TheresaMelania
New Member
**Short Story in the Spoiler Box Below**
The short story is entirely optional to read and is not necessary "canon" for the RP. It's also mostly unedited and the ending is not finished but it does give some idea about the world that I'm setting up.
***
The day begins normally, everyone hustling from one thing to another to work, play, and spend time with family. No one realizes that the world they know is about to die catastrophically. Across the sky a giant red tear opens up, like a rend in the fabric of the universe with tattered edges rippling and twisting. On the ground smaller versions open, some sucking unsuspecting people through while others deposit strange creatures and monsters into our world. Chaos reigns.
What is really happening is a collision which has been on course for millions of years. Universes float through the multiverse, somewhat like bubbles, bouncing and colliding with each other as they travel. Some travel together, always touching in small areas. Others meet very briefly before separating. Wherever a universe touches another, a bridge opens between the two showing up as a portal on either side. The rules of each universe change and shift to better match each other, aided by the nature and power of the near rule-less space between universes.
Our universe is the epicenter of a meeting of universes which has been predicted by scholars from many other universes. Today is the first day of this collision, causing hundreds of portals to open. Some of the other universes plan to conquer Earth, using it as a launching point for war and conquest. Many want to use it as a central trading point and a land of collaboration. Some people on Earth begin to develop abilities, usually related to themselves and the portal nearest to them when they begin to manifest.
It’s unclear now what will happen to Earth. Who will conquer it? Will it become a central point of trade and understanding? Will the humans who live there rise up and create order with their new powers?
You can be a human on Earth with or without abilities, a human sucked through to another realm, a non-human being coming to Earth for their own purposes, or otherwise.
***
Notes/Rules
CS: Fantasy - Red Sky CS
The short story is entirely optional to read and is not necessary "canon" for the RP. It's also mostly unedited and the ending is not finished but it does give some idea about the world that I'm setting up.
Analise Cooper stared at the needle in her arm and the dark red blood moving through the tube into the collection bag that was tipping back and forth in its rocker. She turned her head the other way, feeling the headrest stick to her hair, and looked at the smiling nurse wearing a light blue knee length lab coat bustling between people and equipment. The machine to Analise’s right began chiming and the nurse hurried over.
“Looks like we’re all done here, honey,” the nurse said. When she finished pulling out the irritating needle she quickly applied one of those little white cotton balls with some surgical tape. Then she pointed Analise toward the orange juice and cookies. “Don’t forget to stay for ten minutes, dear.” Analise nodded and smiled but as soon as the nurses were looking away, slipped out the front door. New York City was busy and loud as usual with the cars packed end to end one moment and speeding by as soon as the light changed. It only took Analise 10 minutes to walk home from the blood drive. After work she had given chocolate to the office doorman, donated to the food drive, and gave blood. All her good deeds were done.
Mrs. Analise Cooper wished for death. She tidied up her kitchen, finished taping up her boxes, and took out the trash. Then she walked to her bedroom and quietly settled down onto her bed, holding a framed photograph. Analise could remember when she took the photo, laughing as her husband held their son up like that scene in the Lion King, singing and laughing. He had been such a nerd with his thick-rimmed glasses and love of Disney. A single tear slid down her cheek as she set the photograph on her bedside table and picked up the knife next to it. All she needed was to take a deep breath; the pain wouldn’t last long she hoped.
Just as she was pressing the cold metal against her skin the room began to darken. Just a cloud across the sun, she thought and pressed the sharp tip against her skin until blood began to well. Looking down at her wrists, the welling of the blood looked strange against her skin. No, her skin looked almost as red as the blood. Analise raised her head and focused on the light around her and noticed for the first time how dark and red the light coming from her window seemed to be. Then she heard the screams from outside. Briefly the thought crossed her mind that she should just continue but instead she got up, crossed the room to the window, and looked outside. First she looked up at the sky and what she saw there terrified her. In front of the sun sat what she could best describe as a tear, rending space with fluttering smoke-like edges of black. The sun’s light beamed through it, casting a dark red over the entire city of New York. When she looked down more of the rifts sat at ground level. As she watched one began to form right in the middle of a car, eating away at the metal like acid and cleanly splitting it in half. The two heavy metal pieces crashed to the ground.
