Red7VII

Redhart Academy: A Fantasy/Horror RP

I'd want at least 3 or 4 more candidates before letting this thing lift off. Thanks for the interest, @sassy1085!

X-Men: The New Era - Avalon Rising

Drake “D” Edwards

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Interaction/Mentions: | Location: Ashford Institute > Danger Room

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Drake looked around the room, trying to stay in the moment. Part of him wanted to just leave, but another part tugged at him to stay, to integrate and be social again like he was before all of the... complications. You have so many relationships in this life. Only one or two will last. He did a mental double-take at those words in his mind. Was that his own thought? The concept proved true in his case. He could be in a room full of 'friends' and really only feel close to one or two of them. His ability to truly connect was rare but when it happened, that connection was indomitable. You go through all the pain and strife, then you turn your back and they're gone so fast. What the hell was happening? It didn't seem like the grizzled influence of The Other, but the words were not being willfully summoned by Drake, himself. Maybe his subconscious was trying to tell him something.

So hold on to the ones who really care. In the end they'll be the only ones there. Drake began silently repeating the words, his lips recreating each one as he stared down at the ground with a stern look of concentration. He knew these words... and yet they were foreign. And when you get old and start losing your hair, tell me who will still care.

"When you get old and start losing your hair?" Drake audibly repeated before cautiously touching his own unkempt mane. Growing hair was not a problem he had now, nor did he anticipate such a problem in the future. "The hell is this- wait..." The tingles of familiarity began to erupt from Drake's stomach like electricity that traveled at breakneck speeds down his legs, through his arms and up his neck. His pupils even dilated for but a moment when the answer finally hit him.

"Mmmbop ba duba dop ba du bop, ba duba dop ba du bop, ba duba dop ba duuuu... yeeaaayyeaahhh." Face face was covered in an enlightened grin and an obvious sense of accomplishment, having solved the mystery. The glee quickly dissolved though and, in his best Eeyore impression, he said, "I hate that song."

Drake quickly brushed it off, trying to force himself back to reality. "Anyway, uh. If any of you ever want to actually spar in this place, hit me up," he offered openly as he patted at his own pockets. Eventually he found the small rectangular box he was looking for; his pack of cigarettes. He meticulously pulled one out and placed it between his lips before returning the pack to his pocket and starting toward the exit. "Til then, I'll be around," he called back as he made he way toward his intended destination of the courtyard to puff on his cancer stick. He would need to go to his dorm room soon after and give himself a makeover that didn't end with him looking like a homeless man that had recently been turned into a zombie.

Redhart Academy: A Fantasy/Horror RP

@The Ghost Note I am a fan. I love what you're doing with your Recollections series. I nearly applied for Magnanimous but felt I would do it a disservice (my schedule can be less than predictable at times). Your ability to build a world is very impressive; you do it very well. I consider your interest an absolute compliment, my friend!

That is not to discredit you, @Jasper19. I was giddy just to have a chance to RP with Jasper. I had heard about his Camp Half-Blood series for so long. A fearless GM who led multiple RPs toward thousands and thousands of posts. You emanate talent, broseph.

Thank you both for the interest and for anyone else who has taken a shine to it. I think this concept can be surprisingly deep with some fun action, comedic opportunities, and even elements available to truly create scenes of horror. I don't even think a big group is necessary, but if we get close to 6 with the right people, I think this RP can go a long way.

Redhart Academy: A Fantasy/Horror RP

Welcome to Redhart Academy

We accept students aged 18 - 24. We provide education of all types from Historical studies to Technological Ventures.
While our academy is very exclusive and, at times, expensive, we also offer grants, financial aid and even scholarships to the right candidate.

Also, for a select few pupils, we teach you how to use magic.

We house students 2 to a dorm and allow for mixed gender bunkings if certain circumstances and agreements are met. We have a wide array of shops and venues around the campus area to keep you entertained, fed, clothed and healthy. There are several clubs and associations with their own specific housing quarters, but one must be a member to enjoy those benefits.

Most students can enjoy a casual atmosphere with a high social lifestyle with their fellow academic comrades with very little to worry about.

Except monsters. And witches. And creatures of a various sort that feed upon or simply hate humanity as a whole.

You're a new student. You don't know many people here. You're also cursed.

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So far so good? GOOOOOD!!

This RP is going to be Neapolitan. You've got some Slice Of Life, you've got some Fantasy elements, and you've got a bit of Horror. Delicious! You've just been admitted to this strange academy rich with secrets and secret societies to boot. The more your venture in, the more the world of Redhart unravels.

