Out Of Words
GM of If December Freezes
A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words
A story by Out Of Words
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SETTING
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Inspired by The Magicians, World of Darkness, The Witcher, Shannara Chronicles, The Order, Legacies, and so much more.
Set in modern day U.S.A. where magic and the supernatural exist (2020 but without the pandemic). The general population is still relatively unaware of such things, but there are groups out there who know. There are several different opinions; those who would exploit the knowledge for their own personal or financial gain, those who support and embrace the supernatural and all they have to offer, and the fanatics who want to ensure humans are at the top of the food chain.
Events transpire which force a need for the different factions to work together, all while keeping everything they value safe. Why is the moon bleeding? What are the effects, if any, aside from the blood red color at night? Is this some prophecy or something even darker on the horizon? These are just a few possible questions the player characters will need to answer.
My plan is to run this as more of a GM role. I will have NPCs, and several notable NPCs, all designed to fulfill roles meant to move the story along. When necessary, there will be GM posts advancing the plot, or introducing player characters to one another, and so on. I would like to see at least one post a week, but no one will be actually removed for lack of a response. The character will just be left behind, and if the player wants to participate again, we'll figure out how to bring them back into the current events.
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ROLES
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- Magicians:
- Witches, Warlocks, Mages, Sorcerors, Wizards, and more. Any being who relies upon magic to cast spells.
- Shifters:
- Werewolves, Bastet, Kitsune, Corax, Gurahl, Nuwisha, Ratkin, and more. Any being who has a human form, and an animal form.
- Vampires:
- Blood vampires, Psychic vampires, Nosferatu, Mortal vampires, and more. Any being who has to live by draining something from another.
- Non-Humans:
- Elves, Fae, Dwarves, Gnomes, Ogres, Trolls, and more. Any being who is not human, shifter, or vampire. Some Magicians may be non-human with approval.
- Hunters:
- Any being who makes a living hunting supernatural beings listed above.
- Magicians:
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MAGICIANS
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There is magic almost everywhere in the world, with the strongest magic found near ley lines. It can be seen, even tasted, by those with the skill to wield it, and shape it to their desires. Magic has a give and take, a balance of sorts. Casting spells require a physical action, usually in the precise movements of one's hands and body. The smallest miscalculation can alter the intended end result. It also drains the magic user's energy, the larger the spell or effect, the greater the drain. Many foolish magicians, untrained or too ambitious, found this out the hard way, their life cut short.
Magic is more reliable and stronger when it is a communal effort. Spell casters tend to find strength in numbers. Four or five mages focusing upon the same spell, can accomplish a great deal more than a single mage. The drain upon the users are shared, thereby minimizing the effect on each individual. It needs to noted, magic affects more than even magic users are aware of. For example, the making of a deal or pact between two or more beings, is bound by the magic in the area. The closer to a ley line, the stronger the bond. To then break such a pack would be the equivalent of challenging the consequences to come find you while you shine like a beacon in the night. Bad 'luck' will continue to happen until the bond is made right.
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SHIFTERS
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Shifters are beings with at least two forms; one human, one animal. There are no hybrids. For example, if the mother was a shifter, and the father another type, their offspring will only inherit one or the other, never both. There are some general guidelines for shifter characters. For example, the number of times and duration a character can reasonably shift in a day. Until they have spent a significant amount of time in their other form, they will not be as agile, or understand the enhanced senses. Shifting is not, and never will be instantaneous. It takes focus, energy, and willpower to complete the transformation, so characters lacking in any of those might wind up caught in a partial shift; long nails, fangs, pointed ears, etc. Even those experienced with both forms must take a small duration into account when they want to shift.
The full moon does not induce automatic rage. Shifters feel a stronger connection to their supernatural abilities during a full moon. Perhaps their enhanced senses are much stronger during this time, or they feel a deeper need to be in their other form for the duration. Either could feasibly make the shifter more irritable, perhaps more likely to have outbursts of emotion, but the full moon itself does not cause blinding rage, or force shifters to change forms.
However, there will be a good deal left open for player interpretation. In this world, shifters don't have to always experience pain when shifting after their first shift. If you choose to keep pain as part of your character's shifting, keep in mind pain is often taxing on the body, increases the duration of the shift itself, and limits how much shifting a character can do in a day due to the drain upon their endurance. Clothing is another option open to personal choice. Some shifters have learned how to take their clothing with them, lending to some rumors of shifters being inherently magical in nature. Others must disrobe fully.
