Vanaheim is a city of unknown origins, one that clearly shows its age with many centuries of architecture lining its streets, but one that also verges on the hypermodern when you approach its downtown. Busy streets are constantly bathed in neon lights and those in residential areas slept tucked away within brownstones and Gothic boarding houses. For as long as anyone can remember, Vanaheim has been called home by everyday average humans as well as supernatural beings. They have lived in harmony, if not always in equality, for many years. However, this general peace has not stopped the horrors that often come along with city living. Arson, theft, rape, murder, and otherwise indescribable scenes that had to be the work of something beyond what humans are capable of, all have occurred within Vanaheim. The police, a predominantly human organization stretched thin by the sheer amount of urban sprawl they must safeguard, can't always do much against the more inexplicable cases that cross their desks, meaning they often go unsolved. Citizens have long expressed their dismay about this fact, but with more mundane crimes demanding the same level of attention, there's very little that can be done.

Here enters a mysterious benefactor. The second son of Dyer Pharmaceuticals, Adam Dyer, has put aside an enormous sum of money in order to solve that very problem. One evening, seemingly out of the blue, a handful of convicts were assigned prestigious lawyers to conduct appeals, bail was paid, and they were all in the process of being released. Concerned citizens with particular talents were sought out and treated to a well-worded document about Dyer's cause. Officers were transferred from the precinct to a "special assignment". Adam was making something happen in Vanaheim that had never been attempted before. He was creating a team composed both of humans and supernatural creatures and using all of the resources at his disposal to assist them in ensuring the bizarre crimes that had long plagued their city would finally be solved.

Why? Adam still hasn't come forth with his motivation for funding such an enterprise, but seeing as the mad dash to assemble a team came hot on the heels of the presses finally addressing the latest oddity in Vanaheim, so-called "psions", now calling these otherwise average humans with limited "powers", if you will, a medical rarity and not seen as a threat, many have theorized that the younger Dyer brother has some interest in the psion case. Nonetheless, the millionaire is willing to play vigilante (with the bodies of others, of course) and Vanaheim could certainly benefit from some more unconventional investigation.

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[hider=CS]Name:
Age:
Sex:
Race: (See Races tab)
Background: (One word here. Were you a convict, an officer, or a citizen before Dyer brought you along?)
Appearance: (Text and a picture would be preferable, but either/or works)
Biography: (Go into more detail about the one-word answer above. History, personality, and the likes all go here.)
Stats: (See FRAMES tab below)
Traits: (You will be able to give your character two custom traits to start off with. I will be approving these, so feel free to throw ideas out there and I will tell you if they work and give you pointers if they don't.)[/hider]
[hider=FRAMES]Much like in traditional console and tabletop RPGs, your character will have stats broken up into categories. From 0-10, 0 means you have no skill whatsoever in that field and penalties may even occur, 1 means you're competent and have a very basic grasp of that stat (5 is where you get to reliable knowledge), and 10 of course means legendary proficiency. Don't be afraid of 0s if you really want to boost up a certain skill, but just know that it's going to be like giving your character a gun to hold for the first time when it comes down to using that stat. Could go surprisingly well, could end with someone bleeding on the sidewalk.

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You will have 30 points to distribute between 6 stats, known as the FRAMES stats. Make sure you build your FRAMES to suit your playstyle:

Focus: Things such as lock-picking, taking aim, and resisting distractions require incredible focus. This is a mental trait, covering both intelligence in a mechanical sense and mental will, but it also extends to sensitivity to magic and signals a proclivity towards it later.

Resistance: Resistance is endurance, but on a broader scale. It means you can take hits and run for longer distances, as endurance always means, but it also extends to things such as alcohol tolerance, poison tolerance, and others.

Acrobatics: Speed, the ability to dodge, flexibility, and free-running skills all fit under the umbrella of acrobatics. It makes you more at ease in navigating the city, especially in case of combat in an unusual locale or giving chase.

Might: Brute strength. Good for melee characters, allows you to carry heavier things and generally function as the muscle for the group. Leads to an intimidating presence which can be useful for intimidation.

Expertise: Book-smarts and niche knowledge, particularly with technology, allow you to be handy with crafting, hacking, repairing, medicine, and other scientifically-minded pursuits which would require some prior knowledge, such as through a trade.

Subterfuge: Being charming, lying through your teeth, and sneaking around are all in your wheelhouse. This allows you to be a proficient pickpocket, thief, and public speaker. Deception is your art, and you use both your words and your body to perform.[/hider]
[hider=Races]Humans: Your run of the mill human being with no extraordinary powers to speak of. However, that doesn't mean they can't be a valuable asset to the team. Humans are the most numerous group in Vanaheim and they come from all walks of life, providing their own unique point of view and skills. They tend to be the most adaptable. (+1 to Expertise)

