Don't you think bloodborne had an amazing lore to it? Even if you never played the game, wouldn't you agree that werewolves, vampires, ghosts and monsters in general, all tied up by eldritch cosmic horrors from beyond sounds like fun?
Though one thing I'm curious of is Yarnham, before blood and guts clogged the drain and all the nasty shit came to the surface. The healing church, choir, Lawrence...
So here's the setting I'm suggesting.
-Lawrence, the first vicar, is still very much alive and we live in the golden age of his cult, of Yarnham and of the Healing Church, though the dread of another hunt is looming, and everyone can feel in their guts that this one will be the worst one yet.
-I wouldn't allow to take the original characters as Lady Maria, Ludwig, Lawrence and so forth would be there to keep a plot moving. That's right, this would be about uncovering and, hopefully, stopping eldritch truth.
-Some division and factions within the characters, intrigue! I'd see it go something like that: --1/1 Hunter of Hunters --1/1 Choir Member --1/1 Mensis Member --2/2 Yahar'gul 'Hunter'/Kidnapper --2/2 Blood Saint --1/1 Vileblood --2/2 Cainhurst Knight --3/3 Executioner --3/3 Ludwig Follower (Hunters who believe in brute strength, violence and blood to purge the beasts) --3/3 Maria Follower (More dexterous hunters focusing more on formalities, nobility and in general, human values, to starve off the beast within themselves) --3/3 Powderkeg (IF IT AIN'T GOT KICK IT AIN'T WORTH IT! FIRE! EXPLOSIONS! Also: Heresy.) --x/x Yarnamite Volunteer (The rabble trying to defend their home with what little weapons and skills they have) --x/x Civilian
The aim of that being to keep a diverse crew that can help and hinder each other, each faction having its little quirks and some having drastically different objectives. ALSO: Some of these would be first come first served, but as the GM I'd ask for veto of some of these characters, especially ones with only one spot since they tend to be more important.
-It isn't the first hunt, but hunters aren't fully institutionalized within the church either, though its a notable trend.
-As far as you know, there is no dream.
I intend to make a fancy OOC if there is enough interest. Questions? Comments? Insults?
I guess I'll come out of hiding while and get involved in a new RP. I'm certainly interested. Imagine that combat is mostly left the player with damage being received where plausible or at the hand of you, the GM, correct? Character deaths are a possibility and it is certainly possible for players to fight other players over disputes in Hunting, right?
I'll leave combat between players to players themselves and if you want to decide the outcome of the fight first or RP it and see where it goes, its all fine. I'll however step in during disputes and mind you, I won't decide the outcome of these fights with a throw of the dice. I'll first look at all player abilities and should they be evenly matched, I will bluntly say that I'll chose the character that I think can further the story the most. That doesn't mean I'll kill the character though, as I intend to leave death to when it would be grand and epic, as well as to the players who vanish or, and I hope not to come to that point, those that would cause OOC problems.
So yes, its all possible! Though... that hunter of hunters isn't there for nothing. Remember that the endless night isn't upon us (Yet) and a lot of characters work together (in theory) so fighting someone else over a kill, death and blood, is a sure sign that said hunter is becoming blood drunk, and that the line between beast and men is fading for him. There can (and should!) be animosity between hunters (And some should outright kill each other. Blood dregs being menstrual blood I expect the vileblood to go full Jack the Ripper on Yarnham to please his queen. And then there are the Mensis ass holes...), remember that a dead beast is the best of outcomes, no matter who killed it.
But you know what? I still encourage you to lean toward the dark side and seek confrontation with others. Its no fun if we don't have a few bad apples!
While I'm gonna have to brush up on my bloodborne lore, I'm thinking a slightly unhinged Powderkeg armed with a regalia of exotic weapons or an Executioner with that silly helm and all. In which case I'll be hunting down those bad apples.
@Alex R as if you have the choice of not wearing that glorious cone lol
@ClocktowerEchos you can use non gun powder weapons but people will laugh at you because they are far less effective than guns. But! It's still a silent option with recoverable ammunition so you might just have the last laugh if you choose that.
Hey there, CLocktower reccomended this to me and I'd love to be a part of this. What sort of character sheet will we be using for our dudes? I'm taking the other Powder Keg spot, by the way.
Boombox bros 4 lyfe
Nonetheless, what sort of rules are allowed on our armaments and backstories? I'd like to be a foreign-born hunter who uses a stake-driver, a piercing rifle, and the obvious torch. Also, if I can ask, how exactly will we be seeing everything? Y'know, what's the 'true canon' if any we'll be using in this RP? Additionally, how will we handle the MP and related 'alternate world' mechanics, if we will?
@LHG100 There will be a 'true Cannon' we'll be using indeed, which I'll detail in the OOC, along with the official character sheet. Powderkeg wise however note that Old Yarnham didn't burn to the ground yet and officially, these hunters are still part of the broader group even if they make a lot of people unhappy as being open minded to new weaponry can sometimes result in being open minded to things the church would rather you weren't.
Alternate world will not exist since I think it would make an already extremely convoluted plot more of a nightmare to manage, though I'd give use to the bells linked to hunters (Read, any character other than civilians and militiamen) being able to hear the distinct chime when it is near their area. A hunter spotting a beast can thus decide to ring that bell to give a subtle alert other hunters nearby of his location to engage in JOLLY COOPERATION. Likewise a more wicked hunter could lock on that sound to find that hunter and engage in bloody combat. Sinister bells however... I'd leave to the bell maidens and cosmic horrors to be called from beyond (Read: The one reborn and so forth)
@Sarcelle Renard Welcome aboard! Note however that as far as 'knight' goes, lore wise I'd go the way of them being the Indentured Chevalier of the castle, part servant, part noble. Killing intruders, beasts and enemies of Cainhurst being part of the job of these self important janitors. Basically, hyper competent minions to the queen and to the Vileblood player.
