[OOC] Sensation & Wonder: An Absolute Comics Roleplay [DC & Marvel One Universe Style Game]

[Sep]

Honestly I like what I'm seeing so far and am excited to see what other people will come up with.

What are peoples thoughts on Director America?

[Hound55]

Honestly I like what I'm seeing so far and am excited to see what other people will come up with.

What are peoples thoughts on Director America?

@Sep

Batman: "He's cocky."
Colonel Rogers: "I know."
Batman: "He won't listen. He snaps back or--"
Rogers: "I know."
Batman: "He hits on EVERY FEMALE in sight!"
Rogers: "I know."
Batman: "..."
Rogers: "Hawkeye's infuriatingly effective though, right? You've got to give it to him."
Batman: "..."
Rogers: "I said you’ve got to give it to him, right?"
Batman: "..."
Rogers: "I know."

[Lord Wraith]

Why am I now picturing the Avengers and League having a draft day?

[DocTachyon]

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

Nobody laughed at this one. They take him more seriously, which is good.

@Sep

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

It's a decision they'll come to regret.

@Sep

[Sep]

<Snipped quote by Sep>
<Snipped quote by Sep>

@DocTachyon

I mean... fair.

[Dead Cruiser]

I'm thinking about mashing Skrulls and Martians together for my character, thoughts? I figure a DC Martian can do anything a Skrull can and then some.

[Lord Wraith]

I'm thinking about mashing Skrulls and Martians together for my character, thoughts? I figure a DC Martian can do anything a Skrull can and then some.

@Dead Cruiser

While I understand the overlap in abilities, I do think both have too rich of histories to simply mash together.

[Sep]

<Snipped quote by Dead Cruiser>

While I understand the overlap in abilities, I do think both have too rich of histories to simply mash together.

@Lord Wraith

I mirror this sentiment. Martians (except the times they become hostile) pretty much stick to Mars, but have a lot of cool history.

The Skrulls historically are a cornerstone of the Marvel Universe, and several big events in Marvel history so I feel like it would be doing them dirty to mash them together.

[Supermaxx]

neat

[Sep]

neat

@Cybermaxx

No u

[Natty]

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

I mirror this sentiment. Martians (except the times they become hostile) pretty much stick to Mars, but have a lot of cool history.

The Skrulls historically are a cornerstone of the Marvel Universe, and several big events in Marvel history so I feel like it would be doing them dirty to mash them together.

@Sep

<Snipped quote by Dead Cruiser>

While I understand the overlap in abilities, I do think both have too rich of histories to simply mash together.

@Lord Wraith

Maybe sister species? Although a Martian/Skrull/Kree rivalry could be an interesting thing to play with

[Sep]

<Snipped quote by Sep>

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

Maybe sister species? Although a Martian/Skrull/Kree rivalry could be an interesting thing to play with

@Natty

I'm cool with sister species, just not some amalgamation of the two.

[Kaggs]

Think I'd like to throw my hat in, if you'll have me.

The Dangerous Diva

B L A C K C A N A R Y
B L A C K C A N A R Y

[Hillan]

Hell hath no fury

The Daughter Of Darkness

G H O S T R I D E R

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^{_{R A V E N 'Annabelle' R O T H ♦ D E M O N H U N T E R ♦ R O A M I N G}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

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^{"All that demon blood had to be good for something."}

Raven is the spirit of vengeance, brought to the brink of death by her own family, sacrificed to her father Trigon to bring his return to earth, the satanic ritual was ended by the consecration of the site by the holiest of magic - the spirit of vengeance. But not before 16-year old Raven was knocking on death's door. The reaper gave her a choice. End her life as a teenage witch and face judgment for her heretic ways or become the eternal rider of vengeance.

Judging by the flames in her hair, it's not hard to see what choice she made.

P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ):

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I will be playing Raven as a roaming character, going from place to place and putting out (and starting) fires wherever she can. Trying to find a happy medium in mixing her two parts, in something of a 70/30 split between Raven and Ghost Rider. She's the mellow teenage witch we all know and love mixed with the endless hunger for the blood of the guilty. I've got no ambition of playing Johnny Blaze here, so she'll be quite a lot different than the usual shotgun slinging rider of darkness I'd usually dip my toe in for.