Inside the vehicle, she could see a terrified woman in the driver’s seat looking over her shoulder at the rift. Though Analise stood on the second floor, she could see the woman’s terrified eyes glance over at her screaming daughter in the front seat. At first Analise was relieved that the two were still alive; then the rift began to bulge in the middle like something was pressing through a bubble’s surface until it popped and let through a monster. First came the hands with long claw like fingers made of wood, twisting up the creature’s arms like muscles and branching off into foot long spikes. In fact, the entire creature seemed to be made of wood and spikes. But it’s face was the most terrifying. Wooden teeth like a skeleton, glowing green eyes, and long spikes curling away from the creature’s skull. As it stepped from the rift it took one look at the woman in the car, reached out, and sliced her neck clean through.
A scream built in Analise’s head and throat as the creature brought its blood soaked hand to it’s mouth and lapped up the blood with a long forked tongue.
No! I won’t let another die. She threw open her door, ran down the stairs and into the street before her thought was even finished. Already the monster was reaching for the child. Finally the scream burst from Analise’s throat and she threw herself in front of the child, raising her hands to shield her face from the claws. But they never came; instead she heard a roar of creaking, splitting, popping wood. Peaking through narrows eyelids, she saw a barrier of fire formed between them and the monster with a now burning hand. It’s wooden flesh blackened, cracked, and glowed orange like embers, continuing to spread heat and fire upwards.
What saved us? Warmth spread in her hands and she looked down to see that her hands were a bright glowing silver and red. It covered her arms almost to the elbows, though closer to her elbow it became spotty like spray paint. Did I do this? What’s happening to me? While staring at her hands, the little girl approached and grabbed her hands, looking up at her with big hazel eyes in a blood spattered face. She was no more than eight years old.
“Can you help my mommy?”
She’s looking at me like I’m a goddess…
“No. I can’t save her,” Analise answered and saw hope in the girl’s eyes die before the tears began rolling down her face like tiny rivers of pain. She crumpled to the ground, sobbing. Nothing Analise could do would soothe the pain. But they were alive.
The monster roared again but didn’t approach the barrier, instead watching Analise with a disconcerting intensity. Once more the rift bulged and split. From it spilled tens of creatures with heads like starfish, gaping open at the center with sharp teeth, and five legs each. Following them came crab-like things with cobra heads, two-legged balls with too many teeth, and long-legged monster frogs. Water poured out with each monster falling from the rift until it lapped at the edges of the barrier, sizzling and spitting. Suddenly Analise was exhausted, barely able to keep her eyes open.
Another scream, this time a halting high-pitched gurgle, jolted Analise awake. One of the starfish heads threw itself at the barrier, attaching its mouth to the wall of fire. The other creatures followed suit, each hanging on just long enough. Cracks began to form in the wall around them and the red on Analise’s arms began to fade. There was nothing she could do to stop them.
“I’m sorry,” Analise pulled the girl into her arms. Sleep began to drag her down.
A soft tapping on her shoulder and a quiet, masculine voice slowly pulled Analise from sleep. She blinked and saw a rugged, scarred face above her with a hardened gaze.
“Are you well?”
She stared up at him. It took her a moment to realize he was speaking to her.
“I think so? What happened to the monsters?” She knew that sounded crazy. She hoped she was crazy.
“They are gone now. You and the child are safe.” He slipped his arm under her shoulders and raised her up to a sitting position, the girl’s head sliding down to rest in her lap. Looking around, Analise could still see the ruins of the car around them and water pooling in the debris below them. Their clothing was soaking wet and she could feel the cold from the wind in the now empty street. Carcasses lay around them, torn into pieces.
