THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Narrative Premise
The town of Redstone always seemed like an ordinary place — until Grace's Grotto, a cozy little café that seemed to pop up overnight, became the heart of the community. Grace, the warm but reserved owner, served coffee that seemed to brighten your day in uncanny ways. Maybe you felt more confident after a cup. Maybe your back pain vanished. Maybe you just walked away feeling... better.
Then, as quickly as it appeared, the café closed and was gone. The space was empty, Grace had vanished, and no record of her café could be found. In the weeks that followed, some folks began noticing... changes — odd instincts, strange talents, or heightened awareness. These gifts seemed small at first, but they weren’t without consequence.
Worse still, strange things started happening around town — flickering shadows, whispers echoing down empty streets, and townsfolk claiming to see impossible things.
That's when the Neighborhood Watch was formed — a motley crew of locals who stepped up to investigate the strange happenings around Redstone. As one of them, you’ll need to balance everyday life, the strange abilities you've started to manifest... and whatever else is happening around town.
OOC Introduction
Welcome! The Neighborhood Watch is a roleplay where ordinary folk develop unique abilities after drinking coffee from Grace's Grotto. Not everyone who had the coffee developed powers - as far as we know - but everyone who does have show strangge abilities all share one thing in common: they had a cup at some point. This roleplay blends slice-of-life elements with supernatural/horror-esque mystery. Alongside a larger plot, expect character-driven subplots and growth, problem-solving, and teamwork. This isn’t about power fantasies or endless combat. You'll be navigating real relationships and the unexpected weight of newfound abilities.
Player Prospects and Expectations
- I aim for this to be both a character- and story-driven narrative. I obviously expect good etiquette from players, but I reserve the right as GM to do things like say what happens to you and describe outcomes, environmental shifts, and NPC reactions in order to drive the plot if necessary.
- This is casual. Still, aim for quality over quantity. I’d prefer thoughtful, engaging posts rather than lengthy walls of text.
Character Creation
Your character will be an ordinary (more or less) resident of Redstone, a city inspired by Sedona, Arizona. Our main characters will likely do a lot together as a group. We don't need to force similarities onto our characters, but if it's easier, we can try to aim for things such as similar age range, common membership of other group (school, work), or something else.
Each character will develop a supernatural ability — this power should reflect their personality, background, or emotional state. The power can be whatever you want (within reason), but it would be helpful if the power can aid in self-defense or teamwork in some capacity. I'd like to avoid "lone wolves." The Watch thrives on teamwork and community.
How far will you go to protect your town?
If you’re interested, reply below or shoot me a DM. If possible, try to mention any character ideas you have! I plan on developing/add more information if there's interest and we transition to a new thread.
Quick note on me...
- You can do the math - I've been here for a real long time. I've been on an extremely extended break, but even before then I wasn't super, super active. More so than previously, I have quite a busy life but am willing to make a good effort attempt at maintaining the story and roleplay. In any case, I will try to keep communication clear!
- I suck at BBCode but will try to make posts pretty.
As for me, I'm considering a student (high school, or local community college), a stay-at-home mom, or a local government official like a mayor. But I'm flexible.
Character Sheet Skeleton
Play around with the below character sheet skeleton to help with your budding ideas.
[center][h2][b](full name)[/b][/h2][/center]
[center][img](url to a picture of your character - optional but highly encouraged)[/img][/center]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Occupation:[/b] (student, mechanic, exiled royalty, etc.)
[b]Appearance:[/b] (can be redundant with photo but try to include things obviously from the imagery, such as height, tattoos, etc.)
[b]Personality:[/b] (how does your character behave? what are their strengths and flaws?)
[b]Background:[/b] (how did the past lead to your character today?)
[b]Connections:[/b] (family, friends, rivals, or any notable ties to the town or other characters. collaboration with other interested parties is encouraged)
[b]Emerging Power:[/b] (what supernatural ability has started manifesting in your character? it should be subtle at first with growth potential and tied to their personality, background, or emotions. be creative but balanced!)
[b]Personal Motivations:[/b] (why does your character join the Neighborhood Watch? what drives them to investigate the town’s mysteries?)
[b]Additional Notes:[/b]
[b]Personal Hex Code:[/b] (#XXXXXX - optionally theme your character and dialogue with this color)