Zaroas
Posts : 23
Join date : 2014-08-31
Location : The Rift
 | Subject: Midnight (OOC)  Sat Sep 13, 2014 1:48 am | |
| Midnight
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” -Plato _________________________________________________________________________ The storm had begun as a light drizzle in the afternoon, but by dusk it had become a torrential downpour, drowning out the various lights of the city of Areundel and creating a monotonous atmosphere of depressing gray, save for the sporadic flashes of lightning. On nights like this, the stronghold-like settlement was rather peaceful, asides from the occasional break-in and the ever busy docks. It was rare that the Areundel Guard had to traverse into the lightly flooded streets on these occurrences, though the final hours of October 12th was no regular night regardless. The sound of two steam engines barely cut through the deafening rainfall as a pair of police motorcycles made their way carefully through the streets, weaving in and out of alleys to cut down on travel time. Their worn wheels broke through the shallow waters created by the precipitation with ease, though the vehicles could easily lose traction on the cobblestone roads. A bolt of lightning temporarily illuminated the destination of the two Areundel Guard officers with ominous pale light, a foreboding thunderous clap following shortly after. Multitudes of water droplets ran off of the slate roof of the two story house, the coloration of its brick exterior darkened by moisture. The building was sparingly illuminated - The lights of kerosene lamps burned through only two windows, both on the bottom floor. Sergeant John Harte and Constable Henry Sturgis III stopped their individual vehicles, the suppressed droning of the engines ceasing and paused for a moment to observe the scene, despite the distasteful weather. Sergeant Harte was a grizzled veteran of the Guard, having been a member of the force for many years and bearing many scars of service. He had a somewhat stocky build, though wasn’t quite considered large. From a pouch on the right side of his waist he took out a small bronze lighter and a cigar, carefully placing the latter in his mouth and lighting it, shielding the flame from the invasive and ever present water with his left hand. The red glow of the cigar illuminated his face, revealing rugged features, a brown beard that was once cleanly shaven, and hazel eyes that revealed his weariness. The smoke of the cigar drifted upwards and curled off the tip of his police hat, though this was interrupted by John releasing the object from the grip of his badly chapped lips and blowing outwards. The dull smoke let out was quickly lost within the unrelenting rainstorm. Constable Sturgis III, on the other hand, was rather new to the Guard, having completed his training only months prior to October 12th. Despite this, he was a good officer, altruistic and capable; though his clumsiness, especially with firearms, sometimes overshadowed this. He was rather thin, with almost sickly pale skin and straw-like blonde hair. He stood there in the rain for a while, observing his surroundings with curious ocean-blue eyes. Henry seemed calm on the outside, though he was actually quite worried and fearful internally. These types of emotions typically arose on patrols, calls, or otherwise. As if seeking reassurance, he rotated towards John and took a deep breath in. “So, why are we here again?” He asked, his voice slightly shaky. He already knew the answer, but wanted to confirm within himself that all would be fine. John took a drag on his cigar and slowly exhaled once it was out of his mouth, placed between his right index and middle fingers. “We got a call from the neighbors in that house over there,” He began, motioning towards a similarly designed structure to the right of the building. “There was a lot of noise coming from over here, and it didn’t sound pleasant. It’s typical, I’ve come by here a lot with other officers.” Henry frowned, staring at the house opposite them with anxiety. “What for?” “It’s tragic, really,” John sighed, gesturing towards it with his right hand, still holding the cigar. “Mr. Anderson over here lost his job at one of the refineries in the East Quarter. The fumes got to him; his lungs aren’t what they used to be. He hit the bottle in his misery. In his drunken fits of rage, he takes out his anger on his wife and son – He used to have two, but one died in a whaling accident. Lot of domestic violence and abuse, and more often than not, we’re the only ones standing in the way of him and a truly tragic story.” He looked down longingly at the cigar, wanting to take another smoke, but decided against it. He dropped it into the street, and the thin sheet of water flowing around his feet finally extinguished it. “Let’s get this over with. If this is what it usually is, it won’t take long at all. I’ve been meaning to arrest him for a while anyways, and never got my chance because the men I’m usually on patrol with don’t have the guts to