Janus
09-30-2006, 02:22 PM
The following are intro material for each plotline. It is extremely lengthy, but you don't have to read it all; it's just up for your personal use.
Pure Evil Intro
Okay, so I've been starving to make a horror plot that is creepier than just zombies, or just ghosts, or just some dude with a mask and a lack of empathy. I wanted something that takes the subject of evil and unearths all its worst features and minions in one unusual setting.
What did I choose? Eastern Europe, October 15th (October equus), 1814.
Let me describe the plot in a few sections dealing with specific issues, followed by a writing sample I cooked up to give you a feel for the setting itself:
More About the Setting.
The main action takes place in a small, backwater village near Braşov, Transylvania. The nation itself is not a nation at this point, but a grand principality under the dominion of the Hapsburgs of Austria. Europe itself is just beginning to let out its breath, as Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba. This is the early 1800s, and to get a feel for the era, you may want to consult some sources:
- Wikipedia, of course. This can help with any general questions you may have.
- Media. Specifically, movies about or near to the era, such as The Count of Monte Cristo, Sleepy Hollow, and The Duellists, to name a few.
- Books. Bram Stoker's Dracula depicts a late 1800s Transylvania, and helps set a mood. Others I couldn't specify as of the time of this posting, but they are definately out there.
How will this RP be conducted?
I traditionally prefer storyteller-led RPs over complete freeform, and for this particular RP I fully intend to fulfill the role of storyteller. What does this mean? Well, basically, you who participate will be players in the plot, while I will engineer all its twists, changes, and NPC/atmosphere interactions. To give you a (brief and concisely written) example, see below:
Player: (Playing as the daugher of a Russian nobleman, Alexia) Her heels clicked on the floorboards as she made her way slowly into the farmhouse. Still clutching the shovel in shaking, chilled hands, she keeps her eyes ever searching.
Storyteller: The room is covered with soot and what appears to be dried blood. As you walk, dust kicks up with each step, and the creaking of the floorboards echoes more than you'd appreciate. Directly ahead, two wooden chairs are arranged before a fireplace, both partially burnt. Looking closer, you see the charred remains of an old man prone before the fireplace, and by his side a long, seemingly ancient rifle. It too, is burnt beyond further recognition.
^ Simply, as players, you would control only your own characters. Elaborating or describing the environment, dictating the behaviors of NPCs/beasts/etc. would all be my duty as storyteller. Likewise, interactions will be a bit different. If you wanted to, say, move a lever or pick up an item in the environment, you would first declare the action, and let me handle the end result (Whether or not you could actually muster up the strength to move the lever, or perhaps it was stuck, perhaps it makes the door open, etc. On the second example, perhaps the item you wish to pick up is for a reason or another, immovable.). This same applies for battle actions (Attacking a ghoul, for example): you may declare an attack, but I would determine whether or not it would work.
Some of you who are unfamiliar with this approach or have had a bad experience or two with it may be thinking this sounds like a bad idea. Well, at the very least humor me. I've done it plenty of times before with amazing results, and I personally find that the approach is much more accomodating to casual roleplayers or roleplayers who, due to creative restraints or time/real life restraints, can't always muster up the energy and time to make a full freeform post. At the very least, I ask that if you're interested please try it. You lose nothing by simply trying.
How can I make my character?
Mortal. Non-supernatural. The idea of horror is to be at the mercy of forces greater than you are, and to have a semblance of fear and uncertainty. For this reason, you can only make characters who are relatively normal (With a few exceptions I'll list below). I'll first request that you submit to me via PM a character sheet. This sheet will include the following: detailed character description; character history (It need not be a book, but at least something describing who your character is and where they're coming from); items they are carrying; any type of special skills (For example, Character X was a former blacksmith, or in the army, or can play music). If you're approved, you're in. If you're not approved, I'll explain to you exactly what it was about your character sheet that needs a bit of reworking.
You may request to have one of the following "gifts", if you can provide a good history and/or explanation for your character acquiring them. They, along with your character sheet, must be approved, of course. If you accept one of them, it will be implemented into your roleplay, though in a manner you might not expect. For example, if you can read auras, you can attempt to do it, but whether or not it succeeds will be up to the storyteller (Read: moi). Likewise, it may spontaneously kick in when you least expect it, such as during a traumatic event or in an unholy place. Consider it a chosen plot device, if you will. The list is as follows:
- Aura reading (The ability, of course, to read auras)
- Clairaudience (The ability to hear things outside of the normal human range)
- Clairsentience (The ability to perceive energy fields, including those of ghosts and of auras. Please note that it is not as effective nor as complete as Aura reading in perceiving and recognizing auras. However, it is excellent for being able to "feel" things with one's mind.)
- Precognition (The most random of the gifts, this allows one to have a vision of a future event. How that vision is shown and when, however, is not under your control)
- Retrocognition (The ability to perceive events from the past due to handling objects, or being in certain places.)
- Hypersensitivity (This is less of a gift then more of a curse. Hypersensitive individuals are not aware of their own abilities that transcend normal human means, and they are often victim to the supernatural due to their ability to perceive them. This is not advised for someone who wants an "easy time" at this RP. To elaborate further on this ability, being hypersensitive simply means you have the gift to perceive the dead and the like, but you cannot control it. You're effectively an amateur at ESP.)
Just to snag attention from those of you who like to skim (And yes, I do it myself all the time): Please read the section on making a character!
Anything else I should know? I have a question! Wait, what about this...
Hey, ask it here. I love answering questions. It's how I spread my vast wisdom and knowledge to the outside world. Anyways, yes, ask away. If you need clarification, advise, etc., please ask me.
Now, for the writing sample
The minutes stretched into hours as he plowed through the tall grass, fighting his way past vile low-hanging branches and the occasional exposed root. He was certain of three things: he was tired; he was frustrated; and he was absolutely lost. The moon broke through the trees overhead now and again, reminding him that it was well past the time he was supposed to be at the lord’s manor. Even if the manor was just past the next brace of trees, he’d need an hour more to clean the mud from his riding boots.