As I said, I'll be playing Raven as a roaming character where her key plots will rely on her hunting supernatural threats, and if that's not gonna meld with someone's plot, the wicked, vile, and guilty are also on her shitlist. Mixing the two, I think it becomes very easy to fill a list of targets for the young ghost rideress to logically do battle with.
Raven is a girl who wishes to sit inside her room reading dusty old gothic books till the end of time, but she's chained to a comet of righteous fury. Constantly at odds between her demonic roots and the divine purpose of the spirit of vengeance that rests within her.

Teenage high jinks? I'm in.
Do demons need smiting? She's there.
Do bad people need the fear of god put to 'em? You got it, boss.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

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CHARACTERS:
THE TITANS: She is a former Titan and would have shared backstory with any other characters who could fit that box if applicable.
CULT OF TRIGON: She used to just call them 'family' but in the years since she was a kid to the years of her apparent death brought on by the family that raised her the cult had become emboldened by the seemingly rise of their master and turned wicked and sinisher. She is still hunting down remnants of the cult to this day, the few have made powerful deals with dark forces to spare their own souls from the wrath of the rider.

Johnny Blaze: Once upon a time, many, many years ago the now retired stuntman used to be a version of the rider.
He fought heaven and hell and managed to defeat both the demon Zarathos and the rogue Archangel Zadkiel. He's lost the power upon defeating Zadkiel. Now, he acts as the closest thing to a mentor Raven has.

Sorcerer Supreme(s): Raven knows of both the Doctors, Fate and Strange but she's never actually met either. They tended to hang out on the opposite side of the magical spectrum to herself. Yet as the avatar of vengence, Raven has realized that it's a matter of time before the keepers of magical order comes asking questions.

P O S T C A T A L O G:

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Issue 0.01: Ride or Die.

[Lord Wraith]

<Snipped quote by Sep>

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

Maybe sister species? Although a Martian/Skrull/Kree rivalry could be an interesting thing to play with

@Natty

Sister Species could easily make sense especially once you bring in the Celestials.

Cosmic shenanigans get confusing fast haha.

[Rapid Reader]

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

Would be good to see some new faces.

@Sep

I have been summoned by the request for new faces.

Character wise, I'd probably like to lean into some supernatural stuff and write up Rag(wo)man. The character of Ragman always seemed fun and I haven't had an excuse to try my hand at writing said character.

So why not now?

Why not in an RP full of sensation and wonder?

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WIP Character Sheet: Last Update: July 28th, 11.40 PM

Ragwoman - The Tatterdemalion of Justice

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

R A G W O M A N

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^{_{R O R Y R E G A N ♦ T H R I F T S H O P O W N E R ♦ N E W O R L E A N S}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

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^{"Ragwoman--defender of the weak and oppressed--punisher of evil. And you...are evil."}

Overall Concept

Ragwoman is one of the ultimate ragtag superheroes. She looks like trash, wears a bunch of mismatched rags, and somehow manages to scrap her way to being an actual superhero. A mystical vigilante, she brings evildoers to justice in the most metal (or emo) way possible, by absorbing their souls into her suit, with each rag representing a punished villain. Channeling power by calling on the damned souls trapped in her suit, Ragwoman boosts her attributes and borrows powers from said evil baddies as needed.

Broadly, I tend to think that magic is cool and that magic in comics is super cool. As such I would like to write some compelling stories that focus heavily on magic and the supernatural. However, fear not, I don't intend to write up some simplistic black and white tales of morality, which might at first seem logical given Ragwoman's penchant for sensing evil, but rather I would like to throw down the gauntlet in terms of some gritty urban fantasy action.

Theme

In terms of theme, I'd love to manage a good mix of vibes from Constantine (the comics), Sandman (the graphic novel), Vampire the Masquerade (the table top game), Dresden Files (skipping the first two books), and Hellboy (the super awesome comics).

I want to place Ragwoman in complex, morally ambiguous situations that pose difficult ethical questions. I want Ragwoman to struggle. I want Ragwoman to be faced with doubt. I want Ragwoman to have to navigate a city that is on edge. I want Ragwoman to have to deal with supernatural politics, ranging from vampire mobsters to annoyingly pedantic wizard councils. Ragwoman may be able to sense true evil with the best of them, but I want things to be hard for her. Justice isn't always simple. The right call isn't always obvious. And in a city as steeped in sin as New Orleans, Ragwoman will be fighting against the rising tide of evil.

