Lugubrious

Umbra Rose Condos

I’m still working on the sheet but I hope no one minds if I use Delta Green stats for the shoggoth racial traits. Shoggoths are notoriously hardy and difficult to destroy.

@Massasauga

That tracks with what I wrote so far, which is that it's 'basically invincible', so you're probably good.

Umbra Rose Condos

Does Khalid wear any enchanted items or carry any mystical trinkets/baubles with him?? Or is it just the special case with the shoggoth inside?

@Xaltwind

He has six talismans that open their eyes and look at sources of magical/extradimensional energy and also vibrate in its proximity, which he keeps on his belt. He has a number of red wax seals across his equipment and outfit, some of them with eldritch symbols, including his belt buckle and badge, and there are special silks with woven inscriptions as well (his tie actually is one). You can see all this stuff in his image. His umbrella sort of counts, but he doesn't carry it with him unless it's a rainy day or he's going somewhere particularly dangerous.

Umbra Rose Condos

So far, my other idea for a character is a skeleton.

Say hi, Trip

Umbra Rose Condos

As he began his meandering journey through the threefold liminal labyrinth of quiet corridors from Building 3 to the foyer in Building 1, Khalid split his time between three things. First, he kept his pace leisurely and steady, to make sure that he didn’t rock his satchel too much and risk rousing the Shoggoth from its comfortable stupor. Second, he kept a sharp eye out for any sign of activity or anomaly. Anxiously perceptive almost to the point of paranoia, Khalid was determined to miss nothing until he at least reached Building 2. If so much as a puff of smoke began to waft from any of one-hundred-and-twenty-degree corners around here, he would be keenly aware. Nobody who hailed from his vaunted lineage would be caught dead meddling with time, but every rule had its exceptions. Sometimes, the things that lurked out there just got hungry, and in Umbra Rose Condos, the veils could be perilously thin.

Third, Khalid ruminated on what to say and do when he reached the front desk. Every social interaction was, after all, a puzzle to be solved. With sufficient understanding of the pieces involved, one could choose the right series of dialog options to arrive at the desired result. Of course, the fact that the receptionist was a Gorgon would complicate these things. As he walked along, the thin man considered whether or not to use his hand mirror in the upcoming encounter. Avoiding petrification was exactly what it was for, and it would be a waste to not make good use of his preparations for their intended purpose. On the other hand, it would definitely come off as rude. Spotlighting someone’s problems like that tended to be condescending if not outright insulting, even if the person had the sense to be self-aware about them. Miss Lasthena’s glasses ostensibly rendered measures like Khalid’s mirror unnecessary, but he knew as well as anyone that she could simply remove them if she wanted to. Then again, he could -theoretically- do any number of things himself. It was all part of the social contract, and at the end of the day, all anyone could do was hope that everyone else abided by the rules.

Some had to hope more than others, though.

In general, Khalid found it difficult to trust monsters. Human-adjacent monsters, anyway. Just as the frog could trust the scorpion to sting, he could trust the Mi-go to whisper in the dark, and Dark Young to devour sacrifices. But modern monsters, whose ancestral species had adapted to the shifting balance of power by becoming more human themselves, presented a conundrum. Many presented themselves as poor, sympathetic sufferers, dealt a bad hand from birth by fate itself and forced into hiding by cruel humans. As soon as a good enough reason arose, however, they’d abandon their pretenses and pounce. Going ape was simply too great a temptation to pass up. Many humans lived in much the same way, Khalid knew. Living their lives waiting for the right excuse to do what they really wanted without repercussion. For monsters, though, their inherent power -and the resentful pride of a powerful sufferer- made it a bigger issue. They were like addicts who could never get clean, and monstrosity was their addiction. For being like that, dangerous outbursts were never their fault; it was just who they were. And that was the problem.

While traveling through Building 2, Khalid passed by a row of windows that admitted warm daylight from the complex’s centermost courtyard. Naturally, the eruditionist peered through the glass, and when he did he finally caught an overdue glimpse of several inhuman tenants. Of the two, the more eye-catching was a centaur girl that he’d seen before–Miss Chiron. Pleasant and upbeat, she was someone even an apprehensive critic like Khalid could find no fault with. After all, she was the sort of demihuman who only differed from the average person physically, with no inherent risks. If she revealed herself, the public would probably adore her–and if the rumors he’d been hearing about her streaming held water, many people already did. Of course, the same sorts of governments that went and euthanized people’s pet squirrels probably wouldn’t stand for that, but still.

