[OOC] The Black Parade

[The Dow Dragon]

Once upon a time, there was a land called Arcadia. The center of trade and the height of culture and technology, Arcadia was a gem among nations. Then one day, one black and bloody day, it all changed. Arcadia was plunged into war, whether it was man or monster, beast or demon, no one remembers, because they all melded together. The once beautiful and prospering society became a wasteland, bringing death and destruction to all unfortunate enough to be in her borders. All military forces were defeated in the face of the threat, no one could quell the flow of chaos. Then two units banded together, The Arcadian Musician Corps, a force of 200 Arcadian Soldiers that were the most skilled musicians in all of Arcadia, perhaps the world. They were renowned for inspiring fearlessness in their combat counterparts and were known to be skilled in sword and spear combat, which they equipped along with their instruments. The other unit was the 1st Arcadian Engineer Battalion, 150 soldier-engineers that managed to survive longer than all other units to their superior knowledge of defense and commendable skill with firearms and blades.

These two units were perhaps the last surviving military force in Arcadia and they integrated to survive. The newly formed unit lead thousands of civilians out of Arcadia to neighboring countries. The music of the unit was a symbol of hope for survivors in the hellscape. Paired with their dark and tattered uniforms, those who were rescued began to refer to the unit as the 'Black Parade'.

It has been 25 years since the fall of Arcadia and The Black Parade is still marching through her ruined lands, keeping The Threat (which has been referred as such as no knew what to classify a combination of man, beast, monster, and demon combined and unified.) at bay and escorting and directing survivors to safe zones. Their numbers have since been risen to 930 soldiers and are known throughout every corner of the planet...

Et in Arcadia ego

****

Welcome to The Black Parade, a steampunk, fantasy, military, post-apolypticish roleplay. And yes, it was inspired by the MCR song 'The Black Parade'. This will be a grim roleplay, complete with blood and monstrosities and it is not for the faint of heart. Characters will die, as this is a war roleplay and despite The Black Parade's impressive reputation, it has a very high mortality rate.

I'm a pretty laidback GM. Feel free to be yourself. Unless your a dick. Then don't. But other than that, I don't really have many rules. This is a high casual roleplay, so I expect a certain quality from your CS and posts (At least a paragraph per post.) Proper spelling, grammar and all that. And below, where the world info is, feel free to suggest lore and world building stuff, I eat that stuff up.

Character Sheet

Name:
Appearance: (Picture or Desc, or both)
Age:
Gender: (Male or Female)
Personality:
Backstory:

Your rank and role will be assigned upon acceptance. Please put how long you've been with The Black Parade so that I may rank you accurately.

****

World Info

Nations/Factions

Fallen Arcadia: A nation about the size of Germany, it is under complete control of The Threat. It has mountains on every border and is a land of rivers, lakes, and fields. There are few forests within the nation, the only exception being that the northern Arcadian mountain range has the densest forests in the land and coldest area. Many of Arcadia's great cities are ruins, held by The Threat. The capital of Arcadia, Pyrrha, has the largest garrison of Threat forces and is the theorized home of The Sorceress, the commander and queen of The Threat.



Farell: Considered as Arcadia's sister nation, Farell is incredibly similar in geography and terrain, though its more tropical than Arcadia's temperate. They are the technology capital of the world and the main supplier of The Black Parade. The Grim Sea crashes against its eastern borders, as the Western Arcadian Mountain Range protects it from The Threat. It is also known for its elite mercenary company, The Farell Irregulars.

The Farell Irregulars

The Farell Irregulars have a long and.... not so spotless history. They've been employed around the continent as mercenary soldiers, often bolstering the ranks of weaker militaries thanks to their typically well disciplined, well equipped soldiers. They take advantage of their home nation's advanced technology, allowing them to strengthen weaker nations just through sheer presence. They gain access to such technology thanks to the company's long history. The Farell Irregulars is as much as a political machine as it is a military one. Old, strong political ties with both the military and government of Farell have allowed them to gain many resources from the nation. Of course, they are somewhat looked down upon by the average professional soldiers, as they are fighting for profit first, not ideals or nationalism.

