Algorhythm

The Consortium: Howl of the Yellow King Disciples (Accepting 1 more)

Ezekiel Walters sat in the corner of the long bar counter. In one hand was a dusty notebook while the other nursed a glass of dark bourbon on the rocks. His eyes were transfixed on the scribbled notes inside, paying no mind to the raucous transpiring around him. "Are you serious?" Carmina, the bartender groaned at the unfazed Ezekiel. She had successfully catered to the bulk of requests from her boisterous patrons and decided to reward herself with a break. The Outer Shell-born gypsy girl was unaccustomed to serving more than five people at The Consortium HQ, whose establishment had two bars total: This oddly placed saloon in the basement level, and the more polished bar in the ballroom the 1st floor. The crowd was beginning to overwhelm her and she needed a momentary distraction. She leaned over the table in an attempt to peak at Ezekiel's reading material. "It's your day off and you're spending it with your face stuck inside some poor sap's diary?"

"Unfortunately Miss Carmina, time is not a luxury I can afford." Ezekiel's low-toned southern drawl was more filled with indifference than condescension or annoyance. His blue eyes zigzagged like two snowflakes, synchronously floating across pages without eliciting any sort of emotion or reaction.

"You and me both, Bones." Carmina shook her head as she glanced off to the side. A growing number of hand gestures were respectfully trying to grab her attention at the other end of the bar. "Hold your horses!" She sighed, peeling herself away from the counter top. "Try not to work too damn hard, you hear?" Carmina waited for a response, then rolled her eyes when she realized that it was pointless. She stomped over toward customers more deserving of her affection, letting Ezekiel be.

"You're quite the ladies man." A female voice called out from behind. "Are you always this charming?" Ezekiel easily identified the owner's rich accent dripping with sarcasm.

"Only when it matters, Latika." He grinned. Ezekiel finally set his notebook down and turned to face a brown-skinned woman. A silver jeweled accessory was placed perfectly on her forehead, contrasting with her emerald color eyes. She smiled mischievously as she plopped down on the bar stool next to him. Latika was a second year graduate that came out of graduation swinging for the fences. She holds the record for most captured Wraiths at a whopping 30. Her success brewed quite a bit of jealously from most of her contemporaries, but in the grand scheme of things, she could care less about what anyone thought. Restoring Aegis Luna back to normalcy was all that mattered in her eyes.

"So, I see you're still alive." Ezekiel muttered.

"As are you." She nodded, eyeing his drink now diluted with melted ice. "What were you reading?"

"Just a piece of an ongoing case I never closed." He glanced at the ragged cover then back at Latika. Before she could pry any further, the double door entrance of the Testing Floor swung open. Tom Reitz, Dr. Isaacs, and Professor Hartwell entered the area, causing everyone to immediately straighten up and stand at attention.

The Consortium: Howl of the Yellow King Disciples (Accepting 1 more)

@Karos

Kepler pretended to watch, more concerned about saving face, than actually observing Otto's mechanism at work. The investigator's retorts stung. They were delivered with a modulated confidence that even surprised Mako, who couldn't help grinning from ear-to-ear. The scientist was beet red as he stumbled to make a comeback, mixing in a fake cough and an awkward laugh to try and maintain some semblance of composure.

"W-well, I'll have to do some additional testing before I can approve it." Kepler uttered, trying to salvage himself in front of his cohorts, who were equally embarrassed for him. He surveyed Otto's work benches once more. "...And tidy up your work space! If you're going to pretend to be an inventor, at least act the part." Kepler marched off with the other two scientist in tow.

"Never a dull moment with you, Otto." Mako laughed. "I'd say don't worry about Mr. Kepler, but that would be redundant of me. He never learned how to climb down from his high horse ever since he took over my previous position as Dr. Isaacs and Hartwell's assistant."

Otto then asked Mako about how his rotation went, who immediately clicked his tongue and nodded disapprovingly. "I was mother hen to a couple of those 2nd years." He pointed over to the bar. "We were stationed in Eastbridge, assigned to patrol a neighborhood close to the wall in response to a couple of reports from border patrol about a Wraith sighting. There was a particular spirit brewing in those parts, an angry one. Let's just say we're all lucky to be back here in one piece." Mako tapped at his containment pack. "But thank you for the upgrade. I'll be more confident going out onto the field the next time I have to babysit."

