Blood Money {OOC}

[KnightShade]

Prohibition Era New York Skyline

Summary
Prohibition era New York (1920) with vampires

• Vampires are public knowledge
• In America, away from their family seats and fortunes, vampires have to adapt to stay on top
• Prohibition on alcohol means a crackdown on vampires that drink human blood
• Because of this many vampire families have become entwined with New York's gangs and criminals
• I expect this to be largely character driven so I want you to make a character that will keep you engaged
• Making connections between characters is encouraged; chances are the action will be focused around two or three major families
• There will also be an overarching plotline, but don’t let it stop you doing your own thing within reason
• Hoping to get an active OOC as well, and I'll be available via PM or Skype if you want to do some plotting
• Some other supernatural creatures might exist if a good enough case is made and they fit the feel, get in touch first though if you want to make one

Setting

Vampires haven't been in America long, the earliest came for the attraction of easy blood offered in slave ownership though there are those claiming to have stalked the natives across the Bering Strait, most arrived at the turn of the century as imperialism began to die and war, revolution and globalisation challenged their traditional place amongst the aristocracy. And why shouldn't they move to the new world, afterall the Statue of Liberty has an invitation on it. Two decades later (1920) and religious fervor has gripped much of the country, outlawing drink and heavily enforcing the regulations on vampires. Criminality and poverty are now facts of life and vampires are using it to recreate the fortunes and authority they left behind in Europe. Will the government be forced to take drastic measures to deal with the problem?

1. Be respectful to all the others players OOC. On the otherhand a bit of antagonism IC is encouraged.
2. Try to post regularly, twice a week minimum is my current estimate.
3. Tell me if you're unable to post.
4. All posts should be readable and meet the casual posting standards.
5. Don't make your character OP.
6. No graphics, quotes, etc in the IC without prior approval.
7. God Modding is out of course. Controlling NPCs to a degree is fine within reason but not PCs.
8. Dominating the IC thread by double posting or too much back and forth is out. Either take it collab or let someone post inbetween for back and forth.
9. What I say goes. I can't think of every hypothetical so this is the emergency rule.
10. Have fun!

Vampires

• There are two sorts of vampires, pure blooded and weaker blooded. (Neither sparkle.)
• A pure blooded vampire has all the typical traits; they appear human but their natural lifespans can exceed eight hundred years, stronger and faster than humans they survive by drinking blood (which doesn’t have to be human.) There weaknesses are a dislike of sunlight and needing an invitation to enter a dwelling.
• Pure blooded vampires live for such a long time that it’s rare for them to place much value on human life, but that doesn’t mean they will risk the full force of the law. Vampire marriages are usually political calculations, they’re complicated and dangerous for both parties so pure blooded vampire heirs are rare. As if to make up most vampires will fill their houses with weaker blooded offspring that they manipulate by offering them claims to their fortune.
• Weaker blooded vampires vary greatly, sometimes the mix of blood makes them deformed or unstable and other times they’re fine, nobody can say why. It is unheard of for them to live for more than two hundred years and they may exhibit diminished versions of their parent’s strength and speed. Sunlight does not bother all of them either and whether they need or just want to drink blood is variable though almost all are capable of it. None physically need an invite but some seem more comfortable with one.

Werewolves

• Unlike Vampirism, Lycanthropy is a disease rather than it's own species though it's mechanisms remain a mystery. Werewolves are stronger and more durable normally due to the demands of the transformation but unlike vampires this is within human range and they live only as long as humans, sometimes less. Werewolves transform into a bipedal, ravening beast on the night of the full moon and lose all control, like this even vampires are forced to run from them. Werewolves are quite rare and many develop coping strategies, locking themselves away or drugging themselves up on nights of the full moon. However with the economic turn and prohibition attacks are becoming more and more frequent.

