"Let us partake in a gathering -- the entertainment is a game of life and death..."
Lucifer Van Bonaparte
Genre: Mystery, Psychological, Thriller, Drama, Horror, Supernatural, Contemporary Fantasy
~
The Introduction
~
The Plot
The year was 2012 A.D., and many believed that the end of the world was approaching. Despite that, people continued on their daily lives without concern. In this era, a mysterious individual by the name of Lucifer Van Bonaparte had become a living legend -- possessing enormous wealth and rumours of characteristics that were virtually superhuman. While he had been known as a man who lives in reclusion - away from eyes of the public - his charisma was noted as being otherworldly, and the rare events he had made a public appearance were considered major occasions. Many great deeds have moved society forward thanks to him -- his genius and resources having contributed immensely to a variety of fields and charities. Some had gone so far as to pass stories about how he is secretly behind many of the developments in the world and has played a massive part in society's growth across the board in unseen ways. Unusual occurrences are believed - spoken in small circles - to take place around him, though generally this had been dismissed by the common populace as urban legend and mass hysteria.
One day, a group of individuals received invitations to an exclusive gathering of people that would take place at the private residence of Lucifer Van Bonaparte, which was located in a remote area of Paris. Each of these people - who came from a variety of backgrounds and places around the world - shared one significant trait in common -- they all had something that they wanted so badly - a wish, if you will - that they would be willing to go to any length to achieve, and in many cases they were desperate to have these dreams come true. This made the invitation - which was written in their native languages despite coming from France - an offer that they could not possibly refuse, for the letter explicitly stated that those present would have a chance to have a wish granted -- any wish, even beyond the boundaries of reality. Whether or not these words were a fabrication was anyone's guess, but these individuals all found themselves drawn to learning the truth -- should those words be no hyperbole, their greatest dreams could be fulfilled.
The letter sent to each person included an all-expenses paid return ticket to the enigmatic celebrity's residence in Paris, including anything they needed in order to make the trip. Even more mysterious was the fact that each letter contained a strange tarot card, and information that indicated that the man who penned the letter knew not only the circumstances of each individual but also what they desired. While some of these people might have had their doubts about accepting such an enigmatic request of appearance from a man of whom society knew so little about, they were also unable to refuse a chance to have their innermost aspirations come true.
After the passage of time had moved forward, the moment of arrival fast approached... Their story was about to begin.
~
The Overview
While the premise of this role-play is fairly simple (an elimination game between the players), the story is actually deep and complex, with many facets and elements in order to make things more engaging. This story could go in a few directions depending on certain factors, and there are mysteries for you to solve beyond simply uncovering a murderer. It's in your hands - as the players - to make an active attempt to investigate your surroundings and the people you meet, using this information to piece together the puzzle through discovered knowledge and insight. Failure to do this could result in you not finding revelations that you would otherwise have learned, though I may reveal everything at the very end of the role-play if enough people are curious. Plot twists are always around the corner in this role-play, so never assume the story is entirely bound by its premise.
There will be more to do than simply compete against each other and engage in psychological warfare, as you are free to interact with each other and form allies or enemies. While the nature of this role-play is not inherently focused on romance - hence the decision not to include it in the genre, as it isn't a guaranteed plot element - you are entirely free to pursue it if you wish to do so under these circumstances -- love can be found anywhere, even in the most tragic of settings. Strong characterization and development are also encouraged, in order to make this more interesting than just a story about murder and deceit. Whether you choose to trust each other and work together or choose to doubt each other and hide in secret. Whether you choose to fight together or fight against each other. All of this is in your own hands. The plot might change depending on your intuition. How many of you die is up to you. There are multiple routes and endings.
Only you can discover the truth about Lucifer Van Bonaparte and his mysterious residence, and uncover all of the different intricacies of the narrative you are about to become a part of and give birth to. There is much more to the world than you know, and the story will take you beyond the reality you have believed to be all that exists and unlock revelations that most mortals would be better off not knowing.
~
The Setting
The story takes place in the year 2012, in an alternate history that is virtually identical to our own outside of the existence of several fictional characters who obviously did not exist -- the most noteworthy example of this being Lucifer Van Bonaparte, a mysterious figure who has contributed greatly to society and is considered an enigmatic legend. Supernatural elements and fictional lore are also a part of the setting, but these are not known by the public and for all intents and purposes the world is indistinguishable to the real world of 2012 in an everyday sense.