“Damn that horse!” Julian swore for perhaps the fourth time. His saber was out and hacking the offending foliage with a swiftness and decisiveness that only impatience and anger can bring about. Julian Beaumont was formerly Lieutenant Julian Beaumont of the British Army, and up until this past April, had been active in the war against that French brute, Napoleon, alongside many of his countrymen. The young man (If twenty nine years of age could be considerably young) was a thin figure, long and pale. His hair was blond, almost colorless, and it in turn gave his skin an almost yellow hue due to its contrast. His eyes, however, were bastions of color, shimmering blue like the oceans off of some Caribbean isle. Currently, he was clean shaven, though it had been nearly a day since he had done his toilet, and hair was already beginning to reclaim its lost territory.
“Damn him!” More snarls of bitterness. It had been a week since he had set foot in this backwater Austrian holding, and he was more than fed up with the conditions here. Foolish mission if there ever was one. Edmund Settler, his old friend and schoolmate, had asked him a peculiar favor: to deliver a book and letter to a Lord Aphotos von Eiferer . von Eiferer was an Austrian noble currently acting as governor for the Hapsburgs in the area near Braşov, Transylvania. With one hand clutching his satchel (Itself containing his additional clothes and goods along with his package), the other hewing trees and brush alike, Julian continued his long and cold trek. It was nearly mid-October, and the pre-winter chill was upon him in a rush. Not that the journey would have been any warmer had he still be on his horse, but he still cursed that his horse had fouled him. Thinking back to that moment, about four hours ago, Julian was still confused as to exactly what had happened...
Once he had arrived at Braşov, he had changed horses at a local stable, paying a good sum for what he considered to be a worthless ride. The strange, dirty stable boy who had received his money looked at him with haunting, dark eyes, muttering something in his native tongue. Julian’s luck had only gone downhill from then. Taking the lad’s directions, the soldier then rode due east, up through the surprisingly unforgiving hills towards what he expected was the only real way to the lord’s private manor. Cursing why the nobility should ever be so estranged from reality as to choose their domains so far from civilization, the British lieutenant soon lost his way as the trail turned to thick woods, and it was nearly nightfall when the horse suddenly heaved to the side, sending him flying. After gathering his wits and moving to check the horse, he found it was dead. Stone dead. And no amount of kicking nor swearing was about to move it, either.
Since then, he had picked the general direction of the lord’s manor and begun his trek, using his saber to clear the way when he could. He’d been forced to leave a good deal of his equipment with the dead animal, but what he managed to squirrel away should be enough for the trip, he thought. Time dragged on, and currently he was feeling nothing but loathing and vengeance regarding his luck at the hands of a ‘damned stable hand’. However, his luck was about to change yet again.
Julian emerged into a small clearing, the night sky suddenly opening up before him as though he were about to ascend into its starry depths and leave this mortal world forever. The full moon’s cool light shone on the ground before him, and what he saw made him instantly retch.
Bodies. At least ten of them. Each was tied to a stake, with their entrails hanging out. The eyes had been apparently burned away, as though someone had jabbed them with a hot poker. And the arms and legs were shredded due to what could be taken as struggling against the rope binding them to their fate. The stakes were arranged in a diamond shape, with the closest being a girl not older than perhaps her late teens. Her dirty blonde hair waved sadly in the wind, her mouth locked in a cry of anguish so deep and so complete that Hades himself would be hard-pressed to deny her succor. As he recovered himself, Julian noted her simple, peasant clothing, stained with both blood and filth. Her legs were bare, as were her feet, and he could see that she had been worked mercilessly during her life before she met this foul end. Behind her on either side were two more peasants, each similarly tied and disemboweled. As he looked closer, the Englishman noted symbols burned into their foreheads.... Different symbols for each.
“What in God’s name...” He began, but was cut short by an unearthly howl. It was returned by several others, and Julian, his gloved hands now feeling a cold sweat, brought up his saber as though he meant to attack the very dark itself. “I have to get out of here.” He hissed, and began running forward, giving the macabre array a wide berth.
Twenty more minutes of hacking through the thick woods and adrenaline-fueled running, and Julian Beaumont came almost without warning from the clutches of the dark wood. He stumbled into the malevolent night air again, with the moon showing the land before him. A village. He saw dozens of homes that were primitive even in his own time. Some with incomplete or damaged roofs and walls, some with thatched roofs, and some even with rude wood pillars supporting the awnings. At first, he saw no one living, his breath taking form in the air as the chill set in further. His hands, still clinging to his blade, were wet from the fear. Then, he saw a figure, seemingly wrapped in shadow, move alongside one of the small barns. He dropped down, watching it intently, until the figure happened to appear in the moonlight.
It was the boy, his pale face seeming dark due to his large, brown eyes. His matted hair hung about as though he’d never given it a second thought. His clothes were still in near-tatters as Julian remembered, and as the man watched, the treacherous stable boy disappeared into one of the nearest houses. Julian gritted his teeth.
“What is going on here?” He stepped forward into the moonlight, and it seemed to him almost as if the very fabric of what was real rippled, causing his hair to stand up on end. As he walked slowly towards the rustic old farmhouse, Julian couldn’t help but feel that his wretched luck was only going to get worse...
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Bio Hazard Intro
Basics you need to consider for signing up:
1- You do not need to know much about zombie movies or the Resident Evil series to play. In fact, you can be totally in the dark on both and still enjoy and play this RP.
2- I'll do the storytelling, you provide the in-character acting. If you want to try something you're unsure or, or you need a question answered, PM me. OOC posts, while sometimes helpful, detract from the action. In the future (Once the thread is opened up) if you have a question or answer that everyone must see, post it here, as opposed to the RP thread.
3- If one character interacts with another, I don't interfere for the most part.
4- Characters have to be preapproved by me. You cannot be Super Wesker with the Arsenel of Gods and the Pickaxe of Slaying +99. I despise munchkinism and I slay their characters without mercy.
5- If you have suggestions, questions, or gripes, post them here.
And lastly...
6- Yes, this game is about zombies, ghouls, and other things that freak you out. More in-depth details in a bit.
Alright, to save time and really, because it makes a good deal of sense, I'm going to use Wilde's points system for character start-up. The reason for this is to ensure a balanced starting character. For the first part, weaponry, you most first allocate points. If you say, put three points in, you may choose ONE item from the three point category, two from the two point category, or all from the first.
Starting points for characters are 12. Use them wisely
Ranking/ Description:
X You have nothing particularly useful as of right now. Why?
* You have a hand weapon, such as a hunting knife or claw hammer; enough food for a meal; or a cheap first-aid kit.
