[OOC] RATTLECHOMP

Interest Check with more setting info is here

RUE: Entities of many forms or no form, depending on whom you ask. They exist in a dimension that overlaps our own and sometimes appear as ghosts, shadows, mirages, and hallucinations.

HOWLS: Humans with a natural ability to perceive Rue. Most people go their whole lives without ever knowingly encountering a Rue. The Howls, however, can see-- or hear, or feel, or smell --when a Rue is nearby. Many Howls take side jobs that passively utilize their unique skills, some are on a mission to bridge communication and harmony between the Rue and humanity, while others make full-time profession of hunting down dangerous Rue. The Howls are so named because most Howl-born infants spend the majority of their waking hours screaming, oversensitive to the perpetual, uncomfortable clash of dimensions.

DARKLIGHT CORRIDOR: A subway train that traverses natural cavern networks deep underground, transporting passengers and cargo between settlements and civilizations. The caverns are infamous for strange occurrences and Rue interference.

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SETTING

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The little city of Oaken is quietly nestled in a lush valley between looming mountains. The roofs slope the color of rust, the clock tower has a funny wooden bird that chirps the hour, and on every bright cobbled corner is another notice board calling for the assistance of Howls. Oaken is a Howl city: a place magically protected against all intrusion by Rue, where Howls can rest and live in peace.

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CHARACTERS

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Characters may be anyone of any background, with any reason for joining the healer's journey. They may have grown up in Oaken, are stopping by for a rest, or are here on vacation.

Characters who work well with others are highly preferred: you will be RPing with each other as much as with me. The GM reserves the right to question or reject any application for ANY reason.

These are the character restrictions:

• They must be new, inexperienced, or otherwise a casual dabbler in Howl-related work. There are no seasoned veterans and no know-it-all experts. Everyone is on a relatively level playing field: a low level bright-eyed newbie. I will build the world around the story as we go, which means we're all learning about Rue together. Besides, this is a very easy, underpriced mission that no experienced Howl would ever bother with.
• Each Howl may have one or two innate magical abilities that only work on Rue and/or the Rue's dimension. The same ability cannot be used to affect the real world or other people. Abilities manifest at different stages of life and for different reasons: you could start without an ability and discover it during gameplay.
• Non-Howl characters are cool too.
• No, you can't be a Rue.
• You're free to invent what life is like in Oaken and outside of it, but everything is subject to GM veto. This only happens if something you created conflicts with the plot or setting.
• If the character came from the outside, do not assume your own premade locations or cities. The farthest reaches of this world will remain entirely under GM creation and control for very good plot-related reasons. Suggestions, however, are welcome!
• Don't keep secrets from the GM. I need to be able to account for every character's personal arc as I'm developing the main story. When a character surprises me with secret information in the middle of a scene, I have to stop everything and rework the plot to accommodate it. Please PM me any information that you want to keep hidden from the other players, and we can work together to weave the mystery into the plot.
• One character per player. All NPCs, including family members, are entirely mine to control. If you don't want me to control your character's friends or family, they must remain in the background and will not engage with the story at all. One player using multiple characters not only is an unfair advantage, but it forces me to keep track of too many moving parts.
• If you feel the need to be Different right out of the gate, please take a moment to consider why.
• I know what some of you are thinking. The answer is "perhaps." PM me your ideas.

Character Sheet

WHAT IS THE CHARACTER'S NAME?

WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM?

WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT?

HOW HAS (NOT) BEING A HOWL AFFECTED THEIR LIFE?

WHY ARE THEY IN OAKEN CITY?

DO THEY HAVE A HOWL ABILITY? WHAT IS IT?

[Mokley]

Please post your draft character sheets here as well as any other ideas, thoughts, questions, inspirations, or general how-do-you-dos!

[YoshiSkittlez]

WHAT IS THE CHARACTER'S NAME?

Gunther Borgadais

WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM?