Most of the plot takes place in the residence of Lucifer Van Bonaparte, in a remote location of Paris. This privately owned piece of land is home only to those who he has invited, and generally speaking the public cannot go there at all. While the opening of the story will include the characters reaching the residence - and possibly showing their events prior to getting there - once everyone has arrived the vast majority of the plot will happen there. The layout of the residence is similar to an extravagant mansion, or perhaps even a castle, and both the interior and exterior are likely to be used as setting for various interactions.
Outside of certain plot events, the characters will be free to move around this location either on their own or as a group. Certain measures will be taken to keep things clear as to where everyone is. During these events you will be free to interact with each other and with those in the location in whatever means you to see fit within the boundaries of the story, but for reasons that will remain unrevealed - until the plot begins anyway - you will be incapable of actually leaving the residence during the story.
~
The Cast
This is a list of the main characters involved in the story, including those controlled by the players. Each of the player characters are listed with their status ('Alive' or 'Dead') kept in a hider -- a measure taken for the purposes of avoiding spoilers for anyone who wants to read this role-play without knowing beforehand who gets killed and when. Other characters besides the player characters are also included here (who may or may not also have status hiders). For more information about the cast, check the character tab -- it'll always keep spoilers in similar hiders.
- Player Characters
- Leonard Christian-Walker {@Shoryu Magami}
- Lucia Jane Everett {@Aewin}
- Karlita Romaro Sanrita {@Pudding}
- Olivia Cecille Sazer {@Melo}
- Charlotte Jacqueline Moore {@Ailyn Evensen}
- Konrad (Conrad) Richter {@Snagglepuss89}
- Wong Yeung, Reinald {@tsukune}
- Itzal Albescu Fuji {@Shadow007}
- Guy Heinze {@Eidolen}
- Lotus Engel {@MayLien}
- Tatiana Adelbert {@Heap241}
- James Xiao {@banjoanjo}
- Henneth Izeal Rozenkroft {@CrazyShadowy}
- Mathew Jem Darwinson {@JaceBeleren}
- Sonya Romanov {@aviendha}
- ________
- Annabelle Joanne Taylor {@Shoryu Magami}
- Sven Lund {@Shoryu Magami}
- Gillard Romeo Maximilian {@Shoryu Magami}
- ________
- ________
- Leonard Christian-Walker {@Shoryu Magami}
- NPCs
- Lucifer Van Bonaparte
- Simon Chandler
- Paulette Holly Ashworth
- Lawrence Cody
- Colleen Cody
- Dietfried Morgenstern
~
The Map
Our map is a work in progress, but will be here by the time the role-play actually requires it. Everyone's current locations as of each IC post provided by me will be included on this map in order to update everyone on where we are. There will possibly be an entry added here as well, unless I place that information in 'The Glossary'. Note that potentially secret areas won't be displayed until discovered, and it's very possible that you won't gain access to knowledge of what any area is until entering it or learning about it.
~
The Glossary
This directory includes entries that are relevant to the story as a whole, and can essentially be used as a resource to understand terms and other information being mentioned. Entries will only be added as they are revealed through the IC, and they will also progressively contain more information as the IC updates brings new knowledge to the table. Each entry will be placed into a hider in order to help details from being spoiled for those who come into this role-play to read it later on. Essentially, it'll remain as spoiler free as it can so long as hiders aren't opened, and the information in those hiders will only be spoiling things for those who aren't part of the role-play. Just keep in mind that there's unmarked spoilers in those hiders if you're a guest here.
- Chateau de Sophie, The
- Invitation Letters
- Maximilian Foundation, The
- Methuselah of Paris, The
- Tarot Cards
~
The Rules
The following is a general list of the regulations for the role-play, alongside the site's overall rules. Read these rules before you decide to join, because I won't be letting you get off because you were too lazy to take the time to read the opening post.
- Failing to oblige with any of the rules will result in you being killed off, with me taking control of the character in order to make it happen. This is entirely justifiable because people are gonna die in this role-play anyway. Also, this includes the murderer themselves if they break any rules -- I actually have contingency ideas for this role-play planned out in the event that the murderer is eliminated - for whatever reason - prior to this role-play reaching a satisfying plotline conclusion.
- The GM is God. My word is basically law, since I'm running this thing. This should be obvious, but I'm saying it anyway -- if you try to argue with me then it won't take long before you're out. I don't consider myself a tyrant, and I believe I'll be just and fair, as well as be willing to listen to constructive opinions, but I'm seriously not the type of person who'll tolerate disrespect from anyone. Have you ever heard the phrase 'don't bite the hand that feeds you'? Take this warning into account, because if you cause me problems I'll eliminate you from the role-play. Those who'll be easily offended by my forthright nature or are weak-minded shouldn't join, because I don't plan on mincing words for people. If you've got genuine concerns or difficulties then I'll do my best to help. I'm not gonna be a jerk, but I'm also no pushover and I've got absolutely no tolerance for superficial, shallow, immature, or small-minded people.