There is a catch, though. You're not going to apply with stats to see if you're worthy of making an opening post. You're going to make your opening post now. As I mentioned, you are already cursed. You've heard of Werewolves. Some human takes of the malicious spirit of a wolf and it ultimately turned into a monster, usually by the light of a full moon.

Well, the curse is similar, but the effects are different.

Everyone has a spirit animal. Some seem more intimidating than others, but all spirit animals stand for something. Your character has recently been rapaciously bonded with that animal and will soon find what that bond truly means for them. Maybe your spirit animal is a turtle, wise and defensive. Once bonded, you find yourself strutting around like a teenage ninja of a particular pursuasion.

Cowabunga

Maybe your the broody night time type that hangs out in coffee shops talking about how abysmal life it. Maybe your spirit animal is a bat.

nananananananana YOUman!

The point is that you were cursed (or blessed) with the bonding of you to your animal spirit and this bond has made you far more powerful than anyone could have anticipated. You heal faster, your senses are stronger and more acute, and you enjoy some of your animal spirits' more biological advantages as well (flight, durability, speed, agility, etc). There will be phases in this game with primary goals to meet. Your first goal will be to tell us how you got cursed, what your spirit animal is, and finding a way to meet up with your brethren who were cursed the same way.

And once we have all of our pieces in place, the real game begins. You will find yourself standing across from demons, witches, warlocks, monsters, the living dead, and more.

Right now, before we get into too much detail, I just want to make sure there is interest in this sort of thing. I will be providing you with starting conditions and within your application, you're going to tell us about your character and also make you first post about the night your character became afflicted. If this goes well, we will make it into a series of RPs and perhaps even do a crossover saga with one of my other RP brands.

If you're into the idea, I'll flesh it out and put the real work in to make this look polished and badass. Let me know!

**There will be no reservations for who gets what animal bond. If we end up with 2 werewolves, we end up with 2 werewolves. I have faith in our writing abilities that we can still make it interesting. And if two people choose the same animal, that does not necessarily mean that they have the same perks.**

I will also be looking for 2 GMs and, once we have a core group, a discord server will be made. PM me if you want to GM and let me know why you would be a good candidate to do so.

Council of the Night

London, England
Midnight
Hyde Mansion, Ward's Office

I am where I am because I have proven time and again that I have no fear. I can stare down evil and smile. I am steel. But this... this is putting my nerves to the test...

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy... I don't know why you're choosing to be so difficult," Ward said with a melodic tone, enriched with false compassion. He sat behind his massive marble desk, black as night, and held his hands together as if in prayer as he looked ahead at the so called Sammy. I stood just to Ward's side, my 9mm pistol trained on Sammy's forehead while Jackie, Ward's Number Two, stood directly behind this poor lad. Jackie's black business suit was covered in a clear plastic apron that was splattered with crimson. There was blood all over, but none of it belonged to him. The giant of a man, standing at nearly seven feet tall, towered over Sammy, his eyes boring down into the latter's skull with such hateful intensity.

"Your people are dead," Ward explained. "Your partners are now my partners. You've lost. The rest is just a formality. I want your stash, your weapons, your money that you've stowed away for a rainy day. I want to know where it is and I want access to it. It's mine now. I am the storm." Ward leaned forward and stared at Sammy as if he were reading a book and having trouble comprehending some of the words. I've seen him do this a lot and it seems pretty odd each and every time it happens.

I'm not easily grossed out, but my stomach had begun to churn as I looked at poor Sammy. His ears had been ripped off, leaving tattered bloody holes where they had once resided. Jackie had grotesquely detached them with his bare hands and placed them into Sammy's lap to make sure that the sorry sap could see them anytime he looked down to hide from Ward's gaze. To give Sammy a closer look, Jackie had also been instructed to pull one of Sammy's eyeballs out of its socket. It was left dangling by loose tendons, bouncing off of and rolling upon Sammy's cheekbone every time the man moved his head in the slightest. His teeth were all but gone, replaced by jagged, broken remnants living in a mouth that constantly drooled out blood. Sammy's arms were tied behind his back while he sat in that chair. His fingers had become jagged, broken, useless appendages. And yet, even though this man was ruined, he still held strong. I had to admire him for that.

In response, Sammy spit blood out of his mouth, hitting Ward in the face with a few of the droplets. Ward didn't even blink.

