"Hunted" Interest Check - An Untold Story About Werewolves

[White Rabbit Reality]

First of all, I'd like to start out with a little prelude to this, if you will. It has been a few years now since my last roleplay, namely because of a busy schedule and life events, and though life isn't exactly boring or not as adventuresome as ever, I feel I'll be able to find the time here and there to roleplay once again. I've been a hobbiest writer my entire life, and I really don't want to let that die out. So, with that said, I don't believe I will be able to post rapidly or super frequently, so if you are the type to want to be involved in a fast-paced RP, please don't read any further, lest you waist your time. On the other hand, if you are happy replying every so often but up to a higher standard (post quality-wise), then that's exactly what I'd like to accomplish here!



Hunted is a roleplay idea of mine that takes place in nineteenth century Europe. It revolves around werewolves, or lycans/lycanthropes if you prefer. (We can decide on that terminology together if you like.) Vampires, witches, and other such mythical beings aren't going to be included or a part of this story at all (though that doesn't necessarily mean that they don't exist, but rather aren't involved in any way and therefore probably not mentioned). Basically, the story will focus on the now-dying creatures we know as werewolves. Their kind rose in great and almost unaccountable numbers over the many hundreds of years, but ultimately, over the past few decades, more and more wolf hunters or just 'hunters,' as have been come to be known as, have appeared and helped diminish the werewolf population to a dwindling and frighteningly low number. Werewolves no longer are the masters of the night. Because of this great genocide in our past, werewolves today are so rare, they are considered myth.

This is the story of the last great werewolves, the fighters, the last ones standing that fought to the bitter end. Though many of these creatures are admirable in their physical strength and skills, the hunters now largely outnumber them, and many of these legendary creatures will fall in battle.

In this roleplay, you can choose to play as a hunter, a werewolf, or just an ordinary human.

This is all I have so far for this concept, but I'd love to hear if anyone's potentially interested, and perhaps we can build up more of a plot together. Thanks for your time!

EDIT: View more information on this roleplay here. (2 posts down)

[Thought Manifest]

So would these werewolves transform into the types of weres you depicted in the picture, or would they be able to turn into the full-blown wolf? Are wolves the only species or are there other varieties of lycanthropes like big cats or whatever other predator?

Are there the traditional weaknesses like silver, lack of control of the full moon, etc.? Are they born or bitten or both?

What kind of weapons do hunters have? Are hunters a secret/underground society since werewolves themselves are considered mythical?

As far as plots go, there are some ideas I have that could be built on or fixed or just serve as vague inspiration or not used at all. No worries.

1. Person A's family is killed by lycans. Hunters arrive too late but take Person A into the fold.
2. Person A is bitten by a werewolf and taken into the fold.
3. Hunter A becomes a prisoner of Lycan B (or vice-versa) and realizes there's more to them than the beasts/murderers they'd been led to believe they were.
4. Hunter A comes across some information that shows an ulterior motive for the hunting other than the propaganda about lycans being mindless beasts.

[White Rabbit Reality]

If it's alright with you (and anyone else that might be interested in this), I think we could approach this one of a few different ways. We could have either a wolf form or a werewolf form, but not both. Or, alternatively, there could be two types of werewolf forms - an actual were-wolf and a full wolf. Either could be just as powerful, but the two could serve different purposes. Obviously, if one were to have four legs, they'd be much more proficient runners, so traveling in wolf form would be easiest. Werewolf form would be more handy in combat on in situations where having hands and arms would be beneficial. Or, lastly, there could just be different werewolf species (which I'm probably most partial to), so that some people who are werewolves turn into a part man, part wolf, and others just became a massive wolf. What is your opinion?

I hadn't even thought about other lycanthropes, like big cats and other predators. I think that could be neat, but just to keep it simple, we should just stick to wolves, though that's just my opinion. Say differently though if you feel otherwise!

As for the werewolf questions, I really still favor this whole concept that I wrote up awhile back ago:

The initial lycan was created when a rabid lone wolf, driven mad by its disease and starvation, attacked a villager in northern Europe during a full moon. The man collapsed, nearly having been killed by the mauling, but when he awoke, he was no longer himself, in body or in mind. He had become part man, part wolf, operating only on instinct and a powerful desire to hunt. Whenever he attacked a person and left them alive, they too would become infected with the condition, and so the trend would carry on.

Newly created lycans are only able to transform under a full moon, and they lose all their rational thoughts and their human mind and become a pure wolf. They are not in any form of control. As lycans age however, they eventually learn to adapt and adjust to their transformations. Around the time they become ‘adults,’ they are able to fully control when and where they transform, and they also have some degree of control over themselves, if not full control. Aged lycans never lose their human minds when under transformation and can even change into their wolf forms much more quickly and painlessly.