- Be respectful to the other players. I'm not here to babysit anyone, so show some common courtesy or you'll be out of the role-play through a similar means to the previous rule. I don't see any reason why people can't resolve their issues peacefully, or why they'd need to have issues in the first place unless they're the type of role-player who also happens to be a troll -- I despise trolls, just for the record. When all's said and done, if you're an asshole to people OOC then you'll be out of the role-play pretty fast.
- Characters can (and most likely will) die at specific plot points, and can also die from other causes. The role-play was mildly inspired by an elimination game (though it's always been intended as a story at its core, not an elimination game), meaning that any of your characters are susceptible to dying during the story. The player characters can attempt to eliminate each other through the 'murder system' that's explained in a later rule, and they can also be eliminated through other events. Some of these events will only end up killing off the characters if they screw up somehow (or if I choose to kill you off for breaking the rules), while others will be actively trying to eliminate you. You'll still have plenty of time to interact and develop whatever kind of relationships you'd like with each other and NPCs, and it's important to keep in mind that the 'murder system' is just one of the secondary elements of this story as opposed to being the main element (IC development will play a large role in how focal it is). You shouldn't make an attempt to kill other characters without using the 'murder system' listed in a rule below this, because it'll prevent you from being able to kill anonymously. Players characters are allowed to attempt to kill NPCs, but do keep in mind that it might fail or backfire like any other murder. A plot element will allow dead characters to remain in the role-play, but they'll have certain limitations and gimmicks involved in that, and characters that get killed off because their players broke the rules are excluded from this opportunity -- don't think you can loophole the system. If you're not okay with the idea of your character dying though, or you're the type who'd take it personally when other players vote you off or the murderer player chooses to kill you, then this role-play isn't for you. Those who'll be immature or petty about who they choose during the voting - rather than let the IC alone be the deciding factor, as it should be - are also not welcome here.
- At any given time, one of the player characters can be a murderer. While this could've been selected randomly or be determined by whichever character I felt like making the murderer, I'm only thinking of these as a last resort if no one actually offers (privately, of course, so over PM or something) to take on the role. It makes more sense in my eyes that IC development should determine whether or not one of you becomes the murderer. The player who's the murderer will be communicating and collaborating with me over the PM system, and telling me who they want to kill using this method. Though this player will have control over how the murders happen, it'll be written by me in my IC posts and the killer won't appear 'on screen' during these events unless they're discovered by someone apart from the victim. During this collaboration, if the victim is presented with a chance to defend themselves or otherwise react then they will become part of the collaboration but will remain in the dark about who the murderer is, and the posts will be written as such so that the murderer remains mysterious. I expect the murderer to not be petty about things by selecting victims based off OOC disagreements or grudges. Also, keep in mind that being the murderer doesn't protect you from the other things that can kill characters off. It's also possible for the murders to fail or backfire. While the information in this whole opening post should've make it clear that the murder game isn't the main element of the role-play (and the discussion in the interest check made this clearer), I've decided to rewrite this rule to make that it more apparent too. The reasoning behind using this murderer system is that, while solving other mysteries can be the main focus of the plot, it's a lot more psychological and intense if you all know that at any moment one of your characters could be trying to kill the others.
- No god-modding, controlling other people's characters (or the NPCs), or using OOC knowledge to gain an advantage in the IC. You're free to use the OOC to discuss and collaborate various aspects of your IC posts, but I don't want to see any sort of situation where the characters suddenly start gaining knowledge or insight that's unrealistic just because their writer has this information. It's a common rule of role-play -- the writers exist in the fourth wall and can see the fictional world on a grander scale, but the characters (under normal circumstances at least) must always remain within the boundaries of their own subjective experiences. Obviously, this includes trying to uncover mysteries or work out who the murderer is through means outside of activity within the IC -- you could get killed off if I have reason to think you're doing this. It doesn't matter if it's through the OOC, PM, or making the character notice something that character wouldn't. Any instance of this will be considered 'power gaming' and therefore not properly writing the character, and attempts to exploit some sort of 'meta' (outside of the character's knowledge) in general's no different. The same goes for characters suddenly cooperating with each other or gaining new insight into the situation when nothing in the actual IC activity justified it. In general, all relationship building and problem solving should occur within context of the IC, so don't let anything outside of it influence it or it'll be considered foul play. Naturally, your characters (including whoever's the murderer) aren't aware of anything in the IC that doesn't happen immediately around them, unless someone else explains it to them in the IC to get them up to date. The only exception to this rule is that the murderer and I will be collaborating over PM, but this will only involve their murders since they're in danger just like the rest of you.
