This is an advanced roleplay, so I'm looking for reliable roleplayers who can produce at least two paragraphs a couple of times a week. Please do not apply if your schedule is hectic, or soon will be. This roleplay is definitely part action, but it's also a slice-of-life, so expect lulls in the combat where characters just talk and explore the setting. Hope you enjoy!
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is an action-oriented series of manga and anime seasons based around the prolific Joestar family, and in the latter part of the series the focus comes to be around them fighting with metaphysical manifestations of their will and fighting spirits, Stands. Chocked full of musical pop culture references and creative over-the-top action, it's fun for a very specific part of the family. This roleplay will follow the basic themes of Part IV, Diamond is Unbreakable, in the sense that it's an action/slice-of-life that rotates around a small, fictional town where everyone knows one another.
"... the body was found at 5pm this morning, crumpled on the kitchen floor, face contorted in horror..."
"... police are considering this an open homicide case..."
"The victim's husband has denied allegations of foul play, and toxicology reports are coming back negative..."
It was plastered all over the news for weeks. Deaths always are, in quiet, idyllic little coastal towns like this one: Pleasant Valley, California. But it started on June 20th, 2000: that was the day the killings started. Havana Reddy had been a perfectly healthy, twenty year old repatriated suburbanite, with a loving husband, a plethora of middle-class friends and a stress-free job as a yoga instructor at her local gym. She ate well, and took care of herself. She turned up dead at 5pm on a warm Tuesday afternoon, sprawled out on her kitchen floor. Her husband had found her clutching a broken makeup mirror, surrounded by the shattered remains of a glass of store-bought "health juice". Her face had been contorted, in abject agony.
Police reported that there wasn't a mark on her, but suspected foul play. They thought her drink had looked suspicious, and took her husband in on suspicion of poisoning: but the toxicology came back negative, and a subsequent autopsy returned no signs of conventional poison. In the end, they concluded that it was a rare, but not unheard of, case of sudden, unexplained death. It wasn't a common occurrence, but it happened: several times a year in the U.S. alone. And with that verdict, most people were happy. It seemed feasible to most of the people of Pleasant Valley, and it put their minds at rest to know there wasn't a killer stalking their happy little town... ... but a small, fringe group of citizens knew better.
To most, Havana Reddy had been a spirited, spritely young woman, but otherwise unremarkable: but to a rare few with which she shared a special power, she was known instead to be the wielder of the remarkable, emotional-manipulating Stand,Midnight Oil. Because Havana Reddy was part of a secret society of less than one hundred, a minority that had come- through the influence of some cursed antiquated arrow, introduced to Pleasant Valley at the turn of the millennium- to possess the awesome power of a Stand, a metaphysical manifestation of her own strength of will, a superhuman power. And whilst to the rest of Pleasant Valley, her death might have seemed an unpleasant coincidence: to them, it was something much, much more. No Stand user could be so easily felled, and in the world of Stands, there was no such thing as coincidence. There was no doubt about it: "this has to be the work of an enemy stand!"
But even knowing this, there was a great hesitation about intervening, throughout the whole Stand User community. There was a resounding fear that, should anyone stand forwards and get involved, they might be next. Maybe Havana Reddy was a one-off? Maybe her death was enough...
22nd of October, 2000. Sunday. Damien Bourke has just been found dead, the sixth victim of this "Stand Killer" in the last four months alone. His stand, Celtic Spring, was one which controlled weather. Now that it's perished, nature struggles to adjust, and the rain makes the sand unto wet clay. Something needs to be done. That's where you come in.
You are The Boomtown Rats, a group of students from the graduating class of Pleasant Valley High. You stepped up to the plate when the rest of the Stand community buried its head in the sand: because when injustice arises, one can always invest their faith in the recklessness of students. You all know each other, somewhat. Faces seen passing in the hall, notes exchanged between desks during boring classes. But in many ways, you are perfect strangers. You know only the names of one another's stands, and that when nobody else was willing to bat, you all stepped forwards together. Your mission: to find and stop The Stand Killer, before your own numbers come up.
But beware, because there are powerful forces working against you. Poking around murder investigations won't make you any friends in the Pleasant Valley Police Department, and making ripples in the Stand Community brings with it the risk of upsetting Pleasant Valley's resident gangsters - a troupe of Stand Users whose Stands suggest The Chinese Zodiac: The Zodiac Killers. They are the current known possessors of The Antique Arrow that gave the majority of Pleasant Valley's Stand Users their powers.
You've got a long way to go, Boomtown Rats. Hah. So much for Pleasant Valley Sundays.
A Tourist's Guide to Pleasant Valley - Your wildest questions, answered!
Q. What is a 'Stand?' A. A Stand is a type of spiritual entity that can be summoned in order to fight (or perform other tasks) on their user's behalf. At their most basic, a Stand is the metaphysical representation of its user's soul and strength of will: the form your Stand takes and the ability it possesses say a lot about you and your innermost workings.
(OOC) A Stand can look like anything you want it to, but there are some slight rules your particular stands must obey: they can't be more than a few inches taller than their user, and they can't resemble stands already established in the JoJo canon. Furthermore, whilst your Stand can bestow a power similar to one in the established canon (to an extent), it can't have The World or Star Platinum's powers, or any other 'final boss tier' Stand's for that matter. Remember, your stand must be named after a band or a song - no matter how tenuous the relationship to its ability might be. That's half the fun!
Q. What's the deal with The Zodiac Killers? A. The Zodiac Killers are a name specifically used by the Stand community to refer to a collection of hitmen (and women) in the employ of the local organised crime family, a branch of a Russian crime syndicate called The Bratva. Whilst it might seem easy to assume they're the killers, The Bratva have actually gone on record denying their involvement, which is something they've never done, despite the heinous crimes they're known to have committed. Because of the peculiar nature of their express refusal to be associated with the murders, there's no real reason not to believe them. Although they didn't bring it here, they're also the current owners of The Antique Arrow, the ancient artefact credited with the ability to create Stand users - including, most likely, the killer you're searching for.
