[OOC] Voldoa: City of Monsters (A meeting among Tarblatt, certain Engineers, and the Hands will be conducted soon.)

[SepticGentleman]

“Reveal to us your form, oh Maker! So that we may behold he who gave us life!”
And the Maker, after years upon years of silence and secrecy, finally did as they asked of him.
Why, the myriad faces of monsterkind, disheartened to witness that their creator…
…was but a mere man.

- Excerpt from The Maker as Told

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The story is told in many ways.

By scorn. Sadness. Faith.

I will tell it to you by the way I have always known…

Truth.

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As long as any one man can remember, we have not been alone on this earth.

We are joined by beings of myth. Of legend. Of superstition.

We know them by many names. But we always resort to a scant few.

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Monsters. Demons. Beasts.

For centuries, we were viewed by them as food, servants, and playthings.

And our only options were to cower in fear, or retaliate.

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Whichever we chose… many of us did not survive.

But time went on. And many things changed.

They have always clung to traditions. Rituals. The strange and the arcane.

We, however…

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We embraced the future. We thrived on industry. And we built the tools of our uprising.

Guns. Artillery. By smoke and metal, we usurped the position of power.

Those that once hunted us ran as we bombarded them with bullets and cannonfire.

Centuries of oppression, turned around in mere decades.

And they had almost been hunted to extinction…

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Were it not for us.

We call ourselves “the Engineers”. We act as saviors, providers, and guardians to non-humankind.

While the war raged on, we worked in isolation.

We built a haven for the survivors of the war. We built creatures of flesh and steel to protect it. And from its depths, we brought gifts of sustenance, endlessly.

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We searched for them, found them, and guided them to this place.

And we named it…

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[SepticGentleman]

SETTING & INFORMATION

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The year is 1891. Seven years since Voldoa was founded. Two since the War of Supremacy was officially declared over by the governments of Europe. It's the middle of November and the snow is beginning to pick up again.

Voldoa, to this day, still stands in the comfort of the mountain range, its existence completely unknown to the outside world. The Engineers have brought in most all of the remaining survivors of the dying conflict, brought upon by the rest of mankind. As of the most recent months, they have begun expanding their operations to areas outside the continent. New arrivals are fewer and farther between now but, those that are already present have all made suitable homes for themselves. All sorts of beings and creatures that folks read about in books and plays, all living under the watchful vigil of the Engineers.

There are, however, mysteries. Questions intentionally left unanswered. Why have the Engineers done this? What are they looking to gain from it? What lies in the Undercity that they may bring up countless gifts of meat, flesh, and blood from its depths? They never say. But in the end, many forget to ask. They are, after all, happy.

And as well as that, they are safe.

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So if you’re reading this and you’re interested, first of all, welcome. Second, I have compiled a list of relevant information and terms here to better spell out the game world, including a watercolor map of the area. Read over everything, and you should have a solid idea of what to expect. If you want me to elaborate on anything, just say the word.

Map of Voldoa

South Commons

Home to the southern gateway leading in and out of Voldoa, the South Commons district is home to many Tier I Engineers. The proximity to the gates eases their workload, and the area is more heavily guarded compared to most of the city. Most of the buildings are in fact community shelters, often home to many newly arrived Voldoans, or those who simply prefer to live simpler lives among human folk.

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East Commons

The East Commons district runs a little further into the more rural stretch of the city. The population is primarily Voldoan, and features much taller buildings than the rest of the city, save for Overlook. For those who are more comfortable living among nonhumans, this is an ideal residential location.

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Market

As the name suggests, the Marketplace lies in the central area of Voldoa, and is home to myriad shops and businesses, run by both Voldoans and Engineers alike. Goods, trinkets, supplies, and many other items brought in from the outside world can be found here. There is no established economic norm however, so be warned. Prices will vary.

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West Commons

The West Commons district is, like its eastern counterpart, home to more Voldoans than Engineers. The difference, however, lies in its abundance of separate, freeform establishments. Here you will find a good deal of independent shops, clinics, restaurants, and other such places dealing in more supernatural goods and services than you would find in the mundanity of the Marketplace.

Notable locations in this district include...

• Kantus' Clinic
• Looking Glass Personal Delivery Service Building
• The Pale Horse

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Arboretum

This is where many Voldoans feel truly at home. With the aid of many a magical force, the Arboretum district is plentiful in dirt, grass, trees, all the like. With fields to run around in and fresher air to breath, it is an attractive living area for many Voldoans who prefer nature to industry. The Engineer and Flesh Golem population here is the second lowest in the city, compared to the rest of the districts. And for some, that's a good thing.

