Perniciem [Romantically Apocalyptic-Inspired RP] [Apocalyptic/Dark Comedy!]

[scifidude47]

THE CORE CONCEPT:

The End of The World has come and gone. Within mere moments, everything about the world was turned on its head. Volcanoes erupted, clouds of ash coat the sky in a depressing gray. Nuclear weapons and reactors have exploded all across the globe. The world is filled with toxic air and polluted water, nobody can survive without a gas mask for long. No recognizable animal or plant life has survived, either driven extinct or mutated beyond recognition. The human population across the entire world is probably in the hundreds, maybe one or two thousand at best.

And to make matters worse, SOMEONE just so happened to drink what could've been the very last Pepsi in existence.

You ready your knife.

You're getting that Pepsi one way or another.
---
EXPLAIN WHAT I JUST READ, MORSEL.

Okay, okay. Put down that sawed-off and I will. Come, have a seat by this pile of burning Dr. Seuss books while we roast what we hope is edible meat.

This is a kind of RP I've wanted to make for a while. One where the focus isn't on the minutiae of the apocalypse, the how, the where, even the why. It's not always gritty survival, gloomy and grim lamentations on the failure of humanity. Rather, I want to create a setting where dark humor flourishes.

This isn't to say I expect constant random humor, of course there will be moments of sadness and regret. It is the end of everything, after all.
---

You've staved off my hunger for now, fleshy treat. Continue.

Alrighty. Hope that finger tasted good.

This is, in essence, an 'experimental' Roleplay in several ways. For one, the details, the 'how, when, and why' won't be delved into much, at least in the beginning. The setting has a few constants; the ever-present threat of death, the disappointing lack of flesh jerky suppliers humans, and of course, mutant monsters and strange anomalies around every turn. However, beyond that, the setting is what they players want to make of it. I'm completely open to new ideas, comments, etc.

The second 'experimental' aspect is that the cast ONLY consists of the players. Unless I see a need for more complicated ones, NPCs will consist mainly of mutant creatures and the like. This is a grim future, where human life is rare, fleeting, and too easy to lose. There won't be massive settlements, or bastions of civilization, unless the players choose to make one (Though the success will probably depend on how merciful your GM of the hour is feeling). The RP will consist mainly of the players making what they will of this dying world. Of course, I'll make sure there's things to work towards beyond racking up a high mutant kill count or finding another god-damned can of beans. There does need to be some general direction, after all.

The first players, once the RP begins, will most likely be assumed to have been travelling together for quite some time, or perhaps all happen to meet each other in happenstance, perhaps all cornered at once by a pack of mutant Kangaroo/Wolf/Bat hybrids. We'll cross that rusting bridge when we get to it.
---
Very well. How do I partake in this distraction on the road to an unmarked grave?

Glad you asked!

I don't have a strict set-limit for players yet, though I'd prefer to start with around 4-5. If you're interested, feel free to pop a character sheet right in this thread! I'll also happily accept any comments, questions, suggestions, or hastily-compiled lists of futile insults here, or via PM, whichever is preferable.

A FEW POINTERS BEFORE MAKING A CHARACTER SHEET:

1. I'm partial to 'everyman' characters. I'm far more interested in seeing a convenience store clerk or envelope pusher than I am seeing some genetically-engineered supersoldier that can survive swallowing a nuke [Basically, don't be too overpowered and try to stick to characters that can be flawed. Flaws are fun! They lead to adventure.]

2. Despite the first suggestion, bear in mind that due to the nature of the setting, basically anything goes. Human, Half-Mutant, Sentient Conglomerate of various mammal brains given life and telekinesis by the mysterious apocalypse; go with what you're most comfortable with.

3. Remember; this setting isn't all serious, all the time. So have fun with your character! Just don't go too overboard. No sentient pickles with rat body parts stapled to them.*

4. Nobody's quite sure how long it's been since the End of the World happened, but most canned food is still good, yet there are people born after the apocalypse that are fully grown adults. Almost any age for a character is fair game.