The typical Irregular is well equipped, most likely has a military background, and is often very pragmatic when it comes to tactics and decisions, moral or otherwise. They get the job done and keep to themselves. Of course, true skill varies between soldier as they are more individuals of varying backgrounds than a homogenized group.

However, the Farell Irregulars devide themselves into two distinct groups who serve different purposes. First and foremost is the Regulators:



These are the common soldiers of the Farell Irregulars. Their equipment is very good and they can be relied upon to fill the roles of your standard soldier. Their iconic flat helmets, gasmasks, and heavy trench coats present an intimidating image. While skill may vary, they still follow a standardized training regiment, meaning they all share at least some commonality in quality. Foreign nations will often use these soldiers as shock troopers, breaking through enemy lines and fortifications with nerves of steel and ruthless use of explosives and flamethrowers. If you see these soldiers charging towards you, don't bother trying to hide in your trench, cause you can be damn sure they'll be filling it with flames and grenades when they get to you.

Now, the second part of the Farell Irregulars is a more specialized group. They have a much larger price tag, but as a result, are the best of the best in the company. They are usually made up of former elite soldiers, core friends and comrades who joined together. As such, they are very well discipline and are used as special assault teams and an adaptable fighting force. They are called the "Black Company"



These soldiers are the best in every respect of the word. Harden veterans, top of the end equipment, and ruthless efficiency. As the name suggest, they are not nearly as big as the Regulators, but they don't need to be. They serve special roles, fulfilling any odd or very dangerous missions for the company. Their biggest strength is their unconventional tactics. They are masters of hit and run attacks, ambushing enemies or slaughtering them in their sleep. If you ever see the ominous, dead glowing eyes of one these soldiers, it will often times be the last thing you'll see. Now, its not to say that these elite soldiers of fortune are invincible. In fact, the Black Company, while pays the highest in the company, is also the most deadly. Thus, a good number who join Black Company are most likely those who have a death wish as well.

The Farell Irregulars were contracted by the government of Farell to aid the Black Parade in their fight against The Threat. This was supposedly another sign of good will between Farell and Arcadia, the sister nations. However, that was just on the surface, just something for the newspapers and even more so the Black Parade to believe in. The reality of the situation was that the current CEO of the Farell Irregulars, Hector Kasomosov, pulled a lot of strings for the company to get involved. He saw that his company could take advantage of the situation in Arcadia and use it to plunder any technologies, resources, or items of significant value such artifacts or treasures under the guise of relief. Though this is only known to a few members of the elite in the Farell government, the highest leadership of the Farell Irregulars, and Black Company, who have been given the job of salvaging and looting specific areas of Arcadia.

Potan: The southern most nation and the smallest, Potan is flat, desolate, sandy, and roughly the size of Switzerland. It is a true desert. Zaibar's Sea resides beyond it. It's people are artfully gifted in the matters of sculpture, literature, and music. Its border town, Raven, is also the base of operations and recruitment center for The Black Parade. Raven lies just before the Southern Arcadian Mountain Range, at the base of the pass into Arcadia. Only The Black Parade is allowed through.

Important People/Places

Arcane: The continent on which all of these factions reside, it is bordered to the east and southeast by vast ocean. But beyond the mountain ranges in the Northwest is a mystery and some scholars theorize that is where The Threat came from.
Chancellor Isaac Jule: The leader of Farell, Jule graciously accepted thousands of refugees from Arcadia to live within his borders. After all, more citizens means more workers which means more technological and military prowess. He grants technological funding to The Black Parade in exchange for their guarantee that Farell will not be invaded by The Threat. And even though elite, The Black Parade barely being a force of 1,000 hardly makes a dent in his income.

Duchess Marie Sinthoa: The leader of Potan and barely 15 years old, Marie often defers to the Lord Regent, Rafaj Insta, her cousin, for governing while she learns the ways of ruling. Like all Potans she shows a talent for art and finds great enjoyment in music and she often holds massive (and expensive) concerts in her own honor. Despite this, she has shown compassion for her citizens and has a respect for The Black Parade. Whether that's due to their actions or simply their music, no one is sure.