Notable locations in this district include...

• Galloway Gardens Public Park

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Overlook

For Voldoans who prefer to lead solitary lives away from the greater population, Overlook is a paradise. Employing the northern mountain range as more an architectural norm than a mere foundation, Overlook stands tall above the rest of Voldoa. The Engineer population here is the lowest in the city, but the local Watchtowers manage to keep a dutiful vigil on things.

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Old Voldoa

Old Voldoa was where construction of the city first began to branch outward. The largest and most well-guarded district by far, it is populated almost exclusively by Engineers. Despite its size, however, most of it is not residential. Various factories and plantations reside here, where the processed materials brought up from the Undercity are made into the city's various boons, as well as several administrative buildings and places of worship.

Notable locations in this district include...

• Ambrosia Production Plant
• Announcement Tower
• Church of the Maker
• Engineers' Observatory
• Flesh Golem Factory
• Ichor Distillery
• Peace House
• Yellow Labs

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Workshops

Dotted around every district of Voldoa are the Engineers' Workshops, which act as resupply stations and passageways both into and out of the Undercity. Inside you will find an abundance of machinery, equipment, spare parts, and two large elevators per Workshop. Most Voldoans are normally not permitted inside them, save for Hands. They are all constantly guarded by at least one Flesh Golem each.

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Watchtowers

Surrounding the city are eighteen Watchtowers, populated solely by Engineers tasked with keeping watchful eyes on the districts and whatever happens in them. They report fallen and malfunctioning Flesh Golems, hostile events, and other such things to the Observatory to be announced publicly. They are only accessible through the Undercity.

List of In-Universe Terms

AMBROSIA

Also known as "Godsmeat", Ambrosia is the most recognized product the Engineers bring up from the Undercity and out of Old Voldoa, taking the form of a variety of meats. It is the primary food source for most Voldoans, despite the fact that its origins and method of production are shrouded in mystery.

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ENGINEERS

The Engineers are an organization of men, women, and children who have devoted their lives to the safety and wellbeing of Voldoa and its residents. They dress themselves in garbs hewn from a strange, fleshy material, similar to what the legendary Maker is depicted in. How they came to be or why they do what they do are both largely unknown, as they are the sort to keep many secrets safe. Even from the Voldoans.

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FIFTY-EIGHTERS

Led by a quiet old widow and her weighty cohort, the Fifty-Eighters are a collective of peasants, farmhands, and other such rabble who lead constant hunts for monsters both at home and in the wild. What they lack in skill and equipment, they make up for in numbers and tenacity.

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FLESH GOLEMS

Creations of the Engineers, the Flesh Golems are both servants and guardians of Voldoa. Made from a strange, fleshy material overlapping a metal skeleton, and outfitted with various machinery, they tower over the people of the city and keep a watchful eye over all.

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HANDS

The Hands are Voldoans who, through numerous feats and favors, have proven themselves more than mere citizens, and have offered their lifelong assistance to the Engineers. They mostly work alongside the Tier IIs as fellow peacekeepers and assistants, though a scant few of them reside on an elevated status.

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ICHOR

Hand in hand with Ambrosia, Ichor has often been nicknamed "Godsblood". A delicacy for many Voldoans who partake of the sanguine substance, its history and manufacture are just as much secrets as those of its meaty counterpart.

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LESSER FLESH GOLEMS

Normal Flesh Golems stand stories tall, which can be a disadvantage in a variety of situations. Lesser Flesh Golems stand only heads above the Engineers, but they are faster and more maneuverable, able to carry out a variety of tasks, and even serve as armed soldiers should the need arise.

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MAKER

An icon to some. A blasphemy to others. And a myth to the rest. The Maker is the supposed creator of all non-humankind, and tales of his existence have been present throughout history since as long as anyone can remember. He is depicted as a normal human being wearing a robe of flesh, very much similar to those that the Engineers wear. Such is to honor his memory, many would say.

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ORDER OF SAINT DERRING

A waning but still technically active group, the Order of Saint Derring is comprised of priests, clerics, and other men of the cloth. They employ traditional, and often quite painful methods, taken from the history books to hunt down nonhumans with righteous vigor and prejudice.

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SILVER BATTALION

Former troops, conscripts, and deserters make up this relatively small but powerful faction. The Silver Battalion believes in overwhelming force and firepower, employing such tactics to reign fiery destruction upon any nonhuman being or creature they find.