Q. What is The Stand Community like? Do they all know one another? A. The Stand Community is a bit of a misnomer, as it implies that Stand Users all know one another personally: this isn't actually the case. Instead it refers to a small population (approximately one hundred of Pleasant Valley's 10,000-person population) of people who, either through exposure to the arrow or else other circumstances (ie intense, prolonged suffering or a heritage of stand users), have developed the power to summon their own stands. The Stand Community are mostly un-associated with one another, but Stand Users (in this canon, anyway) can sense one another's power, so they're all aware that other stand users exist and are in close proximity. Some Stand Users become friends through this, as (it's rumoured) Stand Users are simply drawn to one another. However, there is a golden rule of thumb practiced by most all Stand Users in Pleasant Valley: don't tell your associates what your Stand does until they see it themselves, that element of surprise may well save your life.
The Boomtown Rats have gained a small amount of notoriety within The Stand Community, for being either incredibly brave or incredibly reckless. Perhaps this will make some Stand Users more inclined to help you, or hinder you. Only time will tell.
Q. What are the rules of having a Stand? A. Your Stand cannot be seen by 'normal' people, but it can still influence them, even kill them, if you so desire it. You can sense other stand users, unless they're actively suppressing their power, in which case you wouldn't be able to tell who is and isn't one. This, however, is a skill only 'practicing' stand users (that is, people who are less afraid of using their powers, a minority) possess. An unpracticed Stand User cannot suppress their presence. In terms of combat, Stand Users tend to obey a 'turn-based' rule, just out of common decency. Expect this of a rival with decorum, but an underhanded enemy might use it to their advantage. Cheating this rule yourself is cause for great mistrust in your motives.
Q. What're some of the more well-known areas of Pleasant Valley? Asking for a friend. A. Pleasant Valley has a few hotspots and watering holes that everyone will know about, here's a list:
The Blue Note - Everyone's favourite watering hole, The Blue Note is an old fashioned lounge bar, complete with a resident jazz band and a plethora of guest singers. It's not far from town centre, and you can spot it a mile off at night by the neon blue quarter-note they hang above the door. It serves guests of all ages (only age appropriate drinks, of course!), and it's run by the worldly, middle-aged Stand User William "Billy" Joel, an expatriate of Long Island. His stand is a mystery, but he doesn't try to suppress its presence. His bar is considered the smoothest night out in town. Billy himself is regarded as a man you can put your faith into. After all, everything the bar tender hears is confidential, isn't it?
Town Centre, The Piazza Del Sol - In the middle of Pleasant Valley is The Piazza Del Sol, a large, open square fashioned in the traditional renaissance style. Large, golden-brown stone tiles make up most of the floor, unevenly tanned to create the illusion of the sun sweeping across the square at all times. In the middle, a large water fountain is carved to look as though it's an unfolding flower, from which water pours throughout the year. In the colder seasons, the square is largely unoccupied except for by the benches flanking its edges, and the spherically tipped lamp posts. But in the Summer, market stalls open up and sell everything from fresh food to electronics. The third victim, Stevie Vito, was found here in August.
Umbrella Beach - So named because in the Summer months, tourists from all across the coast flock to Pleasant Valley and set up their parasols here. Umbrella Beach is a white sand beach on a bright blue coast, and it's famous for good waves and good vibrations. The beach itself was a much favoured vacation spot even before Pleasant Valley sprang up in the early 50s.
The Dock of the Bay/Sugar Bay - Named for the white sand that surrounds it, Sugar Bay is an inlet of sea to the north West of Pleasant Valley and the direct West of Umbrella Beach. It's from here that Pleasant Valley sprang forth, as "The Dock" was the foundation of the fishing village that one day became the town. The Bay is known to be a popular diving spot for lovers of the life aquatic, particularly tourists coming to see the illusive Sugar Ray. But The Dock is less popular, as legal fish numbers have dropped exponentially in the past decade. Now The Dock is associated with the shady dealings of The Bratva: the appearance of the fourth victim, Kristin McGrath (stand: Abracadabra) on The Dock is what motivated The Bratva to discuss their lack of involvement in the murders.
Pleasant Valley High - Otherwise known as 'Boomtown' within The Stand Community for its increasingly high number of stand users, this is the local high school and Pleasant Valley's pride and joy. The school delivers consistently high grades each year, although nobody is quite sure why given the amount of delinquents to attend - The Boomtown Rats included. The building was built in 1993 and is considered state of the art, with five floors full of the latest projectors, PCs and Macintosh computers. Legend has it, the staff room even has a PlayStation 2 in it! The school has a dark side, however: The Head Boy, Dee Snider, has a reputation for being an insufferable egotist and a class A bully, who uses his authority to terrorise the other students. He is Stand-less, but as brave as he is foolish.
Pleasant Valley High is located near the Eastern border of the town, and faces the hills of the East valley. Thus far, no students have been killed.
Rainbow Park - Originally known as 'Rainbow in the Dark Park' before it was re-branded to appear more 'family friendly', is a skate park to the west of The Piazza del Sol. Most of its residents are students (or drop outs) of Pleasant Valley High, but a few are college students clinging to their youth. It's notable that this skate park is fabled to house a sort of 'fight club' for Stand Users, although nobody ever seems to talk about it. Nobody is entirely sure how the rumours started.
The second murder was apparently committed here, the victim was Booker T. Potts and his sense-altering stand Green Onions.
Warehouse - Although it began life in the 60s as Dreaming Tables Ltd's biggest warehouse on the West coast, Warehouse has now been reduced to its function. It's a large, empty, dilapidated building not a mile West from Pleasant Valley high. It's got a reputation for being the place students bunk off to go smoke and drink. Occasionally bloody marks are found here, but thus far it's unrelated to any known murders or assaults: authorities think these incidents might be the fallout of a "rumble" between rival students.
Valley Mall - A touch of suburbia, Valley Mall is a large space for such a small town: it's to the South of town centre, and comprises a good portion of the work economy here in Pleasant Valley. It hosts the usual array of stores, and a few... esoteric ones. For whatever reason, Valley Mall is the host to a quarter dozen occultist stores, which offer wares a bit heavier than the average, new-age peddlers. The food court is a common hangout spot for Pleasant Valley teens outside of school hours.
So that's Pleasant Valley, now what about you?