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VAMPIRES
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Any being which has to live by draining something vital from another being, is considered a type of vampire. From a blood sucker, to a psychic vampire which feeds on the energy/lifeforce of another, to mortal vampires who are humans who choose to drink blood, believing it gives them some type of edge. In this world, only the newly turned, or starved, are prone to suffer 'blood lust'. Otherwise, vampires know how to handle their shit, and do not freak out when they smell blood. There are very few 'feral' vampires left, those that do exist are likely on borrowed time.
Some other items to keep in mind when choosing to play a vampire in this world. You have a reflection and can be seen in mirrors, photographs, cameras, and so on. A magic user might be able to enchant or make a charm to help block such things, but it isn't something a player character will start out having access to. It also takes a lot to drain a human 'dry'. More than the vampire can probably process. If the vampire does 'eat their fill', they will feel bloated, full, and lethargic. About the equivalent of a human's 'eyes bigger than their stomach' at Thanksgiving dinner.
NOTE: Player Characters who are vampires cannot be magicians.
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NON-HUMANS
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Any being who isn't human, shifter, or vampire. There's too long of a list to name them all; elves, dwarves, gnomes, half-elves, ogres, trolls, and so on. The more obvious beings, such as trolls and ogres, either live in areas far removed from any prying eyes, or they have a contract with a magician for trinkets to disguise their true forms. These contracts are not cheap, not easily bartered for, and for a player character, would need to be discussed with the GM.
Some non-human beings can reasonably pass as human, and enjoy the benefits of doing so. They live in the densely populated urban cities, hold down jobs, maybe even have a house with a white picket fence. Some may choose to not integrate so deeply with the humans for reasons of their own. Player characters who select a non-human role, and want to be a magic user, will need to discuss the characters with the GM.
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HUNTERS
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Any being who actively pursues the other roles. Whether it is for personal, financial, or other type of gain, they are hunters. There is a wide underground black market, selling almost anything one could think of. If there is a demand, it will be on the black market. Some magic users buy body parts of shifters, vampires, and non-human beings to use in their potions and other spell components. Humans in the know might believe certain shifter body parts give them that extra advantage in an otherwise mundane life.
Then there are those hunters who want to see, and keep, humans at the top of the food chain. Selling off their 'goods' is more of a passing business transaction, than the reason for the hunt itself. Not to mention government and private agencies willing to pay a supernatural being for a 'test trial'. Often the poorer creatures, or those who just can't ever seem to fit in wherever they go, volunteer for these trials to make some much needed money.
NOTE: Hunters can be any of the other roles, for who makes the best hunter, but one of their own kind?
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RULES
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- Rule 1: Follow RPNation rules at all times.
- Rule 2: Common Sense: Fade to black for anything not in accordance with RPNation rules, no killing other player characters without their consent.
- Rule 3: Please try to post at least twice a week. As the GM, when the activity falls into a lull (no new activity for one week), I will write a post to move the story along.
- Rule 4: If you want to use code for the character sheet, or IC replies, please make sure it is mobile friendly (or you must include a non-coded version behind a spoiler tag).
- Rule 5: Characters must be approved before they can enter the story.
- Rule 6: All characters should be 17 or older, all players should be 18 or older.
- Rule 7: Please post a minimum of one paragraph, no one line replies, third person POV.
- Rule 8: Please check your spelling, punctuation, basic writing etiquette.
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ABOUT ME
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I started role playing with Dungeon and Dragons in 1983, and GM'd some tabletop and online games (GURPS, Robotech, AD&D, more). Most stories have been in the form of writing via chat rooms, forums, e-mail, etc. I absolutely love supernatural themes, especially shifters. I came to adore shifters with World of Darkness: Werewolf the Apocalypse and it only grew from there. There has always been an abundance of creativity, perhaps due to being a 'latchkey' kid and having to keep myself entertained.
I have a vast number of characters in my imagination, old, new, and not yet fleshed out. There are days when my muse is too drained, but my status (under the icon) should give a heads up. If it states 'Words: Recharging', then there is likely no posts from me during that day.
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LINKS
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Still accepting! 
Chase in particular is really fun). I tried to send you a character sheet but I guess I need to make a few more posts before my PM's aren't automatically blocked as spam.
