Sleepless Nights\\ Iron Cages - A gothic cyberpunk RP about hunting the supernatural

[OwO]

DARKEN THE SKIES
PREPARE THE MAIDEN
CAGE THE IMMORTAL
BEGIN THE HUNT
-----------

-----------

-----------

Welcome to Sleepless Nights, sort of the continuation of my roleplaying white whale.

Inspired by series like Lobotomy Corp/Library of Ruina/Limbus Company being the biggest, Chainsaw Man, some other manga here and there, and some RPs that have since been lost to time. The fastest way I could explain the themes of the story would be gothic cyberpunk.

I'm playing pretty fast and loose with technology. The general rule of thumb is that it kind of sucks. Sure, you can fully replace your body in its entirety, but are you really willing to deal with your former senses in absentia? Though, my main limit with technology is that it must be something physical. Guns and chainsaw halberds yes, beam weapons no.

There's also the gothic side of the RP. Characters have access to magic, a system that's deeply personal yet utterly incomprehensible within the world of Sleepless Nights. They also face monsters that must be dealt with in their own specific ways.

Characters will play the role as a new cleaner: guns-for-hire that hunt down the supernatural in a world that's quite infested with them. Life in the world of Sleepless Nights is harsh. For those on the outskirts of the city, they live under the constant expectation of toiling. The mind-numbing factory work beats corvée labour. Criminals are shipped off to the great ruins beneath the city to carve what resources they can out of the previous incarnation of the city. Those of the inner districts have better prospects, yet live even further beneath the boot of the politik.

They'd make their bones under an established office designed as an incubator for new cleaners at first and, hopefully in the future, can branch out a little and have each character have a pretty big amount of agency and control within the RP.

Of course, supernatural aren't the only threat to the city. Immortals live alongside man. Were it not for the fact that the supernatural are drawn to immortals to the point of cataclysm, perhaps man and immortal could live in peace. Unfortunately, they can not. The hunters must imprison immortals in metal coffins to ensure that the supernatural does not blight the cityscape.

Hopefully, we'd get on a regular weekly post schedule.

Anyways, I can answer any questions.

[Expendable]

What sort of immortals are we talking about? Highlander immortals? Phoenixes? Ms. Jones? Nanny McPhee?

Are vampires immortals or are they monsters?

Do you get Angels? Demons?

What other supernaturals will we encounter?

[OwO]

What sort of immortals are we talking about? Highlander immortals? Phoenixes? Ms. Jones? Nanny McPhee?

Are vampires immortals or are they monsters?

Do you get Angels? Demons?

What other supernaturals will we encounter?

@Expendable

Pretty much all of them, but there's no taxonomy to it. Rather than being things like different species, immortals are effectively humans who have rationalized their own immortality. Someone could rationalize it as being a vampire and devour. Someone could rationalize it as a Matrix Agent Smith style body takeover. Someone could view it as though they were a snake, shedding their previous form when it has become too damaged.

As for the supernatural, it functions off of the unconscious and abstract concepts. Hounds. Gargoyles. Ghosts. The moon actually being an eldritch entity. The main factor of the supernatural is that it's life without life. The supernatural can not think or plan nor does it have instinct. They're effectively programs that do what they are thought to do (with a side of being attracted to human life).

So if vampires are immortals or monsters: they can be both. An immortal vampire is a human with vampire tendencies and just can not be killed by any means. A monster vampire is a more beastial, abstracted form that does not have rationale beyond drink blood and hot chip, plus they can more easily die.

Angels and demons are the same. Immortal angels and demons are still human. They just have wings and stuff related to angels/demons. Supernatural angels are more "do not be afraid" and suck the life out of you when they forcefully embrace you. Supernatural demons--there's a lot so I won't get very specific.

Pretty much there is no limit to what you encounter as a supernatural entity. As long as I have a rationale basis--people fear it, it's a concept people know, etc--it can be an enemy. Basically, some classical enemies, some weird enemies, and some absolute curveballs.

[KaliW]

Hey there! In your description of Sleepless Nights, you mentioned that characters have access to magic. Could you elaborate more on the magic system in the world of Sleepless Nights? How does it function and what kind of impact does it have on the characters and the environment? Are there any restrictions or limitations to using magic and how does it differ from technology in the world?

--

So, I've been pondering over the vast, dark and dangerous world of Sleepless Nights and I've dreamed up a character that might just fit right in. A young man of 24, he was born with a gift, a power that was both a blessing and a curse. He possesses the ability to mimic the abilities of others and monsters, absorbing them through touch, much like Rogue from the X-Men.

