The Moonlighter Clan

[Aethelstan]

The Story:

Spoiler

In an alternate universe, where technology has yet to advance much further past that of the Middle Ages in our timeline, civilization has reached its peak. Farms flourish, cities grow rapidly, and the economy of the land has never been more profitable. The pinnacle of all this prosperity is a large municipality known as Oundora City. Famous for its enormous marketplace teeming with greenhorn entrepreneurs and wealthy moguls alike, Oundora is the ideal place for anyone looking to earn a living. Whether you’re a craftsman who makes his own goods or a merchant who earns a living pawning off that which others have made, you can find your place here. More so than that, the economy depends on you. The city is governed by a Council of Elders, each of whom is not only a shrewd politician, but a former businessman as well. They see to it that the laws are upheld, and that business is conducted fairly. Rarely will you find a scam successfully pulled or a citizen being ripped off without the Council hearing about it, and dealing with the perpetrator accordingly. This is thanks to the wonderful service of the City Guard, men who are chosen not just for their physical prowess, but also for their integrity of spirit.

What’s that you say? All this perfection is starting to sicken you? Well good, because you, dear reader, have a part to play in all this.

As with any successful civilization, not every man who calls himself a citizen is perfect. Human nature never changes. There will always be those who feel entitled to more than they’ve honestly worked for. There will always be those who find the thrill of the getaway more satisfying than the life of an earnest living. And though there are always measures being taken to prevent such misdeeds, there will always be those who get away with it all. Enter the Moonlighter Clan. In a city of such wealth and glamour, the Moonlighter Clan offers a secondary approach to living amongst the rich. If you’ve never been good at business, couldn’t build a table or craft a belt to save your life, and don’t feel like working for those who are already raking in the dough, maybe the Moonlighters are for you. Operating under a strict code of secrecy, large meetings are scarcely held and cryptic messages are a way of life. Clan members can be recognized by a subtle salute performed with the index finger and pinky pointed towards the ground. Should you be fortunate enough to meet a recruiter (let alone be accepted), you’ve just taken your first steps towards a life of adventure, mystery, and most importantly, money.

How it will Work:

Spoiler

This is something of an exercise in short story writing. Players would create their own Moonlighter (a criminal, basically), each specializing in some skill that would be helpful in a life of crime. Once accepted into the Clan, the player would receive an assignment from the Clan Master, Richard Wake (me). The assignment would outline some sort of objective (steal an item, frame someone for a crime, smuggle an object, etc.), the primary obstacles that need to be dealt with (a multitude of guards, security animals, traps, etc.), the location the crime would take place, and the equipment available to them. Each player would start with a set amount of gold used to rent equipment from the Clan. Each assignment completed will earn them extra gold to rent better equipment. After selecting one or two pieces of equipment to take with them on their heist, the player would write up a story of how they accomplished the task, from beginning to end. They can do it any way they like, so long as it seems feasible given the circumstances. Any extra gold they don’t need for equipment could be used for decorating their quarters or something.

This is under Advanced because of the amount of writing involved, but it could actually be carried out quite casually. Players can join at any point since there wouldn’t be a huge continuous narrative, and players can request assignments whenever they feel like it. In a sense, this RP would be a release for those itching to do some writing in a semi-structured setting.

Any interest in something like this?

[Chyoko]

This is interesting, but how exactly is it an RP without interaction from the others?

[Aethelstan]

This is interesting, but how exactly is it an RP without interaction from the others?

Ah, I forgot to mention that part. Players can interact at anytime anywhere in the city (I'll provide a list of locations available) and can do things such as trade with each other, offer training in the skill they specialize in (knowledge obtained during training might be temporary, for game play purposes), or just have general conversation. Players can also opt to try an assignment with more than one person, which would be something of a collaborative writing project. If players do want to work together, they would be responsible for how it got written. They could alternate and each write part of the story, come up with one narrative at the same time and then write their different perspectives, etc.

[Chyoko]

Okay then, I'm interested. =3