The Blood Laws

• Drinking human blood has technically been illegal since vampires arrived in America, however it has traditionally been added to other charges such as assault. Slave owning vampires for example where often overlooked in their activities and it’s not uncommon for them to use their natural charms if they have a thirst. Most vampires have sufficient finances to keep livestock too though many abhor the taste. Hoovervilles now often entirely new hunting grounds.
• The temperance movement behind prohibition on alcohol is pushing the government to enforce the blood laws as well. The fact that vampires are being criminalised for their nature is probably the reason they would plead for becoming involved with organised crime. Their lack of regard for human life, their natural advantages and the ready supply of family members eager to prove themselves may have more to do with it. I guess we’ll find out.

Name:

Species:

Age: Pure vampires live to 800+ with the upper limit unknown. Weker blooded up to 200. Humans you know. If they're going to be ancient their personality and history should reflect it.

Appearance: Description or picture

Personality:

History: You may tie these last two together if you feel the need.

Minnie Haven - MsKittyCatty
Mima Somairle & Sean Brown - Erranruin
Moe Pinzolo - tirgesfu
Victor Rice - Jambo1117
Frank Machavetta - Rtron

[Erranruin]

Awesome! (minor post because she wants to be the first to post on the shiny new OOC)

[KnightShade]

Awesome! (minor post because she wants to be the first to post on the shiny new OOC)

Getting the OP is the only reason I GM . It's too late here to do more tonight, I think I'm going to sleep for ten hours. Also some of the section in the OP look similar but have a few alterations so it's worth giving them a read through.

[Erranruin]

Will do, sleep well ^^

[Rtron]

Whoo 5th post!

[DarthWarman88]

Name:Anton Miklo

Species: Pure Vampire

Age: 488
Appearance: WIP soon

Personality: Very calm, he is a shy shy vampire.

History: WIP

[Orion86]

excellent I have got this page subscribed now and I should hopefully have a character up soon.

[MsKittyCatty]

Name: Minnie Haven

Species: Almost pure blood vampire

Age: 200 years old

Appearance:

Long dark hair, pale skin, grey eyes, stands 5’5” with a slim figures and soft curves, usually wears dresses, keeps her finger nails a bit longer than someone normally would and always painted bright red

Personality: Playful, hypersexual, bag full of crazy, keeps a smooth exterior most of the time, rejects authority, warm when she wants something, cold when bored, angry when ignored, distant, arrogant, overly confident, vain, selfish, not snobbish

History: Born in 1720, Minnie was born in Spain. She was born to a poor family, but her beauty held a promise to get her out of the desperate situation her family was in. She was cleaning her family’s dishes in the nearby river, when a man on a royal horse came trotting by. She bowed dutifully, but the man paused, and asked that she be brought to him. The man turned out to be Charles III of Spain. He was 4 years her senior, and the Duke of Parma and Piacenza already. Minnie caught his eye in 1734, as he was conquering Naples and Sicily, but before he was crowned king in 1735. They began a love affair in secret, however once he became king he began trying to push her away in order to find a suitable queen. In her mind, Minnie didn’t understand why she couldn’t be his queen. A wedding happened however, and Minnie was thrown in jail by her lover to keep her from doing something crass to interrupt the proceedings. Heart broken, emotionally and mentally broken… Minnie was left to rot in jail. Her beauty was not unnoticed in the cells either however, and she managed to catch the eye of a certain man.
The man was rumored to have gotten thrown in jail for cannibalism, but his darkness drew Minnie to him. As she spoke to the man through her bars, he slowly began revealing things about himself to her. The man was not a cannibal exactly… but a blood sucker. The other inmates would hear their conversations, but would usually stay quiet, most likely out of fear. Minnie was only more intrigued however. He also told her of how he got arrested on purpose to get out of being killed. He had stolen a horse, which wasn’t punishable by death. Just life imprisonment. Apparently, he had made many enemies who had been after him and this seemed like the better option. Soon, their conversations turned even more personal. Through the bars of a Spanish jail cell, Minnie and the vampire fell in love without ever even touching.