Major Differences From Source Comics

Ragman is now Ragwoman. Ragwoman now grew up and still lives in New Orleans. Ragwoman now owns a thrift shop called From Rags to Riches instead of a pawn shop. Ragwoman now plays in a really awful Punk Blues band, The Arcane Tricksters, representing all the worst parts of Punk and Blues music in one terrible attempt at musical fusion. Saxophone solos were never, ever cool, despite what Ragwoman or some other misguided souls might claim.

Ragwoman, as I imagine her, is in some ways a more modern take on the classic Ragman. I've chosen to transport her to New Orleans for those sweat Mardi Gras vibes, and all the Southern Gothic I can shove into a post while simultaneously laying it on heavy with a thick as molasses layer of Noir and Pulp Fiction. There will be pirate ghosts. There will be club vampires. There will be blood magic. And there will be way, way too much tequila.

P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ):

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I'm aiming for a William Gibson-esque exploration of what it means to be a rag based mystical superhero in the modern world. Diving deep into the supernatural, I plan to start Ragwoman off as a stationary, driving character in New Orleans. The Big Easy is a criminally underrated setting for Urban Fantasy and I hope to explore the rich culture of New Orleans through the lens of the things that go bump in the night. Ragwoman would pair well with any supernatural characters and I'm very interested in having heavy supernatural hitters make appearances in her plots. However, I can easily imagine a number of ways to involve even those characters uninitiated or uninterested in the magical arts. Once I get a feel for Ragwoman, I would also love to try write some true crossovers (e.g., such as forming the Shadowpact, a supernatural superhero team, in character to defeat some major magical threat) or to have Ragwoman be a guest in the plots of other players.

THE SANGUINE SYMPHONY

The supernatural world of New Orleans teeters on the brink of war. A series of mysterious murders fill the streets with fear. Bodies. Bodies in the French quarter. Bodies scattered throughout the city. Bodies drained of blood. The balance of power between the vampire clans steeped in the criminal underworld of New Orleans lies in tatters, torn to pieces by angry accusations. Fighting to protect the innocent, Ragwoman races against the clock to find and punish new evil that looms over the Big Easy. The public is scared. The police are on edge. Occult practitioner bay for blood and monsters emerge from the darkness. The Night Truce has been broken and time is running out. Teaming up with a scrappy vampire hunter, Ragwoman must solve the murders and bring justice to New Orleans before the Vampire mobsters tear the city apart. It's Mardi Gras, y'all.
Characters Involved: Ragwoman, Blade (The Daywalker), Morbius, and some scary baddies.
Desired # of Players: 2-4
Musical Selection: Bloodlines

THE AXEMAN RETURNETH

The Axeman of New Orleans is back...or is he? Faced with a serial killer claiming to be the demonic Axeman of New Orleans that terrorized the city with its love of jazz in 1918, Ragwoman must bring swift musical justice to a monster from the past.

Characters Involved: ???
Desired # of Players: 2-4
Musical Selection: RAGS TO RICHES

STRAIGHT TO HELL

Ragwoman finds herself in Hell, actual Hell. Why? How? Tune in next week to find out...in this exciting Special Issue, Ragwoman: Straight to Hell.

Characters Involved: Etrigan, Frankenstein, and some other cool peeps.
Desired # of Players: 2-6
Musical Selection: STRAIGHT TO HELL - THE CLASH

SHADOWPACT

A ragtag group of magical superheroes come together to stop a big bad evil and to safeguard the supernatural world from the many evils of social media and Tik Tok.

Characters Involved: Any characters involved with occult or inclined to explore the supernatural. Traditionally, the Shadowpact has brought together illustrious characters such as Nightmaster, Blue Devil, Detective Chimp, Enchantress, Nightshade, Ragman, Zauriel, Acheron, Midnight Rider, and Warlock's Daughter in order to defeat the Spectre (and stop his widely regarded as terrible idea to destroy all magic).
Desired # of Players: 2-6
Musical Selection: RAGS TO RICHES

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

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Below see a list of characters currently involved in Ragwoman's plots or charaters
would love to see (denoted by "of Interest). For characters of interest, an * sign denotes a character I think would be particularly awesome (but don't let this kill your interest if you have other ideas, I'm more than happy to listen to creative ideas).