Stand User Name: (A composition of the names of musicians, preferably associated with your stand's namesake but that isn't mandatory) Age: (17 - 19, you're in the last year of high school.) Gender: Brief description of appearance: Written descriptions are preferred over pictures, since a CS is an example of your quality as a writer. Personality summary: Short biography: How'd you get to Pleasant Valley, and how did you get your Stand? Namesakes:
Stand Name: Please name this after a song, band or memorable lyric. Description of Appearance: If your stand is humanoid can't be much taller than a grown person, or particularly broad, but otherwise may look how you desire. DISCLAIMER: These rules doesn't apply to enemy stands you might face. Power: This is where you'd enter your Stand's ability. It can have any ability, within reason, excluding the 'final boss' tier abilities from the series. Describe it concisely, and then elaborate. i.e; "Teleport - Now I'm over there." If yours is a short term ability (like teleporting), it can't be used in rapid succession, you'll need time to "recharge". Stats: This is where we determine your Stand's effectiveness. Don't worry too much about these letters, I won't penalise you if you do something particularly cool but it doesn't fit a rigid scoring system. These are more just a means of squaring up to other Stands, comparatively. If you're facing a stand two ranks stronger than you, for example, then you know already that you won't win in a straight up punch out, etc etc.
You have five letters to spend: one A, two Bs, and two Cs. Note that these stats aren't necessarily permanent - if your stand changes form, or over the course of the plot becomes more powerful, then enter the new stats under the original, in a hider labelled "augmented stats."
Destructive Power: This is how hard your stand hits. Does your stand punch like a boxer, or hit like a southbound freight train? Speed: This is how quick your stand can be. If you want to be able to mach punch (ORA ORA ORA ORA) then you're going to need at least a B. Range: This is how far your stand can reach. Note: if your Destructive Power stat is high, then this is low. If you have an A in DP, this must be a C. If you have a B in DP, this must be a B. If you have a C in DP, this must also be an A. So on, etc. Durability: How tough your stand is. Can you take as good a punch as you can throw? Precision: How precise are you? A C is just as precise as anyone else, an A is being a Jedi.
For example:
Stand User Name: Bruno Garcia Hays Age: 19 Gender: Male Brief description of appearance: Bruno is a tall, slender figure, 5'11", with narrow shoulders and an overall thin build. His hair is a cobalt blue, and he wears it up in a pompadour (although, to allay concerns, he isn't too defensive about it). His eyes are green, and his skin is lightly tanned, betraying his origins in a hotter climate. He wears a black leather jacket, around the collar of which is a black-and-white checkered pattern. Over his left hand he wears a single, padded leather glove.
Personality summary: Bruno is an Aussie, through and through: hot tempered and fast-mouthed. A reformed teen gangster, Bruno's heart is in the right place, but his execution can sometimes be less so. His playful teasing can seem cruel at times, and his rushing to fix problems with his fists can sometimes make them much, much worse. Still, his loyalty, once earned, is nigh unshakable.
Short biography: Bruno Hays is an Australian immigrant who was moved forcefully from his hometown of Trenchtown, New South Wales, by his parents after he'd been involved in a botched museum robbery, orchestrated by The Wailers. They were a gang of teen anarchists that Bruno had fallen in with at 13. During the robbery, a collection of valuable antiques went missing: Bruno never saw the benefits of any of them. Instead, in the commotion preceding his arrest, Bruno panicked and ran into the road, colliding head-on with a police car and losing his left arm due to a complication in the ensuing surgery. It was un-salvageable, and replaced with an inflexible wooden substitute- all that his family could afford- and such reality motivated Bruno to leave his roguish lifestyle behind at 17. It was well crafted, like the arm of a well made doll, but it was totally inanimate.
Bruno moved to Pleasant Valley with his parents, and his now-estranged, then-girlfriend Maria Shintaro, expecting to spend the rest of his life as "the one armed man". But upon arriving, Bruno suddenly found himself in the possession of a powerful spirit which allowed him to move his wooden arm as though it were made of flesh and bone again: and when he touched things with it, he could emulate the material. His arm could become stone, metal, any solid material. He would later learn that this was the birth of his stand, Matter of Fact!
Over the years he's kept it to himself, and wears a glove over his "stand arm" when he isn't using it. Sometime in the last few years, Maria left Bruno, leaving only a note which declared she was running to L.A., after she'd ransacked his room and stolen some of his most valuable possessions. He recently joined The Boomtown Rats, under the impression that his violent early teens might be put to better use via vigilantism. Namesakes: "Bruno Renzella" of Australian band Fat Lip, "Jerry Garcia", a finger amputee from the American rock band Grateful Dead, and "Colin Hays", a Scottish musician from the Australian band Men at Work.
Stand Name: Matter of Fact (Duran Duran) Description of Appearance: N/A: Bruno has never seen Matter of Fact "in person", as it were. He's only ever seen its arm, which remains even when he removes his wooden prosthetic. Said arm is a translucent sea green, and seems almost to let off a pale blue steam whenever it's outside of Bruno's arm. Although not particularly broad or powerful, the arm is fairly well toned and covered in what look to be small Widmanstätten patterns. In the absence of his prosthetic, Bruno wields this, but can no longer absorb other forms of matter. Power: Matter adoption - When Bruno touches a solid surface with his wooden arm, he can assimilate the materials and change the material his arm consists of, for the duration of the fight. This alters his stats, but the change is only temporary and the ability has a long "recharge" period. Stats: [Default - Wood] Destructive Power: B Speed: A Range: B Durability: C Precision: C
Oh wonderful! Glad to see the topic already up and ready to go. I should most likely have a character sheet up sometime within the next twenty-four hours, hope I can stand up to your expectations.
Oh wonderful! Glad to see the topic already up and ready to go. I should most likely have a character sheet up sometime within the next twenty-four hours, hope I can stand up to your expectations.
I'm already excited! I look forwards to the character.
I might have to go with a character design I recently drew, if only because it feels rather JoJo. Though its pretty obvious that it wasn't particularly inspired, and being labeled as uncreative is never fun. I shall spend tonight deliberating on what in the hell I'd like to do, I might even go crazy and use that random stand generator, could be fun.
@Captain Jenno I feel the rules on stats are a bit unnecessarily restrictive. I understand this is to promote balance and ensure we're not below average, but I feel like it doesn't give us a lot of wiggle room as to how dramatically we want to arrange our Stand's natural ability. That rule about power-to-range, especially, limits what we can set up with just five stats of predefined ranks. And personally, I don't think excluding Developmental Potential is very proper, since it does serve as a measure of how much our Stand is capable of growing in the future (that is, if it gains any new abilities or forms throughout this roleplay).