They are much more powerful than humans, but lycans are strong only when they are transformed. Additionally, lycans are deathly allergic to silver. Ingesting silver or having silver penetrate the body in any way will cause a lycan, whether transformed or not, to eventually die if the silver is not removed in time. Simply touching silver can cause serious rashes.

Lycans are immortal, meaning they cannot age or die of old age, but they still can be killed by selective means. Silver, as mentioned, is one way of killing a lycan. Beheading is another, as is the complete dismemberment of limbs and body parts. Religious artifacts hold no power over lycans, but the cry of a fellow lycan will beckon other lycans, whether they belong to the same pack or not. Being social creatures, lycans depend and rely heavily on each other, and it is in their instincts to protect one another. Therefore, it isn't at all uncommon for men to have captured and wounded a lycan and left it chained and in agony as bait to lure in more of its kind to slay.

There are 4 different ages of a lycan: Adolescent, Youth, Adult, and Ancient. An Adolescent refers to a newly transformed human who has no control over their monthly transformations. A Youth is typically one who has gained some control over their transformations and may, at times, be able to transform upon will but who is not very powerful yet. An Adult is typically considered to be the most common type of lycan. It is someone who has been a lycan long enough to have complete control over their transformations and can also transform upon will. They are powerful creatures not to be messed with. Ancients are almost unheard of creatures, as they are the oldest living lycans whose abilities far surpass any other. They are usually the leaders of powerful packs and are highly respected. Ancient lycans usually evolve to appear much different than their original human selves. In their human forms, their eyes may look more like wolf eyes, if they’re male, they may grow more hair, their ears may grow pointier, and their nails become hard and tend to grow faster to resemble claws. In their wolf forms, other variations can be seen. They are much larger and far more muscular than they appeared as an Adolescent wolf.

The way I imagined it, werewolves were always very widely known about and accepted as part of the real world in our history (or at least for the purpose of this RP), and so when this story would take place, they wouldn't be mythical beings. It's only because of their population decline at this time that they became legend. Therefore, hunters don't need to necessarily be secret or underground.

Hunters can have knives, cutlasses, and blades of any sort, along with (flintlock or percussion single shot) pistols, (smokeless powder) revolvers, muskets, (black powder) rifles, and any other such weaponry that was introduced in the 1800's or earlier. (We don't need to get overly specific and name an actual date this roleplay is taking place in, so literally anything introduced within the 1800's is acceptable.)

I really like your plot ideas! I think 2 and 3 are my favorites, though if I had to choose, I think 3 could be really interesting. What do you think?

I just recently started playing Diablo 3 with my boyfriend, and there's this part where a man approaches you and says that his wife has been turned and that he locked her in a dungeon with everyone else, but he can't kill her himself. So you have to go into this dungeon and slay all these zombie-like people who have been kept there. (I'm probably really messing up the story of Diablo with that explanation lol, so I apologize to anyone who's a big fan. I just started playing and wasn't overly paying attention to the plot!) Anyway, as I was playing through that, I thought about how interesting it would be if someone were keeping a bunch of people locked up in a cellar somewhere who were all young werewolves, unable to turn upon will and thus transformed each full moon. The person keeping them prisoner could either be keeping them for a hunter to come slay or because they pity the werewolves and simply don't want them outside in a world filled with hunters who would obviously slay them. That could be something we could try incorporating into this roleplay?

[Rtron]

I'm interested in this.

[Rtron]

Damn double post....

Anyway, your Diablo idea would be a good way to start everyone off. Those who want to be werewolves could be trapped and when the hunters(including those players who want to stab werewolves) come, escape in the chaos.

[White Rabbit Reality]

Rtron said
I'm interested in this.

Awesome! I'm happy to have more join in.

I don't plan on putting a limit on how many people can join, so I'll just leave this roleplay open until it actually gets started, at which point it'll be closed to anyone new.

Also, I'm not really sure how creating an OOC thread works here. I see them in a tab at the top of an In-Character thread, but I don't understand how they're created. Anyone care to enlighten me?

[White Rabbit Reality]

Rtron said
Damn double post....Anyway, your Diablo idea would be a good way to start everyone off. Those who want to be werewolves could be trapped and when the hunters(including those players who want to stab werewolves) come, escape in the chaos.

Oh, sorry I just saw you updated this after I posted my reply. :)

I like that idea. I think that could work as a good jump-into-the-action sort of start to the roleplay. And if anyone wants to roleplay as a werewolf that isn't either an adolescent or a youth, as described above (and therefore likely wouldn't be trapped in a cellar), their characters could start solo elsewhere and perhaps help free the wolves in the cellar or be doing any number of other things.