** You have a fully loaded light pistol or revolver; enough food for two meals; or a well-stocked first-aid kit.
*** You have a loaded light pistol or revolver, and a spare clip; a loaded heavy pistol or revolver; enough food for three meals; or a bag filled with medical equipment.
**** You've managed to lay hold of a pump-action shotgun, although you've only the shells that are in it at the moment; a heavy pistol/revolver with a spare clip; a light pistol/revolver with two spare clips/speed loaders; enough food for four meals; or some scarce medical equipment, such as morphine, synthetic adrenaline, antibiotics, and plenty of mundane stuff.
***** You have something heavy, like a fully loaded submachinegun; a light pistol/revolver with three spare clips/speed loaders; a heavy pistol/revolver with two spare clips/speed loaders; enough food for five meals; or the medical kit out of the back of an ambulance.
Equipment/ Suggested Point Value:
Swiss Army knife 1
Roll of duct tape 1
Access to a working automobile 3
Access to a working, larger vehicle (truck, van, SUV) 4
Access to a working "tank" (garbage truck, semi, etc.) 5
Set of lockpicks 3
Police-issue lock gun 4
Small toolbox
(the basics: hammer, screwdriver, pliers, etc.) 2
Large toolbox
(tools for almost any situation) 4
Pepper spray 1
Taser 2
Protective clothing 1 per garment, max. 2
Body armor
(i.e. a cop's bulletproof vest) 1 per garment, max. 3
Crossbow 3
Lighter 1
Flashlight 1
Small chainsaw 3
Large chainsaw 4
Tranquilizer rifle 2
Laptop computer 1
Loyal attack dog 3
Night-vision goggles 4
One clip hollowpoint rounds [Accompanying firearm] +1
One clip Glaser safety rounds [Accompanying firearm] +2
Morphine, per dose, 1
Roller blades 1
Crowbar 1
Musical instrument 1
(For any other suggestions on items, please ask me and I will assign an appropriate point price)
Abilities
- Abilities are simple: you can spend up to three points in any one category. First point is basic knowledge. Second is experienced. And third is mastery. For example, if you go to pick a lock and you have one point, you may pick it on the first try. Two points? You should be able to get it more often than not. Three points? That lock was unopened the minute you saw it.
Pick-Pocketing
Lockpicking
Hotwiring
Hacking
Car Mechanics
Brawling
Melee Fighting
Firearms
Demolitions
Swimming
Metalwork/Woodwork (Please choose one)
Academics (This would grant you knowledge into certain fields that most would not have)
(And of course, any others you can think of, please ask. I haven't completed this list, so consider it a work in progress.)
**** IMPORTANT- When you select a firearm, find the exact name of it so I can reference how much ammo you should have, the stopping power of your gun, and size, etc.
Description and introductory post from over at DTF, simply for the sake of info and getting a feel for the place.
Esterridge City, Oregon... Hardly the apex of civilization if you ask anyone outside of Esterridge, of course. It had everything a city needed: a grand hospital; a large sprawling wooded park; an ancient precinct; a historic library; fine schools... Geographically it was isolated however. The mountains for which the city was named made up a natural eastern barrier. Thick, dense woods covered the north and the west. The area south was a long highway that winded out of this mountanous area and back down into the low-lying stretch of land that embraced the shore of the Pacific ocean. Yes, a very nice city. About ten thousand souls lived here.
Most died here.
Esterridge's isolation had been its utter downfall. Help never arrived to evacuate the survivors. In fact, the lines to the outside world were effectively cut. It was as though someone had tried to contain the disaster, at the expense of the human life within the community. The entire process of infection took perhaps a week, though really when it began one could only guess.
By the time word had got out that it wasn't just a series of riots or isolated events, the city roads to the south and out had been barricaded by the police to restore order. They acted with an uncharacteristic abandon for human life, and martial law was declared by the mayor, Mister Donovan. The police opened fire on Wednesday, October 26, four days ago. Since then, chaos has reigned. Parts of Esterridge have burned, riots have ensued. The virus that brings them back... it rages on. The streets are thick with them, and the exits are sealed. It's as if no one wants us to survive...
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Allan was a lawyer. His expertise was in finding loopholes in testimony, or in finding well-hidden lies in people's truths. Right about now he was trying to find a way into this damn library.
"Dammit..."
The windows were boarded up. Door was barricaded. It was a lost cause. He didn't need to linger another moment in the street, but he had nowhere to go. Not since Anne had changed...
He shuddered at the not-so-distant memory. His hand clenched around the crowbar. Sweat poured down the back of his collared white shirt. His hushed curse thankfully hadn't attracted any of them, but if he used the crowbar to work his way in, he'd have them swarming. Allan ran his fingers through his thinning hair. He wasn't used to this. This... mess.
The piercing scream of a woman somewhere in the distance echoed in the darkness, breaking him from his ranting reverie. He looked around, frantically, and suddenly noticed a window that was slightly open on the second floor. As fortune apparently decided to shine on him, there was a tree very close to the window; all he had to do was climb it, and he could get in!
He wasted no time, hurling himself up onto the tree and climbing up with strength borne not of exercise or training but of desperation and frustration at the alternative. Within a few minutes he was precariously perched on the branch, inching his way towards the window. The tree was older than he was by far, and was sturdy, but he felt it shake beneath his weight. With a curse, he finally flung himself forward, grabbing hold of the window edge, his legs hitting the wall hard.
The pain was unbelievable, and he literally saw stars before his eyes. He hung there for a moment, oblivious to all but the fact that his knee caps were definately bruised and possibly damaged worse than that. He hauled himself up and into the window, pushing his way past the clumsy thick drapes. Crawling in onto a tabletop, he knocked over a small lamp, its touch of light splaying across the room. Before him, Allan noticed the disarray of books and papers, chairs tossed about, and a rather fresh bloody handprint on the wall...
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/5259/esterridgemapbeta2hf.jpg
The following is the basic description of the major landmarks in the map above. Please note that the map above is uh... horribly done, so don't take the shapes or placements to be 100% accurate. Keep in mind that this information is what the average citizen of the city would be aware of regarding each landmark.
Anders Forest: The natural border of the northern edge of the city, this dense forest is teeming with wildlife. There's a few trails and a park or two along the edge of it, but for the most part the forest is unexplored, with parts of it being sectioned off by high fences. Obviously, someone's bought large parts of it.