“You saved us.”
“No.”
Analise blinked. “Then what else could have done this? I certainly didn’t!”
“I killed them but you saved yourself. With your shield,” he gestured at her hands that no longer were colored red except for a single red ring around each wrist. Analise frowned at the man’s strange words and tone.
“Who are you?”
He ignored her and stood. He was barely dressed except for a strange set of pants made of dark black hair.
“Don’t you dare just ignore me!”
The child startled awake at Analise’s yell and gazed up at her expression, afraid. “Hey… What’s your name?”
“Mommy called me Becca…”
“You’re going to be okay, Becca,” Analise looked up at the man who wore a strange expression on his face. “And you’re going to make sure of that. You’re going to take her out of the city.”
“No,” his face shut down and those eyes looked straight through her with complete uncaring apathy, “you both need to leave here. I have my own mission.
“If you won’t take her then we’re coming with you. I don’t care what you say, we can’t survive on our own. Even with my… shield,” Analise stood and lifted Becca into her arms. The debris shifted and cracked against the cement as she walked across it to stand in front of this easily six-and-a-half foot tall man. Becca broke the staring contest when she looked up at the man and said, “Please.”
“So what’s this mission you mentioned?” They had been walking for over an hour in silence with Orobas, as the man had introduced himself as, seemingly pretending the two of them weren’t there. Becca walked quietly alongside Analise, her hand holding tight to Analise’s.
“To kill the overlord, Malphas.”
“You’re going to have to explain a bit more than that.”
“This apocalypse is his doing. I was sent by my masters to punish him for this. So he will die,” he looked back at Analise when she stopped walking.
“You mean… you’re one of those things?” She could feel the red begin sliding down her arms and energy building in the air around them, ready to explode. He snarled at her, his face twisting in an odd way.
“Do not lump me together with those abominations. I am an enforcer of the Seven Archons. I do not break their laws.”
“I don’t know who the fuck the Seven Archons are but I guess if you were going to kill us you would have…”
Orobas grunts and continues walking, leaving Analise and Becca to hurry up and follow.
“He looks like a horse,” Becca whispered to Analise, “a guy with a horse’s head and legs.”
Analise looked up at him and frowned, confused by the description.
“Children can see through the disguise,” Orobas said over his shoulder. In the next moment it was like a cloak fell off him and she could see what Becca meant. A horse’s long mane trailed down from the back of his horse head to his shoulders. The rest of his body was covered in a cloak but she imagined that he had horse legs, just like Becca said.
“So you’re some sort of monster police officer?”
“I suppose by your terms, yes. More of an executioner though.” Analise thought about that for a moment while they walked. “What other kinds of punishment do you take care of?”
“There is no other punishment. Breaking the law of the Archons means death.” “Wha-” A blast slammed into Analise’s left side, deafening her left ear and tossing her and Becca onto the ground. Orobas flew into the wall right beside and behind them. A room sized, four legged monster charged through the rest of the wall, sending large chunks of concrete flying. The monster’s entire body was shaped from metal, even its teeth jagged strips of metal jutting out at the front of a disturbingly long mouth. It lumbered forward, crushing chunks of debris under its weight. Analise looked over at Becca, who was unconscious on the ground with blood dripping down her face.
She’s been through too much… No more. Pushing herself up, Analise stepped away from Orobas and Becca, drawing attention from them; she stood in front of the metal behemoth and looked into its eyeless face. The air felt charged with static electricity and her hands were unbearably hot. It stomped its front feet, crushing a car into dust and shaking the ground. Then began to charge. Analise spread her hands and fingers at her side and focused on an image of Becca in that car about to die. No longer did the air feel charged but no fire formed in front of them. Instead the beast built up enough speed to kill them all.
Then it hit a wall of blinding yellow. And went right through it. Analise saw a block of concrete headed for her.
Then nothing.
