WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM?
Gunther is fairly tall standing at 6'2" and has a fair amount of muscle on him, not qualifying as scrawny by any means though definitely far from Shredded. The way he walks is reflected by his mood; light and carefree when happy with a bit of a bounce in his step, shoulders hunched and eyes forward when focused or moody. He can come off as the most sincere, teddy bear of a guy. But on the other spectrum he can come across as whiny, conceited and a little immature, depending on the situation. He has a healed scar over his left eyebrow that also makes his overall a bit more seasoned, if a bit more scrappy.
WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT?
Gunther is an experienced bartender, working in the same bar that gave him a kitchen job when he was just fifteen in a richer part of town with mostly esteemed clientele. He knows the area and the regulars quite well which makes him the perfect fit for his job, but watching the comings and goings of real people talking about their rich, extraordinary lives has become a little stale. He is realizing that there is so much out of life that he's missing out on, and feels that he could be doing something so much more with his own life. Something... a lot more helpful than just pouring drinks and eavesdropping on rich people secrets.
HOW HAS (NOT) BEING A HOWL AFFECTED THEIR LIFE?
Since Gunther's mother was killed a few years back (investigation still pending), Gunther is starting to feel bored with his job and feels that he could be of so much more use doing something else...
WHY ARE THEY IN OAKEN CITY?
Gunther was born and raised in Oak city with his younger sister, Ky' vie. They never knew their father.
DO THEY HAVE A HOWL ABILITY? WHAT IS IT?
Gunther has only seen glimpses of the Rue, here and there but couldn't exactly tell you what one looks like. But he's sure he's seen them. And since he found out about the death of his murder, Gunther's hands seem to grow warm, much warmer like normal; feverish. He's not sure what that's all about, though...
Yoo Gunther seems like a dependable big brother, huggable yet sometimes whiny as big brothers are, with that bit of stand-your-ground protective determination. He'd be a fantastic addition to the team! Also thanks for the bit of worldbuilding: Oaken now has a richer district and maybe some political undercurrents. The last half of this seems to be intentionally unclear: if you could clarify to make my job a little easier that would be amazing. I can't weave arcs into the plot if I don't have all the info!
It seems he believes he is not a Howl because he's never really had an encounter with Rue, but there are some abilities that haven't truly manifested yet. That's cool! Some questions:
Are the circumstances of his mother's death up to me to decide? If you already have an idea about how his mother died, please share it with me here or privately. If it's up to me, I'll assume Gunther is unaware of the circumstances and I'll weave it into the main story.
Is Ky'vie my NPC to control? If not, I have to ask that she remain in the background and not engage with the story. If so, I will be the only one to control her, and I'll use her to support Gunther's arc.
His abilities seem to be he can visually see the Rue in some way (perhaps he can see shapes or color) and he may have some kind of heat or fire ability that would affect Rue. None of this has fully developed and is so far so subtle he doesn't know he's a Howl. Am I on the right track? Just a note that any heat ability will only affect Rue or the Rue dimension and can't be used for anything in the real world.
He's totally approved, I just personally need some more clear info so I know what I'm working with as I work out the story. 💚
WHAT IS THE CHARACTER'S NAME? Sadie Renee Markawitz
WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM? That she's a hippie, tree loving pothead covered in tattoos.
WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT? Hospice nurse. Something that she prides herself in doing, helping those sick or aged progress to the ends of the life with grace and dignity.
HOW HAS BEING A HOWL AFFECTED THEIR LIFE? She never had an issue with being who she was until she became a nurse. Now, it has just made her become even more empathetic with her patients and their families.
WHY ARE THEY IN OAKEN CITY? Born and raised.
DO THEY HAVE A HOWL ABILITY? WHAT IS IT? Sadie can hear the Rue. More so when around the dead or nearly dying.
Sadie sounds wonderful! Especially for this particular mission! Curious about her tattoos and whether they could have some meanings. 🤔 Also, thanks for the bit of worldbuilding: Oaken now has a pot culture and a great healthcare/hospice system. Hearing Rue gives me the idea of distinguishing types of Rue, especially those surrounding the idea of death. There's something here to be played with! Over on the OOC you can throw your CS directly into the Characters tab.
WHAT IS THE CHARACTER'S NAME? Rachel Finn
WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM? A brash and energetic girl who loves to talk about all the things she can do, with little prompting.
WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT? Throws newspapers at houses as a part-time job, but also dreams of being a full-time adventurer, and doesn't understand why her mother won't allow her to, who describes her dream of being an adventurer as "a worrisome position that could easily get her(Rachel) lost, injured, or killed".
HOW HAS BEING A HOWL AFFECTED THEIR LIFE? Ever since Rachel's figured out she has a Howl Ability, it's only strengthened her resolve to be a cool adventurer and explore cool, ancient ruins, with her new Ability thinking that she's almost invincible and can solely take on the world.