I was assigned this job to take Ward down. The Boogeyman of England. I've let terrible things happen, witnessed mortifying events all in an effort to get closer to him. I've used every trick the academy taught me to deal with the psychological backlash of it all. I keep having to tell myself that it's for the greater good. It will all be worth it in the end when I take him down. This is why I got into law enforcement. I am the knight that will slay the dragon.

"Fine. I didn't want it to come to this, but you've left me no other alternative, Sammy. This one is on you. Jackie, bring in the boy." Sammy's one good eye widened and his chin dropped. Jackie stepped out of the room for just a moment before returning with a very young boy under his arm, carrying him like a sack of potatoes. There was duct tape over the boy's mouth and ropes binding his wrists and ankles. Jackie stood the boy upright just beside Ward before returning to his position behind Sammy. The broken man squealed and panicked, growled and pleaded.

"No! No! Please! You son of a... !" His words were slurred and sloppy through gargled blood and broken teeth, but Ward heard him perfectly.

"Your son, Jason, looks just like you," he said as he analyzed the boy whose cheeks were wet with tears. "Well, I supposed I should say he looks just like you used to." Ward's smile was one of the creepiest things I have ever witnessed. It was like a silent threat to anyone who had to bear witness to it. This was going too far... Sammy was the leader of a very prominent gang in England. He didn't make it to the top by being sloppy. He was a ghost who used to have nearly 200 soldiers under his command. How in the hell did Hyde find him? How in the hell did he find his kid? Ward opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a large kitchen knife that had brown crust along the sharpest edge of it. I knew dried blood when I saw it. He held the knife to the boy's neck with one hand and gripped his hair with another, preventing the him from moving. "Now, Sammy. This is going to be the final time I ask. I think the consequences are self explanatory. Where. Is. The. Stash."

"Oh God, I'm so sorry. Jason, I'm so sorry. It's.. oh God, alright, I'll tell you! I'll fucking tell you, just let him go!" Sammy's voice started with fear and ended in hatred. Every nerve in my body was exploding. I was not going to watch this man kill a child. I looked at Ward, my lips curling up. You so much as nick that boy, and I'm going to fucking kill you. Suddenly Ward's attention was off of Sammy. Ward was looking at me. Directly at me. And there it was... that fucking smile.

And then it was like someone hit a switch.

"Fantastic," Ward exclaimed. "I knew you would see reason. Jackie, take the ropes off the man, he's been through quite enough!" As he gave the order, Ward took his knife and made quick work of the little boy's bonds, letting them fall to the floor before taking off the tape that covered his mouth. "Jason, I'm truly very sorry for the trouble. I hope you don't take it personally. This was just business between your father and I." He gave the boy a nod and messed up his hair with a pat usually reserved for dogs. "Go on now," he encouraged. Finally freed, Sammy stood up and took Jason in a messy hug as he wept. "Ah, you see there. That's what I like to see. You know, Jason, I never really knew my father. Treasure this time you have with him. This time that I have gifted you both. Jackie, please get the information we need from Sammy as you see them out. Drop them off at the hospital, and make sure the bills get taken care of, our treat."

I couldn't believe it. In an instant, it was like everything changed. His demeanor, the way he carried himself. It was like an entirely different person. I watched as Jackie led Sammy and his son out of the room, leaving me alone in there with the notorious Mr. Hyde.

"You just... You're just letting them go? After all that?" It wasn't disappointment in my voice. In truth, I was absolutely relieved. I was just baffled, utterly confused. Ward stood up slowly and walked over to me. I holstered my gun awkwardly and tried to stand strong. Tried to hide the anxiety that his mere presence gave me.

"Of course, Thomas. We got what we wanted. And now that man is going to live out the rest of his days knowing that he's breathing because I allowed it. He's going to see his son's face and know that I, Ward Hyde, had it clutched in my hand under the grave threat of a knife and that I could do it again at any moment that I so desire. I won, Thomas. Any further bloodshed would be excessive and inhumane. I mean, come on, what do you take me for? A monster?"

He was standing face to face with me, his nose was but a few inches from mine. He stopped breathing. He just stared... unblinking. Unmoving...

