Multi-Para RP - The Second Rat

[Levex321]

The moderate city of Wudsmouth rests snugly at the edge of county South, permitting entrance to the kingdom of Ruwen. The bustling city holds its origins in trade. Being the mouth of The Vein – the most heavily traveled merchant road in the realm – and the closest connection to civilization outside of the Hunting Wood, it isn't difficult for the city to profit. Where there is profit there are predators.

Only foreigners call Wudsmouth by its given name. Any man that crossed the gates more than once would tell you something less endearing. The Crook’s Coinpurse. As if the threat of an underhanded deal from experienced merchants isn't enough, the city of Wudsmouth is also filled with benefactors of a sneakier sort. No wallet is safe from sticky fingers, no piteous glance left unmilked by watery-eyed vagrants with dirty faces. Despite the efforts of the Count, Ernust Wudsmouth, the crime rate has remained steady, and the thieves healthy. Rarely does a traveler leave the crowded streets unscathed.

Unable to recreate the safe streets of his father twenty years before him, Count Ernust has hired a new advisor who claims to have a plan for salvation. The whispers and dealings of this new player do not bode well for you. You, being one of the hard-working rats in the city slums, after all.

Welcome to The Aerie, home and hiding place of the Macliar (mac – lee – air) Rats, one of the largest thieving broods in the city of Wudsmouth. The Macliars are known among the lowlifes for taking in orphans and children of misfortune. Often, after coming of age or honing strong skills in the art of roguish behavior, their members will leave The Aerie to join other broods or survive on their own. Others choose to stay. Those who do are charged with teaching and caring for the younger members.

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Despite the sandbox feel that this RP might give off, I want to warn any interested parties that this WILL NOT be the case. While your actions in the RP will be mostly ungoverned and open-ended, I will have predetermined events and plot points that work to drive the story to a specific outcome.That outcome is, quite simply, an ending. I have no intention of dragging out a perfectly good RP, or letting it become dried out and lifeless from the exhaustion of carrying on with no purpose.

Don't let this discourage you from participating, though! While there will be an ending, YOUR DECISIONS AND ACTIONS WILL EFFECT WHAT THAT ENDING WILL BE! So, please, I invite your effort and inspiration. I'd love to see how this one ends. Romance, slice-of-life, action, character development; Anything is a possibility.

That being said, I will be playing one (or a few) character myself, depending on the needs of the RP. However, I won't be posting a CS sheet until I know there's a decent amount of interest in the idea. I'm hoping for at least four people, but three will do. NOT TWO. I'm not looking for a 1x1.

If you have any questions just post below or shoot me a PM.

Otherwise, thanks for checking out my idea. Hope to hear from you.

[Dusty]

I'm intrigued, hopefully this will catch a few more eyes as well. I've been itching to do a cutpurse style character for awhile now.

[Cairo]

Interested.

[Tenslashsix]

Is this going to be a fantasy world swords and sorcery or mostly down to earth?

@Levex321

[Levex321]

Afternoon,

Thank you all for your interest! To answer your question @Tenslashsix , it will be a fantasy setting. Swords, knives, and other common weapons are most definitely available. Sorcery, while less common in Wudsmouth and the surrounding areas, could certainly be discussed.

One of my characters in a young druid apprentice with severely stunted abilities. I don't want anything magical to be more extreme than that - more extreme than the classes you might find in a D&D manual, or the ability level you'd find in a child or young adult.

I'd be happy to address any questions or curiosities about magic that are more specific, too.

[Cairo]

I have a few ideas working - a young man who's taller and stronger than most of the other rats and functions as the Aerie's sort of 'Bouncer' is my favorite at the moment, but I have a few others that I like.

[Dusty]

@Levex321
Any chance you could whip up a basic character sheet so we could get a head start on making our characters.

[Levex321]

@Cairo, a bouncer. I love it! Haha

I've posted the general Character Sheet requirements below. Once we have 2-4 acceptable characters I'd love to get started.

Character Sheet Template

Name: [If you're going by a gang name or alias, provide both here.]

Age: [Avg. age in The Aerie is between 8-17. If older, your bio must explain why you'd like it this way.]