[Rtron]

Just click on new roleplay, and it'll be like creating an interest check thread, only you'll have two tabs in one thread. (what you actually write will appear in the OOC, with the IC blank)

[White Rabbit Reality]

Rtron said
Just click on new roleplay, and it'll be like creating an interest check thread, only you'll have two tabs in one thread. (what you actually write will appear in the OOC, with the IC blank)

Ohh, gotcha. That's very neat that it just happens automatically then. Cool, thank you!

[Thought Manifest]

Oh! What if someone is newly turned and before they can be properly taken into the fold, they're captured by a crazy person who thinks they're sympathizing with the wolves but are really just holding them prisoner... Kind of like... Have you ever seen the movie Misery? In it, Kathy Bates' character kidnaps her favorite author and holds him prisoner because she didn't like the way his last book ended, and she wants him to fix it. Anyway, maybe there's a family of people who don't like the way the hunters treat werewolves, but instead of helping the lycans, they just hold them prisoner. Maybe there's a group of like... three to five of them, but it's a big family and they have all kinds of things like silver to keep them caged. Anyway, it could also play out that they're all from the same pack or different packs, but at least one of the packs is led by an Ancient who is looking for them, but there are rumors about this that hunters have also caught wind of.

I don't know if the whole plot would revolve around this one instance or if it would just be a starting point, but your ideas were really great for it.

[Negronomicon]

I am very interested, considering Lycan RP is my absolute favorite. I'd love for more about the Lycans to slowly be revealed like different organizations or rather packs that claim areas or have different goals, some being to create peace others being the well being of their race or simply to become the hunter instead of the hunted. Though as always i'll try to be the upstart Lycan who decides fighting fire with fire is better than just trying to survive. Also I like the idea of someone having the newly turned locked away sounds great to stage a giant escape.

[White Rabbit Reality]

Thought Manifest said
Oh! What if someone is newly turned and before they can be properly taken into the fold, they're captured by a crazy person who thinks they're sympathizing with the wolves but are really just holding them prisoner... Kind of like... Have you ever seen the movie Misery? In it, Kathy Bates' character kidnaps her favorite author and holds him prisoner because she didn't like the way his last book ended, and she wants him to fix it. Anyway, maybe there's a family of people who don't like the way the hunters treat werewolves, but instead of helping the lycans, they just hold them prisoner. Maybe there's a group of like... three to five of them, but it's a big family and they have all kinds of things like silver to keep them caged. Anyway, it could also play out that they're all from the same pack or different packs, but at least one of the packs is led by an Ancient who is looking for them, but there are rumors about this that hunters have also caught wind of.I don't know if the whole plot would revolve around this one instance or if it would just be a starting point, but your ideas were really great for it.

I haven't seen Misery (I don't think, though that sounds vaguely familiar), but I love the sound of that! So, this family of humans thinks they're being sympathetic towards the lycans, but really all they're doing is just holding them prisoner. True, they're saving these young lycans from a world with hunters who would surely kill them, but they also deserve their freedom and shouldn't be kept against their wills. I also love the idea of there being an Ancient lycan who takes it upon himself to try and rescue these captured lycans (perhaps because some of them are in his pack).

Yeah, either way, I think starting here would be a really great way to begin the roleplay and then see how it develops.

Negronomicon said
I am very interested, considering Lycan RP is my absolute favorite. I'd love for more about the Lycans to slowly be revealed like different organizations or rather packs that claim areas or have different goals, some being to create peace others being the well being of their race or simply to become the hunter instead of the hunted. Though as always i'll try to be the upstart Lycan who decides fighting fire with fire is better than just trying to survive. Also I like the idea of someone having the newly turned locked away sounds great to stage a giant escape.

Great, we'd love to have you then! I also really like the idea of some lycan packs being more diplomatic and wanting to try and make peace with the humans while others are more determined to fight to try and reclaim their status and numbers.

So, it sounds like these are the roles we need to fill:

• Adolescent Lyrcan Just Recently Turned (This would be the semi-cluesless character who knows practically nothing about being a lycan yet and hasn't even joined a pack but is captured and taken prisoner in the humans' cellar for his/her own safety.)


• Adolescent or Youth Captured Lycans (There can be multiple people playing these roles. This would essentially be the parts of the lycans that are being held captive by the humans and who aren't strong enough or just don't have full control over their transformations to break out.)


• Ancient Lycan (This would be the lycan who catches wind of the captured lycans and who comes to rescue them, either on is his/her own or with a rescue party of fellow packmates.)


• Hunters (These would be the main antogonists of the story, the wolf hunters. Some hunters are new to the game and still learning how to properly hunt and kills wolves, while others are highly trained and very deadly.)

Anyone is welcome to take on multiple characters and roles too if you like, just as long as you aren't juggling too much.

I think I will play a Youth lycan who is captured along with a hunter. I'll work on making character descriptions soon. :)

EDIT: I have finished Velganos's character sheet.