If I were a GM, I'd make it into a sort of point-buy system: with all of your stats starting at E, you distribute a set amount of points to increase individual stats in rank. So, I could spend 4 points out of 10 or 12 or something to make a single stat A-rank, 3 points to make a stat B-rank, and so on. I might also make the power-to-range rule more of a background rule for Stands - that a Stand becomes functionally weaker the farther they operate from their user, no matter their Power rank (so a Stand operating at A-rank Range may only be as powerful as a C-rank Power stand, even if they would normally have an A-rank in Power.).
But that's simply my personal thoughts on the matter. You're the GM, and what you say goes, so I'll kindly follow whatever rules you set. I just wished to express my opinion on the design, and I won't insist anything be changed.
The rules remain, power-or-range has always been a facet of Stands in general and having a Developmental Potential stat in a roleplay seems presumptuous given you and your characters have no idea where you're going. Your opinion is acknowledged and your input appreciated.
Although on the topic of thinking things not particularly proper, I'd prefer your first post in a new OOC weren't made up mostly of a two paragraph critique of the game system - for future reference, should the mechanics introduced ever fail to satisfy the people who sign up to this roleplay my PMs are always open. But until the roleplay has actually begun, I'd rather the OOC were about character creation.
EDIT: It should be noted that the stat system is a means of ranking, not of restricting. As stated on the CS, I won't actively restrain players from performing spectacular feats on the basis of arbitrary letters if it's feasible your Stand could do it - the stats are simply so one knows that if an enemy has a higher rank in that stat than you, chances are you're not going to win in a fair fight. Time to get Joseph-smart.
The rules remain, power-or-range has always been a facet of Stands in general and having a Developmental Potential stat in a roleplay seems presumptuous given you and your characters have no idea where you're going.
I wouldn't say necessarily in terms of stats, but you are right.
Although on the topic of thinking things not particularly proper, I'd prefer your first post in a new OOC weren't made up mostly of a two paragraph critique of the game system...
Absolutely true. I've no right to say what should or shouldn't be.
It should be noted that the stat system is a means of ranking, not of restricting.
I never meant to imply the system was meant to actively restrict us. I won't comment any more.
Right now, I'm mostly just struggling with actually creating my own Stand right now, since it has a certain power that's kind of difficult to nail down in terms of raw stats. I also need to figure out appearances, something I've never really done quite so well with in writing...
Welp, here I was minding my own business, writing up that character sheet. And my PC decides to restart unannounced. Never fun to lose that kinda work. Nevertheless, I shall trudge through and see if I can't put the pieces back together.
Welp, here I was minding my own business, writing up that character sheet. And my PC decides to restart unannounced. Never fun to lose that kinda work. Nevertheless, I shall trudge through and see if I can't put the pieces back together.
Och, sorry to hear it - but best of luck! There's no rush, as people seem to be coming fairly slowly. If I can help at all feel free to drop into my private messages!
Of course, no worries. I've mostly gotten it all back together, hopefully at least. I'll need to start learning to write things on Google docs or something similar. I always tend to lose a post or two every now and then, haha.
I'm posting a draft here. It's mostly complete aside from the appearances, but I'd like to get some opinions on the work, most notably the Stand and its ability- it went though a handful of concepts before I got something much more simple to explain while being potentially interesting.
Stand User Name: Cameron Cornell Shepard Age: 18 Gender: Male Appearance: -incomplete- Personality: -incomplete-
Biography: Born and raised in the Seattle area of Washington state, Cameron wasn't exactly an exceptional youth at the time. He would be outgoing, as children often were, but would have difficulty actually making and establishing friends on his part, for reasons he himself didn't quite know. This would unfortunately single out Shepard just enough to become a target for the stereotypical bullies of the late elementary school environment. Needless to say, it was a position he didn't like to be in and quite wanted to get out any way he could. Eventually, it all reached a boiling point when Cameron found himself on the verge of being beaten senseless during his outdoor lunch.
Fear, frustration, and the sheer desire for more power saw Shepard's stand awaken, and before he had even realized it, the young boy had beaten the clique of young teens with only his plastic eating utensils. Barring the severe repurcussions of the event, Cameron suddenly found himself with the reputation that he could beat anyone to a pulp with just a spoon, even going so far as to be called "Spoonman". This put the poor kid to the subject of many tests willing to test out this wild proclamation- not quite understanding the ability that got him into this mess, Shepard forced himself to man up and take on these hardships headfirst. By the time he left elementary school, he had been kicked out of two previous schools for being a needlessly violent delinquent.
In hopes of correcting this, Cameron's mother took her boy and moved to the quiet town of Pleasant Valley - against these wishes, Shepard's father stayed behind in Washington to pursue a major business opportunity. The transition and the new town didn't quite mellow out Cameron as his mother had hoped; the latent Stand User ultimately found himself quite at home among the fellow delinquents of Pleasant Valley High.
Time, and the nature of Pleasant Valley, did eventually prove to calm the young man regardless, and he began to pursue more productive interests than his own bloody survival within a school environment. Most recently, he has found himself joining the Boomtown Rats in an effort to try and learn more about his own Stand (affectionately named Spoonman in reference to his old nickname) and possibly harness it for a greater purpose.
Namesakes: Matt Cameron, Ben Shepard, and Chris Cornell- the drummer, bassist, and lead singer/guitarist (respectively) of the American alternative/rock band Soundgarden.
Stand Name: Spoonman Appearance: -incomplete-
Power: Item Empowerment - Spoonman has the ability to take any mundane tool or utensil and inflate its capability to dramatic effect. For example, a plastic knife in Spoonman's hands would have the cutting ability of a sword, or a spoon the impact of a mace. An item that would not have any significant destructive potential would be granted it: an eraser would turn into the likes of a deadly razor. Effectively, an object held in Spoonman's hands gains the same 'stats' as the Stand does, Destructive Power just being the most notable increase.
As of right now, Cameron has knowledge of Spoonman's uses of simple kitchen and writing utensils, such as spoons, forks, pens, and erasers. Because he has yet to experiment extensively with his Stand, Cameron is yet unaware of how his Stand's ability could affect items with more complex uses.
