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 Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 5:08 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:50 pm
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:09 pm
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Yeah, Ell's back to her cute hair ^_^ *cough*
You know, I just started storytelling/playing in a werewolf campaign that's in the Black Forest. I've found my calling. I'm an auspice (the moon I'm born under) called the Galliards (they are the storytellers and moral raisers) and I'm of the tribe Fianna (heavy blood relations with the fae). So much fun. However, telling the stories of my pack has worn me out, and my own creativity is fairly dead as of now. If you'd like to hear of the exploits of my pack, I don't think I could ever tire in telling such tales wink Though I don't think I can tell one of my adventures...pretty sure it violates the ToS >.> Though admittedly, it's the first time I've really had fun with werewolves.
Ell, for merging the stories: the problem is, it's not just one political structure/culture for your world. It's four or five. That's just a lot of work. Each city would be different, and I have far too many things on my plate right now. Compared to what I consider a complete structure, even my setting still needed a great deal of fleshing out.
I've also been overextending myself. My guild rp finally started taking off, but it's been sitting on the back burner so long that it's dead to me. Another rp that I was in and my character sat for a month or two, and now that the character can act (actually John), he's also dead to me. So...brain is fried like rice.
Well that was lengthy. Back to helping the Koreans! Yeah...summer jobs *drags feet*
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:09 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:23 am
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My setting is useful in it's description of the social structures. Since we'll be adopting a story based less on reality, my physical setting is obviously of no use, which is perfectly fine. I think some of the elements I produced are useful, however.
The whole multiple cities thing does seem a bit overextensive as far as creating everything goes. Perhaps we should stick with one city, which has all the groups existing together (possibly in their own sections of town, like gangs if you will).
Just some brainstorming. Everyone is welcome to contribute whatever they want to the creation of our 'mutant' 'revamped' story. Since I've dropped my responsibility for it (for now), it falls to you guys to make the ~PERFECT~ vampire/werewolf RP story/setting xp I'm not trying to force it on you guys, but I am saying that I won't be doing it myself like I originally thought I could. Alas, no... I will try to contribute what meek suggestions I have, and oversee that this doesn't fall to the wayside. Grats to whoever ends up reading this, you are the ones dedicated to seeing this through.
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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:36 am
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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:08 pm
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We need a storyteller or two who know what the central conflict(s) are so the world can be set up without everyone knowing every twist to come. Though it's nice to have a conflict between werewolves and vampires, it's better when it's a sort of "capture the flag." The werewolves and vampires each have specific objectives in conflict, and whoever completes their objective wins that round. This could be werewolves defending a forest, to vampires defending a genius inventor. After so many objectives, the next city is introduced through a new objective, "unlocking" more of the world to the players (whether cities, wild, tribes, clans, powers, resources, etc). In the end, the objectives make life easier for one side or the other, and perhaps it will lead to a final conflict (I'm a fan of end world games, or at least games that end in massive battle...or games that eventually come to a close of some sort).
On the other hand, I'm not sure how much time I can give to this guild aside from nudges here and there, so listen to as much or as little as you want razz
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:50 pm
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Hmmm, where to start...
1. Great song, ronyo, it does fit quite snugly. SO much so that I'm considering changing the name of this 'chapter' from Feud to Devour. I never even considered giving a RP a soundtrack sweatdrop VERY thorough. Although, thinking about it now, whenever I think of vampires or werewolves, I think of children of the damned.
2. After seeing the Forevertron animals, it gave me an idea... something involving mechanical animals? Perhaps the steampunk'd human/vampire society implements them, thus gaining further hatred from the lycans for using such unnatural creatures. Or, perhaps, they could be a natural part of the world (magical, ancient machines?) I only just thought of it, so it's not that solid yet.
3. Hahaha Kess xD I can tell you're completely obsessed with RPGs. The objective system does sound quite unique, and could help to further turn the RP into a 'tabletop RPG' (kind of).
4. For 'game masters' I'd probably personally direct the vampire school of thought, while I think ronyo is clearly the natural werewolf leader. (this doesn't mean to say either of us is automatic leader in the RP, rather, I think the two of us could collaborate on what our two sides strive and compete for, and plan it behind the scenes). Furthermore, I think El should be involved because of her deep involvement with the setting.
