Hidden 10 yrs ago 10 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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Plastic, neon and glass choke out the horizon while the sun struggles to worm its way through the canopy of office towers overhead; the human condition made manifest. Here you'd be just another number lost in the shuffle of information, a warm body pushed along by the current of those behind it. But you aren't--and you can't remember the last time you were warm.

Vampire.

Even if it's not the right word you're stuck with it, a condition far less glamorous than a legacy of B-movies and trashy romance novels would have you to believe. Honestly, in this day and age it's hard to tell if you'd be better off alive, an insight easily gained with a single step back from your humanity. You see things more clearly, watch more closely, gaze through the teeming crowds with a predator's sight. That isn't your world anymore, maybe it never was.

This city doesn't have shadows; it is the neon and decay that shelter you, sustain you. Yellow tape and chalk outlines your only connection to the blind masses you've left behind. This is your world, but you are not alone in it.

Draug, Alp, Vetala and Dhampir. These are the right words for your kin and kith. The proud afflicted, ancient stewards of an older grudge. The clans have always fought, laid blame for their current condition and perceived slights at each other's feet. There was honor to it once, but the prey have proved unlikely teachers. Diplomacy meted out at the end of a rifle. It is a secret war seldom fought on a single front, for even a blind man will fumble though the dark.

Hunters hound us as they always have, their art perfected during our long decline. Strengthened by clarity of purpose. You were their target and you succumbed, a true death seemed certain. But we have taught them much as well, and they are not so merciful. Toothless they will call you, for your fangs are no longer your own. Usurped with the unfamiliar feeling of empty space where you heart once rested.

You are their's now. Unwilling yet unwavering. What foes await you in the world you left behind?

*************************************************

Testing the water a bit for my first RP idea here...

Set against the backdrop of a neon-soaked worker's dystopia ravaged by global warming, espionage and an ever-climbing sea level the story will follow a group of 'Toothless'. Vampires that have had their hearts cut out, hidden away and held hostage at the whim of a shadowy agency. With obedience beating the alternative you serve your new masters in ways no mere mortal could manage...

World-wise life as we know it gave way to an every-second-matters corporate nightmare, where the prevalence of machines has phased out human labor almost entirely; over seventy percent of the workforce now found in the ballooning information industry. Earth has gotten smaller with the rising tides and influx of refugees and space is a prized commodity; your average Joe inevitably works and lives in the same building, sharing a dormitory with his co-workers. Privacy doesn't exist, people don't matter and apathy reigns.

The modern vampire hasn't fared much better; hunted and fractured they wage their hidden war, more and more of their elders lost each year, and with them their heritage. Ignorant, inglorious immortals such as yourself forced from public eye by necessity, like rats in a midden. Suffocating desperation the only inheritance for the recently sired.

Only one thing remains certain. Constant.

There will be blood.

***************************************************************************

Basically you'll be a sort of supernatural 'suicide squad'. Expendable vampires forced to fight threats both mystic and mundane in place of human operatives. Advanced standards with the small stipulation that there are a few tropes I'd prefer avoided:
*No one hit kills. It doesn't matter that you're a vampire in a room full of nameless mooks. Don't no sell dangerous people.
*The world has moved on--you should too. If you walk into a gun fight with a sword you -will- lose.
*Don't romanticize vampires. You're not allowed to be good people.

Other than that all I ask is that you be excellent to each other and myself. I'll be posting the different flavors of bloodsucker in detail but for now enjoy these bare bones descriptions:

Draug - Corpse eating undead that can enlarge themselves by shedding their skin. They hold dominion over snakes and can absorb memories from the soil.

Dhampir - The ill fated progeny of a human and vampire. Until the curse matures they're afflicted with far less debilitating weaknesses than their elders, but likewise command only a fledgling array of powers. They hold no dominion.

Vetala - Phantasmal puppeteers of the recently slain. Though virtually indestructible the bodies they inhabit are not, and they're rendered both immaterial and ineffectual without one. They hold domain over carrion birds and can pull whispers from the wind.

Alp - Shapeshifters that sustain themselves on nightmares Alps hold dominion over insects and can glean a creature's desires with their 'swallowing stare.'

Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by corneredbliss
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This looks very interesting. I'll keep my eye on it.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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I would be interested in this for sure.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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I certainly appreciate the interest! Apologies for not shooting a reply back sooner Corneredbliss but I can't seem to figure out how to make my subs notify me when there's a new post.

That said I'd be happy to field any questions the pair of you might have while I watch this particular backburner--in the meantime enjoy a little more information!





I'm on the fence thematically about making water burn vamps (The essential element of life) leaning more heavily on having it be estranged to them and as weightless as the air around it. I'll be playing with that idea a little more.

As a heads up Dhampir can die in pretty much any manner that would claim the life of a living person--still in the transition from mortal to immortal--with the upside that fire, faith and the sun are far less dangerous to them.