The Consortium: Howl of the Yellow King Disciples (Accepting 1 more)

No problem @rocketrobie2. Thanks for letting us know in advance!

I'd love for this RP to still be up and running in a couple of months, so we hope to see you back soon.

It's been a couple of days and there haven't been any sheets submitted or updates about them, so I'm going under the assumption that they're either delayed or no longer interested. No big deal, but by tomorrow night, I'll be pushing this RP forward into the next phase. Again, there's still time to join and catch up if willing. Either way, I'm loving how smooth we're starting out. @justTypical@Karos Cheers!

The Consortium: Howl of the Yellow King Disciples (Accepting 1 more)

@Karos

Mako listened intently to Otto Von Kruger's brief details on the mission. He smiled as the stammering Otto eventually revealed a successful endeavor in retrieving the journal. "That's excellent news! It also explains why Dr. Isaacs was so overly enthusiastic when I last saw him. The Reinhardt Journal was a bit of a missing puzzle piece of sorts for some new tech he's inventing. Splendid work, Otto!" Mako patted the man on the shoulder, who suddenly walked off toward one of his many work benches. There were all sorts of gizmos splayed about, and Otto began rummaging around for something in particular. His gloved hand revealed a silver plug. After Otto explained to him that it was a charing interface, Mako took off the goggles and inspected the item up close.

"Oh, genius!" Mako's exhilarated response caught the attention of several scientist that were within earshot. Three of them immediately paced over to the two, staring intently at the object in Mako's hand, then listened closely. "The charge time on my containment pack was starting to lag over 10 seconds. I was getting 15 second delays at one point. With spirits flying overhead and newbies fumbling about, that's 5 seconds too many."

"Heh!" Scoffed one of the scientist. It was James Kepler, one of the senior researchers that had taken over Mako's position as Dr. Isaac and Hartwell's assistant. "Don't be so hasty, Mako." His hawk-like nose pointed over to Otto as he adjusted his spectacles. Kepler was a tall and lanky man that had long bushy grey hair kept in a pony tail. "As senior assistant, I have to approve this item before it goes out on the field." Kepler said, staring at Otto's messy work benches. "Can't have Investigators thinking they can just make adjustments like they know what they're doing." The condescension in his tone was prevalent as ever. The other two scientist snickered. Kepler walked forward and swiped the plug from Mako, then handed it back to Otto. "Show me how, and if, it works."

---

@justTypical

Zuma could sense the internal dilemma within Ben. Clearly, much more transpired than what he let on, but he didn't want to pry further. Instead, he sought to look at the silver lining. "At least you've managed to get something out of it." Zuma said, referring to the notebook. "I'm sure Dr. Isaacs and Professor Hartwell will find something of value." His thoughts fell onto the enigma that was The Yellow King Disciples and shuddered. "Anything will suffice at this point."

A random 2nd year Investigator overheard Zuma and Ben's conversation. "Yall talkin bout Elly Margaret from Southfield?" He butted in. It was Gregory Stills, the youngest recent grad in The Consortium. He spent his entire Fall rotation at a security checkpoint in Northend behind a desk, filing paperwork. Being among other Investigators who've been on the frontlines is the most excitement he's had in months. "I know her! She's a diviner, right? Reads minds. Has a buncha cats." Gregory teetered over with a glass of orange juice, the only beverage Carmina was willing to pour him. He sipped at it before continuing. "She's a close family friend. Me and my sis, we used to go over to her apartment and help feed her cats when we were little. She had a voice of an angel..."

Zuma cleared his throat in an attempt to try and change the subject. While Ben didn't divulge on any details, he knew enough to surmise that this Madam Margaret didn't have a happy ending, but Gregory was oblivious to Zuma's signal - and pretty much everything else about the situation. Stills understood that things were bad in Aegis Luna, but he had no idea just how extreme the Inner Shell had become. He came from an Outer Shell community that was on the outskirts. Even with all of the info received during training, he was still green, and completely unexposed to the horrors beyond the wall.

"That family from 317 still there? Me and my sis used to visit them too. We'd take turns holding their baby, Jacob - gee he must be a big kid now - so his ma could finish doing chores around the house. His pa was a funny guy. Played the piano real nice like. Sometimes Aunt Elly would sing while he played. They'd invite everyone in their building over to listen...those were good times. Never kept in touch with any of them after we moved out into the country. Hope they're doing okay out there."