Prototype CS
Name: Nickname: Age: Class: Insight: (None, low, high, very high. Everyone begins with none other than the Mensis and Choir player. Basically tells of your knowledge of the eldritch truth out there and the possibility of your character turning insane and stand in awe at the worst possible time in front of kosmic related things. The more you know, the more you are prepared to fight abominations, but the more likely they can, essentially, frenzy you. Here its not damage but more sinister psychological consequences. Strategically this means that high insight people have a need to let unsuspecting hunters with talents but little insight do the dirty work for them (And from an OOC perspective, this will mean that these players will have to get fresh characters involved to stand a chance as the plot advances))
Weapons: (One trick weapon and 2 left slots. Basically guns, torch, etc. Custom weapons are fine but I must validate them first) -Main -Secondary -Third
Items & Spell items: (Some factions will begin with some specific spells. Mensis and Choir will have the best selection to start with, Maria will have quickening, Ludwig probably beast roar, etc.)
[Character's name] and the Hunt: (How your character sees and interacts with beast. If they are aggressive in the fights, what keeps them attached to their humanity, etc.)
Psychology: (Their personality and so forth, vis a vis humans mainly. What drives them in life, if they believe in the Good Blood, etc.)
History: (Everything else, where they came from, what happened to them, etc.)
Other: (Very important. Did your character come to Yarnham because of a sickness only the blood can cure (and that now needs regular infusion of blood)? Any family or lover? Things about the current state of the life of your character)
EDIT: @Ezmeralda Go ahead! Blood Saint is the dedicated 'healer' class and we have 2 spots! Though, that saint can either be non aligned or with the church, no cainhurst saints. Sorry!
Edmund and the Hunt: Edmund sees that Beasts are no more then beasts, no matter how lofty they were in life. They should be killed as quickly as possible, even if a mess must be made. He always attempts to do his part with as much haste as possible, and does his best to minimize unneeded damage, aside from the beasts themselves of course. He's heard tales of Hunters that lose themselves, and has decided to cling unto a few things to try to stave off the effects of his new-found job; a Music Box he picked up in Yharnam not too long ago, and finding often-raunchy humor in his surreal situation. The Music-Box represents the trade he believes he's made with the people of Yharnam, and the humor helps with making the horribleness of the average Hunt look better then it actually is.
Psychology: Edmund is a slightly selfish man with a brisk rate in all things and a desire to know more about Yharnam, if only to help pay his seen 'debt'. While on the somewhat less personable side, he certainly isn't an obnoxious twit. He is simply a man more focused on actual business instead of relations, most of the time. Nonetheless, much like any human, he does have an innate desire to be sociable. Stemming from his 'business-like' state of mind, he sees that he has a debt to Yharnam for its blood healing, and is focused on paying that debt, not being the type of man in any sense to leave a debt unpaid, even if the indebted party is himself. Finally, of course, much like any other young man he's full of energy and longing to use it.
A complex, if not divided young man, most certainly...
History: Edmund grew up much like any other, with a milquetoast upbringing, but was afflicted with a curious disease when he became a young man. All of the doctors his family could contact were of no use, and so he decided to bring himself to Yharnam to see if their Blood-Healing could help. The Blood-Ministers of the healing church helped him greatly, and with his regained vigor, he decided to pay off his 'debt to Yharnam' by joining up with the Hunters he heard about.
He soon found himself agreeing with the Powder-Keg's bombastic, quick-and-easy way of dealing with the occasional Hunt, and shortly before the events to unfold decided to stick with one of his elders in the group, who he shares with an odd friendship that smashes the age-gap, just like a Powder-Keg Hunter should. Of course, with his concern for collateral damage, he isn't a very good Powder-Keg just yet.
Other: Edmund came to Yharnam to heal his odd affliction, which is easily staved off by the Good Blood, and has the universal need of all young men to find companionship in a strange land and... 'companionship' anywhere. While a tad selfish himself, he does have a moral compass he does his best to keep to, even during a Hunt. Of course, the allure of so much pillage and loot isn't easy to ignore...
In addition, he has a family outside of Yharnam, with a loving pair of parents and two siblings who'd help him in a heartbeat, but, of course, a Hunt isn't a good thing to get outsiders involved in at all.
A note; when I mean 'selfish' I don't necessarily mean, y'know, 'doesn't play very nice with others', but I mean more like "My job's this side, your job's that side, tend to yours and I'll tend to mine."
Edit: Actually, in addition, Beast's Roar for Ludwig's little 'faction'? Honestly, I think you should add an 'Irreverent Izzy' related faction. It'd be really cool to see your take on that mentioned but never-seen character in the backstory. Plus, >Beast Claws.
@Ezmeralda I see the church bell more of as a morale boost than real healing, something that gives you the strength to endure more rather than actually heal.
Blood Saint healing would be indeed related to the blood and consuming it, plain and simple. Mind you however, I consider that when you look at the copious amount of the stuff you find around Yarnham, normal blood is diluted to have greater quantities while still having rather miraculous effects. Yours is the true stuff. Like how Iosefka's or Arianna's blood heal you by a significant amount in addition of giving a buff, yours does the same. Other benefit includes being made of really tough stuff and impressive self healing. In term of weapon however, despite how awesome some kind of giant syringe trick weapon would be, blood saints cannot be hunters. Reason being the church would consider them too precious to risk in such endeavor and because on an OOC perspective, that would make for one over powered character. You can have a fighting spirit and being adept of more common weapons, but the killing power of a blood saint will never compare to that of a hunter.
@LHG100Hey good find! I'll be sure to include her in the final version of my OOC! For the character it seems all good, although I'd ask to maybe be more specific in what keeps him human. A music box is nice, but in Gasgoigne's case it was so important because it was her daughter's favorite thing, thus reminding him of his family, his wife he had just killed, etc, etc.
@WernherUnderstood, I was actually thinking it'd be a bit obvious what the music box represents for him. Unlike uncle guacamole, it simply reminds him of his debt to Yharnam, and he is not the type of guy to let a debt go unpaid, either by him or somebody else. I'll add that to the cs though.
(Working on the OOC slowly during the night, will edit in the bits and pieces as I go. If you have any questions, go for it!)
