Solipsism- An Urban Horror RP OOC

[Mordoskul]

This is a story about you, of how you saw your world begin to crumble about your ears, of how you saw the horrors your mind sought so desperately to protect you from. Our world is full of horror, murder, genocide, cruel neglect, pointless hatred, yet all pale in comparison to what our minds force us to be blind to. We have all seen a hint of the darkness that at all times threatens to smother Humanity in its vile embrace. Perhaps you saw a leering, equine skull staring hungrily from beneath your stairs with all too-human eyes. Maybe you can hear the voice of the dead girl who drowned in the lake by your house. Whatever the case, we are all dimly aware that something is not quite right with the world. Most of us forget such strange happenings, or dismiss them as our imaginations, in truth, they are all too real. For most of Humanity, in-built mental defenses shield us from the true terror that besets our race at all times, but some of us can see past the lies of our own design, shattering our perceptions forever. We think we can return to our former lives, but we cannot. Try as we might, we will never be blind again. We see the monsters for what they are, can see the cracks in the framework of reality. Colors are less vibrant, emotions are less sincere, and every damn thing feels like a lie. You can see the worms eating away at the belly of Man from within like grotesque parasites, and they can see you as well. The world is not as it seems. It never was. Only one question remains: What are you going to do about it?

Welcome to Solipsism, an urban horror RP focused around the characters obtaining the ability to See, and later, how they use their newfound talent. One man or woman has no hope against the darkness, neither would a legion of such individuals. The darkness cannot be defeated, but it can be stalled and held back for a time, which is the best those with the Sight can hope to achieve.

The players do not begin with the Sight, but begin as average, mundane mortals, prey to the creatures beyond time and space. Act I will be focused around the unique experience with the supernatural that allows you to See beyond the lies that are science and reason.

CALLINGS:
The Sight leaves its mark on the mortal who attains it, whether a literal, physical mark, or a scar upon the soul. Each mortal attains the Sight in a totally unique way, and having the Veil drawn aside so suddenly will change a man forever. The manner in which the Sight changes the mortal is called a Calling. Upon completing Act II and being granted (or cursed) with the Sight, a character chooses one of the Callings below, this choice may never be changed except by extraordinary circumstances (but only with express GM permission!)

THE CLEAVED: Perhaps the most terrible of the Callings, the Cleaved were mortals who lost their souls in the process of gaining the Sight, leaving them as apathetic husks. The Cleaved often have what is called a Ghostmark upon their bodies, a mystical symbol that calls to spirits like moths to a flame. At first, this seems to be a horrible curse, and in many ways it is, as many of the Cleaved are driven insane by the morbid whispers of dead things. However, there are those Cleaved who retain their sanity long enough to learn to utilize their Ghostmark, using it to command the spirits to do their bidding. Lesser spirits can easily be cowed by the Ghostmark, but more powerful beings require payment for their services. The most powerful spirits may ask truly bizarre and impossible prices, such as the first breath of an infant or the grief of a widow.
Roleplaying Note: Having lost their souls, the Cleaved have great difficulty feeling emotions, that is not to say they are sociopaths, but the Cleaved are distant and aloof, finding it hard to connect to anyone on an emotional level. The Cleaved are often morbid and dire, as being surrounded by the spirits of the dead does little to elevate one's sense of humor. Indeed, many Cleaved feel only one emotion if they can still feel them at all: Crushing despair.

THE SHATTERED: The Sight often takes more than it gives, and the Shattered know this fact more keenly than any others. The Shattered have lost everything in the process of gaining the Sight, and many desperately wish they had never gained the ability to See at all. Perhaps the mortal was ripped from his illusionary world of the Veil by the six-armed monster with no face that slaughtered his family and merged their flesh with its own. Perhaps the mortal lost a child to one of the Hungry, and refused to believe their son had died of natural causes, and so digs and digs until he discovers the unthinkable. The Shattered are surrounded in an aura of unluck, the same foul fortune that granted them the Sight in the first place. This is not a metaphorical aura, but a supernatural field of sorrow and grief that appears to those with the Sight as a greasy black cloud around the Shattered. The Shattered may manipulate this field to strike out at others, causing minor inconveniences to fatal accidents.
Roleplaying Note: The Shattered have lost everything, and may seek vengeance against a world that tore everything they loved from them or they may be consigned and dour, understanding their fate and seeking to prevent it from befalling any other.