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UNDERCITY

Beneath Voldoa, built within the mountain range, there lies the Tier III Engineers' homes and most secretive of factories, where they produce the raw materials that make up Ambrosia, Ichor, Flesh Golems, Yellow Gas, and many other such things, to be delivered to Old Voldoa and properly assembled. Most Voldoans are not permitted to enter the confines of the Undercity, save for Hands of the highest status. As to why, they have never been told.

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TIER I ENGINEERS

The first Tier of the Engineers are the most outgoing, and at the same time, the most distant. Tasked with traveling outside Voldoa to procure supplies and find surviving nonhumans, Tier I Engineers are often seen as saviors to many, though few of them would agree.

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TIER II ENGINEERS

The most well-known of the Engineers, the Tier IIs reside mostly on the surface of Voldoa, acting as peacekeepers among the citizens and maintenance workers for the Flesh Golems. They are quite friendly with the Voldoans, and spend a great deal of time with and among them every day.

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TIER III ENGINEERS

By far the most mysterious of the Engineers, the Tier IIIs reside beneath Voldoa, in the confines of the Undercity. All that is known of them is that they are responsible for sending up the materials required to make all of Voldoa's products, from Ambrosia and Ichor to the Flesh Golems and Yellow Gas, to much, much more.

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VOLDOA

Constructed atop a snowy mountain range sometime during the War of Supremacy, Voldoa is the only truly safe haven for all nonhuman beings and creatures of the world. Here, any who are brought in are given shelter and sustenance, for nothing in return but a promise of compliance.

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VOLDOANS

A term coined by the Engineers for the nonhuman citizens of Voldoa. Originating from all over the spectrum of mythology and superstition, the Voldoans have been saved from extinction by the Engineers and kept safe and sustained within the walls of the city for over seven years now.

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YELLOW GAS

A product of the Engineers' toiling with strange chemicals brought up from the Undercity, and produced in the Yellow Labs in Old Voldoa, the appropriately named Yellow Gas is used to suppress any violent and unruly Voldoans so that they may be pacified and rehabilitated in the Peace House. Tier II Engineers carry spraying canisters filled with the stuff on them at all times.

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WAR OF SUPREMACY

Not so much a war as it was a hunt, this decades-long conflict began in the early 1800s when mankind progressed to the point of heavy industrialization and the mass production of armaments and artillery. At that point, they turned and fought back against the beings and creatures that had reigned over them for centuries prior, nearly to the point of extinction.

With all that done, now you're ready to move on to the exciting part, which is...

[SepticGentleman]

RULES & CHARACTERS

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To start off, here's the format you'll be using for all of your character submissions.

Character Sheet

[center][img](Character image URL here. Images are optional if you can't find an appropriate one, or you simply prefer written descriptions. If your character is a monster with multiple forms, feel free to use separate images side by side instead of top to bottom.)[/img]
[h1](CHARACTER NAME. YES, IN ALL CAPS. COLOR OPTIONAL.)[/h1]
(A description of your character. Anything you feel is necessary to note, as brief or beefy as you like. One paragraph minimum, no limit beyond that. Include a separate description of their appearance if no image is included.[/center]

As you can tell, it's very bare-bones. That's because I've decided it'd be better to build up your character as the game goes on rather than spend an aching amount of time writing out extraneous details. This way, getting a character ready is simple and not time-consuming in the slightest. If you'd like an example of what a submission should look like, take a peak at the CHAR tab.

Now, the rules. Other than what you should already expect (the stuff about behavior and etiquette you'd read in most every other game), here's the important stuff to note.

• Once you have written up your character, either show them to me in a private message or post them in the OOC for approval. Once that's done, then you can put it in the CHAR tab and post in the IC tab when you're ready.
• Monster characters can be any kind of monster you like. Werewolves, vampires, angels, demons, wendigos, mothmen, I am cool with just about anything. But do take into consideration how large and/or powerful what you pick is/are. Variety is, after all, the common preference.
• And if you want your Voldoan character(s) to possess Hand status, you'll have to run that by me too.
• What's more, human characters are definitely allowed, although for the most part, they have to be Tier II Engineers. Regular human folk don't even know the city exists, and Tier Is and IIIs are too busy outside and underground. I can make exceptions, of course, but we'd have to discuss them first.
• This is up to personal preference, but I generally find a character is built up more favorably by interacting with and talking about them rather than spilling their entire story out onto the sheet. But again, personal preference.
• Date, time, and location stamps. I will be stressing these in order to keep things from getting too confusing in terms of when and where things are happening. It'll help you move interactions along without having to worry too much about consistency. Put them at the top of all your posts and you'll be good. Here's an example of what they should look like.
  