A Shadow Over Yharnam
This year is the fifteenth since Laurence, the first vicar, saved Yharnam from the plague that had afflicted it and thus had his message of hope and devotion to the Gods and their Good Blood received and cherished within the hearts of the devout Yharnamites. Blood not only gave this city salvation in crisis, but brought prosperity in peace, its name gaining recognition far beyond its small locality as a city of miracle. The locals had indeed forgotten all about the fact that their new religious overlords were ironically foreigners they despised so much, disgruntled scholars of the near-by Byrgenwerth Academy who could stomach no longer to see the secrets of the Healing Blood, a god sent source of wonder, locked away by Provost Wilhelm while their fellow men suffered. Driven by religious zeal, Laurence and his fellows rushed at the aid of the Yharnamites.
Or so does the story go.
A heavy price had to be paid along the way however, the corruption of the blood, although no one knew exactly how or why it occurred, was a very real scourge, a test of Yharnam's faith. It had seemed to happen all of a sudden, people turning to beast... Some said it was the hubris of the Yharnamites, to drown themselves in blood, to use this miraculous cure for every little ailment, from a scrap to a simple beauty remedy. It was what the clerics whispered, the old followers of Laurence speaking in fear of Master Wilhelm's warning: fear the old blood. But the clergy could not show weakness! And so when the rumor spread that Cainhurst, the despicable neighbor of Yharnam that had already stolen the blood of the church for its own nefarious and decadent purposes, had poisoned the church's Holy Blood, it proved convenient for the priests to, without proclaiming it, insinuate there might be truth. After all, for all they knew it could very well be an illusive Vileblood who was the cause of this calamity.
Seven years ago, the world suffered four, a Tetrad, of Lunar Eclipses, Blood Moons as the common folks call them, within a single year. On this year, the number of beast incidents increased dramatically, so much it could no longer be dealt with by conventional means. Gehrman became the first hunter of the workshop, a close friend of Laurence, he worked tirelessly with an elite force of the church's old guard to rid the city of beasts. As the year progressed however things became worst. No one really liked Gehrman's methods, skulking in the dark to slaughter anything with fur that might walk the night. Not only that, but it proved less and less effective as the old guard dwindled in numbers but yet more and more men turned to beasts, with each passing blood moon, the line between men and beast fading on these lonesome and fearsome nights. The last one threatened to be the deadliest.
With little time to prepare and with things becoming worst by the day, the church saw the rise of Ludwig. He was truly blessed, a simple man that saw himself guided by the gods. His guiding moonlight as he called it. Ludwig had something Gehrman lacked: Charisma. Along with his will to recruit from the population and the church's desperation, he made one last ditch attempt at mounting a defense. After what everyone in the city would call the longest of nights they had ever lived, Yharnam emerged, battered but standing.
And this year, is another Tetrad. Three blood moons have passed already and hunters have weathered it rather well, even though it was just because they were prepared this time and had anticipated new things. They had seen it seven years ago, new kinds of beasts, the fully transformed ones with nothing human left of them, some hunters going drunk with blood or gods forbid, an undead dark beast. In one week from now will be the final Blood Moon of the year, the long night and the Great Hunt.
Everyone knows it but they try and convince themselves that they are prepared, that their beast repelling incense will ward the beast, that the men and women on the street will keep order, that the hunters will kill everything that threatens them. Cautious enthusiasm is in the air as the Festival of the Last Harvest will happen in two days and will serve as the last occasion to celebrate until the winter solstice. For the hunters however, who see unnerved gaze the priests send them, they know very well it might be the last chance to enjoy a nice blood cocktail before they face the unthinkable. For many it shall be their first Great Hunt and if the casualty figures of the last one hold true, for many it will be their last.
Whomever you are, be prepared.
The Hunting Ground
A literal boom town since the church established itself, attracting people from throughout the realms in religious fervor or in desperate hope, all of it because of the blood. In all honesty, it isn't good being a foreigner in Yharnam, people treat you like a second class citizen and this affects everything. Social mobility is limited since banks will not give you the time of the day and people will only sell land or business venues to true Yharnamites but... there are reasons why people don't live and there is hope that one's children will become true Yharnam material one day.
Many find Yharnam itself to be labyrinthine in design but these people didn't visit old Yarnham. New built on old, which then becomes old and new is built on top of it, back in a day where someone could just decide to built his house in the middle of a street and if people didn't care enough to knock it down, well that was life. Today its become a containment zone for the poor of the city, many penniless immigrants call this home as well as those less fortunate in the fortune of the city. That figure of speech became literal earlier this year however when a plague struck this slum and the ancient walls that surrounded this city were blocked by the order of the church. Only people on official business can enter or leave and even then, it is mandatory to burn your clothes when you leave and expect regular checkups from church doctors. This hassle somewhat discouraged hunters to visit the neighbors, making this plague problem into a beast problem as well.
The new heart of the city, it is built around a few arteries bordered by countless boutiques and shops rising in the air to host most of the middle class population that cannot afford or do not want to live in the Cathedral Ward. A lot of newcomers comment that it is about time the Church knocked down some buildings and stopped to make alley ways so predominant, this part of the city having no shortage of interconnected dark alleys of varying degrees of creepiness linking to courtyards, parks and other parts of the city. The church does not answer to these plights however as these alleys have proven in the pass to be easily defensible against hordes while people in the large boulevard were quick to be surrounded and cut to pieces.
A city within the city, it is here that reside the members of the Healing Church and those it would declare essential for its good function, being it the window cleaners or the nuns. It is reputed being the single safest place in the city that was never breached even during the Great Hunt (Indeed it was never breached, but some things did come from the inside). Only the captain of the hunt, Ludwig himself, will be able to open its gates by waving his handkerchief once the Great Hunt begins again. Until then, the streets of the ward shall be kept safe by the Church's new brand of hunters. Indeed, many felt the semi-conscripted rabble of Ludwig is ill-suited to safeguard the dangerous secrets held within these Wards. If people should step in the orphanage or the clock tower...