let me do my job… Or something.” The pair approached the house with quick and purposeful steps, finally seeking shelter from the onslaught of the storm. They reached the door; an old wooden one, with a rusted iron knocker in the shape of a lion and a comparatively new doorknob. There was a faded layer of white paint, washed away with time and rain. John turned to Henry, grinning halfheartedly. “Son, I understand your anxiety. I was once the same way, though perhaps a bit more gung-ho. I’ll handle this one, it happens often enough regardless. You just sit there and watch.” The Constable nodded, and John rotated his body back towards the door. Clenching his right hand, he rapped the door hard with his fist three times. “Mr. Anderson,” He shouted in a stern, authoritative voice. “Open up, it’s the Guard!” He lit another cigar from his bag, unable to resist the temptation of another smoke, and looked back to Henry. “With these kind of men, you have to be firm and absolute. None of the forgiveness and gentle crap.” They waited for another minute before the Sergeant grew frustrated, banging the door another four times. “Mr. Anderson!” His voice was not met with a reply. Clearly impatient following another half a minute, John tried to use the knob to find it unlocked. It creaked open slowly as the two officers stepped inside. What they found caused the cigar to drop out of John’s mouth from shock and made Henry almost scream in fear. Two bodies lay on the wood floor of the house’s foyer, both meticulously placed side by side with their legs and arms straight. A thick pool of combined deep red blood was under them, however for the most part it appeared that the bodies were partially drained of fluid. They were, however, clearly identifiable as Mrs. Anderson and Charles Anderson, the son of thirteen years. The former’s plain light pink dress was torn up in many areas and was stained bright red across the stomach, as if it had been slashed by something. On the other hand, Charles did not have any visible injuries, though one could tell most of the blood pooled up on the floor had come from his backside. The faces of both were locked in terrified screams, though their eyes had been shut. The two officers were silent for a while, simply staring at the scene. John, grinding up the end of his cigar with his leather boot, overcame his initial surprise relatively quickly and knelt to better observe. Peering closely at Mrs. Anderson, he noticed a couple things. “Henry,” He whispered, looking up at the young officer. “Look. She’s covered with… teeth and bite injuries.” He pointed to several areas of the body that appeared to have been punctured, ripped, and torn. Henry, his eyes wide with fear and voice full of unadulterated terror, could only respond meekly. “Like… From a man?” He asked. John shook his head. “No…” He trailed off, his eyes wandering off into the distance. “It’s more like a wolf or a bear.” He averted his attention to Charles, and noticed the same type of injuries, albeit with less frequency. He frowned, thinking as he stood back up. “What the hell could have done something like this?” This was met by Henry’s shaky finger pointing in the direction of roughly carpeted stairs leading to the second floor. They had been freshly stained with blood; it looked as though something had been dragged up it recently. John slowly approached the trail of blood, attempting to make sure none of the floorboards creaked with each step. He looked closely at the blood, observing it, before saying, “It’s fresh.” The Sergeant reached behind his back and grabbed the large shotgun slung across it, with a sawed off barrel. The weapon was made of iron, bronze, and oak wood for the stock, handle, and other parts, and the metal areas had been recently polished. He pumped it, a finger already placed precariously on the trigger. It was clear that John was ready for trouble. “Keep quiet, and close,” He breathed, beckoning for Henry to come close as he began his ascent up the stairs. The pair’s collective fear gradually grew as they continued upwards. About halfway up, a loud thump could be heard from above, as if a large weight had been dropped onto the floor. John hesitated for a moment, inhaling sharply, but then took another step forward. Henry shook with fear, glancing anxiously at the only thing lighting their way – His kerosene lamp, the flame of which was now rather small and dim. A guttural scream sounded out, and Henry jumped, nearly dropping it. John’s eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth, continuing on. It wasn’t before long when the pair reached the darkened room from which the noise had come from. Even with the lamp, the darkness was overpowering, choking out their sight and magnifying their fears. It was completely silent save for the breath of both officers and the pattering of rain. As John stepped a foot inside the room, the wind howled like a blood curdling scream, sending chills up their spines, their fear spreading its roots within them. The pair continued onwards