It’s 1875 in the city known as Serpent’s Snag. Situated on the eastern border of Texas and Louisiana it is generally hot and humid, though the sea breeze blows through often enough it isn’t unbearable. In this city supernatural creatures reside among humans and bitter wars are waged as the cowboy era is beginning to draw to a close and industry is on the rise. War between the industrialists and the farmers, the gangs and the law, the humans and the beasts. Who are you and which side will you decide to take as shadows fall over the city and tensions are on the rise.
Windstad Farms-Located on the southwestern side of town, the Windstad family has coalesced a great deal of land for their plantation. Growing a wide variety of crops and fruits they provide the city with a great deal of the produce that heads to the markets and taverns. The industrialists of the city seek to take their land to expand their factories.
Sunset Gate Shanty Town-Outside the northern gate is one of the shanty towns. A rundown shack city where they people who cannot afford to live in the city proper gather in tents and scrape together whatever they can to survive
Copper Lane Shanty Town-Same as the other, just located on the southern side of the city and is slightly smaller.
Silver Birch Sanatorium-The sanatorium is where they send those deemed to dangerous to stay in the regular prison. A massive complex located on the southern side of the city by The Hill. Murderers, feral werewolves, or anyone else that shouldn't be out roaming the streets finds themselves here.
The Hill-The Hill is the park to the southern side of the city nearby the Sanatorium. It is technically within Nightwell territory, but they are fairly lenient with who can enter the park.
Raven's Rook Tavern-The largest and most well known tavern of the city. Run by the alpha of the Central Pack it is a warm, welcoming, and lively bar and inn where anyone is welcome to stay provided they can pay, with coin or work, and they don't cause any trouble.
Seven Markets-The Seven Markets is the open air market within the City Center boasting all kinds of foods, clothes, knick-knacks, and anything else that someone might need.
The House of Earthly Delights-A high brow saloon in the City Center run by Madame Zubova, a mysterious yet well known individual to most of the inhabitants of the city
Early's Inn and Eatery-A unique establishment within the Shanty Town run by Earlene. It is a small, but warm inn and one of the only ones in the Shanty Town.
Overall
It is not unheard of for the supernatural creatures of the city to join up with the largely human gangs, or take up roles outside of their clan or pack. The sheriff could be a vampire for instance or the friendly barkeep who has some wolfish qualities might be just that. They just tend to prefer their own kind and keep to their territory for safety, but there are a few neutral zones and less dangerous areas.
Vampires
Not quite the classic vampire: sunlight does not instantly kill them, but extended exposure to the sun is draining and can kill. Stake to the heart does not kill them, but can stun them so long as the stake is in place. More grievous injuries such as a gunshot to the head/heart or decapitation will kill them.
Two major groups: The Northern Clan established first and took on the last name of Blackwood and The Southern Clan established second taking on the name Nightwell.
The Blackwoods are industry tycoons. They control the majority of steel production in the city and surrounding area making them extremely wealthy. While the Blackwoods control the industry there are several other smaller families that make their home inside the territory and work for the clan, either in the factories or completing other jobs for the family.
The Nightwells are more rough and tumble, preferring to work in the smaller, but still lucrative, industries such as brewing or construction. They are more relaxed than their northern cousins, but that doesn't mean they should be underestimated.
Both clans have a great deal of conflict with the witches of Sinner's Den
The Blackwood Clan is in constant conflict with the Northern Pack of Werewolves-both for territory and industry.
Werewolves
Can control their transformations except on a full moon which forces a transformation, though they do maintain full control of themselves during the full moon, so long as they’ve had practice and learned from the pack.
The phase of the moon determines how they look when they transform and how strong they are. Quarter gives select features-sharper claws and teeth, or wolf like eyes, half is a hybrid transformation-the classic kind of werewolf look, full moon is a full wolf, and they cannot transform on a new moon
One pack controls the city center, they are mostly pacifists and hesitant to enter into conflict beyond self defense. This makes the city center one of the few neutral areas of the city.
The second pack rules the Silver Side District of the city and is more interested in the development of technology and industry. They are in heavy conflict with the Blackwood Clan of vampires. They control the oil production in the city and surrounding area making them a true rival to the Blackwoods in both wealth and control.
Ghosts
The longer they’re a ghost the more control they gain. IE: Move around larger objects, manifest fully, etc. Some can move around as they please others are trapped in the place they died
Some go vengeful and begin killing, some relive their deaths for eternity, some become poltergeists, and others fully retain who they were when they were living. Those who are fully cognizant generally choose to remain neutral in whatever conflicts are ongoing.
