A Modest Proposal (Or: Cannibals in London)

[Guru Gloin]

“A strange calm permeates the smoggy sky above London as the sun makes its way tentatively through the fog and filthy air to the streets below. As it warms the face of the city, it's greeted only by the agonized moans of those besotted fools daft or unlucky enough to pass out on street corners, and desecrated stares of those not quite lucky enough to awaken. The gutters run red with arterial spray, the mad or desperate running their fingers through the muck as though prospecting for gold, pocketing flesh and hunks of bone when they find them. A wail goes up by an infant here and there, but only briefly; mothers smothering their protests beneath soft words and cotton, lest they attract attention. In the better neighborhoods, dogs yip and growl at urchins clamoring against steel gates whist immaculately dressed menservants make their way to the street's edge with dusky burlap sacks, smelling deeply of formaldehyde and perfumes, their glazed stares betraying their solemn disinterest in the gentle rattle and clack of their burdens.

One by one, the carriages depart, their swift passage leaving those that prowl the streets stumbling and collapsing in their wake, the drivers whipping their frothing and gasping charges into a gallop as the nobles take to the city. The cotillions and galas have already begun. The servants even now make their way to the catacombs with razors and saws in tow, another day of grim work ahead in the race for power. And somewhere, a doomsayer sobs at the top of her tremulous voice that the end of all has come.

Of course, that happens every morning. Some people can get depressed over anything...”

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Alright all, this is going to be a Victorian style fantasy RP based on the Modest Proposal by Johnathan Swift and the Maori principle of Mana. The gist is that whilst colonizing New Zealand, English explorers became embroiled in a war against the native Maori, expecting to wipe them out by virtue of superior technology, but quickly found themselves on the losing side when the Maori pulled hitherto unknown magical powers seemingly from nowhere.

Through some bribes and some treachery, the Brits learned that the source of the Maori people's power came from a ceremony involving the consumption of human flesh and blood, which granted them apparently supernatural powers. The Brits, with their newfound knowledge, devised several tactics to cut off the Maori from their supply of Mana (burning bodies, capturing serfs, etc.) and pressed their advantage home to take the country. The explorers then brought the ideas and principles of Mana home with them, where it quickly became all the rage amongst the nobles.

I'm not going to lie, this is going to be a pretty dark RP. There are going to be some grizzly bits, some religious and societal aspects and parodies, and probably several bad accents, but hopefully we can get some real drama and atmosphere going, and run things with a bit of bleak humor.

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Let's see now... down to some Mechanics.

As far as the logistics behind cannibalism granting magical abilities, the general premise was that consuming human genomes (live DNA) in a certain ritualistic manner causes a mutation in the human genetic code (think X-men, but with more gore) the body responds to the act of consumption by unlocking paths of evolution originally written off in human biological makeup. In short, the body believes it is in a desperate situation, in which no other form of nutrient is available to it other than cannibalized flesh. As a response, it alters itself, making it a more efficient hunter of other humans, giving it abilities to deceive or overpower its prey.

(If this all seems terribly complicated, then please say the word "midichlorians" to yourself as quietly as possible, roll your eyes, and move on to the next paragraph)

The practical upshot of this is that the more you eat flesh, the more you develop powers specifically tailored to your genetic code, and style of hunting. Keep in mind, these powers are biological, not mystical; having thermal vision or enhanced reflexes, or even latent psychic powers are acceptable, but if you plan on being able to light a fire in your hand, you will need a decent explanation of how the power actually works.

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Factions:
Keep in mind, these are just a few ideas as to where your character might find their place in the city. If you already have a character base in mind, then consider the following as an optional extra.

Nobles: If you are a noble, either by blood, marriage, or adoption, you've had all the comforts of the world for a large part of your life. Nobles live in the lap of luxury and their decadent lifestyle is the stuff of legend. Unfortunately, London is a city that has always been ruled by blood, even before the arrival of the principals of Mana. Your family only stays in power so long as its members continually indulge in flesh, creating a caste of their own accomplished magi. If weakness is sensed, your family's assets will likely be bought out by a stronger caste, cutting off your financial resources. Any noble family that can no longer afford the lifestyle becomes part of the riffraff, and is fair game to be consumed both literally and figuratively. Nobles without a cutthroat attitude don't last long, and in desperation, many families turn to unseemly means to maintain their mana flow, from purchasing kidnapped children to looting fresh graves, to devouring their own.

Menservants: Only serfs and indentured workers that prove themselves of worth become menservants. These esteemed workers are practically extended members of the noble families, from their most trusted advisers and consorts to loyal childhoods nannies and butlers or adopted children. Their position is less tenuous than the riffraff, but a desperate noble will not hesitate to devour their menservants in times of need.