into the room, unable to make out their surroundings with the limited sight available. In the house of the Andersons, darkness and the unknown consumed all, but gradually. They gnawed away at your senses, your feelings, and your very sanity. And then, suddenly, they were blessed and cursed by the flash of lightning outside of the window. It brilliantly lit up the room, revealing all within it. The first thing that John and Henry could see, in the split second of agonizing light, was that this was a bedroom. The second was the body hanging from the ceiling by its feet. Much of Mr. Anderson’s remains had been torn, ripped apart by something, and his skin and flesh bore the same injuries of his family. The room was splattered with his blood, a rather messy job. Thirdly, John believed he had seen someone or something huddling in the opposite corner of the room. The return of the dark, the crash of thunder immediately following, and the terrified cries of Henry (who had been unable to mask his fear fully, of course) disoriented the Sergeant greatly as he brought his shotgun up and aimed steadily into the room, sweeping it for movement. A shift in the shadows brought him to pull the trigger. The room lit up with a flash, albeit less bright, once more, though the smoke from the barrel of the shotgun and the painfully loud blast that emanated from it prevented anyone from taking another good look around the room. John lowered the shotgun, breathing heavily, and took a couple seconds of rest. He was about to make a remark towards Henry, but he was interrupted. For Henry, time seemed to go in slow motion as someone, or something, leaped towards John with a harsh shriek like that of a banshee. He couldn’t make out many of its features, but from what he could see, it had dark grey, almost pure black skin that blended perfectly with the suffocating, wicked darkness. It had razor sharp claws on its fingers and toes. John, upon seeing what was happening, attempted to bring up his shotgun for another shot but the thing prevented this by digging its talons into his arm and dragging them towards the hand. He screamed out of pure, torturous pain, dropping his weapon to the ground with a loud clatter. The creature was on top of him and began battering the Sergeant, the sound of its assault mixing with John’s wails and screams. Henry dropped the kerosene lantern, the glass encasement shattering upon the floor and gas spilling. He was too fearful to make a sound as he turned and rushed towards the stairs. He nearly tripped several times, panting with panic, as he ran, his instinct to flee kicked in by whatever was attacking John. He burst out the door, sprinting as fast as he could towards his motorcycle and quickly turning it on. It was too late for John; from what the Constable had seen, he knew that his partner was already dead. He hesitated, however, upon hearing the sound of glass shattering behind him, the source of which was the house. He turned to see brightly burning flames from behind the windows, likely from the lantern he had dropped, as well as movement near the side of the house. Henry didn’t have time to think before making an action, and after seeing what had happened to John, he had no will to fight. Constable Sturgis III rode off into the rainstorm, and the central clock tower of Areundel struck midnight. The bells tolled – For October 12th, for the Andersons, and for Sergeant John Harte. It was just the beginning. _________________________________________________________________________ The incident of October 12th was followed by several more like it over the next days in Areundel. The violent occurrences shocked and confused most people of the city. Who or what could be so ferocious and savage, and attack with such frequency? These men and women, citizens of Areundel, had forgotten humanity’s past. They had largely disregarded what was beyond the two walls separating them from the world beyond. Those who did not sought a solution, and one was immediately clear. _________________________________________________________________________ Welcome to Midnight, an original roleplay by yours truly, Zaroas. In this, you will play as a member of a team of vampire hunters in a fantasy/steampunk setting. There will be elements of horror within this as well. All characters will start in the grand city of Areundel, but as the story progresses the world of Midnight will be thoroughly explored. Rules:1. Not godmodding, autoing, metagaming, etc. Basically, don’t be an idiot when RPing here. Follow all the standard Storyweb rules. 2. As GM and creator of the story, what I say goes. Yes, you may question my decisions if you have a valid argument, but most of the time you likely won’t. 3. Swearing is allowed within the confines of the pre-established Storyweb rules. Blood and gore is allowed (though I don’t encourage you to go into excruciating detail), and romance is fine (as long as it’s not overly contrived) but no sexual topics. Thank you. 4. Please do not kill other’s characters without their permission. I reserve the right to do this, and only if an issue arises and I speak over it with the person at fault. 