General Nia Locker: The Commander of The Black Parade, Locker has been a leader of men since the fall of Arcadia 25 years ago, where she was a CO in the Musician Corps. She was thrusted into a role she wasn't trained for and she thrived, making The Black Parade into what it is today. She is infamously known as 'The Reaper', not so much causing death but being one with it, as are all Black soldiers. Her motto is this: "You are dead now. Rest in Peace. Now get up and go to war."

Technology & Equipment Of The Black Parade

Poplock Pistol: This sidearm relies on a system of spinning reload the Arcane Shards that they use as ammunition. This allows the user to fire and simply spin the mechanism on the side, which will cause the gun itself to spin the other way until it reaches its previous position, ready to fire. (Think of the pistols in dishonored, its similar to that.)


ArciRifle V2: The second of its kind, the ArciRifle uses Arcane Shards as ammunition like the Poplock pistol. However, instead of mechanical design, its powered by magical essence, which is slotted into the butt of the rifle. This essence super heats the shards to create a much more devastating effect than the poplock. (And the trim is obviously black instead of gold.)


The Musician's Saber: The melee weapon of all Black Soldiers, this was the ceremonial blade of the Arcadian Muscian Corps 25 years ago. Its now their go to weapon in hand to hand encounters. Sharpened to a fine point that's coated with Illisum (An element somehow deadly to the forces of The Threat) this blade has become an icon and is included as one of the main objects of focus in their insignia.


The Black Uniform: The on and off battlefield attire, this is how any citizen of Arcane immediately recognizes a Black Soldier. The sleeves are full and the soldier's rank is pinned onto the collar. There are more pouches and the stars are replaced with skulls. There is no cross and a gray undershirt is worn underneath. All soldiers wear a black hood and cloak with it.

Vehicles: The Parade often uses Jule-Trucks to ride into Arcadia. Their big, ugly, and tough and can take on most any terrain. They're good for carrying tons of equipment too.

Miscellaneous Gear/Equipment: Grenades(Think WW2), Shovels, Packs, Tools, Tents, Etc.

[Skepic]

Coolio. Coming up with a character, but I have a few lore suggestions.

First, perhaps there is a famous mercenary group based in Farell? They are taking advantage of the threat and are being payed to support the Black Parade's efforts. However, the two groups don't get along. The mercenary group would see the Black Parade as a bunch of fanatical nationalists who like to play dress up and instruments. The Black Parade would see the mercenary group as a bunch of war profiteering assholes who are taking advantage of their country's turmoil to loot and plunder the ruins, which may or may not be entirely true.

I'm not sure on a name yet, for the merc group, but I'll have something shortly. Whaddya think? Could add some nice tension.

[Dwarfdude194]

L.Cpl. Hertz

Name: Richwin Hertz (Usually called by his last name)
Lance Corporal, Sapper

Appearance:

Photo

Richwin has a higher voice, which fits with his cheery personality. His overall appearance is one of a clean cut schoolboy, clean shaven and washed as best as he can at all times. He has grey-blue eyes and fine dirty blond hair. He's a bit chubby, perhaps, a full 6' tall and overall bulky, which has helped him out in tough situations. Also, he has relatively poor eyesight, though he has not been diagnosed, which is part of the reason his marksmanship is sub-par.

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Personality: Hertz is an outgoing, friendly person, somehow maintaining a wholesome, almost innocent disposition in spite of the trauma of surviving the decimation of his country. Not competitive (or, for that matter, particularly skilled) he focuses most of his efforts on doing the work that needs to be done, since he is probably one of the least proficient soldiers in the hybrid company. He is easily ruffled by accusations of incompetence, as he worries that his less-than-stellar abilities will lead to tragedy. Additionally, he tends to focus obsessively on the positive, in many cases refusing to acknowledge uncomfortable truths- probably a coping mechanism, like his dogged refusal to think about or speak of his family.

Backstory: Hertz lived a fairly innocuous childhood, a relatively capable student, but doomed to mediocrity by his refusal to stand out or push boundaries- he is a flawless rule-follower, good at taking orders and complying with expectations. Never one to entertain delusions of a grand future, he was content to live a small life in a small place, taking small pleasures where he could while avoiding major pains.

