[OOC] Cursed

[Necrophage]

Cursed

Cursed is set in a massive Victorian era city called Sutton. Even as the dark buildings loom higher and the light of inventions fill the streets so too does the corruption that the city hides grow. Sutton is a city afflicted by evil at night and gifted with brilliance at dawn. Electric lamps light many of the richer parts of town while the unkempt parts are left in darkness at night and to the creatures that love such ambience. Curses come in a wide variety ranging from the disturbing of tombs to the obtaining of cursed objects to ancient blood curses like lycanthropy or vampirism as a common example. This city happens to be a culmination and gathering place for these oddities. The reason being primarily because of the College of the Otherworldly Studies where many go in hopes of finding an answer to their problems. Hidden beneath the surface of the city is a darkness that seems to feed on the troubles that are so rampant. It is in need of being stopped before it spills out into the streets above. Sutton is a large place and welcome to any kind of honest profession. Gun makers, blacksmiths, industry men, peddlers and many other trades flourish. In some of the darker areas the less than honest kind meet their success. It's a place where one can go to meet any of their desires, fame, fortune or otherwise. It's also the most dangerous urban area to be at night where thugs and lowlifes wouldn't think twice to take your life and leave you to be found in the morning. That would be a more hopeful outlook at night whereas a werewolf could eat you, a ghoul could drag you away. But enough here say. I think I've pressed my point. A professor of otherworldly studies named Avrion has discovered the seriousness of what lurks beneath the streets and is gathering courageous men and women willing to risk their lives to delve into the dark and stop it.

Notes on the Cursed

Personal notes by the hand of Avrion on the conditions of the cursed; Lycanthropy: "Nasty and uncontrollable are the urges to devour once the form forces itself on the person. I'd say it's almost like an animal mind takes over and the person is hidden behind those bestial eyes. Thankfully this only happens on every full moon. Predictable and with proper restraint one can avoid unintentional manslaughter. I have even heard of those who have attained enough control over their curse to change form at will. I imagine that comes at the cost of quite a bit of self-control though. Giving in to a curse is rarely a good thing. Their physiology is interesting. Even in their human form they are capable of incredible regeneration. Silver however reduces their ability to regenerate massively. It is sickening to them. Lycanthropy is spread if a bite victim survives their encounter. There is no known cure. Vampires: "I've only ever met one vampire. I had to kill him quickly for he was methodically trying to dissect me with his claws. Very bloodthirsty. This is a curse I truly pity. If a man was good in life and becomes a vampire.. he's no longer a good man. They are overwhelmed by self-preservation, pride and evil tendencies. If a vampire were ever to work with me I would only suspect it would be out of their own personal gain. Vampires are capable of great regeneration. I have heard from eyewitnesses that they also exhibit some special powers but these are very rare cases. Vampires have no need to breath apparently which means gasses and suffocation have little to no effect. Sunlight is deadly to a vampire. Vampirism is spread if a bite victim does not die. I know of no cure." Ghouls: "Ghouls can often appear as regular people. They are however in a slow series of degeneracy. Do not mistake them for the risen dead, they are different. I only know of necromancy and alchemy that can cause this in people. Ghouls are capable of rapid regeneration as long as they are able to consume something to replace their lost matter. Think of it as the opposite of a man, a ghoul slowly decays, not heals. He must eat or he will slowly go insane from the pain of decay and die. I blame necromancy as to be so cruel as to dictate that they cannot simply eat food or the flesh of beasts, it must be human. I shudder at that thought. Ghouls have no real weakness other than decaying from starvation. Hunger will drive them mad until they eat flesh. They cannot bleed to death and the most surefire way of termination is a deadly blow to the head. They often exhibit supernatural strength and stamina. They are still not entirely known to me because they like to stay hidden but I suspect they may exhibit more abilities than just this. I know the Holy Church has a way to help them but I don't trust them." Cursed Objects: "This is my general review of cursed objects. If you ever find one, don't touch it. Hell! Don't even look at it. Their curses run so broad and can be so dangerous that it is not worth it. I've heard of a cursed frying pan melting a man's head. That isn't a very pleasant picture to think about. If a cursed object talks to you, ignore it and leave. Report it to the inquisition. I have heard of some objects having beneficial properties and even some that are blessed and not cursed but they are rare and far between and if it is a curse it will likely kill you if you try to part with it or cause some other ill. Most commonly they are deadly armaments such as swords or other weapons or household "traps" which is to say items that are simply meant to torment or kill a wielder."