Toppers: With the dissolution of Scotland Yard came the rise of mercenary groups and thugs, each vying for supremacy in the lower levels of the city. Typically, toppers come in three varieties: Shivvers (those that act as impromptu spies, cat burglars or assassins) Gobbers (typically hired for intimidation work and as bodyguards or enforcers) and Wakers (flesh hunters employed by noble families to do their more disreputable work, from snatching children off the street, to pillaging other nobles' cemeteries.)

Urchins: The lost children of London. When the practice of adopting children to use them as food began in earnest, the system of orphanages and child laborers in the basest levels of the city fell apart. As of now, the streets in the slums of London practically swim with pint-sized pickpockets who run intricate tribal societies of their own, often gaining their own brand of minor magical powers from scraps thrown away by nobles. Or from hapless passers-by caught unawares.

John Bulls: Every good noble family needs its own private police force. John Bulls are primarily ex-military officers or experienced shivvers hired on as permanent affectations to noble families.

Harlots: London's working girls still prowl the streets, unaccosted by all but the most foolish. Harlots run highly organized crime rings to rival those of the Toppers, and still maintain a roaring trade throughout the city. Not above devouring the occasional client, the Harlots cultivate potent stores of Mana in their own rite.

Riffraff: Everyone else. If you're a struggling meat pie shop owner, a homeless tramp, a disgraced noble, or a doctor running a clinic in a back alley somewhere, you're with the riffraff.

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Character Sheet

Name:
Age:
Gender:
General Appearance: (A description or a picture works fine)
Inventory: (Just what you have in your pockets, please. We don't need to know all your earthly possessions)
Faction/Back story: (A paragraph or two works fine, but if you'd like to elaborate, feel free)
Powers: (If any)

You may run two characters if you like, but I'd like to limit it to that.

If there's anything I've left out, if you have a suggestion or question, or want someone to read over your plans for a character, then feel free to PM me.

Current Characters:

Lord Benjamin Saltaire
Garrick Burns
Harland Buford and Philippe Laviatte

[OiHarkin]

This definitely seems interesting... I'm thinking of a nobleman whose mutation allows him to dominate lesser minds. This is primarily mental control over animals - his hunting hounds especially - but can be used to influence people. Seem okay?

[Guru Gloin]

Sounds great! Can't wait to see 'im.

[OiHarkin]

Name: Lord Benjamin Saltaire
Age: 26
Gender: Male
General Appearance:

Inventory: Gold pocket watch, a pocket book, revolver and keys to his manor and the workhouses he owns.
Faction/Back story: Nobility.
Lord Benjamin Saltaire owns and operates several industrial factories and workhouses in the North of England, in the lucrative textile sector. He was born in Yorkshire but thanks to the extensive tutelage he recieved at his father's expense, he sounds like he's just stepped out of the most fashionable districts of London. In fact, he spend a long time in London as part of his education; he spent much of his life learning to pick up the family business. He studied economics, finances and business strategies - but being a nobleman he naturally could afford to dally in the arts and other luxuries. He developed a particular fondness for hunting foxes on horseback, with a pack of hounds ahead of him. Wealthy, educated and not unattractive, young Lord Saltaire became one of the most eligible men north of London when his father died. Publically, the story was that his father died as the result of an industrial accident visiting one of his factories, but in fact he was eaten by his son. Secretly, while in London, Benjamin branched out into vice, deriving income and meat from his ownership of a number of brothels both in London and the North; when a girl stops earning, she gets "invited to visit the owner" and devoured.
Powers: Mental Domination. The mutations Benjamin has undergone due to his feeding on his human augment his mental faculties, not only making him more intelligent than before but giving him the ability to temporarily force others to think like him. He effectively 'broadcasts' his brainwaves, temporarily overwriting the brainwaves of his victims. To make his hunting hounds more responsive to this mental control, he feeds them from the same human meat that he eats. The effect is stronger and more pronounced over animals, allowing them to mentally control them almost absolutely. He can influence humans, but can't quite make them puppets in the same way unless he really pushes it.

[Raptorman]

This looks fun

[Guru Gloin]

Lord Saltaire is very much accepted. I'll be posting a sheet for myself shortly.

[Apocrypha]

I remember expressing interest in this the first time it was posted - and, of course, I am still very interested (just because it sounds so wonderfully gruesome). What do you think of a manservant-esque character that works for a noble family as a procurer of human flesh, trusted counselor, and sort of "master of whispers" role - an underhanded, crafty bastard that works tenaciously in the shadows to better his and the noble family's place in society?

Also he would have shoulder length hair and an eyepatch. The eyepatch is just a requirement, I feel.

[Guru Gloin]

I heartily approve; especially in regards to the eyepatch.

[CommunistZed]

Oooh, pretty...

[Ladydespair]

-smiles and happy face- I want to join too.