Moosetrail Forest: The western natural border of Esterridge City, Moosetrail is less dense than Anders, but certainly no less wild. There's an old trail that winds through it, but lately large portions of Moosetrail were fenced up to prevent convincts from the prison upstate getting into town.
Esterridge Mountains: The landmark that gives the city its name. The Esterridge Mountains are rugged portions of the closeby Rockies, and for the most part the only feasible passes are worn and not in use anymore. Once, in the 1920s, there used to be extensive use of these passes by the military, but once they left the passes fell into disrepair, and the denizens of the city rarely attempted to explore the sheer and dangerous mountains.
Esterridge Pass: South, near the main outgoing road, Esterridge Pass runs through the tamer part of the mountains. Because it's a major way into the city itself aside from the low road, a toll booth and guardhouse was erected by the midrange of the pass, along with a large ten foot rolling fence. Because this pass leads into the pine forests of midstate, this is a favored route of campers.
Grandwell Mansion: An enormous mansion and grounds, including extensive servants quarters, a mill, barns, and a dilapidated tower. Grandwell Mansion grounds cover easily two city blocks' in area, and while everyone knows of it, few if any have ever been beyond the massive stone gates and wall. Arthur Grandwell, the current heir and town elite, still lives here.
Precinct: The Esterridge police precinct is an ancient buidling from the city's earliest days, reaching four stories tall, complete with statues and massive pillars out front. The inside is furnished in the old style, complete with old hardwood floors, beautiful donated paintings, and a more recent addition- electronic steel security doors.
Town Square: Site of parades, marches, carnivals and so on, the town square is the proverbial heart of the city. It's a large expanse of cobblestone and elaborate fountains and statues just across from the precinct.
Restraunt Row: A series of fine restraunts, cafes and diners all strung along the eastern edge of town square. Particularly a hot spot for out-of-towners, Restraunt Row is one of the busier parts of the city.
The Mall: Need I say more? K-Mart, Sears, etc. You need your dose of uber commercialism, it's here.
Museum: A minor museum of American history, the Esterridge Museum is old and quaint, with plenty of western hemisphere themes. Generally, it's a quiet place, being more a subject of interest for the older generations.
Corporate Sector: Out in the less travelled area of the city, the so-called "Corporate Sector" is a lot of otherwise useless land and space leased to large mills, manufacturers, and other small businesses. The headquarters of Andromeda Pharmaceuticals sits atop a hill, northeast here.
Old Esterridge: An older portion of town, here are a lot of 60+ year old houses, old little shops, and the only gas station in town that features just one pump. Old Esterridge is where a large concentration of the senior community is, and everything here is more of a "smalltown" feel.
Zoo: Esterridge's pride and joy, the zoo is a modern edition to the city, complete with wild cats, boars, bears, and even an elephant- a recent arrival. The schools in the city make regular trips here, so everyone is familiar with its layout.
Wealthy Sector: Or "Gold Pheasant Run", is nestled in the hills near the mountains. The homes here are beyond extravangant, with the shops being priced for kings and the school being ultramodern and of course- exclusive. Most of the major city officials and celebrities live here, including the mayor, Mr. Donovan.
Poor Man's Lake: The lake originally was a centerpiece of the city back when it was a small frontier town in the late 1800s. In light of the nearby growth of a wealthy part of town, the common people took to calling it "Poor Man's Lake" in mockery of the wealthy homes that tower over it from the east. It's older, more proper name is Tamerlane's Lake.
Esterridge Library: Another ancient building, the library rises three large storeys, and is easily one of the most recognizable buildings in the city. With an extensive collection and excellent design, it's a favorite hang out for high school kids with bookish interests.
Lakeside Apartments: The lower middle-class place to live, Lakeside Apartments overlook Poor Man's Lake and Jacobsen Middle School just west of the city library.
Main Street Strip: Heavy with fast-food restraunts, modern stores, and even a few bars and clubs, the main drag or Main Street Strip is the young person's hang out, where they can pretend that they live in the new century and in an up-to-date city. It's also notorious for horrid traffic and the light at Main and Seventh is apparently the longest light in history.
Old Army Barracks: Formerly barracks used when the army was a strong presence in the city (Back in the 40s), they have since been boarded up and sealed off via fences by the national government following the closure of the Korean War. It's a common hazing practice to send newbies into the barracks to bring back some army item or relic. Few, however, make it over the barbed fence.
Low Income Sector: In the lowlands, this area of town is where the majority of rental homes, trailers, and section-eight apartments reside. It's hardly dangerous in comparison with a large metro-city area, but definately seedier than the rest of town.
Forest Side Place: This development was made during the 50s and 60s, when Hoovervilles in the east were paving the way for identical and affordable housing. A picture perfect image of suburbia, this is where the majority of the middle class lives in a small city bliss. Think Edward Scissorhands type suburbs.
*** zomg! I forgot to add the hospital! Consider it just behind the precinct in location. I'll add it later.
Attention, newcomers to the RP: Make sure you go over the point system and make a complete bio. In addition to the character's name and physical description, I want to know the following:
- Home location. If they're from in town or out of town, specifically. I need to know how much knowledge they have of the city.
- Motivations. I don't really care if you write up how bubbly, badass, or brooding your character is; I simply want to know if they have any goals they are trying to achieve during the crisis. Are they trying to locate grandma? Save Scruffy? Steal that one of a kind Babe Ruth card from the card shop?
- Equipment. Refer to the point system. If you want them to have something miscellaneous and relatively nonuseful (Wallet, keys to home, picture of girlfriend, big foam finger), also add that.
- Fighting experience. And be knowledgable about this. If you insist that your 21 year old skateboarding, school skipping only child is a master in the arcane art of Kung Pow, you'd better be able to explain why AND be able to demonstrate good knowledge of the art in your post. I will manhandle amateur's who attempt combat routines beyond their apparent abaility. Also, fighting < surviving. Keep your priorities straight.
- Illnesses, phobias, etc. This is something I didn't think to ask the original group, but definately submit this to me if any at all applies. We can always have fun here.
- Anything else you can think of. I'd rather you write me a novel than a short story if it gets the job done.
Once I've approved the character sheet, save a copy somewhere (I'll also keep a copy), and post only the most basic of character information here (As the others have done). Then, I'll make you an introductory post and the ball's rolling.