5. I'm feeling motivated tonight... I'm going to get started on the editing of the setting/story! Forgive me... my mother is having a graduation party this weekend, and she's been working me to the bone for the past month trying to rush projects for it. I spent all day pouring cement for a new walkway -_- anyway, off to neurotic world creation! Wish me luck!
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:32 pm
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Okay, it's getting late... I'll post the first installment. Take it or leave it, I took El's post-apocalyptic rebirth of society and added a Hellboy 2-esque twist. Take it or leave it, I really didn't intend to be this thorough on this part... I'm not in love with it, but I do think it is just as valid of a backstory as the others, given the inner meaning that the vampires reflect the flawed aspects of 'good' and 'evil' of man. Anyway, I'll get into the more important stuff later.
Centuries ago, mankind was said to be the most populous creature on Feratris (I need to brainstorm a better name for the world), or so the legends say. But mankind was born flawed, and would prove to be its own undoing. They were born with a hole in their heart, and thus were never able to sate their greed for power.
From this void in their soul grew the first vampires, tempters and corruptors, agents of the devil. Not necessarily evil, but inherently negative beings. The vampires held immortal power, reflecting the undying nature of the greed which drove the humans which sustained them. The stories hold that they feed not on blood, but on the very corruption of a mans soul.
Where did this final piece of mans soul go? Was it never there to begin with? No, it was there... but through the divine comedy, God chose to make his children imperfect, forcing them to learn and grow. From them he took this final virtue of fulfillment, implanting it in the heart of his third and final child: the lycan. To the lycan he gave the task of preserving nature and keeping mankind in check, and preventing the corruption of the vampires from overwhelming them. The lycans, bound by their virtue of fulfillment, were satisfied with their place in the world.
So where did it all go wrong? Why was the world washed away in a tide of bloodshed, born anew from the crimson earth? God anticipated the possibility that the imperfection he had gifted his children with might eventually lead them to folly. In their own respects, each child did fall to folly.
The folly of the vampires: power. As the vampires grew ancient, tending carefully to their crop of sinners, their harvest flourished. They began to realize that they held far more power over humans than they had first comprehended. Humans were bound to the principle sins, especially greed, and thereby were free to corrupt by the clever and beguiling vampires. The vampires soon secretly brought man to the very climax of depravity, helpless to stop the perfect disaster they had propagated.
The folly of the humans: much the same as vampires. Humans were eternally susceptible to their greed, lust, envy, wrath... to the very tools the vampires used to manipulate them. As God anticipated, humanity grew, flourished, learned, expanded. As the world grew smaller, people reached a new standard of living. Suddenly, they reached a plateau. Growth became exponentially harder, and for a brief time the world practically stood still. What would humanity do with themselves? The vampires obliged. Greed. What was theirs was theirs, and what belonged to others should also be theirs. Nations fell into dissent, and soon the War began. It ended quickly; the highly destructive arsenal they had produced as they grew served to hasten their own defeat. All but a few pockets of existence were wiped from the very face of the planet by rocking blasts and ripping flames.
The folly of the lycans: their very gift. Fulfilled with their place in the world, they sought only to serve their purposes to the T. Their zealotry grew to the point of conflict. Arguing over the fate of nature, humanity, and the world, the lycans drew into different tribes, secluding themselves from each other. Fragmented in their society, the lycans lacked the ambition which fueled humanity. Soon the humans had consumed the world, making nature their slave. The lycans could only look on in consternation, humbled by their own folly.
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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 4:00 pm
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Centuries ago, mankind was said to be the most populous creature on Feratris (I need to brainstorm a better name for the world), or so the legends say. But mankind was born flawed, and would prove to be its own undoing. They were born with a hole in their heart, and thus were never able to sate their greed for power.
As a curse upon the children of the temptress and bane of man Lilith, God cast the vampires and lycans into exile and gave them twisted forms. The brood of Adam, cursed for their sin against the land, were made to serve it for their foolish pride. The second children of Adam, the lycans are now the stewards of the land. The brood of Caine, cursed for their sin against man, were forced into eternal bloodlust, ever propagating the sins of mankind. One final brood remained. The devil, as a gift for the temptations that Lilith had sewn in man, bore her a daughter, Lilitu. To Lilitu God gave the insatiable lust which drove her, forcing her to subsist through the sins of her mother. Lilitu was given the curse of incredible suffering when she partook in this sin, but the girl's depravity knew no bounds, and she became a sadist and masochist. Lilitu's brood are known as succubi, and are midway between vampire and full-fledged demon.