Current Supporting Characters / Allies

Current Supporting Characters

Nightmaster: Sword wielding mystical supehero of Myrran decent and proprietor of the extradimensional Oblivion Bar, Jim Rook is the Nightmaster. Spending most of the endless nights of the mystical dimension behind the bar, Nightmaster provides Ragwoman with information, advice, and the occasional warning when she's pushing against the wrong supernatural forces. He's also offered Ragwoman a job if she ever gets tired of being a mystical vigilante. An offer Ragwoman has so far politely declined.

Current Allies

Blade, The Daywalker: What's more iconic than a scrappy half-vampire vampire hunter teaming up with a mystical superhero dressed in rags? Nothing, that's what.

Zatanna: Fancy magician and mentor to Ragwoman, Zatanna stops by New Orleans when she can to dole out some much needed advice and guidance to the much less magically knowledgeable Ragwoman.

Current / Planned Villains

Sooner Story Arcs:
Some Vampires

Later / Major Story Arcs:
Eclipso: I feel as if I am contractually bound to involve Eclipso in some capacity if the Spectre makes an eventual and much expected (just say yes) appearance.

Spectre: Can you say facing off against an almost all-powerful and ethically rigid force of mystical nature? Well, don't worry, because I can, and this is happening baby!!!

Morgaine le Fey: Cool evil sorceress with a penchant for doing terrible things, yes. Cool evil sorceress with a long backstory, more yes. Cool evil sorceress that could be portrayed as maybe not completely guilty, all the yes. Honestly, I have no real ideas of what I would like to have Morgaine le Fey do just yet, but I sense there's something here.

Supporting Characters / Allies of Interest

Supporting Characters of Interest

Allies of Interest
Blue Devil: A deal with a devil (in this case, the demon Neron) to escape an eternity trapped in a metal devil suit infused with magic is a fairly novel twist to the Faustian bargain and Blue Devil is an amusing character in a lot of similar ways. Steeped in the fight against occult evil, Blue Devil makes a lot of sense to me as an ally for Ragwoman or someone for her to bump into at one point or another.

*Constantine: To start with, I must admit that I think Constantine is a super neat character. He holds a warm place in my heart for all the interesting stories he has been involved in and for his really plausibly flawed persona. Given how pivotal and popular Constantine has been in terms of magic and the supernatural in the comics, I think he makes a ton of sense as a character in one of Ragwoman's story arcs or even in a crossover issue.

*Detective Chimp: It's hard to explain how awesome Detective Chimp is. He's weird. He's interesting. He's probably definitely the greatest detective in the history of comics (Batman might be a distant second). For all his talents, Detective Chimp is surprisingly mundane, but it is his tactical prowess which I think would pair really well with Ragwoman in a story arc.

Dr. Strange: Although I never finished the Dr. Strange movie (lol, sorry), I do find Dr. Strange to be an interesting character. Who doesn't love a surgeon, realizing he's kind of a stuck-up asshole, discovering magic, and then realizing he's still got some learning to do. Whether he is the sorcerer supreme or not, I think Dr. Strange makes sense in a magic and supernatural heavy story like Ragwoman's. As of yet, I have no particular ideas, but again, given the fundamental aspects of Dr. Strange, I think it would be pretty easy to figure out a way for him to show up in one of Ragwoman's story arcs or vice versa.

Enchantress (June Moone): I'm a bit tempted to play with the very failed romantic attempts Ragman directed towards Enchantress in the comics and throw her into the mix as a jilted ex or romantic interest for Ragwoman in this RP. Although I would prefer to pretend the Enchantress of Suicide Squad (2016) never happened, I do find Enchantress an interesting mystical superhero, given her strong antihero vibes and dark past. All-in-all, I think Enchantress would be cool to through into the mix with Ragwoman.

*Etrigan: Arthurian lore is dope. Merlin is doper. A mundane mortal caught in an endless battle with a one time rhyming demon for his soul always struck me as an awesome idea as a reader. I have loose ideas of a plot involving Ragwoman going straight to hell chasing or accompanied by Etrigan, so at some point I'll probably aim to summon this classic comic book character.