EDIT 2: I added my second character's description to that thread linked above.

[Thought Manifest]

So we have three subplots:

Captive Wolves
Hunters
Wolf Pack

Provided everyone else is game, I think it might work the best if each person had at two to three characters in different subplots because it would lend itself to more interactions, and no one person would be dealing with writing their own side story by themselves.

I would be willing to play in any of the subplots, but the only character I've really started kind of mapping out in my head is the ancient for the Wolf Pack looking for the Captives.

Negronomicon, unless you want your lycan to be a captive, (s)he could be a part of my character's pack if that's what you want.

I'll wait to decide whether my second will be a hunter, captive, or crazy human when everyone else decides on what they want to do because I'd like my second character to be a balance to be inserted where there's an open space.

[White Rabbit Reality]

I think that sounds like a good idea, to have each person interested play as more than one character if they are able. That would help us to contribute to each different subplot adequately.

I like your Ancient lycan character a lot so far too. She will be fun to see in this RP.

Negronomicon and Rtron, let us know what character types and roles you would like to play and also if you'd care to take on multiple characters at all.

If need be, I can play as a 3rd character in addition to the 2 I've already created and settled on (the Youth lycan and a hunter).

EDIT: Also, I really should mention that I decided to introduce something else to this story - an organization of local hunters (which I wrote about in my hunter character's biography).

This organization is called SOHNS (Society of Hunters: Night Security). Most every member of SOHNS is male, as this is the 1800's and females are still widely discriminated against, and the roles women play in society are far from hunters. However, a few select females are allowed to join if they can prove their skills as a wolf hunter. Basically, SOHNS is an organization of hunters who have banded together in an attempt to become an even more powerful entity against the lycan threat. Together, they are stronger than any single hunter. They train with one another and go over hunting strategies and also rely on one another in combat. They are a force to be reckoned with. Any Average Joe hunter is allowed join (as long as they are 18 or older), but they will be trained until they are up to a certain standard before they are allowed to join in any future hunts. Each hunting party is comprised of at least five members, one of them being the leader. Leaders can be any hunter who has been on at least fifteen successful hunts.

EDIT 2: Also, minor thing I just wanted to say -- Sorry for all the weird typos and errors in my characters' descriptions! I have been typing this all up at work, and that is proving rather difficult. I'm going back and editing myself now. :)

[Negronomicon]

I'm perfectly fine with two, I think i'd have one in, Thought Manifest's pack then a Adult if possible if not i'm fine with a youth. I'd like my second to be a regular human who spreads rumours and information over a blog on the internet about the movements and future big events involving certain groups of Lycans and Hunters, like say making a post about a bar Hunters frequent that may or may not get some intoxicated Hunters slain.

Edit: Being half asleep and typing just don't mix.

[Thought Manifest]

You can totally have an adult in Nikita's pack if that's what you want. Honestly, that might even work better than a youth because she'll want people with her for this mission that have a little more control though a youth wouldn't be beyond belief if this is treated like a training opportunity.

Unfortunately, the internet doesn't yet exist because this game is set in the 1800's. Think more Van Helsing and less Underworld. There is the possibility for spreading information via pamphlets, but it would be a lot easier to track down who was spreading the information, thus endangering your character a lot more than an anonymous blogger. You'll also want to consider how your human relates to the main three subplots. For instance, is the human how they're going to find the compound where the lycans are imprisoned?

[Rtron]

I think I'll go with a sister duo, one whose recently been turned and a hunter looking for said adolescent.

This should be fun.

Thought Manifest said Unfortunately, the internet doesn't yet exist because this game is set in the 1800's.

Pamphlets however, are totally doable.

[Thought Manifest]

Rtron, that's a great idea! Do you want your recently turned sister to be the one specified in the beginning about the adolescent who gets caught and placed in the compound, or do you want her to be a part of my character's pack?

[White Rabbit Reality]

Thought Manifest said
Think more Van Helsing and less Underworld.

Exactly! Van Helsing is a great reference if you're wanting to try and picture setting a little clearer. :) Or, think Buffy flashbacks to Europe.

Here are some images to help paint a better picture.







Negronomicon - I actually really love the idea of there being a human who is tracking the movements of the lycans and hunters. Even though this takes place in the 1800's, there still are ways of remaining anonymous. If your character is wealthy, for instance, they could hire a servant to deliver the news (in pamphlet or letter form) to others. Or, they could simply wear a mask when spreading news and information.

[Rtron]

Thought Manifest said
Rtron, that's a great idea! Do you want your recently turned sister to be the one specified in the beginning about the adolescent who gets caught and placed in the compound, or do you want her to be a part of my character's pack?

Compound to start with, and then maybe picked up by your pack when the compound gets raided?