THE MAIMED: The granting of the Sight is often violent, sometimes even killing the one who attained it. But those that die in such a manner do not depart this world, or even their bodies, and simply sit back up in the ruins of their bloodstained apartment, wondering what the spiders in the ceiling are talking about. The Maimed were killed when they gained the Sight, but their souls never left their bodies, anchoring them to the realm of the living. As a sign of their troubled passing, the Maimed all bear some horrible wound somewhere on their bodies, called their Stigmata. The Stigmata always appears fresh, and would always ordinarily be fatal, such as a slashed throat or crushed skull. The Stigmata cannot be seen by those without the Sight, but the Maimed are sure to be recognized by others who can See. The Stigmata never actually harms or kills the Maimed, but it constantly weeps blood, often enthusiastically. The Maimed may remember the pain of their Stigmata and direct that pain upon another, causing a similar, sympathetic wound to appear upon them. The wound caused in this manner begins slowly, starting with the skin and moving ever deeper until it matches the Stigmata of the Maimed.
Roleplaying Note: The Maimed are often brash and full of bluster, having truly taken (what they believe) the worst the world can throw at them.

THE TORTURED: The Tortured were literally torn apart when they attained the Sight, both on a physical and a spiritual level. Unlike the Maimed, the Tortured did not die from this, and were instead put back together by some cosmic force. However, this repair was crude at best, and the Tortured are often misshapen and freakish to those with the Sight. The Tortured, as their name implies, are in constant agony, and what they See does little to ease their pain. The Tortured may only alleviate their pain by directing it towards others, wracking the bodies of their foes with searing agony. The Tortured often resemble carnival side-shows, and are universally hideous in their own way, from hunchbacks to grossly deformed skulls. To mortals without the Sight however, the Tortured appear as they did before they could See.
Roleplaying Note: The Tortured feel little but pain, and have no fear of agony, as nothing could be worse than what they already feel. The Tortured often have difficulty in social situations, as their pain often makes then twitch and shudder.

THE SILENT: Sometimes, the Sight draws mortals behind the Veil they have only just begun to See, transforming them into shades without any place in the mortal world. The Silent begin to slowly be forgotten by all those around them, slowly being divorced from their own lives. When at last friends and loved ones forget them, they fade away beyond the Veil, unable to interact with mortals. Only those with the Sight may see the Silent, and the Silent are often overjoyed that someone besides the monsters can See them. Those with the Sight do not forget the Silent, and the Silent are often starved for attention and human companionship. The Silent may focus deeply, and for a time be able to walk among mortals again. However, the Silent will be forgotten by all he meets within a night and a day. If the Silent concentrates, he may make even those with the Sight forget him.
Roleplaying Note: The Silent have been utterly forgotten by the world that they once lived in, and are often starved for attention and human contact.

THE HUNGRY: Unlike the Cleaved, who lose their souls entirely, the Hungry begin to feel theirs bleeding away into nothing. To prevent the total loss of their souls, the Hungry have stumbled across a most terrible secret. The Hungry are aptly named, as they prevent their souls from departing by drinking the Essence (the stuff souls are made of) of others. The Hungry are gifted with the Soulsight, allowing them to literally gaze into the souls of whomever they looks at, and if they look long enough, they may see that individual's hopes and dreams, their follies and failings. The Hungry often use the Soulsight to determine hosts to gather Essence from, the younger the better. To those without the Sight, it appears that the Hungry simply looks at the target, then sighs and appears healthier and younger than before, whilst the host often turns ashen and pale, a cold sweat breaking out across their brows. To those with the Sight, the Hungry breath deeply, causing green ribbons of Essence to pour from the host's eyes and mouth, flowing into the maw of the Hungry, who then pulses with stolen energy. Many of the other mortals with the Sight detest and hate the Hungry with a passion, considering them worse than the monsters beyond the Veil.
Roleplaying Note: The Hungry have few friends among the other Callings, and are often loners, stealing just enough Essence to survive without killing their hosts. Then there are the Shunned, who do not sip, but guzzle the Essence from their victims, turning them into soulless husks who waste away.

Act II will be your first sojourn into a world built upon unstable foundations, and teeming with beasts eager to rend and tear at your sanity.

The character template is as follows:

Name:
Age:
Physical Description:
Habits/Quirks:
Phobias/Fears/Etc:
Calling (Only applies to Act II):
Hopes and Dreams:
Family:
Profession:
Thoughts on Superstition:
Biography:

Now, I want this to be mostly player-driven, and as such, I will only interfere to add some hooks if I see the game is flagging. Alright, let's see some RPs!

[Karnee]

Name: Markus Blake

Age: 31

Physical Description: A tall Caucasian male. He has a stocky build, a slight hunch in his shoulders and a scar on the lower left side of his chest. His hair is cut short, not styled. He tries to keep his face shaved but, at times has stubble.

Habits/Quirks: He walks with hunched shoulders, as if he carried world on them. When he’s nervous or frustrated he paces.He has a tendency to lash out when he's angry.

Phobias/Fears/Etc: His biggest fear is losing someone he loves or failing those that count on him. His second fear is dying alone.

Calling (Only applies to Act II): The Shattered.