*- At this time.

Character Sheet

Name: What you like to be called
Relative Age: Whether you remember correctly or not, this is how long you say you've lived.
Gender: You know this one.
Physical Description: Describe (or show via picture) what others see, what defines you at first sight.
Gas Mask Description: Faces are a rare sight in this world; glimpsed at briefly, and only partially, while someone is eating. Or dead. Your gas mask, filter, etc. is practically your identifier.

Job: Almost everybody did something for money before The End. Whether it was helpful to you afterwards was a matter of luck.
Personality: Kind? Religious? Jerk? Hungers for radioactive ash and 80s music? Describe emotional identifiers here.
Story: Give a 1-2 paragraph synopsis of your character's early, middle, and current life. Whether it started before or after The End is to your discretion.

Strengths/Weaknesses: What sets you above other survivors? What do others exploit in an attempt to grab your precious belongings?
Philosophy: Was there a god? Is there one now? Is there life after death? Are we all just text on a monitor screen?
Strange Behaviors: Everyone's got 'em. Come on, be honest. I'll never tell anyone.

Favorite Thing: It can be anything. An article of clothing, a kind of food, an activity. What brings you more glee than anything else in this joyless world?
Skills: Can you hurl a chunk of brick hard enough to pierce mutant hide? Can you make a gas mask from a tin can, duct tape, and a prayer?

STARTING EQUIPMENT: Any particular items you wish to start with should go here. How much food and water you're carrying, any weapons, tools, etc. should go here. Please don't go overboard. I trust you.

---
I'm rather tired and my internet is on the fritz, so I will come up with a sample character sheet when that issue is resolved. THANK YOU!

What for? Well, for getting to the end of this wall of text. Questions, comments, etc. are welcome an appreciated! Hope to see you in the end of everything!

[Andreyich]

Interested.

[baranica]

reminds me that I haven´t check on romantically apocalyptic for years! I think I´m in.

[BingTheWing]

i n t e r e s t e d

[ScarsOfJade]

Also intrigued.

[Dark Light]

Interested :)

Sounds fun. Hmm now to be a puny human or some sort of blob creature...

[Karos]

Definitely interested.

Cato

Name: Cato (He's long since forgotten his old name)
Relative Age: 30
Gender: Male
Physical Description:

Gas Mask Description:

Job: Cato, doesn't remember exactly what he did before the end. All he can remember is walking in a lot of forests, and spending a lot of time outdoors in the mountains and dealing with animals.

Personality: Cato is a quiet sort (who isn't these days) except for his habit of almost constantly whistling to himself. In the few instances where he's had cause to interact with others they tend to notice the whistling first and the man second. Beyond that he's a relatively jovial sort, least given what's happened, though that might stem partly from his lack of memory regarding events before the end.

Story: Cato doesn't remember much from before the end. He remembers a tall strong looking man sitting the other side of a fire smiling at him under the stars. He remembers driving along a mountain road in the dead of night gazing up at the moon from his truck. He remembers climbing a mountain side whilst a woman looked down at him and a small boy climbed behind him.

The last thing he remembers from before the end was a bright flash on the horizon and then being struck from behind. Next thing he knew he awoke in a hut with maps on the wall, and pamphlets that he couldn't read as they'd mostly been burnt in the fireplace. He spent the next few days getting supplies together, until his truck ran out of petrol, and then he began to wonder back. Back where he didn't know, but back somewhere...

Strengths/Weaknesses: Whatever he did before the end it certainly kept Cato in good shape. Compared to many of the people that try to survive now he's strong, agile, and used to hardship. He's also rather handy with a rifle and other basic survival skills. That being said, his rather simple nature means that he often ends up getting exploited, least until the pieces finally click, at which point his rifle really comes in handy.