Height: [Self-explanatory]

General Appearance: [If submitting a photo, no anime styles permitted.]

Special: [Defining marks, birthmarks, scars, deformities, or traits worth mentioning.]

Belongings: [Things used daily, such as weaponry or toys. Maybe something hoarded in The Aerie, like an expensive trinket, etc.]

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Parents, Alive or Dead?: [Further explanation can be provided in bio.]

Existing Family: [If applicable]

Personal History: [Go nuts. What's your story?]

How You Joined The Macliar Rats/ The Aerie: [Brief or detailed explanation. Simply need to know who recruited you, or how you got in.]

If you want to add any additional information to the Character Sheet I've provided, feel free. If you have any questions, let me know.
I'll post the CS for my main character in this thread by the end of the night.

[Dusty]

Here you are @Levex321, lemme know if there's anything you'd like changed.

Street Rat

Name: Tya/Clapper

Age: Twelve

Height: Five feet tall

General Appearance:

Image

Tya is a generally grubby little girl with shoulder length black hair and large brown eyes. She's roughly five feet tall and about a hundred pounds. She's rather scrawny and shows signs of being seriously malnourished, a issue that's common amongst the rats. She wears a collection of dirty clothing that's been patched together from a few gathered scraps, she doesn't even have shoes of her own and has resorted to wrapping her hands and feet in extra lengths of cloth.

Special: Besides a number of scars on her feet, arms, and legs from running the rough and dirty streets and being savaged by a few dogs Tya has no markings of significance.

Belongings: Tya owns a purse and belt of her own to collect her loot, and has a small but razor sharp knife for slitting wallets from pockets and coins from bags, as well as a little wooden clapping toy from which she derives her alias. Tya predictably has very few personal belongings that she carries, or even that she keeps at her bedroll in the Aerie. She lives amongst thieves after all.

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Parents, Alive or Dead?: While Tya knows her mother is dead, she is unsure about her father. Unknown to her however her father is still lives.

Existing Family: Tya has no immediate family to speak of, and only knows the first name of her father. The only family she has now is the adoptive Macliar and those at the Aerie. Her father is a guardsman living in a different city far removed from the life of his daughter, so much so he doesn't even know of her existence.

Personal History:

When Wudsmouth was reasonably safer than its current state, some twelve years ago the wealthy merchant Rungsma would journey through, spending the night at his aunt's homestead for a few days to rest his feet and horses, and allow his men to spend their meager earnings. Wudsmouth and the surrounding lands had become plagued with crime over the last eight years and no merchant who wished to keep his coin dared journey within ten miles of the place without a full entourage of armed men. Rungsma was no exception and accompanying him in his caravan were thirty young and bold swords for hire. As was tradition that year Rungsma released his men of their duties once his wagons were safe within his aunt's walled homestead allowing them to do as they pleased while in Wudsmouth.

One of the more popular activities of his men with freshly filled wallets was to visit the city's famous brothels, to indulge in the company of fine women. One guardsman by the name of Tasd found himself in the bed of a young women called Rya for the night. Leaving her once morning came with naught but his pay and name. Tasd never returned, not that he was expected to, but he did leave Rya with a child, a daughter whom she aptly named Tya. This particular child was Rya's first, and so she cared for her well using the earnings of her work, abandoning all her other children at birth so she could continue to support herself and her daughter. But when the girl reached five years of age Rya was strangled to death by a drunk, which left Tya on her own in a cruel and swiftly worsening city.

Life in Wudsmouth is harsh for even hardened brigands and street urchins, but for one as young and helpless as little Tya it might have well been a death sentence. It was only when a burglar by the name of Bubmlon from the Aerie happened upon her, starving, sick, and near death that her life began to turn around. Sensing the potential in such an innocent young face Bubmlon lured her into the Macliar's ranks, indoctrinating and training her to be a swift, and successful little cutpurse for the Aerie. Rewarding her generously when she succeeded, and punishing her viciously when she failed. He became like an older brother to her, and she loved him in that way. Tya learned quickly and, after a few years she could even begin to fend for herself, carving out her own place amongst the rats.