Hopes and Dreams: He hopes one day to quit his job and go travel the world with Sara, his wife. One day further along, have kids and settle down. Then one day when he’s dying on his bed, he wants to be surrounded by people who love him. He hopes to leave his current job in the near future.

Family: Wife Sara. They met the first year of university and have been in love since. His mother died when he was young and his father a few years after meeting her. Aside from Sara he has no immediate family.

Profession: Detective.

Thoughts on Superstition: He’s not a superstitious man as a rule. He believes men have the capability to do Evil things.

Biography: Markus Blake was born 1981, London, England on the Cambridge Estate. His mother was an American Mid-Wife at the local hospital, his father was a soldier and served in the Falklands war, but retired soon after. For the first few years of his life he was often sent to stay at relatives in the area, allowing his mother to work more, so she could provide at home while his father was away. When his father came back with his pension it allowed her to quit her job and look after him full time. Markus adored his father like a hero. From a young age it became obvious though that Markus was not going to be the son his father wanted. Markus spent more of his time reading than playing sports. He had no desire to join to join the army and when he was older went as far to take a course in Psychology. Things came to a head a year after his mother died. At the age of 19 he left his childhood home and went to study at London University. It was in his first year there he met his wife Sara. Sara was studying Architecture and the two of them met by chance in a lecture. In two years he finished his course and married her. A year later he and Sara immigrated to the USA. It was in The City (Still not sure what the name is.) that he and her found dream home. She found work in an Architecture Design company while he found acquiring a job much more difficult. In the end to make ends meet for a while he was persuaded by a friend to join the police force there. Since then he has risen through the ranks to that of Homicide Detective. In the last two years his job has placed a strain on his marriage.

OOC: If there's anything you'd like me to change thats fine.

[Xionist]

Name: Toby Clints

Age: 18

Physical Description: Five feet, eight inches. Hazel eyes, and jet black hair. He's not very strong, but he's very lean and has a great mass of stamina from the constant games of his favorite sport, Ultimate Frisbee, he'd be pulled into. He always wears a short sleeve t-shirt, no matter the time of year. Wears glasses because of his poor vision.

Habits/Quirks: Toby is the kind of guy that'll do the stupidest things just because a friend asked him to, or a group prank/stunt is going on that he tends to force himself into. Despite that, he always looks at things in the scientific way, always trying to find a logical explanation to people's opinions.

Phobias/Fears/Etc: He hates being alone, he'll start to slowly get depressed the longer he is away from any sort of human interaction. He also detests the faint whispers he hears in the back of his head whenever he is alone.

Calling (Only applies to Act II): The Silent

Hopes and Dreams: Someday, Toby wishes to become a world famous scientist.

Family:

Father - Stephen Clints 47. Holds many of Toby's looks, except has a slimmer jawline and emerald green eyes. He's a slim, medium height man that is absolutely intrigued in the ways the body works given that he's a surgeon. He loves his family down to the bottom of his heart and would even sacrifice his own life to help them.

Mother - Michele Clints 38. Tall, with glasses and long blonde hair. Her eyes, which are hazel, were the ones passed down to Toby. Also, her fears and quirks were the ones passed down to Toby. A cheery woman, whom always praises her children with all her love.

Sister - Gabrelle Clints 14. Shorter than Toby, and also has her father's eyes and mother's hair. She is constantly found wearing dresses painted with warm colours, no matter the time of year. She's a happy-go-lucky girl whom never lets anything bring her down.

Profession: High School student, part-time job at the local grocery store.

Thoughts on Superstition: Doesn't believe in it at all. He mind works scientifically, and because there has never in his lifetime a scrap of evidence shown to him that superstitious acts have proven true he wont believe in them.

Biography: Toby was born in 1994, in Redmond, Washington. His parents were Stephen and Michele Clints. His father is a surgeon for a local hospital, and as a child Toby would be invited into the observation room to watch his father's numerous operations. Never once had Toby ever cringed at the sight of a body being cut open, instead he built his fascination around it just like his father had. Throughout his childhood, Toby continued his fascination, and had dissected various small animals, with his father's supervision, before finishing the second grade. As he hit middle school, however, his ideals for the human body, and other sciences, were pushed down when he started to make many friends that weren't all too responsible. They'd get in fights, get drunk, get high, and get Toby into trouble many times. Though, he never said "That's enough" for his fear of being alone prevailed over the consequences that came with being with these people. Though during the year of 2009, towards the end of Toby's Freshman year in High School, a boy by the name of Jack Wright had taken a notice of Toby's reluctance to engage in the various activities that he'd get dragged into and challenged several of the kids, face to face, to a fight. They all wimped out, leaving Toby and Jack alone, and since then they've both been best friends. Jack introduced Toby to many of his friends, and even introduced Toby into a game that he called 'Ultimate Frisbee' which Toby immediately took a liking to.