Prominent Places and People in Sutton

Personal notes by the hand of Avrion on factions in Sutton. The Inquisition: "Politically this is one nasty party to cross but makes one hell of an ally. The inquisition is an office of the Holy Church of Sutton. It is formed of warrior-priests, witch-hunters and clerics. When it comes to fighting the undead there is no one better. Here is where it gets ugly. Inquisitors are all black and white. If you are cursed with something dangerous and they find out it generally means a warrant for your death. They hold a lot of leeway with the Lord's garrison which allows them to get away with it. Don't get on their bad side." Lord Ostebrat's Garrison: "Though there is more than one Lord on occasion here in Sutton, Ostebrat is the most admired by the people and has the largest force. He's in deep with the local Holy Church and likes to keep it that way. Most of his men are nothing more than ill-trained, underpaid militia but he keeps his best and brightest right next to him in case something happens. He's a good man but he's not very brave and he's not willing to send any of his men into the depths to help me." Mayor Wilcox: "A large, fat and very powerful man. I hate him and so does most of the city. It wasn't always like that though. At one point he seemed like a really decent man until he started raising taxes without explaining. How else could he get his position if he wasn't trustworthy? The Lords let the mayor handle political affairs in the city. I feel like there's something wrong with him but I don't know what. Instincts I'd say. I'll keep an eye on him and watch for anything suspicious." The Lightless District: "If there's anything shady in the city it was first here. I found the first passage to the depths here. Since then I found a few more. I have no idea how many there really are. The Lightless District is where I can find anything I can't get in the other districts. Prostitutes. Check. Experimental gear. Check. Test subjects. Check. I could go on but I won't. Don't go there at night."

Characters - Name: Gender: Age: Appearance: (Height, weight, build, hair, etc.) Equipment: (Clothes, weapons, items of importance.) History: (Doesn't need to be extensive but enough to explain their background and personality a little. You can be creative.) Curse: (Describe your curse, positives, negatives. There MUST be negatives if you are cursed. It's a curse after all. Your character doesn't need to be cursed and I will allow creativity with their curse. That's the fun part after all. Multiple curses are possible but unlikely. No more than one blood curse. If you want to keep your curse hidden then just PM me the curse.) Rules of the roleplay are the general rules abided by most casual roleplays. I would personally like at least two posts a week. If that's impossible I can understand.

[Silverlight138]

Hello Necro, I'm interested in this RP and would like to submit a CS.