The little abode of Gehrman, built in a secluded place by he as he intended the hunting business to always remain a shadowy one, time would prove him wrong. It is where he forges the weapons of the hunters mostly in solitude since he was overshadowed by Ludwig, since a beast decided to snack on his legs...
The reason why rich people migrated out of central Yharnam and why people light incense even when a hunt isn't on, this 'modern' piece of urban work makes all of the city's nasties flow down to the canal, which itself goes to the Yharnam river that flows through old Yharnam. People have learned to take pride in their stinky underground labyrinth however, as a fun thing to think is that all of this goes down in the lake where castle Cainhurst is located. A final 'screw you' to the vileblood. Some see the more practical application though, as seven years ago many have fled the madness using this network... assuming you don't land on the denizens after turning the wrong corner.
Discontempt from the rising odors from the sewers that can make a summer unbearable in central Yharnam, combined with a lack of land there, the nouveau riche and powerful of the city's growing elite decided to invest the money of the pilgrims that need food, shelter and other amenities and have to buy those from them, into the Righteous Hill, known before as Mount Voer. This gated community was built around the idea to be able to withstand the weirdness Yharnam never fails to spawn in all the comfort available for the few men capable of lodging here and as such, these manors made of stone have seen their windows reinforced with elegant but tough steel designs are are more akin to castle than mansions, hiding away behind their gardens and the trees that ornament the streets. Weeping willows being in fashion.
In Yharnam, they produce more blood than alcohol, as the former is the more intoxicating. The stills of the Yharnam brewery dominate the landscape of this manufacturing center, as all over the realm many have tried out the famed blood cocktails of Yharnam out of the hope some of the city's miracle of good health would rub off on them to eventually start to enjoy the taste as a thing of leisure. Along with it, stand the slaughterhouse and the glass maker as the second and third biggest workshops of the city.
Its funny how easy it was for the school of Mensis to hide in plain sight. Oh of course it was with the benediction of Laurence so having everyone looking the other way when the village was built helped but now? The maps warp around Yahar'Gul without anyone noticing since everyone assumes that the official map, that everyone has used forever, must be accurate, right? It would take a geomatician to notice how everything is a little off.
Yharnam is a city state and while the farther you go from the city, the less relevant things become, the country side still has a few secrets of its own. To to the south, the farmland and pastures, keeping the city fed but not immune to the spreading scourge or from intrusions. To the north west, the forbidden forest, walled off entirely, or so they say. And to the north east, charnel lane and the road to Cainhurst
The biggest settlement, meaning something more than a hamlet with 3 houses near each other. Warwick is a quaint little village, its inhabitants kind and peaceful, but who had no choice but to learn how to defend themselves against the beasts that stray from the city. They have little trust in the city folks and would rather stay out of all that business, their houses, all bunched up together to wall an inner courtyard, a 'plaza' at the center of the village, is a testament to that.
An euphemism for the massive graveyard complex outside of the city, it was built to face the overflow of dead after the last great hunt and has steadily grown since. The blood does work miracle, but some people come to Yharnam too late to be saved. Some argue the church should have built underground catacombs to make the scenery less morbid, but the church never considered the idea.
The holy ground that is now Byrgenwerth, the birth place of the healing blood, a secret jealously protected by the church. None may enter without the password though the aging walls do seem climbable from place to place. No one has the urge to enter a wood linked to the supernatural though.
The closest neighbor of Yharnam, there's always been bad blood between the two realm but neither was ever powerful enough (in recent memory, at least) to try and subjugate the other. The King and Queen of Cainhurst rule in an absolute fashion and have a reputation that is as surrounded in mystery as the church's. Right now, the situation is not that of war but rather that of a cold one and while the border on Cainhurst's side doesn't seem guarded, it is probably because that as a small community, in Hemwick, everyone knows everyone and a Yharnamite going there would be one with a death wish.
The magnificent abode of King Cainhurst, it has been standing for as long as anyone can remember. It is a peculiar sight however to see such decadent luxury in such a place, the land being practically barren and the population not managing to pay in taxes much more than to keep the fire places lit and the constant parties for the phenomenal amount of courtiers going. Cainanites do take pride in their history however, stating Castle Cainhurst is a testament to the pass glory their kingdom once held.
There are plenty of raunchy rumors going on in Yharnam about a village full of lonely maidens left by themselves every day of the week while their husbands, sons and fathers work tirelessly in the mountain to bring back the timber, iron and precious metal their Overlord, King Cainhurst, demands of them. One thing is sure however, no one dares to try and sneak in to find if the rumor is true as those who delved too close to these sirens never do come back.
A chain of little outposts that justify Cainhurst being visible on the map, even if it all wilderness for the most part. These non permanent settlements are inhabited by the Cainanite peasants toiling the good earth to satisfy the greed of their lord. These poor wretched men have no liking for their out of touch, despotic lords and their unforgiving lands, but are united much like the Yharnamites in the fact that it is their unforgiving land and despotic lords. If one should think the 'Yharnam hospitality' is lacking, they'd do well not to wander in these parts.
Each individual states of the realm as a different name for it derived of local culture and lore, this inability to agree on a singular name for the thing that binds them together is a good indicative of how united they are. The realm is led by an Emperor Elect that cannot levy taxes, nor can he impose laws on the member states less they stop fighting and plotting against each other to rebel against him. Ultimately, this Emperor Elect merely is he who shall rise his banner higher than the other tiny kingdoms, principalities, republics and theocracies should a foreign, more united and dangerous, realm decide to invade, this being the only thing conceivable able to unite, if only for a moment, this quarreling bunch.
The Hunters
The church wished itself to be a uniting force, joining people together in the quest of a greater good. It is a mission it has no doubt failed for the church itself is more divided now, in front of imminant doom, ever than before. Old and new rivalries and conflicts litter the halls of the Grand Cathedral and a diverging opinion on how to slay beasts easily devolves in an argument on how to ward yourself against what lies within man to only move on to a fight as to what caused this scourge in the first place. If the idea of striving for something greater cannot hold the diverging ideologies in check, will imminent doom be able to do so?