“Looks like we’re all done here, honey,” the nurse said. When she finished pulling out the irritating needle she quickly applied one of those little white cotton balls with some surgical tape. Then she pointed Analise toward the orange juice and cookies. “Don’t forget to stay for ten minutes, dear.” Analise nodded and smiled but as soon as the nurses were looking away, slipped out the front door. New York City was busy and loud as usual with the cars packed end to end one moment and speeding by as soon as the light changed. It only took Analise 10 minutes to walk home from the blood drive. After work she had given chocolate to the office doorman, donated to the food drive, and gave blood. All her good deeds were done.
Mrs. Analise Cooper wished for death. She tidied up her kitchen, finished taping up her boxes, and took out the trash. Then she walked to her bedroom and quietly settled down onto her bed, holding a framed photograph. Analise could remember when she took the photo, laughing as her husband held their son up like that scene in the Lion King, singing and laughing. He had been such a nerd with his thick-rimmed glasses and love of Disney. A single tear slid down her cheek as she set the photograph on her bedside table and picked up the knife next to it. All she needed was to take a deep breath; the pain wouldn’t last long she hoped.
Just as she was pressing the cold metal against her skin the room began to darken. Just a cloud across the sun, she thought and pressed the sharp tip against her skin until blood began to well. Looking down at her wrists, the welling of the blood looked strange against her skin. No, her skin looked almost as red as the blood. Analise raised her head and focused on the light around her and noticed for the first time how dark and red the light coming from her window seemed to be. Then she heard the screams from outside. Briefly the thought crossed her mind that she should just continue but instead she got up, crossed the room to the window, and looked outside. First she looked up at the sky and what she saw there terrified her. In front of the sun sat what she could best describe as a tear, rending space with fluttering smoke-like edges of black. The sun’s light beamed through it, casting a dark red over the entire city of New York. When she looked down more of the rifts sat at ground level. As she watched one began to form right in the middle of a car, eating away at the metal like acid and cleanly splitting it in half. The two heavy metal pieces crashed to the ground.
Inside the vehicle, she could see a terrified woman in the driver’s seat looking over her shoulder at the rift. Though Analise stood on the second floor, she could see the woman’s terrified eyes glance over at her screaming daughter in the front seat. At first Analise was relieved that the two were still alive; then the rift began to bulge in the middle like something was pressing through a bubble’s surface until it popped and let through a monster. First came the hands with long claw like fingers made of wood, twisting up the creature’s arms like muscles and branching off into foot long spikes. In fact, the entire creature seemed to be made of wood and spikes. But it’s face was the most terrifying. Wooden teeth like a skeleton, glowing green eyes, and long spikes curling away from the creature’s skull. As it stepped from the rift it took one look at the woman in the car, reached out, and sliced her neck clean through.
A scream built in Analise’s head and throat as the creature brought its blood soaked hand to it’s mouth and lapped up the blood with a long forked tongue.
No! I won’t let another die. She threw open her door, ran down the stairs and into the street before her thought was even finished. Already the monster was reaching for the child. Finally the scream burst from Analise’s throat and she threw herself in front of the child, raising her hands to shield her face from the claws. But they never came; instead she heard a roar of creaking, splitting, popping wood. Peaking through narrows eyelids, she saw a barrier of fire formed between them and the monster with a now burning hand. It’s wooden flesh blackened, cracked, and glowed orange like embers, continuing to spread heat and fire upwards.
What saved us? Warmth spread in her hands and she looked down to see that her hands were a bright glowing silver and red. It covered her arms almost to the elbows, though closer to her elbow it became spotty like spray paint. Did I do this? What’s happening to me? While staring at her hands, the little girl approached and grabbed her hands, looking up at her with big hazel eyes in a blood spattered face. She was no more than eight years old.
“Can you help my mommy?”
She’s looking at me like I’m a goddess…
“No. I can’t save her,” Analise answered and saw hope in the girl’s eyes die before the tears began rolling down her face like tiny rivers of pain. She crumpled to the ground, sobbing. Nothing Analise could do would soothe the pain. But they were alive.