"No, boss, I would never-" His hand pushed my chin up with inhuman speed. Suddenly I was looking at the ceiling. I heard it before I felt it. It sounded like an orange being crushed. There was a pinch at my neck. It felt like it was happening in slow motion, but I knew that this was being done within a fraction of a second. I could see my fluids spraying the otherwise pristine white walls of the office. Ward's hand left my chin, giving me back control of my own head. As I looked back down I saw his face. His mouth was covered in blood and a fountain of crimson, coming from me, was showering his dark suit. There was a mangled chunk of meat in his teeth. He spit it back at me, hitting me in the face. It was skin... it was my neck... I held my hands up, trying to cover the horrific hole that Ward created, but the blood could not be contained. My life force was slipping away. The room was beginning to blur. My legs gave out. Before I knew it, I was on the ground staring up at him. Fuck him, this fucking guy. Was he... was he still smiling?! And then the darkness came... everything was black...

~~~~~~

Jackie opened the door to see Ward covered in blood, standing over Thomas' limp body settled in a pool of its own fluids.

"What happened, boss?" the giant asked with genuine concern.

"Nothing I couldn't handle. Please take Agent Thomas Nelson here and dispose of him."

"Agent," Jackie repeated, confused.

"Apparently so. Shame on me for not reading him sooner," Ward said, dismissively. Jackie did as he was told and dragged out the body. The office would need to be completely recarpeted and painted, but that would be a task for a different day. Ward sat down in his chair once more. Now that that business was settled, it was time to address what was next. He noticed a few letters in his mail bin and snatched them up, analyzing each envelope. As soon as he got to the one with the waxed seal, he immediately discarded the others. He just stared at it for a moment, considering the possibilities of its purpose. Finally he broke the seal and began to read...

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The Next Day
Castle Dracula
Library

“To a new world of gods and monsters!”

Hyde remained silent, shrouded in shadow as he leaned against a bookshelf, taking in all of the information. He had hopped on a plane immediately and made the grueling trek to the vampire's abode. He made no effort to extend false courtesy's to the rest of the council beyond a slight nod of recognition if their eyes should meet. Dracula was gone and no one really knew why... And here was the Phantom hoping to create a kingdom of his own while the alleged king was away. He took in Talbot's points and the hellspawn's as well. The walking fish threw in his two cents for good measure, but nothing that had been said would lead toward a resolution for the initial problem.

"The self-appointed King of the Night is gone and we are comfortable with saying that some Doctor Pretorius is responsible?" Ward shook his head dismissively. "One must consider what it would take to bring down the Vampire King by force and once you've imagined what that entity was capable of, then you'll have a better shot as putting a name to it." He pushed himself off the bookshelf and began to pace slowly. "Phantom, I'm afraid I have no interest in your utopia of horror," he declared. Ward had his own kingdom to run. "but I am interested in what anyone knows about this Pretorius character. Who is he? What is he? What can he do and does he have a reason to come after us next?"

Ward let his inquiries marinate as his gaze met each and every face in the room, trying to find some twitch, some tell that would give away a clue about his associates' motives. As a rule, he promised Dracula not to invade the minds of his fellows on the council unless it begame absolutely necessary, and Ward never broke his promises.

Council of the Night

I'm good to start. Even when RPs start, there is usually at least a week before anything of significance happens. I think everyone will have a reasonable chance to jump in.

Good Evening, and Hello

@Juniper Blume I'm sorry to be the one to have to inform you, but I think we just became best friends, now. May Glob have mercy on your soul. I look forward to RPing with you!

The Order: Redmane University (Based on the Netflix Show)

I don't want to over-complicate things, @Juniper Blume, but I'm mostly just looking for an easy going 9 or 10 paragraphs, preferably once or twice a day.

:D

I kid! Super easy going. Once a week post, maybe, with maybe an average of 2 paragraphs as a minimum (a 1 paragraph post is fine every now and then), but this is definitely not a super serious, stick to the rules or die type of RP. I'm easy, baby! Easy like Sunday morning!

The Order: Redmane University (Based on the Netflix Show)

Same, though I'm starting to think framing this as a show fandom RP might be working against it. May have to repackage it to make it more accessible. Same game, just no direct association so it doesnt scare people away.

The Order: Redmane University (Based on the Netflix Show)

The Order is a show that has just wrapped up its second season on Netflix. Witches, Warlocks, Demons, Werewolves... There's a lot of fantasy horror elements that get some focus during the show's run and that's really what Redmane intends to focus on.

There is a lot to unpackage when trying to describe this world to someone who has not seen the series so I'm going to leave you with some helpful links to peruse at your leisure to get familiarized with this world.

**WARNING: There may be spoilers within said links**

The Show

The Lore

Now for the short and sweet version:
Redmane University is a school of prestige for students of wealthy families or those granted with financial assistance/scholarships/grants. Within the university resides a branch of the secret society known as The Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose, a gender neutral collective of magic users who study and practice their mystical arts in secret. The Order exists to safeguard magic and address supernatural threats but there is another secret society that governs and sometimes even protects them; The Knights of St. Christopher. The Knights of Saint Christopher have an even more exclusive membership, but once you're in, you're in until death. Oh, and all Knights are also werewolves...

Right now I'm just canvasing to see if there is interest in this sort of fan RPG. The show takes place at Belgrave University whereas the RP will be at the fictitious Redmane University, a satellite school and one of the many branches that house both The Order and the Knights. There may be some parallel events between the game and the show, but all characters will need to be original characters and its safe to say you will likely not be running into any characters from the show.

I want to be a spellcaster. What can I expect?
Witches and Warlocks must be recruited into the order. Once you receive an invitation, you must go through the trials of initiation. Once accepted, it is only then that you will begin to learn magic.

I want to be a werewolf. What can I expect?
The Knights of St Christopher (aka Knights of the Blue Rose) are even more exclusive when it comes to taking on new blood. Werewolves are not created like typical horror movies. Instead, a werewolf spirit is linked to a hide and that spirit has it's own independent personality. The hide chooses it's champion and bonds with them until death, in most scenarios. Werewolf spirits have their own names (Like Silverback, Greybeard, Tundra, Midnight, Timber and others). They also have their own personalities and typically try to find a champion that shares their views. If a champion dies, the hide disconnects from their body and can then be bestowed upon a new champion. There are no sign-up sheets to become a werewolf. The Knights have to find you and the hide has to select you.

I want to be both! A Magic Werewolf!
This can be done, though I am going to put a governor on this concept (or everyone is going to want to do it). In this game, werewolves can learn magic, but their spells will always, by default, be weaker against any other witch. If you throw a repulsion spell and someone who is 100% witch throws a repulsion spell at you at the same time, you're going to fly way farther back than they will.

Dis/Advantages of a Spellcaster
Once accepted into the ranks of The Order, you're going to have a nearly endless supply of occult knowledge and resources at your disposal. You'll have more spells, stronger spells, and access to specialized and enchanted gear that no one else other than your fellow acolytes will have. All spells require a sacrifice, which is usually satisfied in the form of self-harm such as cutting open your palm or finger. If you neglect to perform your sacrifice, chaos will respond exponentially. For example, if you neglect to cut your palm now, don't be surprised if Chaos/Karma takes off your entire arm later.

Dis/Advantages of a Werewolf
Once you've bonded with a hide, you are stronger, heal faster, can sense when dark magic is being used and can transform into a hulking bipedal werewolf. You can partially transform, too, if you just needed the advantage of claws or teeth, and the moon plays no part in your abilities, either. To that extent, through all the old tropes about silver bullets out the window, too. Werewolves can be killed quickly with enchanted weapons, damaging spells or with severe damage. Wolves also are hard for Witches to trust as, despite any behavior to the contrary, they are always looked upon as a reckless threat.

I see the info about Wolves and Witches. What if I want to be something else entirely?
As a GM, I need to be able to herd you cats with as much ease as possible to drive the story forward, which means I need you to have access to most of the same places. You're going to need to be college-aged (18 - 22, with few exceptions) to explain why you're at Redmane University. The idea is that most of you will be magic casters of some sort, which means a lot of the game will be taking place within The Order's temple or in The Knights' base of operations. I need you to have access to one or both of those. And lastly, I need you to live in a world surrounded by Humans, so it is probably best if you look human, too, and can move around them without causing too much of a stir.

What that means is that it wouldn't make much sense to try and play a Demon as they are visually unusual, have no business going to college classes, and would have little to do for most of the game outside of heated conflicts. It wouldn't make much sense to play a vampire who could only roam at night that would need to feast on the blood of humans, thereby making all the other players your potential walking, talking meals. Lastly, it wouldn't make much sense to play other beings of mythical legend unless you could explain how they can blend in, why they would be taking university classes, and why they would want to be in the Order. That in mind, I am open to your unique suggestions, but don't get offended if they get shut down. It's not personal, it's just for the sake of the game.

I've never seen the show. Can I still play?
Of course! The world of The Order will be explained as we go and there are plenty of resources online to help you in understanding this setting that we are about to step into. That said, watching the show is certainly advantageous because you'll already have a familiarity with all of the concepts, but it is definitely not required.

I think that sums up most of the basics... So - is this sort of concept something that would interest you?