Gunther is fairly tall standing at 6'2" and has a fair amount of muscle on him, not qualifying as scrawny by any means though definitely far from shredded. The way he walks is reflected by his mood; light and carefree when happy with a bit of a bounce in his step, shoulders hunched and eyes forward when focused or moody. He can come off as the most sincere, teddy bear of a guy. But on the other spectrum he can come across as whiny, conceited and a little immature, depending on the situation. He has a healed scar over his left eyebrow that also makes his overall a bit more seasoned, if a bit more scrappy.

WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT?

Gunther is an experienced bartender, working in the same bar that gave him a kitchen job when he was just fifteen in a richer part of town with mostly esteemed clientele. He knows the area and the regulars quite well which makes him the perfect fit for his job, but watching the comings and goings of real people talking about their rich, extraordinary lives has become a little stale. He is realizing that there is so much out of life that he's missing out on, and feels that he could be doing something so much more with his own life. Something... a lot more helpful than just pouring drinks and eavesdropping on rich people secrets.

HOW HAS (NOT) BEING A HOWL AFFECTED THEIR LIFE?

Since Gunther's mother was killed a few years back (investigation still pending), Gunther is starting to feel bored with his job and feels that he could be of so much more use doing something else...

WHY ARE THEY IN OAKEN CITY?

Gunther was born and raised in Oak city with his younger sister, Ky' vie. They never knew their father.

DO THEY HAVE A HOWL ABILITY? WHAT IS IT?

Gunther has only seen glimpses of the Rue, here and there but couldn't exactly tell you what one looks like. But he's sure he's seen them. And since he found out about the death of his mother, Gunther's hands seem to grow warm, much warmer like normal; feverish. He's not sure what that's all about, though...

[Mokley]

Gunther Borgadais

WHAT IS THE CHARACTER'S NAME?

Gunther Borgadais

WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM?

Gunther is fairly tall standing at 6'2" and has a fair amount of muscle on him, not qualifying as scrawny by any means though definitely far from Shredded. The way he walks is reflected by his mood; light and carefree when happy with a bit of a bounce in his step, shoulders hunched and eyes forward when focused or moody. He can come off as the most sincere, teddy bear of a guy. But on the other spectrum he can come across as whiny, conceited and a little immature, depending on the situation. He has a healed scar over his left eyebrow that also makes his overall a bit more seasoned, if a bit more scrappy.

WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT?

Gunther is an experienced bartender, working in the same bar that gave him a kitchen job when he was just fifteen in a richer part of town with mostly esteemed clientele. He knows the area and the regulars quite well which makes him the perfect fit for his job, but watching the comings and goings of real people talking about their rich, extraordinary lives has become a little stale. He is realizing that there is so much out of life that he's missing out on, and feels that he could be doing something so much more with his own life. Something... a lot more helpful than just pouring drinks and eavesdropping on rich people secrets.

HOW HAS (NOT) BEING A HOWL AFFECTED THEIR LIFE?

Since Gunther's mother was killed a few years back (investigation still pending), Gunther is starting to feel bored with his job and feels that he could be of so much more use doing something else...

WHY ARE THEY IN OAKEN CITY?

Gunther was born and raised in Oak city with his younger sister, Ky' vie. They never knew their father.

DO THEY HAVE A HOWL ABILITY? WHAT IS IT?

Gunther has only seen glimpses of the Rue, here and there but couldn't exactly tell you what one looks like. But he's sure he's seen them. And since he found out about the death of his murder, Gunther's hands seem to grow warm, much warmer like normal; feverish. He's not sure what that's all about, though...

@YoshiSkittlez

Yoo Gunther seems like a dependable big brother, huggable yet sometimes whiny as big brothers are, with that bit of stand-your-ground protective determination. He'd be a fantastic addition to the team! Also thanks for the bit of worldbuilding: Oaken now has a richer district and maybe some political undercurrents. The last half of this seems to be intentionally unclear: if you could clarify to make my job a little easier that would be amazing. I can't weave arcs into the plot if I don't have all the info!