Phoenix Estrielle

Phoenix Estrielle

Gender: Female Age: 18 History The Estrielles: an unusual, gifted bloodline of mortals, holding affinities for magic yet no manifestable powers of their own, were identified by The Inquisition as a potential extension of their faction some 80 years ago. In return for magical prowess, unparalleled skill in the Healing Arts, protection and lavish treatment, members of the Estrielle bloodline were to be forever bound to the Holy Church and the deity responsible for their contracted wealth of power - Kal, the Goddess of Restoration. Details of their Contracted Powers: Each member of the bloodline harboured unharnessed magic mixed and diluted within their bloods. Thus, to ensure that these revenues could be tapped into, what used to be fragments of magic lying dormant in their bodies were forcefully extracted, compressed, and manifested into Sentinel Spirits, each taking varying forms of Kal’s divine symbol - the phoenix. The Spirits, bound to their respective owners, became personalized, paradoxical weapons of healing and volatile firepower, leaving members of the Estrielle bloodline free to explore the depths of their newfound magical capabilities. Each family member wielded their Spirits differently, and while some excelled in the Healing Arts, others could manipulate their destructive flames with adroit precision. The Spirits mirrored certain characteristics belonging to their human owners, and logically so, because they were fundamentally a part of them. For example, Spirits despite being ironically called as such, are in fact mortal creatures with ages paralleling that of their masters’. Spirits can die from mortal wounds, but their deaths will not result in the deaths of their masters. On the other hand, the death of an Estrielle would consequently result in the eradication of his or her Spirit. Lastly, although Spirits may act independently, an Estrielle’s command is absolute. For decades, the Estrielle bloodline served the Holy Church in their passionate and fiery endeavours, before the tainted fires of an offspring brought ruin and devastation upon the family. Zaire Estrielle, eldest son and brother to Phoenix Estrielle, cultivated an inexplicable and unfathomable interest in the hidden ones that dwelled in the depths. He had sought to collude with them, drawn by the mysterious allure of the underworld and its secrets. It was no surprise that the Holy Church promptly ordered a death warrant upon the discovery of his secret exchanges. The powers of Kal and the Healing Arts were not for the damned. Zaire Estrielle, the catalyst for the despair, became no more - dragging all those who had tried to defend him along with him to his grave. All except little Phoenix Estrielle, whom for five years quietly watched her brother make his hidden dealings, her lips silent and unmoving, motivated by nothing else but sheer curiosity and her eagerness to learn about a world kept secret from her all those years - without being caught, that is. Phoenix did nothing to save her brother that night when The Inquisition made the arrest, thinking she had saved herself from eternal damnation. She thought wrong - and was careless. The Inquisition, it seemed, were cleverer and more attentive than she had anticipated. It was brought to their attention that 16-year-old Phoenix Estrielle had stood at a corner, contrasted against her screaming parents, a mask of indifference implanted on her face. Suspiciously, they conducted an interrogation during which Phoenix, with her brazen personality, had nonchalantly admitted her knowledge of the matter without much fuss. For silence, she was duly awarded with a curse. Curse The Curse of the Phoenix is terrible indeed, causing the afflicted one to progressively age during the day, before ending dusk with a wrinkled, elderly form. She will die during the night and be reborn again at dawn, starting the day at her natural age. The process repeats itself daily. This is by no means a form of immortality, for the afflicted person remains mortal, susceptible to injury, natural aging, and death. Appearance After approximately two years of suffering from the effects of the curse, she has found the perfect clothing to accommodate her constantly aging body. Abilities and Equipment Her Spirit, Avrak, contains hawk-like features and a fiery, blood-red plumage. Avrak is rarely seen near his master, for he typically follows her around from the skies or atop the roofs of buildings. Phoenix's adept skill with her Sentinel Spirit lies primarily in its destructive abilities, her powers nurtured and cultivated through necessity - and indisputably so, for two years of roaming the dark streets of Sutton along with her obvious weakness has forced her rely much upon her relationship and synchronicity with Avrak. On the other hand, her skill in healing leaves much to be desired, having deteriorated over the past two years as a result of the lack of practice. For one, Phoenix's inherent cautiousness meant that her medical needs were scarce. Secondly, Phoenix is not one to administer her healing powers to others - not unless one had something considerably significant to offer her in exchange for her services. Most importantly, as part of her curse, Phoenix cannot perform the Healing Arts without accelerating her aging. In other words, the casting of restoration spells will cause her time of death to be brought forward (only for that day). She does not possess any note-worthy items - only a dagger which she hangs on her belt. Personality A self-interested and calculative character, and perpetually bored, Phoenix navigates life with an almost uncanny confidence as a cursed being. Typically, she comes across as calm and emotionally self-contained, yet is capable of displaying bouts of brash stubbornness akin to that of a child. Phoenix appears to be disinterested in interpersonal relationships, for she thrives inside her mind - an intellectual, observant and cautious individual. As many of her acquaintances would find, Phoenix's habitual bluntness can be unnerving.

[Necrophage]

Hello Silverlight. I look forward to seeing it. Just toss it in the character tab when it's done and I'll tell you what I think.