Enjoy!
Pure Evil Intro
Okay, so I've been starving to make a horror plot that is creepier than just zombies, or just ghosts, or just some dude with a mask and a lack of empathy. I wanted something that takes the subject of evil and unearths all its worst features and minions in one unusual setting.
What did I choose? Eastern Europe, October 15th (October equus), 1814.
Let me describe the plot in a few sections dealing with specific issues, followed by a writing sample I cooked up to give you a feel for the setting itself:
More About the Setting.
The main action takes place in a small, backwater village near Braşov, Transylvania. The nation itself is not a nation at this point, but a grand principality under the dominion of the Hapsburgs of Austria. Europe itself is just beginning to let out its breath, as Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba. This is the early 1800s, and to get a feel for the era, you may want to consult some sources:
- Wikipedia, of course. This can help with any general questions you may have.
- Media. Specifically, movies about or near to the era, such as The Count of Monte Cristo, Sleepy Hollow, and The Duellists, to name a few.
- Books. Bram Stoker's Dracula depicts a late 1800s Transylvania, and helps set a mood. Others I couldn't specify as of the time of this posting, but they are definately out there.
How will this RP be conducted?
I traditionally prefer storyteller-led RPs over complete freeform, and for this particular RP I fully intend to fulfill the role of storyteller. What does this mean? Well, basically, you who participate will be players in the plot, while I will engineer all its twists, changes, and NPC/atmosphere interactions. To give you a (brief and concisely written) example, see below:
Player: (Playing as the daugher of a Russian nobleman, Alexia) Her heels clicked on the floorboards as she made her way slowly into the farmhouse. Still clutching the shovel in shaking, chilled hands, she keeps her eyes ever searching.
Storyteller: The room is covered with soot and what appears to be dried blood. As you walk, dust kicks up with each step, and the creaking of the floorboards echoes more than you'd appreciate. Directly ahead, two wooden chairs are arranged before a fireplace, both partially burnt. Looking closer, you see the charred remains of an old man prone before the fireplace, and by his side a long, seemingly ancient rifle. It too, is burnt beyond further recognition.
^ Simply, as players, you would control only your own characters. Elaborating or describing the environment, dictating the behaviors of NPCs/beasts/etc. would all be my duty as storyteller. Likewise, interactions will be a bit different. If you wanted to, say, move a lever or pick up an item in the environment, you would first declare the action, and let me handle the end result (Whether or not you could actually muster up the strength to move the lever, or perhaps it was stuck, perhaps it makes the door open, etc. On the second example, perhaps the item you wish to pick up is for a reason or another, immovable.). This same applies for battle actions (Attacking a ghoul, for example): you may declare an attack, but I would determine whether or not it would work.
Some of you who are unfamiliar with this approach or have had a bad experience or two with it may be thinking this sounds like a bad idea. Well, at the very least humor me. I've done it plenty of times before with amazing results, and I personally find that the approach is much more accomodating to casual roleplayers or roleplayers who, due to creative restraints or time/real life restraints, can't always muster up the energy and time to make a full freeform post. At the very least, I ask that if you're interested please try it. You lose nothing by simply trying.
How can I make my character?
Mortal. Non-supernatural. The idea of horror is to be at the mercy of forces greater than you are, and to have a semblance of fear and uncertainty. For this reason, you can only make characters who are relatively normal (With a few exceptions I'll list below). I'll first request that you submit to me via PM a character sheet. This sheet will include the following: detailed character description; character history (It need not be a book, but at least something describing who your character is and where they're coming from); items they are carrying; any type of special skills (For example, Character X was a former blacksmith, or in the army, or can play music). If you're approved, you're in. If you're not approved, I'll explain to you exactly what it was about your character sheet that needs a bit of reworking.
You may request to have one of the following "gifts", if you can provide a good history and/or explanation for your character acquiring them. They, along with your character sheet, must be approved, of course. If you accept one of them, it will be implemented into your roleplay, though in a manner you might not expect. For example, if you can read auras, you can attempt to do it, but whether or not it succeeds will be up to the storyteller (Read: moi). Likewise, it may spontaneously kick in when you least expect it, such as during a traumatic event or in an unholy place. Consider it a chosen plot device, if you will. The list is as follows:
- Aura reading (The ability, of course, to read auras)
- Clairaudience (The ability to hear things outside of the normal human range)
- Clairsentience (The ability to perceive energy fields, including those of ghosts and of auras. Please note that it is not as effective nor as complete as Aura reading in perceiving and recognizing auras. However, it is excellent for being able to "feel" things with one's mind.)
- Precognition (The most random of the gifts, this allows one to have a vision of a future event. How that vision is shown and when, however, is not under your control)
- Retrocognition (The ability to perceive events from the past due to handling objects, or being in certain places.)
- Hypersensitivity (This is less of a gift then more of a curse. Hypersensitive individuals are not aware of their own abilities that transcend normal human means, and they are often victim to the supernatural due to their ability to perceive them. This is not advised for someone who wants an "easy time" at this RP. To elaborate further on this ability, being hypersensitive simply means you have the gift to perceive the dead and the like, but you cannot control it. You're effectively an amateur at ESP.)
Just to snag attention from those of you who like to skim (And yes, I do it myself all the time): Please read the section on making a character!
Anything else I should know? I have a question! Wait, what about this...
Hey, ask it here. I love answering questions. It's how I spread my vast wisdom and knowledge to the outside world. Anyways, yes, ask away. If you need clarification, advise, etc., please ask me.
Now, for the writing sample
The minutes stretched into hours as he plowed through the tall grass, fighting his way past vile low-hanging branches and the occasional exposed root. He was certain of three things: he was tired; he was frustrated; and he was absolutely lost. The moon broke through the trees overhead now and again, reminding him that it was well past the time he was supposed to be at the lord’s manor. Even if the manor was just past the next brace of trees, he’d need an hour more to clean the mud from his riding boots.