It seems he believes he is not a Howl because he's never really had an encounter with Rue, but there are some abilities that haven't truly manifested yet. That's cool! Some questions:

• Are the circumstances of his mother's death up to me to decide? If you already have an idea about how his mother died, please share it with me here or privately. If it's up to me, I'll assume Gunther is unaware of the circumstances and I'll weave it into the main story.
• Is Ky'vie my NPC to control? If not, I have to ask that she remain in the background and not engage with the story. If so, I will be the only one to control her, and I'll use her to support Gunther's arc.
• His abilities seem to be he can visually see the Rue in some way (perhaps he can see shapes or color) and he may have some kind of heat or fire ability that would affect Rue. None of this has fully developed and is so far so subtle he doesn't know he's a Howl. Am I on the right track? Just a note that any heat ability will only affect Rue or the Rue dimension and can't be used for anything in the real world.

He's totally approved, I just personally need some more clear info so I know what I'm working with as I work out the story. 💚

[King Cosmos]

This is probably going to clash with the setting in some way, but here's what I got.

Sasha Zaitseva

WHAT IS THE CHARACTER'S NAME?

Sasha Zaitseva

WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM?

Mousy, timid, afraid of her own shadow. Sasha is a small thing, petite and short, made even smaller by the way she curls in on herself and keeps her head down; her voice is quiet and she has trouble getting her words out, especially when people are looking at her. She is not good around people in general.

Nonetheless, there is a surety to the way she does things that is at odds with this. When carrying out a task she moves with purpose, not slowing, never wavering or pausing to think about the next step; something not exactly like confidence, but more a certainty of what she is doing. That is, until she notices someone watching her and then it all falls apart.

WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT?

She is a hunter. At least, in theory they are.

Her father was a hunter, someone who would venture out into the woods and the mountains in search of deer or rabbit to bring home; then her mother would dress it, prepare it for cooking and separate out the parts that needed to be discarded from the parts that could be sold. Fur, antlers; that kind of thing. Before he… disappeared, he taught Sasha everything he knew; how to track game, how to navigate, how to avoid making noise or being seen. How to shoot and lay traps.

But Sasha has never hunted anything. She cannot bring herself to kill. Instead she uses the skills she was taught to forage for berries and fruits and wild vegetables; avoiding the animals, both dangerous and peaceful along the way. Sometime she will lead other hunters through the woods, the ones who can’t track as well as she can, finding and following the tracks of animals and bringing them to the place where they may shoot deer or rabbit or whatever else. Then she helps them bring their kill back to town and her mother dresses them and the hunters will give them a portion of it.

HOW HAS BEING A HOWL AFFECTED THEIR LIFE?

It’s not so bad. Sometimes she will see things in the woods that no one else can; dangers far worse than the wolves and bears that other hunters are afraid of, but ones that she can thankfully avoid. Sasha is almost certain that it was the Rue that caused her father’s disappearance; she can think of no other reason why a man like him would walk into the woods one day and never return.

WHY ARE THEY IN OAKEN CITY?

She was born in the city, technically. Albeit on the outskirts, where the buildings start to give way to the wilderness and fewer people live.

DO THEY HAVE A HOWL ABILITY? WHAT IS IT?

Sasha can see the Rue; shadowy figures that she hasn’t told anyone that she can see except for her mother. They are dangerous things that cannot be frightened off by a gunshot like a wolf can; even when she points her hunting rifle, loaded but never fired, at them they don’t care at all, but for some reason her father’s old revolver seems to give them pause. She pulled the trigger once, while pointing it at one of the shadows and although it wasn’t loaded Sasha swore she could hear the gunshot regardless, feel the gun kick in her hands and saw the shadow flee as if burned.

That only seems to work against the Rue though. The old gun is just a useless memento any other time.

[Mokley]

This is probably going to clash with the setting in some way, but here's what I got.

Sasha Zaitseva

WHAT IS THE CHARACTER'S NAME?

Sasha Zaitseva

WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM?