Richwin left home just before the Threat arrived, which turned out to be fortunate, as his rural village was one of the first to come under attack- or so the surviving administrative officials assume: There was never a confirmed survivor from the town, suggesting that they were killed to the last man. Not a particularly violent person, Richwin signed up for the engineer corps because of his prior experience in construction, in the hopes that once his tour was over he could bring back expertise to his new home. He does his duties with precision and the obsessive joy of a person with nothing else to live for and afraid to think too far outside of his bubble.

[The Dow Dragon]

@Skepic I like that a lot, I'll think of some name ideas as well.

[The Dow Dragon]

Name: Richwin Hertz (Usually called by his last name)

Appearance:

Photo

Richwin has a higher voice, which fits with his cheery personality. His overall appearance is one of a clean cut schoolboy, clean shaven and washed as best as he can at all times. He has grey-blue eyes and fine dirty blond hair. He's a bit chubby, perhaps, a full 6' tall and overall bulky, which has helped him out in tough situations. Also, he has relatively poor eyesight, though he has not been diagnosed, which is part of the reason his marksmanship is sub-par.

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Personality: Hertz is an outgoing, friendly person, somehow maintaining a wholesome, almost innocent disposition in spite of the trauma of surviving the decimation of his country. Not competitive (or, for that matter, particularly skilled) he focuses most of his efforts on doing the work that needs to be done, since he is probably one of the least proficient soldiers in the hybrid company. He is easily ruffled by accusations of incompetence, as he worries that his less-than-stellar abilities will lead to tragedy. Additionally, he tends to focus obsessively on the positive, in many cases refusing to acknowledge uncomfortable truths- probably a coping mechanism, like his dogged refusal to think about or speak of his family.

Backstory: Hertz lived a fairly innocuous childhood, a relatively capable student, but doomed to mediocrity by his refusal to stand out or push boundaries- he is a flawless rule-follower, good at taking orders and complying with expectations. Never one to entertain delusions of a grand future, he was content to live a small life in a small place, taking small pleasures where he could while avoiding major pains.

Richwin left home just before the Threat arrived, which turned out to be fortunate, as his rural village was one of the first to come under attack- or so the surviving administrative officials assume: There was never a confirmed survivor from the town, suggesting that they were killed to the last man. Not a particularly violent person, Richwin signed up for the engineer corps because of his prior experience in construction, in the hopes that once his tour was over he could bring back expertise to his home and help modernize its infrastructure. Obviously this will not be happening now, but he does his duties with precision and the obsessive joy of a person with nothing else to live for and afraid to think too far outside of his bubble.

@Dwarfdude194

Accepted.

Welcome to The Black Parade, I'm assuming he's just recently enlisted since he is slightly chubby and not at all cynical.

Private Richwin Hertz, Designated Sapper.

While all Black Soldiers are trained in engineering duties to an extent, Designated Sappers are the experts, being the go to soldiers for all construction and demolition needs.

Put him in the characters tab with his rank and role in the hider title, please.

EDIT: Also, I highly doubt Richwin would remember the fall of Arcadia, since he would have been 3 when it happened. Remember, The fall was 25 years ago. He would know it had happened of course and probably feels angry and fired up to fight to take back his home land, but its highly unlikely he remembers the event.

[Dwarfdude194]

Ah. Missed that part. I'll correct for it. Not sure if he'll be older to keep his backstory or keep his age and have that part edited...

Edit: And I was thinking he'd be kinda... normal, compared to everyone else. Like, that's the point of his character, is that he's NOT a badass and he knows it...

Edit Edit: Would it be okay if he's like... 40? I don't want to screw up your vision for things... Then I guess the picture would be an old one...?

[The Dow Dragon]

@Dwarfdude194 Totally cool if you want to make him a bit older, I can adjust his rank accordingly. I'd say he could remember it clearly, especially if it was a traumatic event, from the time he was 5. So if he enlisted when he was 22, he'd be 24 now which would make him a Lance Corporal (Arcadian Military ranking is Marines and Army intertwined with some removed and added.)