5. This is a literary RP – At least a short paragraph per post, please. 6. Develop your characters and make them realistic. Nobody likes a Mary Sue who undergoes no changes throughout the RP. 7. Stay within the confines of the lore. This will be expanded upon later in the OOC, but, for example, there are no rocket launchers or modern assault rifles here. 8. The extent of magic used here will be psionic abilities (Such as telekinesis). However, if you’re going to make a character with psychic capabilities, please consult with me first about it. I don’t want to see any fireballs or force lightning, as well. 9. If you’ve read this, please place the word, “Blade” somewhere in your character sheet. 10. Please interact with other characters within the story. You might ask why this needed to be said, as it should be quite obvious, but it really does. 11. Don’t make overpowered characters. 12. Don’t spam, flame, etc. This goes with the rules of Storyweb but I feel like it needs to be stated more explicitly. Backstory:- Spoiler:
Many, many years ago, humanity reigned supreme over the world of Kyasa. The gods smiled upon mankind as it spread throughout the world. Peace was abundant. However, at the height of human civilization, terrible creatures emerged from the darkness – The vampires. These monsters had a natural advantage over men, and preyed upon them. The encroaching swarm of vampires ravaged all in their path, tearing apart town after town, city after city, civilization after civilization.
Just when all hope appeared to be lost, mankind’s last resort went into play. On the continent of Treayl, a massive stronghold was created. Known as the Citadel of Treayl, it consisted of three walls, and five cities within the two innermost of these – Areundel, Rhuddlan, Wyoth, Lorkus, and at the center, the Bastion of Man. With it, a legendary order of vampire hunters was created; The Revenants. After years of struggle between the two forces, the people of Treayl and The Revenants emerged victorious, driving the vampires back underground, from which they had come.
However, now that their common unifier had disappeared, conflicts between humans came with much more frequency. The leaders of the Citadel, residing within the Bastion of Man, oppressed those of the four other cities, levying heavy taxes on them and constantly manipulating them. Hostilities grew rampant between the people. Eventually, war broke out between Wyoth and Areundel, and once it became clear to the Bastion that they could no longer control the cities, they cut themselves off from the rest of Treayl. In time, all the cities adopted isolationism, and grew apart from each other.
Centuries later, the vampire threat has arose once more in Areundel, somehow beyond the first two walls. It is all too apparent that, if they are not stopped, they will overrun the entirety of the city and possibly Treayl.
It is for this reason that the Revenants have been revived.
Setting:- Spoiler:
Much of the story of Midnight will take place in the Citadel of Treayl, though the Revenants will venture beyond its walls every now and again. Note that the starting area for all characters is Areundel.
Like stated, the Citadel of Treayl consists of three circular walls, and is thus divided up into three sections. The first of the walls is known as Relthan Wall, and is the largest given its outermost position. Between it and the next are mostly farmlands and wilderness, though many towns are spread throughout. These towns are organized into loose confederacies, and some swear allegiance to one of the cities (Proxy wars with these have occurred in the past).
The next of the walls is Ivalt Wall, and beyond it lie the four cities. Areundel, the west city, is the most advanced, having undergone a massive industrial revolution and heavily adopted steam power. It lies on fertile plains and wetlands that experience heavy rain and bitter winters. To the south is Wyoth, hidden from all else by a semi-tropical mountain environment. Its overall society and architecture and vaguely similar to that of feudal Japan, albeit slightly more advanced. The east city is Rhuddlan, consisting of an imposing, massive fortress with many spires. Rhuddlan is the most militaristic of the cities – though they don’t actually attempt conquer anything, they have built up the largest military in Treayl over their years of isolation. Rhuddlan inhabits a very similar climate to Areundel. The last city, to the north, is Lorkus. It was built on top of enormous cliffs on the shore of a sea, and parts of the city are carved directly into the rock.
The last wall is the Therani Wall, and at the center of the circle it forms is the Bastion of Man. It is the largest of the cities, towering over the countryside. Its shining central tower, known simply as The Apex, is where the government of the Citadel was seated and now where the ruler of the Bastion resides.