From this void in the human soul grew the first vampires, tempters and corruptors, agents of sin. Not necessarily evil, but inherently negative beings. The vampires held immortal power, reflecting the undying nature of the greed which drove the humans whom sustained them. The stories hold that they feed not on blood, but on the very corruption of a mans soul.
Where did this final piece of mans soul go? Was it never there to begin with? No, it was there... but through the divine comedy, God chose to make his children imperfect, forcing them to learn and grow. From them he took this final virtue of fulfillment, implanting it in the heart of the third and final child of Lilith: the lycan. To the lycan he gave the task of preserving nature and keeping mankind in check, and preventing the corruption of the vampires from overwhelming them. The lycans, bound by their virtue of fulfillment, were satisfied with their place in the world, but ever proud to a fault.
So where did it all go wrong? Why was the world washed away in a tide of bloodshed, born anew from the crimson earth? God anticipated the possibility that the imperfection he had gifted his children with might eventually lead them to folly. In their own respects, each child did fall to folly.
The folly of the vampires: power. As the vampires grew ancient, tending carefully to their crop of sinners, their harvest flourished. They began to realize that they held far more power over humans than they had first comprehended. Humans were bound to the principle sins, especially greed, and thereby were free to corrupt by the clever and beguiling vampires. The vampires soon secretly brought man to the very climax of depravity, helpless to stop the perfect disaster they had propagated.
The folly of the humans: much the same as vampires. Humans were eternally susceptible to their greed, lust, envy, wrath... to the very tools the vampires used to manipulate them. As God anticipated, humanity grew, flourished, learned, expanded. As the world grew smaller, people reached a new standard of living. Suddenly, they reached a plateau. Growth became exponentially harder, and for a brief time the world practically stood still. What would humanity do with themselves? The vampires obliged. Greed. What was theirs was theirs, and what belonged to others should also be theirs. Nations fell into dissent, and soon the War began. It ended quickly; the highly destructive arsenal they had produced as they grew served to hasten their own defeat. All but a few pockets of existence were wiped from the very face of the planet by rocking blasts and ripping flames.
The folly of the lycans: their very gift. Fulfilled with their place in the world, they sought only to serve their purposes to the T. Their zealotry grew to the point of conflict. Arguing over the fate of nature, humanity, and the world, the lycans drew into different tribes, secluding themselves from each other. Fragmented in their society, the lycans lacked the ambition which fueled humanity. Soon the humans had consumed the world, making nature their slave. The lycans could only look on in consternation, humbled by their own folly.
The Empire of Steam and Steel
It's been 70 years since society as we know it was rebuilt. First a man used a steam pump to get water from wells that were otherwise too deep to pump out. Then he used it to heat houses and power mills. Finally it found its way into trains, and a few extensively wealthy individuals now use it in horseless carriages, a miniaturization of the technology that was thought impossible but ten years past.
In the wake of steam, several small city-states have come together to rebuild the shade of mankind's former glory. Everyone wanted the simpler life presented through coal, and coal was abundant in the newly formed empire. Soon a megalopolis was built, the center of this new human order. A central spire, placed over the legendary first water pump, houses the government for the city, as well as providing a meeting place for the leaders of the other cities. All railroads lead to The Copper Tower, or so goes the saying. The Copper Tower resides within 'the Purple City'... Beland is its name.
At current, the people are content. The cities run like well oiled machines, producing copious amounts of goods. Their export is high. They enjoy peaceful relations with their neighbors, and welcome all to come under their banner for an easier life. However, the cities haven't brought many more villages under the banner. No one knows exactly why this is.
The Copper Tower
The Copper Tower is the center of the Empire of Steam and Steal. The ruling class, based on a technocracy, spends most of their waking hours in the building making sure that everything works well.
The rulers join the Council of Civil Mechanizations by creating a new and nation altering invention, by mastering one specific line of technology to a point of making new innovations, or by mastering many technologies to an astounding degree and bringing on an innovation in one of their fields.
