Codename: Crypt Worm - The Red, White and Blue
February, 1943.
The Second World War, the most bitter conflict since that which they hoped would be the war to end all wars, is raging across the face of Europe, Africa and in Asia, in tides that move back and forth between the Axis Powers and those of the Allied Forces; in Sicily the Italian forces, disheartened and beginning to regret their lot in this war, are easily swept aside by American and British troops, while in Russia the siege of Stalingrad has ended with the surrender of the German 6th Army.
Russia, that land of endless plains and an enemy who disappears into the landscape, had become a graveyard for many German servicemen and a thorn in the side of Adolf Hitler that may well eventually break him. While the US and Britain push in from the south and west, Russia throws herself against the Nazi scourge in the east, and time is ticking for Germany...time which they do not have.
In an action that der Furher believes could turn the tide back in the favour of his Third Reich, he had given permission to Himmler and his research society of the SS - The Ahnenerbe - charged with reinventing the Germanic and Nordic past of the German people. Having already established a mythos - an odd mingling of pseudo-history, Atlantean and Aryan theory, and neo-Pagan philosophy and symbolism - that is being readily taught to the next generation of young Germans, Hitler now instructs his subordinate to use whatever means necessary to bring Germany an advantage that can win them the war and eventually the world.
It so happens that whilst digging in Iran he discovered something odd, something ancient, something that many might well describe as evil...
A series of papyri scrolls, it is said, containing information relating to a creature, a demonic parasite by most sparse accounts, capable of making man immortal - though not invulnerable to harm - when allowed to enter the body. There are reports through time of similar creatures, some scholars claiming that the numerous Egyptian Pharoahs named Ramses were in fact the very same person, proof that allowing such a thing inside would provide an escape from death and everlasting life.
At what cost?
There are forces at work of which little is known, and of which even less is blinded by the light of day, and - knowing at least that the Nazis are up to something, dabbling in things that they should not be - the Allies have set about forming an organisation to oppose whatever esoteric ideas and supposed dangers that Himmler and his cronies may produce. It goes at this point by the codename 'The Red, White and Blue' after the colour of uniforms worn by French, American Continental and British regulars during the eighteenth century, and has already established a headquarters beneath the catacombs of Edinburgh, Scotland.
What is now needed are men and women, servicemen and civilians, of stout constitution and a very open mind - these...parasites...will most certainly not be the only thing that the Nazis have been working on, or that they have discovered so far, and to face the unknown without an open mind is something that is both short-sighted and reckless. To this end the R.W.B have sent out messages, by written message through a series of couriers, to wherever suitable candidates may be found!
Whether in a warzone across the sea, in their home in America, in a mountain fastness in Russia, or even in a ghetto in the heart of Germany itself. Instructions contained within these messages will get the candidates to Edinburgh and a hotel called 'The Bonnie Prince', there they will find their own fully supplied rooms and little else until they are called upon to do their part.
Genre:
I intend to blend elements from multiple genres in the process of this RP - from the occult and fantastical or films such as Hellboy, to the more 'real' 40's elements of Saving Private Ryan, Agent Carter, and others.
Of course there are many more, I've just drawn a blank at the moment!
In brief, there is the usual Nazi-tracking capers of the Indiana Jones franchise (all three of them...), mingled with a spot of nineteen-forties Men in Black, added to a dash of dieselpunk and more darker tones of horror and possibly even some sci-fi in the mix.
The Setting:
This RP is set in the world of the nineteen-forties, midway or so through the Second World War, the Allies are gaining ground over the Axis but there is still all to 'play' for in this worldwide conflict.
The role of the participants/players in this will be a more behind-the-scenes one; covert operations behind enemy lines, blending in and out of a civilian crowd, covering up things that the rest of humanity perhaps should not know at this point in time. In this vein there will be technology involved that could not possibly exist in this period, but may well do not far in the future, where men die on the front line while it may transpire that the Atom bomb has already been invented and then passed over for something of even greater killing power...such as fuel-powered war machines?
Your characters are freshly recruited members of a covert (covert...covert...) organisation given form by the highest links of the Allied chain, known only to the top brass and those that are a part of it, to have been selected your character must be unique - that means special in some way, although not necessarily the top of their field, or indeed of any field! This is a setting in which I would like characters to evolve, to be given an interesting basic form and then carried forward to greater things. Perhaps you have a crippled veteran? Maybe he could possibly be given an artifical limb ahead of its time? Or a civilian female munitions worker with a knack for making explosives? Or a defecting German scientist intent on stopping his countrymen? A priest?