[The Dow Dragon]

@Dwarfdude194 40? Well shit. Sure, its completely fine, but if he's not retired by now he'd probably be in the upper brass of The Black Parade and not on the ground. He would have been 15 when Arcadia fell so he would have plenty of motivation to join the parade. But I think you would have to rework everything in your backstory and personality, seeing as how he would have been in the shit a lot. He doesn't have to be a hard ass, but he's definitely gonna be battered. I'd say he would be a Sergeant Major, among the General's senior council.

You can also create a bottom tier enlisted if you want, so that they can fight in our fireteam we're gonna be putting together.

[Skepic]

I present to you, the Farell mercenary company, "The Farell Irregulars". A bit of a read, but well worth it. My character will most likely be a member of the Black Company, who maybe attached to a Black Parade group as sort of a secret scout for the company.

The Farell Irregulars

The Farell Irregulars have a long and.... not so spotless history. They've been employed around the continent as mercenary soldiers, often bolstering the ranks of weaker militaries thanks to their typically well disciplined, well equipped soldiers. They take advantage of their home nation's advanced technology, allowing them to strengthen weaker nations just through sheer presence. They gain access to such technology thanks to the company's long history. The Farell Irregulars is as much as a political machine as it is a military one. Old, strong political ties with both the military and government of Farell have allowed them to gain many resources from the nation. Of course, they are somewhat looked down upon by the average professional soldiers, as they are fighting for profit first, not ideals or nationalism.

The typical Irregular is well equipped, most likely has a military background, and is often very pragmatic when it comes to tactics and decisions, moral or otherwise. They get the job done and keep to themselves. Of course, true skill varies between soldier as they are more individuals of varying backgrounds than a homogenized group.

However, the Farell Irregulars devide themselves into two distinct groups who serve different purposes. First and foremost is the Regulators:



These are the common soldiers of the Farell Irregulars. Their equipment is very good and they can be relied upon to fill the roles of your standard soldier. Their iconic flat helmets, gasmasks, and heavy trench coats present an intimidating image. While skill may vary, they still follow a standardized training regiment, meaning they all share at least some commonality in quality. Foreign nations will often use these soldiers as shock troopers, breaking through enemy lines and fortifications with nerves of steel and ruthless use of explosives and flamethrowers. If you see these soldiers charging towards you, don't bother trying to hide in your trench, cause you can be damn sure they'll be filling it with flames and grenades when they get to you.

Now, the second part of the Farell Irregulars is a more specialized group. They have a much larger price tag, but as a result, are the best of the best in the company. They are usually made up of former elite soldiers, core friends and comrades who joined together. As such, they are very well discipline and are used as special assault teams and an adaptable fighting force. They are called the "Black Company"



These soldiers are the best in every respect of the word. Harden veterans, top of the end equipment, and ruthless efficiency. As the name suggest, they are not nearly as big as the Regulators, but they don't need to be. They serve special roles, fulfilling any odd or very dangerous missions for the company. Their biggest strength is their unconventional tactics. They are masters of hit and run attacks, ambushing enemies or slaughtering them in their sleep. If you ever see the ominous, dead glowing eyes of one these soldiers, it will often times be the last thing you'll see. Now, its not to say that these elite soldiers of fortune are invincible. In fact, the Black Company, while pays the highest in the company, is also the most deadly. Thus, a good number who join Black Company are most likely those who have a death wish as well.

The Farell Irregulars were contracted by the government of Farell to aid the Black Parade in their fight against The Threat. This was supposedly another sign of good will between Farell and Arcadia, the sister nations. However, that was just on the surface, just something for the newspapers and even more so the Black Parade to believe in. The reality of the situation was that the current CEO of the Farell Irregulars, Hector Kasomosov, pulled a lot of strings for the company to get involved. He saw that his company could take advantage of the situation in Arcadia and use it to plunder any technologies, resources, or items of significant value such artifacts or treasures under the guise of relief. Though this is only known to a few members of the elite in the Farell government, the highest leadership of the Farell Irregulars, and Black Company, who have been given the job of salvaging and looting specific areas of Arcadia.

[The Dow Dragon]

@Skepic Love it, I'll stick it in the Factions tab.

Oh and don't be afraid to make a Parade soldier as well as a soldier of fortune.