Seats on the council look over the different areas of life, including health quality, food and water supply, factory production, civilian morale, foreign relations, raw materials, and many other positions. Every year generally two new seats are added. At current the council is a lumbering 278 person giant. They meet in a large council chambers with elevated seats. In the center, the oldest member sits, surrounded by the others, calling on the next person to speak and placing motions on the floor. Under each of these councilors, there is an immediate civil service work force of 100, employing 278,000 people total. These people are generally abroad, reporting through telegraph to their council head.
Society of Coal
Vampires dug deep into the society the moment steam proved effective. When steam proved to make life so much easier, they funded it, and pushed the progress of the humans. The social elite of the vampires created the Society of Coal, an organization specifically founded on promoting the use of steam. The socially elite are not the only one in the society, but they are the leaders of it.
The Society of Coal is led by the Board, a group of the five most senior vampires. They pushed the humans forward. They organized groups to cut down forests and clear land to build more metal cityscape. The Society of Coal pushed back the werewolves, and made the first truly safe bulkhead for vampires, and they did it through mortals, rarely having to fight any of their own battles.
However, now the Society has an issue pounding on its doorstep: the cities are running out of coal. Falacia was built on large supplies of coal, but the incredible growth and use of it has caused the supply to quickly dwindle. Now vampires keep people out of the cities, when once they were so happy to accept. They try to ration coal to a populace that is so use to having it readily available. Gray outs become more and more common, and though the people are still supportive of their government, people question what's wrong.
The biggest problem is the vampires aren't letting the government know what's wrong. Through faulty reports and bribes, they make it look as if the world is still fairly set as far as coal. The Society keeps the rations on coal off the books, having it so the government still believes there are massive reserves left. Even though the people are losing faith in the government, the government really can't do anything but smile and wonder why everyone is getting so upset with them.
There are no longer any countries; there simply aren’t enough people anymore. Civilization now huddles in a series of city-states, each populated predominately by a different bloodline. In the wilds outside the cities there are dangers, rabid beasts, Lycan Clans, and who knows what else. This is why all of the cities have a tall wall enclosing them.
Vampires have, one way or another, risen up to rule each of the known city-states. The Lycans and the Vampires have never been able to see eye to eye. In each race there are sects that feel the other is nothing more than an abomination, something that’s only good when it’s dead and gone.
For the most part they’ve maintained a tense neutrality towards each other. However, in recent decades The Cities have gone through a renaissance of industry. With the rebirth of humanity’s need to create, innovate, and explore, vampiric culture has gone from clinging to the rocks for survival, to as flourishing and decadent as it was in the Old Days.
But this steam and clockwork fueled grandeur has come at a high price. The Cities have had to send expeditions out into the wilds for resources. Cutting down the forests, and digging up the hills and mountains, building railways to connect the once distant cities to each other, all these things have earned the ire of the Lycans. Since the Fall, Lycans have been working diligently to set nature to rights after all the wrongs that humanity had caused. And here are the Vampires, starting it all over again, without a single thought about the consequences, without an ounce of respect.
There was one solution to the problem, however. To the south is a forest, and it was found that the forest has a great deal of coal, more than was under the city before steam came around. The only issue is it is a sacred ground for the werewolves. The human population believes the forest haunted, even though they won't say it, and are reluctant to go in without proof otherwise. Other villages surround the forest, but none touch foot in it due to the same fears. The vampires, however, need that coal to keep their safety. On the other hand, it was thought another form of power could be found. Several great vampire and mortal scientists work day, and a lot of nights, looking for this mythical source of power.
Beyond the known bounds of the 'living' world are desolate wastelands, all that remains of the lost empires of man. Massive craters and radiation permeate the land. Nothing remains that is alive... nothing natural, that is. Several expeditions have set out in search of the 'great lost technologies' left in the irradiated ruins of the old cities. Few have returned, and those that have come back empty handed but for the tales of monstrous, mutated horrors.
Outside of the public eye, the vampires are on edge. Recent expeditions into the woodlands have revealed a startlingly large population of Lycans. Believed to have been eliminated centuries ago, the population seems to have rebounded, and is now larger than ever. So large, in fact, that their habitat has reached out of the woods and into the plains. Reports of woodsmen and hunters being brutally mauled and devoured by giant, bear-like creatures have begun to stack up on the desks of the governors. Secretly formed vampire attacks meant to subdue the lycans have met with little success. In fact, it seems to only serve to further aggravate lycan attacks.
