that a UG member will give due respect to the UG Leader if they expect to live comfortably in the Orange District, no matter their loyalty.
::::: Many UG view The Mafia as rigid, self righteous, and cruel.
On the 'Good' side of the Mafia:
Many truly believe they are saving the City by taking control. They realize that dancing and controling vibe requires a combo of discipline, practice, technique, and natural groove, and that poorly handled vibes can cause chaos, destruction, and death. Since '99, more and more Mafioso are open to styles other than disco, and believe that even UG steppers could be honed into proper Mafioso, if only they saw the light.
On the 'Bad' side of the Mafia:
Many in the Mafia just want to be rid of anyone who doesn't follow thier ways. They want to take control of the Orange district, and anyone who doesn't like it can be sent to the Square district, ejected from the island, or even be killed.
On the 'Good' side of the UG:
They fight the advances of the Mafia to preserve their own style of dance and life. They believe everyone should be free to dance in whatever way feels natural to them. They are often more accepting of all styles, but there is a bias against disco, since it is the dance of their oppressors.
On the 'Evil' side of the UG:
The UG is vengeful. They will do anything to take down the Mafia and liberate themselves. Some want to create a role reversal, empowering themselves to become the top dogs on the island, where the Mafia remnants would be just as loathed as the jamdeaf, if not completely eradicated.
==Squares vs. Other Factions==
In a city where rank, social groups, gangs, and cliques are everything, being unaffiliated makes one worthless. The jamdeaf tend to receive the most abuse.
Squares are, at best, nobodies. At worst, they are vermin.
Most Squares live in the Research District to avoid conflict with the factions. Because Squares have trouble making the big cred, the poverty of the population has created the slummiest slum on the island since V-Day.
Squares who make themselves useful are sometimes allowed to live in the other districts. A Square with an artisan skill, such as tailoring or cooking, tend to have a better life if they can find patronage from a stepper. Some Squares have weak Vibes that are not strong enough to compete against steppers, but work very well for more practical purposes. For example, a Square with heat Vibe powers may use them to aid in cooking.
Squares who have developing Vibe powers are sometimes initiated into the Mafia or UG if they show promise of improvement.
==Roller Banditos vs. Other Factions==
Although there is no longer law enforcement within the city, there are still outlaws. Those who disrupt the ceremony of dance battle in anyway are universally reviled by all factions. Interrupting a battle, cheating, or breaking the predetermined rules of the match will usually result in instant dismissal from their current faction, loss of all respect, and sometimes death. Those who survive become wandering vagrants - Roller Banditos.
However, not all Banditos enter the lifestyle due to breaking ceremony. Some Banditos were ejected by their faction for other reasons and unable to find a place in the opposing faction. Quite a few Banditos are ex-spies and double agents who ended up too untrustworthy for any faction to keep around. Some are simply powerful steppers who do not want cooperate with either faction.
Not all Banditos are necessarily rollerskaters and not all rollerskaters are necessarily Banditos. Banditos typically have some sort of wheels - Blades, skates, skateboards, scooters, bicycles, heelies, etc - to aid in their constant movement, but it isn't a requirement.
There are a few abandoned warehouses and buildings throughout the city that are secret Bandito safehouses. They keep the keycards for these hideouts hidden in locations nearby that only other Banditos will know of.
Although Banditos do not always band together, there is typically respect between them.
==The Outside World==
In the early phases of the STEP experiment, people from all over the world came to take part, giving the city an eclectic population and culture.
As a remote island, the only way off the island is by boat or by a long underground/undersea supply railway. In X084, all transport was shut down. No ships ever returned, and the railway was completely locked down and made inaccessible.
Radio frequencies from other places around the world can be received on Step City devices, but mysteriously only those that play music come in clear. Satellite radio also seems affected this way. Occasionally planes and boats are seen in the distance, but never have they tried to make contact.
==STEP Project and Scientists==
On V-Day, a few STEP scientists survived the close proximity to the frequency that started the Vibe. The most noteable were James Cornell and Greg Dorian, founders of The Funk Mafia and The UG.
Another group of suviving scientists who were unaffected by the vibe plotted to stop the groove and 'restore sanity to the city' in what is known as the Scientist's Rebellion. They were stopped by Cornell and Dorian, resulting in the two men's fame.
Of the former group, all are deceased. There are still a few STEP scientists left in the city, but it's uncommon that they make themselves known.
==Infrastructure and Technology==
WIP
==Trivia==
===Name origins:===
*Jamal Bustamov - 'Jam' and 'Bust a move'
*Don James Cornell - Name based off of Don Cornelius, the first host and creator of Soul Train
*Greg Dorian - Name based off of Dorian Gregory, the final host of Soul Train
*Fever - song 'Boogie Fever' and movie 'Saturday Night Fever'
*Grooveline - song 'The Grooveline'
*Mothership Discotheque - Based off the P-Funk Mothership
*U.G. - Underground, play off of O.G. (Original Gangster)
*Rekkid - Slang pronunciation of Record
*OPP- Song 'OPP' (Other People's Property)
*Roller Banditos - Inspired by Space Banditos from Futurama. Really.
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Category:Culture