But this power comes with a price. As time passes, his access to these abilities slowly fades, leaving him to constantly seek out new sources of strength and power. He walks a fine line between hunter and hunted, never staying in one place for too long, always on the run from those who fear and envy his abilities.

Despite his youth, he has lived a life far beyond his years, his powers attracting the attention of both immortals and the supernatural, forcing him to confront the dangers of the dark and foreboding world of Sleepless Nights head on. He is a man haunted by the ghosts of his past, always searching for a way to make peace with his powers and find some semblance of normalcy in a world consumed by chaos.

This character is a man of shadows, a hunter with a troubled soul, always seeking out new powers to add to his arsenal. He is a solitary figure, driven by the hunger for knowledge and the need to survive in a world that seeks to destroy him.

Do you feel like this character would fit within the realm of Sleepless Nights?

[ERode]

>black text
>dark background

Brother.

[Theyra]

Interested.

[OwO]

Hey there! In your description of Sleepless Nights, you mentioned that characters have access to magic. Could you elaborate more on the magic system in the world of Sleepless Nights? How does it function and what kind of impact does it have on the characters and the environment? Are there any restrictions or limitations to using magic and how does it differ from technology in the world?

--

So, I've been pondering over the vast, dark and dangerous world of Sleepless Nights and I've dreamed up a character that might just fit right in. A young man of 24, he was born with a gift, a power that was both a blessing and a curse. He possesses the ability to mimic the abilities of others and monsters, absorbing them through touch, much like Rogue from the X-Men.

But this power comes with a price. As time passes, his access to these abilities slowly fades, leaving him to constantly seek out new sources of strength and power. He walks a fine line between hunter and hunted, never staying in one place for too long, always on the run from those who fear and envy his abilities.

Despite his youth, he has lived a life far beyond his years, his powers attracting the attention of both immortals and the supernatural, forcing him to confront the dangers of the dark and foreboding world of Sleepless Nights head on. He is a man haunted by the ghosts of his past, always searching for a way to make peace with his powers and find some semblance of normalcy in a world consumed by chaos.

This character is a man of shadows, a hunter with a troubled soul, always seeking out new powers to add to his arsenal. He is a solitary figure, driven by the hunger for knowledge and the need to survive in a world that seeks to destroy him.

Do you feel like this character would fit within the realm of Sleepless Nights?

@KaliW

If you think of technology as the rational, magic is the irrational. It's effectively exerting one's own personal perception on the world.

There's no definite form to magic. If someone's logic is "I can shoot fire out of my hands", they can. The only limit is the cost. The stronger something is (the more suspended disbelief), the more life it costs (you can think of hp and mana as the same pool).

Technology and magic also don't get along. If the two are meaningfully combined, you basically get a d100 of different results. Plus, magic calls the supernatural. It's not really an issue when the janitors are making a little mess, but if people use it in their regular lives, it becomes a big deal.

As a result, there isn't much interplay between the two.

As for the character, mostly fine. He's going to generally be worse at someone specialized and is still hit by the rule that everything he uses should be logically congruent. Though just as a warning, copying magic from immortals is like comparing a water tanker to a shot glass. It's not really going to work, but you can maybe get a few minor (see: actually quite major) things off them.

The hard rule with all magic is that it should have nothing to do with anything resembling immortality. All humans are rate limited. They hit old age and then die. His age thing is a general not allowed.

Basically, plastic surgery to look young and being born with it are the only reasonable ways in universe.

As for being hunted, I'd also pretty much say that if he's just copying, he isn't doing much to gain ire. Think of an entire apartment block being turned into goo as a typical tuesday. You'd pretty much need to somehow be worse or make enemies of the politic.

[Expendable]

So is there a source to this magic?

If it's internal, how quickly does it replenish?

• Like, if I throw a fireball, am I waiting a few seconds, a few minutes, an hour, a day, a month...?
• Does it accrue faster if I eat a piece of hard candy? Eat a candy bar? Chug down a monster energy drink?

If it's external, is it like tapping into a ley line?

• Filing up a reservoir?
• Live sacrifice? (So, uh, nice altar. Those knives look so very sharp (and bloody)... Oh, is that the time? I... ooh. Aheh, this door is locked, can you... why are you wearing that robe?)

So like vampires have a lot of mana after feeding?

[Abstract Proxy]

I dig it.

Magic vs. tech and perception shaping reality are always nifty RP ideas to play with.

[OwO]

So is there a source to this magic?

-snip-

So like vampires have a lot of mana after feeding?

@Expendable

I do have a tentative write-up here, but to answer the specifics here:

The source is vitas; it's internal and can thought of as an 'innate' life. You're born with vitas and a vessel to hold it. As you age, the vessel breaks down until it is incapable of holding anything and you croak.