Hellboy: While he isn't a DC or Marvel character (by the strictest definitions), I have always found Hellboy, the supporting cast, and the setting of the Hellboy comics to be super cool. The characters focus on monster hunting and fighting off world threatening evil makes him a fairly easy character to involve in a range of plots my opinion. The challenge is as always managing to nail the classic Hellboy snark.

Madame Xanadu: I have some very loose ideas of having Morgaine le Fey appear as a villain in a Ragwoman story arc and it's hard to toss Morgaine le Fey into a story without at least mentioning Madame Xanadu. Her supernatural sensitivity and ability to see the future are things I could see being used very well to setup a more large scale or ambitious plot (perhaps a CRISES or Crossover). An iconic mystical character in her own right, Madame Xanadu has a range of relationships with other established comic book characters that I think could be used in a really fun way in story arc (her troubled romance with Jason Blood and Etrigan always struck me as pretty classic comic book humor). With some good writing and careful plotting, I think she'd make a fine addition to a Ragwoman story arc and I'd really, really love to toss her, Etrigan, Morgaine le Fey, and the Spectre into some super serious supernatural event for Ragwoman to tackle with friends.

*Magick: Rumors swirl of a cool version of Magick appearing in related versions of this RP and I wouldn't mind seeing her pop into this RP as well (in fact I would encourage it). Her struggle to defeat the demon lord of Limbo, Belasco, has always struck me as a great story arc and she has seen some nice representation in recent media. There are many ways I could see Ragwoman teaming up with Magick and all of them are awesome.

Nightmaster: A hard rock band singer, turned mystical sword wielder with a penchant for using his sword to force people to tell the truth, Nightmaster would be a fun character to see interact with Ragwoman. The lost land or dimension of Myrra likewise would allow for some real dimension hopping which I think would be a lot of fun to explore. The Oblivion Bar is one of my favorite places in terms of comic lore as well, so expect it to make a rapid appearance.

Nightshade: Commanding an interesting array of powers centering on darkness and offering access to a neat dimension (predictably called the Nightshade Dimension), I think Nightshade is cool, very cool even. She's not the most well-known comic book spellcaster, but she might provide a nice means to pull some characters together into a completely new adventure (in the Nightshade Dimension). Girl's got potential, in my opinion.

Phantom Stranger: The Phantom Stranger has been written in a million different ways and I'm confident there are million more ways to write him. I could see the character being more of a quest giver or guiding hand to Ragwoman, but the endless options in terms of portrayal and the rich history that's been teased for the character in the comics leaves a lot of flexibility that might help to drive a Ragwoman story arc in an interesting direction. Can we do a top hat instead of a fedora though, please?

*Raven: Having come late to the Teen Titan's game, I still adore Raven as a character despite missing the peak of her popularity. She's dark. She's got issues. She's struggling to not destroy the world. And she's got a cool cloak. Overall, my fangirling aside, I think she's an easy character to see make an appearance in an issue of the Raggedy Adventures of Ragwoman or some collaborative crossover of magical doom.

Warlock's Daughter: In some ways a great foil for Ragwoman due to her mixed alignment in terms of being good or evil, Warlock's Daughter channels some great "back from the dead through arcane means" vibes that I think would be interesting for Ragwoman to deal with, especially if redemption is a path that Warlock's Daughter chooses to follow in a story (if not, things probably won't end great, but it would be an interesting clash).

*Zatanna: Not gonna lie, I'm probably going to steal Zatanna if no one stops me. I love her as a character. I love her vibes. I love her established lore. She's one of the most well-known magically inclined characters in comics for good reason and I think she'd make a killer guest in a Ragwoman story arc or perhaps as a character in a Ragwoman crossover issue.

Zauriel: A guardian angel willing to fall down to the Earth to fight evil sounds like a baller character in my opinion and for a more Justice with a capital J story involving Ragwoman I think Zauriel would be a groovy choice.

Villains of Interest

P O S T C A T A L O G:

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A list linking to your IC posts as they're created. This can be used for a reference guide to your character or to summarize completed arcs and stories.

S A M P L E P O S T

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Maybe, mabye...so WIP.

A Ghostly Voice

[John Table]

Damn, how did you find the time to fill out that character sheet like that?