Stats: Destructive Power: A Speed: B Range: C Durability: C Precision: B
Also, I'd like to apologize for introducing myself to your roleplay on a poor note. It was a poor sense of judgement on my part and I feel wholly embarrassed about it.
Appearance: Jules is a young man of above-average height and medium to athletic build, yet still remaining somewhat lithe, standing at about 179 cm and 75 kg.
Some of the man's most prominent features would have to be a rather crooked nose from one too many brawls in his youth, the serious to angry look always plastered about his face, compounded by the expressive eyebrows that dominate wide eyes. However, even more so than that lies a thick, almost paradoxically so, well-cared for pompadour resting atop his head of darkened hair.
Even in official settings, Jules remains particularly unprofessional in clothing, often found clad in high collared jackets of a deep, dark purples and blacks. Combined with slacks of similar colour and plain white undershirts.
Personality: The young man often disparages his own intelligence, clearly understanding that he isn't particularly bright, nor does he believe that he can make decisions well, instead relying on the higher ups to do thinking for him. Yet he remains surprisingly arrogant in other aspects.
Jules has an implacable temper, finding himself blowing up situations far worse than they might be through his demeanor. Though often focusing his hatred upon 'the things that matter', the pompadoured man is still very much a delinquent, a holdover from his youth that had not so much as been squashed in schooling years. Though he does have somewhat of an obsession with the prospects of manliness, and being the most 'manly man that could ever man man-dom'. And boy does he fail.
He remains childish, and unprofessional, even to those of any higher status than he, begrudgingly so does he take orders, rarely without quips of his own. On top of this, his sense of humour has not progressed, in the slightest past that of an adolescence, hardly the material for a stoic band of guardians. All these traits culminated tend to make the guy nigh impossible to get along with in any official sort of the manner.
Despite all of these innumerable shortcomings, Jules remains particularly attentive, and like many, enjoys those fine lazy Sundays where one can't do much more than relax.
Short biography: Born and raised right here in the relative peace of Pleasant Valley, into the fine and proud Mason family. Aside from the outrageous family hairstyle passed down to all the men of the house, the young man's life could be seen as nothing short of usual, normal, and all encompassingly boring.
The delinquent hated it, entirely. From such, an absurd deal of angst was born and harbored, never did Jules ask for that simple life crap, and none of that peace too. Hard core action and kick-ass tunes to play him off was all the kid really ever desired in life, and thus he made it his mission to go far out of the way to find it. Unsurprisingly, he had never been more successful than landing himself in detention throughout the years again and again.
Sure, he always respected his family, a real momma's boy if you ask me. Yet it had almost become a passion to pick innumerable fights that he would get kicked in the ass for, just to worry them. This continued even onto entering Pleasant Valley High, the very same cycle of causing trouble and paying for it, quickly notarizing himself as a flunky thug within the community at large, often coming to blows with even the head honchos of the school.
It had been through this that his perpetual punishment, as detention simply hadn't been enough to calm the waters for him, had been to work, unpayed of course, in handling all custodial duties about the school grounds, and handling them well lest he be thrown out for good, and then he'd be a real damn has-been. Of course, the pompadoured prick hated it, much to his derision being forced to clean up the messes that other students left particularly special for him. Though, no one could have ever faulted the man for the intense dedication and air of responsibility he began to show for his janitorial duties, even growing to enjoy the time spent over the years cleaning empty halls long after classes were over.
Just as well, it had been about the same time that Jules began learning of the true nature of stands, through hushed words and eavesdropping on gatherings he was often left out of due to his confrontational nature. It really had been quite a shock, that the guy's imaginary friend for as long as he could recall was some sorta 'kick-ass spirit thing'. Nevertheless, through matters inconsequential, the young man joined up with the Rats, after all, it was finally time for that excitement he so desired. But it was more than that, to protect the quaint peace for those who enjoyed their quiet lives, cause that's what a real man would do.
Namesakes: "Jules Radino" - Of the American Rock band, Blue Öyster Cult. "Nick Mason" - Drummer of the English rock band, Pink Floyd.
Stand
Name: The Trial - (Pink Floyd)
Appearance: Jules's stand manifests into the shape of a rotund humanoid, slightly taller and a fair bit more broad than he. This mighty spirit's limbs appear rather thick and well-muscled when not obfuscated by a grandiose draping that proceeds over the shoulders until just about the knees, most notably aside from what could be no less than golden filigree is the emblazoned image of scales upon either side.
Capping off the imposing physique, both shoulders appear as half-spheres, plateauing off into flat peaks as if battlements of any castle wall. The head just as well shares this trait, almost crowning it with slight royal countenance. Blank, unmerciful eyes dominate the cylindrical head structure where little other features can be seen.
Each knuckle, fingertip, and palm are rounded off by small translucent orb shapes, from which the stand's powers are realized. The colour scheme as a whole tends to be rather dull browns and greys, embellished by gleaming gold.
Power: Flaw Enhancement - The Trial wields the mighty ability of intensifying innate flaws within its target, whether it be organic, lifeless material, or mentally abstract. This is accomplished by even the slightest touch of any of the aforementioned orb-like structures, from which a determined flaw of choice is , most often accompanied by some form of shit-eating remark, though this is only embellishment and not a necessity.
For instance, take a pillar of stone with a simple aged crack that would not likely affect the integrity in any manner, yet is otherwise perfect. With a glide of the hand, that crack grows deeper, is emboldened and more defined. Another pass and it grows deeper still, far more noticeable and perhaps threatening to the pillar. After several more, that crack may very well engulf through the stone and cleave it in twain.
There is a catch to this power however, Jules needs prior knowledge, learning, or at least minute enough information of such a flaw in order to have any effect. Say another stand user has particularly poor eyesight, yet Jules has no clue about such. No amount of face-punching may deteriorate their vision further, well, at least where the power is concerned.
Stats
Destructive Power: B Speed: B Range: C Durability: A Precision: C
Well here it is! I sure do hope that everything is in order, though I've probably screwed up somewhere. I'm just gonna blame it on sleep deprivation as always, just go ahead and make your concerns known, I'll be glad to ammend. I personally vote that we are all pompadoured punks.
While I don't have much in the way of concrete criticism for that stand ability there Pi, I must say that it sounds quite fun. I'd love it for our little gathering to be comprised of wacky powers that would otherwise be seen as lackluster, if not for our resourcefulness of course.