-Red means the character must be approved by me, so send an application via secret PM! -Yellow means the spots are limited, so be quick to present a CS! In case there are too many applications, I shall decide for a chosen one! -Blue means you are free to make a character and although I might ask for modifications, hardly any will be outright refused! (You are free to make as many blue chars as you like as well.)
To push the scientific method applied by the church, inherited by Vicar Laurence during his days at Byrgenwerth, it is important to apply it to the grooming of the future leadership of the church. The orphanage educates their subjects in the arcane and the eldritch from a young age, hoping to ease their mind into it, create a sense of normalcy and push the limits of human sanity in doing so, so to push the ceiling of human insight in the cosmos and go pass the old danger of such studies: Insanity. Choir members are keepers of truth, destined to take over once the current leadership moves on to greater things... or fail to do so. Ebrietas shall guide her surrogate children unto the stars.
(Begin with insight and a considerable amounts of spells, among other things...)
1/1
The discovery of Ebrietas led to incredible leaps and advances for Laurence and his little gang, they pushed their science even further than they did after ... 'that little incident', so long ago when they were still students of Provost Wilhelm. With time however, despite their considerable progress they found themselves still far away from their end goal and people within the clergy began to suspect that maybe Ebrietas wasn't completely honest with them. He/she/it had stakes in this after all, alien motivations unfathomable to the mind of men. But she had been so useful. Searching even more in that place where they found her seemed to be a dead end leading only in colossal costs in equipment and manpower. It was when however that a little known man, Serclaes of the Last Graduation, came with an idea. Instead of hoping to stumble on an elder thing, why not make one stumble upon us? The School of Mensis was born, with the mission of beckoning new and strange 'partners'. This of course, was far from the traditional academia of the Healing Church and the vicar found it necessary to keep the matter a secret, away from the ears of the clerics, away from the ears of Ebrietas. The scholars now pursuit their objective with an accumen and technique not unlike that of the Byrgenwerth scholars, finding the awe and deference of traditional clerics a rather impractical bias. They had hindsight and were able to take a step back to look at the greater things.
(Begin with insight and a considerable amounts of spells, among other things...)
1/1
The hunt is a dirty business that can put a mind on edge. The old guard? It didn't have too much of a problem with it as their common Byrgenwerth detached morality kept them focused on the greater task, kept them from even considering the urges that sleep within all men. It was when Ludwig came in and that the hunters became more of an incoherent mass that the inherent danger of men befalling to their bestial urges, even within those tasked with the sacred job of hunting, became apparent. The old guard, overshadowed by the rising might of Ludwig, could only work in the back stage to keep their prized race horse and his little enterprise from crashing and burning. They did the job themselves at first but it was tedious. It was Lady Maria and Gehrman themselves that groomed the first Hunter of Hunters, Shen the Strangelander. They figured that a foreigner with absolutely no ties to anyone in Yharnam would make him detached from the lives he took. It is a thankless job but one that must be done, and one that sometimes cannot be done alone. Through peculiar event, the Strangelander found what he was looking for: Someone with potential. Someone who could abandon what he was to become just that, a Hunter of Hunters. A legal murderer to some, a deliverer of curse to others.
(Unmatched conventional fighting abilities against human enemies.)
1/1
Many flock to castle Cainhurst to court the king for favors, it is safe to say that the most prized thing King Cainhurst can bestow upon the most loyal of his subject is his own blood. The thing is rumored to be the absolute sweetest of forbidden fruit, something that the very mead of the old gods don't even compare to, something that when tasted once, will enrapture you to serve the king forever more in the faint hope of once again having the honor to taste his essence once again, an essence that begets power at the very contact with your tongue. No matter what unholy magic is involved in the process, it is unfortunately for all followers of the Good Blood that a Vileblood is more than human. It cares not about food, sleep or even death itself, the Vileblood shall go on, by the will of his master, and fight to try and satisfy a thirst. A thirst for Blood! That will go unquench, forever. This, no matter how much some try and find solace in that of others, but always will find themselves yearning for that of their master.
(Unkillable, though can be more or less permanently disabled by a sufficiently determined and brutal enemy)
1/1
Seven years ago it became obvious that Gehrman was out of touch, so people went on to 'bend' his designs a little, but today some say that they are simply outdated and ill-suited for the current reality of things. Powder gangers are youthful and for the most, considerably less experimented than their counter part, but their enthusiasm and lethality is undeniable. Where the other hunters prefer to keep a sober silence on all matters of the hunt, these young whippersnappers argue that it is important to share! Your tricks, your problems, your solutions, work together and constantly improve, together, to face new problems with new, deadlier, solutions. The church tolerates their antics since they rank up kills with frightening speed, but what it fears is slowly becoming reality. Sharing their experiences and ideas also leads them to share their doubts and fear, priming the powderkeg into a time bomb, more and more argue.
(Fire and explosions! From the cannon to the machinegun, these guys go in a fight with a bang!)
1/3
The scourge of the beast is to be destroyed, on that all agree, but where Ludwig would rather crush it with brutal and gruesome righteous might, some believe that precision and efficiency are de rigeur in such a matter, expend the minimal amount of effort to maximize the effectiveness, an almost mathematical endeavor. While they form but a fraction of those involved in the hunt, many find the company of Lady Maria, who considers the hunt almost merely as a displeasant chore, to be more refreshing and reassuring than the religious fervor Ludwig and many of his followers exude. One should fight to live through the hunt, not live to fight in the hunt.
(Those who Lady Maria accept in her circle are given a little gift to show their membership. A small piece of bone that non the less allow them to access a fraction of their master's illustrious ability, that of quickening.)