Mousy, timid, afraid of her own shadow. Sasha is a small thing, petite and short, made even smaller by the way she curls in on herself and keeps her head down; her voice is quiet and she has trouble getting her words out, especially when people are looking at her. She is not good around people in general.

Nonetheless, there is a surety to the way she does things that is at odds with this. When carrying out a task she moves with purpose, not slowing, never wavering or pausing to think about the next step; something not exactly like confidence, but more a certainty of what she is doing. That is, until she notices someone watching her and then it all falls apart.

WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT?

She is a hunter. At least, in theory they are.

Her father was a hunter, someone who would venture out into the woods and the mountains in search of deer or rabbit to bring home; then her mother would dress it, prepare it for cooking and separate out the parts that needed to be discarded from the parts that could be sold. Fur, antlers; that kind of thing. Before he… disappeared, he taught Sasha everything he knew; how to track game, how to navigate, how to avoid making noise or being seen. How to shoot and lay traps.

But Sasha has never hunted anything. She cannot bring herself to kill. Instead she uses the skills she was taught to forage for berries and fruits and wild vegetables; avoiding the animals, both dangerous and peaceful along the way. Sometime she will lead other hunters through the woods, the ones who can’t track as well as she can, finding and following the tracks of animals and bringing them to the place where they may shoot deer or rabbit or whatever else. Then she helps them bring their kill back to town and her mother dresses them and the hunters will give them a portion of it.

HOW HAS BEING A HOWL AFFECTED THEIR LIFE?

It’s not so bad. Sometimes she will see things in the woods that no one else can; dangers far worse than the wolves and bears that other hunters are afraid of, but ones that she can thankfully avoid. Sasha is almost certain that it was the Rue that caused her father’s disappearance; she can think of no other reason why a man like him would walk into the woods one day and never return.

WHY ARE THEY IN OAKEN CITY?

She was born in the city, technically. Albeit on the outskirts, where the buildings start to give way to the wilderness and fewer people live.

DO THEY HAVE A HOWL ABILITY? WHAT IS IT?

Sasha can see the Rue; shadowy figures that she hasn’t told anyone that she can see except for her mother. They are dangerous things that cannot be frightened off by a gunshot like a wolf can; even when she points her hunting rifle, loaded but never fired, at them they don’t care at all, but for some reason her father’s old revolver seems to give them pause. She pulled the trigger once, while pointing it at one of the shadows and although it wasn’t loaded Sasha swore she could hear the gunshot regardless, feel the gun kick in her hands and saw the shadow flee as if burned.

That only seems to work against the Rue though. The old gun is just a useless memento any other time.

@King Cosmos

I love Sasha! A quiet and dutiful observer connected to nature and the wilderness. I could see her keeping the group grounded and offering a unique perspective. Thanks for the worldbuild details: wilder settlements on the outskirts of the city, where the magic Rue-repellent doesn't reach. I gather that her father's disappearance is totally up to me to flesh out - and at this point I'm considering that everyone's mysteriously missing parents have disappeared under similar circumstances. 🤔 Seeing Rue is great, and the ability with the gun is something neat I think: an empty old gun that can shoot Rue. I'm going to assume it only works like this for Sasha. Just one note that I hope her shy nature doesn't prevent her from interacting with the other characters or she'll miss out. 💚 She's approved, go ahead and copy her to the Characters tab!

[YoshiSkittlez]

@Mokley Correct, he doesn't know he's a Howl yet but has some suspicions as of late because of how much more frequently he's seeing things and feels a heat in his hands that's not really there. The power that he'll develop is being able to identify the Rue as well as use an arcanic fire ability that can't be seen on this plane, but absolutely tears through them in theirs, if that makes sense.

I figured the little sister (only a year younger than him) to be just more background information. Though if she works for some kind of plot I'm okay with you using her. I just wasn't planning on it.

As for their mother, I had it in my head that she was killed by the Rue - she was a Howl and a damn good one but just wasn't quick or prepared enough one day. Maybe for whatever reason the government is trying to hide the real reason? Or maybe they don't make Rue deaths super public to prevent fear?