"Oi oi oi. What did I tell you govniuks about messing around in my daddy's territory, huhhh? NA KALENI, SUKA! Kakaya zanuda..."
Name: Corey Bratva Age: 19 Gender: Female Description: A classic delinquent character with more of an American vibe. Corey is neither tall nor short, and carries herself with an unmistakably confident swagger, the kind that says "I kick so much ass my boots permanently smell like farts". She almost always wears a leather biker jacket over some sort crop top and a pair of faded jeans or daisy dukes, and she styles her hair into wild dreadlocks that are died pink, a color she thinks compliments her golden amber eye color. Corey never wears much in the way of makeup (although her skin is instead decorated with a number of tattoos) and her jewelry (earrings, a necklace, and two bracelets) is all simple gold with little to no special designs or engravings. She rides the motorcycle her father bought her for her sixteenth birthday to school every day, and never bothers locking it under the assumption that everyone at school knows whose it is and why they shouldn't touch it. She's very proud of her body and thinks she's sexy, but most boys are too intimidated to approach her. Personality: A rude, brutish, yet oddly charismatic Russian mafia princess, Corey is the type of person who has that sort of inexplicable magnetism to her, inspiring people to join her and even follow her. She likes to feel powerful and in control, and prefers an aggressive, proactive approach to problems, taking command of every situation with a fiery, in-your face personality. She can be mean and even somewhat sadistic, a product of her upbringing, but she acts almost like a den mother sometimes when her friends or the girls in her gang are threatened or in a pinch, forming tight connections with the people she trusts. She's none too happy about what's being done to Stand users in town, and has vowed to "find that son of a bitch and rip his asshole out through his throat". Has an absolutely nasty potty mouth and is prone to yelling out bilingual insults at the drop of a hat, even as a greeting to her friends. Her favorite phrases in Russian are "U tebia ochen malenki hui, skolka...pat centimetra?" and "Mne vsyo ostopeezdelo" Biography: The daughter of the current Bratva family head, Corey is unlike most mafia princesses in that she not only took an active interest in the family business, but did so from a young age. A shrewd, brutal negotiator and adept disciple of violence, Corey wishes very much to earn the approval of her father, who she adores but who has never let her become too involved in the Bratva family's criminal enterprises. Rather than a bystander or observer, Corey wants to help her father in any way she can and be a part of the Bratva criminal syndicate when she grows up, something she's attempted to prove to him by assembling a little delinquent gang of her own at school (not the Boomtown Rats). Unfortunately this has only resulted in her stepping on her father's toes at times, and while all is forgiven of Corey within the Bratva family, she still is no closer to her dream than before. Granted a Stand as a gift by her father (one of many gifts to be sure but certainly the most acceptable), Corey has always been involved in the local Stand community, and hopes to earn her father's trust and approval by tracking down the Stand killer who's been attacking his associates. Namesakes: Living Colour's lead guitarist, Bratva family
Stand
"DURARARARARARA!!! Unbju!"
Name: Cult of Personality Power: Mind control. Cult of Personality's power is simple but potentially terrifying. The Stand's body is made up of what looks to be thousands of yards of hair woven into the shape of a human being, and by consuming this hair, a person can be granted Stand power (or at least a tiny fraction of it) in exchange for surrendering complete control of their body and mind to the Stand user. The hair is pink in color, similar to Corey's own hair, and eating it causes an effect similar to Caesar Zeppeli's Hamon Kiss within the body of the victim (or willing participant), granting them superhuman strength and fighting ability while also placing them directly under the control of Corey herself.
There are two major weaknesses to this Stand. The first and most obvious is that dividing Cult of Personality's power up amongst multiple people weakens it. A few people will produce no visible strain on the Stand (unless many hairs are consumed), but as more and more are granted Stand power, Cult of Personality's ranks will slowly begin to drop. Secondly, due to the nature of Stands, this power won't work on other Stand users unless granted express permission. It will, however, work on Corey herself if she consumes some of her own hair. Stats: A/B/C/B/C Misc: Her Stand's battlecry is an extension of the Russian insult "dura", a femine form of "fool" or "idiot". So when she punches you, she is more or less calling you a stupid bitch and telling you to die ("unbju" or lit. "I'll kill you!")
Grand, that's exactly the first image that came to mind, a rag-tag bunch of misfits, the only thing they probably hate more than each other would be those dastardly villains.
Appearance: Jules is a young man of above-average height and medium to athletic build, yet still remaining somewhat lithe, standing at about 179 cm and 75 kg.
Some of the man's most prominent features would have to be a rather crooked nose from one too many brawls in his youth, the serious to angry look always plastered about his face, compounded by the expressive eyebrows that dominate wide eyes. However, even more so than that lies a thick, almost paradoxically so, well-cared for pompadour resting atop his head of darkened hair.
Even in official settings, Jules remains particularly unprofessional in clothing, often found clad in high collared jackets of a deep, dark purples and blacks. Combined with slacks of similar colour and plain white undershirts.
Personality: The young man often disparages his own intelligence, clearly understanding that he isn't particularly bright, nor does he believe that he can make decisions well, instead relying on the higher ups to do thinking for him. Yet he remains surprisingly arrogant in other aspects.
Jules has an implacable temper, finding himself blowing up situations far worse than they might be through his demeanor. Though often focusing his hatred upon 'the things that matter', the pompadoured man is still very much a delinquent, a holdover from his youth that had not so much as been squashed in schooling years. Though he does have somewhat of an obsession with the prospects of manliness, and being the most 'manly man that could ever man man-dom'. And boy does he fail.
He remains childish, and unprofessional, even to those of any higher status than he, begrudgingly so does he take orders, rarely without quips of his own. On top of this, his sense of humour has not progressed, in the slightest past that of an adolescence, hardly the material for a stoic band of guardians. All these traits culminated tend to make the guy nigh impossible to get along with in any official sort of the manner.
Despite all of these innumerable shortcomings, Jules remains particularly attentive, and like many, enjoys those fine lazy Sundays where one can't do much more than relax.
Short biography: Born and raised right here in the relative peace of Pleasant Valley, into the fine and proud Mason family. Aside from the outrageous family hairstyle passed down to all the men of the house, the young man's life could be seen as nothing short of usual, normal, and all encompassingly boring.