The monster roared again but didn’t approach the barrier, instead watching Analise with a disconcerting intensity. Once more the rift bulged and split. From it spilled tens of creatures with heads like starfish, gaping open at the center with sharp teeth, and five legs each. Following them came crab-like things with cobra heads, two-legged balls with too many teeth, and long-legged monster frogs. Water poured out with each monster falling from the rift until it lapped at the edges of the barrier, sizzling and spitting. Suddenly Analise was exhausted, barely able to keep her eyes open.
Another scream, this time a halting high-pitched gurgle, jolted Analise awake. One of the starfish heads threw itself at the barrier, attaching its mouth to the wall of fire. The other creatures followed suit, each hanging on just long enough. Cracks began to form in the wall around them and the red on Analise’s arms began to fade. There was nothing she could do to stop them.
“I’m sorry,” Analise pulled the girl into her arms. Sleep began to drag her down.
***
A soft tapping on her shoulder and a quiet, masculine voice slowly pulled Analise from sleep. She blinked and saw a rugged, scarred face above her with a hardened gaze.
“Are you well?”
She stared up at him. It took her a moment to realize he was speaking to her.
“I think so? What happened to the monsters?” She knew that sounded crazy. She hoped she was crazy.
“They are gone now. You and the child are safe.” He slipped his arm under her shoulders and raised her up to a sitting position, the girl’s head sliding down to rest in her lap. Looking around, Analise could still see the ruins of the car around them and water pooling in the debris below them. Their clothing was soaking wet and she could feel the cold from the wind in the now empty street. Carcasses lay around them, torn into pieces.
“You saved us.”
“No.”
Analise blinked. “Then what else could have done this? I certainly didn’t!”
“I killed them but you saved yourself. With your shield,” he gestured at her hands that no longer were colored red except for a single red ring around each wrist. Analise frowned at the man’s strange words and tone.
“Who are you?”
He ignored her and stood. He was barely dressed except for a strange set of pants made of dark black hair.
“Don’t you dare just ignore me!”
The child startled awake at Analise’s yell and gazed up at her expression, afraid. “Hey… What’s your name?”
“Mommy called me Becca…”
“You’re going to be okay, Becca,” Analise looked up at the man who wore a strange expression on his face. “And you’re going to make sure of that. You’re going to take her out of the city.”
“No,” his face shut down and those eyes looked straight through her with complete uncaring apathy, “you both need to leave here. I have my own mission.
“If you won’t take her then we’re coming with you. I don’t care what you say, we can’t survive on our own. Even with my… shield,” Analise stood and lifted Becca into her arms. The debris shifted and cracked against the cement as she walked across it to stand in front of this easily six-and-a-half foot tall man. Becca broke the staring contest when she looked up at the man and said, “Please.”
***
“So what’s this mission you mentioned?” They had been walking for over an hour in silence with Orobas, as the man had introduced himself as, seemingly pretending the two of them weren’t there. Becca walked quietly alongside Analise, her hand holding tight to Analise’s.
“To kill the overlord, Malphas.”
“You’re going to have to explain a bit more than that.”
“This apocalypse is his doing. I was sent by my masters to punish him for this. So he will die,” he looked back at Analise when she stopped walking.
“You mean… you’re one of those things?” She could feel the red begin sliding down her arms and energy building in the air around them, ready to explode. He snarled at her, his face twisting in an odd way.
“Do not lump me together with those abominations. I am an enforcer of the Seven Archons. I do not break their laws.”
“I don’t know who the fuck the Seven Archons are but I guess if you were going to kill us you would have…”
Orobas grunts and continues walking, leaving Analise and Becca to hurry up and follow.
“He looks like a horse,” Becca whispered to Analise, “a guy with a horse’s head and legs.”
Analise looked up at him and frowned, confused by the description.