[Mokley]

@Mokley Correct, he doesn't know he's a Howl yet but has some suspicions as of late because of how much more frequently he's seeing things and feels a heat in his hands that's not really there. The power that he'll develop is being able to identify the Rue as well as use an arcanic fire ability that can't be seen on this plane, but absolutely tears through them in theirs, if that makes sense.

I figured the little sister (only a year younger than him) to be just more background information. Though if she works for some kind of plot I'm okay with you using her. I just wasn't planning on it.

As for their mother, I had it in my head that she was killed by the Rue - she was a Howl and a damn good one but just wasn't quick or prepared enough one day. Maybe for whatever reason the government is trying to hide the real reason? Or maybe they don't make Rue deaths super public to prevent fear?

@YoshiSkittlez

All sounds excellent, thanks for the clarification! 💚 Noted on the little sister, and also thanks for the clarification that she's not a little kid, I was already trying to come up with ways to account for her if her caretaker went off on this adventure. 😅 As for the mom, it seems we've got a few disappeared Howl parents here so there may be a common thread in what happened - all of those sound plausible. The story may tell... 🤔 In any case, love it! Please do throw him in the characters tab!

[Mole]

Subscribed. You had me at @Mokley. I’m coming out of hiding just for this patch of fun.

[Mokley]

Subscribed. You had me at @Mokley. I’m coming out of hiding just for this patch of fun.

@Mole

Aw I'm honored! Hullo!!! 💚

IC post coming shortly-ish!

@Dragonfly 9 (still ok to post up in character tab!) @Abstract Proxy (no pressure + character posts and apps accepted through the first round 💚)

[Mole]

Neomi Adams

WHAT IS THE CHARACTER'S NAME?

Neomi Adams

WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM?

At first glance, Neomi appears to be a creative sarcastic girl. She has no problem being blunt and straight to the point. Although she seems to have learned when to keep her mouth shut, she seems to step on toes and hurt feelings with her attitude. It's safe to say, she is probably not everyone's cup of tea. And, she seems fairly comfortable with this, because, hey, ya can't please them all.

WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT?

Neomi works at The Burrow, a warm and friendly lodge. It's owned and run by her parents. Typically, she is found behind the front desk helping customers. When she's not helping the family business, she is doing what she wishes she could always be doing: working on her artwork.

HOW HAS BEING A HOWL AFFECTED THEIR LIFE?

Having been risen by Howls, Neomi has been cradled into the position. Her mother has can sense them through a tingling sensation, and her father has caught glimpses of them. Neomi has inherited her father's sense of seeing them. Neither of her parents is particularly interested in investing much time into being a Howl. Both simply moved to Oaken, met, fell in love, and got married. They prefer a simple life, much like the tidy and cozy furnishings of The Burrow, and they would prefer if Neomi kept the same lifestyle. However, Neomi cannot help but continue recreating drawings of what she one time saw -- a Rue.

WHY ARE THEY IN OAKEN CITY?

Neomi lives with her family in Oaken City, where they run a small lodge.

DO THEY HAVE A HOWL ABILITY? WHAT IS IT?

If you could call it that. She can manipulate the air slightly, like making a light wind between her hands. The most she's ever used it for is entertainment when bored. One time she made the light wind go into a twirl.

&fingers crossed.

[Abstract Proxy]

<Snipped quote by Mole>

Aw I'm honored! Hullo!!! 💚

IC post coming shortly-ish!

@Dragonfly 9 (still ok to post up in character tab!) @Abstract Proxy (no pressure + character posts and apps accepted through the first round 💚)

@Mokley

Got a bit too busy, so gonna have to pass, but best of luck, the cast looks very fun already!

[Mokley]

Neomi Adams

WHAT IS THE CHARACTER'S NAME?

Neomi Adams

WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM?