  DTLS

  Thomas Marborough

  
  November 18, 3:41 PM
  West Commons, Kantus' Clinic
  

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• I have some events and subplots planned. But you'll be encouraged to come up with your own stories and happenings, as insignificant or all-encompassing as you like. Although, the major things will have to be run by me first.
• The game will feature some mature content. And not just the sexual variety. So there's that.
• Flesh Golems are not playable due to certain lore implications.

And that about covers it. Should you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to voice them.

[UrbanEvolution]

About how many sexual pleasures can one recieve from Voldoa as an RP?

[SepticGentleman]

About how many sexual pleasures can one recieve from Voldoa as an RP?

@UrbanEvolution

Enough.

[GingerBoi123]

Hi, room for more?

[SepticGentleman]

Hi, room for more?

@GingerBoi123

Always room for you, bud.

[The Fox Without]

If this is still open, I have a concept for a dullahan character if that's okay.

[SepticGentleman]

If this is still open, I have a concept for a dullahan character if that's okay.

@The Fox Without

Dullahan! Very nice. Just so long as they don't go around murdering folks for shits and giggles.

[The Fox Without]

Nah I was thinking if we're allowed to own stores he could run a tavern in town, as well ad being the bartender, occasional performer, and bouncer.

[SepticGentleman]

Nah I was thinking if we're allowed to own stores he could run a tavern in town, as well ad being the bartender, occasional performer, and bouncer.

@The Fox Without

I love this idea and if you make it happen, I'll be putting that tavern to frequent use.

[The Fox Without]

Something I was thinking of, I don't know if you've read the fables comics, but they have a treaty for the town saying anyone who becomes a member of the town has there past Crimes and such wiped, and us expected to follow the town's precepts from that point on, seems like that could work in this setting, allowing for some "repentant" monsters to have a well known monstrous past.

[SepticGentleman]

Something I was thinking of, I don't know if you've read the fables comics, but they have a treaty for the town saying anyone who becomes a member of the town has there past Crimes and such wiped, and us expected to follow the town's precepts from that point on, seems like that could work in this setting, allowing for some "repentant" monsters to have a well known monstrous past.

@The Fox Without

Sounds like it'd fit. Hell, I could put that on Kantus.

Although he's not really the repentant type.

[The Fox Without]

Well of course there'd be the ones who just sign to get the protection, hell my character isn't going to be repentant, just trying out a new life. But that's one of the things I liked about the concept, where the people you live with might have grudges with you, but you can't act on them since the law says they are now innocent.

[SepticGentleman]

Well of course there'd be the ones who just sign to get the protection, hell my character isn't going to be repentant, just trying out a new life. But that's one of the things I liked about the concept, where the people you live with might have grudges with you, but you can't act on them since the law says they are now innocent.

@The Fox Without

Sounds good. Can't wait to see your submission.

[The Fox Without]

Thanks, it'll probably be up Wednesday, gonna be doing some research on taverns and duhallans, just have a basic idea of what they are, and won't have internet tomorrow. But got a good bit of conceptual ideas going.

[UrbanEvolution]

@The Fox Without

If you need me to make a picture for you like I did for @SepticGentleman, myself, and @Gingerboi123 (although he hasn't posted it yet), let me know. I'm happy to do so.

[SepticGentleman]

Thanks, it'll probably be up Wednesday, gonna be doing some research on taverns and duhallans, just have a basic idea of what they are, and won't have internet tomorrow. But got a good bit of conceptual ideas going.

@The Fox Without

Sounds good man. The IC may or may not start tomorrow but that won't deter any following entries.

@The Fox Without

If you need me to make a picture for you like I did for @SepticGentleman, myself, and @Gingerboi123 (although he hasn't posted it yet), let me know. I'm happy to do so.

@UrbanEvolution

You're gonna be framing a lot more of my shit by the time we kick this horse into gear.

[UrbanEvolution]

You're gonna be framing a lot more of my shit by the time we kick this horse into gear.

@SepticGentleman

WOOOOOOOOOOOO

[deadpixel101]

Well this idea is entrancing to say the least. I should have a character run by you soon.

Or two, if we may control several?