“Children can see through the disguise,” Orobas said over his shoulder. In the next moment it was like a cloak fell off him and she could see what Becca meant. A horse’s long mane trailed down from the back of his horse head to his shoulders. The rest of his body was covered in a cloak but she imagined that he had horse legs, just like Becca said.
“So you’re some sort of monster police officer?”
“I suppose by your terms, yes. More of an executioner though.” Analise thought about that for a moment while they walked. “What other kinds of punishment do you take care of?”
“There is no other punishment. Breaking the law of the Archons means death.” “Wha-” A blast slammed into Analise’s left side, deafening her left ear and tossing her and Becca onto the ground. Orobas flew into the wall right beside and behind them. A room sized, four legged monster charged through the rest of the wall, sending large chunks of concrete flying. The monster’s entire body was shaped from metal, even its teeth jagged strips of metal jutting out at the front of a disturbingly long mouth. It lumbered forward, crushing chunks of debris under its weight. Analise looked over at Becca, who was unconscious on the ground with blood dripping down her face.
She’s been through too much… No more. Pushing herself up, Analise stepped away from Orobas and Becca, drawing attention from them; she stood in front of the metal behemoth and looked into its eyeless face. The air felt charged with static electricity and her hands were unbearably hot. It stomped its front feet, crushing a car into dust and shaking the ground. Then began to charge. Analise spread her hands and fingers at her side and focused on an image of Becca in that car about to die. No longer did the air feel charged but no fire formed in front of them. Instead the beast built up enough speed to kill them all.
Then it hit a wall of blinding yellow. And went right through it. Analise saw a block of concrete headed for her.
Then nothing.
***
RP Concept/Explanation:
The day begins normally, everyone hustling from one thing to another to work, play, and spend time with family. No one realizes that the world they know is about to die catastrophically. Across the sky a giant red tear opens up, like a rend in the fabric of the universe with tattered edges rippling and twisting. On the ground smaller versions open, some sucking unsuspecting people through while others deposit strange creatures and monsters into our world. Chaos reigns.
What is really happening is a collision which has been on course for millions of years. Universes float through the multiverse, somewhat like bubbles, bouncing and colliding with each other as they travel. Some travel together, always touching in small areas. Others meet very briefly before separating. Wherever a universe touches another, a bridge opens between the two showing up as a portal on either side. The rules of each universe change and shift to better match each other, aided by the nature and power of the near rule-less space between universes.
Our universe is the epicenter of a meeting of universes which has been predicted by scholars from many other universes. Today is the first day of this collision, causing hundreds of portals to open. Some of the other universes plan to conquer Earth, using it as a launching point for war and conquest. Many want to use it as a central trading point and a land of collaboration. Some people on Earth begin to develop abilities, usually related to themselves and the portal nearest to them when they begin to manifest.
It’s unclear now what will happen to Earth. Who will conquer it? Will it become a central point of trade and understanding? Will the humans who live there rise up and create order with their new powers?
You can be a human on Earth with or without abilities, a human sucked through to another realm, a non-human being coming to Earth for their own purposes, or otherwise.
***
Notes/Rules
- The main location will be New York city (or some other major city on Earth if people would like to move the location)
- Other locations, particularly in other dimensions, are acceptable but it’s best if they have some sort of quick connection to our major location
- We’ll start with a very brief introductory period before the catastrophe itself
- It’ll be important to understand your character’s motivation/goal well in order to drive the story forward
- As the GM and a player, I’m going to be doing my best to get groups of people together and put “quests” in the world to help prompt your characters into action. If you’d like to suggest possible events, feel free to message me or join the discord.
- Please post with some detail. It doesn’t have to be crazy long but you need to give people something to work with. A paragraph at least would be nice. Also please do your best to pay attention to grammar and spelling. As long as it’s understandable, you’re fine.
CS: Fantasy - Red Sky CS
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In fact, we just had the major Cataclysm event start.