WHY ARE THEY IN OAKEN CITY? Born and raised. Was fascinated by the many stories her dad told her when she was young, and now wants to be a cool adventurer because of them, as well as finding her now absent dad, who disappeared from Oaken City many years ago.
DO THEY HAVE A HOWL ABILITY? WHAT IS IT? Yes; she can smell Rue, and also can phase through walls(and maybe other things/objects, too, if that's okay.).
Rachel sounds like so much fun, and absolutely the life of the group! Thanks for the worldbuilding detail: those mountains just outside the valley are full of mysterious ruins. 👻 Also, plot: missing disappeared dad! Smelling Rue is really interesting and gives me some ideas about different types of Rue: that perhaps Sadie can hear certain ones while Rachel can smell others. It'll be fun to identify the specific smells and how strong they are. Phasing through real-life walls and objects is unfortunately not allowed since it's interacting with reality, but you could hold that thought for later on. It might be possible we'll interact more with the Rue's dimension and objects that exist there, so some other similar ability could manifest during the adventure. Everything else is cool to throw directly on the character tab in the OOC. 💚
RUE: Entities of many forms or no form, depending on whom you ask. They exist in a dimension that overlaps our own and sometimes appear as ghosts, shadows, mirages, and hallucinations.
HOWLS: Humans with a natural ability to perceive Rue. Most people go their whole lives without ever knowingly encountering a Rue. The Howls, however, can see-- or hear, or feel, or smell --when a Rue is nearby. Many Howls take side jobs that passively utilize their unique skills, some are on a mission to bridge communication and harmony between the Rue and humanity, while others make full-time profession of hunting down dangerous Rue. The Howls are so named because most Howl-born infants spend the majority of their waking hours screaming, oversensitive to the perpetual, uncomfortable clash of dimensions.
DARKLIGHT CORRIDOR: A subway train that traverses natural cavern networks deep underground, transporting passengers and cargo between settlements and civilizations. The caverns are infamous for strange occurrences and Rue interference.
▨▥▨▥▨▥▨▥
SETTING
The little city of Oaken is quietly nestled in a lush valley between looming mountains. The roofs slope the color of rust, the clock tower has a funny wooden bird that chirps the hour, and on every bright cobbled corner is another notice board calling for the assistance of Howls. Oaken is a Howl city: a place magically protected against all intrusion by Rue, where Howls can rest and live in peace.
▨▥▨▥▨▥▨▥
CHARACTERS
Characters may be anyone of any background, with any reason for joining the healer's journey. They may have grown up in Oaken, are stopping by for a rest, or are here on vacation.
Characters who work well with others are highly preferred: you will be RPing with each other as much as with me. The GM reserves the right to question or reject any application for ANY reason.
These are the character restrictions:
They must be new, inexperienced, or otherwise a casual dabbler in Howl-related work. There are no seasoned veterans and no know-it-all experts. Everyone is on a relatively level playing field: a low level bright-eyed newbie. I will build the world around the story as we go, which means we're all learning about Rue together. Besides, this is a very easy, underpriced mission that no experienced Howl would ever bother with.
Each Howl may have one or two innate magical abilities that only work on Rue and/or the Rue's dimension. The same ability cannot be used to affect the real world or other people. Abilities manifest at different stages of life and for different reasons: you could start without an ability and discover it during gameplay.
Non-Howl characters are cool too.
No, you can't be a Rue.
You're free to invent what life is like in Oaken and outside of it, but everything is subject to GM veto. This only happens if something you created conflicts with the plot or setting.
If the character came from the outside, do not assume your own premade locations or cities. The farthest reaches of this world will remain entirely under GM creation and control for very good plot-related reasons. Suggestions, however, are welcome!
Don't keep secrets from the GM. I need to be able to account for every character's personal arc as I'm developing the main story. When a character surprises me with secret information in the middle of a scene, I have to stop everything and rework the plot to accommodate it. Please PM me any information that you want to keep hidden from the other players, and we can work together to weave the mystery into the plot.
One character per player. All NPCs, including family members, are entirely mine to control. If you don't want me to control your character's friends or family, they must remain in the background and will not engage with the story at all. One player using multiple characters not only is an unfair advantage, but it forces me to keep track of too many moving parts.
If you feel the need to be Different right out of the gate, please take a moment to consider why.
I know what some of you are thinking. The answer is "perhaps." PM me your ideas.
WHAT IS THE CHARACTER'S NAME?
WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM?
WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT?
"You won't find a one of us much like the other. A friend of mine, she pulls down the sky and flings those Rue right into the solar system. This other guy, he'll shove his arm right down that Rue's gullet with a fistful of fire. I once saw one hypnotize a Rue with a few words and a pendulum. What I do, well, that's complicated. But we're all here for the same reason... mostly. We're all Howls."