The delinquent hated it, entirely. From such, an absurd deal of angst was born and harbored, never did Jules ask for that simple life crap, and none of that peace too. Hard core action and kick-ass tunes to play him off was all the kid really ever desired in life, and thus he made it his mission to go far out of the way to find it. Unsurprisingly, he had never been more successful than landing himself in detention throughout the years again and again.
Sure, he always respected his family, a real momma's boy if you ask me. Yet it had almost become a passion to pick innumerable fights that he would get kicked in the ass for, just to worry them. This continued even onto entering Pleasant Valley High, the very same cycle of causing trouble and paying for it, quickly notarizing himself as a flunky thug within the community at large, often coming to blows with even the head honchos of the school.
It had been through this that his perpetual punishment, as detention simply hadn't been enough to calm the waters for him, had been to work, unpayed of course, in handling all custodial duties about the school grounds, and handling them well lest he be thrown out for good, and then he'd be a real damn has-been. Of course, the pompadoured prick hated it, much to his derision being forced to clean up the messes that other students left particularly special for him. Though, no one could have ever faulted the man for the intense dedication and air of responsibility he began to show for his janitorial duties, even growing to enjoy the time spent over the years cleaning empty halls long after classes were over.
Just as well, it had been about the same time that Jules began learning of the true nature of stands, through hushed words and eavesdropping on gatherings he was often left out of due to his confrontational nature. It really had been quite a shock, that the guy's imaginary friend for as long as he could recall was some sorta 'kick-ass spirit thing'. Nevertheless, through matters inconsequential, the young man joined up with the Rats, after all, it was finally time for that excitement he so desired. But it was more than that, to protect the quaint peace for those who enjoyed their quiet lives, cause that's what a real man would do.
Namesakes: "Jules Radino" - Of the American Rock band, Blue Öyster Cult. "Nick Mason" - Drummer of the English rock band, Pink Floyd.
Stand
Name: The Trial - (Pink Floyd)
Appearance: Jules's stand manifests into the shape of a rotund humanoid, slightly taller and a fair bit more broad than he. This mighty spirit's limbs appear rather thick and well-muscled when not obfuscated by a grandiose draping that proceeds over the shoulders until just about the knees, most notably aside from what could be no less than golden filigree is the emblazoned image of scales upon either side.
Capping off the imposing physique, both shoulders appear as half-spheres, plateauing off into flat peaks as if battlements of any castle wall. The head just as well shares this trait, almost crowning it with slight royal countenance. Blank, unmerciful eyes dominate the cylindrical head structure where little other features can be seen.
Each knuckle, fingertip, and palm are rounded off by small translucent orb shapes, from which the stand's powers are realized. The colour scheme as a whole tends to be rather dull browns and greys, embellished by gleaming gold.
Power: Flaw Enhancement - The Trial wields the mighty ability of intensifying innate flaws within its target, whether it be organic, lifeless material, or mentally abstract. This is accomplished by even the slightest touch of any of the aforementioned orb-like structures, from which a determined flaw of choice is , most often accompanied by some form of shit-eating remark, though this is only embellishment and not a necessity.
For instance, take a pillar of stone with a simple aged crack that would not likely affect the integrity in any manner, yet is otherwise perfect. With a glide of the hand, that crack grows deeper, is emboldened and more defined. Another pass and it grows deeper still, far more noticeable and perhaps threatening to the pillar. After several more, that crack may very well engulf through the stone and cleave it in twain.
There is a catch to this power however, Jules needs prior knowledge, learning, or at least minute enough information of such a flaw in order to have any effect. Say another stand user has particularly poor eyesight, yet Jules has no clue about such. No amount of face-punching may deteriorate their vision further, well, at least where the power is concerned.
Stats
Destructive Power: B Speed: B Range: C Durability: A Precision: C
I personally vote that we are all pompadoured punks.
This is gonna be the start of a beautiful adventure. I really like this character, approved! I'll take a gander at the others now.
"Oi oi oi. What did I tell you govniuks about messing around in my daddy's territory, huhhh? NA KALENI, SUKA! Kakaya zanuda..."
Name: Corey Bratva Age: 19 Gender: Female Description: A classic delinquent character with more of an American vibe. Corey is neither tall nor short, and carries herself with an unmistakably confident swagger, the kind that says "I kick so much ass my boots permanently smell like farts". She almost always wears a leather biker jacket over some sort crop top and a pair of faded jeans or daisy dukes, and she styles her hair into wild dreadlocks that are died pink, a color she thinks compliments her golden amber eye color. Corey never wears much in the way of makeup (although her skin is instead decorated with a number of tattoos) and her jewelry (earrings, a necklace, and two bracelets) is all simple gold with little to no special designs or engravings. She rides the motorcycle her father bought her for her sixteenth birthday to school every day, and never bothers locking it under the assumption that everyone at school knows whose it is and why they shouldn't touch it. She's very proud of her body and thinks she's sexy, but most boys are too intimidated to approach her. Personality: A rude, brutish, yet oddly charismatic Russian mafia princess, Corey is the type of person who has that sort of inexplicable magnetism to her, inspiring people to join her and even follow her. She likes to feel powerful and in control, and prefers an aggressive, proactive approach to problems, taking command of every situation with a fiery, in-your face personality. She can be mean and even somewhat sadistic, a product of her upbringing, but she acts almost like a den mother sometimes when her friends or the girls in her gang are threatened or in a pinch, forming tight connections with the people she trusts. She's none too happy about what's being done to Stand users in town, and has vowed to "find that son of a bitch and rip his asshole out through his throat". Has an absolutely nasty potty mouth and is prone to yelling out bilingual insults at the drop of a hat, even as a greeting to her friends. Her favorite phrases in Russian are "U tebia ochen malenki hui, skolka...pat centimetra?" and "Mne vsyo ostopeezdelo" Biography: The daughter of the current Bratva family head, Corey is unlike most mafia princesses in that she not only took an active interest in the family business, but did so from a young age. A shrewd, brutal negotiator and adept disciple of violence, Corey wishes very much to earn the approval of her father, who she adores but who has never let her become too involved in the Bratva family's criminal enterprises. Rather than a bystander or observer, Corey wants to help her father in any way she can and be a part of the Bratva criminal syndicate when she grows up, something she's attempted to prove to him by assembling a little delinquent gang of her own at school (not the Boomtown Rats). Unfortunately this has only resulted in her stepping on her father's toes at times, and while all is forgiven of Corey within the Bratva family, she still is no closer to her dream than before. Granted a Stand as a gift by her father (one of many gifts to be sure but certainly the most acceptable), Corey has always been involved in the local Stand community, and hopes to earn her father's trust and approval by tracking down the Stand killer who's been attacking his associates. Namesakes: Living Colour's lead guitarist, Bratva family
Stand
"DURARARARARARA!!! Unbju!"