The magic system I'm working on revolves around tattoos.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Architect
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Really interesting. It has a slight World of Darkness feel to it, but still pretty original. I'll keep my eye on this.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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Happy to have you, hopefully I'll have an OOC up in the near future.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by corneredbliss
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So will this follow the characters toward some sort of plot/objective (however loose, etc) or is this a sort of sandbox war that players will wage against each other? Just curious as to whether this will be closer to either a story or a game, if that makes sense.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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Makes plenty of sense. Essentially the RP will open shortly after the aftermath of a clan dispute that had the players fighting one another (abstracted away of course). The fighting was interrupted by the sudden arrival of some very well-equipped vampire hunters, you and your fellow RPers fill the role of those they managed to capture alive. Once abducted your hearts were carefully extracted (Yes, even what passes for a Vetala's heart) and are currently being held hostage. As this means they can snuff any of you out at their leisure (by destroying these hearts you're likely to never see again) you've been left with little choice but to do their bidding.

The plot is more of a guideline. There are certain things that will be happening simultaneously in the background whether characters become aware of them or not (So be crafty!) and I whole-heartedly encourage players to play against the narrative. It won't end well for anyone if you simply docilely accept commands.

****************

On an unrelated note I nearly forgot to mention the key advantage of being a flimsy Dhampir. They're the only vampires compatible with cybernetics.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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I'm curious, where are the purebred traditional vampires in all of this? The strong blood drinkers that I would assume run the entire vampire society.
Hidden 10 yrs ago 10 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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Well don't assume that for a few reasons! :P

*Vampire society is fractured. No one rules it. The remaining clans war with each other, external forces and are divided by deadly internal politics. The other players are not your allies and even those that pick the same bloodline may betray you. The only thing that will keep characters from each others throats is the threat of having their hearts obliterated by unseen hands.
*There are no 'purebred vampires'. Of the Five Houses only three remain (Vetala, Draug and Alp), while Dhampir are afflicted with a blood-thirst they don't really count, as they're merely vampires that haven't come into their curse yet. Dhampir that live long enough eventually become one of the other flavors of vamp.

On a side note I'll be avoiding the muscles are meaningless trope, so don't expect to be superhumanly strong.

In a nutshell it's probably best to leave most preconceptions at the door.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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Noted. I'm thinking of writing a Dhampir. Would one that has a bloodthirst over everything else be alright still?
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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In regards to that I"ll put it like this: Dhampir drink blood. Draug devour corpses. Alps eat nightmare and Vetala rot bodies. They don't need to. It's not like they'd wither away if you put them somewhere where they couldn't and left them there for years. So the act of a Dhampir consuming human blood isn't motivated by thirst or survival but rather an act of compulsion. Vampires don't decide to act on it, they are impelled to do so by their curse. One of the reason sticking around to watch over any loved ones is a recipe for disaster.

To simulate this character sheets will include a list of rock-paper-scissors choices that represent your ability to stave off this compulsion--occasionally rolled against when giving in would be less than ideal (Like interrogating a witness, escorting a VIP, etc)

In a nutshell it doesn't nourish them and you'd only enjoy it if you were that particular shade of fucked up to begin with. At the very least the fact that it's not a choice is unpleasant.

Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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Useful information! Thank you for clarifying!
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Howler
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Interested. Watching and curious to see how this evolves.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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It's evolving alright, a bit slower than I'd like but that's the way it goes sometimes (A bit more on my plate than I planned on lately). That said I'll leave a little snippet on how I'm designing the magic system.

The curse is old magic, and although it cannot be broken it may be bent to purpose. This act is known as the Craft and much like yourself it exists today as a pale imitation of its heritage. To ply the Craft is to become both sculptor and clay, to reach through oneself and crudely skew the last vestiges of what was.

*** That's just a bit of lore for flavor. Functionally the craft requires a reflective surface (The bigger the better) and allot of concentration. It's powerful ritual magic--the old kind--or at least what meager secrets survived your ancestors. During this rite a vampire will twist and mutilate their reflection (Their true self) in an attempt to alter how this world, the next or what's in between receives them. Whatever supernatural powers manifest themselves as a result must be taken with the caveat that this is an imperfect, often traumatizing act born from greed and desperation; no practitioner comes away from it whole.

Essentially this means that you may all add as many magical abilities to your vampires as you wish, with the trade off being that you receive a non-universal vulnerability in return for each power granted. CAUTION: Though you may freely select your powers these weaknesses will be decided AFTER a CS is accepted. With no guarantee that your character will be aware of them all.

I plan to include a reference list of common Crafts (The sort you're likely to encounter in other vampires), though I stress characters are in no way limited to these alone. Trust however that the curse does not deal fairly, and that powerful or uncommon Crafts are a realm best reserved for risk takers.
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Hidden 10 yrs ago 10 yrs ago Post by Obscene Symphony
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So I'm still reading through but if you'll have me I am damn intrigued.