2/2
Perhaps it is not charisma, but sheer confidence and certitude in victory, not stained by an ounce of fear that made Ludwig such a great leader of men. The Great Company is populated by people who strive to become the one they admire, Ludwig, a true knight of the Good Blood that feels neither fear nor doubt about the righteousness of his endeavor, to exterminate every last beast that might threaten the city. Indeed, the company models itself as a knightly brotherhood, ready to follow their leader anywhere and lay down their lives for he and their fellow companions. Still... some argue that it makes them detached from the people. Beasts were once men and where some wince when a wife begs a hunter to not kill what was once her husband, they must, and always do so, for the greater good.
(A lot call it divine fervor, others dismiss it as adrenaline, but when things devolve in a beastial exchange of blows with no subtlety, a companion has great chances to be the last one standing.)
4/4
Five years ago, a disgruntled cleric saw a miracle for the first time of his life. Grand Master Logarius had practically lost hope of finding a religion that wasn't a phony one but this vision of the Gods transformed the fading flame of his faith in a blazing inferno ready to inflame the world! And so it did. The executioners are rarely native Yharnamites who have grown accustomed to blood healing, seeing it as part of their lives, but when a foreigner desperate for answers about the spiritual comes to Yharnam and prostrates himself in awe, his very soul lit up in fervor, they flock to Logarius as they know, like he, that the while Laurence and his followers brought the Good Blood to Yharnam, they shall bring it to the rest of the world. This religious fervor of course, makes them especially outraged by the scourge, which they see as a divine calamity brought forth by the unholy Vilebloods. They seek to find the root of the problem, they swore to exterminate every last vileblood in existence and have gotten pretty damn good at it.
(The executioner's gauntlet. While a common criminal cowers when his victims come back to haunt him, the executioners harness power from it and turn the burning hatred of their victims into a weapon to be used against those chosen to die. (Note: The wheels are in existence but are not yet cursed. It would take a true massacre for souls to despise not a person but an accessory of murder!))
3/3
Some look at them with pity, thinking they have been cheated, forced in servitude and all of it for the meaningless title of knight. But they know theirs is the true path to power, even if it means getting out the trash, the meaning of this being literal at times and an euphemism for beast killing at others. Indeed, not a single person was made Vileblood by petitioning the king as a courtier and king Cainhurst, if demanding, has proven to be a fair king to his most loyal subjects. It is unfortunate that the greedy who endure the humiliation through force of will are never the chosen ones.
(The custodians of Cainhurst are decent fighters in their own right but their ultimate trick probably reside in the little blow dart they have on their person. It is not menacing or damaging, but the chemicals in it have a certain odor, one that a Vileblood would recognize as marking a personal enemy of Cainhurst.)
2/2
The henchmen of the school of Mensis, responsible of the task of assembling the copious amount of living test subjects the scholars 'expense' during their tests, as they don't have the legitimacy of the church to do so. They are responsible for some of the darkest rumors about hunters since they found it easy to disguise as such to move around easily and find the lambs for the slaughter. It is curiously not hard to find people willing to do the job discretely as good ol' Yharnamites won't spit on the chance to bring outsiders, with no families, no one to care about them should they disappear, to a probably gruesome death. It is after all, also in their culture to keep secrets and mind their own business.
(These henchmen don't kill, they capture, and are pretty damn good at doing so. If they bite on more they can chew? Yahar'Gul isn't the only thing hidden in the city and they have become masters in exploiting the unknown passages around Yharnam to escape from suspicion.)
2/2
Nuns of the church are groomed to become Blood Saints, holy vessels for the healing blood, their bodily fluids capable of the most wondrous of things. Saints living amid the populace are a rare, but not unheard thing, most however live within Cathedral Ward, under the crushing routine of daily blood donations and calculated diet to favor the creation of their blood. It is a lonely life in a place almost exclusively female so of course, it isn't rare for these women, often brought there at a young age, to long for the world outside...
(Their blood is the most miraculous of things and if taken without being watered down like your common blood vial, will invigorate you enough to bring you back from the doors of death and even have some longer lasting effects. Unsurprisingly, Blood Saints are also made up of really strong stuff and are able to take a beating, their own blood keeping them safe, even if they are rarely capable of dishing out damage as well as they take it.)
2/2
The Dark beast bares the honor of being a beast so rare and mythical that some hunters devote their entire (often short) careers in chasing them. Indeed, a hunter that has seen a Dark Beast and lived to tell the tale is often seen again with the Slayers. Not as much because the slayers demand having seen a Dark Beast as a criteria for recruitment, but because the survivors seek them out, or more precisely, seeks what they seek out. Another encounter, another dazzling show of cosmic light from the undead monster. Most of those who see the Dark Beasts become passionate about them and electricity in general, seeking to emulate them and thus causing the creation of the Tonitrus and Lightning paper by Archibald, the unofficial leader of the group.
(They say that fire is the ace to use against beasts, but no doubt lightning is even better! Well, no doubt in the mind of these guys...)
2/2
There were a lot of people suspicious of the 'Little Byrgenwerth Intellectual' back when he came to Yharnam. The first miracles calmed most people's mind and, in a surprising turn of events, the scourge of the beast forced the rest to shut up. Its simple: The church has the monopoly on security! You'd better believe all it regurgitates or you can be damn sure no one will come saving you if the beasts, who weren't there before the Church came some like to precise, will get ya! That was the opinion of 'Irreverent Izzy' when she joined the hunters, directly sent to the Lightning Slayers due to 'personal history'. At first she wanted nothing more but to use that newfound freedom and resources to take a big turd on the church and go her own way but then thought again as lightning shot over her head. She inherited this obsession of Dark Beasts other members of the group had, but not for its dazzling beauty, but because of a strange gut feeling. The hunted were part human and part beast, but this was part beast and... part something else. The church did seem to have an interest in those being as well, and then there were the old catacombs and... ultimately Izzy chose to link the dots together. She owed it to her parents and everyone who suffered under the yoke of the church. This peculiar person slowly gathered a peculiar following all united under one goal: Expose whatever is going on!