[Skepic]

Cool! Will post a character tomorrow. I'm on the fence about having two. Might do it, might not.

[TheFake]

Interested in this, won't be able to come up with a character until tomorrow though.

How would you feel about something along the lines of a dismounted Cuirassier with a cuirass, sword and pistol? Something like a heavy infantry.

[The Dow Dragon]

@TheFake The Black Parade's idea of heavy infantry would be just more infantry packed into a tighter space. There are no mounted or air units at this point, the only kind of mounted units is transportation and that's just a truck. I suppose we could have a machine gunner or a flame thrower unit.

[TheFake]

@TheFake The Black Parade's idea of heavy infantry would be just more infantry packed into a tighter space. There are no mounted or air units at this point, the only kind of mounted units is transportation and that's just a truck. I suppose we could have a machine gunner or a flame thrower unit.

@The Dow Dragon

There was never the intent of being mounted though I apologize if it came across that way. The idea was more of a first into the breach shock trooper. I never saw any mention of machine guns in the initial post so they hadn't actually crossed my mind.

Guess I have all day tomorrow to brainstorm while I'm at work.

[The Dow Dragon]

@TheFake Yeah, feel free to take some liberties, I'm usually cool with anything. I'll give some thought to shock troopers, but The Black Parade, in my opinion, wouldn't really have any need since every Black Soldier acts as multiple different infantry units in one standard parade unit. That's how they survived the fall of Arcadia is their adaptability without needing major unit induction.

[Dwarfdude194]

@The Dow Dragon Edited. Makes more sense for him to just be a bit older. Edited a few things to make him make more sense, but there. He's good. I think. Not sure how to comply with your directions to put him in the characters tab... You'll have to forgive me, the Guild is very different than it was two years ago when I was last active...

[The Dow Dragon]

@Dwarfdude194 That's fine, you just copy paste your CS into the characters tab. I'll do it for you.

[Dwarfdude194]

Well TIL... There's tabs. I'm blind. My bad.

[Skepic]

Welp, I'm a horrible liar. You may now crucify me upon the RPG Website hill for my treachery! May you have mercy upon me!

(AKA character wont be up tonight, definitely tomorrow.)

[Skepic]

Walter Falke

Appearance:
He stand's at around 5'9. Has mildly muscular build to him. Light greyish blonde hair and blue eyes, face covered in a few small scars. His back is covered with a massive burn scar.

Age:
28

Gender:
Male

Personality:
The word pragmatic comes to mind when describing Walter. He's not one to get emotional over much, especially the loss of human life. If he's getting teared eyed at the sight of a corpse, you can bet your whole life savings that the corpse was once very close to Walter, whether it be friend or family. Now, he's not a sociopath to an extent, and can socialize fairly well, even surprisingly very formal and refined for someone who is a member of Black Company. As such, he's often referred to as the "Middle Man".

Backstory:
Walter has served with the Farell Irregulars for most of his career. He originally joined the traditional Farell military at the age of 21 after graduating from the military academy. However, the pay and the treatment ended up being not very preferable for Walter, even as an officer. Thus, he quit three years into his career and joined the Farell Irregulars. He enjoyed the amount of freedom the company gave him and with this newfound freedom and flexibility, excelled as a soldier of fortune. He lead companies of the Regulators in various small wars in skirmishs, distinquishing himself on the battlefield. Some might have called him cruel, as he determined the need to take prisoners based on supplies and facilities rather than human rights or a sense of morality. However, this cold aproach to taking prisoners benifited his soldiers greatly, as they did not have to waste resources when they needed them most.

After around six years of service with the Farell Irregulars, he was offered a position in Black Company. He took it immiedatly as it provided him with a new challenge. Once again, he did well in the Black Company, though most of his achievements are fairly secret, much like any of the activities of Black Company. However, he has developed some sort of reputation that boiled down to this:

If your an Irregular soldier, this man is you best ally. If your anyone else, watch out, for he might already have plan in place to discreetly make you disappear.... enemy or not.

Role in the Farell Irregulars:
A Black Company Officer

Current Assignment:
"Aid" in the support of the Black Parade in any way deemed fit. Currently attached to Black Company Squad A, "The 1st Wolf Brigade".