Eilidh wasn’t alone, though, and Khalid’s gaze lingered a moment longer on her companion. It was Mr. Dreary, the Mothman. The thin man made it a point to learn (and document) all the names he could, so that he could address anyone with the same distant politeness if the situation arose, and Dreary was both unfortunately and aptly named. In the morning sunshine and well-tended verdure the gangly, fuzzy, monochromatic cryptid stuck out like a sore thumb, and judging by his blindfold he wasn’t exactly meant to be here, either. Still, maybe even nocturnals needed a little sunshine now and then. Khalid’s own dealings with Alphonse had been very limited on account of their mutual reclusiveness, but the shy Mothman seemed nice enough, and not any kind of threat. If Shoggoth Therapy took off, Khalid wouldn’t mind talking to him. Eilidh probably wouldn’t need it, but who knew. Even if she wasn’t the sort who buried pain beneath a happy smile, streaming could get pretty stressful, and Khalid didn’t plan to turn anyone away.

Eventually, the would-be writer reached Reception. To his displeasure, he found it empty, with Ms. Lasthena absent from her desk. A quick glance at the printer confirmed that she hadn’t received and acted upon his email before leaving, either. Well, no matter. He could wait. Khalid headed over to one of the parlor’s couches and seated himself facing the front doors, his back to the desk. After making himself comfortable, and checking on the Shoggoth, he sat there pondering. Both his writing dilemma and his planned solution to it gave him a lot to think about, and he’d be lying if he said it didn’t have him stressed, but maintaining his composure in the face of danger was a talent of his.

As Khalid ruminated, his eyes remained on the front doors ahead of him, and not just out of apprehension for any incoming monsters. Though unassuming at first glance, this tidy double-doorway was a portal between two very different worlds, and he could still remember the first day he entered through them. It had been quite the task getting through the magic that protected this place from humans, and though he’d gotten more proficient at it during his comings and goings since then, it was never easy. Powerful illusions veiled this place, making sure that passers-by only saw what they wanted and expected to see, ordinary enough to not arouse curiosity and undesirable enough to not arouse interest. That wasn’t the extent of it, though; it was the effect on the human mind that truly safeguarded Umbra Rose Condos. Second thoughts, prior obligations, discomfort and aversion–all rose to the forefront the minute one drew close. Like being put in a microwave, one couldn’t explain what was happening, but one instinctively knew to get out.

Khalid was grateful for that now, though. The very fact that this place repelled humans gave him the plausible deniability he desperately needed. If another tenant saw him, even though he looked human, they couldn’t just assume that he was. On one hand, there were plenty of residents that looked pretty human, and on the other, the presence of one here jeopardized the safety that everyone expected from Umbra Rose Condos. To them, he was a Shoggoth, a rare and poorly-understood horror, and if anyone needed a reminder he would gladly tell them. Those two factors allowed him to weave the Shoggoth into whatever he needed it to be, such as a perfect shapeshifter who could flawlessly imitate the human form, even though that was a far cry from the truth. This was what allowed Khalid to hang out in Reception so brazenly, his refuge in audacity.

Even so, he could not extinguish the fear that gnawed at him like so many insects. The sooner Miss Lasthena got back, the better.

Umbra Rose Condos

Wow, that's quite the coincidence. If this is a concept you've had for quite a while, I hope my own version doesn't end up falling flat in comparison. My concept of the Shoggoth is one that's very close to (and in fact, a piece of) the Shoggoth in At the Mountains of Madness. If Khalid finds out he's not the only one utilizing Shoggoths around, it would be interesting. Maybe your character is what Khalid claims to be, and is highly averse to actually becoming.

Umbra Rose Condos

No worries, just trying to help. I wanted to double check that I hadn't missed anything myself, since Khalid being alone was rather important to my last post lol.

Umbra Rose Condos

Sky Blue had Nicholas in building 1 and mentioned going to the cafeteria, which is also specifically where Ryu went. I believe that nobody but Khalid was in cafeteria 3.

https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5569902
https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5569931

Umbra Rose Condos

For a while Khalid kept working, making adjustments to the design of his business card that included necessary information like his phone number and the fact that all sessions would be free of charge. He also opened a new window and began to put together a poster that could conceivably be tacked to the communal corkboard in the reception room, since while business cards were all well and good, they would probably never reach anyone he himself couldn’t. Unfortunately, progress on his mockups was slower than he would have liked, because he found it difficult to focus. For one, the right words didn’t always come, forcing him to pull up a web thesaurus or divert his attention from his laptop’s screen in order to circle back to his task from a different angle. But as he sat there, alternatively picking at his food and attempting graphic design, the more poignant concern was -as usual- his unique and precarious position.

After all, Khalid was now in public, rather than the security and privacy of his own domain. For all its advantages, room one-twelve was a decent enough place to survive, but not to live. That distinction meant little to the Shoggoth, but it meant the world to a human, and therein lay the problem. Its warm, humid atmosphere, rich with enough potent smells to make a newbie’s head spin, could not be tolerated for extended periods, and so Khalid spent the bulk of each day outside. If he managed to work his way through Umbra Rose Condos and out into the real world, he wouldn’t have to worry about things like possession and petrification, but the real world had its own problems, and Khalid for one didn’t feel at home in those streets, shops, and parks. There was nowhere that he belonged. One couldn’t get far out there without connections or money, which was half of why he’d found his way into Umbra Rose Condos to begin with. Wherever someone like him went, he’d need to be careful. That lesson had been beaten into him, sometimes literally. In here, at least, being careful just meant wearing talismans, growing wolfsbane, and frequently checking one’s blind spots–sometimes with a mirror.