The Consortium: Howl of the Yellow King Disciples (Accepting 1 more)

Wow, thank you guys for making awesome intro posts! You really painted a nice picture of your characters and I thank you for running with the whole mission objectives thing. It's something I've been tinkering with and debated back and forth as to whether or not to use it, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. It won't happen too often, usually once or twice per chapter.

Awesome Karo that you threw in that bit with the charing interface for Mako, and Typical, I'm so glad you decided to fail that mission on the notion of how interested I was in Morris' character. I love it, guys!

so, with that out of the way, I've got to say, I enjoy a good bit of horror as much as the next guy, but everything that I have ever personally tried to write has always leaned heavily towards the comedic. I'm not at all experienced at making things scary. So if any of you lot have suggestions, tips, or constructive criticism on how better to build tension, dread, or outright horror, please let me know! would greatly appreciate it.

@justTypical

I think you did great with the suspense build up at Elly's apartment complex. I'm not well-versed in horror either. I like to write from a more comedic perspective myself, which is part of the reason why I wanted to do this RP so I can explore this genre more. I'm sure we're all willing to help each other out.

edit: was inspired to write a quick response post before I head off to vacation.

The Consortium: Howl of the Yellow King Disciples (Accepting 1 more)

Ok guys, the first IC is officially up.

As you can see the intro will have specially designated options for you to choose from. There are consequences for whichever one you pick, and it will have significant impact on us, as well our playground aka Aegis Luna.

Think of those assignment options as actual writing prompts. The scenarios that follow whether you were successful or a complete failure, only paint a small glimpse of what your character has been through in the last three months. Use them into your intro and feel free to take as many liberties as you want.

ex:
Mission: Get Pumpkin Pie from Mangled Chef
If Successful, I get a delicious pie for the human pie eating contest, but was chased across town by roller wielding mangled chef
If Failed, he butchers the investigator I was partnered with and bakes pumpkin pies out of him for the Mangled Ones pie eating contest.

Let's say I chose to fail. This would prompt me to interact with whoever asked the question by either answering, or making internal dialogue as to what exactly happened. How I watched them eat my partner alive in a weird pie eating contest. How they forced me to eat the pie, and how it turned out to actually taste good...etc. As long as you capture the bullet points of the consequences I list, you're free to creatively determine how the scenario went down.

I would then make a GM post in reaction to your selection and shape the RP accordingly. Please ask any questions if you have them.

This world is ours to share. Also, feel free to use the NPCs however you like as they're there to keep stuff moving. For those who still have sheets coming, I may or may not get to your assignments by this weekend. Don't worry, yours will still come up before the chapter ends. In the meantime, feel free to set up your intro post any way you see fit (especially what your character did while on rotation - don't worry about it potentially conflicting with the assignments I'll give you, as I'll try to cater it to what you put down.)

The Test Floor area is fair game to RP in. Feel free to take any liberties and interact with whatever you like.

NPCs not currently available to interact with: (You can also add your own NPCs, but please add them in OOC so I can clear them for use)
Isaacs & Hartwell.
Tom Reitz
Latika

The Consortium: Howl of the Yellow King Disciples (Accepting 1 more)

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Chapter One: Reitz or Wrong

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Location: Consortium HQ - Underground Test Floor

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Winter of 454...

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Deep inside the lower levels of The Consortium HQ's Testing Floor, the air is stuffier than usual. That is because the lab coat frequenters of this area are now joined by The Consortium's Investigators, old and new, for an annual gathering. The 1st year graduates have returned from their seasonal rotation, maintaining defenses beyond the well-fortified wall separating the inner and outer shells. Their expressions range from visibly dejected, to mentally preoccupied, and downright tired. Yet despite the heavy woes they've overcome, the seasoned Investigators do their best to maintain a spirited atmosphere for troop morale.

The 2nd years have also returned from duty. Many of them have just finished their 1st seasonal rotation behind the wall, experiencing the relentless chaos that lurks in the inner shell for the first time. Some of their faces are that of a startled teen, trying their best to cover the dread of fear they've experienced for the past three months. Other 2nd years have yet to rotate as they've been assigned between guard duty along the wall's perimeter, and/or administration work for security check points. These investigators have a much more warm and cheerful demeanor.