“Damn that horse!” Julian swore for perhaps the fourth time. His saber was out and hacking the offending foliage with a swiftness and decisiveness that only impatience and anger can bring about. Julian Beaumont was formerly Lieutenant Julian Beaumont of the British Army, and up until this past April, had been active in the war against that French brute, Napoleon, alongside many of his countrymen. The young man (If twenty nine years of age could be considerably young) was a thin figure, long and pale. His hair was blond, almost colorless, and it in turn gave his skin an almost yellow hue due to its contrast. His eyes, however, were bastions of color, shimmering blue like the oceans off of some Caribbean isle. Currently, he was clean shaven, though it had been nearly a day since he had done his toilet, and hair was already beginning to reclaim its lost territory.
“Damn him!” More snarls of bitterness. It had been a week since he had set foot in this backwater Austrian holding, and he was more than fed up with the conditions here. Foolish mission if there ever was one. Edmund Settler, his old friend and schoolmate, had asked him a peculiar favor: to deliver a book and letter to a Lord Aphotos von Eiferer . von Eiferer was an Austrian noble currently acting as governor for the Hapsburgs in the area near Braşov, Transylvania. With one hand clutching his satchel (Itself containing his additional clothes and goods along with his package), the other hewing trees and brush alike, Julian continued his long and cold trek. It was nearly mid-October, and the pre-winter chill was upon him in a rush. Not that the journey would have been any warmer had he still be on his horse, but he still cursed that his horse had fouled him. Thinking back to that moment, about four hours ago, Julian was still confused as to exactly what had happened...
Once he had arrived at Braşov, he had changed horses at a local stable, paying a good sum for what he considered to be a worthless ride. The strange, dirty stable boy who had received his money looked at him with haunting, dark eyes, muttering something in his native tongue. Julian’s luck had only gone downhill from then. Taking the lad’s directions, the soldier then rode due east, up through the surprisingly unforgiving hills towards what he expected was the only real way to the lord’s private manor. Cursing why the nobility should ever be so estranged from reality as to choose their domains so far from civilization, the British lieutenant soon lost his way as the trail turned to thick woods, and it was nearly nightfall when the horse suddenly heaved to the side, sending him flying. After gathering his wits and moving to check the horse, he found it was dead. Stone dead. And no amount of kicking nor swearing was about to move it, either.
Since then, he had picked the general direction of the lord’s manor and begun his trek, using his saber to clear the way when he could. He’d been forced to leave a good deal of his equipment with the dead animal, but what he managed to squirrel away should be enough for the trip, he thought. Time dragged on, and currently he was feeling nothing but loathing and vengeance regarding his luck at the hands of a ‘damned stable hand’. However, his luck was about to change yet again.
Julian emerged into a small clearing, the night sky suddenly opening up before him as though he were about to ascend into its starry depths and leave this mortal world forever. The full moon’s cool light shone on the ground before him, and what he saw made him instantly retch.
Bodies. At least ten of them. Each was tied to a stake, with their entrails hanging out. The eyes had been apparently burned away, as though someone had jabbed them with a hot poker. And the arms and legs were shredded due to what could be taken as struggling against the rope binding them to their fate. The stakes were arranged in a diamond shape, with the closest being a girl not older than perhaps her late teens. Her dirty blonde hair waved sadly in the wind, her mouth locked in a cry of anguish so deep and so complete that Hades himself would be hard-pressed to deny her succor. As he recovered himself, Julian noted her simple, peasant clothing, stained with both blood and filth. Her legs were bare, as were her feet, and he could see that she had been worked mercilessly during her life before she met this foul end. Behind her on either side were two more peasants, each similarly tied and disemboweled. As he looked closer, the Englishman noted symbols burned into their foreheads.... Different symbols for each.
“What in God’s name...” He began, but was cut short by an unearthly howl. It was returned by several others, and Julian, his gloved hands now feeling a cold sweat, brought up his saber as though he meant to attack the very dark itself. “I have to get out of here.” He hissed, and began running forward, giving the macabre array a wide berth.
Twenty more minutes of hacking through the thick woods and adrenaline-fueled running, and Julian Beaumont came almost without warning from the clutches of the dark wood. He stumbled into the malevolent night air again, with the moon showing the land before him. A village. He saw dozens of homes that were primitive even in his own time. Some with incomplete or damaged roofs and walls, some with thatched roofs, and some even with rude wood pillars supporting the awnings. At first, he saw no one living, his breath taking form in the air as the chill set in further. His hands, still clinging to his blade, were wet from the fear. Then, he saw a figure, seemingly wrapped in shadow, move alongside one of the small barns. He dropped down, watching it intently, until the figure happened to appear in the moonlight.
It was the boy, his pale face seeming dark due to his large, brown eyes. His matted hair hung about as though he’d never given it a second thought. His clothes were still in near-tatters as Julian remembered, and as the man watched, the treacherous stable boy disappeared into one of the nearest houses. Julian gritted his teeth.
“What is going on here?” He stepped forward into the moonlight, and it seemed to him almost as if the very fabric of what was real rippled, causing his hair to stand up on end. As he walked slowly towards the rustic old farmhouse, Julian couldn’t help but feel that his wretched luck was only going to get worse...
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Bio Hazard Intro
Basics you need to consider for signing up:
1- You do not need to know much about zombie movies or the Resident Evil series to play. In fact, you can be totally in the dark on both and still enjoy and play this RP.
2- I'll do the storytelling, you provide the in-character acting. If you want to try something you're unsure or, or you need a question answered, PM me. OOC posts, while sometimes helpful, detract from the action. In the future (Once the thread is opened up) if you have a question or answer that everyone must see, post it here, as opposed to the RP thread.
3- If one character interacts with another, I don't interfere for the most part.
4- Characters have to be preapproved by me. You cannot be Super Wesker with the Arsenel of Gods and the Pickaxe of Slaying +99. I despise munchkinism and I slay their characters without mercy.
5- If you have suggestions, questions, or gripes, post them here.
And lastly...
6- Yes, this game is about zombies, ghouls, and other things that freak you out. More in-depth details in a bit.
Alright, to save time and really, because it makes a good deal of sense, I'm going to use Wilde's points system for character start-up. The reason for this is to ensure a balanced starting character. For the first part, weaponry, you most first allocate points. If you say, put three points in, you may choose ONE item from the three point category, two from the two point category, or all from the first.
Starting points for characters are 12. Use them wisely
Ranking/ Description:
X You have nothing particularly useful as of right now. Why?
* You have a hand weapon, such as a hunting knife or claw hammer; enough food for a meal; or a cheap first-aid kit.