The ghosts prefer to inhabit the abandoned parts of the city, but there are some that like to hang around the populated areas
Witches
The largest coven controls a brothel in the Sinner's Den used to lure in unsuspecting victims of any kind.
They gain their power through a pact with the devil. Depending on the nature of the pact he gives them what he believes they deserve: beauty, power, immortality, etc.
They mostly use hexes, voodoo, and other things of the sort, can summon familiars and spirits as companions or attempt to bind them into service for their own purpose.
The longer they remain in service the more power they gain, but also the greater the possibility of losing everything and dying a painful death.
Those that are more powerful can create undead servants
Humans
Humans are scattered all over the city and intermingle with the supernatural creatures that inhabit the world.
Gangs are fairly common, as this is the cowboy era, the gang sizes vary exponentially depending on the confidence, wealth level, and usually the wanted level of the gang. Occasionally gangs will take sides in the war between the vampires and werewolves hoping to gain some kind of benefits. They tend to reside outside the city in hidden camps to avoid the law.
They are at risk of becoming werewolves, vampires, or even a member of the coven, though generally changing someone without permission of the Clan or Pack leader is frowned upon.
The existence of the supernatural is fairly commonly known and there are some humans who seek to eradicate them, thus creating a small group of monster hunters.
Neutral Territory is in Light Gray Vampires
The Blackwoods control the North District-Red on the map
The Nightwells control the Night District-Green on the map
Werewolves
The Northern Pack controls the Silver Side District-Blue on the map
The Central Pack controls the neutral City Center-Orange on the map
Ghosts
The ghosts tend to stick to the Shanty Town outside of the city which is entirely abandoned except for the occasional beggar or vagrant that squats in the rundown buildings. They occasionally travel inside the city and there are those within the city that are trapped where they died-Yellow on the map
Witches
The witches coven controls the Sinner's Den-Purple on the map
Humans
The humans are scattered throughout all the districts since they are largely uninvolved in the conflict unless they choose to be. They can generally travel through any of the territories without too much trouble.
Major NPCs
Arthur Fissure
Werewolf-Alpha of the Central Pack
Runs the Raven’s Rook Tavern
Brother of Samuel Fissure
Caspian Blackwood
Vampire-Head of the Blackwood Clan
Runs the Blackwood Steel Company
Adelaide Kane
Witch-Head of the Coven
Runs the Sinner’s Den
William Nightwell
Vampire-Head of the Nightwell Clan
Runs the Nightwell Brewery
Samuel Fissure
Werewolf-Alpha of the Northern Pack
Runs the Silver Side Oil Company
Brother of Arthur Fissure
Sheriff Derrick Swinghammer
Human
Sheriff of Serpent’s Snag
Mayor Xavier Whits
Human
Mayor of Serpent’s Snag
Cole Windstad
Human
Owner of Windstad Farms
Minor NPCs Duke Strand
Living in the Copperlane Shanty Town
Mary Kane
Human
Barmaid at the Raven’s Rook
Celine Strand
Poltergeist
Resides in the Shanty Town
Silas Valentine
Vampire
Head of the Valentine Family
Works under the Blackwoods
Seraphina Blackwood
Vampire
First daughter of the Blackwood Clan
Engaged to Silas Valentine
Rowena and Bryce Colspire
Vampires
Heads of the Colspire Family
Work under the Blackwoods
Arabella and Miles Daverin
Vampires
Heads of the Daverin Family
Works under the Blackwoods
Heather and Perceus Maxwell
Vampires
Heads of the Maxwell Family
Works under the Blackwoods
All Guild Rules Apply Minimum Post Requirement: At least two short paragraphs at minimum. Give other players enough to react and respond to Be Respectful Keep 18+ to the PMs Limiting number of characters per player to 3 Please send the character sheet to me via PMs before posting in the character tab Message me at any time with ideas and Have fun!
Any chance you could color in the map to show gang territories?
I also assume we're going with the classic vampires? Stake through a heart and direct sunlight means death? Might make it hard to RP with people, considering you're limited to just playing during night time.
@Cleverbird I can work on coloring the map sure, and as for the style of vampire I'm partial to sunlight is draining and staying outside for long periods of time can kill you, but isn't instant, and a stake through the heart can stun but not kill. More violent wounds like gunshot to the head/heart, decapitation, etc. would kill
This definitely looks interesting. I do have a quick question before I get started on an app.
Are there any known cases of inter-species crossbreeding in this universe? I'm actually considering making a damphir, but I can swing to full vampire or full boring ass human if it'd fit the situation better.
Not 100% sure about what abilities I want her to have atm, but I do know that I also want her to be a gunslinging cowgirl. Cause gunslinging is cool :]