I won’t go into much detail with areas outside of Traeyl yet, as they won’t be very important until later on, and most characters don’t even know what lies beyond Relthan Wall, they’ve never really needed to, and if they learned in schools they have forgotten. Essentially, Traeyl is one of four continents, and about the size of Europe. It is in the western hemisphere of Kyasa, a world with similar composition and overall climate to Earth. To the north of Traeyl is the arctic and mountainous lands of Jalkvun. This continent is inhospitable to most life in the vast majority of its area, though there are parts where verdant taigas stretch throughout. To the west of Traeyl and Jalkvun, in both the eastern and western hemispheres is Eroe, the largest of the continents. It is, for the most part, temperate, with large forests and bodies of water. However, towards the equator of Kyasa, blazing deserts lie. Finally, to the southeast of Eroe are the marshlands of Imna, the smallest of the continents. Many smaller bodies of land and islands lay on the vast oceans, but they are not yet significant enough to be mentioned here.
Due to its status as the starting area, I think it is necessary to go into more detail with the city of Areundel. Areundel is divided into four quadrants surrounding the central plaza and massive clock tower of the city, known as the Victrus Tower. The four sections of the city are named by where they lie relative to the main entrance gates of the city, and are organized by function. The North Quarter is the location of most businesses and is thus the commercial sector. Due to this, it sees the most activity each day, and is quickly growing in terms of density. It is also the location of the most large buildings to lie within the city. Tis is where the city gates are. The East Quarter is the industrial sector, and is the location of the city’s various foundries, factories, refineries, etc. These, of course, produce the city’s goods. Although the government of Areundel practices isolationism, private businesses ship the products of Areundel’s industry out to the other citys, particularly Lorkus, often. Black soot is an issue in the city largely due to this section. The South Quarter is the location of the city government as well as some businesses. Most characters within the RP will be in the South Quarter to start as it is the location of the reformed Revenant headquarters. Finally, the West Quarter is almost purely residential with the exception of local businesses.
Vampires:- Spoiler:
Due to their status as the main antagonists of the RP and a large part of its overall focus, I feel the vampires here deserve their own section in the OOC. These are not your sparkly Twilight-esque vampires – they’re much different than that. There are two castes of vampires and many different subspecies within these, but all vampires retain the same basic traits. Their skin colorations ranges from a pure pitch black to a pale grey and white. Vampires have the same basic body shape as humans, though they are generally larger and more muscular. Rather than nails, vampires have incredibly sharp talons on their fingers and toes. These are incredibly hard and take on a jet black coloration. Within their mouths lie rows of needle-like fangs and teeth. The eyes of vampires are always a deep to bright red, and their noses are very flat. Their ears are elf-like and lie along the sides of their heads. Vampires often have long black hair along their heads that can take on as many styles as human hair can, but many are hairless instead – This ultimately depends on the region where the vampire is from. Vampires also share several powers across the subspecies – Superhuman speed, jumping, strength, and senses, as well as the ability to see in the dark. Some vampire subspecies also have batlike wings sprouting from their shoulders. In addition, psionic abilities are possible among vampires but are more or less exclusive to the upper echelons.
The two castes that divide vampires are the Lower and Upper Caste. Lower Caste vampires are generally rather feral and bestial, having no discernible “human” emotions and acting similarly to rabid animals. On the other hand, Upper Caste vampires are as, if not more, intelligent than humans and have organized into similar civilizations on other continents, though these have yet to be observed by anybody from Traeyl. Sorted below are the individual known subspecies of vampires. A system is used by the Revenants for sorting the vampires by how powerful they are – The Comparative Revenant Vampire Threat Level (CRVTL). This ranges from low to medium to high. Note that this ranking only applies for Revenants relative to other types of vampires, and all types are highly dangerous.
Lower Caste:
-Mundane Vampire:
These are the most common vampires are the most widely known. They are essentially the “base” species, having all of the typical traits of others and nothing more. For a description of these, see above.