[Klaudus]

I'm possibly being a little too creative with my curse here, so let me know if it strays from the theme of the roleplay too far. Name: Oswalt Grimsley, otherwise known as Monger. Gender: Male Age: 49 Appearance: Oswalt is a horrible mutation of a man, and nowadays can be compared more closely with a fish than a person. His limbs are gangly and covered in a thin scaly texture, while his body is bloated, misshapen, and hunched over. Most notable is Oswalt's face, which is defined by two watery lenses that are impossible to read. Horrific to say the least, Oswalt often scares those unused to his form, and he's made a habit of haunting the pier where he once worked. Equipment: Oswalt wears the tattered remains of a suit. His breeches are stretched and torn at their hems, and his coat barely fits, but altogether, it does its job of covering his disturbing figure. To complete the look, the ghoul also dons a scuffed bowlers hat, a small item that adds a bit of flavour to his outfit. History: Some years ago, Oswalt Grimsley was serving as Sutton's harbour master. While the job came with little prestige and no welfare, it was an important role all the same. Oswalt would unload various ships, correct paperwork, inspect cargo, and generally ensure that the harbour functioned as normal. Though after the birth of his 6th child, and the rising cost of food, his salary could no longer support his family, and so Oswalt sought additional work. Oswalt got in touch with the right people from the underworld, and soon began importing darker commodities such as opium, cocaine, and even slaves. His position as harbour master allowed him to link the paper trail of his workings to lower ranking employees, meaning that whenever something went wrong, he remained safe while the bobbies dragged some poor sap to prison. The extra income ensured that his family and he were well fed, and for a time, all was well. One evening, Oswalt and a couple of lackies were waiting at the end of a pier for a shipment of "gourmet, but illegal" fish. While normally Oswalt would refuse to import something he wasn't positive he could sell on, the seller was annoyingly persistent, and in the end, convinced Oswalt to accept the deal. At two in the morning an old barge saddled up to the dock, and moments later, a man of the orient presented himself, opening the door to the hold so that Oswalt and company might inspect the goods. Tiredly, Oswalt clambered into the small skip and opened one of the crates. Sure enough, there laid at least his own weight in bizarre alien looking trout. Before Oswalt could shut the lid to the barrel, he felt a snag on his finger, only to turn around and find the jaws of one of the fish locked firmly to his appendage. Oswalt quickly killed the creature, dashing it against the side of the boat and storming out. He rang the police, and blamed the oriental for trying to smuggle an illegal substance. Clutching his throbbing wound, Oswalt went to bed with his head spinning. Over the next month, Oswalt began to change. His face became heavy with tiredness, as his eyes began to bulge. His teeth felt loose in his gums, and his skin had begun to pale to an unhealthy colour. His family were mortified, convinced that he had caught some terrible disease while working with "horrible foreigners". In a sense, they were correct. The hospital conducted hundreds of tests on Oswalt, and could only shrug in confusion when asked for a diagnosis. When all seemed lost, Oswalt framed his own death, not wanting to see his family suffer through his grave transformation any longer. Now, Oswalt is fully transformed. He continues to operate within the underworld, going by the nickname: Monger to protect his identity. Every month his family receive what they believe to be life insurance, when in reality it is Oswalt's earnings from his shady dealings. Curse: As evident by his transformation, Oswalt is the victim of a blood curse similar to lycanthropy. Transmitted by a fish rare to Sutton's waters, the curse transforms a human into an amphibian abomination, who must remain somewhat damp in order to survive. While the disadvantages of such a curse are obvious, Oswalt does benefit from the following advantages: He can "breathe" underwater, he can see underwater, and his equipped with long claws capable of rending through clothing and flesh. As such, Oswalt is now an individual to be feared, though he has not lost his humanity, and seldom attacks people with his natural weapons.

[Necrophage]

I love it. Just the type of thing I was looking to be surprised by. My thoughts are that he could even be able to have increased vision in the dark. His history could make him a good ally in the depths. Accepted. One last thought. If you could name that curse what would you call it?

[Klaudus]

Going by taxonomy names for fish, I'd call it something like Osteichthropy, that being a bastardisation of the word: Ostreichthyes, or bony fish. And yeah, dark vision is something I'll include.