- The role-play will be working on a timeline or sorts, with time passing occasionally and moving to day/afternoon/evening/night. Don't change the time of day yourself, because my posts will be giving dates and specifying what time of the day it is, so players will be writing according to those. I'll be trying to be fairly lenient with this and I won't suddenly shift the time in a way that interrupts the current player interactions, but it'll still be happening at various points.
- I expect you to post at the very least two decent paragraphs worth of content, and maintain an acceptable level of grammar and punctuation. I'm not expecting you to get everything perfect or write a novel, but the quality of the role-play will be sabotaged if people can't keep things coherent and reasonably detailed -- your fellow role-players can't give a realistic reaction without a decent amount of detail to respond to. Don't kill the immersion for the other players. In order to maintain coherency, make sure you post in the third person -- I know not everyone does this, but it's jarring to see one post in third person and then suddenly the next one shifts to first person. In general, keep in mind that this role-play has the 'Advanced' tag, and I consider there to be a lot more behind that tag than simply post length. Detail and quality are essential.
- Sexual content, or 'smut' as it's been dubbed by most people here, is prohibited from being displayed on the site outside of the PM system, and I expect you to follow that standard in this role-play as well. Don't go posting up that kind of scene in this role-play even if characters do end up becoming romantic with each other, because it's against the rules and isn't the focus of this role-play. Just for the record, it's perfectly fine for people to be flirty or romantic with each other - or even be sensual or become intimate - but no blatantly pornographic material here, m'kay? I'm not outright expecting a relationship here to grow that strong between characters, but it's realistically possible and I won't deny it existing due to that basis if it does happen -- just keep the explicit stuff 'off screen'. Hinting and insinuating is fine, and so is being seductive or mature to an extent, but actual sex scenes should be avoided entirely in posts. If you really want to do it, that's what PMs are for.
- Don't join this role-play if you're gonna be lazy or whimsical about it. I don't expect you to post every single day, but failing to do so within a week or so will likely result in you being killed off unless there's a very good reason. I don't want this role-play getting held up for everyone else due to you not posting, especially since this role-play requires all the players in order to function properly. I'm hardly expecting people to write too much, so posting regularly shouldn't be an issue unless people don't put in the effort. Make sure to earnestly keep up to date on the OOC (at the very least whenever you're given an [ @Mention ] by someone) and definitely the entire IC, and keep track of any important updates in the OOC's opening post. You're not obligated to read the entire OOC, but anyone who doesn't realize something's going to happen because they didn't keep up with the OOC will be held accountable for it -- I won't be blamed for other people not reading.
- Avoid tossing the [ @Mention ] feature into the IC posts, since everyone should be keeping up to date on the IC and OOC notifications in order to know if and when something demands a response from them. While this feature can be useful in certain role-plays, I want to avoid it here. Basically, keep IC and OOC where they belong in general. Considering people should be reading the entire IC, and will be getting notified in the OOC when they need to post, there's no reason to use this feature in the IC.
- Generally speaking, your IC posts should include your character's location as part of your 'header'. While a map will be provided, it makes things easier for everyone to follow if there's some specifications of where you are. I'm also thinking people should have the name of their character in the 'header', while portraits are optional (make sure they aren't excessively large if you use a portrait, and also keep it consistent with the one you've selected in the CS). As a default rule, you're free to customize the layout of your IC posts as you see fit so long as they meet all the rules here in the OOC, but avoid making things difficult to read.
- Whenever you write up a collaboration with someone for the IC, make sure you include their name(s) in your header to credit their contribution. This is the only instance where I'll accept people breaking the rule about not using the [ @Mention ] feature in the IC; in fact, I want you to give credit to them specifically by using it.
~
Character Sheets Guide
The following is the information needed in order to get a character sheet accepted for the role-play. Use the template code given below and replace the '~' symbols with the appropriate data. Underneath the code you'll also find a guide for exactly what needs to be filled into each area. Make sure you fill in the information the way it's explained in that hider.
Note that there are two character sheets -- one of them 'Public' and the other 'Private'. I'm expecting you to fill them both out, but only post the 'Public' one in the OOC for registration (and copy/paste it into the character tab once accepted). The other one is to be sent directly to me through PM, and that's where it'll remain stored. This is because certain information about your characters will remain secret and have to be discovered through the IC, but obviously certain characters (such as Lucifer Van Bonaparte) know a lot more about your character than they seemingly should -- they invited you here for a reason, after all.