At first glance, Neomi appears to be a creative deadpan girl. She has no problem being blunt and straight to the point. Although she seems to have learned when to keep her mouth shut, she seems to step on toes and hurt feelings with her attitude. It's safe to say, she is probably not everyone's cup of tea. And, she seems fairly comfortable with this, because, hey, ya can't please them all.

WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT?

Neomi works at The Burrow, a warm and friendly lodge. It's owned and run by her parents. Typically, she is found behind the front desk helping customers. When she's not helping the family business, she is doing what she wishes she could always be doing: working on her artwork.

HOW HAS BEING A HOWL AFFECTED THEIR LIFE?

Having been risen by Howls, Neomi has been cradled into the position. Her mother has can sense them through a tingling sensation, and her father has caught glimpses of them. Neomi has inherited her father's sense of seeing them. Neither of her parents is particularly interested in investing much time into being a Howl. Both simply moved to Oaken, met, fell in love, and got married. They prefer a simple life, much like the tidy and cozy furnishings of The Burrow, and they would prefer if Neomi kept the same lifestyle. However, Neomi cannot help but continue recreating drawings of what she one time saw -- a Rue.

WHY ARE THEY IN OAKEN CITY?

Neomi lives with her family in Oaken City, where they run a small lodge.

DO THEY HAVE A HOWL ABILITY? WHAT IS IT?

If you could call it that. She can manipulate the air slightly, like making a light wind between her hands. The most she's ever used it for is entertainment when bored. One time she made the light wind go into a twirl.

&fingers crossed.

@Mole

Neomi seems like a great addition to the group - maybe one to create some fun dynamics among the characters! Thanks for the bit of worldbuilding: perhaps The Burrow is one of the more recommended places in the city, and Neomi one of the faces that strangers first see when they arrive. I have to admit, I'm a tiny bit concerned about the blunt attitude and toes-stepping: from experience there's an extremely fine line across which other players aren't having fun anymore because their character is perpetually offended. I do like the character type though, so I'll trust that her attitude is tasteful and she won't go out of her way to make any other PCs miserable. (but feel free to harass my NPCs as much as you like) 😉

As for her ability! She can see Rue which is great! Manipulating wind is more of a real-life ability that could affect the real world around her, which isn't quite allowed -- however! If this "wind" is something that she can see/hear/feel but doesn't seem to interact with real life at all (such as a weirdly colored mist or strange shadowy clouds that she can manipulate at will) then that's a-ok!

If all this is ok and you can make that little change, she's approved to go up in characters!

Same sort of ideas for @Dragonfly 9's passing through objects idea: you could perceive something that doesn't quite exist in reality. I feel like you're being pinged 100x lately sorry haha. 😅

[Mole]

@Mokley, I’ll keep her ‘tude in check, but by all means, if she is causing a problem in any way, let me know as so I can tone it down.

Your idea with the wind manipulation only being seen by her sounds great.

I can’t wait to play! ❤️

[Mokley]

I've updated the 0th post on the IC to give a little background and flavor. Anyone is welcome to go ahead and post as a prologue, especially if you want to write a bit about your character's daily life and/or how and why they decided to take this escort job. Any posts made right now are optional and won't get a GM response, is just for flavor and development.

Note that if there is any Rue presence at all within Oaken it is extremely small: the witchcast is a barrier against Rue from getting into the city. But I'm sure one or two somehow slip in sometimes.

I'll work on the first actual IC post, which will be the scene at the Darklight Station where everyone will gather. That post will be the trigger for actual play.

[Mole]

Hooray! One prologue post coming up!

[YoshiSkittlez]

I am working on a 0 post myself... should have it done some time tomorrow.

[Mokley]

Woohoo!! Excellence! 💚💚 Last call for any prologue posts!

[Dragonfly 9]

Aw man, I forgot about mine! Expect it to be up later today!!

[YoshiSkittlez]

Sorry mine took so long. Things got thingy. And I didn't see a progression post so I finished it up today fast as I could.

[Mole]

One more prologue (0th) post and then the next GM post will be happening! The excitement is tingling my soul.