Hidden 3 mos ago 2 mos ago Post by Tlaloc
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edit: OOC is officially up.

edit 2: We are pretty much full, but feel free to join the discord for future consideration.

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The Cursèd West,

or 'The American Dream'

Western, Low Fantasy, Alternate History, Mystery
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I've seen devastating poverty and pollution in London's ganglands, and utter brutality in the Crimean War. I’ve seen the hopelessness of plague-wrought civil war in China; and death, munity and annihilation in India. But there's only one place I know that’d make the devil himself turn tail and run.

They say that the new world was discovered when sailors followed a hot, red streak across the sky that sent storms of ash raging all across the planet. Four-hundred years on, this shattered place remains untamed. Ain’t just the dangers that roam the land, though there’s plenty of those. No, it’s the land itself, like it’s got a grudge against every soul that sets foot upon it.

Here, the dead come back to life, only they ain't quite alive anymore. Witchcraft isn't some secret art, it's blatant and inescapable. Men'll conjure flames to their hands, or send eldritch shivers through the wind, and they won't bother hidin' it. There's some law enforcement, but it's no real match. The only real power is whoever is rich enough to have their own private guard, which is usually rail barons and the like: people who've got their claws deep in the frontier who are only out for themselves.

There's woods that whisper to you -- turn you mad. There's deserts where you'll never find you way out, no matter how well you retrace your steps. There's plains where red ichor seeps from the soil like the land itself is bleedin' out... folks say the blood of all the men who died there during the war has stained the soil. Maybe they’re right. Or maybe it's just like the rest of this god-forsaken continent: pure, unadulterated Hell on Earth.

Maybe I'm just a skeptic. Some say that this place is a blessing. Old rules don't apply here. I've heard of unexplainable, miraculous recoveries from terminal conditions; fortunes made by the poor, fortunes lost by the evil. I guess whatever your life was 'cross the Atlantic, it don't matter here. But if you ask me, the people saying that are just tryin' to sell you something. The American Dream, I guess.
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Hidden 3 mos ago 3 mos ago Post by Tlaloc
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Tlaloc Metal Fingers

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Still in the initial concept phase, but putting out this teaser to see if anyone's interest. Would be more than happy to worldbuild with others. In terms of characters/plot, I have an idea for something suspence/mystery adjacent, with a healthy dose of supernatural (taking some ideas from my LOST-themed RP I was previously planning). Something involving Pinkerton-esque agents as villains. DM/reply if interested!

My current plan for the narrative will involve a journey following a mysterious entity across the Cursèd West with the promise of wealth/salvation, but would start in a town setting. Any character (within reason) that would find themself in this part of the world would be welcome.
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Hidden 3 mos ago Post by BayRat
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I'll plop a little interest for now. Curious to see the OOC. been wanting a supernatural western for a bit.
Hidden 3 mos ago Post by Tlaloc
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If anyone has serious interest in this and would find it enjoyable, I'd be open to a co-GM!

I'll plop a little interest for now. Curious to see the OOC. been wanting a supernatural western for a bit.


Thanks! Working on more of a concrete concept now. Hopefully will get a couple of people with more solid interest.
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Hidden 3 mos ago Post by Skelm
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I'm definitely interested. I've always been a sucker for Westerns. Combine that with the supernatural elements, and it's hard for me to resist.
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Hidden 3 mos ago Post by Sadie
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I'll throw my hat in.
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Hidden 3 mos ago Post by Festive
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Festive "Aut Inveniam Viam Aut Faciam"

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Definitely putting my interest out there! I was wondering if you were potentially going to use/reference American folklore and Cryptids specifically in the west/mid-west region?
Hidden 3 mos ago Post by Archazen
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Definitely interested in this!
Hidden 3 mos ago Post by Cool Ghoul
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This is a really rad concept.

Absolutely planting the interest flag in this one, looking forward to seeing how it develops!
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Hidden 3 mos ago Post by Vixere
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I'm also going to throw my hat in here.
Hidden 3 mos ago 3 mos ago Post by Tlaloc
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Flattered by all the interest! Seems like enough to move to the next stage -- however, I'm yet to decide on what group size would be appropriate for this, so feel free to give your thoughts on that below.

Since this is in the Advanced section, I ask that you only apply if you feel comfortable with the section's general standards -- sorry if that sounds pretentious.