During this time, the Spanish were supporting France in the War of Polish Succession. Rebels against the Spanish government funding the war instead of its citizens created a prison break and let multiple inmates out. Two of the inmates, were the vampire Carlos, and Minnie. Their first embrace was long and beautiful. The intoxicating scent of her blood to a vampire who had been drinking rat blood for years, was just too much for him though. He asked her, shaking, if he could drink her blood. Minnie agreed, understanding it meant they could be together forever. In 1740, at age 20 in a field away from the prison they had run to after the guards came after them, Minnie became a vampire. Unlike the changing experience most people had, Minnie’s wasn’t violent. Carlos managed to restrain himself from killing her, his love for her more important to him than his thirst. Soon, Minnie was changed and even more beautiful than before despite the scar on her neck. Carlos and Minnie became a powerful vampire force in Europe, even starting their own coven that travelled together.

Something happened though. Carlos was caught and killed by vampire hunters while Minnie was separated from him with other coven members. When she heard what happened to the love of her life, something snapped in her mind. She slept with every man in her coven and then killed them all. The women in the coven were beyond angry and Minnie had no friends left, and many people trying to kill her. She travelled to America, not afraid of what laid in a new land when she had nothing to lose. Once in America, Minnie started becoming the person she is today (see Personality). She was interested in the knowledge and somewhat acceptance of vampires in America, and got used to just being herself where ever she went. She got too comfortable, and when blood and alcohol began getting prohibited, Minnie felt like it was a personal attack. She is determined to still get what she wants. Usually, she gets what she wants through seduction, something easy for her that always seems to work.

(If anyone wants a history or past experience with my character, feel free to pm me)

[Lucius Cypher]

Name: Paub Tseeb Yang "Donny"

Species: Human

Age: 27

Appearance:

History: An immigrant who managed to smuggle himself into America through some long-winded shenanigans, he's a mute who's looking for a way to bring some money back to his family back home, in Laos. Unfortunately, being mute and Asian didn't leave him a lot of job offers, at least not totally legal ones. But he found work eventually... Working in a munition factory. And it wasn't even owned by the government; little did he know, Paub was working in a mob's gun factory, just as another sweat shop worker. He was also given the name "Donny" since no one know how to pronounce "Paub" in a way that Paub understood it. Outside of the factory, he's a rather unassuming guy, and tries to make friends. Since he can't talk, he usually just stands around and pays for drinks, but in a fight he's rather scrappy. What he lacks in finesse he makes up for in gumption and craziness, like the rope he keeps tied around his hands; they can be used to deliver nasty cuts with his punches, choke someone, or lit on fire to deliver flaming punches. Completely impractical and ineffective, but tell that to the guys running away from the crazy Asian guy with flaming arms. But outside the factory and the fighting, he's usually seen just minding his own business, sometimes being a nice guy, sometimes running from trouble. And despite working in a mob factory, he has a keen sense of justice, and won't hesitate to defend the weak and innocent and bring down criminals. If it's within his powers; he's a pragmatic sort, clever in his own way.

[Erranruin]

Work in progress!


Name:

Mima (pron. My-ma) ingen Somairle (meaning daughter of Somerled)
Sean Brown

Species:

Mima = Pureblood
Sean = Weak Blood

Age:

Mima- 781
Sean- 52

Appearance:

Personality:

History:

Mima was the illegitimate daughter of the Scots Warlord Somerled. His Pureblooded vampire nature made him a natural born warrior and that, coupled with his charismatic personality and ruthless heart, ensured his success in his conquests. Mima was born a long while after he became King of the Isles, a kindom made up of all the islands off the western coast of the scottish mainland. Her mother was a traveler named Adamina, already many centuries old herself when she met Somerled, she and he were drawn to eachother simply by the string of understanding that lay between them. Mima however was not a planned child, but her birth was not seen by either as anything but good. Adamina loved her child but her wanderlust ran deep and she had already begun to feel her feet itch for the road by the time Mima was just a month old. She stayed for a year, weening Mima and setting her on her feet before leaving her in her fathers hands. Somerled treasured Mima as his Pureblood daughter, loving her as much for her potential power along with her personality.