Draugr: A corporeal ghost, or in other words, a being who has died but retains their body and walks among the living, cursed to remain on earth because of lingering desires. Pale, gaunt, and requiring the life force of others to survive, many consider draugrs to be a type of vampire, but they don't burn up in the sunlight. Some draugr are born out of strong, unfulfilled ambitions, but most are the result of curses, and thanks to their extended lifespan, they often have perfected the art of living undetected, or taking full advantage of their state of being by taking up much more social pursuits. (+1 to Subterfuge)

Elves: The second most populous group in Vanaheim, elves tend to live in relatively "worse" conditions than humans. Part of that is because of the elven desire to be closer to nature rather than enclosed in concrete, but it is much more likely to relate to the fact that most elves found it hard to break into the industrial sector and thus many had to turn to less admirable pursuits to make money, including thievery. Others use their natural grace in order to become celebrities within Vanaheim, known for acting, dancing, or musical pursuits. (+1 to Acrobatics)

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Psions: Physically identical to humans, psions are a new breed of creature, which science is still stuggling to understand. Psions appear to have limited powers, usually of the mental and psychic variety, and many have begun to use these abilities to become formidable criminals. There is much speculation regarding these individuals and what they mean for Vanaheim. (+1 to Focus)

Werebeast: Having been bitten by a werebeast, these individuals transform into werebeasts themselves. Many types are known about, the most common being canid-werebeasts and feline-werebeasts, though there have been reports of much more unusual species. Many exhibit physical traits reminiscent of whichever animal it is they transform into. Transformation occurs, to an extent, every night. Closer to the full moon, transformation becomes much stronger, causing the form of the werebeast to shift to a completely animal state, last much longer, and usually results in vicious behavior. (+1 to Might)

Dwarves: Shorter and stockier than the average human, dwarves are hard-working members of Vanaheim's society, usually working jobs that require large amounts of physical labor. Renowned for their endurance, love of alcohol, and close family relations, they are regarded as the most welcome supernaturals in Vanaheim. They usually stay out of trouble, being a practical race, besides a few bar brawls. (+1 to Resistance)[/hider]
[hider=Vanaheim]As a city, Vanaheim features many unique districts.

Downtown: The premier shopping and entertainment district, Vanaheim's downtown never sleeps, and offers all sorts of dining, movies, theatre, clubs, and other pleasant distractions. During the day, salons, bakeries, and video stores do god business, but everyone agrees that night is the premier time of day for this district.

Crier Docks: A series of piers, ports, and harbors along the water, Crier Docks and the surrounding area is known to be nothing short of seedy. The warehouses are home to criminal activity just as often as they are home to imported goods. Gang violence is known to be on the rise, and at night, the only people who can be found roaming the streets are prostitutes, pimps, and wanabee punks. Crier Docks is also home to an unfinished amusement park that sits atop a pier.

Westerly Heights: The premier residential and commercial district of Vanaheim, occupied by old and new money alike, it is home to mansions, astronomically expensive fine dining, and a permanently upturned nose.

Haven Plaza: Home to affordable living and office rentals, most small businesses set up shop here, as do chains, doctors, and others. Most of the day to day life for the majority of people occurs within this expanse, and as it houses all income brackets and attracts all sorts of individuals, it varies on an almost daily basis just how safe a community it is. The library and a few museums are located here.

Havenside: The area surrounding Haven Plaza which is mainly residential. It serves as a type of suburb for Vanaheim, playing host to its schools and the majority of families. The first national bank of Vanaheim was built here centuries ago.

Industrial District: Uncreatively named, this district is home to factories, big banks, smog, traffic, and the majority of studio apartments wherein one would find cockroaches. Incredibly urban and cramped, it is not much of a place to live, but it serves as the economic heart and soul of Vanaheim. The Dyer Pharmaceuticals building is located here.

Gifford Row: A small section of Vanaheim that has become synonymous with the psion gangs. Once controlled by a far-reaching crime syndicate, they have recently been challenged by the various upstart psion gangs. The prison is still located here.

Somerset Station: Known as Sunset Station by most, Somerset is an area on the outskirts of Vanaheim, which once served as a train station. Service to that stop has long since ceased, but the tracks remain and the community built up around it tends to be home to many of the elves in Vanaheim. Economically depressed, there's really no reason to visit except to patronize local businesses, which usually run farm stands or sell hand-crafted items.[/hider]

[b]Rules[/b]

1. Obey all forum rules and be civil. Cooperative storytelling's the name of the game, and keeping disagreements respectful will go a long way, as will not spamming the OOC or derailing the IC.

2. Seeing as this is the Advanced section, try to keep spelling and grammar on the clean side. Run your post through a spellcheck if you don't trust yourself to be able to fix the glaring errors.

3. Let me know when/if you can't post. We will figure out if the RP will move on a weekly or biweekly basis, depending on what works best for everyone's schedule. If you want to do a collab, please get it started early in the cycle. If you won't be able to post, let me know so I can figure out how best to bring your characters along with the plot.

4. Dice rolls will decide the results of some actions in this RP, meaning that if your character finds him or herself in trouble, there is a chance of death. If that happens, don't worry. I'll allow you to make another.

[i]If you are interested in joining, please post something in the OOC first and submit your character to the Characters tab.[/i]