[BlackCat]

Red Chambers

Name: Red Chambers Gender: Female Age: 14 Appearance: Red is a tall girl, standing above average height. Her hair is the color of blood and is cut short, down to her chin. Her eyes are also a blood red color. Her skin is a pale color. And she is of a slim build despite having a good bust size. Equipment: Red wears a pair of boots concealing a dagger, as well a best over her dress shirt and pants. She always wears a peculiar necklace, witch appears to have a type of fossil as a pendant. History: Red has always been a tomboy. She preferred to hang around with boys more than girls. Through the young years of her life, she played with the boys of her area, having play fights, and just having fun. However their playing was brought to an end when Red was wounded in a play fight. After that incident Red played with the girls. She hated it but her parents didn't let her play with the boys. On her thirteenth birthday, Red was looking around for something to buy, when she saw a peculiar pendant. When she picked up, her eyes turned from their former blue to their current blood red. And then the effects of the curse began to appear, driving Red insane. Curse: The pendants curse is a brutal one. It seems to only have one advantage, almost infinite information. However this information is delivered through many voices. Voices that seem to be able to read minds. Tree is no escape from the voices though they seem to know an abundant amount of information. The cursed pendant also seems to be impossible to remove.

[Necrophage]

Explain to me why Red would tag along with this expedition to the depths and you're accepted.

[BlackCat]

Red has deal with many voices, which has granted her isolation due to her strange behavior. So the idea of company is a pleasing one, especially if they didn't have a thing against curses. The voices also nagged her about the pros and cons of the journey, giving Red information on how going on the journey would not only provide human interaction bug also a chance to do something important for a change.

[Necrophage]

I just hope Red is ready to deal with the dangers. =)

[Silverlight138]

I usually don't take forever to finish up a CS, but it would seem that my brain juices are clogged up somewhere in my skull today. XD A quick question, curses can originate from almost anything and anywhere, correct? Up to our imaginations, I suppose?

[Necrophage]

As long as it is plausible. When magic and fictional alchemy get involved there's a lot of possibilities. I like to look at old myths and legends for inspiration. Whatever gets your juices flowing.

[Traitor]

I love the premise and atmosphere of this. Very, very much. If there are still slots free, I'd try to see if I can come up with a CS that lives up to the quality of the opener. I'm thinking of something in the direction of an alchemist/medic person.

[Necrophage]

Yes we're still open and that sounds like an excellent idea to me. Very beneficial and wise for a group.

[Traitor]