So, it came as a somewhat pleasant surprise when, after a good ten or fifteen minutes at his computer, Khalid realized that the Building 3 Restaurant was still empty. Being in a public place without any people truly was the best of both worlds. He wouldn’t consider himself shy, necessarily, but an introvert never longed for human -or monster- contact. That said, he knew he was well within his right to fear the sort of company he could expect in Building 3. What to expect in Umbra Rose Condos, like monsters themselves, were no mystery if one could understand the patterns.

From his painstaking observations, Khalid knew that Building 1 housed the most human members of this unusual enclave, while Building 3 -with few exceptions- lay on the opposite end of the spectrum. They were presentable, identifiable, understandable. If not for animal ears, tails, pointy teeth, or weird eyes, many might as well be human. One could go to a strip mall in October and find Halloween costumes of all the ‘monsters’ who lived in Building 1. Not so for Building 3. Here there dwelled monsters. Cryptids that would flummox even the most foil-clad conspiracy theorists. Species with names that could seldom be pronounced, let alone recognized. Khalid had discreetly noted down several entities that he believed were, in fact, one-of-a-kinders. Some residents were strictly nocturnal. Some couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, or moved fast enough to stay in one’s blind spots. These were the things that went bump in the night. The things with very particular behaviors and requirements. The things that weren’t in control, or weren’t self-aware to begin with, and whose presence here skirted the narrow line between ‘tenancy’ and ‘confinement’. Like the Shoggoth, they were the sort of things that really threatened mankind, and that really interested him. They were the things he wrote about.

Until now.

With a sigh, Khalid attached his completed files and sent the email. The Gorgon in Reception ought to be on duty at this time, so hopefully she would have everything printed out by the time he arrived, but if she found herself busier than usual thanks to a bevy of correspondences or complaints he could be patient. Getting there would be the tricky part, but if he meant to actually start talking to monsters about his problems, he knew he couldn’t shy away from casual conversations, even if he ran the risk of being found out. He’d rehearsed a variety of situations during his stay so far in case someone should ever confront him, but theory and practice were too very different things. I’ll just have to believe in myself, he supposed.

…Still, it was hard to get moving, especially in the comfortable isolation of this restaurant. Khalid took a moment to inspect the Shoggoth, which was wrapping up its meal and had taken the form of a satisfied, bulbous mound. He checked its heat level by holding his hand close to its shifting epidermis, careful not to touch it. Still warm, but could be warmer. After a moment, the thin man cleared his throat. “Horace.” The mass shifted slightly at the word, instinctively projecting additional organs in his direction. “Are you full?”

“F̵̩͛͝u̵̫̇̏͝l̶̞̣͒̚ḷ̶͑͂͝.”

The hairs rose on the back of Khalid’s neck. No matter how many times he heard it, he could never get used to that voice. His voice, albeit a frightfully distorted imitation. That was about as good as the Shoggoth could ever do. Someone looking on might have thought that the Shoggoth answered his question, but that would be a rash assumption. The Shoggoth had no concept of language, or logic, or right and wrong. It could only take in, digest, and spit out a rough approximation of whatever it had been given. At least, that was his hypothesis. It was impossible to know for sure. The man swallowed. “Are you empty?”

“E̶̤̞͋̃m̸͕̓p̴̫͉̄̔t̸̲̊ý̶͍̔.”

Khalid snorted as he rose from the table. He held his satchel open against its edge, near where the Shoggoth rested. It was time to go, but the Shoggoth wasn’t about to move. Not by itself. “Horace," he said. His talismans rattled, their eyes blinking open. "In."

The Shoggoth stiffened. Then, after a tense second, the eldritch jelly slopped into the bag. Once inside, it relaxed in the warmth of the build-in heater, and Khalid tightened the buckles. His talismans were still again, their eyes closed. After putting his dishes in the return pile, he set off to make the journey through the complex to the front desk, his stride steady and self-assured. Even if, for whatever reason, today was the day, Khalid Alhazred would greet his fate with pride.

Umbra Rose Condos

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

Resident neighbours, I'm not really a fan. If it's part of the staff, I won't mind. I'll probably need to make a list of all the staff that exists in the Condos, but for now, just know that the cleaning staff is mostly a bunch of non-sentient slimes that act as roombas, with their slime queen, who is sentient, giving them orders.

@Dragonydas

Got it, thanks.

Umbra Rose Condos

Pardon me @Dragonydas, I have another question when convenient. Would we be allowed to create/control minor NPCs, like a next door neighbor, in order to have a chat if no other PCs are in the same area for example?