Name: Cult of Personality Power: Mind control. Cult of Personality's power is simple but potentially terrifying. The Stand's body is made up of what looks to be thousands of yards of hair woven into the shape of a human being, and by consuming this hair, a person can be granted Stand power (or at least a tiny fraction of it) in exchange for surrendering complete control of their body and mind to the Stand user. The hair is pink in color, similar to Corey's own hair, and eating it causes an effect similar to Caesar Zeppeli's Hamon Kiss within the body of the victim (or willing participant), granting them superhuman strength and fighting ability while also placing them directly under the control of Corey herself.
There are two major weaknesses to this Stand. The first and most obvious is that dividing Cult of Personality's power up amongst multiple people weakens it. A few people will produce no visible strain on the Stand (unless many hairs are consumed), but as more and more are granted Stand power, Cult of Personality's ranks will slowly begin to drop. Secondly, due to the nature of Stands, this power won't work on other Stand users unless granted express permission. It will, however, work on Corey herself if she consumes some of her own hair. Stats: A/B/C/B/C Misc: Her Stand's battlecry is an extension of the Russian insult "dura", a femine form of "fool" or "idiot". So when she punches you, she is more or less calling you a stupid bitch and telling you to die ("unbju" or lit. "I'll kill you!")
I'm certainly down for her bein' a member of the Bratva, but I feel like I should say that if that's the case, (i) I'll be playing her father (for later plot reasons) and (ii) She isn't necessarily in regular contact with The Zodiac Killers, either - they're daddy's toys. Is that alright? If so, we're grand. Glad to see you back, though! Maybe we'll arrange Ram Jam to appear as an NPC, that'd be a fun little easter egg.
The character portion is approved, but I'm marginally concerned about the stand. Not because I think it'll be OP but because I'm vaguely worried it might be less powerful than you desire? Most of the story will follow The Rats so you might not find much in the way of opportunities to create the horde you might so desire. But once we've parsed that part out, we can add you to the CS tab.
NOTE: I feel as though I should mention I'm a fairly competent Russian speaker, if you ever want me to put things into Cyrillic for you (because anglicised Russian never does look quite right) I'm always happy to translate whatever ends up in my PMs.
I'm posting a draft here. It's mostly complete aside from the appearances, but I'd like to get some opinions on the work, most notably the Stand and its ability- it went though a handful of concepts before I got something much more simple to explain while being potentially interesting.
Stand User Name: Cameron Cornell Shepard Age: 18 Gender: Male Appearance: -incomplete- Personality: -incomplete-
Biography: Born and raised in the Seattle area of Washington state, Cameron wasn't exactly an exceptional youth at the time. He would be outgoing, as children often were, but would have difficulty actually making and establishing friends on his part, for reasons he himself didn't quite know. This would unfortunately single out Shepard just enough to become a target for the stereotypical bullies of the late elementary school environment. Needless to say, it was a position he didn't like to be in and quite wanted to get out any way he could. Eventually, it all reached a boiling point when Cameron found himself on the verge of being beaten senseless during his outdoor lunch.
Fear, frustration, and the sheer desire for more power saw Shepard's stand awaken, and before he had even realized it, the young boy had beaten the clique of young teens with only his plastic eating utensils. Barring the severe repurcussions of the event, Cameron suddenly found himself with the reputation that he could beat anyone to a pulp with just a spoon, even going so far as to be called "Spoonman". This put the poor kid to the subject of many tests willing to test out this wild proclamation- not quite understanding the ability that got him into this mess, Shepard forced himself to man up and take on these hardships headfirst. By the time he left elementary school, he had been kicked out of two previous schools for being a needlessly violent delinquent.
In hopes of correcting this, Cameron's mother took her boy and moved to the quiet town of Pleasant Valley - against these wishes, Shepard's father stayed behind in Washington to pursue a major business opportunity. The transition and the new town didn't quite mellow out Cameron as his mother had hoped; the latent Stand User ultimately found himself quite at home among the fellow delinquents of Pleasant Valley High.
Time, and the nature of Pleasant Valley, did eventually prove to calm the young man regardless, and he began to pursue more productive interests than his own bloody survival within a school environment. Most recently, he has found himself joining the Boomtown Rats in an effort to try and learn more about his own Stand (affectionately named Spoonman in reference to his old nickname) and possibly harness it for a greater purpose.
Namesakes: Matt Cameron, Ben Shepard, and Chris Cornell- the drummer, bassist, and lead singer/guitarist (respectively) of the American alternative/rock band Soundgarden.
Stand Name: Spoonman Appearance: -incomplete-
Power: Item Empowerment - Spoonman has the ability to take any mundane tool or utensil and inflate its capability to dramatic effect. For example, a plastic knife in Spoonman's hands would have the cutting ability of a sword, or a spoon the impact of a mace. An item that would not have any significant destructive potential would be granted it: an eraser would turn into the likes of a deadly razor. Effectively, an object held in Spoonman's hands gains the same 'stats' as the Stand does, Destructive Power just being the most notable increase.
As of right now, Cameron has knowledge of Spoonman's uses of simple kitchen and writing utensils, such as spoons, forks, pens, and erasers. Because he has yet to experiment extensively with his Stand, Cameron is yet unaware of how his Stand's ability could affect items with more complex uses.
Stats: Destructive Power: A Speed: B Range: C Durability: C Precision: B
Also, I'd like to apologize for introducing myself to your roleplay on a poor note. It was a poor sense of judgement on my part and I feel wholly embarrassed about it.
Don't sweat it! Like I said, the input was appreciated even if I disagreed with it - I hope that passion translates into lots of posts! I'm loving this so far, and not just because your stand has strange applications to the plot you don't yet know of. It's an interesting, quirky power, but not overpowered (ie "A plastic knife becomes a gigantic serrated steel blade!"). I can't wait to see the incomplete sections filled in!