[Rapid Reader]

The rags work in mysterious ways.

[Bork Lazer]

T H E D A Y W A L K E R

B L A D E

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^{_{E R I C B R O O K S ♦ F U L L T I M E V A M P I R E H U N T E R ♦ N E W O R L E A N S}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

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^{"Vampires, man. Every motherfucker wants to ice-skate uphill to immortality these days."}

Blade's a man stuck on the bridge between two worlds: night and day. The living and the dead. Monster and man. Luckily, he's chosen the side that doesn't suck blood for a living and mostly flipped the bird to the side that does. For fifteen years, Blade's been waging a one-man war against the forces of the night, safeguarding humanity from becoming prey in his hometown of New Orleans. Yet, in spite of all his efforts, Blade finds himself weary from being shunned from both worlds as an outsider, either out of fear or perceived betrayal of his heritage.

P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ):

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Blade will largely be a Stationary Character who will be the keystone in most of the supernatural happenings in this world. New Orleans, as well, is a rich environment that's rife with storytelling potential that will allow for a myriad of interactions amongst obscure and popular characters that anyone chooses to play. Blade's storylines will attract characters of a mystical, gritty persuasion and players who have a deep interest in urban fantasy.

Issue 1: THE SANGUINE SYMPHONY

A vampire's plot afoot in New Orleans as a string of seemingly unconnected murders all have one thing in common: paper white corpses drained of blood. Only there's a problem. It's on the eve of Mardi Gras and all local vampire sects, regardless of affiliation, declare truce with the human race for a period of two weeks. No feedings, no kidnappings, no interfering with the livestock. With a full out war between the vampire clans of New Orleans on the horizon, Eric must delve into the seedy streets of the parish and find the true murderer before eternal twilight falls over the Orient City.

Characters Involved: Blade/The Daywalker, Rag(wo)man, Morbius, Hellboy, A Whole Lot of Vampires

Number of Players: 2-3

SPECIAL ISSUE: BLOODLETTING

A vignette based narrative centered around Blade's days of yore as he vows vengeance against Deacon Frost and his master, Dracula.

Characters Involved: Blade/The Daywalker, Stick

Number of Players: Solo

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

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Supporting Cast

Allies

- Rag(wo)man

- Hannibal King

- Anna Whistler

- Stick

- Kirk Langstrom

Enemies

- Vlad Tepes Dracula

- Baronness Blood

- Deacon Frost

- Morbius

- The Cult of Chthon

- Vampires in general

P O S T C A T A L O G:

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S A M P L E P O S T:

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The Locker Pt 1

The vampire is a creature of habit.

That was a lesson Hannibal taught him on his first proper hunt. That even monsters still had their routines. If vampires only cared about devouring humankind in the most efficient way possible, most of the country would be overrun in a couple of months by hordes of ghouls and newly Turned. No, instead, they had peeves and wonts about how they went about it. Traditions and rituals were passed down from each new generation of vampire and with every passing century, as humanity progressed, so did their palette. The Nosferati had entire ‘vinyards’ dedicated to fermenting blood into red wine. The Adze preferred congealing the blood into curds. The Yuki Onna adopted the tradition of ikizukiri - drinking humans slowly while they were still alive.

It was that singular characteristic, that weakness which had been exploited by better vampire slayers than him for centuries. So, when the trail led to yet another fishmonger this month, Eric almost could feel Hannibal berating him mentally for not spotting the obvious yet again and believing that vampires were more rational than they actually were.

It was the break of afternoon in New Orleans, when the sun began to nest in the Pontchartrain. Its orange rays bled down the dappled surface, the skyline bruised a hazy violet. It was at this hour when the French Quarter started to become alive, beating with the rhythm of jazz and dance - the oxygen of the Orient pumping and flowing through the streets from Chalamette to Jefferson. Yet, for where the music could not be heard, it casted shadows of silence across the Mississippi, where the brown waters bubbled and festered as it always had throughout the course of its thousand mile journey. And in that silence dwelled the coming night: ravenous in its zest for life.