EDIT: Got through it all, and I am definitely, definitely interested. Will there be a CS anytime soon, or will that come with the OOC? I'm really excited to start making a character, thinking of going with a Draug.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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Truth be told I want to be sure I've got it all squared away before I throw up an OOC, people tend to get antzy when those take their time. Magic is going to be a big part of it so I want to make sure I give it a good thinking over--ideally the magic system should let you all outsmart me, and use it in ways I hadn't planned on. A little tired right now but let me knock something out for the sake of not letting the thread gather dust.

Another Idea I've been playing with is magic potions--mostly revolving around how vampires regenerate from harm. Essentially Vamps can be killed by almost any means that would do the same to a human being. Poison? They die. Drown? Death. Car accident? Coroner's report. The catch is that short of destroying the heart, head, burning them or exposing them to sunlight that vampire is going to get better (Excluding Dhampir). There's no regeneration or 'healing factor' involved--one moment they're broken and the next their not--all thanks to the curse.

So why would this matter? Simple. Magic potions kill you. Always and without fail. Some slower than others of course, but I'll be posting in more detail when I'm happy with it.

I'm also toying with the notion of primacies (Read: The utter master of a subject or set of skills) based on how long your character has been afflicted. There will be an upper limit on this of course, not to mention the trend of an inherent danger/downside. In a nutshell you could use these to make a very capable combatant...but just fighting battles won't get anyone any closer to their heart. Meanwhile holding primacy over certain bodies of lore might pay off in unexpected ways. One of the big themes at work here being that knowledge is power.

Don't be shy to fill the thread with questions either--I'll do my level best to answer them.

@Obscene Symphony: Glad I got you excited for the Draug. Hopefully it won't all that much longer before you're tearing out of your skin as one.
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Hidden 10 yrs ago 10 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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Alright then, I've been mulling over how best to balance being an older vamp and I think I've come to something agreeable.

The Long Death: As to make even a temporary death as jarring as possible we will be relying on the whole 'life flashes before your eyes" trope so far as these brief departures are concerned. While being older means you've had more time to accrue primacies it will also ensure you've a longer return trip to be making, should fate be unkind.

A newly blooded vamp of one hundred years or less gives just enough time to say six Mississippis before they re-raise. In lieu of the carefully honed skills and hard won knowledge of their elder peers it is this relentless pace they substitute which makes them a danger. Capitalizing on the six second span of vulnerability each death offers can prove a daunting task, especially when encountered en masse.

The older one gets the longer these periods grow, but never by overmuch. (I'm aware how little one would enjoy roleplaying as a mute/deaf/motionless dead guy/gal for extended periods of time) Instead they will carry the penalty of growing deeper and more troubling. If you poke a few holes in a vamp that's just come into his own he takes a dirt nap, do the same to him in a few hundred years and it's closer to REM. A surviving proverb sums it up nicely.

"The young remember. The old relive. We ancients remorse."

The older one gets the deeper they go and the more disorienting it is to be thrust back to life. Affectionately known as wraithburn this lasting sickness disorients the re-risen vamp, leaving him weakened and unable to summon his crafts. These fleeting sojourns down memory lane will be your only opportunities to fit flashbacks into the story, so long as they're brief and the transition back to life is jarring. (Imagine reliving your wedding night as a sensation of dreadful self-awareness fills you. In a terrible instant you find yourself no longer twined around your lover, clothes heavy with your own blood. Or holding your infant son only for his weight to be replaced with that of some thrashing monster.)

Here's the rule of thumb:

At 100 years or less you're down for six Mississippis and shake off the wraithburn in a minute, give or take.

More or less every hundred years (Read: Every Primacy you choose) adds the previous count to downtime but tacks another zero on your wraithburn. Here's a handy chart.

100 years or less: 6 Mississippi and 1 minute of wraithburn
100+ to 200: 12 Mississippi and 10 minutes of wraithburn
200+ to 300: 24 Mississippi and 100 minutes of wraithburn (1.6 hours)
300+ to 400: 48 Mississippi and 1000 minutes of wraithburn (16 hours)
400+ to 500: 96 Mississippi and 10000 minutes of wraithburn (160 hours or 6.66 days)

Five centuries is the upper limit on how old you'll be able to make your characters, meaning the were born during the later half of the 1500's.

You'll also notice from the above that potions are more useful as a leg up for younger vamps than they are for older ones (Since they kill you) At 500 years and up a vamp's going to need a damn good reason to quaff one. That said they are powerfully addictive and those that rely on them as a crutch soon find eternity has a way of catching up to you.
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Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Architect
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Sounds rad
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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Thanks, I really want to hammer home the notion that being a vampire is just about the worst thing that could happen to you. A close second to dying for good as one.

As a side note you have no idea how giddy it makes me to know that this thread is being so closely watched--even if it's one of those slow to mature ideas. It barely edged out my two other ideas for a roleplay (Everyone being the same private eye with multiple personality disorder or the WW1 era-esque fantasy world occupation of a conquered 'evil' country)
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