Fantasy Adventure! Mystery! Horror! A Forest That Won't Let You Go? AND Cthulhu Mythos?!

[Space Dingo]

The year is 1923 and it's been over a month since Professor Wilfred McMillan, an acclaimed Archaeologist of the famous Miskatonic University. Professor McMillan left a rather vague note at the end of August. He had "discovered something amazing in Romania" and "it will help complete [his] book" that he had been working on for the last few years.


Several of Professor McMillan's colleagues and a few mentees set off to Romania in search of the missing professor. This search and rescue party will find themselves in the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca. To the west is the haunted forest, Hoia Baciu. Various rumors of seeing their missing professor all lead to that forest. All the locals only whisper the name of Hoia Baciu. None ever go near, let alone inside. Everyone who has ever entered either never return or return, but never the same as they once were. Even just standing near it give the locals a bad feeling.


After all the warnings the local gave and their refusal of sending them a guide, the professor's search party will have to enter the forest alone. There, they will realize that they are not alone. Nor will they be able to leave the forest unscathed.




Looking for a few people interested in playing! This will be a mystery/horror where sanity is the only thing you hold dear more than your very life. In this world, all the Cthulhu/Lovecraft Mythos are very much alive. Even though the name "Cthulhu" is mentioned, Cthulhu will not be taking part in this story, but instead we will be focusing more on the God Hastur and his avatar The King in Yellow.


All of the characters involved in this story are associated with the fictional school Miskatonic University either as other Professors and possibly a mentee/student or two. I will be drawing a lot of elements from the tabletop game Call of Cthulhu and Trail of Cthulhu (not the game mechanics, just some information).


Also please note that sanity loss is going to be a big factor in this game. Depending on the poll results, I might come up with a sanity loss gauge.

 

[Snallac]

This seems interesting. I think it would be better just to RP out the insanity stuff, as different characters would have different measures of mental fortitude, and manifest insanity in different ways.

 

[Capricious Raven]

I would love to take part in this RP if it gets up and running. I already have a character created for a rp such as this.

 

[Space Dingo]

Ah! Nice! I'm glad you guys are interested! I'm hoping to at least get one or two more interests in this before starting. I'm not looking for a big group, since it's basically a search party traveling to Romania. But I should have a thread up in the next few days. Also I'll come up with a character for you guys either today or tomorrow.

 

[Space Dingo]

This post has sadly fallen back three pages, hopefully I can get more interests soon so I can start this rp!

 

[Charcoal]

Though I've only recently discovered my love for Lovecraftian horror, I'd be happy to join in on this! This'd be a great way to explore the mythos if you'd be willing to help guide me where I'm patchy.

 

[Space Dingo]

Awesome! I think I'll have a thread up for you guys tonight. I'll also come up with a character sheet as well. Since its been a bit since I posted this thread I guess I could cap it off with the three of you. I was trying to invite one other person, but I have not heard back from them since I sent them a pm.


I'll welcome one more person if I get another one interested by tomorrow.


@Charcoal


Glad to have you aboard! I'll be more than happy to guide you. I'm not 100% knowledgeable in all things Cthulhu Mythos, but I'll do my best. I look up anything I don't know.

 

[Charcoal]

I'll be sure to get to properly educating myself on anything I miss out on, don't want to burden you too much of course. Thanks for the quick reply, I look forward to character making! Out of interest, will we be seeing tomes and the like (ie. magical abilities similar to the two games you listed)?

 

[Space Dingo]

Tomes... tomes.... Hmm.... Well there will be a "magical book" of sorts throughout the RP, but the main idea of the RP is that the players (you guys) are only human and discovering something beyond what your mind can comprehend. Like your characters can have an interest or just study the occult, but doesn't really mean you practice it. I don't know if this helps exactly, but this is the description of the skill "occult" in the Call of Cthulhu game: "The user recognizes occult paraphernalia, words, and concepts, and identifies grimoires of magic and occult codes when he sees them. The occultist is familiar with the families of secret knowledge passed down from Egypt and Sumer, from the Medieval and Renaissance West, and perhaps from Asia and Africa as well." Let me know if I didn't answer your question exactly, and I'll try to answer it better.

 

[Charcoal]

No, you did, just not in the way I was expecting. Within Call of Cthulhu, there are books that can be found that offer various abilities at the cost of sanity the more you use them (such as communion with one of the old gods, for example). The books generally have accounts of people who've come into contact with old gods, so in a way you could say it's a passing on of that madness (madness being interpreted within Lovecraft to basically mean acquisition of higher thought and knowledge, the weight of which also happens to procure insanity). I'll grab a description of one.