He’d been tracking a pack of new arrivals for a month now - ten to twenty strong. They’d made their presence on the westside of Uptown, far away from the territories of other sects and the CBD where the NOPD strutted around like flamingos. The scent of the Great Lakes was smeared all over them - alpine smog and the dewy aroma of pine needles that followed in their wake. He pegged them as Krieger - maybe an Anchorite but most Anchorites preferred to stay in their wheat fields and little prariers. He had been watching them for the last few days, under the disguise of plain sight and from a fair distance as they skittered from the Garden District to the Quarter, playing themselves off as tourists. Eventually, that led him to where he was standing right now.

The Trawler was a squat olive drab block in a sparsely populated neighbourhood that was accommodated by overdebted university students and old-timers who were too fond of the past to move on. There was only a single pane of glass for the average onlooker to look at the product inside. Styrofoam boxes laid in an undignified pile near the front door with an overflowing trash bin as its neighbour, bones and fish guts attracting a horde of flies.

The bell jingled, alerting the shopkeeper who was busy wiping the counter with a stained dish cloth as Eric entered the shop.

“ Hey, buddy. Store’s closed. If you have an order, you’ll have to pick it up tomorrow.“ The fishmonger slapped his hand on the counter loudly to catch his attention. Eric ignored it, continuing to parse throughout the store, stopping to look at the rows of redfish and perch that were on display on beds of ice. Their rheumy eyes stared up at him, almost pleadingly. “ You awrite in the head, man? If you don’t leave here now, I’m going to have to call the cops on you.”

Eric turned around and lowered his shades to take a better look. He took a look at the plastic name tag on his apron, with “Barry” written in flowery cursive.

“ So….” Eric drawled as he walked closer towards Barry who was shrinking with each step he took. “ Would you believe me if I said this was a surprise inspection?”

Barry’s right shoulder shifted, warily reaching his left hand somewhere under the counter. He signed. It always seemed how things always seemed to end in his line of business.

“ Damn. That’s a shame.”

In one swift practiced motion, Barry pulled out the Mossenberg from underneath the register, barrel swiveling towards him. Were he dealing with any common human, the fishmonger would have put him in the morgue by now. Unfortunately for him, dhampir reflexes meant that the shopkeeper was moving like molasses. Eric shot his hand forward towards where Barry gripped the shotgun by the stock and jammed his thumb between the trigger and the index finger. The barrel was aimed at Eric’s forehead but all the fishmonger could feel was his index finger pushing down on the trigger uselessly. Eric ripped itout of the fishmonger’s hand and tossed it away, sending it clattering to the floor. The fishmonger’s face was now paper-white, his body frozen like a statue and paralyzed in fear.

“ You - you’re the - the - “

“ Don’t say another word.” Eric lifted the collar of the butcher’s smock upwards to reveal his neck. It was thick, succulent with flowing, rich blood that just begged to be - Eric paused and shook his head as he mustered his concentration, turning his neck to the other side. His nostrils flared in disgust when he saw a cherry-red brand on his collarbone.

“ Now, listen here and listen good, familiar.” He hissed with contempt, the tips of his canines reflected in the fishmonger’s eyes. “ You’re going to walk out of this shop and call emergency services 30 minutes from now. If you dare call the police after I let you go, I will take this shotgun and ram it so far up your ass that you’ll go through puberty again, do I make myself clear?”

“ I had no - you can’t - They’ll hunt me down.” The fishmonger blubbered, eyes fidgeting anxiously. “ They’ll kill me. My master - URK!”

His speech stopped mid-way courtesy of a steel vice grip around his throat . The vampire slayer lifted him up a inch of the ground, his feet dangling uselessly in the air.

“ Only thing you gotta worry ‘bout is me hunting your sorry ass down.” He continued on, impassive to how Barry’s face was slowly becoming more red by the second. “ Now, you promise to not associate yourself with any unholy heathens from now on?”

“ Urgh.”

“ You promise to not seek out immortality through immoral means?”

“ Urghuh.”

“ You promise to pray to your lord and savior, Jesus Christ?”

“ Urgh?”

“ Nah, I’m just shitting you with the last one.” The fishmonger was then unceremoniously dropped to the ground. As he laid on the ground, heaving for precious air, Eric craned his neck down towards him and looked at him as if he were an insect.

“Now, scram. I’ve got work to do. ”

[Kale19]

@Lord Wraith I might be gone when the RP starts, but when I get back I'll give my first post.