Using magic is to intentionally spill out some of it. It doesn't come back on its own. Instead, it's gotten by killing (or being in the proximity of) supernatural entities. As long as you're alive, you can cast but you can also definitely feel death coming. You could technically live sacrifice it, but poor efficiency, you'd be blacklisted from every morally good actor, you'd require a specific understanding (see: magic) on how to break a vessel, etc. Basically, the only way that would reasonably come up is killing supernatural.

Immortals have near infinite vitas (hence why they're immortal) so their magic is limited to what their vessel allows them to output (it can't be stressed, unlike a human) and their logic (an immortal still can't fathom being able to instantly wipe out portions of the city--most of the time). A vampire immortal would therefore not really have a change in it when they suck.

Vampire (as in the supernatural entity) are like all supernatural entities; they're beings of vitas and not vessels that contain it. They just consume it so they're pretty much at max strength 100% of the time (for better or worse). They'd still follow the characteristics that people view of vampires, but it has more to do with their internal programming (how they are viewed).

[PerfectThought]

Really liking the look of this. Count me in. Now to think up a cool character. B)

[Expendable]

Let me see if I've got it:

• The source of all magic is life force, known as "vitas";
• Vitas is in all living things;
• Vitas in humans degrade over time (we're leaking vitas);
• To use magic, we have to spend some of our vitas;
• Supernatural creatures crave vitas;
• Killing living creatures releases their vitas;
• Supernatural creatures kill other living creatures to get their vitas;
• Killing supernatural creatures releases their vitas to those around them as they die;
• Immortals are glutted with non-degrading vitas and attract supernaturals towards them;
• We're imprisoning Immortals in iron caskets to keep them from attracting supernaturals.

But if supernaturals crave vitas and we, the human race, are leaking them, doesn't that make cities the next-best source next to Immortals?

What happens to the vitas that humans and other living creatures leak? Does it lie about (perhaps collecting in pools to create the fountain of youth, healing springs, etc.), or is it collected by something?

Does that lead to the birth of supernatural creatures? Or does that get sucked into immortals, so big cities act as charging stations for immortals?

If Immortals suck up all that leaking vitas and we lock up the immortals in metal caskets, does that uncollected vitas spawn another immortal?

[OwO]

Let me see if I've got it:

• The source of all magic is life force, known as "vitas";
• Vitas is in all living things;
• Vitas in humans degrade over time (we're leaking vitas);
• To use magic, we have to spend some of our vitas;
• Supernatural creatures crave vitas;
• Killing living creatures releases their vitas;
• Supernatural creatures kill other living creatures to get their vitas;
• Killing supernatural creatures releases their vitas to those around them as they die;
• Immortals are glutted with non-degrading vitas and attract supernaturals towards them;
• We're imprisoning Immortals in iron caskets to keep them from attracting supernaturals.

But if supernaturals crave vitas and we, the human race, are leaking them, doesn't that make cities the next-best source next to Immortals?

What happens to the vitas that humans and other living creatures leak? Does it lie about (perhaps collecting in pools to create the fountain of youth, healing springs, etc.), or is it collected by something?

Does that lead to the birth of supernatural creatures? Or does that get sucked into immortals, so big cities act as charging stations for immortals?

If Immortals suck up all that leaking vitas and we lock up the immortals in metal caskets, does that uncollected vitas spawn another immortal?

@Expendable

List is pretty much correct, with the additional note that the supernatural drain which kills. If someone just croaks and a supernatural didn't do it, the supernatural doesn't get anything.

The supernatural doesn't collect expelled vitas. It can only drain it from a vessel. The bigger cause of the supernatural is the impossible: immortals, supernatural, and magic.

When vitas is lost, it ceases to exist. In the rare case it doesn't, an item become a weak vessel and holds it. It gets special properties, but same as above.

Third question, for the most part on both: no. If the vitas collects in an object, it does attract the supernatural

The caskets perpetually consume vitas to stay closed. One of the few magic technologies they finished before realizing that trying to use tech and magic together was a horrible idea. It disables immortals by using all their throughput. So it doesn't really spawn more since the consumed vitas just vanishes.

Basically, the barometer for the supernatural isn't vitas, it's things that should not exist.

[Vertigo]

Possibly interested, if a character idea starts to call out to me.

[OwO]

@Expendable@KaliW@ERode@Theyra@Abstract Proxy@PerfectThought@Vertigo

Since I had most of the information done and I'm mostly in the position of not needing to change anything, here's the OOC in full functional form so you can make characters with actual world information and a character sheet.

roleplayerguild.com/topics/189830-sle…