CRVTL: Low
-Vampire Brute:
This subspecies are much stronger and larger than most others, thus the name. They do not appear to be any less intelligent than Mundanes and other Lower Caste vampires, though. They are not incredibly stealthy, though in a one on one encounter, Brutes are extremely dangerous foes.,
CRVTL: Low
-Armored Vampire:
This subspecies is similar to Mundanes, though they use a bony or chitin-like armoring for extra protection, depending on whether or not they have wings. About half do, and use a lighter exoskeleton made up of a material similar to chitin, while those who do not use heavier outer bone-like plating.
CRVTL: Medium
-Vampire Corroder/Plague Vampire:
These are two very similar subspecies, and thus I have grouped them together. Rather than use their speed and strength to their advantage in close quarters combat, these two spit acid or liquids carrying high amounts of pathogens and viruses at targets.
CRVTL: Medium
-Assassin Vampire:
This type of vampire all have wings and more muscle mass in their legs to ensure much more agility, in addition to large claws. The result is an incredibly fast threat that can quickly kill targets with precsion.
CRVTL: Medium
-???
CRVTL: Medium
-???
CRVTL: High
-???
CRVTYL: High
Higher Caste:
-???
CRVTL: High
-???
CRVTL: High
-???
CRVTL: High
Psionics:- Spoiler:
Previously, I mentioned that the extent of powers in this RP will be limited to psionic abilities that both players and higher castes of vampires will be able to utilize. Now, you may be asking what psionics are contextually?
Psionics are divided up into a couple different classifications. It is rare that humans attain psionic abilities, but when they do, they are able to utilize them incredibly well. The following abilities exist for users of psionics, called Psis:
-Psychokinesis: Perhaps the most obvious, those who are able to use this can manipulate matter and energy to a greater extent than one normally can physically. This includes the ability to move objects in ways that would normally not be possible, such as causing something to levitate. Psychokinetics are very powerful foes, as they can utilize their gifts to fire objects at high speeds, temporarily immobilize enemies, and more.
-Extrasensory Perception: This essentially allows the user to perceive things at a distance. This is mostly relegated to clairvoyance, the ability to see things at a distance. Clairvoyance is extremely useful to the Revenants due to allowing them to detect vampires from distance and preparing aptly. Very few people can utilize a different from of ESP, called psychometry, the ability to see things in the past associated with a certain object. This can also be useful for investigations and such, though this will rarely show up in the RP due to metagaming, and if it does it will be one of my characters.
-Psychic Healing: A rare ability in which the user channels their psionic powers to heal themselves or someone else, though it is usually physically taxing for the user of the power. It’s important to note that someone using this is usually unable to move or fight when doing so.
-Psychometabolism: The power to use psionic abilities to manipulate one’s body, augmenting it to increase speed, strength, etc. This is fairly rare but it allows the user to go toe to toe with vampires in unarmed combat.
Technology and Weaponry:- Spoiler:
I figured that I would put this all under one section because they’re very interconnected. Due to the City of Areundel’s status as the most advanced technologically in Traeyl, the limits of tech in this RP is defined by that of the city. Keep in mind, firstly, that this is steampunk. There are no zeppelins though, and aside from steam powered motorcycles and primitive cars, transportation in the world is generally still horses. There are some gas powered things, such as small pistols, but steam is very much the big thing for Areundel. Steam automatons and thus bodily augmentations exist, and are quite common, though can be unwieldy at times.
Now, in terms of weapons, guns are very commonplace in Areundel and some other parts of Traeyl. There are semi-automatic rifles (this includes sniper rifles), shotguns, pistols, and somewhat early versions of submachine guns. Gatling guns also exist but may be too clumsy for combat against vampires. However, you are by no means forced to use guns for combat. When the Revenants began as a group, firearms did not actually exist, and thus techniques for fighting vampires were created with medieval weapons in mind. So, if you want a sword, go ahead! Battle-axe, sure! If you want to combine two weapons, such as a polearm weapon that somehow doubles as a sniper rifle, then you can do so by all means, just don’t make it overpowered. Multiple weapons can be included on one character, but please don’t make them a walking arsenal. You are also encouraged to think of unique weapons that aren’t in the RP yet, to make things interesting.
I will be updating this OOC with new information, though I will post in the thread to let everyone know when I do so.
Last edited by Zaroas on Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:09 pm; edited 6 times in total | |
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