For his part Bubmlon grew somewhat affectionate of her in return, showing it through small gifts and occasional words of praise. More often than not it was his knife that cut her hair, ensuring it was never long enough for a quick handed merchant to catch ahold. Sometimes when he made a successful run he would bring her back small treats or presents, blankets or new clothes. It was Bubmlon who brought her the small clapper toy as well which soon became her alias' namesake. When it was to dangerous to go out onto the streets he would occasionally spend time with her whiling away the hours. It was in Tya's tenth year that tragedy struck. During one of his nightly escapades, only a few months before he was old enough to leave the Aerie. Bubmlon was captured and thrown into the city's prisons, and as is prescribed by the harsh laws of the city he was sentenced to die. Dragged into view of a waiting crowd, amongst many other convicts Bubmlon was hung until dead as a statement against crime.

His sudden demise shocked Tya, and for the next two years of her life she became slightly more timid in her own exploits, horrified by the idea of being hung from the walls, left to rot until the crows plucked out her eyes. And for the first time Tya began to hunt for her father in earnest. Her search, while energetic, was inevitably in vain as he didn't even live within Wudsmouth. Tya however didn't know this and was determined to find him. He, she resolved, would protect her and give her a good life. All she had to go on was a name, a name her mother had told her all those years ago before she died. Tya nevertheless was hopeful that one day she would find her father, and that he would be a wealthy and kind man who would take her in. It was a foolish dream, one driven by fear of the noose, and a desperation to leave the miserable existence in the slums of Wudsmouth.



How You Joined The Macliar Rats/ The Aerie: Tya was found at age six and recruited into the Macliar rats by a successful burglar named Bubmlon. She was taught to be a petty thief, and a lock breaker.

[Levex321]

@Dusty Love it! Thank you so much for submitting a character, and sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

I've included the majority of my character's information within this post. Unfortunately, school and work have eaten most of my free time.. so I haven't gotten as much done as I'd like. I'm hoping to finish the remainder of his personal history tomorrow. I just didn't want to give off the impression that I'd abandoned this.

Hamilton Stout

Name: Hamilton Stout

Age: Sixteen

Height: 5’ 6”

General Appearance: Before his unfortunate transformation, Hamilton was an average specimen for his age. He had an athletic build fitting for an active young man. His skin had a soft sunburnt glow, like a brick from the wall of the Red Pub. Hard brown eyes shaped like thin almonds. Lush black hair that was shaved at the sides above his ears, and braided into a small ponytail near the back of his head.

Now his appearance is, at best, peculiar. A hunched, muscular body perched on thin ankles and short, padded feet. His skin drips with long black fur, and his hands are armored with claws. A wide snout peeks out from beneath his large hood – a piece worn at all times outside of The Aerie to conceal his beastly form.

Special: Nothing out of the ordinary physically, save for the whole badger conundrum.

Belongings: A staff too big for his stature, and a cloak that doesn’t fit quite right. An old set of druid robes, a rucksack from home, and a mysterious red stone.

Parents, Dead or Alive?: Hamilton never knew his real parents. He was raised by his master since infancy. He could only assume that they were dead. His master, too, was murdered.

Existing Family: None

Personal History: [As Hamilton will be a catalyst for change in many (if not all) of the participating character’s lives, I don’t want to reveal parts of his past too early. Hopefully, this will encourage honest reactions from the readers as well as the characters playing.]

Hamilton’s first memory was evergreen. He’d belonged to the Hunting Wood and every forest beyond it since he was a small boy; chasing rabbits, fishing, collecting pebbles from chatty brooks, and nuzzling into the folds of a great black bear were all chapters in his childhood.
[WIP]

How You Joined the Macliar Rats/ The Aerie: That’s where our story begins..

[Dusty]

Very interesting, I was worried for awhile that nothing would come of this RP so thanks for keeping it going.

[Sterling]

Interested I think

[Levex321]

Awesome, @Sterling.

If you’re interested, we’d love to see a character sheet. Dusty’s character is definitely accepted, so I’d be happy starting with one more addition.
If others should read this and be interested later on, we could always add more characters naturally as the story progresses.

Thanks again for your interest~