Sussex Manuscript


English, translated by Baron Frederic, 1597


A muddled, incomplete translation of the Latin Necronomicon,


printed in Sussex, England, in an octavo edition.


Properly known as the Cultus Maleficarum.


Sanity Loss: 1D6


Cthulhu Mythos: +2/+5 percentiles


Mythos Rating: 21


Study: 36 weeks


Suggested Spells: same as Al Azif, but possibly dangerously


flawed in form and intent.





(irrelevant, but interesting)





So, basically, tomes that grant access to knowledge that lets you perform rituals and the like. Magic, for want of a better word, though this stuff is volatile.





Suggested spells from Al-Azif;





Call Forth the Angel Yazrael (Call/


Dismiss Yog-Sothoth), Call Forth the Lord of the


Pit (Call/Dismiss Nyogtha), Command the Angel


Dilyah (Summon/Bind Servitor of the Outer Gods),


Consult Dark Servant (Contact Ghoul), Consult Ye


Spirit of the Earth (Contact Nyarlathotep), Dominate,


Dust of Suleiman, Elder Sign, Powder of Ibn-


Ghazi, Voorish Sign.

 

[Space Dingo]

Ah! I see. I actually never came across any tomes when I got to play Call of Cthulhu a while ago. Hm. I'm not so sure the tomes will play a big part in the RP, but I could possibly implement some here and there in the RP. The majority of the RP will take place in the forest, so I don't think coming across tomes would happen more than once.

 

[Charcoal]

Yeah, it was more simply as a point of interest - this being such a controlled setting, how long do you anticipate the RP lasting? I can see something like this working well on an episodic basis, so if we/you have a good following of people who enjoyed this kind of thing, we could certainly use things like that in the long term. This kind of mythos always works well in that respect, what with the passage of time playing a big role in the development of insanity and the studying of tomes/statues/symbols/general information gathering on spoooooky cults.

 

[Space Dingo]

To be honest, I haven't thought too far as how long I want this RP to last. But logically, I can't see it last more than a couple of weeks to a month. But this gives me an idea. If in fact you are right about having a good following of people who enjoyed this, I think it would be awesome to make this episodic. Depending on how your character ends up physically or mentally, you can choose to continue using this character in the "next rp" or pick up a new character. Each "episode" could focus on a different god. Its an idea at least.

 

[Charcoal]

You could focus on god to god, even just do smaller bits that are about delving into ruins without the gods intervening at all, just lots of traps and old artifacts and the like. Do episodes based upon particular groups of gods (I think they have families, right?), talk about them trying to do something devious, interaction with a cult, maybe we do a big, secret conference where a whole bunch of researchers get together and then they get ambushed by cultists for the stuff they've "stolen" from them. . . who knows? Lovecraft made such a big universe we could do all kinds of stuff; even boss battles! We could end up with serious fights whereby the apostles of one god (possibly even played by characters that have since joined said cult from exposure to the mythos) gather to fight another group and their god!

 

[Space Dingo]

Hah, yeah I like how that all sounds actually. Hopefully I'll do a good enough job here to keep everyone interested!

 

[Charcoal]

Indeed! Anything I can do to help in the long run with organization of stuff, do let me know. I know writing all this stuff can be troublesome, especially if we're now trying to get long term plans in action where we can have professors join cults and the like, have people leading secret lives and what not. And of course, becoming insane communes with the old gods.

 

[Diminium]

Ooh! I'm totally interested! I don't know much about the Cthulhu mythos though

 

[Space Dingo]

hahaha whoops I haven't gotten the thread up yet....


@Diminium


I'll let you join still! I'm fine with clarifying anything you might need to know when the RP starts. Pretty much the characters won't know about any Cthulhu Mythos, so it might still work if you don't know anything.

 

[Space Dingo]

Well, since I don't have a thread up yet, I thought I'd at least make a character sheet for you guys so that you can start working on your characters.

[b]Name[/b]:
[b]Age[/b]:
[b]Gender[/b]:
[b]Occupation/Area of Study[/b]: [Pretty much the only occupations you can choose would either be a professor or student. You can get an idea of what type of courses and departments there are from here: http://www.miskatonic-university.org/schools/]
[b]Appearance[/b]: [Feel free to use a picture or describe your character's appearance]

[b]Personality[/b]:
[b]Pillars of Sanity[/b]: [i've taken this from Trail of Cthulhu. Basically this is what your character believes in, something they can rely on. A human concern that he or she believes and trusts in. You can list several Pillars of Sanity. This is something your character will hold onto to stay sane. Each time a pillar is "broken" your sanity will start slipping.]
[b]Fears[/b]:
[b]Proficiency[/b]: [basically what skills your character is good at. You can come up with your own set of skills, or use a skill listened from here: https://the-call-of-cthulhu.obsidianportal.com/wiki_pages/skill-descriptions]
[b]Deficiency[/b]: [something that hinders your character]
[b]History[/b]: [Just a brief history. A couple of paragraphs long would be good. Not looking for a novel of a history, but not looking for something you haven't given any thought to]

@Snallac @Capricious Raven @Charcoal @Diminium

 

[Capricious Raven]

Awesome, I'll put one together tonight as soon as I get done grading.