RUE: Entities of many forms or no form, depending on whom you ask. They exist in a dimension that overlaps our own and sometimes appear as ghosts, shadows, mirages, and hallucinations.
HOWLS: Humans with a natural ability to perceive Rue. Most people go their whole lives without ever knowingly encountering a Rue. The Howls, however, can see-- or hear, or feel, or smell --when a Rue is nearby. Many Howls take side jobs that passively utilize their unique skills, some are on a mission to bridge communication and harmony between the Rue and humanity, while others make full-time profession of hunting down dangerous Rue. The Howls are so named because most Howl-born infants spend the majority of their waking hours screaming, oversensitive to the perpetual, uncomfortable clash of dimensions.
DARKLIGHT CORRIDOR: A subway train that traverses natural cavern networks deep underground, transporting passengers and cargo between settlements and civilizations. The caverns are infamous for strange occurrences and Rue interference.
▨▥▨▥▨▥▨▥
SETTING AND PLOT
The little city of Oaken is quietly nestled in a lush valley between looming mountains. The rooves slope the color of rust, the clock tower has a funny wooden bird that chirps the hour, and on every bright cobbled corner is another notice board calling for the assistance of Howls. Oaken is a Howl city: a place magically protected against all intrusion by Rue, where Howls can rest and live in peace.
On this sunny morning, a new flyer is posted on every corner: an elderly healer requests a group of Howls to accompany her on the Darklight Corridor with a cargo of medicinal herbs for a distant village suffering from a strange and debilitating ailment. She cannot pay much but promises comfortable hospitality and good food along the way. Interested Howls will need no experience.
▨▥▨▥▨▥▨▥
GAMEPLAY
This RP will be character-driven and decision-driven. Those who make no decisions, who do not act, will not have much fun here. This RP will keep moving, things will keep happening, as long as the characters make them happen.
In other words: the world will react to your character's actions, not the other way around.
At the same time, be sure not to steamroll or ignore the other players. I'm well aware that anyone could drop out at any time and leave conversations unfinished, but try not to let that possibility get in the way of interaction and communication. The relationships and teamwork among the PCs will make or break this RP.
▨▥▨▥▨▥▨▥
CHARACTERS
Characters may be anyone of any background, with any reason for joining the healer's journey. They may have grown up in Oaken, are stopping by for a rest, or are here on vacation.
Characters who work well with others are highly preferred: you will be RPing with each other as much as with me. The GM reserves the right to question or reject any application for ANY reason.
These are the character restrictions:
They must be new, inexperienced, or otherwise a casual dabbler in Howl-related work. There are no seasoned veterans and no know-it-all experts. Everyone is on a relatively level playing field: a low level bright-eyed newbie. I will build the world around the story as we go, which means we're all learning about Rue together. Besides, this is a very easy, underpriced mission that no experienced Howl would ever bother with.
Each Howl may have one or two innate magical abilities that only work on Rue and/or the Rue's dimension. The same ability cannot be used to affect the real world or other people. Abilities manifest at different stages of life and for different reasons: you could start without an ability and discover it during gameplay.
Non-Howl characters are cool too.
No, you can't be a Rue.
You're free to invent what life is like in Oaken and outside of it, but everything is subject to GM veto. This only happens if something you created conflicts with the plot or setting.
If the character came from the outside, do not assume your own premade locations or cities. The farthest reaches of this world will remain entirely under GM creation and control for very good plot-related reasons. Suggestions, however, are welcome!
Don't keep secrets from the GM. I need to be able to account for every character's personal arc as I'm developing the main story. When a character surprises me with secret information in the middle of a scene, I have to stop everything and rework the plot to accommodate it. Please PM me any information that you want to keep hidden from the other players, and we can work together to weave the mystery into the plot.
One character per player. All NPCs, including family members, are entirely mine to control. If you don't want me to control your character's friends or family, they must remain in the background and will not engage with the story at all. One player using multiple characters not only is an unfair advantage, but it forces me to keep track of too many moving parts.
If you feel the need to be Different right out of the gate, please take a moment to consider why.
I know what some of you are thinking. The answer is "perhaps." PM me your ideas.
WHAT IS THE CHARACTER'S NAME?
WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM?
WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT?
GM Notes: It has been three years since I've made one of these. I'm going for something casual, fun to mess with, and tropey as hell. Will probably clarify and edit this as things solidify in my head.
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<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><div class="bb-h3"><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://mokley.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> | <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://discord.gg/vhJjXWx">Discord</a> | <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/windyfiend">AO3</a></div><br><br>I have no idea what I'm doing.</div></div>
Mole
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shylarah