Keep in mind that providing all the information listed is obligatory unless stated otherwise. Also, both the 'Public CS' and the 'Private CS' must be accepted by me before you can post your 'Public CS' into the character tab, so don't do it before then.
Since people've brought up character sheet stylization - which I'm encouraging (within reason), especially since I'm likely not gonna use the default style in the code either - I've decided to include a brief list of regulations involving what you're allowed to do or not allowed to do, in a hider. Keep in mind that if the character sheet hurts my eyes in some way I might ask you do change it, so don't be too drastic (the rules should explain this fairly well).
Now for the character sheets themselves:
Public CS
[hider=<Insert Character's Full Name>]
[img]~[/img]
[b]Name:[/b] ~
[b]Also Known As:[/b] ~
[b]Birthdate:[/b] ~ ~, ~
[b]Place of Origin:[/b] ~, ~, ~
[b]Ethnicity:[/b] ~
[b]Gender:[/b] ~
[b]Height:[/b] ~ / ~
[b]Weight:[/b] ~ / ~
[b]Laterality:[/b] ~
[b]Occupation:[/b] ~
[b]Marital Status:[/b] ~
[b]Appearance:[/b] ~
[b]Synopsis:[/b] ~
[b]Notes:[/b] [list][*] ~
[*] ~
[*] ~[/list]
[b]Theme Music:[/b]
[url=<Insert YouTube link>]<Insert Theme Music Name>[/url][/hider]
Private CS
[hider=<Insert Character's Full Name>]
[b]Personality:[/b] ~
[b]Biography:[/b] ~
[b]Wish:[/b] ~
[b]Secrets:[/b] [list][*] ~
[*] ~
[*] ~[/list][/hider]
~
Interest Check Link
Considering a lot of OOC discussion happened in this interest check in comparison to most - at least from what I can tell of this site - it makes sense to include a link to the previous conversation here for reference.
Here's the link: π²πππ π½πππππ'π π²πππππ {Interest Check}
~
Discord Channel
While I personally feel like the OOC should be the most reliable means of communication between people in a role-play, this is actually the first site I've been on which includes the OOC feature. With this in mind, I'm used to communicating with people through C-box or PM regularly, or through IM programs. While it isn't exactly my most familiar program, I've decided to create a Discord chat for the role-play.
You can find the link to it here: π²πππ π½πππππ'π π²πππππ {Discord}
Note that due to a strange error I'm having with Discord, some people's messages (including some of my own) disappear from the conversation logs after I come back to Discord after having closed the page for a bit. It's entirely possible that messages sent to me since the last time I logged in will do this too, so I want anything important to be brought up in the OOC or through a PM instead -- that way I'll definitely get them.
~
Copyright Information
'Grim Reaper's Gambit' is a unique project created by me that's not based off any outside licensed work; however, it's also very loosely connected to my main story project known as 'Guardian Ascension', which is an original work that's Β© of me (James Koutsoukis; also known as @Shoryu Magami on RPGuild). For more information regarding 'Guardian Ascension', check my user bio's entry involving it, which will likely update in the future.
While the connections between the two works are minor and will not cause one work to impede or interfere the other, certain characters or concepts which are my owned by me through 'Guardian Ascension' are likely to come up in this role-play, even more so if the players manage to unlock certain mysteries. Those characters and concepts, as well as those unique to 'Grim Reaper's Gambit', aren't something to be used by other people outside of this role-play for any reason without my consent.
Naturally, as this is a role-play, any characters and concepts introduced by the members who join this role-play are their own work, and I don't claim ownership or rights to those ideas (unless they're fundamentally connected to my own ideas) in the same way I expect others not to claim or use my own works. While the characters or other concepts I've introduced into this role-play are my own creations and property, the artwork used to represent them and other things (sometimes involving personal edits) aren't unless I state otherwise at some point, so I don't claim ownership to those pictures either. The same goes for any music which I link to this thread for the purpose of atmosphere. Similarly, the artwork and music used by the other members likely aren't their own property unless stated otherwise.
I'm stating this because I've had issues with this sort of thing come up in my past, even if they were for the most part nothing serious. I'm incredibly protective and passionate about my projects and I won't tolerate or forgive attempts to steal them, either from my members or from guests reading our work. Similarly, I take steps to protect other people's work. I've got no idea if this site actually has any sort of official rules regarding this information, so I'm listing it here.
1x Like