(Everyone in this group is unique, to say the least, but people cannot help but look with surprise and try to emulate Izzy. Roaring like a beast! Fighting like one too, but how? How does she not become one as well? Not everyone can do it, but Izzy and her followers have found a way to achieve balance in some way and rather than think their actions, are more keen to feel them and be in touch with their instinct, insuring a unique fighting style with weapons such as beast claws... also, it helps that these are very low budget weapons that can still be efficient without requiring any engineering knowledge. The rest, their gut feeling do it for them. Seldom have you seen a beast be taken by surprise, and seldom will you see one of these madmen be as well.)
2/2
Some Yharnamites have taken arms 20 years ago against the bloody Karlings and if they stopped that tide of cheese eating savages, they'll be damned if they let a bunch of rabid dogs set their homes on fire! Men of military and police expertise can still show that, with the proper leadership and maybe a cannon or two, you don't need fancy hunting skills or oversized weapons to kill!
(These are pillars of the community and the rabble is sure to rise up when these people say that its do or die.)
3/3
Wannabes as seasoned hunters will call them, these people are the angry mob with pitchforks and torches that won't tolerate their streets being dirtied by filthy beasts, strangers and criminals of all sort!
x/x
People who just want to survive the night.
x/x
People of Importance
This land is peaceful, its inhabitants kind...
Annalise, Princess of Cainhurst: The most beautiful woman of the realm or at least one of its best betrothal options, she's been so for... quite a while, actually. Like her father, she is the stuff of legend for outsiders. Regal and delicate, she is said to wear a mask as per ancient royal Cainanite tradition, for her beauty is for no mere man to see.
Archibald, Dark Beast Inspired Inventor: The man behind the Tonitrus and bolt paper. Although he has gained some notoriety within the hunters in the last few years, it wasn't always the case. Indeed Archi admits that he went from day to day aimlessly before he found his inspiration, living the dull life of a married family man and a broke craftsman, joining the hunt to defend them and his city, yada yada. His wife would leave him, taking his children with him but... never before has he been so driven! Happy is the man who found his calling for never a day of his life shall be considered work! His only frustration is how little people indulge in his enthusiasm, always preferring fire and cold steel but... if only they knew!
Caryll, The Runesmith: The oldest of the old guard and an old teacher of Byrgenwerth. He has been for many years the voice of moderation and reason behind Laurence for even if he had followed him because Wilhelm was out of touch and too cautious, he knows there is still some wisdom to be taken from the old teachings. As a scientist, he is well known for his work on transcribing the speech of the elder ones in signs to be etched in someone's mind. Though... for someone who should constantly be able to hear the old ones, the man seems remarkably sane and healthy.
Cainhurst, The Undying King: He who was, is and shall always be king as the ancient laws dictate. A lot prefer to think that when he dies, his heir replaces him and no one cares to give a number behind his name but... truth is he's been there for as long as anyone remembers, he and his castle. Cainhurst is a figure shrouded in secret and very little is known about him except for the fact that he rules like the kings of old and will not allow peasants to second guess his words.
Djura, The Gunsmith: The bad apple of the bunch as some people call him, a local that adopted well to strangers and their modern technologies, even improving on them in some cases. What is so damn problematic is that he doesn't stop at second guessing Gehrman's weapon design but goes as far as to question the dogma. A lot say that the only thing keeping him around is how close the Great Hunt is and that should he survive, he's sure to be thrown out, or worst.
Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos: Yes, Laurence communicates directly with a divine being, a link to the gods! Oh you know, a beautiful angel with wings, with nothing but kindness toward humans...
Gehrman, The First Hunter: One of the two fighting men of the old guard, the other being the much better conserved Maria, Gehrman is seen by many as a thing of the pass, his novelty designs fading away as he rots in his workshop, his status as captain of the hunt taken from him as Ludwig entered the scene, being everything Gehrman wasn't: Young, popular, charismatic... But who is to say that Gehrman, he who has witnessed and taken part in things that most human wouldn't survive, and certainly not manage to be as level headed as he if they did, has said his last word in this story.
Izzy, The Irreverent: Elizabeth was only a wee girl when the dark beast came to her village in what is now the forbidden woods, slaughtering everyone before the church hunters came in and saved the survivors. Or so the story goes. The truth is she'll never forgive them, for she knows they were hunting the beast for days and that rampage was only incidental. Archibald told her, he had been there on that day and it was easy to make him talk as he didn't even remember her or who she was. That was what made her go AWOL in the country side, living as she could, wanting revenge and developing her... peculiar style of fight. The beast claws, having a mind of their own as they were taken from an undead Dark Beast. It seemed natural and it was something the city folks blamed on people like those living in her now lost village. To be feral in nature, that when they domesticated wolves into dogs, both rubbed off on each other... She wished she had an explanation but she does not. In fact, she rarely thinks about it and who knows, maybe its her secret: Let the beast inside of you loose from time to time so it isn't bottled up inside ready to explode.
Laurence, The First Vicar: In his young days he was a pioneer in everything blood related even though it was hardly his passion. But such is the story of his life, doing things in order to be close of what he wants but never quite getting what he truly desire. Now he is becoming old and Laurence realize he might be close to his last real chance to achieve his self given mission: Transcend man.
Logarius, Master of the Order: A man who lost and recovered his faith. Logarius is indeed a stranger that was once part of another religion but lost faith, wandering the world in quest for a true god, one that answered prayers... until he found Yharnam. It was quite the talk of the realm at the time, how he converted on the spot and swore to bring the Good Blood on every corner of the earth, starting by Yharnam's closest neighbor. He made quite the impression and showed Laurence how a real cult leader, something that in truth he was not, could sway the hearts of men to his cause. Still, the convenient source of manpower to defend against relentless Vileblood raiding is becoming a nuisance rather quickly, for the Healing Church was just Laurence's decoy, a tool to be used for his research. It is now worth considering... what if Logarius wins his final confrontation with Cainhurst? If he doesn't stop there...