She was the youngest of his children and all her elder half-siblings adored her, though her adoptive mother was ever a little distant. But this never gave her much concern, she had plenty of people who loved her. She grew up accomplished and fierce, her head endowed with a thick crown of fire-red hair like her father's and her features strong and elegant. She was wooed by every man who met her but she quickly spurned them in her younger years, feeling foot-light and fancy free and not wishing to give up her independence just yet. Her father supported her in this, he had great plans for Mima's marriage and taught her to value herself above all others. Her husband should be the greatest of men. Mima subscribed to this happily, a true daddy's girl, completely smitten with him and his ideals. As blood drinking went the family was far and away too powerful for such small rumours to damage them, Mima was an animal drinker in the main, simply because all the humans she knew were important. Her father was somewhat similar, although he often used it as a threat to his enemies, a habit that Mima picked up from him.

However her happy life was not to last. She was just sixteen when her father was killed in battle. It was a stunning shock to her, she hadnt even been worried when he had sailed to war on the Mainland. It had been the simple luck of war that he had died, but it took seeing his bloodied body, along with the body of his son GilleBride, for Mima to believe it. In the aftermath of his death everything seemed to fall apart. Mima was barely able to understand what happened, mourning a beloved father as well as a beloved brother. A vacuum of power was created upon his death and the rival Warlord Godred Crovan easily took the Hebrides and Skye into his power. That still left everything south of the Mull of Kintyre and North of Skye to Somerled's surviving sons and it was divided between them, Alan taking the bulk of land. However this caused fractures in the family itself and, Ranald and Angus nursing a bitter feud that eventually tore the family apart. Mima was young and terrified at the time, she loved all her siblings and was plunged into a period of bitter grief.

It was her sister, Bethóc, whom saved her. She was a gentle and protective person and rather than marry for political gain she had 'wed the lord' and become the Prioress of the Iona Nunnery. She took Mima in with her and taught her compassion and kindess, lessons that she had not learnt while under her father's tutelage. She found comfort there and spent many years in peace, away from courts and clan wars. However, just like her mother, she found a wanderlust beginning to blossom as she grew older and six years later she left the nunnery for the Scots court.

She arrived at court but two years after the crowning of a new King, William l or William the Lion as he was later called. Mima had never understood why, the man was never particularly fierce. She entered court under the protection of her brother Ranald, he having given up the feud with Angus after he was soundly defeated in combat. She slid into society with the greatest of ease and rose swiftly in fame for her inspiring wit and audacity and beauty. She quickly caught the eye of the King and she was often called to banquets and balls. From then on she was always close to the Scottish monarchy, giving sound and good advice from the sidelines and watching as the years turned. One of her pieces of advice that William fully took on board was 'do not try to be the warrior king, when you can bring about peace with words'. William was an impressive politician even though he looked a brute of a man and though almost all of his military endeavors failed horribly, his work while at court defined his reign.

His son Alexander II succeeded his father in 1214 but for most of his life Mima was travelling herself. As a Vampire she needed no escort, perfectly capable at defending herself. She travelled almost everywhere, involving herself with every kind of expedition to strange lands and enjoying both the freezing cold of Russia to the baking sands of Egypt. However she was still more her father's girl than her mother's and home drew her back. She arrived a few months into Alexander III's reign and her return was talked about by all. The King took an immediate interest in her and fr the first time, Mima was interested as well. Alexander III was a man of power, he was charismatic and stern and fiercely cunning. Mima saw that he would make a great king and might just change the worsening tides for Scotland. She and he were close for a long time and kept a quiet tryst together even through Alexander's first Marriage. She was ever at his side and with him through his many conquests and when his wife died they grew even closer. However Alexander had need of a male heir, though he would have accepted his daughter Margeret as his heir if there was no other option. So he asked Mima for a child. She refused him point blank, they had been careful with their relations and even though Mima was already one hundred and thirty seven years old, she found she did not have the mentality to dedicate to a child, nor did she want a child of hers to become a king. She had seen what happened to kings.

