TheLoneRook
Death's Secretary
(artwork courtesy of Levi Hopkins of Suckerpunch Studios. Yes it is from Infamous, it just happened to fit the theme I was looking for.)
People rarely wake up in the morning thinking that they're going to have to kill someone before breakfast.
But in the city of Samael, this is what some would consider the “new normal”.
Whatever it is that normal means, anyway.
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Four years ago, to the day, War arrived in the city of Samael. He did not arrive with a boom, or with the apocalypse behind him in the horizon, but rather with a deal: entertain him, or die. The choice was always given in the form of a silver sword, known as a Warbrand. Once picked up, the deal was complete, and in exchange for supernatural powers, the Branded would then have to fight for War, fueling his desire to see the world in flames and chaos, or surrender their life.
Alternatively, the Branded could attempt to leave the sword- but it, along with War's beasts, would follow the Branded everywhere, until they were forced to take up arms to defend themselves. For most people, the choice was simple- self preservation over self destruction.
The moment the Warbrand is grabbed, it sends the unrelenting energy and strength of a a thousand hurricanes through the body of the Branded. At this stage, many die, unable to withstand it. Those that survive might just stand to fight another day, if they can then wield their Warbrand competently and survive their first day.
After all, Branded live a life of chaos. They are War's playthings, mere pawns in his game. Nothing brings him more pleasure than to witness mortals struggling for their life, fighting for every day they live.
War’s influence, inevitably, brought an imbalance to the world; his newfound game was a direct interference with the fundamental laws and balances that hold our world together. Death, an opportunist, sought to restore the balance by giving the Branded the tools they needed to try to fight back against War. So, he built a hotel known as Sanctuary. It provides the single place where the Branded are free of War’s unending torment. Additionally, Death provided them with facilities, training, and guidance- all so that one day, they might be able to purge Samael of its curse. To finally end The War-
The War Never Won.
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In this story, you play as a Branded. How long your character has been a Branded, what they’ve done as a Branded, and how they’re fairing now, is entirely up to you. This story revolves around your interactions with each other, the city of Samael, and War himself. To that end, players in this story will have a large amount of freedom. You will be able to form your own narrative with your fellow players, and shape the story to your liking, while events outside of your control ultimately guide you towards the movement of the larger plot as a whole. This is a story for advanced writers, but we do not demand huge posts or a large portion your free time. The goal of this rp is to create a compelling narrative- nothing more, but absolutely nothing less. There will be short posts, long posts, and posts in between. No one will expect you to post on a daily basis. The only thing we ask is that everything you post is quality, and adds something new to the story in some way.
It's worth noting, though this narrative is heavily based around combat, that is not the only thing the story will be driven by. That's all, thanks.
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have, and me and my co-writer,
teen_angst
, will answer them as they arrive. We hope to see you in Samael.