** You have a fully loaded light pistol or revolver; enough food for two meals; or a well-stocked first-aid kit.
*** You have a loaded light pistol or revolver, and a spare clip; a loaded heavy pistol or revolver; enough food for three meals; or a bag filled with medical equipment.
**** You've managed to lay hold of a pump-action shotgun, although you've only the shells that are in it at the moment; a heavy pistol/revolver with a spare clip; a light pistol/revolver with two spare clips/speed loaders; enough food for four meals; or some scarce medical equipment, such as morphine, synthetic adrenaline, antibiotics, and plenty of mundane stuff.
***** You have something heavy, like a fully loaded submachinegun; a light pistol/revolver with three spare clips/speed loaders; a heavy pistol/revolver with two spare clips/speed loaders; enough food for five meals; or the medical kit out of the back of an ambulance.
Equipment/ Suggested Point Value:
Swiss Army knife 1
Roll of duct tape 1
Access to a working automobile 3
Access to a working, larger vehicle (truck, van, SUV) 4
Access to a working "tank" (garbage truck, semi, etc.) 5
Set of lockpicks 3
Police-issue lock gun 4
Small toolbox
(the basics: hammer, screwdriver, pliers, etc.) 2
Large toolbox
(tools for almost any situation) 4
Pepper spray 1
Taser 2
Protective clothing 1 per garment, max. 2
Body armor
(i.e. a cop's bulletproof vest) 1 per garment, max. 3
Crossbow 3
Lighter 1
Flashlight 1
Small chainsaw 3
Large chainsaw 4
Tranquilizer rifle 2
Laptop computer 1
Loyal attack dog 3
Night-vision goggles 4
One clip hollowpoint rounds [Accompanying firearm] +1
One clip Glaser safety rounds [Accompanying firearm] +2
Morphine, per dose, 1
Roller blades 1
Crowbar 1
Musical instrument 1
(For any other suggestions on items, please ask me and I will assign an appropriate point price)
Abilities
- Abilities are simple: you can spend up to three points in any one category. First point is basic knowledge. Second is experienced. And third is mastery. For example, if you go to pick a lock and you have one point, you may pick it on the first try. Two points? You should be able to get it more often than not. Three points? That lock was unopened the minute you saw it.
Pick-Pocketing
Lockpicking
Hotwiring
Hacking
Car Mechanics
Brawling
Melee Fighting
Firearms
Demolitions
Swimming
Metalwork/Woodwork (Please choose one)
Academics (This would grant you knowledge into certain fields that most would not have)
(And of course, any others you can think of, please ask. I haven't completed this list, so consider it a work in progress.)
**** IMPORTANT- When you select a firearm, find the exact name of it so I can reference how much ammo you should have, the stopping power of your gun, and size, etc.
Description and introductory post from over at DTF, simply for the sake of info and getting a feel for the place.
Esterridge City, Oregon... Hardly the apex of civilization if you ask anyone outside of Esterridge, of course. It had everything a city needed: a grand hospital; a large sprawling wooded park; an ancient precinct; a historic library; fine schools... Geographically it was isolated however. The mountains for which the city was named made up a natural eastern barrier. Thick, dense woods covered the north and the west. The area south was a long highway that winded out of this mountanous area and back down into the low-lying stretch of land that embraced the shore of the Pacific ocean. Yes, a very nice city. About ten thousand souls lived here.
Most died here.
Esterridge's isolation had been its utter downfall. Help never arrived to evacuate the survivors. In fact, the lines to the outside world were effectively cut. It was as though someone had tried to contain the disaster, at the expense of the human life within the community. The entire process of infection took perhaps a week, though really when it began one could only guess.
By the time word had got out that it wasn't just a series of riots or isolated events, the city roads to the south and out had been barricaded by the police to restore order. They acted with an uncharacteristic abandon for human life, and martial law was declared by the mayor, Mister Donovan. The police opened fire on Wednesday, October 26, four days ago. Since then, chaos has reigned. Parts of Esterridge have burned, riots have ensued. The virus that brings them back... it rages on. The streets are thick with them, and the exits are sealed. It's as if no one wants us to survive...
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Allan was a lawyer. His expertise was in finding loopholes in testimony, or in finding well-hidden lies in people's truths. Right about now he was trying to find a way into this damn library.
"Dammit..."
The windows were boarded up. Door was barricaded. It was a lost cause. He didn't need to linger another moment in the street, but he had nowhere to go. Not since Anne had changed...
He shuddered at the not-so-distant memory. His hand clenched around the crowbar. Sweat poured down the back of his collared white shirt. His hushed curse thankfully hadn't attracted any of them, but if he used the crowbar to work his way in, he'd have them swarming. Allan ran his fingers through his thinning hair. He wasn't used to this. This... mess.
The piercing scream of a woman somewhere in the distance echoed in the darkness, breaking him from his ranting reverie. He looked around, frantically, and suddenly noticed a window that was slightly open on the second floor. As fortune apparently decided to shine on him, there was a tree very close to the window; all he had to do was climb it, and he could get in!
He wasted no time, hurling himself up onto the tree and climbing up with strength borne not of exercise or training but of desperation and frustration at the alternative. Within a few minutes he was precariously perched on the branch, inching his way towards the window. The tree was older than he was by far, and was sturdy, but he felt it shake beneath his weight. With a curse, he finally flung himself forward, grabbing hold of the window edge, his legs hitting the wall hard.
The pain was unbelievable, and he literally saw stars before his eyes. He hung there for a moment, oblivious to all but the fact that his knee caps were definately bruised and possibly damaged worse than that. He hauled himself up and into the window, pushing his way past the clumsy thick drapes. Crawling in onto a tabletop, he knocked over a small lamp, its touch of light splaying across the room. Before him, Allan noticed the disarray of books and papers, chairs tossed about, and a rather fresh bloody handprint on the wall...
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/5259/esterridgemapbeta2hf.jpg
The following is the basic description of the major landmarks in the map above. Please note that the map above is uh... horribly done, so don't take the shapes or placements to be 100% accurate. Keep in mind that this information is what the average citizen of the city would be aware of regarding each landmark.
Anders Forest: The natural border of the northern edge of the city, this dense forest is teeming with wildlife. There's a few trails and a park or two along the edge of it, but for the most part the forest is unexplored, with parts of it being sectioned off by high fences. Obviously, someone's bought large parts of it.