They may not know why they have been selected, at least not at first, but rest assured that I shall soon take care of that.
Things of Note - Please Read
- - This setting is during the 1940's and WWII, an era of development and a possible bright future, a time when Glenn Miller and Big Band music was king and fashion was generally pretty dapper. You do not need to be an expert on the time period, but keeping in the character of the time is something I would like and advise, that includes the manners and speech of your characters.
- The supernatural/unknown is a big part of this RP, meaning that there are things going which, if leaked to the public, could quite literally blow peoples minds! Characters should react accordingly when confronted by this I.E. No seeing a hidden underground super-secret-base and having your character not even bat an eye.
- You do not need to be a historian to RP here, and I'll be around to assist anyone that might have any questions or problems.
- Be inventive! Your character can come from almost anywhere in the world, as long as they have a reason, and will most probably (but not categorically) possess a set of skills, a defect, or something that make them stand out from the common day men or women in some way.
- The group will travel by sea, mount or walking, so you may want to see this as a good time for character interaction and development.
- Rules wide, you should all know the drill! No godmoding, steering the RP off course and so forth. If you could post at least once a week, if not more I would also appreciate it. I also reserve the right to kill of anyone who is holding up the RP, or who disappears without trace - if you are going to be absent, or wish to leave, please just tell me in a PM or in the thread.
- Writing requirements will be 'advanced' ; I don't expect novels from anyone, and will readily allow a few mistakes here and there, but you need to be able to string a paragraph (or a number of them) together.
- Please spend time on your character sheet, as this is what I'll be referring to quite a bit, there is no need to rush it!
- Lastly, the characters have each been found - by some means which you can explain in your profile (or not) - by a rather average looking person with an easily forgettable face. This person, perhaps dressed in uniform or not, has then handed them a written telegraph containing instructions that will lead them to the RWB base in Scotland. Each one is signed by the highest ranking member of your nation (excluding Germans or occupied nations, of course) which will allow no questions to be asked by others; the exact wording of the telegraph I will also allow you to invent yourselves, though I imagine they would allow follow a similar format.
Character Sheet
Please submit your character sheets by TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22nd. Please PM the completed sheet to me first, and after I have approved it you may post it into the Character tab of this thread. Anyone who may need an extension for this, please just tell me.
Full Name: Your character's name. A pretty obvious one, so enough said.
Age & Date of Birth: Obvious.
Gender: Obvious.
Place of Birth and Residence: Where were they born, where do they live (or are based for the military folk) at this moment in time?
Religion: If they have any at all.
Appearance: A written description of your character's appearance, this includes usual attire as well as any distinguishing features such as missing limbs or scars. No pictures, please.
Personality: What kind of person is your character, what are their motivations etc, and how do they interact with others?
Skills: What skills do they possess, how did they come by them, what have they used/been using them for?
Equipment/Armament: What do they bring with them/carry on their person? Be sensible when deciding, as weight and wealth are both an issue. If they are part of the military and regularly carry weapons of some form, please include that here as well.
History: A sketch of your character's life and history up to the point of arriving in Edinburgh and the hotel there, which is where we shall begin our questing; give me three solid paragraphs, at least, please.
Miscellaneous: Anything you want to mention but haven't been able to cover yet? This can include ambitions, goals, and so forth.
Full Name: Your character's name. A pretty obvious one, so enough said.
Age & Date of Birth: Obvious.
Gender: Obvious.
Place of Birth and Residence: Where were they born, where do they live (or are based for the military folk) at this moment in time?
Religion: If they have any at all.
Appearance: A written description of your character's appearance, this includes usual attire as well as any distinguishing features such as missing limbs or scars. No pictures, please.
Personality: What kind of person is your character, what are their motivations etc, and how do they interact with others?
Skills: What skills do they possess, how did they come by them, what have they used/been using them for?
Equipment/Armament: What do they bring with them/carry on their person? Be sensible when deciding, as weight and wealth are both an issue. If they are part of the military and regularly carry weapons of some form, please include that here as well.
History: A sketch of your character's life and history up to the point of arriving in Edinburgh and the hotel there, which is where we shall begin our questing; give me three solid paragraphs, at least, please.
Miscellaneous: Anything you want to mention but haven't been able to cover yet? This can include ambitions, goals, and so forth.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