Philosophy: If Cato was an educated man he'd probably call himself a stoic. He sees little point in worrying about things beyond his control and does his best to get on with the here and now. Questions of what comes next are things he'll deal with when the time comes.

Strange Behaviors: Whistling, constantly... Cato seems to have hundreds of simple tunes stashed away in his head. Although the mask and filter often distorts his tunes he still persists none the less. In addition every hour on the dot, no matter what he's doing Cato seems to check a silver pocket watch that he keeps in his coat pocket. He's not sure why it's so important that he does this mind, he just knows that he needs to do it.

Favorite Thing: The watch he carries always seems to cheer Cato up. He's not sure why, but he knows that it's important, and that if he lost it he'd be losing more than just a watch.

Skills: Hunting and survival are things Cato seems to have a knack for. He's not up for anything complicated mind, a simple gas mask, and a simple rifle is enough for him. If you need to build a shelter, start a fire, or put a round through a mutant's eye Cato's your man. Want to get an old car moving, or make that electronic box stop bleeping, well... you're asking the wrong man.

STARTING EQUIPMENT: In addition to his long coat, gas mask, and simple clothes Cato carries a few odds and ends on his person.
- .308 Hunting Rifle
- Silver Pocket Watch
- Hunting Knife
- 9mm pistol
- Hip Flask
- Bandages
- Winding Torch

Cato doesn't carry much food or water, typically no more than three days. He prefers to rely on his ability to find more rather than slow himself down by stockpiling.

[Kafka Komedy]

I think I'm interested. Would it be possible to play as someone with psionics? You mentioned telekinesis in the OP so I was hoping so.

[scifidude47]

I think I'm interested. Would it be possible to play as someone with psionics? You mentioned telekinesis in the OP so I was hoping so.

@Kafka Komedy

I'd be fine with it, so long as the character has some sort of weakness to balance it out.

[TrippyNightmare]

@badguy28

I'm interested..

[RumikoOhara]

Love the Idea

[scifidude47]

Alright, enough people have shown interest. I'll get a legit thread up, along with my own character soon :D

[baranica]

Nana

Name: Nana
Relative Age: 63
Gender: Female
Physical Description:

Gas Mask Description: She decorated her gasmask with old colorful sneaker parts, rags and ribbons. World is dark so why not to make it little bit funnier and brighter? Well and of course little bit younger, because it´s scientifically proven that right colours rejuvenate your face for 10 years. Not that it matters, under the mask.

Custom mask

Job: She used to be a nurse, angel of death they used to call her. Just kidding, she was very popular and flirty, she did miracles with catheters and needles. Later when she retired she focused on different types of crafts, she even sold her stuff on etsy under the nickname hitech_granny.
Personality: Talkative, funny and flirty. Despite her age she loves flirting. And in current situation men have no right to be picky, right? She likes to act younger, love company and gossip. And as all older women she loves to make stubbornly initiate conflicts and fights with a courage of angry mama bear.
Story: She was never one of those nutjobs preparing for the end of the day. Like why? It wasn´t likely that person of her age would be on surviving list. What she can offer? Definitely not a chance to repopulate Earth, unfortunately. She had her deal of babies in the past; Two boys. Both having their own families somewhere far away from her. Because that´s the gratitude a parent clearly deserve; to be abandoned, never receiving a phone call or an e-mail. Hope those spoiled little sons of bitches bite the carcinogenic dust somewhere. But at least when the shit hit the fan, she was independent, didn´t dwell on past; lived for present in her own little apartment.

Luckily for her, she did manage to survive, perhaps because her old body was full food stabilisers and emulsifiers from decades and decades of consuming them. Perhaps her body won´t be avle to decompose when she kicks the bucket. Walking Lenin. And when we are talking about dead things walking, clearly those Walking Dead TV shows helped her a lot. Who would say that stupid TV could prepare someone for actual this??But it helped her mind to accustom to sudden change very quickly, and somehow she even enjoys herself. Her age giving her false importance, perhaps she can became a chieftain or something with all her valuable experience and advices she can give. But how to start your own cult when only living creature you have encountered is Patricia and that glowing orb of pulsating light?