Vampires aren’t doing much better. The aristocracy seems to have taken a despondent interest in their ‘cleanliness’. Humans are turned left and right, and unable to control their new forms, turn to lives of murder and lust.
The lycans have lived lives of peace and harmony within the foggy, dark woodlands for almost a century now. However, in recent years, life has taken a turn back to the old hardships. The population, unable to maintain itself on the limited land remaining to them, has begun to encounter numerous problems. Lycans are starving. Exhausted for resources, some clans have even turned to attacking each other… or humans. Much to the dismay of the lycans, these rebellious factions have brought them back under the scrutiny of the vampires. Seeing them as beasts that prey on their subjects, the vampires are once again about to renew their feud with the werewolves…
The first city to be introduced:
Falacia, the Red City lies in the foothills, and has been the center of major conflict. It’s the home base for coal mining and logging expeditions. The railway between the City and the farthest lying camp(mine?) is one of the most dangerous segments of the whole railway system. The residents are hardy, and eager to defend their supply lines. In general they think of the Lycans as stupid beasts that are in their way. They see this “war” as extermination, with the Lycan as the pest.
Humans in this city are treated more like soldiers. The vampires are in command, and supremely more powerful, and the humans know it. But in return for utter obedience the vampires never send an expedition out without at least one vampire to protect it. And they make certain that those who risk everything for their masters have a nice soft bed to return to, and a warm meal waiting back at the City.
The first vampire clan to be introduced:
The Baali.
Caine and Lilith begat Baali. A militaristic family, the Baali are the strongest physically of Caine's children. The Baali perceive humans in a somewhat neutral light, seeing them as subordinates who offer their blood in service. The Baali rule over Falacia with total power which is not questioned. The Baali suffer eternally under their cursed sin: wrath. As such, they often veer towards misplaced aggression and can easily overreact. Through meditation and deep focus, older vampires can control this burning fury, but a curse from God himself is not easy to resist.
The first lycan clan to be introduced:
Forest Walkers (aka children of Fenrir ... I'll leave it to Ronyo to give them a more fitting name):
These Lycans tend to appear in mixed colors of gray, brown, and even a few red furs. These Lycans hunt as their normal cousins do, for deer and elk. Most of the Forest Walkers have mixed feelings about the humans and the nearby cities that shoot up higher than the trees. Many Lycans here have learned how to hide and stalk among the foliage and watch humans that are brave enough to venture near. Most of the weapons and armor among the Forest walkers is a combination or natural and man stolen. Short bows, bow staves, and twin weapons are favored here and the Lycans use them spend hours practicing. The Forest Walkers have found a balance between their spiritual roots and their combative nature. Most young Lycans choose which path they wish to follow and then are trained by elders in each field. The Forest Walkers try and stay out of the humans endeavors unless its something against the forests they protect.
Suggested bloodlines:
As a curse upon the children of the temptress and bane of man Lilith, God cast the vampires and lycans into exile and gave them twisted forms. The brood of Adam, cursed for their sin against the land, were made to serve it for their foolish pride. The second children of Adam, the lycans are now the stewards of the land. The brood of Caine, cursed for their sin against man, were forced into eternal bloodlust, ever propagating the sins of mankind. One final brood remained. The devil, as a gift for the temptations that Lilith had sewn in man, bore her a daughter, Lilitu. To Lilitu God gave the insatiable lust which drove her, forcing her to subsist through the sins of her mother. Lilitu was given the curse of incredible suffering when she partook in this sin, but the girl's depravity knew no bounds, and she became a sadist and masochist. Lilitu's brood are known as succubi, and are midway between vampire and full-fledged demon.
The Seven Children of Lilith
Children of Caine:
Ravnikus, cursed of Envy
Lasombra, cursed of Gluttony
Baali, cursed of Wrath
Malkavian, cursed of Sloth
Ventrue, cursed of Greed
Child of Adam:
Lucian, cursed of Pride
Progeny of Satan:
Lilitu, cursed of Lust
Lucian begat Rougarou, the swamp treader; Fenrir, the forest walker; Varcolac, the mountain stalker; and Wulver, the plains strider. Wulver's brood is known for their peaceful nature, while Varcolac and his children are viewed as demons.
^ ^ ^
Lucians Brood:
Rougarou, the swamp treader
Varcolac, the mountain stalker
Fenrir, the forest walker
Wulver, the plains strider
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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:42 pm
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