 

[Diminium]

STILL A WIP


Name: Elijah Ackerman


Age: 47


Gender: Male


Occupation/Area of Study: Professor of General Physics


Appearance:

Personality: Generally an open, friendly guy, although he won't hesitate to keep his students in line, and he expects the best from everyone. He dislikes slackers, but makes it clear that relaxing is not the same. (Time for work, time for rest.) He is very opinionated, and will share his thoughts openly, offensive for not, and he encourages others to do the same. He's always up to a challenge, and very confident in what he does, although it may occasionally come off as conceit. A levelheaded man of much enthusiasm, who believes in hands-on and alternatives.


Pillars of Sanity: Science is fact, although with enough stable evidence it can be changed


Gravity holds us down


Friends will tell what's best for you, it's up to you to do it


Responsibility brings fulfillment


The right person in the wrong place can make all the difference


Innovators lead the world


Never say no to an idea that could lead to fruitful possibilities


Proficiency: Chemistry, physics, first aid, navigate, rifle, sneak, swim, melee, drive automobile, electronic knowledge and repair, astronomy


(If this is too many, lemme know)


Deficiency: Hotheadedness, Stubborness, cunning/Machiavellianism, finicky, cynical about things he dislikes, a bit domineering


History: As a kid, Eli was fascinated with what was beyond the sky. He wanted to be the first man in space. It felt like everything had already been discovered with math and other things, but space was new and fresh, there was so much to be discovered. His father was a nosy lawyer, and Eli disliked him for seemingly caring about other's business more than their own. He never gave up on his dream, pouring himself into his studies, and avoiding association with his father, who was often bribed to keep quiet. (This made them quite wealthy) Of course, he ended trashing his "spaceman" career after he discovered psychics. The math just made sense, and after graduating with a degree, he became a professor of psychics. He a good friend of Professor McMillan, and will do anything he can to get him back on "stable ground".

 

[papachan]

@radiochai


I'm interested in joining! I am not very familiar with the lore, but I am very good at researching so I can make sure to look up some stuff before the RP if you will have me.

 

[Space Dingo]

@Diminium


Profile is looking good so far, I know you are still working on it, but just one thing so far. Being an astronaut was not a thing until like 1960's and this rp takes place in the 1920's. You can still keep the idea, but possibly word it like Elijah wanted to be the first man in space, even though I don't think the idea was thought of that much. The Great War aka World War I had only ended 5 years ago, so probably everyone is still recovering I think? And so far the only ideas of the future involved those of silver rocket ships and air travel and the like.


I picked 1923 since a lot of Lovecraft stories take place in the 20's. The Call of Cthulhu game takes place in the 20's while Trail of Cthulhu takes place in the 30's.


Though if this is a problem for people (I won't be a stickler for being too historically accurate), and everyone wants it to be modern times, I will be more than happy to change to a more modern time.

 

[Space Dingo]

@papachan


Alright, I will cap the number of players with you as max.


I will be playing a character as well to help move the story along. So we'll have six people in this search party.

 

[Diminium]

@Diminium
Profile is looking good so far, I know you are still working on it, but just one thing so far. Being an astronaut was not a thing until like 1960's and this rp takes place in the 1920's. You can still keep the idea, but possibly word it like Elijah wanted to be the first man in space, even though I don't think the idea was thought of that much. The Great War aka World War I had only ended 5 years ago, so probably everyone is still recovering I think? And so far the only ideas of the future involved those of silver rocket ships and air travel and the like.


I picked 1923 since a lot of Lovecraft stories take place in the 20's. The Call of Cthulhu game takes place in the 20's while Trail of Cthulhu takes place in the 30's.


Though if this is a problem for people (I won't be a stickler for being too historically accurate), and everyone wants it to be modern times, I will be more than happy to change to a more modern time.

AH! Thank you so much! I was fact checking, but something seemed really off. (How did that slip by me?) Don't worry about changing the time period, I'll get to fixing it up!