Strengths/Weaknesses: Her main weakness is her age, of course. Lack of stamina and agility, aching back, knees. But again hurting back is a great excuse to ask for a good old massage or feet rub. Hmmm feet rub.
Her strength dwells in her experience, knowledge of medicine and her crafty hands. For those of old generations she´s something like a postapo McGyver, crafting everything from nothing and cooking variety of different ointments and medications mostly from radioactive rubbish.

Philosophy: God is dead, we killed him. And it was long time ago. She was never a believer, but was always spiritual. From aliens to faeries, ghosts and demons, alternative medicine, Yeti or Nessie, she believed in it all. After all 9/11 was an inside job. And this apocalypse? Is inside job too.
Strange Behaviors: She talks to her glowing orb of light a lot, she talks to Patricia and she swears she can hear actual answers from them. For what we know she can suffer dementia or Alzheimer or senility.

Favorite Thing:
Patricia-her overprotective black cat and gloving orb of something. She has idea what this sphere is, if it is dangerous, or radioactive and why it levitates. But it light is very positive, it looks nice and reminds her of Christmas.
Skills: Power of improvisation and craft, but not all her projects ends up in success. She has a lacking experience of technical gadget and despite she tries to learn it and makes makeshift weapons and filters they mostly suck.
Partial knowledge of medicine. She learned to make various shady remedies, all tested on herself or death bodies. But was those bodies dead before she fed them her coughing syrup or?

STARTING EQUIPMENT:
Gas mask and few extra filters
flask of alcohol
vials and pouches of her home made medicine
huge hicking bagpack full of bits and scraps of basically everything that can be use for making useful tools or useless trinkets
blue floppy disk that she wears as a earring
leather jacket and hand sewn skirt
glowing orb of unknown origin
Patricia the cat
fanny pack for the swag!

[badguy28]

@badguy28

I'm interested..

@DeadDrop

Respite

[TrippyNightmare]

<Snipped quote by DeadDrop>

Respite

@badguy28

Yea buddy

[Dark Light]

WIP

Ahem

_{THE TEENAGE ZOMBIE}
"I was wearing gas masks before it was cool!"

Description:

Name: Unknown
Relative Age: 17
Gender: Male

Physical Description:

Image

Gas Mask Description:

Image

Personality:

Personality:
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Philosophy:
Strange Behaviors:
Favorite Thing:

Kitty

Kitty is his pet cat. Well the remains of a cat in a strange suspending blob of slime. Ahem is adamant that it is alive and well, despite it never moving. He carries it everywhere he goes always talking to and treating it like a normal cat.

HISTORY:

Job: Teenage angst. Eat all the foods, complain and disobey.
He was too young and lazy to have started working.
Story: Born before the end, Ahem was a young troublesome teen who had a real name and loving family before things all went bye-bye. He had ran away from home with his pet cat, for reasons long since forgotten. Considering himself quite the artist he decided to tag the top of an old grain silo. Instead, falling inside, him and kitty sat out the beginning of the end from within the confines of solid thick concrete walls. As time passed Ahem appeared to fair better than Kitty. But years of isolation and solitude reeked havoc on his sanity. Still today, many years later, after the many years of lonely solitude, Ahem remains caught up in denial, living in his own world of deluded fantasy.

GEAR:

• Back pack: tattered but sturdy. Lots of useful pockets.
• Guitar: electric V, no strings.

[scifidude47]

roleplayerguild.com/topics/166537-per…

OOC thread is up! Come on down while it's hot!

EDIT:

Also, all complete character sheets will be automatically added. @Karos , @baranica , your characters will already be added. @Dark Light , your character will be added once you have a complete character sheet.

See you all soon!