In the far corner of the room, past the odd contraptions and doodads, sits a bustling saloon. A dark oak table snakes from one wall of the test facility and down to the other side. Parallel to it is a long shelf filled with all sorts of alcoholic beverages. The bartender, Carmina, works diligently to serve her patrons without skipping a beat. The bar stools are crammed with 1st and 2nd year Investigators. Some are socially interactive, while others stick to their cliques, respectfully.

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@justTypical

The dark-skinned tank, Zuma, bellows his signature laugh. It is so loud that some of the scientist who were actually working, stopped and glared at him, then started bickering to one another as to why there was a bar installed on this floor to begin with. Like the social butterfly that Zuma is, the 1st class Investigator makes his presence known with as many of his cohorts as possible. He eventually stumbles upon Benjamin Moore, who is nearly equal in stature.

Zuma approaches him with a warm smile. "Benny!" The nickname never quite stuck, but it didn't stop Zuma from calling him that. "Good to finally see you my friend." Zuma goes on to explain his assignment, talking about how he had to lead a small unit of army soldiers deep into the inner shell. He proceeds to talk about how reckless the army men were and how they nearly got him killed. "First sight of a Mangled One, and what do they do? Shoot frantically in all directions. Almost got my head blown off. I yell, 'Stop! Don't you see my beautiful face? How could I be a Mangled One!?"

Zuma laughs at his own joke. It was interesting to see how nonchalant he was about an otherwise very dangerous situation. It was hard to tell whether or not he was putting up a front, but it was unlike Zuma to be anything but genuine when it came to expressing himself. After clearing his throat, he asks Benjamin, "So...how did your rotation go?"

Benjamin's Assignment

Ordered by Tom Reitz.
Retrieve an inner shell citizen by the name of Elly Margret of Southfield, a supposed psychic who
may have key information regarding The Yellow King Disciples.

-If successful, you extracted her at the cost of losing Investigator Morris, your assigned partner, who sacrificed his life to stave off the Spirit Wraiths.

-If failed, Elly Margret became possessed by one of the Spirit Wraiths, who then went on to kill an entire inner shell family that was hiding in her flat before you managed to put her down. However, you were able to grab a notebook that might contain useful information.

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@Karos

Mako Tsujimoto sips quietly on his small cup of sake. There is something off about its flavor, but he doesn't make a fuss about it. He sits there quietly, staring at one of the intricately decorated bottles gathering dust on the shelf. Otto Von Kruger is seen in his peripheral and his eyes immediately light up. There are few men who can hold up a fascinating conversation with Mako, but he has more pressing matters to bother him with. He downs the cup of dissatisfying alcohol and clambers over to the Combat Medic/Engineer.

"Ah, Mr. Kruger! I've been looking for you." Mako wipes the smudges on the ocular lenses of his goggles. "My time spent with the 2nd years was rather tedious. Many of them need some serious training in how to handle Lantern transfers!" The Asian man preferred to skip pleasantries with Otto and got right to the point. "So, I'm quite curious so please tell me: How did your assignment go?"

Mako's Assignment

Ordered by Dr. Isaacs
Retrieve The Reinhardt Journal from The Company of Invention in West-Townes. It contains specs and blueprints
on advanced weapons.

If successful, the relationship between the Inner Shell citizen contingent in West-Townes and the Consortium has dramatically worsened. On top of that, they want you dead for stealing a valuable item. This puts other Investigators stationed there at risk.

If failed, the relationship between West-Townes folk and the Consortium is strained, but still salvageable. You are still not welcome there, but you have formed a solid relationship with Lester Pots, the community's drunk whose wounds you helped patch up.

The Consortium: Howl of the Yellow King Disciples (Accepting 1 more)

I might just put out the intro post tonight/tomorrow evening before I leave for the weekend so you can post. And if anyone submits a cs, I can just approve it on my phone as I won't be near a PC/Laptop.

The Consortium: Howl of the Yellow King Disciples (Accepting 1 more)

Ok. Thanks for the heads up @IceHeart

I'm actually going to be away for this weekend too, but if I can get two more sheets accepted before tomorrow night I can at least get an intro post going.

The Consortium: Howl of the Yellow King Disciples (Accepting 1 more)

Glad to hear it! If we can capture the essence of just one of those authors I'll be happy as can be. I'm excited with what I've got cookin as well. You guys are in for a ride!