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Due North
The Victorian Manor was straight out of something one might have expected from the works of Poe or perhaps something that may have once inspired the writers of the Penny Dreadfuls. Situated on a hilltop overlooking a stretch of seacliffs the mansion squatted like some sort of tired yet noble creature of the dark. Complete with two full wings, east and west naturally, with an appropriately strange turret punching up from the dreary backdrop. Despite its apparent disrepair, the manor seemed to breathe. In the unkempt grounds, there was the movement of a groundskeeper whose age was totally indeterminant. In the few lit windows of the building shapes moved periodically indicating the presence of at least a handful of serving staff. Or perhaps something more sinister if the locals were to be believed. Overall of this, a single disturbing fact might settle in upon the mind of an astute observer. There was a single strangely lit window that opened onto a balcony. Silhouetted in the strangely cold yellow glow of the room beyond was a single form. Tall, possibly male, and oddly still. Those who had happened upon the manor in the strange hours of the morning could readily identify the form. The oldest son of the family and newly minted Lord Northam observing the tiny corner of the world that had fallen to him with the tragic passing of his parents. Anyone lingering long enough might finally see him turn in; closing the doors and snuffing the strange light. It was all his for now, but the clock was ticking. Lord Northam needed a Lady lest the manor falls to one of the other siblings, family members, or perhaps even a wealthy or politically powerful rival.
Due North is a Gothic/Cosmic Horror focused on the plight of the Northam family and, as the locals call it, Manor North. With the recent death of the Lord and Lady Northam, the Manor has fallen to their estranged and newly returned oldest son. Players will take on the other members of the family (younger siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, maternal grandmother the creepier the better),members of the staff (butler, maids, cooks, groundskeeper etc.), and other parties of vest interest in the Northam family or estate (political rivals pretending to be friends, business partners, family friends, etc,).
Setting
The manor is located on the coast of the English Isle circa 1883 and above an appropriately spooky cove, graveyard, forest, and sea caves/catacombs/tunnels. While most of the story will be centered on the strange manor and its equally unusual family there will be opportunities for travel to the nearby village, London, or even strange far off lands like the Orient or Egypt. Notably the English occupation of Egypt at this time is in full swing and the completion of the Orient Express has just occured.
The Themes
Gothic and Cosmic Horror with a healthy dose of mystery. Naturally with a heightened sense of fear. Close quarters. Strangers in a large house who all have strange goals other stories may unfold personally for your characters. In keeping with a sense of human dread the vast majority of characters should either initially have little to no knowledge of the occult or if they do have knowledge or even a background in it it should be specific as opposed to broad. While this Roleplay is supernatural in nature its horror will be drawn from the fact that any brush with the supernatural is dangerous. An knowledge taken from it, research done on it, or items pertaining to it come with a heavy toll on the characters. For most though Manor North will begin as a creepy house and perhaps by the very end your characters may find themselves having had their fill of the odd and mystical.
The Nitty Gritty
Inspiration will be drawn largely from the works of Stoker, Shelley, Lovecraft, Poe, Radcliffe and others of the Gothic Genre. So this means you will get a healthy dose of the supernatural. From a mechanical standpoint this is acheived by the Manor itself being a draw for the supernatural. Eventually you may even discover why the manor is the way it is and like all good stories when the source of the problem is dealt with our story will end. Ghosts haunt it, Werewolves and stranger things prowl the woods, in some places the house may even be alive, and naturally with Lovecraft fueling the fire you may encounter things of an eldritch or a cosmic nature. I will be doing my best to push forward a particular mystery that Lord North is personally wrapped up in however I encourage you all to develop other strange goings on that trouble your own character and may draw others in. After all we all live the same strange house.
We will keep track of the ongoing “Strange Phenomena” on the character sheet. I just ask that you give me a general idea of where you want to go with your plot and then a name to refer to it as. Generally speaking you should also have a way of dealing with the Phenomena and some keep points to hit towards solving the mystery.
Can I be supernatural
I would encourage you to avoid being overly supernatural. Please no vampires, ghosts, werewolves, eldritch abominations, frankenstein’s monsters, etc. At Least not initially, it maybe your character gets possessed by a ghost, bitten by a vampire, a werewolf, has a strange rite performed on them, etc. If that happens keep in mind that all of these things are bad. At their heart they make you a monster no matter how good you intentions. You will become a danger for the other occupants of the house and will need to be dealt with.
If your character is a psychic, a mild daubler in the alchemical, the arcane, or just has a particular supernatural quirk. These are totally acceptable and in fact encourage. The manor attracts strange things and your character should be a reflection of that. Simply keep in mind that even these things should be a taint or a strain for your character as the darkness can drag even the best down.
