"Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment."
- Gandhi
"Do you wanna know the secret to our success? It's not like it's a fucking secret or anything, kid. It's real simple.
You know why I brought you to the top of Millennium Tower? Look out over the city. Everything you hear about is true. The politicians are dirty. The police pick and choose what they'll respond to and they're easy to play with otherwise. Money can get you just about anything you want as long as you got enough of it. Even with the corruption and the easy pickings, the crime rate is the lowest it's ever been. The citizens, for the most part anyway, are happier than they've ever been. And it's all cause of us. We pay the bills for this city. We keep the low tier fuckers in line when they've gone far enough. We give enough cash to charity to keep'em happy for years on end. And in return? We're allowed to do just about anything we want. We own businesses. We own people. Hell, we own this fucking city. Regalia is our turf and it always has been. And the secret to that success?
It's the people, kid. Never forget that. You gotta have the people on your side to maintain the control we've maintained for as long as we have. People ain't afraid of us. Hell, they call us when they need help instead of fucking cops. You gotta keep the people on your side. You do that and this little problem we got will solve itself. Mostly. That's the real reason I brought you out here. I'm leaving you and the rest of your crew in charge here. We took over this place years ago. Now it's your job to keep that crown. Don't let those other gangs move in. This is the beginning of a new branch for the Syndicate. I'm leaving it in your hands. Oh, one more thing.
The view is fucking magnificent isn't it. Remember this view, kid. This is what it's like to get to the top. Now you just gotta prove you can stay there."
Welcome to the Ariella Syndicate
The premise of this roleplay is quite simple. You will play a member of a very successful crime syndicate in a fictional metropolis. This organization is currently setting up a new branch and the main cast of characters form the crew that is expected to keep control of everything. At the same time, a rival organization begins its move into the city and crime is beginning to inch its way back up. The roleplay takes place in the modern day and mirrors our world in terms of current technology and progression.
The story will be strongly character-driven with an overarching narrative to keep the forward momentum going at a good pace. This roleplay will also feature a sort of open world element in that characters don't always have to be in the same place at the same time. The players will be able to create their own sub-stories that will then be linked to the main narrative organically. In short, I want to create an RP that will have a story and mythology created by everyone involved.
1. I'm not that guy with a super large list of rules so we'll keep it simple. Guild rules apply, please use common sense in all situations and scenarios, and please treat each other nicely.
2. This roleplay may have darker themes and elements so know that up front. With regards to sexual conduct however, keep in mind the Guild rules. Fade to black is fine by me, but let's at least keep ourselves out of trouble with the mods. That said, I have no problem with players pursuing romance or bringing romance into the mix.
3. Quality over quantity. I know this is the Advanced section, but I am always an advocate for quality posts over a mass of generally terrible writing. That being said, a three paragraph minimum should be easy enough to hit for most everyone and it will help other players out as well.
If you take the time to join this roleplay—i.e create a character and have it approved—then I do expect you to be committed to the game. I understand that things come up and life happens at the worst moments, but what I'm referring to are controllable situations. For example, if you know that you're the type of person to lose interest soon after a roleplay begins then please don't join. I appreciate the interest shown, but what I appreciate more is a player who will stick with a game until it either dies or is complete. I can work with you when bumps in the road appear, but I also ask that you let me know as far in advance as possible. With your commitment, we can have the most exciting roleplay possible and that's what I strive for.
In regards to consistency, I am referring to the frequency in which posts happen. In earlier days I would sometimes implement some sort of minimum time frame to post, but this is the Advanced section. I only ask that you post in a timely manner. For example, if you see that everyone else has posted for a round, you probably should think about when you're going to put yours up. In the same manner, if you see that most of the cast hasn't had a chance to post for a while, it might be a good idea to let a few others go before you go again. I have no problems with people posting again before a round is over, but just try not to drown out the other players.
Finally, we have communication. I'm referring mainly to the OOC when I say that. In my years I've found that a barren OOC will often lead to a dead IC and, thus, a dead roleplay. I'm not one of those people who dislike general chit chat so what I'm asking is that the players be communicative with one another. The OOC thread is for discussing the roleplay, planning stories or collaborations with one another, etc, but I don't mind some general conversation every now and then. An active OOC is all I ask.
So now I'll explain the open world elements I spoke about in the interest check. As I said there, this roleplay will basically be an open world for players to explore. Unlike most other games though, I won't be providing a map. Why, I hear you ask? This is because the entirety of the roleplay takes place in the city of Regalia. Much like your other massive cities, Regalia houses most of the forms of entertainment and leisure one can imagine. This is also done so players can provide their contributions to the world in the form of “Notable Locations”.
As we progress, I'll add to the Notable Locations list. Locations I, myself, create and locations players create will be part of it so that they have the opportunity to be revisited later. It will also help build the world a bit and give players a chance to participate directly in that world building. I will provide a picture of the entire city and then I'll leave the rest to your imaginations.
Next up is scene structure. This is basically my way of keeping track of main narrative events and the sub-stories created by players. For the most part, players will be allowed to position their characters wherever they choose in the city with the plot providing context as to why they would want to go where they are going or what have you. When a particularly important event is going to happen though, I'll label my post differently and you'll know that something important is coming up. You'll have the choice to either go to the location where it is happening or continue doing what you're doing. Keep in mind however that I'm watching everything and every action will be taken into account to be woven in the narrative. No one will escape the plot completely!
Sub-stories are side plots created by the players. They can be used for character development, to introduce a new element to the ongoing plot, or any number of reasons. To keep them organized however, I have a Sub-Story Form below with the Character Sheet. Basically, whenever you want to begin a sub-story, just fill out the form and PM it to me. I'll look it over and then give you the okay to incorporate it into the game. Now obviously we can't have every single person engaging in a sub-story at the same time because then the IC thread would just be a bunch of separate plots. If you intend to create a side plot, do so with multiple characters in mind. Never do a sub-story where it's just you and your non-playable characters because that will end up splintering you from the plot and wrecking the pace of the roleplay a little. It doesn't have to be every single player, but involve at least one or two other players so we can organically link what you're doing to the main narrative.
And now we've come to the character sheet. I know these things are divisive, but I do prefer having them done in some form so other players have a bit to work with. These sheets will be really simple though as I want most of your character revealed through your writing.
Name (No, your last name does not have to be Ariella. This is not your traditional mafia family where everyone is blood related. This is more in line with the mob or yakuza where most anyone can join)
Nickname (Only if you want one)
Age (Minimum 21 please)
Physical Description (I do not require a picture, but I do require a written physical description of your character even if you do include a picture. For pictures, please stick to realistic ones only. No anime/manga images for this RP)
Syndicate Class (Obviously an organized crime syndicate has different roles for different people. Here you will choose a class for your character. This does not mean they can't be good at other things, but let's say this is what they chose to do or were assigned when they joined. Choices are: Enforcement, Prostitution Management, Weapons Smuggling Management, Financial Management, Security, Legal Business Management, Eraser
A description of each class can be found below)
I don't mind if there are multiple people with the same class because this roleplay does not rely on the assumption that everyone will choose something different. However, I can say the game might feel more immersive if different players take on different roles.
Enforcement - Enforcers are the muscle of the Ariella Syndicate. They are usually sent out on jobs that require intimidation or possible fighting ability. They routinely collect on loans, collect on protection money, intimidate certain important people, and quell small-time gang wars just to name a few things. This is the traditional tough guy/girl role though not all Enforcers are actual tough guys/girls. That's just a stereotype.
Prostitution Management - This is the department which oversees all the prostitution rings in the city of Regalia. They also scout new talent regularly in the seedier areas of the city. Prostitution is one of the more lucrative revenue streams for the Syndicate so this job is especially important. It takes a person who is a bit more intellectual than physical. Not that they can't be both.
Weapons Smuggling Management - This is the department which handles the acquisition, sale, trade, and smuggling of weapons. Regalia is very strict on firearms and is known to be for harsher gun control so this particular segment isn't as lucrative as it should be. Couple that with the fact that it's difficult to smuggle guns in and out of the city and you're looking at the job not many people want. However, it is important to maintain because when turf wars do happen, having stock is better than no having no stock. It's also necessary to sometimes outfit the smaller gangs of the city because they are always repeat customers.
Financial Management - This is the department which is in charge of the accounting for the Syndicate. Because the Syndicate is far bigger than one city, each separate branch has its own Financial Management department so this particular one is in charge of the Regalia account. These guys maintain all the necessary info on the cash flow and revenue streams of all the arms of the organization. If money can be traced to the Syndicate, these guys know about it. Their most important activities involve the legal businesses however. They have to make sure that money stays clean and that any money made from illegal activities is properly laundered and so on.
Security - Not to be confused with Enforcers, the Security division is responsible for security in the legal businesses of the organization and the security of the organization itself. Each branch of the Syndicate has a main HQ and Regalia is no exception. HQ has to be properly secured and certain businesses like night clubs and banks need to be secured by Syndicate personnel to ensure control stays in place. When things get overwhelming, Security can call in Enforcement for help, but Enforcement is expected to handle problems on their own without pulling Security away from their posts.
Legal Business Management - This is one of, if not, the most important departments in the entire organization. The Ariella Syndicate prides themselves on the citizens on the city loving them rather than fearing them and this department handles the affairs of legally owned businesses that ensure that love. From nightclubs to banks to supermarkets, the Syndicate legally owns a lot of business that provides a front for their illegal activities and a direct connection to the citizens by giving them jobs among other things. This department can have members running these businesses, working in these businesses, or simply checking that everything is still in order from time to time. Without this department, the entire organization could crumble under the weight of the law.
Eraser - This is the department that handles up the clean-up duty after a particularly messy situation. These are the guys you call when you need to make a situation disappear or create a false scene in place of the real one. These guys make murder look like suicide and clean areas of evidence that might negatively lead back to the organization just to name a couple scenarios. They are more comfortable working behind the scenes than out in the open brazenly acting on emotion or something. They're extremely thorough, detailed, and calculated. Erasers may even be above Legal Business Management in order of importance to the Syndicate.
This is the form you submit to me via PM if you'd like to begin a sub-story. Refer to the sub-story section for rules and guidelines involving them.
Name of Character (Who is the sub-story about?)
Brief Description (Give me a brief description of what your sub-story will entail. Feel free to keep the more surprising details to yourself. I am the GM, but I'm also a roleplayer who enjoys a good surprise or two. As long as it does not directly veer the main narrative in any direction, I'm fine with it.)
Players Involved (At least one other player should be involved in a sub-story, but I'd love to see multiple)
Once you've filled this form and I've looked over it, I'll give you direction as to when the best time to implement this side plot should be. Sometimes it will be immediately, sometimes it will not, but bear with me; if I've approved it, it will definitely be added.
Also keep in mind that your sub-story could easily span beyond the range you thought it would. If it's good enough, it may even go on to involve all the players and become a direct part of the main narrative. If that happens, rest assured I will PM you in advance and discuss that direction with you.
I will add more locations as we progress, though they may or may not have pictures accompanying them.
Current Events
This section is where you can see the plot thus far. I'll update it as we progress.
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The story opens in the bustling metropolis of Regalia under a midnight sky. The Regalia branch of the famous Ariella Syndicate reigns over the city from the shadows while also keeping what little notoriety they have positive in the eyes of the public. On this particular night, two men murder another in cold blood while our cast get orders from on high to investigate sales of a new exotic drug circulating throughout the city at a feverish rate. The group begins to investigate only to learn that it was all a ploy; the Syndicate sends members from the main branch to personally accuse them of selling the drugs and breaking one of the most important codes in the organization. Narrowly evading hitmen on their tail, the group resolves to meet in an undisclosed safe house to evaluate the situation.
Welcome to the OOC! Please use this thread to discuss the roleplay and brainstorm, but also feel free to have some general conversation too. I like active OOC threads so I'll probably join the conversation myself.
If you've decided you'd like to join the roleplay, please submit a character sheet via PM first and I will approve and tell you to post it in this thread or ask you to brush some things up if need be. Thank you for joining me and I hope we can work together to make this a fantastic experience. Lastly, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me whatever and I'll answer to the best of my ability.
Got plenty of room in fact. This OOC just got put up so it's open to all for the time being. Go ahead and drop me a CS via PM and thanks for the interest as well!
Please read the OP if you haven't as well. It's a lot of tabs, but they're not really very long and it's full of helpful information that you may ask about later.
Please read the OP if you haven't as well. It's a lot of tabs, but they're not really very long and it's full of helpful information that you may ask about later.
Ohhhh, I thought we only had to PM the CS to you if we wanted a sub story. My bad!
Excellent Bliss. I'll actually have my own CS up tonight as well. Which reminds me, when you guys have your sheets approved by me, just go ahead and post them under the characters tab. It's at the top of the thread if you don't know where it is.
My CS is up in the characters tab and welcome @BreakingMe to the cast as well. I've approved a few sheets now so when we get a couple more I'll start the IC. Let me let you in on my plan:
Right now I believe we have five people as far as who is making sheets for a fact. So far it's myself, @BreakingMe, @CorneredBliss, @FrozenEcstasy, and @CaughtInTheRiddle. Once those sheets are up I'll make my intro post and begin this RP. The intro will set up the current narrative and give your characters context to act in the open world. Remember, you can create your own locations in the city of Regalia and I'll add them to the Notable Locations as we go along. There is no real posting order (Again, this was said in the OP) so just make sure you get a post written in each round and try not to drown out other players if you find it so engaging that you would like to post more.
The join status will stay open until we have ten confirmed characters and then I'll close the RP to new members. If we don't get ten by a certain point then I'll close it anyway because we'll be too far for new people to jump in by then. It's not a big deal either so don't think I'm waiting until we get to ten to move forward for real or anything. I designed this as a small group roleplay so it'll work just fine with the current members or a few more. If you have any questions, just ask them here in this thread and I'll get them answered.
Also... let's liven up this OOC a bit! I enjoy conversing with new people and you don't have to only talk about the roleplay in this thread. The OOC is for RP discussion and fun conversations :).
Just gonna put this out there, Dallas/Donna owns a bar/brothel like establishment so we got one place in the city, warning however, it is primarily a GAY BAR xD I felt like I needed to clarify that before someone made a fool of their character in the actual RP xD
Lol, I'm sure it would have turned into a funny situation at the least @FrozenEcstasy.
Damn, flew through those sheets (of course that's my fault for the simple sheet layout). Welp, I'll get the RP started then. The intro will be up either later tonight or tomorrow so just check back a bit. Also, I feel we should post our timezones because it'll help us keep the posting frequency in check.