I'll be making the discord soon. Drop a like on this post if you want an invite.
@Vixere, @Cool Ghoul, @Archazen, @Festive, @Sadie, @Skelm, @Byrd Man, @BayRat

As for now, here's a final interest check/teaser for the actual plot I'm brainstorming.






The year is 1888.

Times are changing in Europe. The world hurtles towards the 20th century with great advancements in industry, culture and technology. Across the Atlantic, however, progress is a little slower.

They say that the new world was discovered when sailors followed a hot, red streak across the sky that sent storms of ash raging all across the world. Four-hundred years on, this shattered continent is still untamed. The air here is thick with stories of folk who’ve witnessed things that defy reason; rivers running red, whispering woods, and dead men walking. Populated by creatures twisted by otherworldly influences, and etched with eldritch ley-lines, the American frontier is a place where European order doesn’t quite apply.

The people who have carved out lives in this rugged continent have learned to survive: but survival here means more than just battling the elements. It means confronting the unknown. There's plenty of work available, thanks to the abundance of untapped resources, but none of it is easy. Outside of major colonial settlements, wealthy industrialists known as Barons hold most of the power, employing labourers to tap into the fat of the land, and mercenaries for protection. In the frontier, progress is a double-edged sword. For every mile of track laid by the Barons, there’s a cost -- a price paid not just in sweat and toil, but in the balance of forces that have long governed the land.

Whoever you are, you're a soul making your way through the lonesome west. Perhaps you live in a cowtown on the frontier, or maybe you're a city-slicker setting out into the unknown for the first time. The frontier is a diverse place. While there are plenty of labourers working on a Baron's dime, there are mercenaries, outlaws, lawmen, prostitutes, trappers, monster hunters, gamblers, cowboys, doctors, preachers, and all manner of people. All of you, whoever you are, have two things in common. The first, you have been called by something. Something inexplicable. The sky cries out your name, beckoning you further west than you've ever been; where it's said that a raging storm never ends. Where only the natives have ever really returned from. Where skin-walkers and wendigos dwell. But also, where miracles are said to come true.

The second thing you all have in common: you're in need of a god-damned miracle.





Definitely putting my interest out there! I was wondering if you were potentially going to use/reference American folklore and Cryptids specifically in the west/mid-west region?


The above should answer this question!
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Hidden 3 mos ago Post by The Narrator
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Interested
Hidden 3 mos ago Post by BayRat
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@Tlaloc
You mentioned earlier the idea of witches and conjuring fire.
What’s the rules on magic and would something like an occult researcher being ‘drawn west’ be a fitting character concept?
Hidden 3 mos ago 3 mos ago Post by Tlaloc
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@Tlaloc
You mentioned earlier the idea of witches and conjuring fire.
What’s the rules on magic and would something like an occult researcher being ‘drawn west’ be a fitting character concept?


I will have something more clearly defined written up in the full thread, but a summary of the gist would be soft magic with pretty ambiguous rules, leaving some flexibility for storytelling. But in keeping with a low, dark fantasy tone, the power levels would be relatively low in comparison to some other settings. We're talking super-human, street-level maybe, but not city-destroying potential (at least for PCs). Avatar: the Last Airbender (but with less rules), A Song of Ice and Fire (but more commonplace), are decent examples of power level.

Edit: And yes that idea could fit.
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Hidden 3 mos ago 3 mos ago Post by Theyra
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Interested, if you are still accepting/looking for people.
Hidden 3 mos ago Post by Tlaloc
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Interested, if you are still accepting/looking for people people.


As of right now, nobody is accepted, so you're welcome to join the discord when I put it up. However, at this rate, I don't think there'll be enough room for everyone who has been interested. But at the least, everyone who joins the discord can spitball ideas.
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<Snipped quote by Theyra>

As of right now, nobody is accepted, so you're welcome to join the discord when I put it up. However, at this rate, I don't think there'll be enough room for everyone who has been interested. But at the least, everyone who joins the discord can spitball ideas.


Okay, and got it. I would like an invite to the discord when you get it up. I got one idea for a char.
Hidden 3 mos ago Post by Archazen
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Definitely get that discord invite sent my way!
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Hidden 3 mos ago Post by Tlaloc
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Tlaloc Metal Fingers

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Definitely get that discord invite sent my way!


Gonna set it up tomorrow - sorry for the delay.
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Hidden 3 mos ago Post by Festive
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Festive "Aut Inveniam Viam Aut Faciam"

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Excited to get this party rolling

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