So Alexander searched for a new wife and found one, much to his surprise, whom he actually cared about. Yolande was beautiful and clever and Alexander found himself smitten. He devoted himself to his new wife and to that end he pushed Mima from him. Mima did not blame him and easily returned to his loyal friend and counsellor. However things were not to go as planned, Alexander died after falling from his horse while riding through the night to attend Yolande's Birthday. Yolande was already pregnant with his child but the shock of losing him so suddenly soured the birth and the child came out stillborn. It was then that Mima despaired for her homeland. Tensions were already high within the English and Scots relationship, tensions that Alexander's expert hand had kept at bay. Now, with no male heir and a raft of Clan leaders baying for blood, Mima saw the imminent downfall of the Kingdom.

She left then, the last time she would see her home for many centuries, and went east into Europe. She found herself in the courts of many kingdoms, moving from France to Spain and back up to Germany. She spent two centuries passing from one land to the next and began slowly to wish for a home of her own. She had changed her name many times and in the year 1450 she entered Russia under the guise of Maria Borisovna of Tver. She was taken in by one Boris of Tver since she had done him a kindness a few years ago and he was happy to treat her as his daughter. Russia was in a time of turmoil, Vasilly II of Moscow was on the throne but he was aging fast and his son Ivan, later to become known as Ivan the Great, was being readied for rule. Boris was a firm supporter of Ivan's conquests as prince and so it was natural that he and Mima met. There was an immediate attraction, though at first it was more a rivalry, but later on they grew closer. Mima felt the need to settle and live in one place for a while, so at Ivan's proposal at marriage she easily said yes. They were married in 1452 and six years later their first child was born to them. Ivan junior, was a passionate and healthy child and grew up with vigour. As a weak blooded vampire he appeared happy to feed off animals so his vampiric nature never bothered him much. To Mima, he was a delight, a gift to her like no other. She treasured him and spent many happy years with her new family. Much later on a daughter was also born to her, she was named Lyra and was just as perfect as her son. However Lyra's birth had been kept a secret from the general public, whispers of assassinations abounded and the pair thought it safer to wait to give the announcement.

A good thing too for not a month later an attempt was made upon Mima's life. Someone poisoned her food and it was only by the good grace of her Vampire blood that she survived, though she was taken ill for a long time. Afterwards Ivan and herself had to make a difficult decision. Ivan could not put Mima at such risk, nor his newborn daughter. So the word was passed about that she had in fact died of the poisoning. In the dead of night she and Lyra were spirited away. She could barely bear to part from her little Ivan Junior, but her husband had persuaded her that he would be safe. It was one of the worst things she had ever done and one of the main regrets from her many years of life. She fled to spain and waited anxiously for news of her family. From there she watched her family crumble apart, Ivan remarrying when she did not return and her son dying of a cruel disease.

She was at least at his deathbed, holding her little boy's hand as he passed on. These experiences shaped her character more than any others but her heartache was not yet done. Lyra grew up rebellious and unwieldy. At that time Spain was leading an inquisition upon Jewish and satanic traditions and amongst their quota, vampires had been added to the mix. Mima tried to get Lyra to be careful but Lyra resented being held back from drinking human blood and became more and more reckless. Eventually of course, she was caught and dragged away for 'interrogation' though it was more sadistic torture than anthing else. Mima managed to rescue her daughter and spirit them from the country but once she had recovered, Lyra blamed her mother for her capture, insinuating that she had informed the authorities deliberately to teach her a lesson.
(WIP)