Doctor Caldwell

Name: Dr. Caldwell, usually called "The Doctor" Gender: Unknown Age: 28 Appearance: Equipment: Traditional plague doctor attire: A hooded suit with gloves and heavy boots, showing not even the glimpse of skin. One of the fairly well-known 'beaked' masks that have been used by plague doctors for decades, symbol of both dread and hope to equal amounts. Differently sized scalpels for medical purposes as well as general utility, together with a custom forged knife that resembles an oversized medical edge, but is primarily used for emergency self defense. All of those blades and some additional medical tools are being kept in a roll-out kit. Additionally, a bag filled with up to six round glass bottles that can hold different alchemical substances, from potions over glowing acidic liquids to handmade 'molotov'-esque 'thrown cocktails'. Wears a weighty ring on the right thumb that has a small clockwork mechanism built in. The ring has both a practical use and nostalgic value. Furthermore owns a custom made bow and a selection of special arrows that hold small vials at the needle-shaped tip. Those vials can be filled with medical substances to create a crude, unwieldy equivalent to modern tranquilizer darts. This one is mostly brought when a specimen can't be approached safely, and due to the fragile and awkward handling, it doesn't see much use. History: Not much is known about the young doctor Caldwell. Born into a family of surgeons and destined to take over the family business, a small private clinic for customers who would prefer paying twice the price over having their disgraceful indisposition be seen in a public medical center. Being shoehorned into the profession of a doctor and surgeon worked out well. Born with a talent for precise cuts, excellent memory and the genuine motivation to help people, the Doctor began working as a medical assistant before their fourteenth year of age, promoting to a full-fledged medical title before reaching eighteen. As to be expected in this line of work, more than one incident happened where the Caldwell family came in contact with the less known, 'cursed' part of the population. The private nature of their clinic played an obvious part in these circumstances, as often they revolved around a 'mysteriously ill' family member of any influential, wealthy family. When the Doctor was around the age of twenty-one, the number of incidents reached an inexplicable peak and took both Caldwell seniors into an early grave. The Doctor took it with dignity, knowing that they died trying to help people, and thus continued the family business with as little interruption as possible. It even birthed the plan to dabble in the field of alchemy - something the parents didn't support - in order to search for a cure rather than suppress the symptoms. The loss of the only other living family member - a half-brother who was in the business of medical supplies and helped the younger Caldwell sibling run the clinic after their parents passed away - two years later however was a hard hit that made the Doctors determination waver. What's known is that the clinic didn't close its doors for even a day, and that the Doctor was never seen without their typical work outfit since then. Rumor has it that it was an unfortunate incident somehow involving the cure, and people often bring up theories about murder and betrayal. Some of them claim that the child of the two Caldwell surgeons died that day and the presumably dead brother assumed that identity out of remorse. By now, five years have passed and whatever really happened was lost in gossip, rumors and paranoid theories. The Caldwell clinic is well-established and despite the odd tendency of the Doctor to always appear clad in the disheartening plague doctor attire, their competence is well-respected and consulted frequently, not only by the 'rich and famous' anymore. Other than Caldwell, only a single assistant is working at the clinic, a timid girl named Denise. Unknown to the public, the both of them are still working on a cure for the sickness that indirectly killed most of the Caldwell family. Due to facts and fiction blurring so heavily in Sutton, nobody can say with certainty if the Doctor was a man or woman anymore. Some older folks around town remember stories about the Caldwell child, but every single one of the completely different. Curse: /

PM coming your way, Necrophage. Also, of course I'm more than willing to adjust everything if it's sub-par, over the top or otherwise inacceptable.

[Silverlight138]

Oops, forgot to announce that my character sheet is done.

[Necrophage]

Dr. Caldwell and Phoenix Estrielle are accepted. I think we are ready to start. I will make the first post after work.

[Silverlight138]

Lovely. Should we move our character sheets to the appropriate tab?

[Necrophage]

That is a fine idea. Let's do that. Edit: It's posted now. I didn't want to take too long thinking of ways to gather us so I simply put the group in a room, skipping that part of arrival. (You may put the arrival as you wish. Some character flavor is appreciated.) I don't want to spend too long in the library either because the pace must keep moving. =) History could be discussed once things are rolling smoothly. Also I'll post Avrion and Ray in the characters list soon.

[Pie Flavor]

Heavy Wip

Name: Roiben A. Rye Gender: Male Age: 20s? Appearance: Roiben is a strange person to everyone that meets him, as they physically feel the air of familiarity but can't place where he is from. So, they often regard him as being confused with someone else, besides that Roiben isn't really noticeable and often is forgotten even when invited in a room, people often forget that he is in there. He wears clothing that covers all his skin and likes to double layer his clothing to stay warm as he always says it's 'cold'. Equipment: On his wrist he always wears 3 thin golden braclets that he claims are important to him and that he mustn't lose them or else something bad will fall upon him if it does happen. History: (Doesn't need to be extensive but enough to explain their background and personality a little. You can be creative.) Curse: Bracelet of the Past: An cursed item that had caused Roiben's family to all forget about his existence and had erased all evidence of him even being born by magical means, however in exchange for his history he was granted enhanced regeneration. However, it even came to a steeper cost as all who met him that weren't cursed soon were to forget him as well, as he blurred out from their memories before being erased by the ring's power; however to the individuals who were cursed they would have a harder time remembering them however they will be able to recall him if they try hard enough. Bracelet of Now: This ring also contributes to the power of erasure of Roiben's idwntifty as it slowly turns himself into an amnesiac. Losing all sense of self and not knowing who he even is except for his name, age and birth date. Third Ring of the Soul: