[OOC] Thrivenshell and the Baron - Western Survival Fantasy

[Malikoy]

The world has moved on, the apocalypse or whatever happened already happened, this is the aftermath. In a world where Dragons used to coexist side by side with magic, gunpowder, and cowboy boots, human flesh have become a treasure. There are less humans than there were before, less anything after the massive storm that changed the world. Everything is scarce, from resources to morale, to human dignity.

Our story picks up in the town of Thrivenshell, the least damaged human settlement in the entire Krankton region. In this town an assortment of characters are leading their lives, either surviving together or living off each other. The town is pretty big, with a population of at least a thousand, it used to be triple that amount. The town has it all, from weapons, runes and commodities shops to bars, schools and a couple farms.

After exhausting most of the resources in town, the town Mayor, Baron Garef, has decided to send parties to go out and scavenge the deserted world for materials, resources and new survivors to integrate into their community. The outside world has a lot of interesting adversaries, from extreme weather conditions, to mutated creatures, aggressive monsters, savage bandits and rumors of the dead trudging the land of the living again. It is up to the parties that the baron chooses to maintain the well-being and unity of Thrivenshell.



Premise and gameplay

In this RP you will be playing as a maximum of 2 characters, they can either be residents of Thrivenshell, outsiders surviving the harsh lands of Krankton, or even people outside of the Krankton region! (Just ask me.) For now you may only play as human characters, this is a low fantasy post-apocalyptic western, and I intend this to be very gritty with a bit of dark humor. If you are going to be a resident of the town, regardless of what role you are going to take, you are going to start in the town for IC reasons. If however you are going to be a character that lives outside the town or in another region, you may begin wherever.

The weapons in this RP should be grounded to the norms of a western low-fantasy, so no advanced weapons or exotic magical spears. This is the wild west with a middle-earth twist, and it happens to be post-apocalyptic so be creative and sensible. As for magic I won't make it easy for anyone to have access to it, so let's say where going to have just one character with magical ability, and maybe two that have a few tricks.

The main story of this RP is going to be revealed in IC, other than that you may create your own side-stories and lore that other playeres may choose to follow and engage in, this is an RP where you are free to follow the main story, the side-stories or even just wandering and surviving around.

The Map



Krankton Region:
- Thrivenshell:
* The Plaza
* Mayor's Palace
* Various homes and shops
* The Saint Bernard Church
* The Timil School
* The Elite's Home

- Guard Camp outside town
- Evet Glades
- Grump Lake
- Eastern Mines
- Abandoned town of Drakesong
- Inferno Overlook
- Yegmor County Pass
- The Rift
- Goblin Folk Village
- Winston Falls path
- Rock Marshes
- The Ethern Deserts
- Nomad Deserts
- Elenor Mountains:
* The Krankton nest
- Northern Deserts path
- Jim's End road

rules

I don't want to talk much about this one, be sensible and follow the rules an RP would usually have. Respect people IC and OOC, don't play god and don't be annoying. I am more lenient on creatively bad players than annoying players, but still don't play god. The posting pace is this: If you get this RP dead once, chances are I'm killing your character for good, this is the wild west middle-earth, you won't witness mercy. Any questions or suggestions? PM me or drop it in the OOC.

Character Sheet

POST THE CHARACTER SHEET IN THE CHARACTER TAB, IF ACCEPTED IT STAYS, IF NOT YOU MUST ERASE IT.

>Picture< Stay away from Real Pics and Anime, also stay away from amateur artwork.
Name>
Gender>
Age>
Appearance>

History>
Personality>
Abilities and Skills>
Weapons>
Alignment>
Family or Friends>

You may add as much categories as you want, this RP's character sheet is VERY flexible as long as it serves to enrich your character's creative image and lore.

[Malikoy]

Baron Garef

[Sabotage]

Severt B. Forbes

Gender> Male.
Age> 41.
Appearance> Forbes stands at about 6'2" and 170 lb with a lean yet toned build that gives him a distinct frame. He has a tanned white skin tone and his facial features are chiseled but gritty and old; often found shadowed by the thick stubble that covers the side of his face, upper lip, chin and goes down part of his neck. Forbes eyes are of a piercing gunmetal blue, and his hair is dark brown, combed back and grown to medium length. He is often seen wearing a worn brimmed hat, dark in color and woven together with thin rope, and a long coat or some sort of poncho fitted over his rawhide vest and faded light blue cuffed shirt.

History> Forbes story starts off early in his childhood when his mother used to sing lullabies for him as she rocked him gently in the wooden cradle that always creaked with agony. His mother had no job and always stayed at home to tend to her motherly duties around the wealthy happy life that Forbes lived in as an only child. His father was a blacksmith, but was also rumored to once be a gunslinger before retiring. Forbes has never believed this, and thought his father to be far too strict and disciplinary to be one himself. Every so often Forbes will still yearn for his past, not because his present is dreadful, but of how he reminisces over the enjoyment he had. Often he would spend time out with two of his best friends: Elsworth and Aubrey. He grew up experiencing a good education in a small town infamously known for its public executions. Forbes was shielded most of the time in his youth from seeing these but did witness a few of those hangings in his lifetime before they were finally halted. To this day he still remembers them, not as a horror, but just a reminder of his origin.

It wasn't until his teenage years when Forbes' father hired him a mentor to improve his survival skills and wielding of firearms. It did not occur to him why he did this, but he went along with it learning a variety of tricks and skills along the way. Forbes trained hard and learned the art for years onward until suddenly something life changing happened. His mother was murdered by his father in cold blood. This was not out of anger, but his motivation relied on a test of his son Forbes. As the next gunslinger in his family he must vow to kill his father with a weapon of his choice not including a firearm. He took a stick with a pointed rock at the end to make a spear and attacked his father head on. With tears welling in his eyes he plunged the edge of his weapon through the chest of his father, killing him on the spot. At his death, Forbes' father told him to check his shed. Upon inspecting the area of his father's workspace he found two finely crafted and custom made revolvers to signify a test passed.

Since then Forbes has gone rogue and left behind what was left in his old town to travel the world and see what may be out there for him as the new gunslinger in his family. As the unforgiving apocalypse swept through the world, Forbes was no slowed down but jumped from place to place, hiding out in various areas on his journey into the unknown. He picked up on a trail of magic and spirituality which molded him into the person he is today.

Personality> Forbes could best be described in one word as an antihero. He lacks the moral ambiguity and idealism that is so praised by heroic culture. He does not display very much emotion unless he feels he needs to. Despite this, he has a developed (and quite dark) sense of humor that often comes off as dry. There is a certain bravery that Forbes obtains in order to maintain calm and collected within dangerous situations, and it's his gut driven will that has kept him independent throughout the world as it moved on. Generally he is laid back and friendly, but does not hesitate to take initiative.
Abilities and Skills> Expert marksman/gunslinger, agile & quick reactions, grit & calm thought process, and master navigation.

Weapons> Two double-action six shot revolvers, large hunting knife, enchanted relic (used to ward off spirits, demons and not succumb to temptation when activated).

Magic> Hypnotic Revolvers: Forbes does not harness any substantial magical ability, but what he obtains is mostly noted as a "skill". When spinning his revolvers around his fingers in a rapid manner, he may hypnotize the target in which watches him move the guns. This puts them in a deep trance (this way information can be extracted), or causes them to fall asleep.

Flaming Dust: When blowing or tossing any form of sand or dust, Forbes may choose to have these particles give off a bright, dull yellow glow which burns any victim that the dirt lands upon. In some cases the friction caused has been known to create small flames that can be used for torture methods.

Alignment> Chaotic neutral.
Family or Friends> Steven - Father (deceased).
Claire - Mother (deceased).
Elsworth - Friend (unknown).
Aubrey - Friend (unknown).

[Snagglepuss89]

Ha, I was just watching Unoforgiven a couple days ago and itching for a Western RP. I'm liking what I see here a lot, will be working on a CS tonight.

For clarification: By amateur art, do you mean you only want skilled looking images, or only images by professional accredited artists?

[Sabotage]

Also not sure how skilled you want the art to be, but I hope mine is all right.

Let me know if you think my magical ability is too much, I tried to keep it fair but I can adjust it accordingly if needed.

[Snagglepuss89]

Also not sure how skilled you want the art to be, but I hope mine is all right.

Let me know if you think my magical ability is too much, I tried to keep it fair but I can adjust it accordingly if needed.

@Sabotage

Hah, to be fair, the cover of The Dark Tower series surely counts as professional.

[AtlasRedfox]

Nice intro @Malikoy, looking forward to this setting.

Getting to work on a C.S....

How is everyone anyway!

[Snagglepuss89]

@AtlasRedfoxAwaiting judgement on the... well, Judge.

Yourself?

[Pirouette]

Yeehaw.

One Eyed Iris

Name> Katherine "Kate" Marlo, AKA One-Eyed Iris
Gender> Female
Age> 24
Appearance> Looks can be deceiving and Kate certainly likes to be deceiving... Kate is about average height for a female, has a very median build but noticeable muscle definition. Her skin tone is slightly tanned with freckles on her face. She bears a few scars, mostly on her torso, and of course, she has her blind eye, bleached of any color. She mostly remains expressionless with a dead stare, only displaying emotion when putting on an act. At one time people thought Kate had quite a soft and soothing voice but as time has past, she sounds a bit hoarse as if she has needs to cough or something. Usually dresses up in something comparable to a lawman, complete with a dirty duster and a weathered hat.

History> The original Marlos were nothing special. Jesse inherited a small Yegmor County ranch from his father, married, and had kids for a cheaper workforce. They were gentle, law-abiding, and God-fearing folk. They weren't ever ones to get into any trouble and would always welcome the weary traveler, offering what little they could. To many, they had wished little ill upon the Marlos and their small, insignificant ranch. Yet, there were a few malicious souls that took advantage of that kindness.

A few local ruffians, as Jesse liked to refer to them as, would eventually find themselves back on the ranch with empty bellies or empty purses. Intimidation goes a long way and seeing as Jesse had a lot to lose, he obliged which often lead to skimpy portions for the family and a struggle to make end's meet. Of course this little 'happy' arrangement wasn't meant to last. Something had to break and eventually it did.

Kate remembers the day well, right down to what she had for breakfast that morning. The day out in the fields had gone without a hitch and the kids were all on they're way back when they noticed the ruffians hitching up at the house. As the kids approached, Kate remembers each of their smarmy, condescending laughs even to this day. She hated it. She hated them, but she was only fifteen. What could she do? She had dreams about getting her sweet justice, most involving a kitchen knife and a series of slow, agonizing deaths.

Despite Kate's fantasies, she had come to expect this was just going to be another visit. Another night to go hungry and deal with their accursed laughing. But tonight was going to be different and she'd take back all of her morbid dreams to reverse what had happened. That night, Ezekiel, eldest brother at 18 years, had finally drawn the line when he witnessed his mother, Mary, abused by one of ruffians. Ezekiel's chair screeched before crashing to the ground as the boy rushed the one that hit his mother and tackled him to the ground, attempting to strangle the man.

At first, everyone was in disbelief. Nobody moved. Then the ruffians realized what was happening and were quick to pull Ezekiel off their comrade. But they didn't stop there. There was a price to that outburst and they beat the boy. Worst yet, the ruffians made the family watch at gunpoint. The Marlos were unknowingly witnessing Ezekiel's death and they were powerless to stop it.

The men left after claiming some money and the rest of the food and on their way out, they started laughing again. Maybe it was Ezekiel lying motionless on the ground but Kate had finally had enough! She ran to the kitchen to claim her dream weapon and attempted to charge out after the ruffians. Her father stopped her and let them go. After everything they did, Kate's father didn't do a thing to stop the men. The man was a coward and at that moment Kate realized it. She hated her father from then on, refusing to speak to him out of protest for his lack of inaction. She'd come to regret that later when the Apocalypse would sweep over the land and Jesse Marlo would give his last breath to ensure his children would preserve.

The Apocalypse would devastate the Yegmor County family and only two from the family of seven would make it to Krankton County and eventually Thrivenshell, Jacob and Kate. Jacob was still too young to bear the full effects of their family history but Kate remembered it all. She was changed now and her outlook on life would forever be marred by her history.

New life in Thrivenshell would be tough for two rather young children. A hasty boarding house was made up for the lost children and while Jacob went willing, Kate refused. She didn't want to live in a depressing orphanage with a bunch of helpless kids, Jacob included. She wanted to be making her own way, but she mostly wanted revenge. The going was tough but she quickly became a vagrant urchin, stealing for survival. Through time, she had gotten good at taking care of herself, namely theft, but she had also gotten to know other criminals through her trade. Eventually a young renegade then known as Jack Higgins, offered Kate a spot on his newly formed posse. Kate accepted. Thus, the Higgy Bottom Boys had their final member and soon everyone would know the name.

It was tough to start but after raiding a few weaker wasteland parties, the Higgy Bottom Boys got better at it and their equipment improved drastically. As the years passed on, they were got scary good at robbing and killing, challenging anyone who dared brave the wastes. They were on top and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Of course with all this prosperity came its troubles. Petty arguments over loot and riches were commonplace and their leader, Jack, was absorbed more and more into his greed to settle posse disputes. Tensions were bubbling and finally, Kate knew this wasn't going to last as the group was getting sloppy and lawmen were getting close.

In a last ditch effort to clear her own name, Kate betrayed her posse by killing Jack, Francis, and James. Barry managed to slip away in the chaos and Kate wounded Zip but didn't kill him. She needed someone to vouch for her and bringing one of the Higgy Bottom Boys alive was her best bet at getting her clean slate.

It was dicey but Kate struck a deal with Thrivenshell and offered Zip, along with nearly all the loot they had captured in return for her absolution. She kept some of her preferred equipment with her and she was bound to a condition to find and bring in, or kill, the last remaining Higgy Bottom Boy in order to clear her name entirely.

Personality>
It is kill or be killed according to Kate's moral compass. She puts herself in front and is willing to go to any length to preserve herself or her interests, taking a tactile thinking approach to any of her problems. She is very cold to the idea of helping people and is considerably distant. Despite her crudeness, she does possess a soft spot for families with children. Along with that, she has a tendency to at least try and abide by her word nowadays, seeing as her days as a outlaw are done. Still, she probably won't like you but maybe willing to tolerate you. It depends.

Abilities and Skills>
Top notch Marksman with rifle, Convincing Bluffer, Skilled Assassin and Thief

~Magic Eye~
So you are probably wondering about the eye... Well, it is actually more than just a blank cornea. It actually does provide Kate with sight but not quite the sight you were thinking of. Her eye is strangely altered by magic to be able to zoom and focus on command, meaning she is deadly accurate at a range.

Weapons> Sharps Sharpshooter Rifle, 6-Barrel Revolver, Derringer Pocket Pistol, Knife
Alignment> Lawful Evil
Family or Friends>
Mary Marlo (Mother) - Deceased
Jesse Marlo (Father) - Deceased
Ezekiel Marlo (Older Brother) - Deceased
Ruth Marlo (Younger Sister) - Deceased
Matthew Marlo (Younger Brother) - Deceased
Jacob Marlo (Younger Brother) - Living in Thrivenshell, works as carpenter, married has one son

~Higgy Bottom Boys~
Jack "Higgy" Higgins(Associate) - Deceased
Barry Larson(Associate) - Living, dead if Kate ever finds him
Francis Webb(Associate) - Deceased
Zip Wyatt(Associate) - Living, currently imprisoned awaiting his hangin'
James Avery(Associate) - Deceased

~Ruffians~
Billy Rogers (Enemy) - Unknown
Thomas Waite (Enemy) - Unknown
Fred Hart (Enemy) - Unknown

[AtlasRedfox]

Not bad thanks, bit of a busy day but could be worse :) @Snagglepuss89, just thought to get some friendly chatter going :D

[Pirouette]

Finished~!

I hope that is good!

Edit: Check for time discrepancies as I didn't know it had only been about two years since the start of the Apocalypse. I think I fixed it but if there is an error, let me know!

[Malikoy]

@Snagglepuss89

I really liked the Judge, he has a very interesting origin and sounds perfect as Thrivenshell's sheriff. I admired that you actually made a connection there between Judge and the Baron, can't wait to see their interactions unfolding in the IC. Accepted!

@Sabotage

I have read the first 3 books in the Dark Tower series, and you can't believe how much it inspired me to do certain writings and RP's, this one included. So it is nice to see a character that has been inspired by none other than Roland, your character is accepted and the magic is fine!

@Pirouette

Accepted! Everything seems fine about her, I like that you opened up a chance for side-stories with the Higgy Bottom Boys! But you might want to flesh out how she acquired her magical abilities for her dead eye, either edit the Character Sheet or simply allude to it in a future Flashback in the IC!

As for the art, you are all doing fine, I meant avoid amateur art such as poorly drawn sketches with bad anatomy blah blah. So I will wait for @Oakman and @AtlasRedfox to drop their characters, work on my second character and then we can begin the RP..

Meanwhile you can keep this thing kicking by discussing ideas or questions or whatever in the OOC, I am planning to have a very active OOC that we may connect and know each other in. :)

[Pirouette]

I did not know how magic fully worked but if I've had the origin in mind. It was a natural development as she got older. It was clunky at first but she has managed to master control over that wonky eye.

Also @Malikoy, Kate's history strongly suggests that Baron has been involved in her absolution as I imagine that would be a pretty big deal. It was also left open for the Baron to have a sort of "leash" on Kate due the requirements of the negotiation. Otherwise, she'd be very avoidant of other characters. Thus, it forces her into the story, kind of.

I'm typing this on a phone so I can write in my detail later but is this okay?

[Snagglepuss89]

Ah, glad to hear it. It's always worrying tying in a character with the GM's, and creating backstory for the region that's not covered yet.

Also glad to hear about the active OOC plans. I like a relaxed environment. Definitely looking forward to seeing a few more people join this, Westerns are a perfect place for conflict between players to form naturally.

[AtlasRedfox]

@Malikoy I have to attended a funeral today but I hope to have my character up late tomorrow.

Yeah I think OOC chatter helps keep things alive, I've seen a few RP's where no one wanted to get to know their fellow Rpers and things just died quickly after the IC started.

[Pirouette]

@Snagglepuss89

Expanding on connections, clearly Kate and Beau would probably have a distaste for each other. There probably isn't much interaction as she spent much of post apocalyptia away in the wastes (unless you count her time as a young thief in town to which Beau may have been familiar with her). What interaction they may have had may come from Kate's turning in of Zip and the her deal for a clean name.

[Snagglepuss89]

@PirouetteHah, very much so. He'd be more angry at the Baron though, for not letting him just hang you. It all depends on the timeframe of everything though. If he's seen her as 'reformed' enough for his taste, along with good deeds done as a result (Regardless of the motivations behind them) he's probably not going to campaign for her death or spit venom at her.

I guarantee when he heard about the deal at first though it took restraint not to just shoot her on the street.

[Pirouette]

@Snagglepuss89 It depends on how he observes the present situation. I would say for the past month or so, Kate has been stuck operating for the Baron and the law under the guise of "finding Barry Larson" as the deal ended up being all Higgy Bottom Boys, not just most. So with Larson still at large, she isn't technically free yet. So while she has probably done some good stuff for the Baron and the other lawmen, like Beau. But she is still unruly and makes things difficult.

[Snagglepuss89]

@PirouetteThen yeah, I'd definitely say he's still looking forward to buying you a noose rather than a drink. Not quite a grand enough timeframe to cool off and change his mind. It'll also all depend on what happens IC, attitude and action wise!

But he's also past the shooting you in the street phase. Probably.

- We already have a complex web of relations and politics forming!

[Pirouette]

@Snagglepuss89 Ah perfect!