Ludwig, Captain of the Hunt:Ludwig the Holy Blade... Like others, a convenient ally at the time that cannot help but become a bothersome problem the Church cannot rid itself of. Ludwig was young and afraid when the lights came to him, soothing his fear and guiding him to his first few victories. Gehrman accepted begrudgingly to train him personally to compensate for the losts of the first hunters, old tomb explorers of Byrgenwerth that had followed them but found that if you just narrowly open the door, then it will still bust open. Ludwig recruited new hunters from the population of Yharnam and held against the tide of beasts despite the terrible price. Many expect him to now repeat this feat as to justify his own hubris and pride. Indeed, a lot of people, his superiors especially, are beginning to resent his virtues for he flaunts them so much. People think of him as infallible and he is beginning to think that of himself as well.
Maria, Lady of the Astral Clocktower: A figure that hardly shows her face around the town and for a good reason: She's vileblood. No one knows how she cheated the king of his blood though there is no shortage of rumor on the subject. Still she gained a little flock of admirers, her skills becoming legend, her speed too high to even be perceived... Though she prefers not to use it and seldom has to. The old guard is dying off, Laurence himself is aging, Caryll is worst still. The clergy thus defers to her for their most sensitive works though she knows she has reached the top of her possible rank. Never will she be vicar. A vileblood like her? Yharnam wouldn't tolerate it. So she works, everything becoming a... routine to her. Truth is she's beginning to consider it all trivial, barely even feeling the beast inside her and its impulses... barely feeling anything at all...
Serclaes, of the Last Graduation: Virtually unknown to everyone except those that matter, Serclaes was part of the last class to graduate from Byrgenwerth before it was shut down by the church. He never could play the part of a priest without laughing and so finds solace in the school he founded, the School of Mensis. The spiritual successor of Byrgenwerth with a renewed thirst for discoveries. Truth is he's actually making some progress after the last few years of post-Ebrietas stagnation. He is a frank man who enjoys a good laugh and who's a firm believe in the Occam Razor, the idea that adding more steps to a process only adds more chances that something will go wrong. No, he's a simple man and since he has a few good questions to find the answers of, he'd much rather ask the answers to someone who knows than fumble around and try to find the answers himself.
The Rules
-What I say goes. -I'm not trying to be fair, I'm trying to make an interesting story. -I'm always open to hear out your head-cannon and I aim to please & deliver a story that'll keep you at the edge of your seat. But if you start to bitch about something being ridiculous and impossible, worst still if you're the only one to bitch about it, I'm not going to take attitude in this joint. -If you make a character that needs my personal approval, you'll need to specify who's your bloodborne waifu/husbando so I know you read the rules. No pointing this out in the OOC. -Try to be active and use the piratepad and other chat applications only to collaborate on post as much as possible. An active RP begins with an active OOC. -I don't expect anyone to play nice, this is bloodborne, people will die. But I expect you peeps to follow the rule of cool. This is a RP, you can't min-max your way to victory. -Anime is fine-ish. Animu isn't.
The CS
Feel free to format this to make it beautiful.
[Picture here. Optional if you write an appearance description.]
Name: [Something European please.] Nickname: Age: [Be reasonable. This goes with the 'Anime is fine-ish, animu isn't'] Faction: Insight: [None, low, high, very high. Everyone begins with none other than the Mensis and Choir player. Basically tells of your knowledge of the eldritch truth out there and the possibility of your character turning insane and stand in awe at the worst possible time in front of kosmic related things. The more you know, the more you are prepared to fight abominations, but the more likely they can, essentially, frenzy you. Here its not damage but more sinister psychological consequences. Strategically this means that high insight people have a need to let unsuspecting hunters with talents but little insight do the dirty work for them (And from an OOC perspective, this will mean that these players will have to get fresh characters involved to stand a chance as the plot advances)]
Weapons: [One trick weapon and 2 left slots. Basically guns, torch, etc. Custom weapons are fine but I must validate them first.] -Main -Secondary -Third
Items & Spell items: [Some factions will begin with some specific spells. Mensis and Choir will have the best selection to start with, Maria has quickening, etc.]
[Character's name] and the Hunt: [How your character sees and interacts with beast. If they are aggressive in the fights, what keeps them attached to their humanity, etc.]
Psychology: [Their personality and so forth, vis a vis humans mainly. What drives them in life, if they believe in the Good Blood, etc.]
History: [Everything else, where they came from, what happened to them, etc.]
Appearance: [Optional if you have a decent enough pic.]
Other: [Very important. Did your character come to Yarnham because of a sickness only the blood can cure (and that now needs regular infusion of blood)? Any family or lover? Things about the current state of the life of your character]
Prior Relationships: [Take the time to talk to your fellow players in the OOC and look at their characters. Ask yourself how they could've met or if they didn't, if they heard of each other, etc. Even if it doesn't make any sense for your chars to know each other, try and talk about possible future jolly cooperation.]
I'm digging it, and the 'true canon' of this is pretty neato. Presuming the 'blood moons' happen 'all at once' sort of is interesting! A nitpick, though, isn't it 'Yharnamites'? Not 'Yarnahmites'? Additionally, if I can ask, what sorts of beasts will we be actually seeing? Everything in the base game, plus a few additions maybe?
What about the Laurence's Moon Monster? AKA, The Moon Presence? Will we be seeing more into its motivations in this canon?
@Cinderella Man As if you have the choice of not joining this.
I'm digging it, and the 'true canon' of this is pretty neato. Presuming the 'blood moons' happen 'all at once' sort of is interesting! A nitpick, though, isn't it 'Yharnamites'? Not 'Yarnahmites'? Additionally, if I can ask, what sorts of beasts will we be actually seeing? Everything in the base game, plus a few additions maybe?
What about the Laurence's Moon Monster? AKA, The Moon Presence? Will we be seeing more into its motivations in this canon?
Oh jesus, you're right! Edited everything. Made a few additions.
Yes. I intend to send a lot of cool things for you to murder and to die from. I'll say one thing: Watch out for angles. If you're familiar with Lovecraft you might get this one.
And yes, more about that but not just Laurence. Ludwig's fall from grace, the slaughter of the Cainhurst Vileblood, etc. If you have plot hooks you'd like me to explore, feel free to throw bones at me in case I miss a few. Bloodborne's a big game with a big lore!