Moosetrail Forest: The western natural border of Esterridge City, Moosetrail is less dense than Anders, but certainly no less wild. There's an old trail that winds through it, but lately large portions of Moosetrail were fenced up to prevent convincts from the prison upstate getting into town.
Esterridge Mountains: The landmark that gives the city its name. The Esterridge Mountains are rugged portions of the closeby Rockies, and for the most part the only feasible passes are worn and not in use anymore. Once, in the 1920s, there used to be extensive use of these passes by the military, but once they left the passes fell into disrepair, and the denizens of the city rarely attempted to explore the sheer and dangerous mountains.
Esterridge Pass: South, near the main outgoing road, Esterridge Pass runs through the tamer part of the mountains. Because it's a major way into the city itself aside from the low road, a toll booth and guardhouse was erected by the midrange of the pass, along with a large ten foot rolling fence. Because this pass leads into the pine forests of midstate, this is a favored route of campers.
Grandwell Mansion: An enormous mansion and grounds, including extensive servants quarters, a mill, barns, and a dilapidated tower. Grandwell Mansion grounds cover easily two city blocks' in area, and while everyone knows of it, few if any have ever been beyond the massive stone gates and wall. Arthur Grandwell, the current heir and town elite, still lives here.
Precinct: The Esterridge police precinct is an ancient buidling from the city's earliest days, reaching four stories tall, complete with statues and massive pillars out front. The inside is furnished in the old style, complete with old hardwood floors, beautiful donated paintings, and a more recent addition- electronic steel security doors.
Town Square: Site of parades, marches, carnivals and so on, the town square is the proverbial heart of the city. It's a large expanse of cobblestone and elaborate fountains and statues just across from the precinct.
Restraunt Row: A series of fine restraunts, cafes and diners all strung along the eastern edge of town square. Particularly a hot spot for out-of-towners, Restraunt Row is one of the busier parts of the city.
The Mall: Need I say more? K-Mart, Sears, etc. You need your dose of uber commercialism, it's here.
Museum: A minor museum of American history, the Esterridge Museum is old and quaint, with plenty of western hemisphere themes. Generally, it's a quiet place, being more a subject of interest for the older generations.
Corporate Sector: Out in the less travelled area of the city, the so-called "Corporate Sector" is a lot of otherwise useless land and space leased to large mills, manufacturers, and other small businesses. The headquarters of Andromeda Pharmaceuticals sits atop a hill, northeast here.
Old Esterridge: An older portion of town, here are a lot of 60+ year old houses, old little shops, and the only gas station in town that features just one pump. Old Esterridge is where a large concentration of the senior community is, and everything here is more of a "smalltown" feel.
Zoo: Esterridge's pride and joy, the zoo is a modern edition to the city, complete with wild cats, boars, bears, and even an elephant- a recent arrival. The schools in the city make regular trips here, so everyone is familiar with its layout.
Wealthy Sector: Or "Gold Pheasant Run", is nestled in the hills near the mountains. The homes here are beyond extravangant, with the shops being priced for kings and the school being ultramodern and of course- exclusive. Most of the major city officials and celebrities live here, including the mayor, Mr. Donovan.
Poor Man's Lake: The lake originally was a centerpiece of the city back when it was a small frontier town in the late 1800s. In light of the nearby growth of a wealthy part of town, the common people took to calling it "Poor Man's Lake" in mockery of the wealthy homes that tower over it from the east. It's older, more proper name is Tamerlane's Lake.
Esterridge Library: Another ancient building, the library rises three large storeys, and is easily one of the most recognizable buildings in the city. With an extensive collection and excellent design, it's a favorite hang out for high school kids with bookish interests.
Lakeside Apartments: The lower middle-class place to live, Lakeside Apartments overlook Poor Man's Lake and Jacobsen Middle School just west of the city library.
Main Street Strip: Heavy with fast-food restraunts, modern stores, and even a few bars and clubs, the main drag or Main Street Strip is the young person's hang out, where they can pretend that they live in the new century and in an up-to-date city. It's also notorious for horrid traffic and the light at Main and Seventh is apparently the longest light in history.
Old Army Barracks: Formerly barracks used when the army was a strong presence in the city (Back in the 40s), they have since been boarded up and sealed off via fences by the national government following the closure of the Korean War. It's a common hazing practice to send newbies into the barracks to bring back some army item or relic. Few, however, make it over the barbed fence.
Low Income Sector: In the lowlands, this area of town is where the majority of rental homes, trailers, and section-eight apartments reside. It's hardly dangerous in comparison with a large metro-city area, but definately seedier than the rest of town.
Forest Side Place: This development was made during the 50s and 60s, when Hoovervilles in the east were paving the way for identical and affordable housing. A picture perfect image of suburbia, this is where the majority of the middle class lives in a small city bliss. Think Edward Scissorhands type suburbs.
*** zomg! I forgot to add the hospital! Consider it just behind the precinct in location. I'll add it later.
Attention, newcomers to the RP: Make sure you go over the point system and make a complete bio. In addition to the character's name and physical description, I want to know the following:
- Home location. If they're from in town or out of town, specifically. I need to know how much knowledge they have of the city.
- Motivations. I don't really care if you write up how bubbly, badass, or brooding your character is; I simply want to know if they have any goals they are trying to achieve during the crisis. Are they trying to locate grandma? Save Scruffy? Steal that one of a kind Babe Ruth card from the card shop?
- Equipment. Refer to the point system. If you want them to have something miscellaneous and relatively nonuseful (Wallet, keys to home, picture of girlfriend, big foam finger), also add that.
- Fighting experience. And be knowledgable about this. If you insist that your 21 year old skateboarding, school skipping only child is a master in the arcane art of Kung Pow, you'd better be able to explain why AND be able to demonstrate good knowledge of the art in your post. I will manhandle amateur's who attempt combat routines beyond their apparent abaility. Also, fighting < surviving. Keep your priorities straight.
- Illnesses, phobias, etc. This is something I didn't think to ask the original group, but definately submit this to me if any at all applies. We can always have fun here.
- Anything else you can think of. I'd rather you write me a novel than a short story if it gets the job done.
Once I've approved the character sheet, save a copy somewhere (I'll also keep a copy), and post only the most basic of character information here (As the others have done). Then, I'll make you an introductory post and the ball's rolling.
Enjoy!